Comment on NATO Criticizes China as ‘Decisive Enabler’ of Russia’s War in Ukraine

(LONDON) — A 9-year-old girl wounded in a stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga class in northwestern England died Tuesday, bringing the death toll to three, as police questioned a 17-year-old suspect arrested minutes after the rampage. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The girl was identified as Alice Aguiar by Portuguese Secretary of State for Communities Jose Cesario.

When U. S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned on July 9 that “Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts,” the spymaster’s rare public statement included a caveat asserting that Americans protesting the Gaza conflict are doing so “in good faith.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered no such qualifier in his address to Congress two weeks later, dismissing the Gaza protestors as “Iran’s useful idiots.” Yet in asserting that Iran was financing some anti-Israel activism in America, Netanyahu likely spoke out of personal knowledge of how Tehran has sought to inflame social tensions within Israel itself. The truth is, the Islamic Republic has multiple nodes of influence that it uses to interfere in Western democratic policy debates.

Turkey passed a new law Tuesday aimed at removing millions of stray dogs that animal welfare activists worry could lead to a mass culling. The legislation was approved in a marathon overnight session before the country’s parliament begins a summer recess in August. Its passage follows weeks of protests that have seen thousands take to the streets over the controversial legislation. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Local governments will now be required to house stray dogs in shelters and neuter, spay, and vaccinate them so that they can be adopted, The Independent reported.

Six months after being ousted as the supervisor of Green Charter Township in rural western Michigan, Jim Chapman is sitting at the dining table in his son’s house, a haven from the dirty looks and death threats that continue even now. A self-described conservative Republican who was a police officer before entering local politics, Chapman says his downfall was negotiating to bring a $2.4 billion electric-vehicle-battery plant owned by a Chinese company to town, what he calls a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow the local economy. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The backlash was swift and withering.

American model Bella Hadid has spoken out for the first time after she starred in a controversial Adidas campaign earlier this month that was criticized by Israel, saying she “would never have participated” had she done more research into it. Hadid had appeared in ads for the rerelease of the brand’s classic SL 72 sneaker, which debuted with the 1972 Munich Olympics, where the Palestinian militant group Black September killed 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The SL72 campaign was promoted widely, and even appeared on a billboard in New York City’s Times Square.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has regained weight and appears to have obesity-related health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and his officials are looking for new medicines abroad to treat them, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers on Monday. The 40-year-old Kim, known for heavy drinking and smoking, comes from a family with a history of heart problems.