Tycoon who brought F1 to Singapore pleads guilty in graft case


By AFP
August 4, 2025


Malaysian hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng (C) leaves the State Court in Singapore, in a rare corruption case in the city-state - Copyright AFP Roslan RAHMAN

A Malaysian hotel tycoon who helped bring Formula One to Singapore pleaded guilty Monday to abetting the obstruction of justice, in a rare corruption case in the city-state that saw a former transport minister jailed last year.

Singapore-based billionaire Ong Beng Seng, 79, was charged in October last year with helping former transport minister S. Iswaran cover up evidence in a graft investigation.

He was also accused of showering Iswaran with lavish gifts including tickets to the 2017 Singapore Formula One Grand Prix, flights on a private jet, business class travel, and a luxury hotel stay while Iswaran was working in his official capacity.

Ong entered his guilty plea from a glass-encased dock at a district court in downtown Singapore on Monday.

Prosecutors sought a two-month jail term after Ong agreed to plead guilty. He will be sentenced on August 15.

But prosecutors also agreed with defence lawyers that the court could show “judicial mercy” — which could further reduce any sentence.

Defence lawyers pleaded for clemency, saying their septuagenarian client suffered from a litany of serious ailments, including an incurable form of cancer.

They asked for a “stiff fine” instead of actual jail time.

“The risks to Mr Ong’s life increase dramatically in prison,” lawyer Cavinder Bull told the court, saying prison could not give his client sufficient care.

“This man is living on the edge,” Bull added.

The trial of Malaysia-born Ong had attracted significant media attention due to his links with Iswaran and the affluent city-state’s reputation as one of the world’s least corrupt nations.

Ong owns Singapore-based Hotel Properties Limited and is the rights holder to the Singapore Grand Prix Formula One race.

He and Iswaran were instrumental in bringing the Formula One night race on a street circuit to Singapore in 2008.

In July 2023, Ong was arrested as part of a graft probe involving Iswaran and was subsequently released on bail.

In October last year, Iswaran was jailed for 12 months after he pleaded guilty to accepting illegal gifts worth more than Sg$400,000 ($310,000).

He was also found guilty of obstructing justice, in the city-state’s first political graft trial in nearly half a century.

Iswaran completed serving his sentence on June 6.

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

UK lenders face $12 bn plus compensation bill despite court ruling: watchdog


By AFP
August 3, 2025


The Supreme Court's decision to partially overturn judgments that the loans were unlawful came as a boost for banks - Copyright AFP Tolga Akmen

British finance firms behind high interest car loans could have to pay out more than nine billion pounds ($12 billion) in compensation despite the country’s highest court ruling that most of the controversial deals were lawful, a financial watchdog said Sunday.

The Supreme Court on Friday partially overturned judgments that the loans were unlawful, giving relief to banks which had been bracing for compensation claims from millions of car-buyers.

It did, however, uphold one of the three cases, which allows the claimant to seek compensation.

And in a similar but separate probe, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that the cost of any redress scheme relating to discretionary commission arrangements for car loans would likely be higher than £9 billion.

“While there are plausible scenarios which underpin estimates of a total cost as high as £18 billion, we do not consider those scenarios to be the most likely and analyst estimates in the midpoint of this range are more plausible,” the FCA said in a statement.

The FCA estimates that most individuals will probably receive less than £950 in compensation.

The court ruling had given the FCA “clarity… because we have been looking at what is unfair and, prior to this judgment, there were different interpretations of the law coming from different courts,” it said.

“It is clear that some firms have broken the law and our rules. It’s fair for their customers to be compensated,” said Nikhil Rathi, chief executive of the FCA.

The Supreme Court decision mostly overturned Court of Appeal rulings last year that it was unlawful for car dealers to receive a commission on loans without sufficiently informing borrowers.

In some cases, the loans — available from 2007 — allowed car dealers to offer higher interest rates in return for a bigger commission from banks.

The ruling means that dealers have some leeway when arranging loans, without requiring explicit consent from borrowers for terms that may benefit lenders.

The case that was upheld involved Marcus Johnson, who in 2017 bought a Suzuki Swift from a car dealer in Cardiff for £6,500 including loan costs — unaware that interest on the loan amount would fund a commission of more than £1,600.

When the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Johnson, ordering FirstRand Bank, a South African based lender, to refund the commission plus interest, it sparked panic across the finance sector.

That ruling was upheld by the top court due to the high level of commission Johnson was charged and the complexity of the contract setting out the fee, which limits the scope of other compensation claims.

HSBC bank analysts had suggested before the trial that the total cost to the banking sector could have reached £44 billion.

AI search pushing an already weakened media ecosystem to the brink


By AFP
August 4, 2025


ChatGPT: — © AFP Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV
Thomas URBAIN

Generative artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are cutting into traditional online search traffic, depriving news sites of visitors and impacting the advertising revenue they desperately need, in a crushing blow to an industry already fighting for survival.

“The next three or four years will be incredibly challenging for publishers everywhere. No one is immune from the AI summaries storm gathering on the horizon,” warned Matt Karolian, vice president of research and development at Boston Globe Media.

“Publishers need to build their own shelters or risk being swept away.”

While data remains limited, a recent Pew Research Center study reveals that AI-generated summaries now appearing regularly in Google searches discourage users from clicking through to source articles.

When AI summaries are present, users click on suggested links half as often compared to traditional searches.

This represents a devastating loss of visitors for online media sites that depend on traffic for both advertising revenue and subscription conversions.

According to Northeastern University professor John Wihbey, these trends “will accelerate, and pretty soon we will have an entirely different web.”

The dominance of tech giants like Google and Meta had already slashed online media advertising revenue, forcing publishers to pivot toward paid subscriptions.

But Wihbey noted that subscriptions also depend on traffic, and paying subscribers alone aren’t sufficient to support major media organizations.

– Limited lifelines –

The Boston Globe group has begun seeing subscribers sign up through ChatGPT, offering a new touchpoint with potential readers, Karolian said.

However, “these remain incredibly modest compared to other platforms, including even smaller search engines.”

Other AI-powered tools like Perplexity are generating even fewer new subscriptions, he added.

To survive what many see as an inevitable shift, media companies are increasingly adopting GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) — a technique that replaces traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

This involves providing AI models with clearly labeled content, good structure, comprehensible text, and strong presence on social networks and forums like Reddit that get crawled by AI companies.

But a fundamental question remains: “Should you allow OpenAI crawlers to basically crawl your website and your content?” asks Thomas Peham, CEO of optimization startup OtterlyAI.

Burned by aggressive data collection from major AI companies, many news publishers have chosen to fight back by blocking AI crawlers from accessing their content.

“We just need to ensure that companies using our content are paying fair market value,” argued Danielle Coffey, who heads the News/Media Alliance trade organization.

Some progress has been made on this front. Licensing agreements have emerged between major players, such as the New York Times and Amazon, Google and Associated Press, and Mistral and Agence France-Presse, among others.

But the issue is far from resolved, as several major legal battles are underway, most notably the New York Times’ blockbuster lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft.

– Let them crawl –

Publishers face a dilemma: blocking AI crawlers protects their content but reduces exposure to potential new readers.

Faced with this challenge, “media leaders are increasingly choosing to reopen access,” Peham observed.

Yet even with open access, success isn’t guaranteed.

According to OtterlyAI data, media outlets represent just 29 percent of citations offered by ChatGPT, trailing corporate websites at 36 percent.

And while Google search has traditionally privileged sources recognized as reliable, “we don’t see this with ChatGPT,” Peham noted.

The stakes extend beyond business models.

According to the Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report, about 15 percent of people under 25 now use generative AI to get their news.

Given ongoing questions about AI sourcing and reliability, this trend risks confusing readers about information origins and credibility — much like social media did before it.

“At some point, someone has to do the reporting,” Karolian said. “Without original journalism, none of these AI platforms would have anything to summarize.”

Perhaps with this in mind, Google is already developing partnerships with news organizations to feed its generative AI features, suggesting potential paths forward.

“I think the platforms will realize how much they need the press,” predicted Wihbey — though whether that realization comes soon enough to save struggling newsrooms remains an open question.

Op-Ed: 3D printing, AI and MIT turn food waste into useful things

By Paul Wallis
August 2, 2025

DIGITAL JOURNAL


Drata analyzed global poll data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to illustrate corporate America's preparedness to implement AI. - Photo illustration by Stacker // Shutterstock

The mix of AI and 3D printing was inevitable. Add MIT and some very practical ideas, and you get the likely basis of future resource management. This is sustainability with legs. It’s called FoodRes.Ai Printer, and it’s a game-changer in so many ways.

It looks straightforward enough in theory, but the basic idea is the goldmine.

Consider this:

You need to accurately assess the value of waste materials as resources for 3D printing. If you know the somewhat torturous history of creating materials suitable for printing, this is a huge breakthrough.

You need the capability to convert waste materials like food scraps into printable materials. Not easy, and these materials can be highly variable in content. Food waste, it should be understood, isn’t a particularly cooperative range of materials. These materials can be in any condition.

You have to create printing options for multiple objects. This Popular Science article defines the current state of play for FoodRes.

It must be easy to use in a single, simple process for consumers and onsite production. FoodRes couldn’t get any simpler, as you can see from this YouTube video.

The AI component is the critical dynamic here. This is real AI, the high-value scientific information processing variety, not the chatty, too-much overhyped variety, and it’s extremely efficient. FoodRes includes a mobile app that identifies and creates “recipes,” as designer Biru Cao calls them, for 3D printing options.

The 3D printer looks pretty simple and durable. All it requires is the raw materials and some natural additives. You just upload a photo of the materials to the AI, and it creates the printing options.

The 3D prints are also customizable to a large extent. At the moment, the scale of production is naturally based on the printer’s capacity, but you have to start somewhere. It’s not hard to visualize a whole custom dinner set being made.

The future

The new horizon created by FoodRes is vast. Imagine a simple process for converting any kind of waste or basic materials into almost anything. The sheer efficiency of this thing deserves respect. It’s a very practical way of managing any kind of waste or indeed any kind of available materials.

The evolution of FoodRes will be well worth watching. 3D printing has just gained a major asset in terms of materials management. Materials science has just gained a lot of new space for the development of new materials. Waste management has just had its load revised downward. if this tech develops high capacity, like simply generating printing materials for commercial use.

If there was ever a practical idea, this is it.

__________________________________________________
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.

BP makes largest oil, gas discovery in 25 years off Brazil


By AFP
August 4, 2025


BP is undergoing a major overhaul to focus on its more profitable oil and gas business, shelving its once industry-leading renewable energy strategy - Copyright AFP/File NOEL CELIS

Britain’s BP announced Monday it made its biggest oil and gas discovery in 25 years off the coast of Brazil, as it shifts back to its fossil fuel business.

The discovery comes as a boost to the struggling energy major as it undergoes a major overhaul to focus on its more profitable oil and gas business, shelving its once industry-leading renewable energy strategy.

The company said it had located oil and gas at the Bumerangue prospect, 404 kilometres (251 miles) from Rio de Janeiro, in a water depth of 2,372 metres.

“This is another success in what has been an exceptional year so far for our exploration team, underscoring our commitment to growing our upstream,” said Gordon Birrell, BP’s executive vice president for production and operations.

It marks the 10th discovery by BP in 2025.

Shares in the company rose more than one percent on London’s top-tier FTSE 100 index following the announcement.

BP is ramping up its global exploration programme, with around 40 wells planned over the next three years, including as many as 15 to be drilled this year.

The group expects to grow its daily global output to between 2.3 million and 2.5 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2030.

“BP will want to use its latest numbers to convince the market it has truly revamped its strategy and moved away from the green push which proved unpopular with a significant portion of its shareholder base,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

BP publishes its latest earnings on Tuesday, after rival Shell last week reported a 23-percent slide in first-half net profit, hit by lower oil and gas prices.

China’s Baidu to deploy robotaxis on rideshare app Lyft


By AFP

August 4, 2025


China's tech companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in recent years - Copyright AFP/File NOEL CELIS

Chinese internet giant Baidu plans to launch its robotaxis on rideshare app Lyft in Germany and Britain in 2026, pending regulatory approval, the two companies said on Monday.

Last month, Baidu announced a similar agreement with Uber in Asia and the Middle East as it seeks to take pole position in the competitive autonomous driving field both at home and abroad.

Lyft and Baidu said Monday that “in the following years” the fleet of Apollo Go driverless cars will be expanded to thousands of vehicles across Europe.

They did not specify which other countries the cars would be deployed in, and it was not clear how long it might take to gain regulatory approval for the initial deployment.

Driverless taxis are already on some roads with limited capacity in the United States and China, most notably in the central city of Wuhan, where a fleet of over 500 can be hailed by app in designated areas.

Their reach is spreading, with Shanghai’s financial district Pudong recently announcing a batch of permits for multiple companies to operate robotaxis.

China’s tech companies and automakers have poured billions of dollars into self-driving technology in recent years, with intelligent driving the new battleground in the country’s cutthroat domestic car market.

Baidu is not alone among Chinese companies in searching to expand its foothold abroad.

Its rival WeRide is also active in the Gulf region, and in January announced it had been picked to lead a small pilot project in Switzerland.

Pony.AI, another Chinese company, said in May that it had signed a deal to launch its self-driving taxis on Uber in “a key market in the Middle East later this year”.

San Francisco-based Lyft in April said it had agreed to buy German taxi app Freenow, planting a flag in the European market.

The acquisition marked Lyft’s “most significant expansion outside North America”, the group said.

Self-driving cars with the worst safety records revealed


By Dr. Tim Sandle
DIGITAL JOURNAL
August 3, 2025


In San Francisco, locals barely notice the steering wheels turning by themselves anymore, with Waymo's fleet of Jaguars also available in parts of Silicon Valley - Copyright AFP -

Self-driving cars may be the future but this future is not yet here. Various technical challenges exist in relation to navigation. Plus there is the thorny issue of crashes. On the subject of safety, which vehicles have the worst records?

A recent study by Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers, and provided to Digital Journal, has identified the top ten car models most likely to crash in self-driving mode. The dataset includes incidents involving various vehicle manufacturers, models, and automation levels, with sales data incorporated to normalize crash counts for fair comparison.

The key metrics considered included total crashes, total units sold, and crashes per 10K vehicles sold, which provides a relative crash risk assessment. The analysis combines Automated Driving Systems (ADS) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) data, cleans and standardizes vehicle and automation types, and merges sales figures.

The final ranking for car models most likely to crash in self-driving mode is based on crashes per 10,000 vehicles sold, while states with the highest crash rates are identified using total crash counts and geographic data, including city, time, and roadway surface conditions.

The outcome of the analysis indicates:

Manufacturer	Number of Crashes	Type of System	Model	Sold cars	Crashes Per 10K Sold Cars
Jaguar	918	ADS	I-Pace	131,860	69.6193
Tesla	2,708	ADAS	Model Y, Model 3	2,362,466	11.4626
JLR	62	ADS	I-Pace	74,387	8.3348
Rivian	12	ADAS	R1S	116,345	1.0314
Kenworth Motor Truck Co	13	ADS	T680	560,000	0.2321
BMW	63	ADAS	iX xDrive50, X5	5,242,185	0.1202
Subaru	119	ADAS	Forester	10,249,838	0.1161
ACURA	35	ADAS	MDX, TLX	3,332,896	0.1050
Mercedes-Benz	39	ADAS	S580	5,704,671	0.0684
HONDA	122	ADAS	Civic	23,757,953	0.0514

Jaguar leads the ranking with 69.62 crashes per 10K vehicles sold. The I-Pace model, utilizing a fully automated driving system (ADS), recorded 918 crashes with a relatively small fleet of 131,860 vehicles. This crash rate is over six times higher than Tesla’s and more than eight times higher than JLR’s I-Pace variant, even though both use similar technology.

Tesla follows in second place with 11.46 crashes. With 2,708 reported incidents across its Model Y and Model 3 vehicles, Tesla has the highest absolute number of crashes in the study. However, its crash rate is six times lower than Jaguar’s, with nearly 18 times more vehicles on the road.

JLR secures the third position with 8.33 crashes. The I-Pace variant with ADS technology shows similar safety concerns, although it has fewer total incidents (62). This is eight times lower than Jaguar’s and three times lower than Tesla’s, while it uses the same technology as Jaguar. JLR also has the lowest sales volume in the top 10 with only 74,387 vehicles sold.

Rivian holds the fourth spot with 1.03 crashes. The R1S model represents a significant improvement in safety compared to the top three manufacturers, with a crash rate eight times lower than JLR’s and 11 times lower than Tesla’s.

Kenworth Motor Truck Company comes in fifth with 0.23 crashes. Despite using full ADS technology in its T680 truck model like Jaguar and JLR, Kenworth achieves a crash rate 36 times lower than JLR’s and 302 times lower than Jaguar’s.

BMW takes the sixth position with 0.12 crashes. The German manufacturer’s models perform twice as well as Kenworth’s, 86 times better than JLR’s, and 580 times better than Jaguar’s top-ranked I-Pace.

Subaru appears at seventh with 0.12 crashes. While matching BMW’s crash rate, Subaru’s Forester experiences nearly twice as many total incidents (119) as BMW (63). Subaru’s crash rate is slightly higher than Acura’s, while both use similar ADAS technology.

Acura places eighth with 0.11 crashes. The luxury division of Honda performs 57% better than Mercedes-Benz in crash rates, though Mercedes has a significantly larger fleet of vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz sits at ninth with 0.07 crashes. The S580 model demonstrates 40% better safety performance than Acura’s models and performs 71% better than BMW’s vehicles, despite all three being luxury brands with ADAS technology.

Honda rounds out the list at tenth with 0.05 crashes. With the largest sales in the study at nearly 23.8 million Civic models, Honda achieved the lowest crash rate among all manufacturers, 58% lower than BMW, despite having over four times as many vehicles on the road as Mercedes-Benz.

New push to reach plastic pollution pact


By AFP
August 2, 2025


Plastic waste has been found from the bottom of the seas to the tops of mountains - Copyright AFP Christopher Furlong, Alfredo ESTRELLA
Isabel MALSANG

Negotiators will take another stab at reaching a global pact on plastic pollution at talks opening Tuesday in Geneva but they face deep divisions over how to tackle the health and ecological hazard.

The coming 10 days of talks involving delegates from nearly 180 nations follows a failure to reach a deal last December on how to stop millions of tonnes of plastic waste entering the environment each year.

Plastic pollution is so ubiquitous that microplastics have been found on the highest mountain peak, in the deepest ocean trench and scattered throughout almost every part of the human body.

In 2022, countries agreed they would find a way to address the crisis by the end of 2024, but the talks in Busan, South Korea failed to overcome fundamental differences.

One group of countries sought an ambitious globally binding agreement to limit production and phase out harmful chemicals.

However, a group of mostly oil-producing nations rejected production limits and wanted to focus on treating waste.

The stakes are high. If nothing is done, global plastic consumption could triple by 2060, according to OECD projections.

Meanwhile, plastic waste in soils and waterways is expected to surge 50 percent by 2040, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is acting as the secretariat for the talks.

Some 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, half of which is single-use. And less than 10 percent of plastic waste is recycled.

Plastics break down into bits so small that not only do they find their way throughout the ecosystem but into human blood and organs, recent studies show, with largely unknown consequences on the health of current and future generations.



– ‘Forever chemicals’ –



Despite the complexity of trying to reconcile the diverging interests the environment, human health, and industry “it’s very possible to leave Geneva with a treaty,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen told the press in the runup to the talks.

The text published after the failed talks in South Korea contained 300 points that still needed to be resolved.

“You have over 300 brackets in the text, which means you have over 300 disagreements,” said Bjorn Beeler, executive director and international coordinator at IPEN, a global network aimed at limiting toxic chemicals. “So 300 disagreements have to be addressed.”

The most divisive issue is whether to restrict production of new plastic, with petroleum-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Russia opposing limits.

Another contentious point: establishing a list of chemicals considered dangerous, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of synthetic chemicals often called forever chemicals as they take an extremely long time to break down.

Bjorn Beeler, head of the IPEN network of activist groups working to eliminate pollutants said that no one wants the talks to go to a third round and the diplomats need to show progress.

The “context is difficult,” a diplomatic source acknowledged on condition of anonymity, saying they could not ignore the changed US attitude towards multilateral initiatives under Donald Trump’s administration.



– Lobbyists at work –



Meanwhile, developing nations are keenly interested in talks “either because they are plastic producers with a risk of a strong impact on their economies or because they suffer from plastic pollution and demand accountability,” said the same source.

In Nice in June, at the UN Oceans Conference, 96 countries, ranging from tiny island states to Zimbabwe, including the 27 members of the European Union, Mexico and Senegal, called for an ambitious treaty, including a target to reduce the production and consumption of plastics.

Ilane Seid, chair of the Alliance of Small Island states (AOSIS), said “the treaty should cover the full life cycle of plastics and this includes production. It should not be a waste management treaty.”

“Governments must act in the interest of people, not polluters,” said Graham Forbes, the head of Greenpeace’s delegation at the talks, who denounced the presence of industry lobbyists.

IPEN’s Beeler said negotiators want to avoid another round of talks, but that does not assure an all-encompassing deal will be reached.

“The escape hatch is most likely a skeleton that’s going to be called a treaty, that needs to have finance, guts, and a soul to be actually something effective,” he said.

Atmospheric: The mystery of what triggers lightning revealed


By Dr. Tim Sandle
August 2, 2025

DIGITAL JOURNAL


The crater of Mount Ruang flamed with lava against a backdrop of lightning bolts overnight after erupting five times - Copyright AFP/File Kena Betancur

For all the advances in our understanding of weather, one area has remained elusive: how does lightning begin? Scientists have been examining how lightning begins inside thunderclouds. These findings offer the first quantitative, physics-based explanation for lightning initiation. This outcome offers a glimpse into the stormy heart of Earth’s atmosphere.

It is known that lightning begins as static charges in a rain cloud. Winds inside the cloud are very turbulent, and water droplets in the bottom part of the cloud are caught in the updrafts and lifted to great heights where the much colder atmosphere freezes them. At the same time, downdrafts in the cloud push ice and hail down from the top of the cloud.

But what is the actual trigger? The explanation concerns the spectacular naturally occurring bursts of X-rays and accompanying radio emissions that are observed in association with lightning activity in the Earth’s atmosphere.

With the study, scientists describe how they determined strong electric fields in thunderclouds accelerate electrons that crash into molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, producing X-rays and initiating a deluge of additional electrons and high-energy photons. This represents ‘the perfect storm’ from which lightning bolts are born.

‘Lightning is a major hazard that claims many lives every year,’ the UN’s World Meteorological Organization says – Copyright AFP Sergei SUPINSKY

The scientists used mathematical modelling to explain field observations of photoelectric phenomena in Earth’s atmosphere — when relativistic energy electrons, which are seeded by cosmic rays entering the atmosphere from outer space, multiply in thunderstorm electric fields and emit brief high-energy photon bursts.

This phenomenon, known as a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (also known as dark lightning), comprises the invisible, naturally occurring bursts of X-rays and accompanying radio emissions. These flashes been recorded to last 0.2 to 3.5 milliseconds, and have energies of up to 20 million electronvolts. It is speculated that the phenomena are caused by intense electric fields produced above or inside thunderstorms

According to lead researcher Victor Pasko, professor of electrical engineering in the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science: “Our findings provide the first precise, quantitative explanation for how lightning initiates in nature…”It connects the dots between X-rays, electric fields and the physics of electron avalanches.”

“By simulating conditions with our model that replicated the conditions observed in the field, we offered a complete explanation for the X-rays and radio emissions that are present within thunderclouds,” Pasko adds. “We demonstrated how electrons, accelerated by strong electric fields in thunderclouds, produce X-rays as they collide with air molecules like nitrogen and oxygen, and create an avalanche of electrons that produce high-energy photons that initiate lightning.”

The research appears in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, titled “Photoelectric Effect in Air Explains Lightning Initiation and Terrestrial Gamma Ray Flashes.”

Megaflash

In related news, a 515-mile lightning bolt has lit up the skies from Texas to Kansas City, breaking previous records and reshaping our understanding of extreme weather. Scientists have begun studying the mechanics of “megaflash” lightning. These are rare, colossal discharges that span hundreds of miles across the sky. The massive bolts, emerging from long-lived, sprawling thunderstorms, pose real danger to humanity even when skies seem clear.

Most lightning flashes are limited to less than 10 miles in reach. When a lightning bolt reaches beyond 60 miles (100 kilometers to be exact), it is considered a megaflash. Less than 1 percent of thunderstorms produce megaflash lightning. Even within this narrow band of corruence, a 500 mile plus expanse of lightning remains truly remarkable.

US trade advisor says Trump tariff rates unlikely to change


ByAFP
August 3, 2025


Steel coils sitting in the yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco's steel mill in Hamilton, Canada, which now face 50 percent tariffs to enter the United States 

- Copyright AFP/File I-HWA CHENG

New US tariff rates are “pretty much set” with little immediate room for negotiation, Donald Trump’s trade advisor said in remarks aired Sunday, also defending the president’s politically driven levies against Brazil.

Trump, who has wielded tariffs as a tool of American economic might, has set tariff rates for dozens of economies including the European Union at between 10 and 41 percent come August 7, his new hard deadline for the duties.

In a pre-taped interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said “the coming days” are not likely to see changes in the tariff rates.

“A lot of these are set rates pursuant to deals. Some of these deals are announced, some are not, others depend on the level of the trade deficit or surplus we may have with the country,” Greer said.

“These tariff rates are pretty much set.”

Undoubtedly some trade ministers “want to talk more and see how they can work in a different way with the United States,” he added.

But “we’re seeing truly the contours of the president’s tariff plan right now with these rates.”

Last Thursday, the former real estate developer announced hiked tariff rates on dozens of US trade partners.

They will kick in on August 7 instead of August 1, which had previously been touted as a hard deadline.

Among the countries facing steep new levies is Brazil. South America’s largest economy is being hit with 50 percent tariffs on exports to the United States — albeit with significant exemptions for key products such as aircraft and orange juice.

Trump has openly admitted he is punishing Brazil for prosecuting his political ally Jair Bolsonaro, the ex-president accused of plotting a coup in a bid to cling to power. The US president has described the case as a “witch hunt.”

Greer said it was not unusual for Trump to use tariff tools for geopolitical purposes.

“The president has seen in Brazil, like he’s seen in other countries, a misuse of law, a misuse of democracy,” Greer told CBS. “It is normal to use these tools for geopolitical issues.”

Trump was “elected to assess the foreign affairs situation… and take appropriate action,” he added.

Meanwhile White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett said that while talks are expected to continue over the next week with some US trade partners, he concurred with Greer’s tariffs assessment in that the bulk of the rates “are more or less locked in.”

Asked by the host of NBC’s Sunday talk show “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker” if Trump could change tariff rates should financial markets react negatively, Hassett said: “I would rule it out, because these are the final deals.”

Legal challenges have been filed against some of Trump’s tariffs arguing he overstepped his authority.

An appeals court panel on Thursday appeared skeptical of the government’s arguments, though the case may be ultimately decided at the Supreme Court.

Boeing defense workers launch strike over contract dispute


ByAFP
August 4, 2025


A strike at Boeing's defense business in Missouri and Illinois follows a stoppage last fall in the Pacific Nortwest of workers who manufacture commercial planes - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Benoit Tessier

Thousands of members of a union representing Boeing defense industry workers in the US states of Missouri and Illinois went on strike Monday after rejecting a contract proposal.

In a post on X, the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers said: “3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing went on strike at midnight because enough is enough.

“This is about respect and dignity, not empty promises.”

It came hours after the union said in a statement that members at Boeing facilities in Missouri and Illinois had voted to reject a modified four-year labor agreement with Boeing.

The St. Louis local’s stoppage follows a bruising Boeing strike last fall in the Pacific Northwest region of some 33,000 workers that halted production at factories that assemble Boeing commercial planes.

Local broadcast media showed footage of workers picketing outside the St. Louis factory.

Members of the union’s local chapter “have spoken loud and clear, they deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and the critical role they play in our nation’s defense,” said IAM District 837 representative Tom Boelling.

The American aerospace giant’s initial proposal, which included a 20 percent wage increase over four years and more vacation time, was rejected a week earlier.

The new offer doubled the wage increase, according to Boeing.

“We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40 percent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules,” Dan Gillian, Boeing Air Dominance vice president and senior St. Louis, Missouri site executive, said in a statement.

“We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers.”

The storied company has been in crisis since last year due to production quality issues and a seven-week strike that crippled two of Boeing’s major assembly plants.

IAM is one of North America’s largest unions, representing some 600,000 members in aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, transportation, health care, manufacturing and other industries.

Products produced at Boeing’s St. Louis operation include the F-15 and F-18 combat aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk Advanced Pilot Training System and the MQ-25 unmanned aircraft. The site was originally part of the McDonnell Douglas company, which Boeing acquired in 1997.

Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg described the business hit from the strike in Missouri as manageable, noting that the operation has a far smaller number of workers compared with those who went on the picket lines last fall.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about the implications of the strike,” Ortberg said on an earnings conference call. “We’ll manage our way through that.”

Shares of Boeing rose 0.2 percent on Monday.