Reuters
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The UK government said Thursday it planned to grant children, ages 16 and 17, the right to vote in all UK elections in a massive overhaul of the country’s democratic system.

The government said the proposed changes targeted for parliamentary approval are taking place across the UK to match voter rights to Scotland and Wales, with younger voters taking part in already delegated elections.

“We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that ensure that more people have an opportunity to engage in UK democracy,” Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said in a statement.

According to a report from Congress, voter turnout in the 2024 general election was 59.7%, the lowest general election since 2001.

According to the House Library, studies from countries that reduced the voting age to 16 have not affected election outcomes, indicating that 16-year-olds are more likely to vote than those who first qualified at 18.

Workers who were elected for landslides a year ago and whose popularity fell sharply in the government, said that if they were elected, they would lower the voting age.

The reform will also expand acceptable voter IDs to include UK-issued bank cards and digital formats of existing IDs, such as driver’s licenses and veteran cards.

To tackle foreign interference, the government also said it plans to tighten rules on political contributions, including checking donations of more than £500 ($670) from unincorporated associations and closing loopholes used by shell companies.

Kyiv
CNN
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Advances the possibility of second-rate sanctions on US President Donald Trump’s 50-day suspension on Russia, we present the Kremlin with a window into leveraging its incremental profits over the last few weeks.

Russia is believed to be days or weeks away from rising summer attacks, probably using an army of 160,000 people that Ukrainian officials say are accumulating near the frontline. However, over the past two weeks, Russia has also put its strength in a better position to bring small but important advances and cut off the Ukrainian troops in three important towns, Pokrovsk, Kostiantinibka and Kupiansk, which are on the forefront of the eastern region.

The Kremlin appears to have not been hit by the new Trump deadline, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday. “50 days – it used to be 24 hours. Previously it was 100 days.

Analysts said the new time frame was successful for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goals. Kiel Giles of Chatham House wrote Tuesday that during the diplomatic stage he also provided space to Moscow. “The 50-day deadline gives Russia plenty of time to develop its own alternative plan, and repeats Washington again through diplomatic ploys that Trump may be willing to accept… The latest extension of Trump’s latest extension to Putin will extend Ukraine’s suffering for the same any period.”

John Laff, head of foreign policy at the new Eurasian Strategic Centre think tank, said the summer attacks have already been ongoing for months and “Russians are undoubtedly bolstering their efforts both on the ground and in the air.” He said the recent onslaught of Ukrainian cities probably reflects slow progress at Moscow’s frontline, aiming to “support morale the population and zap the will to fight.”

“Putin is very confident that for several months Ukrainians are aware of the shortage of personnel in progress in this campaign, and there is a shortage of certain weapons systems,” Raf said, adding that Moscow wanted to make Ukraine’s defenses too thin. “I’m going to see it continue in at least 50 days.”

The incremental advances that Moscow made in these three towns were quite expensive. However, frontline mapping by Ukrainian surveillance service Deep State, as well as reports from the region, shows Russia’s progress to line up all three.

In the past 72 hours, Russian forces have approached Rosinke, a key settlement to the northeast of Pokrovsk, the main hub of Ukrainian forces, besieged by Moscow for several months.

This advance coincides with the west of Pokrovsk, where Russian troops are moving to surround the village of Udacine, allowing them to increase efficiency and challenge the supply route to Pokrovsk.

The Ukrainian commander, who passes through Call Sign Musicians and leads the drone company for the 38th Marine Corps Brigade, has been working near Pokrovsk since October. He told CNN that the Russian attack had been ongoing for a while. “We probably haven’t reached the peak yet,” he said. “But they’ve been moving forward for a while and they’re doing very well.”

The musician said that Rodynske’s defense was important. “The enemy understands this and relies on it. If they move forward from Rodynske, the situation becomes important. There is one or two roads out there, and they can control it, and logistics are blocked. That’s a logical move on the enemy’s side.”

He said reinforcements were urgently needed there or they were at risk for the repeated siege and retreats seen around the town of Avdivka in early 2024. The Ukrainian army was detained in Avdivka for several months until there was a lack of numbers and resources to maintain grip in the town.

Ukrainian military blogger Bodan Miloshnikov wrote that if Rodinke was captured, this would “complete the siege of the entire left flank” around Pokrovsk, adding an equally pessimistic rating on the right flank and south. “If this continues, there are few options left. There will be either a forced garrison to retreat under the threat of siege, or a fierce battle with a semi-siege with an unclear outlook.”

Russian military telegram channel “Voennaya Khronika”, translated into “military record”, said before that Pokrovsk would fall like Avdiivka and Bakhmut, “a frontal halt after consecutive flanks, pressure on the supply line, and strategic fatigue.”

Deepstate’s mapping also shows progress towards Kostyantynivka (another important hub in the eastern region), which Russia has approached quickly over the past two weeks From the southeastern and southwest, they are now mercilessly attacked by attack drones.

Ukrainian blogger And then go with serviceman stanislav buniatov, call sign Osman The advancement further brings Moscow’s troops to the Dnipropetrovsk region, an area that was originally not part of Putin’s territorial targets. Daily conflicts “will destroy 70-90% of the enemy’s personnel and equipment, but the enemy is moving forward and everyone understands why,” Osman writes.

Misleading reports from Ukrainian commanders to their superiors have been hindering their defense, Deep State posted Wednesday. “The majority of the enemy’s success is lying to reporting on the real-world status quo. This makes it difficult to assess risks and respond to changes in the situation from above. This is a major problem with devastating consequences. Lies destroy all of us.” The post highlighted the region south of Pokrovsk, as it is particularly vulnerable to the failure of this internal Ukrainian.

While Russian progress is heading north of Kupiansk, it presents another challenge to Kiev’s often over-stretched army. With Moscow’s advance from Holubivka since June 23rd, the settlement of Radkivka is now heading towards the management of key access roads north of Kupiansk.

Kupiansk is one of the main towns east of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, and by managing it, it will help secure an estimated 1 million cities.

Taiwan, Taiwan
CNN
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Under the midday sun, the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, rehearsed for the war for 30 minutes.

The president’s warning began to ring on his phone at 1:30pm on Thursday in the city of over 2 million people. “(Air defense drill) missile attack. Look for shelter immediately.”

The sirens from the air raid came in and bouncing back rows of concrete apartment blocks and office towers. High-pitched, ominous sounds are instantly recognized and, for those who have experienced the real thing, they stir the gut.

The big-mouthed police began screaming and ordering all traffic to be pulled out. The driver had to abandon the car in search of shelter by flashing traffic lights. The bus sat idle and was empty in the middle of a normally bustling street.

Civil defense volunteers in yellow vests led people to shelters, basements and basements.

The MRT – Taipei’s sparkling, air-conditioned subway system – continued running, but passengers were told to stay on the platform.

On the ground, the city has been empty. The business closed the door as customers and employees saw the streets open within seconds. It felt like I traveled back in time on the worst day of the coronavirus pandemic.

The reason for this annual drill is that it is an implicit threat of attacks or invasions by giant Taiwanese neighbors in the north. China’s Communist Party claims that Taiwan is its own territory and is taken away by force if necessary.

Although democratic Taiwan has long been accustomed to those threats, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sharply reassured what could be at risk if peace fades, increasingly shrill rhetoric from the conflict in China’s leader Xi Jinping and the Middle East.

“When I hear the sirens, I get nervous. China has been there the whole time, but when the sirens go away, it reminds me of the huge threat next to us,” said Taipei resident Carl Chu. “Wars can happen anytime. We need to take responsibility, prepare ourselves, know how to protect ourselves.”

Another Taipei resident, Jessica Fan, added: “Many people viewed these training as mediocre routines, but they feel that this year is close to home because of what happened in Ukraine and Israel.

For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises to become one island-wide rehearsal, an island-wide rehearsal. The 2025 Urban Resilience Exercise was performed in collaboration with Han Kuang 41, the island’s largest military simulation.

This year’s drill is 10 days and twice as long as the previous one. The timing is no coincidence. Tensions with Beijing remain high. Polls suggest that most Taiwanese people do not believe that an invasion is imminent, but the government is preparing with focus and urgency.

Beyond sirens and evacuation, the drill included massive casualty simulations and a drop in emergency supply. Outside the Tri-Service General Hospital, the military responded live to imaginary missile strikes. A nearby road was sealed, and the Medic of the mock mock victims of full protective gear was sealed.

All of Taiwan, nearly 50% of the reserves have been involved in scenarios ranging from urban combat to cyber defense.

Recently, soldiers conducted drills in subway tunnels and exhibition halls, transforming civilian infrastructure into a test battlefield.

The Ministry of Defense emphasizes both military preparation and public involvement, including new outreach to Taiwanese foreigners, including English directions.

The government is also urging citizens to download shelter maps, learn about evacuation routes and recognize clear silent tones.

When all the clear sirens finally rang, Taipei quickly reverted back to normality and bouncing back.

Within seconds, traffic and pedestrians returned to the street as people tried to beat the heat and humidity of the summer in a daily basis. Most people believe that the next time you hear the siren, it will be another drill.

But these days, no one is sure.

CNN
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Egypt’s first large-scale hybrid solar and battery plant began construction with a look at the abundant sunlight to help the country fix it. the Energy crisis.

Located in Nagaa Hammadi, Obelisk combines 1.1 gigawatt solar production with 200 megawatts of battery storage. The $590 million project is built by Scatec, a Norwegian renewable energy company that works primarily in emerging markets.

Scatec already has four other renewable projects in Egypt. The North African country aims to increase its share of renewable production from 13% in 2023 to 42% by 2030.

From railways to ports, these infrastructure mega projects are rebuilding Africa

About three-quarters of Egypt’s electricity comes from gas. However, as domestic gas production declines in recent years, it has relied on imports, and The rise in gas prices has caused Egypt to fall into a series of blackouts.

SCATEC CEO Terje Pilskog told CNN that renewable projects are becoming increasingly attractive to emerging economies and tend to be the most difficult due to rising fuel prices. “Renewables don’t rely on importing fuels,” he said. “There’s also about predictability.”

60% According to the industrial group Global Solar Council, the world’s best land for solar development is in Africa, but in 2023, only 3% of the continent’s energy came from the sun.. In 2024, 75% of all new solar projects were built in South Africa or Egypt, but 18 African countries Compared to the two in 2024, there is a possibility that they will install a solar project of 100 MW or more in 2025. The continent aims to reach 300 GW solar capacity by 2030.

Egypt is looking for new domestic gas resources, but set ambitious renewable energy targets and held the COP27 Climate Conference in 2022. But the driving force behind these new renewable projects is economic, not the environment, and says Karem Elgendy, executive director, Energy and candidate Karem Elgendy, Middle East and North African Energy and Candidate.

Egypt is struggling to turn on the lights as it relies on gas and production is declining from its flagship Zohr gas fields.

Egypt issued bids to import around 2 million tonnes of fuel oil in May and June due to the gas imports being too high. Summer brings high demand as air conditioning units are turned on to combat intense heat. The average high could reach 42 Celsius (108 F) in the South. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly recently urged people to curb their energy use to avoid blackouts.

Egypt’s summer heat will increase electricity demand, but it could also provide a solution. The south of Egypt, where Scatech’s new project is broken, is a “magic solar belt,” Ergendi said. According to Global Solar Atlas, Egypt has the potential to be the fourth highest solar power generation in any country.

Historically, solar energy has been intermittently hampered. Solar panels only work during the day, and large battery storage is too high. However, the decline in battery prices, coupled with lower solar power operational and installation costs, means projects that combine solar generation with battery storage like obelisks can overcome this problem.

Due to its size and its main location, “in other parts of the world, “solar and batteries” can take away this major weakness,” Ergendi said.

Battery Storage Project Cost This declined by 89% between 2010 and 2023, particularly due to increased production capacity in China. This drop means that by 2027 solar and battery plants will “become the cheapest form of (any kind of electricity) generation.” According to a report from the Global Solar Council, the availability of energy storage is “a major driver of the increase in solar power generation around the world.” However, global battery storage capacity reached 363 gigawatt hours (GWH) in 2024, while Africa only has 1.6 gWh.

Battery prices are falling and solar is cheaper to operate, but these plants still require large investment, And it can be difficult to find money, Ergendi said, adding that the “risk premium” of investment in developing countries means these projects are more expensive to build in Africa. The continent attracted just 3% of global energy investment in 2024.

Obelisk receives $479.1 million in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank and the European Bank for International Investment in the UK. The solar powered first 561 MW and full battery capacity is expected to be online in the first half of 2026, reaching full 1.1 gigawatt capacity by the end of the year.

Native Hawaiians are kicked out of Hawaii. This is a one family battle.

• Economy

US-NEA

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July 17, 2025

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• The family of Sarah Kehaulani Gu, who owned land in Hana, Maui for nearly 200 years, lost it almost to the property tax hike.
• The tax hike was caused by satellite images that revealed that the land was not used for agriculture.
• Goo’s memoir, “Cleana,” records the family’s battle to preserve the lands of their ancestors.
• The book also explores the movement of native Hawaiians with rising costs of living and land grabs by the ultra-rich people.

Sara Khaulani Goo’s Family has owned land in Hana, Maui for nearly 200 years. It was a gift from the king of Hawaii in 1848, but a few years ago they almost lost it.

For generations, Goose land remained wild and untouched, but historically significant. Hidden under the overgrowth of the land’s jungle was the Pi’ilanihale heiau, the largest heiau in Polynesia and spanning around two soccer fields.

In 2019, while working as a journalist in Washington, DC, Goo received an email from his father. The 10-acre acre property tax revealed land not used for farming, land not used in low tax zoning, and he received from his father that 566% annually rose from $300 to more than $2,000 a year. Her grandparents created trust and secured funds to keep the land in their family, especially the ones that only covered 10 years.

Therefore, her family began a four-year journey to come together to find ways to maintain her ancestral land in her newly released memoir, “Cleana: Stories of Old Hawaiian Family, Land, and Heritage.”

Listen, tourists: Hawaii locals share what visitors want to stop

According to the county Treasury Department, aerial images taken every three years are used by Maui County to inspect properties for land zoning compliance and reassessment of property taxes to fair market value. Some local families say that within the past decade tax payments have barely gained long-standing wealth.

In Hawaiian, the word cleana is widely translated into “responsibility” and “privilege,” enveloping the idea that everyone has a role within a larger community. For Goo, it not only maintains her family’s land as a promise to her grandparents, but sheds light on the current displacement of Native Hawaiians who can afford to live on the infamous, expensive island chain.

Meanwhile, the islands are working to develop more luxurious condominiums and continue to grab land by ultra-rich people, with $3.7 billion owning 11% of Hawaii’s private land, while locals cost 0.003%.

Housing is a complex issue in Hawaii. The island’s finite amount of land real estate is fighting against an influx of out-of-state buyers buying a second home or rental property, making it a valuable feeling for the average local family.

“My family story is a story of the land, what happened to many native Hawaiians, and I’ll tell their stories through our stories. It’s probably a story that resonates with a larger audience, and that was my goal,” Goo told USA Today.

Prices in Paradise

Through the lens of her personal experience, Goo tracks how Europeans’ introduction of private property ownership and colonization have changed the course of Hawaiian history. “My goal was to really tell a new, more true, more authentic story about Hawaii because I felt that every story I saw was written by Hollywood or for tourists,” she said.

Gu continued on to the Paper Trail from when King Kamehameha III gave the original 990 acres to her royal ancestor, Kahanus, to her father’s generation forced her to navigate the modern legal system. On this journey, they face multiple refusals to reduce taxes by what Goo called “faceless bureaucrats.”

This type of story is a familiar story about a local family that Hawaiian and native Hawaiians seek to evacuate.

While most Hawaii is considered a paradise, for many locals, living on the island is a much more difficult reality. In Honolulu and Maui, the median selling prices for regular detached homes exceeded $1 million, according to the 2023 Hawaii Housing Fact Book by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Institute. Less than a third of local households can afford only the average home, with multiple generations often living under one roof.

As a result, locals are driven off the island. For the first time in 2020, it was discovered that more native Hawaiians live outside of Hawaii by the US Census. A 2019 report by Kamehameha Schools found that the high cost of living is the reason why 61% of native Hawaiians said they had considered moving from Hawaii. Goo, an indigenous Hawaiian diaspora who grew up in California, also explores the meaning of connecting with her Hawaiian identity in her book.

The future of Hawaii

Over the decades, the land of Goo’s ancestors has dipped from 990 acres to just 10 acres as members sold their parcels to sugar plantations or moved from Hana. “It’s a miracle that this little land was in our family and we managed to survive for years,” she said. The land where Heiau sits is now managed by the Gardens of Kahanu, the National Tropical Botanical Garden, and now Heia has recovered after pressure from his family.

For many locals, the cost of living in Hawaii just keeps rising, so the road ahead feels uncertain, but Goo sees a faint glow of hope. “If more Native Hawaiians are behind such governments, they have those values and understand the value of Hawaiian land and Hawaiian hands, that gives me some comfort,” she said.

In 2021, Maui County passed the groundbreaking Aina Kupna Act introduced by the Indigenous Kini Rollins Fernandez in Hawaii, which gave tax cuts to certain direct descendants who were handed over their ancestors’ land at least three generations ago.

Still, the battle is far from the end, and the next generation is likely to face another “modern land control version,” Goo said.

“Unfortunately, I’m sure I’ll have to deal with things, or my kids, or those kids, will have to deal with them,” she said. “That’s why it’s important to keep our promises and keep Cleana alive, to understand the context and history because we need to be prepared.”

Passing spending reductions for foreign aid targeting PBS, NPR and Senate

• Politics

US-NEA

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July 17, 2025

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WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans are one step closer to officially trimming federal funds from public broadcasting, global health initiatives and other foreign aid programs.

The Senate narrowly approved the spending reduction package early on July 17th, following more than 12 hours of debate and voting for the Marathon Series.

Two Republican senators — Lisa Murkovsky of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — voted against the measure.

Formal demand by President Donald Trump in early June, the law represents the extent of nearly $200 billion in government savings made by the government’s efficiency report.

Once approved by the House and signed by Trump, the measure strips billions of dollars of allocation for public broadcasting funding NPR and PBS, as well as public broadcasting funding foreign aid agencies, including the World Health Organization and the US International Development Agency.

Elmo and AIDS Prevention: What is Congress targeting their spending cuts?

Trump’s request will officially expire in the middle of the night on July 18th. Now that the Senate has signed it, the bill will return to the House and lawmakers must approve the Senate changes.

Some Republican senators, including Collins, have criticised the proposed cuts included in the original version of the bill that would have withdrawn funds aimed at global AIDS prevention.

The $400 million cut to AIDS prevention was removed by the Senate in hours of deliberation process prior to the final vote.

The sub-departmental fiscal conservatives have previously complained about the prospect of voting in a diluted legal package. Still, the House is expected to pass priority spending cuts from the Trump administration before the weekend deadline.

“I’m sure there were times when I didn’t want to cut,” the chairman of the House Approximately Expenditure Committee told reporters on July 16, ahead of the Senate vote. He refused to specify which items were referring to.

“But you know, I understand… you’ll have to cut what you don’t want to cut. It’s just a nature,” he added. “No decisions can make you happy.”

Cole said he is “are willing to vote whatever the Senate sends back.”

Lightning strike in New Jersey kills 1 and injures 14 including children

• USA

US-NEA

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July 17, 2025

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JACKSON, N.J. — One person was killed and 14 others were injured, including 14 children, officials said after a lightning strike in New Jersey’s outdoor archery range on July 16.

Lightning occurred at 7:07pm at the Black Night Bow Benders Archery Range in Jackson Township, a suburb of Ocean County, east of the state’s capital, Trenton. The incident occurred while the club was hosting a competition for Boy Scouts, according to Township’s Director of Public Safety Information.

The Lightning strike killed a 61-year-old man and sent another man to Burn Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, a township near Newark, Kandy said, about 50 miles north of Jackson.

“Eight of the victims were boys,” Mayor Michael Reina said. “The deceased is an instructor. It appears that the victim was with (American scouting) or Cub scouts. Unfortunately, one of the 14 people was taken to the hospital.”

In addition to the burn victims, 13 other people, including eight children, were sent to local hospitals for treatment, Kandy said. According to Canzid, their injuries ranged from mild burns to reporting sensations of electrical sensation within the body.

Lightning also struck an apartment in town, but minor damage was reported, Candida added. Jackson’s first aid and several other agencies responded to the scene, including first aid forces from Freehold, Howell, Tom’s River, Plumstead, Millstone and Hazzola.

The Black Knight Bowbenders outdoor archery range is located on approximately 50 acres remotely on Perrineville Road. The club hosts numerous archery competitions throughout the year.

The burning part of the Northeastern heatwave: NYC could feel like a 100 degree rice cooker

Mayor: No other incidents have been reported from a thunderstorm

The incident occurred on July 16th, as thunderstorms were predicted in parts of the eastern and central US, including New Jersey. Lightning occurred just before a serious thunderstorm warning was issued in Ocean County.

Meteorologist Nick Guzzo, who works at the National Weather Service Station on Mount Holly, said the thunderstorms that passed through Jackson were “not necessarily atypical” for such events. However, he noted that the Weather Service knew what happened in Jackson and was trying to gather more data on the situation that led to the lightning strike.

Reina said she spoke to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

“I was described tonight about lightning strikes in Jackson’s outdoor archery area. At this point, there is at least one death and multiple injuries,” Murphy said in a post on X.

The mayor said seven outside agencies were supporting him, but apart from the incident at Black Knight Bowbender, there were no other reported cases from the storm.

“I’m grateful for the offer, but there were no fallen trees or blackouts. This was a lightning strike,” Reina said.

New Jersey Lightning Strike: He died at 28 years old after being hit by lightning on a golf course

Northeastern weather

Also, a few days after a strong attack on most of the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic on July 14th, lightning strikes occur several days after heavy rains have penetrated cities that have soaked and caused flash floods in some areas.

The storm killed two people in Plainfield, New Jersey, and killed multiple stations in the New York City subway system in the suburbs, about 30 miles away. Murphy had declared an emergency due to “flash floods and high levels of rainfall in some of the state.”

Authorities recorded six inches of rain in two and a half hours on the evening of July 14th, Murphy previously said at a press conference. Mount Holly Weather Service also warned that the impact of the flood is expected to continue on July 15th.

Following the storm, heat advisories were issued on July 16th to parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. The consultation will be valid from 10am to 8pm on July 17th and from 10am to 8pm on July 17th, and from 10am to 8pm on July 17th, according to the Weather Bureau.

Turkish courts guilty of Erdogan’s rival for threatening imprisoned mayor of Istanbul and civil servants

• World News

US-NEA

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July 17, 2025

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AP
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On Wednesday, a Turkish court, the chief rival of Istanbul’s imprisoned opposition mayor and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, humiliated and threatened civil servants and sentenced them to one year and eight months in prison.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoguru, who has been held in prisons west of Istanbul since March 23, is expected to appeal the verdict, which is part of several ongoing legal proceedings against him.

The case, which preceded his arrest, comes from comments he made on January 20, where he criticized Istanbul’s chief prosecutor Akin Gurlek and accused him of targeting opposition figures through a politically motivated investigation.

A court on Wednesday found Imamoguru guilty of insulting and threatening Grek, but acquitted him of accusations of publicly identifying him with the intent to target him.

Imamogul is considered the main challenger of Erdogan’s two-year rule and has denied the charges.

The mayor was arrested along with other politicians from the major opposition parties as part of an investigation into alleged corruption. His arrest sparked the biggest street protest in Türkiye for over a decade.

Despite being behind the bar, he was officially appointed as the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or the presidential candidate for the CHP. The election is scheduled to take place in 2028, but it may come sooner.

Since Imamoguru’s arrest, dozens of officials from CHP-controlled municipalities have faced a wave of arrests as part of an investigation into bidding and bribery allegations.

The arrest drew widespread criticism from opposition leaders who argued that the charges were politically motivated. Imamoguru himself described the trial as “punishment, not justice,” and accused the judiciary of acting under government pressure.

The Erdogan government argues that the courts are fair and have no political involvement.