Category: World

The Marine Conservation Society is now urging the government to introduce a deposit scheme for plastic bottles.

The number of plastic bags found on Britain’s beaches has fallen by 80% since the introduction of a levy around a decade ago, new figures show.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which monitors litter on the shoreline, is now urging the government to build on the success by introducing a deposit scheme for plastic bottles, which are a growing problem.

According to the charity, 4,684 plastic bags were recorded last year by volunteers doing beach cleans around the country.

That’s an average of one bag on every 100m of beach surveyed – down from five per 100m in 2014.

Wales was the first UK nation to bring in a levy on plastic bags in 2011. England was the last to introduce the 5p levy in 2015, which increased to 10p in 2021.

Lizzie Price, beachwatch manager at the MCS, told Sky News: “It shows how just a small charge like 5p can make everyone think twice and look towards more sustainable alternatives.

“But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.

“We need broader policies that charge or ban more single-use items where possible such as the proposed deposit return schemes for plastic bottles, cans, and glass.”

MCS data shows that between 2022 and 2023 the number of plastic bottles found on beaches increased by 14%.

The last government proposed putting deposits on bottles to encourage recycling in 2017. But it has been delayed until at least 2027 as it struggled to agree the scheme with businesses.

Similar deposit systems in other countries have dramatically reduced the number of bottles littered in the environment.

The new government says it will take another look at changes to packaging, including deposits on bottles.

It also wants binding regulations as part of a Global Plastics Treaty.

Talks involving 175 nations have been bogged down by lobbying of the fossil fuel industry. Oil is the raw ingredient of plastic, and some countries have been pushing back on proposals to reduce the production of the material.

But Lucy Woodall, associate professor of marine conservation and policy at Exeter University, said the amount of new plastic being made must be significantly reduced.

“I don’t think we can solve the plastic crisis just by using waste management,” she said.

“We know that there’s mismanaged waste. We know that as plastic pollution gets out into the environment, it’s going to get into places that we just can’t clean up, like the middle of the deep sea where I work.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/could-a-tax-on-plastic-bottles-solve-the-plastic-pollution-on-the-uks-shores-13185406

Anti-cybercrime officers are also probing the release of personal data on social networks.

French police have opened an investigation into death threats received by three Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games.

The Paris prosecutors’ office said anti-cybercrime officers are also probing the release of competitors’ personal data on social networks and trying to have it removed.

Meanwhile, Olympics organisers said they have asked French authorities to investigate anti-Semitic gestures during Israel’s men’s football match against Paraguay on Saturday.

The Israeli national anthem was booed by some at the Parc des Princes, where there was also a “Genocide Olympics” banner and Palestinian flags on display.

Fans with the banner and flags were seen being removed from the stands by stewards as Paraguay went on to win the Group D game 4-2.

Paris 2024 organisers told Sky News: “During the men’s football match between Israel and Paraguay at the Parc des Princes on 27 July, a banner bearing a political message was displayed and anti-Semitic gestures were made.

“Paris 2024 strongly condemns these acts. A complaint has been lodged by Paris 2024, which is at the disposal of the authorities to assist with the investigation.”

Against the background of the ongoing conflict with Gaza, Israeli athletes in Paris are being escorted to and from events by elite tactical units and given 24-hour protection, according to officials.

Some 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Games.

Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, is helping with security and an Israeli diplomatic source said they had “total support for the measures that are being taken by the French authorities”.

“This sends an important message to individuals and organisations attempting to threaten athletes,” the source added.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/french-police-investigate-death-threats-to-israeli-athletes-at-paris-olympics-13186508

The Scottish sports coach was best known as the umpire in the original ITV show, which aired between 1992 and 2000, and the revamped Sky series in 2008.

The Gladiators referee who said the iconic line “Gladiators ready! Contenders ready!” has died at the age of 92, the TV show said.

John Anderson was best known as the umpire in the original ITV show, which aired between 1992 and 2000, and the revamped Sky series in 2008.

The Scottish sports coach trained more than 100 Olympians and was inducted into the Coaching Hall of Fame in 2002.

The official Gladiators Instagram account shared a statement saying: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved referee, John Anderson, at the age of 92.

“Our hearts go out to his friends and family. John will forever be remembered as the iconic voice that brought us ‘Gladiators Ready! Contenders Ready!’.”

He would follow the catchphrase with a countdown, saying: “Three, two, one.”

Mark Clattenburg, the referee in the current BBC show which began earlier this year, said: “One of the most iconic voices and will always be remembered.

“I had the most difficult task to follow him in the new series of Gladiators and watching him keep the Gladiators within the rules will always be with me!! Rest in peace legend!!”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/gladiators-ready-contenders-ready-iconic-gladiators-referee-john-anderson-dies-13186548

Typhoon Gaemi has already killed 34 people in the Philippines and 10 in Taiwan. It caused a landslide in Yuelin village near Hengyang city, Hunan province, which fell on a homestay at around 8am on Sunday.

Fifteen people have died in a landslide in China as the country battles deadly Typhoon Gaemi.

The deaths are the first to be linked to the tropical storm in China, which made landfall there on Thursday.

Gaemi has already killed 34 people in the Philippines and 10 in Taiwan.

Elsewhere in China, digital news outlet The Paper published a picture of a delivery driver in Shanghai who it claims died after being hit by a falling tree amid strong winds.

The mudslide in Yuelin village near Hengyang city, Hunan province, fell on a homestay at around 8am on Sunday, state media reports.

It happened after 12in (30cm) of rain fell in just 24 hours.

Six people were injured and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Beauty sports in Hunan, which is in southeastern China, were closed ahead of the landslide on Sunday.

30,000 evacuated in northern China

The arc of the tropical storm has also brought heavy rain to Liaoning province, northeast of China – around 1,200 miles away from the Yuelin landslide.

Tests carried out on Saturday “revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held”.

Sunday’s training session for the Olympic triathlon event in Paris has been cancelled due to unsafe levels of pollution in the River Seine.

Triathlon events are due to start on Tuesday with the men’s race.

But tests carried out on Saturday “revealed water quality levels that in the view of the international federation, World Triathlon, did not provide sufficient guarantees to allow the event to be held”, Paris 2024 said in a statement.

The heightened pollution levels are the result of the heavy rain that blighted the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday and initial outdoor events on Saturday, they added.

Preparations for the running and cycling sections of the triathlon are going ahead as planned on Sunday.

Organisers say they are “confident” water levels will return to normal to allow triathletes to swim in the water on Tuesday.

Experts are convening at around 4am each morning to assess water quality levels.

Paris officials have spent €1.4bn in a bid to improve water quality ahead of the Games.

This includes the installation of a 46,000 cubic metre storage basin near the Gare d’Austerlitz train station on the Seine’s left bank.

The basin holds the equivalent of 20 Olympic pools’ worth of rain and wastewater, which helps reduce toxicity levels seeping into the river.

Seine swimming banned in 1923

Parisians were banned from swimming in the Seine a century ago, with Olympic athletes last allowed to do so at the first Paris Olympic Games in 1900.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the water earlier this month to prove the water is clean enough.

She had originally planned to swim in the river last month but was forced to delay after tests indicated the presence of faecal matter 10 times higher than authorised limits.

Ms Hidalgo was joined by Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet but there was no sign of President Emmanuel Macron who had suggested he would also take the plunge.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/paris-olympics-triathlon-training-cancelled-due-to-unsafe-pollution-levels-in-river-seine-13186205

Beauty pageants were once a springboard for fame and influence, but social media might be a better platform for that, says beauty publisher Kristen Juliet Soh.

Miss Universe Singapore’s recent announcement allowing married women, divorcees and mothers to compete has sparked a conversation about inclusivity.

The new policy is certainly a step forward towards dismantling outdated notions of femininity and opening doors for a wider range of women.

However, the inclusion of a minimum height requirement of 1.68m raises eyebrows. This seemingly arbitrary figure is above the average height of Singaporean women, potentially excluding a significant number of pageant hopefuls.

This inconsistency highlights a broader question: Are pageants truly embracing inclusivity, or is it more of a marketing manoeuvre to win social approval and increase ratings?

In a leaked video of what appeared to be an internal Miss Universe meeting in October 2023, co-owner Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip said that allowing diverse contestants to apply is only a “communication strategy”, and that they can compete but cannot win.

This certainly goes against the inclusive image of recent pageants that featured burkini-wearing, plus-sized and transgender contestants, and draws doubts towards the intentions of the organisers.

SOCIAL MEDIA A BETTER PLATFORM FOR FAME AND ADVOCACY
Historically, pageants have been springboards for careers in the limelight, with former Miss Universe Singapore contestants like Eunice Olsen and Rebecca Lim achieving significant success in show business.

However, the allure of beauty pageants as a launchpad to fame is fading. Social media platforms have democratised the path to stardom, offering quicker and more direct routes through content creation, audience engagement and brand partnerships.

Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube allow individuals to showcase their talents, share their stories and build personal brands without the pressure to conform to specific beauty ideals.

Personal trainer and influencer Tyen Rasif, a former Miss Universe Singapore contestant, discussed how she participated in 2018 because she saw the pageant as a platform for her to advocate for causes she is passionate about.

She shared that her participation negatively impacted her self-esteem.

In a 2019 YouTube video and more recently on Instagram, she said the experience made her lose sight of her initial objective of promoting bodybuilding and fitness. She was, ironically, pressured to “lose muscle” in order to blend in with the rest of the contestants.

Social media, in contrast, empowers individuals like Ms Rasif to advocate for their passions authentically, reaching a wider audience without the constraints of a pageant format.

TODAY’S MEDIA LANDSCAPE DEMANDS AUTHENTICITY
The need for a genuine redefinition of beauty in pageantry is paramount. The focus on unrealistic physical standards can be detrimental to contestants’ mental well-being.

Organisers must address the systemic issues within the industry, including allegations of sexual harassment and the pressure to conform to narrow beauty ideals.

Moving forward, beauty pageants could eliminate height and weight requirements entirely. Additionally, prioritising mental health support for contestants and ensuring genuinely fair opportunities regardless of background or appearance would be crucial steps.

The changing media landscape demands authenticity. People crave genuine stories and relatable figures. Beauty pageants can tap into this by celebrating diverse narratives and empowering participants. Platforms that elevate individual strengths, talents and causes can resonate with audiences seeking real connections.

Imagine a pageant that showcases beauty beyond conventional standards: A scientist’s groundbreaking research alongside an artist’s stunning performance or an entrepreneur’s innovative idea.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-miss-universe-beauty-standards-pageant-inclusive-social-media-diversity-4506846

One person died and six others got injured following a mass shooting at Maplewood Park in Rochester, New York, on Sunday. The shooting occurred around 6:20 pm (local time), during a large gathering in the park.

The deceased victim was in their 20s, while another person was in life-threatening condition, said police in the city of Rochester. It is about 547 kilometers northwest of Manhattan.

According to the New York Post, the remaining five victims suffered minor injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment.

A video shared on social media captured the chaotic scene as shots rang out. Witnesses reported a heavy barrage of gunfire that sent the crowd fleeing in panic. Police have not yet released details about the victims or the number of suspects involved in the shooting.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/at-least-1-dead-6-injured-in-mass-shooting-at-rochester-new-york-park-8982118.html

Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the rocket strike in Israeli-controlled Golan Heights which killed 12 children and teenagers.

Lebanon’s foreign minister has condemned a rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights – but said it does not give Israel a “licence to kill”.

Israel and the US have blamed Hezbollah, but the Iranian-backed group has denied it was responsible for the strike which killed 12 children and teenagers and left 20 others wounded.

The Israeli military said the rocket fired from Lebanon that slammed into a football field in the town of Majdal Shams – about seven miles south of Lebanon and next to the Syrian border – on Saturday was the deadliest attack on civilians since the Hamas’ attack on 7 October.

Speaking to Sky News’ Alex Crawford, Lebanon’s foreign minister Abdallah Bou Habib called for a UN investigation but said there was “no logic” for Hezbollah to have been behind it.

“Second thing, we condemn whoever did it – be it somebody Lebanese or Israeli.”

He said the area is Syrian territory occupied by Israel and its inhabitants are Syrian, so retaliation “is not self defence”.

“And therefore it doesn’t mean give them a licence to kill and destroy like they took in Gaza,” he said. “The world should not give them a licence to kill.”

The attack hit the village of Majdal Shams, part of the Druze community, a faith which makes up more than half the 40,000-strong population of the Golan Heights.

The territory was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move not recognised by most countries.

Attacks along the Israel-Lebanon border have simmered below the threshold of all-out war since the start of the Israel-Gaza war 10 months ago.

INS Tabar participates in Russian Navy Day celebrations. Russian President Vladimir Putin reviews Main Naval Parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday greeted Indian Navy personnel aboard INS Tabar, which is participating in Russia’s Navy Day celebrations. Vladimir Putin reviewed the Main Naval Parade on the Neva River in St. Petersburg and congratulated the Russian Navy sailors.

The parade, a tradition since 2017, honours the Navy’s contributions in defence. This year, 20 Russian surface ships, gunboats, four sailing vessels, and a submarine took part. Foreign ships included India’s INS Tabar, Algeria’s training ship Soummam, and China’s destroyer Jiaozuo.

Nearly 2,500 troops also marched in St. Petersburg.

In a statement, the Indian Navy said INS Tabar’s visit strengthens maritime cooperation between India and Russia, aligning with India’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” policy.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Russia and met with Russian president Putin.

US raises Ukraine issue: Need of ‘just and enduring peace’

US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Sunday held meeting with his Indian counterpart, EAM S Jaishankar. He said that there is need for a “just and enduring peace” in Ukraine, according to US state department.

This discussion comes after Modi’s Russia visit and with report of a planned visit to Ukraine by last week of August.

PM Modi to visit Ukraine next month

PM Modi is expected to visit Ukraine on August 23, marking his first visit since the Russian invasion in February 2022 and shortly after his meeting with Putin left Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy “disappointed”.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/watch-vladimir-putin-greets-indian-navy-aboard-ins-tabar-on-russian-navy-day-101722217659916.html

Supratim Bhattacharjee has been named overall winner of this year’s Mangrove Photography Awards for his image of a young girl in the aftermath of a devastating storm in Frazerganj, Sundarbans, India.

An enormous wildfire has grown by 8 sq miles an hour (20 sq km) as it spreads across parts of northern California.
The Park fire, which started on Wednesday in a suspected arson attack, has burned more than 348,000 acres of land north-east of Chico, and was 0% contained on Saturday, the state’s fire agency Cal Fire said.
About 2,500 firefighters are battling the blaze, which has been fuelled by steep terrain and wind gusts.
A 42-year-old man was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of starting the fire by rolling a burning car into a gully near Alligator Hole in Butte County.
It is now the largest fire in the state this year, and has consumed an area more than 1.5 times the size of New York City’s five boroughs.
Cal Fire incident commander Billy See said the fire has been spreading at a rate of 5,000 acres an hour.

Speaking at an operational briefing, Mr See said there were almost three times the personnel fighting the fire on Saturday compared to Friday, and “we still don’t have enough”.
Scott Weese, a fire behaviourist with Cal Fire, said that there was a high fuel load in the area with an abundance of grass.
“The heat signature is huge,” he told the operational briefing, adding that the fire burned through 150,000 acres yesterday.
Authorities were hopeful they could use Saturday’s easing of conditions to contain some of the blaze. Wind speeds decreased and temperatures dropped by about 15F, but still hover in some areas in the low 90s (32C).
Officials said fire whirls are less likely today, after a rare “firenado” – a swirling vortex of flames and ash formed in intense heat and high winds – was filmed twisting through bushland on Friday.

Ben Affleck reportedly bought a new home as rumors continue to swirl that he and Jennifer Lopez are splitting.

According to TMZ, the “Good Will Hunting” star recently purchased a $20.5 million mansion in the ritzy Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles as his and Lopez’s marital home still sits on the market.

His new bachelor pad allegedly boasts 5 bedrooms with walk-in closets and 6 bathrooms. Inside the main house are reportedly breakfast and dining spaces, a family room, a den and a media room with a dedicated powder room.

There is also reportedly a separate guest house on the property.

Reps for the actor did not immediately respond to Page Six for comment.

Affleck, 51, and Lopez, 55, have been trying to offload their 38,000-square-foot home since June. While they originally tried to sell the house off-market, they took their listing public earlier this month.

Page Six confirmed they put some of their art pieces up for sale as well.

The “Gigli” co-stars first purchased their pad in June 2023 — almost a year after they eloped in Las Vegas — for just over $60 million.

They have listed the massive 12-bedroom, 24-bathroom home for $68 million and are reportedly “in a rush to sell it.”

“They thought they could sell it off-market but made a game-time decision in order to put more eyes on the property,” a source told Us Weekly on July 13.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/27/lifestyle/ben-affleck-buys-new-mansion-amid-divorce-rumors-report/

It is not the first time this has happened. North Korea’s women’s football team walked off the pitch at London 2012 after the South Korean flag was shown on the screen as they prepared to take on Colombia.

Olympics officials have “deeply apologised” for announcing South Korean athletes as North Korean during the opening ceremony of the Paris games on Friday.

As South Korean athletes travelled along the River Seine as part of the ceremony on Friday, they were wrongly announced as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – the official name of North Korea.

South Korea’s full name is the Republic of Korea.

The sign on the side of South Korea’s boat on the Seine was correctly labelled.

After the mistake was made by announcers in both French and English, the Olympic committee posted on X: “We deeply apologise for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean team during the opening ceremony broadcast.”

Mark Adams, a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), added in a statement: “An operational mistake was made. We can only apologise, in an evening of so many moving parts, that this mistake was made.”

It is not the first time this has happened.

North Korea’s women’s football team walked off the pitch at London 2012 after the South Korean flag was shown on the screen as they prepared to take on Colombia.

The team was convinced to come back and play after the flags were corrected, eventually winning the game 2-0.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/olympics-organisers-deeply-apologise-for-mistakenly-calling-south-korea-north-korea-during-opening-ceremony-13185732

One scene viewed as an interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, featuring drag artists, has drawn criticism from some Christians – including Italy’s deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini who branded it insulting and “sleazy”.

The Olympics opening ceremony was intended to “trigger a reflection” while using a global audience to promote diversity and freedoms in France, Paris 2024 organisers say.

They were responding to a question in today’s daily games news conference about apparent “offended reactions” to the spectacle from a Catholic and Muslim perspective and those “countries that don’t share inclusivity and sexual freedom”.

One scene featuring drag artists in the ceremony was being viewed on social media as an interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper that some found offensive, including Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini who branded it insulting and “sleazy”.

“Opening the Olympics by insulting billions of Christians across the world was a really bad start,” he wrote on X.

“We imagined a ceremony to show our values and our principles so we gave a very committed message,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said.

“The idea was to really trigger a reflection. We wanted to have a message as strong as possible.”

Organisers worked with the International Olympic Committee on the topics they wanted to reflect in the show – including promoting LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.

“Naturally we had to take into account the international community,” Mr Estanguet said.

“Having said that – it is a French ceremony for the French games – so we trusted our artistic director.

“We have freedom of expression in France and we wanted to protect it.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/paris-2024-olympics-organisers-respond-to-offended-reactions-to-opening-ceremony-13185771

Israeli airstrikes hit a school used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 30 people including several children, as the country’s negotiators prepared to meet international mediators about a proposed cease-fire.

Seven children and seven women were among the dead taken from the girls’ school in Deir al-Balah to Al Aqsa Hospital. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and store “large quantities of weapons.” Hamas called the military’s claim false.

Civil defense workers in Gaza said thousands had been sheltering in the school, which also contained a medical site. Associated Press journalists saw a dead toddler in an ambulance and bodies covered with blankets. Shattered walls gaped and classrooms were in ruins. People searched the rubble strewn with pillows and other signs of habitation.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 12 people were killed in other strikes on Saturday.

Officials from the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Israel are scheduled to meet in Italy on Sunday to discuss cease-fire negotiations. CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to meet with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, Mossad director David Barnea and Egyptian spy chief Abbas Kamel, according to officials from the U.S. and Egypt who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the plans.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-evacuation-27-july-2024-c95e8effebd9d4e4ba7e69bfbae61e04

As a propeller plane on Thursday whirred towards the U.S.-Mexico border to cross illegally, U.S. agents raced to meet it at a small municipal airport near El Paso, Texas, and arrest two men who were part of Mexican drug trafficking royalty.
The son of jailed former Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman planned to give himself up upon landing. The other passenger – legendary septuagenarian trafficker Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada – did not and was duped into getting on the plane by the younger man, according to two current and two former U.S. officials familiar with the situation.

Zambada’s arrest followed lengthy surrender talks between U.S. authorities and El Chapo’s son, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the sources said. But many American officials had given up hope on Joaquin turning himself in, and were caught unaware when he sent a last-minute message that he would arrive with a kingpin U.S. authorities had been chasing for four decades.
“El Mayo was the cherry on top,” said one U.S. official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the arrests. “It wasn’t expected at all.”

Former British interior minister Priti Patel launched her bid to become new leader of the opposition Conservative Party on Saturday, making her the fifth candidate seeking to replace the outgoing Rishi Sunak.
Sunak stepped down as leader following the party’s worst ever election performance earlier this month, but said he would stay as acting leader until his successor was chosen.
Patel became the first female candidate to replace him, launching her bid with the slogan “Unite to Win” – a reference to the fractured and often factional nature of the party following 14 turbulent years in government.

North Korea vowed to “totally destroy” its enemies in case of war when leader Kim Jong Un gives an order, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.
Senior military officials including Army Colonel Ri Un Ryong and Navy Lieutenant Commander Yu Kyong Song made the comments “out of surging hatred” towards the U.S. and South Korea at a meeting on Saturday attended by Kim to celebrate the 71st Korean War armistice anniversary, according to KCNA.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and her coalition’s candidate Edmundo Gonzalez have commanded enthusiastic crowds during their campaign to unseat President Nicolas Maduro and end 25 years of ruling party dominance.
But uncertainty remains about how Sunday’s election will play out, with Maduro – whose 2018 reelection is considered fraudulent by the United States, among others – sounding a confident note and opposition figures and analysts warning of possible underhandedness.

Gonzalez has attracted significant support, even from former supporters of the ruling party, but the opposition and some observers have questioned whether the vote will be fair, saying decisions by electoral authorities and the arrests of some opposition campaign staff are meant to create obstacles.
Gonzalez and Machado have urged voters to cast ballots early and hold “vigils” at polling stations until they close. They have said they expect the military to uphold the results of the vote.

Venezuela’s military has long supported Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez. Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino has said the armed forces will respect the outcome of Sunday’s election.
Maduro, who has been in power since 2013 and is seeking his third six-year term, has said the country has the world’s most transparent electoral system and has warned of a “bloodbath” if he were to lose, comments rejected by his Latin American counterparts.

Maduro’s government has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a third of the population, and sharply deteriorated diplomatic relations, crowned by sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union and others which have crippled an already struggling oil industry.
Members of the nearly 8 million-strong Venezuelan diaspora say they found it difficult to register to vote. Fewer than 68,000 look set to be able to cast ballots.

Some have opted to return home to participate.
Bus companies in western Tachira state, along the border with Colombia, said they had seen an uptick of 40% in ticket sales in the last 10 days.
“We want to come home, but to a free Venezuela, thriving and prosperous,” said Maritza Quemba, a 64-year-old seamstress who has lived in Bogota for five years and returned to San Cristobal to cast her ballot.
She plans to move back to Venezuela in a year if the opposition win, she said.
“I came to vote for Edmundo. I believe in him and Maria Corina,” said Dani Pernia, 32, who crossed Peru, Ecuador and Colombia by bus from Chile so he could vote in San Cristobal. “I’m ready to put my faith on Sunday in the option that means change.”
More than 95% of 30,000 ballot boxes nationwide have been set up, an official from the National Electoral Council said on social media platform X.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said on Friday several former Latin American presidents en route to observe the election had not been allowed to travel, including Panama’s Mireya Moscoso and Mexico’s Vicente Fox, because Venezuela’s airspace was closed, which was later denied by the Venezuelan government.
Meanwhile, the United States said it was prepared to calibrate its Venezuela sanctions policy depending on what happens on Sunday.
Gonzalez, 74, is known for his calm demeanor and his promises that change could bring home many migrants.
He inherited the opposition mantle from Machado, 56, after a ban on her holding public office was upheld by the country’s top court. Machado won a resounding victory in the opposition primary last year, but has toured the country on Gonzalez’s behalf.
Maduro, a 61-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister, whose face will appear on the ballot for 13 parties, says he will guarantee peace and economic growth that will make Venezuela less dependent on oil income.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuela-opposition-seeks-end-25-years-socialist-power-sunday-vote-2024-07-26/

The U.S. Defense Department admitted that it spread propaganda in the Philippines aimed at disparaging China’s Sinovac vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a June 25 document cited by a former top government official earlier this month.
The U.S. response to the Philippines was recounted in a podcast by Harry Roque, who served as spokesman for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Reuters subsequently reviewed the document, which hasn’t been publicly released by either government. The news agency was able to verify its contents with a source familiar with the U.S. response.

With two months to go before the release of “Megalopolis,” things are about to get awkward.

Video has surfaced of director Francis Ford Coppola that shows the legendary director trying to kiss young female extras on the set of his ambitious sci-fi epic. Variety has obtained two videos (posted below) that were taken by a crewmember last year during the filming of a bacchanalian nightclub scene.

Two sources told Variety that Coppola appeared to act with impunity on set. And unlike traditional movies, Coppola financed the entire $120 million budget himself, so there were none of the traditional checks and balances in place. The videos would appear to corroborate a bombshell report in the Guardian that claimed the 85-year-old director “tried to kiss some of the topless and scantily clad female extras” and told them “he was ‘trying to get them in the mood.’” The Guardian story broke right before “Megalopolis” made its world premiere in Competition in Cannes.

The scene in question, which features actress Nathalie Emmanuel, was shot on Feb. 14, 2023, at the Tabernacle, a concert hall in Atlanta. The call sheet, which Variety has reviewed, says the actresses playing female party goers had been “cleared for topless nudity” while others in the scene had been “cleared for scantily clad.”

The sources claim that Coppola’s behavior was unprofessional. One source who was on the set during the nightclub scene estimated that between 150 to 200 people were assembled, including background actors and crew as Coppola started directing the scene. The filmmaker kept leaping up to hug and kiss several women, often inadvertently inserting himself into the shot and ruining it, which the source said was unusual.

“I’ve worked with really important directors and that behavior is uncommon — the most I’ve ever seen any director do is say something like, ‘high energy, guys,’” the source adds. “I’ve never seen anyone on set, and this extends to a camera operator, so much as touch an actor.”

The source said that after multiple takes, Coppola got on a microphone and announced in earshot of everyone in the room, “Sorry, if I come up to you and kiss you. Just know it’s solely for my pleasure.”

A spokesperson for Coppola declined to comment on the videos or the claims about Coppola’s behavior. However, a source close to the filmmaker noted that despite the death of Coppola’s wife, Eleanor Coppola, in April, “‘Megalopolis’ came in on time, on budget.

Coppola’s team provided two on the record statements from people involved with the production. Darren Demetre, an executive producer of “Megalopolis,” noted that “there were two days when we shot a celebratory Studio 54-esque club scene where Francis walked around the set to establish the spirit of the scene by giving kind hugs and kisses on the cheek to the cast and background players. It was his way to help inspire and establish the club atmosphere, which was so important to the film. I was never aware of any complaints of harassment or ill behavior during the course of the project.”

In another statement supplied by Coppola’s team, Mariela Comitini, the film’s first assistant director, described working with the director as “an honor.”

“I watched as Francis created a vibrant, professional, and positive environment on set,” she added. “As one of the industry’s most well-respected master filmmakers, Francis was undaunted by the enormity of this undertaking.”

However, sources dispute her depiction of a “professional environment.” During the shooting of the nightclub scene, crew members looked at each other uncomfortably as Coppola kissed and embraced the background actors, but one source says no one publicly objected to his behavior or tried to stop it. That may have something to do with how much control Coppola was able to exert since there wasn’t an outside studio or streamer with its own HR department involved with the production.

“Because Coppola funded it there was no HR department to keep things in check,” says a second source. “Who were they supposed to talk to? Complain to Coppola and report Coppola to himself?”

Samantha McDonald and Ashley Anderson were the two intimacy coordinators who worked on the film, which included a number of sex scenes such as one involving stars Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf. McDonald tells Variety that neither she nor Anderson were on set the day of the nightclub scene. “I can’t really speak to the reason why they chose to bring us in when they did and not when they didn’t,” she adds.

One production source says that days after the nightclub scene, senior crew members became concerned that video was circulating of Coppola kissing extras and reminded them that as part of their non-disclosure agreements they had signed they were not authorized to share footage of the behind-the-scenes work.

Veteran intimacy coordinator Yarit Dor, who was not involved with the film but could speak broadly about best practices, says the situation sounds highly unorthodox.

“In the intimacy coordination community, it is recommended that scenes [with nudity involving extras] have more than one intimacy coordinator on set. Overseeing and helping choreograph intimate action for so many people is not something that one intimacy coordinator can do alone,” Dor says. “On the shoot day, the intimacy coordinators will help establish clear intimacy choreography with the supporting artists, coach intimate movement and check in on them.”

Source: https://variety.com/2024/film/news/megalopolis-set-video-francis-ford-coppola-kissing-extras-1236082653/

Babies on board!

These celebrity families have revealed that they’re expanding their families in 2024.

See their exciting pregnancy announcements.

Ronda Rousey and Travis Browne

Ronda Rousey revealed her baby bump at San Diego Comic Con on July 25, telling attendees that she is pregnant with her second child.

“IT’S A GIRL!” the professional wrestler went on to write via Instagram, noting that she was four months along. “Happy I can finally shout it from the rooftops.”

The athlete and her husband, Travis Browne, previously welcomed daughter La’akea in September 2021.

Dr. Paul Nassif and Brittany Pattakos

“Botched” star Dr. Paul Nassif and his wife, Brittany Pattakos, are expecting their second child together. The “Botched” star, 62, and Pattakos, 33, shared footage of their gender reveal and announced they’re having a baby boy.

The Oneira Designs founder also shared a photo of her ultrasound to celebrate the big news.

Brittany Mahomes and Patrick Mahomes

On July 12, Brittany Mahomes debuted her baby bump in a sweet family video with husband Patrick Mahomes, daughter Sterling and son Bronze.

“Round three, here we come!” the couple captioned the Instagram reveal.

The high school sweethearts welcomed Sterling and Bronze in 2021 and 2022, respectively, getting married between their little ones’ arrivals.

Alexandra Daddario and Andrew Form

Alexandra Daddario shared her pregnancy news in a July 10 Vogue interview, revealing she was six months along after a previous “painful” loss.

The actress, who married husband Andrew Form in June 2022, felt “a lot of complicated feelings” about conceiving.

Daddario is already the stepmother to the producer’s two children, Julian and Rowan, with ex-wife Jordana Brewster.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Ken Urker

Gypsy Rose Blanchard and ex-fiancé Ken Urker revealed on July 9 that they are expecting their first baby, due in January 2025.

The news came three months after the pair’s public reconciliation.

The “Life After Lockup” star debuted her baby bump via Instagram, clarifying to her YouTube subscribers that she was 11 weeks along.

Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley

Margot Robbie and husband Tom Ackerley revealed they were expecting their first child together in July.

Robbie debuted her baby bump in a white crop top and low-rise black pants while vacationing in Lake Como, Italy.

The “Barbie” actress and Ackerley tied the knot in December 2016 during an intimate ceremony in Byron Bay, Australia.

Vanessa Morgan and James Karnik

“Riverdale” star Vanessa Morgan announced she is expecting her first child with her boyfriend, James Karnik, on July 6.

“So in love with this man, our family of 4 coming this month,” she captioned a carousel of Instagram photos that debuted her baby bump. “🤰🏽#2 🫶🏽 Suprise! Thank you GOD.”

Morgan began dating the professional athlete in 2023 after her divorce from Michael Kopech.

They split while they were expecting their first child, a son named River. He was born in January 2021.

Lindsay Hubbard

“Summer House” star Lindsay Hubbard announced that she is pregnant with her first child via Instagram on July 4, 2024.

“Trigger Warning: This post contains more fireworks than the 4th of July! WE’RE PREGNANT!!!!! I truly believe the universe has a bigger plan and this is it! 💫,” Hubbard captioned a series of photos with her growing belly.

Hubbard did not share who the father of the child is, but added, “My boyfriend and I are beyond excited to welcome our little #HubbCub this Holiday season 2024!!”

The Bravolebrity previously revealed that she began dating an old flame in January 2024 after ex-fiancé Carl Radke called off their engagement in August 2023.

Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt

Katherine Schwarzenegger is pregnant with her and Chris Pratt’s third child, People reported on June 28.

The couple shares daughters Lyla Maria, 3, and Eloise Christina, 2. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” star also has an 11-year-old son, Jack, with his ex-wife, Anna Faris.

Pauline Chalamet

“Sex Lives of College Girls” star Pauline Chalamet confirmed her pregnancy in June 2024 during Haute Couture Week in Paris.

Chalamet, the sister of actor Timothée Chalamet, debuted her bump on pal Jeanne Damas’ Instagram Story.

The soon-to-be mother has kept most of her private life out of the public. It’s unclear if she is in a relationship.

Jenna Ushkowitz and David Stanley

Jenna Ushkowitz announced she and husband David Stanley are expecting their second baby together on June 28.

“We are pregnant and so excited and grateful. It has been a journey,” the “Glee” alum said on Instagram.

The couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in June 2022.

Jennifer Gates and Nayel Nassar

Jennifer Gates announced her pregnancy news on June 27, one year after giving birth to daughter Leila.

The toddler had been “promoted to big sister,” Bill Gates and Melinda Gates’ daughter gushed in her Instagram baby bump debut.

She and husband Nayel Nassar have been married since 2021.

Raven Goodwin and Wiley Battle

Raven Goodwin announced she is pregnant and expecting her second baby with husband Wiley Battle.

“32! Thank you God! Waiting for my gift to arrive! Baby #2 Happy Birthday to me!!!!!! Any day now. ♋️♋️,” she captioned maternity photos of her cradling her baby bump on Instagram on June 24.

The “Being Mary Jane” actress and Battle tied the knot in October 2021 and share daughter Riley, whom they welcomed in April 2020.

Ella Mai and Jayson Tatum

Ella Mai is going to be a mom!

The “Boo’d Up” singer debuted her growing baby bump while out celebrating her boyfriend Jayson Tatum’s first NBA championship win on June 17.

According to a video posted online, the British musician was seen wearing her beau’s Boston Celtics jersey while out with a few friends after the team defeated the Dallas Mavericks.

Tatum and Mai have been romantically linked since 2019 when she was seen sitting courtside as the Celtics took on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The former Duke player is already dad to son Jayson “Deuce” Tatum Jr., whom he shares with his high school girlfriend, Toriah Lachell.

Georgia May Jagger and Cambryan Sedlick

Georgia May Jagger debuted her baby bump in a June 18 maternity shoot with her boyfriend, Cambryan Sedlick.

“Patiently waiting for our best friend,” the model captioned the social media upload.

She has been dating the skateboarder since 2021.

Wiz Khalifa and Amiee Aguilar

Wiz Khalifa and his girlfriend, Amiee Aguilar, revealed they’re expecting.

“Baby Girl On The Way,” the “See You Again” crooner wrote on Instagram on June 16.

The snap showed Aguilar baring her bump and holding a pregnancy test as Khalifa placed his hand over her belly.

Khalifa also shares son, Sebastian Thomaz, with his ex-wife, Amber Rose. He was born in September 2013.

Source: https://pagesix.com/celebrity-news/pregnant-celebrities-2024/

In Vice President Kamala Harris’ first 2024 presidential campaign video, a familiar rhythm rings out. The clip, which touches on issues of gun violence, health care and abortion, is soundtracked by Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” a cut from her 2016 landmark album, “Lemonade.”

“We choose freedom,” Harris says in the clip, as Beyoncé’s powerful chorus kicks in: “Freedom! Freedom! I can’t move / Freedom, cut me loose! Yeah.”

It’s become a campaign song for Harris. She used “Freedom” during her first official public appearance as a presidential candidate at her campaign headquarters in Delaware on Monday, and again on Tuesday at the beginning and end of her rally in Milwaukee.

As a whole body of work, “Lemonade” has been celebrated as an instant-classic, a game-changing collection of songs and visuals that function as an examination of personal plight and societal injustice, where revenge songs about infidelity sit next to displays of support for Black Lives Matter.

Omise’eke Tinsley, academic and author of “Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism,” says Beyoncé has performed “Freedom,” in particular, in ways that have made it clear it is a political song. “She performed it at Coachella; it segued into ‘Lift Every Voice,’ the Black national anthem,” she says. It was used by activists ahead of the 2016 presidential election, and “in 2020, it was taken up by activists again. In the wake of the George Floyd killing … It’s a song of hope. It’s a song of uplift.”

How the “Freedom” campaign video came together

Beyoncé gave permission to Harris to use the song on Tuesday, a campaign official confirmed to The Associated Press who was granted anonymity to discuss private campaign operations.

The Biden-Harris creative team wrote the script for Harris’ video on Tuesday, based on her speech at campaign headquarters on Monday. Harris recorded the voiceover while on the road in Indianapolis Wednesday afternoon.

Former President Donald Trump gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a warm greeting Friday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago, giving his wife a kiss and embracing the Jewish leader before showing him where he was shot in the ear weeks ago.

Trump, 78, opened his arms to embrace the Netanyahus, saying, “Come on in, nice to see you.”

The GOP nominee then kissed Sara Netanyahu on both cheeks and pulled in the prime minister for a firm handshake.

“The greatest dinner I ever had,” Trump said to the Jewish leader.

Inside Mar-a-Lago, the former president showed Netanyahu the bullet wound on his ear where he was shot by a gunman in Butler, Pa., on June 13.

Trump survived the assassination attempt and wore a bandage to cover his ear after the shooting.

Trump and Netanyahu had a close relationship during the former president’s term in the White House. Their relationship hit some snags after the prime minister congratulated President Biden for winning the 2020 election, which prompted Trump to say, “I haven’t spoken to him since” and “F–k him” at the time.

But the relationship has since been thawing.

Netanyahu specifically touted Trump’s support of Israel during his congressional speech on Tuesday.

“I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in brokering the historic Abraham Accords. Like Americans, Israelis were relieved that President Trump emerged safe and sound from that dastardly attack on him, dastardly attack on American democracy. There is no room for political violence in democracies,” the Israeli leader said.

Trump said in the Mar-a-Lago meeting that if he were to win another term in office, “it’s all going to work out and very quickly.”

“If we don’t, you’re going to end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a Third World War. You are closer to a Third World War right now than at any time since the Second World War. You’ve never been so close because you have incompetent people running our country,” Trump said to the press.

The Trump meeting comes on the heels of Netanyahu arriving in Washington on Monday and not being met by President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.

Neither Harris nor Biden attended his congressional speech on Tuesday, which was marred by protests outside the Capitol by Union Station, where anti-Israel demonstrators were burning American flags and announcing their support for Hamas.

Both Biden and Harris, who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee, met with Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday.

Biden, 81, expressed his desire for Israel to reach a deal with Hamas to release hostages and achieve a cease-fire “as soon as possible.”

The president did not offer any flattering remarks to Netanyahu before their meeting.

“Welcome back, Mr. Prime Minister, we got a lot to talk about, I think we should get to it — the floor is yours,” Biden said, shaking his hand.

Harris, after skipping the congressional speech to attend an event with her sorority, slammed the Jewish state leader over Israel’s approach to the Gaza Strip, saying she will not “remain silent” on the number of civilian casualties — while pledging “unwavering” support for Israel.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/07/26/us-news/trump-warmly-greets-netanyahu-wife-at-mar-a-lago/

The first-ever joint declaration by G20 finance leaders vowing to cooperate on effectively taxing the world’s largest fortunes on Friday papered over deeper disagreement about the right forum to advance the agenda.
Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 major economies agreed to reference fair taxation of “ultra-high-net-worth individuals” in both their joint communique and a separate declaration on international tax cooperation on Friday.

Smiling broadly, perhaps to hide their nervousness, dozens of young African migrants wearing swimming goggles took their first strokes and exhaled into knee-deep water on a Tenerife beach, led by Spanish volunteer instructors.
Many are suffering from water trauma after a perilous crossing to the Canary Islands from countries such as Senegal or Mauritania crammed into precarious boats. Some barely survived and others lost family members or friends to the ocean.

Migration rights group Walking Borders said a report last report that nearly 5,000 migrants, an unprecedented number, have died at sea in the same period on that route.
“I wouldn’t do it again. It’s very difficult, very, very dangerous. It’s a risk we took, because we didn’t have a choice. It’s tough in Mali,” said Mamadou M Bathily, a 24-year-old trained IT specialist, who came to Tenerife a week ago via Senegal along with 215 others.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/volunteers-help-migrants-reverse-water-trauma-spains-canaries-2024-07-25/

The Syrian leader is the latest in a string of global strongmen to meet the Russian president, which will likely be a cause for concern among Western diplomats.

Vladimir Putin has met Bashar al Assad in Moscow, after a surprise visit from the Syrian president that was announced by the Kremlin on Thursday morning.

Footage shared on Telegram by the Russian president’s press service showed the two leaders smiling and shaking hands, before sitting down and chatting through their respective interpreters.

“I am very glad to see you,” President Putin can be heard gushing to his guest.

Referring to the Middle East, he adds: “I am very interested in your opinion on how the situation in the region as a whole is developing.

“Unfortunately, there is a tendency towards escalation, we can see that. This also applied directly to Syria.”

The Prelude event to Friday’s Olympics has seen A-listers, including actors, music stars and sports champions, arrive in Paris for a glitzy event which will have Serena Williams as a co-host.

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony is tomorrow, but celebrities have already made the city of lights shine, as they arrived for the Prelude event on Thursday.

A-listers spotted on the red carpet include Zendaya, Mick Jagger, and Snoop Dogg.

The glitzy Prelude event is being co-hosted by tennis legend Serena Williams, Charlize Theron, Rosalia, and Omar Sy.

The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White and legendary film director Steven Spielberg were also among those attending the glamorous event at the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton.

The starry night came together thanks to LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, Comcast NBCUniversal chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, Grammy-winning American rapper and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics, which begins at 6.30pm UK time on tomorrow, has been billed as one “like no other” as it will involve 10,500 athletes sailing along the River Seine.

The parade will end at the Trocadero square, facing the Eiffel Tower. It is the first time an opening ceremony is being held outside a stadium.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/serena-williams-zendaya-and-mick-jagger-attend-prelude-event-to-paris-olympics-13185052

Andariel primarily targeted defence, aerospace, nuclear and engineering organisations, but also acted against the medical and energy sectors, according to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre.

The UK, US and South Korea have accused a North Korea-backed cyber group of carrying out an online espionage campaign to steal military and nuclear secrets.

The “Andariel” group has been compromising organisations around the globe as it attempts to get hold of sensitive and classified technical information and intellectual property data, according to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The centre, along with the FBI in the US and South Korea’s national intelligence service, have issued a joint warning and advisory note about Andariel’s actions.

They have urged critical infrastructure organisations to “stay vigilant” against such cyber operations.

It comes as the US government offers a reward of up to $10m (£7.7m) to anyone with information that helps it find members of malicious cyber groups targeting America on behalf of foreign governments.

The US state department’s rewards for justice programme is looking for Rim Jong Hyok, a North Korean national associated with Andariel, which has been active since around 2009.

The reward will be offered to any person who helps identify or locate Rim or any other actors who are found to be targeting the US.

Andariel focuses on targeting defence contractors, military organisations and governments for espionage.

Over time, the group has branched out into other sectors, targeting information on nuclear weapons and, particularly during the pandemic, organisations in the life sciences and pharmaceutical sector, according to research by cyber security company Secureworks.

North Korea is a secretive and authoritarian state, which is officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and is headed by supreme leader Kim Jong Un.

Andariel’s campaign was carried out to “further the regime’s military and nuclear ambitions”, said the UK cyber security centre.

NCSC director of operations Paul Chichester said: “The global cyber espionage operation that we have exposed today shows the lengths that DPRK state-sponsored actors are willing to go to pursue their military and nuclear programmes.”

Andariel is part of DPRK’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) 3rd bureau, and the group’s malicious cyber activities pose an ongoing threat to critical infrastructure organisations globally, the centre believes.

What did group target?

The group primarily targeted defence, aerospace, nuclear and engineering organisations, but also acted against the medical and energy sectors, according to the NCSC, which is part of the GCHQ intelligence agency.

Andariel has tried to obtain information such as contract specification, design drawings and project details, the NCSC claimed.

Secureworks, which has been studying the group, believes the actors are government employees in North Korea who work for the country’s intelligence agency.

Andariel has been found to engage in ransomware attacks, where hackers attack a system or obtain information and charge a sum of money to its owner for it to be released.

Ransomware attacks

As part of its operations, Andariel also launched ransomware attacks against US healthcare organisations in order to extort payments and fund further espionage activity.

The US state department said Rim and others “conspired to hack into the computer systems of US hospitals and other healthcare providers, install Maui ransomware, and extort ransoms”.

In one computer intrusion operation that began in November 2022, the group hacked a US-based defence contractor from which they extracted more than 30 gigabytes of data, including technical information regarding the materials used in military aircraft and satellites.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/north-korea-backed-group-in-cyber-campaign-to-steal-military-and-nuclear-secrets-13184925

Notes and cards the late princess sent to her family’s former housekeeper are up for auction. They include snippets from her life at the time.

More than a dozen handwritten cards and letters from Princess Diana to her family’s former housekeeper are set to be sold at auction.

Violet Collison, who the Princess of Wales affectionately called Collie, was head housekeeper to her parents at Park House on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where Diana spent her childhood years.

Most of the letters from Diana are thank-you notes for birthday and Christmas presents given to the princess and her children, William and Harry.

The cards, which often include a line about Diana’s life at the time, are expected to sell for thousands of pounds.

In one letter, written from Kensington Palace on 25 September, 1984, Diana thanked Collie for a gift to Harry.

She said: “William adores his little brother and spends the entire time pouring an endless supply of hugs and kisses over Harry.”

A double-sided letter, written on Buckingham Palace notepaper, was sent three weeks before the royal wedding.

America First Legal claims Kamala Harris has a history of ‘bending’ the law ‘for a political objective’ as well as ‘failures to disclose conflicts of interest’

Vice President Kamala Harris’ checkered prosecution record during her tenure as California attorney general is resurfacing as her bid for the White House heats up. From locking up parents whose children had chronically missed school to supporting a bail fund that let violent Black Lives Matter rioters out of jail in 2020, Harris’ approach to criminal justice is facing fresh scrutiny.

America First Legal (AFL), a nonprofit conservative legal watchdog group, launched seven investigations into Harris’ prosecutorial background on Thursday afternoon, alleging that Harris “has proven to be the most radically progressive Vice President in American history.”

“A lot of her tough on crime reputation goes to her prosecution when she was San Francisco DA, individuals who use marijuana and other sorts of things,” Dan Epstein, president of AFL, told Fox News Digital. “Our investigation, however, makes it very clear that Kamala Harris does not believe much in terms of statutes passed by legislatures, including the Federal United States, Congress, as well as the state of California.”

Through public records requests to the California Attorney General’s Office, AFL is investigating Harris for failure to comply with federal donor privacy laws; failure to enforce federal immigration laws; failure to pursue equal justice; failure to disclose conflicts of interest; failure to address evidence of misconduct; the nature of probes by the California Fair Practices Commission; and potential cover-up of misconduct evidence.

“And so those are really our probes of her not following the rule of law and bending it for a political objective,” Epstein said. “We also probe numerous kind of potential ethics issues and failures to disclose conflicts of interest, allowing her own staff as attorney general to engage in fraud and not kind of overseeing that.”

Early in her legal career, Harris dated California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, who reportedly helped her secure influential positions at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the California Medical Assistance Commission. AFL is now investigating whether Harris received undue political favoritism and whether she properly recused herself or disclosed conflicts of interest.

During her 2020 presidential campaign, which she launched in January 2019, Harris faced significant criticism over her prosecutorial record. Opponents of tough-on-crime prosecutions argue it disproportionately affects low-income families and minorities, further entrenching them in the prison system.

One of the most criticized aspects of Harris’ record was her handling of school truancy cases. Harris supported a truancy law, passed in 2011, that allowed district attorneys to charge parents with a misdemeanor if their children were chronically absent during the school year without a valid reason.

In 2019, Molly Redden of HuffPost reported how the truancy program affected some families in her article, “The Human Costs of Kamala Harris’ War on Truancy.” Among those impacted was Cheree Peoples, an African American mother arrested in April 2013 after her child had missed 20 days of school.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/harris-shift-from-tough-on-crime-prosecutor-social-justice-advocate-faces-scrutiny-amid-legal-probe

A burning car pushed into a gully sparked California’s largest wildfire of the year, authorities said Thursday as they announced the arrest of a suspect. Meanwhile other blazes scorched the Pacific Northwest.

Flames from the fire the man is accused of starting exploded into what is now the Park Fire, which has burned more than 195 square miles (505 square km) near the city of Chico. Evacuations were ordered in Butte and Tehama counties, with the blaze only 3% contained by Thursday evening.

California authorities did not immediately name the man they arrested.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-evacuations-oregon-california-canada-1809c690e8902a4578c9f4286949550d

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
“It is time for this war to end,” Harris said in a televised statement after she held face-to-face talks with Netanyahu.
Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee after Biden dropped out of the election race on Sunday, did not mince words about the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza after nine months of war between Israel and Hamas militants.

Israel’s retaliatory attack in Gaza has killed more than 39,000 people and caused a humanitarian calamity with most of the coastal enclave leveled, people displaced from their homes, famine and a shortage of emergency relief.

Biden met with Netanyahu earlier and told him that he needed to close gaps to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and remove obstacles in the flow of aid, according to a readout of the meeting provided by the White House.

Netanyahu will meet Harris’ Republican rival, Donald Trump, on Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
A ceasefire has been the subject of negotiations for months. U.S. officials believe the parties are closer than ever before to an agreement for a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release by Hamas of women, sick, elderly and wounded hostages.

“There has been hopeful movement in the talks to secure an agreement on this deal, and as I just told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is time to get this deal done,” Harris said.
Although as vice president she has mostly echoed Biden in firmly backing Israel’s right to defend itself, she made clear on Thursday that she was losing patience with Israel’s military approach.
“Israel has a right to defend itself. And how it does so matters,” Harris said.
In March, she bluntly stated that Israel was not doing enough to ease a “humanitarian catastrophe” during its ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave. Later, she did not rule out “consequences” for Israel if it launched a full-scale invasion of refugee-packed Rafah in southern Gaza.
A DIVIDED PARTY
The Gaza conflict has splintered the Democratic Party, and sparked months of protests at Biden events. A drop in support among Arab Americans could hurt Democratic chances in Michigan, one of a handful of states likely to decide the Nov. 5 election.
In a nod to those concerns, Harris urged Americans to help “encourage efforts to understand the complexity, the nuance and the history of the region.”
“To everyone who has been calling for a ceasefire and to everyone who yearns for peace, I see you and I hear you,” she said. “Let’s get the deal done so we can get a ceasefire to end the war.”
In an Oval Office address on Wednesday, Biden cited a desire for unity in the Democratic Party as it seeks to defeat Trump as a main reason he decided not to seek reelection but to instead support Harris for the 2024 race.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-harris-meet-netanyahu-separately-gaza-ceasefire-2024-07-25/

Mexican drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and the son of his ex-partner, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, were arrested on Thursday in El Paso, Texas, in a major coup for U.S. authorities that may also reshape the Mexican criminal landscape.
Zambada is one of the most consequential traffickers in Mexico’s history and co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel with El Chapo, who was extradited to the United States in 2017 and is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison.

The details from Jennifer Lopez’s exclusive “Bridgerton”-themed party have arrived.

The “On the Floor” songstress gave fans an inside look at her 55th birthday bash in the Hamptons that included ballroom dancers, a live orchestra and a surprise performance, per a clip posted on her Instagram Wednesday.

“Dearest Gentle Reader … And a splendid evening was had by all,” she captioned the video.

Lopez took it back to the 1800s for the milestone as she got dolled up in a blue, off-the-shoulder ballgown, mesh gloves and gold platform heels.

The superstar let the dress take center stage by pinning her hair up with a crown-like headpiece.

The “Hustlers” actress pulled out all the stops for the event with a horse-drawn carriage placed outside.

The backyard was also elegantly decorated with rectangular tables featuring flowers, candles and goblets. Chandeliers and string lights lit up the lawn from above.

Live music filled the air as Lopez hired a string orchestra with musicians dressed in Regency-era attire.

The soirée was nothing short of a royal affair as J.Lo was seen sitting on a golden throne like Queen Charlotte’s in the Netflix series.

At one point, dancers performed choreography similar to the show’s ballroom scenes.

Before blowing out the candles on her four-tier cake, Lopez changed into an off-the-shoulder green dress.

She also gave partygoers a surprise performance, though it’s unclear what she sang.

The “Second Act” star’s guests also followed the theme by dressing up in “Bridgerton”-inspired gowns and suits.

Several of the pop star’s closest friends and family members were spotted arriving at her party on Saturday.

Lopez’s mom, Guadalupe Rodríguez, was photographed wearing a blue babydoll gown as she made her way inside.

The “Wedding Planner” actress’ husband, Ben Affleck, was not in attendance amid their marital issues.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/24/entertainment/inside-jennifer-lopezs-bridgerton-themed-birthday-party/

Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech addressing the U.S. Congress shows he does not want to conclude a ceasefire deal.
Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress in a record fourth speech by a foreign leader to a joint meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives. He talked about the necessity of forging a security alliance in the Middle East to counter Iran.

Trump, 78, launched a scathing attack on his Democratic rival, as he took the stage for the first time to address an election rally after Harris became the presumptive nominee.

Washington: Former US president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday said Vice President Kamala Harris is “unfit to rule” and described here a radical left lunatic.

Trump, 78, launched a scathing attack on his Democratic rival, as he took the stage for the first time to address an election rally after Harris became the presumptive nominee.

Over the weekend, President Joe Biden, 81, announced that he was dropping out of the race and named Harris as his successor.

Harris, 59, is now the presumptive Democratic nominee and she was officially announced as the party’s presidential candidate at its Democratic National Convention in August.

“For three and a half years, Lyin’ Kamala Harris has been the ultra-liberal driving force behind every single Biden catastrophe. She is a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country if she ever gets the chance to get into office. We’re not going to let that happen,” Trump said as he unleashed a torrent of attack against the vice president.

“I was supposed to be nice. They say something happened to me when I got shot. I became nice. And when you’re dealing with these people, they’re very dangerous people. When you’re dealing with them, you can’t be too nice. You really can’t be. So if you don’t mind, I’m not going to be nice. Is that okay?” he asked his supporters amidst huge applause from the audience.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/kamala-harris-is-a-radical-left-lunatic-who-will-destroy-america-donald-trump-3121153

Israeli forces recovered on Wednesday the bodies of five hostages killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and held in Gaza since, the Israeli military said.
Maya Goren, a 56-year-old kindergarden teacher, was killed during the attack on her kibbutz, Nir Oz, according to Israeli Army Radio, one of the communities worst hit in the deadly attack in southern Israel that triggered the devastating war.
The other four hostages were two reserve soldiers and two conscript soldiers killed in combat during the Oct. 7 attack, the military said.

Fifty-five years after it sank, killing 21 men, Australia has found the shipwreck of the MV Noongah.
The 71m (233ft) freighter was carrying steel off the coast of New South Wales when it ran into stormy weather in 1969, sparking one of the biggest maritime searches in Australian history.
Five of the 26 crewmen were plucked from the water in the hours after the vessel sank, but only one body was ever recovered from those lost at sea.
The location of the wreck has now been confirmed by Australia’s science agency, using high resolution seafloor mapping and video footage.

Locals first spotted a wreck years ago – in deep water off the coast of South West Rocks, about 460km (286 miles) north of Sydney – and reported its coordinates to authorities.
There have long been suspicions that it may be the Noongah, but the technology or diving knowledge needed to identify the ship was not available.
But last month, a high-tech ship owned by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) was sent to investigate further.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1eprng96eo

Two of Silicon Valley’s famous venture capitalists make the case for backing Trump: that their ability to make money is the only value that matters.

Last week, the founders of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz declared their allegiance to Donald Trump in their customary fashion: talking about money on a podcast.

“Sorry, Mom,” Ben Horowitz says in an episode of The Ben & Marc Show. “I know you’re going to be mad at me for this. But, like, we have to do it.”

Marc Andreessen and Horowitz insist they voted for Democrats until now. They are friends with liberals. They claim to be nervous about the social blowback they will receive for this, especially because of the historically progressive nature of the tech industry and the Bay Area.

But given the general movement among their class toward Trump, I think those claims about being nervous are overblown, if not performative. There is, for instance, Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC, which has support from Sequoia Capital’s Shaun Maguire and 8VC’s Joe Lonsdale, among other notables. (The Wall Street Journal reported Musk is planning to donate $45 million a month, which Musk has denied.) There’s the $160 million the crypto movement has put forward in support of crypto-friendly candidates. We can’t forget their VC pal David Sacks speaking at the Republican National Convention. And last but not least, there’s Trump’s running mate choice of JD Vance, a former venture capitalist whose firm’s investors included Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt, and Andreessen himself.

This isn’t a movement. It’s a clique.

The podcast itself is an extraordinary performance. At one point, Andreessen concedes that their major problems with President Joe Biden — the ones that led them to support Trump — are what most voters would consider “subsidiary” issues. “It doesn’t have anything to do with the big issues that people care about,” he says. If we take this podcast at face value, we are to believe that these subsidiary issues are the only reason they’ve chosen to endorse and donate to Trump.

These subsidiary issues take precedence for Andreessen and Horowitz over, say, mass deportations and Project 2025’s attempt to end no-fault divorce. We are looking at a simple trade against personal liberty — abortion, the rights of gay and trans people, and possibly democracy itself — in favor of crypto, AI, and a tax policy they like better.

For Horowitz, “probably the most emotional topic” is crypto — a16z started a $4.5 billion crypto fund in 2022, and the pair believe that the Biden administration has been deeply unfair to crypto. In Horowitz’s view, the Biden administration “basically subverted the rule of law to attack the crypto industry.”

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/24/24204706/marc-andreessen-ben-horowitz-a16z-trump-donations

The former security minister has become the second Tory MP to declare their candidacy after James Cleverly, with five others also understood to be in the process of applying to run.

Former security minister Tom Tugendhat has joined the race to replace Rishi Sunak as the next leader of the Conservative Party.

He is the second person to formally join the race, with shadow home secretary James Cleverly announcing his candidacy yesterday.

Nominations for the race opened up this evening, with Mr Tugendhat, Mr Cleverly, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick understood to have picked up the paperwork required to stand.

Mr Tugendhat ran to be leader in the competition in 2022, and was rewarded with a cabinet role despite falling short of the top job.

The current contest will run until the beginning of November.

Previously chair of the foreign affairs select committee, the former soldier is known for his hawkish views on China and Iran.

Writing in The Telegraph, the Tonbridge MP said he is prepared to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.

Diagnosing what he thought had gone wrong for the Tories in the last election, Mr Tugendhat wrote: “Clever people have already written a million complicated words about why we lost that election, but I can do it in one: trust.

“We lost the trust of the British people, because we didn’t do what we said we would.”

He added that the public wanted things the party had previously promised: “lower taxes, lower immigration, more control over their everyday lives”.

But the last government “just didn’t deliver”.

He said the current leadership race will not be divisive as the party is agreed on several points: “The ECHR. Gender. Tax rates. Defence spending. Net zero”.

Mr Tugendhat added: “We know that if institutions do not serve the British people and make it harder to control our own borders, then we will have to exempt ourselves from them, or leave their jurisdiction.

“We know what a woman is. We all want lower taxes. We all know national security must come before Treasury spreadsheets.

“We all know that energy security and household bills come first.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/tom-tugendhat-joins-race-to-replace-rishi-sunak-as-tory-leader-13184508

A small passenger plane belonging to Nepal’s Saurya Airlines crashed and caught fire while taking off from the capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, killing 18 people on board and leaving one survivor, the captain, officials said.
“Only the captain was rescued alive and is receiving treatment at a hospital,” said Tej Bahadur Poudyal, spokesman for Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport.
The 50-seater plane, carrying two crew members and 17 technicians, was heading for regular maintenance to Nepal’s new Pokhara airport, which is equipped with aircraft maintenance hangars, the officials said.

Nearly 360 people have died in plane or helicopter crashes in the country since 2000.
Nepal’s prime minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, visited the crash site and asked people to “be patient” in a social media post, without elaborating.
An emergency cabinet meeting was called to form a panel to investigate the incident, a government spokesman said.
THICK, BLACK SMOKE

Television footage showed fire fighters trying to put out the blaze as thick black smoke rose into the sky. Images also showed the plane flying a little above the runway and then tilting to its right before it crashed.

Other visuals showed rescue workers examining the charred remains of the plane, strewn in lush green fields, and bodies being carried to ambulances on stretchers.

Kathmandu airport was closed temporarily following the crash but reopened within hours, officials said.

According to Flightradar24 flight tracking, Saurya currently operates two CRJ-200 regional jets, a programme that was owned by Canada’s Bombardier but which was bought by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 2020.

Bombardier referred questions about the incident to Canada-based MHI RJ Aviation Group.

“We are committed to cooperate with the authorities in the investigation to get an understanding of the cause of this accident,” MHI said in a statement to Reuters.

POOR SAFETY RECORD

Nepal has been criticised for its poor air safety record, where many airlines fly to small airports in remote hills and near peaks shrouded in clouds. The country is home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest mountain peaks.

The country’s main airport is ringed by mountains, affecting wind direction and intensity and making takeoff and landing a challenge for pilots.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/saurya-airlines-plane-crashes-during-takeoff-nepal-kathmandu-post-says-2024-07-24/

China’s central bank surprised markets for a second time this week by conducting an unscheduled lending operation on Thursday at steeply lower rates, suggesting authorities are trying to provide heavier monetary stimulus to prop up the economy.
The medium-term lending facility (MLF) operation comes after the central bank cut several benchmark lending rates on Monday, just days after a top leadership meeting, which had outlined other major reforms.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) issued 200 billion yuan ($27.5 billion) in one-year loans under its MLF at 2.30%, down 20 basis points from its previous MLF loan, the bank said in a statement.
The central bank also injected 235.1 billion yuan into markets through seven-day reverse repos at 1.70% and said the cash injection through the short-term instrument was to “maintain reasonably ample month-end banking system liquidity conditions,” according to the statement.

The MLF rate cut was “basically a reaction to the sharp declines in the stock market,” said Xing Zhaopeng, senior China strategist at ANZ. China’s benchmark indexes (.SSEC), opens new tab, (.CSI300), opens new tab have been falling this week.
China’s stock markets reacted negatively to the news on Thursday, taking the sudden urgency on the part of authorities to lend to mean the deflationary pressures and weakness in consumer demand are more severe than what is priced into assets. China reported weaker-than-expected GDP data earlier this month.

As FBI director Chris Wray performed his usual smarmy stonewalling in Congress Wednesday, a damning report on his $10 billion agency’s “cult of narcissism” was delivered to the House Judiciary Committee by an alliance of retired and active-duty agents and analysts.

The same group gave us the scathing DEI report last year about the FBI’s degraded recruitment standards and cosseting of physically unfit, mentally ill, drug-taking or generally useless agents to satisfy diversity requirements at the expense of merit and experience.

This time they have assessed the entire bureau and drawn several worrying conclusions, including that local law-enforcement partners have developed a “disturbing loss of trust in the FBI” and are subsequently reluctant to share information, with alarming consequences for national security and public safety.

“Police officers and sheriff’s deputies on patrol and detectives investigating illegal activity in their jurisdictions have unparalleled visibility into street-level crime. . . . When this information is not immediately shared with the FBI, the FBI is left to address complex, evolving threats facing the United States with an unacceptably vast and debilitating ‘blind spot’ because [it] does not have enough personnel and resources to see into every corner of the country.”

Loss of trust
While Wray testified that the FBI is facing a “complex threat environment” that is unprecedented in his experience, the loss of trust in the bureau on his watch only exacerbates the risks, which include terrorist suspects flooding over the southern border.

Republican members of Congress questioning Wray reflected a widespread distrust of the FBI’s investigation of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

The whistleblower report draws on testimony from more than 30 “independent, highly credible law-enforcement sources and sub-sources” across the country who “do not trust the FBI because they believe the FBI in recent years has been operating as a partisan federal agency motivated by a political agenda.

“They are not only reluctant to work with the FBI but reportedly have decided to no longer share actionable, substantive information on criminal and other intelligence-related activity with the FBI.”

Most concerning is what the alliance of whistleblowers call a “crisis of confidence” in FBI-led task forces where relationships with local cops have deteriorated to the point of “imploding” in some cases because of “poor management and ineffective leadership by the FBI.”

Local cops said their precipitous decline in trust for the FBI was triggered by its excessive response to the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, followed by the raid on Don­ald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

One source, a 25-year veteran sergeant in the Major Crimes Division of a large police force in a Western state, said “he/she cannot understand why the FBI is not going after [far-left militant group] Antifa, BLM and pro-Palestinian rioters with the same vigor the FBI brought to bear against” J6 participants.

Another source, a 15-year veteran cop from a Southern state, said many local law-enforcement officers “believe they could be targeted by the FBI and the DOJ because of their love for the United States of America and may be perceived as domestic terrorists because of how they may vote.”

Plummeting morale
The pressure placed on local law enforcement to assist with J6 cases in their areas “has impacted morale within these agencies” and led to a belief that the FBI has been contaminated by a “partisan, political agenda.”

Sources believe that “FBI leadership would exploit any information provided to them to violate the law and the constitutional rights of suspects who are under investigation, as well as ­innocent citizens.”

One said the FBI’s behavior was “that of a Third World country [and the bureau] should be dismantled and its personnel prosecuted and given long prison sentences.”

The head of a multiagency task force said the newer FBI agents in the team “do not bother to conceal their distaste for disfavored political and religious views . . . Newer FBI special agents identify themselves as ‘woke or liberal’ and are often openly critical
of Conservative or Christian ­values.”

Another source described FBI personnel generally as “almost always . . . arrogant, aloof and condescending [with] little, if any, tactical skills to support themselves or the safety of their team while out on the streets.”

The picture that emerges of the FBI is of an incompetent, arrogant bloated bureaucracy in which a new generation of DEI hires described as “completely worthless” and “the worst batch of people.”

The report’s final damning indictment is reserved for the FBI Academy for New Agent Training in Quantico, Va., which “promotes a cult of narcissism by imbuing a false sense of superiority over all local, state and federal law enforcement.”

Taxpayer resources have been lavished on a new “wellness center” for yoga and meditation at the academy instead of teaching trainee agents the value of “humility and a higher sense of service and professionalism” when working with local law enforcement.

The FBI Academy has become so politicized that at one point a group of conservative students held up handwritten signs displaying the word “STOP” in response to the instructor’s constant political denigration about Trump and Republicans.

The report also backs up whistle­blower documents obtained earlier this month by Empower Oversight that revealed that the FBI’s Security Division has been abusing the security-clearance process to purge conservatives from its ranks.

The FBI has suspended or revoked clearances for employees who expressed support for Trump or objections to the COVID-19 vaccination in answer to a series of improper and intrusive questions.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/07/24/opinion/local-cops-refusing-to-share-info-with-fbi-as-agency-suffers-crisis-of-confidence-with-dei-hires-whistleblower-report-reveals/

Drake’s Island – just 600 yards from Plymouth – is now for sale. It was used as a military defence for hundreds of years – with 18th century canons included in the price.

A six-acre island off the Devon coast – complete with private beach, fortifications and planning permission for a luxury hotel – has been put up for sale.

Drake’s Island, just 600 yards from Plymouth, was used as a military defence for hundreds of years – with 18th-century cannons still in position and included in the sale.

It takes less than 10 minutes to reach by boat and once on land there is military history everywhere.

From old barracks to artillery batteries complete with shell shafts and underground gun-powder stores.

“It has over 2,000 years of history – the first recorded building is 1135,” current owner and local businessman Morgan Phillips says.

“It was its nuclear deterrent of its day, that’s probably why the Spanish armada never came here!”

Mr Phillips bought the island in 2019 for £6m and has worked on securing consent for a 43-bed hotel.

He gives guided tours to groups.

“Plymouth is trying to become a destination – it’s getting there, it’s a long way forward with that. What we really need is the island to be taken forward and someone who has got the budget to be able to do that.”

The island – named after Sir Francis Drake who set sail from it to circumnavigate the globe in 1577 – has no fixed guide price but renovation costs are estimated at around £25m.

Ali Rana from property consultants Carter Jonas is leading the sale.

“The proposals include for these [outbuildings] to be converted into bedrooms and one of the things the owner has been thinking about is using this as a wedding venue where the guests would stay there and potentially put a restaurant, café at the end. It’s one of those opportunities where with some vision you could really create something special,” Mr Rana says.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/would-you-buy-six-acre-island-off-devon-with-a-private-beach-and-15-ghosts-13184211

Celine Dion looks set to make her return to the stage at the Olympic Games, and it’s rumored to be during the opening ceremony on Friday. It will mark the pop legend’s first performance since halting her touring schedule and stepping away from the spotlight after being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome in December 2022.

Dion arrived in Paris on Monday at the Royal Monceau hotel near the Champs-Élysées, where Lady Gaga, another potential opening ceremony headliner, is also staying. Specific details about Dion’s performance are being kept under wraps.

Representatives for Dion did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

The Canadian singer teased that a comeback may be imminent in an April interview with Vogue France, in which she said: “I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!”

She also said she was working every day to get stronger. “For four years I’ve been saying to myself that I’m not going back, that I’m ready, that I’m not ready… As things stand, I can’t stand here and say to you: ‘Yes, in four months,’” she said. “I don’t know… My body will tell me,” Dion told Vogue France.

It turns out that she may indeed be performing in front of the famous Parisian landmark, as the opening ceremony will take place in the shape of a nautical parade along the Seine, culminating near the Trocadero, facing the Eiffel Tower. The ceremony, which will take place outside of a stadium for the first time in history, will showcase Paris’ iconic locations and bring together 3,500 actors, dancers and musical performers.

Source: https://variety.com/2024/music/global/celine-dion-comeback-performance-olympics-opening-ceremony-1236081326/

Earlier this month, Musk said he would move SpaceX and X out of California over the SAFETY Act

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said his estranged transgender daughter was “killed” after she received gender-affirming care, which caused him to vow to “destroy the woke mind virus.”

Musk made the comments during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson broadcast Monday afternoon. Musk, who leads several companies including X, called gender-reassignment surgery “child mutilation and sterilization.” Musk said his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, received gender-affirming care during the pandemic and came out as trans when she was 16.

“I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys,” Musk said, referring to Wilson, who no longer goes by her father’s last name. “This was really before I had any understanding of what was going on, and we had COVID going on, so there was a lot of confusion and I was told (Musk’s child) might commit suicide.”

Musk went on to say that the process is done to children “who are far below the age of consent” and that he agrees with Peterson that “it’s incredibly evil” and that anyone promoting it should be imprisoned. Musk, who has 12 kids and has repeatedly spoken about fertility and underpopulation, also claimed it was never explained to him that puberty blockers were “actually just sterilization drugs.” Puberty blockers on their own do not affect fertility.

“I was tricked into doing this,” Musk said. “I lost my son, essentially. They call it ‘deadnaming’ for a reason. The reason they call it ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead.”

Musk’s public comments come about a week after he announced that X and SpaceX would join Tesla and move to Texas because of California’s AB1955, or the SAFETY Act. The legislation bans schools from implementing rules that require parents be notified if their child identifies as transgender and requires the State Department to provide resources to support LGBTQ+ identifying children. In the past, Musk has been repeatedly accused of engaging in transphobia or promoting anti-trans messaging.

Musk’s daughter in 2022 applied for a name change and a new birth certificate, saying in court documents that she no longer wants to “be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.” Musk has blamed his lack of a relationship with his daughter on her progressive school in Los Angeles, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography. Isaacson wrote that his estranged relationship with Wilson is behind Musk’s “anti-woke sentiments.”

In recent years, Musk — once known for his center-left politics — has leaned increasingly into right-wing talking points on everything from diversity initiatives to election fraud and immigration. Earlier this month, he endorsed the Republican party’s presidential ticket of former president Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, who are both proponents of the oil industry and against clean energy.

Source: https://qz.com/elon-musk-transgender-child-woke-mind-virus-peterson-1851602197

China will gradually raise its statutory retirement age in the next five years to try to cope with its ageing population and buckling pension system.
Life expectancy in the country has now risen above the United States, to 78 years, from just 36 years at the time of the Communist revolution in 1949.
But China’s retirement age remains one of the lowest in the world – at 60 for men, 55 for women in white-collar jobs and 50 for working-class women.
The plan to raise retirement ages is part of a series of resolutions adopted last week at a five-yearly top-level Communist party meeting, known as the Third Plenum.”In line with the principle of voluntary participation with appropriate flexibility, we will advance reform to gradually raise the statutory retirement age in a prudent and orderly manner,” the party’s central committee said in a key policy document highlighting the reforms.
It did not specify how much the age of retirement would be raised and by when, but a China Pension Development Report released at the end of 2023 wrote that “65 years old may be the final result after adjustment”.
The plan has been on the cards for a few years, as China’s pension budget dwindles.
The state-run Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said in 2019 that the country’s main state pension fund will run out of money by 2035 – and that was an estimate before the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit China’s economy hard.
At the same time, the country’s huge population has fallen for a second consecutive year in 2023 as the birth rate continues to decline.
The state-run Global Times newspaper quoted demographers in China saying that the plan to raise the age of retirement highlights “voluntariness” and “flexibility”, which shows that the authorities acknowledge there is no one-size-fits-all policy when it comes to retirement.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd9v48yn8ro

Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Zarah Sultana, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Ian Byrne have all had the whip suspended for six months, at which point the decision will be reviewed.

Sir Keir Starmer has suspended seven Labour MPs from the parliamentary party after they voted against the government to call for the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap.

Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Zarah Sultana, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Ian Byrne have all had the whip suspended for six months, at which point the decision will be reviewed.

The Labour rebels voted alongside the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP, the Alliance Party, and independent MPs like Jeremy Corbyn, backing an amendment to the King’s Speech proposed by the SNP.

With a majority of more than 174, Sir Keir Starmer was able to see off the rebellion by 363 votes to 103.

Reacting to her suspension, Ms Sultana said: “I have been informed by the chief whip anthe Labour Party leadership that the whip has been withdrawn from me for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would lift 330,000 children out of poverty.

“I will always stand up for the most vulnerable in our society.”

A Labour source told Sky News political editor Beth Rigby that the decision was taken “to show that we expect Labour MPs to support the programme we were elected on”.

Mr McDonnell was a serial rebel under previous Labour governments.

What is the two-child benefit cap?

In short, the measure prevents parents from claiming Universal Credit or a child tax credit for a third child, with a few exceptions.

The cap was introduced by then chancellor George Osborne as part of a raft of changes to the benefits system in 2015, but came into effect in April 2017.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/labour-suspend-seven-mps-who-rebelled-over-two-child-benefit-cap-13183879

The cost of health care and rent, along with a chaotic political system, has these children of immigrants leaving the American dream behind to live elsewhere.

Their parents may have moved to the U.S. in pursuit of the American dream, but some first-generation Gen Z Americans say they feel hopeless and a sense of doom.

Rather than a land of promise, they said, they see skyrocketing costs of living and health care, as well as loads of student debt and a chaotic political system. And just one generation in, some first-generation Americans said they’re moving out of the U.S. or seriously considering it.

But the decision isn’t an easy one and often comes with a combination of exhaustion, isolation, courage and a healthy dose of guilt over leaving the place their parents worked so hard to make home.

The concept of “doomism” that’s become popular with Gen Z is often illustrated by viral rants about leaving the U.S. and step-by-step TikTok tutorials on applying for dual citizenship. Young Americans are more likely than older adults to say there are countries that are “better than the U.S.,” according to Pew Research.

About 3 million Americans live abroad, an increase of more than 1.27 million people since the 1990s, according to an estimate by the United Nations.

“I thought I would fall in love with America and the American dream of progressing and making something of yourself and feeling proud,” Rania Salah, 23, said.

Salah was born in the U.S. but spent her childhood in Jordan. She graduated from American University with a degree in public health in 2022. In May, she moved out of her apartment in Virginia and is now living in Turkey. Next up is Qatar.

Salah said her breaking point came after applying to more than 500 jobs while struggling with her physical health. She was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and she realized the quality of life she wanted would not be attainable for her in America.

“I graduated and immediately started working,” Salah said, “but I have lupus, so my go, go, go was kind of forcibly stopped. I had to quit my job … just because my lupus was getting really bad.”

She posted her story of living with an autoimmune disease on TikTok and it drew over 2.5 million viewers.

Salah said her rheumatologist was ecstatic when he found out she was leaving the country. “He was anticipating that a lot of my stress would go away when I move abroad, and therefore my lupus would get better,” she said. “And also the quality of food. So he was very, very excited for me.”

Although inflation shows signs of cooling, food prices rose 2.2% from April 2023 to April 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rent has also steadily increased since the pandemic, with the national median for an apartment approaching $2,000.

Salah said she’s confident in her decision to leave the U.S., despite some of the trade-offs that come with exiting a democracy and living under Qatar’s emir, or ruler.

“That being said, I am happy to give up my right to vote as a trade for a significantly better quality of life. It’s cleaner, it’s safer. There’s more opportunity in mobility,” she said.

Still, America remains a top destination for immigrants.

“Almost 20% of all the immigrants around the world are in the United States,” said Jeanne Batalova, a senior policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute in Washington.

Batalova said children who were born to immigrants in the U.S. have mixed experiences.

“They are doing well in terms of the educational and economic outcomes,” Batalova said. “But at the same time, some groups are struggling. They are struggling because of residential segregation, because their parents might be lacking legal status or they might be coming from a low-income family.”

Michael Christian, 26, was born in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, and his parents are from Antigua.

“The grass may be greener on the other side … but I do know that it’s been difficult here,” Christian said.

Because his parents weren’t familiar with the college application process and weren’t able to provide much academic support to him growing up, he joined the Marine Corps after high school.

His life changed forever when he was diagnosed with leukemia while serving in Saudi Arabia in 2021.

Given the stress of his medical treatment, struggling to find a job outside of the military and not being able to afford the lifestyle he wants, Christian said he plans to move to Austria by the end of this year and then eventually Spain.

He fully transitioned out of the military in June and said the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump has made him want to leave even sooner than before.

“There’s no one on this planet who could be that bad of a person that we need to assassinate just to keep them out of the presidency,” Christian said. “How radical the American culture and society is getting in its entirety is making me go, ‘I really need to get out of here.’”

Maz Do, 27, is an author in New York who said they also are searching for something different.

Do said her parents left Vietnam and Indonesia because of violence and the lack of economic opportunities. Now, however, she said leaving America could help her learn more about her heritage.

“I felt very lost and I identified sort of just as Asian American,” said Do, who is embarking on a Fulbright trip to Indonesia later this year. “I think of course there’s the guilt, and I’ve reckoned with that by understanding and defining success on my own terms.”

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/gen-z-children-immigrants-doomism-leaving-usa-rcna160885

Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Centre has warned Russia was “ramping up malign disinformation campaigns” against Paris 2024 by exploiting AI to denigrate the reputation of Olympic organisers and create the expectation of violence at the Games.

French prosecutors have effectively confirmed one of the biggest concerns facing the Olympics with the arrest of a Russian accused of plotting to destabilise the Games.

The detention of the unnamed 40-year-old man came on the eve of the first events of the Summer Games returning to the French capital after a century.

No specific details of the indictment were announced by prosecutors apart from fears of an alleged intention to “organise events likely to cause destabilisation” during the Games.

Russia is banned from competing in Paris as a national team over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine – extending the country’s pariah status in the Olympics.

Russia was previously banned from three editions of Summer or Winter Games over a far-reaching state-sponsored doping scheme.

Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Centre last month warned that Russia was “ramping up malign disinformation campaigns” against Paris 2024 by exploiting artificial intelligence to denigrate the reputation of Olympic organisers and create the expectation of violence at the Games.

They highlighted a fake film called Olympics Has Fallen featuring Tom Cruise’s AI voice generator, mimicking the actual Olympus Has Fallen blockbuster from 2013.

Russians were also blamed by Microsoft experts with fabricating threats against Israelis attending the Paris Olympics linked to the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza to spread public fear.

Calling Russia out publicly for attempting to sow unrest reinforces concerns of governments and even sports organisers.

Just hours before news of the indictment in France emerged, the boss of the Olympics had been asked by Sky News about concerns in Paris over Russia’s malign motivations to undermine confidence in the Games.

“There are clearly fake threats and we are living this for months now,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “That is a very deplorable situation.”

While Mr Bach said the International Olympic Committee “remain vigilant”, there are growing challenges assessing the validity and credibility of malign activities.

“It’s about threats, it’s about defamation, it’s about trying to create insecurity among participants, potential spectators,” he said.

“But so far we have to say that these different attempts were not really successful.

“The people have realised what is going on there – for political propaganda purposes.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/paris-2024-russian-arrested-on-suspicion-of-plotting-to-destabilise-olympic-games-13184032

Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris, according to Politico’s Olivia Beavers. He has accused the presidential hopeful of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’, saying that she ‘has willfully and systemically refused to uphold Federal immigration laws, in that: In her conduct of the Office of Vice President of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris… has willfully prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice’.

The articles also claimed that Kamala Harris has been incompetent in executing her duties. The VP is yet to respond to the documents filed by Rep Ogles. This comes days after President Joe Biden announced that he will not be contesting for the 2024 election. The 81-year-old, who was the presumptive Democratic nominee, endorsed Harris.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/kamala-harris-accused-of-high-crimes-and-misdemeanors-andy-ogles-impeachment-articles-article-111969701

For decades, France’s LVMH has been the face of luxury for the wealthy who tote Louis Vuitton bags, don Christian Dior clothing, spritz Bulgari perfume and sip Veuve Clicquot Champagne.

This week, the world’s dominant luxury group — home to 75 high-end brands across fashion, jewelry, watches and alcohol — will be the face of a global event for the masses: the Paris Olympics, with its billions of viewers around the planet.

With a major sponsorship role aimed at burnishing the image of the Games and the French capital, it’s a new chapter in LVMH’s specialty of selling exclusivity at a grand scale under its chair and CEO, Bernard Arnault.

Assembling and growing dozens of exclusive labels under one powerhouse roof has put Arnault, 75, at the very top of Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people. As recently as June 3, Forbes estimated his wealth at $207 billion, narrowly ahead of Tesla’s Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. With ever-shifting stock-market prices, the three men often trade places (according to Forbes’ real-time billionaires list on Tuesday, Arnault and his family are currently No. 3).

“We tried to find a way to do it, to do something else than just signing a check and getting billboards on the side of the streets,” Antoine Arnault — LVMH’s head of environment and image and Arnault’s eldest son — told The Associated Press on Monday.

The extent of LVMH’s involvement is “unprecedented for a luxury brand,” says Luca Solca, luxury goods analyst at research firm Bernstein. Where such brands used to focus on athletic pursuits more associated with the rich — tennis, equestrian sports and yacht racing — LVMH and its competitors have increasingly used mass sports to reach customers and place a halo of excellence around their products.

“The prize is a high-level association to sports as a universal language that all consumers understand,” Solca says.

While his brands will be front and center, Arnault’s low-key public profile is a sharp contrast with those of Musk and Bezos. Although his company is adept at digital marketing, he’s not on social media himself. He can almost blend into the crowd, sitting quietly in his somber suits in the front row at fashion shows. Unsurprisingly, though, he’s well connected: He received the Légion d’Honneur in March from President Emmanuel Macron, whose wife, Brigitte, taught French to two of Arnault’s sons.

“He is almost like a head of state; he has that level of influence,” says political image consultant Frank Tapiro, dubbing Arnault the “godfather of the Olympics.” Tapiro, who worked with Arnault as creative director for the launch of the Miss Dior perfume, likened him to Louis XIV, the 18th century Sun King famed for wielding incredible power over his capital from afar.

An engineer who started out at his family’s construction firm, Arnault launched his career in luxury by taking over Financière Agache in 1984. He dumped his acquisition’s less attractive businesses, keeping only the crown jewels: Christian Dior and ritzy department store Le Bon Marché. Within five years, he had taken a stake in LVMH and become CEO of the company, born from the merger of Moët Hennessy and Louis Vuitton — brands established centuries before.

Arnault made his fortune by defying conventional wisdom, building a conglomerate in a field where rarity and exclusivity are watchwords. The company’s sheer size has created what Solca calls the “mega-brand virtuous cycle”: Its size and large profits let LVMH recruit top design talent, open bigger and flashier stores in elite locations, and support its brands with marketing and advertising spending that each brand could never attain on its own. That boosts profits further and the cycle repeats.

LVMH today is three times the size it was in 2009. Last year, it reported 86.2 billion euros ($93.2 billion) in revenue and 22.8 billion euros ($24.6 billion) in profit from recurring operations, for a more than 26.5% profit margin — one that businesses in sectors such as automobiles, airlines or food retail can only dream of. It’s a public company, but family-run. Arnault’s five children each play roles, leading to media speculation about who will succeed him at the top; however, his move to extend the retirement age for his job from 75 to 80 indicates he could be around for a while yet.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-bernard-arnault-lvmh-ceo-0ab4a42d0bb6be6cb3989412ca19d318

Police officers flocked to Taylor Swift’s hotel in Germany after Swifties swarmed the entrance ahead of her highly-anticipated Eras Tour show.

Photos obtained by Page Six Tuesday showed a crowd of eager fans outside the Hamburg hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of the pop star as police assumably arrived to control the scene.

According to a local news outlet, 300 fans were present but there was no sight of the “Lover” songstress as she reportedly entered and left the hotel through an underground car garage.

Swift, 34, took the stage at Volksparkstadion stadium on Tuesday evening, where she will also perform on Wednesday before heading to Germany’s capital, Munich, over the weekend.

German police have been on high alert as the 14-time Grammy winner has taken over the country this past week.

Last week, one of her stalkers was arrested in Gelsenkirchen after allegedly making threats toward her and her beau, Travis Kelce.

The unidentified 34-year-old male was cuffed at the entry check of the Veltins-Arena as Swift prepared to take the stage.

He allegedly made threats against the A-list couple online and event organizers warned local authorities.

Kelce, 34, supported the “Cruel Summer” singer at two out of three nights she performed in Gelsenkirchen as he proudly wrapped his arm around her shoulder when they left the venue on Thursday.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/23/entertainment/swarm-of-taylor-swift-fans-force-german-police-to-close-off-singers-hotel-ahead-of-hamburg-eras-tour-show/

Referring to a video of a coaching session, Ms Dujardin said what happened was “completely out of character” and “does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils”.

Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian, Charlotte Dujardin, has pulled out of the Paris Games after a video emerged of her allegedly whipping a horse repeatedly.

The dressage rider, who has won six Olympic medals, including two golds at London 2012 and a third at Rio 2016, had been set to compete in both the individual and team events in France.

But she has now withdrawn from this summer’s games, which start on Friday, saying the footage “from four years ago… shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session”.

The world governing body – the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) – said she had been provisionally suspended for six months, following an official complaint to the organisation.

The whistleblower’s lawyer Stephan Wensing told The Telegraph that while giving a lesson to a student, Ms Dujardin “took the long whip and she was beating the horse more than 24 times in one minute and really hard, really harsh, really tough”.

He added it was like “an elephant in the circus”.

British Equestrian (BEF) and British Dressage (BD) referred to “allegations of animal welfare misconduct” which the FEI “will now fully investigate”.

Both the BEF and BD have also imposed a provisional suspension on Ms Dujardin from all national and international competitions pending the outcome of the FEI investigation.

Referring to the video, the Team GB athlete, 39, said what happened was “completely out of character” and “does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils”.

Ms Dujardin said she will “withdraw from all competition – including the Paris Olympics – while this process takes place”.

In her Instagram statement, she wrote: “A video has emerged from four years ago which shows me making an error of judgement during a coaching session.”

She continued: “What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”

Ms Dujardin, who also won two golds at the World Equestrian Games in 2014 in Normandy, said she was “devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors”.

Rider will ‘co-operate fully’ with investigations

“I will co-operate fully with the FEI, British Equestrian Federation and British Dressage during their investigations, and will not be commenting further until the process is complete,” she went on.

British Equestrian chief executive Jim Eyre said: “As the guardians of equestrian sport, we must uphold the highest standards of equine welfare – the horse’s wellbeing is paramount.

“The allegations made are serious and the consequences far reaching.”

At the London 2012 Olympics, Ms Dujardin won golds in the individual and team dressage, while in Rio in 2016, she took gold in the individual competition and silver in the team event.

Three years ago, at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games, she claimed bronzes in both the team and individual competitions.

Ms Dujardin’s six medals make her Britain’s joint-most decorated female Olympian of all time, tied with retired cyclist Dame Laura Kenny.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/charlotte-dujardin-pulls-out-of-paris-olympics-over-video-showing-error-of-judgement-in-coaching-session-13183843

Taiwan hunkered down on Wednesday for the arrival of a strengthening Typhoon Gaemi, with financial markets shut, people getting the day off work and flights cancelled, while the military went on stand-by amid forecasts of torrential rain.
Gaemi, expected to be the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in eight years, is set to make landfall on the northeast coast on Wednesday evening, the island’s weather authorities said.

VP Harris is likely to tell Israeli PM Netanyahu that it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet the visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House this week, but will not be able to preside over a joint session of the U.S. Congress which would be addressed by him, according to her aide.

“We anticipate the Vice President will convey her view that it is time for the war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all hostages are released, the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can enjoy their right to dignity, freedom, and self-determination. And they will discuss efforts to reach agreement on the ceasefire deal,” an aide to Vice President Harris told PTI.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/kamala-harris-to-urge-israeli-pm-netanyahu-to-end-the-war-and-suffering-of-palestinian-civilians-in-gaza/article68440035.ece

Josh Shapiro served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012, as Chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2011 to 2017, and as Attorney General from 2016 to present, with a reelection in 2020.

New Delhi: Days after President Joe Biden pulled out of the Presidential race, his deputy Kamala Harris became the front-runner to replace him as the Democratic nominee for the November 5 polls. Apart from President Biden himself, leading party figures are rallying behind her. If Harris wins the nomination, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is favoured to join her on the ticket.
Betting markets put Shapiro at 7/4 odds, followed by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper at 3/1 and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear at 5/1.

Who is Josh Shapiro?

1. Josh Shapiro was born on June 20, 1973, and grew up in Pennsylvania. His mother was an educator, and his father was a paediatrician. He studied political science at the University of Rochester and later earned a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He now lives in Montgomery County with his wife, Lori, and their four children – three school-age sons and a daughter who attends the University of Pittsburgh.

2. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2004, serving the 153rd District for eight years. He then served as Chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2011 to 2017. In 2016, Shapiro was elected Pennsylvania Attorney General and reelected in 2020.

In a tragic turn of events, a 24-year-old extreme eater passed away during a food binge livestream.

Popular Chinese influencer, Pan Xiaoting’s eating sessions could last up to 10 hours and see her chow down on approximately 10kg of food. Despite warnings from her worried parents and viewers, Xiaoting continued filming the extreme videos and died on July 14 after setting up one of her livestreams, reports the Daily Star.

An autopsy report revealed her cause of death was linked to a “deformed” stomach chalked full of “undigested food.” Xiaoting’s perilous eating sprees were part of her participation in Mukbang livestreams – an internet trend originating from South Korea mid-2000s, which involves hosts consuming enormous quantities of food while interacting with their viewers.

China News reported that Xiaoting was known for her lengthy videos. She had been hospitalized in the past for gastrointestinal bleeding; however, she relentlessly carried on with her hazardous broadcasts.

Her sudden death provoked mixed reactions across social media. Some users blamed her tragic end on her over-indulgence, labeling her “literally a victim of gluttony” while highlighting that it displayed the dangerous lengths individuals resort to for online fame.

Others directed their criticism towards the glorification of such risky challenges. One bewildered commenter said, “I’ll never understand why anyone would want to watch someone eat.”

Another user expressed their sorrow, stating: “That’s terrible. Why do people try and glorify obesity these days? ” Yet another reflected on the broader implications of this incident: “When you think that there are people dying of hunger… it’s maddening.”

In 2020, China put into effect regulations to curb excessive eating in Mukbang content, with streamers facing penalties if they violate the rules. The country introduced penalties to food service operators who encouraged customers to “order excessive meals and obvious waste” after China’s leader Xi Jinping described waste as “shameful”.

Breaking the rules could result in fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,376). Experts have warned Mukbang videos are spreading a dangerous message about health.

Source: https://www.themirror.com/news/world-news/extreme-eater-24-dies-during-607141

Bangladesh has been under a nationwide internet blackout since Thursday amid massive protests that turned violent last week.

Bangladesh will restore its broadband internet services Tuesday evening after a five-day shutdown, the country’s telecoms minister said. The internet was shut down as the protest, which began in early June, over the employment quota turned violent in Bangladesh last week. A nationwide internet blackout has been there since Thursday, which has drastically restricted the flow of information.

The decision to restore the broadband internet came after a Bangladeshi student group leading demonstrations suspended protests on Monday for 48 hours. The group’s leader said the students did not want reform “at the expense of so much blood.”

Nahid Islam, leader of the main protest organiser’ Students Against Discrimination’, told AFP, “We are suspending the shutdown protests for 48 hours…” We demand that during this period, the government withdraws the curfew, restores the internet and stops targeting the student protesters.” The suspension of protests was extended for 48 more hours on Tuesday, AFP reported.

At least 173 people have died, and the number of arrests during days of violence in Bangladesh passed the 2,500 mark on Tuesday, news agency AFP reported. The report added that police officials in Dhaka, Chittagong, and other locations gave AFP further details of detentions, which brought the total held to 2,580.

The protests erupted as students raised concerns over a specific job reservation system in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had scrapped quotas in 2018 that had reserved 56 percent of state jobs for various categories of people, including 30 percent for families of those who fought in the country’s 1971 war of independence. However, a high court ruling had reinstated the quotas last month, triggering the student protests.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/bangladesh-to-restore-internet-services-amid-unrest-173-dead-over-2-500-held-so-far-what-is-happening-now-11721742624246.html

Israel sent tanks back into the greater Khan Younis area after ordering evacuations of some districts it said had been used for renewed attacks by militants and at least 70 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, Gaza medics said on Monday.
The Palestinians were killed by tank salvoes in the town of Bani Suhaila and other towns fringing the eastern side of Khan Younis, with the area also bombarded from the air, they said.

The Israeli military said in a statement evacuation orders to the population in eastern Khan Younis resulted from intelligence information indicating militants were firing rockets from those areas and Hamas was attempting to regroup.

“Since this morning, the IAF and IDF artillery forces have struck more than 30 terror infrastructure sites in Khan Younis, including in the area from which a projectile was launched toward Nirim in southern Israel earlier today,” the military said.

Around 400,000 people were living in the targeted areas and dozens of families had begun to leave their houses, Palestinian officials said, adding they were not given time to get out of harm’s way before the Israeli strikes began.

Some families fled on donkey carts, others on foot, carrying mattresses and other belongings.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said two of its clinics located in eastern Khan Younis had been knocked out of operation because of the new offensive.

At Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, some people stood outside the morgue to bid farewell to dead relatives.

“We are tired, we are tired in Gaza, every day our children are martyred, every day, every moment,” said Ahmed Sammour, who lost several relatives in bombings of eastern Khan Younis.

“No one told us to evacuate. They brought four floors crashing down on civilians,” Sammour added.

In nearby Deir Al-Balah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering, an Israeli airstrike hit a tent used by local journalists inside Al-Aqsa Hospital, killing one of them and wounding two other people, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said.

The new death raised the number of Palestinian journalists killed in the Israeli offensive to 163, it added.

EVACUATION ORDERS

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military said it had issued new evacuation orders due to renewed Palestinian militant attacks, including rockets launched from the targeted areas in eastern Khan Younis. The orders did not include health institutions, Palestinians said.

The military said it was adjusting the boundaries of a designated humanitarian zone in coastal Al-Mawasi – to the west of Khan Younis – to keep the civilian population away from areas of combat with Hamas-led Palestinian militants.

The Gaza Civil Emergency Services said Israel’s new orders showed it had downsized the humanitarian-designated areas in southern and central areas, where 1.7 million people were sheltering, to 48 sq km (18.5 sq miles) from 65 sq km (25 sq miles) in the past.

The Palestinians, the United Nations and international relief agencies have said there is no safe place left in Gaza.

Health officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis urged residents on Monday to donate blood because of the large number of casualties being rushed to the medical centre.

“A family, including children, were all torn to pieces while they were sleeping,” said one man who arrived at the hospital in an ambulance bearing the bodies.

Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas after militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages in a cross-border assault on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-orders-evacuation-part-gazas-khan-younis-after-renewed-rocket-fire-2024-07-22/

Israel will be the United States’ strongest ally in the Middle East regardless of who is elected president in November, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday before flying to Washington, where he was due to address the U.S. Congress.
The visit, Netanyahu’s first to his most important international ally since returning for a record sixth term as prime minister at the end of 2022, has been overshadowed by President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection.

Netanyahu said he would thank Biden for all he has done for Israel throughout his career and discuss with him issues such as securing the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, defeating the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, and confronting Iran and its proxies in the region.
A meeting with Biden is tentatively planned for Tuesday if the 81-year old president has recovered from Covid-19. Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday.

“I will tell my friends on both sides of the aisle that regardless who the American people choose as their next president, Israel remains America’s indispensable and strong ally in the Middle East,” he told reporters before taking off.
“In this time of war and uncertainty it’s important that Israel’s enemies know that America and Israel stand together today, tomorrow and always,” Netanyahu said, adding he wanted to “anchor the bipartisan support that is so important for Israel”.

After months of frosty relations with Washington over how Israel has conducted its offensive launched in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, the visit offers Netanyahu a platform to try to reset relations with Washington.
His speech to Congress is expected to focus on coordinating the Israeli and U.S. response to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where there is a growing danger of the Gaza war spilling over into a wider regional conflict.
The speech is likely to be less confrontational than an address Netanyahu gave to Congress in 2015, when he criticised Barack Obama’s drive as president for a nuclear deal with Iran.
PRESSURE
U.S. pressure on Israel for a resumption of talks on reaching a political agreement with the Palestinians, and a U.S. threat to withhold arms, have underlined perceptions in Israel that ties with Washington have weakened under Netanyahu. He has also faced protests in Israel demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

“Part of the goal is to try to show that with all that’s been said, with all the protests, Netanyahu is still the leader, still has support, he still has strong relations with America,” said Yonatan Freeman, an international relations specialist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The invitation for Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress – a rare honour generally reserved for the closest U.S. allies – was orchestrated by the House of Representatives’ Republican leadership, which has accused Biden of not showing sufficient support for Israel.
There was no immediate sign that Netanyahu will see Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The two forged a close relationship during Trump’s presidency but Trump has since criticised Netanyahu and said the Gaza war must end quickly.
Although his welcome in Congress should be generally warm, protests roiling U.S. campuses suggest Netanyahu’s reception outside official Washington may be hostile.
Activists opposing Israel’s offensive in Gaza and Washington’s support for Israel plan protests at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Police expect a “large number of demonstrators” and are making additional security arrangements but said there were no known threats.
Israel has been isolated internationally over its campaign in Gaza, which Gaza health authorities say has killed almost 39,000 Palestinians, the expansion of settlement-building in the occupied West Bank and Jewish settlers’ attacks on Palestinians.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/israels-netanyahu-heading-washington-with-us-flux-over-election-race-2024-07-22/

Bearing torches that lit up the night as they swam out into the ocean, Japan’s storied “ama” prayed for an abundant catch in a ceremony held by these female free divers for decades.
This year, however, most of the 80 white-clad participants in the weekend event in Minamiboso on the Pacific coast were volunteers, as age and disinterest dwindle the number of women willing to make a livelihood out of this type of diving in this fishing community.

South Korea warned its northern neighbour its actions risk “causing critical consequences” as tensions along the border continue to escalate.

South Korea has been playing K-pop songs in loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at its northern neighbour along the border – after it was targeted with balloons carrying rubbish.

The speakers also carried updates on BTS member Jin’s torch-bearing ahead of the Paris Olympics – and the recent defection of a senior North Korean diplomat.

It comes as the public has been warned to be on the lookout for falling objects and debris and to report any balloon sightings to the authorities – actions by North Korea which officials said were “escalating” tensions.

South Korea said the balloons were seen flying north of the capital of Seoul after crossing the border.

It comes two days after the country restarted blaring anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts across the border for the first time in about 40 days in retaliation for its neighbour’s repeated balloon campaigns.

“The North Korean military’s tension-escalating acts can result in causing critical consequences for it,” the South Korean Joint Chiefs Of Staff said in a statement.

“The responsibility for this situation is entirely on North Korea’s government.”

It added the South Korean military was responding by expanding loudspeaker broadcasts at all major sections of the 154-mile border.

Experts say South Korean propaganda broadcasts can demoralise frontline North Korean troops and residents, posing a blow to the North’s efforts to limit access to outside news for its 26 million people.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/south-korea-retaliates-with-k-pop-songs-after-being-hit-by-rubbish-filled-balloons-13183235

A court in the United Arab Emirates has handed 57 Bangladeshis long prison terms for holding protests in the Gulf state against their own country’s government.
Three of the unnamed defendants were sentenced to life for “inciting riots in several streets across the UAE on Friday”, while 53 others were jailed for 10 years and one for 11 years, state-run Wam news agency reported.
It cited their court-appointed defence lawyer as arguing during Sunday’s trial that the gatherings had no criminal intent and that the evidence was insufficient.
Amnesty International condemned what it called the UAE’s “extreme reaction to the mere existence of a public protest” on its soil.

Protests are effectively illegal in the UAE, where foreigners make up almost 90% of the population. Bangladeshis are the third largest expatriate group.
In Bangladesh, more than 150 people have been killed and 500 arrested during days of violence sparked by student-led demonstrations against quotas on government jobs.
On Monday some of the protest leaders gave the government a 48-hour ultimatum to lift a nationwide curfew and restore internet services. They are also demanding the resignation of officials they blame for violence against demonstrators.
The unrest is among the most serious challenges Sheikh Hasina has faced in 15 consecutive years as the country’s prime minister.

According to Wam, the trial of the 57 Bangladeshis heard that they had “organised large-scale marches in several streets of the UAE in protest against decisions made by the Bangladeshi government”.
“This led to riots, disruption of public security, obstruction of law enforcement, and endangerment of public and private property,” it said. “The police had warned the protesters, ordering them to disperse, to which they were unresponsive”.
The court rejected the defendants’ defence and ordered that they be deported after serving their sentences, Wam said.
There was no immediate comment from Bangladesh’s government. But its consulate in Dubai urged citizens to respect local laws in a social media post on Sunday.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crgk8gnpg0zo

At least six people have been killed after a gunman opened fire in a care home in Croatia, sparking calls for stricter gun control in the Balkan country.
Five people, including an employee, were killed in the home in the eastern town of Daruvar, while another person later died in hospital.
Police said several people were also injured, and four remain in a critical condition.
The suspect fled the scene after the attack and was later arrested at a cafe, where he was found carrying unregistered firearms, according to Croatian media.

Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic said he was shocked by the “savage, unprecedented” mass shooting and called for rules on gun ownership to be “even more rigorous”.

“It is a frightening warning and a last call to all competent institutions to do more to prevent violence in society,” President Milanovic wrote in a social media post.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic called it a “monstrous attack” and expressed his condolences to those affected.

Croatian authorities have given no motive for the massacre.

Marin Piletic, Croatia’s minister for Labour, Pensions, Families and Social Policy, said the mother of the suspect had been a resident of the care home for 10 years.

Unconfirmed reports by local media say the man was a war veteran.

He also had a previous record for disturbing public order and domestic abuse, according to Croatian national police chief Nikola Milina.

“I was stacking the medicines and then I heard gunshots,” a shocked employee of the nursing home told state broadcaster HRT.

“We hid under a bed, the boss escaped through the window and then (we fled) through the window to the bookstore.”

The killings have left the 7,000 residents of the quiet spa town of Daruvar in shock.

“It’s hard for me to understand that this can happen in our town, country,” mayor Damir Lnenicek told Croatian broadcaster N1.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn08d7vyj6wo

A newly posted video of Miss Kansas calling out her domestic violence abuser from the stage the night she was crowned is whipping up a maelstrom of support on social media.

Alexis Smith, who works overnight shifts as a cardiothoracic intensive care nurse in Wichita, was crowned Miss Kansas on June 8, but posted the video of her on-stage comments just this past week on the platform now known as X. Her comments are resonating with thousands in part because she called out her own abuser from the stage while she said the perpetrator was sitting in the audience.

The video Smith posted July 16 has been viewed more than 60,000 times and generated a rash of news stories.

“My vision as the next Miss Kansas is to eliminate unhealthy and abusive relationships,” Smith said during the interview portion of the pageant last month. “Matter of fact, some of you in this audience saw me very emotional because my abuser is here today. But that’s not going to stop me from being on this Miss Kansas stage and from representing as the next Miss Kansas.”

Smith just recently started her reign and began raising concerns about the issue in interviews and social media posts. Her bold pageant statement against domestic abuse and her courage to speak out is being praised online by dozens of people as her video gets shared again and again.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/miss-kansas-alexis-smith-domestic-violence-4ea520487500bc82c415fb4b6a317513

President Joe Biden’s “symptoms have almost resolved completely” from COVID-19, according to his physician, as the president on Monday remained out of public view for the fifth straight day.

Biden called into the Wilmington, Delaware, headquarters of his former campaign during a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris, whose bid for the White House has been endorsed by Biden. The president sought to pep up the staff, urging them to give “every bit” of their “heart and soul” to Harris. Biden also vowed to be “out on the road” campaigning for his vice president.

“If I didn’t have Covid, I’d be standing there with you,” said Biden, whose voice sounded a touch gravelly.

The president was last seen in public late Wednesday after arriving at a U.S. air base in Dover, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas earlier in the day. He then motorcaded to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The White House says Biden plans to return to the White House on Tuesday afternoon.

Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, said that the president had completed his 10th dose of the COVID-fighting medication Paxlovid on Monday morning and continued to perform all of his presidential duties.

“His symptoms have almost resolved completely. His pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature remain absolutely normal,” O’Connor wrote. “His oxygen saturation continues to be excellent on room air. His lungs remain clear.”

The White House said Biden received separate briefings on Monday from homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Both briefings were conducted virtually.

Biden’s public schedule for the week has remained clear as he recovers from the virus, but he said in his letter on Sunday that he planned to deliver an address to the nation this week to discuss his decision to end his candidacy.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-rehoboth-beach-harris-2024-ef4d643927247c59868607a80129c190

Stalking has been the focus of renewed attention following recent Netflix drama Baby Reindeer and a new review has laid bare the scale of the problem.

A man who was stalked for 27 years says police “laughed” at him when he first reported it – as a damning new report lays bare the need for “urgent action” to tackle the crime.

Almost two thirds of stalking suspects in London have offended before, according to research published by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).

The report also found more than 80% of reports made by victims aren’t initially classified as stalking – and instead recorded as domestic abuse or harassment.

Separate figures show one in five women in the UK will experience stalking, while one in 10 men will also fall victim.

Among the men who have suffered from stalking is John, who wanted to remain anonymous and withhold his real name having been a victim for 27 years.

He told Sky News police “laughed” and “smirked” when he first reported stalking, which he described as “constant”.

“I’ll never forget what they said to me when I walked in,” he said.

“I went there, told them, ‘I’ve got this woman buzzing my house constantly… (sitting) in the pub looking at me, wanting to get my attention, what do I do?’

“They laughed, smirked behind the screen and said, ‘look mate, all you’ve got to do is tell the girl to go away’. I said I’ve done that.

Stalking has been the focus of renewed attention following recent Netflix drama Baby Reindeer, which John turned off after just a few minutes as it was too close to home.

His stalker is waiting for sentencing in court and he hopes she will face a long time a prison.

“I don’t think it will ever stop until I move from where I’m living,” he said.

“Once she gets sentenced – I hope it’s a long one – I feel like I can actually start to make some changes.”

The review by MOPAC found nearly half of reports classified as stalking by police end up with a victim withdrawing from the case, while 41% are dropped by police often citing a lack of evidence.

Of the stalkers prosecuted, three quarters are charged with a lesser stalking offence carrying a minimum of six months in prison.

‘System has become complicit’

London’s victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman is calling for wholesale reform of stalking legislation, adding the research shows “too many stalkers are able to evade justice” and young people are “learning to cope with unwanted attention”.

“Stalking victims have been failed for far too long by a criminal justice system that is still struggling to identify and understand stalking,” she said.

“Sadly, the system has become complicit in allowing stalking cases to escalate.

“Confusing legislation is hampering the police’s ability to build strong cases, enabling stalkers to act with impunity and leaving victims at risk.”

Emma Lingley-Clark, interim chief executive of stalking charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said the findings show the need for “urgent action” from the new government and all agencies to “improve the response for stalking victims”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/male-stalking-victim-describes-ordeal-over-27-years-and-says-police-laughed-when-he-first-reported-crime-13183527

The drug was found in all 13 wild Brazilian sharpnose sharks tested, with a concentration as much as 100 times higher than previously reported for other aquatic creatures.

Sharks in waters off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, scientists say.

Researchers have long suggested that sea life could be impacted by drugs dumped into the water by smugglers, with tonnes of cocaine found around Florida, South and Central America.

A study from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil has now found evidence sharks are in fact being affected by drugs polluting the ocean.

The scientists dissected 13 wild Brazilian sharpnose sharks that were bought from small fishing vessels, as the species spend their entire lives in coastal waters and were therefore most likely to be affected by pollution.

Muscle and liver tissue were then tested using a standard technique called liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry – where molecules are separated in a liquid – to look for cocaine and benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite in the drug.

All 13 sharks were positive for the drug, with a concentration as much as 100 times higher than previously reported for other aquatic creatures, the scientists found.

It marks the first study to find the presence of cocaine in free-range sharks, and found the substance was more prevalent in muscle tissue than in the shark’s livers.

However, the study said the field of research was “very limited” and the impact of cocaine or benzoylecgonine on aquatic life is not fully known.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/sharks-off-brazil-coast-test-positive-for-cocaine-13183543

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris secured support Monday from a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, likely ensuring she will become the party’s nominee for president next month, according to multiple sources.
President Joe Biden threw his support behind Harris on Sunday when he withdrew from the race amid questions about his age and health. He pledged to remain in office as president until his term ends on Jan. 20, 2025.

An Associated Press survey of delegates showed Harris had the support of 2,538 delegates, well beyond the 1,976 needed to win the delegates vote in the coming weeks. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said on Monday the party will deliver a presidential nominee by Aug. 7.
Delegates could still change their minds before Aug. 7, but nobody else received any votes in the AP survey, and 57 delegates said they were undecided.In Harris’ first public appearance since the announcement, she rallied supporters on Monday with a debut campaign speech vowing to go after Republican nominee Donald Trump like the courtroom prosecutor she once was.
“I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Harris told campaign workers 28 hours after President Joe Biden, 81, abandoned the 2024 White House race and endorsed her.

In Harris’ first public appearance since the announcement, she rallied supporters on Monday with a debut campaign speech vowing to go after Republican nominee Donald Trump like the courtroom prosecutor she once was.
“I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Harris told campaign workers 28 hours after President Joe Biden, 81, abandoned the 2024 White House race and endorsed her.

These included former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has remained influential since stepping down as the party’s House of Representatives leader in 2022. The AFL-CIO labor union federation, which represents 12.5 million workers, said on Monday it had also endorsed Harris for president.
Harris’ campaign said it raised $81 million in the 24 hours following Biden’s exit, the most for a single day in the 2024 campaign for either party.
Virtually all of the prominent Democrats who had been seen as potential challengers to Harris have declared support for her, including Governors Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Whitmer, in a post on X, on Monday said she would serve as co-chair of Harris’ campaign.
Biden’s departure was the latest shock to a White House race that included his disastrous June 27 debate performance against former President Trump and the July 13 near-assassination of Trump by a gunman during a campaign stop.
Harris lauded Biden for his service to the country. At a White House event to honor college athletes earlier on Monday, she said: “Joe Biden’s legacy over the last three years is unmatched in modern history.”
Harris will travel on Tuesday to Milwaukee, the largest city in the battleground state of Wisconsin, which last week hosted a Republican National Convention that offered a stark display of Trump’s dominance over his party.
NEW GENERATION
Harris, who is Black and Asian American, would fashion an entirely new dynamic with Trump, 78, offering a vivid generational and cultural contrast.
The Trump campaign has been preparing for her possible rise for weeks, sources told Reuters. It sent out a detailed critique of her record on immigration and other issues on Monday, accusing her of being more liberal than Biden.
It alleged that Harris favored abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and decriminalizing border crossings, backed the so-called Green New Deal, supported the administration’s electric vehicle mandates and encouraged “defund the police” efforts.
Some of those were positions Harris adopted as an unsuccessful presidential candidate in the 2020 election when she was running on a more liberal agenda than Biden but were not ones that the administration assumed, particularly with regard to border security and law enforcement issues.

Source:https://www.reuters.com/world/us/backed-by-biden-harris-scrambles-lock-up-white-house-bid-2024-07-22/

Dozens of exhausted migrants arrived in a wooden boat on a beach in Spain’s Canary Islands early on Friday amid a sharp rise in perilous crossings from Africa, with emergency personnel and a few stunned beachgoers rushing to help.
The boat carrying 64 people made it to the Las Burras beach on the island of Gran Canaria by its own means, authorities said. Eleven migrants were taken to hospitals, some by helicopter as four were in critical condition.

U.S. President Joe Biden abandoned his reelection bid on Sunday under growing pressure from his fellow Democrats and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate to face Republican Donald Trump in the November election.
Biden, who at 81 is the oldest person ever to have occupied the Oval Office, said he would remain in the presidency until his term ended on Jan. 20, 2025, and would address the nation this week.

In opinion polls, Americans had expressed widespread dissatisfaction with a potential Biden-Trump rematch. Shortly after Biden’s announcement, Trump told CNN: “Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden would have been.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said the American people would soon hear from the party on next steps and the path forward for the nomination process. It was the first time in more than a half-century that an incumbent U.S. president gave up his party’s nomination.

If Harris, 59, emerges as the nominee, she would become the first Black woman to lead a major-party ticket in U.S. history. A former attorney general of California and former U.S. senator, she ran unsuccessfully for president against Biden in 2020.
“My intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris said in a statement. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump.”
Harris campaign officials, allies and supporters have started making calls to secure the support of delegates for her nomination ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from Aug. 19-22, multiple sources said.
Democratic state party chairs held a Sunday afternoon call to discuss backing Harris as the party’s nominee. Several participants said Harris has the full support of the chairs.
Opposition to Biden’s campaign from within his party gained steam over the past week with 36 congressional Democrats – more than one in eight – publicly calling on him to drop out, driven by concerns over his mental acuity.
Lawmakers said they feared he could cost them not only the White House but also the chance to control either chamber of Congress next year, which would leave Democrats with no meaningful grasp on power in Washington.
That stood in sharp contrast to what played out in Milwaukee last week, when Republican convention delegates united around Trump, whose refusal to acknowledge his 2020 loss to Biden sparked a Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
It was unclear whether other senior Democrats would challenge Harris for the nomination – she was widely seen as the pick of many party officials – or whether the party itself would choose to open the field for nominations.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California, who had been mentioned as a possible replacement for Biden at the top of the ticket, threw his support behind Harris.
“With our democracy at stake and our future on the line, no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President, @KamalaHarris,” Newsom wrote on X.
Two other potential challengers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky, issued statements praising Biden but did not mention the vice president.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday issued statements backing Harris’ bid. Both are among a handful of Democrats seen as potential vice presidential material.

LAST-MINUTE SHIFT
As of Saturday night, Biden was telling allies that he planned to stay in the race, but changed his mind on Sunday afternoon, a source familiar with the matter said.
“At around 1:45 p.m. today, the president told his senior team that he had changed his mind,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. Biden announced his decision on social media within minutes after that.
Polling shows that Harris performs no better statistically than Biden against Trump.
In a hypothetical head-to-head match-up, Harris and Trump were tied with 44% support each in a July 15-16 Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted immediately after the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump. Trump led Biden 43% to 41% in that same poll, though the 2 percentage point difference was not meaningful considering the poll’s 3-point margin of error.
Congressional Republicans argued on Sunday that Biden should resign the office immediately, which would turn the White House over to Harris and put House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, next in line in succession.
“If he’s incapable of running for president, how is he capable of governing right now? I mean, there is five months left in this administration. It’s a real concern, and it’s a danger to the country,” Johnson told CNN on Sunday before Biden’s announcement.
Biden’s campaign had $95 million on hand at the end of June, according to a Saturday filing with the Federal Election Commission. Campaign finance law experts disagree on how readily that money could be shifted to a Harris-led campaign.
Small-dollar donors raised over $27.5 million on ActBlue in the first five hours of Harris’ presidential campaign, the fundraising platform said on X.
FIRST SINCE LBJ
Biden’s historic withdrawal – he is the first sitting president to give up his party’s nomination for reelection since President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Vietnam War in March 1968 – leaves his replacement with less than four months to wage a campaign.
Biden was the oldest U.S. president ever elected when he beat Trump in 2020. During that campaign, Biden described himself as a bridge to the next generation. Some interpreted that to mean he would serve one term, a transitional figure who beat Trump and brought his party back to power.
But he set his sights on a second term in the belief that he was the only Democrat who could beat Trump again. In recent weeks, his advanced age became more apparent. His gait became stilted and a childhood stutter occasionally returned.

 Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-81-pulls-out-presidential-race-2024-07-21/

Following the announcement that Joe Biden, 81, has pulled out of the 2024 presidential race after months of speculation about his age and fitness to serve another four years, here’s how Donald Trump and other Republicans have reacted.

Donald Trump has called Joe Biden “the worst president in the history of the United States” following the announcement he has pulled out of the race for the next term at the White House.

Mr Trump did not hold back as he made the statement in a brief phone interview with Sky News’ US partner network NBC News, as other Republicans called for the current president to step aside now.

“Joe Biden is the worst president in the history of the United States by far,” he said. “There has never been a president who has done such damage to our country. From energy independence to letting in millions and millions of illegal immigrants.”

He added: “We will fix what he has done.”

The announcement from Mr Biden, 81, comes after months of speculation about his age and fitness to serve another four years.

Asked by NBC if he was surprised by the news, Mr Trump said: “He should never have been there in the first place. He should have stayed in his basement.”

Mr Trump, the first former president to be criminally convicted after being found guilty following a trial over hush money in May, also called Mr Biden “crooked” in a statement on his Truth Social platform, saying he “was not fit to run for president… certainly not fit to serve – and never was!”

“He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement,” Mr Trump continued.

“All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t – And now, look what he’s done to our Country, with millions of people coming across our Border, totally unchecked and unvetted, many from prisons, mental institutions, and record numbers of terrorists.

“We will suffer greatly because of his presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Mr Trump is also facing two remaining criminal cases over the Capitol riots in January 2021 and electoral fraud in Georgia.

In a letter addressed to “my fellow Americans”, Mr Biden said he had made the decision in “the best interest of my party and the country” and that it had been the “greatest honour” of his life to serve as president.

The development sends the 2024 presidential contest into unchartered territory just four months before the election. Another Democrat will now need to be chosen to face off against Mr Trump, the Republican nominee, in a race that has already been marked by tension, division and an assassination attempt.

Mr Biden has endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, saying: “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”

Mr Trump said he believes she will be easier to defeat, according to CNN.

‘Bring it on’: Reaction from Republicans and supporters

JD Vance, Mr Trump’s candidate for vice president, called Mr Biden “the worst President in my lifetime”, with Ms Harris “right there with him every step of the way”, in a statement on X.

“Over the last four years she co-signed Biden’s open border and green scam policies that drove up the cost of housing and groceries,” he continued. “She owns all of these failures, and she lied for nearly four years about Biden’s mental capacity – saddling the nation with a president who can’t do the job.”

Mr Vance said he and Mr Trump are “ready to save America, whoever’s at the top of the Democrat ticket”, and added: “Bring it on.”

Other Republicans have also reacted to the incumbent president’s news – with Elise Stefanik, House Republican Conference chair, and Republican House speaker Mike Johnson among those calling for him to resign.

Mr Biden plans to serve out the remainder of his term in office, which ends at midday on 20 January 2025.

“If Joe Biden can’t run for re-election, he is unable and unfit to serve as president of the United States,” Ms Stefanik said. “He must immediately resign.”

Mr Johnson echoed her words and said: “November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”

“If Biden doesn’t think he’s capable of serving as Commander in Chief for another 4 years, what reason do we have to believe he can do the job for the next 4 months? Who is in charge?” said Texas congressman Pat Fallon.

Steve Daines, senator for Montana, released a statement saying he had concerns for the country’s national security as he called on Mr Biden to resign.

“If Joe Biden is no longer capable of running for re-election, he is no longer capable of serving as President,” he wrote on X. “Being President is the hardest job in the world, and I no longer have confidence that Joe Biden can effectively execute his duties as Commander-in-Chief.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-calls-joe-biden-the-worst-president-in-the-history-of-the-united-states-13182993

Israel said it shot down a missile launched from Yemen on Sunday and the Yemeni Houthi movement said it had fired several missiles at the Israeli city of Eilat after Israel’s first public strike against the Iran-aligned group a day earlier.
The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel and disrupted global trade through the Red Sea in response to Israel’s assault on Gaza, further destabilising the Middle East as war in the Palestinian enclave rages on after nine months.

Israel says the Houthis have launched 200 attacks against it since the Gaza war began, many of them intercepted and most of them not deadly.
But a rare Houthi drone strike on Friday hit Tel Aviv and killed one person, prompting Israel to announce its first strikes against the group on Saturday. The strikes by warplanes hit near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah and killed six people, local medics said.
The Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, said on Sunday it would continue to attack Israel in response.

A 29-year-old newly wedded Indian-origin man was shot dead in front of his wife in the US state of Indiana, in a suspected road rage incident. The accused shooter, who was initially detained at the scene, was later released indicating they may have acted in “self-defence” as the victim was carrying a handgun when he confronted the other driver in a pickup truck.

According to police and media reports, the incident took place last week on July 16 at an intersection in Indianapolis. Police said the victim, identified as Gavin Dasaur, was on his way home with his Mexican wife Viviana ZaMora. The man was from Uttar Pradesh’s Agra and got married to ZaMora on June 29, a little over two weeks before his death, local WTHR reports said.

Witnesses said a confrontation took place between Dasaur, who was driving a black Honda, and a person driving a Chevy pickup. A mobile phone video, shot by another driver, shows Dasaur getting out of his car in an irate state following which he is spotted yelling at the driver of the pickup truck, Fox News reported.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/us-newly-wed-indian-origin-man-shot-dead-in-front-of-his-wife-in-road-rage-incident-8973300.html

Thousands of anti-tourism activists protested in Spain’s Palma de Mallorca on Sunday in the latest demonstration against a key industry for the Iberian nation.
Carrying makeshift models of planes and cruise ships, protesters walked through the streets of the capital of Mallorca with posters reading ‘no to mass tourism’ and ‘stop private jets’.
Anti-tourism activists have staged a series of protests this year in Barcelona, and other popular holiday destinations like Palma de Mallorca, Malaga and the Canary Islands, saying visitors drive up housing costs and lead to residents being unable to afford to live in city centres.

Angelina Jolie’s daughter Shiloh Jolie dropped her dad Brad Pitt’s last name due to “painful events” in her life, according to her lawyer.

In a statement to Page Six, Shiloh’s attorney, Peter Levine, denied that the 18-year-old took out a newspaper ad to announce the name change.

“Shiloh Jolie did not take out an ‘ad’ announcing any name change, and any press reporting that is inaccurate,” Levine told us.

“As Shiloh’s attorney, I am required to publish a legal notice because the law in California requires that of anyone who wants to change their name. That legal notice was published in the Los Angeles Times, as is required.”

The lawyer stated that the media “should be more careful in their reporting, especially when covering a young adult who has made an independent and significant decision following painful events, and is merely following legal process.”

Levine’s statement comes after an insider confirmed to Page Six that the legal notice was published in the newspaper.

Page Six has reached out to Pitt’s rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The teen is seeking to change her name from Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt to Shiloh Nouvel Jolie.

She filed to legally drop “Pitt” from her surname on her 18th birthday in May.

That same month, fans also noticed her 16-year-old sister followed suit when she was listed as Vivienne Jolie in “The Outsiders” Playbill.

Meanwhile, Pitt, 60, was reportedly “aware and upset” that Shiloh dropped his last name.

“He’s never felt more joy than when she was born. He always wanted a daughter,” a source told People last month.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/21/parents/angelina-jolies-daughter-shiloh-dropped-dad-brad-pitts-last-name-after-painful-events/