Month: August 2022

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US

CPAC proves Trump will lead conservative movement until he ‘takes his last breath,’ Matt Schlapp says

CPAC attendees reveal whether they want Trump or DeSantis as the 2024 GOP nominee

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DALLAS — Former President Trump’s place atop the conservative movement was reiterated over the weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, and the event’s organizers believe it will stay that way until he “takes his last breath.”

Trump convincingly won the 2024 GOP presidential nomination straw poll taken at CPAC, and the former president also prevailed when Fox News Digital asked attendees in the hallways of the event. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second on the 2024 presidential nomination question, at 24%, and is widely considered the clear next-in-line among many die-hard Trump supporters. Others simply prefer DeSantis these days.

American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp, who didn’t want to “vote in a primary” so far away from the 2024 election when asked who he prefers, believes many conservatives treat Trump like an incumbent president and his popularity is unrivaled.

“He comes into this race as the incumbent, so in most situations when you’re the incumbent you’re going to have the lion’s share of support from everyone,” Schlapp told Fox News Digital backstage at CPAC Texas.

2024 WATCH: CPAC ATTENDEES CHOOSE FAVORITE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AS TRUMP, DESANTIS REMAIN POPULAR

Matt Schlapp reveals CPAC straw poll at the 2022 CPAC in Dallas, Texas.

Matt Schlapp reveals CPAC straw poll at the 2022 CPAC in Dallas, Texas.
(Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

“There is this other piece which Donald Trump shares uniquely in American politics on the conservative side, and that is because he was so authentic about what he said he would do and then what he did do… this bond formed between the conservative movement and Donald Trump where he didn’t just say he was going to move the embassy, ​​he moved it,” Schlapp continued. “He didn’t just say he was going to pick the next generation of Clarence Thomas, he picked three of them. He just went right down the line and did what he said he was going to do.”

TRUMP EASILY WINS TEXAS CPAC 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION STRAW POLL; DESANTIS SECOND

Many CPAC attendees wore Trump merchandise, and the event’s vendors offered just about anything a MAGA enthusiast could ever hope for. There were occasional “Make America Florida” hats and shirts in honor of DeSantis, but it was a far cry from the years-ago CPAC events when attendees wore gear to support their favorite Republican with a large variety of choices. These days it’s almost all about Trump.

Schlapp cited the border, willingness to “take on” China and the economy as other key conservative reasons still largely adore Trump. In addition, Schlapp also believes that minority voters will support Trump if he decides to run again because their bank accounts are suffering under President Biden.

“He rekindled this idea that the Republican Party is the place of opportunity for people of color, and because of that it’s an unshakable bond,” he said. “How many CPACs in a row where straw polls that we had demonstrate that? But, yet… it’s almost like people are confused. They ask the question, ‘Is he the leader in support from these folks?’ It’s like, yes! And I think he will be until he takes his last breath because of everything he did.”

Trump, who’s repeatedly teased making another presidential run in 2024 to try and return to the White House, captured 69% of ballots cast in the anonymous online straw poll, according to results announced by CPAC on Saturday. Mercedes Schlapp, Matt’s wife who plays a key role at CPAC and served as White House senior communications director, added that she believes most Republican presidential hopefuls are waiting to see what Trump decides.

“Even DeSantis, they’re watching to see what Donald Trump is going to do, I think that’s a very important factor to consider,” she said.

Donald Trump speaks to CPAC crowd, Aug. 6, 2022, in Dallas, Texas.

Donald Trump speaks to CPAC crowd, Aug. 6, 2022, in Dallas, Texas.
(Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

TRUMP SAYS CNN HAS ‘GOTTEN WORSE’ UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP: ‘THEY LOST TREMENDOUS CREDIBILITY’

While the Schlapps clearly believe Trump is the leader of the modern conservative movement, they don’t think the bar is particularly high when it comes to what it would take to defeat President Biden in a general election.

“It was the media that told us Joe Biden was up to the job, they were clearly covering for him. He doesn’t really do the job, and now the assumption he’s going to be the nominee. I think the chances of Joe Biden being alive, or really even being able to do anything to kind of act like he’s the president are almost zero,” Matt Schlapp said, noting that the Democratic Party doesn’t exactly have a deep bench.

“Then their real question is, do they pick Kamala Harris who has poll numbers more toxic than cancer, or do they get Nancy Pelosi, which I don’t think is going to work out so well,” he continued. “They are vacant of a lot of talent, so excuse me, I’ll probably be a little optimistic on our chances in 2024.”

‘THE VIEW’: CPAC ATTENDEES SLAM ABC NEWS FOR NAMING ANTI-TRUMP PUNDITS AS ‘CONSERVATIVE’ CO-HOSTS

Mercedes and Matt Schlapp listen to Donald Trump's remarks at the 2022 CPAC conference in Dallas, Texas.

Mercedes and Matt Schlapp listen to Donald Trump’s remarks at the 2022 CPAC conference in Dallas, Texas.
(Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

Mercedes joked that her husband isn’t always an optimistic guy but “the mere fact that the Democrats don’t have a deep bench” offers a clear reason to be hopeful as many prominent Democrats haven’t committed to supporting Biden in 2024.

“I think it shows a massive divide within the Democratic Party,” Mercedes said. “I think the Republican Party is probably even more united right now than it’s ever been because the goal is to defeat Joe Biden, defeat Nancy Pelosi, knowing that there is an urgency right now to save this country.”

Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @briansflood.

Categories
Entertainment

The Block 2022 recap episode 2: One team walks off and never returns and the judges choose the winner of the House Decider challenge

It’s only day two of The Block and the biggest ever season of the show is already making history.

For the first time a team quits leaving the remaining contestants and host Scott Cam shocked and confused.

Stream the latest episodes of The Block for free on 9Now.

Before we meet the replacement couple we head to Block HQ to find out what judges Shaynna Blaze, Neale Whittaker and Darren Palmer think of the House Decider challenge rooms.

And the teams choose the historic homes they’ll be renovating this year.

The Block 2022
Scotty drops a bombshell on the contestants. (Nine)

But first let’s unpack that shock exit.

Scott Cam assembles all the teams for an impromptu meeting. But there’s one notable absence – influencer couple Joel and Elle.

“I’ve just found out that Joel and Elle are on their way to the airport,” he reveals to the remaining teams.

“They have left the show.”

After only just finding out the news himself, Scotty explains that Joel and Elle left the show without saying goodbye.

The Block 2022
Scotty is still processing Joel and Elle’s exit. (Nine)

Sharon speculates that Joel and Elle’s exit could’ve had something to do with a family situation.

“But we knew that had happened before they got onto The Block because he [Joel] had told us that unfortunately his mum had a fall, but she was okay and they’d seen her the week before,” Sharon explains.

The Block 2022
Ankur and Sharon are shocked. (Nine)

RECAP: Five new teams arrive in the country and realize their tree change will be tougher than they thought

The remaining teams want to know if everything is okay. Scotty assures them that all is well and that The Block simply “is not on brand” for Joel and Elle.

“And they also said the toilet paper was too scratchy,” Scotty jokes.

While everyone else is still in total shock from the bombshell Scotty’s just dropped, Sarah-Jane says she “saw it coming.”

“I had a huge ‘I told you so’ moment. I could see it coming from a mile away,” she says.

“They didn’t make any effort to get to know us. They looked miserable the whole time,” Sarah Jane adds.

The Block 2022
Sarah-Jane says she saw Joel and Elle’s exit coming. (Nine)

Joel and Elle’s exit comes after the judges are left confused by their coastal style room in the House Decider challenge.

Before the pair decides to call it quits Joel and Elle gather at Block HQ with the other teams to find out what the judges thought of the challenge rooms and who would get first pick of the houses.

New nine.com.au homepage
(Nine)

For the challenge Joel and Elle present a room that fits more in Bondi than in Gisborne, Victoria.

“They have smashed the life out of this home and that breaks my heart,” Shaynna says.

Neale advises Joel and Elle to “amp up the heritage in the old part of the house.”

Their room earns them a score of 21.5 out of 30 – placing them fourth. At the time, Joel and Elle seem to take the criticism in their stride and say they were willing to learn from it. Maybe, not.

In Pictures

The Block - Week 0 - Joel and Elle

Joel and Elle’s House Decider Challenge Bedroom

The judges were not happy with the “modern” vibe.

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The judges are “very impressed” by Tom and Sarah-Jane’s guest bedroom. They love their copper and olive color palette and Shaynna says it feels like a boutique hotel. The judges score them 23.5 out of 30.

In Pictures

Tom and Sarah-Jane The Block 2022

Tom and Sarah-Jane’s House Decider Challenge Bedroom

Judges wowed by couple’s color palette and style.

ViewGallery

Dylan and Jenny are up next. The fact that they’re both trades is obvious in their near-perfect execution. The judges adore the VJ paneling in their room but think that their styling is a bit of a “mish mash”.

In Pictures

The Block 2022 House Decider challenge E02 Dylan and Jenny

Dylan and Jenny’s House Decider Challenge Bedroom

The judges had mixed feelings on the space.

ViewGallery

“They’ve made individually good choices, but all those individual choices don’t work together,” Darren says. Overall, it’s still a great effort that earns them a score of 22.5 out of 30.

The Block 2022, Dylan and Jenny
Dylan and Jenny’s guest bedroom. (Nine)

Ankur and Sharon are nervous ahead of their room reveal and aren’t sure how the judges will feel about their very rustic approach to the country aesthetic. Sharon says she “just doesn’t want to come last.”

“It does feel country, but I’m not sure which continent that country is on,” Darren says. He warns that their very rustic approach will be “divisive in the market.”

The Block 2022, Ankur and Sharon
Ankur and Sharon’s ultra rustic guest bedroom. (Nine)

But overall the judges agree that the room works and score them 22 out of 30 . “They’ve done what they’ve done very well.”

In Pictures

The Block 2022 - Week 0 - Sharon and Ankur

Ankur and Sharon’s House Decider Challenge Bedroom

The judges have mixed emotions on the space.

ViewGallery

Best friends Omar and Oz are last to be judged. The judges are happy to see that the boys preserved the original paneling but feel that’s where things stopped. Neale wants to see a room that is less generic and has more personality.

“Your room today is not luxe enough boys, but it’s not too far off,” Scotty reassures Omar and Oz before revealing their score of 21 out of 30.

In Pictures

The Block 2022 - Week 0 - Omar and Oz

Omar and Oz’s House Decider Challenge Bedroom

One judge labels room feature a “big mistake”.

ViewGallery

With the scores in, that means Tom and Sarah-Jane take out the first challenge win of the season and get to pick the house they will renew for the rest of the season.

Despite raving about House 4, Tom and Sarah-Jane decide to stay put in House 1.

Runners-up, Dylan and Jenny choose the highly sought after House 4.

Ankur and Sharon pick House 3 – the biggest house on The Block. Joel and Elle choose House 2 which leaves Omar and Oz with House 5.

Of course, with Joel and Elle gone you might be wondering who will renovate House 2?

Enter Rachel and Ryan – a brand new couple that will pick up right where Joel and Elle left off.

They arrive on site with just a day’s notice and are greeted by Scotty. He brings Rachel and Ryan up to speed and they head straight to House 2 to get started.

READMORE: Meet the contestants taking on the Tree Change challenge of The Block 2022

With the houses divided up and the teams finally settled, the competition is now in full swing. And this week the teams must deliver their main bathroom.

In Pictures

Inside Scott Cam's Block house renovation 2022.

Scotty’s house renovation so far

Sneak peek at the first three rooms.

ViewGallery

The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine. Catch up on all the latest episodes on 9Now.

Categories
Sports

Isaiah Papali’i backflip on Wests Tigers contract, Parramatta Eels, Michael Maguire sacked

Isaiah Papali'i backflip on Wests Tigers contract, Parramatta Eels, Michael Maguire sacked

Isaiah Papali’i has confirmed he is yet to make a decision on whether he will honor the contract he’s signed with the Tigers or backflip on it to remain at the Eels.

Papali’i told 9 News that he’ll make a call “in the off-season” and also revealed the moment he began mulling over his future.

The 23-year-old signed a big-money three-year contract last November with the Tigers beginning next season.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

However just under a month ago reports emerged that Papali’i had a change of heart and was considering backflipping on the contract.

Speaking to 9 News on Monday, Papali’i was still unsure about what he was going to do.

“Obviously people ask me about it, just even on the street or family and friends are hitting me up but that’s kind of for my manager look after and even if I don’t stay here or I do go next year, I want to make sure that this year has no regrets,” he said.

“I reckon somewhere in the off-season because this is distracting me at the moment,” he added when asked when he wants to make a decision by.

“We have a massive opportunity and I don’t want to leave any stone unturned this year and look back on it and think ‘I shouldn’t have left that stuff get in the way’.”

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Papali’i also revealed that it was the sacking of Michael Maguire in June that “rattled the cage” for him.

“I think it was the coaching axing that went on,” the Kiwi international said.

“When I did sign it was talking to Madge — he’s an awesome coach. That rattled the cage a bit and I guess you have to have those conversations and I guess that was a massive factor for me.”

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Categories
US

GOP Cites Shaky Senate Procedure Argument for Killing $35 Insulin Cap

GOP Cites Shaky Senate Procedure Argument for Killing $35 Insulin Cap

  • The GOP removed a $35 monthly cap on insulin prices from a landmark bill that passed the Senate.
  • Senate Republicans who did so cited procedural arguments about how the measure was proposed.
  • That masked the fact that Republicans could have got round that problem if they wanted.

GOP senators sought to blame Senate procedure for their move to kill a proposed monthly cap of $35 for insulin.

The response came after 43 Republicans voted against the measure, causing it to drop out of the huge spending bill that passed the chamber on Sunday.

Few of the 43 Republicans commented on why they removed the measure.

Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was one — writing that he objected to the measure as a “gotcha” vote, instigated by Democrats to trap Republicans in a politically unpopular vote.

“Lying Dems and their friends in corporate media are at it again, distorting a Democrat “gotcha” vote,” he tweeted.

“In reality, the Dems wanted to break Senate rules to pass insulin pricing cap instead of going through regular order. They put this in a bill it wasn’t allowed in, all for show.”

Instead he suggested an alternative Republican price-capping measure that Democrats had rejected as too modest.

Similarly, Senate Minority Whip John Thune told reporters ahead of the vote that Democrats “wanted to tempt us to, I guess, vote against it.”

The rule Johnson referred to was a decision by the Senate parliamentarian that the insulin cap, proposed by Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, was not eligible to be considered under the same rules as the rest of the package.

The procedure in question is known as budget reconciliation, and allows certain financial measures to pass with 50 votes instead of 60. In this case most of the Democratic proposals bar the insulin one were allowed to proceed like that.

While they were correct that the measure was deemed ineligible under the 50-vote rules, neither Johnson nor Thune acknowledge that the measure could have been kept anyway had 10 Republicans wanted to support it.

Warnock preemptively laid the blame for the measure not passing with Republicans.

“The only way it doesn’t pass is if folks on the other side of the aisle decide to block it,” Warnock told The Washington Post.

Democrats had rejected an alternative price-capping measure proposed by Republicans as too modest.

Categories
Technology

Protective coating material self-heals in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight

Protective coating material self-heals in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight

Can scratches on car surfaces disappear when exposed to sunlight? : A new self-healing coating material

Self-healing mechanism of eco-friendly protective coating material for vehicles including dynamic polymer network and photothermal dye. Credit: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)

Researchers have developed a transparent protective coating material that can self-heal in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight.

Excellent durability of automotive coatings is the most important issue in protecting a vehicle surface. In addition, protective coating materials should be colorless and transparent so that the original color of the product can be seen. However, it is difficult to provide a self-healing function while satisfying all of these conditions. Materials with free molecular movement have high self-healing efficiency, but have low durability, whereas materials with high hardness and excellent durability have remarkably poor self-healing performance.

The research team of Dr. Jin Chul Kim, Dr. Young il Park, and Dr. Ji-Eun Jeong of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) has developed a transparent coating material that satisfies all of the above conditions and has similar performance to that of commercial protective coating materials and can be self-healed with only sunlight (particularly near infrared light in sunlight, in the wavelength range of 1,000 to 1,100 nm).






Self-healing of model car coated with developed clearcoat when exposed to focused sunlight with a magnifying glass for 30 seconds. Credit: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)

Using the developed self-healing protective material, surface scratches can heal in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight. To demonstrate the self-healing performance of the developed coating material, the research team coated a laboratory-scale model car using a spray-coating machine. When the model car was exposed to midday sunlight for about 30 minutes, a scratch completely disappeared and the surface of the coating material was restored.

When sunlight is absorbed by the developed material, the surface temperature rises as light energy is converted into thermal energy. Subsequently, the increased surface temperature makes it possible to self-heal a surface scratch by repeating the dissociation and recombination of chemical bonds in the polymer structure.

To the existing commercial coating resin, the research team added a dynamic chemical bond (hindered urea structure) that can repeat the decomposition and recombination of the polymer structure, and mixed it with a transparent photothermal dye to induce dynamic chemical bonding actively upon exposure to sunlight .

Previous studies using photothermal dyes were mainly based on inorganic materials that are difficult to apply industrially as the coating material should be transparent. In addition, inorganic materials require a large amount of light energy to produce a photothermal effect.

Can scratches on car surfaces disappear when exposed to sunlight? : A new self-healing coating material

Self-healed surface of a model car after scratching when exposed to focused sunlight with a magnifying glass (upper) or to sunlight directly (down). Credit: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT)

The research team used transparent organic photothermal dyes that can absorb near-infrared light. Near-infrared light is a long-wavelength energy source that accounts for less than 10% of midday sunlight, and can thus circumvent excessive increase of the vehicle surface temperature. In addition, organic photothermal dyes have several advantages for commercialization: They do not affect the product color due to inherent colorlessness, easily blend with paints, and are inexpensive.

In the future, the developed self-healing material could be used as a coating material for transportation applications, electronic devices such as smartphones and computers, and building materials. In addition, it is expected to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality by reducing the use of harmful organic solvents, which are generated in large amounts when repainting vehicles.

This research was published as the supplementary cover of the May 2022 issue of ACS Applied Polymer Materials.

Dr. Jin Chul Kim of KRICT, the research director, said, “The developed technology is a platform technology that synthesizes self-healing coating materials using both inexpensive commercial polymer materials and photothermal dyes. It is expected to be widely used not only in automotive clearcoats but also in various applications.”

A fast-healing and high-performance metallosupramolecular elastomer based on pyridine–Cu coordination

More information:
Da Hae Son et al, Fast, Localized, and Low-Energy Consumption Self-Healing of Automotive Clearcoats Using a Photothermal Effect Triggered by NIR Radiation, ACS Applied Polymer Materials (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsapm.1c01768

Provided by National Research Council of Science & Technology

citation: Protective coating material self-heals in 30 minutes when exposed to sunlight (2022, August 8) retrieved 8 August 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-08-coating-material-self-heals-minutes-exposed .html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Categories
Entertainment

Carlo Bonomi, the voice of Pingu’s original ‘noot noot’ dies, aged 85

Watch Pingu in the City on iview

Pingu-lovers are paying tribute to the cartoon character’s original voice actor, Carlo Bonomi, by recalling his iconic catchphrase.

“Noot noot,” echoed through living rooms across the globe thanks to Bonomi, who died on August 6, according to the Italian news site afnews.info, which broke the report.

The 85-year-old from Milan is remembered most as the original voice of Pingu, a cheeky little penguin from the South Pole.

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Claymation penguin fans have taken to Twitter to pay respects to Bonomi, who became an integral part of the “sound track” of his city by recording the announcements of the Central Station and Florence Santa Maria Novella Station used until 2008.

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American cartoonist Travis Bickerstaff paid tribute to Bonomi in a tweet, saying the “noot noot” would live on.

“If you’re wondering if this will be the end of Pingu, it’s not,” Bickerstaff wrote.

“Other voice actors in the Pingu franchise had carried on Bonomi’s legacy, since he established the ‘Penguinese’ language for the series.”

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The claymation children’s show followed the charming penguin, whose light-hearted creativity sometimes got him into trouble but equally as often got him back on his feet.

Bonomi helped earn a global following for Pingu and his family, voicing the first four series.

His cause of death has not been revealed.

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Categories
Sports

Manly NRL player denies church brawl stabbing, says he was scared and ran

Manly NRL player denies church brawl stabbing, says he was scared and ran

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In CCTV footage, played to the jury, Fainu and his friends could be seen jumping a fence back onto church grounds.

“I was expecting to go myself… into the dance hall and collect the money,” Fainu said. “I just saw something, like a brawl going on, when I was on my way to the chapel.”

He said he was “10 to 15 meters away” from the brawl of six to eight men.

“I backpedaled… started walking backwards,” Fainu said.

He said he had received training as a rugby league player to walk away from fights and “don’t get yourself involved”. He said he did not know the other group and nobody touched him that night.

“I just saw it for a minute or two, and then I ran away,” Fainu said.

“I was scared for myself… I heard ‘knife, knife’.”

Cunneen asked: “Do you know who stabbed Mr Levi?”

“No,” he replied.

Fainu said his group of friends discussed how the fight started and Faingaa said he had “dropped someone” and still “wanted to go back and get the money”, but would not tell him the reason.

Fainu said nothing was said about a knife, and he did not know anyone was stabbed.

He denied having any weapon or seeing any of his friends with a knife, and said the suggestion that he had a knife in his sling or pants was “incorrect”.

Asked by Crown prosecutor Emma Curran whether he was “the one that plunged a knife into the back” of Levi, Fainu said, “No ma’am.”

He dismissed the suggestion that he had brought a knife because he had one arm “out of action”, and denied having wanted to take Levi “out of the fight”.

“You swung around in front of him and swung the knife upwards towards his face?” the prosecutor asked.

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“That’s incorrect, ma’am,” Fainu replied.

Levi previously gave evidence he and a friend had walked two men to the front gate after a fight broke out on the dance floor. He was later stabbed in the shoulder blade while at his car, suffering a collapsed lung, internal bleeding and a laceration above his eyebrow.

Fainu disagreed with Curran’s suggestion that he had been the “leader of the group” seen on the CCTV, and denied being “up close, involved in the brawl”.

Fainu said a white towel seen on his head in the footage was “like a security blanket” which he puts cold water on when his head “gets really hot”.

Asked by Curran whether the towel was to hide his identity, he said he “had a bit of a headache that night”. Fainu said he was “sad, probably depressed” about his football career as he had not known whether he would play for Manly again after his injury.

He said he was not sure where Faingaa was now as they had not spoken since the altercation due to his bail conditions.

His trial before Judge Nanette Williams continues.

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Categories
Australia

Penny Wong defends push for China to ‘de-escalate’ tensions in Taiwan Strait and says region is concerned of ‘risk of conflict’

Penny Wong defends push for China to 'de-escalate' tensions in Taiwan Strait and says region is concerned of 'risk of conflict'

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has hit back at China for singling out Australia over calls to restore stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Senator Wong joined her counterparts from the United States and Japan on Saturday to condemn Chinese military escalation which saw high-powered missiles launched towards Taiwan and Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The reaction drew the ire of the Chinese government which accused Senator Wong of “finger-pointing” while claiming it was the “victim” of “political provocation”.

But the Foreign Minister doubled down on her concerns on Monday and said Australia and regional partners would continue to “urge restraint”.

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“What is most critical at the moment is that the temperature is lowered and calm is restored when it comes to cross-strait tensions,” Senator Wong said in a press conference in Canberra.

“Australia continues to urge restraint, Australia continues to urge de-escalation and this is not something that solely Australia is calling for.

“The whole region is concerned about the current situation, the whole region is calling for stability to be restored.”

Over the weekend, the Taiwanese government accused Beijing of simulating an attack after the first trip to the island from a US House Speaker in a quarter of a century.

The Defense Ministry said China used 66 plans and 14 warships in the exercise on Sunday and had launched 11 ballistic missiles during live-fire drills on Thursday.

The US, Japan and Australia responded on Saturday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japan Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Senator Wong calling for China to “immediately cease” its military exercises.

The trio also expressed concerns that China’s actions would “gravely affect international peace and stability”.

“They condemned the PRC’s launch of ballistic missiles, five of which the Japanese government reported landed in its exclusive economic zones, raising tension and destabilizing the region,” a joint statement said.

The Chinese Embassy in Canberra on Sunday defended the central government’s military exercises, describing them as actions to “safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

But the statement singled out Australia and said Canberra had “condemned the victim”.

Senator Wong hit back and said Australia was “not the only country concerned about escalation” and raised concerns of potential conflict in the Pacific.

“The region is concerned about the risk of conflict,” she said on Monday.

“We will continue, in a calm and considered way, to articulate our national interests.”

“Our interests are the interest of the region and that is restraint and de-escalation.”

Taipei was forced to scramble fighter jets and put shore-based missiles on stand-by with the Chinese Defense Ministry saying it was “testing the capabilities” of assault systems.

China has never ruled Taiwan but considers the island its territory.

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Categories
US

Arkansas judge found dead at bottom of lake after disappearing from family trip

Arkansas judge found dead at bottom of lake after disappearing from family trip

The body of an Arkansas judge was pulled from a lake over the weekend after he ventured off alone during a recreational outing with family and disappeared.

Jeremiah T. Bueker, 48, the Arkansas County Northern District Judge, was spending time with several family members and friends in Jefferson County when he went off on his own, last seen near Mud Lake, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

When he didn’t return, his family called police 911 and before midnight Sunday several agencies responded including sheriff’s deputies, the sheriff’s office marine patrol and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Extensive ground and water searches were launched, with boats deployed. The searches were suspended due to low visibility early Sunday and picked back up after sunrise.

At 9:16 am Sunday, boats equipped with side-scan sonar, which provides a “birds-eye view of the water,” detected a body at the bottom of Mud Lake.

“Deputies utilized subsurface body recovery drag/rescue hooks to recover Bueker’s body. Upon recovery of the body, deputies and investigators with the assistance of family positively identified the body as that of Bueker,” the sheriff’s office said.

Bueker’s death is being investigated as an accidental drowning and his body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner, authorities said.

Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods said, “I truly pray that the successful recovery of Judge Bueker’s body by our deputies and Arkansas Game & Fish Wildlife Officers brings some sense of closure to the Bueker Family and those who knew him best.”

“The scour of emotions they must feel right now is devastating,” he added.

Marlene Lenthang is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital.

Categories
Entertainment

Geraldton hairdresser Kim Tran takes a stand to stop harassment and requests for sexual favors

Geraldton hairdresser Kim Tran takes a stand to stop harassment and requests for sexual favors

WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE

A Geraldton hairdresser is fed up with a regular barrage of vulgar harassment she is forced to deal with from men seeking sexual favours, and has called out those who see her as nothing but an Asian “stereotype”.

Mother of one Kim Tran owns a barber shop in the suburb of Rangeway and last week posted a confronting insight into the overwhelming objectification that comes her way.

She resorted to publicly posting one of many text messages — with a phone number included — she has received from customers, requesting extra services. In this instance, the man asked for a “shave and a trim with a happy ending”.

Kim Tran is fed up with being asked for sexual favours.
Camera IconKim Tran is fed up with being asked for sexual favours. Credit: Jessica Morney/Geraldton Guardian

Ms Tran has even put signs up around her store, reminding certain people she is a “hairdresser only”, but still gets these offensive requests almost on a daily basis, both in person and via text messages.

The 29-year-old works two jobs — running a farm with her partner supplying vegetables to Australian supermarkets, as well as her day job at the barber shop, where many of her clients are children and their parents.

Many people think that Asians are mostly prostitutes, so I am often texted or harassed by customers at the store.

She said she was losing sleep over the frequent abuse and vulgarity, and decided it was time to speak up so people know she’s just a hairdresser, no more.

“I am often looked down on by others because I am Asian,” Ms Tran posted. “Many people think that Asians are mostly prostitutes, so I am often texted or harassed by customers at the store.

Kim Tran.
Camera IconKim Tran. Credit: Facebook/Facebook

“I believe there are many other women who have the same problem as me, but the difference is that they don’t dare to say it, maybe because they are shy or don’t want other people to judge them. I feel that isn’t right.”

She works in her salon alone and often keeps her door locked due to constant fear of abuse and break-ins.

“When I have customers I’m confident and keep the door unlocked, but when I’m in here by myself, or with children, I lock the door,” she said.

The Vietnamese woman said she believed the harassment was because of her culture and unfair stereotypes surrounding Asian women.

She claims men show her pornographic images on their phones to make her understand, and said there were instances when men would grope her, despite her not wearing revealing clothing.

“Lots of people come in here and sometimes try and touch me, grab me,” she said.

Ms Tran shared a shocking incident captured on her shop’s CCTV camera, showing a client trying to grope her as he exited the store.

Fed up: Kim Tran.
Camera IconFed up: Kim Tran. Credit: Facebook/Facebook

Ms Tran said the text messages she received were taking a toll on her relationship with her partner, and she decided to speak up on social media to save her job and reputation.

“We had a massive argument last week and I told him I was going public. I was nervous because I was worried that they (customers) would make a problem with me. But I thought if I don’t speak it could affect my relationship or my job,” she said.

“What is my daughter going to think when she grows up? I don’t want her to think I am a sex worker or prostitute.”

Ms Tran said she feared if she reported the incidents to the police that people would take revenge on her or her family.

“Sometimes I feel like if I report them they might come back and do something to me,” she said.

Ms Tran said moving to a different location would be difficult because she had built a clientele over two-and-a-half years, and she had customers who supported her business.

I’m getting a little bit scared, and I don’t want to lose this business because I love what I’m doing.

She said many people misunderstood Asian people and often believed the assumptions or stereotypes associated with the culture.

“People go to Asia for a quick trip and be with a girl for a couple nights and pay cheap money. So people think ‘oh, she’s an Asian girl and maybe she does that’, ”she said.

“It has been very rough times here.

“I have so many local people come and support me. I love to cut hair for children, they are so happy when I cut a spiderweb or a design.”

Ms Tran said when she began at the store she felt comfortable working on her own, but now her emotions ran high and she constantly overthought scenarios.

To cope with the sexual harassment, Ms Tran visits a local counseling service and takes sleeping medication.

“I’m getting a little bit scared, and I don’t want to lose this business because I love what I’m doing. So I just ignore it and do what I’m doing,” she said.

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