Archive August 3, 2025

Texas Democrats leave state to block vote on new House map backed by Trump

Democrats are ejecting Texas in an effort to thwart its state’s House of Representatives’ Monday vote on new congressional maps, which Republicans hope will add to their preponderance in the 2026 midterm elections, adding to their ferocious majority.

The state’s attorney general has previously threatened to arrest Democrats if they took such a course of action, leading to fines and other penalties for the dramatic action on Sunday. Democrats are legally prohibited from being imprisoned for refusing to participate in legislative sessions, and it is unclear who has the authority to execute the warrants.

Democrats see the state’s decision as a last-ditch attempt to stop Texas’s infamous mid-decade redrawing of the congressional map under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

Trump is anxious to avoid a repeat of his first term, which included the House and Senate victories just two years into his presidency, which stunted his legislative goals, and hopes the new Texas map will aid in this effort.

In a statement, House Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu said, “We make this decision with absolute moral clarity.”

At least 100 members of the Texas House, which has 150 members, must be present for official business.

In the majority-Republican chamber, Democrats control 62 of the seats. According to Josh Rush Nisenson, a representative for the House Democratic Caucus, at least 51 Democratic members are leaving the state.

“We will not be complicit in the silence of hard-working communities who have spent decades fighting for the power that Trump wants to steal,” he said.

Standoff in 2021

Texas Democrats have fled the state to obstruct a vote for the second time in four years.

Democrats flew to Washington, DC in 2021 to protest new voting restrictions and a 38-day standoff.

In response to flooding in Texas Hill Country, which claimed at least 135 lives in July, and hold a special session of the legislature that started last month to discuss redistricting issues.

Heidi Klum, 52, looks loved-up in tiny bikini as she marks relationship milestone

Heidi Klum, a model and TV personality, shared some insight into the milestone of her marriage with Tom Kaulitz on a romantic date soaking up the sun in bikini.

Supermodel Heidi Klum celebrates marriage milestone(Image: heidiklum/Instagram)

Supermodel and TV star Heidi Klum looked loved-up with her younger husband as they celebrated six years of marriage together. The 52-year-old looked incredible in a bikini as she gave fans a glimpse into her romantic day with Tom Kaulitz.

Taking to Instagram, the model sweetly wrote: “6 Years married today”, adding in German, “’Ich liebe Dich mein Tom,” which translates to “I love you my Tom.”

Heidi and her husband snuck up with a glass of bubbly as they soaked up the sun by the pool as they celebrated their wedding anniversary.

The couple also shared some sweet gifts and a snap of their wedding. She also showed off the gifts they appeared to exchange, along with video of their cuddled-up feet.

READ MORE: Katie Price worries fans with appearance in family photo after explaining weight loss READ MORE: Taylor Swift sparks engagement rumours as fans spot Travis Kelce’s lock screen

Supermodel and TV star Heidi Klum looked loved-up with her younger husband as they celebrated six years of marriage together
Supermodel and TV star Heidi Klum looked loved-up with her younger husband as they celebrated six years of marriage together(Image: heidiklum/instagram)

Heidi previously admitted to having a relationship with Tom, but claimed it almost never happened because she wanted to “stay home” the night before their scheduled meeting. She stated to People, “I really wanted to stay home, but I then threw myself in the butt.”

Seven years after the pair got engaged in December 2018, Heidi and the Tokio Hotel guitarist tied the knot just two months later at a friend’s party.

The model joked that his “looks much better” when the beloved couple ended up getting identical tattoos.

Heidi previously opened up about her relationship with Tom and said it almost never happened
Heidi previously opened up about her relationship with Tom and said it almost never happened(Image: COBRA TEAM – FREZZA LAFATA / BACKGRID)

Heidi said she doesn’t give a damn about their age gap despite being 17 years younger than her.

She said, “I don’t really care what happens around us when our door closes at home.” My husband taught me things that I wasn’t even aware of my abilities.

It doesn’t matter for me to be older, she continued. This body- or age-shaming thing is not mine. Everyone should pursue their interests, in my opinion. Even at age 52, I enjoy running around sexy.

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Although Tom is 17 years younger than her, Heidi said she doesn’t listen to any criticism
Although Tom is 17 years younger than her, Heidi said she doesn’t listen to any criticism (Image: WireImage)

The biggest misunderstanding about [being in your 50s] is that you are a moron. You are not a piece of garbage. Everyone can see that we are very much on that shelf. In your fifties, don’t hide. I’m here for the change because beauty is constantly evolving. Life is boring if it’s always the same.

All five miners trapped after copper mine collapse in Chile found dead

After rescue teams cleared more than 24 meters (78 feet) of underground passages that had collapsed in a powerful earthquake last week, all five workers at a copper mine in Chile were discovered dead, according to a regional prosecutor.

The El Teniente copper mine’s Prosecutor Aquiles Cubillo reported on Sunday that the body of the fifth trapped worker had been discovered.

Rancagua, which is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Santiago, was home to more than 100 people who had been searching for workers at the world’s largest underground mine, El Teniente Copper Mine.

“We regret this outcome a lot,” Cubillos said.

The most recent death brings the accident’s total to six, with the most recent death coming from a person who was killed on Thursday evening.

The first trapped worker was found on Saturday, followed by another three on Sunday, at Chile’s state-owned mining company Codelco. The final worker has not yet been commented on.

One colleague was killed and operations at the site were suspended as a result of the collapse, which occurred at a depth of more than 900 meters. Their precise location had been verified using advanced equipment.

Aurora Williams, the mine’s mining minister, announced a temporary stoppage on Saturday.

More than 4,500 kilometers (some 2, 800 miles) of underground tunnels make up the mine’s early 1900s, which first started operating.

El Teniente produced 356, 000 tonnes of copper last year, accounting for nearly 7% of Chile’s total.

The cave-in occurred on Thursday afternoon following a “seismic event” whose source, which was unknown at the time, was a drilling incident, according to the authorities on Saturday. The magnitude of the tremor was 4.2%.

The El Teniente deposit’s general manager Andres Music said in a statement that it is “one of the biggest events, if not the biggest,” if not the biggest, it has ever experienced.

In 2010, a search team that included several of the rescuers who had been stranded in a mine for more than two months in the Atacama Desert attracted a slew of international media attention.

With a production of about 5.3 million tonnes in 2024, Chile is the biggest copper producer in the world, accounting for nearly a quarter of the world’s supply.

According to the National Geology and Mining Service of Chile, its mining sector had a death rate of 0.02 percent last year, making it one of the safest on earth.

The seismically active “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean’s shores also contains it.

El Teniente Copper Mine, Mexico, is visible from the sky.

You Inspire The Girl Child, Remi Tinubu Hails D’Tigress On AfroBasket Victory 

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the first African nation to win this feat, praised D’Tigress, Nigeria’s female basketball team, for their unprecedented fifth consecutive #AfroBasketWomen title.

“You truly inspire girls and women in general, and you give me pride.” The wife of President Bola Tinubu thanked her for keeping the Nigerian flag ablaze, saying in a statement late on Sunday.

In a tense showdown on Sunday, Nigeria defeated Mali 78-64 to win their seventh AfroBasket title.

They have won their 29th game in a row without conceding a loss since 2015, dominating African women’s basketball.

Nigeria started the tournament with a slow start, as with most of their opening matches.

However, Rena Wakama’s team regrouped in the second quarter with the scores set at 41–41 as a result of Mali’s intensity.

In a hotly contested game that was rightly called “final before the final,” Nigeria had to work hard to defeat Senegal 75-68 to advance to the final.

Read more about how Nigeria’s D’Tigress defeated Senegal to reach the Afrobasket Final.

The D’Tigress’ historic fifth consecutive win on Sunday night was dependent on Amy Okonkwo and Ezinne Kalu’s outstanding performance.

Kalu scored 20 points, including several crucial baskets in the second and third quarters, despite Okonkwo contributing 19 points on the night.

In a game that once again demonstrated Nigeria’s depth, Musa added nine crucial points and four rebounds while Amukamara and Victoria Macaulay also contributed significant contributions.

The Nigerian ladies’ 20-15 victory over the Malians in the third quarter of the game proved to be very important.

He Nigerians led 61-56 at the start of the fourth quarter, and they continued to win.

Richardson misses Worlds 200m spot a week after arrest

Images courtesy of Getty

By one-hundredth of a second, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was unable to reach the 200-meter final at the US Track and Field Championships in Oregon.

Madison Whyte, who had already qualified for the final qualifying spot, came in fourth with a time of 22.56 seconds, which is 0.01 more than Madison’s.

As the defending champion, she is denied entry to the 100-meter World Championships in September, but her chances of winning are over.

After being detained over a domestic violence rumor, Richardson, a 100-meter silver medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, wraps up a contentious week.

According to a police report, video showed Coleman being shoved into a wall before Richardson threw an object at him.

Following the incident, she was let go on Monday.

Coleman “declined to be a victim” and “did not want to participate in the investigation,” according to the police officer’s report.

After her heat in Eugene, Richardson resisted speaking to the waiting reporters and instead wished them a “blessed day.”

USA Track and Field responded to her arrest by saying it was aware of the reports but would not “comment on this matter.”

World champion Noah Lyles took the lead with a time of 19.63 seconds in the 200-meter men’s final on Sunday, placing Coleman sixth.

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‘He definitely has it’, so why did Hamilton say he was useless?

Images courtesy of Getty
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After the most difficult weekend of his Ferrari career so far at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton insisted he still “loves” Formula 1.

After qualifying 12th on the grid, Hamilton, the seven-time champion, had declared himself “just useless,” while Charles Leclerc, Ferrari’s first grand prix pole position of the season, took his place on Saturday.

Hamilton finished in the same position on Sunday, while Leclerc, who had fought for the first two-thirds of the race with the race-winning McLarens, lost to fourth place, his car apparently suffering from a problem in the final stint.

Hamilton claimed that after qualifying, he felt “the same.” He continued, “There’s a lot going on in the background that’s not great, so.” He added, “I’m sure there are lessons to be learned from the weekend.”

Hamilton frequently finds himself struggling, and the F1 rumor mill spins into a frenzy as well.

Some people questioned after qualifying whether Hamilton had overridden the hill. At the end of the year, or perhaps even before the season’s end, would he even leave Ferrari?

Hamilton, at least, refrained from saying he would return to the car at the end of August after F1’s summer break, saying he did.

He declared, “I’m looking forward to coming back.” “I’ll be back, yeah”.

Anyone who has heard about Hamilton’s resolve and unwavering resolve knows the answers to the other future questions.

Leclerc’s performance at least gives him some room to grow optimistic in the wake of some improvements to the Ferrari.

There have definitely been some improvements made to the upgrades, Hamilton said. It’s unfortunate that we’re not as competitive as the front-running competitors, but Charles has shown promise in his previous two races.

Lewis HamiltonImages courtesy of Getty

What is his/her boss’ opinion?

Hamilton’s situation was given some perspective by team principal Frederic Vasseur.

When your team-mate is in pole position and you are out of Q2, according to Vasseur, “it’s a tough situation.”

Vasseur criticized Ferrari for using a one-stop strategy on a track where overtaking is infamously challenging, and that it “didn’t work” in terms of the race result.

Lewis’ “I can understand your frustration,” he said, “but this is normal and he will come back.”

Vasseur, who played a key role in convincing Hamilton to leave Mercedes and join Ferrari this season, argued that the results in Hungary made his driver’s weekend appear worse than it actually was.

Yes, after the second session, Hamilton was 0.247 seconds slower than Leclerc. However, Leclerc himself had struggled to advance, and Hamilton was only 0.155secs behind his team-mate in the opening session.

After a difficult start to his Ferrari career, Hamilton’s positive momentum has stalled over the past two races.

There hasn’t been much choice between the two drivers since Miami in early May, and Hamilton outqualified Leclerc in three of the four races before Belgium, which came a week before Hungary.

Hamilton appeared uncompetitive when he was anything but due to two different kinds of errors in the qualifying sessions for the sprint and grand prix at Spa.

Hamilton was pace in Belgium, but he lost in the first session of sprint qualifying after an off-start and a spin brought on by a combination of factors involving a new braking material. The same happened when he erred when he evaded the 180-mph+ swerves at Eau Rouge and slightly exceeded the track’s restrictions while qualifying for the grand prix.

Hamilton’s average qualifying deficit to Leclerc is 0.146 seconds this year, even with the issues in Belgium and Hungary and the need to adapt to a new car with very different characteristics at the start of the season.

Hamilton might not expect that from himself, but it should be taken into account when Leclerc is regarded by Ferrari and many other F1 drivers as the fastest driver in the world after a single lap.

Hamilton’s critics criticize his struggles with George Russell during his final year at Mercedes.

The 40-year-old discovered that the ground-effect cars that were introduced into Formula One in 2022 do not fit both his late-braking style and those of the previous generation. And it continues to be a mystery whether or not he has been able to adapt as well as he should have, or perhaps even better than other drivers.

Vasseur, however, refuted any suggestion that Hamilton’s circumstances might concern him.

What is the opinion of his former boss?

Hamilton’s former team boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, was questioned about his depressing self-assessment.

Lewis allegedly wore his heart on the sleeve, he claimed. He expressed his thoughts on the subject when he was questioned after the session. It was very raw.

He has been that emotionally sensitive since he was a young boy or young adult, and we have it in the past when he felt that his team-mate is on top of his own expectations.

Wolff stated that Hamilton’s general performances were the result of “nobody’s going to take that away.” “He’s the GOAT, and he’ll always be the GOAT.” He must always remember that he is the greatest of all time, something that needs to be repeated.

Lewis’ Formula 1 work has been finished. We’ve never been happy with ground-effect cars, much like Mercedes has since underperformed with this most recent set of regulations since 2022. And it bit him in the same way.

It might be related to driving style. Therefore, he shouldn’t leave. Next year will bring brand-new, entirely new power-units that require an intelligent energy management strategy.

Wolff was pressed to confirm that Hamilton would still be able to capture the elusive eighth title.

He responded, “Yes, if he has a car underneath him that gives him confidence and does what he wants.”

“If he has a car that doesn’t give him the feedback he wants, and that’s the Mercedes from the past few years, and that seems to be the Ferrari, and even worse, then not,” he said.

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