It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, July 15, 2022
Solar cells printed on steel for buildings generate clean energy, researchers say Swansea University and Tata Steel U.K. are collaborating on a study of new solar panel technology that can be printed on steel in buildings rather than attached later, like the solar panels pictured, and researchers say the new printed panels are more efficient. File Photo by Craig Russell/Shutterstock
July 14 (UPI) -- Solar roofing panels that can be printed on steel used in building construction are being studied in a new three-year collaboration between Swansea University researchers and Tata Steel U.K.
The technology, called "Active Buildings," is being researched to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and to ease demand on the British national power grid, according to Swansea University.
"This technology will help us tackle the energy crisis and the climate crisis at the same time," Dave Worsley, professor and head of materials science and engineering at Swansea, said in a statement.
"The future is about solar energy technology being built in, not added on afterwards. These printable solar cells can be built into the fabric of our homes, shops and offices, allowing them to generate the power they need, and more besides," Worsley said.
Worsley said the concept works and has been demonstrated in "Active Buildings" in the southwestern Wales city of Swansea.
"We are buoyant with the possibilities that the perovskite technology brings to the table -- especially in integration to the building and construction solutions - across different value streams in Tata Steel," said Sumitesh Das, Tata U.K.'s director of research and development.
Perovskite is a new kind of solar cell.
According to Swansea researchers, enough solar energy falls on Earth in just one hour to meet the energy needs of the entire world for a year.
Traditional solar cells are made from silicon, which is expensive and requires a lot of energy to produce. But a perovskite solar cell is a cheaper and lighter, highly efficient alternative to the silicon-based cells.
Swansea University said manufacturing these new solar cells emits less than half the carbon compared to a silicon cell.
The non-partisan group Environment America said in January of this year that installing solar panels on the roofs of U.S. superstores could generate enough energy to power 8 million homes.
Rare orange lobster found in shipment at Florida Red Lobster An orange lobster, dubbed Cheddar, was found in a shipment of crustaceans that arrived at a Red Lobster restaurant in Hollywood, Fla. Photo courtesy of Ripley's Aquarium
July 14 (UPI) -- An extremely rare orange lobster was spared the dinner plate at a Red Lobster restaurant in Florida and will have a new permanent home at an aquarium.
Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, S.C., said it was contacted by managers at the Red Lobster in Hollywood, Fla., after workers discovered the orange lobster in a shipment.
The lobster's orange coloring is believed to be from a mutation that occurs only in one out of 30 million lobsters.
The unusual crustacean was named Cheddar in honor of Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits.
"Sometimes ordinary miracles happen, and Cheddar is one of them," Red Lobster manager Mario Roque said in a news release from Ripley's. "A group of incredible people helped us make this possible. We are so honored to have been able to save Cheddar and find her a good home."
Nicole Bott, senior director of communications at Red Lobster, said Cheddar will soon be on display at the Myrtle Beach aquarium.
"We are incredibly proud of Mario and the team for recognizing what a special and rare creature Cheddar is and for working relentlessly to find someone to rescue her," Bott said. "It is an honor to be able to share the story of Cheddar and provide her a new home where she can be enjoyed by many for years to come, all from the safety of her tank."
Brain injuries continue to rise among girls, especially high schoolers, study says
By Judy Packer-Tursman A new study cites a steep rise since 2000 in traumatic brain injuries among children using sports and recreational equipment.
July 14 (UPI) -- Traumatic brain injuries in children involving sports and recreational equipment have increased significantly since 2000, a new study reports.
And while the incidence of this type of injury peaked in 2012 and then declined in boys, it increased substantially among girls, especially high-schoolers.
That's the bottom line from a study published Thursday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The investigators analyzed what they term "consumer product-related" traumatic brain injuries, meaning injuries involving sports and recreational equipment, among school-aged children over a 20-year period, evaluating trends by breaking data down by age groups, levels of education, and gender.
Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in children up to age 4 and between 15 and 19 years old, according to a news release.
"With 308,000 average annual cases in the United States, such accidents have become frequent among school-aged children participating in sports and playground activities that involve equipment," such as bicycling, football, basketball, and soccer, the release said.
While the overall incidence of this type of injury was higher among boys than girls, the researchers found that "annual percentage increases since 2013 were most elevated in girls, especially those of high-school age," the study's news release said.
"While it appears that efforts to decrease TBI in children's sports have been effective, our findings suggest that more focused efforts are needed among girls," Dr. Tuan D. Le, the study's lead investigator, said in the news release.
Le said it turns into a balancing act finding ways to heighten awareness of how to avoid high risk activities without discouraging children from taking part in exercise.
Le is an adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Community and Rural Health, at the University of Texas Tyler Health Science Center.
The study used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program for initial emergency department visits for this type of brain injury from January 2000 to December 2019, involving 6.2 million children ages 5 to 18.
The researchers found a significant increase in consumer product-related traumatic brain injuries incidents over time, accounting for more than 12% of all U.S. hospital emergency department visits by school-aged children in 2019, up from 4.5% in 2000.
The rate of increase stabilized after peaking in 2012, to a 3.6% annual level over the entire study period.
The researchers said in a news release the stabilized injury rate may be partly due to greater public awareness of the risks that children may face from contact sports, along with increased incident reporting and more effective prevention and treatment.
House passes $840 million military spending, policy bill
The House voted 329-101 to approve an $840 billion bill including funding for the Defense Department and directing policy at the agency. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- The House on Thursday approved an $840 billion measure to increase military spending and direct Defense Department policy in the coming year.
House lawmakers voted 329-101 in a bipartisan show of support for the bill that increases President Joe Biden's Pentagon budget by $37 billion while also placing a focus on funding to assist Ukraine's military, competing with China, addressing issues during the military withdrawal from Afghanistan and rooting out extremism from among the ranks of the armed forces.
"We have a complex threat environment, when you look at Russia and China and Iran," Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the armed services committee said. "The war in Ukraine is a devastating threat to peace, stability and democracy, not just in Eastern Europe, but across the globe that we are working with partners to try to address. So we have to make sure that we have a strong bill."
The bill authorizes $100 million in assistance for Ukrainian military pilots while calling for a study of what resources NATO requires to stamp out Russian aggression.
Lawmakers also approved a series of measures regarding China's efforts to expand its global footprint in addition to shoring up U.S. relations with Taiwan, including conducting feasibility studies to enhance military cooperation.
In response to the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which saw 13 U.S. service members killed in an attack on an airport in Kabul, the bill called for improvements on the visa processing system that left thousands of American allies stuck in Afghanistan after U.S. personnel withdrew.
The bill also includes a provision requiring top national security agencies to report on and take efforts to prevent white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in federal law enforcement and armed forces, which drew unanimous opposition from Republicans.
"Every member of the military who showed an interest or actual participation in a white supremacist or white nationalist group has faced discipline," Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in defense of his opposition. "The relevant branch either demoted the individual, discharged them or otherwise disciplined the sympathizer."
Other provisions include granting a 4.6% pay raise to military personnel, while prohibiting the Biden administration from selling F-16s to Turkey without providing guarantees on how they will be used.
An effort by Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to reduce the Pentagon's budget by $100 billion this year was defeated by a 350-78 vote.
The version of the bill passed Thursday has not yet been reconciled with a Senate version, which has not yet been made public but is expected to alter how much money is directed toward the Defense Department.
Russian basketball colleagues testify to Brittney Griner's character in court 1/4
WNBA and Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner faces as many as 10 years in Russian prison on the drug charges to which she pleaded guilty last week. File Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
July 14 (UPI) -- WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner's former teammate and the director of her team in Russia testified to her character Thursday during a court hearing in Moscow.
Evgeniya Belyakova, the captain of team UMMC Ekaterinburg, told the court the team misses Griner and "her energy."
"Brittney has always been a good teammate, which is why my role here is to support her and be there for her," said Belyakova, who was also the one-time captain of the Russian national team.
Team director Maksim Ryabkov said Griner played a "big role" in the team and Russian women's basketball in general, according to CNN.
The trial is expected to resume Friday morning, The New York Times reported.
Thursday was Griner's first court appearance after her surprise decision to plead guilty to drug charges last week.
Russian authorities took the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist into custody in February after they said they found vaping cartridges in her luggage containing less than a gram of hashish oil, which is against the law in Russia.
After she was detained for weeks and her family appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to work to secure her release, Griner pleaded guilty to the charges last week, hoping for leniency from the court.
Griner could face as many as 10 years in prison on the charges.
Griner, who has played in Russia during the WNBA off-season, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the Team USA women's basketball team.
Some U.S. officials have argued that Russia is using the women's basketball star, who played in Russia during the WNBA off-season, as a political pawn.
In May, the U.S. State Department reclassified Griner's case as a "wrongful detention" and the White House has not yet said whether it's considering a possible prisoner exchange to secure her release.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would not be pressured into making a deal.
"We urge the U.S. authorities not to exploit this sensitive matter affecting the fates of certain individuals, and we advise them to abandon futile attempts to pressure us," Zakharova said according to The Washington Post.
Griner's lawyers show medical cannabis prescription to Russian court
CBSNews -
WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a Moscow courtroom for the second day in a row Friday, and her legal team said it had presented new evidence to help explain why she entered Russia with a cannabis product that led to her arrest.
Griner's lawyers defend possession of vape cartridges with U.S. prescription for medical cannabis
Her trial resumed Thursday, about a week after Griner entered a guilty plea before the court, which analysts believe may have been her best chance at securing an eventual pardon, or at least leniency, given the Russian court system's near-perfect conviction rate.
Maria Blagovolina, one of the lawyers representing Griner, said her legal team had presented evidence Friday including "characterization materials, medical records and tax returns." Among the medical documentation was a doctor's prescription for the substance that Griner has admitted bringing into Russia mistakenly as she packed her bags in a rush.
Friday's was the fourth hearing in the Phoenix Mercury player's trial. She's facing up to 10 years in prison on drug possession and smuggling charges. Griner has already spent about five months in custody after being detained at a Moscow airport with what prosecutors say were vape cartridges containing cannabis-derived oil.
Her admission of guilt was seen largely as a bid by her legal team to get a verdict as quickly as possible and prevent the trial from dragging out, as Moscow is unlikely to respond to any attempts by Washington to secure her release until the court process has played out.
The Biden administration considers the basketball star "wrongfully detained," and legal experts believe Griner's best chance of walking free is if Russia and the U.S. can agree to a prisoner swap.
As she appeared for Thursday's hearing, Moscow warned the U.S. against exerting any pressure, especially in public, to secure Griner's release.
"We urge the U.S. government not to speculate on such sensitive matters which affect the fates of specific people, and we advise to refrain from futile attempts to pressure us and focus on practical work through established channels," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"Griner's legal proceedings are ongoing, and until they conclude, it is premature to discuss any options of her return home," Zakharova added.
WNBA star Brittney Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russia 02:51
Russian media have speculated that the Kremlin will seek to exchange Griner for Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death," who has been in U.S. custody since 2008. Another name floated by Russian officials is that of Roman Seleznev, who's serving a 27-year prison sentence in the U.S. on cyber fraud charges.
At the Thursday hearing, the court heard witnesses for the defense who testified to Griner's character. Maxim Ryabkov, the head of the Russian basketball club UMMC Ekaterinburg, where Griner plays during the U.S. off-season, said he had never "seen or heard" Griner using drugs in the seven years he's worked with her.
The captain of the team, Evgenia Belyakova, testified in the hearing that Griner is a "responsible person," and said she believes it would have been impossible for Griner to use drugs and perform on the team given their demanding game schedule.
On Friday, the judge scheduled the next hearing for July 26. The defense had asked for a week to meet with Griner to help her prepare to give testimony.
Historic heat wave could be worst in Europe in over 200 years
By Brian Lada, Accuweather.com When temperatures reached this territory during a heat wave in 2019, officials allowed Parisians to cool off in the Trocadero Fountain near the Eiffel Tower. This measure could be taken again in the coming days. File Photo by Ian Langsdon/EPA-EFE
AccuWeather meteorologists are warning of one of the most significant heat waves in western Europe in over 200 years, or a few decades before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The long-duration, extreme weather event could turn deadly across the continent.
The heat is on in Portugal and Spain with temperatures topping out near 100 degrees F in Madrid and Lisbon, Portugal, nearly every day since Friday. Sevilla, Spain, has been one of the hottest spots with the mercury soaring above 105 degrees F for seven consecutive days, including a temperature of 112 degrees F on Wednesday.
This heat wave is expected to expand across Europe throughout the week and potentially through the end of the month for some areas.
"There is concern that this heat could become a long-duration heat wave (20 or more days) for many locations from Portugal to central France and interior southeastern Europe, as it could last for the rest of July and continue into August," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tyler Roys said. This includes the valleys of Hungary, eastern Croatia, eastern Bosnia, Serbia, southern Romania and northern Bulgaria.
The severity of the impending heat could rival the 2003 heat wave when over 30,000 people died, both directly and indirectly, due to the heat, Roys said. He added that this could be one of the worst heat waves in Europe since 1757.
The source of the exceptionally warm air is Africa's Sahara Desert with heat projected to expand farther north and east each day, reaching Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom by the weekend. "July all-time records are at risk of being approached, tied or even broken across Ireland and the United Kingdom," Roys said. "This includes individual cities such as Birmingham, Dublin, Manchester and York."
A new all-time record high could be set in the United Kingdom during the peak of the hot spell. The current record in the country is 102 degrees F, which was set in Cambridge Botanica Garden on July 25, 2019. Londoners likely won't experience temperatures this extreme, but temperatures are predicted to top 86 degrees F for at least three consecutive days, potentially approaching 95 degrees F during the height of the heat.
In Paris, temperatures over the weekend and into early next week could come within a degree or two of 104. When temperatures reached this territory during a heat wave in 2019, officials allowed Parisians to cool off in the Trocadero Fountain near the Eiffel Tower. This measure could be taken again in the coming days.
Riders and spectators of the Tour de France should also break for the abnormally high temperatures as the tour weaves its way across southern France after leaving the Alps. Spectators lining the roads should take the proper precautions to avoid heat-related illness, especially when roads are closed for cyclists as the temporary closures could limit access to some healthcare facilities, experts say.
The most extreme heat will focus on Portugal and Spain, countries that are battling wildfires.
Temperatures more common for Death Valley, Calif. -- touted as one of the hottest places on Earth -- will be possible in eastern Portugal and western and southern Spain during the height of the hot spell.
The AccuWeather LocalMax Temperature is 120 degrees F in southwestern Spain. For comparison, temperatures typically top out near 118 degrees in Death Valley in July. That temperature in Spain could occur on Thursday and Friday.
People planning to travel to Europe for vacation through the end of July should prepare for the heat and be ready to change plans if events or buildings are canceled or closed due to the extreme weather.
"Tourist destinations across Portugal are being closed for the safety of the public and, in some cases, due to nearby fires," Roys said. More closures are possible across Portugal, Spain and France due to wildfires and heat.
Additionally, air conditioning is not used as widely in Europe as it is in the United States. Even where there are air conditioners, they may not cool down buildings as much as those in the United States.
An initiative in Italy dubbed "operation thermostat" states that air conditioners cannot be set lower than 81 degrees F in an effort to conserve energy, according to Politico. Residents or businesses that do not comply with this new law could be fined roughly the equivalent of $500 to $3,000.
Meteorologists say travelers should also be mindful of wildfire activity, especially those with poor respiratory health, as the smoke from the wildfires could be dangerous. As of Thursday, air quality was "fair" to "poor" across most of Europe, according to Plume Labs, an environmental technology company acquired by AccuWeather earlier this year.
Air quality across Europe on Thursday. Image courtesy of AccuWeather/Plume Labs
The widespread heat wave is not predicted to let up anytime soon with temperatures remaining well above average through next week across much of Europe. All-time records could continue to be challenged next week, according to AccuWeather forecasters.
Long-term heat waves are uncommon in Europe, but they are not unheard of.
"Over the last 25 years, there have only been three long-duration heat waves to impact parts of Europe: 2003 (western and central Europe, 32 days), 2006 (western and north-central Europe, 35 days) and 2021 (Italy and southeast Europe, 21 days)," Roys explained. Last summer was also the hottest on record for Europe.
The extended hot spell could also impact local economies, including agriculture.
"The soil across Portugal to Germany is in the process of quickly losing whatever moisture it contained," Roys said. "This drying is not expected to let up but only intensify during the duration of the heat wave as little to no precipitation is expected across much of the region."
The ramifications of this may not be fully realized until the autumn harvest.
New unemployment filings in U.S. rise to highest level in 8 months The Fearless Girl Statue is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street in New York City. The Labor Department said on Thursday that more than 240,000 U.S. workers filed for new unemployment benefits last week, the highest level since late November in 2021.
July 14 (UPI) -- The number of American workers filing for new unemployment benefits has increased to its highest level since last fall, the Labor Department said Thursday in its weekly update.
The number of first-time filings, the department said, rose to about 244,000 last week, which is the most recent period for which data is available. It represented week-to-week increase of 9,000.
The figure is the highest it's been since last November and is close to the lowest post-COVID19 pandemic level, 256,000.
The number of new claims was higher than most economists predicted. They said they expected Thursday's report to show a total of about 235,000 new claims.
Thursday's report came one day after tech giant Microsoft announced that it planned to cut 1% of its workforce. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
First-time jobless filings have been around the 230,000 mark since last month and reached a contemporary low of 166,000 in March.
Thursday's report also marked the ninth straight week that initial claims were above 200,000 and sixth consecutive week above 230,000.
The four-week moving average rose to about 235,700, a slight weekly increase, and the total number of all jobless claims was 1.3 million.
Doctor’s lawyer defends steps in 10-year-old girl’s abortion
By TOM DAVIES and JULIE CARR SMYTH Abortion-rights activist rally at the Indiana Statehouse following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on June 25, 2022 in Indianapolis. The lawyer for an Indiana doctor who has found herself at the center of a political firestorm after revealing the story of a 10-year-old girl who traveled from Ohio for an abortion says her client provided proper treatment. (AP Photo/AJ Mast, File)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The lawyer for an Indiana doctor at the center of a political firestorm after speaking out about a 10-year-old child abuse victim who traveled from Ohio for an abortion said Thursday that her client provided proper treatment and did not violate any patient privacy laws in discussing the unidentified girl’s case.
Attorney Kathleen DeLaney issued the statement on behalf of Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Caitlin Bernard the same day Republican Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said his office was investigating Bernard’s actions. He offered no specific allegations of wrongdoing.
A 27-year-old man was charged in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday with raping the girl, confirming the existence of a case initially met with skepticism by some media outlets and Republican politicians. The pushback grew after Democratic President Joe Biden expressed empathy for the girl during the signing of an executive order last week aimed at protecting some abortion access in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning the constitutional protection for abortion.
Bernard’s attorney said the physician “took every appropriate and proper action in accordance with the law and both her medical and ethical training as a physician.”
“She followed all relevant policies, procedures, and regulations in this case, just as she does every day to provide the best possible care for her patients,” DeLaney said in a statement. “She has not violated any law, including patient privacy laws, and she has not been disciplined by her employer.”
Bernard reported a June 30 medication abortion for a 10-year-old patient to the state health department on July 2, within the three-day requirement set in state law for a girl younger than 16, according to a report obtained by The Indianapolis Star and WXIN-TV of Indianapolis under public records requests. The report indicated the girl seeking the abortion had been abused.
DeLaney said they are considering taking legal action against “those who have smeared my client,” including Rokita, who had said he would investigate whether Bernard violated child abuse notification or abortion reporting laws. He also said his office would look into whether anything Bernard said to the Star about the case violated federal medical privacy laws. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services would not say whether any privacy law complaints had been filed against Bernard, nor would Indiana University Health, where Bernard is an obstetrician. But the HIPAA Privacy Rule only protects most “individually identifiable health information,” the department’s website said.
The prosecutor for Indianapolis, where the abortion took place, said his office alone has the authority to pursue any criminal charges in such situations and that Bernard was being “subjected to intimidation and bullying.”
“I think it’s really dangerous when people in law enforcement start trying to launch a criminal investigation based on rumors on the internet,” Democratic Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.
Some Republicans who have backed stringent abortion restrictions imposed in Ohio after the Supreme Court ruling, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, initially questioned whether the story relayed by Bernard to the newspaper was real. After telling Fox News on Monday that there was not “a whisper” of evidence supporting the case’s existence, Yost said his “heart aches for the pain suffered by this young child” and his investigative unit stands ready to support police in the case.
On Thursday, Yost faced intense backlash for his public statements, including a claim that medical exceptions in the Ohio “fetal heartbeat” abortion ban would have allowed the girl to receive her abortion in the state.
Apparently in response, he released a “legal explainer” detailing the law’s medical exceptions. Abortion rights advocates and attorneys said the law’s medical exceptions – for the life of the mother, dire risks of bodily harm and ectopic pregnancies – would not have protected an Ohio doctor who performed an abortion for the girl from prosecution.
Bernard did not reply to email and text messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
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Carr Smyth reported from Columbus, Ohio.
The AP Interview: Khashoggi fiancee criticizes Biden visit
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi, poses for a photograph during an interview with The Associated Press in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 14, 2022. Cengiz described Joe Biden's decision to visit Saudi Arabia as "heartbreaking," accusing the U.S. president on Thursday of backing down from his pledge of prioritizing human rights. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
ISTANBUL (AP) — Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, described Joe Biden’s decision to visit Saudi Arabia as “heartbreaking,” accusing the U.S. president of backing down from his pledge of prioritizing human rights.
In an interview with The Associated Press in Istanbul a day before Biden travels to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet with the crown prince, Cengiz said Biden should press Saudi Arabia — a country that she described as a “terrible ally” — to embrace a human rights agenda. She also wants Biden to seek more answers from Saudi authorities over what happened to Khashoggi’s remains.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has long denied any knowledge or involvement in Khashoggi’s killing, which was carried out inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by agents who worked for the young heir to the throne. A U.S. intelligence report that Biden declassified after coming to office said Khashoggi’s killing could not have happened without Prince Mohammed’s knowledge.
Cengiz had gone with Khashoggi to the Saudi Consulate for an appointment to pick up documents needed to marry her. While she waited outside, he went in — and never reappeared.
“That day destroyed my life. And I don’t want to remember any part of that day,” Cengiz said Thursday, recalling that they’d planned to choose new furniture for their home after his consulate visit and meet with friends.
At the time of his murder, Khashoggi was a U.S. resident and contributing columnist for The Washington Post who had written articles critical of the crown prince’s widening crackdown on activists. He had previously held positions in the Saudi government, but had turned into a critic at a time when the crown prince was being hailed in Western capitals for ushering in social reforms inside the kingdom.
The October 2018 killing and attempts to cover it up drew international condemnation, and the reputation of Prince Mohammed has never fully recovered.
The prince has, however, begun to lure back big name Western investors who initially shied away from the kingdom after the killing. He’s also reset ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as Turkey seeks Gulf investments to buoy the strained economy.
The kingdom tried and found some people guilty for the operation that killed Khashoggi, but no senior officials or anyone responsible for overseeing it was ever convicted.
Biden came to office a sharp critic of the crown prince, pivoting away from the warm relationship cultivated under President Donald Trump. Biden said during his campaign that he believed Khashoggi was killed on orders of Prince Mohammed, describing the kingdom as a “pariah” and stating “there’s very little social redeeming value in the present government in Saudi Arabia.”
“It’s a very huge backing down actually,” Cengiz said of Biden’s decision now to reset diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia now. “It’s heartbreaking and disappointing. And Biden will lose his moral authority by putting oil and expediency over principles and values.”
Oil prices have been steadily climbing for months, but increased even more after Russia’s war in Ukraine. Energy prices, inflation and the economy are on voters’ minds as Americans prepare to head to the polls this November.
Members of Biden’s Democratic Party have urged the president to make human rights a key part of his discussions with the crown prince during his meeting Friday while acknowledging that Saudi Arabia is an important U.S. ally and oil producer.
Biden on Thursday declined to commit to mentioning Khashoggi’s murder when he meets the prince.
“I always bring up human rights,” Biden said during a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. “But my position on Khashoggi has been so clear. If anyone doesn’t understand it, in Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, then they haven’t been around for a while.”
Biden said the purpose of his trip to Saudi Arabia is “broader” and designed to “reassert” U.S. influence in the Middle East. He’s scheduled to attend a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes several Arab nations.
Cengiz expressed profound disappointment with Biden’s stance.
“One of Biden’s promises (was) being different. It was a very big hope to me to believe, again, that Biden will do something for me and for Jamal,” she said. “Instead of being different now, he’s doing the same and embracing dictators in the region right now. So it’s a very disappointing for me.”
“He has to ask what happened to his body? Where is his body? Still we do not have any answer,” she added. “And people need to get the truth in this case. And we cannot forget.”
“We cannot forget what happened to Jamal.”
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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.
Van Gogh self-portrait found hidden behind another painting
Senior Conservator Lesley Stevenson views Head of a Peasant Woman alongside an x ray image of the hidden Van Gogh self portrait. A previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered behind another of the artist’s paintings. The National Galleries of Scotland said Thursday it was discovered on the back of Van Gogh’s “Head of a Peasant Woman” when experts took an X-Ray of the canvas ahead of an upcoming exhibition. (Neil Hanna via AP)
LONDON (AP) — A previously unknown self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh has been discovered behind another of the artist’s paintings, the National Galleries of Scotland said Thursday.
The self-portrait was found on the back of Van Gogh’s “Head of a Peasant Woman” when experts at the Edinburgh gallery took an X-ray of the canvas ahead of an upcoming exhibition. The work is believed to have been hidden for over a century, covered by layers of glue and cardboard when it was framed in the early 20th century.
Van Gogh was known for turning canvases around and painting on the other side to save money.
The portrait shows a bearded sitter in a brimmed hat. Experts said the subject was instantly recognizable as the artist himself, and is thought to be from his early work. The left ear is clearly visible and Van Gogh famously cut his off in 1888.
Frances Fowle, a senior curator at the National Galleries of Scotland, said the discovery was “thrilling.”
“Moments like this are incredibly rare,” she said. “We have discovered an unknown work by Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most important and popular artists in the world.”
The gallery said experts are evaluating how to remove the glue and cardboard without harming “Head of a Peasant Woman.”
Visitors to an upcoming Impressionist exhibit at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh can see an X-ray image of the self-portrait through a lightbox.
“A Taste for Impressionism” runs from July 30 to Nov. 13.
