#icons nine percent

[my-st]

Zhu Zhengting + Glitch

[regularshcw]

regina tag dump ! ( aka uh oh gamers )

🪓 regina // ic / i'll get my revenge on the world ; or a least forty-nine percent of the people in it 🪓 regina // musings / winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it 🪓 regina // likes / aesthetic / you're so easy to read but the book is boring me 🪓 regina // about / if you're going to die then die. if you're going to live then fight 🪓 regina // starter call / i only sleep with people i love. that's why i have insomnia 🪓 regina // music / intelligent girls are more depressed because they know the world 🪓 regina // visage / why can i never go back to bed ? whose is the voice ringing in my head ?

[saebaragi]

god bless this man's fashion sense and his blonde hair and his freaking top model aura

[racinggirl]

Racing Hearts - prologue

a/n: I've spent an entire evening trying to perfect this prologue. I wanted it to give away the essence and personality of both main characters, so hopefully I made that work. I have to say that I am slightly scared, because this is my first ever multi-chapter story I'm writing, but I'm trying! Hopefully you will enjoy it.

Repost, comment or any type of support is very welcomed! It keeps me motivated 🫣

Comment down below if you want to get added to the taglist

warnings: dark!lando, confident!lando, business!lando, nothing much really, just rich people stuff.

Racing Hearts Masterlist

next chapter

Olivia

The sky was filled with a range of colours, varying between bright pinks, pastel oranges and deep, dark purples contrasting against the black from the night sky. As the wind breezed past me, the few strands of hair that weren’t tucked into my messy bun flew up in front of my face. I tightened my grip on the balcony’s railing, inhaling sharply before slowly breathing out.

I can do this. I can do this.

Tonight was one of the most important evenings of the year, the annual Charity Gala in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Me and my family lived in London, but business isn’t tied to one city, or even one country.

I’ve travelled a lot, flying to New York City for an opening of one of Harrington Enterprises newest Jewellery stores, or going all the way to Dubai to accompany my mother to one of our fabric manufacturers. They were all business trips, as was the one I’m attending on my own right now.

Monaco, home of some of the most wealthy, successful and busiest people on earth. You only lived in Monaco for two reasons. A, you were born here. B, you had plenty of money and had no idea what to do with it. Seeing as the average net worth of a Monaco citizen is above ten million dollars, I’d say ninety-nine percent of the people at this gala belonged to category B. I had to make a great impression; it was my job as the PR Director at Harrington Enterprises.

I wasn’t a stranger to a high society gala; however, I had not experienced something as extravagant as this before. High ceilings, decorated with glass chandeliers that glittered in the big open room. Waiters moving effortlessly through the crowd, holding trays with glasses filled with champagne that cost more than your average rent.

My eyes roamed the big, crowded room, searching for the man that stood number two on my list; one of the reasons my parents informed me of this Charity Gala. He was a well-known fashion icon and businessman in this world. Nate Thompson.

I spotted him at the bar, talking to the women that were nearly drooling at his feet. The man was eye-candy for every woman at this event. With broad shoulders, a sharp jawline and masculinity that made multiple men run for their money, he was one of the most successful bachelors out there.

I gathered my courage and stepped towards the man, shoulders straight with a friendly yet professional smile plastered on my lips. As I approached, Nate’s eyes met mine and he gave me one of his warm, welcoming smiles.

‘’Olivia Harrington,’’ he said, extending his hand. ‘’I’ve heard a lot about you, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.’’

‘’The pleasure is mine, Mr. Thompson,’’ I replied, shaking his hand firmly. ‘’Such a wonderful place, isn’t it?’’ I slowly let go of his hand, keeping my posture straight and professional.

‘’Please, call me Nate,’’ he said with a wink. ‘’Mr Thompson makes me feel old.’’

As the night went on, we struck up a conversation about his newest fashion items. He spoke about different designs, as well as places for shop openings. As much as I loved the fashion world – shopping at Versace, Prada and Chanel never got boring – I had to hold back a yawn once every few minutes.

‘’Your father has done a tremendous job attaining the vacant buildings at Bond Street.’’ Nate did exactly what I expected him to do, and it surprised me how little effort I had to put into this conversation. ‘’A very, very astonishing job.’’ Nate continued speaking highly of my father’s deals.

Bond Street was one, if not the most expensive street in London. My father bought most of the houses a few years back, when the house market was at it’s lowest. It was no surprise Nate Thompson was looking for the best of the best when it came to opening his new store in London.

‘’He did, indeed,’’ I reached into my designer bag, fishing out a business card of my father’s company. ‘’It would be a perfect location for Thompson’s, wouldn’t it?’’

Nate didn’t hesitate once and reached out for the card I held out with my fingers. ‘’Pleasure doing business with you, Olivia, you’ll hear from my team.’’ A satisfied smile appeared on my face when Nate gave me a curt nod, me returning the favour by raising my glass ever so slightly.

One down, one to go.

‘’Impressive.’’ The dark, smooth voice scattered goosebumps all over my skin, it made my body react in ways I hadn’t felt in quite a while.

My eyes followed the voice, and I was met by a tall figure. A tailored black suit that hugged those broad shoulders. Dark curls that looked a perfect combination of messy and neat. Eyes, a colour that I couldn’t quite decipher. Green, blue, a hint of grey or even brown, but what I did know was that those eyes pierced straight through me, looking into the depths of my soul.

The low chuckle that rose from his throat snapped me out of my thoughts. I gathered myself and lifted my chin up ever so slightly.

Let’s tackle the number one on my list.

‘’Mr. Norris, what a pleasure.’’

Lando

Emerald green never had been one of my favourite colours, it stood out great with my tan, though. It was sophisticated, elegant and not too in your face. You’d think it would be a colour that I adored, well, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Orange was more my colour, it was fierce, available in many different shades, perfect for every occasion. Mix it with a dark shade, it stood out. Mix it with a light shade, it blended in. A perfect representation of my life.

As a racing driver, you needed dark, to stand out to be the best of the best, to catch people’s attention to gain yourself a spot in the spotlight. But you also wanted to blend in, to move through the field without getting noticed, yearning for the privacy that was so hard to attain.

In the world of business, it was similar, yet different. You needed dark so you could make money, be the best of the best, without having that spotlight. Because having that spotlight in the business world meant you needed that light more than ever, needing to blend in so you wouldn’t have that target on your back.

Combine the two, and you learn to be ahead of everyone, two steps ahead to get whatever you want, whenever you want.

I reached for a glass and raise it to my lips, my eyes staying glued to the business deal being made in front of my eyes.

Everybody that attended this Gala wasn’t here for the good sake of their heart. No, a Charity Gala was the perfect way to make it look like you’re donating money for those in need, when in fact it’s the perfect cover-up for a business deal. One that was being closed a few meters away from me.

Once the deal had been made, I made my way over with a few long strides. She didn’t hear me approach, causing her body to react instantly to my voice.

‘’Impressive.’’ I never expected Olivia Harrington to strike up a deal with Nate Thompson in just under 17 minutes. The man was harder to please than a newborn baby that needed its mom. However, I suppose when you’re looking for a new location for your shop, Bond Street was the place to be, a coincidence that Richard Harrington had exactly what Nate needed? I don’t think so.

I never underestimated the Harrington family; they were one step ahead most of the time. It’s a good thing I’m always two ahead.

‘’Mr. Norris, what a pleasure.’’ I took a hold of her hand, ignoring the way her soft skin felt against my own. ‘’Ms. Harrington.’’ Her hand let go of mine, and I grinned slightly at the subtle flush of her cheeks.

‘’Surely not eavesdropping, I hope?’’ Her soft yet sharp voice was a complete contrast to the previous shock on her face when she laid eyes on me.

‘’Merely observing.’’

My gaze flew over her body, the way that emerald green dress hugged her body in the right places, the tanned legs underneath that dress going down to the Louboutin’s she was wearing. I wasn’t one to back away from a bit of flirting, I absolutely loathed the fake smiles and pretended interest at any business event. They were necessary, for the most part, and I was amongst one of many that took part in the fake contest, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed it.

‘’I see,’’ the smile on my face was less forced this time, but I blame it on how the woman in front of me swallowed hard, a clear indication of nervousness.

A chuckle rose in my chest. ‘’No need to be nervous, Sunshine,’’ I smirked slightly. ‘’I’m not as intimidating as they say.’’ I made sure my voice was smooth and filled with confidence, as always.

‘’Nervous? Is that another of your observations, Mr. Norris?’’

‘’It is,’’ I maintained eye contact as I took another sip of the Louis Roederer drink. At least they served some decent champagne. ‘’and I’m never wrong.’’

Another harsh bob of her throat.

I was aware of the fact I was on their list of business talks. Nate Thompson may be one of the most successful men at this event, but not nearly as successful as me. Like I said before, always be two steps ahead.

‘’Now, let’s cut straight to what brought you here. Let’s talk business, shall we?’’

TAGLIST

@smoooothoperator @tapedeck-hearts @cabbyhabs @wanderingreigns @samantha-chicago @alltoomaples @ironmaiden1313 @pinkbookloverslife @onlyzahraaaa

[beautouslysandy]

The Boys with a Street-smart S/O- HC’s

Request-The boys with a street-smart girlfriend please?

By-Sandy

_____________________________________________

______________________________________________

DARRY CURTIS-

• Darry wants to always make sure your safe, he has times where he can’t be with you when your alone. And that worries him, even though you know your way around and you grew up in this environment. I could see him finding an ounce of comfrot in knowing that you can protect yourself but that still doesn’t stop him from worrying. He tries to prevent you from having to go somewhere by yourself as much as possible which kinda irritates you but you know it’s out of love. • I feel like he would love the fact that you can kick ass but not the idea of you fighting with someone even more you getting jumped. • You aren’t the average gal, you know how to fight and you know that the world isn’t all sunshine and unicorns. Sometimes it prevents you from making female friends but you don’t crap so it’s better not to have them. • Darry likes protecting you even though you don’t need it. You and him have definitely had some arguments about the fact he acts like you need to be saved all the time. Which is where your iconic nickname for him “Superman” came from. • You have totally knocked somebody out for saying shit about Darry. • He gets his ego bruised when you do that, so annoying, but you don’t tell him so it’s your little secret that your protecting Darry every now and then • You have totally outsmarted him in the streets logic wise. As it says your street smart, while Darry is mostly book smart.

•The boys like you a lot, they have invited you to rumbles and you went once and just guess how that went over with Darry….yeah not great

SODAPOP CURTIS-

•Your his role model. He wants to be just like you it’s almost hysterical. He will pick up on things you do and say to become a better “jd/hood” in his terms. You find it adorable.

•Totally cheering for you when you are in a fight. No doubt. But once you get hit, who ever hit you is going to have more than a couple of bruises. • He doesn’t doubt for a minute that you can protect yourself, but he likes doing almost about everything with you. So if he is going with you everywhere it’s not that he doesn’t believe you can stick up for yourself its that he wants to be with you ninety nine percent of the time.

•You have definitely gone to a rumble. He strikes me as someone who would totally dig having a s/o to go beat people up with (that sounds so horrible omg). I think the fact that you know how to live life the same way he does makes you even more attractive to him.

•Definitely make out sessions after fights/rumbles.

•After your make-out session (i’m so cheesy) his first priority is for you to get all cleaned up. He loves you and doesn’t like seeing you hurt. I mean it the dude could have a deep cut on his arm and it’s bleeding out but he is still putting on your band-aid

•”Soda your blood is on the kitchen floor. Let me clean it up” You sighed in disbelief

“No..” He pauses struggling to open the band-aid “Just. Wait. One..ah there we go” He says as he puts the band-aid on precisely (definitely has his tongue out when he is really concentrating)

•Steve and you definitely get along well, the three of y’all are like the Three Musketeers. Or more like the Three Ass-Kickers

PONYBOY CURTIS-

• You and him definitely do almost everything together, you guys like similar things and you like each-other. Sounds pretty nice to me. •I feel like similar to Darry he doesn’t feel great when you stick up for him but unlike Darry (stupid darry…. just kidding. love ya dar-bear) he can admit that he appreciates it. • You and him definitely share tips and stuff, very couple goals like

• He is fine with you going to rumbles but is definitely having you stick by him the entire time or at least in his sight so that you don’t get kidnapped or whatever the dude comes up

•I feel like your street-smarts and his book smarts even eachother out. Not him helping you in school and you helping him in the streets (why does that sound weirder , whatevs)

•When you first met he definitely was shocked about how fine you were with all of the greaser things :0

• Your a greaser by far, you dig the rumbles and stuff. You probably have been to the cooler once. Ponyboy was definitely petrified (their so dramatic)

DALLAS WINSTON

• Power house couple. That’s what I have got to say. Wait no. Partners in crime. Okay sorry for the cheesy nicknames. It’s just that you and Dally are so alike which can good and bad.

•You both get pissed off if the other one is hurt. You guys workout together, he suddenly works out now. Probably because you do. •Darry and him have the same ego problem. Only Dally ego gets bruised if you stand up for yourself when your there which to be honest is expected..I mean come on guys…it literally Dallas Winston. •If someone say one thing about Dally that’s no good, happens more often than we’d like. They were gonna wish they kept it to themselves because now they have Dally and you to deal with.

•You guys are both pretty smart in the street smarts department. You guys balance each other out and to help when something goes off course.

•Dallas is a protective person. His belongings are his. And no one interferes with that rule. Then you came along (dun dun dunn) I am only playing with y’all…

• He likes that you can stand up…um actually no. He can get annoyed with the fact that most of the time you don’t even need him to lift a finger. He wants to protect you but you won’t let him which makes him angry.

• You and him argue about you going to the rumble or if your going to fight this person. He just doesn’t want to see you hurt. And he would rather him fight than you. It’s just Dally. Which is irritating at times.

JOHNNY CADE-

• Oh my lord. When y’all first met he was ready to piss in his pant. (i am hilarious…i mean come on)

•He has never seen a female who actually knows how to defend themselves. For some reason this intimidated him. •He doesn’t like seeing you hurt but also admires that you know how to stand up for yourself and those who can’t stand up for themselves, which means lil’ Johnny from time to time. •He doesn’t have an ego to bruise. I am serious it’s sad but true. The guy has zero self-confidence which equals no ego. Poor thing. • But that means that he doesn’t care if you fight somebody that was being mean to him.

•However, it might make him feel like he can’t protect you well enough. And personally I won’t wanna do that to Johnny so I advise keeping your protective girlfriend fights on the down low.

•You have met his parents on “accident”, scared the shit out of his dad. Johnny was in disbelief the whole time. His mom was speechless. • So that was fun :)

•You are like another one of Johnny’s bodyguards expect that he is your bodyguard too, when necessary.

KEITH “TWO-BIT” MATTHEWS

• Rumbles and then cartoons. Mhm. Yes I did. •Y’all are the cutest, you guys party together, beat up Socs together, and watch cartoons together. •He honestly isn’t bothered by the fact you can give a punch and then take one. To be honest, I think it’s one of his favorite things about you. • You definitely outsmart him by a long shot (im

sorry two-bit)

•You guys party together a lot but, somehow he is the one that’s drunk while your sober. You began to think it’s a personality trait of his. •You guys definitely keep score of who punched the most Socs (oh god that’s so mean) it’s a thing that’s been going on for too long.

•You’re really competitive and having Two-Bit as your s/o you are inclined to be in competition. •I mean I don’t know what else to say other than your Two-Bits dream girl

STEVE RANDLE-

• I am not sure with Steve cause he seems like someone who would love to have a s/o that’s street-smart but then he is protective and wants to protect you. •I am gonna try and see if I can get a mix of both.

•Steve protects the things he loves but he knows you don’t need any protecting but he will try to with every chance he gets.

•Steve probably will get yelled at for making you look weak, he will apologize profusely not wanting to get his ass kicked by his own s/o (not that you would ever do that)

•Definitely thinks your a queen, bow down. (okay this is just me being goofy)

• You think it’s sweet that he wants to be there for you but you always find it annoying how he will always act as your shield, like man come on

• You definitely have a handshake, after any sort of fight. • Rumbles…are the best. You always talk with Steve to not act as your personal shield during the rumble. (it’s very important you don’t look like a weakling, he understands)

•You like many outsmart him on the street smarts maybe not in cars but definitely in everything else (if you couldn’t tell, you’re very smart)

•Honestly Steve and his protectiveness gets to the better of him and will probably win him a silent treatment.

TIM SHEPARD-

• Dally copy and paste. He hates that you won’t let him stick up for you. He gets so infuriated. • He has trouble understanding why you don’t want him to protect you, when you tell him why it goes through his ear and out the other.

•Like Steve, will try his best to protect you when he can. But you don’t let it happen…ever (well almost every time)

•Tim is a guy, so like many he has an ego, so you standing up for him no no no. His rule is if you don’t let me stand up for you, you don’t get to stand up for me. Honestly even if you let him stand up for you, you would be caught dead standing up for him.

• Tim and Dally are buddies so they fight. Guys like that so compassion to the buddies through giving them a black eye or calling them an idiot and many other disrespectful names. •You have tried to stop Dally and Tim fighting….didn’t end well for anyone. • You ended up with a black eye form Dallas accidentally hitting you, Tim is very angry and puts Dallas in hospital, Tim is hurt but not like Dallas. You get silent treatment for a week. So really Tim was fine.

•It’s literally just a Dally copy and paste expect it’s Tim Shepherd only difference is one likes kids the other doesn’t. (not exactly the same but ifykyk)

CURLY SHEPARD-

• Finds your streetsmarts very very hot. Dudes like Sodapop almost, cheering you on. And all that stupid guy stuff.

•But can get jealous that he isn’t able to protect you like the other guys do with their s/o’s. (he always finds a way to be jealous)

•You notice this but don’t acknowledge it because you don’t want to have to deal with his whining (it never ends…)

•You aren’t as aggressive when he is watching though cause that equals the same amount of aggression or more from the other person(s)

•You don’t want him to be all up in your space everytime you go out to get a bite, do you?

•He isn’t protective it’s just that he is jealous

•Makes zero sense but that’s all it is.

•He is jealous that he can’t protect you.

•Your just built different

[theghostinthewardrobe]

I have come across many posts that compare Anidala with Obitine for me there is no point of comparison you know, first of all they are completely different circumstances like people, for example Obi Wan his whole life was the Jedi order, his education is so ingrained because it is the only thing he knows, besides his dream was to be a Jedi and he has a very strong sense of responsibility and if you want to add more he had to train the chosen one, on the other hand Anakin lived until he was nine years old with his mother, he knew what it was like to feel freely and never stuck to the code one hundred percent, Satine for her part is a Mandalorian, the history of her people with the Jedi is murky, they literally massacred them and I am sure that they can judge her for having ties to a Jedi, she assumed power after a civil war with a completely decimated population, taking a Jedi consort was not ideal nor would it be accepted by her people no matter how pacifist they were, it was not a smart move. padme did not have the same difficulties, I'm not saying that our queen and fashion icon did not have difficulties, of course she faced one of the greatest conflicts in the history of Naboo and came out ahead with grace and elegance but it is not the same context, but she lived in coruscant after her reigns which made it easier to see anakin, what I want to get to is that both are great and we should not compare or make one less than the other, it is true that I lean towards obitine but that does not prevent me from appreciating anidala or making her less because if we go to that neither had a happy ending, but that is what fanfic is for, it gives us what canon does not. I definitely need that pin.

[il3x]

im going fucking feral about noelle now. thought about echidna too long .augh!!!!! the arc was SO WELL SET UP holy shit it was SO cool. noelle was one of the few big plot points Not specifically elaborated on in an interlude a la Cauldron in Battery's interlude. not one single spoiler!!!!! it was teased in tiny tiny increments and that was so. fucking. good. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE PART WHERE COIL AND DINAH HIDE IN THE BASEMENT???? CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS?

“Pet, the chance that Crawler kills us, now that we’ve undertaken this route?” (...) “Three point one percent,” Dinah gasped out. “Reassuring,” Coil said.  The vault door opened before them.  “Trickster?  Would you announce our imminent arrival to Noelle?” “Yeah,” Trickster sighed.  “Fuck.  I hate to do this, but can I get a number?” “Trickster!” Sundancer admonished him, sounding horrified, “You can see how much pain it’s causing her.” “It’s important.  Kid, what’s the chance that Noelle kills us?” (...) “Nine point eight percent,” she managed.

literally the BEST greatest ever hype buildup for a villain. that was SO chilling!! number 3 moment that made vibes go and infodump to her mother AND her irl friends, neither of which had read worm, because they were the only ppl who would listen.

sobbing. i thought that carol's interlude was a noelle interlude at first lmao with the opening focusing on 'dark and hunger', and then i was. lowkey disappointed. but also the lack of a noelle interlude as I said made her buildup More and Better drawn out.

and how the fight follows directly from coil's death!! so good!!! the way all the big villain arcs follow from one another like dominoes. SO FUCKING GOOD. i had so much Analysis in my head about how Wildbow maintains tension even with non-stop villain fights while I was reading, should write that out.

and then THE FIGHT JUST. STARTS. AND . ADN!!!!! !!! TRAVELLERS INTERLUDE ARC!!! holy. SHIT. holyshit. the SIMURGH. who has been teased as the worst horriblest endbringer for All Of Worm. and the tension of what echidna is doing while we're stuck in madison. draws out the buildup even further. critical hype levels. seeing her get renamed was iconic too but I have a Names Post in the works that dives deep into that.

h.oughh, , . her power is cool as shit but I've already written about that a lot. then the fight is solved with THE PORTALS?? ?that were set up from LITERALLY ARC TWO!!! talk about setup/payoff!!! !and then cauldron reveal kicks off the next arc. augh. also vista is there 👍

[blackgoldsworthys]

TW: Discussions of Child Abuse

Here is a written version of my video review of When Doves Cry, the season two premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation that introduces Craig Manning to the main cast!

Opener: The Degrassi showrunners looked at season one and saw that it wasn’t spicy enough. The cast too small, the issues too…small scale. When you have a show geared towards teenagers, you gotta shake things up so thus a new character was added. This character’s introduction was heavy, dramatic and started the series precedent of having a mysterious, moody artistic boy with a dark past. While he would go on to be one of the most controversial main characters of all time due to his very messy romantic relationships on the show, there’s no doubt that Degrassi wouldn’t be as memorable without his impact.

Craig Manning, welcome to the show.

Intro: Hello Degrassians, I’m Mari and I talk all things Degrassi. In today’s episode, I’m discussing the iconic premise of The Next Generation’s season two, When Doves Cry, which aired as a two-parter in Canada from September 29th-, 2002 and in the US on October 7th, 2002.

Plot Summary: It’s the beginning of a new school year at Degrassi with the class of 2006 entering into grade nine and the Class of 2007 entering into grade eight. Due to the expansion of the school, middle school and high school students have to occupy the same building which is already a controversial decision among the student body.

Newcomer Craig Manning immediately catches the eye of certain female characters but for now, he’s not focused on girls. As the older brother of Joey Jeremiah’s young daughter Angela, he wants to see his little sister but there’s one obstacle in his path: his abusive father Albert. When he was little, his late mother Julia divorced Albert and married Joey, conceiving Angie. Even though she tragically passed away before the events of the show, Albert is still very bitter that she left him at all and cruelly forbids Craig from seeing his little sister, punishing him violently if he disobeys him. Joey doesn’t like the idea of the siblings not seeing each other as a stepfather, but because he’s unaware of the abuse going on at first, has no choice but to respect Albert’s decision. Emma, as Angie’s babysitter and a childhood friend of Craig gets herself involved in the situation, and so does Sean who Craig befriends on the first day of school.

Despite the dangers, Craig refuses to stop seeing Angela and in his desperation, tries to get them to run away together. When this doesn’t work, he spirals and nearly commits suicide on a train while hanging out with Sean. He then disappears so his father doesn’t find him and inevitably beats him harder than usual. Sean and Emma convince Joey to save Craig from this horrible situation and by the end of Part 2, Joey allows Craig to move in with him and Angie.

In the side plot, JT is determined to start the school year by dating the hottest girl he can find and the lucky girl on the top of his list is the queen bee of the school, Paige. Unfortunately for him, Paige does not see herself as lucky to be the object of his affections and bluntly turns him down. For fun, Spinner and Hazel offer Paige twenty bucks to go on a date with JT, and she reluctantly accepts. They have fun on their date until her friends expose her and JT gets his feelings hurt. They make up the next day but Paige is still very adamant on not being interested in JT romantically.

Whose storyline did you prefer?

Without a single doubt and second thought, Craig’s. I’m being 100% percent serious when I say that Jake Epstein in his debut performance as Craig Manning, immediately marked him as the best actor of his generation to me. From beginning to end, Craig has my attention despite being a newcomer. I don’t care about what any of the other characters have going on in this two parter because I’m more interested in what this kid has going on with his father even though I barely know a thing about him. I’m rooting for this kid to be closer with his little sister despite the odds, I’m crying for this kid having to suffer under his abusive father and I desperately want him to escape, and that’s because of Jake Epstein’s powerful acting. While what Emma went through in Mother and Child Reunion was no lighthearted subject matter itself, what Craig went through in his first episode really hits a person in their gut because we actually have to watch him get brutalized by an adult, and he’s obviously not mentally well for it. The introduction of Craig, a boy with a dead mother and an abusive father, shapes the series into the dark, raw storytelling that keeps us on the edge of our seats every episode to see what happens next.

In contrast, J.T.’s failed attempt at Paige is harder to take seriously. The plot is obviously just there as a comedic break from the heavy main plot and it can feel irrelevant towards viewers who want to know what happens next with Craig and his dad. However, it is cute to see the budding friendship between JT and Paige. Paige is still a ruthless alpha bitch at this stage in her character development but even she can’t help herself from developing a soft spot for J.T., who is endearing because of his silliness.

What are your favorite scenes from this episode? Craig bonding with Sean, who not only later saves him from suicide in the train scene but works with his ex to save Craig from his father too. Their first meeting almost started off poorly but they quickly end up becoming friends because of how similar they are. Sean sees a boy who has a dark past with his family like he does and it triggers his sensitive side. He still has attitude problems because that’s just how Sean is as a person but we get reminded why Emma fell for him: underneath all that roughness is a sweetheart. Craig and Sean’s dynamic is a favorite of mine on rewatches.

There’s also the scene where Joey faces the truth of what’s going on with Craig due to Emma, Sean, and Angie’s efforts. It’s not brought up in this show, but anyone who’s watched Degrassi Junior High knows that this isn’t the first time Joey had to save a kid from an abusive environment. When he was their age, he befriended Rick Munro, who was also getting abused by his father. After witnessing one particularly brutal moment between Rick and his dad, he confessed to Children’s Aid about what he saw and Rick ended up living with his older brother. There’s no doubt that this moment was on Joey’s mind fifteen years later when he made the decision to take Craig in at the end of the episode, especially when one of the kids urging him to save Craig is Sean who is quite similar to Rick himself. Joey was seeing a ghost from his childhood. He had been wary of letting Craig in him and Angie’s lives, he wants to mind his business as the distant stepfather, but when his little girl in her innocence tells him the awful reality of the situation, he has no choice but to step in. It’s a harrowing scene but it’s necessary.

Favorite quotes? “Me... in an infinite universe... on an insignificant planet... one of six billion inhabitants, big deal. I mean honestly, if I were to say that if I were to disappear, who'd care? What would it matter? Uh... a subatomic blip in the temporal fabric of creation. So there you have it, Craig Manning.”

“Did that thing just wink at me?”

Overall opinions? When Doves Cry is another incredible season opener from The Next Generation and I actually do prefer it a little more than Mother and Child Reunion because I’m biased towards Craig. It sets the tone for season two, a darker and deeper season that for now still keeps the after school special tone that season one has. It’s hard to watch but it’s iconic so it gets a platinum rating from me. It’s one of my favorite Degrassi episodes.

Outro: Well Degrassians, that was my review of When Doves Cry, stay tuned for my next review of Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

[phildon14]

On Sonic and Capitalism

      Sonic the Hedgehog, what can I say that hasn't already been said? As stated by his famous catchphrase, "gotta go fast" He is a man synonymous with speed, but why? Why must he gotta go fast? Why must he save the world from an egg-themed supervillain? Sonic may be seen as not but Sega's silly mascot by the general public, but I think there is more to the iconic character, because I know the answer to my prior question, I know exactly what I can say: the Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise is an allegory for a society destroyed by late-stage capitalism.

      Mr. Needlemouse, now known as Sonic the Hedgehog, in the beginning of his official lore, was named Sonny. Sonny and his family lived in a hedge behind a fast food restaurant in Hardly, Nebraska, poor, but happy. His life of tragedy began when his father died by falling into a pool of toxic sludge. After this he is cared for by a kind scientist named Kintobor. Kintobor's goal is to find the Chaos Emeralds, and destroy them, reversing all pollution; however, Kintobor is then fused with a boiled egg in a freak accident, then becoming Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Sonic then goes on a heroic journey to stop Dr. Robotnik from taking over the world. So how does this relate to a capitalist dystopia? Well, what do we know about Sonic?

He goes fast

He defeats Eggman 

He is a Hedgehog

He saves small animals from being turned into robots

He collects rings

He dies when in an absence of rings

In the sonic games, rings are often used as a form of currency, in other words, sonic, like many real world citizens, must keep his finances afloat to survive. He must gain money, for in the capitalist society of Mobius, your life, and your monetary value, are one in the same. Sonic is not a franchise about a prickly rat saving the world from an egg, but a tale of one man and his struggles surviving in a world destroyed by Capitalism. 

      But that is not all, let us look at another point in those truths of Sonic, in the Sonic games, when Sonic destroys a robot, a fuzzy squirrel, rabbit, or bird, drops out, having been saved by Sonic. I believe these robots represent the ways workers are changed by the oppressive grip of corporations into drones whose only purpose is unquestioning obedience to those above them. When Sonic frees the animals he is opening the eyes of the workers to the dystopian world around them, Sonic's heroism does not come from defeating evil, but from freeing the working class from the binds of Capitalism. And who created these robots?  Who is the one oppressing and controlling the public? Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, he is not just an egg shaped evildoer, he is Sega's way of representing the real villain of Sonic, Eggman is Capitalism. 

      Dr. Eggman was once the kind Dr. Ovi Kintobor, the scientist attempting to reverse all pollution by destroying the Chaos Emeralds, Kintobor cared for Sonic, a father figure. The same force that cared for and helped society growing greedy, corrupt, and malign. What once strived to end the world's plight, then weaponizing said plight for power and wealth. Eggman is a metaphor for Capitalism, A force driven by the search of power. Eggman and Sonic's rivalry is not that of villain against hero, for Sonic represents the working class, Eggman and Sonic's rivalry is that of a corporation attempting to repress and silence the complaints of the oppressed ninety-nine percent.

      Robotropolis, 3228:

"DURING DOCTOR ROBOTNIK'S TAKEOVER THROUGH ROBOTIFICATION, THE SWATBOTS CAME FOR THE FOXES, AND I DID NOT SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WAS NOT A FOX. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE RABBITS, AND I DID NOT SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WAS NOT A RABBIT. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE SQUIRRELS, BUT I DID NOT SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WAS NOT A SQUIRREL. THEN THEY CAME FOR THE HEDGEHOGS, AND I DID NOT SPEAK UP BECAUSE I WAS AN ECHIDNA. THEN THEY CAME FOR ME, AND BY THAT TIME THERE WAS NOBODY LEFT TO SPEAK UP"

-anonymous

      That was a real holocaust poem which a sonic writer named Ken Penders paraphrased and changed to be about Sonic. As incredibly insensitive it is, I believe it does reinforce my argument. The world of Sonic is one where the higher corporations will repress and kill the working class to Maintain power.

In the end my point is clear, Sonic the Hedgehog is the story of the malcontented ninety-nine percent seeking revolution, to be free from the chains of oppression which bind them, this is the true tale Sonic seeks to tell.

It could also just be about a punk-rock chipmunk harassing an obese man but really who's to say.

[mariacallous]

Search for Airbnbs in Paris in late July and you’ll be offered options ranging from a tiny studio with glimpses of the Eiffel Tower for $167 a night up to a stunning luxury apartment steps from the Champs Elysees for nearly $3,500 a night. The company is also offering two lucky fans the opportunity to sleep in the iconic clock facade of the Musée D’Orsay on the night of the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.

Some 3 million visitors are expected to attend the Olympics in Paris and like one of the 10,500 athletes competing, Airbnb has been preparing for years. In 2019 the company inked a nine-year partnership with the International Olympic Committee that runs through the 2028 Summer Games. Airbnb said at the time that it expected the deal to lead to hundreds of thousands of new hosts in cities around the globe as the games rolled through.

In Paris, the Olympics give Airbnb a chance of winning a bigger foothold in a city where local officials have introduced restrictions on short-term rentals. The company has faced similar resistance from cities around the world after Airbnb and similar platforms exploded in popularity over the past decade. Critics accuse them of driving up rent and bringing unwelcome trash, noise, and physical dangers to residential neighborhoods. Airbnb and its rivals say they provide flexibility to travelers and extra income to hosts, who themselves may be squeezed by rising housing costs. If Airbnb rentals are seen as largely successful during the Paris Olympics, by providing cheaper stays than hotels and a cash infusion for some locals without too much inconvenience for others, the platform could permanently grow its already substantial presence in the city. Last summer, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky urged Parisians to list their homes for the games to keep prices down, and the company hopes some new hosts drawn by Olympic demand will stick with the platform long-term.

Airbnb claims the Olympics effect is already at work. The number of nights booked during the games is already five times greater than for the same dates in Paris in 2023, according to new data released by the company. Olympic events will also be spread throughout the rest of France; the Paris suburbs and other French cities have also seen high rates of short-term rental activity.

The number of active listings in Paris is now at an all-time high, having increased by some 40 percent. The average Airbnb host expected to earn 2,000 euros ($2,145) during the games. But how much cash reaches the pockets of hosts will depend on getting their stays booked, and WIRED’s searches showed that many Airbnbs remain available with the games just five weeks away.

French Disconnection

Relations between the city of Paris government and Airbnb have been rocky for years. The city’s mayor Anne Hidalgo immediately opposed the company’s Olympics partnership when it was announced in 2019, and wrote a scathing letter to games organizers about Airbnb’s impact on residents in the city. The city had already passed a regulation mandating that people can only rent their entire primary residences for short-term stays totaling 120 nights a year.

Paris also recently mulled a ban on the small lock boxes hosts use to store keys, often a tell-tale sign of short-term rentals, citing them as an eyesore. The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story but said in 2023 that tightening restrictions on short-term rentals led to decline in fines for breaking the rules.

Dave Stephenson, Airbnb's chief business officer, claims that without short-term rentals Paris may have crumbled under the pressure from outside guests—and been forced to build new hotels. There are an estimated 160,000 hotel rooms in the greater Paris area, but many of them will be occupied by Olympic staff and athletes. “These spikes in demand are a great way for people to use Airbnb,” Stephenson says. “It’s a great way for local Parisians to earn money and enable the games to be successful.”

Short-term rentals can function as a quick release valve for a city expecting an influx of visitors, increasing capacity for a short time nearly instantly. In fact, despite the usual hype around the Olympic Games, there are still many places to stay in Paris this summer.

A search on Airbnb for a two-person stay during the first weekend of the games returned more than 1,000 results, with many charging less than $200 a night. A search for hotel rooms on Expedia only turned up about 20 hotels offering similarly low rates. Hotel prices for the dates of the Olympics have actually fallen in Paris since December, but remain higher than the same time last summer, with the average cost of a hotel room during the opening weekend of the games going for around 440 euros as of May.

Booking rates for short-term rentals during the Olympics are up by 8 percent compared to the dates two weeks before the games across all locations hosting Olympic events, but the number of available rooms has increased by 38 percent, according to AirDNA, a third party platform that tracks short-term rentals.

The average price in Paris for a short-term rental during the Olympics is $481 a night, while those who booked earlier paid an average of $350. Outside of Paris, rates average $289, up from a previous $198. The “vast majority” of these listings on Airbnb, says Stephenson, come from families listing their primary homes. But other Parisians are begging travelers to stay away, warning that the games will bring chaos to the city, and some are planning to flee the city.

People from more than 160 countries and regions have booked stays on Airbnb for the Olympics, according to the company. The largest influx of tourists comes from the US, with American travelers making up 20 percent of the bookings, with many other guests coming from the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Against that background, and with Airbnb's marketing push, Jamie Lane, chief economist and senior vice president of research of AirDNA, says it makes sense that more people are signing up with Airbnb to host. “Everyone starts getting Olympic fever,” he says, especially “with Airbnb doing more and more ads and market outreach within the city of Paris.”

Despite the flood of visitors, the ready availability of vacancies suggests that like many athletes competing in Paris, some Airbnb hosts will end the games with disappointment as their listings remained unbooked. But Lane says that in the past large events have been seen to provide a lasting boost to Airbnb’s footprint in a place. “A city is left with more listings than it had going in,” Lane says. For “people that maybe decide to do it for the first time, it ends up being a good experience. It was very little work. They think: ‘I should do this again.’”

[dertaglichedan]

Death of American staple as CEO tanks her own company's stock by announcing they're 'not as relevant' anymore

A traditional American food chain saw shares fall by nearly 20 percent

The business has been continuously falling in popularity over the past decade

An iconic American eatery's stock has plummeted in recent week after the company's CEO said the restaurant is no longer 'relevant'.

Cracker Barrel, the Southern country-themed restaurants with 662 locations across the nation, has been diminishing in popularity over the past decade - with its loyal clientele of elderly people failing to return after the pandemic. 

The business tanked even more when its chief executive Julie Felss Masino told investors, 'We're just not as relevant as we once were.'

While speaking on an investor call, Masino, who took over the CEO position nine months ago, admitted, 'Some of our recipes and processes haven't evolved in decades.' 

[my-st]

Spring + Chen Linong

[xblueoceanfloor]

Unless you've been living under a rock—one without a WiFi connection or an eager, pop culture-loving book club—you're probably aware that Britney Spears just released her tell-all memoir. While The Woman In Me offers a behind-the-scene look at the star's most iconic moments (and, yes, many bombshells), we were very surprised to hear that Spears and NSYNC's Justin Timberlake weren't just love-struck teens: They lived together.

In the book, Spears reveals that the two cohabitated in Orlando during the early aughts, referring to their love nest as "a gorgeous, airy two-story house with a tile roof and a swimming pool out back."

Naturally, as people who spend a fair amount of time thinking about celebrity real-estate, we were desperate to know more about the house. After spending time sleuthing, we learned that Timberlake purchased a Florida retreat for $1.3 million back in 1999. Nestled in Bay Hill, a gated community within Orlando, the two-story, 5,430-square-foot home boasts a tiled roof and a pool out back. (Are you thinking what we're thinking?) We even found the above video tour of what we believe to have been Spears and Timberlake's abode.

That said, a lot has changed since the couple (allegedly) lived there. According to WESH 2, a local news outlet, Timberlake sold the home in 2006 for $2 million—making a $700,000 profit. Most recently, the home was listed for $3.4 million in March 2022, only to be sold for $3.2 million a month later. WESH 2 claims the property has undergone renovation since Timberlake sold his home, so it's unclear exactly what the suspected space was like while Spears lived there. But, if the property's most recent listing is any indication, it's certainly luxurious.

Currently, the 1.06-acre lot is decked out to the nines with a 12-hole putting green, built-in barbecue area, and a saltwater pool. Of course, the home's interiors are equally impressive, thanks to a two-story living room, his and hers closets in the primary suite, as well as a butler's pantry that double as a temperature-controlled wine cellar. While we can't be 100 percent sure this is where Britney and Justin whiled away their youths, we are confident it could be a piece of her real-estate history.

[saebaragi]

ranking nine percent's to the nines album just because

this was so hard to rank omg

#7: RULEBREAKER

first of all, sorry i didnt put the music video, is cuz this is focused on the song, the music video is distracting ok! i was surprised myself that i ranked this #7, i love rulebreaker very much and i'm sure she would be higher here if zhengting had more lines. just kidding (or not), i'm obssessed with rulebreaker, i mean it, don't get me wrong, the only reason shes last is cuz the other songs are just that good. i think rulebreaker is really special and the perfect title track for their debut

#6: GOOD THINGS

this one also surprised me while i was making the rank! i ove good things, shes so sprecious i don't know what i would do with my life if she didnt existed! i love my nine vocalists!! my boys can sing!!!

#5: EI喔EI喔

i think this one is c-fans favourite cuz shes the only one i can still listen to on spotify cuz i found this account that shares songs that are popular on douyin. if thats the care, i see their vision, ei oh ei oh is a great song with a refreshing summer vibe that is just so adictive and mesmerizing

#4: 离不开

talking about songs with distracting music videos, this one is so emotional... is a shame zhengting doesnt have more lines, i'm convinced iqiyi hatewd giving my boy lines, but is whatever ig, shes a really good ballad and i love her

#3: 一起跳舞吧

i have no words to describe my feelings for this one, shes iconic, shes exciting, shes fun, i used to put her on my alarm when i had to wake up early for therapy and it was really cool to wake up to so much good energy

#2: I NEED A DOCTOR

best ballad in the world, queen of the iconic bridges, miss mesmerizing music video, really, i could have putted the mv here but lets not lose focus i can talk abou i need a doctor musicvideo some other time, for now lets talk about how geniously she was constructed, xukun's intro edited like that starts the song already very heavenly, then we have yanjun's beautiful voice right after????? urgh shes (i need a doctor) is historic!!! and dont even let me get started on the brigde, is just too good, sometimes i can't believe this song is real

#1: 了不起的9%

friends and non-friends HER!!!!! as the name of the song implies, this is nine percent being extraordinary, this is nine percent being amazing, this is nine percent showing what they were here for!! i'm very addicted to justin and zhangjing's voices in here, and zhengting opening the brigde is always a promising formula. i love listening to her at the gym cuz it makes me forget that i actually hate the gym and also she never fails to give me a energy boost

[breaking news!] i think we as a society were so much better with nine percent, like, 2018-2019 was the best years of my life, you think is a coincidence? i don't think so. even if iqiyi was kinda homophobic for not giving them more songs i stilll treasure this 7 little ones with my whole being and i'm happy and proud of my 9 boys for all they accomplished since then (and if i wake up in the middle of the night wanting to scream and cry "nine percent pls come back to me" that's like, unrelated)

[outlookindiacom71]

90% year-over-year last month, slightly above $276.97 million.

Marked the sixth consecutive month that the city's total gaming revenue fell at least 90% year-over-year, despite a 66% improvement from its final tally of $166.59 million in August, according to official information from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau regulator.

Macau is home to some of the world's most iconic casinos, including the Lotus-Shaped Casino Grand Lisboa, and also reports that the properties have grossed $4.83 billion in gaming revenue since the beginning of 2020, a slight decrease of 82.49 percent compared to $27.59 billion recorded in the nine months of last year.

The September results reportedly came after Beijing officials began reissuing group travel and IVS (Individual Visit Plan) visas for mainland residents after a suspension of more than five months. However, international brokerage Sanford C Bernstein Limited reportedly used a note to detail that its 30-day total revenue figures were nonetheless 'lower than expected' due to the gradual easing of coronavirus-related restrictions and 'concerns about the flow of funds' into the city casino market.카지노사이트 모음

Macau reportedly saw a drop in visitor numbers from neighboring Guangdong province in September 'thanks to the resumption of visas at the end of August' and is struggling with 'vulnerability of VIPs and retention capacity' involving casinos. The move comes despite Macau's reportedly former Portuguese enclave receiving as many as 18,400 mainland tourists a day last month, a significant improvement from just around 5,000 in early August.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Canadians have tired of Justin Trudeau (Washington Post) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rose to power in 2015—and rescued the Liberal Party from irrelevance—on promises to bring “real change” and infuse Canadian politics with “sunny ways.” Nearly nine years later, the forecast for the progressive icon is cloudy. His party, which has been slumping in the polls for more than a year, now trails the Conservatives by as many as 20 points and is vulnerable not only in key battlegrounds but also in traditional strongholds. In a much lower-key version of Democratic pressure on President Biden to drop out of the U.S. presidential race, several high-profile Liberals, including his former environment minister Catherine McKenna and Christy Clark, a Liberal former premier of British Columbia, have called on him to step aside to give the party a better chance of staying in government. Trudeau’s woes echo those of many incumbent leaders, who are struggling amid high inflation and concerns about affordability, particularly in housing. Most housing markets in Canada are at or near worst-ever affordability levels, the Royal Bank of Canada reported in December.

Number of Americans who say US ready for female president dipping: Survey (The Hill) Since 2015, the number of Americans who say they are ready for a female president has dropped by nine points, according to a new Times/SAY24 poll from YouGov poll. The survey, conducted after President Biden dropped out of the race, was designed to assess the electorate’s beliefs surrounding “gender bias,” and Vice President Harris’s chances come November. While the respondents said that both Trump and Harris are equally qualified for the job, with 49 percent saying they are, voters are hesitant about the idea of a female president—54 percent of the country says they are ready for a woman president and 30 percent said they aren’t. That number is down from 2015, when an Economist/YouGov poll found 63 percent of voters were ready for a woman president.

California’s largest fire of the year grows to 164,000 acres. (1440) The northern California blaze, known as the Park Fire, has grown to a size larger than the city of Chicago (about 148,000 acres) due to warm, dry weather and high winds. Roughly 4,000 residents in the area have been forced to evacuate, while 130 structures have been destroyed, according to officials. A 42-year-old man was arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of starting the fire via a flaming car. The fire was 0% contained as of this writing.

Venezuelans stretch meager wages they hope will grow after election (AP) A municipal market in eastern Venezuela is teeming with weekend customers hoping to score a deal among the stalls of produce, meat, cheese and shelf-stable products. Some carry plantains, cassava crackers, corn flour or half a carton of eggs as they walk home. Middle school teacher Cruz Brito is standing across the street amid the smell of fish that clings to the hot humid air of Maturin. She has about $27 in her bank account and a single can of sardines at home. She is five days away from her next paycheck and her oldest daughter needs college supplies for the following day. So, she walks away empty handed. Maybe her neighborhood convenience store will sell her a couple of things on credit. Eleven years into her country’s complex crisis, the days of food shortages are virtually gone, but with many earning under $200 a month, getting the essentials is a constant struggle for families in rural and urban areas alike. People work second and third jobs, start little businesses, exchange services and gamble to scrape together the money, but still every decision seems to involve a calculator and a calendar. That angst-provoking math is among the reasons why the ruling party’s hold on power looks vulnerable in Sunday’s presidential election.

Paris Olympics Security: Unprecedented AI Surveillance (La Marea/Spain) A middle-aged man walks around the stadium where the Olympic track and field events are going to take place. Outside, everything is quiet. One can only hear the echoes of applause when a high jumper manages to clear the bar, or sprinters finish their race or one of the stars who will compete that afternoon appears on the jumbo screens. Then suddenly, three police cars arrive at full speed, cut off the man's path and arrest him in just a few seconds. A camera had recorded him and an algorithm had raised the alarm: he must have made some unexpected movement, or perhaps there was an abandoned object nearby, or an “unforeseen” gathering of people. Or perhaps he looks a lot like someone who participated a few months ago in a protest against the war in Gaza… From the command center, someone had registered the anomaly, assessed its credibility and sent the order to the nearest patrols. No, this is not a scene from some futuristic show, but something that could happen during the Olympic Games held in Paris and other French towns. This will be the first worldwide-level event utilizing an algorithmic video surveillance system (VSS) to help ensure security measures. More than 400 cameras will be added to the 4,000 already operating in Paris and placed at the entrances to stadiums, streets and nearby transport, to ensure that there are as few blind spots as possible security-wise during the most followed sporting competition on the planet, with around one and a half million visitors expected to attend. And the system will remain after the games end.

Greece’s Santorini bursts with tourists as locals call for a cap (Reuters) Armed with selfie sticks and phones, the tourists flood into Santorini from everywhere—on dinghies from giant ocean liners, on coaches that zigzag up the steep hillsides, atop donkeys that clip-clop along the narrow cobbled streets. Some brave the afternoon heat to find a good spot among the white-washed houses and blue-domed churches where they then wait hours to watch the Greek island’s famed sunset. As the sun dips, many more join them, squeezing along the cliffside or onto balconies, cameras at the ready. For many of Santorini’s 20,000 permanent residents, the once idyllic island of quaint villages and pristine beaches has been ruined by mass tourism. As protests against excessive tourism erupt in other popular holiday destinations, including Venice and Barcelona, Santorini represents one of the starkest examples of how hordes of visitors can impact a place. The growing number of foreign tourists—some 3.4 million visited the island last year, according to mayor Nikos Zorzos—are putting pressure on its outdated infrastructure and are pricing islanders out of the housing market.

Russia, adapting tactics, advances in Donetsk and takes more Ukrainian land (Washington Post) Russian forces have mounted an arc of attack in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, pushing through intense summer heat in a bid to extend Moscow’s steady territorial gains and capture the city of Pokrovsk, a key transit junction. The offensive is underway as Ukraine continues to suffer from a shortage of soldiers and as election turmoil in the United States has set off new speculation that Kyiv may soon be forced to negotiate a surrender of lands. After an influx of American weapons and money helped Ukraine blunt a renewed invasion of the northeast Kharkiv region in May, preventing a major breakthrough and dashing Moscow’s hopes of surrounding Ukraine’s second-largest city, Russian commanders have refocused their attention on the Donetsk region, which may have been Russia’s objective all along. The reinvasion of the Kharkiv region, while yielding limited gains, nonetheless diverted Ukrainian resources.

India: Violence against Christians (Religion News Service) In June, Bindu Sodhi, a 32-year-old tribal woman from a small village in the densely forested state of Chhattisgarh, in central India, was killed by her neighbors while tilling her ancestral land. The villagers stoutly warned her family not to set foot in the village unless they gave up their Christian faith. Local police shrugged off Sodhi’s killing as a land dispute, despite the fact that, over the last four years, Hindu extremists and even some of Sodhi’s close relatives had been pressuring her to renounce her Christian beliefs. Attacks on Christians, who constitute only 2.3% of India’s 1.4 billion people, have risen sharply over the last few years. The main perpetrators of these crimes are extremists who believe Hinduism, India’s most prevalent faith, is synonymous with Indian identity and citizenship. Last year, the United Christian Forum, a human rights group based in New Delhi, recorded 733 incidents of violence against Christians, with an average of 61 incidents every month. “There is a surge in violence against Christians,” said AC Michael, the group’s national convener. “The government is doing little to curb police and mob brutality against Christians accused under anti-conversion laws and the undue violation of our rights.” Targeting of Christians has been going on in India since the 1990s. The gruesome murder of Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines, along with his two minor sons, by Hindu extremists in 1999 brought the world’s attention to the violence being meted out against the community. But with the rise of Modi, head of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the scale and magnitude of these threats have increased significantly.

Netanyahu says Hezbollah will pay 'heavy price' after deadly Golan Heights strike that group denies (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far,” his office said after a rocket strike Saturday at a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed at least 11 children and teens. It was the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country’s northern border since the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. It raised fears of a broader regional war. Israel is blaming Hezbollah for the strike, but Hezbollah has rushed to deny any role.

An Israeli airstrike hits a school sheltering people in Gaza, killing at least 30 including children (AP) Israeli airstrikes hit a school used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 30 people including several children. Seven children and seven women were among the dead taken from the girls’ school in Deir al-Balah to Al Aqsa Hospital. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and store “large quantities of weapons.” Hamas called the military’s claim false. Civil defense workers in Gaza said thousands had been sheltering in the school, which also contained a medical site. Associated Press journalists saw a dead toddler in an ambulance and bodies covered with blankets. Shattered walls gaped and classrooms were in ruins. People searched the rubble strewn with pillows and other signs of habitation.

‘I just feel like living every day’: oldest American, 115, offers tips for longevity (Guardian) The oldest person in the US offers two bits of advice when asked for the keys to her longevity: “If the good Lord gave it to you, use it” and “Speak your mind, don’t bite your tongue!” Elizabeth Francis’s pearls of wisdom were recirculated widely as she celebrated her 115th birthday on Thursday. Francis was born in 1909 in St Mary parish, Louisiana, about 90 miles (145km) south-west of New Orleans. She was two when the Titanic sank and had turned 11 before women gained the right to vote in the US. She has seen the end of both world wars, lived through 20 different US presidencies and survived two of the deadliest pandemics: the 1918 flu outbreak and Covid-19. Francis has previously attributed at least some of her longevity to her religious faith. Fellow worshippers from the Good Hope Missionary Baptist church join the family and friends who visit her daily at the home she shares with her daughter, Dorothy Williams.