Graphic News Planner (news) 09/09/2024 18:52:17

November 5, 2024 --

U.S. ELECTION 2024: Presidential result (Graphic DUE Nov 6, GMT)
GN46259 Graphic shows result of presidential election and the number of Electoral College votes each candidate has won.
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November 5, 2024 --

U.S. ELECTION 2024: U.S. election Congress results (Graphic DUE Nov 6, GMT)
GN46260 Graphic shows result of presidential election, Senate and House of Representatives.
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November 5, 2024 --

U.S. ELECTION 2024: Presidential results interactive (Interactive DUE Nov 5, GMT)
GN46236 Responsive interactive graphic showing the results of the presidential election on a geographical map and an electoral college cartogram, plus state-by-state results. The results update automatically on the day.
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November 5, 2024 --

U.S. ELECTION 2024: Senate and House results interactive (Interactive DUE Nov 5, GMT)
GN46255 Interactive graphic pre-election shows current breakdown of Senate and House with seats up for election, and forecasts according to latest polls, plus Senate seats by state. During the election, shows live results updated throughout the night
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November 5, 2024 -- U.S. voters go to the polls to decide who will become the next President of the United States on Tuesday, November 5, 2024...

NOTE TO EDITORS: This graphic will automatically change from projections to exit polls at 00:01 GMT November 5, and then to live counts and finally declared results as they are announced. First updates expected after the first polls close East Coast at 19:00 local time (00:00GMT Nov 6).

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U.S. ELECTION 2024: Presidential results live banner (Interactive DUE Nov 5, GMT)
GN46256 Responsive interactive graphic showing the electoral college results of the presidential election. The results update automatically on the day. Before the results start coming in, projection results from polls are shown.
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September 9, 2024 -- Iran has sent more than 200 Fath-360 ballistic missiles to Russia in what Kyiv officials said marks a “serious escalation” of Tehran‘s support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

MILITARY: Fath-360 missile (Graphic DUE Sep 10, 16:00GMT)
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September 21, 2024 -- Two years after an economic meltdown, Sri Lanka holds an election seen as a referendum on painful austerity measures that were imposed under a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Helped by a $2.9 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, Wickremesinghe has stitched back the shattered economy, bringing down inflation from a steep 70% in September 2022 to 1.7% in June, strengthening the rupee and rebuilding previously decimated foreign exchange reserves.

However, victory for him is far from assured as the austerity measures have been deeply unpopular.

The race could be tight, with incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe facing off against two rivals who want to open fresh talks with the IMF, main opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the only major candidate who doesn’t belong to an established party.

Also in the race is Namal Rajapaksa, who is running as the scion of Sri Lanka’s most powerful political family.

Some 17 million eligible voters will rank candidates by order of preference. If none secures 50% of first-place votes, the election goes to a run-off in which voters’ second and third preferences are counted.

POLITICS: Sri Lanka presidential election (Graphic)
GN46269 Graphic shows main candidates in Sri Lanka’s presidential election.
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September 9, 2024 -- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump faces indictments that accuse him of wide-ranging criminal conduct before, during and after his presidency.

On May 30, 2024, Trump became the first U.S. president to become a convicted felon in the nation’s 234-year history.

After a dramatic six-week trial, the 12-person jury found him guilty of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 payoff to Stormy Daniels -- an adult-film actress who claimed she had a sexual encounter with him.

By fraudulently disguising the payment as a series of corporate legal expenses Trump was in violation of New York law.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney and “fixer” at the time, sent the $130,000 hush-money payment to Daniels in October 2016 ahead of the presidential election which Trump won.

While Trump was president, he reimbursed Cohen in a series of instalments for which he was charged with 34 counts of fraud.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office alleged that Trump committed a crime by improperly recording the money with which he reimbursed Cohen as legal expenses.

Trump faces three additional criminal cases and has denied wrongdoing in each and pleaded not guilty.

POLITICS: Donald Trump criminal cases (Graphic)
GN46271 Graphic shows current status of Trump’s criminal cases.
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September 9, 2024 -- Climate change is causing some parts of the world to endure temperatures in excess of 50°C, which can often feel hotter due to high humidity caused by record sea temperatures.

In July, with temperatures in the 40°C range and humidity levels of 80% or higher, Dubai, UAE, had a temperature that felt like 62°C by noon, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.

But the Persian Gulf (aka Arabian Gulf) is just one of several regions around the world learning how to cope with extreme heat.

In India, for example, authorities reported more than 40,000 cases of heatstroke during a prolonged heatwave, and at least 110 deaths.

In Saudi Arabia in June, 1,301 pilgrims died after walking in temperatures that reached nearly 50°C during the hajj.

Additionally, rising humidity from record high sea temperatures means the human body is being pushed to breaking point in many areas around the world.

Record sea temperatures contribute to high humidity levels that affect our ability to cool down through sweating.

Studies suggest that after six hours of exposure to temperatures of more than 40°C and a humidity level of 75%, humans lose the ability to cool themselves down.

CLIMATE: World’s hotspots swelter in 2024 (Graphic)
GN46268 Graphic charts places around the world that have seen temperatures surpass 50°C.
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September 9, 2024 -- Russia says its forces have taken full control of the town of Novohrodivka in eastern Ukraine as they advance on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk.

Russian forces, which control about a fifth of Ukraine since invading in February 2022, are advancing in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to take the whole of the Donbas, which is about half the size of the U.S. state of Ohio.

Novohrodivka lies 12km east of Pokrovsk, an important rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area, Reuters said.

CONFLICT: Russia advances on Pokrovsk (Graphic)
GN46267 Graphic shows areas of control in eastern Ukraine.
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September 6, 2024 -- Vice President Kamala Harris is leading former President Donald Trump by 3.1 points in an average of national polls, as the two gear up for their first televised debate.

As of September 5, 2024, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (Democrat) has a 3.1-point lead over former President Donald Trump (Republican) in the latest average of national polls, collated by FiveThirtyEight – an ABC News-owned pollster.

ABC will chair a televised debate between the two presidential candidates on Tuesday, September 10 at 9pm ET (0100 GMT) – a high-stakes clash that could give the perceived winner an advantage in the run-up to the election on Tuesday, November 5.

U.S. ELECTION: Harris continues to lead Trump in polls (Graphic)
GN46262 Graphic charts the latest Trump-Harris poll average.
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September 6, 2024 -- After doubling in strength since killing at least 16 people in northern Philippines early this week, one of this year’s most powerful storms is making landfall along China’s southern coast.

Yagi is is expected to make landfall along China's coast between Wenchang in Hainan and Leizhou in Guangdong province from Friday afternoon.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 245km per hour near its centre, Yagi registers as the world’s second-most powerful tropical cyclone in 2024 so far, after the Category 5 Atlantic hurricane Beryl, and the most severe in the Pacific basin this year.

China has evacuated some 400,000 people while trains, boats and flights in the area have been suspended.

Meteorologists say Yagi may cause "catastrophic" damage in Hainan and neighbouring Guangdong, which is also China's most populous province.

Yagi is expected to make another landfall in northern Vietnam late on Saturday in a weakened state.

Typhoons are becoming stronger, fuelled by warmer oceans, amid climate change, scientists say.

WEATHER: Super typhoon Yagi (Graphic)
GN46261 Graphic shows forecast path of storm.
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September 6, 2024 -- Summer 2024 witnessed the hottest June and August, the hottest day. and the hottest northern hemisphere summer on record – increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year ever recorded.

During the past three months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal summer on record – a string of record temperatures that is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year ever recorded.

In the year-to-date (January–August 2024), the global-average temperature anomaly was 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average, which is the highest on record for this period and 0.23°C warmer than the same period in 2023.

The average anomaly for the remaining months of this year would need to drop by at least 0.30°C for 2024 not to be warmer than 2023.

This has never happened in the entire Copernicus ERA5 dataset (1940 to present day), making it increasingly likely that 2024 will be the warmest year on record.

CLIMATE: Summer 2024 was world’s hottest ever (Graphic)
GN46258 Graphic charts rising temperature anomalies on Earth.
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September 5, 2024 -- Revenue for the 2024 summer box office hit $12.5 billion -- down almost 42% from last summer when “Barbie,” a fantasy-comedy by Greta Gerwig, and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” drama fuelled a $21.5 billion summer movie season, defined as May through August.

According to Screen International, “Inside Out 2,” the long-awaited sequel to the 2015 Disney-Pixar animated film, earned $650.8 million domestically and $1.7bn worldwide, making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

The rest of the biggest box office hits released since Memorial Day (May 27) were sequels, including “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” and “Dune: Part Two.” These three movies earned $1.24bn domestically and $2.89bn worldwide.

The well-reviewed “Furiosa” was the first big box office flop of the summer season, making just $67.5m in the U.S. and Canada and $172.8m worldwide.

“Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1,” the first film in Kevin Costner’s planned four-part Western saga, failed both at the box office and with critics. Despite a reported $100m production budget, the film has grossed just $36m worldwide.

Oscar-nominated Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which opened at the Venice International Film Festival on August 28, looks set to make an $80m-plus domestic opening next weekend.

“There’s no doubt the summer box office is going out on a higher note than it began,” says analyst Daniel Loria of Box Office Pro. “In this industry, there’s always an ebb and flow.”

ENTERTAINMENT: Summer box office (Graphic)
GN46257 Graphic shows annual summer box office since 2018.
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September 5, 2024 -- The U.S. is close to an agreement to give Ukraine JASSM long-range cruise missiles that could alter the strategic landscape of the war by putting more of Russia in range of powerful, precision-guided bombs.

The inclusion of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) in a weapons package is expected to be announced this autumn, according to Reuters, citing three unnamed sources.

However, the sources added that once confirmed, deliveries could still take months as Washington would need to work through technical issues before shipment.

The JASSM is a U.S. precision-guided all-weather air-to-ground cruise missile with a maximum range of 300-980km, depending on the version.

The missiles’ range would theoretically allow Ukraine to strike more than a dozen Russian airfields from within Ukraine.

MILITARY: U.S. close to JASSM deal with Ukraine (Graphic)
GN46254 Graphic shows specifications and range of the JASSM missile.
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September 5, 2024 -- Animal rights activists claim a beluga whale, suspected of being a Russian spy and found dead off the Norwegian coast, was shot.

The body of Hvaldimir – a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin – was found on September 1 floating off the south-western town of Risavika and taken to the nearest port for examination.

The organisations Noah and One Whale said the whale was found with bullet wounds and filed a complaint with Norwegian police asking them to open a criminal investigation.

Hvaldimir was first spotted in Norwegian waters five years ago with a GoPro camera attached to a harness that read “Equipment of St Petersburg”.

The whale was very interested in people and responded to hand signals, leading Norway’s domestic intelligence agency to presume he had been held in captivity in Russia as part of a research programme before crossing into Norwegian waters.

Moscow has never responded to the allegations about Hvaldimir.

MILITARY: “Russian spy” whale “shot dead” (2) (Graphic UPDATED Sep 5)
GN46244 Graphic shows details of alleged Russian spy whale.
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September 4, 2024 -- A freak wave tipped 62 containers from a cargo ship off the UK coast 27 years ago, with one filled with five million Lego pieces which are still washing up on beaches today.

On February 13, 1997, a rogue wave off the coast of Cornwall, UK, tipped 62 containers off the Tokio Express cargo ship, one of which contained nearly five million pieces of Lego.

Over the ensuing 27 years since the accident, and somewhat ironically, the largely ocean-themed building toys have been washing up on beaches around the UK, Ireland, France and the Netherlands.

The most common Lego items to be found include Minifigure flippers (of which there were 352,000 in the container), scuba tanks (97,500), cutlasses (92,400), spear guns (79,680) and life jackets (26,600).

But some items are far rarer than others such as octopuses (4,200) and green dragons – which are the real find for collectors as there were only 514 of those originally on board.

The majority of pieces found have been items which float, however, some bigger bricks which don’t are starting to resurface.

On August 2, 2024, a fisherman’s net off the coast of Penzance, pulled up a Lego shark from the depths – the first to be found since the accident and one of 51,800 that were in transit on the Tokio Express from Rotterdam to New York.

It may be fun for beachcombers to look out for Lego washed ashore, but some combine it with a love for the ocean and surrounding environment.

Tracey Williams advocates for cleaner seas as well as operating the “Lego Lost at Sea” Facebook page. She also penned a book on the subject, “Adrift: The Curious Tale of the Lego Lost at Sea” (published by Unicorn).

ENVIRONMENT: First shark found from great Lego spill (Graphic)
GN46252 Graphic shows where Lego pollution is washing up on beaches.
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September 4, 2024 -- The U.S. has announced criminal charges against Hamas’ top leaders over their roles in planning, supporting and perpetrating the deadly Oct 7 attack on Israel.

The charges against Yahya Sinwar, the militant group’s chief, and at least five others accuse them of orchestrating the Oct 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans.

That attack triggered an Israeli assault on Gaza that has killed more than 40,800 Palestinians and laid waste to much of the territory.

The complaint names six defendants, three of whom are deceased. The living defendants are Sinwar, who is believed to be in hiding in Gaza; Khaled Meshaal, who is based in Doha and heads the group's diaspora office; and Ali Baraka, a senior Hamas official based in Lebanon.

The deceased defendants are former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who the group says was assassinated in July in Tehran; military wing chief Mohammed Deif, who Israel says it killed in a July airstrike; and Marwan Issa, a deputy military commander who Israel said it killed in a March strike.

Iran has blamed Israel for Haniyeh's death. Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility, Reuters said.

CONFLICT: U.S. charges Hamas leaders (Graphic)
GN46251 Graphic shows Hamas leaders charged by U.S. Justice Department.
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September 4, 2024 -- The largest shake-up of Ukraine’s wartime administration comes at a critical moment, as Russian forces push forward in the east and unleash new waves of aerial attacks on cities.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is the highest-profile casualty so far of a major government reshuffle ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky at a crucial juncture in the 30-month war against Russia.

Several other high-ranking Ukrainian officials also have submitted their resignations, including arms chief Oleksandr Kamyshin, who has overseen Ukraine’s efforts to produce weapons domestically, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska, who led a program to recruit convicts to the military, and Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, who was responsible for the reintegration of occupied territories.

In recent weeks, Russia has launched massive attacks against Ukrainian cities nearly every day.

A double ballistic missile strike on a military educational institute and a nearby hospital in the city of Poltava on Aug 3 killed more than 50 people.

The attack on Lviv on Aug 4, which struck a residential building, has left at least seven people dead, including at least three children, officials said.

CONFLICT: Ukraine government reshuffle (Graphic)
GN46253 Graphic shows key officials that have resigned and latest Russian strikes on Ukraine.
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September 3, 2024 -- In an ongoing feud over online disinformation, Brazil’s Supreme Court has upheld a ban on X (formerly known as Twitter) for missing a deadline to appoint a new legal representative in the country.

An ongoing months-long feud in Brazil over the suspension of more than 200 X (formerly known as Twitter) accounts – many of which belonged to supporters of the former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro – has culminated in X being banned completely.

Three out of five justices in Brazil’s Supreme Court upheld a majority ban on the social media service for missing a deadline to appoint a new legal representative in the country.

X closed its headquarters in Brazil – one of its biggest markets with more than 21 million users – in August, claiming its representative had been threatened with arrest if she did not comply with orders it described as “censorship”.

In the legal ruling, companies like Apple and Google have been given less than a week to remove X from its app stores and block its use on iOS and Android devices in Brazil.

Individuals or businesses caught accessing X by using virtual private networks (VPNs) can be fined R$50,000 (around $9,000).

But for every loser, there is a winner. With access to X now illegal, many Brazilians are turning to the Bluesky platform as an alternative, including Brazil’s president Lula da Silva.

The decentralised microblogging platform says it picked up 500,000 new users in Brazil in just two days.

TECH: Brazil court upholds X (Twitter) ban (Graphic)
GN46247 Graphic charts Twitter users around the world.
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September 3, 2024 -- Two U.S. researchers say they have identified the probable deployment site in Russia of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, dubbed the 9M730 Burevestnik.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the weapon – dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO – has an almost unlimited range and can evade U.S. missile defenses. But some Western experts dispute his claims and the Burevestnik's strategic value, saying it will not add capabilities that Moscow does not already have and risks a radiation-spewing mishap.

Using images taken on July 26 by Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, the two researchers identified a construction project abutting a nuclear warhead storage facility known by two names – Vologda-20 and Chebsara – as the new missile's potential deployment site. The facility is 295 miles (475 km) north of Moscow, Reuters said.

MILITARY: Burevestnik missile launch site (Graphic)
GN46250 Graphic shows details of 9M730 Burevestnik missile.
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September 3, 2024 -- Climate change is stressing rainforests where susceptible cocoa beans grow. According to the National Confectioners Association, the chocolate market is massive, with sales in the United States surpassing $25 billion in 2023.

Cocoa prices broke $10,000 per tonne for the first time in March, amid disease outbreaks and destructive weather patterns in West Africa. Cocoa futures were as high as $10,080 in New York.

Cocoa is also on the European Union’s hitlist of deforestation-risk commodities and will soon become subject to the European Union Deforestation Regulation​ (EUDR) in December this year. The new law affects all companies importing cocoa into the bloc.

Six start-ups are rethinking cocoa with sustainability in mind.

Planet A Foods uses oats and sunflower seeds​ in Germany as the best-tasting chocolate alternative, sold under the ChoVivia brand.

In the United States, Voyage Foods is replacing cocoa with grape seeds​ from postharvest wine production, which it combines with vegetable oil, cane sugar, sunflower protein flour, natural flavours, sunflower lecithin and salt.

Californian Cultured is growing cocoa from cell cultures from cocoa bean cells.

UK-based start-up Nukoko makes cocoa-free chocolate from faba beans​, otherwise known as broad beans, which contain a seed storage protein known as vicilin.

Celleste Bio is developing “tree-free” cocoa butter and powder in Israel. Celleste Bio calculates that just one cell and one bioreactor can replace 10,000 square metres of cocoa plantations.

Southern Italian start-up Foreverland is working with carob to make cocoa-free chocolate products, which it markets under Freecao.

London-based Win-Win turns to carob and barley for alternative chocolate products. Win-Win sells its cocoa-free chocolate alternative in wholesale packs to bakeries, food service operators, and the confectionery sector.

BUSINESS: Chocolate alternatives (Graphic)
GN46249 Graphic shows chocolate alternatives amid shortage of cocoa beans.
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September 3, 2024 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting Mongolia for talks about a planned new gas pipeline connecting Russia and China via Mongolia.

Putin is due to hold talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh about different issues, including building the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline.

The project is part of a strategy to compensate for the drop in gas sales in Europe, following a widespread boycott of Russian resources due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Power of Siberia 2 would carry 50 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas a year from its Yamal region to China via Mongolia, Reuters reports.

It is the planned successor to an existing pipeline of the same name which already supplies Russian gas to China and is due to reach its planned capacity of 38 bcm per year in 2025.

Putin’s visit to Mongolia is the first to an International Criminal Court (ICC) member since it issued a warrant for his arrest last year.

ENERGY: Russia-Mongolia-China gas pipeline (Graphic)
GN46248 Graphic shows details of Gazprom’s energy network and plans for natural gas delivery to China.
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September 2, 2024 -- Despite a major Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region that began in early August, Russian forces are continuing their rapid advance in eastern Ukraine.

Russia advanced on 477 square km of Ukrainian territory in August, Moscow's biggest monthly increase since October 2022, according to data supplied by the Institute for the Study of War and analysed by AFP.

The Ukrainian army, for its part, made rapid gains in Russia after launching a surprise incursion into the border region of Kursk on Aug 6, gaining more than 1,100 square km in two weeks. But the new front is solidifying to between 1,150 and 1,300 square km of advances over the past two weeks, AFP said.

CONFLICT: Russia advances in eastern Ukraine (Graphic)
GN46245 Graphic shows Russian advances in eastern Ukraine.
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September 3, 2024 -- The Kamala Harris and Donald Trump campaigns have raised over $1.3 billion so far, and as they enter the final two months of the election – when the biggest donations are made – this looks set to soar.

The Harris campaign raised almost $500 million, 42% of it from small donors giving under $200, dwarfing the Trump campaign’s $264 million. However, the Trump campaign has the backing of over $310 million from donors to super PACS – Political Action Committees – unrestricted by the Federal Election Commission’s $6,600 per person limit to direct campaigns, but which are not allowed to co-ordinate directly with the candidate. Harris’ super-PACs have raised around $258 million.

The biggest donors to these PACs are expected to include Timothy Mellon, reclusive heir to the $14.1bn Mellon family fortune, who supplies over 50% of the funding for the MAGA Inc super PAC, Tesla boss Elon Musk who has said he will spend $45 million per month on his own conservative America PAC. On the Democrat side, Mike Bloomberg is traditionally a major funder but tends to donate late in the campaign - he has so far given $27 million to pro-Democrat PACs - and Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder.

U.S. ELECTION: Donations set to soar (Graphic)
GN46242 Graphic shows U.S. election candidate fundraising.
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September 2, 2024 -- The summer movie season is officially over, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” ruled the roost again throughout the U.S. Labor Day weekend, taking another $15 million dollars at the box office.

The summer movie season, which officially runs from the Memorial Day weekend (starting May 24) through to the Labor Day weekend (beginning August 30) has drawn to a close.

For the second weekend in a row, “Deadpool & Wolverine” shattered records to become the best-selling R-rated movie of all time, topping the charts alongside “Alien: Romulus”. “Twisters” also made a surprise re-entry into the top five weekend blockbusters after dropping out last week.

Overall, of the movies that stayed in the top five for three weekends or more, the biggest hits were “Deadpool & Wolverine”, “Inside Out 2” and “Despicable Me 4”.

ENTERTAINMENT: Movie box office summer winners (Graphic)
GN46243 Graphic charts U.S. movie box office weekend takings throughout summer 2024.
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September 2, 2024 -- A nationwide strike has started in Israel following the death of six hostages held by Hamas, as frustration mounts over the failure to secure a Gaza ceasefire deal.

The strike disrupted transport and medical services in several Israeli districts and many shops and businesses were closed after the head of the Histadrut union, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, called for a general stoppage.

The recovery of the six hostages, who were shot dead between 48-72 hours before being found by Israeli forces, according to the health ministry, triggered a wave of grief and fury in Israel, prompting at least half a million people to take to the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Sunday.

The demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire agreement with Palestinian militant group Hamas to bring the remaining hostages home, Reuters said.

CONFLICT: Israel hostage crisis (Graphic)
GN46239 Graphic shows Gaza hostage crisis.
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September 2, 2024 -- The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become the first far-right party to win a regional election in Germany since World War II.

Voters in two closely watched elections in the former communist east made clear their dissatisfaction with Germany’s mainstream political parties, putting the AFD in the top spot in Thuringia, with 32.8% of the vote, and second place in Saxony, with 30.6%, according to preliminary results.

The result gives the far right its first win in a state parliament election since World War II, although it has little hope of forming a government in Thuringia because other parties are unlikely to work with it, BBC reports.

The results are a disaster for the parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-way coalition, with the Social Democrats, Greens and liberals all sinking to single digits in both states.

POLITICS: German state election results (Graphic)
GN46238 Graphic shows preliminary election results in Thuringia and Saxony.
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September 1, 2024 -- Germany’s political landscape faces upheaval, with opinion polls expecting the far-right AfD to win the most votes in up to 3 of the nation’s 16 federal states in an unprecedented result.

State elections in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg in September will impose a stress test on the country’s democracy, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and a new populist leftist-conservative force, Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), expected to perform exceedingly well in the aftermath of a deadly stabbing attack, allegedly by a Syrian asylum seeker.

The anti-migration, anti-Islam AfD could take the most votes in all three states one year before Germany is scheduled to hold its next general election, and claim up to a third of the vote in the states holding elections this Sunday: Saxony and Thuringia.

Such an outcome could intensify bickering within Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s deeply unpopular ruling coalition and spur calls for an early election in Europe’s biggest economy.

POLITICS: German stability tested in regional votes (Graphic)
GN46235 Graphic shows recent opinion polls in the three German states voting in September.
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August 30, 2024 -- Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump 45% to 41% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published Aug 29, that showed the vice president sparking new enthusiasm among voters and shaking up the race ahead of the Nov 5 election.

Harris’ lead has grown from a 1 point lead in late July, when she became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden withdrew his candidacy.

While Trump has maintained his lead among white voters and men, Harris’ lead amongst women and Hispanic voters has grown to 13%, up from 9% and 6% respectively. Trump’s lead among non-college educated voters has also been eroded, down to 7% from 14% in July.

Neverthless, polls in seven key swing states remain close, with the Reuters-Ipsos poll showing Trump holding a lead of around 2% across Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin while other polls show them tied or with a 1% margin between the candidates, statistically too close to call.

U.S. ELECTION: Harris widens lead over Trump in new poll (Graphic)
GN46234 Graphic charts election poll data on Harris vs Trump.
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August 29, 2024 -- The energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. Although European natural gas stockpiles are brimming, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Italy still rely heavily on Moscow for gas.

Patrick Pouyanne, the CEO of TotelEnergies, told Reuters on Monday (August 26) that a transit agreement to deliver Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, which last year still totalled 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) out of total EU gas consumption of 295 bcm, is due to expire at the end of the year.

“One of the main factors is about this transit for Ukraine because even if the storage are full, I’m not sure we are fully covered if this is interrupted,” Pouyanne said in an interview.

Although European gas storage levels were last seen at 91.2% full -- 10 weeks ahead of the official target of November 1 -- Pouyanne warned that new supply from new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects like Golden Pass in the United States has been delayed.

“So we are still in a phase where we don’t have much margin on the supply for energy,” the CEO added.

Europe can buy LNG from anywhere in the world, offsetting the loss of Russian gas supply via pipelines. However, this year, Europe is facing competition, not just from China but also from smaller buyers in Asia.

As a result, European LNG imports this summer have been running between 15% and 25% below the same periods in 2022 and 2023.

The European gas benchmark, TTF (Title Transfer Facility), is trading close to €40 ($44) per megawatt hour.

ENERGY: Europe-Russia gas imports (1) (Graphic UPDATED Aug 30)
GN46232 Graphic shows Europe’s natural gas imports from Russia.
(107mm by 130mm deep)

August 29, 2024 -- Ukrainian President Zelensky says the country has successfully tested a domestically-developed ballistic missile – thought to be the HRIM-2 variant – potentially bringing targets deep within Russia into range.

Zelensky did not name the missile, but military analysts believe it may be the Hrim-2 which translates as Thunder-2 in English), also known as Grim-2, Grom-2 or Sapsan. Unlike western-supplied weapons like the U.S. ATACMS, which has forced Russia to deploy its most advanced S-500 missile defence, there would be no restrictions on the use of domestically-built ballistic missiles.

MILITARY: Ukraine tests ballistic missile (Graphic)
GN46231 Graphic shows possible new Ukrainian ballistic missile and compares likely range with that of western-supplied weapons.
(107mm wide by 166mm deep) View graphic

September 2-13, 2024 -- Pope Francis takes the longest tour of his 11-year papacy, visiting four island nations in an ambitious trip that will test the strength of the 87-year-old Catholic Church leader.

Over 12 days, Francis will travel nearly 33,000km to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

In each of the four countries, the pope will hold official meetings with political authorities, diplomats, and local Catholics. He will also lead outdoor celebrations of the Catholic Mass in all four countries, Reuters reports.

Catholic officials broadly see Asia as fertile ground to expand the faith, which has experienced decline in Western countries.

Francis will be the third pope to visit Indonesia. The trip was originally planned for 2020 but was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELIGION: Pope visits Southeast Asia (Graphic)
GN46229 Graphic shows Pope Francis’ itinerary.
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August 29, 2024 -- With Apple’s 2024 iPhone unveiling event just days away, we’ve collated the biggest leaks and rumours of what’s most likely to be showcased.

Apple will hold a product launch at its Cupertino headquarters on September 9, when it will showcase the iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10 and other new devices and software.

The “Glowtime” event – likely a reference to the improved AI-driven Siri digital assistant – will unveil new larger screen iPhones and watches, and most likely updated AirPods.

The iPhone 16 is expected to launch on September 20, with the new iOS 18.0 operating system, featuring new ways to customise the home screen, and will be updated in October to version 18.1 that will feature a slew of Apple Intelligence AI features.

TECH: What to expect from Apple event (Graphic)
GN46230 Graphic shows what to expect to see at Apple “Glowtime” event.
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August 28, 2024 -- An oil tanker targeted by Yemen’s Houthis appears to be leaking oil, the Pentagon says. The ship is carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude and a spill has the potential to be among the largest on record.

The Greek-flagged tanker Sounion, carrying 150,000 tonnes – or one million barrels – of crude oil, was hit last week by missiles launched by the Iran-backed Houthis.

A large-scale oil leak would represent the first serious environmental damage as a result of the campaign waged by the Houthis against international shipping in the Red Sea since November.

The Yemeni Islamist group claims to be acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza following Israel’s war in the enclave in response to Hamas’s deadly attack on the Jewish state on October 7.

CONFLICT: Red Sea tanker risks environmental disaster (Graphic)
GN46225 Graphic shows facts about the Sounion oil tanker and location of the ship.
(107mm wide by 150mm deep) View graphic

September 15-21, 2024 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week. This week features the opening up of the Northwest Passage, the incorporation of General Motors, NASA's first Space Shuttle, Scotland's vote to remain part of the United Kingdom, Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Italian film star Sophia Loren and the Boeing B-29 bomber.

September 15, 2007: Melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean opened up the Northwest Passage, clearing a long-sought but historically impassable route between Europe and Asia

September 16, 1908: General Motors (GM) was incorporated with $2,000 capital, and generated $12m in cash in 12 days. The image shows the GM building in New York in the 1940s

September 17, 1976: NASA unveiled the first Space Shuttle, named Enterprise after the fictional starship from Star Trek. The launch was witnessed by the cast from the hit TV show

September 18, 2014: Scotland voted in a referendum on independence, with 55 percent of the country’s 4.2 million voters opting to remain part of the United Kingdom

September 19, 2023: Azerbaijan recaptured the breakaway republic of Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning offensive that emptied the region of its ethnic Armenian population

September 20, 1934: Italian film star Sophia Loren was born. Her Best Actress Oscar, for the 1961 film Two Women, was the first won by any artist for a foreign-language performance

September 21, 1942: The Boeing B-29 bomber made its maiden flight. The plane, known as the Superfortress, carried out the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945

HISTORY: On this day September 15-21 (week 38) (Graphic)
GN46213 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic

September 8-14, 2024 -- Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week. This week features an earthquake in Morocco, the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, Storm Daniel’s devastation in Libya, tennis star Serena Williams, the 2023 meeting of North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russian President Putin, the transmission of yellow fever and the actor Patrick Swayze.

September 8, 2023: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco, killing over 2,900 people and causing widespread damage in Marrakesh and in villages in the Atlas Mountains

September 9, 2015: Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-serving monarch in British history, after 63 years and 216 days. Her reign eventually lasted 70 years and 214 days

September 10, 2023: Storm Daniel hit Libya, causing catastrophic flooding in the city of Derna after two dams collapsed due to torrential rains, leaving thousands dead or missing

September 11, 1999: Tennis star Serena Williams won the U.S. Open tournament at Flushing Meadows, achieving a first Grand Slam victory ahead of her elder sister Venus

September 12, 2023: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un met President Vladimir Putin in eastern Russia, fuelling Western concerns that Pyongyang would provide support for the war in Ukraine

September 13, 1990: A physician investigating the transmission of yellow fever was bitten by a mosquito and died of the disease, thus proving that the mosquito was the carrier

September 14, 2009: Actor Patrick Swayze died from cancer at age 57. He leapt to fame in the hit 1987 film Dirty Dancing and scored another major success with the 1990 weepie, Ghost

HISTORY: On this day September 8-14 (week 37) (Graphic)
GN46212 Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries on each day for the week.
(Each 52mm wide by 118mm deep packaged as a set) View graphic

August 27, 2024 -- South Korea is struggling with a record low birth rate, with officials having trouble convincing the “YOLO” generation that parenthood is a better investment than a hedonistic lifestyle.

South Korea is struggling to stop a sharp decline in its birth rate, with officials having difficulty convincing young people that parenthood is a better investment than living a hedonistic lifestyle.

Asia’s fourth-largest economy is to launch a new ministry dedicated to the task of improving the country’s demographic challenges, but they may face an uphill struggle.

The lifestyle priorities of Koreans in their 20s and 30s (generations Y and Z) mean they spend more and save less on average than their peers in other countries. They have become known as the “YOLO” generation – You Only Live Once – with more self-indulgent appetites for comfortable lives, stylish clothes, eating out and travel.

In 2023, the average number of expected babies for a South Korean woman during her reproductive life fell to a record low of 0.72 – far below the rate of 2.1 per woman needed for a steady population.

POPULATION: South Korea birth rate decline (Graphic)
GN46222 Graphic charts the decline in South Korea’s population.
(107mm by 113mm deep) View graphic

September 1-30, 2024 -- Events in September include the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the contest to find a new Japanese prime minister, crucial elections in three states of East Germany, a presidential election in Sri Lanka, the opening of a new NATO command centre in Germany, Pope Francis’ trip to Asia, Apple’s launch event, and the 100th anniversary of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Sep, Germany: NATO’s new command to coordinate arms supplies to Ukraine will become operational in Wiesbaden. The base will be led by a three-star general with a team of 700 personnel.

Sep 1, 22, Germany: Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg hold elections that could shake up the country’s political landscape. Opinion polls suggest the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could come first in all three states.

Sep 2-13, Asia: Pope Francis, 87, is to take the longest trip of his 11-year papacy despite health concerns, travelling to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. The pope also plans to visit Luxembourg and Belgium on Sep 26-29.

Sep 9, U.S.: Apple holds a launch event at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, where it is expected to announce details of the iPhone 16 and other new devices.

Sep 10, U.S.: Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and Republican opponent Donald Trump to debate on ABC, setting up the first face-to-face match-up in the closely-fought race.

Sep 17, U.S.: A musical gala honouring the life of former President Jimmy Carter takes place at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, ahead of his 100th birthday on October 1.

Sep 21, Sri Lanka: Namal Rajapaksa, heir apparent to the powerful Rajapaksa family, runs in the presidential election, taking on the incumbent, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has shepherded the nation
through its worst financial crisis in decades.

Sep 27, Japan: The ruling Liberal Democratic Party holds a contest to replace Fumio Kishida as its president and therefore prime minister. He is to step down after public discontent over political scandals and rising living costs.

WORLD AGENDA: September 2024 (Graphic)
GN46214 Graphic shows selected news events in September 2024.
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August 27, 2024 -- As many as 15 airlines have cancelled their flights to Israel, Lebanon and Iran amid a cross-border escalation with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Major carriers, including Air France and the Dutch Transavia, have suspended their operations in Israel.

Other airlines, including Air India, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines, and Royal Jordanian, have cancelled their flights to Israel, driven by growing fears of a potential regional war in the Middle East.

Israel launched over 40 air strikes on southern Lebanon early Sunday in what it says was a preemptive attack, the most severe since cross-border attacks with Hezbollah began on October 8, 2023.

Hezbollah has launched about 8,000 rockets at Israeli military positions since October.

Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary-General, said it launched hundreds of missiles and drones deep into Israel in its response to the July 30 assassination of its commander, Fouad Shukr, in Beirut.

“We decided to respond individually for reasons that will become apparent over time,” Nasrallah said.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since the October 7, 2023, Hamas incursion into Israel.

CONFLICT: Middle East flights suspended (Graphic)
GN46224 Graphic shows 15 airlines that have cancelled flights to Israel and Lebanon.
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August 23, 2024 -- Commercial airlines begin flying over Afghanistan rather than Iran, airspace now deemed more hazardous due to its hostilities with Israel, which include missile attacks and assassinations.

Commercial passenger carriers including Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Thai Airways, Air France-KLM and others have begun flying over Afghanistan rather than Iran, which they now deem more dangerous.

Three years ago, when the Taliban took over Afghanistan, airlines stopped flying over the country, believing it hazardous.

Now, with hostilities between Israel and Iran at boiling point, some major carriers have switched back to transiting Afghanistan which has no air traffic control. Pilots are however advised to stay above 32,000 feet where surface-to-air weapons are considered less effective.

According to flight tracking group Flightradar24, flight plan changes began in mid-April during missile and drone attacks between Iran and Israel, but the main growth began after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah in late July.

The air industry is rightly cautious and mindful of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014.

Airlines are under pressure to save money on fuel on flights between Europe and Asia after Russia closed its overflight air corridors following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

AVIATION: Airlines switch overflights to Afghanistan (Graphic)
GN46217 Graphic shows changing flightpaths over Iran and Afghanistan.
(107mm by 120mm deep) View graphic

August 22, 2024 -- Looking like something out of a Hollywood sci-fi movie, the new Atom Touch prosthetic arm allows users to control movement, and even individual fingers, using their minds.

Atom Limbs, a Californian robotics firm, has announced the Atom Touch prosthetic arm – the first of its kind with individual finger control.

Looking like something out of a Hollywood sci-fi movie, the limb uses a non-invasive connection to the wearer, known as electromyography, that allows them to control movement using their brain to think how to move it.

According to the Amputee Coalition there are more than five million people in the U.S. alone living with limb loss, with most current prosthetic arm offerings made up of separate elbow, wrist and hand components from different suppliers.

The Atom Touch is a whole arm unit (up to the shoulder), with a battery and computer located in the forearm.

The device is set to go through clinical trials and FDA approval and come to market in the next 12-18 months, costing around $25,000 – the same as currently used body-powered prosthetic hooks.

TECH: Mind-controlled prosthetic arm debuts (Graphic)
GN46207 Graphic shows how the Atom Touch works.
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August 26, 2024 -- SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission is set to launch four astronauts on a five-day flight to attempt the world’s first private spacewalk. The mission will be a major test of SpaceX’s new spacesuits.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral not earlier than August 26.

After reaching the highest orbit flown by a Dragon – 1,400km – the capsule will descend to a 700-km cruising orbit where the astronauts will attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk.

This will test SpaceX's newly developed spacesuits, formally called Extravehicular Activity (EVA), which feature heads-up displays, helmet cameras and thermal management textiles.

The new uniform is described as an evolution of the spacesuits currently worn by astronauts aboard Dragon missions, which are designed solely for remaining within pressurized environments.

While making history outside their Dragon capsule, the crew will be the first to test Starlink laser-based communications systems that SpaceX believes will be critical to future missions to the moon and eventually Mars.

SPACE: SpaceX’s high-tech suit (Graphic)
GN46208 Graphic shows specifications of SpaceX's new Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuit.
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August 16, 2024 -- A growing list of musicians object to Donald Trump using their songs at campaign rallies, with superstar diva Celine Dion being the latest.

Over recent years, many popular musicians have objected to Donald Trump using their songs at campaign events, with superstar diva Celine Dion being the latest one.

Following the broadcast of a video of her performing the mega-hit “My Heart Will Go On” at a Trump campaign rally in Montana last weekend, her representatives swiftly declared it was unauthorised and mocked its use at all – the song is from James Cameron’s “Titanic” movie about the ill-fated voyage of the famous ocean liner which hit an iceberg and sank in 1912.

Dion joins a stellar line-up of musicians, who have decried the use of their music by Trump and his campaign team, including:

• Adele
• The Beatles
• Bruce Springsteen
• Eddy Grant
• Guns N’ Roses
• John Fogerty (of Creedence Clearwater Revival)
• Neil Young
• Pharrell Williams
• Phil Collins
• Panic! at the Disco
• Rihanna
• R.E.M.
• The Rolling Stones
• The Smiths

And the estates of deceased musicians:

• Isaac Hayes
• Leonard Cohen
• Prince
• Tom Petty

In reality, artists rarely have authority over where, when or how their music is played as control is handled by performing rights organisations that require political campaigns to obtain licenses to allow them to use material.

Once played at a rally, a musician can object to its use, and the song is then pulled from the license – however, not every campaign immediately honours those requests.

POLITICS: Musicians against Donald Trump (Graphic)
GN46198 Graphic shows famous musicians who object to Trump using their songs.
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August 15, 2024 -- The World Health Organization has declared the Mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of international concern, with scientists worried about the rapid spread of a new variant.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) had warned last week of an alarming rate of spread of the viral infection, which is transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.

Africa CDC says there were more than 14,500 mpox infections and over 450 deaths from mpox between the start of 2024 and the end of July. That is a 160% increase in infections and a 19% increase in deaths compared with the same period in 2023.

HEALTH: Mpox declared global emergency (Graphic)
GN46195 Graphic shows facts about the Mpox and number of cases and deaths etween the start of 2024 and the end of July in Africa.
(107mm wide by 150mm deep) View graphic

January 1, 2024 -- Have a look at how this mobile-friendly widget auto-updates each day to show a range of international anniversaries and events today in history - a daily feature to engage your online visitors day after day.

EDITORS: This is a responsive interactive graphic that can be published in an iframe. The events and picture displayed are determined by the system clock on the device on which it is viewed.

The graphic can be published using embed code. If you host the graphic yourself, you may wish to substitute some of the events or images to give a more national or local interest. The image and text for each day are held in the hyperesources folder. Data is supplied for a whole year.


HISTORY: ON THIS DAY auto-updating (3) (Interactive UPDATED Mar 25)
GN40881 Responsive interactive graphic shows anniversaries and events from today’s date in history. Changes automatically each day. Come back tomorrow to see anniversaries and events for that date.
(800px wide by 650px deep - auto updating)