People attend a demonstration against Kenya’s proposed finance bill 2024/2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi Purchase Licensing Rights
As John Aron headed out to join the protests raging outside parliament, he felt something huge had already shifted in Kenyan politics, jolting it away from its decades of dominance by party strongmen and ethnic loyalties.
At least eight people died when police opened fire on crowds trying to storm the assembly to protest against tax hikes on Tuesday. President William Ruto blamed “criminals”. Aron, from Nairobi’s Kibera slum, said the demonstrators were part of a brand new movement.
“It is going to unite the youth and the old like never before,” the 29-year-old told Reuters.
Over just one week, what began as an online outpouring of anger by young, tech-savvy Kenyans at proposed taxes on bread and diapers has morphed into nationwide movement untethered from the politicians who have traditionally rallied the masses.
Ruto’s allies initially dismissed the protests as a fit of pique by wealthy, entitled kids.
“They arrive at the protests in Uber. When they leave the protests, they go to KFC to eat chicken,” parliament majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah told supporters last week.
But the protests have built up into a much wider groundswell of anger that has become the most serious crisis of Ruto’s two-year-old presidency, leaving him fumbling for a response.
“It’s the people against the government,” Ronnie Baron, a 30-year-old English literature teacher said in the heart of the crowd in downtown Nairobi on Tuesday.
The slogans on the streets and social media have shifted from tax to calls for a complete political overhaul. “Ruto must go!” crowds chanted.
“Our leaders are saying they are going to sit down with the youth. And talk to us,” protester Mitchell Mwamodo said. But “we don’t have a leader. I am not trying to have a conversation. We are not ready to back down.”
Ruto had said on Sunday that he wanted to engage with the protest movement and praised it for staging earlier more peaceful demonstrations.
But as the rallies spread, authorities switched from the carrot to the stick, clashing with demonstrators across the country on Tuesday.
“They are just trying to find out which hand to shake and which hand to cut off,” said 37-year-old Mary Ngigi as tear gas swirled around her on Tuesday. “But we don’t even have any leaders.”
‘I WISH I WAS BORN IN ANOTHER COUNTRY’
Many said they had had enough of a political system under which the big parties took turns in power and funnelled jobs and opportunities to supporters and people from their ethnic groups.
“Our parents failed us. They voted along tribal lines,” 26-year-old Derick Kolito told Reuters. He said he had a master’s degree in accounts but had not managed to find a job.
“I am the son of peasants. You must have a godfather to get a job … I wish I was born in another country.”
Division among the main ethnic groups have traditionally been a key driver of politics and protest, with members of one group coming out against what they see as favouritism towards another.
But at demonstrations and in online forums where they have gathered to discuss and strategise, protesters have stuck to common grievances including steep rises in living costs and widespread corruption.
The protests have cut across Kenya’s geographic, social and ethnic landscape.
The Nation newspaper documented protests in at least 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties, from big cities to rural areas – even in Ruto’s hometown of Eldoret in his ethnic Kalenjin heartland.
Westen Shilaho, a scholar who has studied Kenyan protest movements, said the political elite have traditionally used “the ethnic card” to enhance their own power.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 22, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Sixteen Nobel prize-winning economists signed a letter on Tuesday warning that the U.S. and world economy will suffer if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election in November.
The jointly signed letter, first reported by Axios, says the economic agenda of U.S. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is “vastly superior” to Trump’s, the former Republican president seeking a second term.
The economists say Trump’s economic plans would reignite inflation, in part because of his pledge to impose stiffer tariffs on Chinese imports, which they say will hike prices on many goods bought by U.S. consumers.
“While each of us has different views on the particulars of various economic policies, we all agree that Joe Biden’s economic agenda is vastly superior to Donald Trump,” the economists state in their letter.
“We believe that a second Trump term would have a negative impact on the U.S.’s economic standing in the world, and a destabilizing effect on the U.S.’s domestic economy.”
The letter was signed by prominent economists including Joseph Stiglitz, who won the Nobel prize for economics in 2001, and Sir Angus Deaton, an economic Nobel laureate in 2015.
Biden and Trump are locked in a close election race. The Nov. 5 contest will be decided by voters in a handful of battleground states which are closely contested because their voting preferences can swing to Republicans or Democrats.
While headline inflation has slowed in the past two years, many U.S. consumers are still unhappy with the higher prices they have to pay for food, gas and other goods, according to public opinion polls.
Trump has pledged to impose tariffs on foreign imports, and up to at least 60% on Chinese goods coming into the U.S., a cost the economists say will be passed on to U.S. consumers in the form of price hikes.
U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich will stand trial for espionage in Russia on Wednesday in a court whose proceedings are classified as a state secret.
No reporters, friends, family members or U.S. embassy staff will be allowed into the courtroom in the city of Yekaterinburg where Gershkovich, 32, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Russian prosecutors say the Wall Street Journal reporter, arrested in March last year, had collected secret evidence about a Russian tank manufacturer on the orders of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who is in custody on espionage charges, stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, April 23, 2024. REUTERS/Tatyana Makeyeva/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Gershkovich, his newspaper and the U.S. government reject the charges. U.S. President Joe Biden called his detention “totally illegal”.
Closed trials are standard procedure in Russia for cases of alleged treason or espionage involving classified state material. The Kremlin says the case, and the arrangements for it, are a matter for the court, but has stated – without publishing evidence – that Gershkovich was caught “red-handed”.
“The only people present in the court will be the judge, state prosecutor, the defendant, his lawyer and a clerk. Filming and audio recording are forbidden,” said lawyer Evgeniy Smirnov of Pervy Otdel (First Department), an association that specialises in helping defendants in such cases but is not involved in Gershkovich’s.
The nature of the proceedings imposes an additional psychological burden on the accused person, he said.
Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of the Wall Street Journal, said the trial, whether open or closed, was not to be taken at face value.
“It’s a sham trial, it’s fake charges. However that’s served up, that doesn’t change those underlying facts,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview.
“Fake charges brought by an autocratic regime that is waging a war on journalism and reliable information at home and abroad. However the trial will take place, it doesn’t take away the outrageous underlying assault on free press and on Evan’s freedom.”
REPORTING ASSIGNMENT
Many Western news organisations pulled staff out of Russia after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and passed laws soon afterwards that set long prison sentences for “discrediting” the armed forces or spreading false information about them.
Gershkovich was among those who stayed. He was on a reporting assignment to Yekaterinburg in Russia’s Urals region when he was arrested by the FSB security service on March 29 last year while eating in a steakhouse.
Latour declined comment on the purpose of the trip or on the prosecutors’ allegation that Gershkovich was trying to gather information on Uralvagonzavod, a supplier of tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Asked whether Gershkovich had made an error of judgment by going there and whether the paper should have sent him, knowing the risks reporters face in Russia, Latour said: “We won’t speak specifically to the reporting assignment, but we take the safety and security of our employees and our reporters very, very seriously and have an apparatus in place and protocols in place to make sure that our reporters are safe.”
“He was there as an accredited journalist, doing his job,” Latour said.
POSSIBLE SWAP
Imprisoned for nearly 16 months in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, Gershkovich joined a list of Americans held in Russia at a time when relations between Moscow and Washington are at their most confrontational in over 60 years.
They include Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan, a former Marine who is serving a 16-year spying sentence and, like Gershkovich, has been designated by the State Department as “wrongfully detained”.
President Vladimir Putin has said Russia is open to the idea of a prisoner swap involving Gershkovich although the Kremlin says his case is a purely legal matter. The U.S. has accused Moscow of holding him for the purpose of “hostage diplomacy”.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last week “the ball is in the U.S.’s court” and Russia was awaiting a response to ideas it presented regarding a possible trade.
The lawyer Smirnov, who is based outside Russia, said such a trial would typically last two to three months.
He said there was no precedent in Putin’s Russia for a defendant in a spying case to be acquitted at trial but the ultimate outcome for Gershkovich would be determined elsewhere.
“There is no doubt the Russian authorities initiated this case solely for political reasons,” Smirnov said. “And Evan’s eventual fate will be decided not in the courtroom but in the high offices of politicians.”
Jonathan Yeo painted the King’s first official portrait following his coronation, unveiled in May of this year, and he has now released a new work of beloved British icon, broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Pic: PA
The artist who painted King Charles’ first official portrait following his coronation has released a new work of Sir David Attenborough.
Jonathan Yeo’s new artwork was unveiled by the Royal Society and marks the broadcaster and naturalist’s four decades as a fellow there.
His portrait of the King became known for its striking use of colour – and his work of Sir David is no different.
As the King was represented in shades of red, Sir David is painted in greens – with the portrait going on public display at the Royal Society for five days from 2 July to 7 July as part of the Summer Science Exhibition.
Sir David, 98, said: “It was a tremendous honour to be elected a fellow of the Royal Society over 40 years ago, and that my portrait has now been painted by such a master as Jonathan Yeo for the society’s extensive and important collection is extraordinary indeed.
“To spend so much of my life looking at the natural world and attempting to convey to others its amazing complexity, beauty and, increasingly, its fragility, has been a great privilege.
“It has only been possible thanks to the extraordinary natural history filmmakers and the many dedicated scientists who have willingly shared their work with us.”
The painting was unveiled at a private event on Tuesday.
British artist Mr Yeo’s previous work includes the likes of Idris Elba, Nicole Kidman, Malala Yousafzai, and former prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Sir Tony Blair.
Mr Yeo described Sir David as a “personal inspiration” and said it had been a “huge honour” to paint his portrait.
He added: “It’s hard to imagine a public figure who has done more to engage and inspire all generations in the wonders of the natural world than Sir David.
“At a time when too many global leaders are failing to engage seriously in tackling threats to our climate and natural world, Sir David’s lifetime of work in communicating and sharing its wonders and importance has been a service to all humanity.
“It has been a thrill as well as a privilege to spend so much time with someone whose wisdom is so deep and broad, and who is also such brilliant and entertaining company.”
The captain of the 80m-long ship reported the “grounding” and video footage showed the vessel diagonally positioned in the river.
A cargo ship carrying timber has become stuck in a river in Cambridgeshire.
The Baltic Arrow became wedged in the River Nene, in Wisbech, at around 9am on Tuesday morning while on its way to the port.
The Baltic Arrow became lodged on Tuesday morning
In Cambridge, a small red tug boat was seen desperately trying to free the cargo ship by pushing or pulling it free from the river banks, with no success.
The incident has been likened to the blockage of the Suez Canal in 2021, when the gigantic Ever Given container ship held up billions in global trade after it was stuck in the vital waterway for nearly a week.
A Wisbech Port spokesperson told the Daily Mail the incident in Cambridge was a “rare situation” but because the tide had fallen the plan was to wait “until [the] vessel is afloat at next high water to free her from the banks”.
They added: “All berths at Wisbech port are NAABSA berths which stand for ‘not always afloat but safely aground’ so technically all vessels ground whilst moored here during low water.
“The river bed is very soft and sludgy here and the vessel is designed to safely ground so we are confident of no ongoing issues.”
In Afghanistan, cricket represents a rare moment of happiness for a country stricken by natural disasters, economic crisis and international restrictions as the Taliban limit the education and movement of women.
Afghans celebrate their side’s T20 World Cup victory over Bangladesh. Pic: AP
Afghans flooded the country’s streets in their thousands on Tuesday to rejoice in their men’s cricket team reaching the T20 World Cup semi-finals for the first time.
Celebrations erupted throughout the Taliban-run country as people in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad and beyond enjoyed the dramatic victory over Bangladesh.
Rashedullah, a resident of the southeastern Khost province said: “This event has given reason for hope for the youth who were previously disappointed”.
That group of young people won’t include women, of course, whom the Taliban have forbidden from playing cricket.
The Taliban seized power again in 2021, becoming the entrenched leaders of Afghanistan and ending two decades of increased economic opportunities and freedom for women in the country.
Cricket represents a rare source of comfort for many male Afghans and has also been embraced by the Taliban administration.
The victory represents a welcome respite for a country that has suffered a series of natural disasters on top of an economic crisis exacerbated by international restrictions on the banking sector and a drop-off in aid since the Taliban seized power and limited women’s education and movement.
The Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi seized the moment to call the cricket team’s captain Rashid Khan and offer his congratulations, a foreign ministry statement said.
“Your victory has made everyone happy, you are a great inspiration for the youth,” he said.
After Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by a nervy eight runs in St. Vincent in the Caribbean, Shah Mohammad, 42, from Kabul, said: “I can’t find words to explain my happiness at this moment. It is a massive victory for all Afghans.
Declared male nine years ago by a vet, Ronaldo, the 6ft (1.8m) Brazilian rainbow boa gave birth to 14 baby snakes despite having had no contact with other snakes. Scientists say it is thanks to a rare phenomenon called parthenogenesis.
Ronaldo, the 6ft Brazilian rainbow boa. Pic: PA
Ronaldo, the “male” snake, has given birth to 14 babies, shocking handlers.
The 6ft (1.8m) Brazilian rainbow boa was declared male nine years ago by a vet.
Since then “he” had had no contact with other snakes – spending the last two years in the City of Portsmouth College.
Ronaldo, the 6ft Brazilian rainbow boa. Pic: PA
But, during a routine check, a student discovered Ronaldo had given birth to 14 baby snakes.
“We couldn’t believe our eyes,” animal care technician Amanda McLeod said. “One of the students discovered them during a routine vivarium check.
“At first we thought she must have been mistaken.”
Rare phenomenon
Peter Quinlan, reptile specialist at the college, explained that the birth came about due to the rare phenomenon of parthenogenesis.
This is a natural form of asexual reproduction, where embryos develop without fertilisation.
It is known to take place in plants and some animals, but Mr Quinlan said that Ronaldo’s pregnancy was only the third to be documented for a captive snake of its species in the world.
He said: “I’ve been breeding snakes for 50 years and I’ve never known this happen before.
“Effectively, the babies are clones of their mother although their markings are all slightly different.
“Ronaldo had been looking slightly fatter than usual, like he’d eaten a big meal, but we never thought for a moment that he, or should we say she, was pregnant.”
China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe landed on Tuesday in the northern Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, making the country the first to bring back samples from the moon’s far side.
The reentry capsule touched down at 2:07 p.m. Beijing time (0607 GMT), according to state broadcaster CCTV, carrying lunar soil collected earlier in the month by the probe after a successful landing on the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, an impact crater on the side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth.
Soon after the capsule landed, Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, announced the successful completion of the Chang’e-6 lunar mission. Chinese President Xi Jinping said the mission’s completion was a “landmark achievement” in China’s quest to become a space and scientific powerhouse.
The Chang’e-6 probe was launched on May 3 on a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on the southern island of Hainan. The samples will be transported by air to Beijing for analysis, according to CCTV.
While it is yet not known whether the planned 2kg of samples were successfully returned, whatever the amount, the samples will be closely analysed by Chinese and foreign scientists, who believe that they will reveal new details about the formation of the Earth, moon, and solar system.
Samples from the Chang’e-5 mission, which brought back lunar samples from the near side of the moon, led to the discovery of new minerals and more accurate ranges for the moon’s geological age.
The success of the Chang’e-6 mission could give China’s lunar and space exploration program, already in close competition with the United States, greater pull among foreign governments and scientists.
The Chang’e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination sit atop the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province, China May 3, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Baptista/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
China’s retrieval of samples from the moon’s far side comes as the exploration of lunar resources and the militarisation of space are becoming increasingly pressing questions shaped by geopolitical tensions.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson this year expressed concern at China’s lunar exploration program and described an intensifying “space race” between the two superpowers.
“I’m glad there has been a resurgence in this (space) race, but of course I would like to see us racing alongside each other and together,” said Neil Melville-Kenney, a technical officer at the European Space Agency (ESA) who is working with Chinese researchers on one of the Chang’e-6 payloads.
As the European Union and China are at loggerheads over a wide range of geopolitical issues, from trade to the war in Ukraine, European space agencies and scientists are working closely with Chinese counterparts on data and samples collected by China’s lunar missions.
The government, which has an edge, is trying to shore up its numbers for a sure win.
New Delhi: The election for the post of Speaker – a rare event in the history of the Lok Sabha – will take place today, with a recharged Opposition challenging the NDA nominee. The government, which has an edge, is trying to shore up its numbers for a sure win.
Here are the top 10 updates on this big story
The contest is between the BJP’s Om Birla, a three-time MP and Speaker in the last Lok Sabha, and Congress’s eight-term MP K Suresh. The BJP picked Mr Birla to reinforce the message of continuity.
The Speaker is elected by a simple majority, taking into account the number of MPs present and voting. Seven MPs – five from the Opposition and two Independents – have not taken oath and cannot vote, sources have said.
While the Opposition has 232 seats, the NDA has 293 MPs. It is also banking on the support of the four MPs of YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress.
The stage was set for the election when on Tuesday, the Congress decided to field K Suresh just 10 minutes ahead of the noon deadline.
Its decision was spurred by the BJP brush-off to its hopes for the Pro Tem Speaker and the Deputy Speaker posts. The party had initially expected Mr Suresh – the senior most MP in Lok Sabha – to get the post of Pro Tem Speaker, which finally went to the BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab.
On Tuesday morning, the government, while seeking consensus for Om Birla, made it clear that they are not considering a Deputy Speaker post, or the Opposition’s claim to it, for now.
Congress’s Rahul Gandhi said, “Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and asked him to extend support… the entire Opposition said we will support but convention is Deputy Speaker should be from our side. Rajnath Singh said he would call back… but he has not yet…PM is asking for cooperation but our leader is getting insulted.”
Parallel meetings at both camps marked Tuesday evening. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the NDA allies, the Opposition Bloc had their meeting at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s house.
Assange arrived at court in Saipan in a dark suit with a loosened tie. He is now expected to fly to his home country of Australia to be reunited with his wife Stella and their two children.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has pleaded guilty to one count of espionage as part of a plea deal with US authorities.
His court appearance took place on the US territory of Saipan. He left the UK on Monday after being released on bail from Belmarsh high security jail.
Addressing the court, Assange said that he broke US law by encouraging classified leaks, but said he believed the Espionage Act violates free speech.
As per the deal, the judge sentenced Assange to time already served in a British prison and told him he would be able to leave court a free man.
The US request to extradite the WikiLeaks founder on spying charges has been dropped and he is now on his way to his home country of Australia to be reunited with his wife Stella and their two children, Gabriel and Max.
Mrs Assange posted on X after her husband walked out of court: “Julian walks out of Saipan federal court a free man. I can’t stop crying.”
Julian Assange, middle, leaves the court in Saipan. Pic: ReutersJulian Assange leaves the federal court. Pic: AP
WikiLeaks said Assange is expected to arrive in the Australian capital of Canberra at 6.41pm local time (9.41am GMT).
The 52-year-old arrived at court in a dark suit, with a loosened tie, after flying from Stansted Airport in London on a charter plane and stopping to refuel in Bangkok.
The flight cost him $500,000 (£394,000) with Mrs Assange calling for “emergency” donations to cover the “massive debt” for the jet.
She said her husband was “not permitted to fly commercial airlines or routes to Saipan and onward to Australia” and any contribution would be “much appreciated”.
Inside court, Assange answered basic questions from judge Ms Manglona and appeared to listen intently as terms of the deal were discussed.
As a condition of his plea, he will be required to destroy information that was provided to WikiLeaks.
Assange left court in a white SUV without speaking to reporters, but his lawyer Jennifer Robinson said it was because of support around the globe that “today’s outcome is possible”.
She said: “Julian has suffered for more than 14 years because of risk of extradition to the US… today he pleaded guilty to an offence for having published information in the public interest… this sets a dangerous precedent, this prosecution sets a dangerous precedent.”
Thanking Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Ms Robinson said he “did what he needed to do to ensure Julian’s freedom”.
Mr Albanese has publicly supported Assange as leader of the Australian Labour Party and as prime minister. He said in a statement earlier on Wednesday: “Regardless of what your views about Mr Assange’s activities, his case has dragged on for too long.
“There is nothing to be gained from his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia.”
The hearing took place in Saipan – the US Commonwealth territory – because of Assange’s opposition to travelling to one of the 50 US states and the court’s proximity to Australia.
The Scottish Prison Service says inmates who pose an immediate risk are not being released as part of the scheme.
Pic: iStock
Victims are being taunted by criminals who are being released early from Scotland’s prisons today under emergency plans to tackle overcrowding, Sky News has been told.
Jails across the UK are in crisis with governors in England and Wales warning they could run out of space within days.
From this morning, the SNP government in Edinburgh is allowing more than 500 Scottish inmates, serving short term sentences, out early in a bid to tackle the issue.
Prisoners inside for under four years who have 180 days or less left to serve are being released in waves over the coming weeks across all Scottish prisons.
Sex offenders and domestic abusers are among those exempt, with governors handed a veto.
The charity Victim Support Scotland told Sky News the system will lead to reoffending.
Kate Wallace, its chief executive, said: “The last time this happened, over 40% had re-offended within six months. That created more victims, and we are fully expecting that to be the case again.
“Victims are concerned about the risks to their own personal safety, and we are aware already of some prisoners who have been in contact with victims saying that they are going to be released, and it being used as a coercive control tool.”
The prison population in Scotland is almost 8,300, more than exceeding the target operating capacity of 8,007.
The Scottish Prison Service insists safety is a priority.
A spokesman said: “Governors have vetoed anyone they found posed an immediate risk to individuals or groups, with the help of intelligence from police and social work.”
Latest Ministry of Justice figures show English and Welsh jails currently have 87,395 inmates, with maximum spaces standing at 88,778.
The Prison Governors’ Association (PGA) claims police will be unable to detain people because there’s not enough room behind bars.
Some inmates in England and Wales are being freed up to 70 days early in a similar move to Scotland.
However, the Ministry of Justice was unable to tell Sky News how many convicts have been granted freedom since the system came into force in May.
The crisis has been put in to sharp focus with just days to go until the general election.
Kenyan President William Ruto said on Tuesday security was his “utmost priority” after protests against a bill to raise taxes descended into violence, with police firing on demonstrators trying to storm the legislature, killing at least five.
In chaotic scenes in the capital Nairobi, protesters overwhelmed police and chased them away in an attempt to enter the parliament compound, with Citizen TV later showing damage from inside the building, which had been partially set ablaze.
Demonstrators try to obstruct a police vehicle as police use water cannons to disperse protesters during a demonstration against Kenya’s proposed finance bill 2024/2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25, 2024. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi Purchase Licensing Rights
Protests and clashes also took place in several other cities and towns across Kenya, with many calling for Ruto to quit as well as voicing their opposition to the tax rises.
In a televised address to the nation, Ruto said the tax debate had been “hijacked by dangerous people”.
“It is not in order, or even conceivable, that criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters can reign terror against the people…,” he said, pledging a swift response to Tuesday’s “treasonous events”.
Police in Nairobi opened fire after tear gas and water cannon failed to disperse the crowds. They eventually managed to drive protesters from the parliament building and lawmakers were evacuated through an underground tunnel, local media said.
Later on Tuesday, Defence Minister Aden Duale said the army had been deployed to help the police deal with a “security emergency” which had resulted in the “destruction and breaching of critical infrastructure”.
A Reuters journalist counted the bodies of at least five protesters outside parliament.
The Kenya Medical Association said that at least five people had been shot dead while treating the injured, and that 31 people had been injured, with 13 shot with live bullets and four with rubber bullets.
The association called on authorities to establish safe medical corridors to protect medical staff and ambulances.
CAUGHT BETWEEN COMPETING DEMANDS
Ruto won an election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenya’s working poor, but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund, which is urging the government to cut deficits to obtain more funding, and a hard-pressed population.
Kenyans have been struggling to cope with several economic shocks caused by the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, two consecutive years of drought and depreciation of the currency.
The finance bill aims to raise an additional $2.7 billion in taxes as part of an effort to lighten Kenya’s heavy debt load, with interest payments alone consuming 37% of annual revenue.
In Washington, the White House said the United States was closely monitoring the situation in Nairobi and urging calm.
Ambassadors and high commissioners from countries including Britain, the U.S. and Germany said in a joint statement they were deeply concerned by violence they had witnessed during recent anti-tax protests and called for restraint on all sides.
Kenyan activist Auma Obama, the half-sister of former U.S. President Barack Obama, was among protesters tear-gassed during the demonstrations, a CNN interview showed.
Internet services across the East African country experienced severe disruptions during the police crackdown, internet monitor Netblocks said. Kenya’s leading network operator Safaricom said outages had affected two of its undersea cables but the root cause of the outages remained unclear.
London, England, UK. October 8, 2022. Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange take part in a protest near Westminster to protest against Julian Assange’s potential deportation to USA.. (Photo by E Ozcan on Shutterstock)
After years of appeals and litigation, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has entered into a plea deal with the U.S. government, according to court documents.
He was facing one count of computer misuse and multiple counts of espionage stemming from his work with WikiLeaks, publishing sensitive U.S. government documents provided by Chelsea Manning. The U.S. government had repeatedly claimed that Assange’s actions risked its national security.
Documents filed in the U.S. Federal Court in Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, show Assange will plead guilty to one count under the US Espionage Act. The rest of the charges would be dropped and the request for his extradition to the U.S. would be withdrawn. The U.S. is yet to publicly confirm the deal.
The deal is subject to a hearing and sentencing in Saipan on Wednesday morning, where outlets are reporting Assange will appear in person. He’s been released from London’s Belmarsh prison, with WikiLeaks sharing vision of him en route to London’s Stanstead Airport.
What’s in the deal?
Assange has been granted bail by the UK High Court.
Upon his guilty plea, Assange will be sentenced to 62 months in prison: time he’s already served in Belmarsh. It puts an end to all the ongoing legal action, including the proceedings in the UK High Court and the extradition order from the UK Home Secretary.
The plea deal seems largely consistent with rumors circulating earlier this year. It was widely assumed Assange would plead guilty to one charge, which was expected to be a misdemeanor charge of mishandling documents rather than under the U.S. Espionage Act. The initial rumors also indicated that he would be able to complete the process remotely, whereas he will appear in person before the court.
This is significant as it’s a national security offense for which he’s served more than five years behind bars. This will place limitations on his future travel, including to the U.S., which is unlikely to grant him a visa.
It also sets a practical precedent, if not necessarily a legal one, that a publisher can be convicted under the Espionage Act in the U.S. While the devil will be in the details of the deal, this is what many journalists were afraid of.
It means somebody who did nothing more than receive and publish information has been convicted under major US national security laws. If the deal had been about the Computer Misuse Act, this scenario wouldn’t have arisen. The concern may be that now it’s been done once, it could happen again.
(Credit: The Conversation)
Why is there a deal after all this time?
We may never know the U.S.’ full reasoning, but there are several possibilities as to why it decided to go to a plea deal and not continue with litigation.
The Australian government has been pushing hard for a couple of years now for this case to end. The case for stopping prosecution has had bipartisan support here.
Although not confirming or denying the existence of a plea deal just yet, a spokesperson for the government reiterated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s position that there was “nothing to be gained from his [Assange’s] continued incarceration”.
The fact the government has been consistent on this for about two years has changed the political environment for this prosecution.
There’s a growing consensus in the U.S., even among some Republicans, that it’s not in the public interest to continue.
The UK general election will be held next week, and given the anticipated change of government there, the extradition order may have been reconsidered anyway. All of this would likely have informed the U.S.’ cost-benefit analysis to ultimately bring the Assange saga to an end.
The new strain, which appears to spread more easily from person to person, has potentially more severe symptoms and has a higher mortality rate, early research suggests.
A syringe filled with Mpox vaccine. File pic: AP
Scientists tracking the spread of a dangerous new strain of the Mpox virus have said it is time to “get prepared”.
Researchers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are warning it could spread internationally – with potentially more severe symptoms and higher mortality.
Known as Clade 1b, the strain first emerged in September among sex workers in the DRC mining town of Kamituga, around 170 miles (273km) from the border with Rwanda.
There have now been around 1,000 confirmed cases in the country’s South Kivu province.
On Monday, the first cases were confirmed in the city of Goma, which is also close to the Rwanda border.
Estimates of the strain’s severity are inexact, as only cases among patients who have gone to hospital have been studied.
However, early estimates suggest it has a mortality rate of 5% for adults and 10% for children.
“It is undoubtedly the most dangerous so far of all the known strains of Mpox,” said Jean Claude Udahemuka, from the University of Rwanda.
“Everyone should get prepared and support the local response,” he added.
It comes as South Africa recorded a third Mpox death on Tuesday. Previous deaths there have been due to an ongoing outbreak of the earlier Clade 2 strain.
Genetic sequencing will confirm whether they might have been due to the new strain, but so far it has not been confirmed outside of DRC.
In 2022, the Clade 2 strain of Mpox (previously known as Monkeypox) caused a global outbreak – largely among gay and bisexual men.
More than 97,000 cases have been recorded internationally, including nearly 4,000 in the UK. Most cases are mild and the mortality rate is less than 0.5%.
Vaccination with a smallpox vaccine, which gives protection against Mpox, as well as public health campaigns, have helped control Clade 2.
Like Clade 2, Clade 1b causes a severe blister-like rash at the site of the infection.
But symptoms are more severe, with the rash often spreading to the entire body, according to Leandre Murhula Masirika, a research co-ordinator in South Kivu province.
‘We are very afraid’
Most new cases in the DRC are sexually transmitted, but the new strain can spread more readily from person to person – with infections reportedly jumping between household members and at least one outbreak recorded among schoolchildren.
It has also caused miscarriage in women, with early evidence suggesting long-term health problems in some people who have recovered from infection.
“We are very afraid [Clade 1b] is going to cause more damage in terms of health importance,” said Murhula Masirika.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walked free on Wednesday from a court on the U.S. Pacific island territory of Saipan after pleading guilty to violating U.S. espionage law, in a deal that allowed him to head straight home to Australia.
His release ends a 14-year legal saga in which Assange spent more than five years in a British high-security jail and seven years in asylum at the Ecuadorean embassy in London battling extradition to Sweden on sexual assault allegations and to the U.S., where he faced 18 criminal charges.
Those charges stemmed from WikiLeaks’ release in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of classified U.S. military documents on Washington’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – one of the largest breaches of secret information in U.S. history.
During a three-hour hearing in Saipan, Assange pleaded guilty to one criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified national defence documents but said he had believed the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment, which protects free speech, shielded his activities.
She wished Assange, who turns 53 on July 3, an early happy birthday as she released him due to time already served in a British jail.
While the U.S. government viewed Assange as reckless for putting its agents at risk of harm by publishing their names, his supporters hailed him as a hero for promoting free speech and exposing war crimes.
“We firmly believe that Mr. Assange never should have been charged under the Espionage Act and engaged in (an) exercise that journalists engage in every day,” his U.S. lawyer, Barry Pollack, told reporters outside the court.
He said WikiLeaks’ work would continue.
Assange’s UK and Australian lawyer Jennifer Robinson thanked the Australian government for its years of diplomacy in securing Assange’s release.
“It is a huge relief to Julian Assange, to his family, to his friends, to his supporters and to us and to everyone who believes in free speech around the world that he can now return home to Australia and be reunited with his family,” she told reporters outside the court.
Assange, left the court through a throng of TV cameras and photographers without answering questions, then waved as he got into a white SUV.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange walks outside United States District Court following a hearing, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S., June 26, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji Purchase Licensing Rights
He left Saipan on a private jet to the Australian capital Canberra, where he is expected to land around 7:30 p.m. (0930 GMT), according to flight logs.
“That Julian can come home to Australia and see his family regularly and do the ordinary things of life is a treasure,” his father, John Shipton, told Reuters in Canberra, where he was waiting for his son’s return.
“The beauty of the ordinary is the essence of life.”
LONG SAGA
Assange had agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count, according to filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
The U.S. territory in the western Pacific was chosen due to his opposition to travelling to the mainland U.S. and for its proximity to Australia, prosecutors said.
Dozens of media from around the world attended the hearing, with more gathered outside the courtroom to cover the proceedings. Media were not allowed inside the courtroom to film the hearing.
“I watch this and think how overloaded his senses must be, walking through the press scrum after years of sensory depravation and the four walls of his high security Belmarsh prison cell,” Stella Assange, the wife of WikiLeaks founder said on social media platform X.
Politicians in Australia who had campaigned for his release raised concern about the guilty plea on U.S. soil, saying he was a journalist who had been convicted for doing his job.
“That is a really alarming precedent. It is the sort of thing we’d expect in an authoritarian or totalitarian country,” said Andrew Wilkie, an independent lawmaker who led a parliamentary group advocating for Assange.
Assange spent more than five years in what Judge Manglona called one of Britain’s harshest prisons and seven years holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London as he fought extradition.
It comes as North Korea warned of a “new demonstration of deterrence” after the US joined military drills with South Korea and Japan earlier this week.
File pic: Reuters/Korean Central News Agency
South Korea has said North Korea may have launched a hypersonic missile towards the North’s east coast.
South Korea’s joint chief of staffs said the launch on Wednesday morning originated from Pyongyang and appeared to fail before landing in the sea.
The country initially thought North Korea had launched a ballistic missile.
Japan’s defence ministry said the missile had reached an altitude of about 100km (62 miles) and covered a range of more than 200km (124 miles) before falling outside the country’s exclusive economic zone – an area of sea that a country claims the rights over to conduct economic activities.
No damage has been reported.
Earlier this week, North Korea criticised the deployment of US aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, to take part in joint military drills with the South and Japan.
It warned of an “overwhelming, new demonstration of deterrence” as a result.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol boarded the US aircraft carrier – the first sitting president to do so since 1994 – and claimed the countries alliance is the world’s greatest, and can defeat any enemy.
Hypersonic weapons are considered the next generation of arms that aim to rob adversaries of reaction time and traditional defeat mechanisms.
North Korea has launched various missiles that it claims are hypersonic over the few years. In April, Kim Jong Un watched over a test of what the country said was a new hypersonic-intermediate range missile using solid fuel.
The missile launch came hours after South Korea said the North floated flying balloons – believed to be carrying rubbish – across the border for a second day in a row.
The balloons caused a three-hour delay at the country’s Incheon international airport after one landed on the tarmac near one of the passenger terminals. Runways have since reopened.
Police said they detained the men – thought to be linked to the Youth Demand protest group – “within one minute of them entering the grounds”. They remain in custody.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in London at the time. Pic: PA
Four men have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass in the grounds of the prime minister’s home, police have confirmed.
The incident took place at Rishi Sunak’s constituency address in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, while he was attending events in London to mark the Japanese state visit.
A police statement said officers were “with the four men within one minute of them entering the grounds”.
The arrests are connected to a protest by campaigners from Youth Demand. It describes itself as a group of young people who want “the Tories and the Labour Party commit to a two-way arms embargo on Israel, and to stop all new oil and gas licences”.
A spokesperson for the group said three of those arrested were taking part in the demonstration, while the fourth person was an independent photographer.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “They were detained at around 12.40pm before being escorted off the property and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass.
“The men, aged 52 from London, 43 from Bolton, 21 from Manchester, and 20 from Chichester, remain in police custody for questioning and enquiries are ongoing.”
President Joe Biden’s campaign used the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning abortion rights on Monday to spotlight Donald Trump’s role in the ruling, as Democrats zero in on the issue ahead of the November election.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets her audience before discussing reproductive rights on the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. June 24, 2024. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble Purchase Licensing Rights
Vice President Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, said Trump, the Republican former president seeking reelection, was “guilty” of taking away reproductive rights from women. First Lady Jill Biden and other Democrats speaking on Monday also tried to mobilize volunteers and voters around protecting the patchwork remains of abortion access.
“Donald Trump is the sole person responsible for this nightmare,” the president said in a statement.
He said the reversal two years ago of the landmark Roe v Wade ruling of 1973, which gave constitutional protection to abortion rights, has been “devastating.”
“This is a fight for freedom: the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not having her government tell her what to do,” Harris said at a campaign event in Maryland.
Trump appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices during his 2017-21 presidency, leading to a change in the court’s balance that sparked the abortion ruling in 2022.
Harris called the plan to overturn Roe v Wade “premeditated.”
“In the case of the stealing of reproductive freedom from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty,” she said.
Since the 2022 ruling, more than 20 Republican-led states have imposed restrictions on abortion, while the unpopularity of the decision even in some conservative states made it a political liability for Republicans during mid-term elections in 2022.
Abortion access is now almost non-existent in Southern states, forcing tens of thousands of women to cross state lines for abortions, and sparking a rise in medication abortion.
Biden’s team believes the issue could swing the tight Nov. 5 election his way. He will focus on getting a law passed that restores the rights of Roe v Wade if re-elected, White House gender policy council chair Jennifer Klein told reporters Monday.
Trump said in April that abortion laws should be set by individual U.S. states, stepping away from a national abortion ban that anti-abortion groups and some parts of his Republican Party have pushed for.
On Saturday, Trump addressed a crowd of evangelical voters at the Faith & Freedom Coalition in Washington. “We have also achieved what the pro-life movement fought to get for 49 years, and we’ve gotten abortion out of the federal government and back to the states,” he said.
A Boeing 737 Max aircraft during a display at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. Purchase Licensing Rights
Justice isn’t always blind. When it comes to levying punishments on powerful companies, the challenge is to inflict enough pain that bad behavior is deterred, but not so much that it creates unintended suffering elsewhere. Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab, an American icon in a heap of trouble, exemplifies that quandary.
Prosecutors are recommending that the Department of Justice bring criminal charges against the $104 billion aviation company, according to sources cited by Reuters, for breaching the terms of its deferred prosecution agreement. After two crashes killed 346 people, Boeing agreed in 2021 to a three-year settlement, opens new tab that shielded it from criminal prosecution, but in which it admitted former employees had misled regulators, pledged to do better, and paid $2.5 billion. The government says Boeing has failed to live up to its side of the bargain. Boeing disagrees.
There’s a problem, though. Boeing is a national champion with a big economic footprint, and that could limit the amount of pain the government is able to inflict. For example, commercial aviation is essentially a duopoly shared between Boeing and its European rival Airbus (AIR.PA), opens new tab. It’s also the nation’s single largest exporter, with over $30 billion of foreign revenue in 2023. And what hurts the U.S. aircraft-maker also hurts numerous small subcontractors who supply Boeing planes’ parts. Customers like Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), opens new tab, already reeling from delayed jet deliveries, might see their problems worsen.
One of the biggest threats of a prosecution for a company like Boeing – debarment from government contracts – is also hard to enforce. Consolidation has already left too little competition in the sector, and over a third of the company’s $78 billion of revenue last year came from government contracts. Past guilty pleas, opens new tab by Boeing, including for felonies, opens new tab, did not stop the company from quickly getting back on the government-contract gravy train. In 2003, for example, the Air Force suspended some of the company’s units from winning work, but granted two waivers to the Boeing units for space and rocket contracts. Then there are fines. Those hurt, but not much for a company that has already lost around $100 billion of market capitalization in the past five years.
Boeing could find itself subject to more mundane punishments, like the appointment of “monitors” who sit in the companies’ offices and report back to regulators, something imposed on banks in the past for money-laundering slips, for example. Such scrutiny might have an effect, since the company, and its outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun, haven’t been able to fix various self-inflicted problems. Prosecutors will hope so anyway. Creating a national champion is hard; bringing one to heel is harder.
A view shows a multi-storey residential building damaged in recent shelling by U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles, according the Russian Defence Ministry, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Luhansk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, June 7, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
The Kremlin on Monday squarely blamed the United States for an attack on Crimea with U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four people and injured 151, and Moscow formally warned the U.S. ambassador that retaliation would follow.
The war in Ukraine has deepened a crisis in relations between Russia and the West, and Russian officials have said the conflict is entering the most dangerous escalation to date.
But directly blaming the United States for an attack on Crimea – which Russia unilaterally annexed in 2014 although most of the world considers it part of Ukraine – is a step further.
“You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and above all in Washington, the press secretaries, why their governments are killing Russian children,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
At least two children were killed in the attack on Sevastopol on Sunday, according to Russian officials. People were shown running from a beach near Sevastopol and some of the injured being carried off on sun loungers. Kyiv did not comment on the attack but denies targeting civilians.
Russia said the United States had supplied the weapons, while the U.S. military had aimed them and provided data.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy and told her Washington was “waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict”.
“Retaliatory measures will definitely follow,” it said.
Tracy said Washington regretted any loss to civilian life, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Washington provided weapons to Ukraine so it could defend its sovereign territory, including Crimea.
Pentagon spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said that “Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations.”
A U.S. official later said that Ukraine was not targeting civilians. It seemed that the Russians were able to intercept an ATACMS missile that was targeting a missile launcher, and the ATACMS exploded with shrapnel raining down on the beach, the American official added.
The death toll from a series of brazen attacks on churches and synagogues in Russia’s mainly Muslim region of Dagestan rose to 20 on Monday after gunmen went on the rampage in coordinated attacks in two of the republic’s most important cities.
Gunmen with automatic weapons burst into an Orthodox church and a synagogue in the ancient city of Derbent on Sunday evening, setting fire to an icon at the church and killing a 66-year-old Orthodox priest, Nikolai Kotelnikov.
In the city of Makhachkala, about 125 km (75 miles) north on the Caspian Sea shore, attackers shot at a traffic police post and attacked a church.
Gun battles erupted around the Assumption Cathedral in Makhachkala and heavy automatic gunfire rang out late into the night. Footage showed residents running for cover as plumes of smoke rose above the city.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Russia’s investigative committee said 15 policemen and four civilians were killed. According to Dagestan’s healthcare ministry, 46 more people were wounded.
At least five attackers were killed, some were shown by local media shot dead on a pavement.
“This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country,” said Sergei Melikov, the head of the Dagestan region, who on Monday visited the synagogue and church that were attacked in Derbent.
He said that foreign forces had been involved in preparing the attack, but gave no details.
“This is an attempt to cleave apart our unity.”
Dagestan announced three days of mourning. Photos of the dead policemen were lined up on the street by red carnations.
President Vladimir Putin, who has long accused the West of trying to stoke separatism in the Caucasus, sent his condolences to those who lost loved ones.
Sergei Melikov, the head of the Dagestan region, visits Derbent synagogue following an attack by gunmen and a fire, in Derbent in the region of Dagestan, Russia June 24, 2024, in this still image taken from video. Head of the Dagestan region Sergei Melikov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
Dagestan is a mainly Muslim republic of Russia’s North Caucasus, a patchwork of ethnic groups, languages and regions that live in the shadow of the Caucasus mountains between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.
DAGESTAN
The attack on Christian and Jewish places of worship stoked fears Russia may be facing a renewed militant Islamist threat just three months after a deadly attack in Moscow.
In the Moscow attack, 145 people were killed at the Crocus concert hall, an attack claimed by Islamic State.
In October, after the war in Gaza broke out, rioters waving Palestinian flags broke down glass doors and rampaged through Makhachkala airport to look for Jewish passengers on a flight arriving from Tel Aviv.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and conveyed his condolences, a spokesperson said.
Derbent, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, is home to an ancient Jewish community and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Russian investigators said it was a “terrorist” attack but did not give details of the attackers.
Russia’s state media cited law enforcement as saying two sons of Magomed Omarov, the head of central Dagestan’s Sergokala district, were among the attackers in Dagestan. They were killed and their father was detained, state media said.
Ms Huang was one of several gay politicians who ran in January’s elections
Even in the exuberant world of Taiwanese politics, Huang Jie stands out – and not just because of the pink highlights in her hair and love for cosplay.
Known for her fiery speeches and progressive views, the 31-year-old made history in January when she won a seat in parliament – and became the island’s first openly gay legislator.
“I think it’s a new milestone for Taiwan,” Ms Huang told the BBC recently. “I feel quite grateful that the Taiwanese are willing to have come this far.”
“Of course, as the first such legislator, I also bear a certain responsibility, which is to work harder and show everyone my efforts in pushing for LGBTQ rights,” she added.
Taiwan is one of the most progressive place in Asia for gay rights. Back in 2019 it was the first place in the region to legalise same-sex marriage. Now it also recognises transnational LGBTQ+ couples and allows gay couples to adopt.
Besides Ms Huang, activists estimate there are now more than a dozen Taiwanese politicians who identify as LGBTQ+.
They include lesbian Taipei city councillor Miao Poya – she and Ms Huang were the two most prominent gay politicians in January’s elections. The island – and the world – also had its first transgender cabinet minister back in 2016, when then President Tsai Ing-wen appointed Audrey Tang as digital affairs minister.
Yet some worry of a resurgence in conservative politics – while others dream of a time when sexuality will not even be a point of discussion.
Ms Huang’s win – she represents the governing Democratic Progressive Party in its stronghold Kaohsiung – caps a rocky few years in her political career. After brief stints in environmental health research and journalism, she joined a small progressive political party and in 2018 won a seat in Kaohsiung’s local council.
The following year, she shot to fame when she went toe-to-toe with controversial conservative politician Han Kuo-yu. During a sparring session at a council meeting, she was caught on camera rolling her eyes before delivering a snappy riposte.
That moment of unbridled exasperation earned her the delighted attention of the Taiwanese internet, the moniker “eyeroll goddess”, and a new following. But it also attracted scrutiny. A tabloid ran a piece about her romantic life, prompting Ms Huang to deny some of its allegations and clarify that she was bisexual.
She said she was forcibly outed by the press – her parents had no idea about her sexuality until they read about it in the papers. Given a choice, she would not have revealed it.
“I have never shied away from talking about my sexual orientation. But I also don’t think I have the obligation to explain my sexual orientation in particular,” she said. “When we have to show that I am a sexual minority, it conveys to society that gay people are the exception, special, and not normal.”
Ms Huang has since come to terms with her role as an openly gay public figure, and has spoken about her experience in interviews.
She has also made clear she would push for LGBTQ equality in parliament. One of her top priorities, she told the BBC, is to advocate for same-sex couples to have biological children. Taiwan is now considering allowing them access to assisted reproductive technology such as IVF.
But as the only gay person in Taiwan’s famously combative parliament – which now happens to be led by the target of her famed eyeroll Mr Han – Ms Huang also anticipates critics “may use my sexual orientation and identity against me”.
“I can already think of scenarios where, if my performance is not as good as they expected, they will say it’s because I’m a gay legislator… it is a common situation that sexual minority public figures face.”
It is an example, she said, of a “social environment that is not friendly enough”. This is why “even in Taiwan, where everyone feels that gay people are already very open, in fact there are still many public figures or people in charge who are still very afraid to reveal their identity.”
Ms Huang pointed out that unlike her straight counterparts who often appear publicly with their partners, she appears alone. Her partner is afraid of accompanying her “because they feel they have to bear a negative gaze”.
Other LGBTQ politicians also said they have faced hurdles.
When Ms Miao first started out in politics, she told the BBC she was advised by senior party members to “play down my gay identity”. They suggested she grow her hair long and use more pink campaign materials. She refused.
The challenge, Ms Miao said, lies in convincing voters to view her as more than just her sexual preferences: “Once you disclose your identity, then the voter’s perception of you will be focused on your sexual orientation… to put it simply, you will be labelled.”
It is a subtle battle in a society which has seemingly embraced the LGBTQ community.
Taiwan used to be deeply split on gay rights, but government polls show a rise in support in the last five years. About 69% are now in favour of same-sex marriage while some 77% support same-sex adoption.
Tens of thousands attend Taiwan’s annual pride parade, the biggest in Asia. Even more gay tourists flock to its capital all year round for its vibrant LGBTQ scene, earning Taipei the nickname “the San Francisco of the East”.
In May, Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind who won popular reality show Rupaul’s Drag Race was hosted by then-President Tsai Ing-wen at her office – a sign not just of recognition, but also acceptance.
Then-president Tsai Ing-wen welcomed drag queen Nymphia Wind at her office
While Taiwan’s government has led the way, there are still some parts of society that are not as accepting, say observers. Though attitudes especially among younger parents are changing, “in Taiwanese society, we think it’s okay if other kids are LGBTQ – but not mine,” said Liu Wen, an associate fellow with Academia Sinica who studies queer issues in Chinese-speaking communities.
Some fear that the lingering conservatism could bloom following the recent election. “I’m not 100% optimistic we will continue to become even more progressive… we cannot be complacent because we do see conservative ideology rising,” said Rita Jhang, an academic and activist with LGBTQ group Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association.
Joyce Teng, executive director of Taiwan Equality Campaign, said the issue of homosexuality “can still be manipulated by conservative political powers”.
During the election a candidate from the up-and-coming Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) questioned Ms Miao’s appearance and gender presentation. Separately, a small party campaigned on an anti-transgender platform while a conservative group warned against voting in LGBTQ lawmakers.
Ko Wen-je, the leader of TPP, who enjoyed a lot of youth support in January’s election, has been criticised for remarks appearing to frame homosexuality as a psychological issue. He also expressed shifting views on same-sex marriage and was accused of flip-flopping on the issue to gain votes. Mr Ko insists he never opposed it.
One possible reason conservative attitudes are rising again is the progress Taiwan has made. Ms Miao said: “It is precisely because of this… that some opposition opinions will become more intense.”
But she hopes that Taiwan’s democracy can overcome this. “Taiwanese society is very diverse – extremely open and extremely conservative views can co-exist.”
Princess Anne has been hospitalized after an accident thought to involve a horse
Princess Anne has been hospitalized after an accident thought to involve a horse left her with a concussion, further straining Britain’s royal family as health problems continue to limit public appearances by King Charles III and the Princess of Wales.
The king’s 73-year-old sister was admitted to the hospital as a precautionary measure and is expected to make a full recovery after she was injured Sunday while walking at her Gatcombe Park estate in southwestern England, Buckingham Palace said Monday. The cause of Anne’s injuries wasn’t clear, but doctors said her injuries were consistent with an impact from a horse’s head or legs.
“The king has been kept closely informed and joins the whole royal family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the princess for a speedy recovery,” the palace said in a statement.
The accident is just the latest health scare to hit the House of Windsor in recent months, with both Charles and Prince William’s wife, Kate, undergoing treatment for cancer. That has strained the royal family’s ability to keep up a full slate of public appearances, with Anne and Queen Camilla taking on more engagements as Charles and Kate took time off to focus on their health.
Anne, in particular, will be missed as she was the hardest working member of the royal family last year.
While she doesn’t have the status of Charles or the glamor of William and Kate, Anne is known for her businesslike approach to a busy schedule of public appearances. Anne took part in 457 royal engagements last year, compared with 425 for the king, 172 for William and 123 for Kate, according to statistics compiled by the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
As a result of her injuries, Anne was forced to cancel her appearance at a state dinner in the honor of the emperor of Japan on Tuesday, as well as a trip to Canada planned for later in the week.
“There will definitely be a sort of gap in the royal family lineup for the next few days,” royal expert Robert Hardman told the BBC. “But you know, obviously she’s got to get well.”
Anne has earned her status as a royal family stalwart through decades of work carrying out the awards presentations, ceremonial appearances and building dedications that make up the modern royal whirl.
As president of the British Olympic committee and a member of the International Olympic Committee, Anne was instrumental in helping London win its bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics and later brought her experience as an Olympic equestrian to the committee that organized the games.
Committee Chair Sebastian Coe praised her stamina, joking at one point that she had usually opened three hospitals by the time she showed up for the average midday board meeting.
“Crucially, she sees the world through the eyes of a competitor,” he said at the time.
Anne was herself a member of the British Olympic team in 1976, competing in the three-day equestrian event at the Montreal Games.
She remembers that experience fondly, even though she was thrown from her horse, Goodwill, when it became stuck in boggy mud. Anne remounted and finished the event, but later said she had almost no memory of the day.
The viability of a U.S.-backed proposal to wind down the 8-month-long war in Gaza has been cast into doubt after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to agree to a “partial” cease-fire deal that would not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar from families of hostages held by Hamas.
In an interview broadcast late Sunday on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative, pro-Netanyahu station, the Israeli leader said he was “prepared to make a partial deal — this is no secret — that will return to us some of the people,” referring to the roughly 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. “But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. I’m not willing to give up on that.”
Netanyahu’s comments did not deviate dramatically from what he has said previously about his terms for a deal. But they come at a sensitive time, as Israel and Hamas appear to be moving further apart over the latest cease-fire proposal, and they could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war.
Netanyahu’s comments stood in sharp contrast to the outlines of the deal detailed late last month by U.S. President Joe Biden, who framed the plan as an Israeli one and which some in Israel refer to as “Netanyahu’s deal.” His remarks could further strain Israel’s ties to the U.S., its top ally, which launched a major diplomatic push for the latest cease-fire proposal.
The three-phased plan would bring about the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But disputes and mistrust persist between Israel and Hamas over how the deal plays out.
Hamas has insisted it will not release the remaining hostages unless there’s a permanent cease-fire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. When Biden announced the latest proposal, he said it included both.
But Netanyahu says Israel is still committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and ensuring it can never again carry out an Oct. 7-style assault. A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where Hamas’ top leadership and much of its forces are still intact, would almost certainly leave the group in control of the territory and able to rearm.
In the interview, Netanyahu said the current phase of fighting is ending, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in what could open up a new war front. But he said that didn’t mean the war in Gaza was over.
On Monday, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant discussed tensions on the border with Lebanon during his trip to Washington with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to Biden. He echoed Netanyahu’s comments that the war in Gaza is transitioning to a new phase, which could impact other conflicts, including with Hezbollah.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Gallant that it was critical to avoid escalating the conflict in the Middle East and find a resolution that “allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes.”
Israel is close to dismantling the Hamas military brigades in the southern city of Rafah, and maintains “full control” over the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s border with Egypt, Israel’s military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said. Israel says the corridor is awash with tunnels that Hamas uses to smuggle weapons and other goods. Halevi said Israel’s control over the buffer zone will bring an end to that.
During the initial six-week phase of the proposed cease-fire, the sides are supposed to negotiate an agreement on the second phase, which Biden said would include the release of all remaining living hostages including male soldiers and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. The temporary cease-fire would become permanent.
Hamas appears concerned that Israel will resume the war once its most vulnerable hostages are returned. And even if it doesn’t, Israel could make demands in that stage of negotiations that were not part of the initial deal and are unacceptable to Hamas — and then resume the war when Hamas refuses them.
Netanyahu’s remarks reinforced that concern. After they were aired, Hamas said they represented “unmistakable confirmation of his rejection” of the U.S.-supported deal, which also received the backing of the United Nations’ Security Council.
In a statement late Sunday after Netanyahu’s lengthy TV interview, the Palestinian militant group said his position was “in contrast” to what the U.S. administration said Israel had approved. The group said its insistence that any deal should include a permanent cease-fire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip “was an inevitable necessity to block Netanyahu’s attempts of evasion, deception, and perpetuation of aggression and the war of extermination against our people.”
Netanyahu shot back and in a statement from his office said Hamas opposed a deal. He said Israel would not withdraw from Gaza until all 120 hostages are returned.
Hamas welcomed the broad outline of the U.S. plan but proposed what it said were “amendments.” During a visit to the region earlier this month, Blinken said some of Hamas’ demands were “workable” and some were not, without elaborating.
Netanyahu and Hamas both have incentives to keep the devastating war going despite the catastrophic toll it has had on civilians in Gaza and the mounting anger in Israel that the hostages have not been returned and Hamas is not defeated.
The families of hostages have grown increasingly impatient with Netanyahu, seeing his apparent reluctance to move ahead on a deal as tainted by political considerations. A group representing the families condemned Netanyahu’s remarks, which it viewed as an Israeli rejection of the latest cease-fire proposal.
“This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state’s moral duty toward its citizens,” it said, noting that it held Netanyahu responsible for returning all the captives.
Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu repeated his claim that a “dramatic drop” in arms shipments from the U.S. was hindering the war effort. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Monday that he doesn’t understand Netanyahu’s comments and that Biden has delayed only one shipment of heavy bombs over concerns about heavy civilian casualties.
Daniel Barnickel with Florida’s Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue explains rip current dangers and stresses the importance of swimming near lifeguard stations. (AP Video/ Cody Jackson)
Stinging jellyfish, rays with their whip-like tails and sharks on the hunt are some ocean hazards that might typically worry beachgoers. But rip currents are the greatest danger and account for the most beach rescues every year.
Six people drowned in rip currents over a recent two-day period in Florida, including a couple vacationing on Hutchinson Island from Pennsylvania with their six children and three young men on a Panhandle holiday from Alabama, officials say.
About 100 people drown from rip currents along U.S. beaches each year, according to the United States Lifesaving Association. And more than 80 percent of beach rescues annually involve rip currents.
The National Weather Service lists 16 known deaths so far in 2024 from rip currents in U.S. waters, including the Florida fatalities as well as eight deaths in Puerto Rico and two in Texas.
Here are some things to know about rip currents:
What is a rip current?
Rip currents are narrow columns of water flowing rapidly away from the beach, like a swift stream within the ocean. They don’t pull swimmers under water, but can carry them out a fair distance from shore.
Low spots along the beach, or areas near jetties or piers, are often where rip currents form. They can be connected to stormy weather but also sometimes occur during sunny days. They can be hard to detect because the surface water often appears calm.
The current can flow as swiftly as eight feet per second (3.2 meters per second), faster than even a strong swimmer can overcome, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“If you’re caught in one and you try to swim straight in, you’re not going to be able to,” said Daniel Barnickel of Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue.
How can someone escape a rip current?
The most frequent advice from beach rescue teams and weather forecasters is to not panic and look for a chance to swim parallel to the shore until the swimmer is out of the rip current’s grip. It will eventually dissipate but might leave the swimmer out in deeper water.
It’s nearly impossible to fight the current directly. Many swimmers who get in trouble tire themselves out trying to get back to the beach, lifeguards say. If possible, it’s best to swim near a lifeguard station.
“Most of our rip current rescues happen outside the guarded areas because we’re not there to prevent it from happening,” Barnickel said.
What warning systems exist for rip currents?
Flags with different colors are used to warn beachgoers of various hazards.
Three flags warn of surf and rip current conditions. Red means a high hazard, yellow means a moderate threat and green means low danger. There’s also purple for dangerous sea life, like jellyfish, and double red when a beach is closed for any reason.
The National Weather Service posts rip current risks on its websites around the coasts and has developed a computer model that can predict when conditions are favorable for their formation up to six days in advance for the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Guam.
“Before this, forecasters were manually predicting rip currents on a large section of the ocean twice a day and only a day or two into the future. The earlier prediction has potential to substantially increase awareness and reduce drownings,” said Gregory Dusek, a NOAA scientist who developed the model, in a post on the agency’s website.
Taylor Swift — once again — accidentally swallowed a bug on stage during her Eras Tour concert.
The 34-year-old singer was belting out the chorus to the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” on Sunday night when she accidentally choked on a critter.
Swift stopped singing momentarily after the bug flew into her mouth, telling the audience, “I just swallowed a bug, keep singing.”
Although the 14-time Grammy winner barely missed a beat, she leaned over and began coughing during a pause in the song.
Taylor Swift accidentally swallowed a bug during her third Eras Tour concert in London over the weekend.
The “Cruel Summer singer, who stepped away from her microphone, was seen clutching her throat while trying to get it out of her system.
However, once the rest of the chorus began, Swift hopped right back on the microphone as if nothing happened.
The pop star found herself in the same situation around this time last year while performing at Soldier Field in Chicago.
The pop star, 34, was in the middle of singing “All Too Well” when the incident happened.
During her “Evermore” set, the singer alerted fans that she “swallowed a bug” and needed to take a minute.
“Oh, delicious,” she said with a laugh. “Oh, God. Is there any chance that none of you saw that?”
After a cough attack, the singer joked, “So I’m just gonna try not to do as many of those. This is gonna happen again tonight. There’s so many bugs. There’s a thousand of them. Anyway, this has been fun.”
While Swift was able to avoid the bugs during her last year on tour, they finally got the best of her during her final show in London.
Swift dealt with a similar incident in June 2023 during her concert in Chicago. Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
However, the incident was only one small mishap during her otherwise flawless — and unexpected — final show in England.
The hitmaker shocked the crowd when she brought boyfriend Travis Kelce on stage for a short skit amid the “Tortured Poet’s Department” set.
The crowd erupted when they realized Kelce, 34, was amongst Swift’s dancers dressed in a custom tuxedo and top hat.
He then scooped her up in his arms and carried her across the stage, where the other dancers helped her out of her gown and into a white sparkling bralette and high-waisted bottoms.
The hitmaker shocked fans when Travis Kelce made a cameo during the “Tortured Poet’s Department” set. Getty Images
Swift subtly blew the NFL star a kiss as she turned to sing “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.”
On Monday, the singer reflected on the now-viral moment while recapping the “surreal” shows in her old stomping grounds.
“I’m still cracking up/swooning over @killatrav’s Eras Tour debut 🥰 Never going to forget these shows,” she captioned various photos and videos, three of which featured Kelce.
Tamayo Perry acted in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film
Pirates of the Caribbean actor Tamayo Perry has died after being attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii.
The 49-year-old died on Sunday afternoon, Honolulu’s emergency services confirmed in a press conference.
Emergency services were called to Malaekahana Beach at around 13:00 local time.
But Perry, who was also a lifeguard, was pronounced dead by paramedics after being brought to shore by jet ski.
Perry portrayed one of the buccaneers in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth film in the franchise.
The 2011 film, which follows Johnny Depp as eccentric pirate Captain Jack Sparrow, also stars Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush.
Perry also had roles in Lost, Hawaii Five-0, Blue Crush and Charlie’s Angels sequel Full Throttle, and appeared in a Coca-Cola advert.
Tamayo Perry was a talented surfer
Born on the east side of Oahu, Perry had been surfing professionally for over a decade.
In a blurb on the Oahu Surfing Experience, where he was an instructor, he described his experiences surfing “the world’s deadliest wave”.
“This small time island boy can bang it out with the world’s best,” he wrote.
He also said that several years ago, he was involved in “a freak accident that turned into a near-fatal experience”.
Perry didn’t elaborate on what the incident had involved, but said it happened because of someone else’s “lack of awareness”.
The real reasons why sharks attack humans
President Joe Biden, 81, and former president Donald Trump, 78, are the two oldest major party candidates for the US presidency.
For Joe Biden and Donald Trump – the two oldest candidates ever to seek the US presidency – age is an election issue neither can escape.
On Thursday, the current Democratic president, 81, and his Republican predecessor, 78, will face off in Atlanta, Georgia, for the first of two debates ahead of November’s vote, offering Americans a rare, split-screen comparison of the two men’s physical and mental strength.
For 90 minutes, under the glare of the high-definition cameras, President Biden and former President Trump — who remain nearly tied in national opinion polls — will spar on issues ranging from the economy and foreign wars to immigration and the future of democracy. One slip-up, stumble or verbal miscue could cement concerns about their advanced age, with the potential for reshaping an already tight presidential race as voters begin to pay attention.
But delivering a vigorous performance may be more critical for Mr Biden, the nation’s oldest president who has been dogged by questions about his stamina and mental fitness since he took office.
“There’s no hiding the fact that Biden’s 81, there’s no hiding the fact that Trump’s basically the same age,” said Jim Messina, a Democratic strategist who managed Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. “It’s not a contest of age, it’s a contest of policy and character.”
“Part of what needs to happen on Thursday night is just to begin the conversation about the differences between them,” Mr Messina said.
For Joe Biden and Donald Trump – the two oldest candidates ever to seek the US presidency – age is an election issue neither can escape.
On Thursday, the current Democratic president, 81, and his Republican predecessor, 78, will face off in Atlanta, Georgia, for the first of two debates ahead of November’s vote, offering Americans a rare, split-screen comparison of the two men’s physical and mental strength.
For 90 minutes, under the glare of the high-definition cameras, President Biden and former President Trump — who remain nearly tied in national opinion polls — will spar on issues ranging from the economy and foreign wars to immigration and the future of democracy. One slip-up, stumble or verbal miscue could cement concerns about their advanced age, with the potential for reshaping an already tight presidential race as voters begin to pay attention.
But delivering a vigorous performance may be more critical for Mr Biden, the nation’s oldest president who has been dogged by questions about his stamina and mental fitness since he took office.
“There’s no hiding the fact that Biden’s 81, there’s no hiding the fact that Trump’s basically the same age,” said Jim Messina, a Democratic strategist who managed Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign. “It’s not a contest of age, it’s a contest of policy and character.”
“Part of what needs to happen on Thursday night is just to begin the conversation about the differences between them,” Mr Messina said.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden disembark the Marine One helicopter during a D-Day event in France.
Some Democrats have publicly and privately expressed reservations about the president’s age, but they rallied around him in February, when justice department special counsel Robert Hur released his investigation into Mr Biden’s handling of classified documents after his term as vice-president.
The report did not recommend prosecuting him, but Mr Hur’s description of the president as an an “elderly man with a poor memory” made headlines.
But when Mr Biden gave his annual State of the Union address a few weeks later, pundits gave him high marks for an energetically delivered speech.
“The president always delivers in big moments,” Congressman Ro Khanna, a Biden campaign surrogate, told NBC News last week. “He did in the State of the Union. And people are going to see the difference.”
The Biden campaign is hoping Thursday’s debate will be another moment in which the president demonstrates he can endure the rigours of governing, drawing a sharp contrast with Trump on policy and temperament.
Ahead of the debate, Donald Trump suggested his opponent could exceed expectations, telling the All-In podcast in a 20 June appearance that he assumed Mr Biden was “going to be somebody [who] will be a worthy debater”.
“I don’t want to underestimate him,” he added. Trump has separately spread unsubstantiated claims that the president will take performance-enhancing drugs to put in a good performance, which the Biden campaign has described as “desperate lies”.
While the scrutiny around Trump’s age is not as intense, the former president has faced questions about his own fitness for office.
At a January rally, Trump appeared to confuse his Republican primary rival, Nikki Haley, with former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for several minutes during his speech.
He claimed, incorrectly, that Ms Haley had been “in charge of security” at the time of the 6 January attack on Congress. Ms Haley, Trump’s former UN ambassador, called for “mental competency tests” for politicians over 75 during her own unsuccessful presidential run.
Trump’s personal physician issued a statement in November attesting that his “cognitive exams were exceptional”.
At a Saturday rally in Pennsylvania, Trump complained of a double standard between the media’s treatment of himself and Mr Biden.
“If I say one word slightly out, they say, ‘He’s cognitively impaired,’” Trump told supporters. “Whereas Biden can run into walls. He can fall off the stage. He can fall up the stairs. He falls up.”
Both campaigns have sought to shape the narrative around their opposing candidate through social media, amplifying video snippets of verbal gaffes, memes and in some cases, deceptively edited footage.
More recently, Republicans and rightwing media have intensified attacks on Mr Biden’s mental competence, circulating a flurry of edited video clips including one of the president appearing to wander off during the G7 summit of world leaders in Italy. The unedited footage showed Mr Biden was walking to greet paratroopers during a skydiving demonstration.
Days later, conservative critics shared footage online of the president at a Los Angeles fundraiser, standing on stage before Barack Obama reaches for his arm and they walk off stage together. Donald Trump and other Republicans claimed it was evidence that Mr Biden had frozen up and had to be led off stage. But allies of the president pointed to longer clips that appeared to show Mr Biden smiling and taking in the crowd’s applause.
The Biden campaign has responded with a rapid response effort on social media, sharing content that appears to similarly raise questions about Trump’s mental acuity. They’ve posted clips of Trump appearing to walk off stage before he is supposed to and being redirected by others including former Vice-President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Two people are said to have jumped to their death from the top floors of the burning eight-storey building on Monday.
At least eight people are dead after a fire in an office building in the city of Fryazino outside Moscow on Monday, according to Russian emergency services.
Two people jumped to their death from the top floors of the burning eight-storey former Russian electronics research institute on Monday and at least six others died in the fire, the state-run TASS news agency reported.
More than 130 firefighters and 50 vehicles tackled the flames, which had spread from the fifth floor to the seventh, according to TASS.
Pic: Reuters/Governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov via Telegram
Black smoke billowed from the building outside Moscow and flames roared up its walls.
Some people were trapped on the top floors but were unable to escape.
A video released by the Russian Emergency Ministry showed fire engines and helicopters battling the fire which spread across 5,000sq m.
The interior structures of the building collapsed, the ministry said, and an explosion was heard as gas cannisters exploded in the flames.
Pic: Reuters/Governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov via Telegram
“The extinguishing operation is complicated by the presence of gas-air mix canisters inside the building,” said the press office to TASS news agency.
The building is located about 15.5 miles (25km) northeast of the capital and is shared by a number of different companies.
The British star released her sixth album, Brat, earlier in June – but was kept off the top spot in the UK by Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department. Charli XCX is engaged to The 1975’s drummer. Swift was linked to the band’s singer Matt Healy before her relationship with Travis Kelce.
Charli XCX said she “will not tolerate” the chants. Pic: Ian West/PA
Singer Charli XCX has warned her fans to stop chanting “Taylor is dead” at her gigs.
The British star shared a statement on social media following reports that members of the audience were shouting about Taylor Swift at a gig in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“Can the people who do this please stop. Online or at my shows,” Charli wrote after the chanting was highlighted by one of her fans.
Taylor Swift has just performed three Eras tour shows at Wembley. Pic: Ian West/PA
She added: “It is the opposite of what I want and it disturbs me that anyone would think there is room for this in this community.
“I will not tolerate it.”
It came after a fan tagged the star in an Instagram message that said: “Your Brazilian fans have been showing toxic behaviour by screaming ‘Taylor is dead!’ in your concerts and events related to you.”
Charli released her sixth album, Brat, earlier in June – but was kept off the top spot in the UK by Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, which has charted at number one for seven non-consecutive weeks since its release in April.
The British singer, who supported Swift on her Reputation tour in 2018, is also engaged to The 1975 drummer George Daniel.
The US star was previously linked to the band’s frontman Matt Healy in 2023, before her relationship with current partner Travis Kelce.
Six construction workers died after the vessel lost power, veered off course and collided with a supporting column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.
The Dali left Baltimore on Monday. Pic: AP
A cargo ship that crashed into a US bridge and caused it to collapse – killing six people – has left Baltimore after undergoing repairs.
The Dali sailed out of the city on Monday morning, local time, heading for Virginia, nearly three months after hitting a supporting column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Six construction workers died after the collision, which investigators have said was caused by a power failure.
The vessel was refloated and guided back to port in May after spending two months stuck in the wreckage with a massive steel truss draped across its damaged bow.
A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found the ship experienced two power outages in the hours before it left the Port of Baltimore.
It lost power again and veered off course before crashing into the bridge.
The NTSB is still investigating what caused the electrical failures while a criminal investigation has been launched by the FBI.
The ship’s crew, who had been forced to stay in the country afterwards, have been allowed to leave, provided they were available to give evidence, thanks to an agreement confirmed by a federal judge.
Earlier on Monday, four tugboats helped the 984ft (300m) craft get moving shortly before 8.30am.
The Dali is scheduled to go directly to Virginia International Gateway where around 1,500 cargo containers will be offloaded to reduce draft, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
From there, the vessel is scheduled to sail for Virginia’s Norfolk International Terminal for further salvage and repairs from damage caused during the bridge collapse.
The Dali was sailing under its own power with a full crew of 22 and six salvage experts, according to the coast guard, which is overseeing the voyage and providing a 500-yard (457m) safety zone around it.
Eight Palestinians were killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a training college near Gaza City being used to distribute aid, Palestinian witnesses said, as Israeli tanks pushed further into the southern city of Rafah.
The strike hit part of a vocational college run by the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA that is now providing aid to displaced families, the witnesses said.
“Some people were coming to receive coupons and others had been displaced from their houses and they were sheltering here. Some were filling up water, others were receiving coupons, and suddenly we heard something falling. We ran away, those who were carrying water let it spill,” said Mohammed Tafesh, one of the witnesses.
A Reuters photographer saw a low-rise building completely demolished and bodies wrapped in blankets laid out beside the road, waiting to be taken away.
“We pulled out martyrs (from beneath the rubble), one who used to sell cold drinks and another who used to sell pastries and others who distributed or received coupons,” Tafesh said. “There are about four or five martyrs and 10 injured. Thank God, the condition of the injured is good.”
The Israeli military said the site, which it said had served in the past as a UNRWA headquarters, has been used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. It added that precautionary measures were taken before the strike to reduce the risk of harming civilians.
“This morning (Sunday), IAF fighter jets directed by IDF and ISA intelligence struck terrorist infrastructure in which Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists were operating,” the military said in a statement.
“This is another example of Hamas’ systematic exploitation of civilian infrastructure and the civilian population as a human shield for its terrorist activities,” it added.
Hamas denies Israeli accusations that it uses civilians as human shields or civilian facilities for military purposes.
Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications, said the agency was looking into details of the reported attack before providing more information.
“Since the beginning of the war, we have recorded that nearly 190 of our buildings have been hit. This is the vast majority of our buildings in Gaza,” she said. A total of 193 UNRWA team members have been killed in the conflict, she added.
Just after midnight, an Israeli air strike hit a clinic in Gaza City, killing the director of ambulance and emergency services at the territory’s health ministry, Hani Al-Jaafarwi, and another medical staffer, Hamas media said. There was no immediate Israeli comment.
Gaza City, June 23, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa Purchase Licensing Rights
‘INTENSE PHASE’ ENDING
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the phase of intense fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip would end “very soon” but that the war would not end until the Islamist group no longer controls the Palestinian enclave.
“After the intense phase is finished, we will have the possibility to move part of the forces north. And we will do this,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14.
Israel’s fighting against Iran-backed Hezbollah has escalated on the northern border with Lebanon, where many Israeli towns have been evacuated. Netanyahu said a northern deployment would allow residents to come home.
More than eight months into Israel’s war in the Hamas-administered Palestinian enclave, its advance is focused on the two areas its forces have yet to seize – Rafah on Gaza’s southern tip and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the centre.
Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
The Israeli offensive in retaliation has killed almost 37,600 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and has left Gaza in ruins.
Residents said Israeli tanks had advanced to the edge of the Mawasi displaced persons’ camp in the northwest of Rafah in fierce fighting with Hamas-led fighters, part of a push into western and northern Rafah during which they had blown up dozens of houses in recent days.
“The fighting with the resistance has been intense. The occupation forces are overlooking the Mawasi area now, which forced families there to head for Khan Younis,” said one resident, who asked not to be named, on a chat app.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that he welcomed his third child with Neuralink director Shivon Zilis earlier this year — making the tech mogul a father to at least 12 children.
Half of the $210-billion-man’s kids were born in the past five years.
His children include his three with Zillis, three with Canadian popstar Grimes and five with his ex-wife Justine Wilson.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that he welcomed his 12th into the world earlier this year. He has three with Canadian pop star Grimes (pictured right). @WalterIsaacson/X
Musk, 52, a vocal “pronatalist” who has long claimed that the population is in decline and previously joked that he’s, “Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis.”
Although world fertility rates are declining, the UN projects that the global population will hit 10 billion by the end of the century.
Here’s everything to know about the very modern family started by the world’s second wealthiest man.
Justine Wilson – Mother of to Griffin, Vivian, Kai, Saxon, Damian and Nevada
Musk and his first wife, Justine Wilson, had twins Griffin and Vivian in 2004 after the couple had a son named Nevada in 2002 who died at just 10 weeks old from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
While Musk has rarely mentioned his loss, he expressed his sympathy in an email chain with the father of an 18-year-old boy who died in a fiery Tesla crash in 2018.
His children include his three with Zillis, three with Canadian popstar Grimes and five with his ex-wife Justine Wilson. Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
“There is nothing worse than losing a child,” Musk wrote, according to Bloomberg.
“My firstborn son died in my arms. I felt his heartbeat.”
Musk’s child Vivian, came out as transgender in 2022 and legally changed her name from Xavier Musk, including taking her mother’s last name.
Musk, 52, a vocal “pronatalist” who has long claimed that the population is in decline and previously joked that he’s, “Doing my best to help the underpopulation crisis.” @WalterIsaacson/X
In court, Vivian said she “no longer lives with or wishes to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form.”
Five years after their twins were born, the couple had triplet boys, Kai, Saxon and Damian, in 2006 using in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Musk and Wilson divorced in 2008.
Following his divorce from Wilson, Musk married actor Talulah Riley in 2010.
The pair divorced in 2012, remarried in 2013 and divorced for a final time in 2016.
The actor and tech guru never had children together.
Grimes – Mother to X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno
Musk and the “Oblivion” singer’s first son, X Æ A-Xii, was born in May 2020.
In December 2021, the couple quietly welcomed their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl via surrogate.
Their son, originally named X Æ A-12, had to have his name legally changed to follow California laws on birth certificates, though his parents simply refer to him as “X.”
His name is pronounced “X Ash A Twelve,” Musk explained on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast just after his birth, giving props to Grimes for coming up with the majority of the name.
“My partner’s the one that mostly came up with the name,” he said.
“It’s just X, the letter X, and then the ‘Æ’ is like pronounced, ‘Ash,’ and then, ‘A-12’ is my contribution.”
The couple split in September 2021 before getting back together around the time of the birth of their daughter, Exa Dark Sideræl, whose name is pronounced “Sigh-deer-ee-el,” but has been given the nickname “Y.”
This past September it was confirmed that the pair had a third child, a boy named Techno Mechanicus, whom they nicknamed “Tau.”
Grimes, whose real name is Claire Elise Boucher, spoke of their third child in an X post, writing, in part, “I wish I could show u how cute little Techno is but my priority rn is keeping my babies out of the public eye.”
Firefighters across Greece have been battling forest fires over the weekend, struggling to contain them as gale force winds hit the country’s islands and mainland.
The fire on Hydra. Pic: Greece Seasonal Firefighters
Thirteen people have been arrested in Greece after fireworks launched from a yacht allegedly started a forest fire.
On the island of Hydra, the only pine forest caught fire after fireworks from a boat went astray, according to the local fire service.
Emergency services were able to get the blaze in the remote Bisti area under control on Saturday.
As there were no roads to the affected area, firefighters had to access it by sea and air.
The fire brigade’s crime division later arrested the 13 yacht crew members and passengers.
“We are outraged,” Hydra mayor George Koukoudakis told state TV.
“If it’s true, it is something that really saddens me.”
Sunday was supposed to be the date Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo would swim in the Seine to prove the water was clean enough for Olympic athletes.
The River Seine in Paris. File pic: AP
Parisians have threatened to poo in the River Seine in a protest ahead of the Olympics.
People angry at the expense of cleaning up the river have rallied under the hashtag #JeChieDansLaSeineLe23Juin, which translates as “I shit in the Seine on 23 June”.
Sunday was supposed to be the date Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo would swim in the Seine to prove the water was clean enough for Olympic athletes – but she delayed the dip until after the French elections in July.
President Emmanuel Macron has also promised to swim in the Seine before the Games, but has not said when.
A website has been set up with the slogan: “They have plunged us into shit, it’s their turn to plunge into our shit.”
The anonymous programmer behind the website told news outlet Actu Paris why people are angry.
“The problem is that all the resources that have been invested have not been to resolve all the social problems we have at the moment,” he said.
“We have the feeling of being abandoned. We see where their priority was.”
More than €1.4bn (£1.2bn) has been spent on trying to make the water safe enough to swim in, with triathlon and open water swimming events scheduled to take place in the river.
A report published on Friday showed the water was still too dirty to swim in, just over five weeks out from the first triathlon event.
Water samples showed high rates of two kinds of faecal bacteria, including E.coli, and did not meet the standards set for the Games, Paris region prefect Marc Guillaume said.
A synagogue and an Orthodox church were targeted along with a traffic police post, just three months after 145 people were killed at a concert hall near Moscow.
At least 15 police officers have been killed after gunmen opened fire in a series of shootings in Russia’s Dagestan, the regional governor has said.
The attacks targeted a synagogue and an Orthodox church in Derbent as well as a traffic police post later in Makhachkala.
One national guard officer and two civilians – one reportedly a priest – were also killed.
The Muftiate of Dagestan, a Muslim administrative body, said 25 people were injured.
Six of the gunmen have reportedly been shot dead, local authorities said.
“This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country,” Sergei Melikov, governor of the Dagestan region, said in a video published early on Monday on the Telegram messaging app.
Three days of mourning have been declared in the predominantly Muslim region following the attacks, which come amid Russia’s two-year war in Ukraine.
The scene in Derbent. Pic: BNO News
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which Russia’s national anti-terrorism committee blamed on “terrorists”.
Russia’s state media cited law enforcement as saying two sons of the head of central Dagestan’s Sergokala district were among the attackers and had been detained by investigators.
The search for the gunmen would continue until all of them are identified, Mr Melikov said.
The synagogue and church were both set on fire before the attackers reportedly fled in a car, according to authorities.
Footage of a reported shootout between gunmen and police in Makhachkala
There was later an exchange of gunfire at a police post in Makhachkala, about 125km (75 miles) to the north along the Caspian Sea coast, Reuters added.
It comes three months after 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State on a concert hall near Moscow – Russia’s worst such attack in years.
Gracie Abrams also joined Swift for a surprise duet of their song ‘Us’ in the weekend’s third and final London show.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Taylor Swift performed at the third and final night of the Eras tour‘s London stop on Sunday evening, during which a surprise guest joined her on stage: her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Kelce, dressed in a tailcoat and top hat, literally swept the pop star off her feet during the “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” transition of Swift’s show at Wembley Stadium. He then performed a short routine alongside Swift’s dancers, who were wearing the same attire as Kelce.
🚨| TRAVIS KELCE’S FULL SURPRISE APPEARANCE FOR “I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART” AT TODAY’S SHOW! #LONDONTSTHEERASTOUR
That did not mark the end of the special guests during the show, as Swift was soon joined by her friend (and frequent opening act) Gracie Abrams, who joined her for a duet of their song “Us” during the acoustic surprise-songs segment.
“Us” is a song that Swift and Abrams wrote and sang together for the latter artist’s new album, “The Secret of Us,” which came out Friday. Swift began the acoustic segment by singing a substantial part of the number on her own, before taking a pause as Abrams strolled down the long ramp to the B-stage. Swift then talked about the compressed songwriting session that had them coming up with the tune together, before restarting it as a full-on joint performance, with Abrams playing piano while Swift strummed an acoustic guitar.
After Abrams’ departure, Swift then did the other surprise song of the night, an acoustic version of the “1989” favorite “Out of the Woods,” which was briefly mashed up at the end with another track from that album, “Clean.”
Although he didn’t count as an official special guest, Paul McCartney became a trending topic on X when he was spotted and filmed dancing to “But Daddy I Love Him!” on the floor of the arena.
🚨| Paul McCartney having the time of his life dancing along to “But Daddy I Love Him” as Taylor Swift performs live at today’s show! #LondonTSTheErasTour
Sunday night marks the last of three shows at Wembley Stadium, though Swift will return to Wembley Stadium in August for five more shows to end the European leg of the Eras tour.
At her first London show on Friday night, Swift took a selfie with Prince William, who celebrated his 42nd birthday at the concert alongside children George and Charlotte.
Several celebrities, including Hugh Grant, Tom Cruise, Liam Hemsworth, Rachel Zegler, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, attended Swift’s second date of her London stop on Saturday night.
A boy with severe epilepsy has become the first patient in the world to trial a new device fitted in their skull to control seizures.
The neurostimulator, which sends electrical signals deep into his brain, has reduced Oran Knowlson’s daytime seizures by 80%.
His mother, Justine, told the BBC he was happier and had a “much better quality of life”.
The surgery was carried out in October as part of a trial at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London when Oran – who is now 13 – was 12.
Oran, from Somerset, has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a treatment-resistant form of epilepsy which he developed at the age of three.
Since then he has suffered several daily seizures ranging from two dozen to hundreds.
When we first spoke to Oran’s mum last autumn, prior to surgery, she explained how Oran’s epilepsy dominated his life: “It has robbed him of all of his childhood.”
She told us Oran had a range of different seizures, including those where he fell to the ground, shook violently, and lost consciousness.
She said at times he would stop breathing and require emergency medication to resuscitate him.
Oran has autism and ADHD, but Justine says his epilepsy is by far the biggest hurdle: “I had a fairly bright three-year-old, and within a few months of his seizures commencing he deteriorated rapidly, and lost a lot of skills.”
Oran is part of the CADET project – a series of trials assessing the safety and effectiveness of deep brain stimulation for severe epilepsy.
The partnership involves Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London, King’s College Hospital and the University of Oxford.
The Picostim neurotransmitter is made by UK company Amber Therapeutics.
How it works
Epilepsy seizures are triggered by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain.
The device, which emits a constant pulse of current, aims to block or disrupt the abnormal signals.
Before the operation, Justine told us: “I want him to find some of himself again through the haze of seizures. I’d like to get my boy back.”
The surgery, which lasted around eight hours, took place in October 2023.
The team, led by consultant paediatric neurosurgeon Martin Tisdall, inserted two electrodes deep into Oran’s brain until they reached the thalamus, a key relay station for neuronal information.
The margin of error for the lead placement was less than a millimetre.
The ends of the leads were connected to the neurostimulator, a 3.5cm square and 0.6cm thick device which was placed in a gap in Oran’s skull where the bone had been removed.
The neurostimulator was then screwed into the surrounding skull, to anchor it in place.
Deep brain stimulation has been tried before for childhood epilepsy, but until now neurostimulators were placed in the chest, with wires running up to the brain.
Martin Tisdall told the BBC: “This study is hopefully going to allow us to identify whether deep brain stimulation is an effective treatment for this severe type of epilepsy and is also looking at a new type of device, which is particularly useful in children because the implant is in the skull and not in the chest.
“We hope this will reduce the potential complications.”
That includes reducing the risk of infections after the surgery, and the device failing.
Oran’s wireless headphones can recharge the device
Oran was given a month to recover from the operation before the neurostimulator was turned on.
When it is on, Oran cannot feel it. And he can recharge the device every day via wireless headphones, while getting on with things that he enjoys, like watching TV.
We visited Oran and his family seven months post-op to see how they were getting on. Justine told us there had been a massive improvement in Oran’s epilepsy: “He is more alert and with no drop seizures during the day.”
His night-time seizures are also “shorter and less severe”.
“I’m definitely getting him back slowly,” she said.
Martin Tisdall said: “We are delighted that Oran and his family have seen such a huge benefit from the treatment and that it has dramatically improved his seizures and quality of life.”
Oran is now having riding lessons, which he clearly enjoys.
Although a nurse is on hand with oxygen, and one of his teachers is always nearby just in case, neither has been needed so far.
As part of the trial, three more children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome will be fitted with the deep brain neurostimulator.
The daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise celebrated getting her diploma from LaGuardia High School on Friday with her mom by her side.
In photos and video obtained by Page Six, she could be seen ringing in the milestone moment by snapping pics with Holmes and a friend in New York City, where she resides.
The teen was also photographed animatedly hugging another recent graduate.
Suri Cruise graduated LaGuardia High School Friday. BrosNYC / BACKGRIDIn photos and video obtained by Page Six, she could be seen hugging friends and her mom, Katie Holmes. BrosNYC / BACKGRIDShe also snapped several photos with her mom, who appeared proud of her daughter’s accomplishment. BrosNYC / BACKGRID
Suri, 18, looked thrilled as she posed with Holmes, 45, for photos outside a brick building before heading into the United Palace Theatre, located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
She rocked a dainty, white dress under her red graduation robe, and paired the ensemble with white sandals that had floral embellishments on them. Her brunette hair was styled down.
Holmes, meanwhile, opted for a matching set that consisted of light yellow pleated pants and a collared long-sleeve shirt.
She layered her red graduation robe over the dress. BrosNYC / BACKGRIDShe paired her outfit with white sandals decorated with floral embellishments. BrosNYC / BACKGRID
Suri’s father, Tom, was not present at the special event, as they have been estranged for most of her life. He instead attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in London.
It was even revealed in the teen’s graduation ceremony pamphlet that she goes by “Suri Noelle” and seemingly does not use her famous dad’s last name.
Suri is expected to attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in the fall.
On Tuesday night, she looked all grown up as she headed to senior prom with her friends and a brunette date, who was seen holding her by her waist.
A view shows the headquarters of Russia’s Ministry of Defence in Moscow, Russia September 10, 2022. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Russia said on Sunday that the United States was responsible for a Ukrainian attack on the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula with five U.S.-supplied missiles that killed four people, including two children, and injured 151 more.
The Russian Defence Ministry said four of the U.S.-delivered Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, equipped with cluster warheads, were shot down by air defence systems and the ammunition of a fifth had detonated in mid-air.
Footage on Russian state television showed people running from a beach and some people being carried off on sun loungers.
Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said missile fragments had fallen just after noon near a beach on the north side of the city of Sevastopol where locals were on holiday.
The incident generated a furious reaction among Russian public figures.
The Defence ministry said U.S. specialists had set the missiles’ flight coordinates on the basis of information from U.S. spy satellites, meaning Washington was directly responsible.
“Responsibility for the deliberate missile attack on the civilians of Sevastopol is borne above all by Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and by the Kyiv regime, from whose territory this strike was carried out,” the ministry said.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and now views the Black Sea peninsula it as an integral part of its territory, though most of the world considers it still part of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in what he cast as a defensive move against a hostile and aggressive West. Ukraine and the West say Russia is waging an imperial-style war.
The United States began supplying Ukraine with longer range ATACMS missiles, which have a 300-kilometre (186-mile) range, earlier this year.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield reports from either side.
A view shows a shooting scene on the street of Makhachkala in southern Russia, June 23, 2024, in this still image obtained from a video. VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
Gunmen opened fire at a synagogue, an Orthodox church and a police post in attacks across two cities in Russia’s North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, killing an Orthodox priest and multiple police officers, the region’s head said.
“This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country,” Sergei Melikov, governor of the Dagestan region, said in a video published early on Monday on the Telegram messaging app.
Melikov said that more than 15 police officers “fell victim” to what he said was a “terrorist attack”,” but he did not specify how many of the police were killed and how many were injured. Russia’s Interfax agency reported that at least 15 police officers were killed.
The simultaneous attacks across the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent came three months after 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State on a concert hall near Moscow, Russia’s worst terrorist attack in years.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in the volatile North Caucasus region.
“We understand who is behind the organisation of the terrorist attacks and what goal they pursued,” Melikov said, without disclosing further details.
Russia’s state media cited law enforcement as saying that among the attackers had been two sons of the head of central Dagestan’s Sergokala district, who had been detained by investigators.
Melikov said that among the dead, in addition to the police officers, were several civilians, including an Orthodox priest who worked in Derbent for more than 40 years. A spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church said on Telegram that the priest, Nikolai Kotelnikov, was “brutally murdered”.
Six of the gunmen were shot and killed as the incidents unfolded, Melikov said. Russian state news agencies cited the National Anti-Terrorist Committee as saying that five of the gunmen had been killed.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports on how many people or gunmen were killed in the attacks. DAYS OF MOURNING
June 24-26 have been declared days of mourning in Dagestan, Melikov said, with flags lowered to half-staff and all entertainment events cancelled.
The restive region was in the 2000s hit by an Islamist insurgency spilling over from neighbouring Chechnya, with Russian security forces moving aggressively to combat extremists in the region.
In recent years, attacks had become rarer, with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) saying in 2017 that it had defeated the insurgency in the region.
The agencies reported exchanges of gunfire in the centre of Makhachkala. They cited the interior ministry as saying that exits from the Caspian Sea port of around 600,000 had been closed, and that conspirators who were still at large may yet attempt to flee the city.
About 125 kms (75 miles) south of Makhachkala, gunmen attacked a synagogue and a church in Derbent, home to an ancient Jewish community and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Authorities were quoted as saying that both the synagogue and church were ablaze, and that two attackers had been killed.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. June 18, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Purchase Licensing Rights
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in a podcast released on Thursday said that students graduating from U.S. colleges should get a green card to stay in the country, a proposal that runs counter to his hardline immigration stance.
During the All-In podcast hosted by Silicon Valley tech investors, angel investor Jason Calacanis told Trump that the U.S. needs to be able to legally retain more high-skilled workers, a major issue for the tech industry.
“Can you please promise us you will give us more ability to import the best and brightest around the world to America?” Calacanis said.
“I do promise,” Trump said. “But I happen to agree, otherwise I wouldn’t promise… You graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma a green card to be able to stay in this country and that includes junior colleges too.”
A green card, also known as a permanent resident card, allows individuals the right to live and work permanently in the United States and is a step towards citizenship.
It was not clear if Trump was referring to all foreigners, including those who came to the United States illegally or overstayed their visas, or only those people on student visas.
Asked for comment, the Trump campaign said in a statement that only after “the most aggressive vetting process in U.S. history” would “the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America” be able to stay.
The Biden campaign cast doubt on whether Trump would in fact enact the proposal he outlined on Thursday, given the hardline immigration stances he adopted during his 2017 to 2021 term.
“Every chance Donald Trump got in office, he made it his mission to rip apart immigrant families for his own political gain,” said Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz.
“Trump’s empty promise is both a lie and an insult, especially to the countless people that have been permanently damaged by his first-term in office.”
Immigration advocates were also unconvinced by Trump’s proposal.
“I almost have to laugh because his administration adopted multiple policies aiming to restrict student visas and make it harder for people to stay in the country after graduating,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council.
During his presidency, Trump’s administration took steps aimed at curbing U.S. companies’ use of skilled foreign workers on H-1B visas, a key visa option for international students seeking to remain in the United States.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration tried to force tens of thousands of foreign students to leave the country if their schools held all classes online. Faced with lawsuits and strong opposition from colleges and universities, the administration later rescinded the order.
Trump has vowed a wide-ranging crackdown if reelected in the November election against Democrat Joe Biden, and has lambasted Biden’s efforts to curb the record number of migrants crossing into the U.S. illegally.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te visits soldiers and air force personnel in Hualien, Taiwan May 28, 2024. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Democracy is not a crime and autocracy is the real “evil”, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Monday after China threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of Lai, who took office last month, saying he is a “separatist”, and staged war games shortly after his inauguration.
On Friday, China ramped up its pressure on Taiwan by issuing new legal guidelines to punish those it says support the island’s formal independence, though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island.
Asked about China’s move at a news conference at the presidential office in Taipei, Lai first reiterated his sympathy for recent flooding in southern China before responding.
“I want to stress: democracy is not a crime; it’s autocracy that is the real evil. China has absolutely no right to sanction Taiwan’s people just because of the positions they hold. What’s more, China has no right to go after Taiwan people’s rights across borders,” he said.
According China, anyone who does not uphold “reunification” is therefore a Taiwan independence supporter, Lai added.
“I also want to call on China to face up to the existence of the Republic of China and have exchanges and dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected, legitimate government,” he said, using Taiwan’s formal name. “If this is not done, relations between Taiwan and China will only become more and more estranged.”
Taiwan said that since Thursday, there has been a sharp increase in Chinese military flights as Beijing carried out a “joint combat readiness patrol” near the island.
Between Thursday and Sunday, Taiwan says it detected 115 Chinese military aircraft operating nearby, getting as close at 31 nautical miles (57 km) from the southern tip of the island.
Taiwan has said that for the past four years China has carried out regular military activity around the island as part of a “grey zone” pressure campaign.
The Hungary forward went down in the second half after an apparent clash with Scotland’s goalkeeper Angus Gunn following a free kick.
A sheet is put up by stewards as Hungary’s Barnabas Varga is stretchered off after an injury against Scotland at Euro 2024. Pic: Reuters
Hungary player Barnabas Varga is stable in hospital after he was stretchered off the pitch in the country’s Euro 2024 match against Scotland.
The Hungary forward went down in the second half after an apparent clash with Scotland’s goalkeeper Angus Gunn following a free kick.
Hungary players quickly signalled Varga was in trouble and were incensed by the time the medical teams were taking to get over to help treat the player.
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian captain, was in tears as medical staff responded to his teammate, according to TV commentary of the game.
The Hungary team formed a shield around Varga while he received treatment and TV cameras panned away.
The game was held up as Varga required lengthy treatment.
After several minutes, Varga was eventually taken away on a stretcher as both sets of fans applauded.
He has since been taken to hospital, where he is said to be stable.
A statement from the Hungarian Football Federation read: “Barnabas Varga’s condition is stable. The Ferencvaros player is currently in one of the hospitals in Stuttgart. We will inform you immediately if there is any news about his status.”
Hungary head coach Marco Rossi later added Varga would be “okay” but may need an operation on his cheekbone.
More than 100 million people across the U.S. were under heat warnings on Sunday, with cities on the East Coast bracing for record-breaking temperatures as the heat dome causing the dangerous conditions expands to the West Coast.
Baltimore and Philadelphia are forecast to touch records near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) on Sunday, while temperatures rise into the 90s F in states like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, as much as 15 degrees above normal for this time of year. The extreme heat will then shift to Nebraska and Kansas on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
Officials are warning of dangerous conditions in the Philadelphia region where high humidity could drive heat indices above 105 F (41 C), making it feel even hotter than the actual temperature.
“It likely means we’ll be seeing periodic periods of excessive heat across a decent part of the country into July,” NWS meteorologist Marc Chenard said. “Not continuous at any one spot, but the overall pattern will continue to favor these above normal temperatures.”
Temperatures have cooled in the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes and New England regions, but excessive heat in the 90s F continues to stretch from Virginia to New York.
Climate change is driving dangerous heat waves across the Northern Hemisphere this week and will continue to deliver dangerous weather for decades to come, research shows.
New York City, June 23, 2024. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon Purchase Licensing Rights
Extreme heat is suspected of causing hundreds of deaths across Asia and Europe as it has taken over cities on four continents. More than 1,000 have died during Haj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, amid sweltering temperatures this year, according to a Reuters tally.
In New Mexico, officials are responding to multiple weather events, including a dust storm, flooding and two wildfires.
The Biden administration last week declared an emergency over the wildfires, which have been blamed for two deaths and more than 1,400 destroyed structures.
The FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of anyone responsible for the fires. The blazes have scorched 25,000 acres (10,117 hectares) around the village of Ruidoso, according to the government wildfire tracking website Inciweb.
An Israeli soldier gestures while in a military vehicle, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel, June 23, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen Purchase Licensing Rights
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the phase of intense fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip was coming to an end but that the war would not end until the Islamist group no longer controls the Palestinian enclave.
Once the intense fighting is over in Gaza, Netanyahu said, Israel will be able to deploy more forces along the northern border with Lebanon, where fighting with Iran-backed Hezbollah has escalated .
“After the intense phase is finished, we will have the possibility to move part of the forces north. And we will do this. First and foremost for defensive purposes. And secondly, to bring our (evacuated) residents home,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14.
“If we can we will do this diplomatically. If not, we will do it another way. But we will bring (the residents) home,” he said.
Many Israeli towns near the border with Lebanon have been evacuated during the fighting.
Asked when the phase of intense fighting against Hamas will come to an end, Netanyahu answered: “Very soon.”
But the military will still operate in Gaza.
“I am not willing to end the war and leave Hamas as it is,” he said.
Netanyahu also reiterated his rejection to the idea that the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority run Gaza in place of Hamas.
Record border crossings are a major issue in November’s US presidential election, with more migrants coming from around the world. Inside two new routes that take Indians and Africans via Central America.
When a Legend Airlines Airbus A 340 landed at San Salvador airport on July 15 after an 18-hour flight from the United Arab Emirates, its crew quickly realized something was wrong.
Salvadoran officials refused to connect the jet bridge to allow the roughly 300 passengers, all Indian nationals, to disembark, according to three former crew members on the flight who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Several passengers told the cabin crew they planned to travel onward to Mexico and cross the border there illegally into the U.S., one crew member said. Others said they were going on vacation to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, another crew member said.
Aviation data shows Romanian-registered Legend Airlines flew three charter flights from the United Arab Emirates to El Salvador in mid-2023. Sources: Flightradar24, Natural Earth
Salvadorean officials were already on high alert when the flight landed. Several months earlier, U.S. and Salvadoran authorities had noticed an unusual pattern of charter aircraft landing in El Salvador carrying primarily Indian nationals.
The planes were arriving full and leaving empty, a U.S. official said.
And some passengers claiming to be tourists brought only a backpack for weeks-long trips. U.S. authorities later discovered that nearly all of the charter passengers disembarking in San Salvador had crossed the border into the U.S., the official said.
Such charter flights represent a new phase of illegal immigration to the U.S., five U.S. officials said in interviews with Reuters. Increasingly, they said, migrants from outside Latin America are paying smuggling networks hefty fees for travel packages that can include airline tickets – on charter and commercial airlines – to fly to Central America and then bus rides and hotel stays en route to the U.S.-Mexico border.
“You have certain charter transportation companies charging extortion-level prices to prey on and profit from vulnerable migrants.”
“You have certain charter transportation companies charging extortion-level prices to prey on and profit from vulnerable migrants and facilitating irregular migration to the United States,” Eric Jacobstein, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere, told Reuters.
Jacobstein declined to comment on Legend or identify specific companies.
Liliana Bakayoko, a Paris-based attorney representing Legend since December, said the Romanian charter airline has not been accused of wrongdoing by any authorities. She added that she was unaware of the July flight and said the airline was basically like a “taxi driver.”
The record number of migrant arrests at the southwest U.S. border, which topped more than 2 million last fiscal year, has emerged as a major vulnerability for Democratic President Joe Biden in November’s presidential elections, with opinion polls showing more Americans trust Republican former President Donald Trump’s hardline approach to immigration.
On June 4, Biden – trailing in the polls in key battleground states – announced executive actions to deny access to asylum and quickly deport migrants or turn them back to Mexico if crossings surpass a certain threshold. It remains unclear how the policy will work in practice for migrants from faraway countries, which account for a growing share of illegal migration.
About 9% of irregular crossings at the U.S. border in the 2023 fiscal year involved migrants from outside Latin America, or about 188,000 people, according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security data. A decade ago, people from outside the Americas accounted for barely 1% of irregular arrivals.
The Biden administration attributes the historic levels of migration to global economic and political instability. Trump has blamed the high border crossings on Biden’s policies.
Indian nationals were the largest single group from outside the Americas encountered at the border last year, comprising about 42,000 arrivals. Migrants from 15 West African countries accounted for another 39,700, with most from Senegal and Mauritania.
The Biden administration has been working with some regional governments as well as travel companies to curb the flow of migrants.
In March, it began revoking U.S. visas for owners and executives of charter airlines and other companies thought to be facilitating smuggling. The State Department’s Jacobstein declined to name individuals or companies affected or how many had faced restrictions. Reuters was unable to independently establish which companies had been targeted.
In May, the administration warned commercial airlines to be on the lookout for passengers who might be intending to migrate illegally to the U.S. Apprehensions on the border in April fell 48% from December, U.S. government data show, which U.S. officials attribute in part to tougher enforcement by Mexico.
El Salvador’s Vice President Felix Ulloa said in an interview that his government has “permanent, constant, and effective” collaboration with the U.S. to fight irregular migration. The introduction of visa requirements and $1,000 transit fees on citizens of India and many African nations last October has “drastically reduced” the number of migrants transiting through San Salvador, he said.
But as some routes for illegal migration get squeezed, others open up.
Reuters and Columbia Journalism Investigations, the university’s postgraduate reporting program, traced two new intercontinental migrant smuggling routes. The reporting for this story draws from previously unreported aviation data, border figures obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, and close to 100 interviews with government officials, police, airline employees, smugglers, travel agents and migrants in nine countries.
One route starts in West Africa, with migrants paying up to $10,000 for multi-stop commercial flights to Nicaragua, before continuing by land to the U.S.
The second, serving migrants from India, offers charter flights to Central America and overland transfers to the U.S. border for between 6 million ($72,000) and 8 million rupees ($96,000) per person – in many instances with full payment due after arrival in the U.S, according to Indian court documents and K.T. Kamariya, a deputy superintendent of police in the western Indian state of Gujarat investigating illegal migration.
The new routes via Central America avoid the visa requirements for migrants flying directly into Mexico. They also skip the dangerous northward trek across the jungle region between Colombia and Panama, known as the Darien Gap, that migrants face after arriving in some countries in South America with lax visa regimes.
Blas Nuñez-Neto, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, singled out Nicaragua as the new entry point for many migrants. President Daniel Ortega, a former Marxist guerrilla and Cold War adversary of the United States, has been called out by Washington for authoritarianism following crackdowns on internal protests and opposition groups.
“Nicaragua has really, I think, unfortunately been weaponizing these flows,” Nuñez-Neto said in an interview. “It’s difficult when you have a government in the region that has essentially thrown its doors open and allows anybody from anywhere in the world to fly directly in exchange for a cash payment.”
Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo, who manages communications for the government, did not respond to requests for comment.
The future king was also spotted shaking his arms to Shake It Off as he celebrated his 42nd birthday alongside his children Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Pic: princeandprincessofwales/Instagram
The Prince of Wales has thanked Taylor Swift for a “great concert” as he shared a photo of the pop superstar taking a selfie with him and his children George and Charlotte.
Watching the US singer perform at Wembley Stadium, the future king was also spotted shaking his arms to Shake It Off as he celebrated his 42nd birthday.
“Thank you Taylor Swift for a great evening,” Prince William wrote on Instagram.
Swift posted her selfie with William, George and Charlotte alongside her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce.
“Happy Bday M8,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “London shows are off to a splendid start.”
William’s cousin Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall were among the star-studded crowd, which reportedly included Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan and model Cara Delevingne.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was also present as he took time off from the campaign trail to attend the first night of the London leg of Swift’s record-breaking Eras tour.
The eight-year-old Pekingese named Wild Thang has competed in the contest five times, coming second three times before finally taking the top prize his year.
A dog in the US has been crowned the ugliest in the world.
The eight-year-old Pekingese called Wild Thang won the 2024 World’s Ugliest Dog contest in California on Friday.
The animal has competed in the contest five times, coming second three times before finally taking the top prize this year.
Wild Thang and his owner Ann Lewis. Pic: Sumiko Moots / NBC News
Wild Thang contracted the viral disease canine distemper as a puppy, according to his biography.
“He survived, but not without permanent damage,” it says.
“His teeth did not grow in, causing his tongue to stay out and his right front leg paddles 24/7.”
Apart from the physical issues, he is “a healthy, happy Glugly (glamorous/ugly) guy”.
He and his owner Ann Lewis took home a cheque for $5,000 (£4,000).
The World’s Ugliest Dog competition has been held for nearly 50 years and “celebrates the imperfections that make all dogs special and unique,” according to the event’s website.
The event “is not about making fun of ‘ugly dogs’,” the site says, “but having fun with some wonderful characters and showing the world that these dogs are really beautiful.”
Kharkiv, Ukraine June 22, 2024. REUTERS/Vitalii Hnidyi Purchase Licensing Rights
Russian guided bombs shattered an apartment building in Ukraine’s second-largest city on Saturday, killing three people, injuring 52 and prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to call for more help to deal with the growing threat of such weapons.
Pictures posted online showed parts of the five-storey apartment building in ruins, with windows smashed, balconies wrecked and rubble strewn about a crater on the ground.
Prosecutors in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region put the casualty toll at three dead and 52 injured in the mid-afternoon attack, including three injured children. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said four of those hurt were in serious condition.
“This Russian terror through guided bombs must be stopped and can be stopped,” Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram.
“We need strong decisions from our partners to enable us to stop the Russian terrorists and Russian military aviation right where they are.”
Later, in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said Russian forces had used more than 2,400 guided bombs on Ukrainian targets in June alone, with about 700 aimed at Kharkiv.
He said after U.S. Congress gave delayed approval of a big aid package in April, Ukraine’s replenished arms supplies had reduced the devastation and frequency of missile attacks and the same had to be done now to fend off these bombs.
“The significant reduction in Russian missile terror against Kharkiv and the region proves it is entirely possible to secure our cities and communities from Russian bombs,” he said.
Ukraine, he said, needed promised military aid packages “without delay so that the agreements we reached with (U.S.) President Biden can be realised.”
Ukraine and the U.S. signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement this month aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defense against Russia and getting Ukraine closer to NATO membership.
Tom Cruise was all smiles at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in London Saturday night after skipping daughter Suri’s high school graduation in NYC just hours prior.
The “Top Gun” star looked gleeful at Wembley Stadium as he traded friendship bracelets with fans ahead of the singer’s second of three sold-out performances in England’s capital city.
The 61-year-old actor — who rocked dark wash jeans, a white T-shirt and a black jacket — sat among A-list attendees including Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Hugh Grant and “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig.
Tom Cruise attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour show in London on Saturday night after skipping daughter Suri’s high school graduation the night prior. X/@tswifterastourMila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Hugh Grant also attended night two of three sold-out concerts. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Cruise appeared to be having the time of his life as he — much like Prince William the night prior — danced along to the Grammy winner’s hit song “Shake it Off” with his famous peers in the VIP tent.
Swift’s beau, Travis Kelce, was also among stars as he attended his second London concert in a row with his brother and sister-in-law, Jason and Kylie.
Meanwhile in the US, Cruise’s estranged 18-year-old daughter graduated from LaGuardia High School the day prior.
The mother-daughter duo took pictures together after the ceremony. BrosNYC / BACKGRID
A beaming Suri was photographed greeting friends outside the venue shortly after they received their diplomas.
She also eagerly took pictures with mom Katie Holmes, who proudly stood by her daughter’s side on the special day.
The teenager dressed for the heat in a white sundress and heels adorned with a flower.
Cruise has been estranged from Suri for years. He and Holmes divorced in 2012. AP
She completed her summery ensemble with a red graduation robe and white sash.
The 45-year-old “Dawson’s Creek” alum, for her part, looked cheerful in beige pleated trousers and a matching collared shirt.
Cruise’s choice to opt out of the graduation does not come as a surprise, as he has been estranged from the teen for years.
Suri even dropped the “Risky Business” actor’s last name in her school’s official graduation pamphlet, opting instead to go by her first and middle names, “Suri Noelle.”
Cruise confirmed in a 2012 deposition that Holmes divorced him “in part to protect Suri from Scientology.”
Followers of the controversial religion are not allowed to associate with nonbelievers.
Donald Trump rallied on the Temple University campus Saturday night, and the former president wasted no time attacking President Joe Biden’s record on issues from migrants to inflation.
“Less than four years ago, we were a great nation,” Trump told an enthusiastic crowd at Liacouras Center, the North Philly home of Temple’s basketball teams. “And we will soon be a great nation again.”
Trump forcefully ravaged the incumbent on the ongoing US-Mexico border crisis, which has seen a record number of illegal border crossings in recent years.
He vowed to take strong executive action on the crisis, including a massive deportation effort involving increased immunity for federal law enforcement.
Donald Trump said the ongoing migrant crisis was a result of the “unsafest border in the history of the world.” AP
“Under Crooked Joe, the City of Brotherly Love is being ravaged by bloodshed and crime,” Trump said, linking Philadelphia’s trend of violence and skyrocketing retail theft rates to illegal immigration and dubbing it “Biden migrant crime.”
“We had the safest border in the history of our country. Now we have the unsafest border in the history of the world,” he said.
Trump used both “Crooked Joe” and his more common nickname “Sleepy Joe” when referring to Biden — at one point even asking the crowd which name they preferred.
Though cheers were noticeably louder for “Sleepy Joe,” the former president said he preferred the former and stuck with “Crooked Joe” for the remainder of the rally.
Trump vowed to fix America’s ongoing economic problems, arguing that inflation was “practically nothing” when he left office in January 2021.
“Inflation is a country-buster,” Trump said. “On Day 1 of my [new] administration, we will throw out Bidenomics and replace it with MAGAnomincs!”
The former president also floated other ideas, such as returning Department of Education authority to the states, eliminating tax on tipped income and constructing an Israeli-inspired “Iron Dome” defense system for America.
His calls to cut all federal funding for any school pushing COVID-era mandates or “transgender insanity” drew raucous applause.
Before Trump spoke at 7 p.m., a flurry of Pennsylvania leaders preceded him onstage, including GOP Rep. Dan Meuser and Senate candidate Dave McCormick.
Mihai Kogalniceanu (MK) is turning into the biggest Nato airbase in Europe
Six RAF Eurofighter Typhoons sit on the taxiway, engines roaring on two, as the ground staff hurry about, adding the finishing touches before take-off.
In the distance, a cloud of dust rises in the summer haze over the construction site of the second runway, 3.5km (2 miles) long, beside the first. The hot northerly wind buffets the new hangars and the old.
Mihai Kogalniceanu (MK) airbase takes its name from the village nearby, itself named after a 19th Century liberal politician.
Now, it is the unlikely setting for what is turning into the biggest Nato base in Europe, bigger even than Ramstein in Germany.
Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his war in Ukraine on the grounds that Nato is encroaching on Russia’s European flank. In response to his invasion, more pieces have moved forward on the Nato chessboard.
Bordering Ukraine, Romania now finds itself right next to a war zone
The MK base will soon have a squadron of Romanian F-16s – recently bought from Norway – as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones, and a military city through which Nato army, air force and naval personnel from 32 countries will rotate.
The latest arrivals are the Finns. Just 20km (12 miles) from the Black Sea coast, the base is 300km from Odesa, as the fighter flies, and 400km from Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea.
This is RAF pilot Flt Lt Charlie Tagg’s third and final tour of duty here.
“There’s a much bigger US presence here, a lot more infrastructure, accommodation, people and equipment.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed both the areas he flies over, he says, and the strategic posture of the mission. In 2021, on his last tour, Nato fighter pilots flew far out over international waters in the Black Sea. But now they stick to the 12 nautical mile zone above Romanian and Bulgarian territorial waters, “to avoid misunderstandings, escalatory situations with the Russians”.
“Previously we were here as a deterrence to any Russian aggression. Now it’s more as a reassurance to other Nato countries, such as Romania, that we are here, and we’re willing to defend.”
There has been no call to intercept a Russian plane since he arrived, he says, though there were on previous missions, over the Baltic.
“They will just be blundering through – it’s not against any international law, they are entitled to do that. But we’ll put an aircraft next to that adversary aircraft. From a posturing point of view, it shows the Russians… that we are active. We’re flying with armed jets, so it sends a clear message.
“And it also provides valuable intelligence for us, we’re recording serial numbers of aircraft, and the weapons that those aircraft are carrying, so it feeds into the whole intelligence picture as well.”
The Russell’s viper has returned to Bangladesh (file photo)
All health centres and hospitals in Bangladesh have been ordered to stock anti-venom after reports of a surge in snake bites across the country.
Health Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen also urged the public to bring snake bite victims to hospitals as soon as possible.
Hospitals in rural Bangladesh have reported an increase in people being bitten by snakes, especially by the Russell’s viper, which is found in South Asia.
The incidents have been a major topic on Bangladeshi social media in recent weeks.
As it feeds on rodents, the Russell’s viper is often found near human settlements, and in farmland particularly during harvest season.
A 2023 study said about 7,000 people die in Bangladesh every year from snake bites. Most victims survive if treated with anti-venom quickly.
The Russell’s viper was declared extinct in Bangladesh in 2002 but the species has now returned.
Asked if she supported the controversial climate action campaign group, the actress replied: “I think I support anyone who fights this extraordinary battle.”
Dame Emma Thompson has backed Just Stop Oil, just days after the climate action group attacked Stonehenge with orange paint.
The actress led thousands of people on a Restore Nature Now march in London on Saturday, aimed at persuading politicians to put nature and climate first.
Asked if she supported Just Stop Oil, whose supporters have also targeted private jets, the Magna Carta and the Duke of Westminster’s wedding this year, she said: “I think I support anyone who fights this extraordinary battle.”
Dame Emma added: “We cannot take any more oil out of the ground. I mean, there’s much argument about it. And I know there’s a lot of very complicated economic arguments about it.
“We have to leave all the resources in the ground, we cannot bring them out of the ground.”
Emma Thompson led the march in London on Saturday
More than 350 charities, businesses and direct action groups joined Dame Emma on the protest, along with renewable energy tycoon and Labour donor, Dale Vince, and naturalists Chris Packham and Steve Backshall.
Mr Packham said it was the first time organisations across the entire spectrum of campaigning and conservation have united, from the National Trust to Just Stop Oil.
Reflecting on the long campaign to achieve action on climate change, Dame Emma called it “extraordinary”, as “we have known about this for decades and government after government have completely ignored the advice”.
“All the scientists are saying we are in deep, deep trouble,” she added.
The UK, she said, is “one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world”.
She added: “But we are also one of the most rich, so this is not good for anybody.
“Anyone who has ever written about our country [has written] about the beauty of these islands and they are being despoiled, polluted and destroyed at an unprecedented rate.
“We have to take action now. There is not enough discussion about this. It has to come to the forefront of our politics at every level.”
Protesters marched from Hyde Park to Parliament Square, staying in a line, led by Dame Emma and Mr Packham who held a banner reading Restore Nature Now.
Other banners carried different messages, including There’s No Life Without Wildlife and There Isn’t A Reset Button.
According to Bloomberg, the billionaire allegedly welcomed his third child with top Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis earlier this year, bringing his brood to 12.
The baby’s name and sex are not yet clear.
Zilis declined to comment and Musk didn’t get back to the outlet.
Elon Musk has reportedly welcomed a third child with Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis. / SplashNews.comThe pair previously welcomed twins Strider and Azure in November 2021. @WalterIsaacson / Twitter
Similarly, Reps for the X CEO did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
The 52-year-old Tesla mogul previously welcomed twins Strider and Azure with Zilis, 38, in November 2021.
The tots’ arrival came just one month before the birth of daughter Exa Dark Sideræl, aka Y, whom he and then-partner Grimes welcomed via surrogate.
The insiders told the outlet the new addition joined the pair earlier this year. @shivon/X
When Page Six congratulated him on the arrival of the twins in July 2022, Musk replied, “Bravo to big families.
He then told he us wants “as many [kids] as I am able to spend time with and be a good father.”
Musk repeated the sentiment in 2022 when he tweeted, “A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilization faces, by far.”
Militia violence in the country is linked to long-running competition for influence and the region’s rich mineral resources.
A street view of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Pic: Rex Features
An armed group using machetes and guns has killed 23 people in attacks on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent days, authorities in the country have said.
The killings took place in the Ituri province, part of the Djugu territory, on Thursday and Friday.
They were carried out by the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, (CODECO), Reuters said, quoting two local community leaders.
CODECO is one of many militias operating in the conflict-ridden east of the country.
Vital Tungulo, president of Djugu’s Nyali-Kilo community, said: “Most of the victims were killed with machetes, but those who tried to flee were shot. In all these villages, people’s belongings were taken, houses were burnt down.”
The motive for the attacks was not clear but militia violence in Congo is linked to long-running competition for influence and the region’s rich mineral resources.
The human rights situation in Ituri has deteriorated since the beginning of the year as CODECO carries out more attacks,
the UN peacekeeping mission said in a report in March.
CODECO and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), another militia, are responsible for most civilian killings in eastern DRC, the study said.
Five men were convicted by a federal jury in Las Vegas this week for their part in operating Jetflicks, which officials say was one of the largest illegal streaming services in the U.S.
Jetflicks, which charged $9.99 per month for the streaming service, generated millions of dollars in subscription revenue and caused “substantial harm to television program copyright owners,” the Justice Department said Thursday.
At one point, Jetflicks claimed to host more than 183,200 TV episodes — a lineup larger than the combined catalogs of Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon Prime Video, according to prosecutors.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning as early as 2007, the five men — Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi and Peter Huber — operated the Jetflicks streaming service. The group used “sophisticated computer scripts” and software to scour piracy services (including the Pirate Bay and Torrentz) for illegal copies of TV episodes, which they then downloaded and hosted on Jetflicks’ servers, according to federal prosecutors. The men were charged in 2019 with conspiring to violate federal criminal copyright law.
The jury convicted the five men of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. In addition, the jury convicted Dallmann of two counts of money laundering by concealment and three counts of misdemeanor criminal copyright infringement. Dallmann faces a maximum penalty of 48 years in prison, while Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi and Huber each face a maximum of five years in prison, according to the Justice Department. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to federal prosecutors, when complaints from copyright owners and issues with payment service providers threatened to bring down the illegal outfit, the defendants “tried to disguise Jetflicks as an aviation entertainment company.”
“The defendants operated Jetflicks, an illicit streaming service they used to distribute hundreds of thousands of stolen television episodes,” principal deputy assistant attorney general Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a June 20 statement. “Their scheme generated millions of dollars in criminal profits, while causing copyright owners to lose out. These convictions underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to protecting intellectual property rights by prosecuting digital piracy schemes and bringing offenders to justice.”
At least 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza City in the north of the Palestinian enclave on Saturday, the director of the Hamas-run government media office said.
One Israeli strike on houses in Al-Shati, one of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, killed 24 people, Ismail Al-Thawabta told Reuters. Another 18 Palestinians were killed in a strike on houses in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood.
The Israeli military released a brief statement saying: “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck two Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City.”
It said more details would be released soon.
Hamas did not comment on the Israeli claim to have hit its military infrastructure. It said in a statement the attacks targeted the civilian population and vowed in a statement “the occupation and its Nazi leaders will pay the price for their violations against our people.”
Footage obtained by Reuters showed dozens of Palestinians rushing out to search for victims amid the destroyed houses. The footage showed wrecked homes, blasted walls, and debris and dust filling the street in Shati refugee camp.
Al Shati refugee camp, June 22, 2024. REUTERS/Ayman Al Hassi Purchase Licensing Rights
Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, killed more than 37,400 people, of whom 101 were killed in the past 24 hours, according to Palestinian health authorities, and left nearly the entire population homeless and destitute.
More than eight months into the war, Israel’s advance is now focused on the two last areas its forces had yet to seize: Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the centre.
Residents said Israeli tanks deepened their incursion into western and northern Rafah areas in recent days. On Saturday Israeli forces bombed several areas from air and the ground, forcing many families living in areas described as humanitarian-designated zones to leave northwards.
The Israeli military said forces continued “precise, intelligence-based” targeted operations in Rafah, killing many Palestinian gunmen and dismantling military infrastructure.
Chinese Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons towards a Philippine resupply vessel Unaizah May 4 on its way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink on Saturday said the situation in the South China Sea is deeply concerning, and said China’s recent actions in the disputed waterway were “deeply destabilising”.
Kritenbrink made the comments during a visit to Hanoi, amid rising tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, where Vietnam is also a claimant.
“We think that China’s actions, particularly its recent actions, around the Second Thomas Shoal, vis-à-vis the Philippines have been irresponsible, aggressive, dangerous, deeply destabilising,” Kritenbrink said at a briefing for selected media in Hanoi, a recording of which was reviewed by Reuters.
“We’re going to continue to stand with our Filipino allies,” Kritenbrink said, adding that Washington had made it clear, both publicly and privately, to Beijing that the mutual defence treaty obligations it has with the Philippines were “ironclad”.
On Friday, Philippine officials said they did not consider invoking the mutual defence treaty with the U.S. after accusing China of aggressively disrupting a resupply mission in the disputed South China Sea earlier this month.
China’s foreign ministry disputed the Philippines’ account, with a spokesperson saying on Thursday that the necessary measures taken were lawful, professional and beyond reproach.
“We think every country in the region, including China, needs to respect international law and needs to behave responsibly in the maritime domain,” Kritenbrink said.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague said China’s claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected.
A Palestinian child walks with a toy bear recovered from the rubble of a destroyed building following Israeli bombardment in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. (Photo: AFP/Eyad BABA)
Israel bombed the Gaza Strip where one hospital reported at least 30 dead Friday (Jun 21) and as exchanges of fire and threats over the Lebanon border raised fears of an even wider war.
After further cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah movement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the clashes must not turn Lebanon into “another Gaza”.
Increased “bellicose rhetoric” from both sides risked triggering a catastrophe “beyond imagination”, he said.
In Gaza the director of Gaza City’s Al-Ahli hospital was quoted by the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry as reporting 30 dead on Friday in intensified Israeli bombardment.
“It has been a difficult and brutal day in Gaza City. So far, around 30 martyrs have arrived at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital,” Dr Fadel Naeem was quoted as saying.
Civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Basal said five municipal workers died when a garage in the city was bombed.
Israel’s military reported military operations on Friday “north and south of the Central Gaza Strip Corridor”.
AFPTV captured an overnight strike on Khan Yunis city, showing a ball of fire and sparks erupting in a residential district.
Just before midnight Thursday, Israel’s army said it had “successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon”.
Early Friday, Lebanese official media reported new Israeli strikes in the south.
They came after Hezbollah said it had fired dozens of rockets at a barracks in northern Israel on Thursday in retaliation for a deadly air strike in south Lebanon.
Israel said a Hezbollah operative was killed in that strike.
It said jets struck Hezbollah sites and used artillery “to remove threats in multiple areas in southern Lebanon”.
Hezbollah claimed a number of attacks on Israeli troops and positions near the border on Friday, including two using drones.
Experts are divided on the prospect of a wider war, almost nine months into Israel’s campaign to eradicate Iran-backed Hezbollah’s ally Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip.
A man washes his face at a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza – more than one million people have been forced from nearby Rafah since Israeli military operations began there in May 2024, the UN says. (Photo: AFP/Bashar TALEB)
Exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated, and Israel’s military said on Tuesday plans for an offensive in Lebanon “were approved and validated”.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said “no place” in Israel would “be spared our rockets” in a wider war, and also threatened nearby European Union member Cyprus.
Israel’s ally the United States has appealed for de-escalation.
TWO SOLDIERS KILLED
The violence on the Lebanon border began after the Oct 7 attack by Hamas militants from Gaza into southern Israel. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
The militants also seized hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza although the army says 41 are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 37,431 people, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Months of negotiations towards a truce and a hostage release have failed to make headway, but mediator Qatar insisted Friday it was still working to “bridge the gap” between Israel and Hamas.
The war has destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure and left residents short of food, fuel and other essentials.
On Jun 16 the army said it would implement a daily “tactical pause of military activity” in a southern Gaza corridor to facilitate aid delivery.
But on Friday Richard Peeperkorn of the World Health Organization said “we did not see an impact on the humanitarian supplies coming in”.
Hisham Salem in Jabalia camp told AFP: “The markets… used to be full, but now there is nothing left. I go around the entire market and I can’t find a kilo of onions, and if I do … it costs 140 shekels (US$37).”
Dr Thanos Gargavanis, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, said the UN in Gaza was trying to “operate in an unworkable environment”.
According to the WHO, only 17 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are operational, but only partially.
It said that as of May 17, just 750 people remained in Rafah city where previously 1.4 million people had been sheltering.
Israel’s military on Friday identified two more soldiers killed in Gaza, bringing to at least 312 killed since ground operations began.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges which he denies, faces regular street protests accusing him of prolonging the war, and demanding an agreement to free the hostages.
A man affected by the scorching heat is helped by another Muslim pilgrim and police officer the site of the symbolic ‘stoning of the devil’ ritual during the annual Haj pilgrimage in Mina on Jun 16, 2024. (File photo: AFP/Fadel Senna)
A senior Saudi official defended the Gulf kingdom’s management of the Haj pilgrimage on Friday (Jun 21) after various countries reported more than 1,100 deaths, many attributed to high heat.
“The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgement on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks,” the official told AFP in the government’s first comments on the deaths.
An AFP tally on Friday, compiling official statements and reports from diplomats involved in the response, put the toll at 1,126, more than half of them from Egypt.
The senior Saudi official said the Saudi government had confirmed 577 deaths for the two busiest days of Haj: Saturday, when pilgrims gathered for hours of prayers in the blazing sun on Mount Arafat, and Sunday, when they participated in the “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina.
Muslim pilgrims use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun as they arrive at the base of Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the annual Haj pilgrimage on Jun 15, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Fadel Senna)
“This happened amid difficult weather conditions and a very harsh temperature,” the official said while acknowledging that the 577 figure was partial and did not cover all of Haj, which formally ended on Wednesday.
The Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims with the means must complete it at least once before they die.
Saudi officials had earlier said 1.8 million pilgrims took part this year, a similar total to last year, and that 1.6 million came from abroad.
PERMIT-LESS PILGRIMS
Haj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed to individuals via a lottery.
Even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs spur many pilgrims to attempt the Haj without a permit, though they risk arrest and deportation if caught by Saudi security forces.
The irregular route, which can save pilgrims thousands of dollars, has become increasingly popular since 2019 when Saudi Arabia introduced a general tourism visa, making it easier to enter the Gulf kingdom.
Before this year’s Haj, Saudi officials said they had cleared more than 300,000 would-be pilgrims from Mecca who did not have Haj permits.
But later, the senior Saudi official said on Friday, “an order came from above that we allow people who arrived at the gates of the holy places” to participate.
“We can estimate the number of the unregistered pilgrims at around 400,000,” the official said.
“Almost all of them from one nationality,” the official added, an apparent reference to Egypt.
Arab diplomats told AFP earlier this week that Egyptians accounted for 658 deaths, 630 of them unregistered pilgrims.
A US State Department spokesman said on Friday that “multiple” US citizens died in the Haj.
For Indian passport holders struggling with Schengen visa delays this summer, Georgia is a comparatively easier holiday destination. You need an e-visa to enter this country situated at the confluence of Europe and Asia.
14th Century Tsminda Sameba Church or Holy Trinity Church, Gergeti, at 2200 m above Kazbegi, in dawn light against frozen Mount Kazbek, Georgia. Photo: Getty Images
It is not quite Europe. It has one foot on that continent and one firmly in Asia. The pre-Soviet country of Georgia is at once a revelation and a mystery for travellers seeking to peek beyond the usual choices of mainland Europe or Southeast Asia.
For one, getting a visa to Georgia is ostensibly easy, but we will get to that in a bit. Then there’s the ease of flying. A direct flight from Delhi to Tbilisi takes only five hours, and before you know it, you have landed in Georgia.
Georgia straddles two continents, Europe and Asia. Photo: Getty Images
So, when we planned a family trip to this little country a few months ago, the pros outnumbered the cons. I had a valid Schengen and Japan visa; both of which allow Indian passport holders to enter Georgia visa-free. For people who don’t, Georgia needs an e-visa that you can get on their immigration portal.
The visa conundrum
Now, while the process looks pretty simple on the face of it, here’s the deal: you need to be really patient – and I mean really – while applying for an e-visa on their portal. The payment gateway is terrible. You get errors every time you click on the final step.
The trick is simple: choose an ungodly hour to sit with the e-visa application. The portal isn’t quite equipped to deal with a lot of traffic at once; so, logging on late at night is advised.
Once you manage to do this part, the rest is comparatively easy. The problem is in the result of the visa. All your documents can be in order, but you might still get a rejection (the battle was personal, yk). The rejection rate of Georgian visas is quite high: 72%.
If you are indeed planning a vacation to this Caucasian country, keep ample time in hand. You get a revert on your application within 5 working days. If your application is rejected, you can start a fresh one within 10 days from the result. If not, thank your luck and board that flight.
A low-cost flight
Indigo flies Delhi-Tbilisi-Delhi direct thrice a week. True to its low-cost-carrier promise, there’s no complimentary food or entertainment on the plane (thank you, Airbus A321). However, you sure can get your instant poha by paying a bomb on the flight. You do get drinking water in paper cups though.
Anyway.
Landing in Tbilisi was uneventful, and we headed to immigration. I will confess: I was pretty rattled by the numerous disturbing tales of Georgia deporting Indian passengers left, right, and centre without no rime or reason. So, while we did have a holiday booked, there was that slight consternation about making it past passport control.
My exchange with the official at the counter was brief:
“Show me visa?”
“There’s a Schengen and a Japan visa there.”
“Ok.”
Passport stamped.
For the rest of my family members too, it was quite a smooth exit out of passport control, even though two of them were on e-visas.
In and around Tbilisi
All doubts laid to rest, we finally headed to the conveyor belt and out of the Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport, into the crisp Tbilisi air. The temperature on my phone-from-the-forty-degree-hell-called-Delhi said 8 degrees Celsius. Single digit. Eight. There was a biting wind blowing. It was half past one in the night and our destination lay just twenty minutes from the airport.
The city centre of Tbilisi is a stone’s throw from the airport, unlike other, bigger cities. The city is hilly. It has a perfectly preserved old town where tourists stroll along all night. You can cover the concentrated historic old town on foot in just a few hours.
The more upscale centre of Tbilisi is the Freedom or Liberation Square. Shota Rustaveli Avenue is the artery of the city. The Parliament, the National Museum, the souvenir-shopping district, the café quarter are all in this area.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law that makes it a crime for people under domestic violence restraining orders to have guns, handing a victory to President Joe Biden’s administration as the justices opted not to further widen firearms rights after a major expansion in 2022.
The 8-1 ruling, authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, overturned a lower court’s decision striking down the 1994 law as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.” The law was challenged by a Texas man who was subject to a restraining order for assaulting his girlfriend in a parking lot and later threatening to shoot her.
The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had concluded that the measure failed the Supreme Court’s stringent test set in 2022 that required gun laws to be “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” to comply with the Second Amendment.
But Roberts wrote that since the nation’s founding, firearm laws have targeted people who threaten physical harm to others.
“When a restraining order contains a finding that an individual poses a credible threat to the physical safety of an intimate partner, that individual may – consistent with the Second Amendment – be banned from possessing firearms while the order is in effect,” Roberts wrote.
Biden’s administration defended the law as critical to protect public safety and abuse victims, who often are women.
“No one who has been abused should have to worry about their abuser getting a gun,” Biden said, touting his record on gun control. “As a result of (Friday’s) ruling, survivors of domestic violence and their families will still be able to count on critical protections, just as they have for the past three decades.”
Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, who authored the 2022 ruling in a case called New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, was the lone dissenter.
“Not a single historical regulation justifies the statute at issue,” Thomas wrote, adding that “in the interest of ensuring the government can regulate one subset of society, (Friday’s) decision puts at risk the Second Amendment rights of many more.”
The case involved Zackey Rahimi, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to illegally possessing guns in violation of this law while subject to a restraining order. Police found a pistol and rifle while searching Rahimi’s residence in connection with at least five shootings, including using an assault-type rifle to fire at the home of a man to whom he had sold drugs.
A federal judge had rejected Rahimi’s Second Amendment challenge and sentenced him to more than six years in prison before the case went to the 5th Circuit. Violating this law was punishable by up to 10 years in prison at the time of Rahimi’s indictment but has since been raised to 15 years.
Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, holds up a sign after U.S. justices rejected a Second Amendment challenge to a federal law that makes it a crime for people subject to domestic violence restraining orders to possess a gun, outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2024. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades Purchase Licensing Rights
‘A SIGH OF RELIEF’
Gun control advocates welcomed Friday’s ruling.
“As millions of domestic violence victims breathe a sigh of relief, it’s worth remembering who put them in jeopardy: extreme Trump-appointed judges on the 5th Circuit who sided with an abuser who wanted to keep his guns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, referring to Republican former President Donald Trump.
Rahimi’s lawyer declined to comment.
In a nation bitterly divided over how to address firearms violence including frequent mass shootings, the Supreme Court often has taken an expansive view of the Second Amendment. It broadened gun rights in landmark rulings in 2008 and 2010 before the 2022 Bruen decision, which recognized a constitutional right to carry a handgun in public for self defense and struck down New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns.
In Friday’s ruling, Roberts made clear that the history and tradition test set in Bruen for gun regulations is not as inflexible as the 5th Circuit’s ruling and Thomas’s dissent suggested.
Tourists and residents drink on a street in Gracia neighbourhood during a heatwave of the summer, in Barcelona, Spain August 19, 2023. REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Barcelona, a top Spanish holiday destination, announced on Friday that it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move as it seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city liveable for residents.
The city’s leftist mayor, Jaume Collboni, said that by November 2028, Barcelona will scrap the licences of the 10,101 apartments currently approved as short-term rentals.
“We are confronting what we believe is Barcelona’s largest problem,” Collboni told a city government event.
The boom in short-term rentals in Barcelona, Spain’s most visited city by foreign tourists, means some residents cannot afford an apartment after rents rose 68% in the past 10 years and the cost of buying a house rose by 38%, Collboni said. Access to housing has become a driver of inequality, particularly for young people, he added.
National governments relish the economic benefits of tourism – Spain ranks among the top-three most visited countries in the world – but with local residents priced out in some places, gentrification and owner preference for lucrative tourist rentals are increasingly a hot topic across Europe.
Local governments have announced restrictions on short-term rentals in places such as Spain’s Canary Islands, Lisbon and Berlin in the past decade.
Spain’s Socialist housing minister, Isabel Rodriguez, said she supported Barcelona’s decision.
“It’s about making all the necessary efforts to guarantee access to affordable housing,” she posted on X.
Vacation rentals platform Airbnb , which hosts a significant number of Barcelona listings, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Collboni is making a mistake that will lead to (higher) poverty and unemployment,” Barcelona’s tourist apartments association APARTUR said in a statement, adding the ban would trigger a rise in illegal tourist apartments.
Emergency vehicles are seen at the scene of a shooting incident in Fordyce, Arkansas, U.S. June 21, 2024, in this screen grab obtained from social media video. South Arkansas Reckoning/Suzy Parker/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
A shooter opened fire at an Arkansas supermarket on Friday, killing three civilians and wounding 10 other people, including two police officers, Arkansas State Police said.
The suspect was also wounded in a shootout with police, Arkansas State Police Director Mike Hagar told reporters.
The shooting occurred at the Mad Butcher grocery in Fordyce, a town of 3,200 people about 70 miles (112 km) south of Little Rock.
“Unfortunately, we can confirm that 11 innocent civilians were shot, and three of those are deceased. Two law enforcement officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire. The suspect was also shot and taken into custody,” Hagar said. He did not explain the circumstances of the shooting or take questions.
The wounded police officers and the suspect were expected to survive, he said.
Civilian injuries ranged from non-life-threatening to extremely critical, he said.
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on social media platform X that she was briefed on the incident.
“I am thankful to law enforcement and first responders for their quick and heroic action to save lives. My prayers are with the victims and all those impacted by this horrific incident,” she said.
The Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is anchored in Busan, South Korea, June 22, 2024. Song Kyung-Seok/Pool via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights
A nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, the Theodore Roosevelt, arrived in South Korea’s port city of Busan on Saturday for joint military exercises this month with the host nation and Japan, South Korea’s navy said.
The leaders of the three nations agreed at a Camp David summit in August 2023 to hold annual military training drills as they condemned China’s “dangerous and aggressive behaviour” in the disputed waterway of the South China Sea.
Referee Diana Guandinango, left, explains the rules ahead of a “handball with anaco” match in the Indigenous community of Turucu, Ecuador, Friday, June 14, 2024. One year ago, a group of women decided to create a new version of soccer: handball with anaco, an ancient skirt worn by Indigenous women. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
In the Indigenous community of Turucu, near the active Cotacachi volcano in northern Ecuador, soccer had always been a man’s thing.
The only gleaming green field belongs to them, especially on weekends. But things changed a year ago when a group of women decided to create a new version of the sport: handball with anaco, an ancient skirt worn by Indigenous women. It is a game only for women.
The match, consisting of two 25-minute halves, begins when the ball is thrown into the air. Screams and laughter erupt almost immediately, even more so when one of the players takes possession of the ball and begins to run to the opposite side of the field to score in a small arc.
The women run behind whomever is carrying the ball, some of them are trying to defend the attack, and others asking for a pass that allows them to continue advancing. If someone stumbles and falls, the laughter almost makes it impossible to continue the game. This variant of soccer is the simplest and most playful version of what a real game is, the perfect synonym for fun.
Handball with anaco was created by a group of entrepreneurial women from Turucu, located 67 kilometers (41.63 miles) north of the capital, a picturesque indigenous Quichua community surrounded by small agricultural plots and humble houses, near Cotacachi, one of the great attractions of northern Ecuador.
The rules are few and very simple: the uniform is the same traditional Indigenous clothing, blue or black anaco, and impeccable white blouses embroidered with brightly colored flowers, emulating those that grow freely in the nearby fields, the playing field is almost half of the regulations of a regular soccer pitch.
You cannot push rivals or take them by the arms and you cannot kick the ball, which will always be moved with both hands. If there is a strong foul, it is sanctioned with a penalty kick that is taken 10 meters away from the goal, which is 90 centimeters wide and 80 high, propelling the ball with the hands. Anyone can be a forward or a defender. There are no goalkeepers.
Sissa de la Cruz sets the limits of the field ahead of a “handball with anaco” match in the Indigenous community of Turucu, Ecuador, Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)Indigenous women fight for the ball during a “handball with anaco” match in the Indigenous community of Turucu, Ecuador, Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
“Since we were kids they have told us that soccer is a man’s thing,” Zoila Quinchiguango, one of the members of the Women Entrepreneurs team, told The Associated Press.
By going out to play with the anaco, she added, “we wanted to show that women are not only made for staying in the house raising children or taking care of the animals because we can also have fun on the field.”
The women are far from the only ones who enjoy handball with anaco. Their families watch the games and shout instructions that no one seems to hear.
Around this area of Ecuador, no one knows that the Copa América is going to be played in the United States, they hardly know or have heard about the young Ecuadorian soccer sensation Kendry Páez, a 17-year-old player who was named the most outstanding player in LigaPro.
Sissa de la Cruz, left, and Sisa Guandinango, fight for the ball during a “handball with anaco” match in the Indigenous community of Turucu, Ecuador, Friday, June 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Some of the older women now say that they have heard about Pelé or Diego Armando Maradona, but they all love handball with anaco.
“This sport is about uniting us as women, uniting the older generations and the younger ones, who only want to go out to the big cities, where we are discriminated against. It is something that we enjoy among women, purely for fun,” said the 33-year-old Sissa de la Cruz.
The oldest one is 58-year-old Dolores Guandinango, who plays often but prefers to stay back and defend near the goal. A year ago her husband was hit by a bus and she is struggling to pay her bills.
“When I play soccer with anaco I forget about the sorrows, even if it’s just for a little while and I laugh with my teammates, it’s only for a little while that the sorrows go away, while we’re on the field,” she added.
A strange monolith found jutting out of the rocks in a remote mountain range near Las Vegas has been taken down by authorities.
A strange monolith has been found jutting out of a remote mountain peak near Las Vegas. But after a three-day desert trek, an Associated Press reporter couldn’t find it.
How it got there is still unsolved.
“It remains unknown how the item got to its location or who might be responsible,” Las Vegas police said Friday in a series of posts on X announcing the removal of the glimmering, 6-foot-4 prism.
Its discovery over the weekend, and quick removal because of public safety and environmental concerns, revived a pandemic-era mystery that captured the public’s imagination when shiny monoliths evoking the object that appears in the Stanley Kubrick movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” began to appear around the globe.
Members of the Las Vegas police search and rescue team found the object near Gass Peak, part of the vast Desert National Wildlife Refuge where bighorn sheep and desert tortoises can be found roaming.
It was the latest discovery in a series of mysterious columns that have popped up since at least 2020.
In November of that year, a similar metal monolith was found deep in the Mars-like landscape of Utah’s red-rock desert. Then came sightings in Romania, central California, New Mexico and on the famed Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.
All of them disappeared as quickly as they popped up, adding to the lore.
“This thing is not from another world,” Lt. Nick Street of Utah’s Department of Public Safety said at the time.
The Utah monolith, believed to be the first in the series, had been embedded in the rock in an area so remote that officials didn’t immediately reveal its location for fear of people getting lost or stranded while trying to find it. But internet sleuths quickly found the coordinates, and hordes of curious tourists eager to see and touch the otherworldly object arrived, flattening plants with their cars and leaving behind human waste in the bathroom-free backcountry.
Authorities said the same concerns led them to tear down the latest monolith on Thursday.
It was illegally installed on federal land established to protect bighorn sheep and is home to rare plants and desert tortoises. The Desert National Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the largest wildlife refuge outside of Alaska and can cover the state of Rhode Island twice.
Christa Weise, acting manager of the wildlife refuge, confirmed Friday that the monolith had been removed but said she couldn’t comment on whether federal authorities have opened a criminal investigation.
A man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison in the attack against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was convicted Friday by a San Francisco jury of aggravated kidnapping. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
A man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison in the attack against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was convicted Friday by a San Francisco jury of aggravated kidnapping, a conviction that mandates life behind bars without the possibility of parole.
A San Francisco jury found David DePape also guilty of first-degree burglary, false imprisonment of an elder, threatening a family member of a public official and dissuading a witness.
The convictions on the additional charges come weeks after a federal judge sentenced DePape for the 2022 attack against Paul Pelosi.
A San Francisco jury found David DePape also guilty of first-degree burglary, false imprisonment of an elder, threatening a family member of a public official and dissuading a witness. AP
“Speaker Pelosi and her family remain in awe of their Pop’s bravery, which shone through again on the witness stand in this trial just as it did when he saved his own life on the night of the attack,” Pelosi’s office wrote in an emailed statement Friday.
“For nearly 20 grueling months, Mr. Pelosi has demonstrated extraordinary courage and fortitude every day of his recovery.”
DePape’s public defender Adam Lipson said he was disappointed with the verdict and plans to appeal it.
He called the prosecutors’ decision to file a kidnapping for ransom charge “vindictive.”
“It’s really unfortunate that it was charged this way. It was sort of a textbook vindictive prosecution,” Lipson said.
“As soon as they found that the attempted murder charge was going to be dismissed, they added this charge.”
Lipson earlier argued that the state trial represents double jeopardy following the federal conviction.
Even though the criminal counts are not the same, the two cases stem from the same act, he told the judge.
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harry Dorfman agreed and dismissed the state charges of attempted murder, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Another judge upheld the decision on appeal.
Lipson said that the verdict means that after DePape serves 30 years in federal prison, he will be transferred to California “to spend the rest of his life in a California prison.”
Previously, a federal jury convicted DePape of assaulting a federal official’s family member and attempting to kidnap a federal official.
On May 28, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison during an unusual resentencing hearing that resulted from judicial error.
Lipson focused his closing arguments on explaining to the jury that prosecutors did not prove DePape kidnapped Paul Pelosi, who was 82 at the time, with the intent “to exact from another person money or something valuable,” which is integral to the charge.
Once aid arrives in Gaza it can mount up for days waiting to be collected
Lying in the sun, on the Israel-Gaza border, just miles from starving Palestinian families, there are hundreds of pallets of food – from packets of rice to bunches of bananas.
Although for the past week Israel’s military has been observing a daytime pause in fighting on a key stretch of road just beyond the main Kerem Shalom crossing point, humanitarian agencies say they are still struggling to get vital aid into southern Gaza.
They blame growing lawlessness for making it too dangerous to pick up and move goods.
“The looting has become quite profound,” says Georgios Petropoulos, head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza. He estimates that last Tuesday, three-quarters of the goods on board lorries entering from the crossing were stolen.
UN officials say the vehicles are systematically attacked and stopped by armed gangs, particularly those smuggling cigarettes, which are sold on the black market in Gaza for exorbitant amounts. Lorries bringing fuel into Gaza have also recently been targeted.
As Israel’s military offensive has removed Gaza’s Hamas government, there is no plan for how to fill the power vacuum. There are few police officers left working in the Palestinian territory. It is not clear if organised crime cartels are affiliated to Hamas or Gazan clans.
“Meaningful decisions now have to be taken about what we will do for civil order in Gaza and who will take care of delivering that,” Mr Petropoulos says.
On a media tour of Kerem Shalom, the Israeli military body responsible for operating the crossings, Cogat, told journalists it placed no limit on the amount of aid that could go into Gaza. We were shown what was said to be a backlog of more than 1,000 lorryloads of aid which had undergone security checks and were awaiting collection from the Gaza side.
“This is largely due to the fact that international organisations have not taken sufficient steps to improve their distribution capacity,” said Cogat spokesman Shimon Freedman.
He accused the UN – which is the main supplier of aid in Gaza – of having insufficient lorries, as well as needing “to increase manpower, to extend working hours, to increase storage” and take other “logistical and organisational steps”.
Cogat spokesman Shimon Freedman says aid agencies need to improve their distribution capacity
During the war, Israel has stepped up its criticism of aid agencies as the International Court of Justice has twice issued provisional measures, ordering it to enable humanitarian assistance to Gaza. These came about as a result of South Africa’s case alleging that Israel was violating the Genocide Convention of 1948, an accusation it strongly denies.
The UN and relief groups rebut claims that they are understaffed or inefficient, pointing to the difficulties of operating in an active war zone. They say Israeli bombings have damaged their infrastructure and reduced their capacity.
“We’ve recruited scores of new staff and hundreds of volunteers to distribute aid. We’ve delivered 28 million meals and six million medical treatments – so [clearly] we can get manpower together,” Sean Carroll, president of American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) tells me.
But he says increased workers do not help when “the war makes the pickup of goods too dangerous, or roads are impassable. When there isn’t enough fuel and there aren’t enough trucks or parts inside Gaza.”
Anera welcomed a commitment it said Cogat had made this week to allow more lorries to be imported to Gaza, saying it was now campaigning to buy these urgently.
However, Mr Carroll says an ongoing problem remains “the arbitrariness of the rules and procedures, which change constantly” when it comes to moving goods around.
Aid groups stress how the overloaded relief system in Gaza broke down in May when Israel began its military ground invasion in the crowded southern city of Rafah, saying it was targeting remaining battalions of Hamas fighters there.
About a million Palestinians, most of them already displaced by the fighting, were forced to flee, deepening the humanitarian crisis. At the same time, aid organisations lost access to important storage and distribution centres.
Ever since Israeli forces took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, Egypt has prohibited its use, saying it is no longer safe for humanitarian work. Aid and fuel are now being rerouted to Kerem Shalom.
According to UN figures, in May a daily average of 97 aid lorries entered Gaza – a 42% drop on the previous month. In the first two weeks of June, the number had fallen again to 89 lorries.
The claimant said she and her then partner had entered into a verbal contract in which he agreed to drop her off at the airport, then stay in her home while she was away and look after her dogs.
File pic: iStock
A woman in New Zealand has sued her ex-boyfriend after he failed to take her to the airport.
The woman, known as CL in a tribunal document, said she and her then partner – HG – had entered into a verbal contract in which he agreed to drop her off at the unnamed airport, then stay in her home while she was away and look after her two dogs.
CL, who had planned to attend a concert with friends during her time away, messaged the man the day before her flight with instructions to pick her up between 10am and 10.15am, according to the legal papers.
But he did not arrive, causing her to miss her flight.
She told the New Zealand Disputes Tribunal, which deals with small claims, that she was seeking compensation from him for the cost of taking an alternative flight the next day, getting a shuttle service to the airport and putting her dogs in a kennel.
CL said HG “enjoyed staying at her house” and had looked after her dogs in the past, according to the claim.
The couple, who were in a relationship for six and a half years until the dispute arose, had previously lived together but were now in different homes since the man’s son had come back to live with him.
CL also sought reimbursement for the cost of a ferry ticket she had bought for the man as part of a holiday planned for December 2023 to visit her sons.
What was the tribunal’s decision?
The tribunal looked at whether the man had entered into a contract to take her to the airport and look after her dogs.
It also looked into whether the pair had entered into a contract in which the ex-boyfriend had said he would incur the cost of the ferry trip.
In the end, the tribunal dismissed the woman’s claim, saying the man’s promise fell short of being a contract.
Tribunal referee Krysia Cowie said that for an agreement to be enforceable, there needs to be an intention “to create a legally binding relationship”.
“Partners, friends and colleagues make social arrangements, but it is unlikely they can be legally enforced unless the parties perform some act that demonstrates an intention that they will be bound by their promises,” she added.
“When friends fail to keep their promises, the other person may suffer a financial consequence but it may be that they cannot be compensated for that loss.”
The Reform UK leader said that he “disliked” the Russian president – but had admired his abilities as a statesman.
Nigel Farage has reiterated that he blames the West and NATO for the Russian invasion of Ukraine – as he confirmed that he previously said he “admired” Vladimir Putin as a statesman.
Speaking to the BBC, the Reform UK leader was asked about his previous comments on Russia and Ukraine.
Asked about Russia’s 2022 invasion, Mr Farage told Nick Robinson that he had been saying since the fall of the Berlin Wall that there would be a war in Ukraine due to the “ever-eastward expansion of NATO and the European Union”.
He said this was giving Mr Putin a reason to tell the Russian people “they’re coming for us again” and go to war.
The Reform leader confirmed his belief the West “provoked” the conflict – but said it was “of course” the Russian president’s “fault”.
Mr Farage was asked about the war in Ukraine. Pic: Reuters
Previous comments Mr Farage made about Mr Putin were also put to him.
He was asked about comments he made in 2014 stating that Mr Putin was the statesman he most admired.
Mr Farage said he disliked the Russian leader – but “I admired him as a political operator because he’s managed to take control” of running the country.
“This is the nonsense, you know, you can pick any figure, current or historical, and say, you know, did they have good aspects?” he added.
“And if you said, ‘well, they were very talented in one area,’ then suddenly you’re the biggest supporter.”
Conservative candidates – who may be feeling the threat of a Reform surge in the polls – were quick to condemn the Reform leader.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said Mr Farage was “echoing Putin’s vile justification for the brutal invasion of Ukraine”.
Deputy Conservative chair Jonathan Gullis added that Putin is “certainly not someone who should be admired” – adding that he “unleashed chemical warfare on the streets of our country to commit murder, which endangered further innocent British lives”.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary, John Healey, said: “These are disgraceful comments, which reveal the true face of Nigel Farage: a Putin apologist who should never be trusted with our nation’s security.
“Up until now, there has been a united front amongst Britain’s political leaders in supporting the people of Ukraine against the unprovoked and unjustifiable assault they have suffered at the hands of Vladimir Putin.
“Nigel Farage has put himself outside that united position, and shown that he would rather lick Vladimir Putin’s boots than stand up for the people of Ukraine. That makes him unfit for any political office in our country, let alone leading a serious party in parliament.”
Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal, along with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were, however, cleared by a court in Switzerland of more serious charges of human trafficking linked to their servants.
Ajay Hinduja and his wife Namrata arrive at court in Geneva. Pic: Rex/Salvatore di Nolfi/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Four members of Britain’s richest family have received jail sentences after being found guilty of exploiting their vulnerable domestic workers and providing unauthorised employment.
Indian-born tycoon Prakash Hinduja and his wife Kamal, along with their son Ajay and his wife Namrata, were, however, cleared by a Swiss criminal court of more serious charges of human trafficking linked to their servants.
The court ruled the servants, who were mostly illiterate Indians and worked at their lakeside villa in Geneva, knew what they were getting into.
The four family members were sentenced to between four and four-and-a-half years in prison.
The lawyers representing the defendants said they would appeal.
In their defence, the Hinduja family’s legal team stated the staff were treated respectfully and provided with accommodation.
The four were accused of seizing workers’ passports, paying them in rupees – not Swiss francs – barring them from leaving the villa and forcing them to work very long hours for a pittance in Switzerland, among other things.
Sentences
Prakash and Kamal each received jail sentences of four-and-a-half years, while Ajay and his wife Namrata were sentenced to four years each.
The defendants were not in court in Geneva though a fifth defendant – Najib Ziazi, the family’s business manager – was there on Friday. He received an 18-month suspended sentence.
Prakash and Kamal, aged 78 and 75 respectively, reportedly did not attend the trial due to health reasons.
It emerged last week in criminal court the family – which has roots in India – had reached an undisclosed settlement with the plaintiffs. Geneva prosecutors opened the case for alleged illegal activity including exploitation, human trafficking and violation of Swiss labour laws.
What did the prosecution allege?
The prosecution said the workers – who were in jobs such as cooks or house help – were sometimes forced to work up to 18 hours a day with little or no holiday time off.
And their pay was less than one-tenth of the comparable amount required under Swiss law, it was alleged.
Employees worked even later hours for receptions and slept in the basement of the villa in the upmarket Cologny area – sometimes on a mattress on the floor, said prosecutors, who described a “climate of fear” brought by Kamal Hinduja.
Some workers allegedly spoke only Hindi and were paid their wages in Indian rupees in banks back home that they could not access.
Swiss authorities have already seized jewellery including diamonds, rubies, a platinum necklace, as well as other assets, from the family in anticipation they could be used to pay for legal fees and possible penalties.
Firefighters work at a site of a household item shopping mall hit by a Russian air strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine May 25, 2024. REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Russia sees a pressing need for security talks with the United States but they must be “comprehensive” and include the subject of Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday.
“It is impossible to rip out any individual segments from the general complex of accumulated problems, and we will not do this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked if Moscow was ready to talk to Washington about nuclear risks.
“So we are open to dialogue, but to a broad comprehensive dialogue that covers all dimensions, including the current dimension related to the conflict around Ukraine, related to the direct involvement of the USA in this conflict,” Peskov told reporters.
The United States rejects Russia’s contention that by arming Ukraine it has become a direct protagonist in a war aimed at inflicting a crushing “strategic defeat” on Moscow. The U.S. says any negotiations over the war are a matter for Ukraine.
The Russian stance, as outlined by Peskov, is not new. But he told reporters that the list of topics that Russia and the United States needed to discuss was growing.
“Overall, this dialogue is very much required,” Peskov said. “It is needed because problems are piling up, and there are a lot of problems associated with the global security architecture.”
From Washington’s point of view, it is Putin who, in the third year of the war in Ukraine, is adding to the list of security concerns.
This week he visited nuclear-armed North Korea, signed a mutual defence agreement with its leader Kim Jong Un and said he might supply Russian weapons to North Korea in response to the Western arming of Ukraine.
Putin also reiterated on Thursday that he was considering reviewing Russia’s doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons. The last remaining arms control treaty that limits the number of strategic nuclear warheads that Russia and the United States can deploy is due to expire in 2026.
Footage released by the Philippine military appeared to show the chaotic face off at the Second Thomas Shoal, with Chinese personnel brandishing machetes, axes and sticks while surrounding two Philippine navy supply boats.
Filipino soldiers used their “bare hands” to fight off armed Chinese coastguard in the disputed South China Sea, a Philippine military chief has said.
General Romeo Brawner Jr, head of the Philippine armed forces, accused Chinese personnel of boarding more than eight motorboats and repeatedly ramming, then boarding, two inflatable vessels on Monday.
Comparing the act to piracy, he said the Chinese had bladed weapons and tried to prevent the transfer of food, firearms and other supplies to a Philippine territorial outpost in the disputed area of the Second Thomas Shoal.
Hostilities between the two countries have escalated in and around the shoal – where the Philippines grounded the BRP Sierra Madre ship in 1999 to create the outpost – which is also claimed by Beijing.
Sirens blared constantly as both sides could be heard yelling at each other in video footage. Pic: Armed forces of the PhilippinesDamage allegedly caused by the Chinese coastguard. Pic: Armed forces of the Philippines
Footage released by the Philippine military on Wednesday showed the dispute, with Chinese personnel brandishing what appeared to be machetes, knives, axes, hammers and sticks while surrounding two supply boats.
Sirens blared constantly as both sides could be heard yelling at each other. The Chinese appeared to smash the Philippine navy boat with a pole and images showed its side floaters slashed and deflated, and another boat with its windshields and navigational screens shattered.
One Filipino solider lost his right thumb and a number of others were injured as M4 rifles, navigation equipment and other supplies were seized, two Philippine security officials said.
“Only pirates do this. Only pirates board, steal, and destroy ships, equipment, and belongings,” Gen Brawner said.
He demanded the Chinese return all firearms and equipment and “pay for the damage they caused”.
The Philippines has demanded China pays for the alleged damage. Pic: Armed forces of the Philippines
China blamed the Philippines for the confrontation, saying Filipino personnel “trespassed” into the shoal, ignoring its warnings.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Chinese coastguard took “professional law-enforcement measures”, accusing the Philippines of illegally supplying its vessels.
“No direct measures were taken against the Philippine personnel,” he added.
The incident prompted the US to renew a warning that it is obligated to defend the Philippines, a treaty ally.
In addition to China and the Philippines – Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have conflicting territorial claims in the waterway.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea – a claim invalidated by an international tribunal in 2016.
Jensen Huang, the Taiwan-born founder of semiconductor giant Nvidia, brings a quiet determination to a Silicon Valley known for hype and bluster, says IMD Business School’s Howard Yu.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at an event ahead of the COMPUTEX forum, in Taipei, Taiwan Jun 2, 2024. (File photo: Reuters/Ann Wang)
At 61, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is not your usual Silicon Valley tech rockstar. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg achieved stardom before age 30, as did Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. This week, Nvidia overtook Microsoft and Apple to become the world’s most valuable company, at about US$3.34 trillion.
It’s not like Nvidia builds products that consumers can easily relate to: Unlike iPhones or Facebook, most of us never directly buy or even see Nvidia’s graphics cards or artificial intelligence chips.
Yet, fans mobbed Mr Huang at the Computex tech trade show in Taiwan earlier this month and flocked to the restaurants and night market stalls he patronised. “Jensanity” has swept the island and the tech world.
So how did Mr Huang become the “Taylor Swift of tech”, as coined by Mr Zuckerberg?
NAVIGATING US-CHINA GEOPOLITICAL RISKS
For one, Taiwan-born Mr Huang has arguably become the face of the AI semiconductor boom, at a time when chips have become the next front in the rivalry between China and the United States.
One of the deepest fault lines lies in Taiwan which is at the heart of everything technological that powers Silicon Valley to Shenzhen. It holds the key to the world’s digital future.
“Taiwan is the unsung hero, a steadfast pillar of the world,” Mr Huang said onstage at Computex, pointing to a chart that showed 100 Taiwanese companies, such as TSMC. The semiconductor foundry manufactures most of the world’s advanced chipsets, including Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips.
Foxconn, Quanta, Pegatron and Wistron assemble Apple, Dell and HP products. Delta Electronics enables the power and thermal management of electric vehicles and data centres. ASUS is known for its high-performance personal computers and components.
Washington wants to contain China. Beijing wants to achieve self-sufficiency. And Taiwanese companies, knowing both sides need them, play cute.
Make friends with everyone. Take orders from Apple’s Tim Cook, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Tesla’s Elon Musk, Alibaba’s Jack Ma and Xiaomi’s Lei Jun. Why choose? Hedge your risks. Only the paranoid survive.
THINK WORKHORSE, NOT UNICORN
Looking at its success today, it is easy to forget that it took Nvidia wandering in the wild for 30 years before striking gold. It’s no overnight unicorn.
Its first chip was a massive flop. Its second was doomed to fail: Japan’s Sega had contracted Nvidia to develop a new game console using an unconventional 3D rendering approach. Microsoft subsequently announced a competing standard, which ultimately was adopted by the rest of the industry. Nvidia instead pivoted to build a compatible Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) that accelerated the performance under the emerging Windows standard.
Then, in 2006, Nvidia discovered that its graphics cards could do more than make pictures and videos. They could accelerate other fast, repetitive tasks – ideal for areas like machine learning. To tap this potential, the company released CUDA.
Programming GPUs directly is complex. CUDA made it much easier by providing a set of tools that anyone could use to write code and use GPUs. Nvidia then poured at least US$10 billion into CUDA, according to their numbers from back in 2017.
CUDA was already a game changer and here’s the kicker: CUDA was free. In one fell swoop, anyone with programming skills could experiment.
And everyone did – from Tesla to Sony and Amazon, from students at Berkeley to MIT. Machine learning, artificial intelligence and scientific computing were big winners from widespread experimentation. That’s how OpenAI and Meta became Nvidia’s biggest customers.
It was a huge and risky leap at the time into what Mr Huang now calls a “zero billion dollar” AI market. He understood that Nvidia needed to be more significant in the age of AI to develop new applications around machine learning.
British teenager Jay Slater had been on holiday in Tenerife but has been missing since Monday after telling a friend he would be setting off on an 11-hour walk to get home. At a service of hope held Thursday members of his local village wore blue ribbons and left messages to him.
Jay Slater and his mother, Debbie Duncan. Pic: Lucy Law
As the search continues for missing Jay Slater, members of the local community rallied at a church event as his friends hoped for the return of the British teen they described as the “life and soul of the party”.
The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, near Blackburn in Lancashire, was on holiday in Tenerife with friends when he went missing on Monday.
He vanished after he told a friend he would be setting off on an 11-hour walk to get home, after he missed his bus, and new photographs show the property where he was last seen.
At a church in his home town, locals used blue ribbons to mark a service of hope as they left messages to the missing teen.
Two friends, speaking to Sky News, also shared stories of the teen they hoped would soon be found.
One friend of Mr Slater’s said: “We’ve known him for a long time. We’re always out with him. He’s the life and soul of the party.
“Everywhere you see him he’s just constantly got a smile on his face. He’s always just a happy chap.”
“He’s just one of a kind really,” they added.
They continued: “I don’t think you could walk through any street [in Oswaldtwistle] and someone would say they don’t know him. He’s just constantly happy wherever you see him, no matter what.
“He’s just always got a smile on his face. Hopefully, someone somewhere knows something and hopefully he can get found.”
A second friend told Sky News: “I can’t hope enough, I literally can’t. It’s been on my mind since Monday morning.
“I just can’t seem to understand why this has happened to him and why no-one has heard anything. It’s crazy, I’m lost for words.”
The friend continued: “We feel like we can’t do anything about it because we’re over here and he’s over there. If we could get a flight tomorrow we would do.”
Court filings show that the short video app and its Chinese owner are bidding to strike down a new national security law on several grounds, including the apparent singling out of its US interests and 170 million users.
Pic: AP
TikTok has launched a long-awaited legal fight to stop its Chinese owner being forced to sell the short video platform’s US operations, arguing it violates Americans’ rights to free speech.
TikTok and Chinese parent ByteDance were told in April they had until January next year to divest TikTok in the US or face the prospect of the app being banned in the country.
Legislation, signed by President Joe Biden, gives the US government the power to demand such sales on national security grounds.
The concern in this case centres on perceived risks that data on TikTok’s 170 million American users could be harvested by Beijing and that TikTok could be compelled by the Chinese authorities to spy on them.
It has insisted this is not about trying to ban TikTok but Thursday’s filing contested that was the inevitable conclusion if the new law was to stand.
ByteDance said a sale was “not possible technologically, commercially, or legally”.
The filings also argued the law violates Americans’ rights to free speech under the constitution and revealed a spend of $2bn on efforts to protect US user data.
Under a document released at the same time, the pair committed to giving the US government power – described as a “kill switch” to suspend TikTok in the country if it failed to adhere to a series of national security and data commitments.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will hear arguments on lawsuits filed by TikTok, ByteDance
and TikTok users on 16 September.
“This law is a radical departure from this country’s tradition of championing an open Internet, and sets a dangerous
precedent allowing the political branches to target a disfavoured speech platform and force it to sell or be shut down,” ByteDance and TikTok said in their application.
“This administration has determined that it prefers to try to shut down TikTok in the United States and eliminate a
platform of speech for 170 million Americans, rather than continue to work on a practical, feasible, and effective
solution to protect US users through an enforceable agreement,” TikTok lawyers said.
North Korea is building sections of what appears to be a wall in several places near its border with South Korea, new satellite images reveal.
Images analysed by BBC Verify also show that land inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) has been cleared, which experts say could be a violation of the long-standing truce with South Korea.
The DMZ is a 4km (2.5 miles) wide buffer zone between North and South Korea, who are still technically at war having never signed a peace treaty. The DMZ is split in two, with each side controlled by the respective nations.
This recent activity is “unusual”, according to experts, and comes at a time of rising tensions between the two countries.
“At this point we can only speculate that North Korea is looking to strengthen its military presence and fortifications along the border,” says Shreyas Reddy, a correspondent at the specialist site NK News, based in Seoul.
BBC Verify commissioned high-resolution satellite imagery of a 7km stretch of the border as part of a project to look at changes North Korea was making to the area.
These images appear to show at least three sections where barriers have been erected near the DMZ, covering a total of about 1km close to the eastern end of the border.
It’s possible that there has been further barrier construction along other stretches of the border.
The exact date construction began is unclear due to a lack of previous high-resolution imagery in the area. However, these structures were not visible in an image captured in November 2023.
“My personal assessment is that this is the first time they’ve ever built a barrier in the sense of separating places from each other,” Dr Uk Yang, a military and defence expert at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies told the BBC.
“Back in the 1990s, North Korea had set up the anti-tank walls to deter the advance of tanks in case war broke out. But recently, North Korea has been setting up walls 2-3m high, and they don’t look like the anti-tank walls,” Dr Yang says.
“The shape of the walls suggests that they are not just obstacles [for tanks], but are intended to divide an area,” adds Dr Yang, who reviewed the satellite images.
There is also evidence of land clearance within the North Korean side of the DMZ.
The latest satellite imagery of the eastern end of the boundary shows what appears to be a newly created access road.
In drawing the precise northern boundary of the DMZ in the map above, we have adopted the BBC’s research on border mapping. This is because there are slight variations in the available maps of the boundary. However, all the versions we’ve located show the land clearance taking place within the DMZ.
An official from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a recent briefing interview that the military had identified ongoing activity related to the “reinforcement of tactical roads, the laying of mines and the clearing of wasteland”.
“The land clearing could be intended for both military and non-military aspects”, says Prof Kil Joo Ban, professor of international security at Korea University.
“It allows observatory posts to be easily established,” he says “for North Korea to monitor military activities in South Korea” and to spot “defectors who attempt to cross the border to South Korea.”
The Israeli military said Sunday that it was establishing a new safe corridor to deliver aid into southern Gaza. But days later, this self-declared “tactical pause” has brought little relief to desperate Palestinians.
The United Nations and international aid organizations say a breakdown in law and order has made the aid route unusable.
With thousands of truckloads of aid piled up, groups of armed men are regularly blocking convoys, holding drivers at gunpoint and rifling through their cargo, according to a U.N. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media on the issue.
The lawlessness is a major obstacle to aid distribution to southern and central Gaza — where an estimated 1.3 million Palestinians displaced from Rafah, or more than half of Gaza’s entire population, are now sheltering in tent camps and cramped apartments without adequate food, water, or medical supplies.
Here is a closer look at the security challenges facing the U.N. and aid organizations.
Israel’s ‘tactical pause’ stymied
Israel said Sunday it would observe daily pauses in combat along a route stretching from Kerem Shalom — the strip’s only operational aid crossing in the south — to the nearby city of Khan Younis. Before the pause, aid organizations had reported that the need to coordinate trucks’ movement with the Israelis in an active combat zone was slowing aid distribution.
The head of the U.N.’s World Food Program said Thursday that the pause has made “no difference at all” in aid distribution efforts. “We haven’t been able to get in,” said Cindy McCain in an interview with Al-Monitor. “We’ve had to reroute some of our trucks. They’ve been looted. As you know, we’ve been shot at and we’ve been rocketed.”
The U.N. official familiar with the aid effort said that there has been no sign of Israeli activity along the route. The U.N. tried to send a convoy of 60 trucks down the road Tuesday to pick up aid at Kerem Shalom. But 35 of the trucks were intercepted by armed men, the official said.
In recent days, the groups have moved closer to the crossing and set up roadblocks to halt trucks loaded with supplies, the U.N. official said. They have searched the pallets for smuggled cigarettes, a rare luxury in a territory where a single smoke can go for $25.
The surge in lawlessness is a result of growing desperation in Gaza and the power vacuum left by Hamas’s waning power over the territory, said Mkhaimar Abusada, an associate professor of political science at Al-Azhar University in Gaza who is now in Cairo.
With the enclave’s police force targeted by Israel, he said, crime has reemerged as an untreated issue in Gaza.
“After Hamas came to power, one of the things that they brought under their control was the lawlessness of the so-called big clans,” said Abusada. “Now, that’s left for the Palestinians on their own to deal with it. So once again, we are seeing shootings between families, there are thefts, all the bad things are happening.”
UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, used to deploy local Palestinian police to escort aid convoys, but many refused to continue serving after airstrikes killed at least eight police officers in Rafah, the agency said.
Israel says the police are legitimate targets because they are controlled by Hamas.
Is any aid still getting into Gaza?
The situation has largely paralyzed aid distribution to the south — particularly since Gaza’s nearby Rafah crossing with Egypt was closed when Israel invaded the city early last month.
The U.N. official said that 25 trucks of flour used the route Tuesday. Some private commercial trucks also got through — many of which used armed security to deter groups seeking to seize their cargo. An AP reporter stationed along the road Monday saw at least eight trucks pass by, armed security guards riding on top.
Before Israel’s offensive into the city of Rafah, hundreds of fuel trucks routinely entered the area.
The U.N. has now begun rerouting some fuel trucks through northern Gaza. Farhan Haq, a U.N. spokesman, said five fuel trucks entered Gaza Wednesday. The U.N. humanitarian office reported that these were the first fuel deliveries since early June and supplies remain scarce.
Aid groups say only a ceasefire and a reopening of the Rafah crossing could significantly increase aid flow to the area.
The military body in charge of coordinating humanitarian aid efforts, COGAT, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Security concerns also afflict aid from U.S. pier project
The U.S. installed a pier off Gaza’s coast last month, aiming to provide an additional route for aid to enter Gaza. But the ambitious project has suffered repeated logistical and security setbacks.
Cyprus and US officials said the pier was up and running again Thursday after being detached for a second time last week because of rough seas. COGAT said Thursday there were “hundreds of aid pallets awaiting collection and distribution by the U.N. aid agencies.”
Washington and Beijing are talking more regularly to avoid a conflict in the South China Sea despite their “contentious and competitive” relationship, the United States ambassador to China has told the BBC.
“Our militaries are operating in very close proximity to one another in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. You don’t want to send the wrong signal,” Nicholas Burns said in an interview in Beijing earlier this week.
The South China Sea has become a dangerous flashpoint, where Beijing’s claims are ratcheting up tensions with Taiwan and Philippines, as well as their most powerful ally, the US.
Chinese and Philippine vessels have been playing a dicey cat-and-mouse game in the contested waters in recent months – the latest altercation this week allegedly involved Chinese coastguard personnel boarding a Philippine boat and attacking soldiers with swords and knives.
The US, which has stitched together military alliances from Manila to Tokyo, has repeatedly vowed to defend its allies’ rights in the South China Sea.
This has further strained ties with China – the relationship was already reeling from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese claims over self-governed Taiwan and a trade war.
Chinese and Philippine boats have come very close to one another in the South China Sea
Mr Burns said these were flashpoints that still “completely divided” the two sides, but it was important to try to “get people together” where possible.
“The Chinese have agreed to increase our military-to-military communications and that’s really critical for us. You want to have communication because the last thing we want is an accident, a misunderstanding that leads to conflict,” said the 68-year-old diplomat.
While tensions have eased, the upcoming US presidential election has the potential to disrupt the relationship again.
“We’ve warned the Chinese not to involve themselves in our election in any way, shape or form,” Mr Burns said, adding that the US was “very concerned” about the possibility.
Earlier this year FBI officials said China would likely continue its efforts to sow divisions and could help spread disinformation online.
The ambassador said the FBI also had evidence of “cyber aggression by Chinese authorities” against the US. Beijing has always denied accusations of state-sponsored cyber warfare and says it too is a victim of this type of crime.
Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump are vying to be tough on Beijing, a strategy they see as a vote-winner. In May, President Biden announced a raft of new tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, solar panels and other goods. Few electric cars reach US shores, but Ambassador Burns denied that domestic politics had played a part in this decision.
He said this was an “economic move” designed to safeguard American jobs. Meanwhile, China has warned it may retaliate with tariffs of its own.
But there are some bright spots despite the rivalry.
Before sitting down for our interview, Mr Burns had a meeting with China’s climate envoy as the world’s two biggest polluters try to find ways to reduce harmful emissions.
Washington and Beijing are also holding what are described as “high-level talks” to prevent the drug fentanyl reaching US shores, which Mr Burns described as “critical”.
Nicholas Burns (left, with Xi Jinping) has been the US ambassador in Beijing since 2022
Most of his meetings are at a ministerial level and audiences with President Xi are reserved for when senior US officials, such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visit.
Both sides have also vowed to work towards more “people-to-people” exchanges. This comes as the number of US students studying in China has fallen from around 15,000 in 2011 to 800.
Mr Xi hopes to open the door for 50,000 American students to come to China in the next five years. He said on a visit to San Francisco last November that it was the “ultimate wish of our two peoples for exchanges and cooperation”.
But Ambassador Burns accused parts of the Chinese government of not taking these warm words seriously: “Since the San Francisco summit, there have been 61 separate incidents when the security forces or a government ministry have prevented Chinese citizens from participating in public diplomacy programmes at this house, at our embassy or they have prevented people from travelling to the US to participate in joint trips – so it has been very difficult for us to bring people together.”
On the other side, Chinese students and academics have reported being unfairly targeted by US border officials. Beijing’s embassy in Washington lodged a formal protest and accused US authorities of “unwarrantedly” interrogating, harassing, cancelling the visas of and even deporting several students from China with valid travel permits upon their arrival in the US.
Washington has also placed a “level 3” travel advisory on China urging visitors to “reconsider” their travel. Mr Burns denied this alert was contradictory to a US plea to “bring people together,” but was rather a precaution.
“There are Americans imprisoned here who we believe are wrongfully detained, wrongfully prosecuted, I’ve been visiting these prisoners and we want them released.” He said several Americans had been subjected to “exit bans” by China and had their passports taken at the airport and could not leave.
China, in turn, has left the US off a list of countries that are exempt from visas for up to 15 days of travel – Australia is on the list after Beijing recently mended ties with Canberra.
That “people-to-people” contact – a relatively easy goal in an otherwise thorny relationship – is proving to be so difficult is perhaps a sign of the continuing lack of trust on both sides.
But the biggest fault line for now may well be the war in Ukraine.
The US seems to believe China could hold the key to halting Russia’s progress on the battlefield. And Ambassador Burns reiterated Washington’s message that Beijing’s support for Moscow’s invasion will not be tolerated.
“China is not neutral in this war,” he said. “China is showing its true colours. It’s supporting Russia, supporting Putin as he unleashes this barbaric war on Ukrainian civilians. We know what is being shipped by Chinese companies and we know the impact it is having on Russia’s ability to conduct this war.”
He said there were “tens of thousands” of Chinese companies supporting Moscow. “We have sanctioned a great number and we are prepared to do more if the government here does not pull back.”
The driver who hit and decapitated an elderly pedestrian in Brooklyn appeared inconsolable in a new video taken of the gruesome scene.
The man was on his knees and at times hunched over in grief on a Brooklyn street as cops and a bystander tried to comfort him, according to a video that emerged on the social media account NYC Scoop.
The heartbreaking scene played out last week after the elderly man was fatally struck and decapitated. NYC Scoop/X
The unidentified driver, who was wearing a bright yellow vest, was behind the wheel of a city Department of Transportation truck when he allegedly mowed down the 86-year-old man, whom sources identified as Antonio Conigliaro.
The octogenarian lived a few-minute walk from where the crash happened in Bay Ridge, cops said.
The sickening footage also showed the victim’s head several yards away from the rest of his body, which was crumbled in the crosswalk.
“Oh my God, this is a bad day,” a woman can be heard saying on the video.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Vietnam’s President To Lam pose for photos during an official visit at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam on Jun 20, 2024. (Photo: Kremlin via REUTERS/Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna)
The US responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Vietnam on Thursday (Jun 20) by saying Washington would stay focused on deepening ties with Hanoi, with which it has sought strong relations to counter rivalry with China.
A day after signing a mutual defence agreement with North Korea, Putin received a 21-gun salute at a military ceremony in Vietnam and said in Hanoi he wanted to build a “reliable security architecture” in the region.
Hours later, Washington announced that its top diplomat for East Asia, Daniel Kritenbrink, would visit Vietnam on Friday and Saturday to stress Washington’s commitment to working with Hanoi to ensure a “free and open” Indo-Pacific region.
Putin’s two-nation trip to Asia has been seen as a show of defiance to the West, and Vietnam’s hosting him had been sharply criticised by Washington, which said the Russian leader should not be given a stage on which to defend the war in Ukraine.
The White House national security spokesperson John Kirby was asked at a regular briefing if the US believed Putin would seek support for the Ukraine war from Vietnam and said Washington expected Hanoi would continue to adhere to UN principles on respect for territorial integrity.
Kirby stressed the US upgrade of relations with Vietnam last year, and added: “We’re going to stay focused on continuing to deepen it, broaden it, improve it for own mutual benefits to each other and to the region.”
The US is now Vietnam’s top export market and the US State Department said in announcing Kritenbrink’s visit that he would “reaffirm the United States’ support for a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam” and “underscore the strong US commitment to implementing the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”.
Russia and Vietnam signed agreements on issues including energy, underlining Moscow’s pivot to Asia after the West imposed sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
Despite US concern over Vietnam hosting Putin, some analysts believe Hanoi may have calculated it will not suffer material consequences, given that Washington relies on good relations with Vietnam to counter its rivalry with China in the Indo-Pacific region.
However, Hanoi is awaiting an important US decision due by Jul 26, on whether to elevate Vietnam to market-economy status, and Alexander Vuving, a Vietnam and Asia expert at Hawaii’s Daniel K Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, said hosting Putin could affect this.
Smoke plumes billow over Gaza’s Rafah, more than eight months into the Israel-Hamas war. (File Photo: AFP/Bashar Taleb)
Israeli forces pounded areas in the central Gaza Strip overnight, killing three people and wounding dozens of others, according to medics, while tanks deepened their invasion into Rafah in the south, residents said.
Israeli planes struck a house in Al-Nuseirat camp, killing two people and wounding 12 others, while tanks shelled areas in Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij camps, wounding many other people, health officials said. Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij are three of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps.
An aerial view of tent camps where displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, shelter in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Dec 9, 2023. (File Photo: REUTERS/Mustafa Thraya)
The Israeli military said on Wednesday (Jun 19) that forces were continuing their operations across the enclave targeting militants and military infrastructure in what it described as “precise, intelligence-based” activities.
More than eight months into the war in Gaza, Israel’s advance is now focused on the two last areas its forces had yet to storm: Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the centre. The operations have forced more than a million people to flee since May, the vast majority already displaced from other parts of the enclave.
In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, Israeli tanks stationed deep in the western and central areas of the city stepped up bombardment, forcing more families living in the far coastal areas to flee northward. Some residents said the pace of the raid has been accelerated in the past two days.
“The tanks took control of most of the areas in Rafah. People living by the beach have also started to leave toward Khan Younis and central areas in fear because of the continued bombardment,” said Abu Wasim, a resident from Rafah’s Al-Shaboura neighbourhood, who quit his home over a week ago before tanks rolled in reaching the heart of the city.
Rafah housed over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people until May 7 when Israeli forces began the ground offensive into the city. Fewer than 100,000 are now believed to be left behind.
There has been no sign of let-up in the fighting as efforts by international mediators, backed by the United States, have failed to persuade Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said fighters battled Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, and have in some areas detonated pre-planted explosive devices against army units.
Federal authorities raided a home belonging to Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao early Thursday as part of a California investigation that included a search of at least two other houses, officials said.
FBI agents carried boxes out of 80 Maiden Lane, a four-bedroom home that property records link to the first-term mayor, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Thao’s spokesperson Francis Zamora referred inquiries to the FBI.
“The FBI conducted court-authorized law enforcement activity on Maiden Lane in Oakland this morning. We are unable to provide additional information at this time,” a bureau statement said.
Agents also carried out searches about three miles to the south at two homes owned by members of the politically influential Duong family that owns the recycling company Cal Waste Solutions, the Chronicle said. The firm has been investigated over campaign contributions to Thao and other elected city officials, the local news outlet Oaklandside reported in 2020.
One of the properties is owned by Andy Duong and the other is connected to David and Linda Duong, according to records cited by the Chronicle.
Phone messages and emails seeking comment on the raid from Cal Waste Solutions officials were not immediately returned. Personal phone numbers for members of the Duong family could not be found.
Thao, 38, is facing a recall election less than two years into her term as mayor. The city clerk’s office last week notified leaders behind the recall effort that they had gathered enough verified signatures to qualify for the ballot in November.
Increased crime and budgetary problems have challenged Thao since she assumed office in January 2023 after a stint on the Oakland City Council.
FILE – American Airlines President Robert Isom speaks at a news conference about the company’s new partnership with Alaska Airlines, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Seattle. On Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, American CEO Isom defended his airline’s partnership with JetBlue, saying there is no other way for American to grow fast enough to compete with Delta and United in the Northeast. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
American Airlines put an unspecified number of employees on leave for their involvement in an incident in which several Black passengers were removed from a flight in Phoenix, allegedly over a complaint about body odor.
American CEO Robert Isom wrote in a note to staff that the incident was unacceptable.
“I am incredibly disappointed by what happened on that flight and the breakdown of our procedures,” Isom said in the note this week. “It contradicts our values. … We fell short of our commitments and failed our customers in this incident.”
Three Black passengers sued the airline last month, charging that they were removed from the January flight because of racial discrimination. They said they were told that a white male flight attendant had complained about an unidentified passenger’s body odor.
The men said they did not know each other and were seated separately while waiting for the plane to depart for New York. The three said they were among eight passengers – all the Black men on the flight, they said – who were told to leave the plane.
The men said they demanded an explanation for their removal during a confrontation with airline personnel in the jet bridge. At least one of the men recorded the discussion, capturing an airline employee seeming to agree that the men were discriminated against, according to their lawsuit.
After a delay of about an hour, they were allowed back on the plane.
American did not say how many employees were put on leave or describe their job titles. A spokesperson for the airline said, “We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service.”
Isom said American would form an advisory group to focus on the experience of Black customers, to promote the reporting of discrimination allegations, and to improve diversity training to “focus on real-world situations to help recognize and address bias and discrimination.”
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of a California woman who said she did not know about a stash of methamphetamine hidden inside her car.
In a ruling that crossed the court’s ideological lines, the 6-3 majority opinion dismissed arguments that an expert witness for the prosecution had gone too far in describing the woman’s mindset when he said that most larger scale drug couriers are aware of what they are transporting.
“An opinion about most couriers is not an opinion about all couriers,” said Justice Clarence Thomas, who wrote the decision. He was joined by fellow conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett as well as liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In a sharp dissent, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the ruling gives the government a “powerful new tool in its pocket.”
“Prosecutors can now put an expert on the stand — someone who apparently has the convenient ability to read minds — and let him hold forth on what ‘most’ people like the defendant think when they commit a legally proscribed act. Then, the government need do no more than urge the jury to find that the defendant is like ‘most’ people and convict,” he wrote. Joining him were the court’s other liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.
The opinion came in the case of Delilah Guadalupe Diaz. She was sentenced to seven years in prison after on drug charges after Border Patrol agents discovered methamphetamine worth nearly $370,000 stashed inside the car door panel as she crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
Diaz contended the car belonged to a boyfriend and that she did not know the drugs were inside. Defense lawyers argued that she was a “blind mule,” a term for people used by cartels to smuggle drugs without their knowledge.
Prosecutors disagreed. The Justice Department called as an expert witness a Homeland Security agent who testified that drug cartels do not usually send large quantities of drugs with people who are unaware of the contraband, though the agent acknowledged that has happened.
One of Vladimir Putin’s aides said earlier on Wednesday that the Russian leader had presented Kim Jong Un with a Russian-built Aurus limousine as a gift.
Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a deal that included a mutual defence pledge. (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took turns to drive each other around in a Russian-built Aurus limousine on Wednesday after the Kremlin said Putin had gifted one of the luxury vehicles to Kim.
In a carefully staged public relations opportunity held amid tight security, the two leaders used the moment to show how close their working relationship has become during what was a pomp-filled visit to Pyongyang by Putin, his first in nearly a quarter of a century.
🇷🇺 🇰🇵 President Vladimir Putin driving North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in a brand new Aurus Russian luxury car. pic.twitter.com/N4ceb2ZWvV
Their jaunt took place after the two leaders had signed a deal that included a mutual defence pledge, one of Russia’s most significant moves in Asia for years that Kim said amounted to an “alliance”.
Video released by Russian state TV showed Putin jumping behind the wheel of the black armoured Aurus, which is his official presidential car back in Russia, with Kim getting in the passenger seat.
The car is then shown driving on a road which weaves its way through a carefully manicured park area before coming to a halt. A Korean man in a suit wearing white gloves is seen opening the door for Kim before rushing round to hold Putin’s door.
Putin and Kim are then shown walking side by side and chatting on a path in a wooded area with two men, presumably translators, walking behind them.
Kim, who is believed to be a keen automobile enthusiast, is then shown driving Putin back.
One of Putin’s aides said earlier on Wednesday that the Russian leader had presented Kim with a Russian-built Aurus limousine as a gift.
Putin gave Kim a first Aurus limousine in February this year, both countries said at the time, meaning he now has at least two of the vehicles.
The Aurus Senat, retro-styled after the Soviet-era ZIL limousine, is the official Russian presidential car and Putin rode in one to his most recent Kremlin inauguration ceremony in May.
When Kim visited eastern Russia in September last year, Putin showed him one of the vehicles. Kim sat beside Putin in the car and appeared to enjoy it.
Kim has a large collection of luxury foreign vehicles which have probably been smuggled in, as UN Security Council resolutions ban the export of luxury goods to North Korea.
He has been spotted in a Maybach limousine, several Mercedes, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lexus sports utility vehicle.
The Vietnamese president praised Putin for his peace contributions, while the US criticised Hanoi for inviting the Russian leader.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin makes a speech during an event with Vietnam’s President To Lam attended by the Vietnam Friendship Association and generations of Vietnamese alumni who studied in Russia at the Hanoi Opera House in Hanoi on Jun 20, 2024. (Photo: Reuters: MANAN VATSYAYANA/Pool)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wanted to build a “reliable security architecture” in the Asia-Pacific region during a state visit to Vietnam on Thursday (Jun 20), part of a trip to Asia seen as show of defiance to the West.
A day after signing a mutual defence agreement with North Korea, Putin received a 21-gun salute at a military ceremony in Vietnam, was embraced by two of its Communist leaders and lavishly praised by one of them.
Putin had contributed to “peace, stability and development” in the world, Vietnam’s president said.
Putin’s visit has drawn criticism from the United States and its allies, who treat the Russian leader as a pariah and have protested that he should not be given a stage on which to defend Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russia and Vietnam signed agreements on issues including energy, underlining Moscow’s pivot to Asia after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine.
“We are firmly committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, which remains among the priorities of Russia’s foreign policy,” Putin was quoted as saying by Russian media.
He was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency as saying the two countries shared an interest in “developing a reliable security architecture” in the region based on not using force and peacefully settling disputes with no room for “closed military-political blocs”.
At a news conference to wrap up his trip, Putin accused the NATO military alliance of creating a security threat for Russia in Asia, TASS reported.
The 11 pacts signed in Hanoi were not on the same level as the landmark mutual defence agreement in North Korea.
But Putin’s warm welcome was a public relations achievement for the Russian leader, who has an outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, charges he denies.
Neither Russia nor Vietnam is a member of the ICC.
“Putin’s triumphal reception in Hanoi will mark a counter-point to Russia’s recent setbacks,” said Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy, listing the recent Ukraine conference in Switzerland and new European Union sanctions on Russia.
They were the latest Western sanctions imposed on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”.
Putin’s public relations blitz has been helped by the fact that Vietnam, unlike North Korea, has friendly relations with the United States and its allies, Zachary Abuza, a professor at the US National War College, said.
“Although there was a lot less of the fanfare and performative aspects than in North Korea, this visit was still important for Putin because Vietnam is actually an important actor in the global economy, not some comically evil pariah state,” Abuza said.
SHARED HISTORY
The military ceremony put on to greet Putin, who was embraced by both Vietnamese President To Lam and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, was the kind reserved for the highest heads of state and rolled out when US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam last year.
The two presidents witnessed the exchange of 11 agreements and memorandums of understanding, including deals on oil and gas, nuclear science and education.
At another event, Lam said Putin continued to lead Russia “overcoming all difficulties and challenges, at the same time contributing to the peace, stability and development in the region and the world”.
Abuza underlined Vietnam and Russia’s shared Communist history, with tens of thousands of Vietnamese cadres – including current members of the Politburo – having trained in the former Soviet Union.
US, EU CRITICISM
Vietnam’s hosting of Putin was criticised by the EU and by the United States, now an important partner which upgraded diplomatic relations with Hanoi last year and is Vietnam’s top export market.
The US State Department said a top US diplomat will visit Vietnam this week to stress Washington’s commitment to working with it to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink “will also reaffirm the United States’ support for a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Vietnam” during his visit, it said.
As the population of the United Kingdom gets older, the issue of social care is of ever-growing prominence and it continues to weigh heavily on an already struggling NHS.
The architect of the government’s delayed reforms to social care has told Sky News politicians need to “grow up” and tackle the crisis in the sector.
Amid a bitter election row over public spending, Sir Andrew Dilnot said he believed the two main parties were reluctant to discuss care reform for fear of being accused of plotting future tax hikes.
Sir Andrew – whose 2011 report laid out several key measures adopted by the government – described social care as the “biggest risk that isn’t managed” that the country faces.
He said: “Four out of five people are going to need social care before they die, we should grow up and face it.
“I think politicians are reluctant to talk about it firstly because they’re worried about anything that means an increase in public spending and therefore possible taxation,” he said.
Sir Andrew Dilnot
The implementation of a cap on care costs, unveiled by Boris Johnson, was delayed in 2022 until October next year.
The policy promised to limit the amount anyone in England will spend on personal care over their life to £86,000.
Speaking to Sky News on the campaign trail, Rishi Sunak said those charging reforms were still “on track”.
Labour has not explicitly committed to the cap in its manifesto, but a party source confirmed that it would also bring in the reforms as planned.
While the Liberal Democrats have made social care a key part of its policy offering, the sector has barely featured in the campaigns of the main two parties.
The idea of a cap was first suggested by the Dilnot Commission and put into legislation in 2014.
However its planned implementation in 2016 was delayed by the David Cameron government on cost grounds.
An attempt to reform the sector during the 2017 election was widely seen as the reason for Theresa May losing her Commons majority.
In his first speech as prime minister in 2019, Boris Johnson said he had a “clear plan” to “fix the crisis in social care once and for all”.
Reforms were announced in 2021 alongside an increase in National Insurance to fund the wider sector.
However this tax rise was reversed under Liz Truss before the broader changes were delayed under Rishi Sunak.
It means that many people requiring care are still potentially liable for costs that can stretch to thousands of pounds per month.
Sir Andrew said the lack of suitable social care was also having a “knock on effect” on the NHS as older people ended up stuck in hospitals.
“Lots of elective procedures rely on being able to have a bed and if you’ve got one older person… in hospital for twenty days more than is needed, that could easily mean ten hip replacements not being able to happen because there isn’t the bed space,” he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi on the second stop of an East Asian tour.
Vladimir Putin begins a state visit to Vietnam on Thursday
The trip, which comes on the heels of his lavish visit to North Korea, is being interpreted as a demonstration of the diplomatic support Russia still enjoys in this region.
The United States has criticised the visit for giving a platform for President Putin to promote his war of aggression in Ukraine.
Vietnam still values the historic ties it has with Russia even as it works to improve its relationship with Europe and the US.
Looming over a small park in Ba Dinh, Hanoi’s political quarter, a five-meter high statue of Lenin depicts the Russian revolutionary in heroic pose. On his birthday every year a delegation of senior Vietnamese officials solemnly lay flowers and bow their heads before the statue, a gift from Russia when it was still the Soviet Union.
Vietnam’s ties to Russia are close and go back many decades, to the vital military, economic and diplomatic support given by the Soviet Union to the new communist state in North Vietnam in the 1950s.
Vietnam has described their relationship as “filled with loyalty and gratitude”. After Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978 to throw out the murderous Khmer Rouge regime, it was isolated and sanctioned by China and the West, and depended heavily on Soviet assistance. Many older Vietnamese, including the powerful communist party secretary-general Nguyen Phu Trong, studied in Russia and learned the language.
Today Vietnam’s economy has been transformed by its integration into global markets. Russia has fallen far behind China, Asia, the US and Europe as a trading partner. But Vietnam still uses mainly Russian-made military equipment, and relies on partnerships with Russian oil companies for oil exploration in the South China Sea.
There is a statue of Lenin in central Hanoi
The invasion of Ukraine presented Vietnam with a diplomatic challenge, but one it has so far managed to meet. It has chosen to abstain on the various resolutions at the United Nations condemning Russia’s actions, yet maintained good relations with Ukraine and even sent some aid to Kyiv. They also share a legacy from the Soviet era; thousands of Vietnamese have worked and studied in Ukraine.
This is all in keeping with Vietnam’s long-held foreign policy principles of being friends with everyone but avoiding all formal alliances – what the communist party leadership now calls ‘bamboo diplomacy’, bending with the buffeting winds of great power rivalry without being forced to take sides.
It is why Vietnam has so readily upgraded its relations with the US, a country against which its older leaders fought a long and destructive war, in the interests of seeking lucrative markets for Vietnamese exports and balancing its close ties with its giant neighbour China.
The US has objected to President Putin’s official visit to Vietnam on the grounds that it undermines international efforts to isolate him, but it can hardly be surprised. Aside from the special historical links with Russia, public sentiment in Vietnam on the war in Ukraine is more ambivalent than in Europe.
There is some admiration for Putin as a strongman who defies the West, and scepticism, fuelled partly by social media commentary, of the US and European claims to be upholding international law.
CANNES — The Hotel Barrière Le Majestic has long been a destination for celebrities who come to Cannes, France, for its glitzy events and suave celebrations.
Amid the business of the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival — which has drawn a starry crowd, including the likes of Queen Latifah, Paris Hilton, Elon Musk and Travis Kelce, among others — Majestic staffers chatted exclusively with Page Six to reveal how they cater to visiting A-listers.
Gilles Bastoni, who took over his father’s position as head concierge in 2006, tells us that every VIP’s demands are met — “unless it’s illegal,” he jokes.
“Basically, my job is to satisfy all the requests of the guests. As long as they’re legal, for sure,” he says.
“But it can be from just reservations for a restaurant up to [something that’s a] skies-the-limit [request]. Renting a yacht, finding a ticket for an event, helicopters, car with drivers, getting a dress for a special event… no limit.”
Bastoni says the wealthy — who pay upwards of $4,000 per night for a suite in the hotel — make wild requests at times, but those of Hollywood’s elite typically come with “a bit more spice.”
Such was the case about a decade ago when actress Marion Cotillard encountered a fashion emergency prior to attending the Cannes Film Festival and the hotel was tasked with retrieving a forgotten dress from Paris, which is a nine hour car ride from the lodge.
“Getting a dress from Paris for a celebrity when it was forgotten and it’s the day she is going to go up the [Palais] stairs,” Bastoni recalls.
“She really wanted this one and in the end I’m not even sure she knew it was forgotten in Paris,” the hospitality pro elaborates. “Basically, she needed it at a certain time in her room to get dressed and the company panicked a bit and we had to find a solution and we sent someone to Paris to pick it up.”
The actress forgot her dress in Paris, a nine-hour drive from Cannes. FilmMagic
Though his job seems stressful, Bastoni asserts that he enjoys the “adrenaline rush” that accompanies it — and appreciates seeing the approving smile of a star, signaling a job well done.
“We did a big event for the wife of Pierce Bronson [Keely Shaye Smith] a few years ago… and it’s always something when you know who the guy is. He’s a big celebrity; he was James Bond, you know?” Bastoni adds, recalling another memorable mission.
“And you always try to push it a bit more to make them even more happy, let’s say.”
Executive pastry chef Nicolas Maugard loves the thrill of appeasing famous faces, too.
“I remember for Jean Dujardin, a French comedian, it was last year at the movie festival he was in the hotel and he asked me to do a cooking class for him,” the dessert guru shares.
“And, first we went to the food market, we bought different things, and after we came back to do pastries and I remember we did strawberry panna cotta with peach-and-lime something, yeah.”
Indian worker Satnam Singh’s arm was cut off on Monday while he was working on a farm. Instead of receiving help, he was left by the road near his house.
Latina is a rural area south of Rome where thousands of Indian migrant workers are living. (File/AFP)
An Indian farm labourer working in Italy’s Latina died on Wednesday after being left by the road following an accident that severed his arm, a minister said, condemning an “act of barbarity”. Satnam Singh was injured on Monday while working on a farm in Latina, a rural area south of Rome that is home to tens of thousands of Indian migrant workers, news agency AFP reported.
“The Indian agricultural worker who suffered a serious accident in the countryside of Latina and was abandoned in very serious conditions… has died,” labour minister Marina Calderone told Parliament.
The Indian embassy in Italy said it was working with local authorities and trying to reach the family to offer consular help.
The Flai CGIL trade union said Satnam Singh’s arm was cut off while he was working on a farm. Instead of receiving help, he was left by the road near his house.
Latina is a rural area south of Rome where thousands of Indian migrant workers are living.
“The Embassy is aware of the very unfortunate demise of an Indian national in Latina, Italy. We are in contact with local authorities. Efforts are underway to contact the family and provide consular assistance,” the Indian embassy said, in a statement, on X.
The Flai CGIL trade union news agency ANI that instead of getting help from his employer, “Satnam Singh was dumped like a bag of rubbish near his home.”
Marina Calderone said authorities were investigating and hoped those responsible would be punished.
AFP reported that Satnam Singh was working without proper legal papers. Police told the news agency that they were alerted by Singh’s wife and friends, and an air ambulance was dispatched.
The centre-left Democratic Party condemned the treatment of Singh in a region known for worker exploitation, calling it a “defeat for civilization”.
Lisa Barlow and her brands Vida Tequila and Lux Marketing are facing a new lawsuit from former friend and business partner Bart Carlson.
Carlson filed a lawsuit against the “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star on Wednesday claiming he loaned Barlow, Vida and Luxe a total of $410,842.36 between May 2010 and February 2018, per TMZ.
He also said when Barlow first came to him for financial assistance, he willingly lent her the money but the pair never agreed on a repayment schedule due to their close relationship.
Lisa Barlow is facing a lawsuit from her former business partner and friend Bart Carlson. Getty Images for IMDbCarlson claims he loaned Barlow and her companies over $400,000 over the course of eight years. NBC Universal
Over the years, he said he’s asked for the money back but the Bravolebrity reportedly told him neither she nor either one of her companies can afford to repay him.
The 49-year-old reality TV personality responded to the suit on Wednesday saying that she’s “deeply saddened” over their legal situation.
“Bart Carlson was once a business partner in a restaurant in Park City and, I thought, a friend. I am deeply saddened that he has decided nine years after our restaurant business ceased to claim that I owe him money,” she said in a statement to Page Six.
Over the years, he claims he’s asked for his money back but was told by the Bravolebrity that she couldn’t afford to pay him back. Instagram/lisabarlow14
“To be very clear, the claim that I owe Bart or his company money is untrue. I pay my bills and obligations and I always have. I look forward to the truth coming out and I intend to hold Bart fully accountable for any damage this personal attack may cause me or my businesses,” she continued.
The forthcoming new season of “RHOSLC” is shaping up to be a dramatic one for the mother of two.
Two months prior to this lawsuit reveal, t was reported that Barlow’s fellow “RHOSLC” castmate Mary Cosby allegedly called Barlow’s 12-year-old son, Henry, the R-word during a “crazy fight” between the women.
California Governor Gavin Newsom attends an event with fellow governors in the East Room of the White House on February 23, 2024 in Washington, DC. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
California Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to “get smartphones out of schools.”
“I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies — not their screens,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Newsom plans to work with the California legislature to pass those restrictions by August, Politico first reported. That would put California in line with other states that already have strict limits on smartphone use in schools. The move could also be particularly meaningful in California, the nation’s most populous state and home to Silicon Valley.
Momentum is growing across the nation to protect kids from potential harms associated with smartphones and social media — from cyber bullying to body image issues. Schools have been battlegrounds for the issue, with concerns rising over distracted students using their phones during class.
In 2019, Newsom signed legislation that authorizes school districts to limit or completely prohibit students from using smartphones while in school. Newsom aims to go further with new legislation that would establish statewide limits.
Newsom also signed a law in 2022 that pushes social media companies to increase protections for underage users, including limiting how much data from young people they collect and sell. Last year, he wrote a letter to urging the tech industry to drop a lawsuit challenging that legislation. “It is time for the tech industry to stop standing in the way of important protections for our kids and teens, and to start working with us to keep our kids safe,” he wrote.
The governor’s new call to action on Tuesday follows the US Surgeon General’s plea to Congress on Monday to institute warning labels on social media platforms. “It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents,” Vivek H. Murthy wrote in a guest essay in The New York Times.
Germany has toughened its migration laws, with speedier deportations and tougher rules for asylum applications. Sky News meets the people affected – who shed light on why the changes could see more migrants heading for the UK.
Ahmed is on the move.
From a sun-bleached phone screen, he explains he’s running from Germany after being threatened with deportation.
His target destination: the UK.
“I want to go to the UK because I’m afraid of the deportation in Germany. Already they try to deport me and that’s why I left,” he says in a video message.
It’s hurriedly recorded somewhere on the coast of northern France.
In a few hours, he expects to get the signal from smugglers that they will try to cross the channel in a dinghy.
It’s his second attempt in just a few days.
Ahmed speaks via video call
His first attempt failed after French police caught the group trying to pick up more passengers and slashed their dinghy.
Ahmed is one of a number of Iraqi Kurds Sky News teams have met recently who’ve paid smugglers to get to the UK after Germany toughened its deportation rules.
Rishi Sunak’s Illegal Migration Act, which created powers to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, hasn’t put them off.
“I’m not afraid about Rwanda or even about crossing the water because I’m looking for a better place to live,” Ahmed says. “I’m very sure if the deportation doesn’t stop in Germany, all the refugees in Germany will cross the border to UK.”
Asylum applications in Germany rocketed to their highest rate since 2016 last year as more the 351,000 people arrived – around four times the amount coming to the UK.
In an attempt to reduce illegal migration, the German government announced tougher laws.
The new measures include faster decisions on asylum applications, restricted benefits and speedier deportations.
Authorities also have more powers when conducting searches and can hold people for up to 28 days ahead of return flights.
Deportations are up around a third on the same period last year with more than 6,300 people deported between January and April, according to official statistics.
Outside the Iraqi embassy in Berlin, we meet a group of protestors who say they’re already feeling the effects of the new laws.
Many have lived in Germany for years, some given temporary leave to remain, but have recently been told Iraq is safe to return to and it’s time to leave.
“Some of my friends have been deported. The police raided the house at two or three in the morning,” Goran tells me.
He says he’s noticed a rise in people having their asylum claims rejected.
“I’m scared and can’t sleep in my own home,” he says.
He shows me a card which registers him as severely disabled with the Germany authorities.
Both his legs have been amputated and he says he can’t live in Iraq.
I ask if he thinks people will flee to other countries such as France and the UK if deportations keep on rising.
“For sure, smuggling will increase,” he replies. “People who feel their lives are politically threatened back in Iraq will try any way possible to reach another country.”
Another lady shows us the medicine she relies on, which she says is hard to get in Iraq.
“They know that my country is not safe,” she says. “I own videos of the killings, robbery and kidnapping of women.”
The group holds up pictures of people they say are victims of deportation – a man injured as he tried to flee, and another they claim died at sea on a smuggler’s boat.
The German government says the deportations are in line with international law.
A spokesperson from the interior ministry said in a statement: “The Act to Improve Repatriation, which came into force on 27 February 2024, contains numerous and extensive improvements in order to be able to enforce an obligation to leave the country even more effectively in future.
“Co-operation with Iraq takes place in a so-called non-contractual procedure in accordance with the principle of international law, according to which every state is obliged to take back its own citizens informally if they have no right of residence in the host country.”
In a kitchen in southern Germany, we listen as our phone call to Kurdistan rings.
A young man answers.
Hama, not his real name, tells us he was deported to Iraq at the end of April.
He explains there were 25 immigrants on his deportation flight and 90 officers guarding them.
Trucks from the Las Bambas mine circulate along the mining corridor between Sayhua and Ccapacmarca, near Ccapacmarca, Peru, January 19, 2022. Picture taken January 19, 2022. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda Purchase Licensing Rights
Surging copper prices this year have brought startling growth in the number of trucks carrying copper from illegal mines in Peru, jamming roads, causing accidents and creating hazardous conditions especially after dark along the Andean country’s key “mining corridor” highway, industry sources told Reuters.
With copper demand soaring as the world rapidly moves toward electric vehicles and clean energy, illegal mining has been booming. Trucks linked to artisan and illegal mining operations have been crowding vehicles from mines like Chinese-controlled MMG Ltd’s (1208.HK), opens new tab Las Bambas, Hudbay’s (HBM.TO), opens new tab Constancia and Glencore’s (GLEN.L), opens new tab Antapaccay.
Mining sources told Reuters about alarming growth in delays and stoppages on the 482-kilometer highway, a partially paved road that is essential for trucks of copper concentrate getting to the coast.
“There are as many (trucks) or even more than ours,” said a source close to Las Bambas in Peru’s southern Apurimac region, the country’s fifth largest copper producer last year. “It complicates life for all the mines using the corridor.”
Informal mining trucks were involved in at least 11 accidents in May along the highway, according to a document shared with Reuters by a source at Canada’s Hudbay, which included images showing damage to the roadway.
Burgeoning stand-offs between big mines and artisan miners have complicated government efforts to spur investment and production to bolster the economy after Peru’s long-held position as the No. 2 global copper producer was snatched away by rival Congo. Chile is No. 1, and Peru remains second for shipments.
The Hudbay source said there were around 120 trucks daily from artisan mining operations, some of which operate with permits and others illegally. The trucks were damaging the roadway, causing accidents and pollution.
“While we’ve seen this problem for some years, the increase in truck numbers in 2024 is startling,” the source added, saying the mine had formally sought government intervention to strengthen inspection and controls on the road.
Nearly 2 million Muslims will reach the end of the haj pilgrimage this week, but extreme heat has proved fatal for hundreds who began the journey last Friday to the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
At least 562 people have died during the haj, according to a Reuters tally based on foreign ministry statements and sources.
Egypt alone has registered 307 deaths and another 118 missing, medical and security sources told Reuters, as temperatures at times soared past 51 degrees Celsius (124 Fahrenheit).
“It was so harsh and the people cannot bear that type of heat,” said Wilayet Mustafa, a Pakistani pilgrim.
A witness said bodies lay on the side of the road near Mina, just outside Mecca, covered with the white Ihram cloth – a simple garb worn by pilgrims – until medical vehicles arrived.
Climate scientists say such deaths offer a glimpse of what is to come for the tens of millions of Muslims expected in coming decades to undertake the haj.
“The haj has been conducted in a certain way for more than 1,000 years now, and it’s always been a hot climate,” said Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, a scientific advisor at German institute Climate Analytics. “But … the climate crisis is adding to the severity of the climate conditions”.
During the haj to the Kaaba, a cube-shaped stone structure at the Grand Mosque, pilgrims perform religious rites as taught by the Prophet Mohammad to his followers 14 centuries ago.
Integral parts of the haj, Schleussner said, such as the ritual climb of Mount Arafat, have become “incredibly dangerous to human health.” SITUATION WILL WORSEN
The timing of the haj is determined by the lunar year, which sees the pilgrimage move back by 10 days annually. While the haj is now moving towards winter, by the 2040s it will coincide with the peak of summer in Saudi Arabia.
“It is going to be very fatal,” said Fahad Saeed, a climate scientist at Climate Analytics based in Pakistan.
Heat-related deaths along the haj are not new, and have been recorded back to the 1400s.
A lack of acclimatization to higher temperature, intense physical exertion, exposed spaces, and an older population makes pilgrims vulnerable.
Muslim pilgrims holding umbrellas walk on the third day of the Satan stoning ritual, amid extremely hot weather, during the annual haj pilgrimage, in Mina, Saudi Arabia, June 18, 2024. REUTERS/Saleh Salem Purchase Licensing Rights
Last year, more than 2,000 people suffered from heat stress, according to Saudi officials.
The situation will get much worse as the world warms, scientists said.
Saeed and Schleussner published a 2021 study, opens new tab in the journal Environmental Research Letters which found that if the world warms by 1.5 C (2.7 F) above pre-industrial levels, heat stroke risk for pilgrims on the haj will be five times greater.
The world is on track to reach 1.5 C of warming in the 2030s.
“People are very religiously motivated. For some of them, it is a once in a lifetime affair,” Saeed said, as each country receives a limited number of slots. “If they get a chance, they go for it.”
COOL INTERVENTIONS
In 2016, Saudi Arabia published a heat strategy that included constructing shaded areas, establishing drinking water points every 500 metres, and improving healthcare capacity.
Saudi health authorities warned pilgrims to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during this haj.
Pakistani pilgrim Mustafa said he had to push his 75-year-old mother in a wheelchair. When they tried to rest, they were told by police to keep moving, he said.
“I was amazed to see that there were no efforts made by the Saudi government to provide any shelter or any water,” Mustafa said.
Saudi Arabia’s government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Biden is leading former President Donald Trump by a razor-thin margin in the 2024 White House race, according to a new poll.
The Fox News survey, released Wednesday, shows the incumbent leading the ex-commander in chief 50%-48% in a head-to-head rematch of the 2020 election.
Biden, 81, maintains his edge over Trump, 78, in a hypothetical five-way race as well, leading by a 1-point margin, 43% to 42%.
Biden saw a surge in support from independent voters in June, the Fox News survey found. Getty Images
The results mark a 3-point shift in support for Biden from last month’s head-to-head poll, when Trump was ahead by 1 point, according to the Fox News survey.
With third-party candidates included, the president benefited from a 4-point swing from May, when Trump topped him by 3 points.
Biden’s uptick in the polls coincides with positive views of the economy hitting record-high marks under his presidency.
Thirty-two percent of registered voters said the economy is in “excellent” or “good” shape, topping last month’s previous Biden-era high of 30%.
The new national poll shows Trump’s marks on immigration and the economy slipping from last month. REUTERS
However, the majority of Americans (68%) felt the economy is doing “not so good” or “poor” under Biden.
The president also saw a surge in support from independent voters, who favor him over Trump by 9 points.
In May, the presumptive Republican nominee for president held a 2-point advantage over Biden with independents.
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Trump’s advantage over Biden on two top issues – immigration and the economy – fell sharply from last month.
On immigration, voters trust Trump more than Biden by 9 points, but the former president enjoyed a 15-point trust advantage in May.
On the economy, Trump holds a 5-point edge over Biden, which is down from his 13-point lead last month.
“There is not a lot of movement in this poll since May, but it is enough to make this a welcome poll for Biden,” Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who conducts Fox News surveys with Republican pollster Daron Shaw, said in a statement.
