An independent panel of experts investigating the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from a rural teachers’ college in Mexico announced they’re withdrawing from their probe because the government had failed to give them access to vital information.

The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI), a committee of jurists and doctors, are in Mexico to investigate the disappearance of the students, who vanished during a visit to the southwestern city of Iguala.

But after presenting their final fact-finding report on Tuesday, the experts said they faced a series of roadblocks, and would be withdrawing from the investigation and leaving the country next week.

“The failure to provide existing information for the investigation of atrocious events such as these, must be denounced by the Prosecutor’s Office and investigated to achieve justice,” the GIEI report read.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, told a morning press conference on Tuesday that his government was “going to continue the investigation.”

The college-aged students, from a teachers’ college in Ayotzinapa, disappeared on September 26, 2014, as they traveled through the southwestern city of Iguala to attend a protest in Mexico City.

Exactly what happened remains unknown, since most of the missing students were never found.

Bullet-riddled buses were later seen in the city’s streets with shattered windows and blood. Survivors from the original group of 100 said their buses had been stopped by armed police officers and soldiers who suddenly opened fire.

Last August, a Mexican court issued at least 83 arrest warrants for people allegedly involved in the 2014 disappearance, but so far no one has been convicted in relation to the students’ disappearance.

The long list of suspects includes dozens of military commanders, troop personnel, police officers, as well as administrative and judicial authorities, who were accused of “organized crime, forced disappearance, torture, homicide and crimes against the administration of justice.”

The GIEI experts said throughout the different stages of the investigation they faced pressures and obstacles such as “lack of information,” “secrecy” and “hidden evidence” until it reached a “critical point in August 2022.”

The group added that the GIEI was forced to leave the investigation in 2016 and were only invited back in 2020 by the new government of Mexico under President Obrador, who made it a campaign promise to investigate the disappearance.

“The concealment of that information has contributed not only to the concealing of government responsibilities, but it has constituted in itself a responsibility of the state in the disappearance of these young men,” GIEI member Carlos Beristain told reporters on Tuesday.

He went on to say that “access to information has been partial and another part of it continues to be hidden.”

Angela Buitrago, another panel member, said the experts were unable to access key intelligence files.

“That condition was to have all the information that was in the files that had not been opened, such as intelligence files,” she said.

In 2008, first grade teacher Alvin Irby stopped by a Bronx barbershop after school for a haircut. Before long, one of his students came in.

“He is getting antsy; he’s kind of looking bored,” Irby recalled. “I’m looking at this student (thinking), ‘He should be practicing his reading.’ But I didn’t have a book.”

That moment stayed with Irby, and five years later he started Barbershop Books. Since 2013, the nonprofit has brought more than 50,000 free children’s books to more than 200 barbershops in predominantly Black neighborhoods across the country.

After the pandemic, math and reading scores in the US dropped to levels not seen for decades, yet literacy rates have long been lower for Black students. Only 17% of Black fourth graders are proficient in reading – and that number is likely even lower for the boys, who consistently score lower than girls in reading. The long-term implications of this can be serious.

Irby is working to change that, but not by helping children practice phonics or decode words. While he acknowledges those skills are essential, his approach is different: He wants to encourage boys to read for fun, on their own.

“So many kids associate reading with something you do in or for school,” he said. “If the only place a kid practices piano is during a lesson, the progress will be slow. … Our program is about getting kids to say three words: ‘I’m a reader.’”

Boys, books, and barbershops

Irby’s program may seem straightforward, but there’s a lot of thought behind it. He puts a colorful, kid-sized bookshelf in each shop, making it inviting to children. The books displayed are all carefully chosen based on recommendations from Black boys ages 4 to 8, his target audience. Many of these stories feature people of color, but for Irby, the most important quality of a book is that it should be fun to read.

“When we ask Black boys about what they want to read, you hear ‘Captain Underpants’ or ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid,’” he said. “Kids are more than their skin color.”

The setting for his work is both practical and meaningful. Not only do boys visit barbershops once or twice a month, but they are important hubs of the Black community.

“We are putting books in a male-centered space,” Irby said. “Less than 2% of teachers are Black males and many Black boys are raised by single moms. Black boys don’t see Black men reading.”

So, Irby involves the barbers in his mission – training them to engage boys about reading.

“We want them to encourage kids to use the reading spaces,” he said. “Then they can talk to them about how they like reading, how funny a book was, or tell them about another book another kid was reading.”

Irby believes that talking about books with a Black man can be powerful for the boys he serves.

“Our goal is not to turn barbers into tutors,” he said. “This is an opportunity to provide boys with male role models.”

Denny Moe was the first barber to work with Irby. Moe had previously offered video games at his Harlem shop, to bring in extra income, but he was willing to forego that to help the community.

“I decided to pay it forward by getting rid of the video games, putting books in here, just to get the kids’ minds going,” he said. “You want to make an impact.”

In Philadelphia, barber Mike Monroe joined Irby’s program a couple of years ago. He says he’s happy to encourage children to browse through the bookshelf in his shop.

“A lot of times we direct them to the books,” he said. “It’s a beautiful feeling, just seeing that they’re putting electronic devices down and actually reading a book.”

Larry Wilson, owner of Levels Barbershop in Harlem, gets a lot of personal satisfaction from seeing children reading.

“The kids – they love it. They’re reading with their parents, and that’s great to see as well,” he said. “It just adds more substance to what I do, to my job.”

Irby’s group now also partners with libraries and school districts. His program is in nearly 60 cities in 24 states, impacting more than 10,000 children a year.

Reading unlocks potential

Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, Alvin Irby’s mother taught elementary school and always emphasized the importance of reading to him. But it wasn’t until he got to high school that he began to realize its value.

“In my 10th grade English class, we were reading short stories and doing spelling tests and I was bored out of my mind, so I went to the counselor to ask if I could be in another class,” he said. “I got into pre-AP (advanced placement) and we were reading novels and doing book reports.”

The class inspired him and challenged him in ways he found rewarding. But he was disturbed to see that the advanced class had mostly white students, while his other English class had been mostly students of color.

“It was jarring for me, looking at this difference in the demographics of the students and looking at this difference in the rigor,” Irby said. “And at the center of all of this was the difference in reading expectations.”

For a school project, he surveyed his classmates about their reading habits and discovered that most of them didn’t read at all if it wasn’t required. The experience galvanized him to run for student council president, vowing to create a reading incentive program. He won and designed a competition encouraging students to write about books for a chance to win gift cards to a local bookstore. The experience left a lasting impact on him.

“It showed me my ideas could do something,” he said. “I didn’t think of myself as a literacy advocate at that time, but looking back, I’ve been on this journey for a minute.”

Irby attended college in Iowa and eventually moved to New York City, where he got a degree in education and became a teacher. Now, he draws on all this experience in his work.

New challenges spark new Ideas

During the coronavirus pandemic, Irby’s organization went online. He created a free e-library on his website featuring videos of him reading picture books aloud as well as digital copies of books by authors of color.

He also created Reading So Lit, an online program designed to help Black and Brown children understand and express their reading preferences.

“We ask them to think about their favorite reading spot, or their favorite genre of fiction and nonfiction,” he said. “We want to help them develop a reading identity.”

He’s now expanded this into a curriculum that will pilot in several schools this fall and he’s working with developers to build an educational technology platform to expand it nationwide. He hopes this program will help teachers better understand how to engage their students.

But the heart of his program remains in barbershops and reaching boys like 8-year-old twin brothers Chance and Chase, who read every time they come to Wilson’s shop.

“These books, I would say, have power,” Chance said. “The power of funness.”

That’s what keeps Irby motivated.

“I’m just excited that we get to create a safe space for boys to do something that’s really life changing,” he said. “That’s what I really believe reading is. It unlocks potential.”

Want to get involved? Check out the Barbershop Books website and see how to help.

To donate to Barbershop Books via GoFundMe, click here

When Angel Yin finished an impressive first round at the Evian Championship, she spent some time signing autographs for a gaggle of junior fans excitedly bundled together at the ropes.

Yet two young spectators had already collected souvenirs from the American golfer before she had even finished playing on Thursday.

For the second year running at the major championship in France, a player suffered the unfortunate fate of having their ball picked up while it was still in play.

Yin had been playing the par-five 15th hole at Evian Resort Golf Club when her shot skimmed over the fairway to settle just outside the ropes – much to the thrill of a nearby young fan, who picked up the ball before walking off with his sister.

The 24-year-old’s caddie, Markus Zechmann, was less ecstatic. Having sprinted off in pursuit of the collector, Zechmann walked the boy back to ask him to point out where the ball had initially landed.

Two negotiations then ensued. First, with the rules official, to determine where the shot should be taken from, and then, between Yin and the siblings, with the golfer “trading” two signed balls from her bag for her original ball.

Last year at the Evian Championship, Nelly Korda suffered a similar fate when a spectator picked up her ball.

Nor was it the first time that Yin had been playing when a spectator picked up her ball, though Thursday’s incident had a happier ending.

The American golfer had once been in contention at an event in Korea when a spectator took her ball but, positioned too far away, it was never found and Yin ultimately had to write it off as a lost ball, accepting a shot penalty in the process.

“Thank god my caddie was up front and he chased him down. I don’t really know the ruling if a kid takes my golf ball,” Yin said on Thursday.

“He plays tennis so he does run. With a bag on your shoulders it’s not fun.”

Yin parred the 15th before racing home with two birdies across the final three holes to card a four-under 67, leaving her just three strokes behind South African first-round leader Paula Reto.

Yin, who is the world No. 37 is chasing a first major win after two runner-up finishes, including an agonizing playoff defeat to Lilia Vu at the Chevron Championship earlier this year.

“Course is really difficult,” Yin said. “View is really nice so it does get difficult at times, but I held it through. Played good golf and was able to make birdies and capitalize on that.”

Yin tees off for her second round at 1:39 p.m. local time (7:39 a.m. ET) on Friday.

Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of NBA legend LeBron James, has been released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after being treated for a sudden cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles hospital said Thursday.

“Although his workup will be ongoing, we are hopeful for his continued progress and are encouraged by his response, resilience, and his family and community support,” Dr. Merije Chukumerije, a cardiologist at the hospital, said.

Bronny James, an incoming freshman for the University of Southern California’s basketball team, suffered a cardiac arrest during practice at the University of Southern California and was hospitalized Monday, his family had said.

Chukumerije on Thursday complimented the “swift and effective response” of the USC training staff when James suffered cardiac arrest during basketball practice Monday and was hospitalized.

“He arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center fully conscious, neurologically intact and stable,” Chukumerije said.

“Listen … listen to me,” the caller said to the operator. “Get an ambulance here now.”

“Alright, sir, we’re going to send help,” the operator responded. “Don’t hang up, sir, don’t hang up.”

The operator asks if there is “a doctor on scene” or a registered nurse and the caller says a doctor is not there.

Earlier Thursday, LeBron James tweeted about his son for the first time since the practice incident, thanking well-wishers for sending his family “love and prayers.”

“We feel you and I’m so grateful. Everyone doing great,” the Lakers star wrote. “We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang”

Cardiac arrest occurs when electrical disturbances cause the heart to suddenly stop beating. It may be fatal if not immediately treated but can be reversed by CPR and a defibrillator, according to the American Heart Association.

“He’s probably wearing a monitor to monitor his heart rhythms while he’s at home to see if there’s any abnormalities,” Gupta said. “But so far it sounds like there’s nothing serious that they have found and they feel comfortable releasing him.”

Sudden cardiac arrest among young athletes is rare but not unheard of. A 2011 study that examined NCAA student-athlete sudden deaths between 2004 and 2008 found cardiovascular-related sudden death was the leading cause of death in 45 cases, or about 9 each year.

“Adolescent male basketball players and college male basketball players, for reasons that we don’t fully understand, are by far our single highest risk group of athletes for sudden cardiac arrest,” Drezner said. “In my opinion, they should all be screened with more robust and intensive cardiac screening than occurs typically.”

Bronny James had a cardiac screening several months ago as part of a program for prospective NBA players, according to a source familiar with the matter. The screening included a transthoracic echocardiogram, which looks at blood flow through the heart and heart valves, and an EKG, which is a recording of the heart’s electrical activity, the source said. Both screenings came back with normal results.

The 6-foot-3 combo guard graduated this spring from Sierra Canyon High School in Los Angeles, where he averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals his senior year. He was rated a four-star recruit, and he stood out in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March, featuring some of the country’s top high school basketball players.

Experts say it’s hard to map out exactly what James’ recovery will look like until more is known about the cause of his cardiac arrest and his specific health condition. But the fact that he was treated immediately and is already out of the intensive care unit bodes well for his recovery, Drezner said.

In a rare critique of the team’s previous coach and staff, new Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton told USA Today that his predecessors had done “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”

Payton, who was hired this past offseason by the Broncos, sounded off on former head coach Nathaniel Hackett and others. Last season, Hackett was let go by the team after a 4-11 record under him.

The 59-year-old Payton didn’t hold back on his disgust for the team’s former coaches and their treatment of quarterback Russell Wilson last season.

“There’s 20 dirty hands, for what was allowed, tolerated in the fricking training rooms, the meeting rooms,” Payton told USA Today Thursday.

“I don’t know Hackett. A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn’t just Russell. He didn’t just flip. He still has it. This B.S. that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn’t get a play in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball.”

Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion, had a career-worst season in his first year in Denver, finishing with 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and only 3,524 yards passing.

“That was the parents who allowed it (to happen),” Payton added. “That’s not an incrimination on him, but an incrimination on the head coach, the GM, the president, and everybody else who watched it all happen.”

Payton’s sharp commentary of a fellow NFL coach is uncommon among the league’s coaching fraternity.

He took aim at Hackett’s new employer, the New York Jets, who hired him as the offensive coordinator this past offseason. The Jets had a big offseason after trading for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and were recently named the participant in HBO and NFL Films’ five-part docuseries “Hard Knocks.”

Despite the big acquisitions and big media hype around the Jets, Payton feels the team will fail to live up to expectations.

“We’re not doing any of that,” Payton said. “The Jets did that this year. You watch. ‘Hard Knocks,’ all of it. I can see it coming.”

Jets head coach Robert Saleh addressed the comments while talking to reporters during training camp on Thursday. Saleh said Payton can say “whatever the hell he wants.”

“I kind of live by a saying: ‘If you ain’t got no haters, you ain’t popping.’ So hate away,” Saleh said. “Obviously, we’re doing something right if you’ve gotta talk about us when we don’t play you until week 4 and I’m good with it. The guys in the locker room, they’ve earned everything that’s coming to them and really excited about what’s going on.”

The Jets are scheduled to play the Broncos in Denver in week 5.

Saleh was also complimentary of the job Hackett has been doing with the Jets so far, calling him “phenomenal.”

“We are focused on us. I get it, there’s a lot of external noise, there’s a lot of people who are hating on us. There are a lot of people looking at us to fail,” Saleh continued. “There’s a lot of crows pecking at our neck but all you could do is spread your wings and keep flying high until those crows fall off and suffocate from the inability to breathe.”

Payton has had plenty of success in the NFL, coaching the New Orleans Saints for 15 years. He led the franchise to the playoffs nine times and won the Super Bowl in 2010.

Following the 2021 season, Payton stepped down as head coach in New Orleans and worked as a broadcaster last season. The Broncos hired him in February after a disappointing 5-12 season.

Women’s World Cup 2023: Live scores, fixtures, results, tables and top scorers

England’s 1-0 win over Denmark at the Women’s World Cup on Friday was overshadowed by a serious-looking injury sustained by its star midfielder Keira Walsh who had to be stretchered off in the first half.

Lauren James scored the only goal of the game in the sixth minute, curling home an exquisite effort from just outside the box to give the European champions the lead.

However, a dominant first half was tarnished when Walsh – England’s midfield metronome – went down clutching her knee with no other player in her vicinity, with the 26-year-old appearing to be in visible pain.

TV cameras appeared to show the Barcelona midfielder telling the England bench that she had “done my knee.” After receiving some medical treatment on the pitch, Walsh was stretchered off in tears.

England is already without defender Leah Williamson and forward Beth Mead, who both suffered anterior cruciate ligaments last season. Williamson, Mead and Walsh played major roles in England’s Euro 2022 title win.

In Walsh’s absence, England continued to create opportunities and had the better of proceedings without finding the necessary cutting edge to extend its lead.

Knowing a win would secure its spot in the knockout phase of the tournament, Denmark ramped up the pressure on England’s goal, but was unable to find a way past Mary Earps.

Denmark came within the width of the post from earning a late draw when Amalie Vangsgaard’s glancing header clipped the frame of the goal with Earps stranded.

In the end though, England was able to move to the brink of booking its spot in the last 16, with one final group game against China to come. If Haiti avoid defeat against China later on Friday, England will reach the knockout stages.

After the 1-0 victory, England manager Sarina Wiegman called Walsh’s injury “serious” and said that she will “probably” go for a scan.

Asked if Walsh’s injury affected her team for the remainder of the game, Wiegman told the BBC: “I think they did a great job. The team really picked it up but it is not nice to see a player on the pitch [like that]. I think the team picked up really well and we had to fight. That’s what we did.”

Argentina vs. South Africa

Argentina completed a dramatic comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against South Africa earlier on Friday.

In an topsy-turvy game in Dunedin, New Zealand, Banyana Banyana opened the scoring, Linda Motlhalo tapping home after 30 minutes, though the Argentina defenders thought the move in the build-up was offside. However, the video assistant referee confirmed Thembi Kgatlana, who provided the assist, was onside and the goal stood.

Seeking a first ever Women’s World Cup victory, South Africa doubled its lead midway through the second half after Kgatlana once again combined with Motlhalo to edge Banyana Banyana a step closer to a famous victory.

However, in the space of five second-half minutes, Argentina clawed its way back into the Group G match.

A stunning, dipping strike from Sophia Braun from the outside of the area gave Argentina a foothold in the game and Romina Núñez completed the turnaround with a header to make it 2-2.

Both sides have a point after two games at the tournament and South Africa has its first ever point at a Women’s World Cup.

Fellow Group G sides, Sweden and Italy, play on Saturday in their second group stage games.

In Argentina and South Africa’s final group games, they will face Sweden and Italy respectively knowing they will need to win to have any chance of making it to the knockout stages of the tournament.

Scorching temperatures will continue to smother millions from the Midwest to the Northeast on Friday and into the weekend, triggering emergency mode for cities and testing nation’s largest power grid.

Forecasters are cautioning about 150 million people of extreme heat Friday as severely high temperatures persist for much of the US – from California, Arizona and Texas to Missouri, Illinois and New York.

“Within these areas, daytime temperatures are forecast to approach and exceed 95-100F heading into this weekend, but oppressive humidity will make these temperatures feel much hotter,” the National Weather Service warned.

“In addition to the hot daytime highs, nighttime lows are also expected to be 10 to 15 degrees above average, with the potential for several warm nighttime low records to be broken,” weather service forecasters added.

Heat indexes – a measure of what the temperature feels like on the skin when accounting for relative humidity – are expected to be between 105 and 110 degrees on Friday, particularly over the Mid-Atlantic and Central Plains, the weather service said.

The agonizing, unrelenting heat has taken a hefty toll on many communities, as well as wildlife.

The number of people dying from heat-related complications is rising in the US. In Arizona, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office in Phoenix brought in 10 refrigerated containers to handle a possible overflow of heat-related deaths.

“While we typically see a surge in heat-related deaths in July, we won’t know how many … we have this year until forensic pathologists complete their investigations,” said Maricopa County spokesperson Jessie Caraveoa. The county has reported 25 heat-associated deaths so far this year as of Monday.

Arizona officials are also reporting emergency room visits for extreme heat burns after people fall to the ground – and even cacti are dying from the persistent triple-digit temperatures.

The intense heat is spreading as a newly published report indicates July is likely the planet’s hottest month on record.

The report, published Thursday by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, notes July’s heat has been so intense that it is “virtually certain” this month will break records “by a significant margin.”

In the US on Thursday, record-high temperatures were reported in Arizona, California, Texas, Louisiana and Washington, DC, according to preliminary data.

As the heat continues Friday before slowly waning in some areas during the weekend, here’s how some communities have taken precautions.

The heat is also taxing power infrastructure in many parts of the country.

Energy provider Con Edison has asked New York residents to reduce their consumption. “Intense heat and increased demand for air conditioning can cause strain on the electric system and may lead to localized outages,” the utility said in a news release.

And PJM Interconnection – the nation’s largest power grid system – on Thursday declared an emergency alert, which instructs all systems to be online, including those with planned outages. The utility coordinates electricity for more than 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC, according to its website.

How hot it will be this weekend

The heat index in Washington, DC, is expected to exceed 100 degrees Friday and Saturday. Low temperatures won’t dip below 74 on both days, providing little relief for the nation’s capital.

Meanwhile in Chicago, residents could see a heat index of 101 degrees Friday, but temperatures are expected to cool Saturday when a high of 78 is forecast.

In New York, temperatures may begin to improve Sunday, when the high is forecast at 82 degrees.

Elsewhere, Phoenix saw a much-needed improvement Wednesday night when the temperature at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport fell below 90 degrees for the first time since the morning of July 9, according to the city’s National Weather Service office. Nearby thunderstorms cooled the area after it reached a record high of 118 degrees Wednesday afternoon.

Some little kids grow up dreaming of being pilots. Silva McLeod wasn’t one of them.

During her childhood on the Tongan island of Vava’u, she didn’t even know that being a pilot was a possible career.

But whenever a plane flew over the thatched hut she lived in with her family, little Silva would run outside to see.

“It was a fantasy as a child, as for every time an aircraft or the sign of an aircraft flying over, I’m always racing outside, pointing to the sky,” she says. “I wouldn’t say that I wanted to be a pilot, but it was that fascination, that curiosity in me that I thought, ‘Wow, what clever people are operating these machines.’”

Since then, much has changed for McLeod. She married, emigrated to Australia, and eventually became one of the clever people operating a flying machine. In doing so, she became one of only a handful of Tongan people ever to get a pilot’s license – and the first Tongan woman.

The long path to the sky

McLeod’s first time on a plane was in 1981, shortly after marrying her Australian husband Ken, whom she met when he came to Tonga to help build a hospital.

To get to his hometown in Victoria, they first had to fly in a small plane from Silva’s native Vava’u to the main island of Nuku’alofa, then fly from Nuku’alofa to Auckland, New Zealand, and finally travel from there to Melbourne.

The first flight was a disaster. They were flying in terrible weather, and water seeped in through a few small cracks in the plane’s body. The plane’s two pilots – both White men who weren’t from Tonga – made announcements in English, which most of the passengers couldn’t understand.

Although McLeod had long dreamed of learning about aviation, life got in the way. Her move to Australia required much more than relocating – she had to learn how to open a bank account, use a washing machine, read maps, drive a car and more. Soon, there were children added to the mix.

On her 32nd birthday, Ken presented his wife with a gift: a certificate for a basic introductory training flight. “Do you still want to learn to fly?” he asked. There was only one answer: yes.

Chipping away year by year, course by course, McLeod slowly worked her way toward becoming a pilot.

First she got her student license, then a restricted license, followed by a commercial license. Eventually, she was able to teach student pilots and fly small craft herself.

McLeod got her pilot’s license in 1992. According to the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, that makes her the first Tongan woman to become a licensed pilot.

Still moving upward

McLeod may have had an atypical path toward the pilot’s seat, but she cherishes every moment she spends in the sky.

At age 37, she became a full-time pilot for Royal Tongan Airlines.

It was then that she was able to ease the memory of that terrifying flight the first time she’d left her island home.

“Delivering that (pilot address) in Tongan, flying in Tonga, I felt like my mission was accomplished,” she says. “Anything coming after that was bonus. If I die flying in Tonga, I would be the happiest pilot ever lived.”

That dream didn’t last, though. In 2004, the airline shut down. For McLeod, Royal Tongan’s demise was about more than losing a job. In order for young people to pursue careers in aviation, they need a place to train and to work.

Not having a national airline or national flight school can essentially be a death knell for a marginalized, under-served nation like Tonga. If McLeod hadn’t met her husband and been able to live and work overseas, odds are she would never have been able to achieve her dream. The other Tongan pilots she knows of were also trained abroad. There’s no flight school in Tonga where they’d be able to return and mentor the next generation.

Still, McLeod will always think of herself as a little girl growing up without electricity or a flush toilet, running around barefoot on a tropical island.

After losing Ken to cancer, she coped by writing a memoir, “Island Girl to Airline Pilot: A story of love, sacrifice and taking flight,” which was published in 2023. She hopes the book will give hope to other people from marginalized backgrounds who want to work in the aviation industry.

“Never look to the top of the mountain,” she says by way of advice. “Because that’s when you quit. It’s too high, too hard. But if you just focus on that step in front, chip away bit by bit, before you know it you have advanced right up halfway to the mountain.”

United Airlines will put Braille throughout its plane interiors in order to support customers who are blind or have visual disabilities, becoming the first US airline to do so.

The airline announced the news in a press release on Thursday, July 27. July is Disability Pride Month in the United States.

“By adding more tactile signage throughout our interiors, we’re making the flying experience more inclusive and accessible, and that’s good for everyone,” Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer for United, said in a statement.

“Finding your seat on a plane or getting to the restroom is something most of us take for granted, but for millions of our customers, it can be a challenge to do independently.”

Braille will be used to indicate aisle and seat numbers and the location of lavatories, according to United.

In addition, the airline is working with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) on other ways to support blind and visually disabled passengers on board.

“United is taking additional steps to create an accessible airline passenger experience through Braille signage,” ACB Interim Executive Director Dan Spoone said in a statement.

“We appreciate the airline’s continued exploration of additional in-flight navigational aids like large print and tactile indicators, and we encourage all airlines to follow United’s lead in making air travel more inclusive for the blind and low vision community.”

It’s not just planes themselves that are becoming more disability-friendly. United’s app was recently updated to make it easier for screen-reading programs to understand.

Braille is named for its creator, blind Frenchman Louis Braille. He invented the language, which uses raised dots, in 1824.

The leader of Ukraine’s national fencing team, Olga Kharlan, has been disqualified from participating in the world championships after she refused to shake hands with Anna Smirnova, who is from Russia.

Kharlan had just beaten Smirnova at the tournament in Milan, but rather than shake hands the Ukrainian offered her sabre to tap blades. Smirnova then walked away before staging a sit-down protest for about 45 minutes.

Smirnova was competing as an individual neutral athele as official Russian participation in such tournaments is outlawed.

Ukrainian Sports Minister, Vadym Guttsait, said on Facebook that he was proud of Kharlan, adding: “Your performance is an example of strength, will and love for Ukraine! Stay strong! The main victory of the country and yours will come soon.”

Kharlan is a four-time individual world champion and four-time Olympic medallist.

Mikhailo Ilyashev, President of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation, told Ukrainian television that Ukraine would protest the decision, saying the referee had not disqualified Kharlan, who was banned later.

“We hope that this (appeal) will be completed in a few days. But it’s out of the question for her to be returned to this competition. In this case, we will ensure that this black card is cancelled, because it is a disqualification that will entail the impossibility of her competing in the team competition.”

He said Kharlan’s disqualification would make it more difficult for her to qualify for the Olympics and it was “very important for us that this disqualification is lifted before the team competition, because she is very strong and without her, it is unlikely that our team will be able to go far and score many points in this competition.”

The International Fencing Federation has not offered any account of the decision on its website or social media accounts. But the refusal to shake hands after a contest results in a black card and expulsion, according to federation rules.

The issue of Ukrainians and Russians not shaking hands in sport is not confined to fencing – Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk, who is from Kyiv, said at the start of the year that she would not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players while the war rages in her country, along with Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko.

Kostyuk was booed at the French Open when she refused to meet Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka at the net. Sabalenka condemned the booing and said she understands why Ukrainian players won’t shake her hand.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina took to Twitter to support Kharlan, writing: “We are not shaking hands with Russian and Belarusian athletes. That is our position! I call on international sports organisations and federations to respect our decision!”

She added that “All our love and respect goes to @olgakharlan.”