
Aung San Suu Kyi has some of her prison sentences reduced by Myanmar's military-led government
Myanmar’s military-led government has reduced the prison sentences of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a clemency connected to a religious holiday in the Buddhist-majority country
2023-08-02 01:58

Meta starts process to end news access in Canada over law on paying publishers
Meta Platforms has begun the process to end access to news on Facebook and Instagram for all users
2023-08-02 01:58

End in sight for U.S. insider trading case over healthcare leaks
By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -A long-running federal insider trading case based on leaks about planned changes to Medicare
2023-08-02 01:55

New Jersey Lt Gov Sheila Oliver dies after being hospitalised for undisclosed medical issue
New Jersey Lt Gov Sheila Oliver has died one day after being hospitalised for treatment for an undisclosed medical issue while serving as acting governor. Ms Oliver was taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston on Monday, while Governor Phil Murphy was in Italy on a family vacation. Her family confirmed her death at the age of 71 in a statement on Tuesday. “It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey,” the family said in a statement to ABC7. “She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero.” No cause of death has been released. In a statement, Gov Murphy said he and his family were “incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, colleague, and partner in government.” Ms Oliver, a Democrat, was selected as Gov Murphy’s running mate in 2017, and was a “trailblazer in every sense of the word”, he said. In 2010, she became the first Black woman to serve as Speaker of the General Assembly, and was the second Black woman in US history to lead a house of a state legislature. “I knew then that her decades of public service made her the ideal partner for me to lead the State of New Jersey. It was the best decision I ever made.” Democratic Senate President Nicholas Scutari is serving as acting governor, the governor’s spokesperson Mahen Gunaratna said. The governor will be returning to the US “soon”, Mr Gunaratna added. Along with serving as Gov Murphy’s top lieutenant, Ms Oliver also oversaw the Department of Community Affairs, which coordinates state aid to towns and cities and supervises code enforcement. She had been twice elected to the lieutenant governor’s role in 2017 and 2021, becoming the second person to hold the post in New Jersey. Born and raised in Newark, Ms Oliver earned a degree in sociology from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University before being elected to the Essex County board of chosen freeholders in 1996. Ms Oliver had served on the New Jersey assembly since 2004. “She brought a unique and invaluable perspective to our public policy discourse and served as an inspiration to millions of women and girls everywhere, especially young women of colour,” Gov Murphy said in a statement. “Beyond all of that, she was an incredibly genuine and kind person whose friendship and partnership will be irreplaceable.” Ms Oliver’s family requested privacy, and said details of a memorial service would be provided at a later date. Read More New Jersey sues federal highway officials in bid to stop New York City's plan to charge big tolls Manhattan architect, family man and accused serial killer: Who is Gilgo Beach suspect Rex Heuermann? Chris Christie slams Trumps as ‘Corleones with no experience’ New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, first Black woman to serve as state Assembly speaker, dies at 71 The first generation of solar panels will wear out. A recycling industry is taking shape Blue blood from horseshoe crabs is valuable for medicine, but a declining bird needs them for food
2023-08-02 01:26

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver dies at 71
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver has died, her family said. She was 71.
2023-08-02 00:59

Democratic lawmakers slam the lack of attorney access for asylum-seekers in Border Patrol custody
Dozens of Democratic members of Congress are asking the Biden administration to end expedited screening of asylum-seekers in Border Patrol custody, calling it a “rushed practice” that has allowed little access to legal counsel
2023-08-02 00:58

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, first Black woman to serve as state Assembly speaker, dies at 71
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who made history as the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the state Assembly, died Tuesday
2023-08-02 00:57

Pfizer 2Q numbers tumble and COVID-19 vaccine, treatment sales dry up
Crumbling COVID-19 vaccine and treatment sales chopped Pfizer’s second-quarter earnings, but both the drugmaker and Wall Street expect a rebound in the back half of 2023
2023-08-02 00:57

DeSantis defends record on abortion following rebuke from leading anti-abortion group
Ron DeSantis on Tuesday defended his record delivering "pro-life protections" as Florida governor following criticism from the Susan B. Anthony anti-abortion group over his reluctance to embrace a national ban.
2023-08-02 00:56

Russia should expect more drone attacks on its soil after latest Moscow strike, Ukraine warns
Russia has been warned that it will face more drone attacks – after a Moscow high-rise housing a number of government ministries was hit for the second time in three days. An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted that the Kremlin will soon "collect all of their debts" over the invasion of Ukraine with further strikes on Russian soil. While Ukraine stops short of directly claiming such attacks, of which there have been a flurry in recent weeks, officials often show their satisfaction and seek to undermine Russia in any way they can as Kyiv's forces press on with their counteroffensive. "Moscow is rapidly getting used to a full-fledged war," Mr Podolyak wrote on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. He said Russia should expect "more unidentified drones, more collapse, more civil conflicts, more war". The building that was hit by the drone is known as the "IQ quarter", which houses the Russian ministry of economic development, the digital ministry and the ministry of industry and trade. While the repeated drone incidents have not caused casualties or major damage, they have provoked widespread unease and are an embarrassment for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, which is constantly seeking to give the impression to the country's citizens that its invasion – now nearly 18 months long – is proceeding according to Moscow's plan. "In this situation, any place can be hit, so it is quite hard to feel 100% safe... We don't know what will hit us and where," Moscow Alexander Gusev, 67, told Reuters. "Indeed, a threat exists, it is obvious, but measures are being taken," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, declining to comment further. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry claimed to have thwarted what it labelled an "attempted terrorist attack" and downed two drones west of the Moscow city centre. It said another one was foiled by jamming equipment and went "out of control". Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that was the drone that hit the same tower that had been struck on Sunday. "The facade has been damaged on the 21st floor. Glazing was destroyed over 150 square metres," Mr Sobyanin said. Vnukovo airport, one of three major airports serving the capital, briefly shut down but later resumed full operations. Elsewhere, Ukrainian regional officials said a doctor was killed and five medical workers were wounded in Russian shelling of a hospital in the southern city of Kherson. "Today at 11.10am [local time] the enemy launched another attack on the peaceful residents of our community," military administration head Roman Mrochko wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said four medical workers had been wounded in addition to a badly wounded nurse whose injuries were reported earlier. Mr Mrochko said the young doctor had only worked in his job for a few days and that doctors were fighting for the life of the nurse. Meanwhile, Russia also claimed it had stopped attacks by sea drones on its navy ships, plus civilian vessels in the Black Sea. Mr Podolyak later said that such statements were "fictitious" and that "Ukraine has not attacked, is not attacking and will not attack civilian vessels, nor any other civilian objects". Mr Podolyak said nothing of attacks on Russian navy ships, which Ukraine considers legitimate targets given the invasion it is battling. Moscow has said it would treat any ships leaving or entering Ukrainian ports as valid targets after it ended a deal for Ukraine to export its grain through Black Sea last month. Russia has since struck Ukrainian ports and grain infrastructure repeatedly. Kyiv has previously used drones to target Russia's navy base in Crimea and the bridge that Russia has built to the peninsula. Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and Kyiv has pledged to recover it along with other territory seized by Moscow since its full-scale invasion began last February. Late on Tuesday, the Moscow-installed governor of the Sevastopol district of Crimea said a drone had been shot down there too. Reuters contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary What would ECOWAS’ threat to use force to restore democracy in Niger look like? Mapped: The latest strikes on Ukraine and Russia as war rages on BP profits are cut in half to $2.6 billion as oil and natural gas prices fall
2023-08-02 00:52

Andrew Tate claims ‘truth will be known very soon’ as he arrives at Court of Appeal
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan arrived at the Court of Appeal in Romania’s capital Bucharest on Tuesday 1 August. The divisive social media personality, who is charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, claimed that “the truth will be known very soon” as he spoke to reporters outside the building. He has appealed against a court’s decision to keep him and his brother under house arrest for the duration of his trial. A decision is expected later on Tuesday.
2023-08-02 00:20

Henrietta Lacks: Family of black woman whose cells were taken settle case
An unknown settlement is reached after Henrietta Lacks' cells were used for medical advances.
2023-08-02 00:15