Media Today

[Rick Plant]

This is absolutely crazy. People like this is the reason states have banned fireworks. Watch this video in the link until the end.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1544524586720436225

[Rick Plant]

Boris Johnson to stand down as Tory leader after wave of resignations

Boris Johnson is to stand down as Conservative Party leader after losing the support of his ministers and MPs.

A Conservative leadership contest will take place this summer and a new prime minister will be in place in time for the party conference in October.

In the meantime, Mr Johnson will continue as prime minister.

He had vowed to "keep going" following a wave of resignations from the government over his leadership but has now decided to step down.

But was urged to stand down by senior members of his cabinet, including newly-appointed chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.

In his resignation letter, Mr Zahawi, who was given the job less than 48 hours ago, said he had "made clear to the prime minister" that he should "leave with dignity".

Mr Johnson is expected to give a resignation statement outside No 10 Downing Street later.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-62064789

[Rick Plant]

Renowned trophy hunter shot dead and left on the side of the road in South Africa: police



According to Global News, a renowned trophy hunter who acted as a tour guide for others to help bring down large game has been found shot dead and left on the side of the road in South Africa.

"Riaan Naude, 55, was the owner and founder of Pro Hunt Africa, a tour group that facilitates paid wildlife hunting trips in the country’s northeastern province of Limpopo," reported Michelle Butterfield. "According to local reports, Naude was found dead next to his truck on June 8 near Kruger National Park. A Limpopo police representative told reporters that Naude was found lying on his back, with blood on his face and head."

According to the report, Naude was shot after his vehicle broke down and he pulled over to the side of the road, and "A nearby cattle herder reportedly heard the gunshot and witnessed a truck speeding away." It is unknown whether the motive was related to his trophy hunting practices.

"A glance at Naude’s Instagram feed shows the hunter and others posing alongside large dead animals, including elephants and giraffes," noted the report. "Naude was charging his clients $350 per day to hunt game, $2,500 for a crocodile and $1,500 for a giraffe, according to Pro Hunt Africa’s price list."

Trophy hunting is a wildly controversial practice. It is legal in many countries, including South Africa, and some governments use it to cull sick or troublesome animals from vulnerable herds and raise tax revenue for conservation and anti-poaching enforcement. However, many trophy hunters go after endangered species, and African governments often sell permits to Western tourists without the consent or buy-in of native locals.

One of the more infamous trophy hunters is Donald Trump Jr., who on one occasion traveled to Mongolia to hunt endangered wild sheep, at $77,000 expense to U.S. taxpayers.

https://globalnews.ca/news/8971557/trophy-hunter-riaan-naude-shot-dead-south-africa/

[Rick Plant]

Why Britain Finally Turned on Boris Johnson

As explained to a bewildered American.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/07/boris-johnson-resigining-partygate-scandal-britain-explained.html

[Rick Plant]

What happens next after Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigns amid scandal?

After months of scandal, Johnson caved in to pressure to resign.



LONDON -- After more than 50 resignations from government ministers and aides, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday.

For a moment on Tuesday evening, it seemed as though the prime minister, who had vowed to carry on despite the collapse of his authority and allies deserting him on all sides, would remain in office, sparking a potential constitutional crisis. But outside Downing Street on Thursday, Johnson caved into the pressure.

Soon enough, from within their ranks, the Conservative Party, who still hold a sizeable majority in the U.K. Parliament, will elect a replacement, and that person will become the fourth prime minister in the six years since the Brexit referendum of 2016.

What happens next?

While he did not specifically use the word "resign," Johnson said, "The process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week."

In the election process, Conservative MPs nominate their preferred candidate. There is then a run-off with the two most popular candidates, and then Conservative Party members (of the card-carrying, fee-paying kind), vote on who they want to be the next leader.

As the Conservatives have a majority in Parliament (thanks to Johnson's big election win in 2019) -- the winner of their leadership will become the next prime minister.

Reported polls in the U.K. have suggested Ben Wallace, the U.K.'s current secretary of state for defense who has been widely praised for his handling of support for Ukraine, as an early favorite in the race.

But the process is by no means instant. To put the transition into perspective, when Theresa May announced her resignation on the steps of Downing Street on May 24, 2019, Johnson, her successor, did not take office until July 24 -- a gap of two months.

Johnson as caretaker?

Boris Johnson has already appointed new ministers to fill some of the gaps left by the dozens of resignations from his government, in a sign that he will attempt to hold true on his promise to stay in charge until a new leader is elected.

However, his resignation speech has not gone down well with embittered members of his party. He has already been accused of arrogance and blaming others for his own faults, instead of facing up to any of the mistakes that led to his departure.

And such is the nature of Johnson's acrimonious departure, and his defiance in the face of so many calls to resign, that some lawmakers -- both Conservative and in the opposition Labour Party -- want him gone now.

The Conservative Party may feel that they need a clean slate, and, even on his way out, Johnson may hurt their chances of re-establishing trust with the country. There are indications already that the prime minister sees himself staying in office until the fall. A former Conservative Prime Minister, John Major, has already expressed that Johnson should be removed as soon as possible.

The opposition Labour Party have said they will call for a vote in Parliament to eject him from if Johnson's removal does not happen.

In that event, Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, would take over as prime minister interim until they appoint a new leader.

A divided legacy

Johnson will always be known at home and on the international stage as one of the main architects of Brexit. He was the face of the campaign to leave the EU in 2016, and as prime minister, secured Britain's exit from the bloc by winning a huge majority in 2019.

His election victories and unconventional style resonated with the public on the campaign trail, exemplified by the two terms he served as Mayor of London before his time in parliament, surprising in a Labour city.

But controversy has always followed him. "Partygate" proved a further stain on his reputation, presiding, to many, over a culture of drinking and lawbreaking while the country was locked down and families were separated from their loved ones, even after he spent time in the ICU with COVID himself. When he was fined by the Metropolitan Police for attending one of those gatherings he became the only sitting British PM in history to have been censured for breaking the law while in office.

Johnson also denied that he had knowledge of a lawmaker's alleged past misconduct, which he had been told about in 2019, and then promoted him anyway, only for that colleague to repeat his offence.

Johnson's authority was wounded by "Partygate," but the latest scandal proved to be the straw the broke the camel's back.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/prime-minister-boris-johnson-resigns-amid-scandal/story?id=86371742

[Rick Plant]

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in critical condition following shooting



Tokyo (CNN) Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is in critical condition and fighting for his life after being shot in the street in broad daylight while making a campaign speech in the central city of Nara, in an attack that has shocked the nation.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a press conference on Friday that Abe is receiving emergency treatment at the Nara Medical University hospital, where medical staff are fighting to save him.

"This is not a forgivable act," Kishida said. "We will comprehend the situation and take appropriate measures."
Abe's younger brother, Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters Abe was receiving a blood transfusion.

Shortly afterward, Abe's wife arrived at the hospital to be with her husband, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported.
An official from the Nara City Fire Department earlier confirmed to CNN that Abe was in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, a term used to describe the sudden loss of heart function and breathing.



An aerial photo shows a man believed to be former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the stretcher at Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture on July 8.

Abe is the former Liberal Democratic Party leader and Japan's longest-serving prime minister, holding office from 2006 to 2007 and again from 2012 to 2020, before resigning due to health reasons. Since stepping down, he has remained in the public eye and regularly appears in the media to discuss current affairs.

Abe was rushed to hospital via helicopter in the aftermath of the shooting. According to police, he was believed to have been shot twice, in the chest and neck, NHK reported.

A suspect, identified as Tetsuya Yamagami, a local man in his 40s, was arrested and charged with attempted murder, according to NHK. It appears the suspect used a handmade gun in the attack, though the motive remains unclear. He is being held for questioning at Nara Nishi police station, NHK reported.

Photos from the scene show the weapon on the ground, wrapped in black material.CNN has not yet been able to independently verify these reports.

Video aired on NHK and images from the scene show police wrestling a man to the ground near where the former Prime Minister was standing. Another video aired by NHK shows smoke in the air.

Prime Minister Kishida, who was on a tour of duty, rushed back to his office and government ministers in various parts of the country had been urged to return to Tokyo immediately, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.
"Such barbaric behavior is unacceptable for any reason and we firmly condemn it. The government will take all possible measures to deal with the situation," Matsuno said.

How events unfolded

Abe was making a speech in support of LDP candidates ahead of the upcoming Upper House elections scheduled for Sunday. He was due to head to Kyoto and Saitama prefecture, near the capital Tokyo.

Video aired by NHK captured the moments leading up to the shooting and show Abe speaking to a small crowd in the street in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station in Nara. In subsequent video two shots can be heard.

The former Prime Minister was conscious and responsive while being transported following the shooting, police sources told NHK. He is being treated Nara Medical University hospital.

Images show Abe being carried on a stretcher to a helicopter.

Outpouring of global concern

World leaders sent well wishes and messages of condolence in the wake of the shooting. The United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emmanuel said in a tweet early Friday, "We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo."

"Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the US The US Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he is "utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe," while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend."

Among those sharing messages of support and concern were US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

Japan's low gun crime

Abe's shooting has shocked Japan, which has one of the lowest rates of gun crime in the world due to its extremely strict gun control laws.

In 2018, Japan only reported nine deaths from firearms, compared with 39,740 that year in the United States.

Under Japan's firearms laws, the only guns permitted for sale are shotguns and air rifles -- handguns are outlawed. But getting them is a long and complicated process.

Nancy Snow, Japan director of the International Security Industrial Council, told CNN that Friday's shooting will change the country "forever."

"It's not only rare, but it's really culturally unfathomable," Snow said. "The Japanese people can't imagine having a gun culture like we have in the United States. This is a speechless moment. I really feel at a loss for words. I pray for the best for the former prime minister."

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/07/asia/shinzo-abe-japan-nara-shooting-intl-hnk/index.html

[Rick Plant]

Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe dies after being shot at campaign event

Abe, 67, was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He was shot while giving a speech in the western city of Nara ahead of an election for the upper house of Parliament.


Photos from the scene showed Abe collapsed on the street with blood visible on his shirt, surrounded by security.Kyodo News via AP

TOKYO — Former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe died on Friday after being shot at a campaign event, in an attack that shocked a country where gun violence is virtually nonexistent.

Abe, 67, was a towering political presence even after he stepped down as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, and he was campaigning ahead of elections scheduled for Sunday. He had just begun a speech in the western city of Nara, near Kyoto, when gunfire was heard around 11:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. Thursday ET).

Officials said that one person had been apprehended in relation to the shooting.

Abe was rushed to Nara Medical University Hospital after suffering cardio and pulmonary arrest. The hospital announced his death shortly after 5 a.m. ET.

Dr. Hidetada Fukushima, a professor of emergency medicine at the hospital, said Abe had two gunshot wounds and no vital signs when he arrived less than an hour after the shooting. Life-saving measures including blood transfusions were unsuccessful, he said, and Abe was pronounced dead at 4:03 a.m. ET. 

Speaking from his office in Tokyo earlier in the day, a visibly shaken Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that while the attack was still being investigated, “it was a despicable and barbaric act that took place in the midst of an election, which is the foundation of democracy.”

“I condemn it in the harshest possible terms,” he told a hastily arranged news conference after returning from campaigning in the country’s north.

Kishida said no decisions had been made as to how the shooting would affect the election for the upper house of Parliament. Abe, who stepped down in 2020, was campaigning for other members of the governing conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) but was not a candidate himself.

Abe dominated Japanese politics for the best part of a decade and has remained politically active since his resignation, leading the biggest faction in his party.

The incident sent shockwaves through Japan, where gun violence is extremely rare. Handguns are banned in the country and people must undergo extensive tests, training and background checks to obtain and keep shotguns and air rifles.

Iwao Horii, an LDP member of the upper house representing Nara, was standing next to Abe when the former prime minister was shot. “We heard two loud sounds while he was talking and he fell immediately after that,” Horii said at a news conference. He added that Abe was unresponsive when emergency medics tried to resuscitate him.

“This is something that shakes the very foundations of democracy and cannot be forgiven,” he said.

The shooting was also condemned by the country’s main opposition party, the center-left Constitutional Democrats, with party leader Kenta Izumi calling it “an unforgivable act of barbarism.”

Messages of shock and well-wishes for Abe poured in from leaders around the world on Friday.

The U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, said that he was shocked and saddened by news of the shooting.

“Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the United States,” Emanuel said in a statement Friday.

The White House also expressed shock at Abe’s shooting.

“We are closely monitoring the reports and keeping our thoughts with his family and the people of Japan,” a spokesperson said prior to news of his death.

Similar sentiments of disbelief were echoed by Asia-Pacific leaders.

“Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

“He was deeply committed to his role, and also generous and kind,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said during a meeting in Sydney, Australia. “My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core.”

Though Abe had been praised for amplifying Japan’s profile on the world stage, his party was plagued by scandals and he was accused of mishandling the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet with Donald Trump after he became U.S. president-elect in November 2016.

In a post to his Truth Social platform late Thursday, the former president called Abe “a truly great man and leader.”

“He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America,” Trump said.

Abe hailed from Japan’s political elite and as prime minister had made reviving economic growth through his “Abenomics” policies a key pillar of his time in office.

Abe’s resignation two years ago came amid a worsening of his ulcerative colitis, a chronic bowel condition he’d battled for years.

He announced his resignation days after he set a record as Japan’s longest-lasting prime minister, having been in office for almost eight years. He previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2007.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/japan-shinzo-abe-shot-rcna37228

[Rick Plant]

Larry Storch of TV's 'F Troop' dies at 99



LOS ANGELES — Larry Storch, the rubber-faced comic whose long career in theater, movies and television was capped by his "F Troop" role as zany Cpl. Agarn in the 1960s spoof of Western frontier TV shows, died Friday. Storch was 99.

Storch died of natural causes early Friday in his New York City apartment, according to his manager, Matt Beckoff.

Although "F Troop" lasted only two seasons on ABC, from 1965 to 1967, it became a cult favorite in reruns. Its devoted fans could recite almost all of the adventures of the incredibly incompetent soldiers of Fort Courage and the members of the nearby Native American tribe who only pretended to be at war with them.

As Agarn, Storch was the wild-eyed partner and protege of Forrest Tucker's wily Sgt. O'Rourke, who often schemed with Frank DeKova's Chief Wild Eagle to fleece unsuspecting visitors. Ken Berry's Capt. Parmenter was Fort Courage's clueless commander.

While "F Troop" brought him lasting fame, Storch appeared in scores of films and TV shows both before and after the show. He also enjoyed a long career in theater and as a comic at resorts in New York State's Catskill Mountains area.

He never regretted being best known for the series, his manager said.

"He embraced it. He loved being Agarn" and relished working with his co-stars, said Beckoff. Storch was the "kindest, sweetest person," who always had time for autograph-seekers and was generous to people in need, he said.

Storch's credits included "Funny Valentine," "Sweet 16," "Sex and the Single Girl," "S.O.B.," "Airport," "Treasure Island" and "Oliver Twist." On TV, he guest-starred on such shows as "Married... With Children," "Archie Bunker's Place," "Trapper John, M.D.," "Fantasy Island," CHiPS," "The Love Boat," "Get Smart," "Love American Style," "Gilligan's Island" and "Car 54 Where Are You?"

His many theater appearances ranged from a brutal detective in a 1983 Broadway revival of "Porgy and Bess" to Chief Sitting Bull in the 2000 revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" with Reba McEntire.

Storch said in a 1998 interview that he was surprised to be considered for an Army comedy such as "F Troop," with it being well known that he served in the Navy during World War II. "All I knew about horses was that they give milk and can bite from both ends," he quipped.

Indeed, it was his Navy service that had greatly boosted his career. During the war, he had met a radio operator in the Marshall Islands named Bernie Schwartz who had told him, "I'm going to be a movie star." Storch, already a seasoned comic on the resort circuit, had tried to talk him out of it, warning him that the business could be tough.

They met again after the war, and Schwartz, who by now had changed his name to Tony Curtis, remembered the funny guy from the islands. Storch went on to appear in eight of Curtis' movies, including "Captain Newman," "Who Was That Lady?" and "The Great Race."

Laurence Samuel Storch was born in New York City where, he recalled proudly, he went on to become class clown at DeWitt Clinton High School and "was invited not to come back."

He practiced his comedy in Harlem theaters for $2 a night before graduating to the famed training ground for comedians of his era, the Catskills.

His first big break came on TV in the early 1950s with "The Cavalcade of Stars," with Jackie Gleason. That led to "The Larry Storch Show," a 1953 summer series. Regular movie and TV work followed.

Storch was married to Norma Greve from 1961 until her death in 2003.

https://www.npr.org/2022/07/09/1110677088/larry-storch-f-troop-obit