Category: World

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has suffered the largest decline in coral cover in two of its three regions over the last year, research released on Wednesday showed, following a mass bleaching of its corals that was among the worst on record.
The Australian Institute of Marine Sciences said the reef has experienced the largest annual decline in coral cover in its northern and southern regions since monitoring began 39 years ago, with coral cover dropping between a quarter and a third after several years of solid growth.

“We are now seeing increased volatility in the levels of hard coral cover,” said Mike Emslie, head of institute’s long term monitoring programme.
“This is a phenomenon that emerged over the last 15 years and points to an ecosystem under stress.”
The reef, the world’s largest living ecosystem, stretches for some 2,400 km (1,500 miles) off the coast of the northern state of Queensland.
Since 2016, the reef has experienced five summers of mass coral bleaching, when large sections of the reef turn white due to heat stress, putting them at greater risk of death.
The 2024 event had the largest footprint ever recorded on the reef, with high to extreme bleaching across all of its three regions, the report said.

The Great Barrier Reef is not currently on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites that are in danger, though the UN recommends it should be added.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/australias-great-barrier-reef-suffers-record-coral-decline-following-mass-2025-08-05/

A court verdict against Tesla (TSLA.O), last week, stemming from a fatal 2019 crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S, could hurt its plans to expand its nascent robotaxi network and intensify concerns over the safety of its autonomous vehicle technology.
A Florida jury ordered Musk’s electric vehicle company on Friday to pay about $243 million to victims of the crash, finding its Autopilot driver-assistance software defective. Tesla said the driver was solely at fault and vowed to appeal.

The verdict follows years of federal investigations and recalls related to collisions involving Tesla’s autonomous-vehicle technology, and comes as CEO Elon Musk seeks regulatory approval to rapidly expand the robotaxi service across the U.S.
“The public perception of this verdict or things like this are going to fuel pressure on regulators to say, ‘We just can’t let this stuff be launched without a lot more due diligence’,” said Mike Nelson, founder of Nelson Law and an expert on legal issues in the mobility sector.
Tesla could have a tough time convincing state regulators that its technology is road-ready, threatening Musk’s goal of offering robotaxis to half the U.S. population by year end, legal experts and Tesla investors said.

Expanding its robotaxi service is crucial for Tesla as demand for its aging lineup of EVs has cooled amid rising global competition and a backlash against Musk’s far right political views. Much of Tesla’s trillion-dollar market valuation hinges on his bets on robotics and artificial intelligence.
Success in the self-driving realm will require winning the confidence of regulators and potential customers on the full-self driving (FSD) software that underpins Tesla’s robotaxis, analysts said.
“The timing (of the verdict) for Tesla in light of the FSD rollouts and robotaxis is awful,” said Aaron Davis, co-managing partner at law firm Davis Goldman. “Now there’s essentially an opinion that some aspect of Tesla’s business is not safe and maybe the safety that the company advertises isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.”

The FSD is an advanced version of Autopilot.
Autopilot, which was been updated since 2019, controls speed, distance and lane centering on highways, while the FSD can operate on city streets, helping the vehicle make automatic turns and change lanes.
“This case does not have direct implications for Tesla’s FSD roll-out,” analysts at Piper Sandler said in a note on Sunday, citing the modern iterations of the software.
A spokesperson on behalf of Tesla acknowledged the company had received a request for comment from Reuters but had not provided one by the time of publication.

REGULATORY ROAD AHEAD

Perfecting autonomous vehicles has been harder than expected. The high costs of hardware, years of trial and error, and regulatory hurdles have forced many players to close shop or pivot, including General Motors’ (GM.N) Cruise unit.

Musk, however, has pursued what he calls a simpler and cheaper path, relying only on cameras and AI instead of pricey sensors such as lidars and radars used by Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), Waymo, Amazon’s (AMZN.O), Zoox and others.
After years of missed deadlines, Musk rolled out a small robotaxi trial in June with about a dozen Model Y crossover SUVs in Austin, Texas, each overseen by a human safety monitor in the front passenger seat.
While Musk has said Tesla was being “super paranoid about safety”, he has also pledged to expand the service fast and make it available for half of the U.S. population in the next five months – a stark contrast to Waymo’s cautious years-long rollout.
Until Tesla’s entry, Waymo was the only U.S. firm to operate a paid, driverless robotaxi service.
Tesla is currently awaiting approvals in several states, including California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.
California’s department of motor vehicles declined to comment on the impact of the verdict on regulatory approval.
Nevada said it held talks with Tesla about a robotaxi program several weeks ago, while Arizona said it was still considering Tesla’s request for certification. Both did not comment on the verdict.
Florida did not respond.
Tesla has typically either won other Autopilot litigation or resolved the case with the plaintiffs out of court. The Florida verdict stands out. Several such cases are pending.
The case involved a Model S sedan that went through an intersection and hit the victims’ parked Chevrolet Tahoe as they were standing beside it. The driver had reached down to retrieve a dropped cellphone and allegedly received no alerts as he ran a stop sign before the crash.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/autopilot-verdict-deals-tesla-black-eye-threatens-musks-robotaxi-ambitions-2025-08-05/

We need smarter approaches to minimise the impact of heat on our health and daily activities, says Fabian Lim of NTU.

From blistering summers to raging wildfires, many countries are experiencing higher temperatures more frequently and for longer parts of the year. Besides taking steps to prevent global warming, we must also learn to cope with a hotter environment.

By 2100, Singapore may see daily maximum temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius for up to 351 days per year. Presently, such peak temperatures are recorded occasionally in the hotter months of May to July each year.

Being in the tropics, we also have to cope with a higher level of humidity, which impedes heat removal from the body to the environment. The combination of heat and humidity not only poses health risks, but also significantly reduces productivity, particularly for those working outdoors or in non-air-conditioned environments.

Research conducted by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine indicates that companies lose approximately S$21 (US$16) per worker per hot day due to decline in productivity. When scaled up across the labour force, this amounts to S$2.2 billion in annual economic losses by 2035 if current warming trends persist. These findings show that the impact of heat is not just physiological, but also economic.

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN OUR PHYSIOLOGY

The mechanisms that regulate body temperature can adapt to manage a greater heat load through heat acclimatisation. This process involves gradual and daily exposure to a hot environment.

For most healthy individuals, heat acclimatisation may start from 20 to 30 minutes of walking at normal pace during the warmer part of the day and increasing in duration to 1 to 2 hours over 10 to 14 days.

Water should be consumed freely during the walk and the duration of walk should be based on individual physical ability, without causing symptoms of over-exertion such as heavy panting, exhaustion or dizziness.

There is evidence that heat acclimatisation brings about increased physical performance and lower body temperature when carrying out the same tasks.

ADJUSTING DAILY ROUTINES

Around the world, people are adjusting their daily routines to cope with rising heat. Cambodia has shortened school days by two hours to help children avoid peak daily temperature, and Spain and several Gulf states prohibit outdoor work during midday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is favouring a complete military takeover of Gaza, Israeli media reported on Tuesday (Aug 5), as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas collapsed and deaths from hunger and strikes continue to rise in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu was expected to meet senior security officials, including Defence Minister Israel Katz and military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, to finalise a new strategy for Cabinet consideration later this week, an Israeli official told Reuters. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, would also attend.

The reported strategy would reverse a 2005 decision to withdraw settlers and troops from Gaza while retaining control of its borders, a move that Israeli right-wing parties blame for enabling Hamas to gain power in the enclave.

Israeli Channel 12, citing an official in Netanyahu’s office, said the prime minister was leaning towards full control of the enclave. However, it remains unclear whether this would mean a long-term occupation or a limited operation to dismantle Hamas and rescue hostages. The prime minister’s office declined to comment.

“It is still necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, release our hostages and ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday at a military base. “We are not giving up on any of these missions.”

Mediation efforts have broken down despite sustained international pressure for a ceasefire to halt the fighting, ease hunger and address worsening humanitarian conditions.

Gaza’s health ministry said eight more people had died of starvation or malnutrition in the last 24 hours, while 79 others were killed in the latest Israeli fire. Palestinian authorities say more than 61,000 people have been killed in the conflict, most of them civilians.

UNITED NATIONS ALARMED BY REPORTS OF EXPANSION

The United Nations on Tuesday called reports about a possible decision to expand Israel’s military operations throughout the Gaza Strip “deeply alarming” if true.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move “would risk catastrophic consequences … and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza.”

“International law is clear in the regard; Gaza is and must remain an integral part of the future Palestinian state,” he added.

The conflict was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on Oct 7, 2023, when militants crossed into Israel from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Israel’s military response has devastated the densely populated enclave, with more than 61,000 people killed, most of them civilians, according to Palestinian health authorities. Nearly all of Gaza’s over 2 million residents have been forced from their homes, and a global hunger monitor last week described the situation as an unfolding famine.

Gaza health authorities said on Tuesday that 188 people, including 94 children, have died from hunger since the war began. Eight more deaths from starvation or malnutrition were recorded in the past 24 hours. An Israeli security official acknowledged there may be hunger in some areas but rejected reports of famine.

The hunger crisis has drawn international outrage, while the collapse of ceasefire negotiations has dashed hopes for immediate relief. On Tuesday, Israeli strikes killed another 79 Palestinians, the health ministry said.

HOSTAGE VIDEO SPARKS OUTRAGE

On Saturday, Hamas released a video showing Evyatar David, one of 50 hostages still held in Gaza, appearing gaunt and pale in what looked like an underground tunnel. The footage shocked the Israeli public and drew condemnation abroad.

Israeli officials estimate 20 of the remaining hostages are still alive. Most captives were released during earlier truces negotiated with international backing. Israel broke the last ceasefire.

A senior Palestinian official told Reuters the threat of a full Gaza takeover could be a pressure tactic aimed at forcing Hamas to make concessions. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged the international community to treat the possibility seriously and act to prevent it.

TANK PUSH

Israeli tanks pushed into central Gaza earlier on Tuesday, but it was unclear whether this was part of a broader ground offensive.

Palestinians in the remaining quarter of Gaza where Israel has yet to assert full control said any further incursion would be catastrophic.

“If the tanks pushed through, where would we go, into the sea? This will be like a death sentence to the entire population,” said Abu Jehad, a Gaza wood merchant, who asked not to be named in full.

A Palestinian official close to the negotiations said the threat of a full takeover may be an Israeli tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions.

“It will only complicate the negotiation further. In the end, the resistance factions will not accept less than an end to the war and a full withdrawal from Gaza,” the official said.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged the international community to take reports of an Israeli takeover seriously and to intervene urgently to prevent such plans, regardless of whether they are genuine or a pressure tactic.

Despite the deepening crisis, some goods have reportedly entered Gaza. A source told Reuters that trucks carrying chocolates and biscuits had been allowed in for a local merchant. It is hoped that essential items such as children’s milk, meat, fruit, sugar and rice will also be permitted soon, which could ease shortages and lower soaring prices.

The United States’ Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last week he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that could end the conflict. However, Israeli officials have also floated proposals to expand the military campaign and potentially annex parts of Gaza.

The failed ceasefire talks in Doha had aimed to secure a 60-day truce, during which aid would be flown in and Hamas would release half of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

The Israeli military was expected on Tuesday to present cabinet with alternative strategies, including expanding operations into parts of Gaza where it has not yet conducted ground incursions, according to two defence officials.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/un-sounds-alarm-over-possible-full-israeli-takeover-gaza-5277926

Jeffrey Epstein ‘s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, wants to keep grand jury records secret in the sex trafficking case that sent her to prison, her lawyers said Tuesday as prosecutors continued urging a court to release some of those records in the criminal case-turned-political fireball.

Maxwell hasn’t seen the material herself, her attorneys said — the grand jury process is conducted behind closed doors. But she opposes unsealing what her lawyers described as potentially “hearsay-laden” transcripts of grand jury testimony, which was given in secret and without her lawyers there to challenge it.

“Whatever interest the public may have in Epstein, that interest cannot justify a broad intrusion into grand jury secrecy in a case where the defendant is alive, her legal options are viable and her due process rights remain,” attorneys David O. Markus and Melissa Madrigal wrote.

Prosecutors declined to comment.

Government attorneys have been trying to quell a clamor for transparency by seeking the transcripts’ release — though the government also says the public already knows much of what’s in the documents.

Most of the information “was made publicly available at trial or has otherwise been publicly reported through the public statements of victims and witnesses,” prosecutors wrote in court papers Monday. They noted that the disclosures excluded some victims’ and witnesses’ names.

Prosecutors had also said last week that some of what the grand jurors heard eventually came out at Maxwell’s 2021 trial and in various victims’ lawsuits. There were only two grand jury witnesses, both of them law enforcement officials, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors made clear Monday that they’re seeking to unseal only the transcripts of grand jury witnesses’ testimony, not the exhibits that accompanied it. But they are also working to parse how much of the exhibits also became public record over the years.

While prosecutors have sought to temper expectations about any new revelations from the grand jury proceedings, they aren’t proposing to release a cache of other information the government collected while looking into Epstein.

The transcript faceoff comes six years after authorities said Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges and four years after Maxwell was convicted of grooming underage girls to participate in sex acts with him. The British socialite denied the allegations and has appealed her conviction, so far unsuccessfully.

Some of President Donald Trump ’s allies spent years suggesting there was more to the Epstein saga than met the eye and calling for more disclosures. A few got powerful positions in Trump’s Justice Department — and then faced backlash after it abruptly announced that nothing more would be released and that a long-rumored Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist.

After trying unsuccessfully to change the subject and denigrating his own supporters for not moving on, the Republican president told Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask courts to unseal the grand jury transcripts in the case.

A top Justice Department official, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, interviewed Maxwell late last month, at the government’s request. Last week, she was moved from a federal prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas to continue serving her 20-year sentence. Officials didn’t explain why.

Trump said Tuesday that he didn’t know ahead of time about Maxwell’s prison transfer and hadn’t spoken to Blanche about his conversation with her.

“I think he probably wants to make sure that people should not be involved, or aren’t involved, are not hurt by something that would be very, very unfortunate, very unfair to a lot of people,” Trump said in a news conference Tuesday.

The Epstein uproar also has reached Congress, where the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department on Tuesday for files in the case. The committee also issued subpoenas to conduct sworn questioning of former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and eight former top law enforcement officials.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-grand-jury-transcripts-db60a21b4dfc5e312780759b41ce9eb4

A top Philippine security official on Tuesday condemned China’s latest rocket launch, which caused suspected debris to fall near a western Philippine province. Authorities said the incident sparked alarm and posed a danger to people, ships, and aircraft.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the suspected Chinese rocket debris that fell near Palawan province Monday night, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said. However, he added that these posed “a clear danger and risk to land areas and to ships, aircraft, fishing boats and other vessels” near the expected drop zones.

“We condemn in no uncertain terms the irresponsible testing done by the People’s Republic of China of its Long March 12 rocket which alarmed the public and placed the people of Palawan at risk,” Año said in a statement.

People were alarmed after hearing loud explosions Monday night in Palawan’s Puerto Princesa city and nearby towns, Año said, adding that “local residents also saw a fireball cross the sky that later exploded causing the ground to shake.”

Chinese officials did not immediately comment on Año’s statement.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency reported that the Long March-12 rocket that lifted off Monday night from a commercial spacecraft launch site on the southern island province of Hainan successfully carried a group of internet satellites into pre-set orbit. It was the 587th mission by the Long March carrier rockets, Xinhua said, citing the launch site.

It was not immediately clear if Chinese authorities notified nearby countries like the Philippines of possible debris from its latest rocket launch.

Such Chinese rocket debris have been found farther away from the Philippine archipelago in the past.

The Philippine Space Agency said Monday that debris from the rocket launch was expected to have fallen within two identified drop zones about 21 nautical miles (39 kilometers) from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan and 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) from Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, an area of coral reefs in the Sulu Sea off eastern Palawan that is popular among divers and conservators.

“Unburned debris from rockets, such as the booster and fairing, are designed to be discarded as the rocket enters outer space,” the space agency said. “While not projected to fall on land features or inhabited areas, falling debris poses danger and potential risk to ships, aircraft, fishing boats and other vessels that will pass through the drop zone.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/china-long-march-12-rocket-launch-debris-philippines-f12f8bcff5f89c7332397bf5d710aa3a

 

The men shared bear hugs, showered praise on each other and made appearances side by side at stadium rallies — a big optics boost for two populist leaders with ideological similarities. Each called the other a good friend.

In India, the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump was seen as a relationship like no other. That is, until a series of events gummed up the works.

From Trump’s tariffs and India’s purchase of oil from Russia to a U.S. tilt toward Pakistan, friction between New Delhi and Washington has been hard to miss. And much of it has happened far from the corridors of power and, unsurprisingly, through Trump’s posts on social media.

It has left policy experts wondering whether the camaraderie the two leaders shared may be a thing of the past, even though Trump has stopped short of referring to Modi directly on social media. The dip in rapport, some say, puts a strategic bilateral relationship built over decades at risk.

“This is a testing time for the relationship,” said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India’s Foreign Ministry.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Simmering tensions over trade and tariffs

The latest hiccup between India and the U.S. emerged last week when Trump announced that he was slapping 25% tariffs on India as well as an unspecified penalty because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil. For New Delhi, such a move from its largest trading partner is expected to be felt across sectors, but it also led to a sense of unease in India — even more so when Trump, on social media, called India’s economy “dead.”

Trump’s recent statements reflect his frustration with the pace of trade talks with India, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal administration thinking. The Republican president has not been pursuing any strategic realignment with Pakistan, according to the official, but is instead trying to play hardball in negotiations.

Trump doubled down on the pressure Monday with a fresh post on Truth Social, in which he accused India of buying “massive amounts” of oil from Russia and then “selling it on the Open Market for big profits.”

“They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he said.

The messaging appears to have stung Modi’s administration, which has been hard-selling negotiations with Trump’s team over a trade deal by balancing between India’s protectionist system while also opening up the country’s market to more American goods.

“Strenuous, uninterrupted and bipartisan efforts in both capitals over the past 25 years are being put at risk by not just the tariffs but by fast and loose statements and social media posts,” said Malik, who now heads the India chapter of The Asia Group, a U.S. advisory firm .

Malik also said the trade deal the Indian side has offered to the U.S. is the “most expansive in this country’s history,” referring to reports that India was willing to open up to some American agricultural products. That is a politically sensitive issue for Modi, who faced a yearlong farmers’ protest a few years ago.

Trump appears to be tilting toward Pakistan

The unraveling may have gained momentum over tariffs, but the tensions have been palpable for a while. Much of it has to do with Trump growing closer to Pakistan, India’s nuclear rival in the neighborhood.

In May, India and Pakistan traded a series of military strikes over a gun massacre in disputed Kashmir that New Delhi blamed Islamabad for. Pakistan denied the accusations. The four-day conflict made the possibility of a nuclear conflagration between the two sides seem real and the fighting only stopped when global powers intervened.

But it was Trump’s claims of mediation and an offer to work to provide a “solution” regarding the dispute over Kashmir that made Modi’s administration uneasy. Since then, Trump has repeated nearly two dozen times that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan.

For Modi, that is a risky — even nervy — territory. Domestically, he has positioned himself as a leader who is tough on Pakistan. Internationally, he has made huge diplomatic efforts to isolate the country. So Trump’s claims cut a deep wound, prompting a sense in India that the U.S. may no longer be its strategic partner.

India insists that Kashmir is India’s internal issue and had opposed any third-party intervention. Last week Modi appeared to dismiss Trump’s claims after India’s Opposition began demanding answers from him. Modi said that “no country in the world stopped” the fighting between India and Pakistan, but he did not name Trump.

Trump has also appeared to be warming up to Pakistan, even praising its counterterrorism efforts. Hours after levying tariffs on India, Trump announced a “massive” oil exploration deal with Pakistan, saying that some day, India might have to buy oil from Islamabad. Earlier, he also hosted one of Pakistan’s top military officials at a private lunch.

Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an expert at New Delhi’s Jindal School of International Affairs, said Trump’s sudden admiration for Pakistan as a great partner in counterterrorism has “definitely soured” the mood in India.

Chaulia said “the best-case scenario is that this is just a passing Trump whim,” but he also warned that “if financial and energy deals are indeed being struck between the U.S. and Pakistan, it will dent the U.S.-India strategic partnership and lead to loss of confidence in the U.S. in Indian eyes.”

India’s oil purchases from Russia are an irritant

The strain in relations has also to do with oil.

India had faced strong pressure from the Biden administration to cut back its oil purchases from Moscow during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India bought more, making it the second-biggest buyer of Russian oil after China. That pressure sputtered over time and the U.S. focused more on building strategic ties with India, which is seen as a bulwark against a rising China.

Trump’s threat to penalize India over oil, however, brought back those issues.

On Sunday, the Trump administration made its frustrations over ties between India and Russia ever more public. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, saying it was “not acceptable.”

Miller’s remarks were followed by another Trump social media post on Monday in which he again threatened to raise tariffs on goods from India over its Russian oil purchases.

“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” Trump wrote.

Some experts, though, suspect Trump’s remarks are mere pressure tactics. “Given the wild fluctuations in Trump’s policies,” Chaulia said, “it may return to high fives and hugs again.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/india-us-modi-trump-tariffs-relationship-575af0f270713fa6b09f4ed4e2848f21

 

THIS is the shocking moment a Virgin Atlantic passenger hurled abuse at a hostess he threatened to “gang rape and set alight”

Disturbing footage shows Salman Iftikhar, 37, tell stewardess Angie Walsh she would be attacked in her hotel after landing.

He spouted his vile rant after downing champagne on an eight-hour flight from London Heathrow to Lahore on February 7 2023.

Iftikhar said Ms Walsh would be taken from her hotel room, gang raped and set on fire.

Another passenger, who filmed the shocking scenes, can be heard saying “holy s**t”.

Iftikhar repeatedly accuses Ms Walsh of being a racist and says: “You called me a P**i in front of everybody.”

The 37-year-old had been flying with his wife and three children, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Abdul Kapadia, said: “During the defendant’s first meal service, the defendant was seen helping himself to ice, leaning over the bar he was drinking at, and taking ice with his hands.

“When told to stop, the defendant became irate, and started to film cabin crew with his phone, telling them: ‘Do not tell me what to do you b***h.

“When asked by the cabin crew to return to his seat, he then said: ‘Don’t tell me what to do you racist f***ing b***h. I know where you are from in Cardiff.”

Staff alerted the pilot and the seat belt signs were turned on, which only aggravated Iftikhar more.

He continued to call Ms Walsh a “f***ing b***h” before his escalating behaviour sparked a possible flight diversion to Turkey.

“The defendant was informed of this possible diversion, to which he replied: ‘I don’t care. F**k-it, go to Turkey. I have contacts,” the prosecutor told the court.

“The defendant then sat down, but his aggressive behaviour continued.

“His wife was ashamed. His three children were also on-board,
and other crew members were called to assist, but the defendant continued shouting and swearing.

“He was slurring his words, with his voice raised.

“He shouted at the cabin crew: ‘Do you know who I am?’

“The defendant’s wife went to the food bar and tried to talk to cabin crew, but the defendant pushed his wife away, and shouted at her not to talk to crew.”

He grabbed one flight attendant, called Tommy Merchant, and threatened him with a fight.

‘YOU WILL BE DEAD’

The out-of-control passenger then told cabin crew he would blow up the floor of their hotel.

“The defendant knew the specific hotel, but also the hotel room numbers, and threatened the cabin crew with this,” Mr Kapadia told the court.

“He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dead on the floor of your hotel’.

“Iftikhar shouted at Ms Walsh and said: ‘The white sheep sh**ging b***h will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear.

“He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire’.”

His violent rant unfolded in front of his wife and three young children – who were brought to tears.

Iftikhar was arrested at his £900,000 detached home in Iver, Bucks, on March 16, 2024.

‘IT HAS BROKEN ME’

In an impact statement, Ms Walsh said she was forced to take off 14 months and the altercation “changed my life enormously”.

“I can’t quite believe that one passenger has had this much of an impact on my, my job, my career and my life,” she said.

“I am a strong brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job. I am well known within the company.

“But I had to take 14 months off work.

“I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I’ve even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me.

“But I don’t feel strong enough anymore. I was abused for eight hours and 15 mins. It has broken me. It was a very personal attack.

“I was doing everything in my power to protect passengers and the crew from him. I felt exposed and vulnerable, especially as we were 39,000 feet in the air. There was nowhere for me to go.

“There was one moment where I felt I could not cope. I went into the cockpit and had a meltdown. I said to the captain I don’t know what to do.

“Even the threat of diverting the plane to Turkey or Baku, Azerbaijan, had no effect.

“I was traumatised by the threat of being gang raped.

“Never in my entire career flying for 37 years have I not been sure what to do.

“I have had the best career in the world for 37 years. But he has taken that away from me.”

“He told Ms Walsh: ‘You will be dead on the floor of your hotel’

Iftikhar, of Iver, Bucks, admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment, in relation to Ms Walsh.

He was cleared of assault by beating and threats to kill in relation to Mr Merchant.

Ben Walker-Nolan, defending, said Iftikhar was suffering from “amnesia blood loss” at the time.

Mr Walker-Nolan added: “Although there were over 100 incidents over the course of eight hours, the most serious, including threats to kill, were limited.

“The defendant has buried his head in the sand for a long period, and expressed regret.

“He has a long standing drug and alcohol problem which he has not addressed for many years.

“He is a successful businessman who employs a lot of people.”

THUG JAILED

Iftikhar has six previous convictions arising from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008 and failing to stop and possession of cannabis in 2021.

Judge Ms Recorder Annabel Darlow KC said: “Your threats to kill were made in the presence of children, specifically your three young children.

“These were threats made with significant violence.

“Your children had to be comforted by cabin crew staff while you made those threats.

“Ms Walsh has given up a job which she has loved for 14 months, but thankfully has now returned to work.

“This was a sustained incident which involved repeated racist abuse to Ms Walsh.

“You have a lengthy and appalling record of misconduct. You have not addressed the underlying cause of this for many years, that is your drug and alcohol problem.

“Given your lifestyle and your ability to earn money, your harm and risk has not moved.

“This was an appalling incident which has caused long lasting and devastating consequences.”

Iftikhar cried in the dock as he was jailed for 15 months.

His LinkedIn profile stated that he was the director and founder of recruitment firm Staffing Match.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson commented: “The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to any disruptive or abusive behaviour on board our aircraft.

“We will always work closely with the relevant authorities and will not hesitate to seek prosecution for those individuals that cause disruption onboard through unacceptable behaviour.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14916852/virgin-atlantic-passenger-threatens-stewardess-gang-rape/

PARENTS have been warned to keep an eye out for a potentially fatal disease that’s cropping up in daycares across the US.

The sickness mainly affects children under five and can have some terrifying symptoms.

Public health officials have announced that hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) has been detected in daycares.

Earlier this year, there were six outbreaks in Virginia, according to an alert published by the Fairfax County Health District.

And a massive 189 cases have been confirmed in St Thomas, including one possible infection that proved fatal, the US Virgin Islands Department of Health said.

The disease isn’t just affecting children either.

Though it’s more dangerous in young kids, more cases have been seen in adults, which have left patients with rashes and nail loss, medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News.

HFMD cases peak in the summer, so parents should know what to look for, especially if their children are surrounded by other toddlers.

Most kids who catch the disease develop a fever, sore throat, painful mouth sores that blister, and a rash on the hands and feet, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The illness is usually harmless, and most children will recover from mild symptoms after seven to ten days.

However, it is highly contagious.

Other kids can get HFMD from droplets that spread from sneezing, coughing, or talking, or from surfaces that have the virus on them.

Fluid from blisters and poop can also carry the nasty sickness.

PREVENTING INFECTION

To prevent children from catching HFMD, parents should try their best to keep their kids away from anyone who is infected.

It’s important to wash hands often, especially after using the restroom, sneezing, or changing a diaper.

If a kid has blisters, parents should help keep them clean and wash their child’s face.

Caregivers should also try not to hug or kiss children who are infected.

People suffering from HFMD should be kept at home and take over-the-counter pain medications.

Because they might have sores in their mouths, it’s important to try and force children to drink water so they aren’t dehydrated.

There aren’t any vaccines to prevent against HFMD.

One health expert said that a commonly used item can transfer HFMD.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/health/14917550/hand-foot-mouth-disease-outbreak-daycare-warning/

Markus Söder, premier of Bavaria, Germany’s largest state, wants to do away with current rules governing access to aid money for Ukrainian refugees living in Germany. The head of the Christian Social Union (CSU), part of Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU union, is of the opinion that Ukrainian refugees should get less money in general — no matter if they are new arrivals or have been living in Germany for years.

Söder’s proposal far exceeds the changes promised in the CDU/CSU’s coalition agreement, which it signed with the Social Democrats (SPD) in May to form the current government. In the contract — which forms the basis for the coalition’s existence — signatory parties agreed to cut financial assistance to new Ukrainian refugees applying for asylum in the country. The coalition agreement, however, explicitly exempted cuts for Ukrainian refugees already living in Germany.

How much do Ukrainian refugees get in Germany — and elsewhere in Europe?

To date, Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Germany have all been afforded so-called citizens’ money [Bürgergeld] payments, meaning they receive the same amount of welfare assistance that an unemployed German would. For single adults, that means a sum of €563 ($650) each month. Further, German taxpayers cover the cost of rent and health insurance for their guests. In all, that means Germany is among the most financially generous countries when it comes to assistance for Ukrainians forced to flee their homes because of war. Unlike others, Ukrainian refugees are also given permission to immediately enter the German labor market upon arrival.

Bavaria’s Söder now wants to slash that assistance to people applying for asylum. That would mean a monthly stipend between €353 and €441 for single adults, depending on their living situation. Families would also receive between €299 and €391 monthly for each child they have, with payments varying according to age.

Ukrainian refugees in the European Union

The European Union (EU) classifies Ukrainian refugees as individuals “deserving of temporary protection” under a mechanism established in 2001. These guidelines were activated for the first time in 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The guidelines stipulate that EU host countries must provide refugees, in this case Ukrainians, with access to housing, employment and health care. The guidelines do not, however, define the value of those payments and/or services, leading to great disparities across the 27-member bloc.

Poland

Poland does not hand out monthly payments and Warsaw has even gone so far as to do away with its previous one-time payment of roughly €70 for each adult refugee arriving from Ukraine. Ukrainian refugees in Poland are instead given a personal identification number, giving them access to jobs, education and free health care.

Ukrainian parents are given a monthly €190 payment for their first child, with smaller payments for each child after that. Parents caring for children with a disability or those with chronic illnesses may also apply for welfare assistance.

Hungary

In Hungary, the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban — known for his anti-immigrant sentiments — tightened rules defining which Ukrainian refugees it feels are “deserving of temporary protection.” Western Ukraine, for instance, is now viewed as a safe place of origin in the eyes of Hungary’s lawmakers, meaning refugees hailing from those parts have no right to free housing at state-run refugee facilities. The international NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) decried the move, saying it put thousands of Ukrainians on the streets.

Adult refugees considered worthy of protection are afforded a €55 monthly payment as well as about €34 a month for each child in their family.

Belgium

In Belgium, single adult refugees from Ukraine receive approximately €1,100 per month in assistance, the highest rate in the EU. Moreover, they receive publicly funded health insurance and have the right to publicly funded housing. Furthermore, refugees can apply for financial assistance for the acquisition of furniture, clothing, medical necessities (including glasses) and food.

Sweden

Ukrainian refugees in Sweden do not receive monthly stipends but daily cash allotments. Adults can receive up to about €180-€190 by month’s end but only if they have no other income.

Payment for children adds up to roughly €140 per month. Additional funds are available for items such as winter clothing or baby carriages. Ukrainian refugees theoretically have access to funds for things like glasses, yet they generally only have the right to medical assistance in emergency situations or in the case of care that cannot be delayed.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/ukrainian-refugee-aid-across-europe-compared/a-73537095

Despite aid being air-dropped into Gaza, the situation on the ground remains dire. Israel faces mounting pressure to allow more aid to enter through land crossings.

In response to Gaza’s worsening hunger crisis, Israel has allowed several countries to airdrop food pallets into the war-torn territory. On Monday, planes from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Belgium and Canada dropped 120 aid packages, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

On Tuesday, Israel said it would partially reopen the entry of goods for trade in Gaza through local vendors to decrease itsdependency on humanitarian aid.

However, Palestinians on the ground and humanitarian organizations say the aid is insufficient and poorly distributed.

“What’s being dropped from the sky doesn’t reach anyone except those who can fight others,” said Diaa al-Asaad, a 50-year-old displaced father of six in Gaza City who spoke to DW by phone. Foreign journalists are barred from entering Gaza.

Some drop zones, strategic locations where supplies are airdropped, are difficult to access, he continued, as they are often located near or inside Israeli-controlled militarized areas, known as “red zones.”

“We need aid to be distributed fairly to all residents, not this way,” he said.

Majed Ziad, a resident of Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, echoed those concerns: “The solution isn’t to throw food at us. People need normal, humane access [to food] — unlike animals chasing prey in the jungle.”

‘Worst-case scenario unfolding’

The airdrops come amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Gaza’s 2.2 million residents face severe shortages, with many dependent on external aid. Local food production has been largely destroyed. And throughout the war, experts have warned that Gaza is on the brink of starvation.

The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that the “worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding,” while the World Health Organization (WHO) noted a sharp rise in malnutrition-related deaths among children last month.

Israel, which controls Gaza’s border, cut off supplies in early March to pressure Hamas— a designated terrorist organization by many countries — saying the group was diverting supplies.

Amid intentional pressure, Israel resumed limited aid deliveries in May but shifted to distribution sites managed by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Hundreds have been killed near these distribution points, allegedly by Israeli fire.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly blamed Hamas for looting aid and said that Israel was ‘vilified’ by claims that there is hunger in Gaza.

“They lie about us. They say that we are deliberately starving Palestinian children. That’s a bare-faced lie. Since the beginning of the war, we have let in almost 2 million tons of food,” he said in a video posted on X.

Since the war began in October 2023, Hamas-run local health authorities have reported over 60,000 deaths, with many more feared trapped under rubble. Local authorities do not distinguish between combatants and civilians, though the vast majority of victims are said to be women and minors.

Controversies over aid airdrops

Humanitarian groups consider airdrops a last resort due to risks on the ground.

On Monday, reports emerged that a nurse in Gaza was killed when a falling aid pallet struck him during the latest round of drops.

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X that airdrops are costly and less effective than land deliveries through crossings.

“Airdrops are at least 100 times more costly than trucks. Trucks carry twice as much aid as planes,” he wrote.

On a recent trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul acknowledged the limitation of airdrops and called on Israel to open land crossings for effective aid delivery.

“The land route is crucial,” he said. “Here, the Israeli government has a duty to quickly allow sufficient humanitarian and medical aid to pass through safely, so that mass starvation deaths can be prevented.”

He acknowledged that more aid trucks were entering Gaza, but added “it is still insufficient,” calling for a “fundamental change” in Israeli policy.

Tactical pauses and humanitarian corridors

Alongside airdrops, the Israeli military announced tactical pauses and humanitarian corridors for aid convoys in three Gaza regions last week. Yet the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarians Affairs (OCHA) reported aid entering Gaza “remains insufficient” and convoys face delays and dangers. For example, a fuel delivery recently took 18 hours to travel just 24 kilometers (15 miles).

Many Palestinians have been killed near GHF distribution sites or while waiting for aid convoys. Aid trucks often do not reach intended recipients due to looting, either by desperate residents or black-market dealers.

Dalia al-Affifi, a mother of two in Gaza City, said most aid never reaches ordinary people. Prices for basics, like flour, have skyrocketed, sometimes reaching 100-120 shekels (€25-€30, $29-$35) per kilogram, well beyond the reach of many.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/gaza-airdrops-not-enough-to-address-humanitarian-crisis/a-73530769

 

Jihadist violence has displaced rural communities from Nigeria’s northern agricultural heartland. Now, aid agencies warn that funding cuts and abandoned farmlands threaten food security in Nigeria.

The United Nations (UN) has described a looming hunger crisis in northern Nigeria as “unprecedented,” with analysts estimating that at least 5 million children are already suffering from acute malnutrition. This is despite northern Nigeria traditionally being the nation’s agricultural heartland, producing maize, millet, and sorghum.

In northeastern Nigeria alone, which includes Borno State, over one million people are believed to be facing hunger. Margot van der Velden, Western Africa Regional Director for the World Food Programme (WFP), said nearly 31 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity and need life-saving food, just as funds for West and Central Africa are shrinking.

Dwindling aid funds

Many aid programs in West Africa face closure following the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID. The WFP warned its emergency food aid program would stop by July 31 due to “critical funding shortfalls” and that its food and nutrition stocks “have been completely exhausted.” By late July, the WFP’s appeal for over $130 million (€113 million) to sustain operations in Nigeria for 2025 was only 21% funded.

“It is a matter of emergency for the government to see what it can do urgently to provide relief so that there is no outbreak of conflict which will be counter-productive to the progress made in the past,” Dauda Muhammad, a humanitarian coordinator in northeastern Nigeria, told DW.

Dauda adds that reduced funding, along with few job opportunities and soaring prices, would bring about food insecurity that could undo years of work that tried to diminish the influence of armed jihadist groups, such as Boko Haram, in northern Nigeria.

However, Samuel Malik, a senior researcher at Good Governance Africa, a pan-African think-tank, told DW that the root cause of the problem lies elsewhere. “The hunger crisis currently crippling northern Nigeria is fundamentally a consequence of poor governance and protracted insecurity, rather than the result of aid cuts.”

He says that although “plays a vital role in alleviating the most severe manifestations of Nigeria’s food insecurity, it was never designed to be comprehensive or a long time.”

Villagers have been forced to flee unsafe rural areas to places like the Ramin Kura displacement camp in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria. 40-year-old Umaimah Abubakar from Ranganda village told DW she moved there after bandits killed her husband and rustled all her in-laws’ animals.

“Whenever we heard they were approaching, we would run and hide,” she said, adding that the community has tried to protect itself by recruiting vigilantes. “Everyone is suffering because there’s no food. We couldn’t farm this year. Sometimes, when we manage to plant, the bandits attack before the harvest. Other times, after you’ve harvested and stored your crops, they come and burn everything.”

She says she earns a little money by washing plates to buy food for her children.

“Those who didn’t farm will surely go hungry. No farming means no food, especially for villagers like us,” Abubakar told DW, “Many now resort to begging or doing odd jobs. We used to plant millet, guinea corn, maize, and sesame.”

Sowing seeds of fear on the frontline

“India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause,” Nikki Haley said in a post on X.

The US should not burn its relationship with a “strong ally like India” and give a pass to China, Indian-American Republican leader Nikki Haley said on Tuesday, amid President Donald Trump’s attacks against New Delhi over tariffs and purchases of Russian oil.

“India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause,” Nikki Haley said in a post on X.

“Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India,” she said.

Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina, was the US Ambassador to the United Nations under Trump’s first presidential term, becoming the first Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet-level post in the US administration.

In 2013, she officially announced her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and withdrew from the race in March last year. Her comments came hours after Trump said India has not been a “good trading partner” and announced he will raise tariffs on India “very substantially over the next 24 hours” because New Delhi is buying Russian oil and “fueling” the “war machine”.

India on Monday mounted an unusually sharp counterattack on the US and the European Union for their “unjustified and unreasonable” targeting of New Delhi for its procurement of Russian crude oil.

New Delhi’s response came after Trump asserted that Washington will substantially raise tariffs on goods from India over its energy ties with Russia.

Meanwhile, Trump, in an interview with CNBC responded to a question on China and its leader, Xi Jinping, and said, “We have a very good relationship”.

Trump added that he might have a meeting with the Chinese President “before the end of the year, most likely, if we make a deal.” He said he won’t have a meeting if a deal doesn’t materialise.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-should-not-burn-relationship-with-strong-ally-like-india-nikki-haley-9026900

August 5 marks one year when Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee amid a movement against her authoritarian regime. But was it just a students’ agitation that brought her powerful government down, or was it urban guerilla tactics of attacking security personnel or the army’s hands-off approach? Decoding what became the ultimate nemesis for Hasina.

On August 5 last year, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina boarded a military helicopter in the nick of time to flee from Bangladesh as lakhs of protesters headed towards her official residence in Dhaka. Such was the haste that she couldn’t even record an address to the nation that she wanted to. But how did the regime of Hasina, who ruled with an iron fist for 15 years, crumble within weeks?

Was it more than just a student-led uprising? Did urban guerilla-style attacks aided by Hasina’s political rivals and the hands-off approach of the military play as big a role as the agitation itself in pulling down the Awami League-led government?

Bangladeshi political experts and activists in Dhaka and those in self-imposed exile describe how it was a perfect storm that combined all the above to blow away the regime that had the backing of the security and intelligence apparatus and foot soldiers of her Awami League and its student wing, the Chhatra League.

The official death toll of the mass protest, which saw security personnel opening fire on unarmed protesters and retaliatory attacks on the police, stands at 1,400. Experts suggest the toll to be much higher.

Bangladeshi-American political analyst Shafquat Rabbee says it was a “confluence of fortuitous events and conditions that all came together, ending up in a spectacular collapse for Hasina the tyrant”.

Rabbee talks about how the videos of brutal killings by the security forces got all sections of Bangladeshi society to take to the streets against Hasina.

A political commentator from Dhaka, requesting anonymity, tells India Today Digital that anti-Hasina forces had cultivated people for years within the administration. As the students-led agitation peaked, those officials stopped functioning, bringing about a total collapse of the state machinery.

Political parties like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami, which were suppressed by the Hasina regime, too played their part, the experts agree. The students wouldn’t have lasted even a single night without the support of the parties’ street-fighters, who have protected them with their experience of taking on the police force.

Bangladeshi political activist and writer Faham Abdus Salam says the attack on the police personnel revealed the movement had moved to the next phase, and that the Hasina government had lost its fear factor.

The last nail in the Hasina regime’s coffin was Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman’s declaration that the forces wouldn’t shoot at protesters. This came as a booster shot for the crowd, which now had students, common people and members of political and Islamist outfits.

Salam also reveals that some within the military establishment harboured thoughts of preparing a guerilla force if Hasina hung on to power beyond August 5.

A year on, as the haze somewhat lifts, the July-August movement can be divided into three distinct phases, which reveal the role of the political parties and the military in the ouster of Hasina. Till now, the July-August movement was perceived as only a student-spearheaded agitation.

BRUTAL KILLING VIDEOS FANNED ANTI-HASINA IRE

Sheikh Hasina returned to power for a fourth consecutive term in January 2024. The election was boycotted by the BNP, the main opposition party, and was alleged to have been extremely rigged and stage-managed.

People were tired of the corrupt regime, but enforced disappearances by the establishment forced people to stay silent. The brutal Aynaghar torture or the fear of it forced some of the best brains to flee Bangladesh. The government was seen to be working just for Hasina cronies and Awami Leaguers.

Amid this, the Bangladesh High Court’s decision in June to reinstate a quota that would reserve 30% of the civil service jobs for descendants of 1971 War veterans, seen as Hasina backers, lit the fuse.

Students took to the streets in a country where a government job is seen by millions as the only way out of poverty. The protests gained momentum in July, and Hasina’s branding the students “Razakar”, a highly despicable term in Bangladesh, acted like a catalyst. The protests spread across Bangladesh.

By mid-July, Chhatra League members, along with the police, were fighting the protesters on the streets of Dhaka. On July 16, six protesters, including 25-year-old student Abu Sayed, were killed by police firing.

“For the Hasina government, after July 17, it was all about crushing the movement. People retaliated, and then the regime started killing people indiscriminately,” says Salam, who has been living in Australia in a self-imposed exile for a decade.

The image of Abu Sayed inviting bullets with open arms went on to define the protests. Videos of brutal attacks and killings of protesters unnerved all sections of Bangladeshi society.

“Urban guerilla tactics work by creating victims, and fighting the war around them,” says the political commentator from Dhaka.

Hasina tried to buy peace by promising a probe, but the situation had spiralled out of control. On August 3, the Students Against Discrimination came out with a single-point demand — Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.

Most organic protests do not last beyond days without support from established political or civil structures. That the students-led agitation and the students themselves survived and fought for weeks pointed at the role of political parties and the military in the fall of Hasina.

MASTANS OF BNP, JAMAAT PROVIDED STREET MUSCLE

Political parties like the BNP and the Jamaat, facing political suppression, had been emaciated. Such was the situation, that the Jamaat didn’t manage to even unlock its sealed office in Dhaka over the years.

The students’ protest gave the parties the much-needed oxygen, and they used the students’ agitation to launch a full-scale attack on the Hasina apparatus.

“After July 19, police were attacked not by university students, but by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists and daily-waged labourers who had joined in the protests by then,” Salam tells India Today Digital.

As evidence of that, the activist points to a video of protesters chasing away a team of security personnel in five vans, which went viral.

“You can see one person starts running at the police, and then a crowd follows him and starts chasing the cops. The person who first started chasing the cops was later identified as a BNP member. This was the case in most instances. Those leading the attacks against cops were either BNP or Jamaat members or daily-waged labourers,” says Salam.

Rabbee says among all the political parties, the BNP counts the highest number of dead activists during the July-August agitation for a reason.

“Parties like the BNP had seasoned leadership who were battle-hardened and knew how to survive and fight government machinery. The young student leaders brought political innocence into the play and attracted the masses, and the BNP and the Jamaat provided street credibility and muscle,” Rabbee tells India Today Digital.

Major political parties like the BNP also arranged physical safety and safe houses for the student leaders when they were on the run.

Salam says the Hasina government, which had dealt with online activists, was spooked by two things — shut down of remittances by Bangladeshi expats and attacks on police stations.

“People attacking the cops was an escalation that showed that the movement was in the next phase. The retaliation was evidence that the fear of the Hasina regime was gone, and it could be toppled,” explains Salam.

What goes on to show that it wasn’t the students who were mostly involved in the street warfare was that the worst violence took place after Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5. There were political reprisal killings in which scores of Awami League and Chhatra League leaders were massacred.

“Members of Islamist organisations and Jamaat members were at the forefront when it came to attacking cops and Awami League leaders. They followed urban guerilla tactics to bring down the Hasina government, and exact revenge after that,” said the Dhaka-based commentator.

Bangladesh had descended into lawlessness and chaos for days after the fall of the Hasina regime, and the army had to step in.

BANGLADESH ARMY’S DECISION NOT TO SHOOT WAS GAMECHANGER

Waker-Uz-Zaman was appointed Bangladesh Army Chief in June 2024, when the country was already simmering.

Zaman, a relative of Hasina, operated with fairness during the entire agitation, according to multiple sources.

By then, protests had even started in Defence Officers Housing Society areas in Dhaka. This was unprecedented because military officers were pampered by Hasina and their children brought up in relative affluence.

“Hasina not only took care of the military with unprecedented largesse, but she also changed the Constitution to deter political intervention by the military, making it a crime of high treason,” says Rabbee.

The lower-rung officers and sepoys, like some of the civilian officials, had by then gone into a civil-disobedience mode. That was a result of news of young relatives falling prey to bullets, sources told India Today Digital.

On August 4, with the Hasina government finding itself embattled with millions ready for the long March to Dhaka a day later, a shoot-at-sight curfew was ordered.

Waker-Uz-Zaman, in a meeting with the top Army commanders on August 4, decided that his force would not shoot at protesters. This, and the reports of military officers unwilling to act against protesters earlier, boosted the confidence of the protesters.

Hundreds of thousands started pouring into Dhaka at daybreak on August 5. That is when General Zaman visited Hasina and asked her to board the military helicopter and save her life.

“Ultimately the military had to force her collapse, mostly because the sheer number of people on Dhaka’s streets with bricks and sticks were simply multiple folds of the count of ammunition the security establishment had at their disposal,” says Rabbee.

Not only did the army take a hands-off approach, some lower-ranking military personnel were also looking at options to bring down the regime if Hasina lasted beyond August 5.

“A military official told me he considered resigning and arming civilians for urban guerrilla warfare if Hasina had not fled on August 5,” says activist-writer Salam, adding, “This tells you this was a civil war situation.”

Source :https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/bangladesh-one-year-sheikh-hasina-regime-august-5-student-protests-army-role-urban-guerilla-tactics-2766569-2025-08-05

India said that the United States continues to import key materials from Russia, including uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for electric vehicles, as well as fertilisers and chemicals.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was unaware that the United States imports uranium and fertilisers from Russia — a point put forward by India as it pushed back against Western criticism of its continued oil trade with Moscow.

“I don’t know anything about it. I have to check it out,” Trump said when asked about India’s mention that Washington was singling it out unfairly while continuing to do business with Russia itself.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a statement a day earlier, defending its Russian oil imports and accusing the US and European Union of hypocrisy.

According to MEA, American companies continue to buy uranium hexafluoride for the nuclear industry, palladium for the EV sector, fertilisers, and chemicals from Russia — even as they pressure India to scale back its own trade ties.

The MEA called the criticism “unjustified and unreasonable” and said India’s energy purchases are dictated by economic necessity. It also reminded the US that Washington had earlier “actively encouraged such imports by India to strengthen global energy markets stability.”

This comes as Trump steps up pressure on India to stop buying oil from Russia, warning that extra tariffs could be imposed within the next 24 hours.

“India has not been a good trading partner, because they do a lot of business with us, but we don’t do business with them. So we settled on 25 percent, but I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they’re buying Russian oil. They’re fuelling the war machine,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday.

TRUMP HINTS AT TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM RUSSIA

When asked whether he would consider imposing a 100% tariff on countries that continue to buy energy from Russia — including China — Trump suggested that action could be on the table.

“I never said a percentage, but we’ll be doing quite a bit of that. We’ll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time. But we will see what happens… We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We’re going to see what happens,” Trump said.

The president also added that the goal of the talks will be to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.

“This is the one I’m trying to stop. And one I’m working hardest on. The others stopped within a matter of days,” Trump said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/donald-trump-responds-to-indias-claim-on-us-import-of-russian-uranium-fertiliser-i-dont-know-anything-glbs-2766895-2025-08-06

 

ROCK star David Roach has died at the age of 59 after battling cancer.

The musician passed away on August 2, according to a post shared by the hard rock band Junkyard.

Roach, who co-founded the rock band in 1987, died just two weeks after he married his wife Jennifer.

He was battling a form of aggressive squamous cell carcinoma that affected his head, neck and throat, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser.

Junkyard announced his death in a social media post.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of David Roach,” the band said.

“After a courageous battle with cancer, David passed away peacefully last night at home, in the loving arms of his wife.

“He was a gifted artist, performer, songwriter, and singer — but above all, a devoted father, husband, and brother.

“Our thoughts are with the entire Roach family and everyone who loved him.”

In June, Junkyard shared a social media post explaining that Roach’s cancer was “aggressive”.

Roach and Jennifer were said to be shattered by his diagnosis.

“It’s devastating and life-altering, and we’re trying to navigate through the emotions and uncertainty that come with it,” she wrote on social media.

“David is showing such incredible strength and resilience, and even in the midst of this darkness, he’s still managing to keep his sense of humor. It’s a reminder of how amazing he is.

“But we know this journey ahead will be extremely tough, David made it clear he is not giving up hope and we’re going to need all of your love and prayers.”

Roach performed alongside the guitarist Chris Gates, bassist Clay Anthony, drummer Patrick Muzingo, and guitarist Brian Baker between 1987 and 1992.

The band performed in live shows in the early 2000s, and released what was their first studio album in more than 20 years in 2017.

Tributes have been paid to Roach following his death.

Award-winning composer Jake Curtis Allard said Roach was an ‘excellent’ singer.

Music stars Chip Z’Nuff and Danko Jones have also sent their condolences.

Squamous cell carcinoma is usually not life-threatening, but if left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body.

It is a common type of skin cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Nodules, which are bumps on the skin, are a symptom of the cancer.

This bump can be the same color as the skin or different.

Other symptoms include sores inside the mouth, or a sore on old skin.

Health chiefs urge anyone with symptoms to book an appointment with their local doctor if a sore doesn’t heal within two months.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14903723/david-roach-dead-cancer-junkyard/

KIM Kardashian’s ‘dangerous’ Skims face wrap could cause a number of health issues, including ‘joint misalignment,’ a top doctor has told The U.S. Sun.

In addition to potentially being harmful to one’s health, the medical expert insisted that the shapewear company’s claims of jaw sculpting and other face structural changes are not accurate, as they are “not backed by science.”

Kim, 44, sent the internet into a frenzy when she announced last week that Skims is now selling “Seamless Sculpt Face Wraps.”

The product, which retails for $48, is a small piece of fabric that tightly wraps around one’s jaw, neck, and head.

Skims advertises the wrap: “Our first-ever face innovation is here. This must-have face wrap boasts our signature sculpting fabric and features collagen yarns for ultra-soft jaw support.

“Velcro closures at the top and nape of the neck allow for easy, everyday wear.”

However, according to medical experts, the long-term effects of the wrap might be more harmful than helpful.

A top Beverly Hills cosmetic doctor told the U.S. Sun that the wrap will “not reshape your face permanently as claims of permanent jaw sculpting or structural changes are not backed by evidence.”

The medical expert continued to explain: “If you have TMJ pain or grinding, it is best to consult a dentist or TMJ specialist before turning to garment compression.

“It is not a replacement for proven interventions like facial exercises, contouring treatments, fillers, surgery or professional care for TMJ.”

And added: “Temporary use may offer a calming or stabilizing effect on overworked jaw muscles, similar to a light support brace.

“However, regular or unsupervised use may result in skin irritation or temporary muscle discomfort or weakness if over-compressed.

“Prolonged use might also alter resting jaw posture, especially if the fabric pushes the jaw backward or upward unnaturally.”

The highly-renowned doctor added that the piece could potentially even trigger “more joint misalignment or clenching.”

A spokesperson for Skims has even boasted of the product, “We changed the shape wear game forever—and we’re not done.

“[We are] introducing the Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap: a must-have addition to your nightly routine.”

The Kardashians star posted about the product and bragged that it “snatches your little chinny-chin-chin.”

THAT’S A WRAP

Shortly after Skims announced its latest release, it didn’t take long for critics to come out and slam the brand for “monetizing on customers’ insecurities.”

One fan begged the question: ”Y’all really out here dropping $60 on a ‘collagen’ (FOH) jockstrap for your chin sold by a billionaire cosplaying as a beauty guru?”

Another added: ”Don’t get it twisted! She’s not helping YOU! She’s weaponized vanity in beige nylon, while monetizing your insecurities and self-hate, one pathetic product at a time.”

A third said: “‘Collagen infused fabric’ sounds like a stupid cash grab, like what? Collagen will not leave the fabric and absorb into your skin. Not how it works.”

While one more added that the product is a “scam” and jokingly suggested the company change its name to “Skams.”

Even A-list celebrities, like Sir Anthony Hopkins, got in on the conversation and have poked fun at the product.

Having seemingly been gifted a Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap from the brand – or perhaps he had a similar garment- the Hannibal Lecter actor took to Instagram while donning the garment.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14909841/kim-kardashian-skims-face-wrap-dangerous-misalignment-reshape-jawline/

VLADIMIR Putin is ready to meet Volodymyr Zelensky, the Kremlin said while issuing a warning to Donald Trump’s nuclear threat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his boss will meet the Ukrainian leader “after preparatory work is done at the expert level”.

He added that such work has not yet been done.

Putin has previously rejected a slew of proposals from Zelensky to meet for negotiations.

He said last week that peace talks had made some positive progress, but that Russia had the momentum in the war.

But Donald Trump has put pressure on Russia to urgently agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Trump’s deadline for a Ukraine peace is set to expire in just days after the MAGA prez cut the 50-day waiting period to just “10-12 days”.

This would mean the Russians will have till August 8 to strike a peace deal with Ukraine or else face criplling sanctions which could further stifle Moscow.

Despite the pressure from Washington, Russia has continued its onslaught against its pro-Western neighbour.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said everyone should be “very, very careful” about nuclear rhetoric in its first public reaction to Trump’s nuclear warning.

The US commander-in-chief ordered that two nuclear submarines be positioned near Russia before warning America is “totally prepared” for a nuclear war.

The extraordinary escalation by Trump followed a slew of “inflammatory” threats against America from Kremlin comrade Dmitry Medvedev.

The Kremlin played down its significance and said it was not looking to get into a public argument with him.

Peskov said: “In this case, it is obvious that American submarines are already on combat duty. This is an ongoing process, thats the first thing.

“But in general, of course, we would not want to get involved in such a controversy and would not want to comment on it in any way.

“Of course, we believe that everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric.”

Trump has expressed frustration with Putin, questioning whether the Russian leader really wants peace with Ukraine.

He reiterated that he was “very unhappy” with Putin since their last phone call made no progress on the Ukraine peace deal – something the US president has pushed for since returning to power.

Putin has snubbed peace and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids – which could soon hit 1,000 drones and missiles a day.

Just days ago, 31 people died including five children after the Rusisans fired an Iskander missile into a residential tower block in Kyiv.

Putin, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said over the weekend that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were “unchanged”.

“We need a lasting and stable peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and would ensure the security of both countries,” Putin told reporters.

But he added that “the conditions [from the Russian side] certainly remain the same.”

Meanewhile, Trump confirmed his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia in the coming week.

The Republican leader said Witkoff would visit “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”

Moscow today said that Witkoff’s visit would be important and helpful.

“We are always happy to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow… We consider such contact important, substantial and helpful,” Peskov said.

He added that a meeting with Putin was in Moscow’s diary.

Putin has already met Witkoff multiple times in Moscow before Trump’s efforts to mend ties with the Kremlin came to a grinding halt.

The US special envoy has held long conversations with Putin but failed to persuade him to agree to a ceasefire.

Back in May, Zelensky had challenged the Russian dictator to meet him face-to-face to turn the screw and make a deal.

Putin instead dodged peace and said he would only meet him when there was a done deal.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14904555/putin-meet-zelensky-kremlin-trumps-deadline-ukraine/

Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered the house arrest of Jair Bolsonaro.

The former president is standing trial for allegedly leading a coup attempt after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Why did the court order house arrest for Bolsonaro?

Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the case against Bolsonaro in court, issued the order.

He said in his decision that Bolsonaro had violated the precautionary measures imposed on him in July.

Last month, the Supreme Court ordered that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle monitor and imposed a curfew on his activities during the trial.

The far-right leader was also barred from using social media after being accused of trying to disrupt the trial with fiery speeches shared online by his sons and allies.

Under the ban, third parties are barred from sharing his public remarks.

On Sunday, allies of Bolsonaro defied the court order by broadcasting a live call between the 70-year-old and one of his sons at a pro-Bolsonaro rally.

As well as ordering house arrest, this latest order also banned the former president from receiving visits, with exceptions for lawyers and people authorized by the court.

Moraes also ordered the seizure of mobile phones from Bolsonaro’s home in Rio de Janeiro.

Bolsonaro’s lawyers said in a statement they would appeal the court’s latest decision, arguing the former president had not violated any court order.

US swift to condemn Bolsonaro’s house arrest

The US State Department has condemned the house arrest order, according to Reuters news agency.

It said that Moraes was using Brazilian institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy and added that the US would “hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct.”

US President Donald Trump has previously called the trial against Bolsonaro a “witch hunt.”

Trump imposed 50% tariffs on a raft of products imported from Brazil, including coffee, late last week, directly tying these to the Bolsonaro trial.

That is the highest tariff rate Trump has imposed on any country in the world.

The Trump administration has also put sanctions on Moraes under the Global Magnitsky Act, which allows the US to sanction foreigners it considers human rights abusers.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/brazils-top-court-orders-house-arrest-for-bolsonaro/a-73528626

European hotel owners are angry over the “best price” clause at the online booking giant they say had kept them from offering rooms for less on their own websites.

European hotel owners are joining together in a class action suit against the online platform Booking.com, with more than 10,000 hotels have now signed on to the damages suit.

According to the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe HOTREC, which represents the industry within the EU, hotel owners will seek compensation for losses incurred between 2004 and 2024 as a result of so-called “best-price” clauses that keep hotels from offering rooms for less on their own sites.

The initiative is also backed by 30 national hotel associations, including the German Hotel Association (IHA).

Netherlands-based Booking.com used the clauses as a way to prevent what it called “free-rider” bookings, which it defined as a customer discovering a hotel on Booking.com but then booking directly with the hotel and not the online giant.

These clauses had required hotels not to offer rooms at lower prices on other platforms, including their own websites.

What is the basis of the claims?

A suit to be brought before an Amsterdam court by the Hotel Claims Alliance — and supported by HOTREC and 30 more hotel associations — cites a September 19, 2024 European Court of Justice (ECJ) verdict finding best-price clauses illegal.

The ECJ ruled that online platforms could operate without putting such restrictions on partner hotels.

Booking.com did away with the clause in 2024 as a result of the European Union Digital Markets Act.

“European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs,” according to HOTREC President Alexandros Vassilikos.

“This joint initiative sends a clear message: abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated by the hospitality industry in Europe.”

HOTREC on Monday announced an extension of the time limit to join the suit against Booking.com until August 29.

“The class action is receiving overwhelming support,” IHA Managing Director Markus Luthe told Germany’s DPA news agency.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/over-10000-hotels-join-complaint-against-bookingcom/a-73526132

 

The US could require bonds of up to US$15,000 for some tourist and business visas under a pilot programme launching in two weeks, a government notice said on Monday (Aug 4), an effort that aims to crack down on visitors who overstay their visas.

The programme gives US consular officers the discretion to impose bonds on visitors from countries with high rates of visa overstays, according to a Federal Register notice.

Bonds could also be applied to people coming from countries where screening and vetting information is deemed insufficient, the notice said.

President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the US illegally.

He issued a travel ban in June that fully or partially blocks citizens of 19 nations from entering the US on national security grounds.

Trump’s immigration policies have led some visitors to skip travel to the United States.

Transatlantic airfares dropped to rates last seen before the COVID-19 pandemic in May and travel from Canada and Mexico to the US fell by 20 per cent year-over-year.

Effective Aug 20, the new visa programme will last for approximately a year, the government notice said.

Consular officers will have three options for visa applicants subjected to the bonds: US$5,000, US$10,000 or US$15,000, but will generally be expected to require at least US$10,000, it said.

The funds will be returned to travellers if they depart in accordance with the terms of their visas, the notice said.

A similar pilot programme was launched in November 2020 during the last months of Trump’s first term in office, but it was not fully implemented due to the drop in global travel associated with the pandemic, the notice said.

The State Department was unable to estimate the number of visa applicants who could be affected by the change. Many of the countries targeted by Trump’s travel ban also have high rates of visa overstays, including Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar and Yemen.

US Travel Association, which represents major tourism-related companies, estimated the “scope of the visa bond pilot programme appears to be limited, with an estimated 2,000 applicants affected, most likely from only a few countries with relatively low travel volume to the United States”.

Numerous countries in Africa, including Burundi, Djibouti and Togo also had high overstay rates, according to US Customs and Border Protection data from fiscal year 2023.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-require-bonds-up-15000-some-tourist-visas-under-pilot-programme-5276686

CNA’s court journalists take a closer look at the concept that was brought up in the case of cancer-stricken tycoon Ong Beng Seng.

Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng pleaded guilty on Monday (Aug 4) to a charge of abetting former Transport Minister S Iswaran in obstructing justice.

A second charge for instigating Mr Iswaran to obtain flights and a hotel stay from Ong will be taken into consideration during sentencing, which was adjourned to Aug 15.

Both the prosecution and defence called for the court to exercise judicial mercy and impose only a fine, in light of what Ong’s lawyer described as “a devastating cocktail of medical problems”.

What is judicial mercy?

It’s an extraordinary measure in which the sentence of an accused person is reduced on humanitarian grounds, criminal lawyer Adrian Wee of Lighthouse Law said.

He said that factors considered by the court in applying judicial mercy include the severity of the crime and others such as the risk of re-offending.

“Ultimately it is a balancing exercise between the need to punish offenders and putting an individual, for example, one who is gravely ill, at risk,” said Mr Wee.

Ms Joyce Khoo from Quahe Woo & Palmer described judicial mercy as the tempering of punishment imposed, in light of the offender’s personal circumstances.

“The court would take into account the offender’s exceptional circumstances and ameliorate the punishment imposed to reflect the court’s and society’s humanity towards the offender’s plight,” she said.

Mr Sanjiv Vaswani of Vaswani Law Chambers meanwhile defined it as the power that the courts have to impose a lenient sentence in light of exceptional mitigating circumstances.

In exercising judicial mercy, the court “effectively displaces the culpability of the offender as a central consideration, with considerations of humanity”, he added.

In Ong’s case, the court heard how cancer had damaged his skeletal system and severely compromised his immune system, making him vulnerable to life-threatening infections. He also suffers from complications which could exacerbate his risk of infection and gangrene.

His lawyer Cavinder Bull said Ong’s risk of infection would increase in prison due to the movement of people, in turn increasing his risk of death. In contrast, Ong’s home environment is more controlled, and he has access to medical personnel who have been treating him for years.

This comes after floods in Beijing’s northern suburbs killed at least 44 people and left nine missing.

Chinese authorities evacuated over 82,000 people across Beijing at risk from heavy rainfall, state media said, after dozens of people died in flooding in the capital’s suburbs last week.

State news agency Xinhua said tens of thousands had been relocated from vulnerable areas as of 9pm (1pm GMT) on Monday (Aug 4), according to the city’s flood control headquarters.

Authorities warned of flooding risks in the northwestern suburb of Miyun – the hardest hit by last week’s deluge – as well as southwestern Fangshan, western Mentougou and northern Huairou.

The municipal weather service also announced a red alert – the highest in a four-tier system – forecasting heavy rain from noon on Monday until Tuesday morning.

Floods in Beijing’s northern suburbs killed at least 44 people and left nine missing last week, according to official figures.

Some 31 fatalities occurred at an elderly care centre in Miyun – prompting a local official to admit “gaps” in disaster readiness.

Residents of flood-hit areas told AFP journalists that they had been surprised at the speed with which the rushing water inundated homes and devastated villages.

Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-beijing-heavy-rain-more-80000-evacuated-5277201

 

It was explosive from the start between Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas.

The two got into an intense public argument before starring together in 1992’s “Basic Instinct,” the actress claimed in an interview with Business Insider published Friday.

Stone alleged Douglas didn’t even want to test with her for the erotic thriller because of their friction when they first met at Cannes. Stone alleged the argument happened because she defended a friend that Douglas was talking negatively about and it “triggered” him.

“A bunch of us were all sitting, and he was talking about someone and their kids,” she claimed. “I really, really knew this person he was talking about. So I said something and he responded to me, saying, ‘What the f–k do you know?’ It was in regard to a father-child relationship.”

Stone claimed Douglas screamed at her across a whole group of people.

“I’m not the person who goes, ‘Oh, excuse me, superstar,’” she said. “I pushed back my chair and said to him, ‘Let’s step outside.’ That’s how we first met.”

The actress said they did step outside and she explained to him that she was best friends with the family that he was talking about. She said they parted ways “amicably,” though apparently, it left an impression on Douglas.

“So, fast forward to casting ‘Basic Instinct,’ I don’t think he wanted me to be his co-star,” she said.

Stone didn’t regret the encounter, because she said it worked to her advantage during filming.

“I was not rattled if he yelled at me,” she explained. “That was interesting for the character because Michael has a temper, and I didn’t care.”

“That worked very well in our dynamic,” she continued. “Eventually, we became the greatest of friends, to this day. I admire him tremendously.”

But Douglas’ rep tells Page Six that the actor “doesn’t recall” even meeting Stone ahead of her casting.

“Michael Douglas doesn’t recall meeting or knowing of Sharon Stone until seeing [director] Paul Verhoeven’s test of her for ‘Basic Instinct,’” the rep says. “When he saw the test he said she was the right actress for the part. He remembers they were in Cannes together to promote the film which was screened at the festival.”

Stone, 67, previously revealed that she only made $500,000 for her role as crime writer Catherine Tramell, while Douglas, 80, made $14 million for his role as detective Nick Curran.

“Now, I was new. I was new and he was a very big star,” she shared at the New York Women in Film & Television’s 43rd annual Muse Awards lunch in March 2023.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/08/04/celebrity-news/sharon-stone-claims-she-and-michael-douglas-got-into-public-screaming-match/

Taylor Swift was caught in Donald Trump’s sights Monday, deemed “NO LONGER HOT” by the president for a second time as he took to social media Monday with his thoughts on “Anyone But You” actress Sydney Sweeney’s newly-revealed status as a registered Republican.

What does that have to do with the 14-time Grammy winner, you ask? Keep reading for all the details.

Taylor Swift’s director reveals there’s a music video for ‘King of My Heart’ — and why she decided to scrap it

There’s a secret she was hoping, dreaming, dying to keep.

Joseph Kahn, who has directed eight Taylor Swift music videos and “one commercial,” revealed on a recent episode of the Ourselves podcast not only that “King of My Heart” was originally planned as the second single off 2017’s “reputation” album — but also why it was never finished.

Kahn, who met the global superstar in 2014, told the podcast host there was a ninth video he’d worked on for the singer, but it was later “scrapped.”

“We never finished it because [Swift] switched gears in the middle of it to do ‘…Ready For It,'” the director explained.

“We actually shot for King of My Heart. [It was] this sort of very conceptual thing. And then she decided ‘…Ready For It’ was a better single and just decided to go that way instead.”

Kahn said it was a “completely shot video,” and they just needed to create the “highly visual effects.”

Despite the potential financial loss, Kahn praised the decision, saying, “She’s a risk taker. And you know what? In this business, people that are willing to throw it all on the line should be rewarded if they become successful.”

As for what Taylor Swift is like as a coworker, Kahn said she is the consummate professional.

“She had a level of commitment that very few artists do. She’d always be waiting. I would never have to wait for her, you know?”

Kahn added that he was “super happy that she has all the rights [to her albums] back because she deserves it.”

“She’s a boss.”

Taylor Swift fan takes baby daughter’s monthly milestone pics to the next level with adorable Eras theme

This baby’s got Style.

As parents do, Jori Rand (aka JorLinn on TikTok) has been documenting her infant daughter Noa James’ growth with monthly photoshoots since giving birth in February. But this die-hard Swiftie has gone viral for taking it to the next level with a Taylor Swift theme — dressing her baby to match each of the Grammy winner’s albums in chronological order, beginning with Swift’s self-titled debut to mark little Noa’s first month of life.

To recreate the global superstar’s iconic looks, Rand crafts an outfit that matches both the color palette and vibe of the album.

When she can’t quite find the perfect pieces for each era, the mom either makes them herself or asks her creative friends to help out.

“A friend and I had discussed it, and we were collaborating together,” Rand told People. “We started collecting pieces. I have put a lot of thought into it, and I’ve done a lot of DIY for the photos themselves.”

Every month she starts planning the next one, sourcing the materials she might need to recreate each iconic look.

The Swiftie explained that she looks “everywhere for different items” including “going to Walmart or sourcing people to make things.”

Rand also shared that she loves hearing others share their thoughts on the mini-photoshoots.

“We know the Swiftie community is strong, and it is cool reading and seeing other people’s ideas,” she adds. “People have told me they’re going to do the same when they have their daughter.”

This mom has no doubt that her daughter will grow up to be a Swiftie for life just like her.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/08/04/celebrity-news/taylor-swift-live-updates-8-4-5-2025/

 

Chris Hemsworth is best known as the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor in Marvel’s cinematic universe.

But now the Australian actor is trading superpowers for science, introspection and a new set of personal challenges, many of which are far scarier than battling fictional villains.

The 41-year-old is back for a second season of Limitless which sees him confront some of his deepest fears as he explores how to live longer, healthier and better.

“The first season almost killed me,” Hemsworth tells the BBC. “And I thought, ‘never again.'”

In season one, Hemsworth tackled physical and mental challenges designed to delay aging including free diving, fasting, stress training and walking along a crane 900 feet above the ground.

The actor says he chose to “torture” himself again as he had a burning curiosity to “ask bigger and deeper questions” about aging and the meaning of life.

“It was exhausting but also profoundly rewarding,” he says. “But now I do have more questions rather than answers!”

Season two takes a different path as Hemsworth continues to test himself, but not just physically. With the help of Ed Sheeran, he learns to play a musical instrument for the first time and inspired by his children’s carefree risk-taking, he climbs a 600-foot Alpine dam.

“Being thrust into unfamiliar environments where you’re facing adversity or risk helps you understand how fragile life is and how quickly it can change,” he says.

Hemsworth, whose brothers, Liam and Luke, are also famous actors, says he now takes nothing for granted and has learnt to not “settle for the easy route as the greatest lessons come from the more challenging times”.

One of the biggest challenges for the actor was in the first season of the National Geographic series when a genetic test revealed he carries two copies of the gene ApoE4, one from his mother and one from his father, making him between eight and 10 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those without both copies of the gene.

“That warning sign was further motivation to take care of myself,” Hemsworth explains.

“It also felt like a great opportunity to offer up education and a better understanding for people navigating it as Alzheimer’s is something a lot of people face.”

While Hemsworth has become increasingly interested in how to live better, he says there’s a fine line between healthy aging and extreme biohacking.

Biohackers want to make their bodies and brains function better by “hacking” their biology.

“You want to live a longer and better life but at what cost? You could have your exact routine but there’s no point doing all of that if you’re isolated and lonely at home,” says Hemsworth.

“I’m going to put energy into health and wellness but I also want to enjoy life.”

This mindset puts him at odds with more extreme elements of the biohacking movement, which has gained attention through figures like tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson.

Johnson, 47, has spent millions of dollars in a bid to slow down aging – his regime, Project Blueprint, has seen him take numerous supplements a day, follow a strict diet and sleep routine and undergo a plasma exchange.

It’s an approach that Hemsworth finds intriguing but admits he has “no interest to explore”.

“I like dancing in and out of those spaces,” Hemsworth explains. “Sometimes I try one thing, then another, and different pieces of science resonate at different times in your life.

“If you’re too boxed in with one way of thinking, you close the doors to other opportunities.”

As well as reversing his biological age, Johnson also wants to crack the code on how to live forever.

But the Marvel star says no one has figured out how to cheat death yet and he doesn’t think anyone will so “we have to embrace death”.

“Suffering comes from denial of our inevitability of death – we all have an expiration death.”

He adds: “If you were told you had 200 years guaranteed you’d become more complacent and reckless. The idea that life can be taken away at any second is a beautiful reminder to appreciate every moment.”

He also explains that if humans could live forever then relationships with other people wouldn’t be as important, and for Hemsworth, family appears to really matter.

The Thor actor lives in Byron Bay with his wife, actress Elsa Pataky, and their three children. Limitless touches on how his choices affect not just his own life, but those around him.

Part of what spurred him on to film a second series was “the great feedback from young kids, parents and grandparents” and realising that he was able to inspire others to challenge themselves.

Despite his status as a global action star, Hemsworth is very introspective and seems to be deeply driven in finding constant meaning and purpose to his life.

“This experience reminds me of what I’m offering up and receiving,” he says, adding that it’s important for him to always remember that “we don’t survive and thrive on our own”.

Alongside his lifelong quest to live better, Hemsworth is also thinking about what is next in his acting career.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c939ndj5380o

Shibu Soren, a prominent Indian tribal leader and a three-time chief minister of the eastern state of Jharkhand, has died at the age of 81.

He was undergoing treatment in Delhi for a kidney ailment and had been on life support after he suffered a stroke last month.

In a political career of more than 40 years, Soren co-founded the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), an influential regional party that has been at the forefront of the creation of the tribal-dominated eastern state.

He became the chief minister of Jharkhand three times, but failed to complete his any of these terms in office due to political instability in the state.

His son Hemant Soren, who is the current chief minister of Jharkhand, announced the leader’s death on Monday.

“Our respected Dishom Guru has left us, I have nothing left,” he wrote on X, referring to Soren by his moniker, which means “great leader” in Santhali, the language spoken by the Santhal tribe – one of India’s largest tribal communities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes, calling Soren “a grassroot leader who rose through the ranks of public life with unwavering dedication to the people”.

Born in 1944, Soren grew up in a small village in present-day Jharkhand at a time when the state was still a part of Bihar.

He founded the JMM in 1973 with the main objective to carve out a separate state for tribespeople from Bihar’s southern districts.

After Jharkhand was granted statehood in 2000, Soren became an influential figure in the region’s politics.

In 2004, he became the federal coal minister in the Congress party’s cabinet but quit a few months later, after he was convicted in a murder case.

He returned to the cabinet after getting bail later that year. In 2005, he resigned from the position to become the chief minister of Jharkhand, but had to step down within 10 days after his party failed to prove its majority in the state assembly.

Soren was re-inducted into the federal government as the coal minister later that year. But he had to resign again, after he was convicted in another murder case, this time in connection with the kidnapping and murder of his personal secretary Shashinath Jha in 1994. He was eventually cleared of those charges in 2018.

On Monday, as the news of his death broke, leaders across political parties paid tributes to the leader.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called him “the pivotal figure” who led the movement for the creation of Jharkhand. “He was truly a legend whose passion for social and economic justice was inspirational,” Ramesh wrote on X.

“For the people of Jharkhand, he was no less than a god,” said Sanjay Raut, a member of the influential Shiv Sena (UBT) party of Maharashtra state.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3130l8kno

Switzerland is ready to make a “more attractive offer” in trade talks with Washington, its government said on Monday, following a crisis meeting aimed at averting a 39% U.S. import tariff on Swiss goods that threatens to hammer its export-driven economy.
The Federal Council – the country’s governing cabinet – said it was determined to pursue discussions with the United States, if necessary beyond the August 7 deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump has set for the tariff to come into effect.

“Switzerland enters this new phase ready to present a more attractive offer, taking U.S. concerns into account and seeking to ease the current tariff situation,” it said in a statement.
The statement said it was committed to securing fair treatment compared with its primary trading competitors, but did not give any details on what the Swiss government may offer. It was not currently considering any countermeasures, it added.
Switzerland was left stunned on Friday after Trump hit it with one of the highest tariffs in his global trade reset, with industry associations warning that tens of thousands of jobs were at risk.

The duties are scheduled to go into effect on Thursday, giving Switzerland, which counts the U.S. as its top export market for pharmaceuticals, watches, machinery and chocolates, a small window to strike a better deal.
The government declined to comment on whether Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter would travel to Washington for more talks, as called for by some, including Nick Hayek, CEO of flagship Swiss watchmaker Swatch (UHR.S)

The White House said on Friday it decided on the 39% import duty because of what it called Switzerland’s refusal to make “meaningful concessions” by dropping trade barriers, calling the two nations’ current trade relationship “one-sided”.
Swiss industry leaders and politicians, however, have struggled to understand why the country was singled out.
Monday’s statement pointed out that bilateral trade between the two nations has quadrupled in the past two decades, and Switzerland is now the sixth-largest investor in the United States.

“Switzerland unilaterally scrapped all tariffs on industrial goods as of 1 January 2024, meaning over 99% of U.S. goods enter Switzerland tariff-free,” it said.
Trump has stated he wants to rebalance global trade, claiming that current trade relations are stacked against the United States and are responsible for a $1.2 trillion U.S. goods trade deficit.
Switzerland had a 38.5 billion Swiss franc ($48 billion) trade surplus with the U.S. last year.
“The president (Trump) is really focused on the trade deficit, because he thinks that this is a loss for the United States,” President Keller-Sutter told Reuters on Friday.

‘DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE’

Bern’s statement on Monday said the new tariff rate would apply to nearly 60% of Swiss exports to the U.S. and “puts Switzerland at a distinct disadvantage compared with other trading partners with similar economic profiles”.

The EU, Japan and South Korea, which have negotiated 15% tariff rates with Washington, all have larger trade surpluses with the U.S. – around $235 billion for the EU, $70 billion for Japan, and a nearly $56 billion surplus for South Korea.
Swiss Business Minister Guy Parmelin, who over the weekend said the government was open to revising its offer, said options included Switzerland buying U.S. liquefied natural gas or further investments by Swiss companies in the United States.
While the government appears focused on proposing a more enticing deal to Washington, some Swiss politicians have pushed for retaliation, including calls to scrap 6-billion-franc deal to buy F-35A Lightning II fighter jets from the United States.
The new tariff rate – up from an originally proposed 31% tariff that Swiss officials had already described as “incomprehensible” – would deal a major blow to Switzerland’s economy.
Swiss economic output would be reduced by 0.3% to 0.6% if the 39% tariff was imposed, said Hans Gersbach, an economist at ETH, a university in Zurich. That figure could rise above 0.7% if pharmaceuticals, which are currently not covered by the U.S. import duties, are included.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/switzerland-says-its-ready-make-trump-more-attractive-offer-trade-2025-08-04/

SHOCKING footage from the first megafire of the year shows the terrifying reality crews are facing as they continue to battle the raging inferno.

The Dragon Bravo Fire in Arizona, sparked by lightning on July 4, has been burning for almost a month and continues to pose a threat to the Grand Canyon.

It has already incinerated the Grand Canyon Lodge, an iconic tourist location on the North Rim that first opening in 1928.

Heartbreaking images show the historic lodge engulfed by flames with officials from the national park saying they have been “devastated by the loss”.

Other structures were destroyed including the North Rim visitor Center and a number of cabins.

The blaze officially achieved “megafire” status on Friday, officials confirmed.

It comes as it is now over 105,000 acres in size, making it the largest wildfire in the continental United States so far this year.

After already burning through around 100 structures, it is the biggest fire to hit the Grand Canyon National Park since 1984 and is the 10th largest wildfire in the state since 1990.

Timelapse footage shows orange plumes of smoke and vapors billowing into the sky above the tree line, powerful enough to create it’s own weather system.

“They’re known to generate storms, produce lightning, or even tornadoes,” the Southwest Area Incident Management Team 2 overseeing the wildfire response said on Facebook.

As of Saturday, the inferno was over 114,500 acres in size – almost three times bigger than Washington DC.

While crews desperately battle the flames officials say it is still expected to grow thanks to heavy winds, high temperatures, and dry conditions.

The Kaibab National Forest lying north and south of the Grand Canyon confirmed in an update that over 1,180 people are battling the flames with 11% of it contained as of August 2.

“You can see the flames at night. You can see clouds of smoke during the day.” Lisa Jennings, a spokeswoman for the Southwest Area Team said of the view from the South Rim, 11 miles away.

Fire Behavior Analyst Arthur Gonzales gave an update on the fire saying that the north perimeter was causing a concern for “rapid fire spread” due to the combination of winds and dry land.

He detailed how embers can be “lofted over containment lines or down into additional fuels ahead of the fire”.

“We’re at a 100% chance today that any ember that hits those fuels will take,” he warned on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the southwest flank of the inferno on the North Rim of Grand Canyon and at the Kaibab National Forest is “well-established over the rim edge” making it even more difficult to tackle.

This area of the fire is being further encouraged by 100 degree temperatures in the Grand Canyon and could spread west by half a mile, Gonzales said.

The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning until Friday.

“We’re kind of locked in a dry, breezy, abnormally hot pattern because our monsoon hasn’t showed up,” Benjamin Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Flagstaff, told the New York Times.

As efforts continue to dampen and extinguish the fire, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park will remain closed for the rest of the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has launched a probe into the fire after the decision was made early on to have a “controlled burn”.

This is a technique often to try to prevent other fires by burning up the vegetation that fuels major fires but strong winds on July 11 saw the fire exceed containment lines and burn the Grand Canyon lodge and other buildings.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14899896/footage-dragon-bravo-megafire-grand-canyon-wildfire-update/

SELECT Americans have just hours left to claim an impactful cash grab.

The direct payment comes as part of a new benefits program that seeks to assist those in need this summer.

SUN Bucks Hawai’i, run through the state’s Department of Human Services, is an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) initiative that offers money to qualifying families with children.

The funds go towards food purchases parents have to make during the summer that their kids would’ve gotten at school for free.

Checks worth $177 will be sent out for each child, to be spent over the summer months.

Some households must apply for the SUN Bucks benefits, and an application deadline is approaching fast on August 3, 2025.

Those that have children attending a school operating with the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), where all meals are free to all students, must apply.

Additionally, households that have children who are attending a school operating with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) who were not approved for free or discounted meals during the school year but may now be eligible because of income limits must submit an application.

QUALIFY INSTANTLY

There are only four criteria that would make a child automatically eligible and not require an application, according to the FAQ page on the Hawai’i Department of Human Services website.

One way would be that the child resides in a household that is participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) between July 1, 2024, and August 3, 2025.

The child could also have been identified as a ward of the state (foster), or identified by their school as unhoused, a migrant, or a runaway.

Another way to instantly qualify for SUN Bucks would be for the child to have attended a school that offers NSLP, and the household where they reside already applied for and was approved for free or discounted school meals.

Lastly, there are exceptions that would allow the school-age requirement to apply to Head Start and/or pre-K students, so long as they attended a program that offered NSLP.

Those who automatically qualify or submit an application and are approved will get EBT debit cards in the mail to be used anywhere they are accepted.

This includes local farmers markets and most retailers.

Applications can be submitted through the Hawai’i Department of Human Services website or by calling 1-888-975-7328.

According to data collected so far from the state agency, at least 80,000 children have already gotten benefits this year worth a combined $14 million.

OFFICIALS SPEAK OUT

Except, thousands more are likely eligible, according to a statement from First Lady Jaime Kanani Green at a recent news conference.

“In Hawai’i, we care for one another — we mālama our keiki, our kūpuna and our ‘ohana,” she said.

“SUN Bucks reflects those values. It’s about ensuring every child has what they need nutritionally to grow and thrive — not just during the school year, but all year long.”

“No child in Hawai’i should ever go hungry and this program helps us live up to that kuleana.”

This was further emphasized by Governor Josh Green, who also explained that small businesses would benefit as a side effect.

“Today is about something simple, but incredibly important — making sure our children have enough to eat,” Green noted.

“SUN Bucks is a reminder that when we invest in our keiki, we invest in the future of our state.”

“These benefits don’t just help families — they strengthen our local economy by putting dollars directly into our grocery stores, farmers markets and food systems,” he added.

Other states also have programs helping families in need this summer.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/money/14886601/hawaii-sun-bucks-ebt-program/

 

Hamas said on Sunday it was prepared to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver aid to hostages it holds in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions, after a video it released showing an emaciated captive drew sharp criticism from Western powers.
Hamas said any coordination with the Red Cross is contingent upon Israel permanently opening humanitarian corridors and halting airstrikes during the distribution of aid.

According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Hamas, thus far, has barred humanitarian organizations from having any kind of access to the hostages and families have little or no details of their conditions.
On Saturday, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole that, he says in the video, is for his own grave. The arm of the individual holding the camera, which can be seen in the frame, is a regular width.
The video of David drew criticism from Western powers and horrified Israelis. France, Germany, the UK and the U.S. were among countries to express outrage and Israel’s foreign ministry announced that the UN Security Council will hold a special session on Tuesday morning on the issue of the situation of the hostages in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he had asked the Red Cross to give humanitarian assistance to the hostages during a conversation with the head of the Swiss-based ICRC’s local delegation.
A statement from The Hostages Families Forum, which represents relatives of those being held in Gaza, said Hamas’ comments about the hostages cannot hide that it “has been holding innocent people in impossible conditions for over 660 days,” and demanded their immediate release.
“Until their release,” said the statement, “Hamas has the obligation to provide them with everything they need. Hamas kidnapped them and they must care for them. Every hostage who dies will be on Hamas’s hands.”
Six more people died of starvation or malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours, its health ministry said on Sunday as Israel said it allowed a delivery of fuel to the enclave, in the throes of a humanitarian disaster after almost two years of war.

The new deaths raised the toll of those dying from what international humanitarian agencies say may be an unfolding famine to 175, including 93 children, since the war began, the ministry said.
Egypt’s state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said two trucks carrying 107 tons of diesel were set to enter Gaza, months after Israel severely restricted aid access to the enclave before easing it somewhat as starvation began to spread.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said later in the day that four tankers of U.N. fuel had entered to help in operations of hospitals, bakeries, public kitchens and other essential services.
There was no immediate confirmation whether the two diesel fuel trucks had entered Gaza from Egypt.

Gaza’s health ministry has said fuel shortages have severely impaired hospital services, forcing doctors to focus on treating only critically ill or injured patients.
Fuel shipments have been rare since March, when Israel restricted the flow of aid into the enclave in what it said was pressure on Hamas militants to free the remaining hostages they took in their October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza but, in response to a rising international uproar, it announced steps last week to let more aid reach the population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, approving air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys.
U.N. agencies say airdrops are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and open up access to the territory to prevent starvation among its 2.2 million people, most of whom are displaced amidst vast swathes of rubble.
COGAT said that during the past week over 23,000 tons of humanitarian aid in 1,200 trucks had entered Gaza but that hundreds of the trucks had yet to be driven to aid distribution hubs by U.N. and other international organisations.
Meanwhile, Belgium’s air force dropped the first in a series of its aid packages into Gaza on Sunday in a joint operation with Jordan, the Belgian defence ministry said.
France on Friday started to air-drop 40 tons of humanitarian aid.

LOOTED AID TRUCKS

The Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday that nearly 1,600 aid trucks had arrived since Israel eased restrictions late in July. However, witnesses and Hamas sources said many of those trucks have been looted by desperate displaced people and armed gangs.
More than 700 trucks of fuel entered the Gaza Strip in January and February during a ceasefire before Israel broke it in March in a dispute over terms for extending it and resumed its major offensive.
Palestinian local health authorities said at least 80 people had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes across the coastal enclave on Sunday. Deaths included persons trying to make their way to aid distribution points in southern and central areas of Gaza, Palestinian medics said.
Among those killed was a staff member of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, which said an Israeli strike at its headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza ignited a fire on the first floor of the building.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-says-it-will-allow-aid-hostages-if-israel-halts-airstrikes-opens-permanent-2025-08-03/

A woman was knocked from her boat off the Jersey Shore when a distressed whale bashed the vessel – sending her flying into the frothing waves, shocking footage shows.

The incident went down Sunday off in Barnegat Bay in New Jersey, when a small motor boat came across a minke that was seen thrashing in shallow waters.

Its fin and back could be seen lurching out of the water in evident desperation.

When the boat approached, the whale became even more frantic and wound up under its hull – eventually tipping the vessel during the thrashing and sending a woman into the water.

She was quickly pulled to safety, and wasn’t injured.

The incident was caught on camera by Kim Mancini, who said the whale seemed to be in trouble before boaters arrived.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/08/03/us-news/whale-killed-off-jersey-shore-after-bashing-boat-throwing-passenger-into-water/

Sometimes, a Formula 1 win is less about speed than strategy and gritty driving.

Lando Norris held off McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a tense finish to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday and boost his title chances.

Overtaking in Hungary is tough, but Norris had to work hard to keep the win as Piastri loomed behind him in the final laps.

Norris celebrated with a double fist pump on top of his car after claiming McLaren’s 200th F1 win by less than a second to cut Piastri’s standings lead to nine points from 16.

“I’m dead. It was tough, it was tough,” Norris said. “The final stint, with Oscar catching, I was pushing flat out.”

It was the fourth one-two finish in a row for McLaren, with Norris winning three of those head-to-heads as the momentum swung back toward him ahead of the four-week midseason break.

Making the right call

A year on from a contentious first win for Piastri over Norris in Hungary after awkward radio messages, this was a race decided on the track.

Norris briefly dropped to fifth on the first lap but made his tires last to stop only once, while Piastri changed tires twice.

Piastri steadily cut into Norris’ lead in the latter stages of the race but the British driver held on with old tires to take the win. Piastri nearly collided with his teammate when he locked up a wheel while trying to pass on the second-to-last lap. Still, it was Norris who held on to have the last word in their title fight.

“Good racing. Good strategy. Good call,” was how Norris summed it up on the radio.

Piastri’s two-stop approach happened because, at the time, he and McLaren were more focused on getting ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, whose pace eventually fell away anyway.

“It wasn’t obvious that we just had enough pace to blow past (Leclerc),” Piastri said. “For Lando, there was virtually nothing to lose by trying a one-stop race. For myself, potentially there was.”

George Russell took third for Mercedes after fighting his way past Leclerc in a contest that earned Leclerc a time penalty for nearly colliding with Russell while defending.

Defending champion Max Verstappen was only ninth after being off the pace all week. He stays third in the standings, but drops to 97 points off leader Piastri in another heavy blow to an already unlikely title defense.

Ferrari frustration

Leclerc started on pole position with hopes of landing Ferrari its first Grand Prix win of the year, but ended up fourth after a radio message of what he later admitted was misplaced blame aimed at the team.

“This is so incredibly frustrating. We’ve lost all competitiveness,” he told the team over the radio. However, he later told broadcaster Sky Sports that the car actually had a chassis problem he only learned about later.

A day after calling himself “useless” and questioning whether Ferrari might need to replace him, Lewis Hamilton ended up 12th, exactly where he started. His comments after the race seemed set to fuel more speculation about his troubled first season with the Italian team.

“There’s a lot going on in the background that is not great,” Hamilton told Sky Sports, without explaining further.

Hamilton never seemed to have the pace to fight for points and was at one stage forced off the track by Verstappen as his old rival overtook him.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/f1-hungarian-grand-prix-leclerc-piastri-norris-699a38d637973a7ca8f6821ceae71df2

The sheet of paper says “Wanted Person” at the top. Below is a photo of a young woman, a headshot that might have been taken in a studio. She looks directly at the camera, smiling with her teeth showing, and her dark, shoulder-length hair is neatly brushed.

At the bottom, in red, are the words: “A reward of one million Hong Kong dollars,” together with a UK phone number.

To earn the money, about £95,000, there is a simple instruction: “Provide information on this wanted person and the related crime or take her to Chinese embassy”.

The woman from the photo is standing in front of me. She shudders when she looks at the building.

We are outside an imposing structure that was once home to the Royal Mint and which China hopes it can develop into a new mega-embassy in London, replacing the far smaller premises it has occupied since 1877.

The new premises, opposite the Tower of London, is already being patrolled by Chinese security guards. The building is ringed with CCTV cameras too.

“I’ve never been this close,” admits Carmen Lau.

Carmen, who is 30, fled Hong Kong in 2021 as pro-democracy activists in the territory were being arrested.

She argues that the UK should not allow China’s “authoritarian regime” to have its new embassy in such a symbolic location. One of her fears is that China, with such a huge embassy, could harass political opponents and could even hold them in the building.

There are also worries, among some dissidents, that its location – very near London’s financial district – could be an espionage risk. Then there is the opposition from residents who say it would pose a security risk to them.

The plans had previously been rejected by the local council, but the decision now lies with the government – and senior ministers have signalled they are in favour if minor adjustments are made to the plan.

The site is sprawling, at 20,000 square metres, and if it goes ahead it would mark the biggest embassy in Europe. But would it also really bring the dangers that its opponents fear?

A RUSSIAN volcano has erupted for the first time in centuries, sending ash surging 29,000ft into the sky.

The volcano roared back to life in the Kamchatka region of eastern Russia after last week’s major 8.8 Richter scale earthquake.

Last week’s quake saw tsunami warnings issued across the Pacific Ocean.

Pilots have been warned of flight dangers with a red aviation alert after the eruption of Krasheninnikov.

While it is listed as an active stratovolcano, it has not erupted for around 600 years – before observations were made.

New footage emerged today of tsunami waves climbing up the land in the remote Kuril Islands.

A man and his dog retreating could be seen fleeing as a fresh warning was issued following another earthquake of 7 on the Richter scale in eastern Russia.

The dramatic footage was captured on Shumshu Island, just off the southern coast of the Kamchatka peninsula.

Vsevolod Yakovlev, head of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, said today: “Its eruption is not something out of the ordinary for a region with high volcanic activity.

“During satellite monitoring, thermal spots have been repeatedly noted in the area of the Krasheninnikov volcano.

“This is a significant increase in temperature on the Earth’s surface compared to neighbouring areas.”

Tsunami warnings following last week’s quake have since been lifted.

Ash coated the Kronotsky Nature Reserve – which includes dozens of volcanoes.

It is also home to the Valley of the Geysers, and has one of the world’s largest concentrations of brown bears.

Russian volcanologist Alexei Ozerov said: “A crack opened up along the volcano from the top of the crater, and a steam-gas mixture is currently rising from this crack.

“Emissions are occurring, and a large amount of ash was ejected during the opening of the crater crack.

“This ash reached the Valley of Geysers, and …the smell of gas…

“A question is immediately raised about the evacuation of the Valley of Geysers, those tourists who are there.”

But according to Russian officials, there was no immediate threat to life or wildlife.

The response team said: “The explosive eruption of the volcano continues.

“Ash explosions up to 10 km (32,800 ft) above sea level could occur at any time.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14899432/russian-volcano-explodes-tsunami-warning/

RUSSIAN forces last night bombed a key bridge used to transport military logistics in the Ukrainian frontline city of Kherson

Footage shows a Russian airstrike destroying the key road crossing on the Dnipro River after dropping two guided bombs.

The attack damaged a bridge connecting the city to the Korabel neighbourhood.

A few homes and a high-rise residential building were also damaged, officials said.

A defiant Vladimir Putin has snubbed peace and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids – which could soon hit 1,000 a day.

Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents of the Korabel district to evacuate, citing complications with logistics and infrastructure.

He wrote on Telegram: “As a result of the enemy airstrike, logistics have been complicated.

“Because of this, it will be difficult to deliver food and other things for the time being.”

Kherson Oblast, which is just near the Russian-occupied Crimean region, is frequently targeted by the Russians.

Kyiv sought revenge by launching a massive drone attack targeting Russia’s main resort city of Sochi, where Putin is said to be rebuilding one of his palaces.

More than 120 firefighters were trying to extinguish a blaze at an oil depot that was sparked by the drone attack, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.

A massive fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres was on fire, Russia’s RIA news agency reported.

Some 30 huge explosions led to a massive inferno at the facility close to the main airport often used by the Russian dictator.

The Russian defence ministry said that its air defence units destroyed 93 Ukrainian drones overnight, including one over the Krasnodar region and 60 over the waters of the Black Sea.

Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, temporarily halted flights at Sochi’s airport to ensure air safety.

Meanwhile, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was also attacked today, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

The UN nuclear watchdog said that its team at the power plant heard explosions and saw smoke coming from a nearby location.

But a fire after Ukrainian shelling has been brought under control, Russian authorites in the Moscow-held region said.

The plant’s administration said on Telegram that a civilian had been killed in the shelling, but that no plant employees or members of the emergency services had been injured.

“The auxiliary facility is located 1,200 metres from the ZNPP’s site perimeter and the IAEA team could still see smoke from that direction in the afternoon,” the nuclear watchdog said.

Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia plant in the first weeks of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Both sides have accused each other of firing or taking other actions that could trigger a nuclear accident.

The station, Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant, is not operating but still requires power to keep its nuclear fuel cool.

It comes just three days after 31 people died including five children after Putin’s forces fired an Iskander missile into a residential tower block in Kyiv.

US President Donald Trump branded Putin’s tactics “disgusting” as emergency workers worked through the night to pull bodies from the ruins.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said: “Russia – I think it’s disgusting what they’re doing. I think it’s disgusting.”

Putin’s bloodbath comes as Russia faces Trump’s new deadline for peace on August 7.

Trump warned the Kremlin that it had just 10 or 12 days to come to the table and agree on peace.

As the death toll climbed this morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lamented the deaths.

He said: “The youngest child was only two years old. My condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased. 159 people were injured, 16 of them children.

“Once again, such a vile strike by Russia shows that additional pressure on Moscow and sanctions are necessary.

“No matter how much the Kremlin denies their effectiveness, they work and must be stronger – hitting everything that allows such strikes to continue.

“And it is very important that the world does not remain silent about them.

“I thank everyone who has supported our people. We appreciate that President Trump, European leaders, and our other partners clearly see what is happening and condemn Russia.”

Trump has said that the US is “totally prepared” for a nuclear war following a slew of threats against America from a Kremlin comrade.

In an extraordinary escalation, the commander-in-chief ordered that two nuclear submarines be positioned near Russia.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14898844/putin-bombs-key-kherson-bridge-ukraine/

Mandy Moore is calling out the hit-and-run driver who sped off after hitting her family.

“The woman who rear ended my family and then drove off we pulled over, hope your karma finds you,” the “A Walk To Remember” star wrote on her Instagram Stories Friday.

“Thankfully everyone was ok but what kind of human does that?” Moore, 41, continued.

The singer, who is married to Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith, didn’t reveal any more details about the accident. She and Goldsmith share three children together: sons August, 4, and Oscar, 2, and daughter Louise, 10 months.

A rep for Moore did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.

The “This is Us” star has become known as a fierce defender of her family over the years.

In January, she clapped back at social media users who criticized her for sharing a GoFundMe campaign aimed at helping her in-laws recover from the Los Angeles fires.

After noticing the swift backlash from fans, who said the actress could help her family with her large net worth, Moore responded to the criticism with an updated caption.

“”****And people questioning whether we’re helping out our own family or attributing some arbitrary amount of money google says someone has is NOT helpful or empathetic. Of course we are,” she wrote.

“We just lost most of our life in a fire too. Kindly F OFF. no one is forcing you to do anything.”

She’s even gone so far as to slam an Amazon driver who delivered a package to her recently torched in-laws’ home after it was destroyed by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/08/02/celebrity-news/mandy-moore-fires-back-after-hit-and-run-driver-barrels-into-family/

The recent removal of a placard at the National Museum of American History that detailed Donald Trump’s two impeachments did not come after White House pressure, the museum’s parent organization said on Saturday (Aug 2).

The placard was meant to be temporary and “did not meet the museum’s standards in appearance, location, timeline, and overall presentation”, the Smithsonian Institution said in a statement on X.

“It was not consistent with other sections in the exhibit and moreover blocked the view of the objects inside its case. For these reasons, we removed the placard.

“We were not asked by any administration or other government official to remove content from the exhibit.”

The Smithsonian statement came after The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the museum last month removed the placard describing Trump’s impeachments and reverted to old signage that said “only three presidents have seriously faced removal” – Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

The Post said the removal stemmed from a Smithsonian content review after the White House pressured the organisation to remove a director of one of its art museums.

Trump is the only American president to have been impeached twice – first in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, then in 2021 for inciting an insurrection. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.

Since starting his second term in January, the Republican has moved to control major cultural institutions, while slashing arts and humanities funding.

In March, Trump signed an executive order to “restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness” and “remove improper ideology”.

The order accused the institution of having “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and argued the shift has promoted narratives that portray American values as “inherently harmful and oppressive”.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-museum-says-trump-administration-did-not-compel-impeachment-display-removal-5274141

 

The German government said it has taken note of “limited initial progress” in the flow of aid into Gaza, but said the amount was “very insufficient” to meet the needs of people there. DW has the latest.

Ukraine says it has struck some key oil and military facilities on Russian territory. A blaze that broke out near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant after Ukrainian shelling has been brought under control. DW has the latest.

Friends confirmed that Chahal had been receiving frequent death threats from pro-Khalistan groups but remained resolute in his advocacy

The sudden and mysterious death of Sukhi Chahal, a notable US-based businessman and social activist known for his strong opposition to Khalistani separatism, has deeply impacted the Indian diaspora and anti-Khalistani communities, according to a Times of India report. Chahal’s unexpected demise in California has raised numerous questions among his friends and associates.

Jaspal Singh, a close friend, revealed that Chahal attended a dinner at an acquaintance’s home on Thursday. “Shortly after the meal, his health rapidly declined, and he passed away on the spot,” Singh explained on Saturday, noting that Chahal had been in good health before the incident.

As the founder and CEO of The Khalsa Today, Chahal was a prominent critic of Khalistani elements operating abroad. Friends, including Boota Singh Kaler, confirmed that Chahal had been receiving frequent death threats from pro-Khalistan groups but remained resolute in his advocacy. The timing of his death, just before a significant Khalistan Referendum event on August 17 in Washington DC, which he was actively opposing, has heightened suspicions among his associates.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/prominent-anti-khalistan-activist-sukhi-chahal-dies-mysteriously-in-us-9480850.html

 

An Ohio couple, Lindsey and Tim Pierce, had a baby from an embryo frozen for over 30 years. The embryo, created in 1994, was transferred to Lindsey in 2024.

In a significant breakthrough, an Ohio couple welcomed a baby developed from an embryo that had been frozen for over 30 years.

Lindsey Pierce (35) and Tim Pierce (34) of London, Ohio, who were trying to conceive for the last seven years, finally welcomed Thaddeus Daniel Pierce into the world last week on Saturday.

The embryo was one of the four produced by Linda Archerd, now 62, using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 1994. Among the four embryos, one was transferred to Archerd and resulted in the birth of a daughter, who is now 30 and mother to a 10-year-old. The other embryos were cryopreserved and stored, as per the report by BBC.

In November 2024, one embryo was moved to Lindsey after being cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen for approximately 30 years, the report added.

Following a divorce, Archerd was awarded custody of the embryos. She then found out about Nightlight Christian Adoptions and their “Snowflakes” program, which allows donors to select adoptive families based on values like religion and ethnicity.

Archerd had a preference for her embryo to be “adopted” by a white, Christian married couple.

“The first thing that I noticed when Lindsey sent me his pictures is how much he looks like my daughter when she was a baby. I pulled out my baby book and compared them side by side, and there is no doubt that they are siblings,” she said to MIT Technology Review.

The fertility clinic that transferred the embryo is run by John Gordon, a reproductive endocrinologist and Reformed Presbyterian who is working to reduce the number of embryos in storage, the report added.

“We have certain guiding principles, and they’re coming from our faith. Every embryo deserves a chance at life and that the only embryo that cannot result in a healthy baby is the embryo not given the opportunity to be transferred into a patient,” he said as reported by The Guardian.

In a statement, Lindsey and Tim Pierce said the clinic’s support was just what they needed.

“We didn’t go into this thinking about records — we just wanted to have a baby,” Lindsey Pierce said.

According to experts, this instance breaks the previous record, which was set by twins born in Oregon in 2022 from embryos frozen in 1992, the BBC report added.

Source : https://www.news18.com/viral/worlds-oldest-baby-has-just-been-born-age-at-time-of-birth-31-ws-l-9480363.html

Around 80 colorful pride boats sailed through Amsterdam’s World Heritage canals on Saturday in the finale of a week-long celebration in the city that stood in stark contrast to recent crackdowns on LGBTQ+ rights in fellow EU member state Hungary.
While the flotilla is not political, attendees used the occasion to criticise conflicts or world leaders for their stance on LGBTQ+ rights.

Thehany Gilmore, a 43-year-old Dutch-Caribbean dressed in a leather outfit with a whip, said banning of the Budapest pride parade “is a form of oppression.”

“People everywhere should have their own pride to be able to represent who they are,” she said.
Palestinian flags were spotted among the crowd of revelers, and Dutch police arrested four activists who had jumped in the water to vandalize the Booking.com boat in protest over its listings in settlements in Israeli-occupied territories.
Others criticized U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration implemented anti-trans policies and cut funding for international aid programs, dealing a setback to HIV prevention efforts in Africa.
Some waved a hybrid U.S./Pride flag, while one boat declared itself a ‘Trump-Free Pride Boat’ with signs reading ‘Trans Rights Are Human Rights.’ Another featured mock graveyards and the message ‘Trump’s Actions Kill. Love Saves Lives,’ highlighting fears over U.S. AIDS funding cuts.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/amsterdam-pride-parade-blends-celebration-protest-lgbtq-show-solidarity-2025-08-02/

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), said on Saturday it took a $3.76 billion write-down on its stake in Kraft Heinz (KHC.O), during the second quarter, an acknowledgment the decade-old investment hasn’t worked out.
Berkshire also reported a 4% decline in quarterly operating profit as insurance underwriting premiums fell. The write-down and lower gains from common stocks caused a 59% drop in overall net income.

Buffett’s conglomerate signaled it remains cautious about market valuations, amid uncertainty about tariffs and growth in the broader economy.
It reported a near-record $344.1 billion cash stake, and sold more stocks than it bought for an 11th straight quarter. As of mid-July, Berkshire hadn’t repurchased any of its own stock since May 2024.
Buffett, 94, has led Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire since 1965, though he plans to step down at year-end.
“Investors are getting antsy and want to seek activity, and nothing is happening,” said Kyle Sanders, an analyst at Edward Jones. “Buffett definitely views the market as overvalued, and will sit back and wait for something to come to him.”

Uncertainty about trade policies, including tariffs, has become a headwind as delayed orders and shipments led to declining revenue at most of Berkshire’s consumer businesses.
Jazwares, which makes the popular Squishmallows plush toys, saw revenue fall 38.5% in the year’s first half.
Analysts viewed overall results as lackluster.

“Berkshire and the economy are at an inflection point,” said Cathy Seifert, a CFRA Research analyst. “I don’t think the market will embrace the combination of mediocre results, a lack of stock buybacks, and Berkshire’s recent share underperformance amid a management transition.”
Seifert and Sanders rate Berkshire “hold.”

KRAFT HEINZ

Second-quarter operating income fell to $11.16 billion, or about $7,760 per Class A share, from $11.6 billion a year earlier. Results included $877 million of currency losses as the U.S. dollar weakened.

Net income, including gains and losses on stocks such as Apple (AAPL.O), and American Express (AXP.N), fell to $12.37 billion from $30.35 billion. Revenue fell 1% to $92.52 billion.
Buffett views unrealized investment gains and losses, including on stocks Berkshire has no plans to sell, as often meaningless to understanding his company.
The $3.76 billion after-tax write-down for Berkshire’s 27.4% Kraft Heinz stake, equal to $5 billion before taxes, followed the struggling food company’s announcement it would consider strategic alternatives, which could include a breakup.
Berkshire had carried Kraft Heinz on its books at above-market value but said economic and other uncertainties, and its longer-term plans to remain an investor, made the gap “other-than-temporary.”

The write-down is Berkshire’s second for Kraft Heinz, following a $3 billion write-down in 2019.
Buffett acknowledged at the time that Berkshire overpaid in the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz, one of his biggest investment missteps.
Kraft Heinz has suffered as more shoppers favor healthier and private-label alternatives. Its approximately 200 brands include Oscar Mayer, Kool-Aid, Velveeta and Jell-O.
Berkshire also carries another big investment, its 28.1% stake in Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N), at $5.3 billion above fair value, but reported no need for a write-down.

LAGGING THE MARKET

Shares of Berkshire have fallen more than 12%, and lagged the Standard & Poor’s 500 (.SPX), by about 22 percentage points, since Buffett announced on May 3 he would step down as chief executive at year end.
Vice Chairman Greg Abel, 63, will succeed him, though Buffett will remain chairman.
Analysts said the premium embedded in Berkshire’s stock price because of the presence of Buffett, arguably the world’s most well-known investor, has eroded, while growth may slow in the insurance sector, a major Berkshire profit center.
The lack of new investments has also been a drag. Analysts believe Berkshire’s BNSF unit could buy CSX (CSX.O), to create another transcontinental railroad, after Union Pacific (UNP.N), agreed on July 29 to buy Norfolk Southern (NSC.N).
Buffett transformed Berkshire over six decades from a troubled and since-closed textile company into a $1.02 trillion conglomerate.
Berkshire owns several insurers and reinsurers, electric utility and renewable energy businesses, several chemical and industrial companies, and familiar consumer brands such as Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom and See’s Candies.

BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

Berkshire said the 12% quarterly decline in insurance underwriting profit stemmed primarily from reinsurance businesses and some smaller insurance businesses.
Geico, its best-known insurance business, saw pre-tax underwriting profit rise 2%, as a 5% increase in premiums offset a smaller rise in accident losses.
The car insurer has been ceding market share to State Farm and Progressive (PGR.N), while focusing on improving underwriting quality and technology and cutting jobs.
Analysts said higher tariffs could be a headwind for Geico if the cost of auto parts rose, potentially increasing losses from accident claims.
BNSF is also cutting expenses. Lower fuel costs helped boost quarterly profit 19% gain, though revenue and cargo volumes barely changed.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/berkshire-takes-38-billion-kraft-heinz-write-down-operating-profit-falls-2025-08-02/

In 1943, a camouflaged ship set off from Australia to England carrying top secret cargo – a single young platypus.

Named after his would-be owner, UK prime minister Winston Churchill, the rare monotreme was an unprecedented gift from a country desperately trying to curry favour as World War Two expanded into the Pacific and arrived on its doorstep.

But days out from Winston’s arrival, as war raged in the seas around him, the puggle was found dead in the water of his specially made “platypusary”.

Fearing a potential diplomatic incident, Winston’s death – along with his very existence – was swept under the rug.

He was preserved, stuffed and quietly shelved inside his name-sake’s office, with rumours that he died of Nazi-submarine-induced shell-shock gently whispered into the ether.

The mystery of who, or what, really killed him has eluded the world since – until now.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over several Midwestern states Saturday, bringing warnings of unhealthy air for at least the third day.

Air quality alerts were in effect in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as eastern Nebraska and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Forecasters said the smoky skies would remain for much of the day.

Canadian environmental officials said smoke from the forest fires would persist into Sunday for some areas.

The Switzerland-based air quality monitoring database IQAir, which assesses air quality in real time, listed the city of Minneapolis as having some of the worst air pollution in the world since Friday. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was expected to reach the red or unhealthy category in a large swath of Minnesota.

AQI is a system used to communicate how much air pollution is in the air. It breaks pollution down into six categories and colors, along with advice on what is and is not safe to do. They range from “good” (the color green) to “hazardous” (maroon).

People with lung disease, heart disease, children, older adults and pregnant women are most susceptible to the poor breathing conditions.

“What’s been unique in this go-around is that we’ve had this prolonged stretch of smoke particulates towards the surface, so that’s where we’ve really had the air quality in the red here for the past few days,” said Joe Strus, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area in Minnesota.

“We’ve sort of been dealing with this, day in and day out, where you walk outside and you can taste the smoke, you can smell it,” Strus said. “Sometimes we’ve been in higher concentrations than others. Other times it’s just looked a little hazy out there.”

The air was improving Saturday, he said, specifically across the Twin Cities and southwestern Minnesota, but state health officials warned that conditions could remain unhealthy for sensitive groups through Monday.

Officials said the smoke could spread as far south as Tennessee and Missouri.

The EPA’s Air Quality Index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better. Anything below 50 is classified as “healthy.” Fifty to 100 is “moderate” while 100-150 is unhealthy for “sensitive groups.” Anything above 150 is bad for everyone. Parts of Minnesota exceeded that number on Saturday.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/canada-wildfires-smoke-minnesota-midwest-ec9aff3eb3f76cf115c3737d8b1d515b

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which helps pay for PBS, NPR, 1,500 local radio and television stations as well as programs like “Sesame Street” and “Finding Your Roots,” said Friday that it would close after the U.S. government withdrew funding.

The organization told employees that most staff positions will end with the fiscal year on Sept. 30. A small transition team will stay until January to finish any remaining work.

The private, nonprofit corporation was founded in 1968 shortly after Congress authorized its formation. It now ends nearly six decades of fueling the production of renowned educational programming, cultural content and emergency alerts about natural disasters.

Here’s what to know:

Losing funding

President Donald Trump signed a bill on July 24 canceling about $1.1 billion that had been approved for public broadcasting. The White House says the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense, and conservatives have particularly directed their ire at NPR and PBS.

Lawmakers with large rural constituencies voiced concern about what the cuts could mean for some local public stations in their state. They warned some stations will have to close.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday reinforced the policy change by excluding funding for the corporation for the first time in more than 50 years as part of a broader spending bill.

How it began

Congress passed legislation creating the body in 1967, several years after then-Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newton Minow described commercial television a “vast wasteland” and called for programming in the public interest.

The corporation doesn’t produce programming and it doesn’t own, operate or control any public broadcasting stations. The corporation, PBS, NPR are independent of each other as are local public television and radio stations.

Rural stations hit hard

Roughly 70% of the corporation’s money went directly to 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations across the country. The cuts are expected to weigh most heavily on smaller public media outlets away from big cities, and it’s likely some won’t survive. NPR’s president estimated as many as 80 NPR stations may close in the next year.

Mississippi Public Broadcasting has already decided to eliminate a streaming channel that airs children’s programming like “Caillou” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” 24 hours a day.

Maine’s public media system is looking at a hit of $2.5 million, or about 12% of its budget, for the next fiscal year. The state’s rural residents rely heavily on public media for weather updates and disaster alerts.

In Kodiak, Alaska, KMXT estimated the cuts would slice 22% from its budget. Public radio stations in the sprawling, heavily rural state often provide not just news but alerts about natural disasters like tsunamis, landslides and volcanic eruptions.

From Big Bird to war documentaries

The first episode of “Sesame Street” aired in 1969. Child viewers, adults and guest stars alike were instantly hooked. Over the decades, characters from Big Bird to Cookie Monster and Elmo have become household favorites

Entertainer Carol Burnett appeared on that inaugural episode. She told The Associated Press she was a big fan.

“I would have done anything they wanted me to do,” she said. “I loved being exposed to all that goodness and humor.”

Sesame Street said in May it would also get some help from a Netflix streaming deal.

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. started “Finding Your Roots” in 2006 under the title “African American Lives.” He invited prominent Black celebrities and traced their family trees into slavery. When the paper trail ran out, they would use DNA to see which ethnic group they were from in Africa. Challenged by a viewer to open the show to non-Black celebrities, Gates agreed and the series was renamed “Faces of America,” which had to be changed again after the name was taken.

The show is PBS’s most-watched program on linear TV and the most-streamed non-drama program. Season 10 reached nearly 18 million people across linear and digital platforms and also received its first Emmy nomination.

Grant money from the nonprofit has also funded lesser-known food, history, music and other shows created by stations across the country.

Documentarian Ken Burns, celebrated for creating the documentaries “The Civil War,” “Baseball” and “The Vietnam War”, told PBS NewsHour said the corporation accounted for about 20% of his films’ budgets. He said he would make it up but projects receiving 50% to 75% of their funding from the organization won’t.

Influence of shows

Children’s programing in the 1960s was made up of shows like “Captain Kangaroo,” ’’Romper Room” and the violent skirmishes between “Tom & Jerry.” “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” mostly taught social skills.

“Sesame Street” was designed by education professionals and child psychologists to help low-income and minority students aged 2-5 overcome some of the deficiencies they had when entering school. Social scientists had long noted white and higher income kids were often better prepared.

One of the most widely cited studies about the impact of “Sesame Street” compared households that got the show with those who didn’t. It found that the children exposed to “Sesame Street” were 14% more likely to be enrolled in the correct grade level for their age at middle and high school.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-pbs-funding-cuts-7b4c1aa10a98956aedf02360b3741bd1

OLYMPIC champion athlete Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested at an airport on charges of alleged domestic violence after a row with her boyfriend Christian Coleman.

The sprinter, who won a 4x100m relay gold medal and 100m silver at last year’s Paris Games, was reportedly held in custody for less than 20 hours.

It is understood that Richardson got into a heated argument with her boyfriend and fellow athlete Christian Coleman near a TSA security checkpoint at a Seattle airport.

According to The Athletic, a police report states that an officer claims to have witnessed Richardson shoving her boyfriend multiple times as he tried to walk away.

Footage of the alleged incident was reportedly captured on a security camera at the airport, which cops deemed enough probable cause for her arrest.

The clip reportedly shows Richardson reaching out with her left arm and grabbing Coleman’s backpack before pushing it away.

She then appeared to block Coleman’s way before shoving him into a wall.

The police report later said that Richardson seemingly threw an item at Coleman, which the TSA indicated may have been headphones.

The case was cleared and the Olympic athlete was released from jail after Coleman allegedly refused to press charges and “declined to be a victim”, DailyMail reports.

Richardson landed in custody at the SCORE South Correctional Facility in Des Moines, Wash at 6:54pm on Sunday and was released at 1:30pm on Monday, according to police records.

The Team USA star rose to fame for competing in the 200m and 100m events at the Paris Olympics.

The sprinter is not only known for her lightning speed, but also her distinctive style.

The Texan gained popularity for her eye-catching hair colours, long painted nails and unique tattoos.

Richardson missed out on her Olympics debut at Tokyo 2020 due to a ban but made up for it the last year’s games.

Richardson served a one-month ban after testing positive for THC (cannabis).

The American accepted the ban “for an anti-doping rule violation for testing positive for a substance of abuse” and worked her way back to the spotlight.

Richardson told Vogue: “I’m better at being Sha’Carri. I’m better at being myself.”

Sha’Carri Richardson came back strong in 2023 with some stunning results in the World Championships in Budapest.

Richardson won the gold medal in the 100m event and bronze in 200m.

The runner also anchored Team USA to first place in the 4x100m relay race.

And the Texan’s journey back to the spotlight at Paris 2024 has been recorded in the new SPRINT series on Netflix.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/sport/14896420/gold-olympic-star-shacarri-richardson-arrested-domestic-violence/

THE producer of the hit Netflix documentary about a missing woman who vanished on a family cruise more than 27 years ago says they have received new tips related to her case.

Amy Lynn Bradley disappeared without a trace in March 1998 after boarding the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas with her parents, Ron and Iva, and her younger brother Brad.

The family trip began in Puerto Rico and first stopped in Aruba.

Just three days into the trip, on March 23, Amy disappeared after spending the night socializing and dancing at the ship’s nightclub until the early hours of the morning.

She was last seen asleep on the balcony in the family’s shared cabin, but no evidence suggests she fell or jumped from the railing.

When her father woke up, he couldn’t find his daughter and alerted the ship’s security crew, but they found no sign of her, and cameras failed to capture any last movements.

The case has gripped the true crime community for years, and alleged witnesses speak out in the documentary to suggest she may have been sex-trafficked.

She was last seen dancing with a bass player who was performing with a band on the trip, Alister Douglas, whose nickname was “Yellow,” although he has always maintained his innocence.

His daughter, Amica, suspects her father was involved in Amy’s disappearance and is seen in the three-part Netflix series grilling him during a tense phone call, in which he insists he has nothing to hide.

Filmmaker Ari Mark, who worked with fellow producer Phil Lott on the series, spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun after it became a Top 10 show on the streamer.

He said, “[We’re] very pleased with very pleased with how the series has been received. The ‘buzz’ around the show is incredible.

“That’s what we want. The more people that know Amy’s story – the better.”

Asked if the team had received any possible leads since its release that have been passed on to police or the FBI, he said they had, but they don’t want to get their hopes up just yet.

“We have had a few leads come in, but I can’t discuss them and they’re not verified yet, so they may very likely be false leads,” he said, as they can get hoax calls, or people getting information wrong.

“This was always about one thing: finding Amy,” he went on.

“But to ensure that the audience is activated, they have to want to help.

“To use Iva Bradley’s words, they are ‘over the moon’ that Amy’s story is finally getting this level of attention. Everyone in the world now knows her name.

“I prefer to believe that Amy is alive. But there’s so little tangible official ‘evidence’ in this case that it’s impossible to know.

“So much gray area, especially when it comes to timelines.

“Remember, no cell phones and virtually no cameras, so we really can’t track people’s whereabouts, which means we can’t take anything as fact.”

SEX WORKER MYSTERY

One of the aspects only briefly touched on in the documentary is how the family’s cabin was cleaned before the police were able to look for evidence and deem it a potential crime scene.

Mark admitted the cleaner’s identity remains unknown, and it is unclear whether a small table on the balcony could have been moved closer to the railing.

Her sandals were placed side by side, and a t-shirt was lying on the arm of the chair she’d been sitting on, while her cigarettes were missing, and only an ashtray remained on the table.

“Allegedly, ‘cruise security’ was responsible for questioning their crew,” Mark said.

He added that they did search for evidence that Amy had jumped or fallen into the water, saying, “They absolutely looked and came up with nothing.

“They did find Amy’s fingerprints around the cabin, but the whole family’s fingerprints were all over the room, so it wasn’t really ‘evidence.'”

One of the most shocking parts of the documentary saw experts review photographs published on a sex worker website years later that showed a woman clad in lingerie.

The woman had strikingly similar features to Amy, and her family said they fear it could be her years on.

Asked his opinion on the legitimacy of the photographs, Mark said, “I really don’t know. We tend to air on the side of something happened to her vs accident.

“One thing we do know with missing person cases is that there usually is some elusive piece of evidence out there, but the universe needs to align to bring that thing or person forward.”

FBI REWARD

Asked about the theory that Douglas could have been involved in her disappearance, Mark confirmed his lie detector test was “inconclusive” despite reports he passed, but he was cleared by police.

Mark simply said, “I feel awful for the Douglas family and what they’ve had to endure all these years.”

Does he have any advice for anyone who has information but is terrified to come forward?

He said, “I would say to them: look at this family. Look at the pain this has caused. And look at the millions of people that want to help.

“That has to be enough for someone to muster the courage to speak out.”

He added that Amy’s family is “understandably shattered and lives in a constant state of not knowing.”

Mark added, “Gaining their trust has been a journey, but their warmth, sense of family, and strength has been something that everyone who worked on this show has admired and rallied behind.”

The FBI has a page dedicated to Amy’s disappearance and a separate website that features images of what she could potentially look like today.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14855754/amy-bradley-missing-new-leads-after-netflix-show/

 

This year’s 85th anniversary could match or surpass the 75th rally’s record

INTERSTATE 90 is bracing for an explosive week as more than 700,000 bikers roar into town for the 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

This year’s milestone event is expected to break attendance records and bring the thunder to South Dakota’s Black Hills.

The rally officially runs from Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 10, but the action kicks off even earlier with pre-parties starting July 28.

Sturgis, a small town in Meade County, transforms into the fourth largest city in South Dakota during the rally.

What began in 1938 with just nine stunt riders and a few horses has become the biggest motorcycle rally in the world.

Attendance has climbed steadily over the decades, from 3,000 in 1940 to a record 747,032 in 2015.

In the past five years, the rally has averaged around 500,000 people annually.

Last year’s turnout dropped 8.1% from 2022, totaling 458,161 attendees, according to Harley-Davidson.

This year’s 85th anniversary could match or surpass the 75th rally’s record.

The city of Sturgis rakes in major profits during the rally, with $784 million generated in 2022 alone, according to officials.

The event also pumped $1.4 million in sales tax revenue into South Dakota’s coffers in 2024, despite a slight decline from 2023.

Opening ceremonies kick off August 1 with a flag procession, a blessing of the bikes by Mayor Kevin Forrester, and a parade featuring the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Centenarian rider Gloria Tramontin Struck will serve as grand marshal, leading the celebration after nearly 85 years on the road.

The speed limit near rally hotspots like Buffalo Chip and Full Throttle is just 35 mph, and traffic slows it down even more – low-speed handling is key.

Many riders also take the opportunity to explore Black Hills landmarks like Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial.

The rally brings together bikers from all over the world to celebrate freedom, horsepower, and the open road.

ZZ Top opens the lineup on August 1 at 10 PM, followed by Gene Simmons on August 3.

Other major acts include Five Finger Death Punch, Marilyn Manson, Jason Aldean, Nickelback, Buckcherry, Tesla, and Stone Temple Pilots.

Concerts are included with camping admission and typically begin at 8 pm or 10 pm nightly.

Buffalo Chip pass sales are up a staggering 67% over last year, showing the massive anticipation for this year’s rally.

The Bikini Beach Pre-Party ran from July 28 to July 31 and featured Big Skillet as the warm-up act.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/motors/14893924/sturgis-motorcycle-rally-rally-august-south-dakota-festival/

A DAUGHTER delivered a heartbreaking eulogy to her mother, who was killed in the 345 Park Avenue mass shooting.

Wesley LePatner, 43, a managing partner at Blackstone, was laid to rest on Thursday at a Manhattan synagogue where her husband and daughter gave an emotional eulogy.

LePatner’s 14-year-old daughter spoke in front of 500 people, celebrating her late mother.

“My mom was like my rock,” she told the massive crowd at the Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan.

“I never imagined this happening when I was 14,” she said.

“It’s just unimaginable that this actually happened.

“I keep thinking it’s a prank or like a lucid dream, and that someone’s going to jump out and say, ‘Ha, ha. It was all a joke.’”

The 14-year-old continued her eulogy with tears streaming down her face.

“I hear the doorbell ring, I think it’s her, and I get excited,” she said as she began to stumble over her words.

LePatner’s husband, Evan, spoke to the 500-person crowd after his daughter.

“There’s a huge gaping Mount Everest size hole in my life right now,” Evan said.

“I know everyone here has different-sized versions of it from her loss. I am staggered by the love and caring shown by those in this room.

“It is overwhelming and awesome all at one. It speaks to the supernatural abilities Wesley had and the way she made the world better for all of us.”

LePatner was tragically shot in the lobby of the Blackstone office on Monday evening by Shane Tamura.

Tamura drove from Las Vegas to New York City with a semiautomatic rifle in search of shooting NFL executives, ABC News reported.

Tamura shot an NYPD officer and a security officer before taking the elevator up to the 33rd floor in pursuit of the NFL offices.

However, the shooter got off at the wrong floor and wound up killing a young employee at Rudin Management before turning the gun on himself and committing suicide.

A fifth person, who did work for the NFL, was shot and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

As of Tuesday, he was stable.

“I got to spend about an hour with him,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC about the living victim.

“(He) is an amazing young man and so we’re optimistic about his recovery. I think that’s good news for all of us in the NFL and obviously, our hearts continue to be in support with their family.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14892783/wesley-lepartner-daughter-eulogy/

FOUR people have been killed at a Montana bar and the gunman is on the loose, police said.

Suspect Michael Paul Brown, 45, is at large after he allegedly opened fire on Friday morning, prompting a manhunt involving SWAT teams and the FBI, police said.

The shooting broke out at Owl Bar in Anaconda at 10:30 am, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation said.

Police warned people to avoid the area in southwestern Montana while they hunt for the suspect.

Brown is believed to be armed, police said.

He was seen driving west of Anaconda in a 2007 white Ford F-150 pickup truck with Montana license plates.

Police are now searching the woods near Stumptown Road, where he was last spotted.

The alleged shooter is wearing a tie-dyed shirt, blue jeans, and an orange bandana, police said.

A SWAT team cleared the suspect’s house in Anaconda after the attack, according to the Granite County Sheriff’s Office.

Brown lives right next to Owl Bar, according to public records.

The shooting broke out just 30 minutes after Owl Bar, a dive bar, opened at 10 am.

The victims haven’t been identified.

MULTIPLE SHOT IN ANACONDA, MONTANA

The shooter reportedly injured several people in a bar and fled in a vehicle, leaving the town of 9,800 on high alert

Anaconda is a town of about 10,000 people located in Deer Lodge County, about 75 miles southeast of Missoula.

The Montana Highway Patrol warned just before 1 pm local time, “There is a heavy law enforcement presence west of Anaconda near Stumptown Road and Anderson Ranch Loop Road.”

Police initially stopped a White F-150, but determined it wasn’t the suspect, according to the sheriff’s office in neighboring Granite County.

Cops said that there’s no threat to Granite County citizens at this time.

“Authorities are searching for a suspect believed to be armed. Please avoid the area,” GCSO said.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said he’s “closely monitoring the situation involving an active shooter in Anaconda.”

Cops have yet to say what led to the shooting.

The FBI responded to the shooting, FBI’s Salt Lake City office spokesperson Sandra Barker told the Associated Press.

The Denver office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also said it sent agents to help local police.

Cafe owner Barbie Nelson told the AP that she locked up her business, the Firefly Café, at around 11 am on Friday after her friend told her about the shooting.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14893937/active-shooter-anaconda-montana-deer-lodge-owl-bar/

Maxwell, the ex-girlfriend of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, is serving a 20-year prison sentence on child sex trafficking charges. Her prison transfer comes after she met a top US Justice Department official.

Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been transferred from a prison in the southern US state of Florida to a lower security facility in Texas, the Bureau of Prisons announced Friday.

Maxwell’s lawyer, David Markus, also confirmed to the Reuters news agency that she had been transferred to the new facility.

Maxwell is currently serving a 20 year sentence behind bars on charges of child sex trafficking. She is accused of grooming underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse.

US authorities did not explain the reason why Maxwell was transferred to a new facility in Bryan, Texas. She was earlier imprisoned at FCI Tallahassee in Tallahassee, Florida.

The minimum-security Federal Prison Camp Bryan where Maxwell is now housed has better conditions than the low-security FCI Tallahassee in Florida.

Federal Prison Camp Bryan has little to no perimeter fencing and a lower staff-to-inmate ratio, whereas FCI Tallahassee has double-fenced perimeters fencing and more prison staff on site.

How have Epstein and Maxwell victims reacted?

Victims of Epstein and Maxwell have condemned Maxwell’s move to a lower-security prison.

“Ghislaine Maxwell is a sexual predator who physically assaulted minor children on multiple occasions, and she should never be shown any leniency,” Annie and Marie Farmer and the family of Virginia Giuffre said in response to the transfer. They said the transfer “smacks of a cover up.”

Annie and Marie Farmer have accused Epstein of molestation, whereas Giuffre has alleged that she was sex trafficked by Epstein to Prince Andrew, a member of the British royal family. Giuffre took her own life in April.

Maxwell’s transfer comes as Trump admin faces ‘Epstein files’ firestorm

The transfer occurred after Maxwell recently met with US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. It comes as Maxwell is appealing her prison sentence and the US President Donald Trump’s administration is facing criticism over its handling of the Epstein case.

Last month, the US Justice Department said that Epstein did not have a “client list” and that he did indeed kill himself in his prison cell in 2019.

Both of those claims were met with skepticism from many Trump supporters, who urged the Trump administration to release more information on the Epstein case.

The scandal regarding the so-called “Epstein files” is of a personal nature for Trump, who once was friends with Epstein. The disgraced New York financier had even said he was Trump’s “closest friend” in recordings released by author Michael Wolff last year.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/epstein-associate-ghislaine-maxwell-moved-to-texas-prison/a-73504250

While the country has made progress on some fronts, expectations that last year’s student-led uprising would bring substantial change have not yet been met. DW spoke with citizens, activists and officials in Dhaka.

Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh’s long-serving prime minister in August 2024 after weeks of deadly protests that started over a controversial quota system for government jobs, but morphed into a wider anti-government movement.

Hasina fled to India, while other members of her Awami League party were either arrested in connection with the protests or went into hiding.

Today, in the capital, Dhaka, the main office of the powerful opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Hasina rival and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is a hub of activity.

When will Bangladesh hold credible elections?

Many BNP members, including Zia, who had been imprisoned on charges including graft, vandalism and violence — which the BNP says were politically motivated during Hasina’s 15-year tenure — are now free.

Abdus Salam, a prominent BNP leader, told DW that the only change he sees since Hasina fled to India in August 2024 is political freedom.

“We were in hiding during this time last year. We were not able to stay in our homes. We were facing numerous court cases. We didn’t have a normal life. That suffering may have ended,” he said.

In another busy Dhaka street, Ambia, a garment factory worker, told DW that while she admires the students who led last year’s uprising to bring change in her country, she said her expectations have not yet been met.

“I hoped that the anarchy would end, and that people wouldn’t politicize every incident,” said Ambia. “The political parties create many issues whenever something happens. I didn’t expect that. The feeling of security hasn’t returned yet.”

The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, a former banker and prominent economist, had been aiming to hold elections in April 2026, saying it needed time to implement constitutional reforms, changes to the electoral process and bring about progress in judicial independence and press freedoms.

However, Yunus’ administration did not rule out a possibility of polls in February, which has been demanded by the BNP and its allies.

Rights violations and rise of Islamists

Bangladesh has seen some economic progress, but human rights remain a concern.

London-based rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said the Yunus-led interim government is “falling short” on its promise to improve human rights in Bangladesh.

“Some of the fear and repression that marked Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Party’s 15-year rule, and abuses such as widespread enforced disappearances, appear to have ended,” according to HRW.

“However, the interim government has used arbitrary detention to target perceived political opponents and has yet to deliver systemic reforms to protect human rights.”

“The hope of the thousands who braved lethal violence a year ago when they opposed Sheikh Hasina’s abusive rule to build a rights-respecting democracy remains unfulfilled,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW’s deputy Asia director.

At the same time, Islamist parties have increased their visibility since Hasina’s ouster.

The Yunus government also withdrew a ban on the country’s largest Islamist party last August, reversing a decision by the Hasina government.

A rally held by an influential Islamist group in May drew thousands to the streets of Dhaka. As many as 20,000 people turned out to show support for the Hefazat-e-Islam group as it laid out a list of demands for Bangladesh’s interim government.

They opposed government proposals that include equal inheritance rights for women, a ban on polygamy and recognition of sex workers as laborers.

‘Significant progress’ on reducing rights violations

Foyez Ahammad, senior assistant press secretary for the interim government, told DW that HRW’s expectation of reducing human rights violations to zero may not have been achieved, but significant progress has been made toward reducing it.

“HRW has expressed its dissatisfaction [with] many issues as their expectation after the era of Sheikh Hasina didn’t meet to the level they expected,” Ahammad said.

“Bangladesh was in a condition of massive human rights violations, where hundreds of secret prisons were operating, and enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings happened,” he added, noting that press freedom “went down to zero” under Hasina’s rule.

“We have made progress from that situation within a short period. For example, media houses that were closed down in the past reopened,” added Ahammad, who said that ordinary people are expressing their opinions openly, including on social media.

“They are even criticizing the government in state-run broadcasters, which didn’t happen in the past,” he said.

Hasina’s supporters, however, do not agree with these claims and point to a crackdown on their party under the interim government.

Hasina faces uncertain future

Yunus’ interim government has banned all political activities of Hasina’s Awami League until a special tribunal completes a trial of the party and its leaders over the deaths of hundreds of people during last year’s mass uprising.

Following the ban, senior Awami League politician Mohammad A. Arafat claimed Yunus was trying to “keep his unconstitutional regime in power and delay elections.”

Speaking to DW from an unknown location in May, the former information minister said Yunus was trying to secure the support of Islamists and the National Citizens’ Party — which spearheaded the move against the Awami League (AL) — by banning the former ruling party.

“The only way the Islamists can make their way into parliament is by banning AL,” Arafat said.

The tribunal against Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has set August 3 and 4 for the prosecution’s statement.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/bangladesh-still-polarized-a-year-after-hasinas-ouster/a-73498890

Germany’s old-age pension system faces collapse under the weight of an aging population. The country’s new Economy Minister Katherina Reiche wants Germans to work longer to make up for it.

For German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, there’s a simple way to fix Germany’s pension system: “We need to work more and longer,” she flatly told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper in late July, instantly triggering a new debate along familiar lines. Reiche argued that the pledges her government had made in the coalition contract earlier this year were just not going to be enough.

Germany’s aging population has long been recognized as a problem. The population’s median age — 46.7 — is the eighth-highest in the world and the third-highest among major economies, after Japan and Italy. By 2040, fully a quarter of the population is expected to be 67 or older. This year, birth rate fell to its lowest point in 20 years.

This has had a marked effect: In the early 1960s, there were still six actively insured workers for every pensioner — that ratio is now 2 to 1 and sinking, and in 2025, two-thirds of the Labor Ministry’s budget will go into the pension system: €121 billion ($140 billion).

“It cannot be sustainable in the long term for us to work only two-thirds of our adult lives and spend one-third in retirement,” said Reiche. “Unfortunately, too many people have been refusing to accept the demographic reality for too long.”

Reiche’s statements triggered a quick backlash from her center-left Cabinet colleagues. Lars Klingbeil, finance minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which traditionally sees itself catering to a working-class electorate, described Reiche’s statement as a “slap in the face” for many workers.

“It’s easy to say that when you’re sitting in your comfortable chair in Berlin,” Klingbeil told news outlet ntv. “But you should go out and talk to the people in the country who are working as roofers, who are working as nurses, who are working as teachers and are really wearing themselves out and who are already struggling to make it to 67.”

Trade unions, meanwhile, said Reiche’s plan was simply a new way to cut pensions. Many workers will be unable to work to a higher age for health reasons, forcing them to retire early, and accept deductions that permanently reduce their pensions.

Raising retirement age doesn’t rule out pension cuts

The contract agreed by Germany’s two governing parties — Reiche’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the SPD — promised that Germany’s current retirement age would not be raised.

Instead, the contract pledged, “We want more flexibility in the transition from job to pension.” In practice, “flexibility” means offering incentives to people who work beyond the legal retirement age. This would include measures like the so-called “Aktivrente” (“active pension”), by which any income of up to €2,000 per month is tax-free for those above the legal retirement age.

Jan Scharpenberg, pensions expert at the financial advice company Finanztip, is convinced that the German pension system urgently needs to be reformed, but that the debate around it has become tedious.

“The length of a working life is just one of the levers that can be adjusted to reform the German pension system in order to deal with the demographic transformation,” he told DW. “And if I’m being really honest, I think it’s a bit exhausting how for years and decades the same pro- and con arguments are being made, but no actual reform is put in place.”

While he agrees that raising the legal retirement age may become necessary, that doesn’t negate the argument that it would, in practical terms, mean pension cuts for some people. “Those two things can be true at the same time, but that shouldn’t prevent a pension reform,” he said. “A reform of the system will only work if you combine and pull several levers.”

How Germany’s pension system works

The retirement age system in Germany is dauntingly complicated. At the moment, the legal retirement age in Germany is 65, though it is scheduled to rise to 67 by 2031. But the age is staggered depending on the individual’s year of birth, and how long they have paid into the system.

And there are exceptions: People who are disabled or have paid into the system for 45 years, for example, can retire earlier.

A contribution of 18.6% of an employee’s gross monthly salary goes into the state retirement fund, with the employee and the employer each paying half. The government expects this contribution rate to rise to 22.3% by 2035, where it is supposed to level out until 2045.

Johannes Geyer, public economics researcher at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), pointed out that the reason why the retirement age issue is so contentious is because it affects workers differently.

“There are lot of people who can’t imagine working beyond the age of 67,” he said. “But those in perhaps better paid jobs can do that.”

Pension income vs. pension expenses

But many experts say the narrow focus on the retirement age is unhelpful, as there are many different ways of increasing contributions to the pension system.

One measure, for example, would be to provide better child care facilities, so that more single parents are able to work full-time and therefore pay higher pension contributions. Another solution might be to make migrating to Germany to work easier and more attractive. There are also proposals to increase the number of people paying into the public system by including the self-employed and civil servants, a proposal made recently by Labor Minister Bärbel Bas from the SPD.

Meanwhile, on the expense side of the ledger, some more painful measures might be put in place to balance the books. Apart from raising the retirement age, that might mean extending the “waiting time” (the number of years one must pay into the system before one can begin to draw a pension), or reducing the rate at which pensions increase every year.

The pension increase is calculated based on the development of gross wages and salaries in Germany and is 3.74% for 2025.

In the coalition agreement, the SPD was able to secure the pension level at 48% of the standard pension to the average income (before taxes) until 2031. Critics have labeled this as untenable.

According to Scharpenberg, a mix of measures needs to be implemented. But instead, he said, the perennial political debate revolves around doing one measure or another, as if it were impossible to combine them.

International comparison

The German pension system is structured very differently to other European countries. In Denmark, for example, the retirement age is linked to the country’s life expectancy, so that it rises automatically as people live longer.

And in Sweden, an individual’s contributions are invested in various financial markets and then the profits are paid out when that person reaches old age.

“That helps to diversify the risk,” said Geyer. “They’re not so dependent on the aging of their own population.” In the German system, on the other hand, contributions from workers are put into a single pot, which is used to finance current pensions.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/will-germany-raise-retirement-age-beyond-67/a-73472863

At least 30 passengers were injured after several coaches of the Islamabad Express derailed near Lahore on Friday evening, officials confirmed on Saturday. Three of the injured passengers are reported to be in critical condition.

According to Pakistan Railways, the train was en route from Lahore to Rawalpindi when it derailed at Kala Shah Kaku in Sheikhupura, about 50 km from Lahore. Ten coaches went off the tracks.

Rescue teams responded quickly, transporting the injured to a nearby hospital. Efforts are ongoing to rescue passengers still trapped in the derailed coaches.

No deaths have been reported so far. The derailment occurred around 30 minutes after the train departed from Lahore station.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/at-least-30-injured-after-several-coaches-of-passenger-train-derail-in-pakistan-2765062-2025-08-02

The decision to identify cyber threat group UNC3886 was because Singaporeans “ought to know about it” given the seriousness of the threat, said the minister.

While naming a specific country linked to cyber threat group UNC3886 is not in Singapore’s interest at this point in time, the attack was still serious enough for the government to let the public know about the group, said Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Friday (Aug 1).

Speaking to reporters on the side of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore’s (CSA) Exercise Cyber Star, the national cybersecurity crisis management exercise, Mr Shanmugam said that when it comes to naming any country responsible for a cyber attack, “we always think about it very carefully”.

Responding to a question from CNA on reports tying the group to China, Mr Shanmugam said: “Media coverage (and) industry experts all attribute UNC3886 to some country … Government does not comment on this.

“We release information that we assess is in the public interest. Naming a specific country is not in our interest at this point in time.”

UNC3886 has been described by Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant as a “China-nexus espionage group” that has targeted prominent strategic organisations on a global scale.

Mr Shanmugam had announced on Jul 18 that Singapore is actively dealing with a “highly sophisticated threat actor” that is attacking critical infrastructure, identifying the entity as UNC3886 without disclosing if it was a state-linked actor.

He said the threat actor poses a serious danger to Singapore and could undermine the country’s national security, and added that it was not in Singapore’s security interests to disclose further details of the attack then.

When asked the following day about UNC3886’s alleged links to China and possible retaliation for naming them, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said this was “speculative”.

“Who they are linked to and how they operate is not something I want to go into,” he said.

Responding to media reports in a Jul 19 Facebook post, the Chinese embassy in Singapore expressed its “strong dissatisfaction” at the claims linking the country to UNC3886, stating that they were “groundless smears and accusations against China”.

“In fact, China is a major victim of cyberattacks,” it wrote.

“The embassy would like to reiterate that China is firmly against and cracks down (on) all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with law. China does not encourage, support or condone hacking activities.”

On Friday, Mr Shanmugam also gave his reasons for disclosing the identity of threat actors like UNC3886.

“We look at the facts of each case (and) the degree of confidence we have before we can name. And when we decide to name the threat actor, we look at whether it is in Singapore’s best interest,” said Mr Shanmugam, who is also the home affairs minister.

In this case, the threat, attack and compromise to Singapore’s infrastructure was “serious enough” and the government was confident enough to name UNC3886 as the perpetrators, he said.

“Here, we said this is serious. They have gotten in. They are compromising a very serious critical infrastructure. Singaporeans ought to know about it, and awareness has got to increase. And because of the seriousness, it is in the public interest for us to disclose,” said Mr Shanmugam.

ATTACKS HAVE HAPPENED ELSEWHERE

Mr Shanmugam was accompanied at Friday’s exercise by Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, who is also Minister-in-Charge of Cybersecurity.

Held at the Singapore Institute of Technology in Punggol, the exercise saw teams from critical sector organisations tackle cybersecurity challenges based on key threats, such as advanced persistent threats (APTs) and attacks on critical systems.

APTs are a type of prolonged cyberattack typically carried out by well-resourced threat actors.

“There’re close to about 500 participants today. They come together, put a face to a name, exercise real life scenarios, things which have happened elsewhere,” said Mr Shanmugam, emphasising that such incidents are “not theoretical”.

During the event, Mr Shanmugam was shown a demonstration of an attack on a port, where crane operations were paralysed and energy supply was cut off.

He was also briefed on the response plan for when the public transport system gets attacked, with millions of people commuting and the fare systems are targeted.

“You have to exercise, you have to bring people together. Government has got a high level of knowledge.”

The private sector, meanwhile, is focused on getting things done for their business, he added.

“Now, they need their knowledge and abilities to also increase. So we’ve got to work together,” said Mr Shanmugam.

Mrs Teo had announced earlier this week that owners of Singapore’s critical information infrastructure will, from later this year, be required to report to CSA any incidents suspected to be caused by APTs.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cybersecurity-cyberattack-threat-unc3886-country-shanmugam-mha-csa-5271641

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday (Aug 1) that Moscow hoped for more peace talks with Ukraine but that the momentum of the war was in its favour, signalling no shift in his stance despite a looming sanctions deadline from Washington.

US President Donald Trump has said he will impose new sanctions on Moscow and countries that buy its energy exports – of which the biggest are China and India – unless Russia moves by Aug 8 to end the three-and-a-half-year war.

He has expressed mounting frustration with Putin, accusing him of “bullshit” and describing Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine as “disgusting”.

Putin, without referring to the Trump deadline, said three sessions of peace talks with Ukraine had yielded some positive results, and Russia was expecting negotiations to continue.

“As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations. This is a well-known general rule,” he said.

“But in order to approach the issue peacefully, it is necessary to conduct detailed conversations. And not in public, but this must be done calmly, in the quiet of the negotiation process.”

He said Russian troops were attacking Ukraine along the entire front line and that the momentum was in their favour, citing the announcement by his Defence Ministry on Thursday that Moscow’s forces had captured the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar after a 16-month battle.

Ukraine denied that Chasiv Yar is under full Russian control.

Ukraine for months has been urging an immediate ceasefire but Russia says it wants a final and durable settlement, not a pause. Since the peace talks began in Istanbul in May, it has conducted some of its heaviest air strikes of the war, especially on the capital Kyiv.

The Ukrainian government has said the Russian negotiators do not have the mandate to take significant decisions and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on Putin to meet him for talks.

“We understand who makes the decisions in Russia and who must end this war. The whole world understands this too,” Zelenskyy said on Friday on X, reiterating his call for direct talks between him and Putin.

“The United States has proposed this. Ukraine has supported it. What is needed is Russia’s readiness.”

Russia says a leaders’ meeting could only take place to set the seal on agreements reached by negotiators.

Ukraine and its European allies have frequently said they do not believe Putin is really interested in peace and have accused him of stalling, which the Kremlin denies.

“I will repeat once again, we need a long and lasting peace on good foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine, and ensure the security of both countries,” Putin said, adding that this was also a question of European security.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/putin-trump-russian-ukraine-war-sanctions-deadline-5272316

 

Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Friday (Aug 1) accused Britain of regulatory “overreach” following the implementation of the country’s Online Safety Act, a law designed to protect children from harmful content such as pornography.

“The Online Safety Act’s laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach,” X said on its Global Government Affairs account. “A plan ostensibly intended to keep children safe is at risk of seriously infringing on the public’s right to free expression.”

CONCERNS OVER FREE SPEECH, DUPLICATION

X also criticised a new police unit set up to monitor social media and a recently introduced code of conduct for online platforms, calling the measures “parallel and duplicative.” The company suggested these initiatives could further erode free speech.

Despite its criticism, X said it has begun complying with the law by rolling out age-verification systems in Britain, Ireland and the wider European Union. These include estimating a user’s age based on account details, using AI to assess selfies, or requiring the upload of official ID documents.

FINES FOR NON-COMPLIANCE

Under the Online Safety Act, which came into force on Jul 25, UK media regulator Ofcom requires such age checks to be “technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair.” Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to £18 million (US$24 million) or 10 per cent of global revenue, whichever is higher. Repeat offenders risk being blocked in the UK.

WIDER DEBATE OVER PRIVACY

The UK’s move follows similar efforts in France and several US states, where governments have pushed for stricter age verification for pornography sites. Supporters say the rules are necessary to protect minors, but critics warn that such policies could undermine user privacy and heighten the risk of identity theft if sensitive data were compromised.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/musks-x-accuses-britain-online-safety-overreach-5272741

US President Donald Trump said on Friday (Aug 1) he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned to the “appropriate regions” in response to recent threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

“I have ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump posted on social media.

He described Medvedev’s recent remarks as “highly provocative” and warned that “words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences. I hope this will not be one of those instances.”

The move marks the latest escalation in rhetoric between the two leaders, who have traded barbs over Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Trump gave Moscow a 10-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face new US tariffs on Russian oil and on countries that purchase it.

Trump did not clarify whether the submarines are nuclear-powered or armed with nuclear weapons. The US Navy has declined to comment on the matter, and the Pentagon has not responded to media inquiries.

Russia has not signaled any willingness to meet Trump’s conditions and continues to advance its own demands for peace.

Medvedev, currently deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, responded by accusing Trump of playing a “game of ultimatums” and reminded the US leader of Russia’s legacy nuclear strike capabilities inherited from the Soviet Union.

The Kremlin has not directly commented on Trump’s latest move, but Medvedev’s remarks were widely covered in Russian state media. Once seen as a more moderate figure, Medvedev has in recent years become one of Moscow’s most vocal anti-Western hardliners, often issuing hawkish statements that Kremlin critics describe as reckless.

However, some Western diplomats view Medvedev’s rhetoric as a window into broader thinking within the Kremlin’s senior policy circles.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that while Moscow welcomed more peace talks with Ukraine, the momentum on the battlefield remained in Russia’s favor.

Trump, who once touted close ties with Putin, has grown more openly frustrated with the Russian leader, calling recent attacks on Ukraine “disgusting” and accusing him of spreading “bullshit.”

Trump previously rebuked Medvedev in July for mentioning nuclear weapons in response to US strikes on Iran. At the time, Trump accused him of “throwing around the N (nuclear) word” and mocked the Kremlin by saying, “I guess that’s why Putin’s THE BOSS.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-moves-nuclear-submarines-after-statements-former-russian-president-5272881

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo gave rare insight into the rap mogul’s life in federal prison.

The New York-based lawyer, who oversaw Combs’ sex-trafficking case in Manhattan federal court earlier this year, said his famous client spends a lot of time alone with his thoughts.

“I think he spends a lot of time thinking,” Agnifilo said in a new interview with Variety Friday.

“So many people say, ‘The worst thing I could do is spend too much time with myself.’ That’s what jail is.”

The defense lawyer admitted, “It’s difficult, and sometimes that’s necessary.”

Agnifilo said that when Combs’ trial was still underway throughout May and June, the Bad Boy Records founder, 55, spent “a tremendous amount of time preparing his defense.”

“He’s a remarkably smart man and was a valuable teammate in his own defense. So, we worked on his case for 20 hours a day every day, and he was at the center of it,” the attorney shared.

However, since Combs was found guilty of prostitution charges in July and has to await his Oct. 3 sentencing behind bars, as he was denied bail several times, he now spends time working on himself.

It was previously reported the former rap exec signed up for a self-help program called STOP, which is a course focused on preventing sexual assault, domestic and dating violence.

“He’s been doing a lot of writing. He writes essays, some of which I think are beautiful and poignant and thoughtful,” Agnifilo added to Variety. “He’s trying to pass the time productively.”

The attorney claimed that the “It’s All About the Benjamins” rapper has also been an asset to his fellow inmates by starting “programs” for those in jail with him.

“Unlike other prison facilities, there are almost no programs at the MDC. So, these men and women have nothing but time on their hands,” Agnifilo said.

Combs has been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY, since even before his trial began. He has been locked up ever since he was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024.

During a hearing last December, a Law and Crime reporter present inside the courtroom called out how prison seemed to be taking a toll on the “I Need a Girl” rapper.

“He appeared just astonishingly thinner, which you can expect [from him being] inside a federal detention center for a couple of months now,” Elizabeth Millner said at the time.

“A lot different from the luxury lifestyle that he was living before, but he appeared very noticeably thinner and maybe being locked up in detention is starting to wear on him,” she added before pointing out that Combs’ hair had also noticeably turned gray.

However, a source downplayed that the “Last Night” rapper was struggling at the time, telling Page Six exclusively that Combs was “fit, healthy and fully focused on his defense.”

“He has been very active, remains in good spirits, and, as always, he was happy to see his children,” the insider added. We were also told he has been working out regularly.

Agnifilo himself had admitted, though, that food was the “roughest part” of his client’s imprisonment. Most recently, a July Fourth prison menu revealed Combs would be served cereal, fruit, milk, butter and a breakfast cake for breakfast, and a hamburger, bean burger, two hot dogs, among other items for lunch.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/08/01/celebrity-news/inside-sean-diddy-combs-difficult-life-in-prison-as-he-awaits-sentencing/

Hulk Hogan showed “no interest” in meeting his daughter Brooke Hogan’s twins amid their years-long estrangement, her husband, Steven Oleksy, claimed.

The former NHL player revealed that he stayed in contact with Hulk in case the pair ever wanted to mend their relationship, but his efforts were to no avail, he told People in an interview published Friday.

He alleged that he reached out to his father-in-law “about a month and a half after” his twins were born in January — one of whom is named after the late WWE star.

“I sent text messages once again to kind of gauge where he was at, but there was no interest.”

Oleksy, 39, also told the outlet that Brooke’s brother, Nick, offered to bring Hulk to their house to meet the twins, but it never came to fruition.

As we previously reported, Hulk died on July 24 after suffering from cardiac arrest. He also secretly battled leukemia before his death.

Brooke, 37, and Hulk were estranged in the years leading up to his shocking death. According to insiders, their last conversation took place in September 2023 — around the time the ex-wrestler tied the knot with his wife, Sky Daily.

However, in her tribute to her dad, Brooke touched on their estrangement, saying that they “never had a ‘big fight.’”

“My father and I never ‘fought.’ It was a series of private phone calls no one will ever hear know or understand,” she said.

She also claimed that after she and Oleksy moved to Florida to be closer to him, Hulk pushed her away while he battled his health issues in private.

Most recently, it was reported that Brooke won’t be getting any part of her dad’s massive estate.

Sources told TMZ that Brooke asked to be removed from her dad’s will because she didn’t trust those around him.

However, her husband shared that he felt Brooke wanted to be excluded from her dad’s will because she wanted to uphold “her dad’s best interests even after his death.”

“That money does not represent accomplishments in the ring — the majority of it came at the expense of my wife’s dignity. It was built on hurtful comments about her and her past relationship, which caused pain not only to her, but to many other families,” said Oleksy, 39.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/08/01/celebrity-news/hulk-hogan-had-no-interest-in-meeting-daughter-brookes-twins-before-his-death/

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting will shut down its operations after the loss of federal funding, the nonprofit said on Friday, in a blow to local TV and radio stations that have relied on its grants for nearly six decades.
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed a $9 billion funding cut to public media and foreign aid last month.

This included the elimination of $1.1 billion earmarked for the CPB — which distributes funding to news outlets National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service — over the next two years.

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison said.
CPB informed its employees that the majority of its staff will be let go as of September end, except a small transition team that will remain through January 2026 to ensure closeout of operations.
Created by the U.S. Congress in 1967, the CPB distributed more than $500 million annually to the PBS, NPR and more than 1,500 locally operated public radio and television stations.

U.S. President Donald Trump and many of his fellow Republicans argue that financing public broadcasting is an unnecessary expense and that its news coverage suffers from an anti-right bias.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/corporation-public-broadcasting-close-after-funding-cut-blow-local-media-2025-08-01/

The Embassy of India in Ireland on Friday advised Indian nationals to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours.

In the advisory issued on X, the Embassy noted the rise in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently. The Embassy also shared its contact details, including email and mobile number, for Indian nationals.

“There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently. The Embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned of Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours,” the Indian Embassy in Ireland posted on X.

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#MEAIndia @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/RBmnRd4ZEs

— India in Ireland (Embassy of India, Dublin) (@IndiainIreland) August 1, 2025

The advisory from the Indian Embassy comes after an Indian national was violently assaulted in Tallaght – a southwestern outer suburb of Dublin, on July 26. Following the incident, the Indian Embassy in Ireland said on Wednesday that it is in touch with the victim and the victim’s family and is providing all assistance.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Ireland had stated, “Regarding the recent incident of physical attack on an Indian national that happened in Tallaght, Dublin, the Embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistances are being offered. Embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard.”

An Garda Siochana, Ireland’s national police and security service, had also launched a probe after a man was violently assaulted and partially stripped by a group of attackers in Tallaght. The man, who is in his 40s, and originally from India, was injured after he was set upon and severely beaten by a group of young men before passersby came to his rescue. His trousers were also removed by the attackers, The Irish Times reported.

According to the Irish media, the attack was being probed as a possible hate crime. The group had falsely accused the man of acting inappropriately around children. These claims were later shared on the internet, including by prominent far-right and anti-immigrant accounts.

The police authorities said that the man was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with injuries and discharged from the hospital. Investigators believe some of the attackers have conducted other unprovoked attacks on foreign nationals in the Tallaght area recently.

Paul Murphy, a People Before Profit TD for the area, condemned the attack on the man and said that it’s “horrifying to see a vicious attack like this happen in our neighbourhood.”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/india-issues-advisory-after-attack-on-citizens-in-ireland-tallaght-take-precautions-9004089

 

When he began his trade war, President Donald Trump said his goal was to bring American jobs and manufacturing back to the US, reduce trade deficits and create a more level playing field for American companies competing globally.

But after months of negotiations and many countries’ refusal to meet America’s demands, his strategy has taken a more punitive turn.

US companies have been here before.

Under Trump’s first administration, when he imposed tariffs on Chinese exports, they scrambled to limit their exposure to Beijing, with many shifting production to Vietnam, Thailand and India to avoid higher levies.

But his battery of new tariffs does not spare any of these economies. Stocks saw a sell-off, with benchmark indexes in Taiwan and South Korea in the red on Friday.

Both countries are central to Asia’s sprawling electronics production.

The details are still hazy, but US firms from Apple to Nvidia will likely be paying more for their supply chains – they source critical components from several Asian countries and assemble devices in the region.

Now they are on the hook – for iPhones, chips, batteries, and scores of other tiny components that power modern lives.

It’s not good news for Asian economies that have grown and become richer because of exports and foreign investment – from Japanese cars to South Korean electronics to Taiwanese chips.

Soaring demand for all these goods fuelled trade surpluses with Washington over the years – and has driven President Trump’s charge that Asian manufacturing has been taking American jobs away.

In May, Trump told Apple CEO Tim Cook: “We put up with all the plants you built in China for years… we are not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves.”

Apple earns roughly half its revenue by selling iPhones that are manufactured in China, Vietnam and India.

The tech giant reported bumper earnings for the three months to June, hours before Trump’s tariff announcement on Thursday night, but now the future looks more uncertain.

Chief executive Tim Cook told analysts on a conference call that tariffs had already cost Apple $800m (£600m) in the previous quarter, and may add $1.1bn in costs to the next quarter.

Tech companies typically plan years ahead, but Trump’s unpredictable tariff policy has paralysed businesses.

Amazon’s online marketplace, for instance, is just as dependent on China for what it sells in the US.

But it’s not yet clear what rates Chinese imports into the US could face because Beijing has yet to strike a deal with Washington – it has until 12 August to do so.

Before they agreed to de-escalate, the two sides imposed tit-for-tat tariffs that reached a staggering 145% on some goods.

But it’s no longer just about China.

On Thursday, Mr Cook said that most iPhones sold in the US now come from India. But Trump has just levelled a 25% tariff on Indian imports, after Delhi was unable to clinch a deal in time.

Other firms chose to re-route their goods bound for the US through Vietnam and Thailand after the tariffs in Trump’s first term. It became so common that it was called the “China+1” strategy. But this time, these trans-shipped goods are also being targeted.

In fact, trans-shipping has been a big part of the US negotiations with Asian countries. Vietnamese imports face a 20% US levy but trans-shipped goods face 40%, according to Trump.

It’s harder still for advanced manufacturing like semiconductors – more than half of the world’s chips, and most of its advanced ones, come from Taiwan. It is now subject to a 20% tariff.

Chips are the backbone of Taiwan’s economy, but also central to US efforts to gain a technological lead over China. So it is another US company, Nvidia, that will pay steep levies to put advanced chips by Taiwan’s TSMC inside its AI products.

But perhaps the biggest casualty of Trump’s tariffs could well be Asia’s e-commerce giants – as well as the American companies that rely on Chinese sellers and marketplaces.

In a surprise move this week, Trump ditched the “de minimis” rule which exempted parcels under $800 from customs duties.

He first did this in May, targeting such parcels from China and Hong Kong – and this was a blow for retailers like Shein and Temu, whose huge success has come from online sales in the West.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ykd997kjjo

In late July, lawyer Indira Jaising mounted a challenge against the legal age for having sex in India – which is 18 years – in the Supreme Court, renewing conversations around the criminalisation of teen sex.

Ms Jaising argued that consensual sex between 16 and 18-year-olds is neither exploitative nor abusive and urged the court to exempt it from criminal prosecution.

“The purpose of age-based laws is to prevent abuse, not to criminalise consensual, age-appropriate intimacy,” Ms Jaising has said in her written submissions to the court.

But the federal government has opposed this, saying that introducing such an exemption would jeopardise the safety and protection of children (persons under the age of 18, according to Indian laws), opening them up to abuse and exploitation.

The case has re-ignited debate around consent and whether Indian laws, especially the country’s main law against child sexual abuse – Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 or Pocso – should be altered to introduce a provision exempting 16 to 18 year-olds having consensual sex from their ambit.

Child rights activists say exempting teens protects their autonomy, while opponents warn it could fuel crimes like trafficking and child marriage.

Experts question whether teens can bear the burden of proof if abused. More importantly, who decides the age of consent laws – and whose interests do they truly serve?

Like many countries, India has struggled to set its age of sexual consent. Unlike the US, where it varies by state, India enforces a uniform age nationwide.

India’s legal age for having sex is also much higher than most European countries, or places like UK and Canada, where it is 16.

It was 10 years when India’s criminal code was enacted in 1860 and was increased to 16 in 1940 when the code was amended.

Pocso introduced the next major change, pushing the “age of consent” to 18 years in 2012. A year later, India’s criminal laws were amended to reflect this change and the country’s new criminal code, introduced in 2024, has adhered to this revised age.

But over the past decade or so, many child rights activists and even courts have taken a critical view of the country’s legal age to have sex and have called for it to be lowered to 16 years.

They say the law criminalises consensual teen relationships and is often misused by adults to control or block relationships – especially those of girls.

Sex remains a taboo topic in the country even though studies have shown that millions of Indian teenagers are sexually active.

“As a society, we’re also divided along caste, class and religious lines, which makes the [age of consent] law even more susceptible to misuse,” says Sharmila Raje, co-founder of Foundation for Child Protection-Muskaan, a non-profit working to prevent child sexual abuse for over two decades.

In 2022, the Karnataka High court directed India’s Law Commission – an executive panel that advices the government on legal reform – to rethink the age of consent under Pocso, “so as to take into consideration the ground realities”.

It noted several cases where girls over 16 fell in love, eloped, and had sex, only for the boy to be charged with rape and abduction under Pocso and criminal law.

In its report the following year, the Law Commission ruled out lowering the age of consent, but recommended “guided judicial discretion” during sentencing in cases involving “tacit approval” from children aged 16 to 18 years, meaning where the relationship has been consensual.

Though this is yet to be implemented, courts across the country have been using this principle to allow for appeals, grant bail, make acquittals and even quash cases after taking into consideration the facts of the case and the victim’s testimony.

Many child rights activists, including Ms Raje, urge this provision be codified to standardise enforcement; left as a suggestion, courts may ignore it.

In April, the Madras High Court overturned the acquittal in a case where the 17-year-old victim was in a relationship with the 23-year-old accused and the two eloped after the victim’s parents arranged her marriage to another man. The accused was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

“The court adopted a literal interpretation of the Pocso Act,” Shruthi Ramakrishnan, a researcher at Enfold Proactive Health Trust – a child rights charity – noted in her column in The Indian Express newspaper, calling it a “grave miscarriage of justice”.

Ms Jaising argues that judicial discretion at sentencing isn’t enough, as the accused still faces lengthy investigations and trials.

India’s judicial system is infamously slow with millions of cases pending across all court levels. A research paper by India Child Protection Fund found that as of January 2023, nearly 250,000 Pocso cases were pending in special courts set up to try these cases.

“The process is the punishment for many,” Ms Jaising notes.

“A case-by-case approach leaving it to the discretion of judges is also not the best solution as it can result in uneven results and does not take into account the possibility of bias,” she adds.

She urges the court to add a “close-in-age exception” for consensual sex between 16- and 18-year-olds in Pocso and related laws. This “close-in-age exception” would prevent consensual acts between peers in that age group from being treated as crimes.

Lawyer and child rights activist Bhuwan Ribhu warns that a blanket exception could be misused in cases of kidnapping, trafficking, and child marriage. He advocates judicial discretion paired with a justice system overhaul.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgely5d84jo

Joe Biden’s allies are prepared to “escalate” and reveal unflattering stories about Kamala Harris should the former vice president decide to talk about the former president’s cognitive decline, according to a veteran political journalist.

The stories about Harris’ tenure as Biden’s No. 2 are “Palinesque,” 2WAY’s Mark Halperin said Friday, a reference to former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

“I will tell you, and this has never been reported, barely at all: if the Biden people decide that Kamala is coming after Joe Biden, wait till you hear the ‘Palinesque’ stories about how much they tried to help her be prepared to be vice president and be in a position to run. And how much they decided, ‘Not happening. She’s not up to this,’” Halperin said on “The Morning Meeting” show.

In the aftermath of late Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) loss to former President Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, leaks from campaign staffers suggested that Palin, McCain’s running mate, was woefully unprepared for the job.

In one infamous report, campaign staffers claimed that Palin did not know Africa was a continent and that she could not name the three countries that formed the North American Free Trade Agreement – the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“If the Biden people feel threatened, you will hear stories about Kamala Harris as vice president that will not make her look good,” Halperin said.

“So there’s a closeness to the couples,” he added. “It’s not like they’re at war currently, but I’m telling you, if Joe Biden feels threatened, if his people feel threatened by her, this is gonna escalate in a big way.”

Halperin argued that Harris would have a “hard time defending against the stories if that dam bursts.”

Journalists Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper detail some of the frustrations Biden loyalists had with the VP in their recent book, “Original Sin.”

In the book, Harris was described as a “regular headache” for the White House, according to Biden people.

“She often shied away from politically tough assignments when Biden had accepted such assignments as vice president,” the authors write. “She even turned down seemingly simple asks, such as headlining DC’s Gridiron Club dinner.“

“Many on the Biden team felt that Harris didn’t put in the work and was also just not a very nice person,” according to the book. “Several quietly expressed buyer’s remorse: They should have picked [Michigan Gov. Gretchen] Whitmer” as Biden’s running mate in 2020.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/08/01/us-news/biden-people-prepared-to-unload-palinesque-stories-about-kamala-harris-if-she-discusses-his-cognitive-decline-report/

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta gave a 24-year-old artificial intelligence whiz a staggering $250 million compensation package, raising the bar in the recruiting wars for top talent — while also raising questions about economic inequality in an AI-dominated future.

Matt Deitke, who recently dropped out of a computer science doctoral program at the University of Washington, initially turned down Zuckerberg’s “low-ball” offer of approximately $125 million over four years, according to the New York Times.

But when the Facebook founder, a former whiz kid himself, met with Deitke and doubled the offer to roughly $250 million — with potentially $100 million paid in the first year alone — the young researcher accepted what may be one of the largest employment packages in corporate history, the Times reported.

“When computer scientists are paid like professional athletes, we have reached the climax of the ‘Revenge of the Nerds!’” Professor David Autor, an economist at MIT, told The Post on Friday.

Deitke’s journey illustrates how quickly fortunes can be made in AI’s limited talent pool.

After leaving his doctoral program, he worked at Seattle’s Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, where he led the development of Molmo, an AI chatbot capable of processing images, sounds, and text — exactly the type of multimodal system Meta is pursuing.

In November, Deitke co-founded Vercept, a startup focused on AI agents that can autonomously perform tasks using internet-based software. With approximately 10 employees, Vercept raised $16.5 million from investors including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

His groundbreaking work on 3D datasets, embodied AI environments and multimodal models earned him widespread acclaim, including an Outstanding Paper Award at NeurIPS 2022. The award, one of the highest accolades in the AI research community, is handed out to around a dozen researchers out of more than 10,000 submissions.

The deal to lock up Deitke underscores Meta’s aggressive push to compete in artificial intelligence.

Meta has reportedly paid out more than $1 billion to build an all-star roster, including luring away Ruoming Pang, former head of Apple’s AI models team, to join its Superintelligence Labs team with a compensation package reportedly worth more than $200 million.

The company said capital expenditures will go up to $72 billion for 2025, an increase of approximately $30 billion year-over-year, in its earnings report Wednesday.

While proponents argue that competition drives innovation, critics worry about the concentration of power among a few companies and individuals capable of shaping AI’s development.

Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor of Information Studies and Design/Media Arts at UCLA and founder of the university’s Digital Cultures Lab, said the direction that companies like Meta are taking with artificial intelligence is “foundational to why our economy is becoming more unequal by the day.”

“These firms are awarding hundreds of millions of dollars to a handful of elite researchers while simultaneously laying off thousands of workers—many of whom, like content moderators, are not even classified as full employees,” Srinivasan told the New York Post.

“These are the very jobs Meta and similar companies intend to replace with the AI systems they’re aggressively developing.”

Srinivasan, who advises US policymakers on technology policy and has written extensively on the societal impact of AI, said this model of development rewards those advancing large language models while “displacing and disenfranchising the workers whose labor, ironically, generated the data powering those models in the first place.”

“This is cognitive task automation,” he said. “It’s HR, administrative work, paralegal work — even driving for Uber. If data can be collected on a job, it can be mimicked by a machine. All of those forms of income are on the chopping block.”

Asked whether universal basic income might address mass displacement, Srinivasan, who hosts the Utopias podcast, called it “highly insufficient.”

“Yes, UBI gives people money, but it doesn’t address the fundamental issue: no one is being paid for the data that makes these AI systems possible,” he said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/08/01/business/meta-pays-250m-to-lure-24-year-old-ai-whiz-kid-we-have-reached-the-climax-of-revenge-of-the-nerds/

US President Donald Trump has announced reciprocal tariffs on countries as the August 1 deadline came to an end. The administration has stuck to the 25% tariff on India. However, the “additional penalties”, which Trump had threatened to impose on India for doing business with Russia, remains unclear.

Pakistan, which announced a deal with the US on Thursday, has received a 19% tariff rate, while Bangladesh’s rate, which earlier stood at 35%, has been brought down to 20%. Pakistan was earlier hit with a 29% reciprocal tariff in April.

“These modifications shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time 7 days after the date of this order,” the White House statement said.

This means that the tariffs will take effect on August 7. White House officials told CNBC-TV18 exclusively that this should not be treated as an extension but just more time for the customs department to prepare their systems accordingly to collect the new tariffs.

In an interaction with CNBC on Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the entire trade team is frustrated with India, as it has not been a great global actor due to its dealings with China.

The US has also decided to impose a 20% tariff on Taiwan, 19% each on Cambodia and Thailand, a 30% tariff on South Africa, and a 15% tariff on Turkey. The Trump administration has also imposed a 15% tariff on Israel and South Korea, along with a 39% tariff on Switzerland, which has triggered a fall in the Swiss Franc against the US Dollar.

Canada’s tariffs have also been raised to 35% from 25% earlier, after the country decided to recognise Palestine as an independent state. However, the goods compliant under the US-Mexico-Canada agreement have been exempt.

Source : https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/donald-trump-reciprocal-tariffs-india-pakisan-bangladesh-trade-deficit-deadline-impact-19646986.htm

First comes love…

Alec and Hilaria Baldwin are drumming up baby speculation after sharing a weird foot rubbing video with fans.

The “30 Rock” actor, 67, and his wife, 41, already share seven children, but the affectionate footage left their followers believing there might be room for one more.

Taking to Instagram, Hilaria posted the video showing her seductively dancing on Alec to Celine Dion’s 1985 ballad “The Power of Love” as he sat in a chair.

At one point, she sits near him and puts both of her feet on his chest.

Alec takes his wife’s cue and begins rubbing her tootsies.

“Foot rub time…makes sense to me 🤗,” the yoga instructor and author captioned the video.

Fans immediately flooded her post with comments warning her about what foot rubbing can lead to.

“Here comes baby #8!” one person noted. “He was looking like he was gonna make baby #8,” wrote another.

Another encouraging follower commented, “You promised him a life of fun after the storm, and you are delivering it like a boss,” alluding to their life after the 2021 fatal shooting of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Others questioned why the couple, who wed in 2012, needed to put their PDA on social media.

“Not sure why you need all this attention. It’s too much!” one wrote under the video.

Hilaria stood by her husband in the wake of the tragedy that took place on the Santa Fe, New Mexico, set of his Western movie.

Alec initially faced charges of involuntary manslaughter after it was revealed that the loaded prop gun he was holding during rehearsals went off.

Hutchins and the film’s director, Joel Souza, were hit.

She died shortly after, but Souza survived.

The involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec were dismissed in July 2024 after a judge found that the prosecution had withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense.

Just over a month ago, Alec and several fellow “Rust” producers reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit brought on by three crew members who claim they were traumatized by the events that took place on set that day.

The actor always maintained his innocence, with his wife never straying from his side.

In February, Hilaria revealed that Alec is “always asking” her for more kids.

“I don’t really want one, but every now and then, when the baby gets older and grows up to be about 2, I look at [Hilaria] and I go, ‘Time to have another,’” Alec confessed shortly after.

While Hilaria agreed that their children were “really cute,” she admitted, “My body’s really tired.”

While they have seven together, he has his firstborn, daughter, Ireland Baldwin, 29, from his first marriage to actress Kim Basinger.

The two were married from 1993 to 2002.

He’s also a dad to his kids with Hilaria: Carmen, 11, Rafael, 10, Leonardo, 9, Romeo, 7, twins Eduardo and María, 4, and Ilaria, 2.

Hilaria and Alec have also experienced pregnancy loss.

Before having her two youngest babies, the podcaster wrote in a 2021 Instagram post: “After 5 babies out of my body, 3 chemical pregnancies, 1 miscarriage at 9 weeks, one at 4 months and a round of ivf, resulting in Marilu — my body has gone on quite a journey for the family we have.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/07/31/entertainment/alec-and-hilaria-baldwin-spark-baby-8-rumors-with-foot-rubbing-video/

A baby boy has been born to an Ohio couple from an embryo that was frozen for more than 30 years, reportedly setting a new world record.

Lindsey, 35, and Tim Pierce, 34, welcomed their son, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, on Saturday. Ms Pierce told MIT Technology Review her family thought “it’s like something from a sci-fi movie”.

It is believed to be longest that an embryo has been frozen before resulting in a successful live birth. The previous record-holder was a pair of twins who were born in 2022 from embryos frozen in 1992.

The Pierces had tried to have a child for seven years before they decided to adopt the embryo Linda Archerd, 62, made with her then-husband in 1994 through IVF.

At the time, Ms Archerd initially created four embryos. One became her now-30-year-old daughter, and the other three were left in storage.

Despite separating from her husband, she did not want to get rid of the embryos, donate them for research or give them to another family anonymously.

She said it was important that she was involved with the baby, as they would be related to her adult daughter.

Ms Archerd paid thousands of dollars a year for storage until she found a Christian embryo adoption agency, Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which runs a programme known as Snowflakes. Many of these agencies consider their programmes to be saving lives.

The programme used by Ms Archerd allows donors to choose a couple, meaning they can state religious, racial and nationality preferences.

Ms Archerd’s preference was for a married Caucasian, Christian couple living in the US, as she didn’t want to “go out of the country”, she told MIT Technology Review.

She ultimately matched with the Pierces.

The IVF clinic in Tennessee at which the couple underwent the procedure, Rejoice Fertility, said its aim was to transfer any embryo it received, no matter the age or conditions.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wne86ex9qo

Top White House officials told a group of rare earths firms last week that they are pursuing a pandemic-era approach to boost U.S. critical minerals production and curb China’s market dominance by guaranteeing a minimum price for their products, five sources familiar with the plan told Reuters.
The previously unreported July 24 meeting was led by Peter Navarro, President Donald Trump’s trade advisor, and David Copley, a National Security Council official tasked with supply chain strategy. It included ten rare earths companies plus tech giants Apple (AAPL.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O), and Corning (GLW.N), which all rely on consistent supply of critical minerals to make electronics, the sources said.

Navarro and Copley told the meeting that a floor price for rare earths extended to MP Materials (MP.N), earlier this month as part of a multibillion-dollar investment by the Pentagon was “not a one-off” and that similar deals were also in the works, the sources said.
U.S. critical minerals firms, which complain that China’s market dominance makes investing in mining projects risky, have long sought a federally backed price guarantee.
Rare earths, a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion, and other critical minerals are used widely across the electronics sector, including the manufacture of cell phones and weapons.

The officials detailed Trump’s desire to quickly boost U.S. rare earths output – through mining, processing, recycling and magnet production – in a manner that would evoke the speed of 2020’s Operation Warp Speed, which developed the COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year.
Navarro confirmed the meeting to Reuters. He said the administration aims to “move in ‘Trump Time,’ which is to say as fast as possible while maintaining efficiency” to remedy perceived vulnerabilities in the U.S. critical minerals industry. Navarro did not comment on whether he mentioned the price floor at the meeting.
“Our goal is to build out our supply chains from mines to end use products across the entire critical mineral spectrum, and the companies assembled at the meeting have the potential to play important roles in this effort,” Navarro said.

China – the world’s largest producer of rare earths for more than 30 years – halted exports in March as part of a trade spat with Washington that showed some signs of easing late last month, even as the broader tensions remain.
Beyond the price floor, Navarro and Copley advised attendees to avail themselves of existing government financial support, including billions of dollars worth of incentives in Trump’s tax and spending bill approved on July 4, the sources said.
Copley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple signed a supply deal with MP after the Pentagon’s investment this month. At the Washington meeting, Navarro and Copley said Trump would like to see more tech companies invest in the rare earths sector, either through seed investing or by making buyouts, all of the sources said.

Apple and Corning did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Microsoft declined to comment.

EXPORT BAN REQUEST

While the attendees asked Navarro to support a ban on exports of equipment containing rare earth magnets to spur domestic recycling, Navarro told them he would push for that only after the U.S. rare earths industry is more developed so as not to prematurely give China leverage in the ongoing trade spat, according to the sources.
When asked about a potential ban, Navarro told Reuters: “All policy options are on the table. As President Trump loves to say, ‘Let’s see what happens.'”
Attendees included Phoenix Tailings, which is building a rare earths processing facility in New Hampshire, Momentum Technologies, which developed a modular battery and magnet recycling system, Vulcan Elements, which has built a pilot facility for rare earth magnets, and rare earths recyclers REEcycle and Cyclic Materials.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/land-use-biodiversity/trump-administration-expand-price-support-us-rare-earths-projects-sources-say-2025-07-31/

Hulk Hogan’s official cause of death has been revealed.

Page Six can exclusively confirm that the pro wrestling legend died from acute myocardial infarction — commonly known as a heart attack — which is when blood flow to the heart muscle is suddenly blocked, causing tissue damage, per the Pinellas County Forensic Science Center.

The document obtained by Page Six also shows Hogan had a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is a heart condition characterized by an irregular and often rapid heart rate.

Per the District Six Medical Examiner’s record, the former WWE superstar also had a history of leukemia CLL, a type of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes.

It does not appear that it was public knowledge that Hogan, born Terry Bollea, had ever battled cancer.

His manner of death was ruled natural. The Pinellas County Forensic Science Center provided the latest updates in a cremation summary approval report.

A spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office tells Page Six, “I am not aware when Mr. Bollea will be cremated, only that we received a request for cremation approval.”

On July 24, Hogan went into cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Fla., and was transported via ambulance to Morton Plant Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 71.

“Unfortunately, we must confirm that Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan, passed away this morning,” his reps told Page Six at the time. “We are heartbroken. He was such a great human being and friend.”

Hogan’s death came after weeks of speculation that his health was poor after he underwent a delicate neck surgery in May.

However, his wife, Sky Daily, tried to quiet the noise, reportedly writing via social media on July 12, “No, he’s definitely not in a coma! His heart is strong, and there was never any lack of oxygen or brain damage. None of those rumors are true.”

She then explained that Hogan had been “recovering from a major four-level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusin (ACDF), which is an intense surgery with a long and layered healing process.”

The fitness trainer concluded at the time, “He’s healing and we’re taking it one day at a time with love, strength, and patience.”

Hogan’s manager, Jimmy Hart, added via X on June 22, days before the wrestler died, “Hulk is doing great, doing phenomenal! Last night at karaoke with Nick [Hogan] was absolutely fantastic, baby!!!”

Since Hogan’s passing, his loved ones have issued public statements over the devastating loss.

Daily, 46, wrote via Instagram on July 25 that her heart was “in pieces,” adding, “This loss is sudden and impossible to process.”

Hogan’s son, Nick Hogan, also paid a tribute to his “best friend” via Instagram and wrote in part alongside a carousel of throwback photos, “This has been overwhelming and extremely difficult.”

The “Hogan Knows Best” alum was also present for the WWE’s televised memorial during “Monday Night Raw,” and was seen visibly moved by the occassion.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/07/31/celebrity-news/hulk-hogans-cause-of-death-revealed/

Eight men and 20 women between the ages of 21 and 61 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in vice-related offences, the police said on Thursday (Jul 31).

The 28 were arrested on Wednesday after the police and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted raids in the vicinity of Jalan Layang Layang, Pasir Panjang Road, Boon Lay Avenue, Craig Road, Jurong West Street 71, Beach Road, Tai Seng Avenue, Bencoolen Street, Kim Yam Road, Onan Road, Orchard Road and Jalan Kemaman.

During the operation, assets amounting to more than S$610,000 (US$470,000) comprising cash, funds in bank accounts, two luxury cars and 18 luxury watches, as well as two mobile phones, laptops and vice-related paraphernalia, were seized, police said.

Three men, aged between 30 and 45, will be charged in court on Friday under the Women’s Charter for allegedly facilitating the operation of the online vice syndicate.

Investigations against the other persons are ongoing.

The police said they will continue to take tough enforcement actions against those involved in syndicated vice activities and suspend activities that “threaten public safety, peace and good order of the community”.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/28-arrested-over-s610000-seized-in-police-raids-vice-related-activities-5270301

Demand for drugs, including weight-loss injections, is sending people to dangerous places to get their medicine. But spotting dodgy marketplaces is not easy.

Amid rising demand for popular medications, experts and industry groups are concerned regulators may not be able to keep pace with the speed of counterfeiters.

“A doctor simply writes down the prescription. They don’t care where the patient buys the drug,” said Saifuddin Ahmed, a public health practitioner and epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University in the US.

“It is critically important that a health care provider should be engaged. The [regulators are] not enough,” Ahmed told DW.

Nowhere else is the challenge more obvious than with the huge demand for products like Wegovy and Zepbound.

They contain active compounds called semaglutide or tirzepatide, which were originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes. But these drugs were found to have a side effect that triggered substantial, sustained weight loss.

Demand rose from people wanting to lose weight, and that caused a shortage. Fakes have filled the gap.

Fake drugs are a global problem

Drug counterfeiting is a major global problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one in 10 pharmaceuticals are fakes that carry no guarantee of any health benefits.

While this is mainly a problem in low-and-middle income countries, especially parts of Africa and Asia, around 1% of people in high-income nations also obtain medication from unregulated sources.

In some cases, these drugs may have no effect. In other cases, however, ingredients in the fake medication may lead to adverse reactions or create new health problems.

“Purchasing medicine online from unregulated, unlicensed sources can expose patients to potentially unsafe products that have not undergone appropriate evaluation or approval, or do not meet quality standards,” said the US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023, when it issued its first warnings about the problem.

In 2024, the WHO issued a global warning that batches of fake Ozempic were flooding the black market.

More recently, in July 2025, data from the UK National Pharmacy Association found one in five Britons had attempted to obtain weight loss treatments in the previous year.

It warned that the high demand for these medicines carried the risk that people would “resort to unregulated online suppliers instead of regulated pharmacies.”

Where are people buying counterfeit medicine?

Unregulated pharmaceuticals are being sold via online-only pharmacies, international drug shopping and organized criminal distributors.

These digital marketplaces are not online stores for established pharmacies, but sites that seemingly offer medicine at a fraction of the usual cost.

The drugs may look identical to genuine medicines online, but when delivered often have spelling errors on the packet or incorrect ingredient listings.

But it’s not only fake drugs or placebos. Regulators have raised concern about compounding, where medicines that have been approved individually can be formulated to produce non-regulated “compounds” for individual patients.

In some regions of the world, including the US, trained pharmacists are allowed to compound medicines, but even then, the practice is less regulated than the stringent approvals that drug manufacturers must meet to bring their products to market.

For example, when the FDA temporarily allowed the compounding of weight loss drugs to address a product shortage, some pharmacists used semaglutide salts — which are not approved by regulators — instead of semaglutide itself. This led to reports of side effects.

And it wasn’t just trained compounding pharmacies that were formulating these products in the US. Ahmed said, “this is done in [places] like gymnasiums and spas.”

The FDA has now stopped allowing compounded versions of these weight loss drugs, but it is concerned that unregulated online pharmacies are still making substandard products available.

Raising awareness about fake drugs

To address concerns that consumers may seek unsafe products from unregulated sources, the FDA operates a campaign called BeSafeRx that provides guidance for consumers to identify genuine pharmaceuticals.

In the European Union, safety features on medicines are mandated, and include standardized labeling practices. In a statement provided to DW, the European Medicines Agency said “patients should only use online retailers registered with the national competent authorities in the EU Member States, to reduce the risk of buying substandard or falsified medicines.”

Europol, which is responsible for law enforcement for pharmaceutical crime across member states, has coordinated regular actions across the bloc in collaboration with US and Colombian partners. In a 2023 operation, more than 1,284 people were charged for offenses related to the trafficking of counterfeit and misused medicines and doping substances.

As well as local awareness campaigns and enforcement initiatives, the key measure, Ahmed said, was to help improve awareness between patients and their health practitioners.

Ahmed heads the Johns Hopkins University’s BESAFE initiative, which investigates risks and interventions to prevent the uptake of substandard and counterfeit medication.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/fake-medication-is-a-problem-across-the-world/a-73485009

A flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam has been forced to divert after encountering severe turbulence. The Delta jet was diverted to Minneapolis with some passengers sent for hospital treatment.

Twenty-five people were hospitalized after a Delta airlines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam encountered severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis, the airline said late on Wednesday.

Flight DL56 landed safely at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport at around 7:25 p.m. local time, where it was met by paramedics and fire crews.

What do we know about Flight DL56?

According to the airport, the turbulence caused injuries onboard, prompting medical teams to treat passengers at the gate and transport 25 individuals to local hospitals for evaluation and care.

“We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved,” Delta said in a statement.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft experienced a sharp altitude change roughly 40 minutes into the flight, climbing more than 1,000 feet in under 30 seconds before descending about 1,350 feet in the next half-minute. The plane then diverted course toward Minneapolis, where it landed approximately 90 minutes later.

While serious injuries from in-flight turbulence are rare, scientists have said they may become more common as climate change alters atmospheric conditions.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/turbulence-forces-us-dutch-flight-to-land-dozens-injured/a-73477450

Ukrainian lawmakers have passed revised legislation to restore the independence of anti-corruption bodies. Meanwhile, eight people were killed and dozens injured in Russian airstrikes overnight.

The German foreign minister called the situation in Gaza “beyond imagination” and said Israel needs to show it is not pursuing a policy of expulsion and annexation. Meanwhile, a US special envoy prepares to visit Gaza.

VLADIMIR Putin’s crony has hit back at Donald Trump with a thinly veiled nuclear threat as relations continue to sour between Moscow and DC.

It comes as nine people, including a child, have been killed in Putin’s latest nightly blitz on Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev, who was Russian President between 2008 and 2012, has threatened America with nuclear annihilation in the tit-for-tat row with Trump.

He said: “If some words of the former Russian president [Medvedev] cause such a nervous reaction in the entire, formidable US president, then Russia is right in everything and will continue to go its own way.

“And about the “dead economy” of India and Russia and “entering dangerous territory” – well, let him remember his favorite films about the “walking dead”, as well as how dangerous a “dead hand” that does not exist in nature can be.”

Medvedev may be referring to Moscow’s “Dead Hand” nuclear weapons system which is designed to launch a retaliation strike even if the Kremlin leadership is wiped out.

It is not clear what Medvedev is talking about when he mentions Trump’s favourite film and the “walking dead”.

He responded after Trump took a shot at Russia and India complaining about trade and telling Medvedev to “watch his words”.

Trump said: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.

“We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.

“Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words.

“He’s entering very dangerous territory!”

Trump posted after the Russian had previously compared Trump to “Sleepy Joe” Biden and threatened war in his incendiary remarks.

He added: “Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war.

“Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!”

Tyrant Vlad continues to bomb Ukraine despite Trump’s shortened peace deadline quickly dwindling.

Some 107 people have been injured, including nine children, in the latest salvo of missiles and drones across Ukraine.

Seven were killed in Kyiv and 62 were injured there after Vlad sent eight Iskander-K cruise missiles and 309 Shahed drones with five hitting buildings directly, the armed forces said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video of burning ruins, saying people were still trapped under the rubble of one residential building.

He said: “Kyiv. Missile strike. Directly into a residential building. People under the rubble. All services are on site. Russian terrorists.”

The brave leader later added: “Today, the world once again saw Russia’s response to our desire for peace, shared with America and Europe.

“New, showcase killings. That is why peace without strength is impossible.”

Heartbreaking scenes saw rescuers carrying the dead child across the rubble of the collapsed nine-storey apartment building in the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv.

A report said Iskander-K cruise missiles with cluster warheads were used on Kyiv to “increase civilian casualties”.

Huge explosions could be seen across the Kyiv skyline overnight.

As dawn broke fires continued to burn while rescue workers surveyed the destroyed buildings.

Bombs also struck Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia.

The latest strike shows Putin has no intention of avoiding Trump’s ire and cutting a peace deal with Ukraine.

The US President has repeatedly said that the nightly bombing of civilians shows him Vlad isn’t serious about peace.

Trump’s shortened 10-day deadline could now see massive sanctions slapped on Russia or those who buy Moscow’s oil by August 8.

Putin is building up towards sending 1,000 drones and missiles at Ukraine a night.

The deadly blitzes are intended to sap morale and hammer civilian infrastructure.

But Trump has agreed to sell air defences to Ukraine and provide them with long range missiles to hit bombers, airstrips, and factories.

The continued salvos have only further deepened the war of words between Washington DC and Moscow.

Trump slammed tyrant Putin while visiting Scotland earlier this week as he has not taken Trump’s peace efforts seriously.

Trump said was “very disappointed” with him and said there was “no reason” to not implement sanctions earlier on Russia.

He has made getting peace in Ukraine a priority and has talked to Putin directly as he has tried to get him to cut a deal.

But the tyrant has not moved away from his maximalist demands and will only sign a deal that leaves Ukraine defenceless.

Vlad has spent months talking up the prospect of peace, but appears to have alienated Trump after launching huge barrages at Ukrainian civilians.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14872650/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-bombing/

APPLE’S latest ad has been mocked by bemused onlookers for resembling the male member.

The manhood gaffe was spotted on a billboard in Miami that was meant to show off the company’s creative tech features on iPhone and iPad.

It’s been shared by the company on Instagram too.

The ad is supposed to show a shark photo alongside a cartoon scuba diver.

However, the scuba diver has an oversized pointing finger that looks more like a penis.

Even local press put out a story asking: “Did Apple Put a Giant Phallic Symbol on I-95?”

The hilarious – and seemingly unintentional – move has caught the attention of the public for all the wrong reasons.

“Don’t tell me I’m the only one,” one stunned onlooker wrote on Reddit sharing an image of the billboard.

“Can’t believe it got through legal,” another commented.

“They saw it only up close and thought nothing of it,” a third joked.

The ad is meant to be part of a “shot on iPhone, drawn on iPad” campaign with work by several artists.

It’s not the first time Apple has raised eyebrows with ads.

Last year the tech giant caused controversy by airing a “crush” promo for the new iPad where numerous musical instruments, cameras, books, games and artwork were destroyed by a hydraulic press.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tech/14879859/hilarious-apple-gaffe-billboard-ad-rude/

Family members broke down in tears as they learned more about the tragedy during a congressional hearing on Thursday

THE pilots aboard the Black Hawk that collided with an American Airlines flight in January had a brief conversation seconds before the crash that appeared to suggest they were about to turn out of the plane’s path.

More disturbing details are coming to light about the crash that left all 67 people involved dead in Washington DC as the National Transportation Safety Board probes the tragedy.

The NTSB is conducting three days of hearings to try to determine what caused the collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport on January 29.

On Thursday, transportation officials released a transcript of everything that was said in the Black Hawk cockpit in the moments leading up to the crash.

In one fateful moment, the pilots discussed turning east toward the Washington DC bank ot the Potomac River, which could have avoided the tragedy entirely.

A voice recording was recovered from the helicopter that captured pilot instructor Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, speaking with his copilot, trainee Captain Rebecca M. Lobach, 28, The New York Times reported.

At one point, he said, “All right, kinda come left for me ma’am, I think that’s why he’s asking,” referring to the air traffic controller’s guidance.

“Sure,” replied Lobach, who was at the Black Hawk’s controls.

Eaves then said, “We’re kinda —” before abruptly stopping as Lobach said, “OK. Fine.”

“Out towards the middle,” Eaves finished.

Two seconds later, they crashed into the plane.

The disturbing transcript comes as the NTSB showed a new video from the end of the runway that captured the crash.

Before they played the video, the investigators paused and told family members they could leave the room or look away.

After viewing the haunting footage, some people in the audience broke down into heaving sobs as they clutched pictures of their gone-too-soon loved ones.

SECOND BY SECOND TIMELINE

About 15 seconds before the crash, the air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk if it could see the passenger plane, according to audio transcripts.

Three seconds after this, the controller told the helicopter to pass behind the American Airlines flight.

But while the controller said this, a Black Hawk crew member pressed their microphone and the message never came through.

The NTSB is investigating how the Army crew’s actions were able to completely stop transmissions.

The helicopter was piloted by trainee Captain Rebecca Lobach, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves, and Staff Sergeant Ryan O’Hara.

Choppers flying in that zone are only cleared to ascend to an altitude of 200 feet, but for some reason, the Black Hawk was hovering well above that.

Transportation officials testified Wednesday that the pilots may have been getting inaccurate readings because of an altimeter error.

During the rest of the 15-flight, the Army soldiers made small talk and laughed amongst themselves while Eaves guided.

At one point, Lobach described the radio transmissions from air traffic control as “pretty muffled.”

Nearly two and a half minutes before the crash, Eaves told his trainee to “come down for me” as they were flying at 300 feet instead of the approved 200.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14886623/washington-dc-plane-crash-black-hawk-pilot-conversation/

The incident took place at Green Mountain Park in the Hada area on July 31 and was recorded in disturbing clips that went viral on social media.

A terrifying video of a thrill ride collapsing mid-air at an amusement park near Taif, Saudi Arabia, has gone viral on social media.

The incident took place at Green Mountain Park in the Hada area on July 31 and has left at least 23 people injured, The Khaleej Times reports citing Saudi Arabia daily Okaz.

The footage shows riders enjoying the ‘360 Degrees’ ride—a pendulum-style attraction—swinging back and forth when the central support pole suddenly snaps in half. The arm of the ride crashes down with a deafening thud, sending people hurtling down while still strapped into their seats.

Witnesses at the scene reported that the pole broke with such force that its sharp recoil struck passengers seated on the opposite side. Others sustained wounds from the impact of the fall or from being thrown about as the ride collapsed.

According to Okaz, local hospitals in Taif were placed on high alert and declared a Code Yellow emergency. Medical teams treated victims at the scene before transferring them to hospitals for further care.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/horror-at-saudi-amusement-park-as-ride-snaps-mid-air-with-people-on-board-terrifying-video-2764289-2025-07-31

Social media has long been a search engine for thrill seekers planning out their next adventure off the beaten track.

But mountain rescue teams say some quests for picture perfect views are in fact putting lives at risk.

Call-outs for those under-25 have risen by 90% over the last five years, driven by TikTok and Instagram videos depicting “secret” beauty spots that are often remote and dangerous.

In one case, highlighted by BBC Wales’ SOS Extreme Rescues, a young couple used TikTok videos to research a trip to part of a north Wales world heritage site.

But it ended with Nathaniel and Charlie from Leeds “hanging on for dear life” – stranded high in a quarry on a crumbling cliff, with a storm blowing in.

“We use social media to see all these amazing places, and then we figure out how we are going to get to them,” said delivery driver Nathaniel, who met trainee nurse Charlie at the hospital where they both work.

“We wake up and say ‘Oh, we’re going here’. It’s just spontaneous all the time,” added Charlie.

They had headed out to Eryri National Park for a fresh adventure with two other friends, but Charlie was still unaware of the final destination.

“Nathaniel said they had something planned for us. They wouldn’t show us the TikTok, so it was a complete surprise,” said Charlie.

The surprise was hidden deep in the historic Dinorwig Quarry, in Gwynedd – which was the world’s second largest slate quarry when it was opened more than 200 years ago.

It is a maze of paths, tunnels and mines, all set on staggered gigantic terraces cut into the mountainside overlooking Llanberis on the edge of the national park.

It closed in 1969, and was named as part of a new Unesco World Heritage Site in 2021.

Most of the quarry is privately owned and officially off limits, with no public access.

It is dotted with warning signs, fences and locked gates.

But that has not stopped it becoming a magnet for adventurers, especially rock climbers.

Those well equipped and experienced sports enthusiasts have been generally tolerated in the quarry.

However, since the explosion in social media, the location has also been attracting thousands of less experienced visitors, often unaware of the dangers hiding in the old workings and mountains of slate debris.

Only recently, a massive rock slide in the quarry was captured on camera, as thousands of tonnes of slate rock peeled away from one of the faces on a terrace near to where Nathaniel and Charlie were headed.

“When we got there, there was like a lagoon, blue, crystal clear water. We saw loads of caves, and then we actually found the surprise, a hidden waterfall,” explained Charlie.

“It was so pretty.”

Nathaniel said they had climbed quite high into the quarry and were enjoying the day.

“Then, as we were getting down, that’s when everything went really bad,” he said.

“Everything that we were standing on was just crumbling away.

“I was like ‘Charlie, I can’t think of a way down, without one of us getting seriously injured’.”

While their two friends in the group did find a way out, Nathaniel and Charlie found themselves completely stranded.

They were left with only one option – to dial 999 and ask for help.

It led to the UK’s busiest mountain rescue team being called out to save them.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team tops the league for all call outs across Wales and England, with well over 300 rescue “shouts” in 2024.

“There was definitely the potential for them to injure themselves if they’d tried to move from where they were,” said team member Dave Murray.

Add to that a named storm was now making itself felt, the couple’s predicament was getting worse by the minute.

“We had 70mph winds. Bits of slate flicking up. We got little cuts on us from the wind blowing it at our faces,” said Nathaniel.

“We were in such an open area, it was freezing. Obviously scared – and we were holding on for dear life,” added Charlie.

But there was relief when the rescue team finally reached them, and used a series of rope relays to safely get them off the quarry cliff face.

“I’ve constantly got it on my head that I nearly killed my best friend,” said Nathaniel.

“I couldn’t find the words to apologise.”

According to Mountain Rescue England and Wales, the body overseeing rescue teams across the two nations, there has been an alarming leap in the number of call-outs for younger people.

In 2019, 166 calls involved those between the ages of 18 and 24.

Fast forward five years, and that figure stands at 314 – a 90% increase.

It has led mountain rescue teams to make repeated warnings about following social media posts, as they face the pressure to deal with mounting calls for help.

“I’ve seen videos of people who make it look easy. But somebody seeing that video – for them – it might be well beyond their limits,” said Llanberis Mountain Rescue’s Dave Murray, as in Nathaniel and Charlie’s case.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3jwzj2j74o

High-resolution imaging of tattoos found on a 2,500 year old Siberian “ice mummy” have revealed decorations that a modern tattooist would find challenging to produce, according to researchers.

The intricate tattoos of leopards, a stag, a rooster, and a mythical half-lion and half-eagle creature on the woman’s body shed light on an ancient warrior culture.

Archaeologists worked with a tattooist, who reproduces ancient skin decorations on his own body, to understand how exactly they were made.

The tattooed woman, aged about 50, was from the nomadic horse-riding Pazyryk people who lived on the vast steppe between China and Europe.

The scans revealed “intricate crisp and uniform” tattooing that could not be seen with the naked eye.

“The insights really drive home to me the point of how sophisticated these people were,” lead author Dr Gino Caspari from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Bern, told BBC News.

It is difficult to uncover detailed information about ancient social and cultural practices because most evidence is destroyed over time. It is even harder to get up close to the details of one person’s life.

The Pazyryk “ice mummies” were found inside ice tombs in the Altai mountains in Siberia in the 19th century, but it has been difficult to see the tattoos.

Now using near-infrared digital photography in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia experts have created high resolution scans of the decorations for the first time.

“This made me feel like we were much closer to seeing the people behind the art, how they worked and learned. The images came alive,” Dr Caspari said.

On her right forearm, the Pazyryk woman had an image of leopards around the head of a deer.

On the left arm, the mythical griffin creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle appears to be fighting with a stag.

“Twisted hind bodies and really intense battle scenes of wild animals are typical of the culture,” Dr Caspari said.

But the woman also had a rooster on her thumb, showing “an intriguing style with a certain uniqueness,” says Dr Caspari.

The team worked with researcher Daniel Riday who reproduces ancient tattoo designs on his body using historical methods.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted furiously to the announcement, saying the decision rewarded “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”.

What would it mean if recognition does go ahead, and what difference would it make?

Chile’s central and southern coastlines are facing erosion that could cause at least 10 beaches to disappear within a decade, according to a team of scientists in the South American country, which stretches for several thousand km (miles) along the Pacific Ocean.
“It will be very difficult for these beaches to survive the next 10 years,” said Carolina Martinez, director of the Coastal Observatory at Universidad Catolica, in an interview this month on the Renaca beach near the popular coastal city of Vina del Mar.

Her team has tracked erosion on 67 beaches, finding that 86% are steadily shrinking — even during spring and summer, when they typically recover.
Ten in particular, which already had high erosion in 2023, have continued to rapidly lose ground, with rates now about twice as high.
The causes are both natural and human-made, Martinez said.
She pointed to intense and increasingly frequent swells driven by climate change, along with rising sea levels, sudden downpours, and heat waves, as key factors. Unchecked urbanization and the degradation of river basins that supply sand to the coast have also contributed.

In Puerto Saavedra, in the southern region of Araucania, storm surges have carved sinkholes into roads and cliffs, cutting off access to some communities. The saltwater is damaging forests, too.
“We’re seeing cliffs and sandy shores retreating rapidly,” Martínez said.
Some local businesses in popular tourist towns are already feeling the impact. “Last year was brutal … the beach disappeared,” said Maria Harris, who owns a beachfront restaurant in Valparaiso. “There was no space between us and the sea.”

Source : https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/chiles-coastal-erosion-could-erase-10-beaches-within-decade-scientists-say-2025-07-30/