Desmond Milligan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Heavy rainfall that triggered floods in Pakistan in recent weeks, killing hundreds of people, was worsened by human-caused climate change, according to a new study. The study by World Weather Attribution, a group of international scientists who study global warming’s role in extreme weather, found that rainfall from June 24 to July 23 in the South Asian nation was 10% to 15% heavier because of climate change, leading to many building collapses in urban and rural Pakistan. Pakistan's government has reported at least 300 deaths and 1,600 damaged houses due to the floods, heavy rain and other weather since June 26. Saqib Hassan, a 50-year-old businessman in northern Pakistan, said flooding on July 22 destroyed his home and 18 of his relatives’ homes, along with their dairy farms. His farm animals were washed away, resulting in heavy losses — likely 100 million rupees ($360,000) — for him and his family. Last-minute announcements from a nearby mosque were the only warning they got to evacuate their homes in the small town of Sarwarabad and get to higher ground. “We are homeless now. Our houses have been destroyed. All the government has given us is food rations worth 50,000 rupees ($177) and seven tents, where we’ve been living for the past two weeks,” Hassan told The Associated Press over the phone. Heavy rains cause series of disasters High temperatures and intense precipitation worsened by global warming have accelerated the pace of recent extreme weather events faster than climate experts expected, said Islamabad-based climate scientist Jakob Steiner, who was not part of the WWA study. “In the last few weeks, we have been scrambling to look at the number of events, not just in Pakistan, but in the South Asian region that have baffled us," he said. "Many events we projected to happen in 2050 have happened in 2025, as temperatures this summer, yet again, have been far above the average,” said Steiner, a geoscientist with the University of Graz, Austria, who studies water resources and associated risks in mountain regions. Heavy monsoon rains have resulted in a series of disasters that have battered South Asia, especially the Himalayan mountains, which span across five countries, in the last few months. Overflowing glacial lakes resulted in flooding that washed away a key bridge connecting Nepal and China, along with several hydropower dams in July. Earlier this week, a village in northern India was hit by floods and landslides, killing at least four people and leaving hundreds missing. The authors of the WWA study, which was released early Thursday, said that the rainfall they analyzed in Pakistan shows that climate change is making floods more dangerous. Climate scientists have found that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which can make rain more intense. “Every tenth of a degree of warming will lead to heavier monsoon rainfall, highlighting why a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is so urgent,” said Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London and lead author of the WWA study. Extreme weather's impact on Pakistan Even though Pakistan is responsible for less than 1% of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere, research shows that it incurs an outsized amount of damage from extreme weather. Pakistan witnessed its most devastating monsoon season in 2022, with floods that killed more than 1,700 people and caused an estimated $40 billion in damage. According to the United Nations, global funds set up to deal with loss and damages because of climate change or funds set up to adapt to climate change are falling well short of the amounts needed to help countries like Pakistan deal with climate impacts. The U.N. warns that its loss and damage fund only holds a fraction of what's needed to address yearly economic damage related to human-caused climate change. Similarly, U.N. reports state that developed countries such as the United States and European nations, which are responsible for the largest chunk of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere, are providing far less than what's needed in adaptation financing. These funds could help improve housing and infrastructure in areas vulnerable to flooding. The WWA report says much of Pakistan’s fast-growing urban population lives in makeshift homes, often in flood-prone areas. The collapsing of homes was the leading cause of the 300 deaths cited in the report, responsible for more than half. “Half of Pakistan’s urban population lives in fragile settlements where floods collapse homes and cost lives,” said Maja Vahlberg of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, who also helped author the WWA report, in a press statement. "Building flood-resilient houses and avoiding construction in flood zones will help reduce the impacts of heavy monsoon rain." ___ Arasu reported from Bengaluru, India. ___ Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123 ___ The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. View the full article

獨創5311財務配置法，上市公司財務長邱懷青不到40歲已年領百萬股利。上市公司財務長邱懷青，靠著長期買入權值股及市值型ETF財務自由，她獨創5311財務配置法，再將投資部位依照風險不同分為4層，並在4月初股災恐慌時刻大膽買入積極型個股，為自己創造3成以上獲利。 邱懷青投資小檔案出生：1986年 現職：上市公司財務長 經歷：中國信託法人金融襄理、中國建設銀行法人金融經理、CFP國際認證理財規劃師 學歷：法國里昂第三大學商業金融學程；中央大學財金系、財金所 婚姻：已婚，育有1女1子 理財心法： 自創5311理財法，每月收入50％做為生活費、30%投資、10％進修、10％保險費 30％投資以市值型ETF及權值股為主 檢視個股財報看重負債比率、毛利率、營業淨利率 「我認為投資就是找一套適合自己的股債配置原則，以不變應萬變，就能長期存活在投資市場上，並賺到合理的利潤。」這是上市公司財務長邱懷青投資15年最大的體悟。 雖然是財務長，熟悉財報、也經常有業內消息，但邱懷青卻腳踏實地靠著買權值股、市值型ETF，將家庭總資產滾超過2,000萬元。不到40歲，她個人年收股利已經破百萬元，有足夠底氣離開職場，但她仍堅守崗位。 邱懷青說，身為客家人，節儉不只是文化，更是從小耳濡目染的習慣。她表示，爸爸身為醫生，該給的教育與栽培不手軟，但爸爸的節儉性格讓她到現在都印象深刻。「小時候放學回到家，就能看到一張張用過的擦手紙在椅背上晾乾，爸爸會2次甚至3次使用，到擦手紙破掉為止。」 出社會工作後，金融業給的薪水也相當不錯，但她仍心心念念著怎麼幫自己賺更多錢、或更節省，盡量存下每一塊錢。她說，自己曾想過要批發三明治，在上班前到路口販賣，為的就是多賺一些錢。不只是上市公司財務長，也是家庭財務長，下班後，邱懷青就化身成為媽媽，到超市挑選日用品，一樣貨比三家不吃虧。 談到財務自由的秘訣，邱懷青卻說，專注本業、踏實存錢才是王道，她用自創的「5311」財務法則分配每月收入，「每月收入進帳後留50%作為家用、30%投資，剩下的20%則為進修及保險費用各半。」 而投資也再依照風險屬性再分為四層。邱懷青解釋，最底層為保險及3個月的生活準備金，第二層是穩健型資產，包含權值股、市值型ETF等，第三層則是積極型資產，像是她自己熟悉的中小型個股，最後一層是另類投資，例如黃金、虛擬貨幣。 邱懷青舉例，4月初美國總統川普引發全球關稅戰，許多個股股價都打了7折，此時她勇敢買進同業、有AI題材的PCB廠，而隨著台股V型反轉，獲利30%起跳，她順勢出場。不過她強調，一定要先將第一、二層的配置都做好才能往第三層走。據了解，有接到AI訂單的PCB廠包含金像電、欣興等。 投資15年的資歷，邱懷青說，自己與先生念研究所時期是政大商學院副院長周冠男的學生，也一直實踐長期買進的策略。問她，川普關稅戰若引發全球經濟衰退該如何應對？「就是持續買進，撐過經濟衰退期。」邱懷青說。 更多鏡週刊報導 達人理財／實踐長期買進逾15年 財務長簡單存股年領百萬股利 財務長投資術1／不追消息不猜盤 財務長靠3指標挑權值股抱出千萬資產 跟著川普賺1／大而美法案助攻 這2檔ETF押到翻倍飆股今年狂噴 View the full article

President Trump on Wednesday will formally announce a deal with Apple to invest $100 billion in manufacturing in the U.S., an effort to increase domestic production and avoid tariffs. The announcement is expected to include the launch of the American Manufacturing Program, which would be dedicated to bringing more of Apple’s supply chain to the U.S. and involves the tech giant incentivizing other companies to manufacture more critical components domestically, a White House official told The Hill earlier Wednesday. “Today’s announcement with Apple is another win for our manufacturing industry that will simultaneously help reshore the production of critical components to protect America’s economic and national security,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement. The event from the Oval Office is expected to begin at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Watch the live video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) published a report Wednesday condemning President Trump for delaying sanctions on Russia amid the ongoing war with Ukraine. Trump promised while on the campaign trail to resolve the dispute between the two nations quickly, but peace talks thus far have not been fruitful. “Six months later, our allies and adversaries are waiting to see whether President Trump will follow through on belated and continued threats to act against Russia’s ongoing aggression,” Warren and Shaheen wrote. “They are waiting to see whether his Administration’s actions will be sustained and targeted in a way that focuses costs on Russia and its enablers.” “While the next steps may be uncertain, the Trump Administration’s pattern of inaction over the past six months is clear,” the duo continued. “The American people should understand the extent of the President’s reluctance to use his broad authorities to help end Russia’s war.” The president last month threatened to increase sanctions on Russia and buyers of Russian oil and gas if a ceasefire was not reached in the conflict that’s lasted more than three years. “As President Trump said earlier today on TRUTH Social, great progress was made during Special Envoy Witkoff’s meeting with President Putin,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement sent to The Hill. “The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end,” she added. Warren and Shaheen slammed Trump for backing out of basic sanctions and export control actions upon his return to the Oval Office, accusing him of signaling a “lack of commitment” after urging Group of Seven leaders to reduce Russia’s sanctions and declining a G7 proposal that planned to crack down on Russian oil exports. According to data analyzed by Senate Democratic staffers, the Trump administration “did not execute a single Russia rollout” in the first six months of his second term, dropping to zero from a minimum of 16 “sets of action” in prior six-month periods. “Before taking office, senior Trump Administration officials had forcefully argued that the Biden Administration should have enacted stronger restrictions on Russian oil exports, a major Kremlin revenue source,” the analysis reads. “More than half a year into the President’s term, however, the new Administration has failed to ramp up sanctions against Russian oil targets — even as experts point out that there is now greater scope for sanctions to drive down Russian oil revenue without significant adverse impacts on global or U.S. energy prices.” “The Trump Administration has left the European Union and the United Kingdom to forge ahead with more forward-leaning actions against Russian oil,” it adds. Russian leaders have balked at the idea of harsher sanctions from Trump and have continued to launch strikes against Ukraine. “Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences,” Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, wrote in a post on the social platform X after Trump threatened “severe” tariffs. “Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn’t care,” Medvedev, who also previously served as president and prime minister of Russia, added. Republican lawmakers have considered imposing economic restrictions on the Kremlin but have left the decision to the president, who in recent months has said his ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin could help resolve the conflict. ”I think he’s going to be very careful about what he does,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said when asked by The Hill if Trump can be trusted to impose costs on Putin. “But I think he is clearly disappointed in Putin, and I think he is now coming around to recognizing that many of us were right.” Putin has largely refused to entertain a ceasefire unless portions of Ukraine are turned over to Russia, a measure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected. Instead of direct economic assaults on Russia, Trump said Wednesday he would increase tariff prices on India, a major trading partner for Moscow, by 25 percent. Special envoy Steve Witkoff also met with Putin on Wednesday, two days before sanctions are set to go into effect. Warren and Shaheen pressed the Trump administration to do more. “The Administration should be marshaling a united front, making clear to Russia that our global coalition will only unlock access to our major economies and financial centers once we, including the European Union and its member states, see that Russia has committed credibly to a just peace that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its ability to defend itself,” they wrote. “But aside from breaking with our G7 partners in refusing to identify Russia as an aggressor, the Trump Administration has reportedly offered broad sanctions relief, among other concessions, without directly involving partners that have also imposed unprecedented sanctions and export controls,” the duo continued. The Democrats added, “This only benefits the Kremlin, which is eager to divide the United States and Europe.” This story was updated at 4:51 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

A Florida Republican official and beauty pageant title-holder has accused Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) of threatening to release explicit videos of her after their romantic relationship ended earlier this year, according to a police incident report. Lindsey Langston, who was crowned Miss United States 2024 and was elected as a Republican state committeewoman last year, made the allegations in an interview with the Columbia County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office on July 14. Mills told The Hill in a statement that the claims “are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions.” He has not been charged with a crime. According to the police incident report, Langston, 25, began a romantic relationship with Mills, 45, in November 2021 and moved into his house in Florida after he told her his divorce was finalized in May 2024. In February 2025, Langston ended the relationship after she saw news reports that police were investigating a physical altercation between Mills and another woman in his Washington, D.C. residence. Both Mills and the alleged victim later denied that a physical altercation took place. “Lindsey confronted Cory about the woman, to which Cory told her he was not in a romantic relationship with her and the press fabricated the story,” the police incident report said. “Lindsey then found a social media account for the other woman and saw posted photos of her with Cory.” After the break-up, “Cory has contacted Lindsey numerous times on numerous different accounts threatening to release nude images and videos of her, to include recorded videos of her and Cory engaging in sexual acts,” the incident report said. Mills also sent messages threatening to harm men that Langston dated in the future, she told police. The last message Mills sent Langston — who was crowned Miss United States on Oct. 8, 2024 — before the report on June 12 was: “I hope you hold your crown until the end.” The allegations and incident report were first reported by Drop Site News and Blaze News. Columbia County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Steven Khachigan told The Hill that the report was forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for further review. FLDE confirmed it received the report. “FDLE does not comment on any active inquiries or investigations,” spokesperson Casey Smith told The Hill. Before speaking to police, Langston consulted Anthony Sabatini, a former Florida state representative who ran in the Republican primary against Mills for his congressional seat in 2022, for legal advice, Sabatini told The Hill. In a statement to The Hill, Mills took aim at Sabatini. “Anthony Sabatini is weaponizing the legal system to launch a political attack against the man who beat him in the primary, using his corporate legal office to push a narrative built on lies and flawed legal arguments – all to score political headlines,” Mills said. “We have not been made aware of any report or allegations from law enforcement or the alleged complainant,” Mills continued. “These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions. I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Florida’s 7th District. “Out of respect for the legal process, I won’t comment further at this time. My team and I will fully cooperate to ensure the truth is made clear. I remain focused on serving my constituents and advancing America First policies. I appreciate your understanding as we deal with this private matter and your support during time,” Mills said. Sabatini in response pointed to screenshots of messages allegedly sent by Mills to Langston, which have been posted on social media. “Get me his number and I can send him videos. Take care,” Mills allegedly said in one message. “Let him put his actions behind his mouth. I can send him a few videos of you as well. Oh, I still have them,” Mills allegedly said in other messages. Sabatini told The Hill that a restraining order for Langston against Mills is pending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Tuesday pressed the chair of Intel’s board about its CEO’s ties to China, voicing concerns about the integrity of the semiconductor firm and U.S. national security. In a letter to Intel board Chair Frank Yeary, Cotton pointed to recent reporting on Lip-Bu Tan’s investments in hundreds of Chinese tech firms, at least eight of which have ties to the Chinese military, according to Reuters. Tan was tapped to lead Intel in March, after former CEO Pat Gelsinger stepped down last December following a “challenging year” for the company. Before joining Intel, Tan was CEO of Cadence Design Systems — another point of concern raised by Cotton. The software company produces electronic design automation (EDA) technology, which is used to design chips. It agreed to plead guilty and pay $140 million last month for violating export controls by selling the technology to a Chinese military university. “Intel is required to be a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars and to comply with applicable security regulations,” Cotton wrote, noting Intel’s nearly $8 billion grant under the CHIPS and Science Act. “Mr. Tan’s associations raise questions about Intel’s ability to fulfill these obligations,” he added. Cotton asked Yeary what measures Intel has taken to address concerns about Cadence’s activities, which occurred during Tan’s tenure, and whether it has required him to divest from China-linked semiconductor firms or other “concerning entities.” The Arkansas Republican also questioned whether Tan has disclosed his Chinese investments and ties to the U.S. government given Intel’s involvement in a Pentagon program to build chips for defense and intelligence needs. “Intel and Mr. Tan are deeply committed to the national security of the United States and the integrity of our role in the U.S. defense ecosystem,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We appreciate Senator Cotton’s focus on these shared priorities. We look forward to addressing these matters with the Senator.” Updated at 4:45 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. View the full article

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Restoring a memorial to the Confederacy that was removed from Arlington National Cemetery at the recommendation of Congress will cost roughly $10 million total, a U.S. Army official said Wednesday — the latest development in a Trump administration effort to combat what it calls “erasing American history.” Once back in the cemetery, the monument — described a few years ago as “problematic from top to bottom” — will also feature panels nearby that will offer context about its history, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity about a project still in progress. The Pentagon expects it to take about two years to restore the monument to its original site, the official told The Associated Press. The base that it sat on needs to be replaced and the monument itself will be refurbished as well. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon would reinstall the memorial at Arlington — an expanse just outside Washington that once contained the land of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee — less than two years after it was removed on the recommendation of an independent commission. On social media Tuesday, Hegseth said the Arlington statue “never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history — we honor it.” It was erected more than a century ago The Confederate monument, erected in 1914, was the creation of sculptor and Confederate veteran Moses Ezekiel. It features a classical female figure, crowned with olive leaves, representing the American South, alongside sanitized depictions of slavery. In 2022, a congressionally mandated commission recommended that the memorial, along with scores of other military assets that bore Confederate references, be either removed or renamed. Retired Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule, the vice chair of the commission, said that the group found that Ezekiel’s memorial was “problematic from top to bottom.” Arlington National Cemetery’s page on the memorial noted that aside from the sanitized depictions of enslaved people, the statue featured a Latin phrase that equated the South’s secession to a noble “lost cause." That's a false interpretation of the Civil War that glorifies the conflict as a struggle over the power of the federal government and not the institution of slavery. Hegseth has made a point of circumventing the will of the commission several times now by reverting the names of several Army bases back to their original, Confederate-linked names, though by honoring different figures. For example, following the recommendations of the commission, officials renamed Fort Bragg, a name that honored Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, a slave owner who lost several key Civil War battles, to Fort Liberty. In February, Hegseth reverted the name back to Fort Bragg but honoring Army Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II soldier who earned a Silver Star and Purple Heart for exceptional courage during the Battle of the Bulge. The effort is part of a larger Trump initiative In March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” It decried efforts to reinterpret American history, stating, “rather than fostering unity and a deeper understanding of our shared past, the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame.” The order targeted the Smithsonian network of museums as having “come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.” It also instructed the Interior Department to restore any statue or display that was “removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology.” This has been an active week when it comes to the dispute over how American history and culture are portrayed. On Monday, the National Park Service announced that the statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate brigadier general and a revered figure among Freemasons, would resume its previous position in Washington’s Judiciary Square, a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. It was the only outdoor statue of a Confederate military leader in the nation’s capital. And late last week, the Smithsonian Museum of American History announced that it would revert an exhibit on the presidency to the 2008 era, eliminating any mention of the two Trump impeachments. After that move sparked discussion about how history is portrayed by government-backed institutions, the Smithsonian said it had come under no pressure from the White House and had been planning all along to update that part of the exhibit, which it said was temporary, to 2025 specifications. View the full article

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二つの石碑が向かい合うように建つ平和祈念碑＝新潟市中央区雲雀町の水戸教公園で2025年7月26日午後7時1分、杉尾直哉撮影 写真一覧 　第二次世界大戦末期の1945年8月10日、新潟県新潟市で米軍の空襲があり、約50人が犠牲になった。被害が大きかった新潟港を見下ろす水戸教（みときょう）公園（新潟市中央区雲雀町）には、犠牲者を悼む平和祈念碑があり、毎年8月10日に市が主催する献花式が開かれてきた。戦後80年の今年も10日午前9時から献花式がある。 　水戸教公園の平和祈念碑は「恒久平和を願うシンボル」として1998年に市が建立した。高さ3・5メートルの石碑と、2・6メートルの石碑が向かい合うように建っている。 Advertisement 　新潟市のシティガイドとして市内の戦跡などを案内する渡辺博さん（82）は「親子をイメージした石碑で、8月10日にちょうど二つの石碑の間に夕日が沈む」という。 新潟市の戦災などに詳しい新潟シティガイドの渡辺博さん＝新潟市中央区のクロスパルにいがたで2025年7月18日午後3時12分、杉尾直哉撮影 写真一覧 　平和祈念碑が追悼するのは8月10日の空襲犠牲者だけでない。 　戦争末期、新潟港付近では銃爆撃や機雷投下があり、工場や民家だけでなく、連絡船「鉄工丸」や軍用船「宇品丸」、佐渡連絡船「おけさ丸」といった船舶も被害を受けた。 　こうした大戦で犠牲になった住民や新潟市出身の軍人や軍属、さらには強制連行や捕虜として新潟市に連れてこられ、死亡した外国人も含めて悼む施設が水戸教公園の平和祈念碑だ。 　渡辺さんは「外国人の捕虜も合わせて慰霊する碑は、敵味方一緒に慰霊する沖縄の平和の礎（いしじ）を除いて、全国でも珍しい」と語る。 戦後27年の1972年5月に新潟市の信濃川河口付近で米軍の機雷に触れて破壊され、座礁した海麟丸。同年8月10日に加藤功さん（現「クロスパルを楽しむ会」世話人）が撮影した＝加藤功さん提供 写真一覧 　新潟港を封鎖するため、米軍は45年5月14日以降12回にわたって大量の機雷を投下した。その傷痕は戦後も長く残った。72年5月、しゅんせつ船の海麟丸（かいりんまる）が信濃川への入り口付近で触雷し、2人が犠牲になった。 　渡辺さんは7月、市内で開かれた市民講座「新潟の戦跡を訪ねて」（クロスパルを楽しむ会主催）で講師を務め、こうした戦争被害について詳しく紹介してこう締めくくった。 　「戦後80年という節目の年です。新潟市を中心に皆さんの近くで起きたことを知ってもらい、戦争の記憶をたぐり寄せてほしい」【杉尾直哉】 View the full article

　TUBEのボーカル・前田亘輝（60）が6日、自身のSNSを更新。7月30日に死去した芸能事務所「ケイダッシュ」会長の川村龍夫さん（享年84）を追悼した。 　「18歳の頃　川村さんに出逢わなければ今の僕はなかったと思う…」と書き出すと、「否定をしない！褒めて伸ばす！エンタメ界では珍しいタイプのプロデューサーそしてマネージャーさんでした」と回想。 　「川村龍夫さん　有難う御座いました　そしてお疲れ様でした」と感謝を記すと、「僕も褒めて伸ばす！そんな人になれるよう頑張りたいと思います」と決意をつづった。 　前田は5日、東京・護国寺桂昌殿で営まれた通夜にも参列していた。 View the full article

By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. jury deadlocked on Wednesday on money laundering and sanctions evasion charges against the founder of Tornado Cash, a firm that makes cryptocurrency transactions harder to track. The jury in Manhattan federal court could not reach a verdict on charges Roman Storm conspired to launder the proceeds of hacks, including by a sanctioned North Korean government-backed group. But the jury found him guilty of the less serious charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. He faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine Failla at a later date. The money laundering and sanctions evasion conspiracy charges each carried possible 20-year sentences. Storm was arrested in 2023 on charges that the so-called mixer he founded helped hide more than $1 billion, including hundreds of millions of dollars for Pyongyang-backed hacking group Lazarus Group, which is blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury over its alleged financial support of North Korea. Storm, 36, had pleaded not guilty to all three felony charges he faced. Prosecutors told Failla they would inform her at a later date of whether they intend to re-try Storm on the money laundering and sanctions charges. In a statement after the verdict, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, "Criminals who use new technology to commit age old crimes, including hiding dirty money, undermine the public trust." Storm may ask Failla to toss the conviction for unlicensed money transmitting, or appeal the conviction after he is sentenced. "We are grateful the jury did not convict Roman for violating sanctions or laundering money," Brian Klein, a lawyer for Storm, said in a statement after the verdict. Klein said he expected Storm to be vindicated on the unlicensed money transmission count as well, which he said faced "serious legal issues." In his closing argument on July 30 after a two-week trial in Manhattan federal court, defense lawyer David Patton said even though Tornado Cash's privacy tools may have been useful to criminals, Storm's intent was not to help conceal illicit funds. "Roman very much did not want hackers and scammers to use Tornado Cash," Patton said. Prosecutor Benjamin Gianforti said Storm had been informed multiple times between 2020 and 2022 that Tornado Cash was helping criminals hide dirty money, but kept running the business out of greed. "The real money wasn't in protecting privacy for regular folks, it was in providing privacy for big-time crypto criminals," Gianforti said. Tornado Cash had itself been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury under then-President Joe Biden's Democratic administration over its alleged support of North Korea. The Treasury lifted those sanctions in March, two months into Republican President Donald Trump's administration, saying it had reviewed legal and policy issues raised by the sanctions within "evolving technology and legal environments." (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Stephen Coates) View the full article

The US State Department has voiced rare support for El Salvador’s decision to abolish presidential term limits, paving the way for President Nayib Bukele to seek indefinite reelection. Critics argue the controversial move undermines democratic stability. El Salvador’s legislature, controlled by Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party, approved the constitutional amendment swiftly in a vote late last week, sparking immediate backlash domestically and internationally. The amendment clears the way for presidents to serve multiple consecutive terms. Now, the US is publicly backing the Central American nation’s leadership. “El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly was democratically elected to advance the interests and policies of their constituents,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “Their decision to make constitutional changes is their own. It is up to them to decide how their country should be governed.” US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have previously praised Bukele’s effectiveness in reducing crime and have cited El Salvador as a model for regional security cooperation. Rubio and Bukele established a relationship long before he became Trump’s top diplomat. After Rubio visited El Salvador as a senator in 2023, he celebrated Bukele’s leadership and crackdown on criminal gangs, calling on him to make El Salvador’s democratic institutions strong to attract more foreign investment. When the Trump administration began deporting migrants from the United States to the notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador – many of them alleged Venezuelan gang members – Rubio served as a key point person. He traveled to El Salvador early on in his tenure as secretary of state and personally worked with Bukele and senior Salvadoran officials on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, court filings show. Rubio also engaged directly with Bukele to negotiate a complex prisoner swap - 250 Venezuelans deported from the US to El Salvador in exchange for 10 US nationals held in Venezuela. Venezuelan detainees are shown being sent home in a prison exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, according to El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, at El Salvador International Airport in San Luis Talpa, El Salvador, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on July 18, 2025. - El Salvador Government/Reuters/FileGlobal backlash highlights democratic concernsFollowing the legislature’s vote, Salvadoran opposition lawmaker, Marcela Villatoro, warned, “Democracy has died in El Salvador today,” emphasizing concerns about consolidated power and diminished political participation. Bukele took office in 2019 for a five-year term. In 2021, El Salvador’s Supreme Court – composed of judges appointed by Bukele’s party-controlled Congress – ruled that immediate reelection was permissible, despite being previously unconstitutional. At the time, the ruling drew sharp criticism from rights groups, opposition leaders and even the US embassy under the Biden administration, marking a stark contrast to the current US position. In August 2024, Bukele told Time Magazine he would not seek a third term in office. International reactions have been cautious, with the European Union stating it “takes note” of El Salvador’s constitutional reforms and emphasizing future cooperation will be guided by “democratic governance, transparency, respect for the rule of law and human rights,” according to the Europa Press. Juanita Goebertus, Americas director for Human Rights Watch, sharply criticized the move, posting: “Bukele’s party is pushing an express constitutional reform to allow indefinite presidential re-election. They are following the same path as Venezuela. It begins with a leader using his popularity to concentrate power and ends in dictatorship.” The US State Department spokesperson pushed back on that sentiment, stating: “We reject the comparison of El Salvador’s democratically based and constitutionally sound legislative process with illegitimate dictatorial regimes elsewhere in our region.” The US State Department’s position represents a significant shift from its historical stance, where it has typically criticized prolonged presidential terms across Latin America, raising concerns among observers about the long-term implications for democracy in the region. Supporters of Nayib Bukele watch a video feed as he delivers a State of the Union address at the National Palace in San Salvador, El Salvador, on June . - Camilo Freedman/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBukele unfazed, riding wave of domestic supportIn El Salvador, many citizens vocally support Bukele’s constitutional reforms, viewing them as essential for continued stability and security. Still, some observers question whether the immediate security gains might mask deeper risks to El Salvador’s democracy. Bukele defended the decision vigorously on social media, posting on X: “90% of developed countries allow the indefinite re-election of their head of government … and when a small, poor country like El Salvador tries to do the same, suddenly it’s the end of democracy.” Damian Merlo, an adviser to Bukele, further reinforced this position, telling CNN: “The constitutional change reflects the will of the Salvadoran people, who overwhelmingly support continuity in the country’s development and progress.” Merlo added, “Permitting reelection does not guarantee extended terms — President Bukele, and/or anyone running for President will still need to campaign, win votes, and earn the people’s trust all over again.” Despite widespread criticism from human rights groups and democracy advocates, Bukele maintains overwhelming popularity amongst Salvadorans, largely due to his aggressive crackdown on street gangs, reducing crime dramatically. CNN previously reported that Bukele’s tough security measures have resulted in historically low homicide rates – according to the Salvadoran government – helping to boost his approval ratings consistently above 90%. Bukele appears unbothered by the criticism. In a June speech marking the first year of his second term, he said he “didn’t care” about accusations of authoritarianism. “I’d rather be called a dictator than see Salvadorans murdered in the streets,” Bukele said to cheers. “When I check my phone, I’d rather read ‘dictator, dictator, dictator’ in the headlines than see ‘murder, murder, murder.’” Yet, critics like Amnesty International warn of serious risks to democratic foundations, a divide echoed on social media. Martina Navratilova, a former professional tennis player, posted on X: “And we are next,” echoing broader concerns about democratic erosion in the US. Trump has previously made headlines on the topic of term limits. In 2018, Trump notably praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s removal of term restrictions, stating: “He’s now president for life. … I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday,” though his comments were largely perceived as rhetorical and drew criticism at the time. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com View the full article

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a leader of a sprawling, pandemic-era food fraud plot in Minnesota to 28 years in prison. Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 36, must also pay nearly $48 million in restitution. He faces potentially more years in prison at a later sentencing hearing after previously pleading guilty in a juror bribery case involving a bag of $120,000 in cash. Farah is one of dozens of people charged in the Feeding Our Future case in which prosecutors alleged a scheme to steal $300 million from a federally funded program meant to feed children during the coronavirus pandemic. Farah and several co-defendants went to trial last year where he was convicted of 23 of 24 counts against him. Those offenses include multiple counts of federal programs bribery, wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said Farah exploited the program by opening fraudulent sites where he claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day. Farah and his associates falsified meal counts and invoices, including fake children's names, prosecutors said. He directed the stolen money to others and perpetuated the fraud through a “pay-to-play” system," prosecutors said. He and his associates stole more than $47 million in program money, and Farah took more than $8 million over a year and a half period, according to prosecutors. He used that money to buy five luxury vehicles and real estate, including property in Kenya, prosecutors said. That overseas property and money prosecutors say Farah laundered via China are out of reach of U.S. law enforcement. In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said Farah “has done untold damage to this state" by “robbing us blind” after finding opportunity in Minnesota. The Associated Press left a phone message with and sent an email to an attorney for Farah for comment. Seventy-three people have been charged in connection with the Feeding Our Future case; 51 have been found guilty. View the full article

The MLB trade deadline is behind us. That means free agency is one month closer. Here’s the latest update on our 2025-26 free-agent rankings. Notes: Whenever you see a number, a slash and another number, that’s a reference to contract years and total earnings. For instance, the shorthand for Bryce Harper’s 11-year, $330 million deal would be “11/330.” Ages listed below are for the 2026 season. Previous free-agent rankings: April | May | June [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] 1. Kyle Tucker, Cubs OF, age 29 (June rank: 1)Tucker has hit just one home run since July 1 amidst what has been an extended cold stretch for the class’ top player. It’s a much bigger deal for the Cubs, who now trail the Brewers by 3.5 games in the NL Central, than it is for Tucker’s wallet. Given his track record and age, he’s still a lock to eclipse the $300 million mark in free agency. But a deal in the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. range (14/500) is starting to feel more and more out of reach. 2. Alex Bregman (opt-out), Red Sox 3B, age 32 (2)Bregman missed a month and a half due to a hamstring issue but has looked like himself since returning in early July. He rarely chases or whiffs, and he elevates the ball often enough to the pull side to make the most of his good, not great, raw juice. One big thing to monitor with Bregman is the health of his lower half. That hamstring injury was not his first lower-body injury, and there’s no doubt that Bregman’s mobility has declined in recent years. His sprint speed, for instance, is at a career-low 20th percentile. That matters only as much as it impacts his defense at the hot corner, which remains stellar. 3. Kyle Schwarber, Phillies DH, age 33 (6) 4. Pete Alonso (opt-out), Mets 1B, age 31 (3)Schwarber vs. Alonso will spark a fascinating debate this winter. There’s a legitimate argument to put either above the other. Alonso — who recently cranked his 251st career home run, putting him one behind the Mets’ franchise record — is two years younger than Schwarber and plays a defensive position. But Schwarber is (1) a left-handed hitter, (2) producing a tier above Alonso offensively and (3) considered one of the few elite clubhouse presences in the game. I’m leaning toward Schwarber for now because he might hit 60 home runs. Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette and Framber Valdez are among the players delivering strong seasons ahead of reaching free agency this winter. (Stefan Milic/Yahoo Sports)5. Framber Valdez, Astros SP, age 32 (4) 6. Dylan Cease, Padres SP, age 30 (5)Only three pitchers have a chance to reach 175 innings this season for the fourth straight year: these two dudes and Logan Webb. As Gerrit Cole’s and Aaron Nola’s injuries have reminded us this year, past durability does not guarantee future durability. With that said, teams value arms such as Valdez and Cease quite highly. Valdez’s 3.02 ERA across this four-year stretch makes him flat-out one of the best arms in the league. Cease’s surface-level numbers this year are ugly, but the combo of strikeout stuff and availability will earn him a nice deal. 7. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays SS, age 28 (8) 8. Cody Bellinger (opt-out), Yankees OF, age 30 (10)Neither Bellinger nor Bichette made the All-Star team, but both are having All-Star-type seasons as they approach free agency. Bichette has completely bounced back from a down 2025. He has the second-highest expected batting average in baseball and has recovered enough over-the-fence juice to pop 15 home runs so far. Bellinger has an alluring $25 million team option for next year, but based on his 2025 performance, it’s looking likely that he’ll test the open market. There aren’t many players with his combination of contact skills and center-field defense. 9. Trent Grisham, Yankees OF, age 29 (16)I’m fully buying into Grisham’s 2025. The list of every-day center fielders with this combo of pop (on pace for more than 25 homers) and patience (his 13.7% walk rate is 12th in baseball) is extremely rare. Grisham has always had raw juice and a good eye, but he has meaningfully improved his contact quality this year. Players like this, hitting the market this young, get paid. 10. Munetaka Murakami, Yakult Swallows 3B, age 26 (17)The highly touted Japanese slugger was sidelined for the first four months of this season due to an oblique issue but returned, fully healthy, on July 29. And now Murakami looks like a man on a mission. He has already homered three times in 29 plate appearances, including an opposite-field moon shot in his first NPB at-bat back off the shelf. If Murakami can go on a tear over the next two months, he’ll put himself in position for a nice MLB pay day. 11. Gleyber Torres, Tigers 2B, age 29 (9) 12. Luis Arraez, Padres 1B, age 29 (12) 13. Josh Naylor, Mariners 1B, age 29 (11)You could rank this 29-year-old trio in any order, but I gave the edge to Torres, for now, based on his defensive position. He’s a poor second baseman, but that’s still more enticing than a poor first baseman, which is what Arraez and Naylor are. Gleyber has cooled off a bit since leading off for the AL in the All-Star Game (!!!), but the underlying metrics remain strong. Arraez slots in ahead of Naylor because I think Arraez’s high-contact schtick is going to age a bit better than Naylor’s. One fun thing about Naylor, though: He has 19 steals, a mighty impressive accomplishment for a dude with third-percentile sprint speed. 14. Eugenio Suárez, Mariners 3B, age 34 (18)In the lead-up to deadline day, Suárez was getting a lot of buzz as the sexiest rental bat. But as Seattle’s good-not-great trade package proved, teams don’t think the slugging third baseman is an elite player. His 37 home runs remain tied with Aaron Judge for fourth in MLB, but Suárez is a supremely streaky hitter. I think that dynamic, his age and his subpar defense at the hot corner will limit his market this winter. 15. Michael King (2026 mutual option), Padres SP, age 31 (7)King hasn’t pitched since May 18, sidelined due to a nerve issue in his right shoulder. He recently made his first rehab start and is expected back with the big-league club at some point in the next few weeks. If King reappears with the goods, he’ll fly back up this list. He was one of baseball’s best starters before he got hurt and will garner a ton of interest as a free agent because of his age, his relative newness as a starter and his 86th-percentile strikeout rate. 16. Ranger Suárez, Phillies SP, age 30 (21)Suárez had a nine-start run from mid-May to early July in which he allowed just seven earned runs across 59 1/3 innings. He has looked a bit more human over his past few outings but remains one of the better second-tier arms set to hit the open market. Because he doesn’t have big stuff — his sinker averages 90.2 mph — and relies on a kitchen-sink approach, there has always been an air of skepticism around Suárez. But at this point, I think he has performed well enough for long enough to be considered a legitimate mid-rotation starter on a good team, which is, essentially, what he has been for the Phillies over the past handful of seasons. 17. Brandon Woodruff (2026 mutual option), Brewers SP, age 33 (33) 18. Lucas Giolito (vesting team option), Red Sox SP, age 31 (47)Here we have a pair of former All-Star hurlers who started the season on the shelf but have either returned or rounded into form recently. Before last month, Woodruff hadn’t appeared in the bigs since September 2023 as he battled through a significant shoulder issue. But in a five-start sample since then, the burly Mississippian has carved, despite a fastball that hasn’t completely bounced back to pre-injury levels. Giolito got off the IL in late April and needed a month to shake off the rust. Across his past 10 starts, the thick-bearded vet has a 2.03 ERA, the seventh-lowest mark in MLB over that span. 19. Shane Bieber (opt-out), Blue Jays SP, age 32 (NR)The 2020 AL Cy Young winner has yet to appear in a big-league game this year as he works his way back from reconstructive elbow surgery. That didn’t stop Toronto from acquiring him at the deadline in hopes that Bieber can contribute to the division-leading Jays down the stretch. He has made four minor-league rehab starts over the past few weeks and will make a fifth this weekend. Given the lengthy layoff, Bieber is a total mystery box. But if he makes seven starts for the Jays and looks like Shane Bieber, he’ll opt out and get paid. Worse pitchers have made money off less. 20. J.T. Realmuto, Phillies C, age 35 (23)A strong July pushed Realmuto’s full-season numbers toward league average. That served as a valuable reminder that though Realmuto isn’t what he once was — one of the best backstops in baseball — he’s still a valuable player. That’s particularly true in a market devoid of catchers. Ultimately, I think Realmuto ends up back in Philly, where his game-calling acumen and leadership qualities are most appreciated. 21. Ryan Helsley, Mets RP, age 31 (19)Helsley, dealt from St. Louis to Queens at the deadline, is the only top-shelf impending free-agent reliever who has improved his performance over the course of the season. He’s on a heater right now, with just one earned run allowed in his past 13 appearances. Most importantly, Helsley’s fastball has continued to tick up each month and is sitting triple digits since the beginning of July. Relievers, they are volatile, capricious things, but for now, Helsley looks like the best of this bunch. 22. Cedric Mullins, Mets CF, age 31 (22)Mullins is ranked well below Grisham despite a superior track record for a number of reasons. The former Oriole is two years older and has much been more dependent on his legs (both on the bases and in the outfield) to create value. All of Mullins’ peripheral numbers have been ticking down for years now, making it unlikely that a team will invest big dollars in him on a lengthy deal. That said, Mullins is still a nice piece, as evidenced by the Mets’ move to acquire him at the deadline. 23. Jack Flaherty (opt-out), Tigers SP, age 29 (28)After a bounce-back 2024, Flaherty’s walk rate has nearly doubled this year. Even so, he has been quite good since July 1, with a 3.16 ERA across his past six starts. Flaherty has a $20 million option with Detroit for next year, but I think he’ll opt out and try to get a longer-term deal. He had difficulty securing that type of contract last winter, but given his age and another year of decent performance, I think he’ll find something more alluring this go-round. 24. Zac Gallen, D-backs SP, age 30 (26)Somewhat surprisingly, Gallen wasn’t dealt at the deadline as part of the D-backs’ expiring contract garage sale. Why? Well, Arizona’s former ace has the second-highest ERA among qualified starters this season. That appears to have made him too much of a question mark for teams in the playoff hunt. Over the past month, Gallen’s peripheral numbers have been better, and there’s a chance Arizona extends him a qualifying offer to try to recoup a draft pick if he departs in free agency. At this point, Gallen is a project, but one that many teams would be eager to undertake. 25. Ramón Laureano, Padres OF, age 31 (43)Heck yeah, brother. I know this seems a bit heavy for Laureano, a dude who was non-tendered by the Braves last winter, but he’s a 31-year-old outfielder with a .900 OPS and the underlying metrics to back it up. And it’s not a platoon thing, either; the right-handed Laureano, who has traditionally crushed southpaws, is hitting better against righties than lefties this season. He still has a howitzer in right field and a fiery edge that some teams value. He’s going to end up with a bigger deal than people suspect. The next 25Devin Williams, Yankees RP, age 31 (20) Luke Weaver, Yankees RP, age 32 (27) Robert Suárez, Padres RP, age 35 (24) Merrill Kelly, D-backs SP, age 37 (NR) Tyler Mahle, Rangers SP, age 31 (14) Chris Bassitt, Blue Jays SP, age 37 (15) Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles 1B/DH, age 32 (31) Willi Castro, Twins UTIL, age 29 (34) Harrison Bader, Twins OF, age 32 (44) Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox RP, age 38 (38) Germán Marquez, Rockies SP, age 31 (30) Jose Quintana, Brewers SP, age 37 (37) Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers SP, age 38 (NR) Mike Yastrzemski, Giants OF, age 35 (35) Rhys Hoskins, Brewers 1B, age 33 (40) Marcell Ozuna, Braves DH, age 35 (14) Paul Goldschmidt, Yankees 1B, age 38 (41) Dustin May, Dodgers SP, age 28 (32) Zach Eflin, Orioles SP, age 31 (29) Zack Littell, Rays SP, age 30 (49) Aaron Civale, Brewers SP, age 31 (NR) Walker Buehler, Red Sox SP, age 31 (47) Griffin Canning, Mets SP, age 30 (20) Jorge Polanco, Mariners IF, age 32 (NR) Austin Hays, Reds OF, age 30 (50) View the full article

現年71歲的國際功夫巨星成龍在影壇地位舉足輕重。其兒子房祖名跟隨爸爸步伐加入娛圈圈，原是一片大好前途，可是自從2014年與台灣男星柯震東涉入毒品事件，被內地封殺多年，近年行蹤轉趨低調，甚少幕前演出。身為父親成龍雖然不免激心，但對兒子依然照顧有加，日前成龍帶房祖名現身瑞士，兩父子罕有同框！ 房祖名為成龍跟林鳳嬌的兒子。（VCG）成龍愛錫房祖名。（視覺中國）房祖名為成龍跟林鳳嬌的兒子。（VCG）成龍早前獲盧卡諾影展（Locarno Film Festival）頒發終身成就獎，他遠赴瑞士領獎。近日有網民於社交網分享在日內瓦湖見到成龍與房祖名一齊行。相中成龍全身白衫，眼鏡戴到落鼻，打扮相當有性格。而網民指穿成身黑色的是房祖名，房祖名緊跟成龍，形影不離，果然養兒一百歲，長憂九十九。 美籍香港笑匠Jimmy O.Yang在社交媒體分享與成龍的合照。（Jimmy O.Yang IG圖片）成龍近年老了不少。(小紅書)身為巨星的成龍即使少有現身香港，依然新聞不斷。去年有台灣雜誌報道指，房祖名與曾傳秘婚、小11歲的「昔日天王嫂」、內地女歌手葉子棋穩定交往多年，不僅在台北擁有豪宅，報道指房祖名還在上海豪擲500多萬人民幣房宅給葉子淇，出手闊綽！今年流出一段成龍滿頭白髮攬細路女的影片，面容慈愛，一度傳出成龍已秘密抱孫！不過這僅僅是傳聞，未得成龍證實。 成龍還有一女吳卓林。成龍於1999年與吳綺莉婚外情生下「小龍女」吳卓林，吳綺莉多年來獨自撫養吳卓林，可是兩母女不時鬧僵。長大後吳卓林與同性外籍女友Andi移居加拿大生活，除了拒絕與吳綺莉見面，更被發現於垃圾站拾荒及排隊領免費食物。當時吳綺莉曾向卓林作出經濟支援，惟母女關係未有因此好轉，卓林亦堅拒農曆新年回家過年與媽媽團聚。 成龍與房祖名現身瑞士。（小紅書）成龍與房祖名現身瑞士。（小紅書）成龍1982年與林鳳嬌結婚，誕下房祖名，卻依然屢屢與女星傳出緋聞。而他在1999年開記者會坦承與吳綺莉出軌，卻只以一句「我犯了全天下男人都會犯的錯」搪塞過去。（VCG）1990年亞姐冠軍是吳綺莉、亞軍是施綺蓮，季軍是楊玉梅，而第四、五名分別是陳黛娜和孫名翠。（影片截圖）吳綺莉當年真係不得了。（視覺中國）吳綺莉當年真係不得了。（視覺中國）吳綺莉與女兒卓林。(吳綺莉微博)吳綺莉近年為了吳卓林經常報警。(ig圖片)吳卓林同Andi已在加拿大註冊結婚。（吳卓林IG圖片） View the full article

President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over a Jeffrey Epstein-related story seemed like a long shot from the moment it was filed last month. But the suit quickly raised an interesting prospect when Trump’s lawyers moved to speedily depose Rupert Murdoch, whose company publishes the Journal. Yet, a joint stipulation from the parties this week shows that it won’t be happening immediately. Among the reasons the president’s lawyers had cited in seeking the quick deposition was the 94-year-old civil defendant’s health. “Murdoch recently turned 94 years old and has suffered, but thankfully overcome, multiple health issues throughout his life. Moreover, upon information and belief, Murdoch resides in New York, New York, which is well over 100 miles from this District,” they wrote in the motion, referring to the federal court district in Florida in which they filed the complaint. “Thus, it is presumable, both because of his age and health and/or his distance from this Court, that Murdoch will be unavailable for trial,” Trump’s lawyers added. Trump filed the suit against Dow Jones & Company Inc., which publishes the Journal; News Corp., which owns Dow Jones; Murdoch, director and majority owner of News Corp.; News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson; and the reporters on the story in question, Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo. That story, published last month, described what the paper called a “bawdy” letter bearing Trump’s name that was part of a collection of letters given to Epstein by friends of the now-deceased financier for his 50th birthday in 2003 (before his first arrest in 2006). Epstein died in 2019 while being held on sex trafficking charges, in what the medical examiner ruled a suicide. The civil case proceeds against the backdrop of rare political backlash from Trump supporters, over his administration’s refusal to release all Epstein-related information as promised, as speculation mounts over what sort of deal, if any, his administration might strike with convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Getting back to the joint stipulation that avoids a quick Murdoch deposition, it says he will give Trump “a sworn declaration describing his current health condition,” as well as regular updates regarding his health, “including a mechanism for him to alert the Plaintiff if there is a material change in his health.” So even if Trump’s lawsuit is ultimately unsuccessful in securing the billions of dollars he’s after, as appears likely from the face of the complaint and the known facts to date, the case now serves, if nothing else, as an unlikely forum for the media mogul to update the president about his health. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration’s legal cases. This article was originally published on MSNBC.com View the full article

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ordered elected leaders in Georgia's Fulton County to appoint two Republican nominees they had rejected to the county's election board. The county Republican Party sued in June seeking to force the Board of Commissioners to appoint the party's nominees to the county Board of Registration and Elections, arguing that the commissioners were required to do so by law. In a ruling entered Monday, Senior Judge David Emerson agreed that the law doesn't give Board of Commissioners the discretion to veto qualified nominees proposed by political parties. The election board in the heavily Democratic county, which includes most of the city of Atlanta, is made up of five people. The Board of Commissioners chooses the chair, and the county Republican and Democratic parties each nominate two people to be appointed by the commissioners. Nominees must live in Fulton County, be registered to vote and cannot be public office holders. Don Samuel, a lawyer representing the Board of Commissioners, said they are “disappointed in the court’s decision and are evaluating whether to appeal.” Although the board is required to appoint two people nominated by each party, he said in an email, it is not required to appoint whoever is nominated “regardless of how qualified or unqualified the nominee may be.” He added, "The BOC does not simply rubber-stamp any nominee.” Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., part of the Democratic majority on the board, said the judge's ruling strips commissioners of their discretion, “treating us more like record-keepers than decision-makers.” But being a county commissioner is “inherently discretionary," he said in an emailed statement, adding that commissioners “are elected to exercise judgment on behalf of our constituents.” Commissioner Bridget Thorne, a Republican, celebrated the ruling as a victory in an Instagram post. The Board of Commissioners had voted in May to reject Republican Party nominees Julie Adams and Jason Frazier. Democratic members of the Board of Commissioners raised concerns about their qualifications given their past actions. Adams, a sitting election board member, had abstained from certifying primary election results last year and unsuccessfully sued the board seeking a ruling saying county officials can refuse to certify elections. Frazier has formally challenged the eligibility of thousands of Fulton County voters and was previously denied a spot on the county election board. In his ruling, Emerson said, “The Board shall appoint the two members as nominated by the county executive committee chairperson. Those nominees are Jason Frazier and Julie Adams.” He wrote that the law outlines the process by which members of the election board “shall” be appointed and that he did not find anything in the law “to support a conclusion that ‘shall’ in the appointment clause is directory only.” Elections in Fulton County had a yearslong history of problems, including long lines to vote and delays in reporting results. A particularly troubled primary in 2020 resulted in the appointment of an independent monitor to observe the general election that year as part of a consent agreement between the county and the State Election Board. The monitor said the county’s elections were badly managed but he found no evidence of fraud. Another monitoring team appointed to observe last year’s general election said it was “organized and orderly.” President Donald Trump and his supporters zeroed in on Fulton County in the wake of the 2020 general election, claiming without proof that election fraud had cost him victory in Georgia. Local, state and federal officials have repeatedly said there’s no evidence that fraud affected the outcome of that election, but conspiracy theories continued to circulate. View the full article

The Trump administration is planning to quickly ask the Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. Justice Department attorneys informed a federal judge in Seattle of the plans on Wednesday as part of a court-ordered update on where things stand in a challenge to Trump’s Day One order. Late last month, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the judge’s ruling that blocked implementation of the order nationwide. “In light of the Ninth Circuit’s decision, Defendants represent that the Solicitor General plans to seek certiorari expeditiously to enable the Supreme Court to settle the lawfulness of the Citizenship Order next Term, but he has not yet determined which case or combination of cases to take to the Court,” the attorneys told US District Judge John Coughenour. The appeal would force the Supreme Court to confront the issue it avoided in its major ruling in the case earlier this summer: Whether Trump’s underlying effort to end birthright citizenship is permitted under the 14th Amendment. If the court agrees to debate that question it would immediately become one of the highest-profile cases of the decade and a ruling could be possible by mid-2026. Administration officials have acknowledged that the high court would eventually need to look at Trump’s order, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying in June that she’s “very confident” the court would eventually rule in its favor on the merits of the policy. Challenges pending nationwideWhile several other lower courts have blocked Trump’s executive order, the 9th Circuit’s ruling on July 23 represented the first time that an appeals court has fully concluded that the policy is unconstitutional. That type of ruling is typically the last stop for a case before the losing side decides whether to ask the nation’s highest court to review the matter. The 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals appears poised to issue a similar decision in coming weeks after hearing arguments last Friday in a series of cases in which lower courts in New Hampshire and Massachusetts said Trump’s order violated the Constitution, decades-old Supreme Court precedent and federal law. The filing to Coughenour appeared to suggest that Solicitor General D. John Sauer may be waiting until that court rules before making a decision on what to do with the Seattle case. Separately, a federal judge in New Hampshire last month blocked Trump’s order via a class action lawsuit that was brought after the Supreme Court limited the use of nationwide injunctions in June. Such lawsuits are one of the ways the justices suggested challengers could try to jam up enforcement of the policy for those who would be impacted by it. The Justice Department has not appealed that ruling, though one of its attorneys told the 1st Circuit last week that he was confident the government will be appealing it. It’s possible that some of these appeals could first land on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket, with the government asking the justices to put the rulings on hold while the cases get resolved. CNN’s John Fritze contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com View the full article

JD Vance’s team had the army corps of engineers in Louisville, Ohio, take the unusual step of changing the outflow of a lake to accommodate a recent boating excursion on a family holiday, the Guardian has learned. The request from the US Secret Service was made to “support safe navigation” of the US vice-president’s security detail for an August outing on the Little Miami River, according to a statement by the US army corps of engineers (USACE). Vance was spotted in the south-western Ohio area on 2 August, his 41st birthday, according to social media posts that noted the vice-president was seen canoeing on the river, a tributary that Caesar Creek Lake feeds into. One source with knowledge of the matter who communicated with the Guardian anonymously alleged that the outflow request for the Caesar Creek Lake was not just to support the vice-president’s Secret Service detail, but also to create “ideal kayaking conditions”. The Guardian could not independently confirm this specific claim. The news raises questions about whether Vance’s office was potentially exploiting public infrastructure resources for his personal recreation at a time when the Trump administration has cut billions of dollars in foreign aid, scientific research and government jobs as part of its “efficiency” drive. The vice-president’s office did not respond to a request for comment. The Guardian first approached the USACE in Louisville for a comment about the change on Tuesday. Publicly available data on the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows a sudden increase in the river level and corresponding drop in lake elevation during the early August days when Vance was vacationing. The request was forwarded to the USACE headquarters. In a statement emailed to the Guardian on Wednesday, spokesperson Gene Pawlik said the USACE Louisville had received “a request to temporarily increase outflows from Caesar Creek Lake to support safe navigation of US Secret Service personnel”. In a statement, the Secret Service said it had closely coordinated with the Ohio department of natural resources and USACE to conduct planning to ensure motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely during a recent visit. It said it could not discuss specifics of its operational planning. It is not unprecedented for the USACE to modify outflows to accommodate public use – for example for use in community river events and training for emergency responders. In one instance, Caesar Creek Lake’s USACE, Louisville district Facebook page announced a “special release” as requested by the Ohio department of natural resources last year on 22 August but later publicly announced that the special release had been cancelled. No such public announcement was made before 1 August. According to the Guardian’s anonymous source with knowledge of the matter, “special releases” are generally not done for individuals or by individual request. The Guardian also sought information about whether the request was appropriately documented. USACE regulations regarding requests for so-called “deviations” – or any changes to normal practices – require approval and documentation that demonstrates why the deviation is justified. This process also ensures that risks associated with any deviation – including a flood risk or other environmental impact – is detailed. Pawlik said the Secret Service request “met the operational criteria outlined in the Water Control Manual for Caesar Creek Lake and did not require a deviation from normal procedures”. He added: “It was determined that the operations would not adversely affect downstream or upstream water levels. Downstream stakeholders were notified in advance of the slight outflow increase, which occurred August 1, 2025.” While there is no allegation that Vance’s office did anything illegal, the ethics lawyer Richard Painter, who served in the George W Bush administration, said it seemed hypocritical and “pretty outrageous” for Vance to be receiving these particular accommodations for his family holiday when the administration’s cuts have led to drastic cuts in the National Park Service (NPS). The National Parks Conservation Association has estimated that the NPS has lost about a quarter of its staff since January, which in turn has led to sections of some parks to be closed and hours to be changed due to staffing issues. “Those cuts are directly impacting middle class families’ vacations,” he said. “Whether they are doing it for the Secret Service or for him I think is splitting hairs. What he ought to be doing is choosing another place.” Norm Eisen, a former White House special counsel for ethics and government reform, said: “When I was President Obama’s ethics czar in the White House I got a lot of unusual requests but I never got one to increase the outflow of a waterway as part of a government official going kayaking. “My nickname was ‘Mr No’ and I certainly would have lived up to it in this situation. I never would have permitted this kind of a thing because whether it technically violates the rules or not, it creates the appearance that the vice-president of the United States is getting special treatment that’s not available to the average person who wants to utilise that body of water for recreational purposes. “While there may well be security related explanations or justifications that come into the analysis, my reaction is: I don’t care. We shouldn’t be utilising government resources in this way. I never would have allowed it.” Additional reporting by Kira Lerner Do you have a tip related to this story? You can contact the Guardian via Signal on +1 646 886 8761 View the full article

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a central Florida Republican, has been accused by a beauty pageant titleholder of threatening to release intimate videos and private images of her after she ended their romantic relationship, according to a report filed with law enforcement last month. Mills on Wednesday denied the allegations, which were first made by the woman in a July 14 report filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office in north Florida. “These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions,” Mills said in a statement. “I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Florida’s 7th District.” The sheriff's office forwarded the information to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which is now handling the case, Sgt. Steven Khachigan, a spokesman for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, said in an email. No charges have been filed. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Wednesday that it doesn't comment on any active inquiries or investigations. In his statement, Mills said the allegations were being pushed by a former political opponent, Lake County commissioner Anthony Sabatini, who ran against him in a 2022 GOP primary for the House seat. “Anthony Sabatini is weaponizing the legal system to launch a political attack against the man who beat him in the primary, using his corporate legal office to push a narrative built on lies and flawed legal arguments — all to score political headlines,” Mills said. Mills said he wouldn't comment further. “My team and I will fully cooperate to ensure the truth is made clear. I remain focused on serving my constituents and advancing America First policies,” Mills said in the statement. Sabatini didn't respond to an emailed inquiry, but posted on social media on Wednesday: “Mills must resign.” The 25-year-old woman told sheriff's office investigators that she started a romantic relationship with Mills in 2021, and it ended in February. During their time together, she lived with him at a home in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, while the congressman traveled back and forth from Washington. At the time they met, Mills was still married but had separated from his wife, and he told her that the divorce was finalized in 2024, she said. The woman said she moved out of the New Smyrna Beach home earlier this year and moved to Columbia County following news reports about allegations against Mills from another woman described as his girlfriend in Washington. After she left, the congressman contacted her numerous times, threatening to release nude images of her and videos of her and Mills engaging in sex acts, she said in the sheriff's office report. The congressman also threatened to harm any men that the woman planned to date in the future, she said. Mills was first elected to Congress in 2022, and his district stretches from the Orlando area to the Daytona Beach area. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social View the full article

Gaza’s already battered healthcare system is in a state of collapse as blood banks run dry and Israeli forces continue targeting clinics and facilities housing patients and displaced families while maintaining an aid blockade. Healthcare officials in the besieged enclave reported on Wednesday that there is a severe shortage of blood as many would-be donors are too malnourished due to a severe Israeli-induced hunger crisis that has so far claimed the lives of 193 Palestinians, including five in the past 24 hours. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said blood donations are desperately needed across the remaining operational medical facilities in Gaza – al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Aqsa Hospital, and Nasser Hospital. “We’ve seen at the blood banks many people who were begging doctors to allow them to give blood donations to save their loved ones, but they had to be turned away because they were not fit to donate blood due to the enforced dehydration and starvation,” Mahmoud said. Amani Abu Ouda, head of the blood bank at al-Shifa Hospital, said most would-be donors who arrive are malnourished, which affects the safety and quality of blood donations. As a result, she said, “when they donate blood they could lose consciousness within seconds, which not only endangers their health but also leads to the loss of a precious blood unit.” More than 14,800 patients in Gaza are still in urgent need of specialised medical treatment, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, calling on the international community to act swiftly. “We urge more countries to step forward to accept patients and for medical evacuations to be expedited through all possible routes,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement posted on X on Wednesday. Israeli attacks have continued to pound Gaza, killing at least 38 people on Wednesday. An overnight attack in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood injured dozens of people. The attack targeted the Sheikh Radwan Health Centre, previously run by the UN refugee agency for Palestinians. “Last night, while we were having dinner, we suddenly heard people shouting, calling for evacuation. There was no time to take anything no food, no clothes, no bedding. We just ran,” Ghaleb Tafesh, a displaced Palestinian resident, told Al Jazeera. Among those killed Wednesday were 10 hungry aid seekers, who were shot dead as they approached UN aid trucks and aid distribution sites operated by the United States and Israeli-backed GHF. So far, more than 1,560 Palestinians seeking aid have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to receive food since GHF began operating in late May. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is “an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law”. Israel’s air and ground assault has also destroyed nearly all of Gaza’s food production capabilities, leaving its people reliant on aid. A new report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN satellite centre found that just 8.6 percent of Gaza’s cropland is still accessible following sweeping Israeli forced evacuation orders in recent months. Just 1.5 percent is accessible and undamaged, it said. Israel blockade extends to medical supplies and fuelHamas, meanwhile, called for protests across the world against the starvation in Gaza. “We call for continuing and escalating the popular pressure in the cities, capitals and squares on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and all the upcoming days with marches, protests and demonstrations in front of the Zionist and US embassies,” Hamas said in a statement. Israel’s blockade extends to medical supplies and much-needed fuel – shortages that have forced several medical facilities to shut down in recent months. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warned that Israel’s continued blockade on the entry of fuel into Gaza is affecting “lifesaving” operations. “In the past two days, the UN collected some 300,000 litres from the Karem Abu Salem [Kerem Shalom] crossing,” Haq told reporters. “This is far less than what is needed to sustain operations,” he said. “For example, our partners working in health warned today that the lives of more than 100 premature babies are in imminent danger due to the lack of fuel.” Haq also said that, since March, more than 100 health workers, including surgeons and specialised staff, had been denied entry into the Strip. Fears mount over possible plans for expanded military offensive in GazaThe latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action – and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel’s ongoing offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some 2 million Palestinians into famine. The UN has called reports about a possible expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza “deeply alarming” if true. Despite international pressure for a ceasefire, efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas have collapsed. An expansion of the military offensive in heavily populated areas would likely be devastating. “Where will we go?” said Tamer al-Burai, a displaced Palestinian living at the edge of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. “Should people jump into the sea if the tanks rolled in, or wait to die under the rubble of their houses? We want an end to this war; it is enough, enough.” More than 61,158 Palestinians, including at least 18,430 children, have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Forty-nine captives, including 27 who are believed to be dead, are still being held by Hamas, according to Israeli authorities. View the full article

Physical confrontations have taken place outside Israel’s Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv between security forces and family members of captives held in Gaza during a rally calling for their release, as the Israeli government appears on the verge of escalating its genocidal war to full occupation of the besieged enclave. Protesters surrounding the Kirya, Israel’s central military headquarters, demanded on Wednesday that the Israeli government not go ahead with its plan, as they were pushed back by police. “Time is running out – our loved ones can’t wait any longer,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “We either bring them home now, or we lose them for good. There are moments in history when we must stand up and do what’s right – this is that moment.” The families of Israeli captives have intensified their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent months amid large protests across the country, as the expanded military ground offensive and deadly bombardment in the Palestinian territory continue to put the release of their loved ones at risk. Protesters, including the father of captive Guy Illouz, tried to force their way into the entrance of military headquarters as seen in this video verified by Al Jazeera. Translation: Police violently attack protesters outside the Kirya gates demonstrating for the release of the hostages. An estimated 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, and more than 200 were taken captive. Some 50 captives remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to still be alive. In Israel’s ensuing war on Gaza, at least 61,158 Palestinians have been killed and 151,442 wounded. The families also addressed a message directly to Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Wednesday: “You know this war has run its course, and the only path to real victory is a single deal that brings everyone home.” The local police chief requested that family members of captives speak to him, saying, “We understand your frustration.” He acknowledged they could protest, but asked that they leave the police alone. Protesters were attempting to enter the headquarters, demanding that military action not be taken in areas where the captives are suspected to be located in Gaza. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Wednesday that Itzik Horn, the father of Israeli captive Eitan Horn, said the families of the captives being held in Gaza were against the expansion of the war on Gaza. He reportedly questioned Netanyahu’s motives, as Israel’s defence establishment said an expansion would endanger the lives of the captives. “I expect the prime minister to speak to the public, to explain the implications of this idea to the country and the price we’ll pay,” Itzik Horn said, according to Haaretz. “We are the people. I want the prime minister to explain why he wants to kill my son.” Meanwhile, there were minor clashes at the anti-war demonstration organised by Standing Together, the largest Arab-Israeli grassroots movement in Israel, in the Gaza Envelope, situated 7km (4.3 miles) from the Gaza border. A protester was arrested and flour was scattered on the police from the display brought by the protesters. An earlier video recorded from the Yad Mordechai Junction, a kibbutz in southern Israel, showed Standing Together activists gathering to march to the Gaza border. View the full article

A blinding light like thousands of strobe lights—that's how Toshiko Tanaka described the morning, 80 years ago today, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On Aug. 6, 1945, the Enola Gay B-29 Superfortress bomber delivered its payload, dubbed Little Boy, onto the unsuspecting civilians of Hiroshima. Three days later, a second bomb— Fat Boy — fell on Nagasaki. The bombing led to the Japanese official surrender in World War II on Sept. 2, 1945. By the end of 1945, about 210,000 people, mostly Japanese civilians and forced Korean laborers, had died. Some perished instantly in the blasts, others died later on from radiation poisoning. Pregnant women lost children in the aftermath, and thousands more civilians would fall victim to cancers and other side effects over the following decades. Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain the only two cities ever to be targeted by nuclear weapons. Tanaka, who was just 6 years old when the bomb fell, told CBS News in 2020 that both remain scarred by the horrors unleashed by President Harry S. Truman and the scientists of the Manhattan Project in the early hours of that quiet August morning. Bombing of Hiroshima Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall / Credit: U.S. Army/Hiroshima Peace Memorial MuseumHiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall in 1945. / Credit: U.S. Army/Hiroshima Peace Memorial MuseumIn the wake of Little Boy's devastation, a stone building, five stories tall with blown-out windows and a crumbling roof, remained standing, despite its proximity to the bomb's hypocenter and the vaporization of everyone inside. Then known as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, the building was gutted by the blast, but its ashen steel dome, which shouldered the brunt of the overhead explosion, endured as a symbol of the city's resilience. Today, the structure is a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Hiroshima before and after in 1945 as surveyed by U.S. military reconnaissance / Credit: Museum of World War IIThe atomic detonation, and ensuing firestorm, destroyed or heavily damaged 60,000 buildings in Hiroshima—two-thirds of the city's total structures. This image, taken by U.S. military reconnaissance, shows the city before and after the Enola Gay flew overhead. Hiroshima in 1948 / Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesThree years after the bomb fell, Hiroshima still resembled a wasteland of crooked steel and charred rubble. This photo, dated 1948, shows how life was beginning to sprout from the desolation, with a handful of buildings dotting the ruined landscape. The Atomic Bomb Dome is pictured on August 4, 2020 in Hiroshima, Japan. This Thursday will mark the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in which between 90,000 to 146,000 people were killed and the entire city destroyed in the first use of a nuclear weapon in armed conflict. / Credit: Carl Court / Getty ImagesThe city of Hiroshima, which has been completely rebuilt after being destroyed by a nuclear attack in 1945, is pictured on August 4, 2020 in Hiroshima, Japan. / Credit: Getty ImagesToday, Hiroshima is a booming metropolis of 1.2 million people—nearly 3.5 times larger than the city's estimated 1945 population of 350,000. After the bombing, the population had cratered to around 83,000. Bombing of Nagasaki Nagasaki before and after the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. / Credit: U.S. National ArchivesNagasaki saw less overall destruction than Hiroshima, primarily due to the city's geography and urban design. Still, 14,000 structures—27% of all buildings in the city—were destroyed when Fat Boy detonated above Nagasaki. Only 12% of the regional capital's structures remained undamaged when the dust settled on the Southern Japanese island. Nagasaki 1948 / Credit: U.S. National ArchivesNagaski's Torii Gate in 1948. / Credit: U.S. National ArchivesBy 1948, Nagasaki had been slow to recover. Temporary structures had started to emerge a year after the bombing, but citywide rebuilding wouldn't begin until the passage of the Nagasaki International Culture City Reconstruction Law in 1949. Three years after nuclear weapons were deployed, charred tree trunks, stripped of their branches, stood near a sacred Torii Gate that survived the blast. A view of Nagasaki City with Nagasaki Port Terminal (C) is seen from Glover Garden, where exhibits mansions of former Western residents in Nagasaki, on August 10, 2010 in Nagasaki, Japan. / Credit: Kiyoshi Ota / Getty ImagesA ship sales out to sea from Nagasaki Port which, along with the rest of the city, was completely destroyed by an atomic bomb in World War Two, on August 8, 2020 in Nagasaki, Japan. / Credit: Getty ImagesToday, Nagasaki is home to nearly 400,000 people, up from the estimated 263,000 that called the city home 80 years ago. Nuclear warfare, 80 years later Today there are nine nuclear-armed nations—the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, North Korea, India, Pakistan and Israel—and fear of nuclear war is once again on the rise, thanks to heightened regional tensions in the Middle East and the continuing war in Ukraine. On Wednesday, at a ceremony marking 80 years since the bombing, Hiroshima mayor Kazumi Matsui said that those conflicts "threaten to topple the peacebuilding frameworks so many have worked so hard to build" "Policymakers in some countries even accept the idea that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense. This disregards the lessons the world should have learned from past tragedies," he said, with the now-rusting steel dome of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial marking the skyline behind him. Sneak peek: The Strange Shooting of Alex Pennig Quadruple murder suspect captured in Tennessee, officials confirm Neil deGrasse Tyson weighs in on plans for a moon-based nuclear reactor View the full article

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum has been indicted on federal hate crimes charges, according to court documents unsealed Wednesday. The indictment, filed in federal court in Washington, charges Elias Rodriguez with nine counts, including a hate crime resulting in death. The indictment also includes notice of special findings, which would allow the Justice Department to potentially pursue the death penalty. Elias Rodriguez is accused of gunning down Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the museum in May. He was heard shouting “Free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest. He told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” federal authorities have said. Rodriguez had previously been charged with murder of foreign officials and other crimes, and the hate crimes charges were added after prosecutors brought the case to a grand jury. It means prosecutors will be tasked with proving Rodriguez was motivated by antisemitism when he opened fire on Lischinsky and Milgrim, a young couple who were about to become engaged. Prosecutors have described the killing as calculated and planned, saying Rodriguez flew to the Washington region from Chicago ahead of the Capital Jewish Museum event with a handgun in his checked luggage. He purchased a ticket for the event about three hours before it started, authorities have said in court papers. Witnesses described him pacing outside before approaching a group of four people and opening fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing closer to Lischinsky and Milgrim as they fell to the ground, leaning over them and firing additional shots. He appeared to reload before jogging off, officials have said. After the shooting, authorities say Rodriguez went inside the museum and stated that he “did it.” “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,” he spontaneously said, according to court documents. He also told detectives that he admired an active-duty Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing the man as “courageous” and a “martyr.” View the full article

Hezbollah said Wednesday that it would treat a Lebanese government decision to disarm the militant group "as if it did not exist", accusing the cabinet of committing a "grave sin". Amid heavy US pressure and fears Israel could expand its strikes on Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that the government had tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict weapons to government forces by year end. The plan is to be presented to the government by the end of August for discussion and approval, and another cabinet meeting is scheduled for Thursday to continue the talks, including on a US-proposed timetable for disarmament. Hezbollah said the government had "committed a grave sin by taking the decision to disarm Lebanon of its weapons to resist the Israeli enemy". The decision is unprecedented since Lebanon's civil war factions gave up their weapons three and a half decades ago. "This decision undermines Lebanon's sovereignty and gives Israel a free hand to tamper with its security, geography, politics and future existence... Therefore, we will treat this decision as if it does not exist," the Iran-backed group said in a statement. - 'Serves Israel's interests' - The government said its decision came as part of implementing a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which culminated in two months of full-blown war. Hezbollah said it viewed the government's move as "the result of dictates from US envoy" Tom Barrack. It "fully serves Israel's interests and leaves Lebanon exposed to the Israeli enemy without any deterrence", the group said. Hezbollah was the only faction that kept its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. It emerged weakened politically and militarily from its latest conflict with Israel, its arsenal pummelled and its senior leadership decimated. Israel has kept up its strikes on Hezbollah and other targets despite the November truce, and has threatened to keep doing so until the group has been disarmed. An Israeli strike on the southern town of Tulin on Wednesday killed one person and wounded another, the health ministry said. Israel also launched a series of air strikes on southern Lebanon, wounding at least two people according to the health ministry. The Israeli military said it struck "weapons storage facilities, a missile launcher and Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure which stored engineering tools that allowed for the re-establishment of terrorist infrastructure in the area". Hezbollah said Israel must halt the attacks before any domestic debate about its weapons and a new defence strategy could begin. - 'Pivotal moment' - "We are open to dialogue, ending the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, liberating its land, releasing prisoners, working to build the state, and rebuilding what was destroyed by the brutal aggression," the group said. Hezbollah is "prepared to discuss a national security strategy", but not under Israeli fire, it added. Two ministers affiliated with Hezbollah and its ally the Amal movement walked out of Tuesday's meeting. Hezbollah described the walkout as "an expression of rejection" of the government's "decision to subject Lebanon to American tutelage and Israeli occupation". The Amal movement, headed by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, accused the government of "rushing to offer more gratuitous concessions" to Israel when it should have sought to end the ongoing attacks. It called Thursday's cabinet meeting "an opportunity for correction". Hezbollah opponent the Lebanese Forces, one of the country's two main Christian parties, said the cabinet's decision to disarm the militant group was "a pivotal moment in Lebanon's modern history -- a long-overdue step toward restoring full state authority and sovereignty". The Free Patriotic Movement, the other major Christian party and a former ally of Hezbollah, said it was in favour of the army receiving the group's weapons "to strengthen Lebanon's defensive power". Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a televised interview that any decision on disarmament "will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself". "We support it from afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions," he added, noting that the group had "rebuilt itself" following setbacks during its war with Israel. lar/lg-nad/js View the full article