July 9 (ZFJ) — Gelsenkirchen has temporarily renamed itself to Swiftkirchen ahead of Taylor Swift’s concerts there, announced the German city on July 2.
Swift will be performing in three concerts at the VELTINS-Arena from July 17-19 as part of her Eras Tour.
Local Swiftie Aleshanee Westhoff of Emmerich started a petition for this change, which Mayor Karin Welge thought was “a great idea.”
The Swiftkirchen sign. CITY OF GELSENKIRCHEN/Handout
Aug. 21 (ZFJ) — President Joe Biden, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to increase defense and economic cooperation among their countries at a Camp David summit on Friday, Aug. 18.
This meeting is the first-ever standalone summit between the leaders of Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
Japan and South Korea continue to have disputes over former Imperial Japan’s colonial rule from 1910-1945.
July 24 (ZFJ) — The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) at the Royal Australian Navy’s Fleet Base East in Sydney on Saturday, July 22, marking the first time a U.S. ship entered service at a foreign port.
It is the second American ship named for Australia’s capital. The first was a Baltimore-heavy class cruiser, renamed in honor of the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, which was lost at the Battle of Savo Island in WWII when defending U.
June 26 (ZFJ) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his recent visit to the United States, and President Joe Biden announced a pilot for the expansion of capacity for H-1B and L-1 visas with the domestic renewal of temporary work visas.
The loosening of visa restrictions aims to increase the amount of skilled workers and students immigrating to the U.S. Currently, this pilot launch is only applicable to the H-1B and L-1 visas, which both admit skilled workers.
