Category: World

The producer – who had a career spanning decades – was described by Lord Of The Rings director Sir Peter Jackson as a “monumental figure in the film industry”.

Jon Landau, producer of Titanic and the Avatar films, has died at the age of 63.

Known as the long-time producing partner of James Cameron, the movie-making heavyweight is credited with helping to make three of the top four highest-grossing movies of all time.

His family announced his death on Saturday. No cause of death was given.

Lord Of The Rings director Sir Peter Jackson and his wife Fran Walsh, whose Weta FX company were behind the visual effects house for both Avatar films, led tributes to the producer.

“We speak for the entire Weta FX team when we say we are devastated by the loss of Jon Landau,” they said in a statement.

“Jon was not only a monumental figure in the film industry but also a cherished collaborator and friend.”

They said Mr Landau brought “unparalleled passion to the projects he worked on” and his influence “will continue to inspire for years to come”.

“Our deepest condolences are with Jon’s family and loved ones, as well as Jim (Cameron) and the Lightstorm Entertainment team,” the statement said.

In a career that began in the 1980s and spanned decades, Mr Landau started work as a production manager and rose through the ranks to co-producer.

He co-produced hits such as Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 1989 and Dick Tracy, starring Al Pacino and Madonna, in 1990.

At the age of 29, he was named an executive vice president of feature movies at 20th Century Fox, which led him to oversee major hits including Home Alone and its sequel, as well as Mrs Doubtfire and True Lies, where he first started working closely with Cameron.

Titanic, released in 1997 and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, was the first film to cross the $1bn (£781,500,000) threshold at the global box office.

It also went on to win 11 Oscars, including best picture at the 1998 awards.

Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar and 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way Of Water went on to top Titanic’s box office haul, grossing $2.9bn and $1.7bn at the global box office respectively, according to website Statista.

Joe Letteri, who was the visual effects supervisor on the Avatar films, said he was “heartbroken” at Mr Landau’s death.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/titanic-and-avatar-producer-jon-landau-dies-aged-63-13174457

Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday he would scrap a controversial plan to fly thousands of asylum seekers from Britain to Rwanda in his first major policy announcement since winning a landslide election victory.
The previous Conservative government first announced the plan in 2022 to send migrants who arrived in Britain without permission to the East African nation, saying it would put an end to asylum seekers arriving on small boats.

But no one was sent to Rwanda under the plan because of years of legal challenges.
At his first press conference since becoming prime minister, Starmer said that the Rwanda policy would be scrapped because only about 1% of asylum seekers would have been removed and it would have failed to act as a deterrent.
“The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It’s never been a deterrent,” Starmer said. “I’m not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don’t act as a deterrent.”

Starmer won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern British history on Friday, making him the most powerful British leader since former Prime Minister Tony Blair, but he faces a number of challenges, including improving struggling public services and reviving a weak economy.
At the press conference in Downing Street, Starmer answered about a dozen questions and was repeatedly asked about how and when he would start delivering on his promises to fix the nation’s problems, but he gave few specifics about what he planned.

Asked if he was willing to take tough decisions and raise taxes if necessary, Starmer said his government would identify problems and act in areas such as tackling an overstretched prisons system and reducing the long waiting times to use the state-run health service.
“We’re going to have to take the tough decisions and take them early, and we will. We will do that with a raw honesty,” he said. “But that is not a sort of prelude to saying there’s some tax decision that we didn’t speak about before.”

ELECTION ISSUE

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday that China’s largest coastguard vessel has anchored in Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, and is meant to intimidate its smaller Asian neighbour.
The China coastguard’s 165-meter ‘monster ship’ entered Manila’s 200-nautical mile EEZ on July 2, spokesperson for the PCG Jay Tarriela told a news forum.
The PCG warned the Chinese vessel it was in the Philippine’s EEZ and asked about their intentions, he said.

In May, the PCG deployed a ship to the Sabina shoal to deter small-scale reclamation by China, which denied the claim. China has carried out extensive land reclamation on some islands in the South China Sea, building air force and other military facilities, causing concern in Washington and around the region.
China claims most of the South China Sea, a key conduit for $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, as its own territory. Beijing rejects the 2016 ruling by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration which said its expansive maritime claims had no legal basis.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-anchors-monster-ship-in-south-china-sea-philippine-coast-guard-says-2024-07-06/

Set atop a hill on the Italian island of Sicily, Agrigento is a heritage tourist’s paradise. Beneath the archaeological structures and relics of its Valley of the Temples lies an ancient maze-like aqueduct system that still captures water today.

But the aqueduct, and others built in modern times, are running so dry that small hotels and guesthouses in the city and nearby coast are being forced to turn tourists away. They don’t have enough water to guarantee their guests a toilet that flushes or a shower after a day out in the summer heat.

Sicily began enforcing water restrictions in February when the region declared a state of emergency amid a relentless drought. Leaky, aging infrastructure has only worsened the shortages, which have hit tourism and agriculture alike, two sectors crucial to Sicily’s economy.

Rationing is in place for more than 1 million people across 93 communities. Some are having to reduce water consumption by up to 45%. That means taps run dry according to schedule, and supply is shut off completely overnight in most places. Having enough water to drink is a matter of getting organized during the day.

On TripAdvisor and other travel forums, tourists are asking whether it’s worth visiting Sicily’s impacted areas. Hotels are warning clients about potential shortages, and are helping visitors rebook elsewhere on the island where restrictions are less severe or not in effect.

At the Le Cinque Novelle bed and breakfast (B&B) in central Agrigento, where restrictions are tight, the owners have put filters on their showers and sinks to save as much water as possible. But their guests often complain.

“Rightly, people ask us for reassurances before coming, but we don’t know what to say,” Giovanni Lopez, who owns the B&B, told CNN. “The situation is quickly impacting the entire tourist accommodation sector, which risks serious economic consequences, given that tourism is a sector almost everyone in this part of Sicily relies on.”

The Sicilian regional government has asked Rome for subsidies to import water from the mainland, but there’s no concrete plan to help the island as yet. The office of Italy’s tourism minister, Diana Santanchè, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment, but in April, she said Sicily should try to spread out its tourism season and avoid focusing solely on summer, when water problems worsen.

Summers in Sicily are becoming unbearable for many.

Last year, the island endured severe wildfires that forced tourists to evacuate or postpone their visits. Now the drought-triggered water shortages are another worry.

Human-caused climate change is heating Europe faster than any other continent, and Sicily sits right at the center of this change. It was here that Europe’s temperature record was smashed in August 2023, when the city of Syracuse hit 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Other parts of Italy are also experiencing drought, but only Sicily’s is considered “extreme,” the highest level, according to the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA).

Less than a quarter of the usual rain fell during the winter across the island, which has left around 20% of underground aquifers in a state of “water scarcity,” according to ISPRA. In February, the regional government declared a “state of crisis and water emergency” for irrigation and drinking in Agrigento and four other provinces to last until at least the end of the year.

Marco Maccarrone, who owns the Caico Trattoria e Cantina restaurant in Agrigento, says the island is being left to fight for itself.

“The summer season is upon us and we are worried. No one has given us alternative solutions to the water tankers that we are paying for ourselves,” he told CNN. “This risks destroying the only resource we have: tourism.”

Maccarrone has lived in Agrigento’s historical center for 20 years and complains that the flow of water is painfully slow.

“In half an hour, we can’t fill a single pot,” he said.

Hotels are obliged to have a certain amount of water reserves relative to their capacity, said Nicola Farruggio, president of Sicily’s Hotel Federation, which means they also have had to buy water from the mainland. But smaller structures, including family-run hotels and B&Bs, often don’t have a way to store enough to meet the requirements. And if they are located within a residential building, they are subject to the strict rations that apply to condominiums, which means they simply cannot guarantee water to guests.

Francesco Picarella, head of Agrigento’s Hotel Federation, who also owns a hotel in the city center, says years of ineffective governance have made things worse. There has been talk of rebuilding the water network since 2011, but little progress has been made, he said.

Tourists with an umbrella walk in front of the Parthenon at the ancient Acropolis in central Athens, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The ancient site was closed to the public for five hours due to a heat wave that pushed temperatures to 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in the capital and even higher in parts of central Greece. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

“Today’s problem is the result of a failed water management policy that has been going on for 20 years,” he said. “The hotels that have their own reserves somehow compensate; the B&Bs in the historic center are in extreme difficulty.”

He said that the reservoirs are drying up because of lack of rain but also leaks.

In response to CNN’s request for comment, the Sicilian regional government’s office pointed to a study that outlined government plans to drill new wells, build more pipelines and bring aging desalination plants back online. The report also says Sicily has not received enough funds from Rome to carry out its plans.

The local federation of B&Bs said that “it should have been a golden year” for Agrigento, which in March last year was named the Italian Capital of Culture for 2025, an accolade that typically draws more tourists. “Instead, word of mouth about the water crisis can ruin the season.”

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/06/climate/italy-sicily-water-shortage-drought-tourism-intl/index.html

A fishing boat said to be carrying 170 people, including children, capsized off the coast of Mauritania – along the Atlantic migration route from West Africa to the Canary Islands.

At least 89 people have died after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Mauritania, the West African country’s state news agency and the head of a fishing association said.

A further 70 people are said to be still missing and nine people, including a five-year-old girl, were rescued.

The Atlantic migration route from the coast of West Africa to the Canary Islands is one of the world’s deadliest, and summer is its busiest period.

On Thursday, the coastguard were said to have recovered the bodies of 89 people who were bound for Europe.

Yali Fall, president of the fishing association in the southwestern town of Ndiago, said the number of fatalities had risen further to 105, and locals had been burying bodies that had washed ashore since Monday.

“For three days, we buried the dead whose bodies were found,” he said.

In the first five months of 2024, an unprecedented almost 5,000 people died at sea as they tried to reach the Canary Islands, migrants rights group Walking Borders said in June.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/at-least-89-dead-after-migrant-boat-capsizes-off-coast-of-west-africa-13174101

CIRCUS bears across Russia face daily torment from their handlers including being whipped, electrocuted and force-fed BOOZE to entertain visitors.

Cubs are often snatched from their mothers in the wild before getting beaten into submission for the public’s entertainment – with some turning depressed and snapping in savage attacks.

Russia has been under fire for decades from angry animal rights activists over their treatment of bears in a huge number of despicable circus shows.

Shocking reports from regions such as Crimea have shown the wild beasts being piled with booze and unhealthy snacks until they’re forced to perform for hundreds of people.

As well as being led around on tight leashes by money-hungry trainers during the dangerous show.

They can also be subjected to electrocution and made to stand on burning metal as part of their rigorous, non-consensual training regiment.

When the final curtain falls they are slammed inside tiny cages and often left alone for hours with no food or company.

It’s believed the treatment of these animal circus performers has led to a huge rise in bear maulings.

Performances have seen bears savage trainers in front of screaming children after living a life of agony with joint pain.

A roller skating circus bear stopped mid performance to maul its trainer in front of shocked kids, earlier this year.

Another crazed beast was seen going wild in the Russian circus ring, attacking a man as children and parents fled the tent.

Just a month before, a brown bear attacked a ringmaster after being forced to perform tricks at another cruel Russian circus.

Wildlife experts have slammed the practice of circus bears for decades describing it as “outdated” and “unchanged for hundreds of years”.

The horrific exploitation in circuses in particular has lead to incredible suffering for bears across the globe but especially in Russia where it is rife with animal abuse.

Life for circus bears and other wild animals is miserable inside and outside of the circus ring

Sophie NazeriHumane Society International

Bears are also often made to dance on command, wearing ridiculous outfits and standing on their hind legs – leading to a range of health issues.

Often this goes on until the bears become depressed – leading to some fatal and grisly ends.

Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, Global Head of Wildlife and Animal Welfare Research at World Animal Protection, told The Sun: “Keeping bears in captivity leads to severe cruelty.

“The limited space in cages, poor nutrition, lack of adequate veterinary care, constant stress through forced interactions and punishment if they don’t comply, are just some aspects of the life of a circus bear.”

Politicians have congratulated Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a “remarkable”, “convincing” and “resounding” win for Labour – with one world leader signing off their message: “Let’s go get it my friend.”

Joe Biden is the latest world leader to react to Sir Keir Starmer’s election victory – but while many congratulated the new prime minister, one has insisted: “I don’t care.”

Labour’s landslide win became clear in the early hours of Friday morning and Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon shared congratulatory messages on social media.

The US president followed suit later, with the White House confirming he had called Sir Keir to congratulate him.

Mr Biden said he is looking forward to working closely with him on the “full range of critical issues”, while Downing Street said they discussed their “unwavering” commitment to Ukraine and the UK-US “special relationship”.

Mr Starmer also spoke with Mr Zelenskyy, who said he congratulated the PM “on his election victory and wished him success in fulfilling the British people’s expectations of the new government”.

In Russia though, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov offered a muted reaction to the UK’s change in government.

When asked what Moscow thinks of the result, he told Sky News: “Unlike the British government, we do not meddle with others’ domestic matters.”

Mr Lavrov then spoke more widely about diplomacy and added: “You know the saying about the pudding? You understand that this is a pudding when you eat it?”

In response to whether the UK will be “weaker” under a Labour government, as Mr Sunak claimed on the campaign trail, Mr Lavrov said: “I don’t care. It’s the British people who should.”

On X, Starmer’s appointment received a warmer reception from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who signed off his tweet with “let’s get to it, my friend”.

Writing in French, Mr Macron said: “We will continue the work undertaken with the United Kingdom for our bilateral cooperation, for the peace and security of Europe, for climate and AI.”

Other prominent politicians who have addressed the UK’s general election result include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/general-election-world-leaders-react-to-keir-starmer-and-labours-remarkable-win-13173673

In a monastery beneath snow-capped mountains in northern India, the Buddhist monk entrusted with protecting the Dalai Lama and foretelling his people’s future is concerned.
The Dalai Lama turns 89 on Saturday and China insists it will choose his successor as Tibet’s chief spiritual leader. That has the Medium of Tibet’s Chief State Oracle contemplating what might come next.
“His Holiness is the fourteenth Dalai Lama, then there will be a fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth,” the medium, known as the Nechung, said. “In countries, leaders change, and then that story is over. But in Tibet it works differently.”

Hamas has accepted a U.S. proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war, a senior Hamas source told Reuters on Saturday.
The militant Islamist group has dropped a demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement, and would allow negotiations to achieve that throughout the six-week first phase, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the discussions would focus on resolving a Hamas demand that the United States, Israel, Qatar and Egypt guarantee in writing a temporary ceasefire, aid deliveries and an Israeli troop withdrawal if indirect talks on implementing the second phase of the plan continued.
A source in Israel’s negotiating team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday there was now a real chance of achieving agreement. That was in sharp contrast to past instances, when Israel said conditions attached by Hamas were unacceptable.

A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday his office said talks would continue next week and emphasised that gaps between the sides still remained.

A U.S. official declined to confirm the Hamas decision, adding, “There’s real progress, but still a lot of work to do.”

RISING DEATH TOLL

The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials, since Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostages, according to official Israeli figures.

The Hamas source also said the new proposal ensures mediators would guarantee a temporary ceasefire, aid delivery and the withdrawal of Israeli troops as long as indirect talks continue.

Efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza have intensified with active shuttle diplomacy among Washington, Israel and Qatar, which is leading mediation efforts from Doha, where the exiled Hamas leadership is based.

A regional source said Washington was trying hard to secure a deal before the U.S. presidential election in November.

Netanyahu said on Friday that the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had returned from an initial meeting with mediators in Qatar and negotiations would continue next week.

Some families of hostages on Saturday gave a statement to reporters ahead of a weekly hostage rally in Tel Aviv, in which they called on Netanyahu to go through with the deal.

“For the first time in many months, we feel hope,” said Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, 24, who was abducted from his kibbutz home on Oct. 7. “This is an opportunity that cannot be missed,” she said.

FIGHTING RAGES

Meanwhile, Israeli forces stepped up military strikes across the enclave, killing at least 29 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, and wounding 100 others, the territory’s health officials said.

Among those killed in separate air strikes were five local journalists, raising the death toll of journalists since Oct 7 to 158, according to the Hamas-led Gaza government media office.

Israeli forces, which have deepened their incursions into Rafah, near the border with Egypt, killed four Palestinian police and wounded eight others, in an air strike on their vehicle on Saturday, health officials said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/talks-free-israeli-hostages-start-16-day-period-after-first-phase-hamas-source-2024-07-06/

At least 16 people were killed in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced Palestinian families in central Gaza on Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry said, in an attack Israel said had targeted militants.
The health ministry said the attack on the school in Al-Nuseirat killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 50.
The Israeli military said it took precautions to minimize risk to civilians before it targeted the gunmen who were using the area as a hideout to plan and carry out attacks against soldiers. Hamas denied its fighters were there.

Chinese people around the world are being targeted by an elaborate scam in which criminals pretend to be Chinese police. A British-Chinese woman has told the BBC that she handed over her life savings to con men who wore uniforms in video calls and gave her a virtual tour of what appeared to be a police station.

Helen Young still has nightmares about the fortnight that she was made to believe she was on China’s most wanted list.

Scammers posing as Chinese police manipulated the London-based accountant into believing she was under investigation for a massive fraud back in her homeland.

Helen was presented with a mountain of fabricated evidence which appeared to implicate her in a crime she knew nothing about.

When the fake police then threatened her with extradition to a jail cell in China, Helen sent them her £29,000 life savings as “bail money”, in a desperate attempt to stay in Britain.

“I feel a bit stupid right now,” she says. “But there’s no chance I can know that’s not real. It’s so convincing”.

Helen’s story may sound extraordinary but there have been numerous similar cases in the Chinese diaspora.

China’s embassies around the world have issued public warnings about police impersonation scams, as has the FBI after a number of cases in the US. One elderly woman in Los Angeles reportedly handed over $3m, believing it would stop her extradition.

Typically these scams begin with the target receiving a relatively innocuous phone call. In Helen’s case it was somebody claiming to be a Chinese customs officer who told her they had stopped an illegal parcel sent in her name.

Helen hadn’t sent anything, and she was told she must file a police report if she believed someone had stolen her identity. Although she was sceptical, Helen didn’t hang up.

“Chinese people like myself because we were born and bred in China, we were taught obedience,” she says. “So when the party asked me to do something or my parents asked me it’s very rare that I will say no.”

Helen was transferred to a man who said he was a policeman in Shenzhen called “Officer Fang”. Helen asked for proof and he suggested they went on a video call. When they connected, Helen saw a uniformed man whose face matched the police ID he flashed.

Officer Fang then used his phone to give her a tour of what looked like a fully functioning police station with several uniformed officers and a desk with a large police logo.

“That moment all my suspicions are gone. So I say: ‘I’m sorry, I just have to be careful nowadays, there are a lot of criminals out there’,” Helen says.

While they were talking, Helen heard a message on the tannoy in the background, telling Officer Fang to take a call about her.

Officer Fang put her on hold and when he returned he was no longer interested in the illegal parcel. He said he had been informed that Helen was suspected of involvement in a large financial fraud.

“I said: ‘That’s nonsense’. He said: ‘Nobody says they’re guilty. So it’s the evidence that counts’.”
Helen was shown what looked like a bank statement for a vast amount of money in her name. Officer Fang told her that if she was innocent she must help them catch the real crooks. He made her sign a confidentiality agreement promising not to tell anyone about the investigation. Helen was warned that if she did, she would get an extra six months in prison
“He said: ‘If you tell anyone you have been interviewed by the Chinese police, your life will be in danger’.”
The scammers also made Helen download an app so they could listen in to what she was doing day and night.
Over the next few days, Helen tried to act normally at work. She spent her evenings working on a personal statement that she was ordered to write, detailing every aspect of her life.
Then Officer Fang called back with the news that several suspects were now in custody. He showed her written statements in which several people accused her.
Helen was sent a video which appeared to show a male prisoner confessing to police, and naming her as his boss in the fraud.

We have taken a closer look at the video, and because the suspect is wearing a large Covid mask, it’s impossible to tell if what you’re hearing matches his lip movements. It would be easy to add a fake soundtrack that mentions Helen’s name or another victim.
But for Helen – who had been convinced she was dealing with genuine police officers – the effect was devastating: “After I heard my name like that I was vomiting. It convinced me I was in deep, deep trouble.”
Helen believed Officer Fang when he then told her she would be extradited to China – even though she’s a British citizen.
“He told me: ‘So you got 24 hours, you pack your bags. The police are coming to take you to the airport’.”
Helen was told she could halt her extradition if she could raise bail. After sending over her bank statements for inspection, she was told to transfer £29,000.
“I felt terrible, because I promised my daughter to give her money for her first flat,” Helen says.
But a few days later the fake police were back. Helen was ordered to find another £250,000 or be extradited: “I was fighting for my life – if I go back to China, I may never come back.”
After Helen tried to borrow the money from a friend, he alerted her daughter. Helen broke down and revealed everything. But not before she had put her phone in a kitchen drawer and taken her daughter into a bedroom, and put a duvet over their heads so the scammers couldn’t listen in.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6p2lq0qk41o

A relatively moderate member of the Iranian parliament, Masoud Pezeshkian, has been declared the next president of Iran after beating his hardline conservative rival by a decisive margin in Friday’s run-off presidential elections.
The 69-year-old will replace Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month.
Dr Pezeshkian’s mostly young supporters took to the streets of the capital, Tehran, and other cities to celebrate – even before the final results were declared, singing, dancing and waving his campaign’s signature green flags.
He has given some of the nation’s younger generation hope at a time when many were despondent about their future. Some were even planning to leave the country to seek a better life elsewhere.
Representing the city of Tabriz in the Iranian parliament since 2008, he has previously served as the country’s heath minister.
In the 1990s, he lost his wife and one of his children in a car accident. He never remarried and raised his other three children – two sons and a daughter – alone.
His win has upset the plans of the Islamic hardliners, who hoped to install another conservative to replace Raisi and – alongside supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – control all of Iran’s levers of power.
At a polling station in Tehran, 48-year-old Fatemeh told the AFP news agency she had voted for the moderate as his “priorities include women and young people’s rights”.
Afarin, 37, who owns a beauty salon in Isfahan, told Reuters: “I know Pezeshkian will be a lame-duck president, but still he is better than a hardliner.”
Many voters boycotted the first round of voting last week, angry at repression at home and international confrontation which have brought Iran increased sanctions and expanding poverty.
They were also frustrated by the lack of choice in the elections. Of the six candidates who were allowed to run, five were hardline Islamists.
And there was a sense of despair that – with Ayatollah Khamenei having final say over government policy – there is little chance of real change.
One of those who refused to cast a ballot was Azad, a 35-year-old HR manager and activist in Tehran who has been jailed twice for criticising the Iranian government.
Azad, whose name has been changed for her own safety, says she is still traumatised from being kept in solitary confinement and enduring exhausting interrogations.
She told the BBC that regardless of Dr Pezeshkian’s win, the supreme leader remains the “puppeteer” in Iran.
“The reformists have had 45 years and they have made no effort to reform the political structure,” she said, referring to the time since the Islamic Revolution.

But in the run-off election on Friday, some seem to have changed their mind and turned out at polling stations, many voting tactically for Dr Pezeshkian in order to block victory for Mr Jalili.
He would have reaffirmed many policies that have been the subject of both domestic and international discontent, such as Iran’s controversial morality police patrols.
Mr Jalili took an anti-Western stance during his campaign and criticised the 2015 deal that saw Iran curb its nuclear programme in exchange for eased sanctions. Voters were concerned that if he won, his presidency could have antagonised the US and its regional allies – and worsened Iran’s economic situation.

By comparison, Dr Pezeshkian has called for “constructive relations” with Western nations, and to revive the nuclear deal to “get Iran out of its isolation”. He has said that Iran’s economy cannot function with the crippling sanctions currently placed on it.

A win for Mr Jalili would have also signalled a shift to a potentially harsher domestic policy, reinforcing the requirement for women to wear a headscarf.

Dr Pezeshkian is against using force to impose the compulsory hijab rule – a major issue in the past few years.

He has previously lamented the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been arrested for an alleged violation of the law. Her death sparked massive nationwide protests, unlike any the country had ever seen.

The president-elect is expected to take the reins of power in a matter of days to fill the void in government left by Raisi’s sudden death.

As well as pushing to revive the nuclear deal and ease sanctions, Dr Pezeshkian has promised to see Iran join international banking conventions. Conservatives have been reluctant to do so, depriving Iran of normal banking relations with other nations.

He has also said he will remove Iran’s extensive internet censors.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2g1m5eev4o

France holds a parliamentary run-off election on Sunday that will reconfigure the political landscape, with opinion polls forecasting the far-right National Rally (RN) will win the most votes but likely fall short of a majority.
Such an outcome could plunge the country into a chaotic hung parliament, severely denting the authority of President Emmanuel Macron. Equally, if the nationalist, eurosceptic RN did win a majority, the pro-business, pro-Europe president could find himself forced into a difficult “cohabitation”.

Marine Le Pen’s RN scored historic gains to win last Sunday’s first-round vote, raising the spectre of France’s first far-right government since World War Two.
But after centrist and leftist parties joined forces over the past week in a bid to forge an anti-RN barricade, Le Pen’s hopes of the RN winning an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly seem less certain.
Polls suggest the RN will become the dominant legislative force, but fail to reach the 289-seat majority that Le Pen and her 28-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella believe would allow them to claim the prime minister’s job and drag France sharply rightward.

“France is on the cliff-edge and we don’t know if we’re going to jump,” he told France Inter radio last week.
A longtime pariah for many due to its history of racism and antisemitism, the RN has increased its support on the back of voter anger at Macron, straitened household budgets and immigration concerns.
“French people have a real desire for change,” Le Pen told TF1 TV on Wednesday, adding that she was “very confident” of securing a parliamentary majority.
Even if the RN falls short, it looks set to more than double the 89 seats it won in the 2022 legislative vote, and become the dominant player in an unruly hung parliament that will make France hard to govern.
Such an outcome would risk policy paralysis until Macron’s presidency ends in 2027, when Le Pen is expected to launch her fourth bid for France’s top job.

WHAT NEXT FOR MACRON?

Macron stunned the country and angered many of his political allies and supporters when he called the snap election after a humbling by the RN in last month’s European parliamentary vote, hoping to wrong-foot his rivals in a legislative election.

Whatever the final result, his political agenda now appears dead, three years before the end of his presidency.

Bardella says the RN would decline to form a government if it doesn’t win a majority, although Le Pen has said it might try if it falls just short.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who looks likely to lose his job in the post-election shakeup, has dismissed suggestions Macron’s centrists could seek to form a cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament. Instead, he would like moderates to pass legislation on a case-by-case basis.

An RN majority would force Macron into an awkward “cohabitation” with Bardella as prime minister, with thorny constitutional tussles and questions on the international stage about who really speaks for France.

If the RN is deprived of a majority and declines to form a government, modern-day France would find itself in uncharted territory. Coalition building would be difficult for any of the blocs given the policy differences between them.

French assets have risen on expectations the RN won’t win a majority, with banking shares up and the risk premium investors demand to hold French debt narrowing. Economists question whether the RN’s hefty spending plans are fully funded.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/far-right-bids-power-france-holds-parliamentary-election-2024-07-07/

Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two of his former high school teammates were killed in an early morning car crash Saturday in Maryland, police and the team said.

Jackson, 24, and Isaiah Hazel died at the scene, while Anthony Lytton, Jr., was pronounced dead at a hospital after the three-car crash in Prince George’s County, according to Maryland State Police. Lytton was 24 and Hazel was 23.

The three were in the same vehicle just after 3 a.m. when it was struck by another vehicle that was speeding and changing lanes, police said.

The Vikings released a statement saying the team spoke to Jackson’s family, and is “devastated by the news.”

“I am heartbroken by the loss of Khyree,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “As we got to know him throughout the pre-draft process, it was clear the goals Khyree wanted to accomplish both professionally and personally. His story was one of resilience. He was taking steps to become the best version of himself not just for him, but for those who cared about and looked up to him.”

Jackson was a fourth-round draft pick by the Vikings in April. He played two years at Alabama before finishing his college career with one season at Oregon.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/vikings-oregon-khyree-jackson-obituary-c75bbb4b2e1fe2f3d39624d4daba76d5

In the devastated eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, time is running out for anyone wanting to leave.
Russian forces are advancing slowly but surely, pummelling the town night and day with rockets, artillery fire and air attacks, part of a broad advance in the Donetsk region that Ukraine has been unable to stop.
Piles of rubble lie where buildings once stood, burned out apartment blocks have become unliveable, a church tower has fallen and plumes of smoke rise in the near distance from incoming shells.

“Are you all staying?” he asked, speaking firmly and quickly. “Can you not see how the situation is changing? If you think you will sit it out – this is not going to happen.”

His offer has been taken up by some and turned down by others. Many people who remain do not want to leave for an uncertain life in safer parts of Ukraine. Others refuse to be separated from elderly relatives and friends.

“It is just me that is left, everyone else is buried,” said Valentyna, a former school headmistress who gave only her first name. “Planes are flying in every night and attacking, especially the last two days,” added the 75-year-old, crying.

‘ALL COVERED IN BLOOD’
A woman next to her shouted: “God has given us earth and sky, and they (the Russians) trampled all over it, covered it in blood. It is all covered in blood. And the young boys…”

Some 5,000 people remain in Toretsk, according to Tetyana Nikonova, a representative of the local military administration, speaking as residents wanting to evacuate gathered around minivans with a few personal belongings.

That compares with an estimated population of some 35,000 a decade ago.

“Many people refuse to leave. We talk to them, the boys try to convince them, but they do not want to go,” she said. “We offer them all that we can, accommodation, transport, all for free, but people hide in basements.”

Oleksandr is going to evacuate, but before he does he and members of the police force release the chickens from their coop in his yard and a dog and goats off their leashes.

Valentyna Natyazhko, 88, fled Toretsk earlier, but is back briefly to collect the refrigerator from her apartment because she needs it in her new home in the nearby town of Kostiantynivka.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/time-running-out-ukrainians-fleeing-russias-advance-2024-07-05/

Power supply is a matter of life and death for Tetiana’s son.
He was born with disabilities, and needs electricity-powered equipment to be able to breathe, to eat, and to receive medication.
“We are very dependent on electricity. If it wasn’t for this bloody war, life would be difficult, but we’d be able to cope,” Tetiana tells the BBC.
Ukrainians are learning to live with extended blackouts as Russia continues to pummel its energy facilities across the country.
Persistent Russian air strikes mean even previously unaffected parts of Ukraine have to go without electricity for hours on end, practically every day.
Tetiana, who lives in the southern port city of Odesa, says that the endless power cuts make life extremely difficult because she needs to make sure the supply of electricity is constant.
She has a generator which runs on petrol and needs to be topped up all the time, but it has to be stopped every six hours to cool down.
Power cuts also affect mobile phone coverage, so getting through to the ambulance service for her son can be a struggle too.
“Sometimes it takes half an hour, sometimes it’s an hour before the ambulance arrives when my child goes into convulsions and turns blue,” she says. “My son can die if he doesn’t get oxygen. I’m lost for words.”
Recent blackouts have lasted as long as 12 hours a day in Tetiana’s neighbourhood.

For millions of Ukrainians, the absence of power can mean no running water, air conditioning, lifts or access to life-saving equipment.
Over the past three months alone, Ukraine has lost nine gigawatts of generating capacity, the national energy company Ukrenergo says. This is more than a third of the capacity Ukraine had before the full-scale invasion in February 2022. It is enough to power the whole of the Netherlands during peak hours of consumption – or Slovakia, Lavtia, Lithuania and Estonia combined, Ukrenergo says.
“All state-owned thermal power plants are destroyed. All hydropower plants in our country are damaged by Russian missiles or drones,” Ukrenergo spokeswoman Maria Tsaturian tells the BBC.
The lack of generated electricity is made worse by rising temperatures in the summer, when Ukrainians turn on power-hungry air conditioning systems.
To cope with the shortfall, Ukrenergo has had to implement a policy of sweeping power cuts across the country, which last for many hours a day every day.
As a result, millions of Ukrainians have become increasingly reliant on fuel-powered generators or big power banks.

Madonna is reflecting on her “miraculous recovery” one year after being discharged from the hospital over a “life threatening” infection.

“A year ago today, I had just come home from the hospital after surviving a life threatening illness, I could barely stand in my backyard holding one sparkler,” she wrote on Instagram Friday alongside photos that showed her Fourth of July celebrations the day prior.

“I made a miraculous recovery and had an amazing year. Thank you God. Life is beautiful! ♥️🧨🔥,” she concluded.

The “Vogue” hitmaker, 65, included several snapshots that showed her cuddling up to a mystery man and holding onto his arm as they walked. In one particularly sexy photo, he grabbed her chest.

Madonna debuted the PDA-filled pictures almost two months after she and Josh Popper reportedly split.

In July 2023, the iconic singer was released from the ICU after being found unconscious in her New York City home. It was later revealed she had gone into septic shock and had to be revived with Narcan when her “lifeless body” was discovered.

Her manager confirmed at the time she fell ill with a “serious bacterial infection.”

After coming home, Madonna broke her silence and thanked her fans for their “positive energy, Prayers and words of healing and encouragement.”

“I have felt your love. I’m on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life,” she said in an Instagram post on July 10.

Upon waking in the hospital, the Grammy winner thought about her six children and her upcoming “Celebration” tour.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/05/entertainment/madonna-reflects-on-miraculous-recovery-one-year-after-hospitalization/

In his newspaper column, the former prime minister offers advice for the Conservatives, saying: “When we get back in, don’t be too hasty to get rid of successful election-winning leaders”.

Boris Johnson says Nigel Farage played a “significant” role in the “destruction” of the Tories – while taking a swipe at those who ousted him from Number 10 back in 2022.

The Conservatives endured a crushing defeat in the general election with numerous big name casualties, as Labour secured a landslide victory.

Reform UK have secured five seats in the House of Commons including one for its leader Mr Farage, who succeeded in being elected in Clacton, Essex.

Former prime minister Mr Johnson has dissected his party’s performance in his Daily Mail column, saying the reasons why the Tories lost so many MPs were “complex” – but “the Yucatan asteroid in this catastrophe was obvious: it was Reform”.

Mr Johnson claimed to have heard from one Tory MP who “fully expected to win” but realised at the last minute “thousands” of Tory voters were opting for Reform, which in turn gave Labour a majority over both rivals.

“Repeat that phenomenon across the political landscape, and you begin to grasp the cause of the landslide,” he added, before turning his attention to Mr Farage.

He wrote: “I am afraid that the cheroot-puffing Pied Piper of Clacton has played a significant part – as he no doubt intended – in the destruction of the Tory government.”

Mr Johnson then offered advice for the Tories, while alluding to his own exit from Downing Street in June 2022.

“When we get back in, don’t be too hasty to get rid of successful election-winning leaders,” he said.

“As I never tire of telling people, some polls put us only two or three points behind, in the days before I was forced to resign in what was really a media-driven hoo-ha.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-blames-pied-piper-nigel-farage-for-role-in-destruction-of-tories-13173895

Carlo Maria Vigano has built a following of his own since delving into coronavirus conspiracy theories and criticising the Catholic Church’s efforts to modernise.

An ultra-conservative archbishop has been excommunicated by the Vatican after being found guilty of schism.

Schism is one of the gravest crimes in canon law and occurs when someone withdraws submission to the Pope or his Catholic subjects.

Carlo Maria Vigano served as the Vatican’s ambassador to the US from 2011 to 2016 but went into hiding in 2018.

This came after he alleged Pope Francis knew about US cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s sexual misconduct and did nothing about it.

The Vatican has rejected this claim.

Vigano also branded the Pope a “false prophet” and a “servant of Satan”, before calling for him to resign.

The Vatican’s doctrinal office announced the 83-year-old’s excommunication – or banishment – on Friday.

It said his previous comments made it clear he refused “to recognise and submit” to the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Vigano had also rejected the legitimacy of liberal reforms made by the church in the 1960s, it added.

The statement read: “At the conclusion of the penal process, the Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of the reserved delict (violation of the law) of schism.”

The excommunication means Vigano is formally outside the church and cannot celebrate or receive its sacraments, such as communion.

As is normal, the ruling was signed by the head of the Doctrine of the Faith office instead of the Pope himself, but it’s highly unlikely the punishment was given without his approval.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/vatican-banishes-archbishop-who-branded-pope-francis-servant-of-satan-13173788

The controversial influencer, 37, is charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

Andrew Tate will be allowed to leave Romania while awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, a court has ruled.

The controversial influencer and his brother Tristan can travel within the EU without restrictions while awaiting the trial, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled. Until Friday, the Tates had been banned from leaving Romania where he is awaiting trial.

The decision is not final and can be appealed by prosecutors.

Tate, 37, was charged in mid-2023 along with his brother for human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

Two female suspects from Romania have also been charged as part of the case.

They have all denied the allegations against them.

In a post on X on Friday, Tate wrote: “I’m free. For the first time in three years I can leave Romania.”

He also referred to the charges as a “sham case” before advertising a platform that says it teaches the skill of money-making.

Tate, who has almost 10 million followers on X, repeated these sentiments in a video that accompanies the post and adds: “The process is the punishment, in the end I’ll be innocent.

“My judges decided… I’m allowed to leave Romania, so do we take the (Ferrari) SF90 to Italy, the (Maserati) MC20 to Cannes, the (Ferrari) 812 Competition to Paris, where do I go?”

The Tate brothers, both former kickboxers with dual US and British citizenship, were held in police custody during the criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April 2023 to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence.

They were then placed under house arrest until August, when courts put them under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure.

“Andrew and Tristan are still determined to clear their name and reputation; however, they are grateful to the courts for placing this trust in them,” the brothers’ lead defence lawyer Eugen Vidineac said in a statement.

Romanian prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage.

They said the victims were then taken to properties outside the capital Bucharest, and through physical violence and mental intimidation were sexually exploited by being forced to produce pornographic content for social media sites that generated large financial gain.

In a separate case, Tate was served at his home in Romania with a civil lawsuit lodged by four British women after a claim was issued by the High Court in London, according to a statement released in May by McCue Jury & Partners, the law firm representing the four women.

The four allege Tate sexually and physically assaulted them and reported him to British authorities in 2014 and 2015.

After a four-year investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service decided in 2019 not to prosecute him.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/andrew-tate-says-he-can-leave-romania-while-awaiting-trial-13173605

The new prime minister gave his first address to the nation in front of Downing Street as he said it was time for the “return of politics to public service”.

Sir Keir Starmer has said “our work is urgent and we begin it today” as he addressed the nation for the first time after officially becoming prime minister.

Entering Downing Street, Sir Keir greeted a crowd of cheering Labour supporters waving Union, Welsh, and Scottish flags before he addressed the nation in front of Number 10.

Much of the country was turned red overnight, with Rishi Sunak conceding defeat just before 5am on Friday and Sir Keir claiming victory shortly after.

Sir Keir started his first address by thanking Mr Sunak for his “achievement as the first British Asian prime minister of our country”, adding that the “extra effort” that will have required “should not be underestimated by anyone”.

The new prime minister said the country had “voted decisively for change, for national renewal and the return of politics to public service”.

He spoke of people disengaging with politics, adding: “When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future that we need to move forward together.”

To voters who did not vote for the Labour Party, Sir Keir said: “My government will serve you.”

“Politics can be a force for good – we will show that,” he added.

He said: “If I asked you now whether you believed that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you will say no – and so my government will fight until you believe again.”

Sir Keir Starmer’s Downing Street speech in full

But he warned changing a country “is not like flicking a switch… this will take a while, but I have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately”.

Sir Keir invited “you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal”.

He said his government would be “unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off”.

“Our work is urgent and we begin it today,” he concluded, to cheers.

The PM’s meeting with the King

The Labour leader had his meeting with the King in Buckingham Palace after Rishi Sunak stepped down following the worst ever general election result for the Conservatives.

The monarch plays a central role in the changeover of government and, after travelling to the palace with his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer, Sir Keir was given a private audience with Charles shortly after midday.

The King remarked Sir Keir “must be exhausted” and “nearly on your knees”, to which he replied: “Not much sleep.”

When the PM highlighted the “quick change around” since the election results were announced, the King replied: “To say the least. And having to get to grips with everything straight away must be quite exhausting.”

Lady Starmer joined the two men towards the end of the 20-minute meeting – and when it finished, the Starmers headed to their new home in Downing Street.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/sir-keir-starmer-officially-becomes-uks-prime-minister-13173454

Viktor Orban describes his visit to Moscow as a “peace mission” but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warns “appeasement will not stop Putin”.

War in Ukraine will not “miraculously end”, Hungary’s prime minister has said as he defended his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Viktor Orban angered European Union leaders after holding talks with Mr Putin in Moscow over a potential peace deal in the war launched more than two years ago by Russia.

While Mr Orban described the trip as a “peace mission” – days before a NATO summit addressing military aid for Ukraine – he acknowledged he did not consult the EU beforehand.

Peace cannot be made “from a comfortable armchair in Brussels”, he said, adding: “We cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end.”

Mr Putin, who met Mr Orban in the Kremlin, said the talks had been useful and accused Ukraine of not wanting to end the war.

He said last month Russia would end the conflict if Ukraine agrees to drop aspirations to join NATO and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow – demands Kyiv swiftly rejected.

Ukraine sees its 10-point peace plan – which includes all Russian troops withdrawing from internationally recognised Ukrainian land – as the way to end the conflict.

In the five days since Hungary assumed the six-month rotating EU presidency, Mr Orban has also visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – though Kyiv said it was not made aware of his plans to visit Moscow.

The visit to Moscow “unfortunately justified” scepticism within the bloc about Hungary’s presidency, an EU diplomat said on the condition of anonymity, adding that “it’s all about promoting Budapest’s interests”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/dont-shake-hands-with-a-bloody-dictator-anger-over-hungary-pms-talks-with-vladimir-putin-13173751

A blue, white, and red patterned dress worn by Akshata Murty as Rishi Sunak delivered his resignation speech has become a topic of discussion on the internet.

Akshata Murty watched on as her husband Rishi Sunak gave his last speech outside the prime minister’s office in Downing Street. Just hours before, Rishi Sunak’s party had been handed a crushing defeat by the Labour Party. While discussion on the UK election result and the future of Britain raged on, there was also a discussion (read trolling) about the dress Akshata Murty wore while her husband gave his resignation speech.

A blue, white, and red patterned dress became a topic of much discussion, with some people commenting on the colour of the dress, while others had a unique take on the pattern of the dress. Some even commented on the price of the dress.

A social media user, poking fun at the pattern of Murty’s dress, said, “Here, Akshata Murty’s dazzling camouflage breaks up her shape against the background, making it difficult for German U-boats to ascertain her range, speed and direction.”

“Akshata Murty’s dress is a stereogram and if you squint for long enough you can see an airplane leaving for California,” another one said.

The trolls were at their creative best with one person saying “Akshata Murty’s dress is also a QR code that gets you a Disneyland fast pass.”

The dress is priced at 395 pounds (Rs 42,000).

For the unversed, Rishi Sunak is the richest person to hold UK prime minister post. His wife, Akshata Murty, is the daughter of billionaire Narayana Murthy, founder of tech giant Infosys. The couple are the wealthiest inhabitants yet of No. 10 Downing Street, according to the Sunday Times’ 2024 Rich List, with an estimated fortune of 651 million pounds ($815 million).

The sharp-eyed internet users also spotted the umbrella in Murty’s hand and had lots to say about that.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/uk-news/story/akshata-murty-trolled-dress-rishi-sunak-resignation-speech-uk-prime-minister-2563064-2024-07-05

With 12 Sikh MPs, UK is now second only to Canada, which is home to a sizeable Punjabi diaspora, and has 18 Sikh MPs.

A record 28 persons of Indian origin were elected to the UK Parliament Friday, with several Conservatives surviving a largely brutal outcome for their party.

Of the 28, a record 12 members from the Sikh community, including six women, were elected to the House of Commons. All the Sikh MPs belong to the Labour Party. They include nine first-timers, two who have been elected for the third straight time, and one who made it to the House of Commons for the second time.

British Sikh MPs Preet Kaur Gill — who defeated Tory first-timer Ashvir Sangha — and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi won their seats for Labour in Birmingham Edgbaston and Slough, respectively, for the third time. Nadia Whittome, who identifies as queer and a Catholic Sikh, won from Nottingham East for the second consecutive time. At the age of 23, Whittome was the youngest MP in the House of Commons when she was first elected in 2019.

Kirith Entwistle, also known as Kirith Ahluwalia, became the first woman to be elected MP from Bolton North East. Sonia Kumar too became the first woman MP from the Dudley parliamentary seat. Similarly, Harpreet Kaur Uppal won the Huddersfield parliamentary seat to enter the Parliament for the first time.

With 12 Sikh MPs, UK is now second only to Canada, which is home to a sizeable Punjabi diaspora, and has 18 Sikh MPs.

Outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak leads the Tory charge of British Indians holding on to their seats, with a decisive win in his Richmond and Northallerton constituency in Yorkshire. Other prominent British Indian Tories holding on to their seats included former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Priti Patel, and Sunak’s Goan-origin Cabinet ally Claire Coutinho.

Gagan Mohindra held on to his South West Hertfordshire seat for the Conservatives, with Shivani Raja registering a gain for the party in the keenly watched constituency of Leicester East where she was contesting against fellow Indian-origin Labour candidate Rajesh Agrawal.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/uk-elections-28-with-india-roots-in-new-uk-house-12-of-them-sikhs-9435887/

Ukraine laughs off pundit’s claim that he is close to securing a chat with the president.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office denied Thursday that the Ukrainian president had agreed to a sit-down interview with American right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson.

“The President of Ukraine has a completely different schedule, and Tucker Carlson is not on it,” presidential spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov said Thursday morning, while casting doubt on Carlson’s Ukrainian sources.

The Ukrainian denial came after Carlson said Wednesday night that he might have landed a chat with Zelenskyy. “Looks like we’ve got the Zelenskyy interview,” he announced on social media.

“We’ve been trying for two years, and with particular intensity after interviewing Putin in February,” Carlson said. “The point is to bring Americans much-needed information about the conflict that’s completely reshaping their country’s position in the world. Coming soon we hope.”

In February, Carlson — a former Fox News host who left the network amid swirling controversy in 2023 — published a two-hour long interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Putin delivered a lengthy monologue about Russian history and mocked Carlson over his failed attempt to join CIA.

Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/volodymyr-zelenskyy-spokesperson-denies-interview-with-tucker-carlson/

The Labour Party has won a landslide victory in the UK general election, sweeping hundreds of seats across the country and ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to be appointed prime minister later on Friday, ending an era which has seen five different Conservative leaders running the country.
Rishi Sunak, the outgoing PM, conceded at around 04:40 in the morning, acknowledging Labour had won and saying that he had called Sir Keir to congratulate him.
In his victory speech minutes later, the Labour leader promised “national renewal” and that he would put “country first, party second”.
“We have earned the mandate to relight the fire,” he told Labour activists in a victory speech. “Our task is nothing less than renewing the ideas that hold this country together.”
The result marks a stunning reversal from the 2019 election when Labour, led by the veteran left-wing politician Jeremy Corbyn, suffered its worst electoral defeat in almost a century.
On the other side, Robert Buckland, a former Conservative minister who lost his seat, described it as “electoral Armageddon” for the Tories.
It is expected to be the party’s worst result in almost 200 years, with a battle over the future direction of the party likely to commence in the coming days.
It’s been a long night of results and there’s plenty more action to come. Here’s what’s happening, and what it all means.

A new PM within a day

Things move pretty fast in British politics – there is very little time between an election result and the installation of the new prime minister.

Rishi Sunak will be out of 10 Downing Street – the British equivalent of the White House – within 24 hours, and Sir Keir Starmer will be installed swiftly afterwards.

But there is a process. Mr Sunak will offer his resignation to the King, and Sir Keir will formally invited by the monarch to form the next government in a meeting that normally happens at Buckingham Palace.

After that he will be expected to invite top Labour MPs to Downing Street and appoint them to his new cabinet.

So who is Keir Starmer?
He’s fairly new to politics, relatively speaking.
Sir Keir started his professional life as a barrister in the 1990s, and was appointed the director of public prosecutions, the most senior criminal prosecutor in England and Wales, in 2008.
He was first elected in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency in north London in 2015, and took over leadership of Labour after the party’s poor 2019 general election, pledging to start a “new era” after the left-wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
Sir Keir was re-elected in the same constituency on Thursday, saying in his victory speech people were “ready for change” and promising an “end the politics of performance”.
“The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community, your future,” he said. “You have voted. It’s now time for us to deliver.”
You can read Sir Keir’s full profile here.
Nigel Farage finally becomes an MP

This election’s insurgent party was Reform UK, the right-wing successor to the Brexit Party and the UK Independence Party.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2v0e074jejo

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he will sell another 25 million shares in the technology giant, worth nearly $5bn (£3.9bn).
It comes after the company’s stock market value hit a record high on Wednesday.
In February, he announced that he would sell Amazon shares worth around $8.5bn.

That marked the first time since 2021 that Mr Bezos had sold Amazon shares.
The company’s shares have risen by more than 30% this year on expectations that growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technology will boost earnings at its cloud computing business.
Last month, Amazon’s stock market valuation topped the $2tn for the first time.
However, that is still behind other major technology firms Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft, all of which have crossed the $3tn mark.
Amazon reported robust quarterly earnings at the end of the April, that showed the company’s bet on AI was paying off.
Mr Bezos stepped down as the company’s chief executive in 2021 and is currently its executive chair and remains its largest shareholder.
He founded Amazon in 1994 in a garage in Bellevue, Washington, when the internet was still in its infancy.
The company started out as an online bookseller, touting the world’s largest collection of ebooks.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c51yvm3354qo

Muhammad Nimah Nasser is at least the third senior commander killed in cross-border fighting since October.

Hezbollah says a top commander has been killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, at least the third high-ranking official in the group to be killed in almost nine months of cross-border fighting that has sparked fears of wider regional escalation.

The Lebanese armed group on Wednesday said that Muhammad Nimah Nasser, also known as “Hajj Abu Naameh”, had been killed. The Iran-aligned group later said it had launched 100 katyusha rockets targeting Israeli military positions.

The announcement of Nasser’s death on the group’s Telegram did not provide the location, but a source previously told Al Jazeera that a commander had been killed in the Hosh area in Tyre in southern Lebanon. A source close to the group confirmed to the AFP news agency that Nasser had been killed in the Tyre attack.

The source said that Nasser had the same rank as Taleb Abdallah, another top commander who was killed by an Israeli attack in June. At the time, Abdallah was the highest-ranking Hezbollah military official killed since the group began fighting Israel on October 8 in response to bombardment of Gaza. Following Abdallah’s killing, Hezbollah launched one of its largest rocket barrages on northern Israel.

The Israeli military confirmed it targeted Nasser, and said he was a “counterpart” of Abdallah and in charge of Hezbollah’s “antitank and rocket fire from southwest Lebanon”. In January, an Israeli strike also killed Wissam al-Tawil, another top commander from the group.

The announcement of Nasser’s death on the group’s Telegram did not provide the location, but a source previously told Al Jazeera that a commander had been killed in the Hosh area in Tyre in southern Lebanon. A source close to the group confirmed to the AFP news agency that Nasser had been killed in the Tyre attack.

The source said that Nasser had the same rank as Taleb Abdallah, another top commander who was killed by an Israeli attack in June. At the time, Abdallah was the highest-ranking Hezbollah military official killed since the group began fighting Israel on October 8 in response to bombardment of Gaza. Following Abdallah’s killing, Hezbollah launched one of its largest rocket barrages on northern Israel.

The Israeli military confirmed it targeted Nasser, and said he was a “counterpart” of Abdallah and in charge of Hezbollah’s “antitank and rocket fire from southwest Lebanon”. In January, an Israeli strike also killed Wissam al-Tawil, another top commander from the group.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group was ready for war with “no restraint and no rules and no ceilings” in the event of a major Israeli attack.

For its part, Iran has warned that “all Resistance Fronts” would confront Israel if it attacks Lebanon, referring to the armed groups it supports throughout the region.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/04/photos/emily-ratajkowski-jake-paul-and-more-party-at-michael-rubins-fourth-of-july-white-party-in-the-hamptons/#13

Taylor Swift hugged a koala at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and so did Vladimir Putin – but no more guests will be allowed to hug the animals at the Brisbane attraction.

A koala sanctuary in Australia where high-profile guests from Taylor Swift to Vladimir Putin have cuddled koalas has banned hugs with the animals.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Queensland, said it will instead focus on “immersive and educational experiences” with the koalas.

The decision was made “in response to increasingly strong visitor feedback” from people wanting to spend longer with the animals without holding them, it said.

General manager Lyndon Discombe said there had been a shift towards people wanting to “experience Australian wildlife up close, but not necessarily personal”.

The new “koala close-up” visits will let people observe the animals eating, sleeping and relaxing – without touching.

Holding koalas is only legal in the Australian states of Queensland and South Australia – everywhere else in the country, touching the animals is more tightly regulated.

Lone Pine, which bills itself as the world’s first koala sanctuary, says all of its interactions with wildlife are governed by the relevant regulations and the “mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of our animals is top priority in all that we do”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/koala-cuddles-banned-at-popular-australian-sanctuary-visited-by-taylor-swift-and-vladimir-putin-13163538

Keir Starmer vowed to bring change to Britain as its next prime minister after his Labour Party surged to a landslide victory in a parliamentary election on Friday, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.
The centre-left Labour won a massive majority in the 650-seat parliament with Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives suffering the worst performance in the party’s long history as voters punished them for a cost of living crisis, failing public services, and a series of scandals.

About 250 Conservative lawmakers were ousted in the crushing defeat, including a record number of senior ministers and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

A glum Sunak conceded defeat and said he had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

“Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides,” Sunak said. “There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates … I am sorry.”

Despite his convincing victory, polls have suggested there is little enthusiasm for Starmer or his party. Thanks to the quirk of Britain’s first past the post system, Labour’s triumph looked set to be achieved with fewer votes than in both 2017 and 2019 – the latter its worst electoral showing for 84 years.

Starmer also comes to power at a time when the country is facing a series of daunting challenges.

Britain’s tax burden is set to hit its highest since just after World War Two, net debt is almost equivalent to annual economic output, living standards have fallen, and public services are creaking, especially the much cherished National Health Service which has been dogged by strikes.

He has already had to scale back some of Labour’s more ambitious plans, such as its flagship green spending pledges, while he has promised not to raise taxes for “working people”.

“I don’t promise you it will be easy,” Starmer said. “Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. It’s hard work. Patient, determined, work, and we will have to get moving immediately.”

RISE OF REFORM

Much of the heavy damage to the Conservative support was inflicted by the right-wing Reform UK party, headed by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, who had campaigned strongly on curbing immigration.

Starmer has promised to scrap the Conservative’s controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, but with migration a key electoral issue, he will be under pressure himself to find a way to stop tens of thousands of people arriving across the Channel from France on small boats.

Within the Conservative Party, the recriminations and debate over its future direction began immediately, with some saying its failure stemmed from abandoning the centre ground while others argued Reform had won over voters who felt the party had deserted its roots.

Reform has captured four seats, with Farage himself finally being elected to parliament at his eighth attempt, and won more than 4 million votes, often taking more than the Conservatives across swathes of the country.

“There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” a triumphant Farage said. “Believe me folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.”

The growth in support for a right-wing alternative echoed recent similar results in Europe, where the far right have been surging.

But, unlike France where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party made historic gains in an election last Sunday, overall the British public has plumped for a centre-left party to bring about change.

Starmer has promised to improve relations with the European Union to resolve issues created by Britain’s split from the bloc. However, despite opposing Brexit, rejoining the EU is not on the table.

He may also have to work with Donald Trump in the United States if he wins November’s presidential election. Trump has already sent congratulations to his friend and supporter Farage, via his social media platform Truth Social.

While he has promised to bring change domestically, Starmer has vowed to continue London’s unequivocal support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. On many foreign issues, his policies are similar to Sunak’s.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-labour-win-massive-election-majority-exit-poll-shows-2024-07-04/

Use our look-up to find out what result the exit poll forecasts for your constituency.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party are forecast to win a landslide majority of 170 seats, according to an exit poll carried out on polling day.

Labour are forecast to win 410 seats in total, compared with 131 for the Conservatives.The Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, with the SNP on 10.

The exit poll, carried out today by Ipsos UK for Sky News, the BBC and ITV News, also suggests that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK could win 13 seats, while the Greens may win 2. Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru are forecast to win 4 seats.

Search for your postcode or constituency name to find out what the exit poll forecast is in your area.

The forecasts won’t be updated when vote counts are revealed, so keep across our live updating results page to see the real results for every constituency, and then come back here to compare them with what the exit poll said.

What is an exit poll and how does it work?

It’s different from an opinion survey. People are selected at random as they leave polling stations having just voted, and asked to complete a ballot identical to the official one.

So it asks them what they have just done, rather than what they will do in the future which normal opinion polls do.

It is intended to measure changes in vote shares from the previous election in specially chosen constituencies. This year’s exit poll included 133 polling stations, so only a small fraction of the 632 constituencies in Great Britain (Northern Ireland is not included in the exit poll).

The majority of constituencies are selected because they reflect the battle between the two main parties – Labour and the Conservatives. A smaller number represent battlegrounds between the Liberal Democrats and each of the two main parties.

The increased representation of the SNP in Westminster has meant additional polling stations have been added in Scotland in recent years to track SNP/Conservative and SNP/Labour battles.

The political and statistical experts that form the exit poll team, including Sky News election analysts Professors Michael Thrasher and Will Jennings, look to create models that explain changes in how people have voted from one election to the next, based on demographic indicators and social characteristics such as age, housing and education, for example.

In 2019, how people voted in the EU Referendum in 2016 emerged as a leading indicator that correlated with the vote swing from Labour to the Conservatives, in areas where the exit poll was carried out.

The exit poll team were able to use that to predict that the Conservative vote share was likely to have increased more in other high Leave-voting areas across the country, even in places where they didn’t ask anyone how they voted.

What do the different probabilities represent?

If the exit poll forecasts that one party has a 95% chance or higher of winning a seat, we label it as a “likely” win for that party.

If the leading party has between a chance of winning of between 80% and 94%, we list it as a “possible” gain or hold.

If no one party has an 80% chance of winning, we say the constituency is “too close to call”, although we’ll still tell you what chance each party has of winning according to the poll.

In total 133 seats are “too close to call” this year, so there’s still lots to play for as results come in.

How are the results calculated?

The headline numbers you’ll have seen on TV and at the top of this page are a mathematical calculation adding up the percentage chances for each party in each seat.

If one party has a 90% chance in ten seats, we would expect them to win nine of those and lose one.

The one loss from a 90% chance might look odd by itself, but the overall exit poll results work by balancing out that one unexpected loss with one unexpected win, out of ten seats where the party has a 10% chance for example.

So in total they will have won ten seats out of 20 in that scenario.

In 2019 the exit poll predicted the Conservative seat tally to within three – it initially said Boris Johnson’s party would win 368 seats but they ended up with 365. That’s a difference of less than 1%.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/exit-poll-what-is-the-forecast-election-result-in-my-constituency-13163180

The Labour leader, who looks likely to become the UK’s new prime minister, says people around the country had “spoken and they’re ready for change”, as a raft of Tory cabinet ministers lose their seats.

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to “return to politics as public service” in his first appearance since the exit poll predicted a Labour landslide in the general election.

Speaking after winning his own seat in north London, the Labour leader said people around the country had “spoken and they’re ready for change, to end the politics of performance”.

He added: “The change begins right here. Because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.”

The exit poll projects Labour will win 410 seats overnight – with an overall majority of 170 in the Commons.

That compares to a prediction of just 131 seats for Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives – which would be the lowest seat tally in the party’s history.

Follow general election results live

Labour have made several gains as the results roll in – with a former minister, Sir Robert Buckland, becoming the first Tory casualty of the night.

But Mr Sunak’s cabinet has now been gutted, with Science and Innovation Secretary Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer and Chief Whip Simon Hart all losing their seats to a range of parties.

The prime minister conceded defeat at his own election count, confirming he had called Sir Keir to congratulate him on his victory.

But it hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride for Labour, who have lost Islington North to the party’s former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who stood as an independent.

They have also lost Leicester South, where another independent ousted shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth – appearing to be over the party’s position on the Israel and Gaza conflict – and Bristol Central, where the Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer has beaten shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire.

He added: “The change begins right here. Because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.”

The exit poll projects Labour will win 410 seats overnight – with an overall majority of 170 in the Commons.

That compares to a prediction of just 131 seats for Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives – which would be the lowest seat tally in the party’s history.

But Mr Sunak’s cabinet has now been gutted, with Science and Innovation Secretary Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer and Chief Whip Simon Hart all losing their seats to a range of parties.

The prime minister conceded defeat at his own election count, confirming he had called Sir Keir to congratulate him on his victory.

They have also lost Leicester South, where another independent ousted shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth – appearing to be over the party’s position on the Israel and Gaza conflict – and Bristol Central, where the Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer has beaten shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire.

The centre-left Labour Party is expected to win 410 of the country’s 650-seat House of Commons, a surplus of 170 seats over the majority mark.

The Labour Party, Britain’s main Opposition party, will likely score a landslide victory in the country’s general election, exit polls predicted on Thursday. Keir Starmer, the Labour Party’s leader, is expected to replace Rishi Sunak as the prime minister of Britain.

The centre-left Labour Party is expected to win 410 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, a surplus of 170 seats over the majority mark. Rishi Sunak’s Tories would only get 131 — a record low. Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party can bag 13 seats.

Who is Keir Starmer?
61-year-old Keir Starmer, poised to be the next prime minister of Britain, was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his services to law and criminal justice. He was first elected as a member of Parliament from London in 2015. He is a lawyer by profession.

He has two children. His wife, Victoria, is an employee of the National Health Service (NHS).

Sir Keir Starmer is credited for reversing the Labour Party’s fortunes after a dismal performance in the 2019 general election. He has rebuilt the party’s connection with the sizeable Indian diaspora, which felt alienated under former leader Jeremy Corbyn over a perceived anti-India stance on Kashmir.

Last year, during a speech, he sought a robust relationship with India on the grounds of global security, climate security and economic security.

“What my Labour government will seek with India is a relationship based on our shared values of democracy and aspiration. That will seek a free trade agreement (FTA), we share that ambition, but also a new strategic partnership for global security, climate security, economic security,” he had said.

Keir Starmer’s 2024 election manifesto also commits to seeking a “new strategic partnership with India, including a free trade agreement, as well as deepening cooperation in areas like security, education, technology and climate change”.

Earlier this year, he visited the Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Kingsbury, north London, and assured the Hindu community that there was no place for Hinduphobia in Britain.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/who-is-keir-starmer-labour-leader-poised-to-be-next-uk-pm-what-are-his-views-on-india-101720145838566.html

The Punjab government of Maryam Nawaz has requested her uncle Shehbaz Sharif’s government at the Centre to notify the suspension of all social media platforms.

After successfully blocking X, formerly Twitter, for over four months, the Pakistan government is now set to ban all social media platforms — YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok — for six days from July 13 to 18, citing the need to control “hate material” during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s cabinet committee on law and order has recommended banning of all social media platforms — YouTube, X, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, among others –during 6 to 11 Muharram (July 13-18) in Punjab, a province of over 120 million people, to “control hate material, misinformation to avoid sectarian violence”, according to a Punjab government notification issued here late Thursday night.

The Punjab government of Maryam Nawaz has requested her uncle Shehbaz Sharif’s government at the Centre to notify the suspension of all social media platforms on internet for six days (July 13-18).

Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir has already declared social media a “vicious media” and underscored the need to fight what he called “digital terrorism”.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, recently called for placing a complete ban on social media.

The Shehbaz government had shut down X in last February following allegations of change of general election results by the Election Commission of Pakistan, apparently on the order of the military establishment to stop Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s jailed founder Imran Khan from coming to power.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-to-ban-all-social-media-platforms-for-6-days-during-muharram-101720146381257.html

Brazil’s Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations.

A second source confirmed the indictment, although not for which specific crimes. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.

Brazil’s Supreme Court has yet to receive the police report with the indictment. Once it does, the country’s prosecutor-general, Paulo Gonet, will analyze the document and decide whether to file charges and force Bolsonaro to stand trial.

This is Bolsonaro’s second indictment since leaving office, following another in May for allegedly falsifying his COVID-19 vaccination certificate. But this indictment dramatically raises the legal threats facing the divisive ex-leader that are applauded by his opponents but denounced as political persecution by his supporters.

Bolsonaro did not immediately comment, but he and his lawyers have previously denied any wrongdoing in both those cases, as well as other investigations into the former president. One is probing his possible involvement in inciting an uprising in capital Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023 that sought to oust his successor from power.

Last year, Federal Police accused Bolsonaro of attempting to sneak in diamond jewelry reportedly worth $3 million and selling two luxury watches.

Police said in August that Bolsonaro received cash from the nearly $70,000 sale of two luxury watches he received as gifts from Saudi Arabia. Brazil requires its citizens arriving by plane from abroad to declare goods worth more than $1,000 and, for any amount above that exemption, pay a tax equal to 50% of their value.

The jewelry would have been exempt from tax had it been a gift from Saudi Arabia to Brazil, but not Bolsonaro’s to keep for himself. Rather, it would have been added to the presidential collection.

The investigation showed that Mauro Cid, Bolsonaro’s former aide-de-camp who allegedly falsified his COVID-19 records, in June 2022 sold a Rolex watch and a Patek Philippe watch to a store in the U.S for a total $68,000. They were gifted by Saudi Arabia’s government in 2019. Cid later signed a plea bargain with authorities and confirmed it all.

Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president’s eldest son and a sitting senator, said on X after Thursday’s indictment that persecution against his father was “blatant and shameless.”

In addition to Bolsonaro, police indicted 10 others, including Cid and two of his lawyers, Frederick Wassef and Fábio Wajngarten, according to one of the sources. Wassef said in a statement that he didn’t have access to the final report of the investigation, and decried selective leaks to the press of an investigation that is supposed to be proceeding under seal.

“I am going through all of this solely for practicing law in defense of Jair Bolsonaro,” he wrote.

On X, Wajngarten said police have found no evidence implicating him. “The Federal Police knows I did nothing related to what they are investigating, but they still want to punish me because I provide unwavering and permanent defense for former President Bolsonaro,” he said.

Bolsonaro retains staunch allegiance among his political base, as shown by an outpouring of support in February, when an estimated 185,000 people clogged Sao Paulo’s main boulevard to protest what the former president calls political persecution.

His critics, particularly members of his rival President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s political party, have cheered every advance of investigations and repeatedly called for his arrest.

Psychologist Deborah Santos watched news of Bolsonaro’s indictment in a bakery in Sao Paulo’s up-market Vila Madalena neighborhood.

“This is great, because it breaks a pattern. Bolsonaro supporters love to say how honest he is; everyone else is dishonest, but them,” said Santos, 52. “There you have it: the police think he steals diamonds. That should end any politician’s career.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/bolsonaro-indictment-brazil-money-laundering-e740dfd750f96f02c44b282aa667fea2

Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, won a seat in the British parliament for the first time on Friday in the seaside English town of Clacton-on-Sea, as voters deserted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.
Farage, whose career of anti-immigration, pro-Brexit campaigning has made him one of Britain’s most recognisable and divisive political figures, comfortably beat the Conservative candidate Giles Watling who had previously held the seat.

A boozed up passenger forced an American Airlines flight to make an emergency landing in Buffalo after he was caught exposing himself and urinating in the aisle of the airplane, federal prosecutors said.

Oregon native Neil McCarthy, 25, admitted to cops that he was “flicking the bean” — a euphemism for masturbating — aboard the flight to New Hampshire Wednesday, and blamed it on a medical urination problem, court papers allege.

McCarthy told police that he was drinking heavily throughout his journey — and that he had several “Jack and cokes” before boarding his initial flight in Portland, according to the criminal complaint filed in Buffalo federal court.

His flight eventually had a layover in Chicago — where he allegedly told police that he continued to guzzle down several more whiskey and colas before boarding the next flight to Manchester, New Hampshire.

An American Airlines flight attendant saw McCarthy exposing himself and urinating on the flight — and a passenger snapped a photo of him in the act, federal prosecutors claimed.

The plane was diverted to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, where McCarthy was arrested at Gate 2.

He was charged with indecent exposure, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

McCarthy was released after a hearing Wednesday before US Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarhty in Buffalo federal court.

Source: https://nypost.com/2024/07/04/us-news/american-airlines-flight-forced-to-make-emergency-landing-in-ny-after-passenger-urinated-in-aisle-exposed-himself/

A DEEP sea predator with a lifespan of 500-years could be the key to battling heart disease and living longer.

Researchers believe the invincible Greenland Shark’s metabolism could hold the secret to its long life – and they’re hoping it will do the same for us.

Little is known about world’s longest-living vertebrate, which can live for centuries in the frigid Atlantic ocean from Canada to Norway and off the coast of Scotland.

One shark was discovered to be so old that it it was born in 1624, the year England declared war on Spain and founded it’s first Caribbean colony.

The incredibly old monster was discovered by the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

This means it has lived through the Great Fire of London, The English and American civil wars and both world wars of the last century.

The monsters, who grow to 23ft, have even been known to eat polar bears.

Sightings are known to be rare as many do live 600 metres under Arctic ice.

Now experimental research shows that muscle metabolic activity may be an important factor in the incredible longevity of the Greenland shark.

The new findings could be key to improving heart health and help other species against climate change.

Lead researcher Ewan Camplisson, a PhD student at the University of Manchester said: “We want to understand what adaptations they have that allow them to live so long.

Research presented at the Society for Experimental Biology annual conference in Prague from Mr Camplisson showed that the metabolic activity of the species did not change as it ages, unlike other species.

He said: “Most species show variation in their metabolism when they age.

“The results support our hypothesis that the Greenland shark does not show the same traditional signs of ageing as other animals.”

The scientists conducted enzyme tests on preserved muscle tissue samples from Greenland sharks and measured the metabolic activity of the enzymes.

The team found no significant variation in muscle metabolic activity across different ages, suggesting that the metabolism does not appear to decrease over time and may play a key role in their longevity.

The researchers now plan to test more enzymes and tissue types to gain an even deeper understanding of the shark’s metabolic activity.

Mr Camplisson said: “My ultimate goal is to protect the species and the best way to do this is to better understand them.”

“By studying the Greenland shark and its heart, we may be able to better understand our own cardiovascular health.

“These are issues that become progressively more common and severe with increasing age.”

Researchers have already mapped out all the 16ft shark’s mitochondrial DNA – genetic material held in tiny battery-like bodies in cells that supply energy.

They hope to learn what determines life expectancy in different species including humans.

The study of its bones and tissues by the Arctic University of Norway may also provide clues about the effects of climate change and pollution over a long time span.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/11818165/mysterious-polar-shark-may-hold-secret-long-life/

President Joe Biden is facing an uprising from some his own party’s wealthy donors, including an heiress to the Disney
family fortune, who say they will no longer fund the Democratic Party until Biden drops out of the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance.

Abigail Disney, the granddaughter to Roy O. Disney, who cofounded The Walt Disney Company, told CNBC on Thursday that she plans to withhold donations to the party she has funded for years until Biden drops out. The president has said he has no plans to withdraw from the race, despite calls for him to do so.

“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect. Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high,” Abigail Disney said in a lengthy statement to CNBC. “If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.”

The Democratic Party at large has been in a state of panic since Biden struggled to perform in the debate against former President Donald Trump last week. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, called on Biden to drop out of the race, suggesting the debate performance proved to voters that the president is incapable of taking on Trump and unable to overcome his distance in the polls.

A New York Times/Sienna College poll taken after the debate showed Biden behind Trump by 6 percentage points among likely voters.

Representatives for the Biden campaign did not return requests for comment.

Abigail Disney has been a longtime supporter of Democrats. She gave $50,000 to the Jane Fonda Climate political action committee in April, according to a Federal Election Commission filing. The PAC has given $35,000 to Democrats running for congressional seats, according to data from OpenSecrets.

Disney gave $150,000 in 2014 to Planned Parenthood Votes, a PAC affiliated with the health care nonprofit, according to OpenSecrets. That PAC this election cycle has spent over $400,000 supporting Democrats, including $26,000 for Biden.

Disney pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris as a solid alternative to Biden, arguing she’d be able to defeat Trump.

“We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden’s (and let’s not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot,” Disney said.

And she’s not the only one pausing gifts until Biden steps down. Gideon Stein, the president of the Moriah Fund, said he’s decided to pause planned donations of $3.5 million, earmarked for nonprofits and political organizations aligned with the presidential race.

“Joe Biden has been a very effective president, but unless he steps aside my family and I are pausing on more than $3 million in planned donations to nonprofits and political organizations aligned with the presidential race, with the exception of some down ballot work,” Stein said. “Virtually every major donor I’ve talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump.”

Karla Jurvetson, a philanthropist and major Democratic donor, hinted as recently as Tuesday in a private donor call that she agrees with the sentiment on pausing donations until Biden steps down and could end up making such move, according to a person familiar with her remarks. The person was granted anonymity in order to speak freely about a private conversation.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/04/democratic-donors-wont-finance-party-until-joe-biden-drops-out.html

A decision by a judge not to send the solider to prison after he admitted attacking Natasha O’Brien has sparked national protests and political condemnation across Ireland. Sky News speaks to the victim at the heart of the case.

The Irish Defence Forces are facing calls for urgent reform after a solider avoided prison for assaulting a woman, reigniting the debate about misogynistic abuse within the military.

Natasha O’Brien, 24, was beaten unconscious in Limerick city when she asked a serving soldier, Cathal Crotty, to stop using homophobic slurs on the street.

Crotty, 22, hurled punches at her, later boasting to friends on Snapchat: “Two to put her down, two to put her out.”

Ms O’Brien was left with injuries including a broken nose and concussion, and says she later lost her job due to the psychological aftermath.

“As I lay in the foetal position, losing consciousness, he continued his relentless beating – my last conscious thought was, ‘he’s not stopping, I’m going to die’,” she told the court of the 2022 attack.

Crotty pleaded guilty, but the judge decided to fully suspend the three-year sentence last month, noting there would be “no doubt” the soldier’s army career would be finished by jail time.

The verdict sparked national protests and political condemnation in Ireland.

Ms O’Brien remembers leaving the court after the sentencing, “coming out alone, hopeless, just utterly devoid…feeling let down and abandoned”.

Private Crotty is subject to military disciplinary proceedings, but currently remains a serving soldier as there are still some legal proceedings outstanding.

“We have to hold the Defence Forces accountable because they’re utterly negligent in safeguarding the public,” Ms O’Brien told Sky News.

“It’s a slow process. I’m not the first to speak out about the issues and I won’t be the last, but I hope I make it easier for the next.”

Natasha wants to see a change in the “misogynistic” culture within the Irish Defence Forces, and to have the way the army deals with soldiers facing serious charges reformed.

She’s not the only one.

‘They cover it up’

Retired captain Diane Byrne says she was hounded from the army after 13 years of service, tortured by constant chauvinistic abuse.

She formed a campaign group, Women of Honour, and says she knows of hundreds of women who experienced physical violence in the Defence Forces, including rape.

“I couldn’t say there’s a blanket culture of violence against women in the Defence Forces,” she said. “But I think there’s a tolerance for inappropriate behaviour or violence in the Defence Forces because they cover it up, what has happened to people.

“I think a lot of women out there are still not coming forward and explaining what they have experienced, because they just don’t trust in who they can go to and what supports they’ll get and whether they’ll be believed.”

Years of campaigning by the Women of Honour led to the Irish government last week launching a judge-led tribunal to investigate the claims of sexual abuse and discrimination.

Hailed as a “step forward” in addressing the problem, the tribunal has appealed for women to come forward to tell their stories.

The process will not be quick, however; it’s thought the tribunal could last for up to three years.

The Defence Forces acknowledge reform is needed. It revealed 68 personnel currently have criminal convictions, or are before the courts, for a range of offences including physical assault, sexual offences and others.

‘Bravery of individuals’

Its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy declined to grant Sky News an interview, but in a statement noted “the unacceptable presence of personnel with serious convictions including gender-based violence within the Defence Forces. Such individuals have no place in our ranks”.

“We owe it to the bravery of individuals like Natasha O’Brien, to those impacted within our own organisation and to the values we stand for to ensure that no one within the Defence Forces can avoid the consequences of their actions.”

The current public backlash has angered and demoralised many serving soldiers, angry at what they see as a blaming of wider societal problems on the military.

Former special forces soldier and TD (member of the Irish parliament) Cathal Berry says many within the military feel they’ve “been thrown under the bus” by the government.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/woman-beaten-unconscious-by-serving-irish-soldier-demands-reform-of-the-military-13163070

U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to stay in the 2024 presidential race during calls with campaign staff and meetings with Democratic lawmakers and governors on Wednesday, as he sought to shake off calls for him to drop out after his shaky debate performance last week.
Biden dialed in to a call with worried members of his campaign team and told them he wasn’t going anywhere, according to two sources familiar with the call.

Only three of the governors – the leaders of New York, Minnesota and Maryland – met with reporters afterwards, vowing to stand with Biden after what they called an honest discussion about his bad performance in last week’s debate.

“The president has always had our backs. We’re going to have his back as well,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said Biden’s Thursday night debate performance against former President Trump was bad, but added that he felt Biden was fit for office.

Concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity exploded after Thursday’s debate with Trump, in which the president mumbled under his breath, lost his train of thought at times and, at one point, talked of beating Medicare. The president has said that he was tired after two foreign trips and the White House has said he had a cold.
Asked Wednesday if Biden was considering stepping down, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Absolutely not.”
Soon after she spoke, two national polls suggested Biden’s chances against Trump – who rattled off a series of well-worn falsehoods during the debate – had deteriorated.
A Wall Street Journal survey found Trump beating Biden by a margin of 48% to 42%, up one percentage point, while a New York Times/Siena poll found Trump’s lead over Biden had widened by three points to 49% to 43%.
In a call among House Democrats on Wednesday, Arizona’s Raúl Grijalva called for Biden to drop out of the race while Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts pointed to Biden’s age as a liability.

“The unfortunate reality is that the status quo will likely deliver us President Trump,” Moulton said in a statement. “President Biden is not going to get younger.”
While the campaign has highlighted fundraising successes with grassroots donors and held damage control calls with donors, Reed Hastings, a major Democratic Party donor and a co-founder of streaming platform Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab, called for Biden to step aside.
Vice President Kamala Harris has meanwhile gained support as his potential replacement.
Dmitri Mehlhorn, an adviser to LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman, told Reuters his team would “enthusiastically support a ticket led by our tough and savvy vice president if Biden were to step aside for any reason.”
Melhorn said Harris was the only serious national contender who had already been subjected to major attacks by Trump’s “Make America Great Again” supporters.
“We would lose Joe’s superpower brand, but we would gain other benefits and would still be competitive,” he said.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-reassure-governors-democratic-kingmaker-floats-mini-primary-if-he-leaves-2024-07-03/

President Joe Biden’s conduct behind closed doors, in the Oval Office, on Air Force One and in meetings around the world is described in the same dual way by those who regularly see him in action.

He is often sharp and focused. But he also has moments, particularly later in the evening, when his thoughts seem jumbled and he trails off mid-sentence or seems confused. Sometimes he doesn’t grasp the finer points of policy details. He occasionally forgets people’s names, stares blankly and moves slowly around the room.

Biden’s occasional struggles with focus may not be unusual for someone his age. But at 81 years old and seeking another four years in the White House, the moments when he’s off his game have taken on a fresh resonance following his disastrous debate performance against Republican Donald Trump. The president appeared pale, gave nonsensical answers, stared blankly and lost his train of thought.

The June 27 faceoff alarmed Democrats and his financial backers, in part, because Biden seemed so much worse than during the almost routine moments when he’s less sharp. And that has raised questions about whether he’s up for a campaign that’s only going to get nastier and whether he can effectively govern for another four years if he wins.

“We understand the concerns. We get it,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week. But she insisted Biden has no intention of stepping away from the campaign. “The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race.”

But there have been other notable signs in recent weeks, from Biden’s constrained itinerary during a recent visit to France to his flat demeanor during a big-dollar Hollywood fundraiser with top stars.

This story is based on interviews with two dozen people who have spent time with the president privately, some of whom were granted anonymity to discuss interactions that were not intended to be public.

“We understand the concerns. We get it,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week. But she insisted Biden has no intention of stepping away from the campaign. “The president is clear-eyed and he is staying in the race.”

But there have been other notable signs in recent weeks, from Biden’s constrained itinerary during a recent visit to France to his flat demeanor during a big-dollar Hollywood fundraiser with top stars.

This story is based on interviews with two dozen people who have spent time with the president privately, some of whom were granted anonymity to discuss interactions that were not intended to be public.

Missed opportunities to manage the issue
One person who spends time with Biden regularly said there have been visible signs of his aging over the past year that the president’s team has failed to fully address. The debate performance accelerated concerns about what was already a slow-moving problem, even if Biden has offered assurances that he can still effectively govern.

Biden’s advisers have long been aggressively dismissive of questions about his age. But now they’re acknowledging that Biden’s slowdown is undeniable. The debate has forced the president to more frontally acknowledge the limitations of his age, when before he largely made light of it. But they’ve taken only largely cosmetic steps to minimize its prominence in the public eye.

They’ve reduced his use of a long staircase to board Air Force One in favor of a shorter one, and aides often accompany him when he walks in public to make his stiff gait less noticeable. While his schedule remains busy, aides have built-in recovery stretches — long weekends or extended stays in Delaware at his Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach homes or at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland — to rest up after a grueling period of travel.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/biden-age-election-debate-trump-7c366fda83a697265d9ecc77e8a32fd1

A Singapore court has sentenced a Japanese man to jail and caning for the “brutal and cruel” rape of a university student in 2019.
The 38-year-old hairdresser, Ikko Kita, is set to be the first Japanese national to be caned in the city state, the Japanese embassy in Singapore told BBC News.
He will be caned 20 times and also jailed for 17 and a half years.
Caning is a controversial but widely used form of corporal punishment in Singapore, and is compulsory for offences like vandalism, robbery and drug trafficking.

According to court documents, Kita met the woman at Clarke Quay, a popular nightlife district, in December 2019.

The woman, who was then 20, had not known Kita before. She was intoxicated when he took her to his flat and raped her.

He also filmed the act on his mobile phone and later sent it to a friend.

The victim managed to leave the apartment afterwards and reported the rape to police later that day.

Kita was arrested on the same day and has been in police custody since.

Police found two videos of the rape on his mobile phone.

Justice Aedit Abdullah called the assault “brutal and cruel”, adding that the victim was “vulnerable, clearly drunk, and incapable of looking after herself”.

The judge also dismissed the defence’s argument that the victim had allegedly given an initial indication of consent to sex.

The sentencing has been widely reported in Japan and has also been trending on social media.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0w47x7p39xo

For years, the American Dream – the idea that anyone who works hard and has the will to succeed can attain upward mobility and success – has been a core tenet of American society.

A new poll by YouGov suggests that, for Gen Z, the glitter of the American Dream is fading.

Respondents were asked “Is there such a thing as ‘The American Dream’?” Overall, 60 percent of the 1,119U.S. adult citizens who were consulted for the poll answered: “Yes, there is.” The rest were either unsure or did not believe there was.

Nearly one in three (30 percent) of 18-29-year-olds said: “No, there is not.” 17 percent were unsure, but 52 percent still believed in the concept.

In contrast, the older generation was much more likely to put their faith in the idea. 66 percent were believers in the dream, versus just 17 percent who did not, and 18 percent who said they were not sure.

The ever-increasing cost of both education and housing, as well as worsening inequality in the United States may be some of the underlying factors behind the disillusionment of America’s younger generations.

“The skyrocketing costs of college, the difficulty of climbing onto the property ladder, and surging economic inequality all contribute to the notion that the American dream is dying or dead,” Thomas Gift, associate professor of political science at University College London told Newsweek.

“Data on economic mobility suggest that the correlation between parental income and children’s income is higher in the U.S. than in almost any other advanced, Western democracy.

“That means that the possibilities and rewards for living out the American dream have never been greater for children born into the top percentage of households.

“But for everyone else, attaining economic security looks more challenging for millennials and Generation Z than it has in the past,” he added.

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-losing-faith-american-dream-july-4th-poll-1920497

There were 277 passengers on Flight 136, a dozen people were reportedly sickened

A dozen passengers and crew of a Delta Airlines flight reportedly needed treatment for food-related illnesses after being served spoiled food.

Delta Flight 136 was flying from Detroit to Amsterdam overnight Tuesday after leaving at around 11 p.m. It was diverted to New York several hours into the flight.

It was discovered that passengers in the main cabin of the Airbus A330 were served spoiled food. The airline says medical experts recommended the flight be diverted to New York.

The flight was over the eastern coast of northern Canada when it made a 180-turn and headed back to the United States.

The plane landed at JFK Airport in New York City at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

“Medical crews met the aircraft to treat any affected passengers and crew members,” the airline said in a statement to HNGN. “Delta’s Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident.”

There were 277 passengers on board the plane. Medics treated 12 passengers, the FDNY reported to the Associated Press.

Source: https://www.hngn.com/articles/261850/20240703/transatlantic-delta-flight-diverted-passengers-served-spoiled-food.htm

Forget the silver anniversary; the Beckhams are going amethyst.

Victoria and David Beckham celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary a day early by slipping back into their famous all-purple reception outfits.

“Look what we found… 😅💜,” the former footballer, 49, captioned the pic with his wife, both sitting on the same throne-style chairs they had at their wedding bash.

The couple married in a massive event on July 4, 1999, with Victoria sporting multiple over-the-top looks throughout the day — beginning with her strapless Vera Wang ballgown, which featured a corset by the famed Mr. Pearl and a dramatic 20-foot train.

David wore a matching ivory suit with an ascot for the ceremony before the couple changed into their royal purple looks for the reception at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland.

Baby Brooklyn Beckham, now 25, even coordinated in a purple onesie and matching cowboy hat of his own.

While it’s unclear if the Beckhams hauled their original outfits out of storage or had new replicas made, fans and friends couldn’t get over how great the couple looked.

“Iconic! I remember this like yesterday!💕,” one commented.

“Good grief David you are like a fine expensive wine that is aging into the best vintage ever known to mankind,” another said, while a third wrote, “Purple Reign haha.”

Andy Cohen was also impressed, writing, “They still fit great!”

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/03/style/victoria-and-david-beckham-pose-in-their-iconic-purple-wedding-outfits-on-25th-anniversary/

Jennifer Lopez once declared she “Ain’t Your Mama,” but it turns out she’s singing a different tune.

The Grammy-nominated singer sent a message to the world this week when she opted to wear an extremely cropped top with the words “JLO BE MY MAMA” emblazoned across her chest while out and about in New York City.

Lopez, 54, had her rock hard abs on display thanks to her barely-there shirt, which she paired with a pink cardigan and low-rise dirty baggy jeans by Acne Studios ($620). She accessorized with a pair of white sneakers and a Dioriviera Lady Dior Bag ($5,200).

The sighting comes as the “Selena” star appeared in a J. Lo Beauty promotional campaign in which she posed without her wedding ring.

Despite being ring-free in the clip, Lopez did wear the bauble for her Coach marketing images that were shared over the weekend; however, it’s unclear when she posed for the photos.

Sources told Page Six exclusively this week that Bennifer 2.0 actually has been “over for months.” Our insiders said the pair have been apart since March, but Affleck is “very protective of Jennifer.”

Other insiders told us earlier this week that the Oscar winner, 51 and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” performer, 54, have been selling pieces from their art collection after putting their $60 million estate on the market.

We heard collectors and interested buyers were purchasing “art and some pieces” that were “newly on sale” from the manse in early June.

Affleck reportedly moved his belongings out of the home while Lopez attended Paris Fashion Week solo and into a rental property in Brentwood, Calif., where he’s been residing to be closer to his kids.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/03/style/jennifer-lopez-sends-a-message-in-itty-bitty-crop-top-amid-ben-affleck-marital-woes/

Footage shows members of Brothers of Italy’s young activist arm National Youth making numerous racist, antisemitic, fascist and Nazi statements, while also singing praises to former fascist leader Benito Mussolini

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has emerged as one of the most influential leaders in Europe. The significant success of her far-right party, Brothers of Italy, in the European Parliament elections has bolstered her standing both domestically and internationally. She is increasingly seen as a key figure shaping the continent’s future political landscape.

Tensions in Italy have been high since the start of the week when the Italian news and investigative site FANPAGE published a lengthy exposé featuring hidden camera footage. The videos show members of the “National Youth,” the young activists’ arm of the Brothers of Italy, making numerous racist, antisemitic, fascist, and Nazi statements.
In the footage, several young party members are seen singing praises to former fascist leader Benito Mussolini, giving fascist salutes, and shouting “Sieg Heil” and anti-Black slogans like “Black is beautiful, except when it’s on skin.” Some activists also make antisemitic remarks such as, “I hate the Jewish race. There is the white race, the black race, and the Jewish race, and I despise it.”

Another senior activist is heard expressing disgust over having to write a welcoming message to a Jewish parliament member from their party. Many of the activists shown in the videos hold key positions within the party, including those considered its future leaders.

Feeling the need to address the issue directly, Meloni issued a clear statement in a letter to senior party members. She urged party leaders to “utterly condemn antisemitism, racism, and nostalgia for totalitarian regimes.”

“I am angry and saddened by how we have been portrayed due to the behavior of some of our young members,” Meloni wrote. “There is no place among us for those who attempt to play a role that only serves the narrative our opponents try to create about us. We have no time to deal with those who want to take us backward. I have said it dozens of times, but if necessary, I will say it again: There is no place for racist and anti-Semitic views in the Brothers of Italy, and no place for those who long for the totalitarian regimes of the past century or any form of foolish folklore.”

Source: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1zrurmpr

Polls are to open across the country in the first general election for almost five years.

Millions of people across the UK will head to the polls today to vote in the general election.

A total of 650 parliamentary constituencies are being contested in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with polling stations open from 7am until 10pm.

There are around 40,000 polling stations in the UK and 46 million people are eligible to vote.

This is the first general election where voter ID will be required, after new rules were introduced in 2023.

There are 22 types of identification you can use, including a passport or driving licence.

Boundary changes mean many people will vote in new or different constituencies from the last general election.

When all the votes are counted after the polls close, a party needs 326 seats for a majority in the House of Commons without relying on support from smaller parties.

The last general election was held in 2019, when then prime minister Boris Johnson won 365 seats, giving him an 80-seat majority.

Labour won 202 seats, the SNP 48, the Liberal Democrats 11, the DUP eight, Sinn Fein seven, Plaid Cymru four, the SDLP two, the Alliance party one, and the Greens one.

That was the fourth general election in a row won by the Tories, who also triumphed in 2010, 2015, and 2017.

The last Labour prime minister to win an election was Sir Tony Blair, who led his party to victory in 1997, 2001, and 2005.

This is the first election that Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer are fighting as leaders of the Conservative and Labour parties respectively.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/millions-of-voters-to-head-to-polls-in-uk-general-election-13162469

Hurricane Beryl thrashed Jamaica with heavy winds and rain on Wednesday, killing at least one person after forging a destructive, water-soaked path across smaller Caribbean islands over the past couple days.
The death toll from the powerful Category 4 hurricane climbed to at least 10, but it is widely expected to rise further as communications come back online across drenched islands damaged by flooding and deadly winds.

Nearly a thousand Jamaicans were in shelters by Wednesday evening, Thompson added.

The island’s main airports were closed and streets were mostly empty after Prime Minister Andrew Holness issued a nationwide curfew for Wednesday.

“We can do as much as we can do, as (is) humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God,” Holness said earlier on Wednesday, urging residents in vulnerable areas to evacuate.

The loss of life and damage wrought by Beryl underscores the consequences of a warmer Atlantic Ocean, which scientists cite as a telltale sign of human-caused climate change fueling extreme weather that differs from past experience.

Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, one of the hardest-hit areas in the eastern Caribbean, said in a radio interview that the country’s Union Island was “flattened” by Beryl.

“Everybody is homeless … It is going to be a Herculean effort to rebuild.”

Speaking to state media, Nerissa Gittens-McMillan, permanent secretary at St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ agriculture ministry, warned of possible food shortages after 50% of the country’s plantain and banana crops were lost, with significant losses also to root crops and vegetables.

Power outages were widespread across Jamaica, while some roads near the coast were washed out.

By Wednesday evening, the eye of the spiraling hurricane was located about 100 miles (161 km) west of Kingston, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), as the storm’s core headed toward the Cayman Islands, where hurricane conditions were expected late tonight.

Beryl is packing maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour (209 kph).

The force of the winds is expected to weaken somewhat in the next day or two, according to the NHC, though it cautioned that Beryl would remain at or near major hurricane strength as it passed the Cayman Islands.
Beryl is expected to dump 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) of rain on the Cayman Islands overnight and into Thursday. Large swells were expected to “cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,” the NHC said.
The center added that a hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, as well as the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, including for the country’s top beach resort Cancun.
‘ARMAGEDDON-LIKE’
Additional confirmed fatalities so far include at least three din St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a senior official told Reuters, where Union Island has suffered severe destruction of over 90% of buildings.
In Grenada, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described “Armageddon-like” conditions with no power and widespread destruction, while also confirming three deaths.
In Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro told state television that three people had died and four were missing in the area, along with more than 8,000 homes damaged by torrential rains, including at least 400 destroyed.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was injured by a falling tree on Tuesday as she surveyed an area south of Beryl where intense rainfall caused the Manzanares River in Sucre state to burst its banks, the president confirmed.
The unusually early hurricane strengthened at a record pace, which scientists argue is almost certainly fueled by climate change

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/hurricane-beryl-churns-towards-jamaica-bringing-floods-least-two-reported-killed-2024-07-02/

Hurricane Beryl was roaring by Jamaica Wednesday, bringing fierce winds and heavy rain after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least seven people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Beryl’s eyewall was “brushing the south coast of Jamaica.”

Wind-whipped rain pounded the island for hours as residents heeded authorities’ call to shelter until the storm had passed. Power was knocked out in much of the capital.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on Wednesday afternoon that nearly 500 people were placed in shelters.

By evening, he said that Jamaica has not seen the “worst of what could possibly happen.”

“We can do as much as we can do, as humanly possible, and we leave the rest in the hands of God,” Holness said.

Several roadways in the country’s interior settlements were impacted by fallen trees and utility poles, while some communities in the northern section were without electricity, according to the government’s information service.

Kingston resident Pauline Lynch said that she had stockpiled food and water in anticipation of the storm’s arrival. With wind already driving rain, Lynch said, “I have no control over what is coming so I just have to pray that all people of Jamaica is safe and we don’t suffer no deaths, no loss.”

By midday, winds already howled in the capital, turning the sea into churning whitecaps as Beryl’s eye scraped by the island’s southern coast.

“We are very concerned about a wide variety of life threatening impacts in Jamaica,” including storm surge, high winds and flash flooding, said Jon Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Porter called Beryl “the strongest and most dangerous hurricane threat that Jamaica has faced, probably, in decades.”

A hurricane warning was in effect for Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, and the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Puerto Costa Maya to Cancun. Beryl was forecast to weaken slightly over the next day or two, but still be at or near major-hurricane strength when it passes near the Cayman Islands on Thursday and into Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula late Thursday or Friday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Jamaica was under a state of emergency as the island was declared a disaster zone hours before the impact of Beryl. Holness said that the disaster zone declaration will remain for the next seven days.

An evacuation order was in place for communities across Jamaica that are prone to flooding and landslides. Holness urged Jamaicans to move away from low-lying areas.

Mexico’s Caribbean coast, meanwhile was preparing for Beryl.

The head of Mexico’s civil defense agency said that Beryl is expected to make a rare double strike on Mexico. Laura Velázquez said the hurricane is expected to make landfall along a relatively unpopulated stretch of the Caribbean coast between Tulum and the inland town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Because the coast there is largely made up of lagoons and mangroves, there are few resorts or hotels in the area south of Tulum.

On Wednesday, Mexican government officials moved sea turtle eggs off Cancun beaches in an attempt to protect them from storm surge.

The hurricane is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it crosses the Yucatan peninsula and reemerge over the weekend at storm strength into the Gulf of Mexico. Velázquez said that Beryl is then expected to hit Mexican territory a second time in the Gulf coast states of Veracruz or Tamaulipas, near the Texas border.

Late Monday, Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and peaked at winds of 165 mph (270 kph) Tuesday before weakening to a still-destructive Category 4. Late Wednesday night, the storm’s center was about 560 miles (905 kilometers) east-southeast of Tulum, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) and was moving west-northwest at 21 mph (32 kph). Hurricane strength winds extended 45 miles from the center.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-beryl-caribbean-jamaica-cayman-islands-774803fc70e187ea96e7df10f84d8a50

Ron Falk collapsed outside a shop in Texas during a heatwave last year. As well as losing his right leg, he needed extensive skin grafts on the other. The 62-year-old fell unconscious due to heatstroke, and ended up losing his job and home.

Almost 90 million people are under heat alerts in the US – and conditions are set to worsen as the country marks Independence Day.

California has been especially hard hit, with temperatures of up to 46.1C (115F) forecast between now and Sunday night.

The dry conditions also elevate the risk of wildfires, with crews already working to put out a swiftly growing blaze in scorching conditions.

Firefighters have been lining roads in Butte County, about 70 miles (112km) north of Sacramento, in a desperate bid to stop the flames from reaching homes.

More than 13,000 have been evacuated from the area – and in 10 other counties across the state, power has been shut off to reduce the risk of further wildfires.

The outages come amid concerns that strong winds could topple power lines or cause trees to fall on them.

Californians are also being told to be mindful of wildfires while celebrating Independence Day.

“We want to urge everyone to use extreme caution when participating in activities that cause sparks, like using fireworks,” meteorologist Brad Schaaf said.

The hidden dangers of heatwaves

Estimates from the AP news agency suggest excessive heat has killed a record-breaking 2,300 people in the US over the past year – a figure that’s likely undercounted.

Americans are being urged to look out for signs of heatstroke, as the consequences can be severe.

Sizzling pavements and unshaded playgrounds increase the risk of surface burns – with young children, older adults and homeless people most at risk.

Ron Falk collapsed outside a shop in Texas during a heatwave last year. As well as losing his right leg, he needed extensive skin grafts on the other.

The 62-year-old was unconscious due to heatstroke, and ended up losing his job and home.

“If you don’t get somewhere to cool down, the heat will affect you. Then you won’t know what’s happening, like in my case,” Mr Falk said.

Contact burns can happen in seconds when skin touches a surface of 82C (10F).

Dr Kevin Foster, who works at the Southwest’s largest burn centre, says at least 50 people have been treated in hospital for such injuries since the start of June alone.

“Last year’s record heatwave brought an alarming number of patients with life-threatening burns,” he added.

The recovery process can take months – with Bob Woolley suffering second and third-degree burns to his hands, arms, leg and torso after falling in his back garden.

“The ordeal was extremely painful, it was almost unbearable,” the 71-year-old said.

Parents have also been warned small children are particularly vulnerable because they are not fully aware of the harm that touching a hot surface can cause.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/millions-under-heat-health-alerts-in-us-as-hidden-dangers-of-soaring-temperatures-revealed-13162827

At 39 years old – having come back from a heartbreaking crash in what was meant to be his final Tour de France, and five winless years marked by illness and injury which contributed to a diagnosis of depression – Mark Cavendish surpasses Eddy Merckx to achieve the historic milestone.

Mark Cavendish has broken the record for Tour de France stage wins.

The British cyclist secured the historic milestone after triumphing in Saint-Vulbas, eastern France, to win the 35th stage of his career.

Cavendish, from the Isle of Man, had been level with Belgian great Eddy Merckx on 34 victories.

“I’m in a bit of disbelief,” the 39-year-old Astana-Qazaqstan rider said shortly after the win.

“Astana put a big a gamble on this year, to make sure we got here, the Tour de France.

“A big gamble to come here and come and win at least one stage, you know?

“You have to go all in and, yeah, we’ve done it.”

His teammate and lead-out rider Cees Bol simply said: “He f****** nailed it.”

It comes after bitter disappointment for Cavendish when he crashed out of last year’s Tour – which he had said would be his last – and breaking his collar bone.

His victory comes just four days after he struggled in the heat of a punishing opening stage out of Florence, vomiting on the bike in concerning scenes – and two days after he missed the opportunity to contest stage three after being caught behind a late crash in Turin.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/mark-cavendish-breaks-record-for-tour-de-france-stage-wins-13163000

A decision by a judge not to send the solider to prison after he admitted attacking Natasha O’Brien has sparked national protests and political condemnation across Ireland. Sky News speaks to the victim at the heart of the case.

The Irish Defence Forces are facing calls for urgent reform after a solider avoided prison for assaulting a woman, reigniting the debate about misogynistic abuse within the military.

Natasha O’Brien, 24, was beaten unconscious in Limerick city when she asked a serving soldier, Cathal Crotty, to stop using homophobic slurs on the street.

Crotty, 22, hurled punches at her, later boasting to friends on Snapchat: “Two to put her down, two to put her out.”

Ms O’Brien was left with injuries including a broken nose and concussion, and says she later lost her job due to the psychological aftermath.

“As I lay in the foetal position, losing consciousness, he continued his relentless beating – my last conscious thought was, ‘he’s not stopping, I’m going to die’,” she told the court of the 2022 attack.

Crotty pleaded guilty, but the judge decided to fully suspend the three-year sentence last month, noting there would be “no doubt” the soldier’s army career would be finished by jail time.

The verdict sparked national protests and political condemnation in Ireland.

Ms O’Brien remembers leaving the court after the sentencing, “coming out alone, hopeless, just utterly devoid…feeling let down and abandoned”.

Private Crotty is subject to military disciplinary proceedings, but currently remains a serving soldier as there are still some legal proceedings outstanding.

“We have to hold the Defence Forces accountable because they’re utterly negligent in safeguarding the public,” Ms O’Brien told Sky News.

“It’s a slow process. I’m not the first to speak out about the issues and I won’t be the last, but I hope I make it easier for the next.”

Natasha wants to see a change in the “misogynistic” culture within the Irish Defence Forces, and to have the way the army deals with soldiers facing serious charges reformed.

She’s not the only one.

‘They cover it up’

Retired captain Diane Byrne says she was hounded from the army after 13 years of service, tortured by constant chauvinistic abuse.

She formed a campaign group, Women of Honour, and says she knows of hundreds of women who experienced physical violence in the Defence Forces, including rape.

“I couldn’t say there’s a blanket culture of violence against women in the Defence Forces,” she said. “But I think there’s a tolerance for inappropriate behaviour or violence in the Defence Forces because they cover it up, what has happened to people.

“I think a lot of women out there are still not coming forward and explaining what they have experienced, because they just don’t trust in who they can go to and what supports they’ll get and whether they’ll be believed.”

Years of campaigning by the Women of Honour led to the Irish government last week launching a judge-led tribunal to investigate the claims of sexual abuse and discrimination.

Hailed as a “step forward” in addressing the problem, the tribunal has appealed for women to come forward to tell their stories.

The process will not be quick, however; it’s thought the tribunal could last for up to three years.

The Defence Forces acknowledge reform is needed. It revealed 68 personnel currently have criminal convictions, or are before the courts, for a range of offences including physical assault, sexual offences and others.

‘Bravery of individuals’

Its chief of staff, Lieutenant General Sean Clancy declined to grant Sky News an interview, but in a statement noted “the unacceptable presence of personnel with serious convictions including gender-based violence within the Defence Forces. Such individuals have no place in our ranks”.

“We owe it to the bravery of individuals like Natasha O’Brien, to those impacted within our own organisation and to the values we stand for to ensure that no one within the Defence Forces can avoid the consequences of their actions.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/woman-beaten-unconscious-by-serving-irish-soldier-demands-reform-of-the-military-13163070

Smiling Putin is reunited with his ‘old friend’ President Xi as the pair meet to discuss bringing down the West and opposing US-led democratic world order

* Group expected to put aside difference to discuss terrorism threats, in Astana
* The SCO group was set up in 2001 to discuss security concerns in the region

A smiling Vladimir Putin reunited with his ‘old friend’ Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for a session of an international group founded to counter Western ‘hegemony’.

‘Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history,’ Putin said, reaffirming Russia’s relationship with China.

In his brief opening comments, the Chinese premier called Putin his ‘old friend’ and said Sino-Russian relations were at a ‘high level.’

‘In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come,’ Xi said.

The pair met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana – a regional political and economic bloc that the two leaders see as a counterweight to US ‘hegemony’ in international affairs.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was set up in 2001 by China and Russia to discuss security concerns in Central Asia and the wider region.

Other members are Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states and dialogue partners include Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13597873/putin-xi-jinping-kazakhstan-sco-summit.html

Limb amputations are performed by surgeons when a traumatic injury such as a wound from war or a vehicle accident causes major tissue destruction or in instances of serious infection or disease. But humans are not alone in doing such procedures.
New research shows that some ants perform limb amputations on injured comrades to improve their survival chances. The behavior was documented in Florida carpenter ants – scientific name Camponotus floridanus – a reddish-brown species more than half an inch (1.5 cm) long inhabiting parts of the southeastern United States.

These ants were observed treating injured limbs of nestmates either by cleaning the wound using their mouthparts or by amputation through biting off the damaged limb. The choice of care depended on the injury’s location. When it was further up the leg, they always amputated. When it was further down, they never amputated.
“In this study, we describe for the first time how a non-human animal uses amputations on another individual to save their life,” said entomologist Erik Frank of the University of Würzburg in Germany, lead author of the research published on Tuesday in the journal Current Biology

Park rangers on Japan’s sacred Mount Fuji officially started this year’s climbing season about 90 minutes before sunrise on Monday, levying new trail fees and limiting hiker numbers to curb overcrowding.
At 3 a.m., officials opened a newly installed gate at a station placed just over halfway up the 3,776-meter (12,388-ft) peak that is a symbol of Japan and a magnet for tourists, now swarming into the country at a record pace.

The yen’s slide to a 38-year low has made Japan an irresistible bargain for overseas visitors.
They are injecting record sums into national coffers but are also putting strains on facilities for travel and hospitality, not to mention the patience of locals.
Hordes of tourists became a traffic hazard at a nearby photography spot where Mount Fuji appeared to float over a convenience store, driving officials to put up a barrier of black mesh to obstruct the view that had gone viral online.

The climbing season this year on Mount Fuji, which straddles the prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka about 136 km (85 miles) from Tokyo, runs until September 10, after which the weather gets too cold and snowy.

A still active stratovolcano whose last eruption was in 1707, Mount Fuji has been a site of Shinto and Buddhist worship for centuries.

The number of climbers recovered to pre-pandemic levels last year, with about 300,000 annually, the environment ministry says. Hikers typically start in the wee hours to make it to the top in time for sunrise.

For their money, climbers receive a wristband giving access to the trail between 3 a.m. and 4 p.m, excluding those with reservations for mountain huts closer to the peak, to whom the daily limit on visitors will not apply, authorities say.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-imposes-new-fees-mount-fuji-climbers-limit-tourists-2024-07-01/

Cutting the cost of public transportation is a major focus area for the government, the Road Transport and Highways minister said at the NDTV Infrashakti Awards.

New Delhi: 

Pollution has become a huge issue in India and the thrust of the government is on promoting the use of non-polluting sources to power personal and public transportation, Nitin Gadkari has said.

In an exclusive conversation during the NDTV Infrashakti Awards on Tuesday, the Road Transport and Highways minister also said work is underway on a pilot project in Nagpur involving a 132-seater bus which will have airplane-like seating and a “bus hostess”, and will run on non-polluting sources of energy while still being cheaper than regular diesel buses. The government’s aim, he said, is for India to become a net energy exporter instead of an importer.

“The most important problem in the country today is pollution – air, water and sound – especially for Delhi. We need import-substitute, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. We have electric vehicles… Now, Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing in flex vehicles. So, instead of filling petrol at ₹ 120 a litre, it is better to use ethanol at ₹ 60 per litre, with the vehicle running 60% on electricity and 40% on ethanol. This will also reduce pollution,” the minister said in Hindi.

The other thing the government is focusing on, Mr Gadkari said, is reducing the cost of public transportation. A diesel bus costs ₹ 115 a km to run while AC electric buses run at ₹ 41 and non-AC ones at ₹ 37, with subsidies. Without subsidies, this will now be between ₹ 50 and ₹ 60, he said, which will help reduce ticket prices by 15-20%.

Since the debate, there has been increasing voices in the ruling Democratic party for Biden to step down and let someone else run the race for the crucial November 5 presidential elections.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/kamala-harris-has-a-better-chance-of-retaining-white-house-than-joe-biden-says-cnn-poll-3090590

The storm was forecast to start losing intensity, but it will still be near major hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica early on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

Hurricane Beryl is hurtling towards Jamaica as a powerful category four storm, after killing at least six people in the southeast Caribbean.

The destructive weather pattern was forecast to start losing intensity on Tuesday and was downgraded from a category five hurricane – the most powerful type.

But it will still be near major hurricane strength when it passes near or over Jamaica early on Wednesday, near the Cayman Islands on Thursday, and into Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Friday, according to the National Hurricane Centre.

It is expected to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge to Jamaica, the centre said. Officials have warned residents in flood-prone areas to prepare for evacuation.

Alerts have been put in place in Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Haiti’s entire southern coast, while the entire southern coast of Hispaniola, an island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is under a tropical storm warning.

So far, six people are thought to have died as a result of the hurricane.

Three people were reported killed in Grenada and Carriacou and another in St Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said. Two others were reported to have died in northern Venezuela, where five people are missing, officials said.

It comes after the “monstrous” weather system slammed into islands including Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Barbados on Monday.

Widespread damage to homes and businesses has been reported, along with power cuts and other disruption.

The hurricane was upgraded to a category five storm on Tuesday before being downgraded again and is currently sweeping west across the Caribbean Sea.

Winds of up to 165mph were reported in the region just south of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.

The prime minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness said in an address to the nation: “I am encouraging all Jamaicans to take the hurricane as a serious threat. It is, however, not a time to panic.”

It is the earliest time of the year a category four or five hurricane has ever formed in the Atlantic, fuelled by unusually warm waters, officials said.

Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell described the situation on the island of Carriacou, near Grenada, as “grim” and said emergency teams were on their way.

He told a news conference on Tuesday: “There is no power, and there is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings on the island.

“The roads are not passable, and in many instances, they are cut off because of the large quantity of debris strewn all over the streets.”

He added: “The possibility that there may be more fatalities remains a grim reality, as movement is still highly restricted.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/hurricane-beryl-monstrous-storm-heads-towards-jamaica-after-six-killed-13162645

Andrei Kelin says “business is pure business” as an investigation reveals glaring loopholes in the restrictions regime, which has allowed British companies – legally – to help keep Russian gas flowing and generate huge revenues for the Kremlin’s war machine.

Sanctions imposed against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine have failed to achieve any of their aims, the country’s ambassador has told Sky News.

Andrei Kelin was speaking to Sky News as an investigation by Sky’s Ed Conway revealed glaring loopholes in the restrictions regime, which has allowed British companies – legally – to help keep Russian gas flowing and generate huge revenues for the Kremlin’s war machine.

He defended the continued trade with Europe despite the heightened tensions, arguing “business is pure business”.

Ukraine war latest: Attempt to ‘overthrow Kyiv government’ foiled

He also argued the supply of weapons by the West, including Britain, to Ukraine was “bad”, as it perpetuated the conflict, which he claimed would be worse for Kyiv in the long-term.

Speaking to The World With Yalda Hakim programme, Mr Kelin said: “The goal of the sanctions was first of all to spoil (the) normal life of Russians so they will say that (Vladimir) Putin is wrong.

“The second point of sanctions was to damage the Russian economy as much as possible.

“The third point was to change the political personnel.

“So none of these goals have been reached by the sanctions.”

Despite the backdrop of fraught relations, Europe still depends on Russia for around 15% of its gas, handing over around €10bn (£8.5bn) since 2022.

However, Mr Kelin played down the importance to Russia of the trade.

He said: “It’s just a small portion of the budget, which is measured now in trillions of whatever it is – euros, dollars, pounds, roubles – the budget is big.”

He added: “We’re not so greedy as Europe. There is no ideology in it.

“Why not if they are buying it?

“Business is pure business. There’s no politics. We did not sanction Europe for purchasing anything from us.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-war-sanctions-against-russia-failed-to-achieve-goals-claims-moscows-uk-ambassador-13162431

The post has a million views and 14,000 likes on the platform.

Billionaire Elon Musk recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to help a young Tesla owner from China who was facing issues with the screen in her Tesla vehicle. Molly recorded a video to report “an important bug” that she observed while drawing on the screen.
She says in the clip, “Hello Mr Musk. I am Molly from China. I have a question about your car. When I draw a picture, sometimes the lines disappear like this. You see it? So can you fix it? Thank you.”

In the short clip, Molly highlights the problem. Her previous lines and markings disappear or become invisible on the screen as she draws anything new. “Molly decided to report an important bug to Mr Musk @elonmusk #Tesla $tsla,” reads the caption of the video.

The Tesla CEO took note of this and said, “Sure”.

Since being shared, the post has amassed a lot of attention on the microblogging website. It has a million views and 14,000 likes on the platform.

“That’s awesome. Thank you for sharing this bug with us all. It’s great to see Elon responding,” said a user.

“Well done on explaining the problem Molly!!!” remarked a user.

A third person commented, “TOTAL RECALL NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!!!!!”

“This girls is more polite and well spoken than most adults. Love this video!” added another person.

“Well, that’s the cutest thing I’ve seen today. I wish Molly from China the best of luck in her further testing,” commented another user.

The reality of the climate impact of long-distance passenger travel has been revealed in new research from the University of Leeds.

Despite only accounting for less than 3% of all trips by UK residents, journeys of more than 50 miles (one way) are responsible for 70% of all passenger travel-related carbon emissions.

The disparity is even greater when international travel is singled-out: international journeys are only 0.4% of total trips but are responsible for 55% of emissions.

The new research, published today in the journal Nature Energy, also shows that targeting long-distance travel may be a more effective way of tackling emissions than current efforts which focus on local and commuter journeys.

Whilst the number of long and short distance domestic journeys by car have fallen slightly over the last 25 years, international air travel has increased significantly, driven by an increase in trips for leisure and visiting friends and family.

Dr. Zia Wadud from the University’s Institute for Transport Studies and School of Chemical and Process Engineering and who led the research, said: “The scale of the impact of long-distance travel is very large indeed. That just less than 3% of our trips are responsible for around 60% of miles and 70% of emissions shows how important long-distance travel is in the fight to combat climate change.

“Worryingly, long distance trips, especially flights, have been growing; however, they offer opportunities too.”

Using a new metric they have created, called emission reduction sensitivity, the research team has calculated which types of travel could be changed to maximize a reduction in carbon emissions from passenger travel whilst affecting as few people or trips as possible.

Reducing long-distance travel
The research found that if all car journeys under eight miles were shifted to walking or cycling, there would be a 9.3% reduction in carbon emissions. However, around 55% of all journeys would need to be shifted to achieve this, as most travel is done locally and in cars.

Calculated by dividing the carbon reduction percentage by the percentage of journeys altered, the emission reduction sensitivity for this change would be just 0.17 – the lowest recorded in the study.

By contrast, if all flights of less than 1,000 miles were moved to rail, there would be a 5.6% reduction in emissions but only 0.17% of journeys would be affected – resulting in a sensitivity value of 33.2.

At the top end, theoretically limiting everyone who flies now to one return flight abroad per year would have a value of 158.3, as so few journeys would be affected.

The researchers stress that the potential changes are only suggestions meant to make us realise and reassess the impact of our long-distance travel, rather than concrete policy proposals.

Dr. Muhammad Adeel, a co-author now at the Centre for Transport and Society at the University of the West of England, added: “Whilst efforts to move local journeys to more sustainable modes of transport are really positive, by omitting aviation emissions from national statistics – as is the case at the moment in nearly all countries – we are not getting a holistic picture and ignoring a large part of the problem.”

A call to rethink travel’s carbon impact
The researchers also hope that their findings can act as a driver for policymakers to look at changes in how effort is assigned when dealing with the impact of travel on the environment.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/true-scale-of-carbon-impact-from-long-distance-travel-revealed/

Pact still needs approval by studio board’s special committee; Paramount expected to get 45-day window to shop for better offers

In a holiday week shocker, Skydance Media and Shari Redstone’s National Amusements Inc. have quietly renewed acquisition talks and have reached a tentative agreement to acquire Paramount Global.

That deal will now be reviewed by Paramount Global’s special committee of its board of directors that has steered the media giant through its roller coaster ride of M&A activity and speculation since late last year. The new pact with David Ellison’s Skydance Media and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital is believed to include a 45-day period in which Paramount and NAI, which owns Redstone’s controlling share in Paramount, have the right to shop around for a bidder to match the Skydance terms.

News of the renewed talks was first reported Tuesday by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

National Amusements abruptly ended months of talks with Skydance on June 11, saying it had concerns about the ability for the company and its partners to close the proposed $6 billion transaction. It’s not immediately clear if the economic terms of the new agreement have changed markedly from the pact that fell apart last month.

A source close to the situation said Skydance still balked at National Amusements’ request that the company’s noncontrolling shareholders get a chance to vote on the deal. The hope was that approval by a majority of common shareholders would help indemnify Redstone from inevitable shareholder lawsuits. Redstone owns some 77% of voting shares in Paramount. Common shareholders were quick to publicly criticize the terms of the Skydance deal as they steadily leaked out via media in April and May.

Paramount Global shares have been hammered for the year to date, dropping 28%. On Tuesday, however, the stock shot up nearly 6% during regular trading and hopped another 8% in after-hours activity on the heels of the Skydance headlines as well the BET Networks sale chatter.

The 45-day window for Paramount and NAI to seek a superior bid may be an artful solution to the impasse over Redstone’s push for a common shareholder vote. From Skydance’s perspective, the reason to engage with NAI in its pursuit of Paramount was to take advantage of the fact that Redstone’s NAI has iron-clad control of the company. But from Redstone’s view, the Skydance deal was likely to be bound up in costly litigation for months while the company would likely struggle amid the uncertainty.

Representatives for Paramount Global, NAI and Skydance declined to comment.

The surprise of the return of Skydance to the mix capped a busy 24 hours of rumors about the possible fate of Paramount Global and its assets. Late Monday, word surfaced that Barry Diller’s IAC was mulling a run at National Amusements in order to get ahold of Paramount. That rumor brought a historical perspective to the frenzy around the studio as Diller, who formerly ran Paramount and 20th Century Fox and launched the Fox Broadcast network, previously fought hard against Redstone’s father, the late Sumner Redstone, for the prize of owning Paramount in 1993 and 1994.

Also Tuesday, rumors surfaced about an investor group looking to acquire Paramount’s BET Networks unit for $1.6 billion, in a buyout deal led by former BET executive Scott Mills. And on Monday, Variety confirmed a CNBC report that Warner Bros. Discovery is in active talks with Paramount Global for a sale or partnership between WBD’s streaming platform Max and the Paramount+ streamer. Both WBD and Paramount Global have taken multi-billion hits from losses incurred to build up Max and Paramount+ with content, subscribers and marketing. The hope is that both services add scale and compelling content to make the enlarged platform a stronger contender against Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu.

Paramount Global has struggled in the face of sector-wide headwinds. The studio conglomerate’s valuation has fallen by more than half over the past five years. But it’s still a collection of unique media assets that have value — although the bidders that have emerged are clearly looking to nab a bargain at a time when heavy streaming losses and structural changes in its core cable and broadcast businesses have put enormous pressure on the company.

If it comes to fruition, the 45-day window to play the field with other suitors was likely crafted as an alternative to a common shareholders vote but something that would generate the same result. NAI and Paramount Global board members could reasonably say they considered all options for maximizing the value paid out to common shareholders.

Source: https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/skydance-media-shari-redstone-national-amusements-deal-1236059665/

Taylor Swift fans lambasted Julia Roberts for getting a little too handsy with Travis Kelce in a VIP tent at his girlfriend’s Eras Tour concert in Dublin on Sunday.

The “Pretty Woman” star, 56, was seen rubbing the 34-year-old Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s shoulders and tickling his chest as she chatted and laughed with him in a video circulating on TikTok.

Roberts — who has been married to cinematographer Danny Moder since 2002 — then grabbed Kelce’s arms as she said something that made him burst out laughing.

The touchy-feely encounter appeared mutual, as the NFL player warmly rubbed the actress’s arms and had a big smile on his face.

However, some social media users thought the interaction was highly inappropriate.

“I feel bad for Travis :/ clearly he’s uncomfortable,” one person wrote on X.

“wtf is wrong with JR? why is she scratching his chest and pushing herself into him?? he is so uncomfortable trying to push her off and she holds him up. this is uber strange,” a second person agreed.

“Wow handsy much? The scratching? What is her problem??” a third viewer wondered.

“Her physicality with him is cringe!!” another added.

However, others found the conversation to be endearing and defended the “Notting Hill” star.

“She’s old enough to be his mother, so I’m hoping she’s treating him more like a son. Kinda seems motherly,” one fan wrote.

“Please. Travis is not uncomfortable. Julia is clearly gushing over TNT [Taylor and Travis]. She has a great sense of humor so she’s probably joking around with him,” another supporter suggested.

“Julia is saying ‘I’m just so happy for you guys,’” a lip-reading X user claimed, adding, “Me thinks she was not a Joe [Alwyn] fan as well.”

Kelce turned up to the last of Swift’s three shows at Aviva Stadium after attending a teammate’s wedding in California the night before.

Swifties were convinced that the athlete had surprised the pop star, 34, as she appeared stunned when she noticed him in the crowd.

Source: https://pagesix.com/2024/07/01/entertainment/taylor-swift-fans-blast-julia-roberts-travis-kelce-interaction/

Scientists tracking the spread of bird flu are increasingly concerned that gaps in surveillance may keep them several steps behind a new pandemic, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen leading disease experts.
Many of them have been monitoring the new subtype of H5N1 avian flu in migratory birds since 2020. But the spread of the virus to 129 dairy herds in 12 U.S. states, opens new tab signals a change that could bring it closer to becoming transmissible between humans. Infections also have been found in other mammals, from alpacas to house cats.

Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab is set to be charged by the French antitrust regulator for allegedly anti-competitive practices, people with direct knowledge of the matter said, making it the first enforcer to act against the computer chip maker.
The French so-called statement of objections or charge sheet would follow dawn raids in the graphics cards sector in September last year, which sources said targeted Nvidia. The raids were the result of a broader inquiry into cloud computing.

The European Commission is unlikely to expand its preliminary review for now, since the French authority is looking into Nvidia, other people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The French watchdog in a report issued last Friday on competition in generative AI cited the risk of abuse by chip providers.
It voiced concerns regarding the sector’s dependence on Nvidia’s CUDA chip programming software, the only system that is 100% compatible with the GPUs that have become essential for accelerated computing.

It also cited unease about Nvidia’s recent investments in AI-focused cloud service providers such as CoreWeave.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/french-antitrust-regulators-preparing-nvidia-charges-sources-say-2024-07-01/

Having come of age in the Tumblr indie sleaze era of the early 2010s, I’d always wanted to go to Glastonbury Festival. My mood boards were littered with photos of Alexa Chung traversing Worthy Farm’s muddy grounds wearing a mini skirt and wellies, and I fantasized about being part of the seemingly miles-long, flag-laden crowd that got to watch an iconic British band like Arctic Monkeys or Blur light up the Pyramid stage. So, when I moved from L.A. to London last year, I knew where I would be come the last weekend of June.

As the festival approached, I purchased my first pair of Hunter boots, haphazardly packed camping gear and meticulously picked out my outfits to match the vibe of each headliner: Dua Lipa, Coldplay (for the fifth time, a Glastonbury record) and SZA. Though the lineup wasn’t completely my cup of tea, I was determined to make the most of the experience — and five days and 66 miles of walking later (yes, really), I did just that. Sure, it wasn’t exactly like my teenage dream — I certainly won’t be camping again anytime soon, and all three headliners in general underwhelmed me — but some things turned out even better. Read on to see how my Glastonbury expectations compared to reality.

Expectation: Camping is optional, like at Coachella.

A car has ploughed into a crowd of people killing at least nine in the South Korean capital Seoul, police say.
The traffic accident took place at around 21:30 local time (13:30 BST), they added.
As reported by Yonhap news agency, a man believed to be in his 60s drove the vehicle into pedestrians waiting at a traffic stop.
At least four more people have been taken to hospital.
Police say they are investigating the incident, but warn that casualty numbers might increase.
According to local media, the car was driving in the wrong direction and crashed into two other vehicles before it made contact with pedestrians.
Police said the accident took place at an intersection near Seoul city hall. The driver in question, who was arrested at the scene, reportedly told the police the car suddenly accelerated.
Six people died at the scene, while three others died later of their injuries.
Yonhap, South Korea’s news agency, reports that the man arrested was 68 years old.
The speed limit in the country is 50 km/h (31 mph) on general urban roads, and 30 km/h in residential areas, according to a recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) into the country’s road safety.
In 2022, pedestrians in South Korea accounted for 35% of all road deaths – a high share compared to other OECD countries, the agency reported.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn08lqg0jlzo

At just 28 years old, Jordan Bardella has helped make the far-right National Rally the strongest political force in France. And now he could become the country’s youngest prime minister.

After voters propelled Marine Le Pen’s National Rally to a strong lead in Sunday’s first round of snap legislative elections, Bardella turned to rallying supporters to hand their party an absolute majority in the decisive round on July 7. That would allow the anti-immigration, nationalist party to run the government, with Bardella at the helm.

Who is the National Rally president?
When Bardella replaced his mentor, Marine Le Pen, in 2022 at the helm of France’s leading far-right party, he became the first person without the Le Pen name to lead it since its founding a half-century ago.

His selection marked a symbolic changing of the guard. It was part of Le Pen’s decade-long effort to rebrand her party, with its history of racism, and remove the stigma of antisemitism that clung to it in order to broaden its base. She has notably distanced herself from her now-ostracized father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who co-founded the party, then called the National Front, and who has been repeatedly convicted of hate speech.

Bardella is part of a generation of young people who joined the party under Marine Le Pen in the 2010s but likely wouldn’t have done so under her father.

Since joining at age 17, he has risen quickly through the ranks, serving as party spokesperson and president of its youth wing, before being appointed vice president and becoming the second-youngest member of the European Parliament in history, in 2019.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/france-election-bardella-far-right-e6429b0e26ca29baedf6a72351999282

Hurricane Beryl’s explosive growth into an unprecedented early whopper of a storm shows the literal hot water the Atlantic and Caribbean are in right now and the kind of season they can expect, experts said.

Beryl smashed various storm records even before its major hurricane level winds approached land. The powerful storm is acting more like monsters that form in the peak of hurricane season thanks mostly to water temperatures as hot or hotter than the region normally gets in September, five hurricane experts told The Associated Press.

Beryl set the record for earliest Category 4 with winds of at least 130 mph (209 kilometers per hour) — the first-ever category 4 in June. It also was the earliest storm to rapidly intensify with wind speeds jumping 63 mph (102 kph) in 24 hours, going from an unnamed depression to a Category 4 in 48 hours.

Beryl is on an unusually southern path, especially for a major hurricane, said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero.

It made landfall Monday on the island of Carriacou with winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph), just shy of a top Category 5 storm, and is expected to plow through the islands of the southeast Caribbean.

“Beryl is unprecedentedly strange,” said Weather Underground co-founder Jeff Masters, a former government hurricane meteorologist who flew into storms. “It is so far outside the climatology that you look at it and you say, ‘How did this happen in June?’”

Get used to it. Forecasters predicted months ago it was going to be a nasty year and now they are comparing it to record busy 1933 and deadly 2005 — the year of Katrina, Rita, Wilma and Dennis.

“This is the type of storm that we expect this year, these outlier things that happen when and where they shouldn’t,” University of Miami tropical weather researcher Brian McNoldy said. “Not only for things to form and intensify and reach higher intensities, but increase the likelihood of rapid intensification. All of that is just coming together right now, and this won’t be the last time.”

Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach called Beryl “a harbinger potentially of more interesting stuff coming down the pike. Not that Beryl isn’t interesting in and of itself, but even more potential threats and more — and not just a one off — maybe several of these kinds of storms coming down later.”

The water temperature around Beryl is about 2 to 3.6 degrees (1 to 2 degrees Celsius) above normal at 84 degrees (29 Celsius), which “is great if you are a hurricane,” Klotzbach said.

Warm water acts as fuel for the thunderstorms and clouds that form hurricanes. The warmer the water and thus the air at the bottom of the storm, the better the chance it will rise higher in the atmosphere and create deeper thunderstorms, said the University at Albany’s Corbosiero.

Sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean “are above what the average September (peak season) temperature should be looking at the last 30-year average,” Masters said.

It’s not just hot water at the surface that matters. The ocean heat content — which measures deeper water that storms need to keep powering up — is way beyond record levels for this time of year and at what the September peak should be, McNoldy said.

“So when you get all that heat energy you can expect some fireworks,” Masters said.

This year, there’s also a significant difference between water temperature and upper air temperature throughout the tropics.

The greater that difference is, the more likely it becomes that storms will form and get bigger, said MIT hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel. “The Atlantic relative to the rest of the tropics is as warm as I’ve seen,” he said.

Atlantic waters have been unusually hot since March 2023 and record warm since April 2023. Klotzbach said a high pressure system that normally sets up cooling trade winds collapsed then and hasn’t returned.

Corbosiero said scientists are debating what exactly climate change does to hurricanes, but have come to an agreement that it makes them more prone to rapidly intensifying, as Beryl did, and increase the strongest storms, like Beryl.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-beryl-hot-water-strong-climate-change-ddfb68c646e811e6f8b53e7451d1f6a6

Opponents of France’s far right sought to build a united front to block the path to government of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) on Monday, after the party made historic gains to win the first round of a parliamentary election.
The RN and its allies won Sunday’s round with 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28% and well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s broad alliance of centrists, who scored just 22%, official results showed.

While financial markets rallied on relief the RN tally was not greater, it was still a huge setback for Macron, who had called the snap election after his ticket was trounced by the RN in the European Parliament election last month.
“I’m satisfied, because we need change,” said RN supporter Jean-Claude Gaillet, 64, in Le Pen’s northern stronghold of Henin-Beaumont. “Things have not moved, and they must move.”

But others feared the rise of the RN and its nationalist platform would cause growing tensions in French society.
“I don’t think people realise what’s happening, they are only thinking of the cost of living and short-term things like that,” said Yamina Addou outside a supermarket in the nearby town of Oignies, south of Lille. “I find it very sad.”
Whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN can form a government will depend now on how successfully other parties manage to thwart Le Pen by rallying round best-placed rival candidates in hundreds of constituencies across France.

The RN would need at least 289 seats in parliament for a majority. Pollsters calculated the first round had put it on track for anything between 250-300 seats – but that is before tactical withdrawals reshape voter intentions next weekend.
‘ATTACK!’
Leaders of both the left-wing New Popular Front and Macron’s centrist alliance indicated on Sunday night they would withdraw their own candidates in districts where another candidate was better placed to beat the RN in next Sunday’s run-off.
It was not initially clear whether such a pact would always apply if the left-wing candidate was from the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party of Jean-Luc Melenchon, a divisive figure with radical tax-and-spend proposals and class war rhetoric.
But Macron told ministers on Monday that denying the RN a majority was the top priority, according to one source at a closed-door meeting who said this was intended to confirm that the pact could apply to LFI candidates on a case-by-case basis.
The source said Macron ended his speech at the Elysee Palace meeting with the call: “Attack!”

Pollster Ipsos calculated the first round had left three-way contests in around 300 of the 577 seats in France’s National Assembly. Le Monde newspaper said third-placed candidates had already withdrawn in around 160 of those.
While the so-called “republican front” against the far-right has broadly worked in the past, analysts question whether French voters are still ready to cast second-round ballots as directed by political leaders.
A longtime pariah for many in France, the RN is now closer to power than it has ever been. Le Pen has sought to clean up the image of a party known for racism and antisemitism, a tactic that has worked amid voter anger at Macron, who is seen by many voters as out of touch with their everyday concerns.
The RN gains were welcomed by nationalists and far-right groups across Europe, including Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spain’s Vox party. Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Socialist premier, said left-leaning parties could still block an outright RN victory.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock signalled concern at the rise of “a party that sees Europe as the problem and not the solution” and drew parallels to the growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in her country.
An RN-led government would raise major questions over where the European Union was headed. Human rights groups have raised concerns about how its “France first” policies would apply to ethnic minorities, while economists question whether its hefty spending plans are fully funded.
HUNG PARLIAMENT?
Banking shares led a surge by French stocks and the premium investors demand for holding the country’s bonds dropped, while the euro rose, on Monday on market relief the RN had not done better.
The main alternative scenario to an RN-led government would be a hung parliament potentially making France ungovernable for the remainder of Macron’s presidency due to run until 2027.
In constituencies with no outright winner, the top two candidates, plus any candidate with more than 12.5% of registered voters in that constituency, have until Tuesday evening to confirm whether they will go into the second.
In the manoeuvring after the vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal suspended unemployment reform plans which would have reduced jobseekers’ benefits – a move that may make it easier for left-wing voters to back Macron allies.
RN lawmakers meanwhile urged centre-right politicians in the Republicans (LR) party, which received less than 7% of the first-round vote, to withdraw from districts where such a move would work in RN’s favour.
The LR, which split ahead of the vote with a small number of its lawmakers joining the RN, has yet to clarify its stance.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/far-right-bloc-wins-1st-round-french-parliament-elections-with-33-vote-ministry-2024-07-01/

Hurricane Beryl strengthened on Monday into a “potentially catastrophic” category 5 storm as it moved across the eastern Caribbean, putting Jamaica near its path after downing power lines and flooding streets elsewhere.
Beryl brings an unusually fierce and early start to this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, with scientists saying climate change probably contributed to the rapid pace of its formation as global warming has boosted North Atlantic temperatures.

The storm could dump 4 inches to 8 inches (10 cm to 20 cm) of rain on Wednesday, rising to as much as 12 inches (31 cm) in some areas, it said.

On its way, Beryl is expected to soak the island of Hispaniola on Tuesday in 2 inches to 6 inches (5 cm to 15 cm) of rain, as it moves west-northwest at nearly 22 mph (35 kph), the Miami-based hurricane center said.

Jamaica issued a hurricane warning on Monday, while tropical storm warnings were in effect for parts of the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

At the Chillin’ restaurant in Kingston, waiter Welton Anderson said he felt calm despite the hurricane’s approach.
“Jamaicans wait until the last minute,” he said. “The night before or in the morning, the panic sets in. It’s because we’re used to this.”
Across other islands in the eastern Caribbean, residents had boarded up windows, stocked up on food and fuelled up cars as the storm approached.
Earlier on Monday, vehicles were seen driving through a flooded boardwalk in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The St. Vincent community of Prospect reported roofs ripped off buildings and power cuts in some areas.
In Grenada, a Reuters reporter said power was down islandwide.

Officials in Mexico began to prepare for Beryl’s arrival this week, with the federal government urging “extreme caution” on authorities and people.

Mexico is now assessing damage in its states of Oaxaca and Veracruz from heavy rain brought by former tropical storm Chris.

“What worries us is that basins are already saturated,” said Cutberto Ruiz, chief of meteorology at Oaxaca’s civil protection agency. “Then, with minimal rain … rivers will rise.”

CLIMATE CHANGE

Global warming has helped push temperatures in the North Atlantic to all-time highs, causing more surface water to evaporate, which in turn provides additional fuel for more intense hurricanes with higher wind speeds.

In May, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted above-normal hurricane activity in the

Atlantic this year, also pointing to unseasonably high ocean temperatures.

Scientists surveyed by Reuters see the powerful hurricane Beryl as a harbinger of an unusually active hurricane season made possible by record high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.

“Climate change is loading the dice for more intense hurricanes to form,” said Christopher Rozoff, an atmospheric scientist at the United States’ National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Beryl jumped from a Category 1 to a Category 4 storm in less than 10 hours, said Andra Garner, a meteorologist based in New Jersey.

Scientists have already predicted that events like Beryl will grow more likely with climate change, added Garner, whose research has shown rising water temperatures over the last five decades have made it more than twice as likely for weak storms to grow into major hurricanes within less than 24 hours.

On the island of Tobago, a hotel and tourism group said limited damage had been reported to hotel properties.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/extremely-dangerous-hurricane-beryl-hurtles-towards-caribbean-2024-07-01/

The flight, from Spain to Uruguay, was forced to make an emergency landing in Brazil on Monday at around 2.30am local time. The airline said passengers suffered injuries of “varying severity”.

A plane was forced to make an emergency landing after dozens of passengers were hurt during “severe” turbulence.

A total of 30 people were taken to hospital following the incident on board the Air Europa flight from Madrid.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft had been due to land in Montevideo, Uruguay, but was instead forced to touch down in Natal airport in northeastern Brazil at around 2.30am local time on Monday.

Photographs and video clips posted online, purporting to be of the aftermath, showed several passengers being treated for injuries – including a woman wearing a neck brace. Small splatters of blood could also be seen.

Several seats and the ceiling of the aircraft were also badly damaged, while there were unverified claims that a man got stuck after being thrown upwards into an overhead compartment.

The airline said in a statement: “Our flight bound for Montevideo was diverted to Natal due to strong turbulence.

“The plane landed normally and those injured of varying severity are already being treated.”

Health officials in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte said in a statement that 30 passengers had been taken to hospitals in Natal with “minor abrasions or orthopaedic traumas”.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/dozens-injured-after-air-europa-flight-hit-by-severe-turbulence-13162073

Blazes have been raging across parts of Greece already this year as a prolonged drought has created tinderbox-like conditions and strong winds have fanned the flames.

A British holidaymaker has described “apocalyptic” scenes on a Greek island as she and her family wait to be evacuated from their hotel due to nearby wildfires, while the Greek prime minister warned tourists further blazes this summer could “be particularly dangerous”.

Parts of Greece have seen tinderbox-like conditions after prolonged drought and dry weather, which have combined with unusually strong winds to create raging infernos in places.

In the eastern Aegean, the islands of Chios and Kos experienced dangerous wildfires on Monday.

Clare Smith, 38, who is on holiday in Kos with her husband and nine-year-old daughter, told Sky News the situation had “got significantly worse” over the day, with “thick plumes of black smoke” billowing into the sky.

The family from Edinburgh were staying at a hotel outside the resort town of Kardamena when they received alerts on their phones telling people in the area to relocate due to the wildfire.

“Everyone is anxious,” Ms Smith said. Her family and other guests waited for most of the evening before they were told their hotel was being evacuated and coaches were on the way to pick them up.

She said they had been watching several planes and helicopters as they “constantly” worked throughout the day to combat the wildfire, which she estimated to be around five to six miles away.

“It’s really windy here, it will be like a tinderbox,” she said. “The sky is covered in smoke. You feel like you’re in the apocalypse, or some sort of war film.”

More than 100 firefighters assisted by 11 aircraft and five helicopters were trying to put out blazes on the islands of Kos and Chios.

Two further fires affected a 24-acre area not far from the capital, Athens.

During a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “It is a summer which is expected to be particularly dangerous [for wildfires]… the most difficult times are still ahead of us.”

He added: “We have had an exceptionally difficult June regarding weather conditions, with high levels of drought and unusually strong winds for this season.”

Mr Mitsotakis said the use of drones as an early warning system for wildfires had been particularly useful, and increased coordination between authorities and volunteer firefighters had limited the extent of the damage so far as well.

Public help would be vital as the country enters “the tough core of the anti-fire period” through the heart of summer, he added.

Greece has scaled up its preparation this year, hiring more staff and increasing training, after last year’s extensive fires across the country killed more than 20 people and forced 19,000 to flee.

“Our arsenal might be stronger, but nothing – and that is seen in practice – beats being prepared, and for the public to also be involved in this collective defence against natural hazards,” Mr Mitsotakis added.

Hot, dry weather combined with strong winds have already proved to be fertile conditions for forest fires in both Greece and Turkey.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/warning-to-holidaymakers-as-greeces-pm-says-more-wildfires-on-the-way-this-summer-13161868

The court’s decision passed with the help of the three conservative judges Donald Trump appointed when he was president – and it could prove pivotal to his future.

Joe Biden has said the historic ruling that former presidents have immunity violates the principle “there are no kings in America” and means the commander-in-chief can now “ignore the law”.

He was speaking after the US Supreme Court decided immunity exists from criminal prosecution for official acts while in office, but not for unofficial ones.

“Each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” Mr Biden said.

The ruling is a victory for Donald Trump, who is accused of illegally trying to overturn his 2020 election loss.

“I know I will respect the limits of presidential power as I have for the three-and-a-half years,” Mr Biden added.

“But any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law.”

The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of Trump’s case, but referred it back to a lower court to decide how to apply the ruling.

It must now decide whether Trump was acting officially or privately in relation to the charges.

President Biden said Monday’s ruling also meant the ex-president was now “highly unlikely” to go on trial before US voters have their say again in four months’ time.

“It’s a terrible disservice to the people in this nation,” he said.

If Trump becomes president again in November, he may be able to use his powers to dismiss the charges against him.

He earlier celebrated the ruling, posting online: “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”

The three liberal justices all dissented with the majority opinion – with Sonia Sotomayor warning it was a dangerous step for democracy.

She said it made a “mockery” of the principle that “no man is above the law”.

“In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law,” she wrote.

The chief justice, John Roberts, insisted that wasn’t true but said they have “at least presumptive immunity from prosecution” for official acts.

The decision passed with the help of the three conservative judges Trump appointed when he was president.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/biden-says-supreme-court-immunity-ruling-means-presidents-can-ignore-the-law-as-trump-celebrates-big-win-13162150

The U.S. Justice Department will criminally charge Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab with fraud over two fatal crashes and ask the planemaker to plead guilty or face a trial, two people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
The Justice Department planned to formally offer a plea agreement to Boeing later in the day, which includes a financial penalty and imposition of an independent monitor to audit the company’s safety and compliance practices for three years, the sources said.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s two largest cities on Sunday, with missile fragments falling on a suburban Kyiv apartment building and a guided bomb killing one person in Kharkiv.
More than 28 months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces maintain regular attacks on Ukrainian cities as well as on energy infrastructure.
Attacks on Kyiv are less frequent than other cities, although the capital endured a series of assaults in March. Kharkiv has come under regular attack, but military analysts say the frequency has dipped since the United States authorised Ukrainian use of its weapons on certain Russian targets.

Coldplay were joined by Michael J Fox, Dua Lipa joined the crowd, and loads of other celebrities joined the masses to enjoy another brilliant Glastonbury Festival. Here are the highlights.

Glastonbury 2024 has come to an end, with US singer-songwriter SZA closing the show on the Pyramid Stage following a spectacular weekend of celebrity cameos, fireworks and crowd-surfing.

Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Little Simz, Shania Twain, Janelle Monae and Cyndi Lauper were among the big names performing, and that was just on the main stage – which is one of more than 100 across Glastonbury’s massive Worthy Farm site in Somerset.

It has been a record-breaking year. With SZA’s nature-inspired set on Sunday following Lipa’s on Friday, this year’s event is the first ever to feature two female headliners. And Coldplay have now headlined five times, more than any other act.

Let’s relive the highlights of another weekend that showed exactly why this is the greatest festival in the world, from the main events to the bits you might have missed.

Michael J Fox on stage, Tom Cruise backstage

Some sniffy corners of the internet had been sceptical about Coldplay’s return to headline Glastonbury for a record-breaking fifth time, but on Saturday night Chris Martin and co proved exactly why they are perfect for this slot.

Their celebrity fans certainly seem to think so. On stage, after appearances from other artists including Little Simz, they were joined by none other than Hollywood legend Michael J Fox playing guitar for the tearjerker Fix You.

Behind the scenes, Tom Cruise was among those watching stage-side, while Martin’s partner Dakota Johnson also appeared to be seen on camera.

Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis was also watching, and received a dedication ditty from the Coldplay frontman, who told him: “We just want to thank you, as humans go you’re the best of all sorts. You’re a musical charmer, you’re the world’s greatest farmer. Whoever got knighted wearing shorts? Thank you Michael, we love you.”

The following day, Fox shared pictures from the festival on Instagram. “Oh yeah in case you were wondering… it was f****** mind blowing. There is a time for every band and a band for every time. This is Coldplay’s time.”

Dua Lipa joins the crowd

During her headline performance on the Friday night, Dua Lipa explained to fans how she “manifested” the experience, saying she had “written this moment down… wished for it… worked so hard in the hopes that maybe one day I’ll get to do it”.

More than this, her wish was specifically to headline on a Friday, “because then I knew I could party for the next two days in the best place on Earth”.

Well, we can confirm that for the Saturday at least, the star did get to enjoy the festival as a punter (albeit one with access to a proper bed and a shower, probably). We spotted her walking through the crowd at the Other Stage ahead of The Streets’ evening slot, and later backstage in the hospitality area, with her actor boyfriend Callum Turner.

Other celebrity appearances

Ever since the days of Kate Moss in her micro shorts and wellies in the mid-2000s, Glastonbury has been synonymous with celebrity spotting.

This year was no exception, with former headliner Stormzy, Maya Jama, Alexa Chung, Paul Mescal, Sienna Miller, Cara Delevingne, Leo Woodall and Anya Taylor-Joy among the stars seen around the site.

Noel Gallagher and Dave Grohl (a surprise performer at last year’s event) were also reportedly spotted watching LCD Soundsystem stage-side, and Gallagher was later pictured with Belfast rap trio Kneecap, while Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett went to see Paloma Faith.

Russell Crowe was also on site – as a performer, not a guest – with his band Indoor Garden Party, while Idris Elba gave a speech on the West Holts stage to speak about knife crime and discuss his campaign, Don’t Stop Your Future.

Secret (and not-so secret) sets

“It’s Happening! See you 6pm at Woodsies @glastonbury.”

It was supposed to be hush hush, but with bookies and secret Glastonbury sources putting their money on Kasabian being the big surprise act in the days beforehand, the Leicester band decided to spill the beans a few hours ahead of the show.

Their message on X was all the confirmation needed to bring thousands to the Woodsies Stage – so many, in fact, the area was closed off almost an hour ahead of the group’s start time as a mass of people tried to gain access in sweltering sunshine.

Kasabian headlined the festival back in 2014, so the tent was in capable hands. Theirs was the biggest secret set slot – and featured crowd-surfing from frontman Sergio Pizzorno – but there were numerous others happening across the site.

Plus, lots of star cameos, such as Mel C and Tilda Swinton joining Orbital, Sam Smith making an appearance with Disclosure, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor teaming up with Peggy Gou.

Mike Skinner for PM?

Another set featuring some energetic crowd-surfing, The Streets slot on the Other Stage was one of the highlights of the weekend.

Mike Skinner was in and out of the crowd during a performance that embodied the spirit of Glastonbury, featuring hits including Blinded By The Lights, Weak Become Heroes, Fit But You Know It, Dry Your Eyes and more.

One fan at the front sharing messages on his phone managed to get them picked up by the cameras. “Mike Skinner for PM,” read one, getting a huge cheer.

Is it too late for next week, do you think?

Glastonbury’s youngest fan?

As DJ Annie Mac opened the Other Stage with a dance set on Friday morning, there was one fan in the crowd who stole the show.

Wearing stripey pyjamas and ear protectors, perched on top of his dad Tom Kay’s shoulders, 10-week-old Finlay was met with cheers as he appeared on the big screen several times throughout the set, with special effects turning his image turn into a hallucinatory visual.

“Oh my god, this baby, what a little legend,” Mac said to the crowd. She later signed off her performance by thanking “everyone, Glastonbury, and this baby”.

Asked what tips they would give to parents thinking of bringing their young children to a festival, mum Rosie Lewis said: “Do it – you can overthink it and it can put you off. But take more nappies than you think you’ll need and take more vests and outfits than you think you’ll need.”

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/glastonbury-2024-celebrity-cameos-secret-sets-and-a-10-week-old-star-the-festival-highlights-from-a-brilliant-year-13161600

The buzz on potential Oscar contenders from the first half of 2024 seems quieter than usual. Nonetheless, stars such as Zendaya, Cannes winner Jesse Plemons and Hollywood’s new “hit man,” Glen Powell, will be among those hoping to stay afloat in the awards conversation until the end of the season.

Significant financial successes from the top of the box office charts are worth celebrating. Warner Bros.’ sci-fi epic sequel, “Dune: Part Two,” could become the seventh movie nominated in all seven technical categories, following its 2022 predecessor. Pixar’s big comeback, “Inside Out 2,” might vie for more than just a spot in the best animated feature category.

This year also features several one-offs — films hoping for one or two mentions in a year likely to be dominated by legacy studios and streaming giants. As we approach this year’s midpoint, Variety is listing possible awards contenders in 20 of the 23 Oscar categories that could be in the running by the end of the year.

Amazon MGM’s “Challengers,” directed by Italian auteur Luca Guadagnino, boasts an impressive turn from Zendaya in a femme fatale role that could bring the 27-year-old her first Oscar nod. If it can sustain until the fall season, it might also contend for original screenplay or a best picture slot.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s anthology film “Kinds of Kindness” may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s typical for the Greek filmmaker’s audacious outings (“The Favourite,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”). After debuting at the Cannes Film Festival, the black comedy garnered a best actor trophy for Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”). Depending on whether he campaigns for lead or supporting actor, Plemons could earn his second nod. However, anything outside of Plemons might be too tall of an order.

Netflix is also in the running with the animated adaptation of the Japanese superhero “Ultraman: Rising” and, more notably, Richard Linklater’s dark rom-com “Hit Man.” The streamer acquired the film at TIFF in 2023, resulting in another big win for star Glen Powell, who also co-wrote the script adapted from the Texas Monthly article by Skip Hollandsworth. Netflix will work to keep it on voters’ minds throughout the year, aiming for at least some Golden Globes traction.

Box office receipts fuel awards campaigns, which is why we might see efforts from studios with franchise movies such as DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 4,” 20th Century Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” and WB’s “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” among the top 10 domestic grossers so far.

However, money isn’t everything. Sony’s “The Garfield Movie,” featuring Chris Pratt as the world-famous Monday-hating cat, has accumulated an impressive $207 million globally. But that won’t be enough to overcome the film’s critical panning and mount an Oscar campaign.

What happens when a movie doesn’t get audiences in the door? Is the 81% Rotten Tomatoes score enough for Universal Pictures to push for recognition for David Leitch’s action-ode to stunt performers, “The Fall Guy”? Or perhaps a Golden Globes push in the comedy races for stars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt? It’s worth it, especially for sound and editing, and with a stunt Oscar on the horizon.

The first official best picture rankings will be posted on Monday, July 1.

** Not all listed crew members are official. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its various committees ultimately decide on credits.

International Feature: ‘The Devil’s Bath’

While no official country selections have been made yet, Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s Austrian hopeful “The Devil’s Bath,” which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution, could be a strong contender for the International Feature prize.

Acquired by IFC Films, the film follows Agnes in 18th-century Austria as she begins to have evil thoughts while preparing for marriage. As Jessica Kiang for Variety beautifully stated in her review: “If the story is so pitilessly bleak you may want to look away, the filmmaking craft is so compelling that you can’t.”

“The Devil’s Bath” marks another standout entry in what promises to be a stellar year for the horror genre.

Documentary Feature: ‘Frida’

Not to be confused with the 2002 drama “Frida” that earned Salma Hayek a Best Actress nomination, Carla Gutierrez’s animated documentary aims to follow in the footsteps of “Flee” (2021), which became the first movie to be nominated in the animated, documentary, and international Feature categories.

Premiering at Sundance, where it won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award, this magical and engaging portrait of the iconic Mexican artist, told through diaries, letters, essays, and interviews, has the potential to be a multi-hyphenate contender in the awards race. It’s a gorgeous and compelling achievement.

Also in the discussion: “I Am: Céline Dion” (Amazon MGM); “Power” (Netflix)

Original Song: ‘Jeezu’ from ‘The Book of Clarence’

Writer-director Jeymes Samuel’s sophomore feature effort, following “The Harder They Fall,” showcases the talents of Doja Cat, Kodak Black, and Adekunle Gold with the foot-tapping song “Jeezu” in Sony Pictures’ “The Book of Clarence.”

It’s rare for such an audacious endeavor to have a January release. Modest reviews and tepid box office might impact its Oscar chances, but the contemporary music set against a biblical backdrop offers a unique twist.

Alongside a bold performance by Lakeith Stanfield, Samuel collaborates with prominent Black music artists to maintain the film’s integrity. Any of the tracks from the movie, such as “Hallelujah Heaven,” could be considered for awards. However, rap and hip-hop have often come up short at the Oscars, despite wins like Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” from “8 Mile” and Three 6 Mafia’s “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from “Hustle & Flow.”

Original Score: ‘Young Woman and the Sea’

Talented composer Amelia Warner has shown promise as a future Oscar-nominated musician, with notable works in “Mary Shelley” and “Mr. Malcolm’s List.” She delivers the best musical cues of her career in the crowd-pleasing sports drama “Young Woman and the Sea,” directed by Joachim Rønning and starring Daisy Ridley.

With a big name like Jerry Bruckheimer as a producer, Disney will ensure the film is part of its awards roster later in the year, positioning the music as a key element in its feel-good moments.

Also in the discussion: “Challengers” (Amazon MGM); “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Inside Out 2” (Pixar)

Visual Effects: ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’

We’ve been here before with the “Planet of the Apes” franchise.

For over 50 years, the visuals have impressed audiences, bringing awe and wonder with its depiction of highly intelligent apes, especially with the 2011 reboot. Though the well-reviewed trilogy has been financially successful, the visual effects Oscar has remained elusive.

20th Century Studios, now under Disney, hopes to change that with well-received continuations that could finally earn the franchise its overdue recognition.

Also in the discussion: “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “The Fall Guy” (Universal Pictures); “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.)

Sound: ‘Stopmotion’

How the horror genre isn’t recognized continuously in the sound categories is beyond my comprehension. IFC’s mix of live-action and adult animation (not meeting the 75% threshold to be considered in animated feature, unfortunately) boasts an eerie, often spine-tingling aural work that almost feels like it’s infiltrating your DNA.

While the indie company can do its best to get the Academy voters to recognize this story about an animator who struggles to control her demons, a concentrated effort on the artisans could be enough to get it minimally in the awards race.

Also in the discussion: “The Bikeriders” (Focus Features); “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (20th Century Studios)

Makeup and Hairstyling: ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’

Living in the shadow of a technical masterpiece like “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015), which won six Oscars, is challenging. However, “Furiosa” rises to the occasion with its epic scope, featuring Anya Taylor-Joy stepping into Charlize Theron’s iconic role as the titular character. The transformative makeup on Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth’s unrecognizable portrayal of Warlord Dementus ensures the film will likely make the Oscar shortlist for makeup and hair design.

Also in the discussion: “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures); “Young Woman and the Sea” (Walt Disney Pictures)

Film Editing: ‘We Grown Now’

I love “We Grown Now.” Writer-director Minhal Baig’s bold and beautiful story of two young boys who discover the joys and sorrows of growing up in a public housing complex in 1992 is a sensitive distant cousin to another Oscar-embraced fantasy-esque coming-of-age film, “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”

It encompasses textured editing from Stephanie Filo, already recognized at last year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, giving the film its ultimate heartbeat. Sony Pictures Classics picked it up, and if enough voters discover it, it would be a fine and very worthy addition to the awards race.

Also in the discussion: “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “The Fall Guy” (Universal Pictures); “Thelma” (Magnolia Pictures);

Costume Design: ‘One Life’

Director James Hawes’s British biopic tells the poignant true story of humanitarian Nicholas Winton, portrayed exquisitely by Anthony Hopkins, who recalls his efforts to save groups of Jewish children before World War II.

Among the familiar genre of Holocaust-themed films, the memorable costumes of this drama stand out. Costume designer Joanna Eatwell, a two-time Emmy nominee for “Wolf Hall” and “Carnival Row,” brings her finest attention to detail, significantly contributing to the film’s artistry.

Also in the discussion: “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.); “Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures)

Cinematography: ‘I Saw the TV Glow’

Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun’s surreal horror film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, showcases a visually compelling aura thanks to cinematographer Eric K. Yue. While the indie circuit is more likely to embrace elements from the genre (you can too, Academy), it’s remained on my mind with its powerful meditation on the trans experience, and an often hypnotic framework that shows beauty through terror.

Also in the discussion: “Civil War” (A24); “Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.); “We Grown Now” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Source: https://variety.com/lists/oscars-contenders-first-half-2024/production-design-civil-war/

Thousands of Jewish ultra-Orthodox men clashed with Israeli police in central Jerusalem on Sunday during a protest against a Supreme Court order for them to begin enlisting for military service.

The landmark decision last week ordering the government to begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel wages war in Gaza.

Tens of thousands of men rallied in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood to protest the order. But after nightfall, the crowd made its way toward central Jerusalem and turned violent.

Israeli police said protesters threw rocks and attacked the car of an ultra-Orthodox Cabinet minister, pelting it with stones. Water cannons filled with skunk-scented water and police mounted on horses were used to disperse the crowd. But the demonstration was still not under control late Sunday.

Military service is compulsory for most Jewish men and women in Israel. But politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties have won exemptions for their followers to skip military service and instead study in religious seminaries.

The long-standing arrangement has bred resentment among the broader public, a sentiment that has grown stronger during the eight-month war against Hamas. Over 600 soldiers have been killed in fighting, and tens of thousands of reservists have been activated, upending careers, businesses and lives.

The monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride reached its exuberant grand finale on Sunday, bringing rainbow-laden revelers to the streets for marquee parades in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere across the globe.

The wide-ranging festivities functioned as both jubilant parties and political protests, as participants recognize the community’s gains while also calling attention to recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws, such as bans on transgender health care, passed by Republican-led states.

“We’re at a time where there’s a ton of legislation, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation,” Zach Overton, 47, said at the New York parade. “It feels like we’re taking a step backwards in the fight for equality and so it’s a great moment to come out and be with our community and see all the different colors of the spectrum of our community and remind ourselves what we’re all fighting for.”

Thousands of people gathered along New York’s Fifth Avenue to celebrate Pride. Floats cruised the street as Diane Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” played from loudspeakers. Pride flags filled the horizon, and signs in support of Puerto Rico, Ukraine and Gaza were visible in the crowd.

This year, tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza also seeped into the celebrations, exposing divisions within a community that is often aligned on political issues. Protesters temporarily blocked the New York parade on Sunday, chanting: “Free, free, free Palestine!” Police eventually took some of them away.

Pro-Palestinian activists disrupted pride parades earlier in June in Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia. Several groups participating in marches Sunday said they would seek to highlight the victims of the war in Gaza, spurring pushback from supporters of Israel.

“It is certainly a more active presence this year in terms of protest at Pride events,” said Sandra Pérez, the executive director of NYC Pride. “But we were born out of a protest.”

The first pride march was held in New York City in 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising, a riot that began with a police raid on a Manhattan gay bar.

Nick Taricco, 47, who was at the New York parade with Overton, said he attended Friday’s opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, where President Joe Biden spoke. Taricco said he has concerns about politics in the U.S., including the presidential election.

“Even given how old he is, I still think that’s the direction we need to go in,” Taricco said of Biden. “But it’s a very uncertain time in general in this country.”

Ireland Fernandez-Cosgrove, 23, celebrated at the New York parade.

“New York City is a great place to live, but this is one of the only days where you can come out and be openly queer and you know you’re going to be OK and safe about it,” she said. “I came out here today with my partner to be able to be ourselves in public and know that other people are going to be supporting us.”

In addition to the NYC Pride March, the nation’s largest, the city also played host Sunday to the Queer Liberation March, an activism-centered event launched five years ago amid concerns that the more mainstream parade had become too corporate.

Another one of the world’s largest Pride celebrations took place Sunday in San Francisco, with throngs of spectators lined up along Market Street.

Brian Peterson, the secretary of queer-friendly motorcycling club Homoto, rode his motorcycle along the parade route.

“This is an event where I can celebrate myself as well as my friends and make new friends, and reaffirm that I belong in this world,” Peterson told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-pride-nyc-san-francisco-parade-protest-0c8dd29c5f0d09c9e52b8b47a39efcd2

Hurricane Beryl is expected to hit on Monday morning in the southeast Caribbean, where governments are urging people to take shelter.

An “extremely dangerous” storm is approaching the southeast Caribbean amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter.

Hurricane Beryl is expected to hit the Windward Islands on Monday morning.

Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“This is a very dangerous situation,” warned the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which said Beryl was “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge”.

Beryl is expected to pass just south of Barbados early Monday and then head into the Caribbean Sea as a major hurricane on a path toward Jamaica.

It is expected to weaken by midweek, but still remain a hurricane as it heads toward Mexico.

Hurricane Ivan in 2004 was the last strongest hurricane to hit the southeast Caribbean, causing catastrophic damage in Grenada as a Category 3 storm.

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/hurricane-beryl-extremely-dangerous-storm-approaches-southeast-caribbean-13161632

Both southern and western parts of Switzerland have been affected by heavy rain, while thunderstorms and landslides have also hit northern Italy. Wildfires have broken out south of Athens and in the Turkish district of Izmir.

Extreme weather across Europe has left four people dead in storms in Switzerland and northern Italy, while wildfires force people from their homes in Greece and Turkey.

The bodies of three people were recovered following a landslide in the Fontana area of the Maggia valley in the Italian-speaking Ticino state on the southern side of the Swiss Alps.

The body of a man whose partner had reported him missing was found at a hotel in the Alpine resort of Saas-Grund early on Sunday. It is believed floodwater caught him by surprise.

Police said another man had been missing since Saturday evening in the Binn area in the upper Rhone valley close to the Italian border.

Meanwhile, searing temperatures and strong winds have sparked wildfires near Athens and in the Turkish district of Izmir, with residents and holidaymakers evacuated from their homes.

Both southern and western parts of Switzerland have been affected by heavy rain. Campsites along the River Maggia have been evacuated, while part of the Visletto road bridge collapsed.

One person has been reported missing in the nearby Lavizzara valley.

Further north, the River Rhone burst its banks in several areas of Valais state, flooding a road and railway line.

80 rescue missions in northern Italy

Floods, thunderstorms, and landslides have also hit various regions in northern Italy.

Italian firefighters in the northern Piedmont region said they carried out about 80 rescue operations, evacuating dozens of people.

Two adults and a three-month-old girl were rescued after rising waters left them stuck in their car between Montanaro and San Benigno Canavese, firefighters said.

In the Valle D’Aosta region, several villages were isolated because of overflowing streams.