Israel’s minister of national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Thursday joined a group of Jewish Israelis in visiting what is known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, drawing condemnation from Palestinian authorities and Israel’s neighbors.

“This morning I ascended to the Temple Mount, our temple that was destroyed because of gratuitous hatred,” Ben-Gvir said on the platform formerly known as Twitter. It is the third time that Ben-Gvir, a far right-wing minister, has visited the site, which houses the al-Aqsa mosque, since becoming a minister at the end of last year. Tension at the holy site has been the spark for many previous conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians.

Thursday is a Jewish day of mourning known as Tisha B’Av, on which Jews commemorate the calamities that have befallen them – primarily the destruction of two ancient temples that stood on the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism.

His visit was condemned by the Palestinian Authority and the government of Jordan, which has been the custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites since 1924 and sees itself as the guarantor of the religious rights of Muslims and Christians in the city. The Turkish and Egyptian governments also condemned the visit.

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry in a statement said that Ben-Gvir’s visit “represents a provocative and blatant breach of international law and the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its sacred sites.” The Palestinian Authority called the visit to the site an effort at “imposing forcible changes on its historical and legal reality, as an integral part of the process of Judaizing Jerusalem.”

In a statement released by his party, Jewish Power, Ben Gvir placed his visit in the context of recent political upheaval in Israel.

“On this day, in this place, it is always important to remember – we are all brothers,” Ben-Gvir said. “Right, left, religious, secular. We are all the same people. And when a terrorist looks through the window, he does not differentiate between us and separate us. Unity is important, love of Israel is important.”

“This place, this is the most important place for the people of Israel where we have to go back and show our governability.”

Israel has been rocked by 29 consecutive weeks of protests against the government’s proposed judicial reforms. Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday said that it would in September hear challenges to a law enacted this week banning the court from rejecting government decisions based on “unreasonableness.”

The controversial bill passed by a vote of 64-0, with all members of the governing coalition voting for it, while all opposition lawmakers walked out of the chamber as the vote was taking place.

Ben-Gvir, one of the most divisive figures in Israeli politics, has been convicted in the past of anti-Arab racism and has said he believes that the status quo at Israel’s holy sites should be changed.

Under the so-called Status Quo agreement dating back to Ottoman rule of Jerusalem, only Muslims are allowed to pray inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, while non-Muslims can visit during set times. Israel and other states agreed to maintain access for Muslims to these holy sites after Israel captured them in the 1967 war.

Some religious nationalist Jewish groups have demanded access to the Temple Mount for Jewish prayer. There have been several instances of Jewish visitors conducting prayers in the disputed area, sparking outrage from Muslim authorities and forced removals by Israeli police.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private military company, was spotted inside Russia on Thursday for the first time since he led an armed rebellion against the Russian military last month.

Prigozhin was seen in St. Petersburg, meeting with an African dignitary on the sidelines of the Russia Africa summit, according to accounts associated with the mercenary group.

Since then, Prigozhin had only been seen in public on July 19, when he seemingly appeared in a video inside Belarus, apparently greeting Wagner fighters at a base in Asipovichy.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko – a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir – claimed he convinced Putin not to “destroy” Wagner and Prigozhin during the rebellion.

Prigozhin’s rebellion posed one of the biggest challenges to Putin’s long rule.

Typically a figure who has preferred to operate in the shadows, Prigozhin and his fighters were thrust into the spotlight following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, with Wagner mercenaries playing a key role in multiple battles.

Prigozhin and Putin have known each other since the 1990s. Prigozhin became a wealthy oligarch by winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”

His apparent transformation into a brutal warlord came in the aftermath of the 2014 Russian-backed separatist movement in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin founded Wagner as a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world.

After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Wagner forces were heavily involved in taking the Ukrainian cities of Soledar and Bakhmut.

At times, Wagner forces seemed to be the only ones on the Russian side winning battles with the Ukrainians.

But Prigozhin was often critical of Russian military leadership and the support it was giving his troops.

In one particularly grim video from early May, Prigozhin stood next to a pile of dead Wagner fighters and took aim specifically at Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the Russian armed forces Gen. Valery Gerasimov.

“The blood is still fresh,” he says, pointing to the bodies behind him. “They came here as volunteers and are dying so you can sit like fat cats in your luxury offices.”

Separate outbreaks of violence this week, including the alleged shooting of three Muslim men by a police officer on a train, have exposed the deep communal fissures in India weeks before it welcomes Group of 20 (G20) leaders to the capital.

Violence erupted in the northern state of Harayana state on Monday after a right-wing Hindu organization led a religious procession in the Muslim dominated region of Nuh.

Clashes spread to several districts of the finance and tech hub, Gurugram, also known as Gurgaon, home to more than 1.5 million people and hundreds of global firms, where violent mobs predominantly targeted Muslim-owned properties, setting buildings ablaze and smashing shops and restaurants.

At least six people died, including two police personnel and a cleric who was inside a mosque that was set alight, and more than 110 people have been arrested, authorities said.

Gurugram’s district counselor urged residents to remain home and ordered the closure of some private education institutes and government offices.

As the violence unfolded, about 1,300 kilometers (807 miles) south in Maharashtra on a train traveling to Mumbai, another deadly attack demonstrated the depth of the country’s sectarian divide.

In a video that has emerged of the aftermath and quickly gone viral, the officer can be seen standing over a lifeless body, rifle in arm, as terrified travelers huddle at the end the coach.

The officer glances at the body, then scans the carriage before saying: “If you want to vote, if you want to live in Hindustan (India), then there’s only (Narendra) Modi and Yogi (Adityanath).”

Referencing the country’s leader, and the Hindu monk turned chief minister of India’s most populous state, he appeared to be advocating for their popular, but deeply divisive policies.

“We haven’t heard a lot from the authorities,” he added. “But I believe this happened because we are Muslim.”

Police have arrested the officer and a motive is yet to be determined, authorities have said. However, opposition politicians and activists have called the attack a “hate crime” that targeted India’s Muslim minority population.

Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of parliament and leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen political party called it a “terror attack that specifically targeted Muslims.”

Another lawmaker and member of India’s main opposition Congress party, Jairam Ramesh, said it was a “cold-blooded murder” that was the result of a polarized media and political landscape.

The image of India that Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) want to project is one of a confident, vibrant, and modern superpower – and it will be one they want on display in India when G20 leaders meet in New Delhi next month.

But analysts say these scenes of violence underscore an uncomfortable reality as the BJP’s Hindu nationalist policies gain momentum in the world’s largest democracy after nearly a decade of Modi’s rule.

On Wednesday, hundreds of members from the Hindu extremist right-wing Bajrang Dal group took to the streets in several cities, including Delhi, burning effigies and chanting slogans against Muslims in protest against what they called “Islamic jihad and terrorism.”

Asim Ali, a political researcher based in New Delhi and no relation to Asgar Ali, said that official silence over sectarian assaults and rhetoric is encouraging for the radical groups and such attacks have become “more brazen” since BJP ascended to power nearly a decade ago.

Ethnic violence has been raging in the northeastern state of Manipur for the last two months, a topic that has received little public comment from Modi.

Ali fears sectarian tensions may only worsen next year as India heads into a bitterly fought election with Modi seeking a third term and an opposition building a coalition to unseat him.

Increase in hate crimes

The latest communal violence come against a broader rise in hate crimes against minority groups.

A study by economist Deepankar Basu noted a 786% increase in hate crimes against all minorities between 2014 and 2018, following the BJP’s election victory.

The BJP, however, says it does not discriminate against minorities and “treats all its citizens with equality.”

But Basu’s study shows – and news reports indicate – the brunt of these hate crimes targeted Muslims. And activists point to a host of recent incidents that they say contribute to India’s sharp communal divide.

Last month, the BJP chief minister of the state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, blamed Muslims for the soaring prices of tomatoes. His accusation came weeks after he lashed out at former US President Barack Obama, saying Indian police should “take care of” the many “Hussain Obama” in the country, referring to the country’s Muslims.

Former US President Obama is not a Muslim.

Meanwhile Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh who was referenced by the police officer allegedly involved in the train shooting, is among the most divisive of the BJP politicians.

Since he took office, the state has already passed legislation that, critics say, is rooted in “Hindutva” – the ideological bedrock of Hindu nationalism.

It has protected cows, an animal considered sacred to Hindus, from slaughter, and made it increasingly difficult to transport cattle. It also introduced a controversial anti-conversion bill, which makes it difficult for interfaith couples to marry or for people to convert to Islam or Christianity. Some cities named after historic Muslim figures have also been renamed to reflect India’s Hindu history.

Adityanath is also known for his provocative rhetoric against Muslims.

He once praised former US President Donald Trump’s travel ban barring citizens of several Muslim-majority countries and called for India to take similar measures, according to local channel NDTV.

India has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world with an estimated 170 million adherents, roughly 15 percent of its 1.4 billion population.

Adityanath’s cabinet members have previously denied allegations they are promoting Hindu nationalism.

But prominent Muslim author and journalist, Rana Ayyub, who has written extensively about India’s sectarian shift, says the current political rhetoric “emboldens” radical right wing groups who feel increasingly protected and untouchable in today’s India.

“It feels like an Orwellian novel playing out in front of you,” she said, adding she fears for the safety of her Muslim friends and family. “I think the silence of the country is a tacit approval for these hate politics.”

Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to reach the knockout phase of the Women’s World Cup, sending Brazil crashing out of the tournament in the process.

Jamaica had never previously reached the knockout stages of a World Cup – men’s or women’s – prior to the 0-0 draw in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Success for the ‘Reggae Girlz’ has been based on resolute defending which has seen Jamaica become one of just three teams to collect three consecutive clean sheets – Japan and Switzerland are the other two nations.

Jamaica’s manager Lorne Donaldson sprinted onto the pitch before finding himself on the turf after attempting a cartwheel and was then mobbed by his victorious players. There were also tears and a sense of disbelief from the Jamaican squad as the reality of its achievement set in.

Brazil’s players were to a woman disconsolate – this marks the first time since 1995 that the South American side has been eliminated at the group stage of the World Cup.

“I tell you what, this is one of the best feelings I’ve had in my life,” Donaldson told ITV. “Just to see these girls and to see a country like Jamaica be able to do this, it’s unbelievable to just watch it while I’m alive right here standing. I thank the girls for doing this for the country and the country should be proud.

“The resilience, the fight. It’s a war, we know it’s a war, we’re going into a war and we have to be ready and it was a war and we stayed in the battle and we won the war. But we have some more work to do but we’ll just enjoy tonight.

“I did a cartwheel but I don’t know if it was a good one. I need a cup of beer and I’m good. I’m not a big drinker. I will enjoy.”

Marta’s nightmare farewell

Brazil’s Marta, the record scorer in World Cup history and veteran of six tournaments, looked laser-focused on the objective of qualification, passionately singing her country’s national anthem in what was her final World Cup fixture.

Brazil entered the game knowing it would almost certainly need a win to progress, barring a shock of epic proportions in the simultaneous match between France and Panama.

The atmosphere inside the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium was raucous as the South American fans and locals alike paid tribute to one of the game’s greatest players and her pursuit of the sport’s ultimate prize.

Having been used exclusively as a substitute in the previous games, Marta’s promotion to the starting lineup stood as proof that Brazil coach Pia Sundhage understood the gravity of the situation, and her teammates followed suit.

While As Canarinhas didn’t manage an early breakthrough, they dominated proceedings in the first half – racking up 64% of possession and four shots on target – while Jamaica occasionally threatened with its counterattacking style.

The tension levels in the ground palpably increased in the second half – every forward break viscerally cheered, each tackle roared on with gusto – but neither team could force the issue.

As Brazil poured more and more numbers forward, gaps opened for the ‘Reggae Girlz’ and in particular for star striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.

Late on, Shaw broke through the Brazil defense for her team’s best chance of the game, only to blast her effort well over the crossbar.

Then in the 94th minute – the last of the allotted added time – there was an almighty scramble in the six-yard box as the ball rebounded around, bouncing off bodies before looping safely into the hands of Jamaican goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer.

Brazil’s exit is a huge shock. The team breezed through the women’s Copa America without losing in 2022 and had realistic expectations of more glory at this showpiece event.

The draw confirms that Marta’s glittering career will end without a World Cup trophy.
Arguably the finest player of her generation, Marta left the pitch in the 81st minute to adulatory applause, but the stony look on her face seemingly demonstrated her abject disappointment.

“It’s hard to talk at a time like this,” the 37-year-old said after the game. “Not even in my worst nightmares was it the World Cup I dreamed of.”

Despite the obvious pain of elimination, Marta remained upbeat about her team’s future.

“It is only the beginning. The Brazilian people asked for renewal, and there is renewal,” she added.

“I think the only old one here is me, and maybe Tami (Tamires) following. Most of them (teammates) are young girls with enormous talent, who have a great path ahead of them. It’s just the beginning for them. I finish here, but they continue.”

Five-time winners of the men’s World Cup, Brazil’s chase for a maiden women’s title will have to resume in 2027.

France overcome early scare to cruise through

The other game in Group F, billed as a presumed victory for France over Panama, briefly threatened to be anything but that at the Sydney Football Stadium in Australia.

Barely over a minute into the game, the starting team, bench and coaches alike for Las Canaleras were engaged in a mass pile-on after one of the goals of the tournament.

As Marta Cox lined up the free-kick from over 30 meters out, few would have given her a chance of finding the top-left hand corner – but that is exactly what happened as the ball arced perfectly into the net.

Cox, who had been in tears during Panama’s anthem just moments earlier, once again found herself overcome with emotion after scoring her country’s first ever goal at a Women’s World Cup.

Panama’s defense lasted until the 21st minute, when a header from a France corner looked destined for the safe clutches of Yenith Bailey in goal, only for Deysire Salazar’s attempted clearance to rocket into the roof of the net.

Normal service continued just seven minutes later as Kadidiatou Diani scored for France after some excellent play from Vicki Becho on the right wing.

Diani doubled her tally from the penalty spot soon after, effectively ending the game as a contest and confirming Les Bleues’ passage to the next round.

It was 4-1 by half-time after a cross from Léa Le Garrec from the left missed everyone and looped into the net.

Diani completed her hat-trick from the penalty spot soon after the interval as France stepped up the pressure. The 28-year-old becomes the first French woman to score a hat-trick at a World Cup – and just the third French soccer star ever, after Kylian Mbappé and Just Fontaine.

A Panama penalty restored some respectability to the result as Yomira Pinzon swept the ball home at the second attempt – having had the first ruled out for not waiting for the referee’s whistle. The cascade of French goals had done little to dampen Panama’s spirit, with Pinzon joyously dancing in celebration of her goal

A third Panama goal brought more joy, with all the team dancing by the corner flag after Lineth Cedeno took advantage of a fortuitous bounce off the crossbar to nod home into an empty net. When VAR confirmed the goal counted, the players took the opportunity to dance some more.

Becho rounded off the game for France, curling in a lovely finish to make the score 6-3.

France qualifies top of Group G, with Jamaica in second, with both teams waiting to find out who they will face in the round of 16.

Hunter Dekkers, the starting quarterback for all 12 Iowa State football games last season, is among several athletes who have been charged in Iowa district court in Story County in connection with an investigation into alleged student-athlete gambling at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.

Dekkers faces a charge of tampering with records, with the state alleging Dekkers attempted to disguise his identity while betting on sports events. The criminal complaint alleges bets were made from Dekkers’ phone using a DraftKings account set up under the name of a family member. He has denied the accusations.

A former Iowa State football player who was recently suspended by the NFL, a current Cyclones player and a wrestler were also charged.

Dekkers is alleged to have placed approximately 366 bets totaling over $2,799, with 26 of those bets involving Iowa State events, including a 2021 football game in which he did not play, according to the complaint. The complaint alleges Dekkers, a redshirt junior, was under the age of 21 at the time when he used DraftKings, below the legal betting age in Iowa.

Current National Collegiate Athletics Association guidelines state that athletes “who engage in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provide information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This would also apply to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.”

Quarterback steps away to fight charge

Dekker’s attorney, Mark Weinhardt, said in a statement Wednesday that Dekkers “denies the criminal charge brought against him” and that he was charged “with a serious business records crime that does not apply to this situation even if the allegations against him were correct.”

“This charge attempts to criminalize a daily fact of American life. Millions of people share online accounts of all kinds every day,” Weinhardt says in the statement.

Dekkers will step away from the team to focus on his defense, according to his attorney.

Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike was charged with tampering with records. Prosecutors allege he used someone else’s name to place roughly 800 sports bets on FanDuel totaling over $21,000, including two Iowa State football games in the 2021 season in which Uwazurike participated.

Last week, Uwazurike was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for gambling on league games in 2022. He can petition for reinstatement in one year.

The criminal complaint alleges the FanDuel account linked to Uwazurike placed 32 bets involving Broncos games after he had been drafted by the Broncos. The complaint also alleges there were five specific games that Uwazurike bet on. The defensive lineman played in all five, according to his team profile.

Iowa State sophomore wrestler Paniro Johnson, who won a Big 12 Conference wrestling title last season, is alleged to have made approximately 1,283 sports bets totaling over $45,000, including 25 wagers placed on Iowa State University sports events.

Cyclones redshirt sophomore football player Dodge Sauser is accused of placing roughly 113 sports bets totaling over $3,000. The complaint alleges Sauser made 12 wagers on Iowa State football games, including bets on four games last season.

Iowa State athletics department says compliance staff working with NCAA

According to a statement from Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard, the university has been working with the “involved student-athletes,” a process that is ongoing.

“Iowa State cannot comment on any student-athletes’ circumstance or eligibility status,” Pollard said. “We will, however, continue to support our student-athletes as our compliance staff works with the NCAA to sort out questions surrounding their future eligibility for intercollegiate athletics competition.”

Athletes, coaches and staff are educated on state gambling laws and NCAA policies, Pollard added.

The Iowa Board of Regents said it is aware of the charges and is monitoring closely.

“The Board and our universities have and will continue to fully cooperate with any investigations. We have full confidence that campus administrators will take all necessary steps to ensure ongoing compliance,” the board said in a statement.

In May, Iowa’s university system announced that 26 current student-athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University were being investigated for allegedly violating NCAA rules by gambling on sporting events.

It’s been a week of high drama at this year’s Women’s World Cup with the last round of group fixtures throwing up countless story lines.

South Africa reached the last 16 for the first time, the US team came within inches of being knocked out and the Netherlands recorded the biggest score line of the tournament, beating Vietnam 7-0.

Fans can expect yet more action in the final group games on Thursday with Colombia, Germany, South Korea and Morocco all bidding to qualify out of Group H.

How to watch

In the US, matches will air on your local Fox channel. You can also stream matches by signing in with your TV provider at foxsports.com or on the Fox Sports app. Telemundo and Peacock are providing Spanish-language coverage.

Seven Network and Optus Sport are broadcasting matches in Australia and the BBC and ITV have the rights in the United Kingdom.

A full breakdown of media rights holders in each country is available on the FIFA website.

Both matches take place at 6 a.m. ET.

Morocco vs. Colombia

Colombia caused a major shock in its last fixture as it scored a dramatic late winner to beat two-time world champion Germany, 2-1.

The game also saw 18-year-old sensation Linda Caicedo produce one of the moments of the tournament as she scored a wonder goal to give her team a 1-0 lead.

It means Colombia has maximum points from its opening two games and will qualify for the last 16 unless there is an unlikely swing in goal difference.

A point against Morocco, however, would see it qualify as group winner.

The African nation, playing in its first Women’s World Cup, must better Germany’s result against South Korea to stand any chance of making it through to the knockout rounds.

Whatever happens, Morocco has made history, securing the country’s first win at a Women’s World Cup against South Korea.

Defender Nouhaila Benzina also become the first player ever to wear a hijab at a senior-level Women’s World Cup.

South Korea vs. Germany

After its defeat to Colombia last time out, Germany is on the brink of an embarrassing exit from the World Cup.

The Germans have qualified for the knockout round in each of their last eight appearances at the tournament and, despite struggling in their last fixture, will feel confident of progressing.

To do so, the team must simply better Morocco’s result on Thursday.

Germany was one of the favorites to lift the title in Australia and New Zealand and poses a mountain to climb for South Korea.

Despite having lost both of its games so far, the Taegeuk Ladies can still make it out of the group should they win and results, including a big swing in goal difference, go their way.

The winner of Group H will face Jamaica in the next round after the Reggae Girlz qualified for the last 16 for the first time. The runner-up from Group H will face France.

A historic Italian bell tower was recently silenced during the night, in response to protests from B&B owners whose guests complained about the noise—but some locals are now complaining that they can’t sleep without the sound of the chimes.

A bell has tolled in the clock tower in the main square of the Tuscan town of Pienza for about 560 years. Construction of the buildings around the square began in 1459.

“I had complaints from residents and owners of B&Bs, who are also residents,” he added. “The complaints started after we digitalized the sound of the bell striking and the clock 18 months ago.”

However, some of the town’s 2,100 inhabitants told state broadcaster RAI that the unfamiliar silence during the night is keeping them awake.

“We were born here, we used to hear it in the dead of night. In the absolute silence, it was a sign of life,” one local told RAI.

With its ancient buildings, narrow cobbled streets and hilltop position overlooking the rolling Tuscan landscape, Pienza has long been a magnet for tourists.

Now protected by UNESCO, the town’s historic center was redesigned by Pope Pius II in the late 15th century according to the principles of the Renaissance “ideal city.” As the first town shaped by these Renaissance ideals of urban design, Pienza—which Pius renamed in his own honor —holds a significant place in both Italian and global urban development.

Two men driving in Death Valley National Park on July 4 got lost and illegally drove off-road, the US National Park Service alleges, sending one man to the hospital with heat-related illness.

Charges and fines are pending, NPS said in a news release Tuesday.

“Death Valley is an awe-inspiring place that demands our utmost respect and preparedness,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement. “We urge visitors to exercise caution and adhere to park rules. Don’t drive off established roads; this damages the environment and can turn deadly.”

The pair were navigating by GPS and took a wrong turn in the park, NPS said in the release. After several hours of driving back and forth along a gravel road and becoming worried about running out of gas, they decided around midnight to try to drive directly across the salt flat.

The men’s car got stuck in the mud nearly a mile off the road. The pair walked about another mile to paved Badwater Road, where they walked an additional 12 miles (19 kilometers) north, the Park Service said.

Around 3 a.m., the two split up. One man was picked up around 8 a.m. by other visitors and driven to Furnace Creek to call for help.

The lowest temperature that night was 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius), NPS said.

The family who picked him up drove back and found the second man and took him to Shoshone, California, NPS said. He was transported by ambulance to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, Nevada, with symptoms of heat-related illness.

Deadly heat in Death Valley

Two possible heat-related deaths have been reported at the park this summer.

A 65-year-old man was found dead inside his vehicle on July 3, and a 71-year-old man died on July 18 after collapsing outside a restroom as temperatures topped 120 F (50 C).

NPS said a mandatory court appearance was issued to the men involved in the July 4 incident for illegal off-road driving and resulting damage to the park, with charges and fines pending.

“Vehicles that drive offroad can harm plants and animals – such as the desert tortoise – and often leave tracks that can scar the desert for decades,” the NPS news release said.

The men’s vehicle was removed on July 27 using a skid steer in the tracks created by their car to minimize additional damage.

Death Valley must: Road map

The Park Service reminds visitors that there is no cell service in most of the park, and GPS navigation can be unreliable in remote locations such as Death Valley. Visitors should travel with an up-to-date road map.

The park, the largest US National Park outside Alaska, has nearly 1,000 miles of paved and dirt roads. The Park Service said it’s safest to stay on paved roads during the summer heat.

The park’s website carries a current warning for extreme summer heat: “Expect high temperatures of 110°F to 120°F+ (43°C to 49°C+). Drink plenty of water and carry extra. Avoid hiking, do not hike after 10 a.m. Travel prepared to survive. In the case of a heat-related illness, get to a cool place and seek help immediately.”

Here is a look at the life of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Personal

Birth date: June 19, 1945

Birth place: Rangoon (Yangon), Burma (Myanmar)

Birth name: Aung San Suu Kyi

Father: Aung San, commander of the Burma Independence Army. Helped negotiate Burma’s independence from Britain. Assassinated on July 19, 1947.

Mother: Ma Khin Kyi, diplomat and later an ambassador to India.

Marriage: Michael Aris (January 1, 1972-March 27, 1999, his death)

Children: Kim (Burmese name: Htein Lin) and Alexander (Burmese name: Myint San Aung)

Education: St. Hughes College, Oxford University, B.A. in philosophy, politics and economics, 1967

Religion: Buddhist

Other Facts

Referred to as Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; “Daw” is an honorific title.

Grew up in Myanmar and India but moved to England in the 1960s.

Timeline

1964 – Moves to England to study at Oxford University.

1969-1971 – Works at the United Nations in New York as assistant secretary for the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.

1985-1986 – Is a visiting scholar at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan.

1987 – Is a fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies in Simla, India.

April 1988 – Returns to Myanmar when her mother suffers a severe stroke.

August 26, 1988 – In her first public address, outside the Shwedagon Pagoda, calls for a multiparty democratic government.

September 24, 1988 – Co-founds the National League for Democracy (NLD), a party dedicated to nonviolence and civil disobedience, and is appointed general secretary.

July 20, 1989 – Is placed under house arrest for charges of trying to divide the military, charges she denies.

May 27, 1990 – Her party, the NLD, wins more than 80% of the legislative seats, but the State Law and Order Restoration Council does not recognize the election results.

July 10, 1991 – Wins the Sakharov human rights prize from the European Parliament.

October 14, 1991 – Wins the Nobel Peace Prize “for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.”

July 10, 1995 – Is released from house arrest, but her political activity is restricted.

September 23, 2000 – Is again placed under house arrest.

December 6, 2000 – US President Bill Clinton awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Suu Kyi in absentia.

May 6, 2002 – Is released from house arrest.

May 30, 2003 – While traveling in Myanmar, her motorcade is attacked by a pro-government mob and she is held by the military. Later, she is placed under house arrest.

November 29, 2004 – Learns her house arrest has been extended for another year.

May 2006 – House arrest is extended for another year.

June 9, 2006 – US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Sean McCormack tells reporters that Suu Kyi has been hospitalized for an undisclosed ailment.

May 25, 2007 – The government extends her house arrest for another year.

May 6, 2008 – US President George W. Bush signs legislation awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Suu Kyi.

May 27, 2008 – The government extends her house arrest for another year.

May 14, 2009 – Suu Kyi is arrested and charged with violating the terms of her house arrest. This is in response to an incident earlier in the month, when American John Yettaw swam uninvited to Suu Kyi’s lakeside house. If convicted she faces up to five years in prison.

May 18, 2009 – Suu Kyi’s trial on charges of government subversion begins.

August 11, 2009 – Suu Kyi is found guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest and sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor. The sentence is reduced to 18 additional months of home confinement.

May 7, 2010 – The NLD refuses to register for the election, thereby disqualifying itself as a political party, and officially dissolves.

November 13, 2010 – Suu Kyi is released from house arrest. She has spent 15 of the last 21 years under house arrest.

November 15, 2010 – Speaking to reporters at the headquarters of the NLD, Suu Kyi pledges to keep working toward restoring democracy and improving human rights in Myanmar.

January 28, 2011 – Suu Kyi’s recorded message, in which she stresses the need for Myanmar to reestablish ties with the rest of the world, is played at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

November 18, 2011 – Nyan Win, the spokesman for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy, says that Suu Kyi will participate in the next elections. The NLD announced earlier in the day that it planned to re-register as a political party and participate in all future parliamentary elections.

December 13, 2011 – The NLD is granted permission to register for future elections in Myanmar.

January 18, 2012 – Suu Kyi registers to run for a parliamentary seat.

April 1, 2012 – Wins a seat in parliament in Myanmar’s first multiparty elections since 1990.

May 2, 2012 – Along with 33 other newly elected members of her party, Suu Kyi takes the oath of office for parliament, resolving an impasse over the oath’s wording that had been preventing her from taking her seat in the legislature.

May 29, 2012 – Makes history by stepping on foreign soil for the first time in more than two decades when she arrives in Bangkok, Thailand.

June 1, 2012 – Suu Kyi speaks at the World Economic Forum on East Asia.

June 16, 2012 – Delivers her acceptance speech for her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize, in Oslo, Norway.

June 21, 2012 – Addresses both houses of the British parliament.

September 19, 2012 – Suu Kyi accepts the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, DC. She later meets with US President Barack Obama.

November 19, 2012 – Meets with Obama at the lakeside villa where she spent years under house arrest. Obama praises Suu Kyi for her courage and determination during his visit to Myanmar, the first visit by a sitting US president.

March 10, 2013 – Wins reelection as opposition leader.

October 22, 2013 – Suu Kyi accepts the 1990 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in Strasbourg, France, originally awarded to her in 1991.

June 10, 2015 – During her first visit to China, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

November 13, 2015 – Myanmar’s election commission announces that Suu Kyi’s NLD party has won a historic majority in the nation’s first freely held parliamentary elections. Suu Kyi is not able to become president because of a constitutional amendment that prohibits anyone with foreign relatives from becoming the nation’s leader.

April 5, 2016 – Suu Kyi is named state counselor, a role created especially for her. The post allows her to be in contact with ministries, departments, organizations, associations and individuals, and makes her accountable to parliament, according to Myanmar’s state media. While Suu Kyi is barred from holding the office of president, the new position is widely expected to allow her to rule by proxy.

September 14, 2016 – Suu Kyi meets with Obama at the White House for the first time since becoming the de facto leader of her country. As Suu Kyi arrives, Obama issues a statement saying he will reinstate Myanmar to the Generalized System of Preferences, which will help Myanmar with economic development, exportation of goods and job creation.

April 5, 2017 – Speaking to the BBC, Suu Kyi denies that ethnic cleansing has taken place against Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim ethnic minority, amid reports of human rights abuses in Rakhine.

March 7, 2018 – The US Holocaust Museum announces it is rescinding the Elie Wiesel Award granted to Suu Kyi in 2012 because of her failure to intervene in the humanitarian crisis occurring in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

November 13, 2018 – Amnesty International announces their decision to revoke the Ambassador of Conscience Award from Suu Kyi, which she received from them in 2009. Suu Kyi has had a string of awards and accolades revoked amid the Rohingya crisis.

December 2019 – Suu Kyi leads a legal team to the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands after the nation of Gambia filed a lawsuit in the world court alleging that Myanmar committed “genocidal acts” that “were intended to destroy the [country’s persecuted] Rohingya as a group” through mass murder, rape and destruction of communities.

January 23, 2020 – The UN’s top court orders Myanmar to prevent acts of genocide against the Rohingya and to stop destroying evidence.

November 13, 2020 – Suu Kyi’s NLD wins enough parliamentary seats to form the next government, according to official results of a general election.

February 1, 2021 – Myanmar’s military seizes power in a coup and declares a state of emergency after detaining Suu Kyi and other senior government leaders in early morning raids.

March 1, 2021 – Suu Kyi appears in court via video conference where she is charged with two more counts. One under Myanmar’s colonial-era penal code prohibiting publishing information that may “cause fear or alarm,” and another under a telecommunications law stipulating licenses for equipment, her lawyer said according to Reuters. This brings the total charges against her to four. In February, she was charged in relation to a national disaster law and a count under the country’s import and export act.

April 16, 2021 – Opponents of the military junta announce the creation of an interim national unity government, and name Suu Kyi as the de facto leader.

May 24, 2021 – Suu Kyi attends a court hearing, her first appearance in person since the military seized power on February 1.

June 14, 2021 – Suu Kyi’s trial begins. The trial addresses three charges, including that Suu Kyi, violated a communications law by allegedly importing and using a number of walkie-talkie radios, and violated coronavirus restrictions during election campaigning last year.

November 16, 2021 – Suu Kyi is charged with election fraud by Myanmar’s Union Election Commission.

December 6, 2021 – Suu Kyi is sentenced to four years in prison on charges of incitement and breaking Covid-19 rules. Her sentence is later reduced to two years.

April 27, 2022 – A court sentences Suu Kyi to five years in jail after finding her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases against her, according to a source with knowledge of proceedings. The case centers on allegations that Suu Kyi accepted 11.4 kg (402 oz) of gold and cash payments totaling $600,000 from her protege-turned-accuser, former Yangon chief minister Phyo Min Thein. Suu Kyi has denied the charges and called the allegations “absurd.”

August 16, 2022 – State media reports that Suu Kyi has been sentenced to six more years in prison after being convicted on four extra counts of corruption.

September 2, 2022 – Is sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor on charges of electoral fraud. The latest verdict in the series of trials against the Nobel laureate takes her total jail term to 20 years. However, this is the first time Suu Kyi has been sentenced to hard labor since the country’s most recent military coup in 2021. She was given hard labor in a separate trial under a previous administration in 2009 but that sentence was commuted.

September 29, 2022 – A military court sentences Suu Kyi and her former adviser, Australian Sean Turnell, to three years in prison for violating the country’s Official State Secrets Act.

October 12, 2022 – Is sentenced to three additional years in jail for corruption.

December 30, 2022 – Is sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption, bringing an end to a string of secretive and highly-politicized proceedings. Suu Kyi’s total jail term is 33 years, including three years of hard labor. She has denied all of the charges levied against her, and her lawyers have said they are politically motivated.

August 1, 2023 – It is announced that Myanmar’s ruling military junta has pardoned Suu Kyi on five charges for which she was previously convicted. The five charges pardoned include offenses against defamation, natural disaster laws, export and import laws and the country’s telecommunication law. Suu Kyi’s jail sentence will be reduced by six years.

Here’s a look at the life of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Personal

Birth date: December 25, 1971

Birth place: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Birth name: Justin Pierre James Trudeau

Father: Pierre Elliot Trudeau, former prime minister of Canada (1968-1979 and 1980-1984)

Mother: Margaret (Sinclair) Trudeau

Marriage: Sophie Grégoire (May 2005-2023, separated)

Children: Hadrien, 2014; Ella-Grace Margaret, 2009; Xavier James, 2007

Education: McGill University, B.A., 1994; University of British Columbia, B.Ed., 1998

Religion: Roman Catholic

Other Facts

Trudeau is the first child of a Canadian prime minister to become prime minister himself.

Has worked as a snowboarding instructor, nightclub bouncer and camp counselor.

Regularly boxes.

While campaigning for prime minister, Trudeau endorsed the legalization of marijuana.

Timeline

April 1972 – During a state visit with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, US President Richard Nixon makes a prediction: “Tonight, we’ll dispense with the formalities,” Nixon says. “I’d like to toast the future prime minister of Canada: to Justin Pierre Trudeau.”

1998 – Trudeau’s brother, Michel Trudeau, is killed in an avalanche while skiing.

1999-2002 – Teaches high school math and French in British Columbia.

2000 – Trudeau’s father dies of prostate cancer.

2002-2006 – Chair of Katimavik, a national volunteer service program for young Canadians.

October 14, 2008 – Elected a member of Parliament, representing the Papineau district of Montreal.

May 2, 2011 – Is reelected to Parliament.

November 17, 2011 – Strips down to his undershirt, while audience members bid on a lunch date with him, at a charity event for the Canadian Liver Foundation. In 2013, the footage is used by the Conservative Party in attack ads.

March 31, 2012 – Participates in a charity boxing match against Patrick Brazeau, a senator from Canada’s Conservative Party. Trudeau is declared the winner.

April 14, 2013 – Is elected leader of the Liberal Party with nearly 78% of the vote.

November 11, 2014 – His memoir, “Common Ground,” is published.

October 19, 2015 – The Liberal Party wins 184 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons.

November 4, 2015 – Is sworn in as Canada’s 23rd prime minister.

March 10, 2016 – US President Barack Obama welcomes Trudeau and his wife as the guests of honor for the first official Canadian White House visit in 19 years.

November 24, 2017 – Trudeau, on behalf of the Canadian government, formally apologizes to indigenous people in the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador for the boarding school system, which removed children from their families, culture and religion.

November 28, 2017 – Trudeau, on behalf of the Canadian government, formally apologizes to members of the country’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit community (LGBTQ2) for systemic discrimination.

June 9, 2018 – During a news conference at the G7 Summit, Trudeau announces that Canada will “move forward with retaliatory measures” on July 1 in response to the US President Donald Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, the European Union and Mexico.

July 6, 2018 – A former newspaper reporter says allegations in an editorial claiming Trudeau groped her at a music festival 18 years ago are true, but she considers the matter closed. Trudeau said a day earlier that he apologized at the time and doesn’t “feel that I acted inappropriately in any way.”

August 14, 2019 – Ethics commissioner Mario Dion releases a report saying that Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act by interfering with a corporate criminal case. In the report, Dion says Trudeau attempted to pressure former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould into abandoning the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, an engineering company.

September 18, 2019 – Trudeau apologizes after three images surface of him in blackface makeup.

September 19, 2019 – Trudeau apologizes again and declines to say definitively whether there could be more pictures. He says that he may not remember because his privilege gave him a blind spot on the issue.

October 21, 2019 – Is reelected prime minister.

December 4, 2019 – Trudeau admits that he and other world leaders were talking about Trump when they were caught on camera during a NATO reception. The video shows Trudeau, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte laughing. None of the leaders explicitly names Trump in the video.

July 6, 2020 – Trudeau declines an invitation from Trump to attend a July 8th ceremony marking the beginning of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in Washington. Although Trudeau is concerned about the health situation and the coronavirus reality that is affecting all three countries, the Prime Minister’s office states, “We wish the United States and Mexico well…while there were recent discussions about the possible participation of Canada, the Prime Minister will be in Ottawa for scheduled Cabinet meetings and the long-planned sitting of Parliament.”

September 6, 2021 – After denouncing protesters as “anti-vaxxer mobs,” Trudeau is pelted with gravel at an election campaign stop in London, Ontario.

January 31, 2022 – Trudeau announces via Twitter that he has tested positive for Covid-19 and will continue to work remotely. He and his family have been isolating after exposure a few days earlier.

June 13, 2022 – Trudeau announces via Twitter that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

August 2, 2023 – Trudeau announces that he and his wife Sophie are separating.