China is building a sprawling network of missile silos, satellite imagery appears to show
Updated 1427 GMT (2227 HKT) July 2, 2021
China is building a sprawling network of what appear to be intercontinental ballistic missile silos in its western desert that analysts say could change the equation for US military planners in Asia.
Gavin Newsom oversold California’s fire prevention efforts. A journalist uncovered the truth
California leaders have often touted the state’s wildfire prevention efforts, which have taken on a new urgency as fire seasons continue to set grisly records. But a new investigation, published by Capital Public Radio, found that the governor, Gavin Newsom, has dramatically overblown the state’s achievements.
The report, released in June, found that Newsom repeatedly overstated how many acres of the state were treated with fuel breaks and hazardous tree removal, along with other key elements of wildfire suppression. The report also found that the state’s fire agency, Cal Fire, saw its fuel reduction efforts cut in half in 2020.
“Overall, California’s response has faltered under Newsom,” reporters with CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom wrote. According to the reporting, while Newsom claimed that 90,000 acres protecting the most vulnerable communities had been treated, the data showed only a fraction – roughly 11,400 acres – was actually completed. “At the same time, Newsom slashed roughly $150m from Cal Fire’s wildfire prevention budget,” the reporters wrote.
India: Bollywood's first 'intimacy coordinator' wants safe standards for sex scenes
Aastha Khanna is working on setting ground rules on Bollywood film sets, focusing on making a safe space for consent during intimate scenes. The industry has a long way to go on building awareness around intimacy.
When Sakshi Bhatia was a director's assistant on the set of a Bollywood murder mystery a few years ago, the director of the film called for an intimate scene between the accused killer and the victim.
However, the victim was a 14-year-old female actor and the killer character was played by a 45-year-old male actor.
"It made me a bit uncomfortable, and I wondered if anyone had explained to her how the scene would be choreographed? A professional was needed to navigate the actors through the production, both when they were being filmed and when the studio lights were off," Bhatia told DW.
Production crews have normally been responsible for the well-being of actors on Bollywood sets. But now India's film industry has its first certified intimacy coordinator.
A regional capital falls, and so does the stature of Ethiopia’s leader and its military
The surprise fall of the Tigrayan regional capital, Mekelle, this week has put Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in a tough spot, dealt a blow to the country’s military and placed the Tigrayan forces in a position of strength.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed may have won a Nobel Peace Prize, but on Monday, June 28, he seemed unable to grasp the difference between war and peace, ceasefire and defeat, and – more critically – the distinction between spin and the hard realities on the ground.
The disconnect has threatened not just Abiy’s credibility, but the security of his country, the wider Horn of Africa region, and exposed the challenges confronting the African Union – based in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa – in its bid to deliver “African solutions to African problems”
Palestinians defy ‘precursor to mass displacements’
Israel has sent demolition notices to residents of about 100 homes in Silwan, warning their abodes – housing more than 1,500 people – are to be destroyed.
Violent confrontations broke out following Friday midday prayers between Israeli police and residents, with a number of Palestinians wounded and arrested.
Israeli forces fired stun grenades, rubber-coated steel bullets, and tear gas canisters at Palestinian demonstrators angered by ongoing home and business demolitions in the area.
Tensions continue after Nidal Rajabe, his brother Fadi, and several other Palestinians from Al Bustan were released to house arrest for five days on Friday, after paying 500 shekels ($150) bail each.
Bagram: Last US and Nato forces leave key Afghanistan base
The last US and Nato forces have left Afghanistan's Bagram airbase, the centre of the war against militants for some 20 years.
The pull-out could signal that the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan is imminent.
President Joe Biden has said US forces will be gone by 11 September.
But the withdrawal from the sprawling base, north of Kabul, comes as the main jihadist group, the Taliban, advances in many parts of Afghanistan.
No comments:
Post a Comment