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Trump rips 2024 challengers: ‘Christie dead as his stomach band’ Former President Trump ripped some of his challengers for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, as he continues to enjoy a wide polling lead over the crowded field. “Vivek Ramaswamy is now beating DeSanctimonious,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Christie dead as his stomach band. ‘Aida’ Hutchinson a solid minus 1%. I’m up 44 points!!! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” Trump did not cite a specific poll, but a Kaplan Strategies poll released on Thursday showed the former president leading with 48 percent support among likely Republican voters, and conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy tied with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place, with 12 percent support. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie garnered 5 percent support in the poll, alongside South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence, while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley received 3 percent and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson came in at 1 percent. Trump has repeatedly mocked Christie for his weight, with Christie firing back last month: “Oh, like he’s some Adonis?” “Here’s my message to him,” Christie told Fox News’s Howard Kurtz. “I don’t care what he says about me, and I don’t care what he thinks about me. And he should take a look in the mirror every once in a while. Maybe he dropped the weight thing off of his list of criticisms.” While DeSantis has struggled to make up ground on Trump since launching his campaign in May, he maintains a sizable lead over the other Republican challengers. A polling average from FiveThirtyEight shows the Florida governor with an average of 20 percent support, followed by Pence with almost 7 percent and Ramaswamy with almost 6 percent. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
Gatwick Airport has submitted plans to make its “reserve runway” a second runway. It’s hardly surprising. The world’s busiest single runway airport has the worst punctuality of all European airports so far this summer, according to Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace. Converting the reserve runway, which is currently used for emergencies, would not only improve punctuality but also increase capacity by 60 per cent, enabling the airport to handle 75 million passengers a year, up from 46.5 million in 2019. It would also create 3,000 jobs and inject £1 billion a year into the local economy. But, if recent history is anything to go by, Gatwick’s majority owner, France’s Vinci Airports, which bought a controlling stake for £2.9 billion in 2019, might as well give up on the £2.2 billion expansion plans now. No new large runway has been opened in the south east for more than a generation – and growing opposition to airport expansion means none probably will. So says a former boss of Gatwick, Paul Griffiths, the Briton who now runs the world’s busiest international hub, Dubai international. “I see no realistic prospect of new runways at any of the major south-east hubs. Can you imagine any politician putting themselves in the crosshairs of Just Stop Oil and other environmental campaigners? The opposition in the courts, not to mention the disruption on the ground, over years and years would be far too politically costly.” It’s hard to disagree – if Heathrow’s recent history is anything to go by. Many airlines and politicians have been pressing for a third runway at the west London hub, Europe’s busiest, for decades to increase passenger capacity to 142 million a year, compared with 81 million in 2019. One was originally approved in 2003 but the coalition government led by David Cameron withdrew support in 2015 after an outcry by green campaigners – and Boris Johnson who promised to lie in front of the bulldozers. Theresa May’s government reversed that decision in 2018. Two years later the Court of Appeal ruled a third runway would be incompatible with Britain’s climate commitments. That decision was overturned by the Supreme Court later in the same year. Heathrow’s outgoing CEO, John Holland Kaye, has signalled the runway development will resume, telling the Financial Times he is looking into “what it would take to restart the planning process”. Few expect it to get beyond the drawing board. Other airport expansion schemes have come and gone. This year should have marked the tenth anniversary of the opening of a new runway at Stansted. That was the timetable envisaged under a review of airport capacity in 2003 by Alastair (now Lord) Darling, the then transport secretary. Nobody talks any more about Boris Island, the scheme the former prime minister and London mayor floated in 2016 to build a new airport in the Thames estuary. The biggest losers in our airport stagnation are passengers. Flight cancellations and delays are at record levels. This is partly down to airlines trimming their schedules in response to technical issues, staff shortages and strikes by air traffic controllers on the continent. But it’s also partly due to the fact that Heathrow operates at or near 100 per cent capacity, which means the moment operations are disrupted by, say, bad weather, the knock-on effect can be huge. On a typical day the airport handles 1,250 flights — around 70 an hour. One takes off or lands every 45 seconds. UK Plc is losing out, too. “If we don’t expand our only hub airport, we’re going to be flying through Paris to get to global markets,” says Holland-Kaye. Gatwick’s CEO, Stewart Wingate, agrees airport expansion is needed to “provide vital new international connections to support ‘Global Britain’.” Before the pandemic travel and tourism accounted for 11 per cent of the UK’s economy, or about £231 billion, and supported 4.2 million jobs. Rival European players have forged ahead to take advantage of Britain’s woes. Frankfurt International completed its fourth runway in 2011. Barcelona got a third in 2018 and Munich’s third is destined for completion in 2028. Germany and France have a far larger land mass than the UK and lower population density which makes it easier to develop airports. But there is also a greater political appetite for big infrastructure projects. “We’ve been a bit lily-livered in the UK,” says Griffiths. “We haven’t had the political stomach for lots of the debates. Look how long it has taken to get the HS2 fast rail link approved and even now we don’t know where it will end up in the north and whether it will end in Euston in London. Compare that to the way France has completed its TGV fast train network.” There are other reasons for Britain’s airport stagnation, some of which might not be immediately obvious. While you might think that airlines would welcome new runways, not all do. British Airways has half the takeoff and landing slots at Heathrow – a highly profitable near-monopoly – which it would lose if there were a third runway. The same applies to Ryanair which dominates Stansted. Is there any hope? Heathrow could become more efficient with a new terminal. Surinder Arora, the founder and chairman of the Arora Group, one of the UK’s largest private hotel owner-operators, wants to build a new Terminal 6 on land between T5 and the M25 motorway. “Heathrow and UK Plc need more airport capacity to stay ahead of Dubai, Singapore and Frankfurt,” he says. He is committed to spending £100m on plans for the proposed Western Hub and has hired consultants Scott Brownrigg. Quieter aircraft might mean Heathrow’s curfew time, which currently runs from around 11pm to 6am, could be reduced, increasing the number of flights each day. New long-haul, fuel-efficient twin engine jets can, for the first time, connect almost any two points on the planet. Airlines are moving away from hub and spoke models to direct point to point services. This raises the prospect of more flights from Britain’s regional airports to more destinations worldwide, taking the pressure off London’s hubs. Birmingham could even expand. It has enough land for a second runway and very fast rail links to London, Griffiths suggests. Before long passengers arriving in Britain may hear the words: Welcome to London Birmingham!	Not_Explicit
How the U.S. should navigate its contentious relationship with China and counter its growing influence will be a prominent foreign policy topic in the 2024 presidential election. Republicans say the Biden administration's response to China — widely viewed as the greatest geopolitical threat to the U.S. — has been inadequate. Most have not explicitly laid out their own plans on how to deal with China. But many GOP candidates size up tensions between the U.S. and China in terms that are similar to Democrats, viewing the relationship as a potential new Cold War, though most also note the rivalry between the two countries is still less contentious than the U.S.-Soviet Untion relationship was. Some have called for the decoupling of the U.S. and China economies, while others say a move that drastic is not realistic. Candidates have also hesitated to answer whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, should any of them be elected president. The U.S. posture toward Taiwan is one of "strategic ambiguity," although under the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. would help equip Taiwan, so that it could defend itself against attack. Here's what the 2024 GOP presidential candidates have said about China: Donald Trump Former President Donald Trump has escalated his anti-China policies from his last campaign by essentially arguing for the decoupling of the U.S. and Chinese economies. He has proposed universal baseline tariffs, revoking China's Most Favored Nation trade status and phasing out all Chinese imports of essential goods within four years. Trump has also proposed barring U.S. companies from investing in China, banning China from buying U.S. farmland and revoking federal contracts to companies that outsource to China. Trump's campaign says the plan will allow the U.S. to "reclaim our economic independence from China." The former president began his first term in the White House by starting a trade war with China, imposing tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods. His Justice Department also launched the controversial China Initiative, which sought to crack down on Chinese economic espionage. During the 2024 campaign he vowed to ramp up efforts to stop China from spying on the U.S., saying "a reformed FBI and Justice Department will be hunting down Chinese spies" and new visa and travel restrictions will "shut off Chinese access to American secrets." While Trump has taken a tough tone toward China, he has also made admiring statements about its authoritarian leader, Xi Jinping. Even after his presidency, Trump has continued to praise Xi, saying at a town hall in July, "Think of President Xi: Central casting. Brilliant guy. You know, when I say he's brilliant, everyone says, 'Oh, that's terrible' ... Well, he runs 1.4 billion people with an iron fist. Smart, brilliant, everything perfect. There's nobody in Hollywood like this guy." During an interview with Fox News on July 16, Trump declined to say whether the U.S. should help defend Taiwan from an attack from China if it meant the U.S. would be at war with China. "If I answered that question it will put me in a very bad negotiating position," he said before accusing Taiwan of taking away semiconductor business from the U.S. Ron DeSantis Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has portrayed U.S.-China tensions as a new Cold War. "If you look at where we are at this juncture in the 21st century, what the Soviet Union was to us, that's really what China represents in terms of the threat to the free world," he said during an interview with Nikkei Asia in April. "In many respects, the Chinese Communist Party is stronger than what the Soviet Union was, certainly economically." He has vowed to revoke China's preferential trade status if he is elected president. Under his leadership, he would also "project power" to deter China from invading Taiwan, but he has avoided answering whether the U.S. would send forces to defend the self-governing island, which China wants to bring under its control. As Florida governor, DeSantis signed several bills into law, including banning Chinese purchases of farmland and land near U.S. military bases and critical infrastructure in the state, and blocking TikTok on government devices and school networks. In doing so, he said the Chinese Communist Party is the "greatest geopolitical threat" to the U.S. Nikki Haley Nikki Haley, who served as former President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, has criticized Trump's approach to China as being too "singularly focused" on trade while he was in the White House. In a June 27 policy speech on China, she said the Chinese military was "stronger" at the end of Trump's presidency and he showed "moral weakness" in trying to befriend Chinese President Xi Jinping. She criticized President Biden for continuing to "dither" as China "is preparing its people for war." "Communist China is an enemy," she said. "It is the most dangerous foreign threat we've faced since the Second World War." Laying out what her policy toward China would look like, Haley said her administration would respond domestically, economically and militarily. Her proposals include pushing Congress to stop trade relations with China until the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. ends, revoking federal funding for universities who accept money from China and ending the export of sensitive military technology. She said she would not allow China to buy land in the U.S. and would force it to sell land it already owns. Haley also wants to ban all lobbying from the Chinese Communist Party, as well as prevent former members of Congress and military leaders from lobbying on China's behalf. Haley argues the U.S. needs to quickly strengthen its military while deepening military ties with Japan, South Korea and Australia, and create stronger relationships with India and the Philippines. On Taiwan, Haley said the U.S. and its allies should give it "everything it needs to defend itself" and maintain a strong naval presence in the Taiwan Strait. The U.S. can force China to rethink an invasion of Taiwan by quickly giving Ukraine the weapons and training it needs to fight off Russia's invasion, she said. "If we rally now, the Chinese Communist Party will eventually end up on the ash-heap of history, like the Soviet Communist Party," Haley said. Chris Christie Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wants the U.S. to take "a totally new approach" to China, which could include tariffs. Like other candidates, Christie believes the competition the U.S. faces with China is more serious than the threat from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. "I'm not saying that we should isolate China. It's impossible. They're the second largest economy in the world. They have billions of people," Christie told voters in June. "But we have given into their demands of saying, 'We're a developing country. We need more advantages.' Guess what, the development is over. You're now nearly our equal, if not our equal, in many ways. So you know what? Now we compete with each other on an equal basis." He also views Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a proxy war between the U.S. and China, and has said it's important that the U.S. keep supporting Ukraine to deter China from invading Taiwan. Vivek Ramaswamy Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy's China policy focuses on reducing U.S. economic dependence on the country. His plan includes "tough measures to counter China's unfair trade practices," protecting intellectual property and investing in American innovation and technological advancements such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. He has said U.S. relations with other Asian nations, particularly India, are critical to helping the U.S. "declare independence from our top enemy." "We're cutting the cord unless you drastically reform," Ramaswamy said of how he plans to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping. "No more IP theft. No more data theft. No more turning our companies into pawns to lobby here as a condition for them being able to do business in China. We're cutting the cord. You will not buy land in this country if you're affiliated with the CCP. You will not donate to a university in this country. A U.S. business will not expand into China unless and until the CCP meets our demands or falls." Ramaswamy also wants to "drive a wedge" between China and Russia, which would make Xi "think twice" about invading Taiwan if he doesn't have another nuclear superpower backing him. "That's how we deter Chinese aggression without going to war," he said. "That's the hallmark of my foreign policy vision." Ramaswamy supports arming Taiwan against China. Tim Scott South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott views China as an economic adversary that is only becoming stronger. His plan to confront China if elected president includes reducing the U.S. national debt held by China and prohibiting the Chinese Communist Party from buying farmland in the U.S., donating to American universities, infiltrating U.S. airspace and collecting Americans' personal data. He has called China "the biggest threat to America's security" and has vowed to rebuild the U.S. military. Scott has declined so far to say how he would respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan, but he said in June that "we must stand shoulder to shoulder with the Taiwanese government and the military when it comes to defending what we believe is our ally." Mike Pence During a speech on China in 2021, former Vice President Mike Pence warned that the Chinese Communist Party poses a greater threat to U.S. interests than the Soviet Union did during the Cold War — not only because of its authoritarian regime, but also because of the extent to which U.S. and Chinese business interests are intertwined. "Beijing has exploited modern corporate America's insatiable appetite for market access and coerced top CEOs, athletes and entertainers into not only withholding criticism from the communist regime, but in many cases actively singing their praises," Pence said. "Imagine if during the Cold War, the USSR also happened to be America's top trading partner. Imagine if the United States was dependent on Moscow for life-saving medical equipment or the rare earth minerals essential to modern technology. Imagine your favorite household brands in directly funding Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, building the Berlin Wall or financing the construction of gulags in Siberia," Pence said, expanding the Cold War comparison. He proposed a number of policy recommendations in the speech, including putting pressure on China to reveal the origins of COVID-19, banning U.S. labs in China, manufacturing essential pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in the U.S. and decoupling in industries related to national security. Pence has called China the "greatest economic and strategic threat" to the U.S. "One of the things I'm proudest of in the Trump-Pence administration is we changed the national consensus on China," Pence told Iowa voters in March. Pence has also said China's ownership of U.S. land needs to be looked at "very carefully" and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States guidance should be updated. He is in favor of providing Taiwan the resources it needs to defend itself from a Chinese invasion. Asa Hutchinson Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's campaign website says he is willing to continue trade partnership with China, "but it must be one that protects American interests and promotes American ideals." "For too long, America has been dependent upon China for the stabilization of our economy," his website says. He has also said China's leadership "must know our determination to not allow Taiwan to become another victim of China's expansion." Doug Burgum North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum thinks the U.S. is already in a Cold War with China "and we won't admit it." But the way to win it is economically, he said in a recent interview with "Meet the Press." He also referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "brutal dictator." In an ad listing off his reasons for running for president, Burgum included "rebuild our military to win the Cold War with China." Burgum, who started a software company he later sold to Microsoft for $1.1 billion, is the rare candidate who can say he himself was a victim of Chinese intellectual-property theft. He told the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board in July that in 1989, his company, Great Plains, was selling its software system for $5,000 a module exclusively in North America. While he was in China, he said that he was tipped off about a market that sold software. He went to the market "and was told he could buy his own product 'on a 5¼-inch floppy for $1,'" he told the board. Francis Suarez Miami Mayor Francis Suarez views China as the "threat of our generation" in several different contexts, including economic and national security. "China is not our partner," he said in his speech announcing his 2024 campaign. "China is now our adversary." In June, Suarez flubbed an answer on China's human rights record, when conservative podcast host Hugh Hewitt asked Suarez if he'd be talking about the Uyghurs in his campaign. "What's a Uyghur," Suarez responded. He later said, "I didn't recognize the pronunciation." At the end of the Trump administration, the U.S. determined that Uyghurs, Turkic ethnic Muslim who are native to Xinjiang, China, had been subjected to a "decades-long campaign of repression" subjected to abuses "designed systematically to discriminate against and surveil ethnic Uyghurs as a unique demographic and ethnic group, restrict their freedom to travel, emigrate and attend schools," according to State Department statement. Over 1 million Uyghurs are believed to have been held in detention camps in Xinjiang. Will Hurd Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd has framed the U.S.-China competition as a "generation-defining struggle" that will have global ramifications. He believes the two "can and should coexist" and that decoupling from China is not realistic. But he also thinks the U.S. should also be preparing for a potential war. Unlike primary opponents who favor tariffs to protect U.S. companies and even trade imbalances, Hurd aspires to produce more and better products at home. "Instead of pursuing a 19th century tit-for-tat tariff war, which is a self-imposed sales tax on American consumers, we should be collaborating with our allies to out-innovate China," he wrote in a 2019 op-ed. for more features.	Not_Explicit
- Veteran U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger met with Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday during a surprise visit to Beijing, state media reported. - Details of the talks were not disclosed, though a statement praised Kissinger as a "legendary diplomat." - The meeting comes two days after spontaneous talks between Kissinger and China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday. Veteran U.S. diplomat Henry Kissinger met with Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday during a surprise visit to Beijing, according to state media. The 100-year-old former U.S. Secretary of State was hosted by the Chinese premier at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, CCTV said in an online post. Details of the talks were not disclosed, though a statement praised Kissinger as a "legendary diplomat" in reference to his prior work in negotiating U.S. rapprochement with China, according to a Google translation of the report. "Chinese people value friendship, and we will never forget our old friend and your historic contribution to promoting the development of Sino-US relations and enhancing the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," an additional report from official state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying, according to Google translate. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on the meeting. However, Reuters reported that the White House said Kissinger was not visiting China on behalf of the U.S. government. Kissinger's talks with Xi were his second unexpected meeting of the week, after the former diplomat spoke with China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu on Tuesday. The talks come amid wider efforts to thaw diplomatic tensions between the two global powers. U.S.-Sino relations have grown increasingly fractured over recent months amid a string of tit-for-tat tech sector trade caps, increased tensions around the Taiwan Strait, and security concerns following U.S. interception of a suspected Chinese spy balloon. Kissinger — who in 1979 helped broker talks between then-U.S. President Richard Nixon and China's Mao Zedong, paving the way for normalized relations — is still held in high regard in China. A video accompanying CCTV's post shows footage of Kissinger sitting with Xi in one of the palatial rooms of the state guesthouse — a location considered more intimate than the Great Hall of the People, where official diplomatic meetings are typically held. The video also features footage of the recent visits to China of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. climate envoy John Kerry. Notably, Blinken was the only other U.S. official to secure face time with Xi over recent weeks, holding a last-minute meeting that was described as robust but conciliatory. Kerry, in a four-day visit to Beijing which concluded Wednesday, signaled that a forthcoming meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Xi could be on the cards later this year. Kerry was referring to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit, which the two leaders are set to attend in San Francisco in November. The last time the pair met was in November at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.	Not_Explicit
Thibault Camus/AP toggle caption Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates after the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France in Paris on Sunday. Thibault Camus/AP Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates after the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France in Paris on Sunday. Thibault Camus/AP PARIS — Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard has won the Tour de France for a second straight year as cycling's most storied race finished Sunday on the famed Champs-Élysées. With a huge lead built up over main rival Tadej Pogačar, the 2020 and 2021 winner, Vingegaard knew the victory was effectively his again before the largely ceremonial stage at the end of the 110th edition of the Tour. Vingegaard drank champagne with his Jumbo-Visma teammates as they lined up together and posed for photos on the way to Paris. It had been a three-week slog over 3,405 kilometers (2,116 miles) with eight mountain stages across five mountain ranges. Vingegaard seized control of the race over two stages in the Alps. Little had separated the two rivals until Vingegaard finished a time trial 1 minute, 38 seconds ahead of Pogačar on Tuesday, then followed up the next day by finishing the toughest mountain stage of the race almost 6 minutes ahead of his exhausted rival. "I'm dead," Pogačar said. The Slovenian rider responded by winning the penultimate stage on Saturday, but Vingegaard still had an insurmountable lead of 7 minutes, 29 seconds going into the final stage — a mostly ceremonial stage which is contested at the end by the sprinters. "We have to be careful not to do anything stupid," Vingegaard warned Saturday, "but yeah, it's amazing to take my second victory in the Tour de France." Belgian cyclist Jordi Meeus won the final stage in a photo finish between four riders on the line, just ahead of Jasper Philipsen, Dylan Groenewegen and Mads Pedersen. "It was my first Tour. It was a super nice experience already so far, and to take the win today is an incredible feeling," Meeus said.	Not_Explicit
The Fulton county district attorney investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia has developed sufficient evidence to charge a sprawling racketeering indictment next month, according to two people briefed on the matter. The racketeering statute in Georgia requires prosecutors to show the existence of an “enterprise” – and a pattern of racketeering activity that is predicated on at least two “qualifying” crimes. In the Trump investigation, the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, has amassed enough evidence to pursue a racketeering indictment predicated on statutes related to influencing witnesses and computer trespass, the people said. Willis had previously said she was weighing racketeering charges in her criminal investigation, but the new details about the direction and scope of the case come as prosecutors are expected to seek indictments starting in the first two weeks of August. The racketeering statute in Georgia is more expansive than its federal counterpart, notably because any attempts to solicit or coerce the qualifying crimes can be included as predicate acts of racketeering activity, even when those crimes cannot be indicted separately. The specific evidence was not clear, though the charge regarding influencing witnesses could include Trump’s conversations with Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes, the people said – and thereby implicate Trump. For the computer trespass charge, where prosecutors would have to show that defendants used a computer or network without authority to interfere with a program or data, that would include the breach of voting machines in Coffee county, the two people said. The breach of voting machines involved a group of Trump operatives – paid by the then Trump lawyer Sidney Powell – accessing the voting machines at the county’s election office and copying sensitive voting system data. The copied data from the Dominion Voting System machines, which is used statewide in Georgia, was then uploaded to a password-protected site from where election deniers could download the materials as part of a misguided effort to prove the 2020 election had been rigged. Though Coffee county is outside the jurisdiction of the Fulton county district attorney’s office, folding a potential computer trespass charge into a wider racketeering case would allow prosecutors to also seek an indictment for what the Trump operatives did there, the people said. A spokesperson for Willis did not respond to requests for comment. The district attorney’s office has spent more than two years investigating whether Trump and his allies interfered in the 2020 election in Georgia, while prosecutors at the federal level are scrutinizing Trump’s efforts to reverse his defeat that culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack. A special grand jury in Atlanta that heard evidence for roughly seven months recommended charges for more than a dozen people, including the former president himself, its forewoman strongly suggested in interviews, though Willis will have to seek indictments from a regular grand jury. The grand jury that could decide whether to return an indictment against Trump was seated on 11 July. The selection process was attended by Willis and two prosecutors known to be on the Trump investigation: her deputy district attorney, Will Wooten, and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Charges stemming from the Trump investigation are expected to come between the final week of July and the first two weeks of August, the Guardian has previously reported, after Willis told her team to shift to remote work during that period because of security concerns. The district attorney originally suggested charging decisions were “imminent” in January, but the timetable has been repeatedly delayed after a number of Republicans who acted as fake electors accepted immunity deals as the investigation neared its end.	Not_Explicit
It's a scheme that takes the sound of 'moosic' to a new level. A clever herd of cows has been enlisted to protect an ancient hill fort from invaders – by associating the sound of music with a virtual fence. The Little Doward Hill Fort was built in the 5th Century BC and is nestled in the Wye Valley, near Whitchurch. Hundreds of years ago it provided protection for a prominent Iron Age warlord from the likes of oncoming Anglo Saxon warriors. Now, the biggest battle the site faces is against vegetation and invasive species sweeping over it. Little Doward Woods forms part of the Wye Valley Special Area of Conservation and Upper Wye Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest. There are numerous veteran oak and beech trees here, plus rare and interesting wildlife. It is of national importance for its saproxylic beetles – species which need dead or decaying wood to complete their life cycle - including the incredibly rare Cosnard's net-winged beetle. The high number of ancient and veteran trees at the wood provide the deadwood and associated fungi these species rely on. The fort itself was the hilltop stronghold of Iron Age chiefs and has been linked with the 5th Century warlord Vortigern, said to have fled here from the invading Saxons. And the Woodland Trust, who own the site, have turned to a herd of six Dexter cows to help protect and restore the fort – as well as the 82 hectares of woodland around it. The cows, which feast on many different varieties of plants and berries, have learnt to associate musical beats, played through a solar powered collar, with a virtual fence. They have been trained to respond to the audio zone – meaning they turn back when they hear a sound – allowing for a perimeter to be maintained without the need for traditional wooden posts and rails. Richard Brown, Woodland Trust site manager said: 'Little Doward is a really ancient and special site with not only the fort which looks over the beautiful Wye Valley, but ancient woodland too. 'It is a bit of a battle to preserve the fort from vegetation and we have turned to grazing a small herd of fluffy and friendly Dexter cows who have been trained to associate musical beats with a virtual fence so now the eye sore and expense of building a fence is no longer needed. 'This is a win all around for the site. For nature and restoration the cows are ideal grazers across a wide range of species. They help spread seeds through their dung and gently move the soil around but without destruction. 'For the fort itself they are able to stop vegetation engulfing it and the virtual fencing technology, via an app, helps us to move the herd around, in effect moving the fence.' Although only a small part of Little Doward Woods is ancient it is an incredibly important habitat, providing refuge for many plants and animals - some of which are only found in isolated pockets across the UK. Little Doward Woods forms part of the Wye Valley Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Upper Wye Gorge Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). There are numerous veteran oak and beech trees here, plus rare and interesting wildlife. It is of national importance for its saproxylic beetles – species which need dead or decaying wood to complete their life cycle - including the incredibly rare Cosnard's net-winged beetle. The high number of ancient and veteran trees at the wood provide the deadwood and associated fungi these species rely on. The fort itself was the hilltop stronghold of Iron Age chiefs and has been linked with the 5th Century warlord Vortigern, said to have fled here from the invading Saxons.	Not_Explicit
The war in Ukraine is also a ‘food fight’ In the 1930s, in a bid to pacify the still-unruly region of Ukraine, the Soviet leadership created a man-made famine on its territory. The consequences were horrific; between 1932 and 1933, an estimated 7 to 10 million Ukrainians died in the tragedy that has come to be known as the Holodomor. Today, as part of its war against Ukraine, the government in Moscow is wielding the food weapon once again. On Monday, the Kremlin announced that it was suspending its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and that it was no longer willing to guarantee the security of food exports transiting the Black Sea. The potential effects of this decision are both profound and profoundly destabilizing. To understand why, it’s necessary to appreciate the outsized role that Russia and Ukraine play in global food consumption. In 2021, the two countries provided a combined 34 percent of the world’s wheat, 27 percent of its barley, and 55 percent of its sunflower oil. All told, according to European estimates, they jointly accounted for nearly 12 percent of “food calories traded globally” that year. So when the Ukraine war broke out in early 2022, worries abounded that the result could very well be a global food crisis, as one of the participants in the conflict — and perhaps both — went offline as an international supplier. That did not happen, thanks largely to the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Inked a year ago this month between Russia, Turkey and the United Nations, it created a framework for the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports despite the war, staving off potentially disastrous food shortages and commodity shortfalls in the developing world. From the start, Moscow’s adherence to the deal was tentative at best, with the Kremlin committing only to short extensions and repeatedly threatening to abandon the arrangement altogether. In support of its position, it has woven an elaborate web of falsehoods, accusing the West of (among other things) hoarding food intended for developing nations and creating trade obstacles for Russia’s own exports. The real reasons for Russia’s intransigence are geopolitical in nature. The first is strategic. It didn’t take long for the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin to figure out that it could use food as a weapon to pressure the West just as it has long used its energy supplies. Ever since, Moscow has taken pains to manipulate the current global food crisis (in which nearly 350 million people worldwide are facing starvation) to its advantage. The second reason is economic. As the State Department has noted, Moscow has taken a series of measures to restrict its own exports of foodstuffs and fertilizer, thereby “profiteering” from a crisis it created itself by forcing global prices upward. By doing so, Russia has managed to soften the impact of Western sanctions on its economy, at least somewhat. The approach has reaped concrete dividends for the Kremlin. Even as they have sought to punish Moscow for its military aggression, Western nations have quietly tried to mollify it. To that end, the European Union recently floated a proposal for the Russian Agricultural Bank, which is currently under international sanctions, to be allowed to reconnect to the SWIFT global financial network as an inducement to keep Russia in the grain deal. (Moscow, however, didn’t bite.) Developing nations, meanwhile, have done even more. Eager for some sort of compromise that would allow “business as usual” to resume, thereby keeping their brittle economies afloat — and their restive populations fed — countries in the Global South have become de facto advocates for Russia. For instance, on the heels of his recent jaunt to Moscow, where he discussed food insecurity in Africa, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa flew to Kyiv and floated a 10-point peace plan extremely favorable to the Kremlin. Russia’s plan, clearly, is to raise the specter of food shortages (and political instability) as a way to turn world opinion against Ukraine, and to force Western nations to scale back their own campaign of pressure. By doing that, Putin believes, it might just be possible to eke out some sort of victory in his protracted and exceedingly troubled campaign against Kyiv. And increasingly, it looks like Russia’s president might be willing to foment an international food crisis in order to do so. Ilan Berman is senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, D.C. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
Proposed rule would improve responsible stewardship of America’s lands, better protect cultural and natural resources, and implement changes directed by Congress Date: Thursday, July 20, 2023 Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced new steps to revise the Bureau of Land Management’s oil and gas leasing regulations, which would ensure a balanced approach to development, provide a fair return to taxpayers and ensure that drilling does not conflict with protection of important wildlife habitat or cultural sites. The proposed rule would revise outdated fiscal terms of the onshore federal oil and gas leasing program – including for bonding requirements, royalty rates, and minimum bids – which would increase returns to the public and disincentive speculators or less responsible actors. “The Interior Department has taken several steps over the last two years to ensure the federal oil and gas program provides a fair return to taxpayers, adequately accounts for environmental harms, and discourages speculation by oil and gas companies. This new proposed rule will help fully codify those goals and lead to more responsible leasing and development processes,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Laura Daniel-Davis. “The Department is committed to creating a more transparent, inclusive and just approach to leasing and permitting that serves the public interest while protecting natural and cultural resources on our public lands.” “This proposal to update BLM’s oil and gas program aims to ensure fairness to the taxpayer and balanced, responsible development as we continue to transition to a clean energy economy,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “It includes common sense and needed fiscal revisions to BLM’s program, many directed by Congress.” Modernizing the fiscal terms of the leasing program is central to this proposed rule. Federal onshore oil and gas royalty rates are historically consistently lower than on state-issued leases and federal offshore leases; in fact, onshore royalty rates hadn’t been raised in over 100 years prior to the Biden-Harris Administration taking office. Likewise, bonding levels have not been raised for 60 years, while minimum bids and rents remained the same for over 30 years. The proposed rule would specifically codify provisions made by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as recommendations from the Department of the Interior’s Report on the Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Program, issued in November 2021. The proposed rule is also consistent with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Key elements of the proposed rule include: ###	Not_Explicit
Putin intends to visit China: how the arrest warrant affects his travels Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is planning to visit China in October this year, according to Russian propaganda Telegram channels. According to media reports, Putin plans to visit China in October. The reason for his visit is that Russia is seeking to strengthen ties with one of its closest allies. "It is known that we have received an invitation and intend to go to China when the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, or B&R) forum takes place in October", said Putin's aide, Roy Ushakov. As a reminder, in March 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Moscow. During the visit, he said that relations between the two countries were entering a new era. At the same time, China and Russia are strategic allies, and Beijing refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Putin's arrest warrant In March of this year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The warrant was also issued in the name of Maria Alekseevna Lvova-Belova, the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights. According to the court's decision, Putin must be arrested in 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute or recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC. Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that the Hague warrant allows Putin to be arrested outside Russia and brought to court. BRICS summit At the end of August, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) summit will take place in South Africa. However, Putin's visit was still in doubt due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. According to the law, South Africa must arrest Putin if he arrives. South Africa has been trying to secure immunity for the dictator. But later South Africa officially requests an arrest warrant for Putin.	Not_Explicit
Police receive request to burn Quran outside Iranian embassy Police in Sweden have received yet another application to hold a Quran-burning protest, with the event this time to be held outside the Iranian embassy in Stockholm. The request has come from a 31-year-old man, who intends to set fire the holy book of Islam, at the same time as setting fire to a picture of Iran's head of state, Ali Khamenei, and also two doll's heads, with the event intended to protest the way Iran treats its people. "I cannot accept that our people live in such a state of ignorance and superstition," the man told Sweden's public broadcaster SVT. Khamenei has demanded that Sweden extradite the people who carried out earlier burnings of the Quran and has also accused Sweden's government of launching a war on the entire Muslim world by allowing the burnings to continue. "The Swedish government should know that through its support for the criminals who are burning the hold Quran, it has readied itself for a war with the Muslim world," Khamenei said in a statement issued on Twitter. Sweden's national police said that as the application had only just come in, it could not yet comment on whether permission to hold the protest would be granted or not. An appeals court confirmed at the end of June that police had been wrong to reject a series of applications to burn the Quran in February, making it difficult for police to justify rejecting similar requests this month. Comments See Also The request has come from a 31-year-old man, who intends to set fire the holy book of Islam, at the same time as setting fire to a picture of Iran's head of state, Ali Khamenei, and also two doll's heads, with the event intended to protest the way Iran treats its people. "I cannot accept that our people live in such a state of ignorance and superstition," the man told Sweden's public broadcaster SVT. Khamenei has demanded that Sweden extradite the people who carried out earlier burnings of the Quran and has also accused Sweden's government of launching a war on the entire Muslim world by allowing the burnings to continue. "The Swedish government should know that through its support for the criminals who are burning the hold Quran, it has readied itself for a war with the Muslim world," Khamenei said in a statement issued on Twitter. Sweden's national police said that as the application had only just come in, it could not yet comment on whether permission to hold the protest would be granted or not. An appeals court confirmed at the end of June that police had been wrong to reject a series of applications to burn the Quran in February, making it difficult for police to justify rejecting similar requests this month.	Not_Explicit
Doctors across Israel are set to strike on Tuesday in protest against the passing of a key part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul, after thousands of protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Monday night. The Israeli Medical Association, which says it represents about 95% of doctors, said it would hold a 24-hour protest, with exemptions for medical care in Jerusalem and emergency care across the country. It held a brief strike last week as a warning, arguing the judicial overhaul would “devastate the healthcare system”. The doctors are set to be joined in strike action on Tuesday by 73% of interns, according to the Intern Doctors Organization. Health minister Moshe Arbel is reportedly seeking an injunction to prevent the doctors’ strike going ahead. Legal action, a general strike and possible refusal from upwards of 10,000 military reservists to report for duty are now on the cards as Israel’s largest ever domestic crisis enters a new chapter. The protests have been sparked by the judicial overhaul bill, which abolishes the “reasonableness” clause that allows Israel’s unelected supreme court to overrule government decisions. It was passed into law by a final vote of 64-0 in parliament on Monday. Every member of Netanyahu’s coalition voted in favour, while opposition lawmakers abandoned the Knesset plenum in protest, shouting “Shame!” as they left. On Monday night the streets around the parliament building in Jerusalem were thronged with approximately 20,000 protesters waving blue and white flags, some of whom marched to the city over four days last week. There were cries as news of the vote result filtered through the crowd, together with shouts of “we will never give up”. Walls and fences were plastered with stickers reading “we won’t serve a dictator,” “democracy or rebellion” and “save Israel from Netanyahu”. Police used water cannon – and for the first time, skunk gas – to disperse people blocking roads, some of whom had lit fires, while malls and businesses in many cities closed their doors in solidarity. Many protesters put plugs in their noses or held up sprigs of rosemary plucked from nearby bushes to try to control the stench from the skunk gas. At least 19 arrests have been made. “This puts us on the way to dictatorship,” said protester Danny Kimmel in Jerusalem. “You don’t do this to people who are protesting. It’s their right.” Thousands of people also demonstrated in central Tel Aviv – the centre of months of anti-government protests. Scuffles took place between police and protesters, with at least eight people arrested and demonstrators lighting bonfires. Police said they arrested a driver who hit a group of protesters in central Israel, injuring three people. The White House said Joe Biden had not given up on his goal of finding a broader consensus among politicians in Israel. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “It is unfortunate that the vote took place today with the slimmest possible majority.” Opponents of the bill said they would challenge the new law in the supreme court. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would urge the supreme court to strike down the law, telling the Knesset the vote marked “a takeover by an extreme minority over the Israeli majority”. After the vote, he said: “It’s a sad day. This is not a victory for the coalition. This is the destruction of Israeli democracy.” Germany’s foreign ministry said on Monday it “very much regretted” that negotiations between the government and the opposition had broken down “for the time being”. “In light of our deep ties with Israel and its people, we view the deepening tensions in Israeli society with great concern,” it added, “Especially after today’s adoption of the first part of the planned restructuring of the judiciary, it remains important to give sufficient time and space for a broad social debate and consensus.” The British Board of Deputies backed Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s efforts to find a consensus and urged Israel’s leaders to keep talking to “prevent the deepening of a constitution crisis which will do tremendous damage to the very fabric of Israeli society”. Of the negotiations, it said it was “deeply disappointed that, at this stage, the efforts have failed”. Jewish groups in the US condemned the vote as a threat to democracy and warned that it could damage relations with American Jews. The American Jewish Committee, one of the oldest pro-Israel groups in the US, expressed “profound disappointment” at the vote and said it is “gravely concerned” that it will deepen divisions in Israeli society amid huge demonstrations against the law, including in the military with thousands of military reservists threatening to refuse to report for duty. “The continued effort to press forward on judicial reform rather than seeking compromise has sown discord within the Israeli Defense Forces at a time of elevated threats to the Jewish homeland and has strained the vital relationship between Israel and diaspora Jewry,” it said. In a televised address on Monday night, Netanyahu described the bill as “a necessary democratic act” that would “return a measure of balance between the branches of government.” The prime minister called for fresh dialogue with the opposition and pleaded for national unity. With Associated Press and Reuters	Not_Explicit
Last year, global healthcare consulting firm Salient Advisory surveyed more than 80 companies across four African countries for a report emphasizing the growth of startups digitizing the continent’s health supply chain and distribution and regulatory frameworks governing e-pharmacy activities. This time, the firm went deeper into Africa’s health supply chain segment, broadening the scope of its research and making some tweaks. For one, it searched for startups across 54 countries (compared to four from last year) and included companies with verticalized health supply chain offerings. Tracking nearly 350 innovators across 27 countries, Salient Advisory’s 2023 report establishes that public health supply chains across the continent are embattled and overburned, leaving most Africans with little choice but to source products from private health innovators. The issue, however, is that private health supply is fragmented from manufacturing to distribution, ultimately impacting price, availability and quality (fake and substandard products are more available in open drug markets in Africa than global standard medicine, for instance.) As such, Salient Advisory’s report, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, looks to track innovators leveraging technology to digitize supply chain processes and solve these problems. “One thing to consider that has happened since the pandemic in Nigeria, and globally to an extent, is several shortages we noticed in supplies like the personal protective equipment (PPE). Those problems existed because of gaps in health supply chains,” Yomi Kazeem, senior consultant for West Africa at Salient Advisory, said on a call with TechCrunch. “And so in light of that, it’s important to take a look at how health startups are using technology to try and improve supply chains on the continent to ensure that individuals in urban areas or in rural communities have better and safer access to health products.” Salient Advisory findings also show how African governments (about 11 from the research) are working with health supply chain innovators on nearly 50 partnerships, leveraging their tech-enabled solutions to resolve long-term challenges around the availability, accessibility and quality of health products in public health supply chains. Roughly half of the identified partnerships focus on enabling governments to digitize ordering and inventory management to improve efficiency and minimize wastage, highlighting governments’ strong interest in adopting digital order and inventory management solutions. In an interview with TechCrunch, Kazeem dissects Salient’s findings, touching on the importance of innovators working in partnerships with governments, loopholes that need to be filled despite the commendable efforts, disparities in funding across health supply chain innovation ecosystems and an update on the Investing in Innovation (I3) initiative geared toward female-led startups. TechCrunch: Salient’s report from last year strictly contained innovators in the private health supply chain segment. But this year’s report includes B2B e-commerce platforms like Copia Global. Why’s that? Yomi Kazeem: Primarily, the way to think about this is to think about the segments of companies, and the way to categorize them is in what they offer. Despite being an e-commerce company, Copia Global, for instance, was included because over-the-top medication is one of the products it offers in Kenya, where it operates. Since we’re looking to track startups and innovators that use technology to improve access to medicines, large e-commerce operators, not just Copia, but others like Glovo, Jumia and Konga, also feature. Although health products are not the only thing they distribute and are probably one of their smaller verticals, it’s essential to highlight them because these are significant channels and platforms that could be pivotal to ensure greater and broader access. What other new categories were introduced in this research? When you’re thinking about supply chains, you have to think broadly. It’s not just about who’s running an online pharmacy allowing individuals to order products. It includes platforms enabling pharmacies, clinics and hospitals to order products directly from a manufacturer or distributor and getting those products delivered to them, providing retailers with financing and credit solutions. It includes those offering solutions around transport, warehousing and reverse logistics because those are also key supply chain processes and that’s where drone delivery operators like Zipline, which works with governments to deliver essential medical supplies to public health facilities, come in. The selection also goes beyond this to include other solutions, like those ensuring product protection and visibility, which solves the massive problem of fake and substandard medicines. You have companies like Chekkit building solutions around that. Another interesting subset that we saw, even though there aren’t a lot of these types of companies out there, are those that are involved in supply chain data analytics, trying to figure out what products are being consumed and also helping government agencies in charge of distributing medicines to better plan their demand and understand consumption trends. Doesn’t the funding raised by these larger companies like Zipline and Glovo skew the numbers reported in the research? It does. Large U.S. and Europe e-commerce companies and medical drone delivery operators accounted for about 77% of the money raised by the innovators in our research. Although they skew the data a bit because their operations are not just health, it’s something we were super clear and upfront about in the study. Aside from the intricacies of introducing new innovators to the research, what other exciting trends are worth highlighting from the report? The more exciting bits lie in core health supply chain startups that are building solutions being adopted by the governments. It’s a huge thing to see in these ecosystems where government agencies or governments, either at national or sub-national levels, are leveraging these solutions to improve public health supply chains. There are several examples of this in Kenya, where Maisha Meds, an inventory management and digital marketplace startup, has partnered with as many as three different county governments in the country, and those county governments are using their inventory management solution in public health facilities. In terms of real-life impact, for example, by using that technology solution, the public health facilities can manage their stock better or minimize waste because they now have a clever sense of what products are available or when the following stock-up is likely to happen. Without such a tool to give them all that information upfront, they might have many expired products in their inventory without being fully aware of it. So that’s just an example of how these solutions solve real problems for governments. Across the service categories, solutions provided by the order and inventory management category are the most adopted by governments across the continent. Now, we identified nearly 50 partnerships where governments have or are working with innovators, basically using their solutions to improve the public health and supply chain. This is incredible because one key thing to note is that in the context of health across Africa, if these companies are going to achieve scale, working with large public purchasers is essential to that journey. And so if governments are ordering services from these startups, that’s a pathway to scale. Beyond scale, the benefit to the government or the people is that the benefits of using that technology solution will translate into public health impact. The report states that these partnerships require support. Is this support from the government or a third party? What’s the context behind this? Speaking with government officials and startups, the reality of executing partnerships can be challenging, especially regarding funding. For example, a state government asked a startup to source a particular type of product; the order size was worth about $250,000. The startup couldn’t access the credit finance required to fulfill that order because the government would not pay upfront. And so what ended up happening was that the state government had to reduce the size of that order by up to 80%. And in doing that, it cut off essential products, including surgical supplies and consumables. With that context in mind, our recommendation here is a role for donors and global health agencies to play in designing trade financing solutions and mechanisms and providing that directly to innovators working with large businesses and governments. Those early-stage innovators can access the financing required to fulfill large orders and prove their service’s validity or use case, and can then build the long-term possibility of working together with the government at a level where there’s a better rapport and flow in terms of providing the service and getting paid. The other thing to point out regarding our recommendations for global health actors is also in continuing to understand the role of grants. So, one of the things we uncovered in the research is that if you look at the funding section, equity is the most common source of funding. But when you disaggregate for companies founded by men and women, you realize that equity is not as equally available to women as it is to men. We have a reality where startups founded by women rely heavily on grants and debt compared to those founded by men. To put this in perspective, of all the money that startups founded by men have raised, 96% is equity, 3% grants and 1% debt. For women, it’s 50% equity, 35% grants and 15% debt. We spoke with women founders and stakeholders and included an agenda-focused case study in the report where we explored some of the systemic reasons driving the barriers women founders in health supply chain ecosystems face. A few reasons jumped out, like unequal access to funding, embedded gender bias in selection committees and women-led businesses being perceived as riskier when investing compared to men, even though they’re operating businesses at similar levels. Fundamentally, grants are still critical in terms of creating more equitable innovation ecosystems because, ultimately, there’s an important role to play for companies that women found. That’s one of the reasons why the $7 million pan-African health tech initiative Investing in Innovation (I3) was launched last year, right? What’s been the progress on that front? The first year just wrapped up and 31 different startups were selected and got grants. We are now rolling into the second year, where another 30 companies across Africa will also get selected. The initiative reinforces our point because when you look at the funding sources for these innovators, the Investing Innovation Program, launched just last year, is at the top of that list. It’s the most common source of funding for health supply chains on the continent because they participated in 31 deals, essentially providing grants. And then, of course, the other grant programs like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (investing directly) and a few equity folks, also stand out. Plug and Play Ventures and Launch Africa are at the top of the list in terms of sources of equity funding. But it highlights the role that grants play and the program itself is designed to place an emphasis first on African founders but also, of course, pay particular attention to startups that women found. In the first cohort, about 48% of the companies selected were founded by women founders and I believe that that same intentional thinking is in place for this year; perhaps it might be taken to an increased and higher level. What lessons about early-stage startups and partnerships with the government does the research drive home? Companies that are nascent and early typically focus on serving consumers, but as they grow and achieve more maturity, they have a bit more bandwidth to be flexible. And we see greater diversity in who they serve as they mature, which is why we see many partnerships with government. The I3 program is also striving to introduce startups to governments and, in some cases, to other industry stakeholders, including manufacturers. All of that is important to ensure that the startups can go from where they are early or early at the growth stage to establishing themselves and businesses. The benefit goes both ways, especially working with governments. One thing we’ve often wondered about or looked at is the government’s disposition to innovation. It’s often perceived as adversarial. That’s the thinking. But here, we see governments by themselves seeking solutions and adopting them. The general feedback when we engage with government actors was that there’s a lot of interest in how governments view partnerships. It’s still early days. And so the hope and expectation is that over the coming months and years, we’ll see many more partnerships. One thing that’s important to emphasize, in addition to scaling startups, is the real-life benefit and impact of governments using technology in public health systems to ensure safer access to quality medicines. That translates to better positive health outcomes for individuals and jobs, which is fantastic in this ecosystem.	Not_Explicit
Secret agreements with Russia aid North Korea's nuclear program, reports indicate According to Bloomberg, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has found new ways to replenish his depleted treasury through dealings with Russia, enabling him to finance the country's nuclear program. Russia has resumed oil supplies to North Korea for the first time since 2020. Previously, Russia had been sending grain to the country. Western experts speculate that in exchange, Pyongyang is supplying Moscow with ammunition for the conflict in Ukraine, although North Korea denies this claim. It is noted that North Korea possesses millions of 152-mm artillery shells, which are of interest to Russia as they are compatible with weaponry from the Soviet era. Weapons expert, Just Olīmans, believes that Pyongyang sees the opportunity to sell some of its ammunition at a high price. Economists estimate that if North Korea were to sell the shells for $1,000 each, selling 250,000 shells would be equivalent to approximately 1% of its GDP. The report also highlights China's assistance to North Korea and mentions that both Moscow and Pyongyang are engaged in cybercrime. These activities help Kim Jong-un maintain economic stability in his country. Furthermore, Russia and China demonstrate their support for North Korea by sending high-ranking delegations. Both countries engage in covert trade with North Korea, despite being under UN sanctions. North Korea's nuclear buildup According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), North Korea continues to view its nuclear programs as a central element of its national security strategy. SIPRI estimates that North Korea possesses around 30 nuclear warheads and has enough material to produce an additional 50-70 warheads.	Not_Explicit
Vladimir Putin has said Russia will use “all means at its disposal” to defend Belarus after Poland and other EU countries voiced concerns about the deployment of Russian paramilitaries near their borders. Putin delivered a series of aggressive remarks during a meeting of his security council, where he claimed without evidence that Poland was seeking to invade Belarus, a Russian ally, and that their elites were “dreaming of Belarusian lands”. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group have begun holding training sessions for Belarusian troops at the Bretsky training centre in western Belarus, about six miles (10km) from a border crossing with Poland. Poles near the border say they have heard gunshots and helicopters, Reuters reported this week. Wagner fighters began arriving in Belarus in large numbers last week after their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, struck a deal with the Kremlin to end a short-lived mutiny in which he sent his heavily armed fighters on a “march of justice” toward Moscow. On Friday, Poland’s security committee said it would move troops toward the east in response to the Wagner group’s new presence in neighbouring Belarus. The independent Belarusian Hajun project estimated that about 2,500 Wagner mercenaries had arrived in the country, many from bases in Ukraine. “Training or joint exercises of the Belarusian army and the Wagner group is undoubtedly a provocation,” Zbigniew Hoffmanna security official, told the Polish state news agency PAP, according to a Reuters translation. “The committee analysed possible threats, such as the dislocation of Wagner group units. Therefore, the minister of national defence, chairman of the committee, Mariusz Błaszczak, decided to move our military formations from the west to the east of Poland.” Poland earlier this month said it would send up to 1,000 troops to defend the eastern borders of the country. In Moscow, Putin launched an angry invective in response, claiming without evidence that Poland was seeking to annex territories in Belarus. “Unleashing aggression against Belarus would mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin said, according to the Kremlin. “And we will respond to it using all means at our disposal.” He similarly said without evidence that Poland would seek to annex territories in Ukraine. “The western territories of present-day Poland are a gift from Stalin to the Poles, have our friends in Warsaw forgotten about this?” Putin said. “We will remind you.” Russia has used similar threats of pre-emptive strikes to justify military action in the past, including its invasion of Ukraine. But there are no signs of a direct clash between Poland and Belarus or Poland and Russia at present. The arrival of the Wagner mercenaries in Belarus appears to be a temporary measure as the Kremlin tries to manage the fallout from last month’s brief mutiny. William Burns, the director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, said at the Aspen Security Forum that Putin was still buying time while he decided what to do with Prigozhin and his mercenary army. “What we are seeing is a very complicated dance,” Burns said. But Putin could ultimately decide to take revenge on Prigozhin and kill him, he added. “In my experience, Putin is the ultimate apostle of payback, so I would be surprised if Prigozhin escapes further retribution,” he said. “If I were Prigozhin, I wouldn’t fire my food taster.” Russia has reportedly detained a number of military officers suspected of having advance knowledge of the mutiny, including Sergei Surovikin, the head of Russia’s aerospace forces and an ally of Prigozhin’s. On Friday, investigators also arrested Igor Girkin, a former battlefield commander of irregular Russian proxy forces in Ukraine. He had condemned Putin for his mismanagement of the war in Ukraine. Video surfaced earlier this week of Prigozhin welcoming Russian mercenaries to Belarus, saying they would stay there “for some time” to train before focusing their efforts on Africa, where they have been contracted by a number of governments to fight in local conflicts or protect valuable assets. He again accused Russia’s military of mismanaging the invasion of Ukraine and said his troops could return to the front in the future. “What is happening at the front now is a disgrace in which we do not need to participate,” he said. “[We will] wait for the moment when we can prove ourselves in full.”	Not_Explicit
Colombia vs. South Korea live updates: Women's World Cup 2023 top plays Colombia is the No. 25 ranked team in the world, according to FIFA, while South Korea is ranked No. 17. Colombia star forward Linda Caicedo, 18, is expected to make her World Cup debut Monday in what would be a triumphant moment for the young player after being diagnosed with cancer just three years ago. Las Cafeteras are captained by powerhouse midfielder Daniela Montoya, who scored Colombia’s first World Cup goal in the team's history back in 2015. On the other side, South Korea, which boasts a 1-8-1 record in its three World Cups, is captained by defensive leader Kim Hyeri. Five players from South Korea, including Hyeri, have made more than 100 appearances entering the match. Monday could also mark the World Cup debut of 16-year-old South Korea forward Casey Phair. The American-born teenager would become the youngest player all-time to play in a World Cup, men’s or women’s, should she play. Follow our live coverage below! 7': Applying the pressure early on PREGAME Setting the stage The "World Cup NOW" crew previewed the match live on Twitter ahead of kickoff. Eyes on the prize Colombia is eyeing a strong outing to set the tone early in this tournament after failing to qualify for the 2019 World Cup. Fans on both sides are hyped for the match, taking to the streets ahead of the action to rep their respective squads. - 2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results Netherlands' tight win sets up showdown with USWNT Women's World Cup Daily: Netherlands draws level with USA in Group E standings - What's with so many PKs, and so many misses, in this Women's World Cup? Italy-Argentina, Germany-Morocco predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica Women's World Cup power rankings: USA stays on top; Germany holds onto top-3 spot - 2023 Women's World Cup odds: USA remains favorite to three-peat Brazilian players at Women's World Cup urge fans to skip work to watch their matches World Cup NOW: How Netherlands might give U.S. problems - 2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results Netherlands' tight win sets up showdown with USWNT Women's World Cup Daily: Netherlands draws level with USA in Group E standings - What's with so many PKs, and so many misses, in this Women's World Cup? Italy-Argentina, Germany-Morocco predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica Women's World Cup power rankings: USA stays on top; Germany holds onto top-3 spot - 2023 Women's World Cup odds: USA remains favorite to three-peat Brazilian players at Women's World Cup urge fans to skip work to watch their matches World Cup NOW: How Netherlands might give U.S. problems	Not_Explicit
Hero Future Energies on Tuesday said it has signed two agreements with REC and PFC to develop green energy projects. Hero Future Energies on Tuesday said it has signed two agreements with REC and PFC to develop green energy projects. The agreements were signed on the sidelines of the 4th G20 Energy Transition Working Group meeting, which concluded last week in Goa, Hero Future Energies said in a statement. "Hero Future Energies has signed two memorandums of understanding with REC Ltd., and PFC Ltd., for infusion of Rs 3,100 crore each into HFE over the next five years," it said. The funds will be used to develop renewable projects across the country, including solar and wind for commercial and industrial customers, utility projects and green hydrogen derivatives, and will strengthen the company by ensuring the financial closure for future projects.	Not_Explicit
The European Union is set to implement its European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a travel authorization system that would require travelers with US and UK passports to fill out an online visa application before being granted entry into the EU. The union says that it will implement ETIAS in 2024 which will require all travelers from visa-free countries to obtain travel authorization documents before their arrival. ETIAS is a travel authorization document and not a traditional visa. Travelers from the US and the UK will first have to complete the ETIAS process and get a travel document before their arrival. Travelers will have to fill out details such as their bio, itinerary, travel history, and some security-related questions through an online portal. The process will be entirely online. Unlike a visa application, applying for and getting travel authorization through the ETIAS takes much less time, with approval expected within an hour. In some cases, approval may take up to four days and applicants could be asked for more documentation. US applicants over 18 years of age will also have to pay an $8 fee for their application, and their British counterparts will be paying £6. The European Union recommends that travelers apply for an ETIAS authorization “well in advance” of their plans. Also, applicants should cross-check their name and other details on the ETIAS document once they receive it, as any mistake will prevent them from entering their destination country. If an application is rejected, an email detailing the reason and how it can be appealed will be sent to the applicant. Once travelers get their ETIAS document, it is valid for multiple entries for three years or until the traveler’s passport expires, whichever is first. Visitors with ETIAS approval can stay up to 90 days at a time within 180 days. Visitors will also have to carry their ETIAS documents and passport at all times during their stay. American and British travelers have long enjoyed visa-free travel to several countries, especially in Europe. According to the Henley Passport Index 2023, both the US and UK passports are among the strongest in the world, with the UK ranking fourth and the US ranking eighth on the list. The ETIAS has been introduced to assess the potential security risks of travelers before they arrive and prevent cross-border crime and terrorism. The European Union is set to implement its European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), a travel authorization system that would require travelers with US and UK passports to fill out an online visa application before being granted entry into the EU.	Not_Explicit
Coforge Q1 Result Review - Healthy Deal Momentum To Help Deliver FY24 Guidance: Motilal Oswal But the strong outlook already priced in. BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy. Motilal Oswal Report Coforge Ltd. posted Q1 FY24 revenue growth of 2.7% QoQ in constant currency terms, below our estimate of 3.2%. Reported revenue stood at $271.8 million (up 2.8% QoQ/13.9% YoY). The growth was broad-based across verticals and service lines with Insurance/ banking, financial services leading the growth pack at +4.7%/+3.1% QoQ, while travel, transportation and hospitality was up 1.2% QoQ. The company recorded the highest ever total contract value wins during the quarter with two large deals in BFS vertical having a TCV of $300 million (for five years) and $65 million, taking the overall deal signed in Q1 to $531 million. This resulted in a robust 12- month executable order book of $897 million (+20.4% YoY), despite adverse macros. Coforge maintained its FY24 U.S. dollar constant currency revenue growth guidance of 13-16% YoY. The growth momentum continued for Insurance and BFS verticals, aided by ramp-up of large deals and robust growth in top accounts. Management indicated that while the demand environment is stressed, the company is winning disproportionately against its peers on differentiated value offerings. The strong delivery is reflected in winning two large deals in Q1 FY24, which should support the growth momentum for FY24. Despite the modest revenue miss, Coforge reported net hiring of 1,000 employees to support the anticipated volumes. We expect the company to deliver revenue growth at the upper end of the guidance band of 13-16% CC YoY, which will result in FY23-25E USD revenue CAGR of 15.2%. However, Q1 FY24 Ebitda margin came in below our estimate, with 360 bp QoQ decline versus our estimated decline of 90 bp QoQ. This was primarily due to the full impact of compensation, bigger bench and continued investment in sales team. Management, however, remained confident of a margin recovery aided by the margin-accretive large deal ramp ups, increase in utilisation and improved offshore mix. Coforge has guided for a flat YoY adjusted Ebitda margin for FY24. We have cut our FY24/25E Ebit margin by 50 bp, resulting in a 22% INR profit after tax CAGR over FY23-25. We believe the robust outlook is already factored into the price and we do not see any potential upside from here. Our target price of Rs 4,460 implies 23 times FY25E earnings per share. We reiterate our 'Neutral' rating on fair valuations. Click on the attachment to read the full report: DISCLAIMER This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime. Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner.	Not_Explicit
Brazilian police have arrested a new suspect over the killing of the Rio de Janeiro city councillor Marielle Franco, the first major development for some years in a murder case that shocked Brazil and prompted international outcry. Franco, an outspoken defender of marginalised populations, was killed with her driver Anderson Gomes in a drive-by shooting in March 2018. Two former police officers accused of carrying out the murders were arrested a year later – but they are yet to stand trial by jury and an investigation into who ordered the assassination has dragged on slowly ever since. The former firefighter Maxwell Simões Corrêa, known as “Suel”, was arrested at his home in western Rio on Monday. Federal police also executed seven search and seizure warrants at addresses around Rio as part of the operation, named “Elpis” after the spirit of hope in Greek mythology. Simões Corrêa was already under house arrest for obstruction of justice, but new evidence pointing to his deeper involvement in the murders led officers to detain him, the federal police chief, Andrei Rodrigues told reporters. According to investigators, Simões Corrêa gave logistical support to Ronnie Lessa and Élcio Vieira de Queiroz, the ex-police officers accused of firing the shots and driving the car used for the killings. The new suspect is alleged to have helped plan Franco’s murder, as well as provided and disposed of the vehicle used for the crime. He has also given financial support to Queiroz’s family since the ex-police officer was put behind bars, the prosecutor Eduardo Morais Martins said in a press conference in Rio. Monday’s operation was carried out by the federal police, who in February launched their own investigation into Franco’s murder and its motives, to assist a parallel state-led inquiry riddled with criticisms of inefficiency. This produced new evidence and a plea deal with Queiroz, the justice minister, Flávio Dino, said at the Brasília press conference. Queiroz not only confessed to his role as the driver in the murders, but also implicated Lessa as the man who pulled the trigger and gave new details leading to Simões Corrêa’s arrest. Remaining questions around the crime’s execution have been cleared up and “an important phase of the investigation has been closed”, said Dino, adding that the focus would now shift to finding out who ordered the murders. The minister confirmed speculation that paramilitary gangs known as militias – mafias that control large swathes of Rio state and are often made up of current or former state police officers – are implicated in the crime. “I want to assure the victims’ families and civil society that the investigation is moving forward and will produce new results,” Dino said, adding that the latest developments are a sign of “a state commitment to solving all crimes and fighting impunity”. Dino had pledged to solve Franco’s murder as “a matter of state honour” when the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government took office in January, in sharp contrast with the previous Jair Bolsonaro administration, which came under fierce criticism for its lack of commitment to resolving the case. Franco’s sister Anielle, the current minister for racial equality, welcomed the news of the arrest. “I reaffirm my trust in the federal police running the investigation and repeat the question I have been asking for the last five years: who ordered Marielle’s killing and why?” Anielle Franco wrote on Twitter.	Not_Explicit
Lionel Messi to come off bench in MLS debut for Inter Miami Messi arrived for his new team's clash against Mexico's Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup just under two hours before kickoff at DRV PNK Stadium, but on the official team list named among the substitutes. The move was expected, due to Messi's lack of recent competitive action and his limited training activity since announcing his move to Major League Soccer. Also starting on the bench was fellow new arrival Sergio Busquets, who enjoyed many successful years playing alongside Messi at Barcelona. Messi looked relaxed as he exited the team bus and strolled into the stadium, stopping briefly to pose for selfies with fans. The 36-year-old has been hailed as a monumentally significant signing for Inter Miami, MLS in general, and American soccer as a whole, his switch coming just eight months after he led Argentina to a dramatic World Cup triumph. However, some patience is required before he plays a full role. Messi has not played 90 minutes since he scored in Argentina's 2-0 friendly international victory over Australia in Beijing on June 15. Busquets, meanwhile, has not seen competitive action since May 28. - The key to Lionel Messi's MLS mission: Dominating games, not talking about them How Lionel Messi's Miami arrival mirrors the Beckham Experiment Cristiano Ronaldo on Lionel Messi joining MLS: 'Saudi League is better' - Luis Suarez reportedly wants to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Contract details, debut date, full schedule Lionel Messi takes pictures with fans while shopping at Miami supermarket - Lionel Messi unveiled in Miami after lengthy weather delay Inter Miami's Lionel Messi already has his own chicken sandwich Wayne Rooney: Lionel Messi 'won't find it easy' in MLS World Cup 2023 social media tracker: Joe Biden, Tom Brady, Mia Hamm among USWNT well-wishers - The key to Lionel Messi's MLS mission: Dominating games, not talking about them How Lionel Messi's Miami arrival mirrors the Beckham Experiment Cristiano Ronaldo on Lionel Messi joining MLS: 'Saudi League is better' - Luis Suarez reportedly wants to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami Lionel Messi to Inter Miami: Contract details, debut date, full schedule Lionel Messi takes pictures with fans while shopping at Miami supermarket - Lionel Messi unveiled in Miami after lengthy weather delay Inter Miami's Lionel Messi already has his own chicken sandwich Wayne Rooney: Lionel Messi 'won't find it easy' in MLS	Not_Explicit
EXCLUSIVE: The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) issued a memo Thursday explaining its "aggressive" strategy on a newly launched absentee ballot and early voting effort as Virginians prepare to vote in the November general election. The RSLC announced last week that it’s partnering with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV), the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus (VSRC), and the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) to launch an effort called, "Secure Your Vote Virginia." RSLC President Dee Duncan issued a memo Thursday laying out a plan to reach "low-propensity voters" in an effort to keep control of the state House and chip away at the Democrats’ four-seat majority in the state Senate. "Heading into the general election in 2023 this fall, it is our job to defend our razor-thin majority in the House of Delegates while capitalizing on the opportunities available to us in the Virginia Senate where Democrats currently hold a four-seat advantage," Duncan wrote. "We need to set the bar higher and start comparing ourselves against the constellation of national liberal outside groups that drastically outspent us last cycle." Duncan said the outreach will focus on three issues they believe resonate the most with Virginia voters: education, the economy and crime. "Simply put, the past two election cycles taught Republicans that we need to do better when it comes to absentee and early voting," he wrote. "By implementing an absentee and early voting program that will target low propensity voters, we feel confident that a significant increase in turnout of these types of voters will help us win elections at the margins. Democrats were very effective in targeting low propensity voters around the country in 2022, and we must start combating this strategic advantage in Virginia." "Republicans have another strong group of diverse candidates heading into the general election, with effective messaging and a data-driven strategy to boost Republican turnout while the Democrats are coming off of a divisive primary that created an even more radicalized group of Virginia Democrats," he continued. "This is good news for Republicans, but do not be fooled," Duncan added. "Democrats will be energized, and they will be backed with larger sums of money from national liberal outside groups who want to take back trifecta power in Virginia and disband the great work Gov. Youngkin and his Republican allies in Richmond have been able to accomplish." Voters selected dozens of nominees during the state primary last month in Virginia, which is one of just a few states that have its legislative races in odd-numbered years. The unusual calendar and quasi-swing state status make Virginia a must-watch in gauging voter sentiment ahead of the 2024 elections. Youngkin, who has not 100% ruled out a White House run next year, first announced the effort in a live appearance on Fox News’ "America’s Newsroom." Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide in 2021 as the first-time candidate who hailed from the party’s business wing edged out former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe to become the first GOP candidate in a dozen years to win a gubernatorial election in Virginia. Republicans also won the elections for lieutenant governor and state attorney general. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.	Not_Explicit
Humza Yousaf accepted an invitation to meet controversial bus tycoon Sir Brian Souter last month in a desperate attempt to boost the SNP's floundering coffers. The Stagecoach founder used to bankroll the nationalists when they were led by Alex Salmond but has not donated since he stepped down. This was a common occurrence for the SNP since Nicola Sturgeon took over as First Minister as big donations from business people dried up, leaving the party reliant on dead supporters and their membership. Analysis of their accounts shows that they have received just one donation worth £50,000 or more from a living person in the last five years. Instead, the nationalists prided themselves on being funded by their massive membership numbers, which did hit over 100,000 a few years ago. However, this figure has plummeted to about 74,000 over the last couple of years despite the SNP attempting to cover this up through false briefings to the press. It means they could be facing major financial issues, especially with an expensive general election being on the horizon. They had to be loaned £107,000 by former chief executive Peter Murrell in 2021 to help with "cashflow issues" following the Holyrood election. Mr Yousaf is hoping that he can become more popular with tycoons and business people than his predecessor who was labelled "incompetent" by one former big donor. Figures from the Electoral Commission revealed that during Mr Salmond's seven and a half years as First Minister, he helped to take in more than £8.2m from supportive individuals and companies. That is double the £4.1m raised by Ms Sturgeon during her eight year tenure. It is this poor financial outlook that has led her replacement to accept Mr Souter's offer of attending a prayer breakfast as a guest of his in June. Politico reports that Mr Yousaf joined him at the annual Christian gathering. This was something never undertaken by Ms Sturgeon but some of her government ministers did attend. Mr Salmond's closeness to the bus tycoon did court controversy due to the latter's socially conservative views, which included campaigning to keep the Section 28 clause which forbade local authorities from "intentionally promoting homosexuality" He previously gave more than £2.5m to the SNP between 2007 and the independence referendum in 2014 but stopped donating once Ms Sturgeon took over. Her struggles to rule Scotland was also named as another reason why one former big donor stopped handing cash to the nationalists. Speaking anonymously to Politico, the donor who once handed over more than £150,000 to the SNP, said they had not donated in more than a decade as they were “disappointed with the performance of the Scottish government.” They added: "There has been an awful lot of incompetence. Nicola was basically a decent person, but she centralised everything too much and she lacked imagination." An SNP spokesperson said that “unlike the Westminster parties, the people-powered SNP relies on our members’ donations for the vast majority of our income. As the Tory-made cost of living crisis deepens, it’s understandable that some people have less disposable income to spare but we remain confident of returning to surplus in this year’s accounts." Never miss the latest top headlines from the Scottish Daily Express. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.	Not_Explicit
Dixon Technologies Q1 Results Review - Customer, Product Addition To Drive Robust Growth: Systematix High asset-turnover (~8x) and low NWC days (7) could drive healthy return ratios, despite low margins. BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy. Systematix Research Report Dixon Technologies India Ltd.'s in line Q1 FY24 revenue was mainly driven by the mobile and electronic manufacturing services segment (Rs 17.95 billion, up 38% YoY and 27% QoQ), while Ebitda/profit after tax came below estimates (by 14%/7%) on below expected Ebitda margin (4% versus 4.7% estimated) in all segments. Management attributes the low margins to soft volumes in most key core segments. However, balance sheet remained healthy with gross debt/equity at 0.14 times and net working capital at negative six days. Despite the soft demand, management bases its optimistic growth outlook on its robust order book position in all divisions. Customer additions (India and overseas), healthy traction in existing segments (washing machines, smartphones, lighting) and fast ramp up in new segments (telecom hardware, laptops, refrigerators) are slated to drive growth. Dixon has also identified white spaces in its businesses that it intends to scale. We retain our estimates post broadly in line Q1 result and estimate 23%/27%/39% compound annual growth rate in revenue/Ebitda/profit afer tax over FY23-25E (FY20-23: 40%/32%/ 28%), with 300-500 bps expansion in its return on equity/return on capital employed/return on invested capital to ~23%/32%/36% in FY25E. High asset-turnover (~8 times) and low NWC days (seven) could drive healthy return ratios, despite low margins. Dixon’s scrip has been volatile over last two years due to lacklustre performance, mainly in the Mobile segment. Demand recovery and new customer onboarding should accelerate growth momentum; 'Buy' with a target price of Rs 4,966 (60 times FY25E earnings per share of Rs 83). Click on the attachment to read the full report: DISCLAIMER This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime. Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner.	Not_Explicit
BONANZA, Ore. -- A wildfire that started over the weekend in southern Oregon has burned dozens of homes and caused area residents to lose 911 service and internet, state officials said Tuesday. The Oregon State Fire Marshal said preliminary damage assessments from the Golden Fire east of Klamath Falls showed that 43 residences near the town of Bonanza were destroyed. More than 40 outbuildings were also consumed by fire. The fire marshal said most of the structures are believed to have burned Saturday, when the fire started and spread rapidly in hot weather and gusty winds. Crews were unable to access the structures before Tuesday because of unsafe conditions, the fire marshal said. Sherry Booth told KATU-TV that she lost her home to the fire. She said she was in town when she got a call saying the fire was headed toward it. “They were closing everything off, but we know a back way in so we did get to the house," she said. “We had to go try to save our animals, and the cops were at the house and they were just telling us to grab our animals, go, go, go.” By the time Booth returned home, her house was engulfed in flames. “I did have insurance," she said. “We’re going to see what we can do, what they have to say.” The fire also significantly damaged a fiber optic line affecting most of the 8,200 residents in neighboring Lake County, causing a loss of 911 service, internet and phone service. The Lake County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency Monday because of the outage and said an estimate for restoring the line wasn't yet known. 911 calls were being rerouted to Klamath County, and county emergency officials have been working with multiple state agencies to restore emergency connections, the commissioners said in statement. Temporary internet towers have also been put up and are providing services, commissioners said. Fire crews also have been coordinating with utility companies that are working to repair damaged infrastructure, fire officials said Tuesday. “Our hearts go out to the Bonanza community and those affected by the Golden Fire,” said Matt Howard, Oregon Department of Forestry Team 2 incident commander. “Our job now is to fully suppress this fire so the recovery process can begin." As of Tuesday morning, the blaze had burned about 3.2 square miles (8.3 square kilometers) and was 9% contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation, the Klamath County Sheriff’s office said. According to initial information, the blaze may have started on private property being used to grow marijuana illegally, law enforcement officials said. Crews have made progress on the fire, holding it within its original footprint, although high potential exists for the fire to keep growing because of heat, high winds and available fuel, officials said. Some mandatory evacuations were lowered Tuesday, but several hundred homes are still impacted by evacuations at all levels, officials said. A shelter remained open and served more than 80 people over Saturday and Sunday nights, according to the state fire marshal. An air quality advisory also remains in effect for the central and southern parts of Oregon into at least Wednesday night because of the Bedrock Fire burning between Eugene and Bend and the Flat Fire burning in southwest Oregon. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality spokesperson Laura Gleim said air quality levels will vary between unhealthy and hazardous, improving at times during the day then getting worse overnight, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.	Not_Explicit
- A Dutch business owner says millions of US military emails are being sent to Mali. - People are sending sensitive information to ".ml" accounts instead of ".mil" ones, he told the FT. - Johannes Zuurbier said the emails sent to the Russian ally contained maps and personal records. A Dutch entrepreneur says the Russian-allied nation of Mali has for years been receiving millions of US military emails with sensitive information — all because of a typo. Johannes Zuurbier, who was contracted to manage Mali's country email domain, said he'd been trying to alert the Pentagon to the security issue for the past decade, the Financial Times reported. The mix-up stems from US military personnel, as well as people attempting to contact the military, sending their emails to ".ml" accounts — the domain owned by Mali's government — instead of ".mil" accounts, Zuurbier told the FT. None of these emails were classified, but some contained highly sensitive information, the FT said. Zuurbier said he was sent information such as maps, personal medical records, tax records, crew lists for ships, and photos of bases. One email contained the official travel itinerary for Gen. James McConville, the US Army chief of staff, and his delegation for a trip to Indonesia in May. It included their room numbers and details including how McConville could collect his room key, the FT reported. Other emails included diplomatic letters, terrorism assessments and briefings, and State Department passport numbers. Zuurbier told the FT he'd seen about 1,000 emails a day being sent to the wrong domain. He's tried to warn the US by alerting Dutch diplomats, a senior national cybersecurity advisor, and White House officials, but the problem persists, the FT said. His contract to manage the domain was set to expire Monday. This means Mali's government now has access to the domain and further emails received, the FT added. Russia has given significant support to the Malian government, including weapons, diplomatic backing, and help with information campaigns. The Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary company linked to the Kremlin, also operates in Mali. A Pentagon spokesperson, Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, told the FT that the Defense Department "is aware of this issue and takes all unauthorized disclosures of controlled national security information or controlled unclassified information seriously." US military email accounts also notify personnel if they try sending a message to addresses with the ".ml" domain and will automatically block the email from being sent, Gorman added. The Pentagon and the Malian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.	Not_Explicit
Marta enters her sixth Women's World Cup seeking scoring record, Brazil's first championship It shouldn't be difficult to move to 9-0 in opening matches for the Selecao, who start Group F play on Monday against tournament newcomer Panama in Adelaide, Australia (7 a.m. ET on FS1). Brazil is one of seven teams to qualify for all nine Women's World Cups, while Panama is one of eight teams playing in the tournament for the first time. Marta's sixth World Cup will be her last, but she has a chance to make history as the first player — male or female — to score in six tournaments. She's already the all-time leading scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals. But more important to Marta is winning the World Cup, something the women's national team has never done. Brazil lost in the 2007 final to Germany, made it to the quarterfinals in 2011, but was eliminated in the round of 16 in the next two tournaments. Marta was in tears after the 2019 loss to France and pleaded with the next generation of Brazilian football players to take their country to the next level. "It’s about wanting more," Marta said four years ago after Brazil's elimination. "It’s training more. It’s taking care of yourself more. It’s about being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls." The national team has seemingly answered her call under coach Pia Sundhage, who as a player retired as Sweden's top scorer and as a coach led the United States to two Olympic gold medals. Sundhage has made Brazil more balanced, which was shown at the Women's Finalissma in April, when the South American champions lost in a penalty shootout to European champion England. Marta has experience around her in Debinha and Rafaelle, but it is 23-year-old Kerolin who is poised to become Brazil's breakout star. The midfielder has scored eight goals this season for the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL. "We have taken big steps in these four years," Sundhage said. "We've brought in new players and I think we are in a good place. We have got a chance." Panama, meanwhile, most recently faced a South American team in June in a 1-1 draw with Colombia. But Panama has been routed twice since, giving up 13 goals in a 7-0 loss to Spain at the end of June and a 5-0 loss to Japan earlier this month.atch in Melbourne against Germany, winners of back-to-back tournaments in 2003 and 2007. Reporting by The Associated Press. - Women's World Cup 2023 highlights: USWNT tops Vietnam, 3-0 2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results United States vs. Vietnam: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT's opener - USWNT puts Julie Ertz, Savannah DeMelo in starting lineup for World Cup opener United States dispatches Vietnam 3-0: Takeaways from World Cup-opening win United States-Vietnam, England-Haiti predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica - World Cup 2023 social media tracker: Reactions to USWNT's solid 3-0 win Don't fret if USWNT doesn't blow out Vietnam in World Cup opener World Cup Daily: Spain makes a loud statement, Canada can't capitalize - Women's World Cup 2023 highlights: USWNT tops Vietnam, 3-0 2023 Women's World Cup schedule: How to watch, TV channel, dates, results United States vs. Vietnam: Everything to know, how to watch USWNT's opener - USWNT puts Julie Ertz, Savannah DeMelo in starting lineup for World Cup opener United States dispatches Vietnam 3-0: Takeaways from World Cup-opening win United States-Vietnam, England-Haiti predictions, picks by Chris 'The Bear' Fallica - World Cup 2023 social media tracker: Reactions to USWNT's solid 3-0 win Don't fret if USWNT doesn't blow out Vietnam in World Cup opener World Cup Daily: Spain makes a loud statement, Canada can't capitalize	Not_Explicit
LOS ANGELES -- A real estate developer was sentenced Friday to six years in federal prison for paying $500,000 in bribes to a Los Angeles city councilman for help with a downtown project. Dae Yong Lee, also known as “David Lee,” also was fined $750,000 and a company that he controlled was fined $1.5 million plus prosecution costs, the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement. Prosecutors said that in 2017, Lee bribed José Huizar and the councilman's special assistant to help resolve a labor organization's appeal that was blocking approval of a planned development that was to include more than 200 residences and some 14,000 square feet (1,300 square meters) of commercial space. At the time, Huizar chaired the city's powerful Planning and Land Use Management Committee. In 2017, Lee made three cash payments totaling $500,000 to Huizar's assistant, George Esparza, prosecutors said. Last year, Lee and the company were convicted of bribery, honest services wire fraud and falsifying records in federal investigations to conceal the bribes. The sentence was the latest in a sweeping corruption case swirling around Huizar, whom authorities said ran a pay-to-play bribery scheme from 2013 to 2017 tied to the approval of downtown high-rise developments. Huizar pleaded guilty in January to racketeering conspiracy and tax evasion. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 25. Under a plea agreement, Huizar agreed to seek a sentence of at least nine years in prison, prosecutors said. In addition to Huizar, more than a half-dozen other people have been convicted or pleaded guilty to federal charges in the scheme, including Huizar’s brother, Salvador Huizar. Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and testified against Lee at his trial. Former Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan is awaiting retrial next year on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that he accepted more than $100,000 to help a Chinese real estate developer.	Not_Explicit
In many election cycles, there's a snappy shorthand used to describe the type of voters who may help decide the winner. Think soccer moms or security moms. Even NASCAR dads. And now, the “mama bears.” These conservative mothers and grandmothers, who in recent years have organized for “parental rights,” including banning discussion of gender identity in schools, have been classified as extremists by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They have also been among the most coveted voters so far in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Donald Trump praised their work, saying organizations such as Moms for Liberty had taught the liberal left a lesson: “Don't mess with America's moms.” Ron DeSantis said “woke” policies had "awakened the most powerful political force in the country: mama bears." His wife, Casey DeSantis, who launched “Mamas for DeSantis” in leadoff-voting Iowa, said moms and grandmas were the “game changer” in DeSantis' blowout win for a second term as Florida governor. She predicted they will be again as he runs for president. “We saw there was a constituency of folks who really wanted a voice, and it wasn’t just Republicans. It was independents, but also a lot of Democrats, too, who didn’t like the direction that the country was going,” Casey DeSantis said during a talk peppered with stories about raising kids in the governor's mansion, with slime on the ceiling and crayon on wallpaper. “It’s one thing when your policies come after us as mamas. It’s another thing when your policies come after our children, and that’s when the claws come out.” These so-called mama bears whom DeSantis and other Republicans are courting are conservative women living across the United States. They are largely white and may belong to official groups such as Moms for Liberty, which says it has 120,000 members nationally, or smaller ones like No Left Turn in Education. Some belong to no group at all. The groups and their work took off during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they say parents got a closer look at what their children were being exposed to in public schools. They grew in numbers as Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump in 2020 and were motivated by what they called government overreach and “woke” policies. Many fought pandemic-related school shutdowns and mask mandates, pushed to remove diversity, equity and inclusion programs from schools and tried to ban books they viewed as inappropriate, such as ones with LGBTQ content. They have turned up en masse at school board and library board meetings, fighting to ban instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. They have run school board candidates who support their stances. Geralyn Jones, 31, of Marion, Iowa, said she was not active in politics until the pandemic, when she grew concerned about mask requirements and online schooling for her son, who was in kindergarten. She started asking questions and did not like the answers she was getting. Jones pulled her two kids out of public school after the district approved a policy that allows transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room of the gender they identify as, without alerting parents,. She now leads the Linn County chapter of Moms for Liberty and said that seeing other moms get involved in politics is empowering. Jones, who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, says he and many other 2024 candidates have reached out to Moms for Liberty — not the other way around — to schedule time to meet with moms. They arrange roundtables for the candidates and always exceed the number of spots the Trump campaign reserves for their group at special events. "I think we are going to be the most sought-out group or sought-out voice in this next election," she said. At the Mamas for DeSantis event, there were games for kids who came with their parents. Attendees held little ones on their laps. The DeSantis campaign also has started selling “Mamas for DeSantis” T-shirts and tote bags. Opponents say the warm-fuzzy image of a mama bear is a way to mask a cruel, extreme agenda that hurts children. “Republicans have decided that this is, I think, their golden ticket for the primaries to rile up their base,” said Katie Paris, who runs Red, Wine and Blue, a network of women pushing back on GOP-backed policies such as the anti-LGBTQ and anti-trans efforts of Moms for Liberty. “Call it ‘parents’ rights,' call it ‘mama bears,' and try to make it sound like something that would be common sense. ... The reality about ‘parents’ rights' is that it’s just about the rights of a vocal minority that is trying to carry out an extreme political agenda.” The mama bear movement is “a contemporary iteration of a trend we've seen before" and that dates back decades, said Linda Beail, a professor at Point Loma Nazarene University and the author of a book about Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. During the suffrage movement, women pushed baby carriages as they marched for the right to vote. For decades, white Southern women held a powerful role in shoring up segregation and white supremacy, doing jobs such as keeping Black people off lists of eligible voters. Palin was a game changer in many ways — a youngish, attractive and successful woman who also was quite conservative, Beail said. In the 2010 midterms, Palin used the phrase “mama grizzlies” to describe the conservative women she said would stop Democrats. The narrative played to ideas of rugged individualism, especially appealing in rural areas, and portrayed women as fiercely protective, defending a traditional way of life and motivated by their children. “It’s hard to argue with," Beail said. "It’s selflessly protecting your cubs, right?" In 2024, being a mama bear also may provide a space for conservative women who have not been politically active before or who may have sat out previous elections. If the mama bear narrative is persuasive, Beail said, there are a lot of women who could say, “That's the spot for me.” Women are generally more likely to vote for Democrats than men, but Democratic House candidates held only a 50% to 47% advantage among women in last year's midterms, according to AP VoteCast, a broad survey of the electorate. More men voted for Republicans than Democrats, 54% to 43%. In 2020, women supported Biden over Trump 55% to 43%, while men supported Trump over Biden 51% to 46%. There was little difference between moms of kids under 18 and women overall in how they voted either year. Last year, conservatives tried to get hundreds of “parents rights” activists elected to school boards, with help from millions in donations from groups such as the 1776 Project political action committee. One-third of the roughly 50 candidates backed by the 1776 Project PAC won their races. About half the candidates supported by Moms for Liberty were successful. But the movement was energized after Republican Glenn Youngkin won the 2021 race for Virginia governor, defeating an establishment Democrat who had previously served as governor. He thanked “mama bears” for helping him win. Casey DeSantis also attributed her husband's 2022 victory, in part, to the women who overwhelmingly favored him. In his first term, the governor backed legislation prohibiting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, a measure that critics called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. He expanded that legislation to cover all grades earlier this year. DeSantis did win the support of a majority of women as he routed Democrat Charlie Crist. AP VoteCast shows that 57% of women supported DeSantis compared with 42% who supported Crist, though men supported him by even wider margins. While he improved on his margin among both groups since his narrow victory over Democrat Andrew Gillum in 2018, his gains were greater among women than among men. Several gubernatorial candidates who also leaned heavily on parents’ rights fell short in other states, including in Michigan, Wisconsin and Kansas. Red, Wine and Blue is among the groups that have pushed back, using programs such as “Troublemaker Trainings” to educate interested women about how to defeat groups like Moms for Liberty. Paris, of Red, Wine and Blue, criticized the "parental rights" movement for focusing school district resources on issues such as transgender athletes, which may account for a handful of kids in a state, at the expense of broader issues such as helping millions of kids with reading after pandemic setbacks. “It’s a political strategy to appeal to the base, and they don’t care who gets harmed in the process,” Paris said. Jones, the Iowa mom, defended the work that Moms for Liberty and other groups are doing, saying they are getting backlash for simply trying to protect their children. She says the criticism is evidence of the momentum behind their movement and that lawmakers and candidates are talking more about education than she has ever seen — one more sign of how important moms will be in 2024. “There’s a mom in every household for the most part," she said, "so that’s a voice that definitely carries a lot of weight." ___ AP polling director Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report.	Not_Explicit
Sir Tony Blair and Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford have paid tribute to former Labour MP Ann Clwyd, who has died at the age of 86. She represented the Cynon Valley constituency for 35 years, and became the oldest woman to sit in the House of Commons before standing down in 2019. The former BBC journalist served as an MEP before she was first elected as an MP in a 1984 by-election. She held many posts including shadow secretary of state for Wales. In 1994, she staged a sit-in at Tower Colliery, near Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, in protest at British Coal's decision to close the pit. The miners were given the go-ahead to re-open the colliery the following year, after pooling their redundancy money to take it over. It continued producing coal until 2008. She was Sir Tony's special envoy in Iraq and she campaigned on the NHS following the death of her husband Owen Roberts in 2012. Sir Tony called her a "courageous, fearless, principled political campaigner" who campaigned for the "poor and oppressed" throughout the world. "She didn't flinch from speaking her mind, no matter what the personal or political cost," he said. "She fought the case of those employed in the coal industry, persuading my government to correct the failure to compensate former miners for the ill health they suffered through mining. "And having spent a large part of her life standing up against the brutal repression of the Kurdish people in Iraq, she supported the removal of Saddam Hussein, not only when it was relatively easy to do so, but when the going got tough." Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute, saying: "Ann was a leading figure in the Labour Party, dedicating her life to our movement." First Minster Mark Drakeford said: "She was a fearless campaigner, a defender of human rights and a trailblazer for female politicians, but above all of these - a long-term, dedicated servant of the people of Cynon Valley." Allow Twitter content? This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitterâs cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose âaccept and continueâ. Cardiff Central Labour MP Jo Stevens tweeted that Ms Clwyd "was a trailblazer for women, not just in Wales but across the UK and abroad". She said Ms Clwyd was "determined, passionate, fierce and stood her ground". "Ann was also very kind, funny and loyal to her many friends and constituents," she added. "I'll miss her. She was one of a kind." Andrew RT Davies, Welsh Conservative Senedd group leader, said he was "saddened to hear of the passing of Ann Clwyd". "A formidable figure, she never shied away from fighting for her beliefs, standing on principle no matter who that may have upset," he tweeted. "She was a passionate servant of the people of the Cynon Valley and will be deeply missed." Welsh Health Minister Eluned Morgan said Ms Clwyd was a "pioneer and the only political female role model for women in Wales over a long period". "She was a true radical and was inspired by her early years serving as a Euro MP before going on to make a significant impact in Westminster," she tweeted. Beth Winter, who took over Ms Clwyd as Labour MP for Cynon Valley, said her "thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time". "Her work over so many years for women's rights, international justice and the miners will be remembered," she wrote. In a tweet, Carwyn Jones, former first minister and Member of the Senedd said: "Ann served her constituency faithfully for so many years. My thoughts are very much with her family." And Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner tweeted that Ms Clwyd had been a "determined voice for the people she represented". "She will be much missed. My condolences to her family," she added. Analysis, by BBC Wales Political Editor Gareth Lewis They don't make them like that any more. A conviction politician who managed to stand up for those close to home and those abroad; to rise to positions of seniority in her party, but not let that get in the way of what she thought was right. Despite the scrapes and the high-profile interests further afield, to someone with Cynon Valley heritage, home seemed closest to her heart: And on a personal level she was great fun to interview - woe betide you if you weren't completely on your game.	Not_Explicit
The Russian occupation forces took nearly 80 high school students from the temporarily captured territories of Luhansk region to the military academy in Russia’s Kostroma. That’s according to the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Ukrinfrom reports. The abducted children are now undergoing “military courses” at the training ground of the Academy of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection and Engineering Forces, located in Kostroma region, being subjected to yet another dose of enemy propaganda, officials emphasized. According to the report, in the temporarily occupied territories, Russian puppet authorities deny payments to mothers of newborns in case they do not hold a Russian passport. "Despite the fact that all newborns, according to the invaders’ legislation, are considered citizens of the Russian Federation, parents are unable to receive support payments. In this way, the enemy resorts to yet another tool to force people to get Russian passports," the administration emphasized. Due to the migration of Russian nationals, crime levels in occupied cities are increasing. "One of the examples is Dovzhansk, where Tuva and Buryatia natives arrive. The number of thefts there has increased rapidly. Local "law enforcement" tend to turn a blind eye to most of such cases, officials note. According to Artem Lysohor, the head of Regional Military Administration, the Russians do not reduce fire pressure on the region from the sky, employing warplanes nearly a dozen times a day. "The strikes regularly reach the de-occupied villages. Yesterday it was Nevske, Novoliubivka and Bilohorivka. Two of them still have a sufficient number of civilians living there. By the way, food was delivered there the other day – so I am grateful to the volunteers for their help. Despite the danger and complicated logistics, we do not leave local residents alone - they always get everything they need," Lysohor emphasized. Nevske and Bilohorivka also came under Russian artillery fire on Wednesday.	Not_Explicit
Vice President Kamala Harris jetted into Florida Friday to trash Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state’s rewrite of its history curriculum to claim that slaves benefitted by gaining valuable life skills from being enslaved. The first Black vice president in American history lambasted the conservative Republican — who is running against former President Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — for whitewashing the horrors of slavery as part of his effort to push back against so-called “woke” influence in public education. “They decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery,” Harris said Thursday in an impassioned speech to a a Black sorority group. “They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it.” She said Black Americans should fight back against efforts to rewrite their own ancestors’ history. “There is so much at stake in this moment: our most basic rights and freedoms, fact versus fiction, foundational principles about what it means to be a democracy,” she said. Harris planned to deliver a similar message in Jacksonville Friday afternoon on DeSantis’ home turf. The DeSantis-appointed Florida Board of Education voted Wednesday to approve a revised Black history curriculum that the governor said is necessary to prevent liberal indoctrination. The new curriculum includes instruction on how slaves supposedly benefited from skills that they gained during centuries of brutal oppression. It also focuses more on achievements of Black Americans rather than the injustices they faced through slavery and segregation. Florida Education Department spokesman Alex Lanfranconi said slaves should be considered more than “just victims of oppression” and called slavery “a difficult time in American history.” The pushback on Black history is just one facet of a conservative push to impose new rules on schools like Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law that restricts classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation and banning of drag performances in school. Earlier this year, the DeSantis administration rejected a College Board Advanced Placement course on African American history, which DeSantis asserted amounted to woke “indoctrination.” Critics are challenging the new Black history curriculum in court. “African American history (includes) the lessons of cruelty and inhumanity interwoven in the determination of a people to live and breathe free,” said Democratic Florida state Sen. Bobby Powell, who is Black. “It is as much Florida’s story as the nation’s story and it needs to be fully told.”	Not_Explicit
Poonawalla Fincorp Q1 Profit Rises 62% To Rs 200 Crore Poonawalla Fincorp on Monday reported a 62% rise in net profit to Rs 200 crore in the June quarter. Poonawalla Fincorp on Monday reported a 62% rise in net profit to Rs 200 crore in the June quarter. The Pune-based non-banking financial institution—a financial services arm of the Poonawalla Group which is popular as the world's largest Covid vaccine maker under the flagship Serum Institute of India—had posted a net profit of Rs 124 crore in the year-ago period. Total income in the first quarter of the current fiscal rose to Rs 712 crore from Rs 429 crore in the same period a year ago, Poonawalla Fincorp said in a regulatory filing. Interest income of the company improved to Rs 656 crore from Rs 386 crore in the 2022 June quarter. Total expenses of the NBFC increased to Rs 445 crore as against Rs 295 crore in the year-ago period. The company's asset quality showed improvement as gross non-performing assets declined to 1.42%of gross advances at the end of the June quarter from 2.68% a year ago. Similarly, net non-performing assets or bad loans, declined to 0.76% as against 0.78% in the year-ago period. The capital adequacy ratio of the increased to 36% at the end of June 2023.	Not_Explicit
Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback LOS ANGELES (AP) — A winning ticket has been sold in California for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the third largest in the history of the game. The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s drawing were: white balls 7, 10, 11, 13, 24 and red Powerball 24. The California Lottery said on Twitter that the winning ticket was sold in Los Angeles at Las Palmitas Mini Market. Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $1 billion to $1.08 billion at the time of the drawing, moving it from the seventh largest to the sixth largest U.S lottery jackpot ever won. READ MORE: Jackpot reaches $1 billion after no winner in Monday’s Powerball drawing The winner can choose either the total jackpot paid out in yearly increments or a $558.1 million, one-time lump sum before taxes. The game’s abysmal odds of 1 in 292.2 million are designed to build big prizes that draw more players. The largest Powerball jackpot was $2.04 billion Powerball in November. The last time someone had won the Powerball jackpot was April 19 for a top prize of nearly $253 million. Since then, no one had won the grand prize. Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Support Provided By: Learn more	Not_Explicit
Police Scotland has postponed a new clean-shaven policy after taking health and safety advice and listening to feedback from officers, the force has confirmed. The policy, which has already been pushed back from May, would force staff to remove any facial hair - including beards and moustaches - to comply with face-fitted PPE masks. Police Scotland insisted there would be exemptions to the ban including for religious, cultural, disability or medical reasons. When the policy was announced earlier this year, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) said it had been "inundated with complaints" and claimed a number of officers intended to pursue employment tribunal cases. The policy will be reviewed again in a year. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: "We have postponed implementation of the policy having sought further health and safety advice and after listening to the lived experience of our people. "I am very grateful to all divisions, staff associations and unions who provided valuable feedback during the consultation phase. "Postponing implementation allows further examination of the evidence base for a policy which is proportionate and justifies change, particularly where that change has a significant impact on officers and staff. "This work will be reviewed in 12 months to ensure we reach an agreed position on a policy which has the health and safety of our people at its core."	Not_Explicit
The Canadian government used an opaque U.S. military sales program to provide Saudi Arabia with billions of dollars worth of armoured vehicles, some of which were shipped out urgently after the Kingdom joined the war in Yemen, according to government documents and an arms sales database consulted by The Breach. It’s the second-largest weapons export deal in Canadian history. But the Saudi clients have never been disclosed by the Canadian government. Nor has the fact been reported that the deal was struck at the behest of a U.S. plan to beef up the Saudi military. In 2009, under former prime minister Stephen Harper, a Canadian crown corporation signed a deal on behalf of weapons manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada to provide 724 light armoured vehicles (LAVs) to Saudi Arabia. Government documents show that, as late as 2018, deliveries of the $2.9-billion worth of LAVs were still being fulfilled. The vehicles manufactured in Canada were of the same make later seen being used in Saudi Arabia’s operations in Yemen for years. The documents provide more evidence that the Canadian government may have knowingly supplied armoured vehicles for use in Yemen. The government documents, obtained through an access-to-information request, indicate that Canada was shipping new vehicles to the Saudi National Guard for at least three years during the war. The Saudi National Guard is considered to be the Kingdom’s best-equipped ground force and was directly engaged in the one-sided conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis. The Breach can also reveal that Canadian companies signed subsequent contracts to maintain the vehicles until at least 2025, according to U.S. Department of Defense procurement records. These contracts involve repairing vehicles that appear to have been damaged during Saudi military operations in Yemen. The 2009 deal’s details have been shrouded in mystery because of Canada’s lack of transparency about its arms dealings, including those that go through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, the program that supplied Saudi forces with the weapons. For decades, the program has integrated Canadian weapons production into American sales abroad, ensuring that the industry caters to the strategic needs of U.S. foreign policy. Massive weapons deal flies under the radar The lack of attention paid to the massive 2009 deal contrasts with the spotlight on another weapons deal. A $14-billion deal signed in 2014 for a newer model of armoured vehicles—the largest such deal in Canadian history—was the subject of considerable press coverage and criticism from human rights groups. But Canada’s second-largest weapons deal, signed five years earlier, has flown under the radar. Arranged by a crown corporation that markets Canadian weapons to foreign buyers, it was run through the FMS program, one of the main avenues the U.S. Department of Defense uses to supply weapons to allied and friendly regimes. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest customers of the FMS program and one of the largest clients of weapons from the U.S. Canada’s 2009 deal was tied to the U.S. government’s “modernization” of the Saudi Arabian National Guard. In 2011, another contract for a further 82 LAVs was signed through the same program. A U.S. Department of Defense news release announcing that contract said the sale would “contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States” and bolster “political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.” For decades, this office has attached several U.S. Army officials to the National Guard, funded by Saudi Arabia. In internal memos dated Nov. 29, 2018, obtained by The Breach, Canadian officials lauded this arrangement’s benefit to Canada, calling it “one of the rare examples of [Canada-U.S.] partnership in foreign military sales involving the export of full systems from Canada via FMS…that date[s] back to the 1980s.” A Breach investigation earlier this year revealed that the Canadian government believes its weapons sales to Saudi Arabia are crucial to maintaining the regime as an “integral and valued security partner,” listing access to oil, opportunities for Canadian companies and reduced need for Western military missions as its rationale. Saudis deploy the same vehicles in Yemen war During the eight-year war, Saudi forces deployed the same model of LAV that Canada provided in combat operations across the northern regions of Yemen. The Canadian LAVs seen operating in Yemen, the LAV-25 and its derivatives, are the older model of vehicle shipped under multiple contracts, with the largest being the 2009 FMS deal. The LAV-25 model has been identified in images and videos posted from Yemen by weapons monitors and open-source researchers analyzing the proliferation of arms in the Yemeni conflict. Following an August 2019 Houthi attack on Saudi forces in Yemen’s northern Kitaf region, numerous LAV-25s were identified by experts in images of torched Saudi LAV columns. Under the larger 2014 contract, Canada supplied a newer make of armoured vehicles that have not been seen operating in Yemen—the LAV-700—to the Saudi Royal Guard, a different unit in the Saudi military forces. The new documents obtained by The Breach raise questions as to whether or not Canada knowingly supplied LAV-25s for use against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. In July 2015, just four months after the war in Yemen began, then-minister of foreign affairs Rob Nicholson approved “urgent” export permits for an undisclosed number of “[LAVs] and weapon systems to Saudi Arabia,” according to a memo that was included in the documents obtained by The Breach. Further documents reveal that in September 2017, while the war was ongoing, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government also received “urgent” export applications from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada for LAV exports to Saudi Arabia. These applications specifically referenced LAVs being sent to the Saudi National Guard through FMS, one of the documents obtained by The Breach shows. Global Affairs Canada has flip-flopped on whether or not Canadian weapons have been used in the Yemen conflict. Most recently, the department made the blanket claim that “there are no confirmed reports of Canadian-made military equipment being deployed by Saudi Arabia on Yemeni territory.” Due to the Saudi-led Coalition’s record of violating international humanitarian law during the conflict, Canada’s provision of LAVs to the Kingdom constitutes a breach of its obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty. According to the monitoring website Lost Armour, which tracks major military equipment destroyed during conflict, at least 61 LAV-25s and its variants were seized or destroyed by Yemeni rebels during the course of the war. Canadian-made LAV-25s have also been diverted to the Saudi’s puppet Yemeni government, as detailed in an investigation by Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism in 2019. Credible allegations of diversion legally require action by Canadian officials, but Global Affairs Canada would not tell the reporters how much evidence it would need to actually open an investigation. Canadians continue to service the Saudis General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has continued to maintain, test and repair the fleet of LAVs provided by Canada through the 2009 deal. According to U.S. Department of Defense federal procurement records accessed by The Breach via the Tech Inquiry database, Canadian technicians have already been carrying out maintenance work on Saudi Arabia’s fleet of LAVs provided through the FMS program. This work is being performed by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada technicians in Saudi Arabia. Their servicing contracts, set to run until at least 2025, appear to have involved maintaining the Saudi National Guard’s LAV fleet after damages were incurred during operations within Yemen. Large arms deals, and particularly those conducted through the FMS program, typically come with long-term servicing contracts. Stefano Trevisan, a Geneva-based attorney at law and international expert on the regulation of post-sale services on arms contracts, said these crucial deals have “escaped scrutiny.” “Maintenance is as fundamental as oil to [the running] of a tank. It is the same essential contribution,” he told The Breach. “Such services create long-term structural dependency between Western supplying states and multinational corporations and some of the world’s most repressive regimes.” Trevisan suggests that the nebulous and sometimes intangible nature of post-sale servicing leads to a lower profile of these arms deals. “These deals can go on for ten years” with little visibility, said Trevisan, who likens the relationship between original manufacturer and recipient to an “invisible link.” The Canadian manufacturer enjoys a monopoly on this service work because it has been described by the U.S. Army as the only outfit possessing “the knowledge and expertise necessary” to fulfill the requirements of these awards. Canadian officials have only acknowledged these sustainment contracts internally. In March 2021, according to the documents obtained by The Breach, Global Affairs Canada staffers requested export authorizations for “4 active contracts with the U.S. FMS for the supply of LAVs and related products and services to Saudi Arabia.” The documents noted the contracts “date back to 2009,” and were for “ancillary products/services (e.g. spare parts)” connected to the Saudi LAV program. Canada’s ‘dependency’ on the U.S. weapons export pipeline With the exception of the 2014 contract to supply the Saudi Royal Guard with Canadian LAVs, all other Canadian LAV contracts to the government of Saudi Arabia have been undertaken through the FMS program, dating back to the first deliveries in 1991. At any given time, there are hundreds of billions of dollars worth of active U.S. FMS contracts to more than 180 countries. Jack Poulson, executive director of Tech Inquiry and a former senior data scientist at Google, told The Breach that Saudi Arabia is one of the most interesting examples of how the U.S. government aims to satisfy its foreign policy objectives by arming foreign states. “As part of the U.S. government’s alignment with countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia against Iran, U.S. defense contractors sell Saudi Arabia about $10 billion per year of missile defense, Black Hawk helicopters, M1 Abrams tanks, etc.” Poulson told The Breach by email. The FMS program also operates as both diplomatic carrot and stick: those who stay in the good graces of the U.S. foreign policy machine continue to benefit from the program, while those who deviate run the risk of losing access to advanced Western-produced weaponry. The program is viewed by the Canadian government as a conduit to get Canadian military goods to the international market, openly extolled as providing new potential business lines for Canadian arms manufacturers. The Canadian Commercial Corporation, the federal body which brokered the LAV deals, has said in its corporate plans that “Canadian exporters are able to leverage the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program [as a means to] sell into the U.S. DoD inventory where their goods can then be re-sold to third party countries.” Ernie Regehr, co-founder of Project Ploughshares and author of Arms Canada: The Deadly Business of Military Exports, explained to The Breach via email that Canada’s defence industry is “heavily dependent” on the U.S. Regehr explained that Canada’s defence dependency dates back to the 1950s Defence Production Sharing Agreement. That agreement stipulated that Canada’s Department of National Defence would look to procure major weapons systems from American suppliers and, in turn, Canadian manufacturers would be granted preferential access in selling military goods to the American government. “Allowing Canada access to the U.S. defence market was a small price for the U.S. to pay…to reinforce Canadian policy dependence on the U.S.,” Regehr said. “Ever since, the dominant narrative has been that Canada can’t manage its own security, with substantial elements of the defence policy community relentlessly proposing further security integration with the U.S.” Domestic arms production is frequently justified on the grounds that local producers can easily supply a nation’s armed forces in the event of armed conflict. However, most arms-exporting states stake a claim on one corner of the market by developing a production niche that soon needs foreign clients to stay profitable. Canada is no exception, Regehr said. “Aircraft engines, armoured vehicles and rifles are all examples of Canadian military production [that became] dependent on international sales in order to sustain the Canadian production facility,” he said, pointing out that all of these facilities are also Canadian-based subsidiaries of larger American-owned multinationals. “[A]rmoured vehicles and automatic rifles were initially built for the Canadian Forces, but the Canadian market was too small to sustain the plants, and hence they developed a reliance on exports to foreign military forces.” General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada was forced to look for foreign, non-American clients following the end of export contracts to the U.S. in the 1980s. The client that ultimately saved the supplier was Saudi Arabia, with contract negotiations for its first major LAV procurement contract being finalized in 1990, and later delivered through the FMS program. According to archival documents made available by the Canadian government, officials from the U.S. Army’s Office of the Program Manager first visited factories in London in 1981, spurring initial Saudi interest in vehicles from Canada. Deliveries of LAVs to the Saudi Royal Guard under the $14-billion contract are likely moving into the final stages. This contract will then, too, move into long-term maintenance, about which little information is available. The terms of the contract have never been released to the public, despite the fact that the federal government signed the deal on behalf of the vehicle manufacturer. This article is dedicated to Mohamed Abo-Elgheit, the award-winning reporter who conducted many important investigations for ARIJ, but who was taken far too soon after losing his battle with cancer late in 2022.	Not_Explicit
Climate protesters arrested after setting off flare at British Open golf tournament Climate protestors interrupted The Open Championship in the United Kingdom on Friday, setting off a flare during the golf tournament. The group Just Stop Oil reportedly set off the orange flare, at the tournament in Hoylake, England near the 17th green. Four people were arrested in the wake of the disruption, according to a police statement obtained by The Guardian. “A small amount of powder was discarded onto the playing surface and it was reported that one person had a smoke pyrotechnic,” the statement reads, referring to an orange substance seen near the edge of the green. “Two males and two females were quickly detained by both stewards and officers, and they were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and public nuisance,” police continued. “They will be taken into police custody to be questioned.” The protestors were driven off the course in a golf cart and the tournament resumed. Still, the organization called the disruption an “oil in one” — a play on words of the common golf term “hole in one.” “There will be no more holes in one when our society collapses,” the organization posted on Twitter. “We must stop our government’s 100 new oil and gas licenses before they go on to cause more harm.” Local law enforcement and the tournament’s manager, R&A, made preparations and put out alerts about possible disturbance leading up to the start of the event, according to reports. The warnings come after Just Stop Oil targeted similar events, including Wimbledon earlier this month and the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield, England in April. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
The Met Police abused anti-terror powers when it stopped and arrested a French publisher, an independent report has found. Jonathan Hall KC said the arrest of Ernest Moret was at odds with the rights to freedom of expression and protest in a democracy. Mr Moret, 28, was stopped in London in April over his alleged involvement in the French pension protests. The Met has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct. Mr Moret, who works at Paris-based publisher Editions La Fabrique, was detained at St Pancras railway station after travelling on the Eurostar to attend the London Book Fair. He was bailed and later released under investigation. Last month, police said he would face no further action. Mr Hall, the UK's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said the Met should have decided "not to exercise" Section 7 powers to carry out the arrest. Schedule 7 powers, listed under the Terrorism Act, allow police to stop anyone at the border without any grounds for suspicion to check if they are terrorists. "The problem with exercising counter-terrorism powers to investigate whether an individual is a peaceful protester or a violent protester is that it is using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut," the report said. The KC wrote: "I have reached the clear conclusion that this examination should not have happened, and that additional safeguards are needed to ensure it is not repeated. "Schedule 7 power, however useful and justified in some cases, is powerful. It must therefore be exercised with due care. "In my view, based on the information provided, police both could have decided not to exercise the power, and should have decided not to exercise the power," he added. Mr Hall said police wrongly told Mr Moret that he would never be able to travel internationally again if he was convicted for not sharing the PINs to his confiscated iPhone and laptop. The warning was "exaggerated and overbearing", his report said. The report will also recommend to the government that the code of practice for Schedule 7 is amended so it cannot be used in such circumstances in the future. Mr Hall warned that there was a risk of it happening again if "modest" safeguards were not made. Mr Moret's employer, La Fabrique Editions, and Verso Books - La Fabrique Editions' British sister publisher - condemned the arrest at the time, describing the detention as an "outrageous and unjustifiable infringement". They said officers told Mr Moret, who works as a foreign rights manager, he had taken part in demonstrations about President Emmanuel Macron raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 in France. Pamela Morton, senior books and magazine organiser at the National Union of Journalists, said it "seems extraordinary" that British police used terror legislation to arrest a publisher "who was on legitimate business here". Cdr Dominic Murphy, who leads the Met's counter-terrorism command, said: "Schedule 7 is an important power in protecting the borders of the UK and remains a vital tool in our efforts to counter the terrorist threat and keep the public safe. "But the public rightly expects that the use of such powers is always carefully considered and, as Jonathan Hall KC states, that there is constant vigilance and attention to safeguards to ensure it is not used in a way that is contrary to individual rights and the wider public interest. "We will now take time to fully review the report's finding and its recommendation in relation to further amending the code of practice and we will also look to consult with our operational partners on this."	Not_Explicit
The United Nations has started pumping oil off a decaying vessel moored off Yemen’s Red Sea coast, averting a potential spill and environmental disaster, UN officials have said. The FSO Safer – a floating storage and offloading (FSO) tanker holding more than 1.14 million barrels of oil – has been at risk of breaking up or exploding for years due to its corrosion and a lack of maintenance since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen’s war in 2015. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who control the area of Yemen’s coast where the Safer is moored, had previously prevented any salvage operation from taking place, but finally agreed in March to allow for the oil to be offloaded. The oil abroad the Safer will now be transferred into a replacement vessel, called Yemen, in a ship-to-ship transfer that is expected to last 19 days, said the UN Development Programme (UNDP) – the humanitarian agency in charge of implementing the operation. “In the absence of anyone else willing or able to perform this task, the United Nations stepped up and assumed the risk to conduct this very delicate operation,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday. “The ship-to-ship transfer of oil which has started today is the critical next step in avoiding an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe on a colossal scale,” he added. The operation, the first of its kind, is a risky one – but the potential leaking of the remaining oil in the deteriorating tanker that the Yemeni government purchased in the 1980s is even more so. Observers have worried for years that the Safer could crack or explode. The ensuing oil spill would have the potential to wipe out one of the world’s largest marine ecosystems. Once the oil is offloaded, the delivery and instalment of a catenary anchor leg mooring (CALM) buoy will take place, the UN said. The buoy will then be secured to the seabed, which in turn will be used to secure the replacement vessel, a process that must be completed by September, the international body noted. A technical support vessel from the Dutch-based company Boskalis/SMITis would be ready to step in should any oil leaks occur during the operation. The 47-year-old supertanker was left abandoned and has been out of service since the civil war broke out in Yemen eight years ago. The Safer is anchored near the Ras Isa oil terminal controlled by Yemen’s Houthi movement, which in 2015 seized large parts of the country. Mohammed Mudawi from UNDP Yemen told Al Jazeera in mid-July that the vessel had not been properly maintained as it was situated in an area littered with mines. The UN agency team had also been working on preventing the build-up of flammable gases. “We have many concerns that it can explode because of the gases,” Mudawi said. According to the UN, a major spill would destroy coral, mangroves and other sea life; expose millions of people to highly polluted air; devastate fishing communities; force nearby ports to close; and disrupt shipping through the Suez Canal. The cost of the clean-up alone is estimated at $20bn. A spill from the Safer could potentially have an impact greater than one of the largest oil spills in history, the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, since the Safer carries four times that amount of oil, according to the UN.	Not_Explicit
Two years ago, I made headlines after being kicked out of the House of Commons for calling out the many lies of then-Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Now, I am once again forced to try and draw attention to parliamentary fibbing from this Conservative Government. And it is time to toughen up the rules so that they can no longer get away with misleading the British public. On this occasion, it was the Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, who I had to call out in the chamber two weeks in a row Back on June 7, when he was standing in for our absentee Prime Minister, Dowden claimed that the Labour Party’s plan to invest £28billion a year in green energy would add £1,000 a year ‘to everyone’s mortgage.’ For the Deputy PM to make such a bold statement, you would expect it to be firmly backed up. However, the Treasury has since admitted that the £1,000 figure does not come from official government analysis, after being challenged by the UK’s statistics watchdog. We would expect Dowden to either back up his statement, or correct the record. After all, the ministerial code, which all ministers must abide, states: ‘It is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.’ I attempted to ensure just that, when I raised a Point of Order on July 5, calling on the Deputy PM to return to the House and set the record straight, but he refused. A week later, I gave him another chance to do so – again, he chose not to. I didn’t let this go and wrote to the Prime Minister – the ultimate arbiter of the ministerial code – with three clear questions. Where did the Deputy PM get the figure from? Would he instruct the Deputy PM to return to the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity to correct the record? And if he refuses, would he initiate an official investigation into whether he has breached the ministerial code? I knew the code calls on ministers who knowingly misled the House to resign, but I also knew weak Rishi Sunak would take no action, just like he did with Suella Braverman. But I was surprised that what I got back was, in fact, a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister himself in which he doubled down on his mortgage claim and tried to move the goalposts by using a theoretical interest rate rise to try and justify his misleading statement. The Deputy PM’s response was, in my view, full of ifs, buts and maybes, based on unproven assumptions and politically motivated ‘predictions’ What this episode demonstrates is that the system must change. Even the Speaker said: ‘I really think that the rules need to be looked at again so that Ministers — do not forget that elections change Ministers as well — ensure that this House hears the facts.’ I couldn’t agree more. It is my view that this Government hasn’t changed and neither have the archaic parliamentary rules that allow them to keep lying to the country. The Tories are destroying our democracy and I think my job is not to simply stand by and watch it happen, but to call them out – as I explain in my new book A Purposeful Life, I have always felt that, no matter how hard and uncomfortable it may be, it is my duty to speak truth to power. And there are solutions to this epidemic of ministerial lying. My Early Day Motion 1345 would take the ministerial code out of the hands of the partisan Prime Minister and put it under the remit of the whole House of Commons. It would apply fair and necessary standards no matter who is in government. There is no doubt our Parliament is ripe for reform, but not just because of lies. It is also in a state of paralysis. That paralysis is not helped by a Tory Government that has given up – they barely bother to put through meaningful legislation anymore. Even when they did so recently with the Public Bodies Bill, designed to prevent boycotts, I believe it was nothing more than a political stunt, which will never see the light of day in law. The only reason Dowden was even in a position to mislead the House was down to Rishi Sunak’s dismal attendance record at PMQs. He has the worst attendance record of any recent leader and seems to avoid accountability at every opportunity. I will be honest and say the Government isn’t the only side that needs to change. At the top, Labour has become so focussed on appearing to be a sensible alternative that we barely even attack the Conservatives anymore. We need to go back to doing what we are supposed to do, and hold this Government’s feet to the fire every chance we get. Lying is, I believe, the defining characteristic of this Government, under successive prime ministers, and we must stop it. Because if not, what state will our democracy be in when they hopefully leave office? And how are they going to leave trust in our Parliament? Rishi Sunak has been in Downing Street since October last year and on his first day he promised integrity, professionalism and accountability. From the Prime Minister down, his government has delivered the exact opposite, and it’s time for change. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below.	Not_Explicit
Nineteen hail disdrometers are now in operation across the Calgary area, giving a research team from Western University nearly unparalleled access to weather data that will help them better understand and forecast dangerous hailstorms. “It’s definitely the first in Canada and one of a handful around the globe,” said Northern Hail Project (NHP) executive director Julian Brimelow during a demonstration of the new system. “It’s a very exciting time to be doing hail research. We’re a bit like kids at Christmas with all the technology we have at our disposal.” Disdrometers come in the form of small round steel plates installed to face the sky and use acoustic sensing akin to a microphone to measure the number and size of hailstone strikes during a storm. A plastic model of the largest hailstone ever found in Canada sits beside a Samsung Galaxy S23 for scale. (Connor O'Donovan) Alongside each disdrometer, the team has installed a weather station capable of tracking factors like temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation, and humidity to help better understand conditions before and during hailstorms. The data can then be transmitted autonomously to the NHP team over a cellular network. The team says the information gathered, which will also be released publicly, will shine light on a hazard that was, until now, considered understudied in Canada. “The last dedicated research on hail in Canada was through the Alberta Hail Project that occurred from [1956] to the 1980s,” says NHP Research Meteorologist Simon Eng. “Hail is a very high-cost hazard and we haven’t really been documenting it properly in the past few years.” That information, which could help forecasters better predict the number and intensity of hailstorms in a region, will be particularly valuable for the insurance industry. According to the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), hailstorms have caused roughly $9.5 billion in insured damages since 2008. “Hail is kind of a sleeper hazard. Not many people talk about it I think because only parts of the country have seen really big storms. But it causes a lot of damage,” says ICLR Managing Director Glenn McGillivry, who hopes the research can help guide ICLR’s push for more protective building code and construction practices. “We’re going to determine if we can pull out any trends from this.” This multispectral image sensor attached to a drone allows the NHP to capture visual and thermal imaging of hail swaths from the skies. (Connor O'Donovan) The disdrometers are just the latest hail-tracking tool in the NHP’s arsenal. The team also uses drones to capture visual and thermal imagery, an array of foam “hail pads” set up north of Calgary, teams of hail-chasing professionals who gather hailstones after a storm hits, as well as news and social media reports of hailstones and ensuing damage. Related: See what large hail can do to a car Header image: File photo (Pixabay/Laura Palner)	Not_Explicit
TOKYO -- Senior officials from Japan, the U.S. and South Korea condemned North Korea over its recent ICBM-class ballistic missile launches and vowed to step up their trilateral cooperation to strengthen deterrence and sanctions against the North, while stressing the need for dialogue with Pyongyang. Their meeting Thursday in the central Japanese city of Karuizawa comes days after North Korea’s solid-fuel ICBM launch last week, which landed in the water off the western coast of Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido and one day after the launch of two missiles on Wednesday. The U.S. special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, also said that the United States was “working hard” to gather information about an American soldier who fled to the North earlier this month. The U.S. was seeking to ensure his safety and return him home, Kim said. Private 2nd Class Travis King, 23, had been held in South Korea on assault charges and was released on July 10 after serving his time. He was taken to the airport Monday but did not board his flight home. Instead, he joined a tourist trip to the border and bolted to the North Korean side. Kim said he and his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi, director general of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at the Foreign Ministry, and South Korea’s Kim Gunn, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, were to also discuss their leaders’ summit planned for next month in the United States. In his opening remarks, Japan’s Funakoshi said Tokyo seeks to further strengthen the three-way security cooperation to enhance deterrence and implement sanctions against the North over its missile advancement in violation to the United Naitons' Security Council resolutions. However, he also stressed the need for dialogue with the North. He reiterated that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “without any preconditions” to resolve the decades-old issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals. Sung Kim said the United States had “no hostile intent” and that “we are willing and ready to sit down at the negotiating table to work through our differences.” South Korea's Kim said the three officials were to affirm their intent for dialogue with North Korea, while discussing ways to strengthen “close communication to bring North Korea back to the path to denuclearization and to encourage China's constructive role.” He noted the start of this week's launch of a nuclear consultation between Seoul and Washington, saying North Korea “undermined its own security”, while its attempt to intimidate the two allies only upgraded their cooperation on nuclear deterrence.	Not_Explicit
L&T Finance Q1 Result Review - Accelerated Transformation Into A Retail Franchise: Motilal Oswal Earnings in line; retail RoA/RoE at 3.1%/15.7% in Q1 FY24. BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy. Motilal Oswal Report L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. reported Q1 FY24 profit after tax of Rs 5.3 billion (inline). Pre-provision operating profit grew ~7% YoY to Rs 12.4 billion (in line), while credit costs of ~Rs 5.2 billion translated into annualised credit costs of 2.6% (previous quarter: 2.5% and previous year: 3.6%). Retail profit after tax at ~Rs 5.3 billion surged 176% YoY in Q1 FY24. Reported retail return on asset/ return on equity stood at ~3.1%/~15.7% during the quarter. Mr. Sudipta Roy (Chief Operating Officer) would assume the role of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer effective January 2024, while the current MD and CEO – Mr. Dinanath Dubhashi – has opted for superannuation. He will remain with the company until April 2024 to ensure a seamless leadership transition. We expect that the retail mix will improve to ~95% by March 2024 (from 82% as of June 2023). Considering the accelerated rundown in the wholesale book, we model consolidated loan growth of 3%/22% in FY24/FY25E. We estimate a profit after tax compound annual growth rate of 27% over FY23-FY25, with consolidated RoA/RoE of 2.3%/~11.0% in FY25. A strong liability franchise, a well-capitalised balance sheet and a keen intent to further accelerate the sell-down of the wholesale book will enable L&T Finance to achieve its targets articulated under Lakshya 2026 much in advance. We have raised our FY24E/FY25E profit after tax by 7%/5% to factor in higher fee income and margin expansion and now model a 50% dividend payout in FY24E. L&T Finance is set to transform itself into a retail franchise, which would lead to profitability improvement and RoA expansion. Reiterate 'Buy' with a target price of Rs 160 (premised on 1.6 times FY25E consolidated book value per share). Click on the attachment to read the full report: DISCLAIMER This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime. Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner.	Not_Explicit
TikTok has finally launched an ads transparency library — starting with data on ads and other commercial content running in Europe but with plans to expand that. Also today it’s announced expanded access to its research API to Europe. Both moves look intended to help the company comply with incoming requirements under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Back in April, the video-sharing social network was confirmed as one of 19 so-called very large online platforms (VLOPs) under the DSA — a designation which brings a suite of additional compliance requirements related to algorithmic transparency and accountability. To wit: Article 39 of the pan-EU regulation requires VLOPs whose platforms display ads to offers a searchable database of ads with information, including who paid for the ad, the main targeting parameters and data on views. While Article 40 concerns data access for vetted and other external researchers to further the regulation’s goal of ensuring that systemic risks flowing from major platforms are able to be robustly studied. “Today, we’re expanding access to our Research API to Europe and opening up new transparency tools for commercial content,” TikTok wrote in a blog post announcing the launches. “These tools are designed to enhance transparency about content on our platform and are informed by feedback we’re hearing from researchers and civil society.” A TikTok spokesman confirmed the research API is being made available to researchers working across Europe, not only those at institutions inside the EU — so it’s also open to applications from academics working in the EEA (European Economic Area), Switzerland and the UK. The social media platform announced it was developing an API for researchers last summer — when it said it would provide select researchers with more transparency about its platform and moderation system by giving access to public and anonymized data about content and activity on the app. An initial version of the Research API was ready for testing by members of TikTok’s Content and Safety Advisory Councils in November — before being opened up to academic researchers in the US earlier this year, in February. So far, the free API has seen more than 60 applications from US non-profit academic researchers on topics including those related to consumer trends, misinformation and mental health, per TikTok. The impact of social media platforms on young people’s lives and well-being continues to be a topic of discussion and concern in mainstream media. But scientists have warned we still don’t have robust data to draw strong conclusions — hence the push by EU lawmakers to make major platforms open up to outside scrutiny. TikTok’s approach for the research API requires researchers to create an account and complete an application which it reviews to ensure its criteria are met before granting access. So it said it expects the first non-profit academic researchers in Europe to get access “in the coming weeks”. TikTok’s criteria for access to the API require regional researchers to have demonstrable academic experience and expertise in the research area specified in the application; no conflicts of interest with respect to using the services; a clearly defined research proposal; and to be committed to only using the data for non-commercial purposes. Also today, it said it’s working on being able to grant researchers who are collaborating with others the ability to work together on a shared research project. This incoming collaboration feature, which it says it’s adding in response to feedback from early users, will be called “Lab Access”. “More than half the applications we’ve received request collaboration with other researchers, so we’ll soon be allowing up to 10 researchers to work together on a shared research project,” it wrote. “All researchers will need to have their own TikTok for Developers account and be located in the US or Europe to access our Research API. “Principal researchers will be able to submit a single application for collaborators from the same university. Projects involving multiple universities will need to submit separate applications for each school.” Ads transparency at last The ads transparency library, or “Commercial Content Library” as TikTok is billing it, is a newer initiative — and the launch plugs a long-standing transparency gap for the platform. A critical report on TikTok by Mozilla, back in mid 2021, found policy loopholes, lax oversight around influencer marketing and the lack of a public, searchable ads database was making the platform vulnerable to passing off political ads as organic content — rendering TikTok’s official policy banning political ads pretty meaningless. Now anyone can search TikTok ads or other commercial content by country, date and keyword. However — big caveat! — for now only data on commercial stuff running in Europe is available. TikTok said it plans to include data from “more countries” in the future (but did not specify where or when). “The Commercial Content Library is a searchable database with information about paid ads and ad metadata, such as the advertising creative, dates the ad ran, main parameters used for targeting (e.g. age, gender), number of people who were served the ad, and more,” TikTok noted. The tool also includes information about other content that’s “commercial in nature and tagged with either a paid partnership label or promotional label, such as content that promotes a brand, product or service but is not a paid ad” — so TikTok is including influence marketing in the database too (or at least it is if the influencers have correctly tagged their videos). “We tested an early version of the Commercial Content Library with researchers and civil society to gather feedback over the last few months before making it more broadly available,” TikTok added. “From our tests and input from experts, we’ve added the ability to perform precise searches, included more targeting parameters, and improved data quality — among other updates.” TikTok is also providing access to a Commercial Content API to enable researchers to query the ads database. “Researchers will need to create a TikTok Developers account and submit an application to access the Commercial Content API which we review to help prevent malicious actors from misusing this data,” it added.	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US President Biden has chosen a female admiral to lead the US Navy - the first time a woman has been nominated to head a Pentagon military service branch. Lisa Franchetti is a former head of the US 6th Fleet and US naval forces in South Korea, and has also served as an aircraft carrier strike commander. Her nomination by Mr Biden must still be confirmed by the US Senate. One lawmaker is currently blocking the Senate from confirming military leaders to protest a military abortion policy. If confirmed as Chief of Naval Operations she will be the first woman to become a member of the elite group of senior military officers who make up the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A 38-year veteran, she was only the second woman to achieve the rank of four-star admiral. In a statement, Mr Biden hailed what he called her "extensive expertise in both the operational and policy arenas" and said she "will again make history" when she is confirmed for the role. According to reports in US media, Adm Franchetti was not the first choice of the US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who instead recommended TOPGUN graduate Samuel Paparo as the next Navy chief. Mr Biden also promoted Adm Paparo, nominating him to become the commander of the US military forces in the Pacific. The US Coast Guard is currently led by a woman - Admiral Linda Fagan - but that military branch falls under the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense. Adm Franchetti is due to take up the position in the fall when the current chief's four-year term expires. But she will begin the job in an acting capacity, as it's unlikely that she will be quickly confirmed by the divided senate. Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville is currently blocking the senate from confirming more than 270 military promotions over a Pentagon policy that pays the travel expenses of service members who have to go out of state to have an abortion. In his statement, Mr Biden criticised the senator, saying "what Senator Tuberville is doing is not only wrongâit is dangerous". He added: "He is risking our ability to ensure that the United States Armed Forces remain the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. And his Republican colleagues in the Senate know it."	Not_Explicit
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday signed a bipartisan package of bills into law to expand voter rights by allowing early voting and early tabulation of absentee ballots across Michigan. The legislation, which resulted from the voter-approved Proposal 2, establishes a website for voters to track when their ballots are received and counted, and requires at least nine days of early voting before each statewide and federal election. Voters can also now fix clerical errors on their ballots and use U.S. passports, tribal photo ID cards, military ID cards or student ID cards to identify themselves when they show up to cast ballots. Lawmakers in several Democratic-controlled states advocated sweeping voter protections this year, reacting to what they considered a broad undermining of voting rights by the Supreme Court and Republican-led states as well as a failed effort in Congress to bolster access to the polls. Proposal 2 asked whether Michigan should expand opportunities to vote, including through absentee and early voting. The measure requires state-funded absentee ballot drop boxes, as well as postage for absentee ballots and applications, and allows voters to join a permanent list to receive absentee ballots for every election. "Voting is the cornerstone of our system of government," said Whitmer, a Democrat. "Michiganders spoke with a clear, united voice last November when they voted overwhelmingly in favor of Proposal 2, expanding voting rights. Today, I am proud to sign bipartisan legislation implementing the will of the people, ensuring they can make their voices heard in every election." Under the new law, each municipality in Michigan is required to have at least one secure drop box for absentee ballots or at least one drop box for every 15,000 registered voters in municipalities with more than that many registered voters. "This was a thoughtful, bipartisan effort and I’m grateful to the leaders in both chambers for getting this done," said Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's secretary of state. "We are ready to work with Michigan’s clerks to implement these new laws in time for next year’s elections."	Not_Explicit
Trump’s ‘swamp-draining’ ambition builds upon Jimmy Carter’s reforms The Founding Fathers were keenly aware of the headstrong nature of American society. Anticipating the likelihood that future leaders would seek extreme measures to gain power, they created a unique system of checks and balances. The founders’ concerns are now center stage once again. Three New York Times writers reported recently that former President Trump wants “to alter the balance of power by increasing the president’s authority over every part of the federal government.” Trump’s campaign website confirms their conclusions, declaring that “President Trump will conduct a top-to-bottom overhaul of the federal bureaucracies to clean out the rot and corruption of Washington D.C.” Efforts to take partisan control of government began early in the life of the republic with President Andrew Jackson’s spoils system, initiated with his inauguration in 1829. Continuing after the Civil war, it was characterized by mass turnover of jobs and officials after presidential elections. The resulting inability to establish stable administrative structures was already noted by the French student of American democracy, Alexis DeTocqueville, in his famous book “Democracy in America,” in 1835. The patronage system was a factor in the rampant corruption in government and the private sector during the “robber baron” era of the 19th Century. Post-Civil War reform of the federal government began with enactment of the merit system for appointment of federal employees (The Pendleton Act of 1883). By the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), a majority of classified federal workers and administrators had become qualified civil servants with permanent tenure. Under the progressive reform movement, both major parties embraced the principle that federal agency heads should be chosen for professional qualifications and ability to exercise independent leadership. The distinguished historian of the U.S. Civil Service Paul Van Riper showed that growth of public and Congressional trust in federal agencies allowed administrative laws to be short. They were generally less than 20 pages until the 1970s because Civil Service administrators below presidentially appointed agency heads were largely entrusted to oversee operational policy. Confidence in the federal government was at 75 percent in the late 1950s and 60s, according to polls of the Pew trust. It fell to 40 percent with the Nixon scandals in 1974, but systems of government remained largely unchanged when Nixon’s attempt to impound legislative funding was rejected. We are in a very different place today: Confidence in the federal government declined to around 20 percent in the decade from 2010 to 2020. Looking back again, Jimmy Carter was accustomed to the “pliant, one-party Georgia legislature” and wanted federal agencies to be more responsive to the president’s policies. In a speech to Congress, he complained about a “bureaucratic maze that stifled the initiatives of federal employees” He achieved the most far-reaching transformation of the federal government in 100 years by replacing the eight-page Pendleton Act with the 131-page Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). The bipartisan Civil Service Commission was replaced by three agencies. The main Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was now headed by a presidential appointee. Presidential power was enhanced through the creation of a new Senior Executive Service that could be reassigned by the OPM and given special tasks as well as remuneration. Additionally, the president was given authority to appoint temporary SES administrators who would serve under top presidential heads of agencies. Carter was never able to take advantage of the CSRA to promote presidential policies because he was defeated in 1980 by Ronald Reagan. Ironically, zealous officials in the first Reagan administration made use of the new provisions to “clean house” in key federal agencies. This gave them the power to weaken enforcement of environmental regulations, which were blamed for the stagflation of the era. To that end, Reagan appointed Ann Gorsuch to the Environmental Protection Agency and James Watt to the Department of Interior. Both Gorsuch and Watt were forced to resign by 1983, and Gorsuch was replaced by the respected William Ruckelshaus, However, it was too late. Conflict over environmental policy widened to political polarization in the 1980s. Despite efforts to achieve more harmonious governmental policies in the G.H.W Bush and Clinton-Gore administrations, partisan polarization continued. In 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gases, but President Trump announced withdrawal from the treaty in 2017. Subsequently, President Biden recommitted to the agreement in 2021. Federal agency policies have continued yo-yo behaviors with change in presidential administrations. Trump and his Republican supporters have now openly challenged American law and democratic operating principles by denying the validity of the 2020 elections and seeking ways to subvert the Constitution. History shows that politicization of federal government operations for personal and partisan purposes already began in the late 1970s with the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. Its subsequent effects helped destabilize government operations and led to lack of trust in the federal government by a majority of the American public. A significant fraction of voters have become supporters of Donald Trump. Lessons of history are being repeated. Frank T. Manheim is an affiliate professor and distinguished research fellow at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
SJVN Shares Hit Record High After Bagging Five Hydropower Projects In Arunachal Pradesh The investment in these projects, totaling 5,097 megawatts, will be more than Rs 50,000 crore. The investment in these projects, totaling 5,097 megawatts, will be more than Rs 50,000 crore. The construction of these projects will reduce carbon emissions by around 1.1 million tonne per year, according to an exchange filing. The company is committed to achieve 25 GW of generation capacity by end of current decade, more than half of which is bound to come from renewable resources, it said. Last Friday, the company, through its subsidiary SJVN Green Energy Ltd., received the letter of intent from the Punjab State Power Corp. for the procurement of 1,200 MW of solar power. The power purchase agreement will be signed for 25 years, it said. SJVN expects to achieve 25 gigawatts of generation capacity by the end of the current decade, more than half of which is bound to come from renewable resources. Shares of SJVN surged 9.81% intra-day to hit a fresh record high of Rs 62.7 apiece. The stock is trading 5.43% higher at Rs 60.20 per share as of 10.25 a.m., compared to a 0.02% decline in the NSE Nifty 50. The stock has risen nearly 79.7% year-to-date. The total traded volume stood at 12.9 times its 30-day average. The relative strength index was at 85, implying that the stock maybe overbought. All five analysts tracking the company maintain a 'buy' rating on the stock, according to Bloomberg data. The average 12-month consensus price target implies a potential downside of 17.6%.	Not_Explicit
Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy Murrey Jacobson Murrey Jacobson Lena I. Jackson Lena I. Jackson Sam Weber Sam Weber Leave your feedback Next week, the contract between 340,000 unionized workers and UPS expires. Workers authorized a strike and say they are ready to walk if the Teamsters and UPS can’t reach a deal. The labor dispute could lead to the largest strike in U.S. history against a single employer and cause massive disruption in the shipping industry and beyond. Stephanie Sy reports on how the battle lines are being drawn. Geoff Bennett: The bipartisan political organization No Labels is considering launching a third-party unity ticket for the White House next year. That sparked concern among some Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans that their moderate presidential ticket could serve as a spoiler in a close election by peeling off votes from Joe Biden and put Donald Trump back in the White House. That's if he's the Republican nominee. Larry Hogan is the former Republican governor of Maryland. He is now a national co-chair of No Labels, and he joins us now. Thank you for being with us. Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD): Thank you, Geoff. So you were a popular Republican governor in a blue state. You were term-limited out of office. You have said you aren't seeking the Republican presidential nomination in this cycle. But in your capacity as the national co-chair of No Labels, would you be open to a third-party ticket? Fmr. Gov. Larry Hogan: Well, look, I have been involved in No Labels for a number of years, because I happen to believe very strongly in what the organization is all about. And it's a citizen group that's very bipartisan. It works on bipartisan, commonsense solutions to problems. I was involved with the Problem Solvers Caucus of No Labels and helped get the infrastructure bill done. This new thing that we're all talking about is not something that's fully baked, but it's — I understand why so many people are talking about it, because almost 70 percent of the people in America do not want Joe Biden or Donald Trump to be president. And yet it looks as, if the nominations were taking place today, that there's a likelihood that those may be the choices. And No Labels is talking about the idea next spring of potentially giving voters an additional choice. And they're talking about the idea of maybe bringing the country together by having a Republican and a Democrat running together on a unity ticket just to put the country first. The polling that you mentioned, it doesn't suggest that the people surveyed want or would support a third-party candidate. What's the operating assumption that No Labels is using? Well, actually, two recent polls, one showed 59 percent would consider a third-party candidate, and the other one said 64 percent would if they — an additional poll said that, if you had on the ballot today Trump, Biden or neither, that neither would be the winner. So, look, we don't know what it's going to look like next spring. And there's a whole lot of campaigning between now and then. My focus is on trying to elect a Republican nominee that's going to be taking the party in a different direction than Donald Trump and that can be a candidate that could win in November. But just leaving the door open for a group of citizens to say, maybe we should be able to petition to get on the ballot to have an additional choice, that's something that an overwhelming majority of Americans agree with. On the matter of mounting a potential unity ticket, I spoke on this program last week with Dick Gephardt, the former House Democratic leader, who is now leading a bipartisan organization to stop your group, to stop No Labels. Here's some of what he said. Fmr. Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO): They say they're forming an insurance policy in the case the candidates are Trump and Biden. That's precisely the time they should not do this, if their goal is not to reelect Donald Trump. So he says that, in normal times, he'd have no problem with a third-party ticket. There have been third-party presidential bids for generations, but that these are not normal times this, as he says Donald Trump could not be permitted anywhere near the White House and that a No Labels potential candidacy would siphon off votes for Joe Biden. Well, I agree that they're not normal times, and that there's never been more of a demand for this potential option ever before in the history of our country. We have never had a situation where somewhere between 59 and 64 percent of the people say they'd consider a third option. We have never had a time when 49 percent of all the voters in America were now registered independent, with only 25 being Republican and Democrat. So I would just disagree with the premise that they can predict now, maybe nine or 10 months early, who the nominees might be, who — whether No Labels puts together a ticket or not, and whether or not that ticket is going to draw from Joe Biden or from Donald Trump. But I can tell you that the Democrats are in a full-blown panic because their candidate is in a really weak position. And they have currently got a third-party candidate that's potentially going to throw the election, and we have got a Green Party candidate that's pulling about 4 or 5 percent of the vote. And they have got a difficult primary, with 30 percent of the primary voters not voting for Joe Biden. So what would be the No Labels strategy for getting to 270 electoral votes? Because at a recent No Labels event in New Hampshire, the two most prominent politicians there were Joe Manchin, the Democratic senator from West Virginia, and Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor of Utah, neither of whom are household names. And it really speaks to the logistical challenge that your organization would have in building support for these candidates if they were on the ticket. Yes, well, first of all, that's a big. If and I'm not sure that either one of them would be on a ticket, and I'm not sure if there's going to be a ticket. But No Labels wasn't created for this purpose. No Labels has been around for 12 years. And I can tell you that there's not a single person in the No Labels organization that I know of that is trying to hand the presidency back to Donald Trump. I have been one of the strongest critics in the Republican Party. My co-chair, Joe Lieberman, has been involved in organ organization for a long time. Right now, I think it's just a lot of kind of negative rhetoric coming out of Democratic operatives who are trying to stifle potential involvement from citizens. We are awaiting a potential second special counsel indictment regarding Donald Trump's role in the lead-up to January 6. He faces as many as six criminal and civil trials in this election cycle. And it seems that, as Donald Trump's legal troubles expand, so too does his base of support. What accounts for that, as you see it? And do you see that changing at all? Well, I sure hope so. I have been trying to do my part to steer the party away from Donald Trump. I think it would be a terrible mistake for the Republican Party to nominate Donald Trump, and I think it'd be terrible for the country for Donald Trump to be elected president again. But, look, it's — the problem we have right now, about 50 percent of the likely Republican primary voters do not want Donald Trump, but they have got 11 choices of who else they might support. And many of them are struggling to get attention because all of our focus is on the Trump legal problems. And I think we have got to find a way to narrow that field down, decide who the strongest candidates are, and then we have got to start giving them more attention. But with the current indictments and potential future indictments coming out, it's going to continue to be the thing that takes all of the oxygen out of the room. And, unfortunately, that's hurting the Republican primary challengers. And if not helping Trump, it certainly isn't hurting him. In a general election, I think it hurts him terribly. It makes him a candidate that is unqualified, should be disqualified from being president. And I think it makes it impossible for him to win a general election. But this is kind of a dream date scenario with the first case coming up in May, which is long after we're going to have selected a nominee. So it would be bad for the Republican challengers and probably good for the Democrats in the general election. Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, thanks for being with us tonight. We appreciate it. Stephanie Sy is a PBS NewsHour correspondent and serves as anchor of PBS NewsHour West. Throughout her career, she served in anchor and correspondent capacities for ABC News, Al Jazeera America, CBSN, CNN International, and PBS NewsHour Weekend. Prior to joining NewsHour, she was with Yahoo News where she anchored coverage of the 2018 Midterm Elections and reported from Donald Trump’s victory party on Election Day 2016. Sam Weber has covered everything from living on minimum wage to consumer finance as a shooter/producer for PBS NewsHour Weekend. Prior joining NH Weekend, he previously worked for Need to Know on PBS and in public radio. He’s an avid cyclist and Chicago Bulls fan. Support Provided By: Learn more	Not_Explicit
Autoliv (ALV) underpins that shared goal. The Sweden-based safety products and systems supplier to many global automakers reported Friday that earnings per share more than doubled in the second quarter, after doubling in Q1. Autoliv stock soared. Autoliv No. 1 Auto Safety Supplier Autoliv, the world's biggest air bag and seat belt maker, says it benefits from higher vehicle safety standards and stricter regulations. Other factors driving its markets include "the premium vehicle trend and the increasing focus on safety in emerging markets," the company said in its 2022 Annual Report. In China, Autoliv customers include EV startups Nio, Li Auto (LI) and XPeng (XPEV). Its customers also include Ford and General Motors (GM) in the U.S., and Volkswagen (VWAGY) in Europe. Autoliv supplies the Nio ES6 SUV and Ford Lightning truck, for example, both premium, new electric vehicles. The global shift to electric vehicles continues to gather pace. Autoliv also makes EV safety products, such as battery cutoff switches. Autoliv Earnings In Q2, Autoliv revenue jumped 27% to $2.635 billion, it said Friday. Earnings grew 115% per share to $1.93, crushing estimates for $1.41, FactSet shows. That marked accelerating growth from a 17% revenue gain and 100% earnings surge in the first quarter. The company tied Q2 gains to new product launches, higher prices and cost-cutting measures. "We achieved the price compensations from customers we planned for," the earning release said. Autoliv Stock, Ford, Nio In stock market action Friday, Autoliv stock surged 11.1% to 103.58. Shares pegged a 52-week high of 102.30 intraday. The move scored a breakaway gap breakout above a buy point at 98. The breakaway gap rules put the buy point at 99.68. Nio also rose Friday, but Ford stock fell. Cost Inflation On Friday, Autoliv reiterated full-year guidance after beating estimates. In 2022, the auto safety products maker's earnings fell 12% amid the chip shortage and Covid-19 lockdowns in China. Analysts expect a 48% earnings rebound for full-year 2023, FactSet shows. Lingering challenges include cost inflation tied to raw materials, labor and logistics. Year to date, ALV stock is up 32.6%. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:	Not_Explicit
Commuters waiting for trains at Kurla railway station. (Photo: Vijay Sartape/BQ Prime) The projected population of India, as on July 1, 2023, is 139 crore according to a report of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. The projected population of India, as on July 1, 2023, is 139 crore according to a report of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said as per the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population division online publication, World Population Prospectus 2022, the total projected population of China as on July 1, 2023 is 142,56,71,000. "The projected population of India as on July 1, 2023, as per the report of the technical group on population projections published by the National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is 139,23,29,000," he said replying to a written question. Rai said the intent of the central government for conducting census 2021 was notified in Gazette of India on March 28, 2019, but due to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the census 2021 and the related field activities have been postponed.	Not_Explicit
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the tiny kingdom of Tonga on Wednesday, as the United States continues to increase its diplomatic efforts in the Pacific while China's influence in the region grows. Home to just over 100,000 people, Tonga last year was the site of a massive volcanic eruption that sent millions of tons of water vapor into the atmosphere and killed four people in Tonga. Blinken's visit helped highlight the opening of a new U.S. Embassy in Tonga and the return of Peace Corps volunteers following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Blinken met with Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni and other officials to discuss the bilateral relationship as well as regional and global issues, said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. “Secretary Blinken outlined how the United States is following through on commitments made by President Biden at last year’s historic summit with Pacific Islands leaders to elevate our diplomatic and development presence and engagement in the region,” Miller said in a statement. Miller said the visit also highlighted U.S. efforts to tackle the Pacific climate crisis, including by expanding early warning systems. Blinken next travels to New Zealand, where on Thursday he will meet with officials and watch the women’s World Cup soccer match between the U.S. and the Netherlands. He then travels to Brisbane, Australia, for meetings with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts. The trip is Blinken’s third to the Asia-Pacific region in the past two months, following visits to China and Indonesia. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, the husband of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, also just finished a visit to New Zealand and Samoa. French President Emmanuel Macron began a trip to the South Pacific this week. Blinken’s travel was announced soon after the State Department notified Congress it plans a massive increase in diplomatic personnel and spending for facilities at new U.S. embassies in the Pacific islands. The update to Congress pointed out that China has permanent diplomatic facilities in eight of the 12 Pacific island nations that the U.S. recognizes and said the U.S. needs to catch up.	Not_Explicit
Russia's foreign ministry has imposed tight travel restrictions on British diplomats working in the country. It said they must give at least five days' notice and provide extensive travel details if they want to leave a 120km (75-mile) "free movement zone". Only the British ambassador and three senior diplomats are exempted from the measures, the ministry said. It comes amid worsening relations between Moscow and London following the invasion of Ukraine. Despite the two countries being at odds over the war, both have continued to operate diplomatic missions on each other's soil. The Vienna Convention - which the UK and Russia are both signed up to - is clear that governments must give accredited diplomats "freedom of movement and travel in its territory". So governments rarely actually stop diplomats from travelling - but they can make it very difficult by imposing rules and regulations, such as the Russian government has. The Russian foreign ministry said British diplomats will have to provide details of accommodation, transport, planned contacts and the purpose of any trip before travelling within Russia. The restrictions will also be applied to diplomats working at the British consulate in Yekaterinburg, a city around 1090km (880 miles) to the east of Moscow. The resulting bureaucratic demands are time-consuming and onerous but are just within the letter of the Vienna Convention. In truth, this is just one of many irregular ways of making life difficult for diplomats. They could find visa applications take time. They and their families could be subject to greater or lesser surveillance. One diplomat once told me that she returned to her flat in Moscow one evening to find the magnetised letters on her fridge had been re-arranged to spell FSB, the Russia security service. Another found her cat frozen to death outside her flat. She suspected it had been shut out deliberately. So it is not unusual for authoritarian states to make life difficult for diplomats. For many, it goes with the territory. The announcement was made shortly after the UK's interim charge d'affaires attended a meeting with Russian officials and was informed of the decision. The UK Foreign Office has disputed the Russian foreign ministry's claim that the senior British diplomat had been "summoned", describing it as "disinformation". A spokesperson for the department said: "This was a planned meeting, held at our request, as part of standard diplomatic practice." In a statement confirming the restrictions, Russia cited the UK's support of the Ukrainian government. It accused the UK of conducting "hostile actions... including the obstruction of the normal functioning of Russian diplomatic offices in the UK". The UK Foreign Office has not said how it will respond to the move.	Not_Explicit
Sadiq Khan has warned that day travelcards are likely to be scrapped to save cash. The London Mayor announced that he has begun the process to axe day travelcards on the London network, a move that would save Transport for London (TfL) £40 million but is likely to add to commuters’ costs. He has started a six-month notice period to end its use, which could see some journey prices increase by as much as 36 per cent. A spokesman for the mayor said he had reluctantly agreed to the proposal but had to do it in order to meet the deadlines in TfL’s funding deal, adding that the decision was reversible and the Mayor and TfL were seeking alternatives in the coming months. Unions suspend Tube action His announcement on Friday came after three unions suspended industrial action that would have shut down all of the Tube network for four days next week after TfL made a series of concessions over pay and pensions. London Underground members of the RMT, Aslef and Unite all planned to take action over working conditions and changes to pensions, which would significantly reduce their income in retirement. The RMT was also taking action over plans to axe 600 station staff jobs. However, they decided to halt this, with the RMT claiming union pressure had resulted in TfL making “significant concessions” with plans for jobs cuts and pension changes halted.	Not_Explicit
Some NHS staff in England say they are not receiving an extra one-off payment awarded by the government as part of the latest pay deal for nurses and other workers such as ambulance crews. The issue is affecting some "bank" staff, who provide temporary cover for hospital trusts to fill rota gaps. Some say they have not received the lump sum, of at least Â£1,655. It was part of the new pay agreement for more than a million NHS workers, in addition to a 5% rise. The Unite union has accused ministers of a cynical ploy. The Department of Health and Social Care says the deal, agreed with most unions, involved a one-off payment for staff directly employed by NHS organisations - but for those on locally managed contracts, such as bank staff, it was up to individual employers to determine pay and conditions. One staff nurse, from Liverpool, has started a petition asking the government to ensure all NHS bank staff in England receive the non-consolidated payments. Bank staff are not employed on the national Agenda for Change contract other nurses and healthcare staff fall under. The bank allows NHS staff at a trust to work extra shifts - but some health workers work only for the bank, taking whatever shifts are offered, and some of these have found they did not qualify for the one-off payment, even though all their work is for the NHS. Some bank workers are paid the same rates as staff at the same employer, with some holiday and sick pay. But others, in exchange for flexibility over hours, can be paid more per hour though without the same employment protection. Arrangements vary trust by trust. 'Extend funding' Yorkshire Ambulance Service has decided to pay the lump sum to some workers, including those who work for the bank. An official said: "Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust reviewed the contracts of its bank-only staff and determined that they should receive the one-off payment as per contractual obligations." Northumbria Healthcare which runs hospitals in the North East has done the same. But the trusts that have chosen to have to do this from their own resources. Other employers have chosen not to and are being pressed by health unions to change their policies. Unite says the government should extend funding made available for trusts to make the payments to staff, to allow them to include bank workers. 'Two-tier system' General secretary Sharon Graham said: "The cynical ploy of saying that NHS bank staff - or any other NHS staff - should get a pay increase on the one hand, but then refuse to fund it on the other, is yet another case of ministers robbing Peter to pay Paul. "Telling local trusts that they must find cash out of existing funds means one thing and one thing only - more cuts to a health service already on its knees. "More cuts means more overworked and demoralised staff walking away and on it goes." Health staff at other organisations, deemed "non-statutory", for example in nursing homes and GP services, have also missed out on the payments. The NHS Confederation has called on ministers to intervene, warning there is a danger of a two-tier system being created. The Agenda for Change pay deal covers most NHS staff, except doctors and dentists, who are on a different contract. It was reached after a series of strikes by workers over concerns about rising inflation outstripping pay awards.	Not_Explicit
McCarthy threatens Biden impeachment inquiry: Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) says he expects the House GOP investigations into the foreign business activities of President Biden’s family to rise to the level of an impeachment inquiry. It’s the House leader’s strongest threat to date, amid conservative-led investigations into the president. “We’ve only followed where the information has taken us,” McCarthy told Fox News host Sean Hannity Monday night. “But Hannity, this is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed.” House conservatives have repeatedly sought to attack Biden on various issues related to his son, Hunter Biden. Two IRS whistleblowers recently testified that Hunter Biden was treated with kid gloves and given preferential treatment regarding recent tax evasion and gun charges. Republicans also questioned Biden’s alleged involvement in his son’s business dealings while he was vice president. McCarthy accused Biden of using “the weaponization of government to benefit his family and deny Congress the ability to have the oversight.” The White House has denied any wrongdoing on the president’s part and accused the House of failing to focus on important issues as they continue to attack Biden. Remember: When Democrats controlled the House, former President Trump was impeached twice. However, the then-GOP-controlled Senate voted against finding him guilty of the charges. Now the roles are reversed. What’s next: Despite McCarthy’s threat, it’s unclear if he can gather the votes in his caucus to successfully impeach the president, especially among moderate Republicans — and it is unlikely the Democrat-controlled Senate would vote to convict Biden. More from The Hill here. It’s Tuesday, July 25. I’m Elizabeth Crisp, filling in for Cate, with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign said he and some members of his team were involved in a car accident while heading to a campaign event in Tennessee on Tuesday. DeSantis and his team were uninjured, according to his campaign. (The Hill) Hunter Biden prosecutor willing to testify before Congress: The House Judiciary Committee, which has been looking into Hunter Biden, could soon hear from the prosecutor who led the investigation. The Department of Justice sent a letter to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to confirm that U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss is willing to testify during a public hearing in September or October. “[We] are deeply concerned by any misrepresentations about our work—whether deliberate or arising from misunderstandings — that could unduly harm public confidence in the evenhanded administration of justice, to which we are dedicated,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte said in the letter to Jordan. “The Department believes it is strongly in the public interest for the American people and for Congress to hear directly from U.S. Attorney Weiss on these assertions and questions about his authority at a public hearing.” Two IRS whistleblowers have claimed that prosecutors showed preferential treatment to the president’s son in his plea deal on tax charges and a weapons charge, stoking House Republicans’ steady pushback against Biden, who is running for reelection. (The Hill) Trump’s indictments put more pressure on GOP senators to find alternative in 2024: Could Trump’s mounting legal issues actually be bolstering his campaign for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination? That’s what some Republican senators, who would prefer someone else on the ballot come November 2024, seem to be worried about. Special counsel Jack Smith has been leading a monthslong investigation of the former president’s alleged crimes related to falsifying business records, the mishandling of classified documents and his potential role in attempts to overturn to the 2020 election. While prominent House Republicans and conservative media outlets have rushed to defend Trump, most GOP senators have been more tepid about discussing his legal woes. But, their anxiety is only growing. Recent polling averages show Trump is still carrying a hefty lead over his 2024 GOP rivals. A senator, who requested anonymity, told The Hill that the threat of a new federal indictment “creates increased enthusiasm among his supporters and probably brings other voters along who see this as a rotten system.” (The Hill) Juggling priorities, Harris leans into attack dog role: While Vice President Harris has a lot on her plate, she’s now turning to a more traditional VP role: Attack dog, defending the Biden administration and taking GOP rivals head on. The Hill’s Brett Samuels and Alex Gangitano report that Harris has taken to “fighting what the White House views as hypocrisy or extreme policies pushed by Republicans as she and President Biden prepare for what could be an intense, mud-slinging 2024 campaign next year.” Harris has also been tasked with taking charge on issues that the White House thinks will not only bolster the president’s standing but will also resonate with voters — including abortion, voting rights and book bans. 🔹 Harris headed to Nashville in April to defend Democratic state lawmakers who faced political retaliation from GOP leaders over a gun violence protest following a deadly school shooting in Nashville. 🔹Just last week, the White House sent her to Jacksonville to call out Republican leaders over controversial new educational guidelines on how some issues, including Black history, are taught in Florida schools. There, she bashed GOP leaders as “extremists” who she said were pushing “propaganda” on children. 🔹 And on Saturday, she again spread a message against GOP “extremists” to a Latino audience at the UnidosUS 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago. More here from The Hill. \| \| Join The Hill’s clean energy permitting reform event in DC National Press Club and streaming online nationally Join The Hill as we convene lawmakers, clean energy experts and executives to discuss renewable energy infrastructure deployment, reaching clean energy goals and the outlook for greater reforms. Guests include: Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), member of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee; Maria Robinson, director, Grid Deployment Office, U.S. Department of Energy; Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), vice chair of the Energy, Climate & Grid Security Subcommittee and vice chair of the Federal Lands Subcommittee; Xan Fishman, director of energy policy & carbon management at the Bipartisan Policy Center; Shannon Baker-Branstetter, senior director, domestic climate & energy policy, Center for American Progress; Heather Reams, president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES); and Jesse Simons, co-founder & chief commercial officer at SOLARCYCLE. REGISTER NOW Kellyanne Conway: Trump could still show up for GOP debate: Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway has suggested that the former president may participate in the GOP presidential debate next month but will likely “keep everybody in suspense” until the last minute for dramatic effect. “If I were you, I would keep that center podium warm because maybe he’ll make the announcement the day of,” Conway during an appearance on Fox News, which is hosting the Aug. 23 debate. “You just never know.” Trump, the frontrunner in the Republican primary race, has repeatedly hinted that he may skip the debate -— a move that could plummet voter interest in the debate but also give other candidates a cleaner opportunity to make their cases for the nomination. “When you have a big lead, you don’t do it,” Trump recently told Fox News. “Why would you let somebody that’s at zero or at one or two or three be popping you with questions?” Some of his rivals though have pressed for Trump to attend. “Nobody’s entitled to be nominated. You gotta earn it. And I think he should show up and make his case and answer questions like the rest of us,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has typically polled second behind Trump, said last week. (The Hill) RELATED: Culture-war battles fail to deliver for DeSantis (The Hill) Big money: Mega Millions jackpot hits $820M: Just days after a $1 billion Powerball jackpot was won in California, the Mega Millions jackpot has hit a massive $820 million — the fifth-largest jackpot in the game’s history. The next drawing will be at 11 p.m. today. If a winner is drawn, they will have the option of taking an estimated $265 million in a lump sum payment or about $15 million in annual payments for 30 years. (KTLA via The Hill) Musk defends Twitter rebranding to ‘X’ following backlash: Twitter owner Elon Musk responded to criticism after announcing a rebrand of the social media platform to “X” this week, saying the original name no longer matches his plans for new features. “This is not simply a company renaming itself, but doing the same thing,” Musk tweeted. “The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140 character messages going back and forth — like birds tweeting — but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video.” The company also plans to shift to “comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world” in the coming months. “The Twitter name does not make sense in that context, so we must bid adieu to the bird,” he said. (The Hill) Clinton has a minimum wage reminder: Former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) had a minimum wage reminder for everyone this week. “As of today, it’s been 14 years since the $7.25 federal minimum wage was last raised,” she wrote. “MAGA Republicans have repeatedly blocked an increase,” she wrote. The House came in at noon, and the Senate will convene at 3 p.m. President Biden and Vice President Harris are in D.C. - 10 a.m.: Biden received the Presidential Daily Briefing. - Noon: Biden signed a proclamation to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monuments in Illinois and Mississippi. Harris joined for the signing event at the White House. - 3 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on expanding access to mental health care. - 3 p.m.: House Rules Committee will meet. All times Eastern. - 3 p.m.: Biden will deliver remarks on expanding access to mental health care. (Watch here) - 3 p.m.: Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law will hold a hearing on artificial intelligence. (Watch here) - 3:30 p.m.: Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief reporters. (Watch here) Today is National Wine and Cheese Day! There are plenty of wine bars throughout D.C. if you’re looking for an excuse to liven up your Tuesday. Or head to a specialty store to pick your own at home snack platter perfect for cuddling up on the couch to watch some TV or enjoying a romantic evening with your partner. (Psst … Here’s a cheat sheet if you want the perfect pairings.) \| \| And because you made it this far, check out this video of a snooping pug…	Not_Explicit
Is the Supreme Court giving favorable treatment to religion? Have religious zealots coopted the Supreme Court? The left seems to think so. Pieces written about its last two terms, in particular, make various versions of this claim. They’ve said the court allegedly wishes to end the separation of church and state. They’ve said the majority of justices want to give an “elevated” status to religious persons and claims, privileging them over all other principles and laws. The list goes on. But these claims fall short — a truth we can see by a fair examination of religious cases in the past two Supreme Court terms. Rather than showing an imposition of theocracy, these decisions merely try to give religious persons equal treatment and respect constitutional religious rights. This summer, one pundit declared that, with the current court, the First Amendment Establishment Clause’s “limits on the government’s involvement with or facilitation of religion … appear to have been smashed.” Wrong. The court has hardly decreed all government interaction with religion constitutionally permissible. Recent decisions, like last year’s Carson v. Makin, have sided with religious claims based on equality, not special privilege. This case, which concerned access to generally available educational funding, said that, once instituted, state governments must permit its use for religious and secular institutions alike. As much as that claim misinterprets legal texts, it misrepresents the legal context. Far from being a recent shift, the Supreme Court, for 20 years, has consistently found that state governments must afford religious persons and groups the same opportunities as secular equivalents. Consider the 2002 school voucher case, Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, which said parents must be allowed to use this government funding for any private school they wished, whether religious or secular. Progressives also have attacked the court’s protection of the football coach praying at the 50-yard line after games. The case again included the issue of equality, namely the need to treat religious uses of public employee time similar to non-religious. Neither has the court only now discovered protections for prayer by public employees or in public settings. For example, the 2014 case of Town of Greece v. Galloway affirmed prayer as constitutional when made before governmental functions such as school board meetings. Regarding accusations of special treatment for believers, let us begin with this summer’s decision in Groff v.DeJoy. The case concerned a postal worker who asked for accommodation not to work on Sundays, as the protection afforded against religious discrimination in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The court revisited the standard for assessing such claims in the 1977 case Hardison v. Trans World Airlines. Courts using this case had far from “balance[d] the competing values,” religious and other, in the workplace. Instead, judges had taken the case to apply a “de minimus” standard whereby the Civil Rights Act did not protect any religious accommodation that involved more than a minimal inconvenience to the employer. This reading stacked the deck in favor of businesses and against individuals desiring an exemption. It thus relegated religious claims to second-class status behind other classes (like race or gender) that received more robust judicial protection. Therefore, rather than supporting the left’s argument, which says the court gave religious claims unique, elevated status, the court merely took the law’s language seriously. It gave employees a fighting legal chance, comparable to other legal claims, to have religious accommodations. Or take the court’s COVID-era decisions, which the left has criticized. There, the court demanded equal — not favored — treatment for churches seeking the ability legally to worship. The court generally sided with religious groups here because others had received special treatment permitting exemptions, not them. Though many of these cases concern equal treatment, we should not concede to the left that religion gets no special legal status. The Constitution has enshrined protections for religious liberty, most famously in the First Amendment. Landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did the same. Religion is not the only protected liberty. But looking at our Founding shows how our Framers saw it as especially precious. In a 1792 essay entitled “Property,” Madison declared that a person “has a property of peculiar value in his religious opinions, and in the profession and practice dictated by them.” In the same piece, Madison responded to the issue of when “a man’s religious rights are violated” by saying, “Conscience is the most sacred of all property.” The same man helped shepherd the First Amendment — which dedicated two crucial clauses to the subject — through Congress. Finally, in respecting religious liberty, we still respect equality. Every person should receive the fullest protection afforded to him by law. To protect a religious person’s constitutional rights is to treat them as equal to others by giving them, as others receive, all constitutional and statutory privileges. Therefore, we should affirm where the left condemns and celebrate where they bemoan. The court is not creating a theocracy or making Christians their specially favored people. Instead, it seeks equality for believers as fellow citizens under the law. Adam Carrington is associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
Michael Gove is planning to change planning laws to pave the way for more home extensions and conversions of shops into houses in England in efforts to address the housing crisis. As part of plans due to be announced on Monday, the housing secretary said new rules will be drawn up to give greater freedoms to carry out property extensions and to open up lofts. Officials said the proposals will allow families to expand their home as their family grows while still ensuring neighbours’ interests are protected. New flexibilities will be introduced to allow shops, takeaways and betting shops to be turned into living spaces, with Gove arguing that Britain must “make better use of the buildings we already have”. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the proposals to relax rules around the use of retail space is designed to help rejuvenate high streets and provide greater density of housing in inner cities, rather than encouraging urban sprawl. Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow housing secretary, said the announcement was a “drop in the ocean” that failed to address the scale of the housing shortage. Gove, in a speech in London on reforming national permitted development rights, is also expected to announce that the Conservative government will cut rules limiting barn conversions and the repurposing of agricultural buildings. Before his speech, Gove said: “Britain needs more homes to fulfil more dreams of home ownership and increase choice for renters. “But they must be of the right type and targeted in the right places. “So we must build more in the places that make sense – in our inner cities so that we protect our countryside. “And we must make better use of the buildings we already have – empty shops or offices cannot be gathering dust while we have an urgent need for more homes. “That is why we are reviewing the rules around permitted development rights to make sure we can regenerate, build and grow.” The announcement comes only two weeks after a cross-party panel of MPs warned that Tory ministers are unlikely to deliver 300,000 new homes each year after making the target advisory rather than mandatory. The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, decided in December to downgrade the target’s status to see off a brewing Conservative backbench rebellion. The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities committee, in a report published earlier this month, said its inquiry into the policy change had seen it told that the six-figure target would be “impossible to achieve” by the mid-2020s. Clive Betts, the Labour committee chair, said Sunak’s decision was “already having a damaging impact on efforts to increase the building of new homes”. Labour’s Nandy has already announced plans to make it easier to build on unsightly parts of the greenbelt if Keir Starmer is elected prime minister at the next election, expected to be held in 2024. Starmer has also promised to restore the 300,000 housing target. Responding to Gove’s announcement, Nandy said: “Britain desperately needs more homes, but another review is a drop in the ocean compared [with] what is needed to fix the housing crisis. “We don’t need more reviews or press releases, we need bold action to get Britain building. “That’s why Labour has set out plans to reform the planning system to build the homes we need. “We will restore housing targets, reform compulsory purchase rules and take the tough choices to back the builders, not the blockers.”	Not_Explicit
Justice Department sues Texas over floating barrier in Rio Grande River The Justice Department on Monday sued the state of Texas in a suit seeking to compel Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to remove a barrier in the Rio Grande River designed to block migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. “We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement announcing the suit. “This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns,” she said, adding that the barrier has prompted protests and “risks damaging U.S. foreign policy.” The barrier, roughly 1,000 feet of buoys ranging from four to six feet in diameter, is the latest escalation from Texas, which also installed razor wire near the border and is among several states that have bussed migrants to left-leaning cities. In anticipation of the suit, Abbott, who received a letter from the Justice Department Friday asking for the removal of the buoys, said in a Monday letter “Texas will see you in court.” The suit argues the buoys are a violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which prohibits unauthorized barriers in any navigable waters. DEVELOPING Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
The Sunday Telegraph welcomes a warning by Housing Secretary Michael Gove of a possible voter backlash unless some net zero measures are relaxed. The paper's leader suggests opposition to a larger Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) in London, which is blamed for Labour's defeat in the Uxbridge by-election, is in its words the "tip of the iceberg". The Telegraph recommends holding a referendum on the goal of reaching net zero by 2050. Allies of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tell the Sunday Times that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has promised to review his expansion of the Ulez zone. But the Observer's editorial warns against what it calls weaponising green policies for political gain. It says the climate emergency, obvious in this summer of "freak heatwaves", cries out for a non-partisan approach. The Sun reports a claim from Reform Party leader Richard Tice that Metro Bank closed his party's account in 2021 because of Reform's support of Brexit. It follows claims by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage that his account at Coutts bank was shut because of his political views. According to the Sunday Express the prime minister will "push through new laws" to protect bank customers' freedom of speech. But there are warnings from the banking industry in the Observer that revealing the reasons for an account closure could tip off potential criminals who are being investigated. According to the Sunday Mirror, nine of 11 new hospitals that are due to open in 2030 are being built in the constituencies of Conservative MPs. Labour MPs suggest these Tory-supporting communities are being prioritised over Labour areas, where sites need redeveloping. The government was approached for comment. The Mail on Sunday says what it calls a two-year blitz of formal visits by senior royals is being planned in a bid to protect ties with the Commonwealth and the rest of the world. The tours, involving the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales, are said to be part of efforts to protect relations with countries such as Australia who might want to seek independence. The Sunday People leads on claims that pictures of Nicola Bulley, who drowned while walking her dog in Lancashire, are being used for fake profiles in a dating scam. The paper says it is feared the accounts are being used to lure in people seeking dates and are then bombarded with requests for money. And the Sunday Times explains why the green man is slowing down at pedestrian crossings. The guidelines - set in the 1950s - recommend pedestrians are given 6.1 seconds to cross. But given the UK's ageing population and decreasing levels of fitness, this time allowance is to be increased by 20%. - GEO-GENIUS OR GEOGRAPHICALLY CHALLENGED?: Lose yourself in the deceivingly difficult location guessing test - 10 BILLION A DAY: From a simple square grid to a staple of our communication, discover the story of the first emoji	Not_Explicit
Alabama lawmakers on Tuesday took another step toward construction of a new Alabama Statehouse by appointing a committee to negotiate a lease agreement. A 20-member panel that consists of legislative leaders and appointed members voted to allow a committee to negotiate a lease for a building that would be constructed by the Retirement Systems of Alabama. The panel will need to approve the lease agreement. Lawmakers in the last session approved legislation to contract with the Retirement Systems of Alabama, or another entity, for the construction of a Statehouse that would be leased back to the Legislature. The proposed new building would be located in a parking lot behind the existing Statehouse. The Retirement Systems has built several office buildings in downtown Montgomery that are used by other state entities. The negotiations are expected to be completed within a few weeks, members of the panel said. The current building is plagued by mold and other problems and lacks adequate space for the public to attend meetings, according to lawmakers. From the mid-1800s to 1985, Alabama lawmakers met at the Alabama Capitol, which also includes the governor’s office. Lawmakers in 1985 moved into the current building as a temporary meeting place when the Capitol was undergoing renovations. Lawmakers, who had offices in the new location, never moved back. Alabama lawmakers in 2020 briefly discussed the possibility of using $200 million of federal pandemic relief funds to build a new statehouse, but the idea drew immediate backlash.	Not_Explicit
Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley slammed Minnesota Democrat Attorney General Keith Ellison for comparing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to a house slave character from a Quentin Tarantino movie, and called out Democrats for not condemning the comment. "The bitter irony is that Thomas is the antithesis of the Stephen character referenced by AG Ellison in this latest racist attack," Turley, a Fox News contributor, tweeted on Wednesday morning. Turley’s tweet linked to an article on his blog with the title, "The Django Syndrome: What The Latest Racist Attacks on Clarence Thomas Say About Our Rage Politics." "Thomas has always refused to yield to the demands of others on how he should think as a jurist due to his race. Keith Ellison has long valued intimidation as a political weapon," the tweet added. "He previously praised the ultra-violent group Antifa as useful to ‘strike fear in the heart’ of Trump and Republicans. Of course, Django is all about righteous rage as a license for the most extreme actions." This week, Ellison lashed out at Thomas over his position in the 6-3 ruling against affirmative action and compared him to the "house slave" character in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 Western action film "Django Unchained." "Anybody who’s watched the movie ‘Django,’ just watch Stephen and you see Clarence Thomas," Ellison said. "Clarence Thomas has decided that his best personal interest is siding with the powerful and the special interests regardless as to who they’re going to hurt. He's like, I'm looking out for me, and I don't care nothing about you, but I'm on the Supreme Court so it's my job to look out for you.’ So he's abdicating his responsibility. He has abdicated it a long time ago. When he got in office, he was this way. He's this way now, maybe he's worse now." In his article, Turley called out the lack of concern from a "single Democrat" about the "openly racist attack" against Thomas and specifically mentioned the silence from Minnesota Democrats Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Gov. Tim Walz who have both openly denounced rhetoric they have deemed racist from the other side. Turley also pointed out the relative silence from the media on the current issue as well as historically as it relates to racist attacks against Thomas, which he said occurred since the day he was nominated to the bench in 1991. "The media has been unrelenting in its hostile and one-sided coverage of Thomas," wrote Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. "While running gushing pieces heralding the backgrounds of liberal justices, there has been a virtual news blackout on Thomas’ amazing life story, one of the truly most inspirational accounts of overcoming every possible obstacle in life." "The silence of figures in academia, the media, and politics is deafening," Turley told Fox News Digital in a statement on Wednesday. "Even when faced with raw racist attacks against Thomas, few want to be seen as defending the jurist. He remains a figure for cathartic rage on the left, untethered by principles of decency or consistency." In recent months, Thomas has faced intense scrutiny from the left regarding his travel habits and friendship with a billionaire Republican donor which a government compliance expert told Fox News Digital in April amounts to "politics plain and simple." Ellison's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.	Not_Explicit
(Bloomberg) -- For the day at least, the optimists are driving China’s markets on bets Beijing is finally adopting a more aggressive growth policy, and will soon unveil a series of supportive measures. Most Read from Bloomberg The Politburo statement on Monday is spurring rallies in Chinese stocks, the yuan and the dollar bonds of developers after weeks of doubts. The question for many investors though is whether measures will follow through, and be able to tackle daunting challenges from local government debt to a slumping housing market and high youth unemployment. While the statement from the ruling Communist Party’s 24-member Politburo fell short of announcing large-scale stimulus, Macquarie’s economists are arguing that it’s setting the policy tone for the second half. Yet, Chinese markets have swung from wild optimism as the nation emerged from strict Covid-restrictions to worries about stuttering growth, with Beijing repeatedly disappointing traders expecting stronger support. “We are standing at a crossroads with many asking what type of policy are we waiting for,” said Andrew McCaffery, global chief investment officer at Fidelity International. “Clearly, markets have been disappointed as they anticipated more rapid improvement, but they are now beginning to rationalise their growth expectations. Our view is that this somewhat unexciting period will eventually give way to a more positive market tone.” Read more: China Holds Off on Major Stimulus as It Signals Property Easing The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which tracks major Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong, gained as much as 4.5%, the most since June 2. The onshore yuan rose as much as 0.6%, with traders reporting that state-owned banks were also seen supporting the currency. On the mainland, the benchmark CSI 300 Index of shares climbed 2.6%, the most since November. Overseas investors net purchased 15.3 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) of onshore stocks via the trading links in the morning session, set for the biggest inflow since January. Turnover in Shanghai and Shenzhen is also on track to top the 1 trillion yuan mark. The rally is widespread, with gains from retailers to technology companies. Country Garden Holdings Ltd. jumped 17% in Hong Kong as the major developer led gains among property stocks and their dollar bonds as Beijing pledged an “adjustment” of restrictions for a sector plagued by liquidity shortfalls and slumping demand. Elsewhere, commodities sensitive to the property industry rose as well. Iron ore rose as much 1.7% in Singapore, while copper extended gains after closing up 0.8% on the London Metal Exchange on Monday. Strategists are picking at the nuances in the statement, with some saying there’s a stronger recognition of the challenges. Others point to the shift where driving domestic demand was seen as more important than an export-oriented industrial policy. The Politburo’s language on property — which accounts for up to 20% of GDP once related sectors are added — was also softer than in previous meetings. It omitted President Xi Jinping’s signature slogan that “houses are for living, not for speculation” for the first time in a mid-year review of the economy since 2019. “They said targeted but ‘powerful’ measures can be expected,” said Kerry Goh, chief investment officer at Singapore-based multi-family office Kamet Capital Partners Pte. “So far, I’ve only heard of ‘modest’ policy stimulus from the government. So the choice of wording is interesting. We are in unchartered territory, even in terms of them saying they will prioritize consumption over industrialization.” Here Before Yet, there are plenty of skeptics. Afterall, Chinese stocks have been on a downtrend since a reopening surge that saw the Hang Seng China gauge surge about 50% over three months before fizzling at the end of January. Investors have been selling into intermittent rallies since, showing a lack of conviction in the market that’s headed for a fourth year of losses. The benchmark CSI is almost flat this year, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is down 2.7%, making it one of the worst performers in Asia. Even bulls like Goldman Sachs Group Inc., UBS Group AG and Morgan Stanley have trimmed their expectations for Chinese stocks on growth worries. Goldman’s analysts on banks have gone a step further, saying investors should sell the nation’s biggest lender and prepare for lower dividend payouts due to their exposure to souring local government debt. “We have seen this movie before,” said Chun Wang, a portfolio manager at Minneapolis-based Leuthold Group. “The latest policy signal from the Politburo is not surprising, considering the credit/liquidity crunch Chinese property companies are currently facing.” --With assistance from Wenjin Lv, Ishika Mookerjee and April Ma. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek ©2023 Bloomberg L.P.	Not_Explicit
A "hollow" Ashes success or a deserved triumph over "bellyaching" England? Media outlets in Australia have been split over how to summarise their side's retaining of the famous old urn, a triumph confirmed courtesy of two days of Manchester rain wiping out the Old Trafford Test as a soggy draw. The best England can hope for is victory in the final Test at The Oval to draw the five-match series 2-2, but Australia's status as current holders means they will remain in possession of the Ashes. There was a modicum of sympathy for the old enemy in some quarters of the Australian media, but there were also those who took aim at England's tactics, with the attacking 'Bazball' approach coming in for particular criticism. - 'How are we supposed to feel?' - England's Ashes hopes washed away - Ashes Daily Podcast: 'The sliding doors moments of the men's Ashes 2023' - Australia need to copy Bazball to win the series - McGrath 'Baz ball is not ending world hunger or reinventing the wheel' Writing in the Herald Sun, Ben Horne had little time for sympathy. "It's hard to tell when the rain stopped and the tears started but this much is certain - England's Ashes bellyaching has just become too much," he wrote, insisting that the home side only have themselves to blame for throwing away good positions in the first two Test matches. "The best thing about this enthralling series, by far, has been Baz Ball. It is captivating and brilliant. But the most tedious thing has been how in love England are with themselves about Bazball. "Scoring runs at seven an over is breathtaking to watch, but it's not ending world hunger or reinventing the wheel and at some point England needs to face the fact that for all their trailblazing bravado, they have, for the second time running, failed to win the Ashes on home soil." 'Dismal way' for Ashes to be retained Malcolm Conn in the Sydney Morning Herald was more sympathetic given Australia's perilous position in the Fourth Test before the rain arrived, though he did not spare England from criticism. "Rarely could the Ashes have been secured in more hollow circumstances, with almost two days of rain saving Australia from what appeared certain defeat," he wrote. "Despite being robbed of victory by the weather, England have only themselves to blame for being on the wrong side of history. "It could have been so different. England were in charge of the first Test at Edgbaston before the cult of Bazball resulted in an overoptimistic declaration and reckless batting. This opened the door for Australia to snatch a dramatic two-wicket win and control the series." Writing in the Australian, Gideon Haigh felt England had learned from their mistakes in the first two Tests and this was a "dismal way" for the destiny of the Ashes to be decided. "The fantasy of two-all going to The Oval had been enchanting to both sets of fans; only the dimmest partisans so crave trophies as to be gratified by non-results," he wrote. "Let's see what happens at The Oval, of course, but there is a good argument that England will end this series a better team than when they began and Australia a little poorer. Certainly the gap between the teams that yawned in 2021-22 has been decidedly narrowed." 'A series you'd be happy to have go on forever' The convention of having the holder of the Ashes retain the urn in the event of a drawn series needs re-assessing, according to some sections of the Australian media. "Unlike others, I can appreciate the value of a gritty, determined draw that feels as good as a victory. This is the unique beauty of Test cricket, and it shouldn't be disturbed," wrote Andrew Webster in the Sydney Morning Herald. "But if there is one anachronistic edict that must change, it's retaining a series simply because you've won it before. "First, it gives the team that won the last series an unfair advantage, prompting the side to play defensive cricket. Second, it can kill off the series before it's over, like we've seen this weekend, making Tests later in the series dead rubbers when they should be rubbers full of vim and verve and a whole range of words starting with 'v'." Gideon Haigh agreed, adding: "Perhaps it is time to revisit this custom, to make provision for the Ashes to be shared. Looking out over a sad and sorry Old Trafford yesterday, it hardly felt as though Australia had quite 'won' the Ashes this summer, or that England had 'lost' them. On the contrary, it's been a series you'd be happy to have had go on forever. "But how to explain to the uninitiated the Oval Test's weird hybrid character, of being 'live'' where the outcome of the series is concerned, but 'dead' in the context of the Ashes? "I know cricket's not meant to make sense. But it might, on occasion, at least try to do so."	Not_Explicit
Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Q1 Net Profit Falls 17.8% To Rs 110 Crore It had posted a net profit of Rs 133.83 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement. Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd. on Wednesday posted a 17.8% fall in its net profit to Rs 110 crore in the June 2023 quarter on lower income. It had posted a net profit of Rs 133.83 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a statement. The company's revenues also trimmed to Rs 701.73 crore from Rs 743.42 crore in the year-ago quarter. "Despite softening commodity prices, the Q1 FY24 result is robust as we have benefited from lower input costs primarily, thermal coal and metallurgical coke. While there are global headwinds, the ongoing power crisis in South Africa, along with stimulus measures to boost the Chinese economy, is expected to support the ferrochrome prices," IMFA Managing Director Subhrakant Panda said. The expansion project in Kalinganagar, Odisha, is on track with the public hearing being conducted successfully recently. IMFA is also in active discussions to tie up for hybrid renewable energy to meet its requirement for the project and comply with enhanced renewable power obligations, he added. Odisha-based Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd. produces 2.84 lakh tonnes of value-added ferrochrome per annum from its manufacturing complexes in Therubali and Choudwar.	Not_Explicit
World's Best Airport Changi Sees Traffic Soar To Over 5 Million Singapore’s Changi Airport, ranked the best in the world, saw passenger traffic surge close to pre-pandemic levels last month amid summer travel demand. (Bloomberg) -- Singapore’s Changi Airport, ranked the best in the world, saw passenger traffic surge close to pre-pandemic levels last month amid summer travel demand. The airport handled 5.12 million passengers in June, crossing the five million mark for the first time since January 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, according to a Changi Airport Group statement. The figure, amounting to 88% of passenger traffic in June 2019, shows the city-state is well on its way to renewing international ties. “Changi has regained more than 80% of its pre-Covid city links,” Lim Ching Kiat, executive vice president for air hub and cargo development, said in the statement. The airport is working to build ties to more points in China and Southeast Asia in the second half of the year. The rebound comes during the peak summer vacation period, as travelers largely buck worries about inflation and a global economic slowdown. It’s a similar story in the US, where passenger counts have largely recovered to pre-pandemic levels as consumers dip into their savings for travel. The top markets for the Southeast Asian hub were Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand in the second quarter. Passenger traffic to and from Northeast Asia rose to 75% of pre-pandemic levels in June, up from about 50% in January. The momentum may pick up further as the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix kicks off in September and string of sold-out high-profile concerts featuring performers including Taylor Swift and Coldplay take place early next year. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2023 Bloomberg L.P.	Not_Explicit
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking his presidential campaign to Utah on Friday, prioritizing a state where rival Donald Trump has struggled in the past and that could be a beacon of strength for DeSantis' stalled bid. DeSantis is set to appear at the state Capitol with about a dozen supportive state lawmakers, meet with Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and attend a fundraiser. His trip out West comes as he has been working to reset a campaign confronting financial pressures and a static position in the field trailing Trump. The former president has remained a front-runner despite his, in a special counsel investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "The more people see Governor DeSantis and hear his forward-thinking plan for our nation's comeback, the more inspired they become to vote for him for president," campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo said in a statement. For DeSantis, the ability to show strength against Trump in a heavily Republican state like Utah could buoy his effort. In a place where the conservative and religious culture has at times given Trump a chilly reception, there are signs there's an opening for the Florida governor. Among those set to appear with him on Friday is state Senate President Stuart Adams, who was one of the few Republicans to endorse Trump early in 2016 but who is now backing DeSantis. "They're both great candidates. But I believe Gov. DeSantis deserves a shot. I wouldn't say anything bad about President Trump," Adams said in an interview this week. Trump's history and style have long been jarring to Utah's dominant religious culture. More than half the state's residents belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the faith's emphasis on decorum pervades its politics. Trump, a former reality television star known for his brazen personality and insulting comments about women and people of color, finished third in the state's 2016 Republican presidential caucuses, behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Utah was also home to the resistance campaign of Evan McMullin, an anti-Trump former Republican who launched a long-shot independent bid for president in 2016. Nevertheless, Trump won the state in both the 2016 and 2020 general elections. Utah politicians have historically boasted of their penchant for striking compromises on polarizing issues ranging from immigration to discrimination against LGBTQ residents. But the Legislature, with its Republican supermajority, has lurched rightward in recent years, in line with many red states. It has passed laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender kids and directing school boards to convene "sensitive materials" committees to weigh whether to remove certain books from school libraries — issues that have become a key feature of DeSantis' campaign message. Adams, who said he was impressed with the way DeSantis steered his state during the pandemic, believes it will be a very close race between Trump and DeSantis in Utah. "I believe as people get to know Gov. DeSantis, he'd have great support in Utah," he said. "Utah has great family values. Gov. DeSantis has great family values." Asked if he thought Trump did not have great family values, Adams said, "No, I think he has a great family." He went on and said, "I think he loves his family." Republican state Sen. Todd Weiler, who helped put together Friday's event with DeSantis, said he didn't think the former president would win the state's GOP primary. "I think it's his character when it comes to his affairs and his divorces and also when it comes to some of his rhetoric and some of his rude comments on Twitter and whatnot," Weiler said. He cited the Jan. 6 attack and multiple indictments as among the reasons Trump wouldn't win the support of independents, along with his record of already having lost one presidential election to President Joe Biden. Trump has even lost one of his biggest supporters in Utah: Don Peay, who helped lead Trump's 2016 effort in Utah, went hunting with Trump's children and once said those who didn't support Trump need to "ask for forgiveness." Peay told the Deseret News in an interview earlier this year that he's no longer supporting Trump and doesn't feel he can win "because he's living in the past." He did not respond to messages seeking comment from The Associated Press. Utah will be among more than a dozen states holding primary contests on Super Tuesday, which falls on March 5 next year. Super Tuesday, a critical proving point for campaigns, is the biggest day on the primary calendar because it offers up the largest number of delegates, which candidates must win state by state. Unlike 2016, when voters had to wait in long lines and attend meetings to participate in Utah's caucuses, the state now holds a primary election. That is expected to draw a broader base of voters, though it's unclear what that means for the GOP field. The winner is expected to be awarded all 40 of Utah's delegates. Cox, the recently minted head of the National Governors Association, will meet with DeSantis on Friday afternoon. He has said on numerous occasions that he would like to see a governor in the Oval Office. He and DeSantis co-headlined the state GOP convention in April. His spokeswoman Jennifer Napier Pearce did not respond to a question about whether Cox is endorsing DeSantis or meeting with other candidates, but instead said in a statement: "As chairman of the National Governors Association, Gov. Cox has been vocal about supporting candidates who are Republican governors — including Gov. DeSantis — because governors are executives who get things done. He looks forward to welcoming Gov. DeSantis to Utah." Cox has notably not been supportive of Trump in the past. for more features.	Not_Explicit
Hey all! Welcome to our weekly roundup of joyful finds! Hope these nuggets of delight bring a smile or 10 to your face. If you'd like to have these posts delivered to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here. Enjoy! 1. Some solid words of wisdom for the college-aged crowd As someone who's been called "Gordo" for 25 years, can confirm. You have to be careful. 2. Sibling trio from South Africa sings an incredible rendition of 'Stand By Me' @bikosmanna 🏾🏾 Stand by me Song by Ben E. King Covered by BikosManna #TauLion🦁 #BikoStar #MannaHero #TauLion🦁 #BikosManna #BKMN That angelic voice. Those harmonies. The dancing body percussionist. Utter perfection. Read more about this dynamic trio here. 3. Dog grampa goes all out babysitting his daughter's pooch Swipe through these texts. Could Gramps be more adorable? 4. Timothy Fletcher brings the house down with his jaw-dropping drum performance on AGT The drumming is great, but the showmanship is next level. Read the full story here. 5. Woman sings in historic Iranian mosque, despite women being forbiddden to sing in public Her voice is beautiful, but it's her courage and confidence—and that single finger stopping the man in his tracks—that make this video so incredible to watch. 6. Three cheers for all the Ronnies of the world That's a young man who knew exactly what to do to put a mom's heart at ease in this situation. Way to go, Ronnie. 7. Girl calls her stepfather 'Dad' for the first time and it's just so beautiful Here's to the dads who step in and step up to fatherhood. Read the full story here. 8. It's excitement over the little things like Egg Day that make a marriage So dang sweet. 9. Sean Astin says just the right thing to a fan with depression (f-bomb warning) @easttnelvira I met one of my childhood heroes Sean Astin today and he offered me some words of wisdom and encouragement over the battles of depression that I needed to hear. I am so glad this was captured on video to remember this moment, cherish, and reflect on anytime I am feeling down. I hope anyone else who struggles with depression takes his words and kindness to heart too. 🖤 #seanastin #samwisegamgee #lordoftheringstiktok #lotr #lotrtok #lordoftherings #fanboyexpoknoxville #fyp #trending A little empathy and understanding can go a long way. Read the full story here. 10. Watch a whole stadium sing their hearts out to 'Bohemian Rhapsody' at a Harry Styles concert in Poland The music of Queen and the legacy of Freddie Mercury will live on forever, and listening to thousands of human voices lifted together in song will never get old. Read the full story here. Have a fabulous weekend and come back next week for more smiles!	Not_Explicit
‘It makes them all look silly': Dems prepare to scorch RFK Jr. testimony The longshot Democratic presidential candidate is testifying on alleged social media censorship, at the invitation of House Republicans. House Republicans are openly goading their Democratic colleagues by handing a megaphone to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Democrats are determined to make sure it backfires. GOP leaders invited Kennedy to testify at a Thursday hearing on alleged social media censorship, sticking by the plan even after the long-shot presidential contender’s recent false claims that the coronavirus pandemic was designed to spare Jews and Chinese people. The move essentially gave Democrats two choices. They could either ignore what they see as a blatant attempt to embarrass Biden by elevating an opponent or they could embrace a chance to directly rebut the unfounded claims Kennedy has spread, particularly on vaccines. They’re going with the latter and, in the process, taking Republicans to task for elevating him. “He is spouting baseless, unfactual, unscientific conspiracy theories,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). “You shine a white-hot spotlight on someone like that and expose the Republicans for their hypocrisy.” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) put it more simply, calling Kennedy’s appearance another example of Republicans having “crackpots for witnesses.” The strategy will force Democrats to go head-to-head with a member of one of their most famous dynasties amid broader jitters about a third-party spoiler in the presidential race. But they’re hoping to turn Republicans’ attempted trolling to their advantage, driving home one of their core arguments against the House GOP’s investigative onslaught this year: that it’s a politically motivated sideshow for the Republican base, not the policymaking swing voters crave. “It makes them all look silly. … His own family has said: ‘We don’t support any of that.’ So you’re going to put a discredited witness at the table that is going to embarrass himself, embarrass the family and embarrass [Republicans]. That is your witness?” Connolly asked. In addition to Kennedy — who has billed himself as the “prime witness” — Republicans have also called in an editor from the ultra-right publication Breitbart and D. John Sauer, the special assistant attorney general from the Louisiana Department of Justice. A Democratic committee aide described calling Kennedy Jr. as the “ultimate troll job” but added that the party’s bigger point will be highlighting that “there are real problems and real issues in this country, and this isn’t one of them.” Democrats have invited Maya Wiley, the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, as their witness. “This hearing is about Big Government’s censorship of Americans and nothing else,” said a GOP spokesperson for the Judiciary Committee. Kennedy’s presidential campaign did not respond to a request for comment. As odious as they find Kennedy’s rhetoric, top Democrats aren’t ready to let him speak unchecked on Thursday. Totally ignoring him was never on the table — they’d seen first firsthand how declining to participate in the Jan. 6 select committee had disadvantaged Republicans. “I don’t want to leave the hearing room for the Republicans to have a free-for-all without being checked on inaccuracies and spreading more hate,” said Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary subcommittee that investigates GOP claims of bias within the federal government. Not all Democratic members of the panel wanted to spend energy rebutting Kennedy during the hearing. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) said experts had already “refuted all of his crazy theories.” “They’re just digging themselves into a hole, deeper and deeper,” she said of the panel’s Republicans. Republicans raced to distance themselves from Kennedy’s comments over the weekend. Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday that he disagreed with “everything” Kennedy said, though GOP leader added that he did not believe Kennedy should be disinvited from the hearing. Multiple Republicans have defended moving forward with his testimony, arguing that Democrats had injected 2024 into the conversation by trying to “censor” Kennedy. Kennedy had been suspended from Meta-owned Instagram after posting vaccine misinformation — a fact he’s poised to testify on at the hearing, though his account was restored after he kicked off his presidential bid. Biden allies have “been trying to censor their Democratic opponent” since the start of the administration, Jordan said, referring to criticism that Kennedy’s invitation amounted to stepping into the 2024 Democratic primary. Jordan also defended his witness track record, saying that he’s “invited more Democrats than probably Democrats have.” Democrats aren’t concerned that Kennedy poses a real threat to Biden’s nomination. Their real worry is the effect that minor candidates — or even a dark horse third-party candidate — could have on the general election, possibly cannibalizing Biden’s votes in favor of the Republican nominee. “If you said you’re running for president, in the Democratic primary against Joe Biden, what is your motive? Why are you doing this?” said Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), a close Biden confidant. “Just because somebody calls themselves a Democrat doesn’t mean they are a Democrat.” As the veteran South Carolina Democrat saw it, “there’s nobody in his or her right mind who believes that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is going to be President of the United States of America or is going to be a representative of the Democratic Party.”	Not_Explicit
ROME, July 23 (Reuters) - Illegal flows of migrants are damaging all countries across the Mediterranean, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday, as she called on nations to fight together against human traffickers. In contrast with her past hard-line rhetoric, Meloni told an international conference in Rome that her government was open to taking in more people through legal routes as "Europe and Italy needed immigration." "Mass illegal immigration harms each and every one of us. No one benefits from this, except criminal groups who get rich at the expenses of the most fragile and use their strength even against the governments," she said. Earlier this month, Italy pledged to issue 452,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals from 2023 to 2025, increasing the number of permits available each year to a high of 165,000 in 2025. In 2019, before COVID struck, Italy issued just 30,850 visas. The conference, which aims to build a partnership among states on an array of topics, is hosting representatives from countries including Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, Libya and the European Union. "International human traffickers are not welcome in our country," Tunisian President Kais Saied told the conference. Meloni, who has headed a right-wing government since October last year, is moving to engage other nations in efforts to stem mass migration and fight traffickers. Arrivals in Italy are surging this year with over 83,000 people coming ashore so far this year compared to around 34,000 in the same period in 2022. Meloni said the main focus of the conference was to support development in Africa, with "non-predatory, long-term partnerships ... based on mutual respect." "The West has given the impression of being more concerned about giving lessons than in helping ... and this has probably made it more difficult to make progress on strategic issues," she said. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.	Not_Explicit
India has a new AI-generated news anchor called Lisa. Upon closer inspection, Lisa's slow blinking and stuttering motion was definitely unsettling to see. Even so, I feel news presenters should now be very worried about their job security. Add news anchors to the list of jobs that artificial intelligence is coming for — a quiet takeover of the news reader's desk has now reached India. AI-generated anchors presented the news in India for the first time in April, the South China Morning Post reported. One of them, named Lisa, is now a news presenter on Odisha TV, a local station broadcasting in eastern India. At first glance, Lisa could pass for a human news presenter. Upon closer inspection, however, the AI's slow blinking and stuttering motion was definitely unsettling to see. Lisa has a robotic monotone and fails to add the necessary shifts in tone that a human presenter might use. But keeping aside the discrepancies in the audio and video sync, her delivery would be serviceable. Lisa can also be found on Odisha TV's Twitter account. Videos uploaded state the presenter's name but do not specifically mention that Lisa is AI-generated. —OTV (@otvnews) July 18, 2023 If you're just listening to the news while being surrounded by the low hum and chatter of the office, you could easily mistake her for a human. In other words, she's an acceptable match for a 24-hour medium that's often left playing in the background of offices, cafes, and hospital rooms. The era of AI news readers isn't just on the horizon, this robotic revolution is already here. Today, Lisa joins the legion of other AI-generated presenters employed by newsrooms in Indonesia, Taiwan, Kuwait, Malaysia, and China. It's unclear how Lisa's introduction impacted the jobs of others in her newsroom, or whether the move was motivated by cost-saving measures. Odisha TV's managing director, Jagi Mangat Panda, told the South China Morning Post, "Lisa is going to be a great partner. [It] does the jobs that are repetitive and data analytical, so newspeople can focus on new angles and more creative work." Read the original article on Business Insider	Not_Explicit
Police are sharing more details about Carlee Russell's confounding 49-hour disappearance. The 25-year-old, who vanished on July 13 soon after calling 911 and a family member to report seeing an unaccompanied toddler on an Alabama highway, returned home on July 15 where she was subsequently treated at a local hospital. Days after sharing her story with authorities, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said at a press conference that the department is still investigating the situation but has been "unable to verify most of Carlee's initial statement made to investigators." "She told detectives that while traveling down the interstate, she saw a baby walking down the side of the road and called 911," he explained. "She said when she got out of the vehicle to check on the child, a man came out of the trees and mumbled that he was checking on the baby." He then noted that Russell alleges she was kidnapped by a man and a woman. "She claimed that the man then picked her up and she screamed," Derzis continued. "She stated he then made her go over a fence. She claimed he then forced her into a car, and the next thing she remembers is being in the trailer of an 18-wheeler." "However, she never saw the female, only hearing her voice," he noted. "She also told detectives she could hear a baby crying. She told detectives the male had orange hair with a big bald spot on the back. She said she was able to escape the 18-wheeler and fled on foot, only to be captured again and then was put in a car. She claimed she was then blindfolded but was not tied up because the captor said he did not want to leave impressions on her wrists." Authorities went on to describe what the nursing student had told them about her time in captivity. "She said that they took her into a house and made her get undressed," the police chief said. "She believes they took pictures of her but she does not remember them having any physical or sexual contact. She stated the next day, she woke up and was fed cheese crackers by the female. She said the woman also played with her hair but could not remember anything else. At some point, she was put back in a vehicle." He continued, "She claims she was able to escape while it was in the west Hoover area. She told detectives she ran through lots of woods until she came out near her residence." Detectives observed noted that Russell had a "small injury to her lip" and "tear in her shirt" and she also told them that her "head was hurting." "Detectives also noted that she had $107 cash in her right sock," he continued. "Out of respect for Carlee and her family, detectives did not press for additional information in this interview and they plan to speak with her in detail after giving her time to rest." Hoover police had said in a July 14 statement that officers dispatched in response to Russell's 911 call found her vehicle and some of her belongings nearby, "but were unable to find her or a child in the area." They also said they have not received any calls about a missing child. At the July 19 press conference, Derzis also said data from Russell's phone showed that in the days and hours before she was reported missing, she researched topics such as the movie Taken and the query, "Do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?" He also said she traveled six football fields on the interstate while on the phone with the 911 operator. "I'm not saying it couldn't happen," the police chief clarified. "To think that a toddler, barefoot that could be 3 or 4 years old, he's going to travel six football fields without getting in the roadway, without crying...It's very it's just very hard for me to understand." Russell has not commented publicly about her disappearance. Her parents, Talitha and Carlos Russell, told NBC News July 18 that they believe their daughter fought for her life during her ordeal. "There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life," Talitha said. "She made it back." The two declined to share what their daughter told them after she returned, citing the ongoing investigation, and in a joint statement, "Carlee has given detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor." E! News has reached out to Carlee's family for comment but hasn't heard back. E! News was not able to locate a lawyer on record for Carlee to speak on her behalf. (E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)	Not_Explicit
One of the difficulties with trying to make sense of what has happened to this country since 2010, when the Tories took office, is the absence of acknowledgment from the right about how much has gone wrong. So tribal, almost Trumpian, has most of the rightwing press become that it prefers to make excuses for the Conservatives or vague complaints about the spread of wokeness rather than seriously investigate and analyse the state of our economy and society. In some ways, this incuriosity is no surprise. The rightwing papers have always had a propaganda function, not just campaigning for the Tories but also distorting or suppressing inconvenient facts about the distribution of power and resources. Through the emotiveness of their coverage as well, they imply that their readers’ feelings about, say, immigration, matter more than lived experience or statistics. Facts are for wimps. Yet there is one rightwing publication that has usually stood apart from this partisan frenzy. This September, the Economist magazine will be 180 years old. Like the rest of the rightwing press, the weekly reveres the free market and is suspicious of the state. But unlike its peers, it loves data. Graphs, tables and bar charts punctuate its dense pages, and rather than just being illustrations they are often the foundation for its reporting and editorialising. This emphasis on facts helps the Economist appeal to an elite international readership – business people, senior bureaucrats, politicians – who like to think that their worldview is evidence-based. For months now, the evidence the Economist has been presenting about the condition of Britain, and indeed about the country’s whole trajectory under the Tories, has been damning. “Britain has been poorly governed for 13 years,” said a typical article last week. “Each chart in British public policy looks roughly the same … There is gradual improvement from the early 1990s until 2010, and then things become worse … from rough sleeping to real wages to waiting lists at hospitals.” According to the 8 July issue, Britons are “unaware” of “how poor” their housing and healthcare are compared with other European countries. On 24 June, the magazine described our inflation rate as “an outlier, and not in a good way”. On 3 June, it said that “the Conservatives are passing on a rotten inheritance” to Labour. And most startlingly, on 11 March, the Economist published its own research about life expectancy, which showed that between 2010 and 2022 the long modern improvement had stalled “much more dramatically” in Britain than in comparable countries. “Around 250,000” people had died “sooner than expected”. On the left, and increasingly among neutral observers, the idea that Britain is in crisis has been accepted for years, ever since the social consequences of David Cameron’s austerity policies became obvious. But for such an establishment publication, which initially praised Cameron as an anti-state “radical”, to now effectively write off all five Tory governments since 2010 feels like a significant step. In the Economist’s always mercantile eyes, the market value of contemporary Conservatism, as well as of Britain itself, has been downgraded. The magazine’s opinions matter, despite its relatively low profile in British media circles, because of the influence of some of its readers: people wondering whether to invest in Britain; political donors monitoring the state of our political parties; financial traders assessing the stability of the government or the value of British companies. And these readers also influence the magazine. Its criticism of the Tories reflects a contempt that is now global. The Economist’s unusual internal culture means it may not take them seriously again as a governing party for quite a while. Unlike most of the rightwing press, and unexpectedly for a magazine that praises individualism, the Economist partly operates as a collective, with almost all its articles published anonymously, and written in the same immensely confident tone, as if they are the products of a brilliant group mind. That mind can be slow to change. I was an intern at the magazine in the early 90s, three years after Margaret Thatcher’s fall. There were argumentative editorial meetings that all could attend, with people crammed into the editor’s office and some sitting on the floor. But most of the views expressed were still Thatcherite. The fact that, this time, the magazine appears to have turned against the Tories may be a sign that, even in our polarised media, a consensus is beginning to form about their performance in office. It’s well overdue. Few, if any, British governments have gone on so long while being so incompetent, lacking direction for extended periods and doing so much damage. Paradoxically, the sheer scale of their misrule has probably protected the Tories. To accept that the usually dominant English party, deeply entwined with the establishment, and with many other cultural and electoral advantages, has been so out of its depth in office is frightening in some ways, even for non-Tories. The supposed realists of our politics have been exposed as fantasists, not much more responsible than the Republicans under Trump. Yet our supposedly shrewd old democracy has re-elected them three times. Unless you believe that Labour is going to be in power for a long while, or that the Tories are going to rethink how they govern – and there is little sign of that – then it’s quite possible that the next period of chaotic Conservative government is only a few years away. And it may well come when the climate emergency, international tensions and the social consequences of capitalism are even worse than they are now. One way to reduce the chances of such a disastrous repeat would be to have a proper reckoning about the Tory governments since 2010, and about who enabled them. Not just at the Economist but at the Financial Times, in the City of London and all the other supposedly canny institutions that gave the party the benefit of the doubt, despite its recent record in office and all the risky pledges in its manifestos. In truth, it’s hard to see such a reckoning happening. While Labour is rarely allowed to forget the mistakes it has made in government, the Tories are usually quickly forgiven because so many powerful interests depend on them. We should enjoy the Economist’s displeasure with them while it lasts. Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist	Not_Explicit
SEBI Suspends Registration Of Two Brokerage Firms In NSEL Paired Contracts Case Securities and Exchange Board of India suspended the registration of two brokerage houses—Nortel Vincom and Northeast Commodities—for their involvement in illegal paired contracts on the now defunct National Spot Exchange Ltd. Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India on Monday suspended the registration of two brokerage houses—Nortel Vincom and Northeast Commodities—for their involvement in illegal paired contracts on the now defunct National Spot Exchange Ltd. By providing access for taking exposure to paired contracts, the broking firms exposed their clients to the risk involved in trading in a product that did not have regulatory approval, Sebi said in two separate orders. Further, the regulator said that trading activities of the brokers in paired contracts for their clients on the NSEL platform have "serious ingredients jeopardising the reputation, belief in competence, fairness, honesty, integrity and character of the notices in the securities market". Accordingly, SEBI has suspended registration of the brokerage houses for a period of three months from the date of the orders or till the FIR filed against the broking firms by Economic Offences Wing ceases to be pending or till the two entities are acquitted by a court in relation to the FIR, whichever is later. Also, the SEBI said the orders will come into force with immediate effect. In September 2009, NSEL introduced the concept of paired contracts for trading, which allowed buying and selling of the same commodity through two different contracts at two different prices on the exchange platform. The scheme of paired contracts traded on NSEL had caused a huge loss to investors to the extent of Rs 5,500 crore, as per the orders.	Not_Explicit
Former President Donald Trump warned on a conservative talk-radio show last week that it would be “very dangerous” if he went to prison over the Jan. 6 insurrection, as his supporters are “a passionate group of voters.” But his former vice president, Mike Pence, who encountered a large group of passionate Trump voters out for his blood two years ago, doesn’t seem worried. “Everyone in our movement are the kind of Americans who love this country, are patriotic or law-and-order people who would never have done anything like that there or anywhere else,” Pence told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday’s State of the Union. “I have more confidence in the American people than that. I hear my former running mate’s frustration in his voice, but I'm sure the American people will respond in our movement in a way that will express, as they have every right to under the First Amendment, to express concerns that they have about what they perceive to be unequal treatment of the law. But I'm not concerned about it beyond that.” The winding answer seemingly left Bash flabbergasted, prompting her to note why someone like Pence of all people should be concerned. “It’s pretty remarkable that you’re not concerned about it, given the fact that they wanted to hang you on on Jan. 6,” she said through a laugh before attempting to move on. But Pence wouldn’t let that stand, refusing to let the CNN anchor “use a broad brush” to classify everyone at the Capitol on Jan. 6 as being perpetrators of violence. “The people in this movement, the people who rally behind our cause in 2016 and 2020, are the most God-fearing, law-abiding, patriotic people in this country,” he said. “And I just I won’t stand for those kinds of generalizations because they have no basis in fact.” But Pence wouldn’t say much about the person being investigated for allegedly helping to perpetuate some of the violence itself: His former boss. Earlier in the interview, Bash asked Pence whether the Department of Justice should charge Trump if it finds evidence he committed a crime related to the insurrection. The ex-veep, however, would only note that Trump’s actions were inappropriate—though perhaps not criminal. “I've said many times that the president’s words were reckless that day,” he said. “I had no right to overturn the election. But while his words were reckless, based on what I know, I’m not yet convinced that they were criminal.”	Not_Explicit
Russian missile attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea coast have destroyed 60,000 tonnes of grain and damaged storage infrastructure, officials say. Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said a "considerable amount" of export infrastructure was out of operation. Russia has pulled out of an international grain deal in place since last summer, guaranteeing safe passage for exports across the Black Sea. The Kremlin argued its demands for Russian exports had not been honoured. Within hours of its withdrawal from the grain deal on Monday, Russia had struck the southern port cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv in the early hours of Tuesday. It followed that up with more strikes overnight into Wednesday, targeting grain terminals and port infrastructure in Odesa and further down the Black Sea coast in Chornomorsk, two of the three ports that were included in the export deal. Odesa military spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk called it a "truly massive attack". Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said each missile strike was a blow not just to Ukraine but to "everyone in the world striving for a normal and safe life". Ukraine's reconstruction ministry published a series of photos showing damage to silos and other grain facilities. Russian war commentators said the damage proved that Kyiv was unable to shoot down the majority of Russian missiles and drones. Officials said the co-ordinated attack involved Kalibr cruise missiles, Onyx supersonic and Kh-22 anti-ship missiles as well as kamikaze drones, fired from the Black Sea, Crimea and southern Russia. Although 37 Russian missiles and drones were shot down, a number did penetrate Ukrainian defences, they said. "I saw a red flash in the window and reacted immediately," one resident told the Reuters news agency. "I went downstairs, it was noisy and filled with smoke outside, people were in panic, some were crying, glass shards were scattered all over. It was impossible to remain in the area." Russia had called its initial attack on Odesa a "mass revenge strike" for an attack on the Russian-built bridge over the Kerch strait linking occupied Crimea to Russia. Seaborne drones were blamed for Monday's bridge strike that knocked out a section of bridge and killed a Russian couple. Crimea saw further disruption on Wednesday. Some 2,200 residents were evacuated from four villages near a military training range after a fire triggered hours of explosions at a nearby ammunition depot. Russian-installed officials also shut a 12km (7.5-mile) section of the Tavrida motorway that links the cities of Simferopol and Sevastopol in southern Crimea to the bridge over the Kerch strait. Construction of the road by Russia's occupation authorities began in 2017. A series of explosions were heard in the area from around 04:30 (01:30 GMT) on Wednesday. Officials did not explain the cause of the fire near the city of Staryi Krim. But unconfirmed reports on social media spoke of three Ukrainian strikes. The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the incident. Russia's appointee-boss in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said the cause of the fire at the military range was being investigated but that no-one was hurt.	Not_Explicit
House Freedom Caucus members on Tuesday appeared eager for Speaker Kevin McCarthy to make good on his recent veiled impeachment threat against President Biden, and one member of the conservative group of GOP members said the leader’s words marked a "paradigm shift." "When he does speak to … impeachment, it carries a tremendous amount of weight. And that's why I think the ground shifted on that a little bit when he opened up the door," Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said after a Freedom Caucus press conference on Tuesday. "I don't think there's any question that him speaking to that has caused a paradigm shift." After a series of hearings and briefings on alleged misconduct by Biden and his family, McCarthy said on Fox News's "Hannity" Monday night, "This is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed." It’s the most direct comment yet the speaker has made about impeaching Biden, something the hardliners in his conference have been clamoring for since the House GOP took the majority this year. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., suggested there would be "an uprising" against Biden if the House did not move forward with trying to remove him. "Look, the evidence is mounting against this guy. Look at what he’s done," Norman said. "What Donald Trump’s done with papers pales in comparison." Norman said there was a "difference of opinion" on whether to take such a severe step but dismissed the idea of risking an impeachment vote that fails. "Some people think that what he’s done isn’t that bad. A lot of us in general — the public, it’s gonna be an uprising against this guy, I think, at the end of the day." It's not just Biden that Republicans are looking to target. GOP members have called for impeachment proceedings against some of the president’s top Cabinet officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Norman answered "all of the above" during the press conference when asked about which Biden official should be impeached first. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said Mayorkas would be the "low hanging fruit" to initially consider. "But with the evidence that we've induced in the Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee with regard to the Biden — I would call it from the crime syndicate, I don't know what else you can call it — the corruption that's there," he said. "That would certainly be a very interesting and perhaps even necessary step," he said. "I’ll just tell you that the evidence I’ve seen is overwhelming, and it would lead one to believe our president, our sitting president, is corrupted and compromised." At one point Norman took a jab at Vice President Kamala Harris that earned some nervous laughter by saying, "I realize the replacement for Joe Biden is probably giggling somewhere now, so she’s not an alternative." Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately hear back.	Not_Explicit
A new photograph of a smiling Prince George has been released in celebration of his 10th birthday on Saturday. The picture shows George - who is second in line to the throne - sitting on a set of steps at Windsor. In a change of tradition it was taken by Millie Pilkington, rather than George's mother, the Princess of Wales, who has often photographed her children for past birthdays. Ms Pilkington had photographed Prince Louis for his fifth birthday in April. Prince George has just finished his first year at his new school, Lambrook School in Berkshire. He started there with his siblings Charlotte and Louis last September following the family's move to Windsor. His first few weeks of the summer holidays have been eventful, with a visit to the royal box at Wimbledon last Sunday to watch Carlos Alcaraz win the title against Novak Djokovic, where he was pictured alongside his parents and sister Charlotte, eight. A few days earlier, George and his younger siblings privately visited an airshow at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. And at the start of the month he was pictured with his father at the Ashes cricket at Lord's. George was born on 22 July 2013 at St Mary's Hospital in London, weighing 8lb 6oz (3.8kg).	Not_Explicit
Study highlights complexity in accessing benefits for low-income individuals A recently published article introduces a conceptual framework for analyzing passported benefits, shedding light on the challenges that individuals face when accessing these additional cash or in-kind benefits. The article, based on a case study from Israel, identifies five key dimensions of passported benefits and explores the administrative burden associated with each dimension. The research highlights the pressing need for simplification, automation, and improved coordination to reduce the administrative burden and ensure that passported benefits serve as a streamlined pathway to social rights. The study titled, "Understanding Administrative Burden and Complexity in Passported Benefits: A Case Study from Israel," is published in the Journal of Social Policy. Passported benefits are supplementary benefits provided to individuals who already receive direct cash benefits, aiming to provide extra support without bureaucratic processes. However, the article highlights that accessing these benefits can be challenging, leading to low take-up. To better understand these challenges, the study employs the concept of administrative burden, referring to the burdensome experiences individuals encounter when navigating bureaucratic processes. The research finds that passported benefits in Israel are complex and decentralized, with diverse eligibility tracks and implementation. The study identifies five dimensions that shape passported benefits: the role of primary cash benefits in determining eligibility, level of automation, legal status, type of service delivery, and degree of decentralization. Each dimension contributes to the administrative burden experienced by individuals. Eligibility for passported benefits in Israel goes beyond a simple connection to primary benefits, introducing additional conditions and distinctions. Automation plays a crucial role in determining eligibility, with some benefits being automated while others require active application from claimants. The legal status of these benefits varies and affects their stability and potential for policy changes. Service delivery methods range from in-kind services to cash assistance and tax breaks. The decentralization of passported benefits involves multiple entities, adding complexity to the claiming process. The study emphasizes that the complexity and administrative burden associated with passported benefits can lead to low take-up rates of the benefits. It highlights the need for simplification, automation, and flexibility in the processes to reduce burden and improve access. Unifying take-up processes and developing assessment tools are also recommended to manage the administrative burden effectively. The research draws attention to the importance of academic scrutiny and theoretical understanding of passported benefits, which have historically received less attention compared to primary benefits in the welfare state. The study calls for further research to better understand and address the intensity of administrative burden in passported benefits. More information: Noam Tarshish et al, A Fast Track to Social Rights? Passported Benefits and Administrative Burden, Journal of Social Policy (2023). DOI: 10.1017/S0047279423000326 Provided by Hebrew University of Jerusalem	Not_Explicit
* Q2 profit T$181.8 bln vs T$172.55 bln analyst view * Q2 revenue down 13.7% on year at $15.68 bln (Adds milestone in second paragraph, background in sixth paragraph) TAIPEI, July 20 (Reuters) - Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC reported a 23.3% fall in second-quarter net profit on Thursday as global economic woes dented demand for chips used in applications as varied as cars, cellphones and servers and coming off a strong period last year. While the result beat analyst forecasts, it was the company's first on-year drop in quarterly profit since the second quarter of 2019 when it fell 7.6%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple Inc supplier, saw April-June net profit drop to T$181.8 billion ($5.85 billion) from T$237.0 billion a year earlier. That compared with the T$172.55 billion average of 21 analyst estimates compiled by Refinitiv. TSMC, Asia's most valuable listed company, said second-quarter revenue dropped 13.7% year-on-year to $15.68 billion, in line with the company's previous forecast. As the biggest maker of chips that power products as varied as phones, cars and advanced computers, TSMC must navigate an uncertain industry outlook and a U.S.-China chip spat that could make it vulnerable. TSMC's Taipei-listed shares fell 27.1% in 2022, but are up around 30% so far this year, giving the chipmaker a market value of $486.5 billion. The stock fell 0.3% on Thursday versus a 0.3% rise in the benchmark index. ($1 = 31.0580 Taiwan dollars) (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Sarah Wu; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Jacqueline Wong & Shri Navaratnam)	Not_Explicit
A federal judge on Thursday denied Jacob Chansley, better known as the infamous “QAnon Shaman,” a request to reverse his guilty plea for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In his denial, Judge Royce Lamberth wrote that Chansley was “the face of the riot” and that recently emerged materials—like video shared by Tucker Carlson in March—actually made him wish he’d slapped Chansley with a harsher sentence than he did in Nov. 2021. The swift denial came less than a week after Chansley filed a motion to have his plea reversed. Chansley had previously filed to vacate or correct his sentence in April, which was also denied. Thursday’s ruling means Chansley, who gained notoriety after photos emerged of him being shirtless with a buffalo headdress on and a painted face, will maintain his guilty plea to a charge of obstructing Congress’ certification of the 2020 vote. CHEAT SHEET TOP 10 RIGHT NOW - 1 - 2 - 4 - 5 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10	Not_Explicit
An injunction blocking Florida’s law restricting drag performances applies to all venues in the state — not just to the restaurant that challenged the ban — a federal judge said Wednesday. Dubbed “Florida’s anti-drag ban,” the legislation threatens Pride events and small businesses with criminal penalties for allowing minors to watch certain drag performances even with a parent’s approval. Venues that violate the ban could face fees or have their liquor licenses revoked. Passage of the bill — one of several measures restricting the rights of LGBTQ people passed by Florida’s Republican-led legislature this year — brought hundreds of drag performers and their allies, including some Democratic lawmakers, to Tallahassee for a protest on the steps of the Florida State Capitol on April 25. In May, just days after DeSantis signed the bill into law, the owner of the Orlando location of Hamburger Mary’s, a drag-themed restaurant, sued the state over the ban, claiming the law violates First Amendment rights. Breaking News U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell in June granted a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking the state from enforcing the law. Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis’ press secretary, said in a statement that the administration believed the judge’s opinion was “dead wrong,” adding the state “looked forward to prevailing on appeal.” Attorneys for the state told the judge the injunction should only apply to the Orlando restaurant, but he rejected their argument. “Plaintiff is not the only party suffering injury as a result of the passage of the Act; it has a chilling effect on all members of society who fall within its reach,” Presnell wrote. In June, a federal judge struck down a similar ban in Tennessee, saying the first-in-the-nation legislation violated First Amendment rights. Judge Thomas Parker, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said the law — which would severely restrict drag performances — was “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad.” With News Wire Services	Not_Explicit
How Kerry’s energy accelerator can help to supercharge green investments Last month, leaders from economies large and small met in Paris for a climate finance summit to help to bridge the gap between current levels of green investment and what is needed to meet international climate goals. The outcomes were modest, but ambitious ideas were put on the table. One concept — proposed as part of the “Bridgetown Initiative” advanced by Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados — is a new facility that would issue $100 billion per year in coverage of local currency depreciation risk for green investments in developing countries. While the $100 billion number may seem large, it pales in comparison to what analysts project is required to avoid dangerous levels of climate change. For example, a new report by the International Energy Agency and the International Finance Corporation indicates that annual clean energy investments in emerging economies (outside China) and other developing countries, which currently total $260 billion, need to rise to over $1 trillion within five years to meet our global climate goals. A substantial (albeit, minority) share of this investment will need to be sourced from international capital that remains wary of the risk of local currency depreciation. How to overcome this barrier to clean energy investment? One possibility is to leverage the depreciation coverage of the Bridgetown Initiative through the Energy Transition Accelerator proposed by the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry, to mobilize carbon market revenues and private capital that funds them. The proposed Bridgetown currency risk coverage would take advantage of and partially correct for the tendency of hedging markets to overestimate — and overprice — the risk of depreciation of emerging market currencies against the dollar. The proposal’s originator, Professor Avinash Persaud, has analyzed what the market has charged versus actual depreciation and found a systematic overpayment, effectively a penalty imposed on developing country investments. The new entity would avoid this overpayment, enabling currency coverage at a discounted price, lowering the cost of capital, catalyzing more green projects in developing countries, and thus, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. While various potential sources of funding for the agency have been enumerated, notably international public sector sources, there is one important potential source that merits special attention: private capital mobilized through carbon markets. Secretary Kerry, in cooperation with the Rockefeller Foundation, the Bezos Earth Fund and others, has launched the Energy Transition Accelerator to mobilize capital for mitigation through carbon market mechanisms. Combining the private capital of the Energy Transition Accelerator with the Bridgetown proposal (what might be termed “Bridgetown+”) would provide for an even greater impact. This type of combination was contemplated by the Exchange Rate Coverage Facility, a proposal developed by our team from Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, the World Economic Forum and the World Bank’s carbon markets team that also targets this critical impediment of currency depreciation risk. Like the Bridgetown structure, the Exchange Rate Coverage Facility would be funded by international public financial institutions, as well as governments, philanthropies, sovereign wealth funds and others interested in reducing global emissions by supporting clean energy investments in developing countries. However, in contrast to Bridgetown, the funding source to be tapped first to cover any depreciation (what can be termed “first loss”) would be carbon market-type revenues generated by the green project’s own emissions reductions — revenues provided by private sector investors in carbon markets that are seeking the benefits of supporting certified emissions reductions. This constitutes a potentially large additional resource that would significantly expand the amount of depreciation coverage contemplated by the Bridgetown proposal. The initial modeling for the Exchange Rate Coverage Facility indicates that many renewables projects would generate, at a relatively modest carbon price (about $20/ton of CO2), sufficient carbon revenues to cover the first 30 percent or so of currency depreciation, with a margin that would leave developers with an upside (based on assumptions regarding the project’s financing plan, the construction cost of renewables and the amount of avoided carbon given the grid’s emissions factor). These additional resources could be paired with the coverage offered by the Bridgetown agency. For example, if local currency revenues from a project lose up to 20 percent of their value, the deficit (“first loss”) for repayments to the project’s international lenders would be funded from carbon revenues. In the event of a depreciation exceeding 20 percent, the resulting “second loss” would be funded by the Bridgetown agency. In order to mobilize those carbon revenues, a successful Energy Transition Accelerator will be needed to remove uncertainties that currently undermine the ability of carbon markets to mobilize private capital for mitigation. Additionally, the combination proposed here would support the Energy Transition Accelerator’s own objective of better-using carbon markets for mitigation (particularly for renewable energy) by effectively leveraging them with public sector and other resources through the Bridgetown structure. To protect against increasingly extreme climate events, we must tackle the emissions problem. This task requires massive amounts of investment in green projects in developing countries. Fortunately, the international private sector has the resources to contribute its share to meet that challenge, but it will require help to address currency risk. The Kerry Energy Transition Accelerator is part of the answer. Using the carbon markets it is designed to catalyze can augment the impact of the Bridgetown currency proposal to provide a powerful new tool to raise the private capital we need to meet our global climate goals. Philippe Benoit is an adjunct senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy focusing on climate finance and emerging markets and is also research director at Global Infrastructure Analytics and Sustainability 2050. Jonathan Elkind is a former assistant secretary of Energy and a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
Researchers reconstruct earliest known composite-tiled roofs Researchers from Peking University School of Archaeology and Museology collaborated with the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology to reconstruct the world's earliest composite-tiled roofs. Their findings were consolidated in an article titled "Reconstructing the earliest known composite-tiled roofs from the Chinese Loess Plateau," published in Scientific Reports. With support from projects like "Archaeological China: Settlements and Society in the Hetao Region," the researchers used 5,000 pieces of terracotta tiles dating back to the early Longshan culture, excavated from the Qiaocun Ruins in Lingtai County, Gansu Province. By means of morphological measurement, quantitative analysis, 3D modeling, and computer simulation, the researchers then reconstructed the earliest known splicing technology of composite-tiled roofs, achieving a major breakthrough in the research on the traceability of composite terracotta tiles. Existing archaeological discoveries indicate that the earliest ceramic tiles in the world appeared in Greece circa late 3,000 BC, but only in simple forms. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating results show that the absolute age of tiles unearthed from the relic site of Qiaocun date back to 2400–2200 BC, proving these as the earliest composite tiles. In the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BC), terracotta tile manufacturing was significantly developed in central Shaanxi Province, forming the Longshan Western Zhou culture, which further spread to the rest of Asia including South Korea, Japan, the Russian Far East and Southeast Asia. To avoid the limitations of previous studies, the research team recruited experts in the fields of archaeology, architecture, relic protection and computer simulation to conduct cross-disciplinary research, overcoming difficulties such as the small sample size and the fragility of the samples. The study of the Qiaocun Ruins is an important part of the "Archaeology China" project titled "Settlements and Society in the Hetao Region." The recent findings suggest a strong relation between the roofed buildings in Qiaocun and increasing social interactions in public affairs management in the Loess Plateau, which promotes the social complexity and civilization process of this region. More information: Yijing Xu et al, Reconstructing the earliest known composite-tiled roofs from the Chinese Loess Plateau, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35299-x Journal information: Scientific Reports Provided by Peking University	Not_Explicit
Sensex, Nifty End At A Record High For Fifth Day Led By RIL, ITC, Bajaj Finance: Market Wrap The Sensex closed 302 points, or 0.45%, higher at 67,097.44, while the Nifty 50 gained 84 points, or 0.42%, to end at 19,833.15. India's benchmark stock indices closed at fresh record highs on Wednesday, led by gains in consumer durables and public sector banks, while information technology and auto stocks were under pressure. Intraday, the Sensex rose 0.56% to a new high of 67,171.38, while the Nifty 50 jumped 0.52% to hit a fresh record high of 19,851.70. Stocks in the U.K. and Europe advanced. Rate-sensitive real estate stocks led gains in Europe’s Stoxx 600, with U.K. homebuilders surging the most since 2008 on optimism about less-aggressive hikes. The U.K. consumer price index was 7.9% higher than a year ago in June, a sharp drop from the 8.7% reading in May. U.S. futures were flat after Wall Street stocks closed near session highs on Tuesday, as earnings results from Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley bolstered banking shares on Tuesday. In Asia, shares in Hong Kong and mainland China were the worst performers on Wednesday. The S&P BSE Sensex closed 302 points, or 0.45%, higher at 67,097.44, while the NSE Nifty 50 gained 84 points, or 0.42%, to end at 19,833.15. Reliance Industries Ltd., ITC Ltd., HDFC Bank Ltd., Bajaj Finance Ltd., and State Bank of India positively contributed to the change in the Nifty 50. TCS Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd., Bharti Airtel Ltd., Hindustan Unilever Ltd., and Hindalco Industries Ltd. weighed on the index. The broader market indices outperformed their larger peers, with the S&P BSE MidCap rising 0.63% and the S&P BSE SmallCap gaining 0.61% at the close of trading on Wednesday. Nineteen out of the 20 sectors compiled by BSE Ltd. advanced, except S&P BSE Teck. S&P BSE Utilities rose the most. The market breadth was skewed in favour of the buyers. About 2,003 stocks rose, 1,409 declined, and 125 remained unchanged on the BSE.	Not_Explicit
Women's World Cup ticket sales top 1.5 million, on track for record A New Zealand family of five purchased the tickets that took the sales total to 1.5 million for the Women’s World Cup on Monday. Soccer’s world governing body says the tournament being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand is on track to be the best attended in the competition’s history. FIFA said the 1,500,000th ticket went to Auckland woman Maria Strong, who bought tickets for her husband and three children to attend Italy’s Group G win over Argentina at Eden Park as part of a family celebration for her son’s 12th birthday. In a statement, FIFA said the sales target had been surpassed within the first five days of the month-long tournament, setting the 2023 edition on course to pass 2015 in Canada for record attendance. More than 1.35 million people attended a 52-game tournament in Canada. The tournament has expanded to 32 teams this year. The opening games set records for women's soccer matches in both co-host countries. The crowd at New Zealand's upset win over Norway last Thursday set a new mark of 42,137. Australia's 1-0 win over Ireland attracted 75,784 at Stadium Australia, which is also the venue for the final on Aug. 20. "We are seeing a surge in support for women’s football, not just in ticket sales, but also in broadcast viewership, fan festival participation and merchandise sales," Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said. Football Australia said the first 12 games had a combined attendance of 363,937. with the average of 30,326 per game surpassing the 21,756 for the first dozen at France 2019 and the overall Women's World Cup average of 24,780. The 1999 tournament in the United States holds the record for the highest average match attendance, with a crowd average of 37,944 across 32 games. Reporting by The Associated Press.	Not_Explicit
President Joe Biden touted his administration's efforts to boost clean energy manufacturing and create union jobs in a speech Thursday in Philadelphia. Earlier in the day, the White House announced the first offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico, which it says will have enough clean energy potential to power nearly 1.3 million homes. “When I think climate, I think jobs,” Biden said. “I think union jobs. Not a joke.” Biden visited the Philly Shipyard after a steel-cutting ceremony earlier in the day to mark the construction of an offshore wind vessel. The power generators will bring an estimated $125 million in economic activity every year, and 1,000 workers across nine unions have been employed to build them, using steel plates made by the United Steelworkers in Indiana, the White House said. Biden said: "All this investment means good-paying jobs here at home, here at home. We're making sure these new jobs come free and fair and the ability to join a union if you're not already in one." The potential for more strikes looms over Biden's re-election campaign. On Wednesday, Biden met briefly with Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers union, a White House official said. UAW leaders had asked to brief senior White House staff members about their analysis and positions in relation to negotiations with the Big Three automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Fain has said the UAW is willing to strike against those companies. UPS workers have also threatened to strike as Teamsters leaders, who represent UPS workers, negotiate a new labor contract. Meanwhile, the national board of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, also known as SAG-AFTRA, voted unanimously to go on strike this month after the Writers Guild of America had already gone on strike. Biden has frequently referred to himself as the most pro-union president in history. "I made a commitment that I'd be the most pro-union president in American history, and I'm keeping that promise," he said Thursday. Despite his administration's efforts to promote his "Bidenomics" agenda, his economic approval rating has risen only slightly, by 3 percentage points, to 37% in April, according to CNBC’s new All-America Economic Survey. This summer, high-level administration officials spread out over the country to tout Biden's economic agenda as part of the Investing in America tour. Biden highlighted the importance of infrastructure in a speech about Bidenomics in South Carolina on July 6. Bidenomics focuses on three points: making public investments, educating workers to grow the middle class and promoting competition, according to the White House. Across the aisle, the GOP has seized upon voters' worries over the economy to attack Bidenomics. The White House took a swipe at Republicans in Congress in its fact sheet announcing Biden's visit to Philadelphia, saying that if Republicans "had their way, their states would have lost out on billions of dollars in investments, jobs, and opportunity." "Yet nearly every Republican Member of the House voted again to overturn the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits in April 2023 — doubling down on their opposition at a time when manufacturers were investing in their state," the White House wrote. In a statement in 2021 explaining his vote, Tuberville said he would be "for a bill that invests every penny of every dollar in improvements to our roads, bridges, waterways, and rural broadband," but he added that "the final legislation is loaded with giveaways to big cities and pet projects that have little to do with real infrastructure." Biden said: "Here’s what he says now: 'Great to see Alabama receive critical funds to boost ongoing broadband efforts.' Thought he thought it was a bad idea to invest in that, but now it’s coming to Alabama, and hot damn, boys, good thing." Biden also condemned Tuberville's blockade of hundreds of military promotions as a move that jeopardizes "our national security." "I’m glad the senator’s coming around on the infrastructure law, but I’m not going to let up until he comes around in the critical military nominations, as well," Biden said.	Not_Explicit
The Memo: Culture-war battles fail to deliver for DeSantis Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) keeps pressing his case on culture war issues — even though his efforts so far haven’t helped him rise above a modest ceiling of support in the presidential race. That, in turn, poses the question as to whether former President Trump already has a lock on most of the conservative voters animated by those issues. DeSantis is plowing on regardless. Late last week, the Florida governor suggested he could take legal action against Bud Light’s parent company over the controversy centered around transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. DeSantis’s argument is that the corporation may have breached its fiduciary duty to shareholders — including Florida pension funds — in its marketing efforts with Mulvaney, which hurt sales. DeSantis has also been hitting back hard at Vice President Harris in a furor over new standards for teaching Black history in Florida schools. The standards include a sentence asserting that students should be taught “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Harris, the daughter of Jamaican-born and Indian-born parents, contended that it is offensive to suggest that there could be any “benefit” to “being subject to this level of dehumanization” under slavery. Without naming DeSantis, she slammed those who she said would “push propaganda to our children.” DeSantis excoriated Harris’s statements as “absolutely ridiculous” and “outrageous.” The two separate fights are just the latest manifestations of DeSantis’s culture-warrior stance, a worldview encapsulated in his boast that his state is “where woke goes to die.” DeSantis has conducted a long-running fight with Disney, which began when the corporation publicity criticized legislation endorsed by the governor that banned the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity to young children. He has blasted critical race theory, objected to the draft curriculum of an Advanced Placement course on African-American Studies, and defended the six-week abortion ban passed in his state. More than a year ago, DeSantis signed the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act,” contending that “we will not let the far-left woke agenda take over our schools and workplaces. There is no place for indoctrination or discrimination in Florida.” These kinds of stances should be red meat to the Republican base. But the number of Republican voters rallying to DeSantis’s side is underwhelming so far. DeSantis lags Trump by more than 30 points in the weighted national polling average maintained by data site FiveThirtyEight. His level of support — around 19 percent of Republican voters — is essentially unchanged since he launched his candidacy two months ago. Some Republicans argue that DeSantis has made a strategic miscalculation in allowing his stance on culture-war issues to overshadow everything else. GOP strategist Dan Judy argued that the Republican primary electorate is comprised of three camps, which he termed “Always Trump,” “Never Trump” and “Maybe Trump” voters. The red-meat rhetoric, Judy added, “most appeals to the people who won’t vote for anyone but Trump. And leaning so hard into the culture wars has actually turned off some of those ‘Maybe Trump’ voters who are less comfortable with the anti-trans stuff, the hard abortion stuff. That has been [DeSantis’s] biggest strategic mistake so far.” There is some data to support this argument. A recent report from newspaper chain McClatchy noted polling that suggests DeSantis “has suffered steep declines in support among GOP voters with at least a bachelor’s degree.” McClatchy cited a Quinnipiac University poll, among other pieces of evidence, that showed DeSantis’s support among college-educated white Republicans declining from 51 percent in February to 29 percent this month. Todd Belt, the director of the political management program at the George Washington University, argued that DeSantis is trying to make “the woke issue” his point of differentiation from other GOP candidates. But, Belt added, “it is hard to pry people away from Trump with just that. It looks like he has pried away about 20 percent, and that is not an insignificant amount. But elections are about the future, and we haven’t heard much about that.” DeSantis allies would dispute that contention. In broad strokes, his supporters say he has begun the process of laying out his agenda for the American people and that criticisms of the campaign to date are both premature and unfair. DeSantis gave the first major policy speech of his campaign late last month, when he outlined a hawkish agenda on immigration. A memo prepared by his campaign earlier this month, intended to reassure donors and other supporters, highlighted what it branded a “No Excuses policy agenda” that will focus on the economy, foreign policy and how to address the threat from China. If DeSantis wants to engage more on policy, he also has a tailor-made opportunity just around the corner. The first Republican debate is also less than a month away. Still, it’s not as if DeSantis is going to drop his claim as the most aggressive culture warrior in the race. The early July memo to supporters — reportedly written by campaign manager Generra Peck — highlighted DeSantis’s biography, his economic message and his willingness to push back on China. But, it added, “Governor DeSantis is THE leader of the culture fight in America. We will continue to burnish his record fighting the Left who want to come after our kids and take over society via the ‘Control Economy.’” The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
Yury Vorobyov, a deputy speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, brought up the issue during a meeting of Armenian and Russian lawmakers held in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. He referred to the Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision in March to give the green light for parliamentary ratification of the treaty, also known as the Rome Statute. “While we proceed from the assumption that this step by our Armenian partners does not have an anti-Russian subtext, in practice it is causing significant damage to Russian-Armenian relations,” Russian news agencies quoted Vorobyov as saying. “We call on our allies to once again carefully consider the implications of joining the Rome Statute and assess potential risks to allied relations with Russia,” he told deputy speaker Hakob Arshakian and other pro-government members of the Armenian parliament attending the meeting. According the Armenian parliament’s press office, Arshakian assured the Russian side that Yerevan’s plans to submit to the ICC’s jurisdiction are “in no way directed against Russia” and are aimed instead at “preventing Azerbaijani attacks on the sovereign territory of Armenia.” Other Armenian officials made similar statements following the Constitutional Court ruling which came one week after the ICC issued the arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes allegedly committed by Russia in Ukraine. Moscow was not convinced by those assurances. It warned Yerevan later in March that the ratification of the Rome Statute is “absolutely unacceptable” and would have “extremely negative” consequences for bilateral ties. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s government appears to have ignored the warning, sending the treaty to the National Assembly for ratification late last month. Arshakian revealed on Friday that “active discussions” on the matter are now underway between Armenian and Russian diplomats. He expressed confidence that a “legal solution acceptable to Armenia and Russia” will be found. Independent legal experts believe that recognition of the ICC’s jurisdiction would require the Armenian authorities to arrest Putin and extradite him to The Hague tribunal if he visits the South Caucasus country. Armenian opposition lawmakers have expressed serious concern over such a dramatic possibility, saying that it would ruin the country’s relationship with its key ally. One of them claimed in March that Pashinian engineered the Constitutional Court ruling to “please the West.” Most of the court’s current judges have been installed by Pashinian’s political team. Russian-Armenian relations had already soured in the months leading up to the March ruling due to what Pashinian’s administration sees as a lack of Russian support for Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Earlier this week, South Africa announced that Putin will not attend a summit of the BRICS nations in Johannesburg scheduled for August. South Africa is a signatory to the ICC treaty.	Not_Explicit
When George Osborne announced the “personal savings allowance” in 2015, hardly anyone noticed. Getting the first £1,000 of interest on your savings tax free didn’t matter much if you weren’t getting interest anyway, and with rates stuck close to zero that was the case for most people. But these low payments also meant that the threshold was enough to take 95pc of taxpayers out of savings tax altogether. This has changed dramatically. We learned this week that the number of Britons paying savings tax has doubled in just a year, and the Government now expects to take almost £7bn from people simply putting aside money for a rainy day. This soaring tax on savings could well prove to be the next Tory fiscal disaster, triggering even more dissatisfaction than the widely despised inheritance tax – and if the Chancellor doesn’t take steps to fix it soon, the party will be in even more trouble than it already is. The original allowance was the kind of fiddly measure that Osborne made a specialty of as chancellor. His “savings revolution” sounded generous and was well-intended, but didn’t amount to very much at the time. The idea was to encourage savings, but with interest rates at 300-year lows the returns simply weren’t there for people to want to save in the first place. By the time rates reached 0.1pc in the pandemic, you’d have needed a million pounds just to earn £1,000 in the first place. That’s if you got paid the full Bank Rate; given that most deposits pay rather less, you’d have probably needed a million or so more. Unsurprisingly, most of us didn’t have that sort of cash sitting around, and if we did we were probably tempted to put it into other assets seeking capital gains. This has started to change. The Bank of England’s base rate is already up to 5pc, and plenty of banks are offering higher returns if you are willing to park your money for a few months or more. At these levels, even £20,000 will drag you into the net, with the result that lots more people are having to pay a chunk of tax on their savings income. We already have some idea of the numbers. The stockbroker AJ Bell used a Freedom of Information request from HMRC to find out how much people were paying. In the year to April 2023, the number of people paying tax on their savings incomes rose by 82pc to hit nearly 1.8m, paying up a total of £3.4bn for the Treasury’s coffers, compared to just £1.3bn a year before. The bad news for savers doesn’t end there. Interest rates rose steeply last year and have kept rising since April. People have a strong incentive to pile money into their savings accounts, and even if they keep the level constant can expect to earn a lot more on their savings this year – and pay a lot more in tax. Some estimates suggest the Government will take £6.6bn this year, and possibly more. At these levels, the total take would be roughly equivalent to the £7.2bn raised annually through inheritance tax. And while this might be good news for the bean counters at the Treasury, it’s not particularly good news for the Conservative party. Even by our current dire standards, Conservatives should be rewarding saving, not punishing it. After all, in the 15 years since anyone last earned meaningful sums on their savings, the way we are taxed has changed significantly. Creeping inflation has turned the 40pc rate into something increasingly normal for middle earners, with 7.8m people set to be paying it by 2027. Being in this band cuts your savings allowance down even further to just £500, so if through heroic efforts you managed to save some money after paying all that tax, the Treasury would still be getting its greedy claws into just under half of the interest you earn. This is the very opposite of what a genuinely Conservative government should be doing. It punishes people for working hard, for managing their money carefully and responsibly looking after themselves and their families, and it does it in order to feed an out of control state that has long since lost the ability to manage its spending or deliver services that work. It wouldn’t even be very hard to fix the problem if the Chancellor wanted to. The savings allowance could be increased to £10,000, so it only starts to bite when you had £200,000 or more set aside for a rainy day. Or the tax on savings income could be fixed at 20pc, equal to capital gains tax, so that people with ordinary savings were taxed in the same way as entrepreneurs or private equity executives. That way people might actually be rewarded for looking after themselves. As alien a concept as that might be to today’s Tories, that would seem like a sound conservative policy. In the meantime, as millions of us have to fill in self assessment forms and send off cheques to HMRC to pay the tax on our savings, the stealth raid has the potential to turn into the next tax catastrophe to hit the party. Inheritance tax is widely disliked precisely because it is seen as an unfair levy on aspiration and an additional charge on income that has already been taxed. That is even more true of the “savings tax”. George Osborne was perfectly right to promise his “saving revolution”. The UK needs to save more, it needs to invest more, and it needs people to take responsibility for their own lives instead of always relying on the state. That is impossible while the state is confiscating vast chunks of what people earn. If Chancellor Jeremy Hunt does not reform the system very soon, the price will be a high one. People won’t bother to save. And they certainly won’t bother to vote for a party that has forgotten the core values it is meant to be defending.	Not_Explicit
360 One Wam Q1 Results Review - Strong AUM Growth; Higher Opex Dents Margins: Motilal Oswal Higher operating cost led to sharp increase in cost to income ratio. BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy. Motilal Oswal Report 360 One Wam Ltd.’s total revenues for the quarter grew 8% YoY to Rs 4 billion. This is in line with our estimates. Total opex grew 25% YoY and came in at ~Rs 2 billion, 12% higher than our estimates. Increased employee cost and ‘other expenses’ led to higher opex for the quarter. Employee costs increased 22% YoY. The total employee stock ownership plan cost estimated ~Rs 1- 1.15 billion will be amortised over a period of seven to eight years. The cost/income ratio increased sharply by ~700 basis points YoY to 51.6% (our estimate: 46%). 360 One Wam's profit before tax for the quarter came in line with our estimates at ~Rs 2.3 billion (as ‘other income’ came in higher than expectations). However, profit after tax grew 18% YoY to Rs 1.9 billion. Reduction in overall taxes led to a profit after tax beat of ~6%. Total assets under management is up 22% YoY to Rs 3.83 tonne, with continued focus on scaling up annual recurring revenue assets. ARR AUM was up 33% YoY at Rs 1.9 trillion. The board has approved an interim dividend of Rs 4. We broadly maintained our estimates for FY24/FY25. We retain our 'Buy' rating with a one-year target price of Rs 620 (based on 25 times March-25E earnings per share). Click on the attachment to read the full report: DISCLAIMER This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime. Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner.	Not_Explicit
ICICI Lombard Q1 Result Review - Motor Segment Remains A Growth Concern: Yes Securities New expenses of management rules have not yet brought in pricing discipline among competitors expected by ICICI Lombard. BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy. Yes Securities Report Result Highlights Net premiums earned: ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd.'s net premiums earned grew by 4.3% QoQ, driven higher by health including personal accident segment. Loss ratios: Overall loss ratio has improved by 10 basis points QoQ to 74.1%, where motor own damage and third party has evolved positively QoQ. Expense control: Expense ratio fell -480 bps QoQ to 26.6% where opex fell - 31.3% QoQ and commissions rose by 509% QoQ. Our view The motor segment net earned premium grew 0.1%/3.3% QoQ/YoY. There has been no motor third party price hike due to which certain subsegments have become unviable. Health (including personal accident) NEP grew 16.2%/31.7% QoQ/YoY. ICICI Lombard's management is excited that the investments made in retail health are poised to play out. Click on the attachment to read the full report: DISCLAIMER This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime. Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner.	Not_Explicit
A historic university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Washington, D.C. held a graduation ceremony to honor 24 Black deaf students and four Black teachers who were forced to attend segregated schools on their grounds. On Saturday, Gallaudet University honored students who attended the Kendall School Division II for Negroes on the Gallaudet campus in the early 1950s, the university announced in a press release. At the ceremony, the 24 students and their descendants received high school diplomas, and four Black teachers of the Kendall School were also honored. Five of the six living students attended the graduation ceremony with their families. The university proclaimed July 22 "Kendall 24 Day" and issued a Board of Trustees proclamation acknowledging and apologizing for "perpetuating the historic inequity" against the students. "Gallaudet deeply regrets the role it played in perpetuating the historic inequity, systemic marginalization, and the grave injustice committed against the Black Deaf community when Black Deaf students were excluded at Kendall School and in denying the 24 Black Deaf Kendall School students their diplomas," the proclamation, which apologizes to all 24 students by name, reads. The Kendall School on the Gallaudet University enrolled and educated Black students starting in 1898, but after White parents complained about the integration of races in 1905, Black deaf students were transferred to the Maryland School for the Colored Blind and Deaf-Mutes in Baltimore or to the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia, completely eliminating the presence of Black students at Kendall School, the university said. In 1952, Louise B. Miller, the hearing mother of four children, three of whom were deaf, launched a court battle after her eldest son Kenneth was denied attendance at the school because he was Black, according to the university. Miller, and the parents of four other Black Deaf children, filed and won a civil lawsuit against the District of Columbia Board of Education for the right of Black deaf children like her son Kenneth to attend Kendall School. "The court ruled that Black deaf students could not be sent outside the state or district to obtain the same education that White students were provided," the university said. But instead of simply accepting Black deaf students into Kendall School, Gallaudet built the segregated Kendall School on its campus, which had less resources. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court decision, Kendall School Division II for Negroes closed and Black students began to attend school with their White deaf peers. The university said they will honor Miller with the Louise B. Miller Pathways and Gardens: A Legacy to Black Deaf Children. "This memorial will provide a space for reflection and healing through remembrance of all who have fought for the equality that Black Deaf children deserve," the university said. "Today is an important day of recognition and also a celebration long overdue,"president of Gallaudet University Roberta J. Cordano said. "While today's ceremony in no way removes past harms and injustices or the impact of them, it is an important step to strengthen our continued path of healing." for more features.	Not_Explicit
US officials have ‘no reason to doubt’ Russia moved nuclear weapons to Belarus: report U.S. intelligence officials told reporters on Friday that there is ‘no reason to doubt’ Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that he moved nuclear weapons into Belarus, according to CNN. Senior Defense Intelligence Agency officials also said they don’t believe the movement alters the global nuclear landscape or increases the risk of nuclear attack, the outlet reported. Putin announced in June that Russia had delivered its first nuclear warheads into Belarus as part of a plan to deploy tactical nuclear bombs in the country bordering Ukraine. “This is a deterrence measure [against] all those who think about Russia and its strategic defeat,” he said at the time. The Russian president also claimed that it was only “the first batch,” the Russian state-run outlet TASS reported. “We will complete this work by the end of this year.” As the Russia-Ukraine war nears its 18th month, the intel officials said they had no reason to doubt “that [Russia has] had some success” in transferring the weapons, which Putin called a “deterrence” against “all those who think about Russia and its strategic defeat.” While they didn’t go into detail about what made them come to their decision, the officials acknowledged that the weapons were difficult to track — even with satellites. Putin first announced plans to store tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in March, saying their placement is a response to U.S. nuclear weapons in nearby European countries and Turkey. He said their actions were no different than what the United States is doing. “We are doing what they have been doing for decades, stationing them in certain allied countries, preparing the launch platforms and training their crews,” Putin said at the time, as reported by multiple media outlets. “We are going to do the same thing.” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also said that he would not hesitate to use the weapons if provoked. “We have got the missiles and bombs from Russia… Not all of them, little by little,” Lukashenko said in June. “God forbid I have to make a decision to use those weapons today, but there would be no hesitation if we face an aggression,” he added. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
India Low-Rated Firms Seen Eyeing Private Credit As Costs Spike Borrowing costs for India’s lower-rated companies are rising at a faster clip than for higher-rated ones as money from mutual funds dries up, fueling their need to tap private credit, one veteran banker said. (Bloomberg) -- Borrowing costs for India's lower-rated companies are rising at a faster clip than for higher-rated ones as money from mutual funds dries up, fueling their need to tap private credit, one veteran banker said. Sujata Guhathakurta, president and head of debt capital markets at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd., said that alternative investments are filling the gap left by asset management companies. These have experienced a drop in inflows since the Franklin Templeton mutual funds crisis of 2020. The yield premium on company notes rated BBB over those ranked AAA reached 396 basis points this month, the highest since March, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That’s despite bets the central bank will forgo further interest-rate increases after keeping rates on hold in June. “Credit risk funds have shrunk in size and some of that demand has gravitated to wealth funds, alternate investment funds and non-bank companies,” Guhathakurta said in an interview. “But the cost is higher” by as much as 1.5 percentage points. Private credit — where non-banks lend directly to companies, often at high interest rates — has grown rapidly in recent years to about $1.5 trillion globally, according to Preqin Ltd., and the asset class is projected to hit $2.2 trillion by 2027. In India, alternative investments have skyrocketed since mid-2020, with investments more than doubling to 3.4 trillion rupees, according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India. The credit risk funds of asset management companies have seen a nearly 60% erosion in assets under management in about the same time span, according to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India. Here’s more of Guhathakurta’s comments: With a flat yield curve, highly rated corporates are getting short term and long-term money almost at similar levels Spreads may widen from current levels if primary issuance increases. The yield curve would then gradually steepen Given hopes the Reserve Bank of India is near the end of its rate-hike cycle, many corporates have actively started evaluating floating-rate debt. Firms want to borrow at a fixed rate only for a short amount of time as they don’t want to lock in high funding costs --With assistance from Divya Patil. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com ©2023 Bloomberg L.P.	Not_Explicit
HDFC AMC Q1 Results Review - Equity Market Share Continues To Improve: Prabhudas Lilladher Core earnings in-line at Rs 3.0 billion; revenue miss was offset by lower opex. BQ Prime’s special research section collates quality and in-depth equity and economy research reports from across India’s top brokerages, asset managers and research agencies. These reports offer BQ Prime’s subscribers an opportunity to expand their understanding of companies, sectors and the economy. Prabhudas Lilladher Report We raise multiple for HDFC Asset Management Company Ltd. from 27 times to 35 times (five year average of 40 times) as core profit after tax is upgraded by 7.0% for FY24/25E, due to higher revenue given strong assets under management growth in FY24E. Equity growth may outpace industry (+13% year-to-date) given- market share gains from healthy net flows led by superior performance and concerns around total expense ratio impact on earnings have been allayed as Securities and Exchange Board of India will release a new consultative paper. HDFC AMC saw a mixed quarter; despite higher quarterly average assets under management growth, core income was a miss due to lower yields and higher opex. However, core profit was protected due to lower tax rate. Company remains top performer in one-year and three-year buckets while it also moved to rank-1 in the five-year bucket. Equity market share is rising and touched 11.9% (+13 bps QoQ). Over FY23-25E, we see a core profit after tax compound annual growth rate of 12.7% (earlier 8.7%) with stable core income of 35-36 basis points. Stock is currently valued at 31 times on FY25E core EPS. We raise target price from Rs 2,100 to Rs 2,800. Retain 'Buy'. Click on the attachment to read the full report: DISCLAIMER This report is authored by an external party. BQ Prime does not vouch for the accuracy of its contents nor is responsible for them in any way. The contents of this section do not constitute investment advice. For that you must always consult an expert based on your individual needs. The views expressed in the report are that of the author entity and do not represent the views of BQ Prime. Users have no license to copy, modify, or distribute the content without permission of the Original Owner.	Not_Explicit
The days of visa-free travel throughout most of Europe are about to change. Starting early next year, the European Union will implement the European Travel Information and Authorization System requiring all visitors from visa-free countries to obtain travel authorization prior to their departure. Application Process The European Travel Information and Authorization System is not your traditional visa. It’s a straightforward online application process with approval delivered by email. Travelers will need to fill out an online form with basic biographical information, travel plans and travel history, along with security questions. While most applicants will receive approval within an hour, some may experience a wait of up to 96 hours for further checks. The cost of the application is approximately $8, applicable to travelers of all ages. Once approved, the travel authorization will be valid for multiple entries over three years or until the traveler’s passport expires. Many Americans were apprehensive about the additional travel document, but as more details about European Travel Information and Authorization System emerge, travelers are finding the process simpler than expected. “It’s still easy for us to travel to Europe,” said Alexa Moore, a frequent traveler to Europe for both business and leisure. “It’s just one more step we have to think about before our trip.” European Travel Information and Authorization System will be required for travel to all member countries including full Schengen members, like Spain, France, and Italy, European Free Trade Association countries, like Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, future Schengen members, like Bulgaria and Cyprus, and European microstates, like Andorra and Monaco. It Will Enhance Border Security & Digital Screening The primary aim of European Travel Information and Authorization System is to tighten border security, digitally screen and track travelers entering and leaving the countries. The program’s purpose and application process are akin to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization program for visitors to the U.S., making travelers more understanding of the new requirement. As Europe gears up for the rollout, it’s essential to remember that the length of time American tourists can spend in Europe remains unchanged. United States passport holders are still allowed to stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period without a visa. For stays longer than 90 days, a special visa will be required. Although the exact launch date of the new travel authorization is uncertain, it is unlikely the European Travel Information and Authorization System will discourage anyone from traveling to Europe. “I’m bummed about it, but it does seem easy enough,” says travel blogger Nicki Post, acknowledging the fairness of reciprocating entry requirements between nations.	Not_Explicit
After Donald Trump’s campaign allegedly skipped out on the bill following a 2018 rally, officials in Erie, Pa., want the Republican 2024 front-runner to pay up before his rally on Saturday night. City officials said the former president’s Make America Great Again rally ran up a $35,129 tab while passing through town for an Oct. 10, 2018, rally at Erie Insurance Arena. That bill for overtime pay for city workers including law enforcement officers was footed by taxpayer money. Trump plans to return to the scene of the proverbial crime at 6 p.m. Saturday following an afternoon of events at that same venue. City officials said they have no control over the arena, but plan to bill his campaign in advance for the services an event like this requires. “The city has a duty — and will continue — to provide security for our residents, businesses and anyone who holds an event like this the city, regardless of whether they reimburse the city for unusual coverage costs, or not,” a city spokesman said in a statement to the Daily News. That statement also said any event of this magnitude, regardless its nature, requires considerable manpower and its organizers “will be billed by the city in advance.” The former president’s campaign paid $17,500 to rent Erie Insurance Arena in 2018, according to the Erie Times-News. Inside NYC Politics But the city says it’s yet be made whole as the 77-year-old politician — who has a long history of dodging debt — prepares to host another costly spectacle meant to return him to the White House in 2024. “We’re going to see whether we can get some payment from them in advance this time,” Erie Mayor Joe Schember said Tuesday. “It’s important to do this because we’re talking about taxpayer money being used to help make his visit more safe.” Running up debt at massive fund-raising events isn’t unheard of for Trump’s campaign. In March, the Daily Beast contacted 30 counties and municipalities where the 45th president hosted rallies and only one of those places responded to confirm it’d been reimbursed. El Paso, Texas, hired a collection agency to retrieve nearly $570,000 compensation Trump’s campaign owed the city from a 2019 event, according to The Houston Chronicle. A representative from the purported billionaire politician’s camp said they were “reviewing” the invoice, which included more than $380,000 owed to police officers.	Not_Explicit
Missouri Supreme Court orders attorney general to let abortion ballot initiative go forward Missouri’s ballot initiative to legalize abortion will be allowed to move forward after the state Supreme Court ruled the attorney general was improperly stonewalling the effort. The court ruled unanimously on Thursday that Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) was using “misleading” and “incorrect” arguments to justify delaying his approval of the cost estimates ballot measure that would allow residents to vote on whether to legalize abortion, a crucial step in the certification process. The delay stretched far beyond the normal time the state allows for reviewing and approving ballot initiatives, meaning supporters were unable to start collecting signatures to try to place the measure on the ballot for next year’s election. The court acknowledged the harm to plaintiff Anna Fitz-James and the initiative process. The process should take approximately 54 days, according to the ACLU of Missouri, which represented Fitz-James. Instead, it’s taken at least 135 days. “Until the official ballot title is certified – a critical step being held up solely by the Attorney General’s unjustified refusal to act – Fitz-James cannot challenge that title in circuit court or circulate her petitions,” the judges wrote. “Fitz-James’s constitutional right of initiative petition is being obstructed, and the deadline for submitting signed petitions draws nearer every day.” In a statement, the ACLU of Missouri applauded the decision. “While today is a tremendous victory for Missourians and the right to direct democracy, it is clear that some who hold office will not hesitate to trample the constitution if it advances their personal interests and political beliefs,” said Luz María Henríquez, the group’s executive director. The dispute dates back to March, when as part of the procedure to qualify a ballot initiative, the state Auditor’s office conducted a cost estimate. State auditor Scott Fitzpatrick found the proposal would have no known impact on state funds and an estimated cost of at least $51,000 annually in reduced local tax revenues, although “opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.” Bailey rejected those estimates and refused to approve them. Bailey instead said his office estimated the measure’s impact would be “drastic,” and could cost taxpayers upwards of $12 billion because of a loss of Medicaid funding. Missouri was the first state to enact a “trigger law” in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. There are some exceptions for medical emergencies, but not for rape or incest. The proposed ballot initiative would enshrine the right to make decisions about abortion, birth control, childbirth and other issues related to pregnancy in the state’s Constitution. Ballot measures to protect abortion have been successful in other conservative states. As a result, state officials have been working to try to make the measure process much more difficult, if not ban it completely. The court ruled the attorney general has the authority only to review the “legal content and form” of the auditor’s reports, “not their substance.” Nothing in state law “gives the attorney general authority to question the auditor’s assessment of the fiscal impact of a proposed petition,” the court ruled The attorney general must now approve the auditor’s fiscal assessment by 1 p.m. July 21, and the amendment will then be able to move forward. The proposal will next go to the office of the Missouri secretary of state, who is tasked with certifying the fiscal assessment and a summary of the proposal that would appear on the ballot. Once that occurs, supporters can start gathering the more than 100,000 signatures needed. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Not_Explicit
Police shared new details on the case of Carlethia “Carlee” Nichole Russell, the Alabama woman who went missing after calling 911 to report a toddler walking alone on the side of the highway, as questions remain about what exactly happened before she returned home. Russell, 25, was driving Thursday to her home in Hoover from her job in Birmingham, about 10 miles to the north, when she called 911 to say she was stopping her car to check on the child and then called a family member who lost contact with her – though the line remained open, according to the Hoover Police Department. When police arrived, they found Russell’s wig, cell phone and purse near her vehicle, but no sign of her or the child. Two days later, around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, she returned home on foot, according to Hoover police. Authorities said she was taken to a hospital, treated and released. While detectives briefly spoke with Russell when she returned home, they are now waiting to “obtain a more detailed statement about the sequence of events” during the time she was missing, Hoover Police said in a statement Tuesday night. As investigators try to piece together what happened in the approximately 49 hours Russell was missing, her mother has said she believes her daughter was abducted. “Carlee has given detectives her statement and hopefully they are pursuing her abductor,” Talitha Robinson-Russell said in a statement to CNN affiliate WBRC. “She definitely fought for her life. There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life,” Robinson-Russell told NBC’s “Today” on Tuesday. Investigators have not indicated whether they suspect foul play in Russell’s disappearance or released details of her initial statement to police. Adding to the mystery, Hoover Police said Tuesday they have not found any evidence of a toddler walking down the interstate, nor did they receive additional calls about it, “despite numerous vehicles passing through that area as depicted by the traffic camera surveillance video.” Russell’s 911 call remains the “only timely report of a child on the interstate” and no one has reported a child missing, Hoover Police said Monday. Here’s what we know about the investigation. Russell screamed on call with sister-in-law, mother says On Thursday at around 8:20 p.m., Russell left her job at a business in Birmingham and went to pick up food before driving south on Interstate 459 toward Hoover, police said. After picking up her food order, Russell also stopped at a Target and purchased some snack food items, police said Tuesday. At around 9:34 p.m., Hoover dispatchers received a 911 call from Russell, who reported seeing a toddler in a diaper walking on the side of the interstate. Russell told both the 911 operator and, later, a family member that she was stopping to check on the child, police said Monday. Russell was on the phone with her sister-in-law, who could hear Russell asking someone if they were okay, Russell’s mother told WBRC. There was no audible response, and then the sister-in-law heard Russell scream, Robinson-Russell said. Police have said they are reviewing traffic camera footage captured at the time of the 911 call. “That footage is still being analyzed as part of the investigation in conjunction with the 911 call to accurately determine the timeframe,” police said Monday. Officers arrived at the scene within five minutes of being dispatched and found Russell’s vehicle and some of her belongings. The snacks Russell purchased at Target were not at the scene, police said Tuesday. Russell returned home and ‘banged on the door’ Hoover Police Chief Nicholas Derzis told WBRC Russell showed up at her family’s front door Saturday night, but officers weren’t sure how she got there. “She walked up, banged on the door and that was her,” he said. On Tuesday, police said they obtained surveillance video from Russell’s neighborhood that shows her walking down the sidewalk alone before she got to her home. Fire department radio traffic revealed that medics were dispatched to her home on a call about an “unresponsive but breathing” person, police said, adding that was the term used by the dispatcher relaying information from what a 911 caller told the emergency communicator. “When first responders arrived on scene, they found Ms. Russell conscious and speaking and she was transported in that condition,” police said. “She was later treated and released from a local hospital.” Russell’s mother told NBC that when she reunited with her daughter, they “tried to hug as best they could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state. So, we had to stand back and let medical professionals work with her.” CNN’s Amy Simonson, Rebekah Riess, Jamiel Lynch and Chenelle Woody contributed to this report.	Not_Explicit