SMF Thailand.

This summer, Texans have endured scorching temperatures as hot as 48C (119F), making the state one of the hottest places on Earth.

The state is trapped under a "heat dome", a phenomenon that happens when high pressure traps dry, hot air over an area, causing the hot air to sink to the earth's surface and preventing clouds from forming. Due to high humidity, these temperatures feel even hotter. And forecasters project the intense heat will expand north into the Plains and from the west coast to the Gulf Coast in the coming days, leaving millions more people facing excessive heat warnings.

But as the heatwave continues, many cities in Texas are beginning to take proactive measures to cool their streets down and protect people from the dangerous impacts of overheating. These cooling measures are also being implemented more widely across the US, from installing green roofs and walls and painting streets with cool pavement coating to purchasing air conditioning units for vulnerable residents.

"Planning for heat is not as well-developed in the US as planning for other hazards like flooding," says Sara Meerow, associate professor at Arizona State University's school of geographical sciences and urban planning. "I think this is changing as heat becomes a more visible and universal threat."
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The Indian government's decision to impose a 28% tax on online gaming poses an "existential threat" to the booming industry and could spell its death knell, say experts.

Shares of Indian online gaming platforms and casinos have crashed following the GST (Goods and Services Tax) Council's decision.

The country's 900+ gaming start-ups had been paying a small tax on the fee they charged for offering games. But the imposition of a 28% GST on the full face value of a gaming transaction will mean the entire amount collected from players will now come under the ambit of taxation.

According to industry estimates, total tax collection on player winnings will go beyond 50%, including GST, platform commissions and income taxeswhen the new law is implemented.

In effect, for every $100 (£76. spent by a player, there will be a "sunk cost" of $28 towards GST, in addition to a $5-15 charge by the gaming platform and a 30% tax deducted at source (TDS) on any winnings drawn.

This will "disincentivise players and is totally inconsistent with global standards" where VAT or GST is levied at a median rate, and that too only on platform fees or commissions, said Sudipta Bhattacharjee, partner at corporate law firm Khaitan & Co.

"The move has completely blindsided the industry. It will shake investor confidence and lead to a funding winter," Mr Bhattacharjee added.
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Tour operators accused of safety failures in the lead up to the deadly White Island volcano disaster are facing a landmark trial in New Zealand.

Twenty-two people died when the country's most active volcano suddenly erupted on 9 December 2019.

It had been showing signs of unrest for weeks, with workplace regulators saying the eruption was not unforeseeable but tour operators were unprepared.

Six parties face fines of up to NZ$1.5m ($928,000; £724,000) if found guilty.

At the time of the eruption, 47 people were on White Island - also known by its Maori name of Whakaari. Almost half of those present were killed, including 17 people from Australia, three from the US, and two from New Zealand. Another 25 people were injured, many suffering horrific burns.

The disaster prompted the most extensive and complex investigation ever undertaken by WorkSafe NZ, the nation's main health and safety regulator, which itself has been criticised for failing to monitor activities on the island between 2014 and 2019.

Thirteen parties were initially charged in December 2020 with exposing people to risk of harm under the health and safety act. They were accused of failing to assess and mitigate risks, to adequately inform tourists of the dangers, and to provide protective equipment.

"This was an unexpected event, but that does not mean it was unforeseeable and there is a duty on operators to protect those in their care," WorkSafe chief executive Phil Parkes said at the time.

None of the charges relate to events during or after the eruption, and the defendants include companies which did not have tourists at the volcano at the time.

The case against one tour operator has since been dropped, and another six pleaded guilty before trial - some just days ago. Most are yet to be sentenced.

White Island Tours, which was responsible for the safety of all except one of those killed, is among the companies which have admitted the charges.

Six defendants remain, including members of the Buttle family, who have owned White Island since 1936.

Peter, James and Andrew Buttle, the three brothers who inherited the island, have been charged in their roles as directors of Whakaari Management - which granted licences to tour operators and also faces charges at a company level.

ID Tours New Zealand Limited and Tauranga Tourism Services Limited are also contesting their charges in court.
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Britney Spears accidentally hit herself in the face as she was blocked by security while approaching a basketball star, Las Vegas police say.

Victor Wembanyama's guard, who the pop star alleged struck her during Wednesday's encounter, will not face charges, police said in a statement.

Spears said she was "backhanded in the face" by the man, calling the incident a "traumatic experience".

Video posted online appears to confirm a police report posted by local media.

A copy of the police report summarising their investigation, obtained by the BBC, says: "Detectives and I were able to review surveillance footage of the event which showed Britney going to tap the Spurs player on the shoulder.

"When she touched the player [the security guard] pushes her hand off the player without looking which causes Britney's hand to hit herself in the face."

Las Vegas police also confirmed they had concluded their investigation into the alleged battery at the Aria hotel.

Video shared by TMZ shows a man block Spears as she reaches out to tap Wembanyama on the shoulder as he walks through a casino complex. Spears recoils, as she appears to hit herself.
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A court in India has given 10-year jail terms to 10 men for beating a Muslim man to death four years ago.

Tabrez Ansari, 24, died days after being attacked by people who accused him of stealing a motorcycle in the eastern state of Jharkhand.

A video showing Ansari being forced to say chants praising Hindu gods while pleading for his life had gone viral and led to huge outrage in India.

His family alleged that police denied him treatment despite his injuries.

The state police denied any wrongdoing.

The video footage from the night of 19 June 2019 showed a terrified Ansari tied to an electricity pole and being assaulted by the mob, with blood and tears streaming down his face.

His attackers forced him to repeatedly chant "Jai Shri Ram", which translates from Hindi to "hail Lord Ram" or "victory to Lord Ram".

Ansari did as told, but the mob kept assaulting him through the night. He was handed over to police the next day who then arrested him for theft. His family had alleged that they were not allowed to see him.
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Coutts, the prestigious private bank for the wealthy, the BBC has been told.

It is understood that he was subsequently offered a standard account at NatWest which owns Coutts.

Mr Farage says he believes his account is being shut for political reasons and he has been turned down by nine other lenders after trying elsewhere.

But people familiar with Coutts' move said it was a "commercial" decision.

"The criteria for holding a Coutts account are clear from the bank's website," they told the BBC.

Coutts requires its customers to borrow or invest at least £1m with the bank or hold £3m in savings.

Speaking to the BBC from France, Mr Farage did not dispute the fact that he did not meet Coutts' threshold, but added: "They didn't have a problem with it for the last 10 years."
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A man who fatally shot three women he accused of ruining his career has been sentenced to life imprisonment in France.

Gabriel Fortin, 48, was given the maximum sentence for murder and attempted murder by a court in the city of Valence on Wednesday.

This means he will spend up to 22 years behind bars.

Fortin, who was dubbed the "HR killer", was arrested in 2021 - days after the women were shot dead.

Speaking to reporters following the verdict, the lawyer for the family of Géraldine Caclin, one of the victims, told the AFP news agency that Fortin's "only response to life's failures, and we've all experienced them, was to organise this crime."

Bertrand Meichel, the sole survivor of the attacks, was also present at the court and questioned the length of time Fortin would spend behind bars.

"When the death penalty was abolished in 1981, we were promised life imprisonment," he said.

"Today, the law limits life imprisonment to 22 years, and the court will have no choice but to comply."

The first killing happened on 26 January 2021 in the Alsace region of eastern France. Human resources manager Estelle Luce was shot in the head in her company car park after work.
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