RTHK: Biden again defends Afghanistan pullout on 9/11

President Joe Biden, speaking unexpectedly during a visit to the Pennsylvania site of one of the 9/11 plane crashes, again defended the widely criticised withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying the US could not "invade" every country where Al-Qaeda is present.

"Could Al-Qaeda come back (in Afghanistan)?" he asked in an exchange with reporters outside a Shanksville fire station. "Yeah. But guess what, it's already back in other places.

"What's the strategy? Every place where Al-Qaeda is, we're going to invade and have troops stay in? C'mon."

Biden said it had always been a mistake to think Afghanistan could be meaningfully united.

Biden said American forces had achieved their central mission when a special forces team killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011 in a compound in Pakistan.

Biden had begun his day on Saturday in Manhattan, attending a televised ceremony marking the September 11 attacks there.

He had not been scheduled to make public remarks. But asked by a reporter about the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and a subsequent drop in his poll numbers, he shrugged it off.

"I'm a big boy," Biden said. "I've been doing this a long time." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Pope Francis calls for 'openness' in Hungary

Pope Francis met Hungary's anti-migration Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday before calling on pilgrims to be "open" and "considerate" at an open-air Mass in Budapest.

The head of 1.3 billion Catholics has often urged help for the marginalised and those of all religions fleeing war and poverty, in contrast to Orban who styles himself as a defender of "Christian Europe" from immigrants.

The pope told tens of thousands thronging the vast Heroes' Square in Budapest that he wanted them to be "grounded and open, rooted and considerate".

Thousands more crowded a nearby main boulevard, along which screens and loudspeakers had been set up, while others watched from nearby balconies and other buildings.

The pope, in Hungary to close the International Eucharistic Congress, met Orban and other senior politicians behind closed doors in Budapest's Fine Arts Museum.

"I asked Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary perish," Orban posted on his Facebook page following a photo of the two shaking hands.

As a present, he gave the pontiff a copy of a letter written by King Bela IV to Pope Innocent IV in 1250 asking for help against Mongol warriors who threatened Christian Hungary.

The Vatican described the meeting as "cordial", saying the men discussed environmental protection and the promotion of the family among other topics.

Over the past few years, there has been no love lost between Orban supporters in Hungary and the leader of the Catholic world.

Pro-Orban media and political figures have launched barbs at the pontiff calling him "anti-Christian" for his pro-refugee sentiments.

The pope spent just seven hours in Hungary before flying off to Slovakia for a trip that lasts four days in total. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-09-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: SA moves to Adjusted Alert Level 2

Restrictions on movements of people and gatherings have been eased in South Africa following a steady decline in new COVID-19 infections.

This was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during an address to the nation on Sunday evening.

He announced that the country would move from Adjusted Alert Level 3 to Adjusted Alert Level 2 of the lockdown with effect from Monday, 13 September 2021.

The President said the decrease in the number of new infections across the country spurred the decision to move the country to a lower level of restrictions.

While the third wave is not yet over, we have seen a sustained decline in infections across the country over the last few weeks. The average number of daily new infections over the last week is 29% lower than the preceding seven days, and 48% lower than the seven days before that. While the third wave peaked in Gauteng far earlier and declined far faster than in other provinces, there is now a marked decline across all provinces, he said.

Ramaphosa said that after thorough consultations, cabinet had decided on the following measures for adjusted alert level 2:

The hours of curfew will now start at 11pm and end at 4am.

Non-essential establishments like restaurants, bars and fitness centres will need to close by 10pm to allow their employees and patrons to travel home before the start of the curfew.

All gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 250 people indoors and 500 people outdoors.

Where the venue is too small to accommodate these numbers with appropriate social distancing, then no more than 50% of the capacity of the venue may be used.

The sale of alcohol from retail outlets for off-site consumption will be permitted between 10am and 6pm from Monday to Friday.

Alcohol sales for on-site consumption will be permitted as per licence conditions up to 10pm.

The President said the measures are expected to be reviewed in two weeks and warned that infections in the Free State and Northern Cape remain a concern.

The two provinces that stand out from the others are the Northern Cape and Free State, where the number of infections as a proportion of the population has remained relatively high for several months. We are therefore focusing our efforts on these provinces to understand what is driving these infections and what measures we need to take to bring them down, Ramaphosa said.

The President further commended the efforts of people living in South Africa who adhered to protective measures. He also thanked industries such as arts, tourism and churches for their contribution.

We are able to ease these restrictions thanks to the efforts of all South Africans to adhere to the regulations and basic health measures. We are particularly thankful to those sectors of society that have had to endure restrictions on their activities for some time.

Vaccinating the nation

On the vaccine front, President Ramaphosa announced that the country has secured enough COVID-19 vaccines to cover the entire adult population of South Africa.

Ramaphosa said although securing the vaccine doses is an important step; citizens still need to come forward to get the jab.

To date, at least 14.6 million vaccine doses have been administered with healthcare workers vaccinating one million South Africans every four to five days.

We are increasing the pace of vaccination and ensuring that we reach those that are most vulnerable to serious illness. While everyone aged 18 years and older is eligible to be vaccinated, we are concentrating our efforts and resources on those over 60 years of age and those with co-morbidities. To date, over 57% of persons over 60 years of age have been vaccinated. This is a great achievement, but we need to reach them all, he said.

Thus far, seven million people are now fully vaccinated.

He said vaccines remain the strongest source of protection against severe illness and encouraged all unvaccinated people in South Africa to get the jab at one of the thousands of vaccination sites in the country.

There is now overwhelming evidence from hundreds of countries that vaccines are safe and provide strong protection. We have taken steps to make it easier for people to access vaccination wherever they are. We now have more than 3000 public and private vaccination sites across the country, and most private sites will vaccinate any member of the public for free whether you have health insurance or not.

It is important to bear in mind that this is a new virus that the world has never encountered before. If many people are not vaccinated and remain vulnerable to infection, the chance of new and more dangerous variants emerging is far greater. That is why vaccines are currently the most potent weapon we have to fight this pandemic, he said.

Local government elections and the pandemic

With the country set to elect new leadership for more than 250 municipalities on 1 November 2021, President Ramaphosa said discussions with political parties were held to reiterate the importance of COVID-19 health protocols and adherence to the National State of Disaster regulations.

It is vital that as we undertake this great democratic exercise, we do everything within our means to prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 infections. At the same time, we need to ensure that the pandemic does not limit the ability of all South Africans to freely exercise their democratic right to elect their local councillors.

This is a matter that I discussed with political party leaders earlier in the week, and there is a firm commitment from all parties that election campaigning should adhere to the state of disaster regulations and all health protocols, said the President.

Gender-based violence

In his address, the President also expressed concern at recent gender-based violence (GBV) incidents reported in the media.

We have just finished Womens Month, where we planned to celebrate the success of women in many fields. Instead, our country bore witness to several brutal attacks by men against women. This month alone there have been a number of terrible crimes committed against women and girls, he said.

The President referred to the case of Fort Hare law student Nosicelo Mtebeni, who was murdered and dismembered in East London in the Eastern Cape. There was also an incident of a Grade 1 pupil from Khensani Primary School in Soshanguve, who was raped in the school's toilets. The President also spoke of Palesa Maruping, who was found hanging from the ceiling of a house in Khuma Location in the North West as well as Pheliswa Sawutana, who was strangled to death in Kosovo informal settlement in Cape Town.



These are just the cases that were covered in the media; there were others that were not. These gruesome acts of violence cannot go unpunished. They must strengthen our resolve to end gender-based violence in all its forms. We must strengthen our efforts across all fronts, said the President.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-09-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Covid-19 spread through gorillas at Atlanta zoo

Atlanta's zoo have said at least 13 western lowland gorillas have tested positive for Covid-19, including 60-year-old Ozzie, the oldest male gorilla in captivity.

Zoo Atlanta said that employees noticed the gorillas had been coughing, had runny noses and showed changes in appetite. A veterinary lab at the University of Georgia returned positive tests for the respiratory illness.

The zoo said it is treating the gorillas at risk of developing complications from SARS-CoV-2 with monoclonal antibodies. The zoo is also testing all 20 of its gorillas, who live in four troops.

Zoo officials said they believe an asymptomatic employee who cares for the gorillas passed on the virus. The employee had been fully vaccinated and was wearing protective equipment such as a mask and gloves.

The zoo added theres no evidence that the gorillas can pass the virus back to humans, saying visitors are too far away to be infected by gorillas.

We are very concerned that these infections occurred, especially given that our safety protocols when working with great apes and other susceptible animal species are, and throughout the pandemic have been, extremely rigorous, said Dr Sam Rivera, the zoos senior director of animal health.

Because the gorillas live close together, Rivera said it's impossible to keep infected animals isolated. He pointed out the Atlanta zoo will vaccinate the gorillas with a veterinary vaccine. Zoo Atlanta is also vaccinating its Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, African lions and clouded leopard.

Rivera said Ozzie is showing mild symptoms. We dont feel that were out of the woods, he added. Were taking it on a day-by-day basis. (AP)

This story has been published on: 2021-09-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Update: 12-09-2021 | 11:08:17

It is of utmost importance that preparations be completed to enable the national elections in Libya at the end of this year be held in line with the agreed roadmap, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Hai Anh told a UN Security Council briefing on the situation in Libya on September 10.

Libyan soldiers man a checkpoint southeast of the capital Tripoli on September 4, 2021

The event was attended by Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Jan Kubis and co-founder of Tamazight Womens Movement Asma Khalifa.

Vietnam shares concerns on the limited progress of the political and security tracks in the past months, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN said, adding that Vietnam calls on the relevant parties in Libya to resolve outstanding differences and expedite all necessary legal and logistical arrangements for the elections.

We also underline the importance of ensuring full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth in this process, he said.

He moved on to urge the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the international community to continue to foster and support dialogue, confidence building measures and reconciliation efforts among the relevant parties.

It is imperative for all relevant parties to fully uphold the provisions of the 2020 Ceasefire Agreement, including the implementation of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism with the support from UNSMIL, he continued.

Anh voiced his support for the renewal of the UNSMILs mandate in this critical period and commended the efforts to clear mines and explosive remnants of war in Libya with support of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS)./.

VNA
Chinas Guangxi donates USD10 million worth of medical supplies to aid Vietnams COVID-19 fight

Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region donated medical supplies worth 62.55 million CNY (about 9.7 million USD) to aid Vietnams COVID-19 fight in a ceremony held in Nanning on September 11.



The donations include 800,000 doses of Vero Cell COVID-19 vaccine, an ECMO machine and other medical equipment, which will be sent to border provinces of Vietnam. It was the largest-ever aid Guangxi has provided to a foreign partner, showing its great support for Vietnamese neighbouring localities.

Ambassador of Vietnam to China Pham Sao Mai (L) receives donations of medical supplies from Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to Vietnamese border provinces. (Photo: VNA)





Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Huang Junhua said the COVID-19 resurgence in Vietnam is of great concern to the regions Party, administration and people; and that Guangxi views challenges facing Vietnamese border provinces as its own obstacles and wants to provide maximum assistance to help the Vietnamese localities soon stamp out the outbreak.



Accepting the donations on behalf of the Vietnamese provinces, Ambassador of Vietnam to China Pham Sao Mai thanked Guangxi for the gesture, saying it demonstrates the two countries long-standing friendship and solidarity.



He also expressed his belief that the recipients will effectively use the donated medical supplies to combat the coronavirus.



The two officials later took the occasion to discuss ways to further step up win-win cooperation between Vietnam and Guangxi.



Mai asked Guangxi to continue facilitating customs clearance of Vietnamese exports, particularly agricultural products and seasonal fruits, to China to prevent supply chain disruption; and urge competent Chinese authorities to give farm produce from Vietnam broader access to the Chinese market.



The ambassador also requested the Chinese side to fully implement three legal documents regarding Vietnam-China land border and properly handle related issues to make it a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development for the benefit of both peoples.
State President receives visiting Japanese Defence Minister

State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on September 12 received visiting Minister of Defence Kishi Nobuo of Japan, asking the country to continue supporting Vietnam with vaccines and helping it to access vaccine sources against the COVID-19 pandemic.













State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives visiting Minister of Defence Kishi Nobuo of Japan. (Photo: VNA)

The leader spoke highly of the outcomes of the talks between the guest and his host, Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, saying they helped deepen relations between the two countries and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development of each country, the region and the world over.



Vietnam will create every favourable condition for the further boosting of the cooperation in the field of national defence between the two countries, he stressed and spoke highly of Japans assistance to countries affected by the pandemic, including Vietnam. The leader also thanked the Japanese government for providing Vietnam with over 3 million vaccine doses and asked it to continue with the work in the time to come.



State President Phuc welcomed and supported Japans active contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability, security and development of the region and the world over, and spoke highly of its stance on ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea/South China Sea; and settling disputes and differences by peaceful measures on the basis of respect to international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 as well as the Declaration on the Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).



The Japanese guest affirmed Vietnam is a partner of the top importance of Japan in the region, briefed State President Phuc on the outcomes of his talks with his counterpart, and expressed his hope that the two countries will further strengthen their national defence cooperation. Japan will continue actively implementing its cooperation with Vietnam in easing the war aftermaths, search and rescue activities, and sea security, he stressed.



The Japanese minister highlighted his countrys pledge to continue cooperating with Vietnam to control the pandemic.
Xi Jinping -- On war against "common enemy of mankind"

Xinhua) 08:57, September 12, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- It has a tragic Sisyphean tinge to it. As the United States was withdrawing from a two-decade "war on terror" in Afghanistan, a deadly terror attack rocked Kabul airport, killing over 100 people. ISIS-K, an Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State, claimed responsibility.

While Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra, is condemned to ever-lasting labor of pushing a huge boulder uphill only to have it roll back down, America's "war on terror," despite costing a colossal amount of money and lives, only resulted in a loss of U.S. credibility and likely a larger breeding ground for terrorism.

Yet, as intractable as terrorism is, China has made remarkable achievements in reining in the scourge. Within its borders, the country has recorded no terror attack since 2017. In the global arena, the country participates actively in both bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism efforts.

Recognizing terrorism as a transnational threat and "a common enemy of mankind," China, with President Xi Jinping at the helm, highlights the need to address both its symptoms and root causes, and calls for building "a global united front" with a new vision for security.

"RATS SCURRYING ACROSS STREET"

"We should have zero tolerance for terrorism, separatism and extremism," the Chinese president pledged at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit held in May 2014.

By then, the world was experiencing a surge in terrorism. Between 2012 and 2013, according to the Global Terrorism Index produced by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, the number of deaths from terrorism increased by as much as 61 percent.

"Not only is the intensity of terrorism increasing, its breadth is increasing as well," the report said.

China was also a victim of this "globalization of terrorism" trend. Around 2014, the country saw a spate of deadly terror attacks, including one in the southwestern city of Kunming two months before Xi's CICA speech, where 29 people were killed and over 130 injured by knife-wielding separatists from Xinjiang.

The Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, a UN Security Council-listed terrorist group, claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in several Chinese cities. It has maintained close ties with other international terrorist organizations and received significant support from al-Qaida.

Violent terrorists ignore basic human rights, trample on justice and challenge the bottom-line of human civilization, Xi said at a group study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on national security and social stability in April 2014.

It is neither an issue of nationality nor one of religion, but the common enemy of people of all nationalities, he said. "(We must) make terrorists become like rats scurrying across a street with everybody shouting 'beat them!'"

A GLOBAL UNITED FRONT

In his debut at the UN General Assembly in 2015, Xi said the security of all countries is interlinked.

"No country can maintain absolute security with its own effort, and no country can achieve stability out of other countries' instability," said Xi. China continues to participate in international counter-terrorism efforts with the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Global Counterterrorism Forum, among others.

Calling terrorism the "common enemy of mankind" and fighting terrorism "a shared responsibility of all countries," Xi has never hesitated to condemn a terror attack whenever and wherever it occured.

In November 2015, less than a day after a string of terror attacks took place across the French capital of Paris, killing at least 129, Xi sent a message of condolence to then French President Francois Hollande, expressing the "strongest" condemnation over such "barbaric acts."

"China always opposes all forms of terrorism," Xi said.

However, Western politicians have appeared reluctant to recognize and condemn terror attacks on Chinese soil.

On Nov. 5, 2020, two days after the U.S. presidential election, the outgoing Donald Trump administration announced the delisting of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement as a terrorist group.

"The timing could not be more cynical -- what better way to get back at China, which Trump had repeatedly blamed for his political misfortunes?" said Shan Weijian, an author and the CEO of PAG, one of Asia's leading investment firms.

Some countries apply double standards in the fight against terrorism, thus straining collaborative efforts to end terror across the world, Xi once pointed out in an interview with Russian media.

In a speech at the UN Office at Geneva in 2017, Xi called for building a "global united front against terrorism" and "an umbrella of security" for humanity.

REMOVING ROOT CAUSES

In a survey conducted by the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in June, 69 percent of respondents stated that countering terrorism has become more challenging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Growing frustration, mistrust and anger among the population, as well as economic hardships are all potential drivers for an increase in terrorist threats, the CTED said in an analytical report.

The pandemic, it added, has also restricted access to education worldwide, reducing the educational and employment prospects for youth and potentially weakening their resilience against violent extremist discourse.

These results highlighted a widely observed fact that terrorism is deep-rooted and multifaceted -- political, economic, social, religious and historical -- and cannot be wiped out by a "whack a mole" strategy.

On several bilateral and multilateral occasions, Xi has called for addressing both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism through comprehensive measures.

Elaborating on Xi's vision, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a UN gathering in 2019 that deradicalization measures must be actively adopted to deter the spread of extremist thought and eliminate breeding grounds for terrorism; the argument of "clash of civilizations" must be discarded and not exploited to the terrorists' advantage.

The fundamental solution, he said, lies in development, sustainable development in particular.

Commenting on uncertainties in regional stability after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper South China Morning Post cited the Belt and Road Initiative as offering development opportunities beyond the economic chaos of COVID-19.

The initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, offers a fundamental solution to poverty and closing the widening gap between rich and poor, thus potentially ending a source of terrorism, said Li Wei, a member of China Society for Human Rights Studies.

Furthermore, Li, also an expert on counter-terrorism, said Xi's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind allows people of all ethnicities, nationalities and religions to come together to fight terrorism and extremism.

In line with this vision, the Chinese president proposed a new framework for regional security. It calls for all parties to respect and ensure each other's security, promote individual and regional security through dialogue and cooperation, and include development as a means of fostering security.

A year later, Xi reiterated the vision before a global audience in his 2015 UN speech.

"Flexing military muscles only reveals the lack of moral ground or vision rather than reflecting one's strength," Xi once said. "Security can be solid and enduring only if it is based on a moral high ground and vision."

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Xinhua Commentary: Collapse of anti-China group in Hong Kong historical inevitability

Xinhua) 09:05, September 12, 2021

HONG KONG, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chris Tang, secretary for security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, will advise the Chief Executive in Council to invoke the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance to revoke the company registration of the anti-China group "Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China."

This is a lawful, just and necessary move to safeguard the authority of the national security law in Hong Kong and ensure the city's peace and stability.

Hong Kong has returned from chaos to tranquility and is marching toward a great revival, and it is only a matter of time before the group perishes. Any attempt by the United States and other Western forces to use such organizations in Hong Kong to damage "one country, two systems" is doomed to fail.

Suspected of committing acts deemed criminal under the national security law and having connections with foreign political organizations, the group and its related members have been prosecuted for incitement to subvert the state power. The law-enforcement operations against the group actually reflect the spirit of the rule of law. No illegal activities or organizations that endanger national security and disrupt social order can escape legal punishment.

The notorious group, acting as a foreign agent, has made subverting the state power and overthrowing the leadership of the ruling party its so-called guiding principle. Over the past three decades, it has never ceased to incite hatred against the country and the ruling party, and to challenge the red line of national security, destabilizing Hong Kong in the name of "democracy."

Over the past two years, the group even intensified its efforts to hold illegal rallies and instigate violent confrontations. It openly lobbied foreign organizations to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, urged the United States to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, and pushed for a "color revolution." Those activities have seriously damaged the fundamental interests of the nation and Hong Kong.

The nature of the group's anti-China destabilization activity in Hong Kong cannot be disguised by claims of "democracy" and "freedom."

Thanks to the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, society is getting back on track, and the rule of law and justice are upheld. The lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents and foreign expatriates are now better protected. Stability and development have become the most important themes in Hong Kong.

However, the United States and other Western forces have refused to accept their failure, supporting criminals, smearing law-enforcement actions and launching malicious attacks on "one country, two systems," which has disclosed their sinister intention to interfere in China's internal affairs by using the Hong Kong issue.

Their desperate struggle simply bucks the historical trend.

More than 10 organizations have presented their petitions to ban the group this year, and a survey in May also showed that the number of respondents supporting its dissolution was the highest in 28 years. The recent arrest of the group's members by police has also received wide support in Hong Kong.

All organizations and individuals that have conspired with external forces to harm Hong Kong will be despised by Hong Kong compatriots.

A secure and stable environment is crucial for Hong Kong to fully leverage its competitive edges. It is necessary to remain alert to forces that have plotted to disrupt the long-term stability of Hong Kong and maliciously interfere in its affairs.

Any attempt to support anti-China elements in Hong Kong is doomed to fail, and the Chinese people's will to safeguard national security and to implement "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong will only grow stronger.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Vietnam, China vow to strengthen unity, boost cooperation for further development of bilateral ties

Xinhua) 09:06, September 12, 2021

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong)

HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam and China pledged here Saturday to joint hands to strengthen unity and boost cooperation for further development of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

While meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong said Vietnam and China have enjoyed comradely and brotherly friendship and established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Facing a complex and changing international situation, the two sides should join hands to overcome difficulties as so to realize their respective goals of socialist construction, Trong said, noting that no one can undermine the unity and cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides should push forward diversified exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, governments and localities in a flexible manner, educate younger generations to promote the traditional sincerity between the two parties and the two countries, and strive for the enduring, healthy and stable development of the bilateral ties, Trong said.

For his part, Wang noted that the China-Vietnam relations are of particular strategic importance. The two sides should deepen mutual political trust, strengthen unity and cooperation, and consolidate their political and system security.

As long as both sides stick to their common ideals and beliefs, as well as the orientation for developing socialism, they can overcome any difficulties and solve any problems they may face, Wang said.

China and Vietnam should strengthen their overall cooperation in all fields, so as to add new dimensions to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Wang said.

Also on Saturday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Wang, stressing that Vietnam takes its relations with China as a top priority in its foreign policy.

Vietnam is willing to learn from China's experience in fighting COVID-19, keep up the momentum of growth in trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, and provide more convenience for Chinese investment in Vietnam, Chinh said.

Wang said that China is willing to work hard to provide COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam to help it contain the pandemic and restore normalcy in its socio-economic development.

The two sides should also jointly push for the international community's cooperation in fighting the pandemic, work together to resist the slanderous attacks on socialist countries by external forces, and preserve an international system with the United Nations at its core and an international order based on international law, Wang said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Bangladesh receives new batch of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines

Xinhua) 09:08, September 12, 2021

DHAKA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh on Saturday received a new batch of China's Sinopharm vaccines against COVID-19 as the country continued to fight the pandemic.

A plane of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Chinese vaccine doses arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around noon Saturday, Md. Shamsul Haque, a senior health ministry official, told journalists.

Bangladesh's vaccination drive is now running smoothly in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country thanks largely to China's continued support for vaccines.

To fight against the alarming spike in COVID-19 cases, Bangladesh has signed an agreement on the co-production of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccines locally.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between China's Sinopharm Group, Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Incepta Vaccine Ltd., a local vaccine manufacturing company last month.

Bangladesh began the COVID-19 vaccination drive in January to contain the pandemic that has spread across the country.

Amid uncertainty over the timely arrival of vaccine shipment from India, the Bangladeshi government later halted administering the first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the country.

In June, the vaccination drive resumed in parts of the country with the China-donated Sinopharm vaccines.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
China-ASEAN Expo testifies to resilient regional economy, fosters greater recovery

Xinhua) 09:10, September 12, 2021

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 10, 2021 shows a view of the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center, the venue of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, and its neighboring buildings in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The 18th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit kicked off Friday in Nanning, highlighting the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

NANNING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing 18th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held on time despite a raging pandemic worldwide has testified to the vitality and resilience of an integrated regional market, and showcases the potentials of a key platform to make possible all-round trade and economic cooperation.

Starting Friday both online and offline in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the four-day expo has attracted enterprises from more than 40 countries and regions, with special events to mark the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations.

BRINGS GOODWILL TO FRUITION

"This year's expo provides an important platform to enhance trade and investment opportunities between ASEAN and China during this crucial time of economic recovery, as well as positively contribute to the longstanding relationship between our two sides," ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said via video link at the expo's opening ceremony on Friday.

As a crucial facet of China-ASEAN relations, the expo has long been fruitful in helping the two sides synergize their respective development efforts. This year's edition will host 26 high-level forums and nearly 150 promoting events on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and key industries.

A total of 179 deals worth more than 46.59 billion U.S. dollars, the highest ever figure, were signed late Friday at the expo, a growing number of which are in green economies, according to expo officials.

Experts have said that digital connectivity plays a key role in sustaining the resilience of the regional economy in face of the pandemic. It has become a frontier that could one day grow into "a whole new landscape for ASEAN and China to collaborate, such as in financial technology, that supports our digital transformation agenda," Lim noted.

Koh Chin Yee, president of Singapore's South Seas Society, said ASEAN countries, in varying stages of development, have great potential to further cooperate with China in emerging realms such as consumers markets, digital infrastructure, energy, and professional services.

TIDING THROUGH HAVOC OF PANDEMIC

This year's expo is the second of its kind to set up an exhibition area exclusively for medical service and supplies, with featured life-saving items for frontline workers, including pristine virus-testing equipment, all sorts of medical gloves, and positive-pressure suits.

Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for English daily The Philippine Star, told Xinhua that it was China who had come to support the Philippines in terms of key medical supplies in a difficult time.

"When some countries in the West refused to even sell us vaccines, China came and sent vaccines ... not just one time. So the future is even more exciting," he said, referring to a good prospect of cooperation.

China's trade volume of medical products with ASEAN reached 13.3 billion dollars in the first seven months this year, up 32 percent year-on-year, said Xu Jinghe, deputy commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration, at a summit in Guangxi ahead of the expo.

The total trade volume of medical products between China and ASEAN hit 18 billion dollars in 2020, surging by 72 percent year-on-year, Xu added.

What's more, ASEAN remains a top agri-trade partner of China despite the still-rampant pandemic.

Since China has scientifically coordinated epidemic prevention and economic activities, hot-selling goods such as Thai durians and Malaysian coffee beans keep making a bundle, especially on Chinese e-commerce platforms during the pandemic.

China's "huge and robust market is very attractive to ASEAN members," said Joseph Matthews, senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, noting that Cambodia attends the expo many times, coveting the unique chance to promote mangos and bananas.

ENDURING LEGACY GIVES HOPE

A series of celebratory events are being held to mark the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations at the expo, with experts saying that after advancing in leaps and bounds over such a long period of time, the momentum of cooperation has been carried forth to the present day.

"After 30 years of dialogue, peace, and continued partnership, the ASEAN countries and China already have trust and good understandings," a foundation for them to become the fastest-growing region in the world, Flores noted.

The bilateral trade rose from 8.36 billion dollars in 1991 to 685.28 billion dollars in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 16.5 percent, data from the Chinese customs shows. In the first half of 2021, bilateral trade reached 412 billion dollars, up 27.8 percent year-on-year.

The China-ASEAN relations have seen frequent dialogues and exchanges at all levels, allowing them to become each other's good neighbors, good partners, and good friends, Khin Ma Ma Myo, an international relations professor at the University of Yangon, told Xinhua.

The dialogue relations have "evolved into a multifaceted strategic partnership and shown tremendous progress on all fronts," said Lim.

As China and ASEAN countries continue to work with each other to align their development strategies with the Belt and Road Initiative, their relations are set to enter a new stage, said Khin Ma Ma Myo. Enditem

(Xinhua reporters Pan Qiang and Hu Jiali from Nanning, Liu Kai and Yan Jie from Manila, Mao Pengfei from Phnom Penh, Cai Shuya from Singapore, and Zhang Dongqiang from Yangon also contributed to the story.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Chinese envoy calls for peace, stability in Libya

Xinhua) 09:25, September 12, 2021

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday called for peace and stability in Libya and the holding of elections there as scheduled for Dec. 24.

Libya is currently at a critical stage, said Dai Bing, the charge d'affaires at the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Libya has started the process of national reconciliation. Various parties have held several rounds of discussions on the preparations for elections, he said.

China hopes all parties will fully demonstrate political will, reach consensus on a constitution and electoral laws as soon as possible, and ensure the elections are held as scheduled, in order to promote a comprehensive and inclusive political transition process, he said.

Maintaining the cease-fire and achieving security and stability are the cornerstone of national reconstruction, he told the Security Council.

The withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries is a core issue for security in Libya. Any plan should ensure a balanced and orderly withdrawal of the combatants to avoid instability and meet the security needs of neighboring countries, said Dai.

China encourages Libya to cooperate with neighboring countries on border management; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration; counterterrorism; and preventing an illegal cross-border movement of armed elements and weapons, he said.

China attaches importance to the United Nations mission in Libya and supports the extension of its mandate.

At present, the humanitarian situation in Libya is grim. And the negative impact of Security Council sanctions on civilians should be reduced, he said.

Libya is in a crucial period of national reconstruction. The international community should lend a helping hand to Libya and provide more economic assistance and support to end the pandemic, he added.

China is ready to work with the rest of the international community to contribute more to lasting peace and development in Libya, he said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
China to maintain healthy, stable, comprehensive development of ties with Vietnam: Wang Yi

Xinhua) 09:26, September 12, 2021

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) meets with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong)

HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Saturday that China is ready to join hands with Vietnam to maintain the momentum of healthy, stable and comprehensive development of relations between the two countries.

At a meeting with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Wang said under the guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries, the China-Vietnam relations have been moving forward despite profound changes in international situation and those brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

China has given priority to the development of ties with Vietnam in its neighborhood diplomacy, Wang said, promising China's firm support for the new leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), as well as for the Vietnamese people in their efforts to achieve Vietnam's "two centenary goals."

In the face of transformations rarely seen in a century, the two sides should stick to their shared ideals and beliefs as so to push forward their respective socialist cause, he added.

China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges and exchanges at all levels with Vietnam in a flexible way amid the pandemic, and will spare no effort to help Vietnam contain the COVID-19 outbreak, he said.

Wang hoped that both sides could expedite integration of China's Belt and Road Initiative with Vietnam's "Two Corridors and One Economic Circle" plan, while promoting cooperation in mega-projects and high technology, including 5G, for mutual benefits and win-win results.

China appreciates Vietnam's objective and just stance on COVID-19 origins tracing, and wishes to work with the Vietnamese side to oppose politicizing and labeling origins tracing, so as to jointly maintain the health and common interests of man kind, he said.

He urged both sides to uphold and practice genuine multilateralism, safeguard the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, oppose attempts to politicize human rights issues, and maintain the just rights and interests of the developing countries.

Wang said China is willing to work together with Vietnam to focus on the Asia-Pacific and East Asia, firmly push ahead ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation, and prevent external forces from impairing ASEAN's central role.

Both sides need to carry on with their close coordination, make thoughtful preparations for the upcoming meetings on East Asia cooperation as well as a summit commemorating the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, and speed up the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement.

On the South China Sea issue, Wang said the two sides, guided by the consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and the two countries, should abide by the existing agreements, solve differences through dialogue and avoid unilateral actions that might complicate or escalate the situation.

He called on the two sides to expand maritime cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

China is willing to work with Vietnam and other ASEAN nations to push forward consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and to reach at an early date an agreement that is effective, with practical significance and in line with the international laws, Wang said.

For his part, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Son said that Vietnam always remembers and appreciates China's support for Vietnam's revolution and construction, and is grateful to China for its help in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak.

Vietnam always regards the relations with China as its top diplomatic priority and will continue to unequivocally support China on such issues as democracy, human rights, and China's Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet and Taiwan, as well as origins tracing of the COVID-19 virus, he said.

He hoped that the two sides will maintain high-level exchanges, carry out exchanges in border areas, maintain the smooth flow of regional supply and production chains, and work for breakthroughs in pragmatic cooperation in various fields, particularly the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines.

Vietnam highly appreciates the important role China has played in international and regional affairs, and is willing to work with China to uphold multilateralism and maintain multilateral coordination and cooperation, said Son.

Vietnam firmly supports the establishment of the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership, hopes to push for the RCEP to take effect at an early date and will continue to actively promote the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), the Vietnamese foreign minister said.

On the issue of the South China Sea, he hoped that the two sides will strictly abide by the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, manage their differences with restraint, refrain from taking any action that complicates the situation, continue to promote cooperation in the Beibu Gulf and low-sensitivity fields, and promote an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Wang arrived here on Friday for a visit to Vietnam, the first leg of his four-nation Asia tour, which will also take him to Cambodia, Singapore and South Korea.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Chinese brand Xiaomi overtakes Apple to lead wearable band market: report

Xinhua) 09:37, September 12, 2021

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Xiaomi overtook Apple to become the top-shipping wearable band vendor in the second quarter of 2021, according to an industrial report.

Xiaomi took the lead with shipments of 8 million units during the period, occupying nearly 20 percent of the market share, data from the technology market research firm Canalys showed.

Apple closely followed with a shipment of 7.9 million units, while Huawei ranked third with a shipment of 3.7 million units, the data showed.

"Xiaomi made a wise move to hasten the release of the Mi Band 6, which is a more compelling device than its predecessor," said Canalys Research Analyst Cynthia Chen.

"Xiaomi's quick pivot to basic watches also helped the company boost its wristwatch shipments by 1.3 million units this quarter," Chen added.

In the second quarter of 2021, the global wearable band market shipped 40.9 million units of devices, up by 5.6 percent from a year ago, according to Canalys.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Feature: Witness of 9/11 attacks recalls shock and fear, rethinks "War on Terror"

Xinhua) 09:41, September 12, 2021

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- "I didn't feel safe really until I got onto the main highway to drive home," recalled Alexander Neill, who was working in a U.S. Department of Defense building when a hijacked passenger plane smashed into a corner of the Pentagon nearby just outside Washington, D.C. exactly 20 years ago.

The incident Neill, then a British analyst on a secondment to the U.S. government, was speaking of during a Zoom interview with Xinhua this week was one of the terror attacks that more than a dozen militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaida perpetrated that morning against the United States.

Neill said he and his colleagues felt first "an utter shock" seeing footage from a television in their office that two planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan, New York City. Then, it turned "scary" after "all of the phone lines lit up" and they "heard immediately" that the Pentagon, considered a symbol of America's powerful military apparatus, had also been struck by a plane.

It quickly came to their understanding that their office, along with other U.S. government buildings, including the White House and the Capitol, might have also been targeted. "We suddenly felt very exposed as well," Neill remembered. "It was probably the most vulnerable I've ever felt in terms of a physical threat."

After given an instruction to leaving the building, non-essential staff swarmed to the Pentagon's enormous, open-air parking lot, where cars lined up to evacuate and caused a traffic jam. Neill said there was "a sense of panic" because nobody knew at the time whether there were going to be further attacks.

A young analyst then aged 26, Neill didn't start to "breathe and exhale" until he was driving on the highway heading to his residence in Maryland, an eastern state neighboring the U.S. capital, at which he switched on the television and watched news coverage, while trying to make contact with his families and friends.

Neill's girlfriend then and now his wife, Hanna, was in New York City for the first day of a new job at the press office of the United Nations (UN) headquarters on the eastern side of Manhattan, before the deadliest terror attacks on the U.S. soil in its history, during which almost 3,000 people were killed, unfolded.

Initially, Neill had no way contacting Hanna due to a temporary stoppage of phone service between Washington, D.C. and New York City, but he managed to find out that she was safe by reaching out to her father, who was in central European country Poland for a business trip, because Hanna also called her father. Neill directly connected with Hanna the next day and learned that her experience was "actually pretty crazy."

According to Neill's account, Hanna was probably traveling past the World Trade Center on a subway around the moment the skyscrapers were hit. After the UN headquarters was evacuated, she and her colleagues took shelter in an apartment in Manhattan, from which they could see a cloud of black smoke rising from the other end of the densely populated island.

At the end of the day, Hanna decided to go back to her flat in Brooklyn, which is separated from Manhattan by the East River. With no public transportation in service, she had to spend hours walking home, like many others did that day, amid the unpleasant smell of toxic dust and fume spreading from what has been called "Ground Zero."

"The smoke was blowing over the river and blowing over Brooklyn," Neill said. "It's awful because it was not just like a normal wood fire or something. It was a chemical fire with all kinds of toxins in it, as well as the dust from the concrete, from the buildings... The smoke was a sort of awful cocktail of horrid ingredients."

In a speech addressing Congress on Sept. 20, 2001, then U.S. President George W. Bush announced the "War on Terror." U.S.-led coalition forces began military operations in Afghanistan that October and swiftly toppled the Taliban but failed to capture al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who remained at large until May 2011, when he was tracked down and killed by U.S. forces at a hideout in Pakistan.

The warfare was "mixed with a wave of intense patriotism in the United States" and "many people just simply wanted revenge against bin Laden and the Taliban at the time," observed Neill, who has been a Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific security at the Singapore branch of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British research institute, since 2013.

"There was the frustration and revenge kicked in within the U.S. system," he noted.

The military undertaking under the banner of counterterrorism expanded into Iraq in 2003 after the United States and its allies invaded the oil-rich country based on what later proved to be flawed intelligence that Saddam Hussein's government had possessed or were developing weapons of mass destruction. The West also accused the regime of having ties to al-Qaida.

Neill said he thinks "probably the most difficult or the turning points" in the retribution against al-Qaida was when the United States "got sucked into a very drawn-out counter-insurgency campaign" in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

"I was rather perplexed by the decision to go into Iraq on what appeared to be very thin evidence," he argued. "The United States opening a conflict on two fronts really muddied the waters. It really kind of perhaps diverted strategic attention when the attention should have been towards bin Laden and his organization."

A major consequence of the military quagmire is that the Islamic State (IS) emerged from the remnants of al-Qaida in Iraq. At its height, the extremist militant group, also known as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh, held about a third of Syria and 40 percent of Iraq.

In 2015, the IS expanded into a network of affiliates in at least eight other countries and its branches and supporters increasingly carried out attacks beyond the borders of its so-called caliphate, an article published by U.S. think tank The Wilson Center in 2019 showed.

Years of military actions against the IS, including airstrikes conducted by U.S.-led coalition since 2014, have substantially reduced the group's territory but its affiliates and militants are still active in various countries and regions to this day.

"Launching a big war of intervention and consequently Iraq becoming an ungoverned space, eventually offered sanctuary for al-Qaida. And that, you could argue, eventually gave rise to the Islamic State," Neill pointed out, adding that he's upset to see what has happened and "the suffering that's continued in places like Syria and Iraq as well."

Other problems of the "War on Terror," which reportedly has cost the United States at least 8 trillion U.S. dollars and resulted in approximately 900,000 deaths, included that it had deviated from the original course and been used by America as a tool to export its values, according to Neill.

The "War on Terror," he said, had been driven by the intention to "perpetuate the values that the United States imbues in its society," and had become conflated with Washington's pursuit of remodeling other countries at its will. Those egocentric efforts turned out to be futile and led to a rise of anti-America sentiments in countries it had invaded or implicated.

While stressing that terrorism would not be defeated easily, Neill, who's running an advisory consultancy in Singapore, urged efforts to understand what has nurtured the breeding ground for the problem both at home and abroad.

"For every extremist who is killed, there'll be somebody to replace them... This problem is not going to go away," he warned. "Terrorism is rather like a virus, and it will find ways to beat its adversary in very creative ways, and we have to be ready for that." Enditem

(Xinhua reporters Sun Ding and Ma Qian in Beijing also contributed to the story.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Trump skips joining Biden, other former presidents at official 9/11 memorial ceremonies

Xinhua) 09:50, September 12, 2021

Former U.S. President Barack Obama (1st L, C), his wife Michelle Obama (2nd L, C), U.S. President Joe Biden (3rd L, C) and his wife Jill Biden (4th L, C) attend a commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the United States, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Donald Trump, instead of appearing at the ceremonies, traveled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighboring fire station in NYC.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Donald Trump was absent at official 9/11 memorial ceremonies in New York City and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton all attended a somber ceremony Saturday morning at the National September 11 Memorial where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades ago.

Biden traveled next to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville to attend a wreath-laying ceremony. Earlier, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke at the memorial.

Trump, instead of appearing at the ceremonies, traveled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighboring fire station in NYC.

A guard of honor salutes during a commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the United States, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

During an unannounced stop at a Shanksville fire department, Biden praised Bush for encouraging American unity in his speech. He also defended his administration's handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in brief remarks to the press pool.

Biden's last stop in the day was the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony along with first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Biden did not deliver formal remarks on Saturday but released a video statement on Friday recognizing the lives lost in the deadliest attack in U.S. history and calling for national unity.

Relatives read victims' names during a commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the United States, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four fuel-loaded U.S. commercial airplanes bound for west coast destinations on Sept. 11, 2001. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Preparations for COP15 in full swing in China's Kunming

() 11:03, September 12, 2021

KUNMING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Preparations are in full swing in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming one month ahead of a high-profile global meeting on biodiversity.

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) is set to kick off in Kunming on Oct. 11. The meeting will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future.

Authorities are making efforts in various areas, from venue facilities, transportation and telecommunications to COVID-19 prevention and control, to ensure a smooth meeting and satisfactory services, according to organizers.

The set-up and upgrading of equipment at the main venue and all other facilities will be finalized before Sept. 20, Gao Zhengwen, deputy director of the office of the Yunnan steering group for COP15, told a press conference on Saturday.

Participants will be shuttled exclusively by new-energy vehicles and 16 hotels have been selected to host them, with anti-epidemic measures in place.

Kunming has completed face-lifts on 62 major roads as part of a city-wide beautification campaign in the run-up to the meeting, said executive vice mayor Zhang Bin.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," the COP15 meeting is the first global conference convened by the United Nations on the topic of ecological civilization.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Namibia continues to export beef to China

Xinhua) 11:40, September 12, 2021

Pictured are beef carcasses refrigerated at Namibia's meat processing and marketing entity, Meatco, on Sept. 9, 2021, in Windhoek, capital of Namibia. (Xinhua/Musa C Kaseke)

Namibia's meat processing and marketing entity Meatco is still exporting beef to the Chinese market, says a corporate spokesperson.

WINDHOEK, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's meat processing and marketing entity Meatco is still exporting beef to the Chinese market, a spokesperson confirmed to Xinhua.

Meatco spokesperson Rosa Hamukuaja-Thobias told Xinhua that while in the last financial year the company was forced to stop exporting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entity resumed exporting, with the last export of 22 metric tons being shipped to China on Aug. 19.

Workers of Meatco, Namibia's meat processing and marketing entity, are processing beef carcasses at a factory in Windhoek, capital of Namibia, on Sept. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Musa C Kaseke)

"The Chinese market continues to be a strategic market for us and as Meatco we see ourselves continuing with this market in the long run," she added.

Since 2019, a total of 6,217 metric tons have been delivered to date, she added.

Beef products including bone-in and boneless meat products are exported to China, according to the spokesperson.

"This is good business for us," she said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
30 years on, China, ASEAN beef up all-round cooperation

Xinhua) 13:17, September 12, 2021

Visitors try out coffee products from ASEAN countries at the 18th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

NANNING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- This is the eighth straight year that Malaysian entrepreneur Chai Kean King has attended the annual China-ASEAN Expo to expand his business in China.

For this year's expo, which opened Friday in the southern Chinese city of Nanning, Chai has brought edible bird's nests, coffee and other Malaysian specialty products made by his food company, hoping to captivate expo visitors and find more business partners.

Enterprises from over 40 countries and regions are participating in this year's China-ASEAN Expo, which is held both online and offline and boasts a total exhibition area of 102,000 square meters.

For Chai, attending the expo for eight years in a row has not always been easy. Last year, he traveled from Malaysia to China to take part in the event despite COVID-19-induced travel restrictions and quarantine measures.

"We spared no effort to attend last year's expo because we had found many of our business partners at the event," he said. "We have sold a lot of our products at previous editions of the expo and have further tapped into the Chinese market through this platform."

Chai's growing business in China mirrors the booming trade and strong bilateral ties between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over the past decades.

Since China and ASEAN established dialogue relations in 1991, the two sides have seen bilateral trade skyrocket from 8.36 billion U.S. dollars to 685.28 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, an increase of over 80 times, according to Chinese customs data.

The two sides have bucked the global downward trend, and last year they became each other's largest trading partners. Such robust trade expansion has continued in 2021, with bilateral trade volume registering a 38.2 percent year-on-year growth in the first half of this year, according to official Chinese data.

Besides trade and economic cooperation, China and ASEAN have been committed to extensive cooperation in various other fields, including security, education and tourism, to safeguard regional stability and promote common development and prosperity.

China's official data shows that personnel exchanges between the two sides exceeded 65 million in 2019 before the onslaught of COVID-19. They have exchanged over 200,000 students and formed more than 200 pairs of sister cities.

Aerial photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.(Xinhua/Lei Jiaxing)

China-ASEAN dialogue relations have "evolved into a multifaceted strategic partnership and shown tremendous progress on all fronts," said Dato Lim Jock Hoi, the secretary-general of ASEAN, via video at the opening ceremony of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo on Friday.

Amid the still-raging pandemic and rising protectionism and unilateralism around the globe, China-ASEAN ties have grown even stronger with all-round cooperation on COVID-19 prevention and control, trade and other fields.

ASEAN countries donated medical supplies to support China when it was experiencing peak epidemic conditions last year, and China returned the favor by dispatching medical teams, providing medical supplies, sharing prevention and treatment experience and enhancing vaccine cooperation.

As China and ASEAN mark the 30th anniversary of their dialogue relations this year, both sides are eyeing closer ties and comprehensive collaboration in more fields.

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan said Friday, when addressing the opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Expo, that "China is committed to promoting better development of bilateral ties in the next 30 years."

China is willing to work with ASEAN to align the Belt and Road Initiative with ASEAN countries' development strategies to jointly foster strategic partnership at a higher level, and expand economic and trade cooperation, while promoting regional connectivity and economic integration, to improve the well-being of the people, Wang said.

In a video speech at the ceremony, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that he expected the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to "serve as an integral tool to navigate our region to a path of recovery and growth in the near future."

The RCEP, the world's largest free-trade deal, was signed last year by 15 Asia-Pacific countries, including ASEAN's 10 member states and China. It is widely deemed a massive move for regional economic integration, multilateralism and free trade.

"This agreement (RCEP) provides immense opportunities to bolster regional supply chains and businesses to diversify production networks that are imperative for seamless integration into the global economy," said Ismail Sabri.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
30 days countdown ceremony of COP15 held in Kunming

Xinhua) 13:18, September 12, 2021

Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2021 shows the 30 days countdown ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The meeting, which is set to kick off in Kunming on Oct. 11, will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future. (Photo by Liang Zhiqiang/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Xi-Biden phone call sets tone for next stage of China-U.S. relations, says expert

Xinhua) 13:31, September 12, 2021

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden has set a tone for the next stage of relations between the two countries, U.S. expert on China Robert Lawrence Kuhn has said.

"We've been saying for some time that the first step in improving U.S.-China relations is not to make matters worse, to stop the cascading decline and precipitous deterioration," Kuhn told Xinhua in an interview on Friday. "The Biden-Xi call accomplishes this immediate objective."

Xi took a phone call on Friday from Biden, and the two leaders had candid, in-depth and extensive strategic communication and exchanges on China-U.S. relations and relevant issues of mutual interest.

The two leaders want to make sure that the biggest developing country and the biggest developed one "seek cooperation where they can, manage competition where they must, and avoid conflict at all costs," Kuhn observed.

"There is a long way to go, of course, and there are many serious issues on both sides, but at least the two presidents have taken the first step by ensuring that matters will not get worse," he added.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
To make BRICS mechanism brim with renewed vigor, vitality

15:39, September 12, 2021 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 13th BRICS summit via video link in Beijing and delivers an important speech, Sept 9, 2021. (Photo by Huang Jingwen/Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 13th BRICS summit on September 9 in Beijing via video link and delivered an important speech.

On the landmark occasion of the 15th anniversary of BRICS cooperation, China, holding high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, will map out strategies to enhance BRICS cooperation, chart a course for global anti-pandemic cooperation, and guide global recovery.

BRICS countries have grown into a crucial force in the international arena over the past 15 years. At present, COVID-19 is still wreaking havoc around the world. The road to global recovery remains bumpy and tortuous, and the international order is going through profound and complex changes. At this critical moment, the deepening of the BRICS strategic partnership is of global significance and will play a positive role in coping with global challenges, enhancing global governance, promoting global recovery and advancing global common progress.

Facing these challenges, we the BRICS countries must step forward to make an active contribution to world peace and development and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi in the speech, charting a course for BRICS countries to make positive contributions to the world.

He remarked that BRICS countries need to promote the practice of true multilateralism, global solidarity against COVID-19, openness and innovation-driven growth and common development.

He also raised five proposals to further enhance the quality of practical cooperation, including to strengthen public health cooperation in the spirit of solidarity, to strengthen international cooperation on vaccines in the spirit of equitable access for all, to strengthen economic cooperation in the spirit of mutual benefit, to strengthen political and security cooperation in the spirit of fairness and justice, and to strengthen people-to-people exchanges in the spirit of mutual learning. These proposals further enriched the connotation of BRICS cooperation under new circumstances and are welcomed by parties relevant.

Leading anti-pandemic cooperation and pulling together with the whole world, China has showcased its major country responsibility. China has provided vaccines and necessary technical support for countries in need, and has made active contribution to promoting the equitable distribution of vaccines and global cooperation against COVID-19. To date, China has provided more than one billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to over 100 countries and international organizations, and will strive to provide a total of two billion doses by the end of this year. Xi announced that on top of the $100 million donation to COVAX, China will donate an additional 100 million doses of vaccines to fellow developing countries within this year.

What Xi said was powerful, and reflected the broad mind of the leader of a major country who is concerned with the safety of the world and attaches great importance on the welfare of the people around the world. Chinas contribution to BRICS countries and the global fight against the pandemic has been highly praised by the leaders of other BRICS countries.

Conforming to the trend of the times, China is making critical contributions to safeguarding multilateralism and improving global governance. COVID-19 is accelerating the changes in the international landscape. Certain countries use multilateralism as pretext for acts of unilateralism, and meddles in other countries internal affairs in the name of democracy and human rights, which has undermined the common interests of relevant countries.

Xi stressed BRICS countries should promote the practice of true multilateralism, adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and safeguard the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law.

The 13th BRICS Summit New Delhi Declaration also reiterated BRICS countries support for multilateralism, saying they are committed to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The international society believes that the signal of pursuing a multipole world sent by China has injected positive energy into and stabilized the uncertain world.

Adhering to mutual benefits and win-win results, China is making important contributions to global recovery and common development. Xi raised Chinese schemes from a perspective of common development, stressing BRICS countries need to promote openness and innovation-driven growth to facilitate a steady global recovery. They need to uphold the WTO-centered multilateral trading regime, make sure that the latest outcomes of scientific and technological progress bring benefit to all countries, and push for an economic globalization that is more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial for all, he noted.

Besides, he said BRICS countries need to promote common development, follow a people-centered philosophy of development, fully implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, actively respond to climate change based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, promote the transition to green and low-carbon development, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world.

Chinas proposals have not only offered a guidance for global recovery, but also charted a course for making global development more robust, greener and healthier in the post-pandemic era. These proposals vitalized the confidence of countries relevant, especially the emerging markets and developing countries, in escaping the impacts from COVID-19 and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China will take over as the chair of BRICS and host the 14th BRICS summit the next year. It will work with its BRICS partners to comprehensively deepen cooperation in all fields and make contributions to an early victory over the pandemic, economic recovery and world peace, so as to make the BRICS mechanism brim with renewed vigor and vitality.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Hong Kong reports 3 new imported COVID-19 cases

Xinhua) 15:44, September 12, 2021

HONG KONG, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported three new imported cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, taking the total tally of confirmed coronavirus infections in Hong Kong to 12,145.

Over the past two weeks, altogether 47 cases were detected, all imported, according to the CHP.

Hong Kong's vaccination drive is making steady progress. Since the launch of the government inoculation program in late February, some 4.33 million people, or 64.3 percent of the eligible population, have taken at least one shot of the vaccine, while around 3.79 million are fully vaccinated.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
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Press Release

September 12, 2021 Bong Go proposes establishing super health centers throughout the country to improve the public's access to gov't health services Senator Christopher "Bong" Go has proposed the establishment of super health centers throughout the country as he seeks to further improve the Filipino people's access to government health services, especially during the pandemic and other similar health crises. "Layunin po ng mga centers na ito na mas ilapit pa sa ating mga kababayan ang mga serbisyong medikal ng gobyerno, lalo na sa nasa liblib na lugar at pinakanangangailangan ng mga ito," said Go. "Napakahalagang maisakatuparan natin ito, may pandemya man o wala, dahil hindi naman po nawawala ang pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino pagdating sa aspeto ng kanilang kalusugan," he added. The super health center is a medium version of a polyclinic and an improved version of the rural health unit. It will have a land area of 514.3 square meters as initially planned. The proposed centers will have the following services: lab facilities, pharmacy, birthing facilities, out-patient department, dental services, comprehensive PhilHealth out-patient department, and other minor services. The senator also suggests that these super health centers be used for satellite vaccination sites for those Filipinos who live far from the urban centers. The human resource needs of the super health center will be sourced from rural health units. The construction and equipping of these centers will be under the Department of Health's Health Facilities Enhancement Program. Funds needed for the establishment of initial super centers is already included in the proposed budget of DOH for next year. "It is critical to reinforce our current health centers not just to meet health requirements of individuals or families, but also to tackle public health issues and the demands of the community," said Go. "People in their communities are entitled to the best possible treatment. These centers will be able to meet their healthcare needs, which include the prevention of diseases, provision of treatment, as well as palliative care and health promotion," he added. Go, who is also chair of the Senate Committee on Health, has been advocating and pushing for measures that would improve the country's healthcare system. He filed Senate Bill No. 2155 which seeks to establish the Virology Science and Technology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) as he calls for a more proactive approach in dealing with future pandemics. He also filed SBN 2158 which establishes the Philippine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC shall serve as the lead agency for developing communicable disease control and prevention initiatives. It will be primarily responsible for controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases in the Philippines. "These efforts are intended to avoid similar situations where poorer nations are left with fewer medical resources, such as vaccines and other essential drugs, to address pandemics as compared to more developed countries that have early on invested in health sciences and medical research," Go previously stated. "Katulad ng polisiya ng Administrasyong Duterte na dapat one-step ahead tayo kung mayro'ng paparating na mga kalamidad at sakuna, nais nating mas pagbutihin pa ang hakbang ng gobyerno upang mas magiging ligtas ang buhay at kalusugan ng mga Pilipino mula sa mga banta ng nakakahawang mga sakit," he ended. In a Senate Committee on Health hearing on Monday, September 6 that Go presided, 25 bills were tackled in the committee level. Among these were the establishment of five hospitals, upgrading of 12 local hospitals, and renationalization of 8 hospitals. The Committee also tackled bills on the regulation of traditional and alternative healthcare system.
Press Release

September 12, 2021 'Give health workers the support due them' Bong Go reiterates as gov't provides additional funds for their salaries and benefits Senator Christopher "Bong" Go welcomed the recent approval for the release of additional budget which will help the country have an adequate healthcare workforce to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Just recently, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the release of funds amounting to about P1.98 billion charged against the 2021 Contingent Fund while the remaining funding requirement of P1.7 billion will be charged against the available balance of allotments of the Department of Health. This shall allow for the continuous hiring of 20,839 Human Resources of Health (HRH) personnel for the period of July to December 31, 2021. "Bilang Chair ng Senate Committee on Health, lagi kong pinapaalala sa ating mga kababayan na ang pinakamalaking bahagi ng bayanihan ay ang ating sariling pag-iingat at disiplina upang maiwasang bumagsak ang healthcare system," said Go. "Ang ating kooperasyon ay tulong natin sa mga health workers na binubuwis ang kanilang buhay para makapagligtas ng buhay ng iba," he continued. Under Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, the DOH may hire new HRH personnel, such as medical and allied medical staff, under the emergency hiring program to maintain the capacity of the national healthcare system amid the ongoing crisis. Of the aforesaid figure, a total of 10,120 health workers were hired under the emergency hiring program; 4,800 are assisting in the vaccination drive; 3,487 are working as disease surveillance officers; while the remaining 2,432 are working in COVID-19 testing laboratories. The workers shall serve to boost the capacity of COVID-19 referral hospitals in the public and private sectors, DOH-retained hospitals, specialty hospitals, state universities and colleges, COVID-19 referral laboratories, and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities. They will also help to increase the number of laboratories with COVID-19 test capacity which will in turn improve the laboratory turn-around time, keep the critical utilization rate of hospitals at medium risk or below, and maintain the COVID-19 case fatality rate at two percent or below. Recognizing the risks that all healthworkers face once they report for duty, Go also expressed his support for a proposal to introduce a fixed monthly Special Risk Allowance (SRA) for both public and private healthcare workers (HCWs) who physically report for duty in hospitals and other health facilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Go urged concerned authorities to provide a certain level of flexibility in the implementation of the provisions of the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act which provides the legal basis for the provision of SRA. "Bigyan natin ng sapat na suporta ang medical frontliners. Bawat araw ay nasa panganib ang kanilang buhay. Siguraduhin nating mabibigyan ang lahat ng qualified healthcare workers ng Special Risk Allowance at iba pang insentibo o benepisyo na naaayon sa batas," appealed Go. "Kaya ako umaapela na maging flexible tayo sa pag-iimplementa ng nakasaad sa batas at kung kakayanin ng pondo ay bigyan na ang lahat ng qualified ng fixed na amount ng SRA kaysa bilangin pa natin ang kanilang pag-duty bawat araw," he added. At present, all HCWs who are directly catering to or in contact with COVID-19 patients receive an SRA not exceeding P5,000 per month. The allowance is pro-rated based on the number of days that they physically reported for work, pursuant to Administrative Order No. 42 which President Rodrigo Duterte signed last June 1. To ensure their contributions and the risks they face are sufficiently recognized, Go also gave his support for expanding the provision of the SRA to all HCWs serving in the hospitals. He pointed out that almost all HCWs fall within the scope of the law's definition given the high number of COVID-19 cases admitted in the country's health care facilities. "Lahat naman ng health workers na naka-duty ay maituturing na exposed sa banta ng COVID-19. Hindi nakikita ang kalaban na ito kung kaya't mahirap paghiwalayin pa kung sino ang exposed at sino ang hindi," continued Go. "'Pagdating mo sa ospital, 'di mo naman masasabi. Once nasa loob ka na, prone at maituturing na exposed ka na rin. Hindi mo masabi na walang virus sa dinaanan mong floor dahil dito lang ang virus kasi hindi nga natin nakikita ang kalaban," he explained in an earlier interview. Go added that the government must provide all the support they can to medical frontliners given their crucial role in fighting the pandemic and in saving lives. "As much as possible, kung kakayanin naman ng pondo, ibigay na natin lahat ng suportang pwede nating ibigay sa medical frontliners dahil sila naman ang maituturing na mga bayani sa laban na ito," Go stressed. To address the growing demand for health workers, Go had earlier encouraged those working in non-critical areas to volunteer to be deployed to Metro Manila and other critical areas to help boost their capacity to face this pandemic. In line with this, he launched an initiative to mobilize volunteer medical frontliners in collaboration with the Office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas (OPAV), DOH regional offices, local government units, hospitals with Malasakit Centers, and Project Balik Buhay member-private hospitals. In 2019, Go was instrumental in the enactment of Republic Act No. 11466 or the Salary Standardization Law 5, which he authored and co-sponsored. The law gives civilian government employees, including nurses, their fifth round of salary increases broken down in tranches. In the same year, he also pushed for and ensured enough funding was allotted for the implementation of a Supreme Court decision upholding Section 32 of the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 some 18 years after the law was enacted. The law increases the minimum salary grade of the Nurse I position to SG-15. The ruling was implemented the following year.
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Amanat Holdings, a leading healthcare and education investment company in the GCC, has acquired the real estate property of Cambridge Medical and Rehabilitation Centre in Abu Dhabi for AED46 million ($12.5 million). The transaction marks Amanats first investment in healthcare real estate.

The acquisition is in line with Amanats strategy to create a social infrastructure platform, which serves as an enabler for the growth and sustainability of its portfolio companies, said the statement from the company.

The transaction will further diversify Amanats exposure across healthcare and education sectors. The social infrastructure Platform aims to enable Amanats portfolio companies to grow, while providing sustainable long-term lease relationships.

In turn, the Platform offers Amanat an opportunity to create a sizeable and diversified portfolio of real estate assets with a sustainable and resilient yield.

The acquisition of the real estate of CMRC comprises 6,000 sq m of land and a built-up area of 6,600 sq m encompassing two three-leveled building blocks with 106 inpatient licensed beds alongside rehabilitation facilities including 14 outpatient rooms, 3 gyms and a series of other amenities.

On the acquisition, Chairman Hamad Alshamsi said: "We are assessing a series of opportunities to support Amanat in delivering solid and sustainable returns to its shareholders by investing in the real estate of our leading assets. This includes providing our investments with the right enablers to grow and develop whether through owning the real estate of the asset or investing in technology to further develop our investments."

"I believe this is another step in the right direction to optimizing our portfolio and delivering sustainable shareholder returns," he noted.

CEO Dr Mohamad Hamade said the acquisition of CMRCs Abu Dhabi real estate was another strategic move to create healthcare and education platforms while supporting them through synergistic and enabling platforms.

"Our Social Infrastructure Platform will target strategic real estate acquisitions with attractive yields to promote stable landlord and tenant relationships in the future," he noted.

"These investments will be tied to our involvement as an influential shareholder across corporate strategy, corporate governance, and corporate finance and where Amanat is working closely with the respective management teams to grow their return profiles. We believe this transaction marks one of many future opportunities in this space," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Insights Research Organisation and Solutions (Iros)  the first-of-its-kind Contract Research Organisation (CRO) in the UAE has been launched, specialising in healthcare research and solutions that will span across all therapeutic areas.

Based in Abu Dhabi, Iros is born out of G42 Healthcare  a leading health-tech company on a mission to offer world-class healthcare in the UAE and beyond  and follows in its vision. Iros will harness the power of real-world data (RWD) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support internationally leading standards of scientific and ethical research, conduct clinical trials and reporting, alongside key solutions, and insights to expand and ensure access to and innovation of life-changing treatments.

The Iros debut marks a significant milestone in UAEs growing prominence in the global healthcare research and development space, spurred on by the success of the countrys Phase III clinical trials for the development and testing of an inactivated Covid-19 vaccine.

The focus of Iros is to provide intelligent and high-quality solutions to help develop new drugs and medications by leveraging state-of-the-art research capabilities and groundbreaking technologies. This will invigorate the generation of revolutionary treatments to address pressing healthcare challenges of the present and the future.

Dr Walid Zaher, CEO of Iros and Chief Research Officer at G42 Healthcare, said: With the increasing incidence of chronic diseases, cancer, and hematological disorders that require life-saving drugs, the Mena region needs a sustainable and robust clinical research infrastructure. The UAE has an immense capacity for research and the substrate to develop a strong regulatory framework, which makes it an ideal location to build a CRO to service the needs of the region.

With its surrounding population size and diversity in genetic profile and lifestyle, Iros  driven by the latest technologies, AI capabilities, and algorithmshas the perfect landscape to foster research and testing, leading to innovative new drugs and therapies.

The launch of Iros is supported by the progressive UAE leadership that recognises the need of such entities to address healthcare challenges and provide a supportive ecosystem for world-class research facilities and clinical research trials in line with the highest standards and global practices.

The new organisation will enhance Abu Dhabis capabilities and spotlight its contributions in developing medical solutions and leading robust research at a global level. The Department of Health, Abu Dhabi commended this initiative that aims to enrich and unify efforts of public and private sectors to utilise the emirates advanced infrastructure in enhancing its healthcare medical research capabilities.

Dr Asmaa Al Mannai, Executive Director, Research and Innovation, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, said: Abu Dhabi continues its leading position in health research and clinical trials and enhances its role as part of the global efforts to push forward the healthcare sector and achieve a better life for societies across the world.

Today, we are witnessing in Abu Dhabi the launch of many initiatives that stress the importance of unifying efforts of public and private sectors and achieve shared goals that rely on utilising the emirates capabilities to offer preventive and treatment innovations that improve the health and wellbeing of people around the globe.

She added: Iros will help enhance Abu Dhabis position as an incubator for innovation and scientific research, especially in the health sector that continues to evolve so that the emirate becomes one of the leading global destinations for those looking to work in the sector, visit for treatment purposes, or invest in healthcare.

The population diversity in the UAE and the GCC offer a unique advantage in clinical trials that can comprehensively demonstrate the safety and efficacy of new drugs, vaccines, and other therapeutic products across a diversified range of individuals.

Iros provides comprehensive, tailored, highly skilled and knowledgeable project management and real-world evidence-based solutions. This will help create and deliver a detailed roadmap of the research process, from design to completion. The Iros team will integrate meticulous quality, thorough trial navigation, and dynamic outcomes, ensuring streamlined clinical trials from planning through to market.

Iros offers a broad range of customised solutions that span from integrating and optimising a wide range of data and analytics to fulfilling all trial needs to medical writing and publication support. Security and safety are top priority, utilising advanced computing, deft personnel, innovative technologies, and efficient governance to protect, progress, and advance each clinical trial.

Iros will be a game-changer in the coming generation of clinical trials, drug discovery, and population validation, as well as an important player in the global aim for augmented representation of diversity and access to much needed therapeutics.-- TradeArabia News Service
Etisalat, Emirates Steel and Taqa (the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company)have become the first three large national companies joining the National In-Country Value (ICV) Programme.

The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) signed three separate memoranda of understanding (MoU) with these companies, a WAM report said.

By joining the National ICV programme, which was officially launched by Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, part of the first set of Projects of the 50, Etisalat, Emirates Steel and Taqa will now prioritise local ICV-certified suppliers above other entities bidding for commercial contracts.

The move is part of the UAEs wider National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, which seeks to increase the UAE industrial sectors contribution to GDP to AED300bn ($81.68 billion) by 2031 through supporting companies producing goods and services in The Emirates to fortify local supply chains.

It also contributes to the objectives of the Projects of the 50, a series of developmental and economic projects that aim to accelerate the UAEs development and establish its status as an ideal destination for talents and investors.

The signings were attended by Dr Jaber and Sarah bint Youssef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology.

The respective agreements were signed by Omar Suwaina Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of MoIAT, Engineer Hatem Dowidar, CEO of Emirates Telecom Group, Engineer Saeed Ghamran Al Rumaithi, CEO of Emirates Steel Industries Company, and Jassim Hussein Thabet, Group CEO and Managing Director of Taqa, the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company.

"Todays MoU signings mark an important next step for increasing the local content in the UAEs industrial sector," said Al Suwaidi. "As we continue building on the momentum of Operation 300bn, the National ICV Programme will be a crucial enabler of localising and fortifying our robust supply chains.

"Under todays MoUs, Etisalat, Emirates Steel and Taqa will prioritise suppliers based in the UAE for their commercial tenders, to redirect spending on industrial projects to local companies and increase opportunities for growth in the local market.

The ICV Programme has a proven track record of success. First implemented on a local scale in 2018, the ICV Programme helped redirect AED88 billion into the UAEs industrial sector and created more than 2,000 jobs for Emiratis. It also stimulated entrepreneurship and innovation in the small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) sector."

He added: "Now we are implementing it at the federal level, and we expect similarly impressive results with more than 42% of government and private sector expenditure to the UAEs industrial sector and the supply chains serving it by 2025. For local suppliers developing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) solutions and accelerating the integration of advanced technologies across the industrial value chain, National ICV certification will help unlock great opportunities to help contribute to the UAEs rapid socioeconomic development."

Thabet said: "Taqa continues to remain committed to adding value to the local market. Our strategy to do this includes significant investments in Abu Dhabi, including, for example, investing an additional AED40 billion in the transmission and distribution of electricity and water by 2030.

"Through this partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, we will explore more opportunities to double the in-country added value in all our local and international operations," Thabet added.

Eng Dowidar said: "Etisalat is proud to be a partner of MoIATs ICV Programme, to be a vital contributor to achieving its goals in support of the national industrial sector and local investments, and to help localise products and services that play a key role in the supply chain."

Dowidar added: "Through its Driving the Digital Future to Empower Societies strategy, Etisalat is keen on contributing to the acceleration of local economic growth and providing locally advanced technologies and world-class digital solutions through national capacities to accelerate the digital transformation of all entities and industries."

Dowidar pointed out that Etisalats recognition as the fastest mobile network in the world and the strongest brand in the Mena region, it continues to harness advanced technologies such as 5G, the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), cloud solutions and more to elevate the performance of an array of by relying on the foundations of innovation and advanced technology in line with the sustainable development programmes implemented by the UAEs government.

Eng Rumaithi said: "Emirates Steels signing of the MoU with MoIAT today is a significant step towards the diversification of our national economy through focusing on several vital sectors, most notably the UAEs industrial sector. We value everyones efforts in promoting the National ICV Programme, providing commercial protection for national industries and incentivising local investments, which will significantly impact the industrial sector as it is one of the key pillars of a diversified economy. Enhancing local supply chains has become critical than ever, considering the disruptions experienced by global supply chains during the coronavirus pandemic. Emirates Steel continues its endeavour to improve the performance of the iron and steel industry in the UAE, in line with its vision to be among the best iron and steel manufacturers in the world."

The MoUs with Etisalat, Emirates Steel, and Taqa add further impetus to MoIATs mission to propose and prepare policies, strategies, legislation, and programmes that enhance local industrial content, generate in-country value and enhance the UAEs global competitiveness.

The agreements also encourage collaboration between government entities and the private sector to galvanise the industrial sector. By implementing the National ICV programme on all purchases and contracts, the three entities will also adopt the standards approved by MoIAT.

MoIAT will provide training programmes to develop and upskill human capital as well as establishing a joint action committee to evaluate the impact of the National ICV Programme.-- TradeArabia News Service
Pitch Influence, the global competition for content creators and influencers, is back for its second edition with WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, as one of the brand partners of the contest.

The competition is designed to highlight the importance of a great pitch and how it can increase business success.

For its second year, the competition will be focussed on the travel and hospitality industry, with the winner announced during London Travel Week in October.

WTM London Exhibition Director Simon Press said: We are thrilled to support Pitch Influence. Entering the competition offers a great opportunity for influencers or content creators to show their work to a panel of travel experts.

The success of last years event underlines just how important digital influencers have become to the travel industry.

The organisers want entrants  who could be influencers, content creators, PR agencies or platforms  to pitch an idea, project or service that they offer in the travel and hospitality sphere to a panel of influencer brand experts, a press release stated.

The winner will receive a cash prize of 1,000, a branded logo that they can use across social media, the potential for media coverage and the chance to take up an internship at one of the events brand partners.

Entries can be submitted from September 6, with the deadline for submission being September 28. The winner will be announced on October 29  during London Travel Week.

Entries will be judged on three criteria:

- The idea and its viability

- The presentation technique

- Creativity of content

Pitch Influence is organised by the Brand Content Marketing Association in association with Influence Global Podcast, WTM London and London Travel Week.

WTM London in-person show will take place from November 1-3 at ExCeL London and will be followed by WTM Virtual on November 8-9.-TradeArabia News Service
Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the deployment of 126 public buses Expo Rider to serve Expo 2020 Dubai visitors for free from nine locations across Dubai.



Additionally, two routes will be launched to lift Expo visitors from hotels directly to the site of Expo. RTA will also deploy buses to lift visitors within Expo from the parking area to the Gates in addition to another bus service to lift riders between Expo Gates. Buses will run 1956 direct daily trips from Saturday to Wednesday and the number of trips will rise to 2203 direct trips on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency varies from 3 to 60 minutes.



Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, confirmed RTAs readiness to provide a unique, smooth and express transit service for Expo 2020 visitors from various locations in Dubai and across the UAE through the deployment of 203 buses.



These buses feature high safety and luxury standards, and comfortable seats. They are compatible with Euro 6 low-carbon emission standards, making them the first of their kind in the MENA region. Through deploying these high-quality buses in a wide geographical coverage, RTA seeks to make mass transit means the ideal choice of mobility for Expo visitors.



Movement from Dubai to Expo



Al Tayer explained that the RTA had allocated 57 buses to commute Expo 2020 visitors from various locations in Dubai through operating 455 to 476 trips per day. RTA identified 9 stations to serve passengers heading to and from Expo.



The first station is Palm Jumeirah, where 6 buses are allocated to run 54 trips per day in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday and 57 trips per day in both directions on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency will be 15 minutes.



The second station is Al Baraha, where 7 buses are allocated to run 62 trips per day in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday and 68 trips per day in both directions on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency will be 30 minutes.



The third station is Al Ghubaiba, a station characterised by integrated various mass transit modes spanning the metro, public buses, marine transport, and taxis. 12 buses are allocated to run 74 trips per day in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday, and 76 daily trips in both directions on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency will be 15 minutes.



The fourth station is Etisalat, adjacent to Etisalat Metro Station on the Green Line. 8 buses are allocated to run 70 trips per day in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday, and 72 trips per day in both directions on Thursday and Friday.



The fifth station is the Global Village where 3 buses are allocated to run 10 trips daily on all weekdays. The service frequency will be 60 minutes.



The sixth and seventh stations are the International City and the Dubai Silicon Oasis Station. 8 buses are allocated to both stations to run 78 trips per day in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday, and 82 trips per day in both directions on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency will be 15 minutes.



The eighth station is the Dubai Mall where 5 buses are allocated to run 55 trips per day in both directions from Saturday to Wednesday and 59 trips per day in both directions on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency will be 30 minutes.



The ninth station is the Dubai International Airport, where 8 buses are allocated to run 52 trips per day in both directions, seven days a week. The service frequency will be 20 minutes.



Movement within Expo



Al Tayer explained that RTA would also provide two additional services to Expo 2020 visitors. The first service is Expo Parking Shuttle to transport visitors from the car parks to the three Expo Gates (Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability). RTA has allocated 57 buses for this service to run 1191 trips per day from Saturday to Wednesday, and 1377 trips on Thursday and Friday. The service frequency will range from 3 to 7 minutes.



The second service is Expo People Mover to transport visitors between Expo Gates. RTA has allocated 15 buses for this service to run 310 daily trips from Saturday to Wednesday, and 350 trips on Thursday and Friday. 12 additional reserve busses have been allocated as well.



RTA had previously announced its plan to transport visitors to Expo 2020 from different emirates. The plan identifies nine locations in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah. 77 buses are allocated for this service to run 193 trips per day on all days of the week, and the number of trips will rise to 213 trips per day on Thursday and Friday.  TradeArabia News Service
Amidst the ongoing challenges resulting from Covid-19, Standard International expressed optimism in the hospitality business as its hotels division is set to expand its portfolio with the opening of its first property in Thailand in three months time with another one to open next year as well as one in Spain, also to open next year.

The latest additions are The Standard, Hua Hin, The Standards first resort in Thailand, will open on December 1, followed by The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, the brands Asia flagship, which will open in 2022. The group also announced the opening of The Standard, Ibiza, in Spain in 2022.

These three new properties will kick off a series of 10 additional projects in coveted markets around the world, including: Singapore, Melbourne, Lisbon, Dublin, Brussels and Las Vegas, a statement from Standard Hotels said.

CEO Amar Lalvani said: We are proud to announce the openings of The Standard, Hua Hin, which is set for December, our Asia flagship, The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, which will open next year, as well as our second property in Europe, The Standard, Ibiza.

This has been a time of unprecedented crisis for the hospitality industry, and the millions of people around the world who work in the sector. Amidst such challenges, we continue to be able to delight our guests, serve our communities and create opportunities for our team members by building landmark hotels.-TradeArabia News Service
FILE - In this Tuesday, May 11, 2021 file photo, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research in the Food and Drug Administration, testifies during a Senate health, education, labor, and pensions hearing to examine an update from federal officials on efforts to combat COVID-19 on Capitol Hill in Washington. On Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, Marks urged parents to be patient, saying the agency will rapidly evaluate vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds as soon as it gets the needed data. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via AP)

The Food and Drug Administrations vaccine chief said Friday the agency will rapidly evaluate COVID-19 vaccinations for younger children as soon as it gets the needed data  and won't cut corners.

Dr. Peter Marks told The Associated Press he is very, very hopeful that vaccinations for 5- to 11-year-olds will be underway by years end. Maybe sooner: One company, Pfizer, is expected to turn over its study results by the end of September, and Marks say the agency hopefully could analyze them in a matter of weeks.

In the U.S., anyone 12 and older is eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. But with schools reopening and the delta variant causing more infections among kids, many parents are anxiously wondering when younger children can get the shots.

Pfizers German partner BioNTech told weekly Der Spiegel Friday that it was on track in the coming weeks to seek approval of the companies' COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds. Moderna, which makes a second U.S. vaccine, told investors this week to expect its data on that age group by years end. Both companies also are testing their vaccines down to age 6 months, but those results will come later.

FDAs Marks spoke with the AP Friday about the steps involved in clearing pediatric vaccines. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Many parents had hoped for vaccines for children under 12 by the time schools reopened. Why is it taking so long?

A: Before you can actually approve something in an age range, you actually have to study in that age range. ... Children under the age of 12, theyre not little adults, theyre not. And so one does actually have to study this and even change perhaps the dose thats being given  and in fact, thats had to happen, change the dose.

We have to then be able to look at the data at FDA when it gets submitted to us. Well look at it very rapidly and feel confident that when we that weve looked through the data that these are going to be safe and effective and that we can reassure parents that the benefits of their child getting one of these vaccines certainly outweighs any risks.

Story continues

Q: The American Academy of Pediatrics cited delta's growing threat to children in urging a faster decision, after FDA requested expanded child studies. Why does FDA want that extra data?

A: Im not sure that theres much disagreement. We clearly want to see children in the age range 5 to 11 vaccinated as soon as possible. But the difference between the smaller dataset and the larger dataset is not very much in terms of time, because there were enough willing participants here  parents who were very interested in having their 5- to 11-year-olds vaccinated  that it didnt take that much longer.

Well be able to give people I think a much better sense that these vaccines are indeed safe and effective for their children.

Q: Could 5- to 11-year-olds be vaccinated by the end of the year?

A: I am very hopeful in that regard. Very, very hopeful in that regard.

Q: How fast can FDA act once the companies submit their data?

A: Pfizer made a public statement that they intended to give us their data by the end of September. ... Were going to do a thorough job on that as quickly as we can so that at the end of the day, hopefully within a matter of weeks rather than a matter of months, well be able to come to some conclusion -- again, barring some finding that were not expecting.

Q: How will the trials show effectiveness for kids?

A: In the 12- to 15-year-olds, we saw an immune response that was actually as good or better  in this case, it was for the Pfizer vaccine  it was actually better than in 16 and up. And so wed want to see something similar to that.

Q: Will the trials give information about very rare side effects like the heart inflammation sometimes seen in teens and young adults?

A: Well know at least that its not ... happening at some much higher rate in younger children. That we can rule out. And well also make sure that there arent any other side effects that we havent seen in the older age range.

Q: Two of FDAs top vaccine reviewers recently announced theyre leaving. The agency also is evaluating booster shots for adults. Is that making a child vaccination decision more difficult?

A: Im not worried that were going to suffer any delays because of that. ... We will be parallel processing.

Q: There are reports that some parents are seeking adult vaccines for their kids. Whats your advice?

A: My strongest advice is please dont do that. Please let us do the evaluation that we need to do to ensure that when you do vaccinate your child, you vaccinate the child with the right dose and in a manner thats safe.

If you want to do something now for your child, make sure that youre vaccinated, that your household is vaccinated, that all the people that come in contact with your children are vaccinated and that your child knows how to wear a mask.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
By Liu Min and Liu Dan

ORENBURG, Russia, Sept.10 -- The Peace Mission-2021 joint anti-terrorism exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states will kick off on September 11. The Chinese participating troops are arriving at the exercise area successively, and the construction of field camp is also underway.

The field camp area was a barren meadow when the first echelon of the Chinese troops arrived by train on September 6. In the following three days, command post, communications hub, power station, medical aid station and living facilities were built simultaneously. At present, a fully functional field camp that meets the actual combat requirements has begun to take shape.

It is learnt that the field camp of the Chinese participating troops was designed and build by the Chinese side with all the materials and equipment used were delivered from China along with the troops by railway. The field camps of the other seven participating countries were constructed by the Russia, the host country of the exercise.
BEIJING, Sept. 10 -- General Li Zuocheng, member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, took a video call from General Sir Nick Carter, UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, on September 10.

Gen. Li said that the phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year has pointed out the direction of development for the China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership in the new decade. The military relations between the two countries have maintained stable development in the recent years, and both sides have conducted sound exchanges and cooperation in the fields of defense strategy consultation and international peacekeeping, Li added.

In the future, the two militaries should strengthen strategic communication, maintain exchange mechanism, expand pragmatic cooperation in a bid to promote the sound and steady development of mil-to-mil relations, Li said.

Gen. Carter said that the UK appreciates the anti-pandemic assistance China has provided for international community and the positive efforts China has made to maintain the regional and world peace, the British military is willing to enhance cooperation with the Chinese military and jointly meet the global challenges.
Hundreds of Afghans living in Germany held demonstrations in Hamburg against the Taliban and urged the international community to put pressure on the group to ensure women rights in Afghanistan and to protect the country's honour.

Holding national flags, Afghan nationals waves posters inscribed with their demands of ensuring women's rights in Afghanistan, the survival of the country, and the protection of national honour alongwith freedom, human rights and civil rights, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.

Rallies and protests have been taking place across the world in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, which fell to the Taliban on August 15.

Afghans are all set to organise a protest outside the UN office in Geneva on International Day of Peace on September 21 against "illegal takeover of Afghanistan" and "persecution of religious and ethnic minorities" by the Taliban regime, a rights activist said.

Afghan human rights activist in France Fazal ur Rehman Afridi said in a tweet on Wednesday, "On the occasion of International Day for peace, during the 48th Session of United Nations Human Rights Council, Afghans in Europe will organise an international protest in front of UN Headquarters in Geneva."

The Taliban formed the interim "Islamic Emirate" on Tuesday appointing hardliners in its new government.

The list announced by chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was dominated by members of the group's old guard, with no women included.

Taliban entered Kabul on August 15 after an aggressive and rapid advance against government forces amid the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the country.

(ANI)

Also Read: US former president Bush calls on Americans to confront domestic 'violent extremists'
The induction of the Haqqani network in the new caretaker "Islamic Emirate" of Afghanistan shows that all the promises made by the Taliban that it will not provide a safe haven to jihadis and will reduce their hardline views have been dashed.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, deputy leader of the Taliban and Afghanistan's new interior minister, heads the ruthless Haqqani network described by a US-based expert as a "criminal company posing as a jihadist group", reported Armenia News.

His and appointment of other hardliners in government roles quickly put an end to hopes that Islamists could become more involved and reduce their hardline views.

It also leaves Washington with little choice but to rely on the Haqqani organization despite Al-Qaeda ties and a history of attacks against the US, reported Armenia News.

"They are playing a brilliant game, keeping the door open to western intelligence agencies. They have killed and arrested some Islamic State (ISIS) members in recent weeks," said Kamal Alam, a security expert at Atlantic Council, a US think-tank.

The rise of the Haqqanis is a reflection of how important the group is in the fight against the Afghan government and coalition forces, said Ioannis Koskinas, a senior fellow in the New America think-tank.

"To the winners go the spoils," he said.

Gretchen Peters, an expert on transnational organized crime, said the Haqqani network operates not only as a jihadist force but as a mafia-like organization.

The most lucrative revenue streams include extortion, extortion for ransom, illegal mining, money laundering, narcotics and fundraising from ideological donations to Arab states, he explained.

He believes the battle between the Haqqanis and the US will be so long and "brutal" that it will be difficult for the two to work together.

However in 2018, when the US opened talks for a deal on Afghanistan's withdrawal, the Haqqanis were given a seat at the table.

Anas Haqqani, Sirajuddin's younger brother, was released from prison as part of a prisoner swap agreement to join the Taliban's negotiating group in Qatar.

Nasratullah Haqpal, a Kabul-based political analyst, said that "the US wants the Taliban to rule and prevent attacks on western states". In return, they are willing to support the Taliban "directly or indirectly", reported Armenia News.

The Koskinas of the New America think-tank point to the role of Pakistan, which has had influence over the Taliban and the Haqqanis after providing sanctuary for the Islamist movement for years.

"Pakistan certainly has significant action over Haqqanis. It is a question of converting interests beyond control," he said.

For long-time researchers in Afghanistan, the whole country has come full circle, with the Taliban in control despite 20 years of war, more than 150,000 deaths and billions of dollars spent.

Sushant Sareen, a security analyst at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, said that although the US would crackdown on terrorists through sanctions and use of the global financial system, it would be difficult for the Taliban or Haqqani network to abandon long-term who are jihadist allies, reported Armenia News.

(ANI)

Also Read: Afghan diaspora living in Germany hold protests against Taliban
Welcome to Sophi Knows. September 11 has come and gone but should stay in our minds every day. We came together as a nation and should strive for that again.
Sanchez was among 17 members of his Logansport High School class who joined the military after their 2017 graduation. He died in the Aug. 26 attack in Kabul, where he had been transferred after serving as a U.S. embassy guard in Jordan, according to his obituary.
A 42-year-old woman was shot twice in an arm and once in her armpit, police said, and she was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 10:28 p.m., according to preliminary information from the Cook County medical examiners office.
Just after 5 p.m., the four people were in the 900 block of East 79th Street in the Grand Crossing neighborhood when someone in an SUV fired shots at them, police said.
Relatives told authorities that Harris, who lacked a criminal background and has a concealed carry license, had been experiencing paranoid behavior, and had been complaining that people were out to get her, Wood told the court. Prosecutors also noted that the confrontation and shooting were captured on a surveillance system inside the home.
"L'Evenement" by French film-maker Audrey Diwan won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 78th Venice Film Festival, which closed in the Italian lagoon city on Saturday evening.

Succeeding among the 21 films overall selected in the main competition this year, "L'Evenement" (Happening) brings on screen the painful story of a bright university French student, who undergoes a clandestine abortion in 1963's France.

The drama was adapted by a novel of the same title by Annie Ernaux.

After receiving the award, Diwan mentioned the sensitivity of her movie's subject, and thanked the jury for having given it so much attention.

The Silver Lion for Grand Jury Prize went to Italian filmmaker and Oscar-winner Paolo Sorrentino's "The Hand of God".

Starring in the same film as a teenager struggling against the backdrop of Naples in the 1980s, actor, Filippo Scotti earned the Marcello Mastroianni Award as best young protagonist.

The international jury led by South Korean Academy Award and Palm d'Or winner Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite") awarded another Silver Lion for Best Director to veteran Jane Campion for her western "The Power of the Dog".

Penelope Cruz -- starring in the much-awaited movie "Parallel Mothers" by Spanish renowned film-maker Pedro Almodovar, won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress -- while John Arcilla won the same prize for Best Actor in the film "On the Job: The Missing 8" by Filipino director Erik Matti.

Another Venice's major prize -- the Award for Best Screenplay -- went to Maggie Gyllenhaal for the film "The Lost Daughter", her directorial debut.

Finally, the Special Jury Prize was honored to "Il Buco" (The Hole), an Italy-France-German production directed by Michelangelo Frammartino.

This 78th edition of Venice Film Festival took place amid tight anti-pandemic rules, but with audience admitted to screenings (every hall operating at half of its capacity) and a red carpet full again of movie stars.

Besides the 21 titles competing for the Golden Lion this year, another 23 works ran out of competition, and 31 (including short films) for the Horizons awards.
The ongoing 18th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held on time despite a raging pandemic worldwide has testified to the vitality and resilience of an integrated regional market, and showcases the potentials of a key platform to make possible all-round trade and economic cooperation.









Starting Friday both online and offline in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the four-day expo has attracted enterprises from more than 40 countries and regions, with special events to mark the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations.





BRINGS GOODWILL TO FRUITION





"This year's expo provides an important platform to enhance trade and investment opportunities between ASEAN and China during this crucial time of economic recovery, as well as positively contribute to the longstanding relationship between our two sides," ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said via video link at the expo's opening ceremony on Friday.





As a crucial facet of China-ASEAN relations, the expo has long been fruitful in helping the two sides synergize their respective development efforts. This year's edition will host 26 high-level forums and nearly 150 promoting events on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and key industries.





A total of 179 deals worth more than 46.59 billion U.S. dollars, the highest ever figure, were signed late Friday at the expo, a growing number of which are in green economies, according to expo officials.





Experts have said that digital connectivity plays a key role in sustaining the resilience of the regional economy in face of the pandemic. It has become a frontier that could one day grow into "a whole new landscape for ASEAN and China to collaborate, such as in financial technology, that supports our digital transformation agenda," Lim noted.





Koh Chin Yee, president of Singapore's South Seas Society, said ASEAN countries, in varying stages of development, have great potential to further cooperate with China in emerging realms such as consumers markets, digital infrastructure, energy, and professional services.





TIDING THROUGH HAVOC OF PANDEMIC





This year's expo is the second of its kind to set up an exhibition area exclusively for medical service and supplies, with featured life-saving items for frontline workers, including pristine virus-testing equipment, all sorts of medical gloves, and positive-pressure suits.





Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for English daily The Philippine Star, told Xinhua that it was China who had come to support the Philippines in terms of key medical supplies in a difficult time.





"When some countries in the West refused to even sell us vaccines, China came and sent vaccines ... not just one time. So the future is even more exciting," he said, referring to a good prospect of cooperation.





China's trade volume of medical products with ASEAN reached 13.3 billion dollars in the first seven months this year, up 32 percent year-on-year, said Xu Jinghe, deputy commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration, at a summit in Guangxi ahead of the expo.





The total trade volume of medical products between China and ASEAN hit 18 billion dollars in 2020, surging by 72 percent year-on-year, Xu added.





What's more, ASEAN remains a top agri-trade partner of China despite the still-rampant pandemic.





Since China has scientifically coordinated epidemic prevention and economic activities, hot-selling goods such as Thai durians and Malaysian coffee beans keep making a bundle, especially on Chinese e-commerce platforms during the pandemic.





China's "huge and robust market is very attractive to ASEAN members," said Joseph Matthews, senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, noting that Cambodia attends the expo many times, coveting the unique chance to promote mangos and bananas.





ENDURING LEGACY GIVES HOPE





A series of celebratory events are being held to mark the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations at the expo, with experts saying that after advancing in leaps and bounds over such a long period of time, the momentum of cooperation has been carried forth to the present day.





"After 30 years of dialogue, peace, and continued partnership, the ASEAN countries and China already have trust and good understandings," a foundation for them to become the fastest-growing region in the world, Flores noted.





The bilateral trade rose from 8.36 billion dollars in 1991 to 685.28 billion dollars in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 16.5 percent, data from the Chinese customs shows. In the first half of 2021, bilateral trade reached 412 billion dollars, up 27.8 percent year-on-year.





The China-ASEAN relations have seen frequent dialogues and exchanges at all levels, allowing them to become each other's good neighbors, good partners, and good friends, Khin Ma Ma Myo, an international relations professor at the University of Yangon, told Xinhua.





The dialogue relations have "evolved into a multifaceted strategic partnership and shown tremendous progress on all fronts," said Lim.





As China and ASEAN countries continue to work with each other to align their development strategies with the Belt and Road Initiative, their relations are set to enter a new stage, said Khin Ma Ma Myo.
Lao senior officials and Chinese CEOs met for a roundtable discussion at the 18th China-ASEAN Expo on Sept. 10 to further consolidate wide-ranging collaboration between China and Laos.

Themed "Sharing new opportunities in development, seeking new achievements in cooperation," the event was attended, in-person and remotely, by Chinese experts, CEOs and Lao officials from various fields including power, infrastructure, communication, investment and finance.

Gao Yan, chairperson of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and director of the Organizing Committee of the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, emphasized the fast growth of China-Laos economic and trade cooperation. According to Gao, in 2020, Chinese enterprises invested $1.24 billion directly into Laos, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, up 8.9% year on year.

Gao noted that the CCPIT will serve as a high-quality platform for Chinese and Lao companies to deepen exchanges in finance, transportation, infrastructure, power and mineral resources, processing and manufacturing, and push the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future to a higher level.

Lan Tianli, chairman of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, first outlined the fruitful cooperation between Guangxi and Laos. Then, he expressed hopes that the two sides can, by seizing the opportunities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, and the upcoming operation of the China-Laos railway, expand collaborations in tourism, education, healthcare, hydropower, agriculture and forestry, and project contracting, among others.

Sonexay Siphandone, Lao deputy prime minister and minister of planning and investment, highlighted the time-honored friendship between the Lao and Chinese peoples. "This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos," Sonexay said. "The two sides have long maintained stable political relations."

Sonexay also appreciated the free assistance of healthcare expertise, medical equipment and vaccines provided by China to Laos during its fight against COVID-19.

After the speeches, leaders from China Southern Power Grid Company, China State Construction Engineering Corporation, and China-ASEAN Information Harbor Co., Ltd., conducted extensive dialogues via video link with Lao officials such as Khamchan Vongsenboun, vice minister of planning and investment, Daovong Phonekeo, minister of energy and mines, Vathana Dalaloy, deputy governor of the Bank of the Lao PDR, and other Lao leaders from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Finance.

Their discussions shed light on diverse topics, including power grid connectivity, clean energy, the digital economy, preference polices, green and smart construction, and open regional economic development, which will facilitate win-win cooperation between China and Laos.
Preparations are in full swing in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming one month ahead of a high-profile global meeting on biodiversity.

Migratory white cranes arrive at the Wuxing Farm wetland in suburban Nanchang, Jiangxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) is set to kick off in Kunming on Oct. 11. The meeting will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future.

Authorities are making efforts in various areas, from venue facilities, transportation and telecommunications to COVID-19 prevention and control, to ensure a smooth meeting and satisfactory services, according to organizers.

The set-up and upgrading of equipment at the main venue and all other facilities will be finalized before Sept. 20, Gao Zhengwen, deputy director of the office of the Yunnan steering group for COP15, told a press conference on Saturday.

Participants will be shuttled exclusively by new-energy vehicles and 16 hotels have been selected to host them, with anti-epidemic measures in place.

Kunming has completed face-lifts on 62 major roads as part of a city-wide beautification campaign in the run-up to the meeting, said executive vice mayor Zhang Bin.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," the COP15 meeting is the first global conference convened by the United Nations on the topic of ecological civilization.
Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng reaffirmed the country's commitment to multilateralism in global environmental progress on Thursday, vowing proactive contributions to global sustainable development.





The country will also make endeavors to promote full, effective and continuous implementation of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, as well as to host a successful COP 15 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, he said, addressing the closing ceremony of the annual general meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development.





The world's biggest biodiversity meeting in a decade, the COP 15 UN Biodiversity Conference will be held in Kunming, Yunnan province, from Oct 11 to 15 and in the first half of next year.





"I hope the council members and experts continue to offer opinions and recommendations and make new, even greater contributions to promote the comprehensive green transition in China's economic and social development, as well as the construction of a clean and beautiful world," he continued.





Established in 1992, the council is a high-level international advisory body that provides policy advice to the Chinese government.





Addressing the closing ceremony via a video link, leaders of international organizations said China plays a critical role in providing the leadership and contributing solutions for the world's endeavor to a sustainable future.





"The decisions of our generation in Kunming and Glasgow as well as in China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) require innovative transforming approaches towards inclusive, green development," said Achim Steiner, CCICED vice-chairman and also administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.





From Oct 31 to Nov 12, the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference will be held in Glasgow in the United Kingdom.





"We are now discussing how to reestablish the old system and how to create a new normal. A new normal that is (UN Sustainable Development Goals) compatible, nature positive and climate responsible and inclusive," he continued.





He said the Kunming and Glasgow summits offer unique opportunities to increase ambition to address many of the threats to people, the planet and prosperity.





"Each country will have to make its own decisions, but collectively we will define the world's ambitions," he said, adding many countries look to China to see how they can contribute to raising global ambitions to the greatest extent possible.





"The China leadership will be critical for building the sustainable future for all among the community of nations," he said.





Besides decarbonizing its economy in years ahead as it has committed, China also needs to adopt sustainability standards of pricing and set out a roadmap of financing a green future, in which the country has already pioneered, he said.





Kristin Halvorsen, CCICED vice-chairwoman, said she has found China a completely different country compared with 1985 when she first visited.





"I'm also very impressed by all your achievements during the last decades, especially your fight against poverty.





"To go into a broad range of challenges, climate change, threats against biodiversity and the need for just transition to the sustainable economy. I'm impressed by the expertise that CCICED can mobilize to contribute to solve these tasks," said Halvorsen, also director of the CICERO Center for International Climate Research.





"I also appreciate how the experts try to focus on solutions," she added.





Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, said COP 15 is "a wonderful opportunity to reverse the tragic loss of nature".





"We all agree that we stand at a crucial time in history. Massive risks and huge opportunities," he said.





"We all agree that China's role in finding solutions is obviously crucial. China has demonstrated it can drive down the cost of technology and can implement it at unprecedented scale."





Stephen Heintz, president and CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, said the Chinese leadership is committed to building an ecological civilization and it is clear China has reliable allies in the diverse international leaders and organizations represented at this annual general meeting.





"I think CCICED can be seen as a model of global trust-building, cooperation and effective partnership," he said.





He said this model will help China reach it ambitious goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and going carbon neutral. They are helping the world community to a future of net zero emissions.
Chris Tang, secretary for security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, will advise the Chief Executive in Council to invoke the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance to revoke the company registration of the anti-China group "Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China."

This is a lawful, just and necessary move to safeguard the authority of the national security law in Hong Kong and ensure the city's peace and stability.

Hong Kong has returned from chaos to tranquility and is marching toward a great revival, and it is only a matter of time before the group perishes. Any attempt by the United States and other Western forces to use such organizations in Hong Kong to damage "one country, two systems" is doomed to fail.

Suspected of committing acts deemed criminal under the national security law and having connections with foreign political organizations, the group and its related members have been prosecuted for incitement to subvert the state power. The law-enforcement operations against the group actually reflect the spirit of the rule of law. No illegal activities or organizations that endanger national security and disrupt social order can escape legal punishment.

The notorious group, acting as a foreign agent, has made subverting the state power and overthrowing the leadership of the ruling party its so-called guiding principle. Over the past three decades, it has never ceased to incite hatred against the country and the ruling party, and to challenge the red line of national security, destabilizing Hong Kong in the name of "democracy."

Over the past two years, the group even intensified its efforts to hold illegal rallies and instigate violent confrontations. It openly lobbied foreign organizations to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, urged the United States to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, and pushed for a "color revolution." Those activities have seriously damaged the fundamental interests of the nation and Hong Kong.

The nature of the group's anti-China destabilization activity in Hong Kong cannot be disguised by claims of "democracy" and "freedom."

Thanks to the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, society is getting back on track, and the rule of law and justice are upheld. The lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents and foreign expatriates are now better protected. Stability and development have become the most important themes in Hong Kong.

However, the United States and other Western forces have refused to accept their failure, supporting criminals, smearing law-enforcement actions and launching malicious attacks on "one country, two systems," which has disclosed their sinister intention to interfere in China's internal affairs by using the Hong Kong issue.

Their desperate struggle simply bucks the historical trend.

More than 10 organizations have presented their petitions to ban the group this year, and a survey in May also showed that the number of respondents supporting its dissolution was the highest in 28 years. The recent arrest of the group's members by police has also received wide support in Hong Kong.

All organizations and individuals that have conspired with external forces to harm Hong Kong will be despised by Hong Kong compatriots.

A secure and stable environment is crucial for Hong Kong to fully leverage its competitive edges. It is necessary to remain alert to forces that have plotted to disrupt the long-term stability of Hong Kong and maliciously interfere in its affairs.

Any attempt to support anti-China elements in Hong Kong is doomed to fail, and the Chinese people's will to safeguard national security and to implement "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong will only grow stronger.
128 candidates from 14 parties are contesting 14 of the 33 seats in Macao Special Administrative Region's Legislative Assembly on Sunday.

Some polling stations saw voters lining up before the polling began at 9 am. In light of the pandemic, the 36 polling stations in the city opened to the public to wait indoors 30 minutes before the polling began. Voting will end at 9 pm.

Speaking to CCTV, the Director of Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau Kou Peng-kuan and member of the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election said voters need to present their health code and wear mask and use disinfectant before entering the polling station.

The commission also updated its system to expedite the voting and counting. The initial result is expected to be announced by early morning of Monday.

According to the commission, the first hour polling rate was 4.67 percent, with over 15,000 voters casting their votes. The rate was 1.96 percent lower than that of the last election held in 2017.

Apart from the 14 seats returned by the public on Sunday, 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly will be determined through indirect election by professional sectors and seven seats will be appointed by the Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region Ho Iat-seng. The appointments will be made within 15 days of the election result being announced.

At a media briefing on Sunday morning, Ho Iat-seng said he hoped that the future Legislative Council members would highlight any inadequate performance by the government, thus helping the government improve its work.

In August, the SAR government sent out poll notices to over 320,000 eligible voters registered for the election of the seventh Legislative Assembly.

According to the city's electoral system, votes received by every election team will be allocated proportionally to candidates listed in the group with the first candidate on the list taking all the votes received for the team and the second candidates taking half of the votes and the third taking a quarter of the votes. Each candidate will then be ranked in order of the number of ballots received and the top 14 will win seats. The same vote counting method, which is known as the modified d'Hondt method, will be used for the indirect election.

The city holds its legislative election every four years.

In July, Macao's Electoral Affairs Commission disqualified 21 candidates from standing for the legislative election for failing to pledge allegiance to the Macao SAR or uphold the region's Basic Law.

Later, the Macao Court of Final Appeal dismissed appeals filed by some barred candidates and upheld the Electoral Affairs Commission's decision, limiting the number of hopefuls competing in the direct election to 128.
 Flash

Former U.S. President Donald Trump was absent at official 9/11 memorial ceremonies in New York City and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.



President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton all attended a somber ceremony Saturday morning at the National September 11 Memorial where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades ago.

Biden traveled next to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville to attend a wreath-laying ceremony. Earlier, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke at the memorial.

Trump, instead of appearing at the ceremonies, traveled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighboring fire station in NYC.

During an unannounced stop at a Shanksville fire department, Biden praised Bush for encouraging American unity in his speech. He also defended his administration's handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in brief remarks to the press pool.

Biden's last stop in the day was the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Washington, D.C., where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony along with first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Biden did not deliver formal remarks on Saturday but released a video statement on Friday recognizing the lives lost in the deadliest attack in U.S. history and calling for national unity.

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four fuel-loaded U.S. commercial airplanes bound for west coast destinations on Sept. 11, 2001. A total of 2,977 people were killed in New York City, Washington, D.C. and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
 Flash

The news center for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) officially launched its website on Saturday, with content in both Chinese and English, ahead of the COP15 conference in October.



The website (www.cop15news.com) provides information services for Chinese and foreign journalists and netizens, including more than 10 columns on topics such as conference trends and global diversity. It will release dynamic and timely information concerning the conference, with a focus on global media reports.

Participating media outlets can use the website to make online reservations for interviews, venue rentals, equipment rentals and radio and television services.

The COP15 meeting is set to kick off in Kunming on Oct. 11. It will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw up a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," the COP15 meeting is the first global conference convened by the United Nations on the topic of ecological civilization.
Fears are growing for Christians in Afghanistan - most of whom are converts from Islam - after the Taliban launched a brutal crackdown on journalists and protesters calling for greater freedoms and the protection of women and girls.

At least four people have been killed at protests following the fall of the country to the Taliban on 15 August.

Other protesters have been beaten and whipped.

Journalists in Afghanistan told the BBC this week that they had been beaten and flogged when they tried to report on the protests.

International Christian Concern (ICC) said the Taliban's violent response to dissent is an indicator of how it will treat Christians.

The religious liberty group said Christians in Afghanistan were already living in fear of the Taliban's strict enforcement of Sharia law, and warned that they will not only be seen as second class citizens, but as "criminals" deserving punishment.

ICC's Regional Manager for South Asia, William Stark, said, "We here at International Christian Concern are deeply concerned by the Taliban's crackdown on protests and journalists in Afghanistan.

"The actions of Taliban authorities are an indicator of how they will rule and likely treat minorities.

"We are especially concerned for what this means for Afghanistan's Christian community. As converts from Islam, Afghan Christians will not be viewed as a religious minority, but a community of criminals the Taliban must punish."

Estimates as to the number of Christians in Afghanistan ranges from 5,000 to 12,000. They are forced to practise their faith in secret due to intense persecution.

"Prior to the Taliban's takeover of the country, Afghanistan was one of the hardest places in the world to be a Christian," Stark continued.

"With the Taliban now in complete control and likely to return the country to the oppression of the 1990s, it will be nearly impossible to be a Christian in Afghanistan."



Reposted with permission from Christian Today
You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Matthew chapter 24, verses 6-8.

The bible is not just a religious book for Christians, but it is also a history book. Over the years we can see things in the bible slowly unfolding and the prophecies fulfilling.

In the past 2 years we have experienced a global pandemic that almost shut down the world  but gave us access to a new virtual world; fires in the Brazilian Rainforest, California and now Russia (Siberia); icebergs melting at record speed because of these fires in the north; and one of the deadliest earthquakes in Haiti this year.

We also saw the social unrest in the USA and now the takeover that happened in Afghanistan; as well as the cries of different nations as we struggle to come to grips with all that is happening. And with every unveiling of these major events, I cant help but remember this scripture, -All these are the beginning of birth pains.

As Christians we were given the bible as a blueprint. It has been our guide through this world and a revelation of what is to come. If we accept Christ and his teaching, this should not be a shock for us or bring us grief or fear, because he told us countless times that these things must come to pass: Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at your door. Matthew chapter 24, verse 33.

We might not know the exact time when God is coming back but we do know the signs to look out for. And because we dont know the time, we need to always be ready - to spread the gospel, to be ready for the end times.

I recently saw one of my Facebook memories from 2013 that read: Wildfires, flooding, thousands dying in Egypt and Syria, hailstorm and heat waves, shooting at schools has become the in thing; not to mention all the other craziness of man- all I can think of, is that the end is near.

Now were in 2021 and I still echo the same sentiments. So many things have been happening and it always seems like the end is always near. I hope we dont get too tired of watching and waiting for God.

Growing up I always heard people saying, From mi born me hear say God a come. And this is very true, as it is written in the Bible that He is coming back soon, Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done Revelation chapter 22, verse 12.

The reality of it is that once we die, that becomes our judgement day. We shouldnt be waiting for the trumpets to sound and the clouds to be rolled back  because if we die before all this happens, we need to be prepared.

Its concerning to me how unconcerned and lax the world has become amidst the turmoil and amidst the bible fulfilling before our eyes. The question then becomes If this is the end, as Christians what are we doing to prepare to meet God?
Affected by traditional culture when growing up, I was taught to make big achievements. If you ask a child in my generation about his future dream, eight out of ten will tell you their ambitious plans: to make great contribution to the world, or embark on influential careers that impact others lives. Therefore, common replies will always be scientist, doctor or lawyer.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be an impactful person. Its the mentality behind those thoughts that provokes my thinking. Are we all that selfless and keen on improving other peoples lives? Or do we just want to stand in the spotlight and make a name for ourselves?

Heroism

When I failed to accomplish my big dreams after working for several years, I thought that I could do something for Jesus. Becoming a martyr held no fear for me. I thought of Stephen, who was stoned for preaching Jesus is the Lord in the New Testament. I felt passionate about this idea in the early stage of my Christian life. I imagined myself as the first one standing out when persecution comes, declaring my belief boldly and willing to die for it.

Does it sound familiar? Its the typical Hollywood film! A poor boy became rich and successful after several years hard work; a strong man saved the city from a terrorist attack; an anonymous girl overcame social prejudice and became a role model in her generation.

We are excited about those stories and subconsciously assume that we can be one of those heroes. Our glamorous dreams more or less reflect such heroism. We want to be admired by many.

The war is won

However, this is not the Biblical teaching. No matter whether it is in the Old Testament or during Jesus time, the scripture shows us clearly that the war is won by God rather than by any man.

When Moses tried to gain justice by killing the Egyptian, God cooled him down in the wilderness for 40 years. When the opportune time arrived, God performed mighty works to deliver Israel from Egypt.

When Joshua took Jericho, he sent no troops, but instead marched around the city for seven days, which is the way that God determined to have the city destroyed.

When the disciples regarded Jesus as a king who establishes his kingdom on earth, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the messiah by dying on the cross and was resurrected on the third day.

Gods ways are always higher than ours. He never expects us to be heroes but only to trust in Him daily. As Christians, we dont need to fight since the war belongs to God and it is already won.

What He instructs us to do is to stand firm by wearing the armor He gives. It is a passive status and proactive assault is not encouraged. It is hard to accept such a fact, because it is human nature for us to struggle to prove our value by good works.

Do it to the least

On the contrary, what God values most are not splendid acts, but small and unimpressive things. For example, caring for the poor, helping the needy and visiting the orphans and widows. Seldom do people consider those things as their lifelong career.

You are able to improve others lives, but in a quiet and modest way. All it takes is a humble and obedient heart. Although the people you helped cant pay you back, the rewards in the kingdom of God are great. Does it ever cross your mind that what you did to the poor and the needy are done to Jesus? Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. (Matthew chapter 25, verse 40)

Its a relief to us as well! The majority of us are just ordinary people. The chance to be a martyr is low. The war is won, but thankfully God invites us to be His co-workers. We dont need to bear the pressure of becoming somebody, but still have the opportunity to share Gods glory by doing small things for the needy. How blessed are we!
September 12, 2021

 Two astronauts installed the mount for a new solar array outside of the International Space Station during the first spacewalk to not include an American or Russian crew member as one of the pair.



Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and French astronaut Thomas Pesquet with the European Space Agency (ESA), both clad in U.S. spacesuits bearing their respective countries' flags on their left shoulders, spent six hours and 54 minutes working in the vacuum of space on Sunday (Sept. 12). The extravehicular activity (EVA) began at 8:15 a.m. EDT (1215 GMT) when the two Expedition 65 crewmates switched their suits to battery power.



Exiting the U.S. Quest airlock, Hoshide and Pesquet made their way to the port (or left-hand) side of the space station's backbone truss to a position referred to as P4. There, they worked together to build a bracket structure, called a modification kit, and then mounted it to the mast canister at the base of one of the existing P4 solar arrays.



"Construction work!" Pesquet exclaimed, as he and Hoshide began the erector-set-like assembly of the bracket's first parts.







Spacewalk outside the space station. Click to enlarge video in pop-up window. (NASA)

The kit prepared the site for the future installation and deployment of the third of six new International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays (iROSAs). The array will upgrade one of the station's eight power channels, known as 4A, which provides partial power to the U.S. Destiny lab, the Harmony node and European Columbus module.



A future spacewalk will add the P4/4A IROSA, itself, after its delivery to the space station by a SpaceX Dragon cargo flight in 2022.



The station's original solar arrays have begun to show signs of degradation as they reach and surpass their 15-year service life. The new roll-out solar arrays will be capable of increasing the station's electricity supply by 20 to 30 percent.



The same IROSA design is planned to power the elements of NASA's Gateway, a lunar orbit outpost being developed by the agency's commercial and international partners.



After completing the mod kit's installation, Hoshide and Pesquet replaced a floating point measurement unit, a device used to measure the electrical charging potential of the station's arrays and their associated surfaces in its vicinity. Hoshide also removed and replaced a "pip pin" used to secure the airlock hatch.



With the scheduled tasks of the EVA achieved, the two astronauts returned to the airlock to enter the space station. The spacewalk ended at 3:09 p.m. EDT (1909 GMT) when re-pressurization of the airlock began.



Hoshide and Pesquet's activities during the spacewalk were filmed using a special virtual reality (VR) camera as part of the ISS Experience, an ongoing immersive production by Felix & Paul Studios in association with TIME. The custom 3D, 360-degree space camera was positioned during the EVA by ground controllers using the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm.



The VR footage from the spacewalk will be returned to Earth on SpaceX's CRS-23 Dragon in late September.



NASA originally intended to conduct this spacewalk in August with Hoshide and U.S. astronaut Mark Vande Hei. Pesquet was added to the EVA team after Vande Hei suffered a pinched nerve in his neck. Still recovering, Vande Hei supported the spacewalk from inside the station.



All U.S. operating segment (USOS) crew members, including NASA, JAXA and ESA astronauts, are trained equally so spacewalker pairings usually hinge on the make up of the station's crew at any given time, said NASA's deputy manager for the International Space Station Program, Dana Weigel.



"The complement of crew members always has more NASA crew members, so just statistically speaking, it makes sense that you usually end up with a NASA crew member," said Weigel in a pre-spacewalk briefing. "There is no requirement for that and that's certainly not a ground rule for planning."



With the inclusion of an additional crew member on U.S. commercial crew flights, such as the Crew Dragon on which both Hoshide and Pesquet arrived in April, the chances of another international partner spacewalk has increased, said Weigel.



"Now that we have four USOS crew members on board  whereas when we were flying on [Russia's crew spacecraft] Soyuz we only had three  we have a higher likelihood of seeing something like this again," she said.



Prior to Sunday's all-international EVA, 14 astronauts from either ESA, JAXA or the Canadian Space Agency have joined an American crew member on a total of 37 spacewalks. Hoshide and Pesquet's outing was the 244th spacewalk in support of assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station.



Hoshide served as extravehicular crew member one (EV1) and wore a spacesuit with red stripes. Pesquet was EV-2 wearing an unmarked suit. This was the fourth spacewalk for Hoshide and the sixth for Pesquet.
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Animal Health Market: Information by Animal Type (Farm animal, Companion animal), Product (Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, Feed Additives), Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral), Distribution Channel (Retail, E-Commerce)-Forecast till 2028

Animal Health Market Scenario:

The Animal Health Market to account for USD 99 Billion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period (20212028).

The growing pet insurance, rising incidence rate of zoonotic diseases, growing pet population, and spending on animal health are the major factors driving the growth of the global animal health market. Additionally, improvement in productivity, rising focus toward food safety, and increasing pet ownership also fueling the growth of market during forecast periods. For instant, according to the data published in 2016 by the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), the growth of the pet health insurance in North America was exceeded by 17.2% from 2014 to 2015.

Animal health is a branch of veterinary science deals with treatment and monitoring of animal disease. This play an important role for economy and safety of the countrys food supply.

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The expanded production of food goods dependent on animals would contribute to a major decrease in costs, facilitating quick access to food at competitive prices. Technological advances in veterinary health care are also pushing the industry, and this is projected to bring further opportunities for expansion. These developments include the introduction of powerful knowledge management systems, interactive technology for animal owners, and vaccine banks. In addition, the increasing emphasis on animal welfare advancement has given rise to some initiatives that are reinforcing business growth prospects.The high costs associated with animal health, the lack of animal health knowledge and the inaccessibility of veterinary services in underdeveloped and emerging regions could impede market growth during the evaluation period.

Animal Health Market Segmental Analysis

The Global Animal Health Market has been segmented on the basis of animal type, product, route of administration, and distribution channel.On the basis of animal type, the market has been classified as farm animal and companion animal. It is projected that the farm animal segment will have the largest market share of the animal health market, by type of animal, during the forecast period. Policymakers in different countries are trying to achieve complete food security due to increasing food safety and sustainability issues, which are pushing large-scale food production and contributing to increased livestock rearing.the market, by product, has been segmented into pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and feed additives. During the forecast period, the vaccine segment will report the highest CAGR in the global animal health industry. Some vaccines are only available in licensed veterinary hospitals and clinics, fueling the development of the category as well. In addition, recommendations for safety procedures and requirements to be followed in veterinary hospitals and clinics have been provided by multiple government animal protection agencies, which have broadened the scope for the segments development over the past few years.By the route of administration, the market has been segmented into oral, parental, topical, and others.The industry has been segmented into veterinary hospitals & laboratories, retail, e-commerce, and others, by delivery channel. The growth of the veterinary hospital sector has been supported by the growing number of hospital pharmacies, combined with high procedural volume as a result of regular readmission of pets for treatment.

Regional AnalysisAttributed to the increasing demand for animal protein, the increase in productivity and the emphasis on food welfare, the Americas is expected to lead the global animal health market. In addition, increasing ownership of pets and expanded medicalization for pets are also fueling demand growth during projected times. With the the expenditure on the care of dogs, the need for veterinary treatment and the facilities needed for the treatment will also increase.The second-largest animal welfare sector is expected to be the European market. The growth of the market in this area can be due to government funding for R&D and an increasing population of pets.During the prognosis period, Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing animal health market due to higher pet adoptions, a rise in the number of animal care services and an increase in the domestic animal population. Moreover, due to the existence of massive pet populations, countries such as India and China are considered to be the fastest growing region. This rise is due to factors such as the steady commitment of leading animal health players in R&D and their attempts to sell branded and generic therapeutics at a comparatively low price. Moreover, growing knowledge of pet nutrition and supplies and increasing levels of disposable income are expected to improve the regions demand development.Owing to the shortage of qualified veterinarians, high care costs and inadequate veterinary services, the Middle East & Africa market is projected to account for the smallest share of the global animal health industry.

Animal Health Market Competitive Landscape

Some of the major players in the global animal health market are Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, CevaSanteAnimale, Elanco, Eli Lilly, Merck Animal Health, Nutreco N.V., Vetiquinol SA, Virbac, Zoetis, and Others.

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Global Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) Market: Information by Diagnosis (Fluorescein Angiography and others), Management (Magnifying Spectacles and others), End User (Hospital & Eye Clinics and others) and Region - Forecast till 2027

Market Overview

The Global Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) Market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.7% and is anticipated to reach USD 1593.885 million by 2027.

Market Highlights

Eye care has become one of the important aspects of medicine due to the continuous development of new therapies and availability of technologically advanced devices for eye care. Furthermore, the prevalence of eye disease is found to be increasing for all ages. Macular degeneration diseases such as Best disease and Stargardt disease are found to be highly prevalent among the children. Market players are now focusing on the development of novel therapies such as stem cell therapy to reduce the supply-demand gap in the market. Eye care supplement act as a protective measure whose demand is found to be increasing in the developing countries across the globe. Additionally, increasing demand for early diagnosis and treatment is boosting the market growth.

Global Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

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The European juvenile macular degeneration market accounted for 32.7% market share in 2016. In Europe, Germany, the U.K, and France are the largest contributors to the market owing to the availability of funds for research, and extensive research and development activities in ophthalmology. The development of novel therapies and other treatment options for juvenile macular degeneration also fuel the growth of the market. The Middle East & Africa exhibit steady but positive growth owing to low technology penetration in developing regions of Africa, and increasing demand for diagnostics services in developing regions. In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates accounts for the largest market share for macular degeneration.

Key Players in Global Juvenile Macular Degeneration Market Acucela Inc. (U.S.), Alkeus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (U.S.), Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan), ProQR Therapeutics NV (Netherland), Sanofi (France), Bayer HealthCare (Germany), F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland), Copernicus Therapeutics Inc. (U.S.), Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA (U.S.), Iris Pharma (U.S.), Nemus Bioscience Inc (U.S.), Ophthotech Corp (U.S.), Iconic Therapeutics (U.S.), Adverum Biotechnologies (U.S.), PanOptica (U.S.), RXi Pharmaceuticals (U.S.), Neurotech Pharmaceuticals (U.S.)

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uvenile macular degeneration is a genetic eye disorder that causes progressive vision loss. This disorder affects the retina, the specialized light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. Specifically, juvenile macular degeneration affects a small area near the center of the retina called the macula. The macula is responsible for sharp central vision, which is needed for detailed tasks such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces. The market is mainly driven by factors such as the increasing prevalence of eye disorders, development of new drugs and therapies, and emerging government policies. However, the high cost of treatment and lack of reimbursement is expected to restrain the growth of this market.

uvenile Macular Degeneration Market China and India contribute to the growth of the market. On the other hand, the Middle East & Africa hold the least share of the market due to the low prevalence of macular degeneration in the region and limited availability of funds and availability of medical facilities. The Middle East has a huge share for the Juvenile Macular Degeneration Market due to the presence of well-developed countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. However, due to the presence of a huge opportunity for the development of the market, Africa region is expecting a healthy growth in near future. Global Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardt Disease) market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.

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Key Players in Global Juvenile Macular Degeneration Market Acucela Inc. (U.S.), Alkeus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (U.S.), Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan), ProQR Therapeutics NV (Netherland), Sanofi (France), Bayer HealthCare (Germany), F. Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland), Copernicus Therapeutics Inc. (U.S.), Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA (U.S.), Iris Pharma (U.S.), Nemus Bioscience Inc (U.S.), Ophthotech Corp (U.S.), Iconic Therapeutics (U.S.), Adverum Biotechnologies (U.S.), PanOptica (U.S.), RXi Pharmaceuticals (U.S.), Neurotech Pharmaceuticals (U.S.)
Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Research Report: Information by Type (Centralized Automated Dispensing System, Decentralized Automated Dispensing System), End User (Hospital Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Home Healthcare) and Region - Forecast till 2027

Market Highlights

The Global Automatic Pill Dispenser Market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. It is anticipated that the market held a valuation of USD 1,700 million in 2018 and is projected to register a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Overview

Automatic pill dispensers are systems designed to dispense medicines without the need for supervision. This would be beneficial to the elderly and patients unable to stand in long queues. It can manage complex medication regimes and reduce waiting times at pharmacies. In addition, the presence of these machines in retirement communities and assisted living facilities can reduce the shift times of nurses. It can also lower complexities in distribution of medicines. The global automatic pill dispenser market report by Market Research Future (MRFR) takes a look at the various factors surrounding the industry and makes projections for the period of 2019 to 2024 (forecast period).

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Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Competitive Outlook

Becton, Dickinson and Company, Yuyama Co.Ltd., McKesson Corporation, Omnicell Inc., Cerner Corporation, Swisslog Holdings AG, Capsa Healthcare, Talyst, Inc., ScriptPro LLC, and Baxter International Inc. are key players of the global automatic pill dispenser market.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Outlook

The global automatic pill dispenser market is set to exhibit a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period. It was valued at USD 1,700 million in 2018.

The growing numbers of the geriatric population is one of the primary drivers of the market. The elderly find it difficult to adhere to medication refills and automated pill dispensers can lend its assistance in this regard. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the population of the elderly can magnify to 22% of the global population by 2050.

Other factors driving market growth include adoption of pill dispensers in home care centers, rise in regulatory approvals of drugs, advances in automatic pill dispensing systems, and awareness of timely intake of medications. The use of these pill dispensing systems to reduce the rounds of doctors and nurses as well as assist patients in attaining their daily nutrient intake can bode well for the global automatic pill dispenser market.

But high costs of these systems can hamper market growth.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Segmentation

The automatic pill dispenser market is segmented based on type and end user.

The global automatic pill dispenser industry is segmented by type into centralized automated dispensing system and decentralized automated dispensing system. The centralized automated dispensing system is further segmented into robotic automated dispensing systems and carousels. Furthermore, decentralized automated dispensing systems are segmented into automated unit dose dispensing system, pharmacy-based automated dispensing system, and ward-based automated dispensing system.

Based on end user, the market is segmented into home healthcare, hospital pharmacy, and retail pharmacy.

Automatic Pill Dispenser Market Regional Analysis

In the current scope of the study, the segments mentioned above are covered into the four global regions, namely, the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

The Americas had dominated the market owing to the large geriatric population in the region. The allocation of a large amount of healthcare expenditure for assisted living facilities and hospitals for dispensing medicines to the elderly can drive the market demand. According to the World Health Organization, the U.S. geriatric population can account for more than 20% of the total population in the country. High prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, cancer, and others as well as efforts by pill dispensing manufacturers to improve the system for making it accessible for the elderly can augur favorably for the global automatic pill dispenser market.

Europe had assumed the second position in the global owing to receiving funds for research and development and technological advances in these systems. Adherence to medications is the primary driver of the regional market. According to the National Health Service (NHS), close to USD 124 million of drugs had to be returned due to its non-utilization.

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Artificial Pancreas Device System Market Research Report by Type (CTR, CTT), End-user (Hospitals, Medical Centers, and Others), and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, RoW)- Forecast to 2027

Global Artificial Pancreas Device System MarketOverview

The requirement for safe and effective devices is the main factor impelling the demand for artificial pancreas device systems. Market reports connected with the healthcare industry have been made available by Market Research Future which generates reports on other business verticals that outlines the current market scenarios. The market is projected to attain USD 341.08 million while progressing at a 21.10% CAGR in the period of the forecast.

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By type, the report on the global artificial pancreas device system market can be segmented into CTT (Control to Target) Systems and CTR (Control to Range) Systems. These segments are known for their effective handling of various cases across the world.

By end users, the global artificial pancreas device system market can be segmented into hospitals and medical centers. Various hospitals are going to contribute substantially to the infrastructure in these spaces can easily handle the complications of the procedures. Also, better investment in the healthcare sector can prove beneficial for the easy incorporation of artificial pancreas device system market.

Artificial Pancreas Device System Market Regional Analysis:

North America is a region that provides ample scope to regional players in terms of infrastructure and investment. The region provides easy inclusion procedures for various top-class technologies. This, along with superior infrastructure, is set to provide thrust to the artificial pancreas device system market

Hike in investment from both governments and private players are expected to create a path for better research and development scope. In Europe, similar trends would drive artificial pancreas device system market in Italy, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and others. Better research facilities are expected to trigger a revenue generation procedure.

The Asia Pacific region is a space that offers residence to a vast number of people. Global players are targeting these people as their potential customers and are trying to expand their business in this region. China, India, and South Korea, with their revamping healthcare sector, are boosting these opportunities. These regions would fetch revenue from various types of artificial pancreas treatment.

Artificial Pancreas Device System Market Competitive Landscape:

The global artificial pancreas device system market is relying on the contributions of various companies like Bigfoot Biomedical, Medtronic Plc, Dexcom Inc., Cellnovo, Tandem Diabetes Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson, TypeZero Technologies LLC, Beta Bionics, Pancreum Inc., Inreda Diabetic B.V., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Insulet Corp., and others.

These companies are showing various scopes for expansion that would include methods like mergers, collaborations, new product launches, innovations, hike in research and development infrastructure, top-class marketing strategies, and others. MRFR has scaled its recent achievements to understand how the market can profit from the latest evolutionary methods of various companies.

Artificial Pancreas Device System Industry News:

Patients with type-1diabetes require artificial help as their pancreas can no longer produce insulin. These two ways are biologically and electronically. The UKs National Health Service (NHS) has funded research that focuses on containing implanted cells and protects them from the immune system and negates the need for anti-rejection drugs. A few of these devices are showing good signs of progress.

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Market Highlights

The Vitamin test market is expected to witness tremendous growth owing to the rising prevalence of vitamin deficiency. Other key factors such as the change to sedentary lifestyle, increase in smoking, and increasing consumption of junk food and packaged food, growing geriatric population, rising consumer awareness for vitamin benefits, and technologically advanced laboratories are contributing towards the growth of the market. However, factors such as, high cost of vitamin test, limitations of the tests like false positives and false negatives and lack of awareness in developing countries are expected to restrict the market growth during the forecast period.

ALSO READ @ http://www.marketwatch.com/story/vitamin-test-market-regional-growth-key-values-future-demand-covid19-impact-business-opportunities-and-challenges-2027-2021-05-06

Segmentation

The global Vitamin test market is segmented on the basis of type, technology, and end-user. the vitamin test market, by type, is categorized into vitamin B12 & folic acid test,folic acid (folate) test , carotene (beta carotene) test, vitamin K1 test, vitamin E test, vitamin d 25-dihydroxy (calcitriol) test, vitamin C test, vitamin B12 test, vitamin B6 test, vitamin B5 test, vitamin B3 (niacin) test, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) test, vitamin a (retinol) test, vitamin B1 test. On the basis of Technology, the market is segmented into high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), radioimmunoassay, ELISA tests, chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA)and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into hospitals and clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic centers, research centers, and others.

Regional Analysis

The Americas is the largest in the market owing to the increasing prevalence of vitamin deficiency and growing healthcare expenditure. According to the The United States Department of Agriculture in 2014, 50% of Americans are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin C, and magnesium. Such a high incidence of vitamin deficiency drives market growth in this region.

Europe (UK, Belgium, France, and Netherlands) is the second largest vitamin test market during the forecast period. The increasing in awareness for vitamins and vitamin testing drives the market in this region. The European Laboratory of Nutrients (ELN) is an advanced laboratory for testing the nutrient levels in European population. Every year European Laboratory of Nutrients (ELN) organizes an international symposium titled Advanced Clinical Nutrition - Nutrients for Prevention and Cure of Disease'. Thus enhancing vitamin testing market in this region.

Asia-Pacific was projected to be the fastest growing region for the global vitamin test market in 2017. The market is expected to witness growth owing to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases in this region. Also, the presence of technologically advanced countries like China and Japan in this region is expected to influence the market growth in this region.

The Middle East and Africa accounts for the least share due to low per capita income and lack of availability of well-trained healthcare professionals. However, the rising healthcare services both at the hospital level and in the community are expected to influence the market in a positive way.

Access Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/vitamin-test-market-6377

Key Players

Some of the key players in the global Vitamin test market are VitaMe Technologies Inc., R-Biopharm AG, Abbott Laboratories, ImmunoDiagnostics Inc., F. Hoffman-La Roche, Siemens AG, Diazyme Laboratories, DiaSorin S.p.A, ORGENTEC Diagnostika GmbH and others.

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At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.
Theres a great debate right now about how much students have learned, and whats safe and whats not, said Robert Cotto Jr., a Trinity College lecturer who co-authored the research study with Sarah Woulfin, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. I think we need to do a better job of listening to families and saying: What do you need right now to feel safe and for your child to learn?
Its always incredibly moving to hear the names, Bysiewicz said following the ceremony. She was serving as secretary of the state when the 9/11 attacks occurred. She noted that municipal primary elections were happening around the state on that day, and that after considering cancelling the election, they were held  the terrorists cant stop us from voting!  and attendance at the polls was unexpectedly strong. In her remarks, Bysiewicz paid tribute to my childrens teachers husband, Middlefield resident Bruce Eagleson, who was working at the World Trade Center that day and rescued over a dozen colleagues before the building collapsed on him.
Alpha: Eddie Gallagher and the War for the Soul of the Navy SEALs by David Philipps. (Crown, 480 pp.) The New York Times reporter covered the saga of the decorated SEAL, from accusations by several of his men that he committed war crimes in Mosul, Iraq  including premeditated murder of an unarmed prisoner  through his trial in 2019. Here Philipps asks, How did the culture of the SEALs evolve to make a guy like this want to do it, as he told another reporter, and then make it so difficult to actually try and bring him to justice for it?
Before the first day, the two teachers called their students families to discuss how they were feeling. They met some at back-to-school events, where one girl told Esposito she was nervous and asked if she could sit farther away from other students. Esposito told her yes. When Esposito explained the schools social distancing rules, which require that people stay at least 3 feet from others, a boy asked her if it would be OK if he kept 6 feet apart. She reassured him he could.
Omega said there was only one spill. It notified the VMRC and dispatched its spotter planes for the next few days to look for any dead fish. The planes found only fraction had, and reported that to the VMRC.
There were also 39 more deaths reported: six in Hampton; five each in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach; four each in James City County and Norfolk; three each in Accomack County and Newport News; two each in Portsmouth and York County; and one each in Franklin and Suffolk and Gloucester, Isle of Wight and Mathews counties.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has taken up this project at a cost of Rs 1,408 crore. (DC File Image)

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will soon inaugurate 15,660 double bedroom houses at Kollur in Sangareddy district, municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) minister K.T. Rama Rao tweeted on Sunday.

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has taken up this project at a cost of Rs 1,408 crore. Houses built in the form of apartments are for allotment to poor living in Hyderabad and surrounding areas. Construction of these subsidised buildings in Kollur is being carried out by private agencies. Dwellings built here will be on par with private apartments.

Phase-I of the Kollur project has 14 blocks, where 10,000 families can reside in nine-storey buildings. Each dwelling is spread over 550 sq. ft. Phase-II of the project will have 117 blocks with 1,566 double bedroom houses. Work on roads, drainage, cabling and other amenities are on .

State government is making arrangements to divert Godavari water to the area for meeting its drinking water needs. For the purpose, authorities are installing a special pipeline from Muthangi in Patancheru to Kollur.

MA&UD minister tweeted about the project: "Another beautiful sighting from the sky is the largest dignity housing 2 BHK project at Kollur in Sangareddy district. (It) Has shaped up beautifully, (having) 15,660 units in a single location. Keen on getting this inaugurated by Honble CM KCR Garu at the earliest," Rama Rao posted on his Twitter handle on Sunday.
Gandhinagar: First-term MLA Bhupendra Patel will be the new chief minister of Gujarat.

Patel (59) was unanimously elected BJP legislature party leader here on Sunday. He will be sworn in as the chief minister on Monday, state BJP chief C R Paatil said.

The proposal to elect him the legislature party leader was moved by CM Vijay Rupani, whose resignation on Saturday, over a year ahead of the state Assembly polls, surprised many political observers.

Most of the 112 MLAs of the party in the 182-member Assembly were present at the meeting, BJP sources said.

Soon after the meeting, Patel, accompanied by senior BJP leaders, met Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan. Patel presented a letter to form the government, which was accepted by the governor, the sources said.

In Monday's swearing-in ceremony, only Patel will take oath and other ministers will be inducted later, they said.

Patel's name was not in the long list of probables being discussed in state political circles and he emerged as the dark horse, a political observer said.

A soft-spoken leader, Patel has had a meteoric rise in state politics, starting at the municipality level and on way to becoming the CM in his first term as an MLA.

He contested his maiden Assembly election from Ghatlodia constituency in Ahmedabad in 2017 and won by over 1.17 lakh votes, the highest victory margin in the state during that election.

Fondly called 'Dada' by many (Rupani is called Bhai'), Patel is considered close to former Gujarat chief minister and present Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. His Assembly constituency is part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat represented by Union minister Amit Shah.

He holds a diploma in civil engineering, always has a smiling face and is well-connected to the grassroots, a party worker said.

Talking to the media after his election as the BJP legislature party leader, Patel thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah and BJP president J P Nadda for placing their trust in him.

On his mentor Anandiben Patel, Patel said he is glad to have her blessings.

There has been a lot of development work during Rupani's tenure as CM and he intends to take it forward, Patel said.

Paatil said Patel's work at the grass root-level, his hold on the cooperative sector, association with party workers and administrative abilities were among the factors that led to his elevation.

In a tweet, Shah congratulated Bhupendra Patel, adding he is confident that the CM-designate will work on the path of development under Modi's leadership.

BJP's central observers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Joshi and party general secretary Tarun Chaug were present at the legislature party meet.

There was talk that Praful Khoda Patel, administrator of the union territories of Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu and Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister, were among the contenders.

Praful Patel, like Bhupendra Patel, belongs to the influential Patel community, while Mandaviya is from Patidar community.

Rupani (65) Saturday resigned from the post. It was not clear what prompted the development in Modi's home state where elections to the 182-member Assembly are due in December 2022.

Rupani, the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, was sworn in as chief minister  his second stint as CM - in December 2017. He completed five years in office on August 7 this year.

Hours before the legislature party meeting, Deputy CM Nitin Patel said the new leader "will have to be popular, strong, experienced, and the one who is known and acceptable to all".

Nitin Patel, whose name was doing the rounds for the top post in the state, had told reporters that the BJP's central leadership will decide on the new chief minister.
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In 1971, Attica Prison Riot would be one of the most well-known prison riots in recent American history. One of the worst uprisings was the demand for reforms, but it quickly got ugly, ending violence and casualties.

This incident was 50 years back when conditions in prisons would be brutal. Inmates would live in situations that may as well be inhuman, prompting them to demand reforms. All the bad blood finally burst when the prison was stormed and ended in one of the deadliest riots, racking with about 43 victims dying in the aftermath.

Tensions Escalated During the Rebellion in Attica

The Attica Correctional Facility rebellion started on September 9 in 1971. It was four days of talks between inmates with demands for reform and the official workers concerned by these demands, reported the Daily Star.

To convince officials, inmate leaders took hostage 42 correctional officers with civilians as hostages. They felt their demands as the jail did not meet better prison conditions and rights given to inmates, so they reacted. The negotiation between the two had ended when the New York State Police entered the Attica facility and retook it by force.

An article in USA Today mentioned that before the riot, the New York Commissioner of corrections, Russell Oswald, had a letter addressed to him by five prisoners from the facility in July. Insiders were asking for 28 prison reforms due to inmates that claimed to be the Attica Liberation Faction. Oswald was believed to acknowledge the letter and carefully go over the five's demands before the Attica Prison Riot.

Read Also: Deadman's Island Is Off-Limits to Visitors As Human Remains, Open Coffins Surround the Area Resembling Horror Movie Scenes

Even though Commissioner Oswald said he would consider these requests, he didn't implement them immediately and kept stalling them. This act of not prioritizing these demands made the inmates very mad despite their hope for significant changes to be implemented.

Uprising of Inmates Due to the Belief the Commissioner Did Not Acknowledge Demands

One of the complaints that the inmates brought to attention was getting packed like sardines and overcrowded facilities, living space that was the least comfortable, and lastly, getting beaten and mistreated while locked up.

About 2,234 prisoners rose against the chiefs in Attica, while half of the prisoners were composed of black men. The riot happened on September 9 when prisoners were told that the recreation areas were being closed off. The prisoners were fed up, took the steel gate down, and captured all the guards before taking their keys.

An article by the New York Post about the riot mentioned at 10:30 am, prisoners were in command of the entire D Yard. They took hostages as insurance from reprisal towards jail officials. The riot leaders decided to take control of Attica prison, which later turned into a bloody clash against the police force that arrived to retake the prison.

In the worst jail uprising, the riot's aftermath and violence ended with 29 inmates and about ten hostages dying in the southeastern D yard. Fellow inmates killed one warden and three prisoners before the retaking of the prison facility. Added to the 43 dead are 128 injures due to the uprising.

Deanne Quinn Miller, a daughter of a former correctional officer, said her dad, one of the riots' victims, passed away on September 11, 1971. She is one of the many who lost a loved one in the Attica Prison Riot of 1971, hoping for justification from the state, which she expects this year as it is the 50th anniversary of the riot that killed her father.

Related Article: World's Worst Jails: Inmates' Mouths Sewn Shut, Rats Served for Food While Corpses Are Dumped in Drains

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On the day of the terror attacks, two F-16 fighters were ordered to make the ultimate sacrifice, ram their jets into one of the airliners. But, one of the jets crashed, was brought down by the heroism of its passengers.

The two pilots, Lieutenant Colonel Marc Sasseville and Lieutenant Heather Penney Garcia, saw what was happening as passenger planes became guided missiles.

On that day, they took off in their fighter jets, without weapons except for the plane itself. This day called on the pilots to give that what was expected, and they did not hesitate.

When terrorists used American airlines to crash into the Twin Towers

Earlier, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed at the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 am, which many assumed was an accident. About 17 minutes later, the United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into the South Tower, and now it was clear that the US was under attack.

The Pentagon lost control, never imagining such an attack would have confused the US military. Ordered up were Sasseville and Garcia on their jets that become the weapons to stop any plane attempting to make another attack. It was a one-way trip, reported the Daily Star.

The designated plane for the kamikaze mission is the United Airlines Flight 93. To destroy it at all costs, passengers revealed that the US capitol building would be the target. But on the doomed flight 93, a drama was unfolding as the plane was under terrorist control, noted News 4jax.

Kamikaze mission of F-16 fighters to take down Flight 93

When the two F-16 fighters were flying on September 11, they lacked missiles and guns with non-lethal dummy rounds, leaving the pilot no option but to ram at speed. It would mean certain death for the two pilots, but they still were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

As the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were unfolding, then-Air Force Lt. Heather Penney was given a mission to intercept hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 before it reached D.C. The rookie F-16 pilot said she believed she would not come back from that mission. https://t.co/loAe6GASpI pic.twitter.com/jClNWi9di2  ABC News (@ABC) September 11, 2021

Read Also: Afghanistan in Economic Disaster, Food Shortage; Locals Encounter Devastating Results Days After Taliban Takeover

On the ground, after the crash into the World Trade Towers, it was death and destruction, below and shock. The lead plane, Sasseville, would be the death blow crashing into the cockpit, while Garcia would destroy the tail by impacting it, cited NBC News. None of them had ever trained for a kamikaze mission or to stop an enormous airliner. It would take more than an engine failure to stop a death dive on the Capitol.

Major Daniel Caine of the 113th Wing of the Washington DC Air National Guard called Kenneth Beauchamp of the secret service to offer the air guards services as the progress of the attack.

The secret service to the major would not be necessary as the base 10 in the southeast of DC had pilots scrambled. Then-Vice President Dick Cheney ordered an operation in the bunker called the underground Presidential Emergency Operations Centre. Caine was already preparing for a foray to arm planes while Sasseville and Garcia were getting ready. Besides the two on the mission, there were Captain Brandon Rasmussen and Major Daniel Caine. The Major told the others they were flying blind and gave the frequency to contact.

Brigadier General David Wherley authorized Sasseville by whatever means, he accepted and his wingman. Both left the Andrews Air Force Base at 10:42 am, barely armed.

These two F-16 fighters on 9/11 never had to make the ultimate sacrifice, as Flight 93 crashed in a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, due to the heroism of the passengers leaving everyone dead, including the terrorists. The act of heroism displayed by the passengers of Flight 93 will forever be remembered, same with Pilots Sasseville and Garcia, who never hesitated to give the ultimate sacrifice on a Kamikaze mission.

Related Article: Taliban Disappointed With Inoperable Aircraft Left at Kabul Airport as US Troops Disable Them Before Leaving

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An elephant unexpectedly knocks out man in terrifying footage showing how powerful these mammals are. The video shows the ferocity of the pachyderm as it stomps the human to death, like a rag doll.

Lethal force can be used by such large animals when triggered by people, when otherwise tranquil. The victim did not see it coming that the animal would react in such a way that would cost a life.

Man feeds elephant but was trampled to death

Using its trunk, an elephant battered a man with its strong trunk and started to stomp the victim underfoot until dead, reported the Sun UK. Rachan Theerapittayatrakul, the identified victim of the fatal elephant attack, was pummeled and crushed by a female elephant called Cherry in Pak Chong, Thailand.

Police Captain Arthit Poontaisong, the deputy inspector of Mu Si police, reported that the 55-year-old victim stopped his pickup truck to feed the elephant sugarcane when he noticed it was tied to a tree close to the road. Police claim that he meant well, but the large mammal misinterpreted it, felt threatened, and assaulted the man fatally. It took all of two minutes for Cherry to hurl the man like a rag doll in the air, resulting in his death.

During the devastating attack, seen in the footage was the 28-year-old elephant swinging her trunk that hit the victim so hard, sending him down. Next, its large feet were stomping and crushed bones until he died. Cherry, the elephant, unexpectedly knocks out the man, which baffled the owner as, why it happened.

Read Also: British Woman Seriously Injured After her Twin Fights Off Savage Crocodile in Mexican Lagoon

Elephant owner baffled why the mammal attacked

Cherry's owner, Peng Yimram, spoke to the police right after the April incident, which took the life of Rachan Theerapittayatrakul. He said that the elephant has never exhibited such aggressive tendencies until now, cited the Bangkok Post. He added that the elephant is always at the same place every morning for years. The mammal gives rides to tourists visiting the Pak Chong area.

According to the owner, on the day she killed the man, he was nearby mowing grass. He only noticed something was amiss when a group of bystanders was close by the tree, where he tied the animal.

Rachan is not the only one recently killed by a rampaging elephant. In the last few months, these incidents show how unpredictable these tusked mammals can be.

A human lost his life. I wonder whom to blame. pic.twitter.com/KQVGzRq0Ca  Parveen Kaswan (@ParveenKaswan) July 26, 2021

Other victims of fatal elephant attacks

Last month an elephant attack killed an elderly, 68, by impaling him with deadly ivory tusks, cited Eminetra.

When Emile Moussavou, in the Como-Kango region of Gabon, encounters an elephant close to his village of Cachilaire mentions the media. The victim did not expect the large animal to charge. With his back turned to the elephant, one of its tusks struck his left leg. Next, he was tossed and flying for several meters free of the animal's tusk. He ran away and was scared to death when he escaped, hiding in fear of getting killed by the animal. He crawled despite his injured leg to the village and went to a hospital for treatment.

In another video, a man died after getting squished to death after workers made the mistake of shooing away an elephant herd past a plantation in Letekujan, in Assam. One in the herd attacked unexpectedly, causing chaos in the crowd. No one thought the elephant unexpectedly knocked out a man without provocation and just happened. These attacks on humans show that elephants are still wild despite domestication.

Related Article: Hippopotamus Assault Leaves Man Covered in Blood After Biting Its Arms, Shoulder and Torso

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Despite continuing airstrikes from Yemen's Houthi rebels, the U.S. has withdrawn its most advanced missile defense system and Patriot batteries from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

A Satellite Image Showed Some Patriot Batteries Removed in Late August

In a recently published article in MSN News, some of the batteries had been removed from the location, according to a satellite picture obtained by a news source in late August, but activity and vehicles could still be observed there. The batteries' pads at the location were vacant, with no apparent activity, according to a high-resolution Planet Lab satellite image obtained Friday.

The missiles were believed to be being redeployed for months, in part to prepare for what American officials view as a coming "great powers war" with China and Russia. The retreat, however, came as a Houthi drone assault on Saudi Arabia injured eight people and damaged a commercial aircraft at the kingdom's Abha airport.

Meanwhile, since a missile-and-drone attack on the kingdom's oil production hub in 2019, Prince Sultan Air Base, some 115 kilometers (70 miles) southeast of Riyadh, has housed thousands of U.S. soldiers. According to analysts and physical evidence left behind the attack, although being claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels, seems to have been carried out by Iran, according to a report published in Bloomberg.

Read Also: Saudi Arabia and Qatar Seeking Deal to End Gulf Crisis, Sources Say

Saudi Arabia Prince Released a Statement

Prince Turki Al-Faisal said that Saudi Arabia wants the U.S. to demonstrate its commitment to the monarchy by keeping American military equipment in the country, according to a published report in CNBC. He was replying to a question on what the Middle East requires of the US after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

The prince, who formerly served as Saudi Arabia's intelligence director, also said that he needs assurances from the US to assist Saudi Arabia with its defense system. For him, the best way to demonstrate this is to keep Patriot missiles in Saudi Arabia at a time when missiles and drone strikes are targeting the country.

In a recently published article in POLITICO, Al-Faisal believes that the United States should seriously consider expressing support for the Middle East right now, particularly in light of the US's messy departure from Afghanistan and the continuing situation in Kabul.

Pentagon Acknowledged the Redeployment of Certain Air Defense Assets

After receiving inquiries from a news outlet, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed the relocation of some air defense assets. He said that the United States remained committed to its Middle-East partners on a "broad and deep" level.

Kirby said, "The Defense Department continues to maintain tens of thousands of forces and a robust force posture in the Middle East representing some of our most advanced air power and maritime capabilities, in support of U.S. national interests and our regional partnerships.

Saudi Defense Ministry Said they are Capable of Defending its Territories

Despite recognizing the removal of American missile defense systems, the Saudi Defense Ministry characterized the kingdom's relationship with the U.S. as strong, enduring, and historic. The Saudi military is capable of defending its lands, oceans, and skies, as well as safeguarding its people, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia retains its own Patriot missile batteries, firing two missiles against each oncoming target on average. During the Houthi assault, this has become a costly proposition, since each Patriot missile costs more than $3 million. The monarchy also claims to have intercepted almost all missiles and drones fired against it.

Related Article: US Thinks of Establishing New Bases in Saudi Arabia to Counter Iran



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
According to a text message from their family, the Taliban have killed Rohullah Azizi, the brother of former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh.

The Taliban Shot Dead the Brother of Former Afghan Vice-President

In a recently published article in Irish Examiner, according to Saleh's nephew, the Taliban shot and killed his brother, Amrullah Saleh, the former vice president of Afghanistan, and his chauffeur in northern Panjshir province. The shooting happened on Thursday, Shuresh Saleh's uncle Rohullah Azizi was driving someplace when Taliban militants stopped him at a checkpoint.

He said that they heard that his uncle and his driver were shot by the Taliban at a certain checkpoint. However, the Taliban group did confirm nor deny the accusation. Moreover, it was not also clear for the family where the Taliban brought his uncle after they were caught at the checkpoint.

He said that the phones in the neighborhood were not functioning. In Panjshir, the final province to be conquered by Afghanistan's new authorities, Amrullah Saleh commanded troops against the Taliban. Videos circulating on social media claim to show Taliban militants in Panjshir firing on anti-Taliban fighters they have detained, according to a published report in Independent.

Read Also: Taliban Hordes Force the Afghanistan President to Give Up as the Western Powers are Abandoning the Country

Family Received a Text Message from the Taliban

Ebadullah Saleh reportedly said in a text message "They [Taliban] executed my uncle. They killed him yesterday and would not let us bury him. They kept saying his body should rot," However, The Taliban have yet to issue an official statement or claim responsibility for the purported assassination.

The news of Azizi's death came only days after the Taliban seized control of Panjshir province, the final bastion of resistance to the rebel group's conquest of Afghanistan to have total control in the country, according to a report published in Times of India.

Although the resistance forces disputed the Taliban's allegation, one of its most famous commanders, Amrullah Saleh, had gone into hiding. The location of Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, another rebel commander, remains unknown at this time.

Massoud had sent an audio message on Monday, encouraging Afghans to join a "national revolt" against the Taliban. "Wherever you are, within or outside of our country, I call on you to start a national uprising for our country's dignity, freedom, and prosperity," he said.

Saleh Remained in Afghanistan After Former President Ghani Fled the Country, Proclaimed Himself as the Caretaker of the Country

An Afghan journalist Zahra Rahimi posted on his social media account that the Taliban killed the brother of the former Afghan Vice-President after being detained. He also said that Azizi attempted to flee Panjshir, the only place left where the Taliban does not have total control.

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled from the country after Kabul fell into the hands of the Taliban group last month. Meanwhile, former Afghan Vice-President Saleh went to the Pansjhir Valley- the only province left not captured by the Taliban at that time- and he then proclaimed himself as the caretaker of Afghanistan.

Furthermore, Saleh has survived several assassination attempts. He was also a known political figure in the country. Also a known critic of the Taliban and Pakistan.

Related Article: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Defends Fleeing Country Amid Taliban Takeover to Prevent 'Street-to-Street Fighting'

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The FBI has declassified a 16-page document relating to logistical assistance given to two Saudi hijackers in the run-up to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

FBI Released the Newly Declassified Document of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks During its 20th Anniversary

In a recently published article in MSN News, the document, which was made public on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, is the first investigation record to be made public after President Joe Biden ordered a declassification review of documents that had been kept secret for years.

The Saudi government has denied any connection for a long time. The Saudi Embassy in Washington said on Wednesday that it supports the complete declassification of all documents as a means to "finally put an end to the false accusations against the Kingdom." Any suggestion that Saudi Arabia was involved was "categorically untrue," according to the embassy.

The paper details the hijackers' interactions with Saudi connections in the United States, but it provides no proof that the Saudi government was involved in the unexpected 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to a recently published article in US News.

Read Also: F-16 Fighters on 9/11 Took Off on a Kamikaze Mission to Stop Flight 93 From Hitting the US Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Relatives of the Victims Believed Saudi Arabia Government Was Involved in the Attacks

Victims' relatives have been putting pressure on Biden in recent weeks, requesting the documents as part of a lawsuit in New York claiming that top Saudi officials were involved in the attacks, according to a report published in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Andrew 'Duke' Maloney, a lawyer with the law firm Kreindler LLP representing the September 11 families in the litigation against Saudi Arabia said "It's unclear what other parts of the government may have known what was going on, but clearly, fairly high-level and mid-level Saudi officials working for the government were part of this conspiracy."

The families' case alleging the Saudi government of involvement in the 2001 attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, is reaching a turning point 20 years later. Either enough evidence to sustain the lawsuit will be submitted to the court, or the case will be dismissed, according to a report published in ALJAZEERA.

How Did the Speculation Start?

The highly redacted document details a 2015 interview with an individual who was seeking US citizenship and had previous connections with Saudi nationals who investigators claimed offered "substantial logistical assistance" to many of the hijackers.

Since soon after the attacks, when it was discovered that 15 of the 19 terrorists were Saudis, there has been suspicion of government complicity. Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader at the time, was born into a distinguished Saudi family. According to released papers, the US examined several Saudi officials and others with Saudi government connections who knew hijackers after they landed in the US.

In a published article in KRMG, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, the first two hijackers to arrive in the United States, have drawn particular attention. In February 2000, soon after arriving in southern California, they met a Saudi citizen called Omar al-Bayoumi at a halal restaurant who assisted them in finding and leasing an apartment in San Diego. Omar al-Bayoumi had connections to the Saudi government and had previously been investigated by the FBI.

Related Article: Biden, First Lady To Visit All Three Sites of the 9/11 Attacks; POTUS Orders Department of Justice To Review 9/11 Attacks Documents



@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk leaves Incheon International Airport for Tokyo, Sunday. Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo



South Korea's chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk said, Sunday, that discussions with the United States on inter-Korean humanitarian projects had made significant progress.



He made the remarks at Incheon International Airport before traveling to Tokyo to hold a trilateral meeting with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts  Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi  during a three-day visit there. Noh also plans to sit down with each of them one-on-one.



Noh's trip is noteworthy given that he will meet the U.S. envoy for the fourth time in four months  after once in June and twice in August  as the Biden administration is firmly committed to providing its support for inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation projects.



In addition, the trilateral meeting comes after a recent International Atomic Energy Agency report suggesting that North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon.



"I expect that the upcoming talks will be a productive step to accelerate the Korean Peninsula peace process," Noh told reporters.



"What we consider the most important is to resume talks with North Korea. To this end, South Korea and the U.S. have held talks about jointly carrying out humanitarian cooperation projects for North Korea, which have shown considerable progress."



In August, they discussed inter-Korean projects that include support for North Korea's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other public health issues, such as clean drinking water.



"While continuing discussions on these issues, the two sides are also exploring a variety of measures to restart dialogue with North Korea," he added.



Noh also said the series of moves between the allies is a sign of their sincere efforts to resume nuclear talks with North Korea, which have been stalled since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Washington and Pyongyang in February 2019.



"They could discuss humanitarian assistance and something extra, such as the possibility of the U.S. partially lifting its sanctions on Pyongyang or the conditions for restarting talks," said Shin Beom-chul, the director of the Center for Diplomacy and Security at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.



However, Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, said that he thinks the U.S. has an ulterior motive in its frequent meetings of the top nuclear negotiators.



"The U.S. appears to be taking advantage of its nuclear talks with South Korea as a means to ensure cooperation  in other words, to have Seoul on Washington's side," he said.



"South Korea is seen by some as the weakest link among the WashingtonSeoulTokyo trilateral security structure, so the Biden administration is trying to keep the country in check in its policy toward North Korea," Park surmised, "In that sense, the two sides have held multi-level talks."


A medical worker waits for the next person to get tested for COVID-19 at a testing center in Seoul Station, Sept. 12. Yonhap



South Korea's daily coronavirus cases dropped under 1,800 on Sunday as health authorities try to stem virus infections ahead of a major holiday amid persistent infections in the greater Seoul area.



The country added 1,755 COVID-19 cases, including 1,725 local infections, raising the total caseload to 272,982, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).



The latest caseload was down from over 1,800 cases over the past two days.



Daily cases have stayed in the four-digits for more than two months amid the fast spread of the more transmissible delta variant nationwide.



The country added one more death from COVID-19, raising the death toll to 2,359.



Infections in the capital area have been giving the authorities a headache, with more than 70 percent of the new domestic cases being reported in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.



Health authorities are particularly worried about a potential uptick in virus cases after the Chuseok holiday, the Korean autumn harvest celebration, next week when tens of millions of people are expected to travel across the country.



To curb infections, the authorities decided to extend the current social distancing measures  Level 4 in the greater Seoul area, which is the highest in the four-tier system, and Level 3 in other regions  for another four weeks through Oct. 3.



While limiting the size of private gatherings and restaurant business hours, some restrictions have been eased to give leeway to vaccinated people.



A total of 33.1 million people, or 64.5 percent of the country's population, have received their first shots of COVID-19 vaccines, and 20 million people, or 39 percent, have been fully vaccinated, the KDCA said.



South Korea's COVID-19 vaccination program has been using vaccines from Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Janssen.



The country aims to provide at least one jab to 70 percent of the population by the end of September with hopes of reaching herd immunity in November.



Of the newly confirmed domestic cases, 656 were from Seoul, 481 from the surrounding Gyeonggi Province and 146 from the western port city of Incheon.



Busan, the country's second-largest city, reported 43 cases, while South Chungcheong Province added 77 cases.



Imported cases, which include South Korean nationals, came to 30, down 19 from the previous day. The total number of imported cases is now at 13,495.



Of the latest cases from overseas, six were from Uzbekistan, followed by Russia with five.



The number of patients with serious symptoms across the country reached 351, down one from the previous day.



The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 244,459, up 1,499 from a day earlier. (Yonhap)






The government has drafted a new mid-term plan to expand the education of 53 foreign languages that are less commonly taught but deemed increasingly important to the nation's engagement with the world, officials said Sunday.







Education, justice, gender and other ministers Wednesday discussed the education ministry's proposal for the second five-year basic plan for the education of the critical foreign languages, which will be implemented in 2022.







The 53 languages designated by a presidential decree include Arabic, Turkish, Kazakh, Mongolian, Hindi, Vietnamese, Thai, Polish, Italian, Swedish, Portuguese and Brazilian languages.







The previous first five-year plan was implemented from 2017-2021 following the enactment of the Act on the Promotion of Education of Critical Foreign Languages in 2016.







The new draft plan calls for expanding opportunities to learn such languages for all levels of students and the general public.







The government will provide common online courses and teachers specializing in the languages to elementary, middle and high schools, the ministry said.







The authorities also plan to triple the number of courses for such languages in the K-MOOC public free online learning program to 60 by 2026 from the current 21.







Under the first five-year plan, the ministry designated three universities as special institutions to teach the critical languages and provided support for their programs for 15 languages. The new plan seeks to increase the numbers of such institutions and languages.







The government will also operate more programs to nurture translators and specialists in such languages and increase support for language learning for children of multicultural families, officials said. (Yonhap)


People walk across a platform at Yeouido Station in Seoul, Sept. 3. Yonhap



Seoul Metro labor union threatens to stage walkout from Tuesday



By Lee Hyo-jin



The union at an operator of part of Seoul's subway system plans to call for a strike from Tuesday as talks between it and management have remained stalled over the last few weeks.



Unionized workers at Seoul Metro had already threatened to stage a walkout in early August to protest a proposed restructuring plan that included employee layoffs and a wage freeze.



They are demanding that the company withdraw the restructuring plan and come up with "feasible" measures to tackle the ongoing financial problems at the subway operator instead of firing employees.



The two sides will hold a final meeting on Monday, but chances of reaching a last minute agreement remain low as the company has been under heavy pressure from the Seoul Metropolitan Government to implement urgent measures to resolve its continuing deficit.



Seoul Metro, which was created after two city government-affiliated corporations, one running lines 1 to 4 and the other operating lines 5 to 8, merged in May 2017, has posted a yearly deficit of around 500 billion won ($435 million) for three-consecutive years.



In 2020, it recorded a deficit of 1.11 trillion won as ridership plummeted amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the company is expected to see a 1.6 trillion won deficit, its biggest ever.



Against this backdrop, the subway operator proposed the restructuring plan including laying off 1,539 workers, or around 10 percent of the total workforce, a wage freeze, and a reduction in employee benefits.





A member of the union at Seoul Metro speaks during a press conference in front of the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Sept. 3. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the leading presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a press conference held at the party's regional branch in Daegu, Saturday. Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, the leading presidential contender of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), is facing a crisis in his bid for the presidency, after a special body that investigates scandals involving high-ranking officials began looking into allegations that he abused his power as head of the prosecution.



The scandal surfaced earlier this month in media reports that stated Yoon, as top prosecutor, ordered aides to hand over documents to PPP lawmakers ahead of the general election in April last year, for them to use in filing criminal complaints against several liberal ruling party figures.



At the time, Yoon often made headlines for colliding with then-Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and other members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as he was at odds with the Moon Jae-in government's so-called prosecutorial reform policies. Yoon's confrontation with the DPK boosted his popularity among those wanting a change of government, as they saw him as an alternative to the current ruling bloc in the next presidential election.



The scandal has developed into a major flash point of conflict between the PPP and the ruling bloc, especially after the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced last Friday that it was investigating the allegations against Yoon and Son Jun-sung, then chief of investigative information policy at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office.



On Wednesday, Yoon held a press conference at the National Assembly and called the allegation  raised by an anonymous informant and reported by an internet-based news outlet  false. But he failed to clearly refute the allegation and some observers say he did more harm than good to his public image by making inappropriate remarks and displaying an overbearing manner. His remarks during the press conference, which implied that stories produced by small news websites other than what he called "major" media were untrustworthy, drew criticism from the media and other politicians.



Regarding the CIO investigating Yoon, the PPP said the state body was unjustly using its power to intervene in the presidential election.



PPP spokesman Rep. Kang Min-kuk said Sunday in a commentary that the CIO illegally searched the office of Rep. Kim Woong, a PPP lawmaker who is also purportedly involved in the scandal, upon launching its investigation, while it has been delaying carrying out investigations into ruling party figures allegedly involved in corruption. The CIO's search of Kim's office at the National Assembly last Friday was halted amid protests by PPP members, including Chairman Lee Jun-seok.



"The CIO illegally searched the office of an opposition lawmaker, who is merely a witness, without his permission and only a day after it launched its investigation into the case," Kang said.



"Furthermore, it seems that the prosecution could also launch a separate investigation into the matter as the justice minister, who is also a member of the ruling party, said it was important for the prosecution and the CIO to cooperate closely in investigating the case. Just like a hunter who has caught his prey, investigative agencies are rushing to a case where allegations have not been specified."




By Mark Peterson





The news recently that a Chinese-made movie has been blocked from being shown in Korean theaters tells us a lot about what is going on in Asia currently. China seems to be doing everything wrong, and the glorification of the Chinese role in the Korean War, a war that didn't go well for China at all, seems an obtuse move at best.



For example, the Chinese were defeated soundly in Gapyeong twice  in April and again in May of 1951. The first battle of Gapyeong was fought between the British Commonwealth nations of Canada, Australia and New Zealand and the Chinese. The second battle of Gapyeong was between the Utah National Guard and the Chinese. The outcome of both battles was an overwhelming, lopsided defeat for the Chinese.



The current Chinese story on film is in sharp contrast with a film I am personally working on. I've come to look into the story of the second battle of Gapyeong, also called the "Miracle Battle of Gapyeong." In my film, a documentary, not a feature film with a healthy degree of both fantasy and propaganda, we are factually telling how a Utah National Guard battalion defeated a Chinese "human wave" regiment by a score of 350 to 0.



There were 4,000 Chinese in the attack in the middle of the night of May 26, 1951 and 240 Utah National Guardsmen on the line defending one of the main routes to Seoul. The Chinese lost 350 men, while the national guardsmen lost none. None. There were a few injuries, but no deaths. It was a real miracle.



The story of the Utah artillery battalion  the 213th Armored Artillery Battalion  has been swallowed up in another battle at Gapyeong (old spelling Kapyong) where the Canadians and the Australians defeated a similarly overwhelming number of Chinese. The Australian/Canadian battle at Gapyeong is well-covered in media  videos, online articles, and commemorations at an international level every year when the ambassadors from Australian and Canada bring attention to their battles. The Canadian/Australian "Battle of Kapyong" was a major accomplishment. But what distinguishes the Utah battle is its miraculous nature  no deaths.



Both battles were lopsided. In the Canadian/Australian battle in April, the reported Chinese deaths were around 1,000. In the Utah battle in May, there were 350. In the first battle, the Aussies lost 32 soldiers, while 59 were wounded and three captured. The Canadians lost 10, while 23 were wounded. In addition, there were three Americans killed and 12 wounded and New Zealand lost two and five were wounded. The April battle saw 47 killed, and several wounded. In the May battle, none were killed and there were only a few wounded.



The Utah battalion was an artillery unit composed of five "batteries"  the equivalent of "companies" in infantry units. Artillery units usually support infantry from positions several miles behind the lines, since artillery shells can be fired a distance of five miles or more. But the history of artillery units is not a happy one in Korea. My military history associates tell me that several artillery units were overrun and destroyed in the Korean War. In the first battle of Gapyeong as well, the New Zealand unit was an artillery unit, and two of their soldiers died. This makes the miracle of the second battle of Gapyeong, no deaths, all the more remarkable.



Why is the Utah battle at Gapyeong, the second battle, not as well known or as well publicized as the first battle of Gapyeong? The main reason is that the Utah National Guard was one of many units in the American Army's contribution to the war. The Utah unit was "nationalized" when it was mobilized. This is unlike the situation today where American National Guard units in Afghanistan and Iraq were deployed as whole units and returned all together.



The 213th artillery was mobilized from the Utah National Guard, but was "brought up to strength" by adding over 50 percent of its complement from regular army personnel from around the country. It was fighting as a "nationalized" unit, and as such, its story has been swallowed up in all the other American combat units.



A total of 1,780,000 American soldiers fought in the Korean War, and the battles and the stories are numerous. The American ambassador cannot commemorate each of the many battles. By contrast, there were a total of 26,000 Canadians, 18,000 Aussies, and 4,700 New Zealanders. All together, the three commonwealth countries represent 2.7% of the American commitment. They make the most of their only major battle, the first battle of Gapyeong. And the second battle of Gapyeong has been largely overlooked.



But no more! The documentary we are making will help. And we are going to get more of the story reported online and in the media  including this article.



In the meantime, China is starting to tell its story with the full-length feature movie that tells of the heroism of their soldiers in Korea. That's not quite the way I see it. And on top of that, what kind of thought process are the Chinese steeped in to think that a movie glorifying their losing cause in Korea would be accepted in Korean theaters? They seem to be missing something on the "self-awareness" scale.





Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah.


Samsung Electronics' Austin chip manufacturing plant / Courtesy of Samsung



Taylor, Austin competing to house factory of Korea's tech giant



By Kim Bo-eun



Attention is focusing on where Samsung Electronics will finally decide to build its second foundry plant in the United States, after local authorities in Texas approved an incentive package worth several hundred million dollars, and in the face of rival chipmakers stepping up their game.



Williamson County and Taylor City Council held a joint meeting Sept. 8, where they approved the package for Samsung and took initial steps toward approving the incentives.



If Samsung goes ahead, the $17 billion, 560,000 square-meter plant would be built by January 2026, and create at least 1,800 jobs, according to multiple reports by local media outlets in Texas.



Williamson County is offering a 90 percent tax rebate worth $114 million for Samsung over 10 years, with a possible extension for another decade at an 85 percent rate, the reports said. Taylor City's incentives will provide Samsung with a 92.5 percent rebate on its property taxes for the first decade totaling around $240 million, a 90 percent rebate during the second and an 85 percent rebate during the third.



Taylor is competing with one site in Austin, two sites in Arizona and a site in New York. Travis County of Austin until recent months appeared to be the most likely candidate, given the city is currently home to Samsung's only U.S. manufacturing site. The Austin plant is its biggest operation outside of Korea, and building a second foundry plant nearby would have multiple benefits for the company. Earlier this year Samsung asked for over $800 million in tax incentives for the new plant over 20 years, and has already taken measures to use land there.



But Austin has yet to approve any incentives, according to reports. Also uncertainty looms over that location due to possible water supply issues. The Austin plant was shut down in February due to an unseasonal snowstorm and cold snap that hit Texas and resulted in power and water outages. Chip fabrication plants require ample supplies of water, which cools down equipment and cleans silicon wafers. Candidate locations in Arizona are also being seen as problematic as the state has also suffered water shortages due to a drought there.



"No decision has been made yet and Samsung continues to examine the various sites," a company official said Sunday.



But a decision is likely be reached soon, with industry sources saying that an investment plan could be unveiled by the end of this month.



Samsung is facing mounting pressure to finalize investments following the release of company head Lee Jae-yong from prison last month. The release on parole was backed by the government, which stated that the Samsung vice chairman needed to play a key role in reviving the local economy.



The chipmaker also faces tougher competition, with its Taiwanese rival TSMC investing aggressively in the U.S. and Intel also stating earlier this year that it will re-enter the foundry business.




Across China, the phrase "common prosperity" has become a major talking point spanning every demographic, from the rich and political elite to rural farmers and factory workers. Their concerns are vastly different, but many of their questions are quite similar.



"What does it mean?" "Will it work?" "How might it affect me?" Uncertainty abounds, and concerns are rife.



Steve Xie and Huang Weijie are private business owners who live more than 1,000km (620 miles) apart, in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, respectively. They don't know each other, but they've had similar  and frequent  conversations with their friends about Beijing's push for a more even distribution of wealth in the country.



They are also at opposite ends of the business spectrum  one is thriving, the other is struggling. But they are both speculating about what the common-prosperity strategy means for their futures, their businesses and the investments that they have sunk money into for years. It's a dialogue that is playing out nationwide.



"We entrepreneurs are chatting with each other," said Xie, who has been running a very successful fabrics-exporting business for years in Zhejiang's capital, Hangzhou. "We all joke that officials in Zhejiang and billionaires are keeping a low profile these days - they wish everyone would forget that they exist.



"Those of us who own villas and large, luxurious flats in Zhejiang  the government will certainly check our bank turnover, our personal and corporate tax payments, and see where our money comes from."



Those types of concerns, however, do not resonate with most of the population, particularly the poor, working class that potentially stands to benefit most from this planned smoothing out of wealth. About 200 million people live on a monthly income of less than 2,000 yuan ($309).



Yet, while there has been a very vocal outpouring of support, particularly on social media, many have also expressed scepticism and raised questions and concerns about this new heavy-handed public policy and its possible social and economic impact.



Zhejiang, with more than 64.5 million people, is particularly relevant at the moment because provincial authorities in July launched a pilot program designed to achieve common prosperity by 2025  by increasing local residents' per capita disposable income to 75,000 yuan ($11,600) while ensuring that the middle class comprises at least 80 per cent of the population  and Beijing's hope is that the plan can be replicated across the country by 2035.



That could include Guangdong, where Huang, a small garment manufacturer in his forties, was forced to suspended operations and return to his rural hometown after domestic and international sales worsened in the past two years. He said he hopes the common-prosperity push will result in financial support being directed towards rural areas, where many older residents return after years spent in urban settings as migrant workers, often at factories.





In this June 5 file photo, commuters rush into a train carriage during a morning rush hour at a subway station in Beijing. AP-Yonhap



"It will become increasingly difficult to find manufacturing workers in urban areas. Recently, I have been reading a lot of news about common prosperity, and I'd like to see a big push towards factories in the countryside  like an industrial-agricultural model with an industrial zone at its center, surrounded by mechanized farmland and orchards."



He suspects there will be resistance by large, urban conglomerates, but "we rural people definitely want resources to be invested in the countryside".



In an article late last month, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's chief China economist, described "common prosperity" as a shift in China's economic governance framework.



Indeed, when faced with mounting challenges  including enormous pressure resulting from a rapidly declining population; the widening wealth gap between the rich and poor; and souring US-China relations amid a broader anti-globalization trend  Beijing has downshifted China's economy to a slower growth path, setting its sights on social equality and national safety, Xing said.



As a result, the future could bring a number of regulatory changes, including in the property sector. And there will be a greater demand on local businesses, in terms of corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibilities.



Xie's thriving business could be affected, but to what degree is unknown. What they've been told is that the common-prosperity push does not mean "killing the rich to help the poor", according to one official in Zhejiang.



"Zhejiang actually has a well-developed private economy ... and the local government had rarely come down to check taxes and control our operations in the past," he said. "But now that senior local officials and fintech giants are being investigated, everyone here is panicked.



"Many towns here are rich, with yearly output values in the tens of billions of yuan. Now that Zhejiang is on its way to becoming the nation's model for common prosperity, it means we may have to contribute more to the state. In addition, each town is being asked to develop into a small city, which requires a huge investment of resources."



Zheng Yue, a senior executive with a Shenzhen-based company specializing in video surveillance, also has concerns.



"Honestly, we must be wary about common prosperity, and [China's] private companies might feel more uncertain in their expectations of future operations because of that," Yue said. "To achieve common prosperity, there must be a strong foundation, and that requires businesses to have a reasonable profit margin and be able to survive.



"As private entrepreneurs in China, we are all very practical, and operational considerations are not complicated  [we factor in] how much profit will be left after deducting the costs of labor, equipment, materials, taxes and fees."



Yue also said that achieving common prosperity requires additional support for agriculture and public services such as education and medical care.



"Where does this money come from? It must come from local companies," she said. "The common-prosperity policy will definitely reduce corporate profits, because labor costs such as social insurance and the wage base are bound to increase.



"Our company has seen staff costs rise from 5 per cent of the total costs to 15 per cent in the last two years. Profits, however, have plummeted compared with the pre-epidemic period, due to soaring raw-material costs, but it's hard for downstream customers to raise prices in the end market."





Women pose for pictures at a shopping mall near the CCTV headquarters and China Zun skyscraper in Beijings central business district (CBD), China, July 16. Reuters-Yonhap
Ayman al-Zawahri, center left, and Osama bin Laden, center, hold a news conference in Afghanistan in this 1998 file photo. AP-Yonhap



Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri appeared in a new video marking the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, attacks, months after rumors spread that he was dead.



The SITE Intelligence Group that monitors jihadist websites said the video was released Saturday. In it, al-Zawahri said that ''Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized,'' and praised al-Qaida attacks including one that targeted Russian troops in Syria in January.



SITE said al-Zawahri also noted the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war. It added that his comments do not necessarily indicate a recent recording, as the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban was signed in February 2020.



Al-Zawahri made no mention of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul last month, SITE added. But he did mention a Jan. 1, attack that targeted Russian troops on the edge of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.



Rumors have spread since late 2020 that al-Zawahri had died from illness. Since then, no video or proof of life surfaced, until Saturday.



''He could still be dead, though if so, it would have been at some point in or after Jan 2021,'' tweeted Rita Katz, SITE's director.



Al-Zawahri's speech was recorded in a 61-minute, 37-second video produced by the group's as-Sahab Media Foundation.



In recent years, al-Qaida has faced competition in jihadi circles from its rival, the Islamic State group. IS rose to prominence by seizing large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a ''caliphate'' and extending affiliates to multiple countries across the region.



IS's physical "caliphate" was crushed in Iraq and Syria, though its militants are still active and carrying out attacks. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of IS was killed by U.S. special forces in a raid in northwestern Syria in October 2019.



Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, became leader of al-Qaida following the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALs. (AP)


A person touches the name of a victim on the 9/11 Memorial on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in Manhattan, New York City, USA, Sept. 11. EPA-Yonhap



America marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11 Saturday with pleas for unity at solemn ceremonies given added resonance by the messy withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and return to power of the Taliban.



At the 9/11 memorial in New York, relatives wiped away tears, their voices breaking as they read out the names of the almost 3,000 people killed in the Al-Qaeda attacks, the deadliest in history.



"We love you and we miss you," they said as somber violin music played at the official ceremony, attended by President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.



The service at Ground Zero where 2,753 people died  some of whom jumped to their deaths from the burning towers  took place under tight security, with Lower Manhattan effectively locked down.



The first of six moments of silence was marked at 8:46 am, with a bell ringing to symbolize the time the first hijacked plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.



At 9:03 am, attendees stood still again to mark the moment the South Tower was struck. At 9:37 am, it was the Pentagon, where the hijacked airliner killed 184 people in the plane and on the ground.



At 9:59, the moment the South Tower fell. At 10:03 am, they remembered the fourth plane to crash in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought the hijackers. And at 10:28 am, the North Tower falling.



Mourners clutched photos of their loved ones, their pain still raw despite a whole generation having grown up since the morning of September 11, 2001.



"It feels like it was yesterday. Every year (that) we get further away it becomes more important to remember," said Joanne Pocher-Dzama, whose brother died at the World Trade Center.





From left, former U.S. President Barack Obama, former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg attend the 20th annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, N.Y., Sept. 11. UPI-Yonhap



Bush's fear



Bruce Springsteen performed "I'll See You in My Dreams" and smaller ceremonies across New York remembered the 343 firefighters who lost their lives saving others. After nightfall, powerful twin light beams symbolizing the Twin Towers were projected into the sky to commemorate the dead.






Former U.S. President George W. Bush attends a 9/11 commemoration at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on Sept. 11. AFP-Yonhap



Warning that the nation was falling into division and extremism, former President George W. Bush appealed Saturday for a return to the spirit of cooperation that emerged _ almost instantaneously _ after the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago.



Delivering the keynote address at the national memorial to the victims of Flight 93, who forced down their airplane hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists before it could be used as a weapon against the nation's capital, Bush warned of ''violence that gathers within.''



''There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home,'' he said. ''But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.''



Bush's warning came barely eight months after the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It marked some of Bush's sharpest criticism of that attack and appeared to be an implicit criticism of Trump's brand of politics.






Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 86F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 68F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
National

Haryana govt orders judicial probe into Aug 28 incident, farmers call off sit-in

Chandigarh, Sep 11 (PTI) | Publish Date: 9/11/2021 1:51:11 PM IST

The Haryana government on Saturday ordered a judicial probe into last months clash between farmers and police and sent the IAS officer who is at the centre of a row over his remarks on leave. Following this, farmers called off their sit-in outside the Karnal district headquarters.

Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Devender Singh said the probe will be conducted by a retired judge and will be completed within a month. Former SDM Ayush Sinha will remain on leave during the time, he said. A joint press conference by Haryana government officials and farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni was held in Karnal after both sides reached an agreement, leading to the ending of the stand-off.

There was an indication of a possible ending of the impasse between the farmers and the Karnal administration on Friday evening itself as after a marathon meeting both sides had said that it was held in a cordial atmosphere.

At the joint press conference, farmer leader Chaduni said they will call off their sit-in outside the Karnal district headquarters. About 10 protesters were hurt in the clash with police in Karnal on August 28 when they tried to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting. Sinha, a 2018-batch IAS officer was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to break the heads of farmers if they cross the line. Following the incident, farmers had been demanding the suspension of Sinha. On September 2, he was transferred out of Karnal and posted as additional secretary of Citizen Resources Information Department.

Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Devender Singh on Saturday said the meeting between farmer leaders and the government officials was held in a positive atmosphere.

He said the Haryana government will get a judicial probe conducted into the August 28 incident by a retired judge of the high court. The probe will be completed within a month and Sinha will remain on leave during the time, Singh added.

The additional chief secretary also announced that jobs would be given to two family members of a farmer, who, the protesters claimed, died after being injured during the lathi charge. The administration had earlier rejected this allegation.

The Haryana government will give jobs to two family members of deceased farmer Satish Kajal under sanctioned posts at DC rate in Karnal, Singh announced.

Dubbing the farmers as our brothers, he said it was a respectable agreement.

About former SDM Sinha, farmer leader Chudani said farmers had demanded that an FIR be registered against him and the police personnel involved in the August 28 incident.

However, advocated opined that there could be chances of cancellation or quashing of an FIR by the high court if the administration registers it, he said.

But if the FIR is registered after a retired judge of the high court held an inquiry, there is neither any chance of its cancellation nor of influencing the probe.

Chaduni further said that they had demanded jobs for two family members of the deceased farmer Satish Kajal and the administration accepted it. He said the deceased farmers kin would get the jobs within a week.

On Thursday, Home Minister Anil Vij said the government was ready for a probe into last months clash but warned that farm leaders too could face action if they were found to be at fault. He had offered an impartial inquiry into the entire Karnal episode.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha had earlier said a murder case should be registered against Sinha over his alleged remarks. A mahapanchayat was held in the city and then the dharna began on Tuesday evening after an earlier round of talks between district officials and the farm leaders failed.
State

Meeting on NIPUN Bharat mission held in Kohima

Deputy mission director Samagra Shiksha, Kelhikha Kenye speaking at the meeting on September 10. (DIPR)

DIMAPUR | Publish Date: 9/11/2021 1:35:40 PM IST

A coordination meeting with district steering committee on National Initiative for Proficiency in reading with Understanding & Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat was held in the conference hall Kohima on September 10.

According to a DIPR report, ADC Kohima, N. Bhavani Sri informed that the purpose of the meeting was to understand and launch the NIPUN programme.

She said the district had a huge role to play and requested all the line departments to work together in concession in order to achieve the policy.

Giving a brief introduction on NIPUN Bharat deputy mission director, Samagra Shiksha, Kelhikha Kenye said that the ministry of education launched NIPUN to ensure every child in the country necessarily attained Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) by the end of grade 3, by 2026-27.

He informed that foundational numeracy meant the ability to reason and to apply simple numerical concepts in daily life problem solving.

The mission would be set up under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha which was an integrated scheme of school education covering from pre-school to senior secondary level.

It would also focus on children of age group of 3 to 9 years including pre-school to grade 3.

Congratulating Kohima district for taking up the early initiative for implementation of this programme, Kelhikha sought all the line departments to work together in every level by engaging teachers, parents, community leaders and stakeholders to ensure schools children attains this competency.

He also gave a PowerPoint presentation on the vision of FLM mission, National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017, National Education Policy 2020, aims to achieve FLN by 2026-27, objectives, learning goals of the mission, empowering teachers, administrative approaches, etc.

Earlier, assistant district coordinator DMA, SS Kohima, Thongsenlo delivered the welcome address during the programme.
Infotainment

Nature congress calls for protecting 30% of Earth, 80% of Amazon

Sep 11 (Agencies) | Publish Date: 9/11/2021 2:11:10 PM IST

The worlds most influential conservation congress passed resolutions Friday calling for 80 percent of the Amazon and 30 percent of Earths surfaceland and seato be designated protected areas to halt and reverse the loss of wildlife.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is meeting in Marseille, does not set global policy, but its recommendations have in the past served as the backbone for UN treaties and conventions.

They will help set the agenda for upcoming UN summits on food systems, biodiversity and climate change. An emergency motion calling for four-fifths of the Amazon basin to be declared a protected area by 2025submitted by COICA, an umbrella group representing more than two million indigenous peoples across nine South American nationspassed with overwhelming support.

Indigenous Peoples have come to defend our home and, in doing so, defend the planet. This motion is a first step, said Jose Gregorio Diaz Mirabal, general coordinator of COICA and a leader of the Curripaco people in Venezuela.

Over the last two decades, the Amazon has lost roughly 10,000 square kilometres every year to deforestation, much of it through fires set deliberately to clear land for commercial agriculture or cattle grazing. This destruction combined with climate change, scientists have warned, could push the worlds largest tropical forest irretrievably past a tipping point into a savannah-like landscape.

Another hotly debated measure that was accepted in a vote of IUCN membersgovernment agencies, NGOs and indigenous peoples organisationssays that 30 of the planets land and ocean area should have protected status within a decade.

The zones selected must include biodiversity hotspots teaming with animal and plant life, and be backed up by rigorous monitoring and enforcement, the resolution says.

(Phys Org)

Many scientists and conservationists advocated for an even more ambitious half-Earth target.

Passage of this motion sends a clear signal to world leaders that the 30 by 30 target, and respect for indigenous and local community rights, must be agreed to at COP15, said Campaign for Nature director Brian ODonnell, referring to a UN biodiversity summit tasked with delivering a treaty next May to protect nature.

The pace at which animal and plant species are going extinct is 100 to 1,000 times the normal background rate, a widely accepted threshold for the kind of mass-extinction event that has only occurred five times in the last half-billion years.

Deep-sea mining

The IUCNs 1,400 members overwhelmingly approved a resolution recommending a moratorium on deep sea mining and reform of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a intergovernmental regulatory body.

Industry argued that the unattached rocks on the ocean floor some five kilometres below the waves are a greener source of mineralsmanganese, cobalt, nickelneeded to build electric vehicle batteries. But scientists counter that seabed ecosystems at that depth are fragile, and could take decades or longer to heal once disrupted.

The measure passed with more than 80 percent of votes from government agencies, and 90 percent support from NGOs and civil society groups.

The resounding Yes in support for a global freeze on deep seabed mining is a clear signal that there is no social licence to open the deep seafloor to mining, said Jessica Battle, lead of the WWFs Deep Sea Mining Initiative.

Climate change commission?

The major drivers of species decline and extinction are habitat loss, hunting for food, poaching for animal parts, invasive species and environmental pollution.

But climate change is starting to loom large as a threat to wildlife, leading members to vote in a motion for the creation of a climate change commission within the IUCN.

The aim is to bring together the worlds experts on climate change to help shape the agenda around species, said Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCNs Red List Unit.

The climate and biodiversity emergencies are not distinct, but two aspects of one crisis, a draft version of the congresss final manifesto said.

Programmed extinction

On Friday, following intense and prolonged debate, the congress endorsed a motion on synthetic biologyan umbrella term for genetic engineeringthat tilts towards those in favour of more research and experimentation.

One technology in particular that causes local extinction of a species, called gene drive, has divided conservationists.

Proponents say it is the best tool available to fight invasive species of rodents, snakes and mosquitos that have already wiped out dozens of species of birds and other vertebrates on island habitats. Opponents fear genetically modified animals could find their way to other continents, or share mutated genes with other species.

There are obvious ecological risks and concerns regarding genetic modification of wild species, said Ricarda Steinbrecher, a geneticist working with the NGO Pro-Natura. (Phys Org)
THE move to investigate corruption allegations against officials of the Anti-Corruption Commission especially involving external authorities is welcome. The National Security Intelligence has, as requested by the commission, started collecting information on 25 commission officials. The commission is also conducting departmental investigation against at least 3 directors, 10 deputy directors, 8 assistant directors and 5 deputy assistant directors. The move came after an internal investigation committee was set up in March to attend to allegations of widespread corruption against commission officials that they were giving undue advantages to corruption suspects and abused their powers by serving notices and extorting money. In recent months, the High Court also made remarks on commission investigations that are often found hesitant to take action against politically influential quarters. The Transparency International Bangladesh has also asked the government to ensure a judicious investigation and exemplary punishment of commission officials involved in corruption so public confidence in the commission is restored.

The commission in August issued an order that defined the submission of incomplete investigation reports intentionally by its officials as corruption and decided to take legal action against the officials concerned. The order has also stipulated that no investigation officer could be replaced without a logical reason when investigations are under way. These are commendable steps to make the commission transparent and accountable, but the authorities concerned should ensure that these rules are adhered to and corrupt officials are brought to justice. In 2013, a similar move was initiated to investigate the unaccounted wealth of one of its deputy directors, but the report has not been made public. Even on rare occasions, when reports are submitted, punishment comes in the form of departmental action such as transfer or removal from an investigation committee. Such disciplinary action, as many suggest, is not enough to deter fraudulent activities of the officials. The government should stop interfering in the work of the commission and allow the institutional autonomy that it is entitled to. It is rather unfortunate that many officers of the institution of accountability mandated to fight corruption are engaged in corruption to the extent that they extort money from individuals through an abuse of power.

Since its formation in 2004, the commission has largely failed to demonstrate a seriousness of purpose and sense of direction because of its inefficiency in conducting investigation, internal corruption and political interference. The investigation at hand involving external authorities initiated against the officials is the first step towards making the commission transparent, but the initiative will only be effective when the punishment would be exemplary, as it is the commission that will be meting out the punishment, and the report is made public. The political party in power that has repeatedly pledged zero tolerance against corruption must also ensure an enabling environment where the commission can exercise the institutional autonomy needed to conduct its unbiased investigation and take action against corruption.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-11 23:32:12|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chris Tang, secretary for security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, will advise the Chief Executive in Council to invoke the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance to revoke the company registration of the anti-China group "Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China."

This is a lawful, just and necessary move to safeguard the authority of the national security law in Hong Kong and ensure the city's peace and stability.

Hong Kong has returned from chaos to tranquility and is marching toward a great revival, and it is only a matter of time before the group perishes. Any attempt by the United States and other Western forces to use such organizations in Hong Kong to damage "one country, two systems" is doomed to fail.

Suspected of committing acts deemed criminal under the national security law and having connections with foreign political organizations, the group and its related members have been prosecuted for incitement to subvert the state power. The law-enforcement operations against the group actually reflect the spirit of the rule of law. No illegal activities or organizations that endanger national security and disrupt social order can escape legal punishment.

The notorious group, acting as a foreign agent, has made subverting the state power and overthrowing the leadership of the ruling party its so-called guiding principle. Over the past three decades, it has never ceased to incite hatred against the country and the ruling party, and to challenge the red line of national security, destabilizing Hong Kong in the name of "democracy."

Over the past two years, the group even intensified its efforts to hold illegal rallies and instigate violent confrontations. It openly lobbied foreign organizations to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, urged the United States to impose sanctions on Hong Kong, and pushed for a "color revolution." Those activities have seriously damaged the fundamental interests of the nation and Hong Kong.

The nature of the group's anti-China destabilization activity in Hong Kong cannot be disguised by claims of "democracy" and "freedom."

Thanks to the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, society is getting back on track, and the rule of law and justice are upheld. The lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents and foreign expatriates are now better protected. Stability and development have become the most important themes in Hong Kong.

However, the United States and other Western forces have refused to accept their failure, supporting criminals, smearing law-enforcement actions and launching malicious attacks on "one country, two systems," which has disclosed their sinister intention to interfere in China's internal affairs by using the Hong Kong issue.

Their desperate struggle simply bucks the historical trend.

More than 10 organizations have presented their petitions to ban the group this year, and a survey in May also showed that the number of respondents supporting its dissolution was the highest in 28 years. The recent arrest of the group's members by police has also received wide support in Hong Kong.

All organizations and individuals that have conspired with external forces to harm Hong Kong will be despised by Hong Kong compatriots.

A secure and stable environment is crucial for Hong Kong to fully leverage its competitive edges. It is necessary to remain alert to forces that have plotted to disrupt the long-term stability of Hong Kong and maliciously interfere in its affairs.

Any attempt to support anti-China elements in Hong Kong is doomed to fail, and the Chinese people's will to safeguard national security and to implement "one country, two systems" in Hong Kong will only grow stronger. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 01:34:31|Editor: huaxia

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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Jiang Shengxiong)

HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam and China pledged here Saturday to joint hands to strengthen unity and boost cooperation for further development of the bilateral relations between the two countries.

While meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong said Vietnam and China have enjoyed comradely and brotherly friendship and established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Facing a complex and changing international situation, the two sides should join hands to overcome difficulties as so to realize their respective goals of socialist construction, Trong said, noting that no one can undermine the unity and cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides should push forward diversified exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, governments and localities in a flexible manner, educate younger generations to promote the traditional sincerity between the two parties and the two countries, and strive for the enduring, healthy and stable development of the bilateral ties, Trong said.

For his part, Wang noted that the China-Vietnam relations are of particular strategic importance. The two sides should deepen mutual political trust, strengthen unity and cooperation, and consolidate their political and system security.

As long as both sides stick to their common ideals and beliefs, as well as the orientation for developing socialism, they can overcome any difficulties and solve any problems they may face, Wang said.

China and Vietnam should strengthen their overall cooperation in all fields, so as to add new dimensions to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, Wang said.

Also on Saturday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Wang, stressing that Vietnam takes its relations with China as a top priority in its foreign policy.

Vietnam is willing to learn from China's experience in fighting COVID-19, keep up the momentum of growth in trade and investment cooperation between the two countries, and provide more convenience for Chinese investment in Vietnam, Chinh said.

Wang said that China is willing to work hard to provide COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam to help it contain the pandemic and restore normalcy in its socio-economic development.

The two sides should also jointly push for the international community's cooperation in fighting the pandemic, work together to resist the slanderous attacks on socialist countries by external forces, and preserve an international system with the United Nations at its core and an international order based on international law, Wang said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 07:00:06|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Sept. 11, 2021 shows the 30 days countdown ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The meeting, which is set to kick off in Kunming on Oct. 11, will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future. (Photo by Liang Zhiqiang/Xinhua)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 07:03:22|Editor: huaxia

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Former U.S. President Barack Obama (1st L, C), his wife Michelle Obama (2nd L, C), U.S. President Joe Biden (3rd L, C) and his wife Jill Biden (4th L, C) attend a commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the United States, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Donald Trump, instead of appearing at the ceremonies, traveled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighboring fire station in NYC.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. President Donald Trump was absent at official 9/11 memorial ceremonies in New York City and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton all attended a somber ceremony Saturday morning at the National September 11 Memorial where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades ago.

Biden traveled next to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville to attend a wreath-laying ceremony. Earlier, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke at the memorial.

Trump, instead of appearing at the ceremonies, traveled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighboring fire station in NYC.

A guard of honor salutes during a commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the United States, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

During an unannounced stop at a Shanksville fire department, Biden praised Bush for encouraging American unity in his speech. He also defended his administration's handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in brief remarks to the press pool.

Biden's last stop in the day was the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony along with first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Biden did not deliver formal remarks on Saturday but released a video statement on Friday recognizing the lives lost in the deadliest attack in U.S. history and calling for national unity.



Relatives read victims' names during a commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, the United States, on Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four fuel-loaded U.S. commercial airplanes bound for west coast destinations on Sept. 11, 2001. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 10:48:20|Editor: huaxia

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A tiger shrike rests on a tree branch in Central Catchment Nature Reserve in Singapore, on April 5, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

"Humanity has reached a tipping point" and "our window of opportunity to respond to these interlinked emergencies and share planetary resources equitably is narrowing quickly," the document pointed out.

PARIS, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- A series of resolutions and commitments were adopted by the Seventh World Conservation Congress (WCC) that closed on Friday in French port city of Marseille and online, calling for efforts to address climate and biodiversity emergencies.

Governments, civil society and the private sector should restore a positive relationship with nature and people by "halting biodiversity loss by committing to a transformative, effective, and ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework," read the Marseille Manifesto adopted at the closing session of the nine-day conference co-hosted by the French government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The framework, the first draft of which was released in July, will be reviewed at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) from Oct. 11 to 24 in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

"The next months will largely determine how countries address the biodiversity emergency," the Marseille Manifesto wrote. "Decisive and collaborative action is imperative at the CBD COP-15 and beyond."

STARK REALITY

"Humanity has reached a tipping point" and "our window of opportunity to respond to these interlinked emergencies and share planetary resources equitably is narrowing quickly," the document pointed out.

File photo taken on May 2, 2013 shows baobab trees in Madagascar. (Xinhua/He Xianfeng)

The IUCN Red List, updated during the congress with a total number of 138,374 species assessed, counts 902 "extinct," 80 "extinct in the wild," and 8,404 "critically endangered."

The IUCN stressed on the role of human activities on biodiversity when releasing its updated Red List with a contrast in headlines.

Four commercially-fished tuna species are on the path to recovery thanks to the enforcement of regional fishing quotas over the last decade, while 37 percent of the world's sharks and rays now threatened with extinction primarily due to overfishing, compounded by loss and degradation of habitat and climate change.

This is "a powerful sign that, despite increasing pressures on our oceans, species can recover if states truly commit to sustainable practices," said IUCN Director General Bruno Oberle, adding that relevant parties "must seize the opportunity to boost ambition on biodiversity conservation, and work towards binding targets based on sound scientific data."





LESSONS LEARNED

"Agreeing a post-2020 global biodiversity framework can play a significant role in building the necessary resilience," said CBD Executive Secretary Elizabeth Maruma Mrema in an open letter to IUCN members.

The draft framework recognizes that urgent policy action is required to transform economic, social, and financial models at various levels so that the trends that have exacerbated biodiversity loss will stabilize by 2030, allowing for the recovery of natural ecosystems in the following 20 years, with net improvements by 2050.

A colugo with its young rest on a tree along the road on the outskirts of Central Catchment Nature Reserve in Singapore, on April 12, 2021. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

"The Aichi Targets proved that ambition alone is not enough. To be successful, an all-hands-on-deck approach is needed; which the framework embodies through its whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach," said Mrema.

In 2010, parties of the CBD set a group of 20 goals to conserve biodiversity during a summit in Japan's Aichi. Countries had until 2020 to reach the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and then move on to create a post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

However, the Aichi targets, ranging from stopping species from extinction to cutting pollution and preserving forests, had not been fulfilled.

For Patrick Giraudoux, professor of ecology at the University of Franche-Comte, the question is what will be done in reality to bend the biodiversity decline.

"I have no doubt in the political will on biodiversity, which is shared by all people of reason who understand the risk we take by facilitating its erosion. Now we will have to translate it into facts," he told Xinhua.

With lessons learned from the past 10 years, the framework for the next decade will include implementation support mechanisms with adequate means, including financial resources, capacity, and technology, and lay responsibility on CBD parties to implement mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting and review.

"This vision cannot be achieved by one country, one ministry or one economic sector alone," Mrema noted. "Only by working outside silos, and across sectors, can we achieve the targets of an ambitious framework and a life in harmony with nature." 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 13:49:19|Editor: huaxia

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Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, receives interview after casting his vote in Macao, south China, Sept. 12, 2021. The election of the seventh Legislative Assembly of the Macao Special Administrative Region kicked off Sunday morning. Voting started at 9:00 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 9:00 p.m. local time. The preliminary results are expected to come out early Monday morning. (Xinhua)

MACAO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The election of the seventh Legislative Assembly of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) kicked off Sunday morning.

Voting started at 9:00 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 9:00 p.m. local time. The preliminary results are expected to come out early Monday morning.

The seventh legislature will be composed of 33 seats, including 14 directly-elected seats, 12 indirectly-elected seats, and seven others appointed by the Macao SAR's chief executive within 15 days after receiving the reviewed vote counting of direct and indirect election.

A total of 126 candidates from 14 teams will run for the 14 directly-elected seats, while 12 candidates from five vocational groups will run for the 12 indirectly-elected seats.

After casting his vote, Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao SAR, called upon voters to actively go to the ballot.

Ho expressed his hope that the legislators perform their supervisory power over the SAR government in accordance with the Basic Law of the Macao SAR.

Anti-corruption officials said they have carried out around 8,000 inspections since the election work began and the situation was satisfying.

Due to the impacts of COVID-19, the SAR government has adopted strict prevention measures for the campaigning period.

On voting day, voters were required to wear face masks, have their body temperatures checked and present health codes. There were also signs reminding voters to keep social distance and avoid gathering.

A female Macao resident with the surname Lei told Xinhua that she hoped newly elected legislators can speak for the public on topics such as medical care and housing.

A man surnamed Yu said he hoped the new legislators can bring about new changes to the Legislative Assembly against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has dealt a heavy blow on Macao's economy.

There are a total of 325,180 eligible voters in the direct election, 18,160 more than the previous election in 2017.

Meanwhile, 813 legal person voters, as compared with 858 for the previous election in 2017, will vote in the indirect election.

As many as 42 polling stations were set up for the voting, while three mobile polling stations were also set up so as to ensure the voting rights of residents who are under medical observation at designated hotels. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 10:35:45|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Ministry of Health on Saturday revealed that Minister Ali Zanati and his Maltese counterpart, Chris Fearne, have signed an agreement on medical cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement includes training medical and paramedical personnel and treating Libyan patients in Maltese hospitals, the Ministry said in a statement.

Both sides will also cooperate in managing Libyan hospitals and a number of Maltese medical experts will be sent to major Libyan cities to perform complex surgeries.

On Friday, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah visited Malta and met with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela. They agreed to increase mutual investment, facilitate residency and entry visas for the people of the two countries, and resume flights after setting up necessary protocols. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 19:52:44|Editor: huaxia

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RABAT, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two Moroccan truck drivers were killed and another injured by armed men in Didieni commune, 300 km from Malian capital Bamako, Moroccan official news agency MAP reported on Sunday.

The truck drivers were heading towards Bamako carrying goods before they were attacked on Saturday afternoon by a group of armed men hiding behind trees on the side of the road, the agency added.

The armed men were hooded, wearing bulletproof vests and had wireless communication devices, it said, adding that they left the scene without stealing anything from the victims.

The injured driver was transferred to a local hospital to receive the necessary health care, it said.

Morocco has strong trade relations with the West African countries. Dozens of Moroccan trucks cross the Sahel route through Mauritania and Mali daily to transport goods between different countries of the region. Enditem
President Emmerson Mnangagwa must intervene to stop spirited attempts to exhume former president Robert Mugabes remains for reburial at the Heroes Acre, the late strongmans family has said.

A Chinhoyi magistrate on Friday threw out an appeal by the Mugabes to overturn a ruling by Chief Zvimba ordering the exhumation.

Leo Mugabe, a spokesperson for Zimbabwes founding leaders family, yesterday told The Standard that they were now banking on Mnangagwa to stop the madness.

We appeal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and stop this madness going around in courts by trying to exhume the late presidents body and rebury him at the national Heroes Acre, he said.

He must come out clear to show that he is not part of the machinations of trying to disregard the wishes of the family and the dead.

Leo Mugabe said the reburial saga can only stop if Mnangagwa intervened.

Mugabe children, Bona, Tinotenda Robert Jnr and Bellarmine Chatunga will launch another appeal at the High Court against Chinhoyi magistrate Ruth Moyos judgement that dismissed their appeal against Chief Zvimbas order.

Their lawyer, Fungai Chimwamurombe, told The Standard that the children had instructed him to appeal against Moyos ruling at the High Court.

After studying the Chinhoyi magistrate court ruling that threw out our appeal against Chief Zvimbas judgement, there are a lot of opportunities that our appeal will be successful and come Monday or Tuesday, the world will know of our way forward, Chimwamurombe said.

After Fridays court ruling, the Information ministry issued a statement distancing itself from the bid to exhume Mugabes remains.

Government has noted the outcome of a court process in Chinhoyi in the matter between the Mugabe siblings versus Tynos Manongove, the statement said.

As neither government nor (Mnangagwa) was involved in the said matter, we will await further details on the judgement before making any further comment.

Mugabe died of cancer in Singapore in September 2019, two years after he was toppled in a military coup.

Mugabes family blocked the government from burying the former Zanu PF leader at the Heroes Acre, saying they wanted to respect his death bed wish not be buried at the shrine.

The government had started building a mausoleum for Mugabe. Construction of the grave at the Heroes Acre never stopped, sparking speculation that the authorities had not given up on plans to bury Zimbabwes long-serving leader at the shrine.

Information deputy minister Kindness Paradza told The Standard that the mausoleum was no longer meant for Mugabes remains.

The issue about the exhumation of the late former president is a private issue, Paradza said.

Government and President Emmerson Mnangagwa will respect that the issue is a family matter and allow the family to deal with the issue without its interference.

The president agreed to meet the Zvimba chiefs as he could have done to anyone who was seeking an audience with him.

Remember that the late president and the sitting president were close allies.

Therefore, he could not have refused to give audience to the chiefs on the said issue.

But the whole matter is entirely up to the clan to decide on what they want, without both the government and President Mnangagwa.

Tawanda Mapuranga, a legal expert, said there was a high likelihood that Chief Zvimbas order will be overturned by superior courts.

The chiefs judgement was incompetent, on the basis that chiefs do not have powers to order the exhumation of a human being for reburial, Mapuranga said.

There is a legislation that deals specifically with the issues of exhumation and reburial by the Home Affairs ministry.

To me, the case filed by Mugabes children was more of an application for review than an appeal.

In an application for a review, anyone, other than the parties involved in the case may file papers. Standard
First and foremost on the minds of many anxious parents is whether city schools will continue to show the same low rates of virus transmission as last year, even as the number of kids expected in school buildings multiplies and the more contagious delta variant continues to spread.
The Windows alumni also used their get-together on the sad anniversary to issue a call for a better wages in the restaurant industry. Saru Jayaraman, president and co-founder of One Fair Wage with Mamdouh, was among those demanding an increase in an industry where the pay can be just $2.13 an hour in some places.
A 2017 Honda Civic was speeding the wrong way down Gates Ave. when it struck a 2020 Honda Civic, cops said. The impact of the crash sent one of the cars speeding toward the three victims, cops said.
Lee Almonte, 34, was first spotted in the background of a photo taken in California and posted to Instagram in May, sources said.
They are now saying they are not going to obstruct our visit tomorrow. We think thats great. I feel confident they are not going to obstruct the visit, said Sen. Julia Salazar, a Democrat from Brooklyn. Rather than saying no to us, they decided to do the right thing and allow us to visit, but make some effort to manage the visit.
In the case involving the school safety van, the NYPD used its database to try to find a license plate number provided by a witness for a marked police van involved in the crash. But the number of digits provided by the witness was off by one, and the search came up empty.
If he was going to be charged with that accident, hed be in front of this court with those charges today, Lazzaro said. If those charges are brought, at some point, thats a story for another day. But that has no bearing on whether bail should be set in this case or not set in this case.
Gerard Pounder was shot once in the chest during the bash on Beach 34 St. near an entrance to the boardwalk about 1 a.m., cops said. (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)
The dust in the air was glistening in the sun like little particles of glass, Trotta recalled. It was a numbing experience, scary. Everybody went down there thinking we were going to save somebody. And by the time we got down there it was clear nobody was coming out of the rubble alive.
At one point Vaughan allegedly tried to grab a deputys gun and was shot in the head. He was taken to Duke University Hospital, where he later died, according to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.
Murdaugh was shot on Sept. 4 while pulled over on a rural road to fix a flat tire, according to police. Initial reports said that he was airlifted from there to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah for treatment, but his team now says that two good Samaritans found him and took him to the hospital first.
Of the six cops who were nailed, however, three were accused of conduct unbecoming. Of the remaining three, one was accused of failure to comply with directives, one for making improper remarks and one for the improper dissemination of information, the USCP statement said.
During the exercise, the 12-gauge tactical knockout breaching round didnt disintegrate as it was intended. Instead, it went through the door and a stair riser before striking the bottom edge of Hakims body armor and deflecting into his spine, according to the lawsuit.
Authorities also launched an investigation into the death of a 57-year-old Lawrence Gabbert  who had been arrested on a warrant for failure to appear on a trespassing charge  in the days after he was booked into the Pinellas County Jail in May, also following a reported medical episode.
When a 15-year-old gets shot at a hayride, I think its a terrible shame, Costa said at the press conference. You come to an area where youre going have fun. Anybody could have been hurt.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday in federal court in Portland. In the suit, the estate alleges that the city engaged in a hands-off approach to widespread political demonstrators and the counter-protestors that they met. Additionally, the family said that the city promoted a culture of vigilante policing when it came to dealing with radical groups that were part of the citys protests that led to the killing of Aaron Jay Danielson on Aug. 29, 2020.
How are we going to make sure that Al Qaeda is not rebuilding its capabilities and is planning on attacking us again? Morell said. If we do that, then we have to collect the kind of intelligence that gives you the precision you need to conduct strikes, right? Drones need to be told exactly where on the Earth to go.
Im there for everybody. Im not just there for the Democrats. Im not just there for the Republicans, he said. And Im not just there because the president was a Democrat who appointed me. So [its] a very great privilege to be in that job, and part of it is to remember that youre there for everyone.
All of you have to be not just the true believers, but our apostles to go out there and spread the word that we can get out of this once and for all if everybody gets vaccinated.
We are upset and incredulous that they have gone this far, Armando Sibari, the lawyer for the Italian side of Eitans family, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica, according to the Post. This is a very serious act that will be investigated. Already in August, there was a strong stance against the Italian state and against Eitans paternal aunt, to which we had responded with a message of great openness to the whole family for the well-being of the child. So we are all the more shocked by what happened.
The paper, published in the Royal Society Journals, added that the continuing climate crisis and the dramatic loss of arctic ice were some of the catalysts of the loss of genetic material.
Less than two weeks later, James was back in Seattle. Kate, he said, had decided to travel with friends to Havana. He was sent home to take care of business, armed with a power of attorney with her signature. It gave him control over all her property, including a safe deposit box with a fortune in cash and jewelry.
Alford agreed that the surge in demand is being fueled by more people entering the local rental market, including people moving into the area as well as pent-up demand from people living with others who delayed getting their own place during the early stages of the pandemic. The ascent of house prices has also locked some tenants in apartments who otherwise would have transitioned to homeownership by now.
Under the Hagedorns care, the home they bought in 1985 has changed little since Stevens designed it in 1928. He started his career in construction in 1926 in South Florida, and Porter and Hagedorn agree he must surely have been influenced by the prevailing Mediterranean Revival style most famously employed there by Addison Mizner, who made it the architectural signature of Florida in the 1920s.
But the small role was enough for an estimated 80 breeding pairs of starlings to be released in New Yorks Central Park. They spread throughout the U.S., and now the United States Department of Agriculture says they destroy crops, eat feed meant for livestock, cause property damage because of feces buildup and can pose a threat to planes.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Posted by Liam on at 11:40 AM CST

Welcome,fans! This week for our coverage, were focusing on thecomic book storylines that told alternate history what if versions of the original trilogy events. In case you missed it, check out our  Expand Your Mind  base article to learn about the history of the series, how it differs from othermedia, and the best merchandise you can find inspired by the comics. Throughout the week, we expanded with the  Timeline Breakdown  article that explores other non-canonmaterial, a  Character Spotlight  on one of our favorite standouts, and Bobbys wealth of knowledge in video form Today with Force Casting, weve been inspired by the success of theseries on Disney+. The animated show imagines alternate versions of events within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What if Killmonger became the Black Panther? What if Peggy Carter was the First Avenger? What if the Avengers were killed before they could assemble?Theuniverse has a ton of possibilities for exciting What If versions as well, and thankfully thecomics already developed alternate histories for the original trilogy. What ifended with Luke missing the Death Star shot? What ifopened with Lukes death in the snowy plains of Hoth? What ifconcluded with a redeemed Anakin Skywalker joining his children?We think a similar animation style would perfectly fit theuniverse, but first we need alternate versions of the other films to expand out the series, sincedebuted ran 2001-2005 before all the other films hit theaters. Here are our pitches for howcould adapt the other films in the franchise.Obi-Wan successfully saves Qui-Gon from Darth Maul by dashing through the laser doors . but sacrifices himself. Maul escapes justice and Qui-Gon takes on Anakin as his new apprentice as a skeptical Dooku chooses to join the Jedi Council.Zam Wessell and Jango Fett infiltrate Padmes apartment . and kill her. Spurned by rage, Anakin slays the two bounty hunters and is expelled from the Jedi Order, left to search the galaxy for a new master: Dooku.After the Battle of Coruscant, the Jedi decide to end the war effort by sending their most hardened warrior to track down General Grievous . Anakin. With Obi-Wan left on Coruscant, the Jedi Council forces Palpatine to give up power and flee the capital, where he reamasses the Seperatist forces as his new fleet.Poe Dameron avoids death at the hands of Kylo Ren . and the Resistance shows up to take him hostage. Reunited with the map, Poe and Han search for Lukes location as Leia tries to reason with her son and Snoke finds a new apprentice in the force-sensitive stormtrooper Finn.Orson Krennic shows up to confront Galen Erso . but the battle goes wrong and the Erso family is killed. Without the necessary tools equipped to complete the Death Star, a fearful Krennic flees and defects to the Rebellion, working alongside Saw Gerrara to destroy the weapon before it can be completed.Horrified by the vision in the cave, Rey flees Lukes island to save Kylo Ren . but shes too late. A power-hungry Ren attempted to overthrow Snoke and was slain by his master, who now seeks Rey as an apprentice as a reluctant Luke returns to face them both.Han and Qira flee the streets of Corellia . but its QiRa who is recruited to the Imperial Academy. Han is now captured by Crimson Dawn and serves as the chief smuggler for Darth Maul.Rey, Poe, and Finn attempt to flee Kijimi . but Kylo Ren captures them. With the heroes taken before Emperor Palpatine himself, Leia is left to lead the assault on Exegol and cross blades with Darth Sidious.What do you think,fans? Which of ourpitches is your favorite? What would your version look like? Let us know in the forums , and as always, may the Force be with you!Be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms:
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Chris Dagg had a distinguished career that brought him numerous awards and the widespread admiration of people in Vietnam, Indonesia, China and Canada. He was especially valued at Simon Fraser University where he held a range of key international cooperation posts for 30 years.



Chris was born in Vancouver on July 12, 1940, growing up in what was then a very provincial town. In 1962, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of British Columbia. Not one to play it safe and always drawn to other cultures, Chris joined the Foreign Service in 1966, in time for the worst of the Vietnam War.

He was part of Canada's team on the multinational body monitoring the mostly mythical cease-fire between North and South Vietnam. Chris was in Saigon in 1968 on the night of the Tet Offensive. Hearing gunfire, he climbed to the Continental Hotel rooftop to have a peek, quickly retreating when he realized US troopers in the street below might take aim at his thin silhouette, mistaking him for a Vietcong.



Somewhere in a dusty Ottawa archive moulders his unpublished manuscript on Canada's efforts in the region. His contribution was recognized in 2002 when he was awarded the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for his role during the Vietnam War. Back in Ottawa in 1970, Chris met young Australian teacher, Lindsay Maclean. They married in 1973 and soon found themselves in Indonesia, eventually raising two children there.
Birute Mary Galdikas

Professor, Department of Archaeology

Dr. Galdikas earned a PhD from the University of California and in 1989 joined SFU as a full professor in the Department of Archaeology, and for many years, an adjunct professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies. She has taught and lectured extensively on orangutans, their tropical rainforest habitat and conservation issues and has supervised numerous students in the wild. The famed anthropologist is marking 50 years in the fielda lifes work of documenting orangutan behaviour, mobilizing rehabilitation efforts, and advocating for their ancient rainforest habitat in collaboration with the areas Indigenous communities. Galdikas research is one of the worlds longest field studies ever to be carried out by one principal investigator. Her research has led to new sustainable practices to help secure orangutan habitat, organizations to support their environment, and knowledge to inform global sustainability needs. Galdikas, who graced the cover of National Geographic in 1975, began her Indonesian field research based at Camp Leakey in Tanjung Putting National Park in Central Indonesian Borneo.

Galdikas is one of three leading women primate researchers, called the Trimates, whom famed anthropologist Louis Leakey mentored, alongside Dian Fossey (gorillas) and Jane Goodall (chimpanzees). The trio was featured last year in a CBCs Nature of Things documentary, She Walks with Apes. A documentary film on her work, Born to be Wild, was released in 2011.

In 1986, Galdikas and her colleagues established the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), based in Los Angeles, to support the conservation of wild orangutans and their rainforest habitats around the world. Galdikas and colleagues later established OFICanada, based in Vancouver, as well as encouraged Australians to establish OFIAustralia.

Dr. Galdikas created the first orangutan rehabilitation and release program in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), which is still active today. She built the locally-run program from a desire to bring together science, conservation and sustainable community development.
Page Content

- Company collaborates with Ministry of Health to encourage vaccination -





Flow & the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor have partnered to encourage vaccinations on St. Maarten in the drive to reach the 85% vaccination goal. The Telecoms operator will participate in the CPS Vineyard Office Park Vaccination Pop-up Fair this Saturday and has committed to provide any persons vaccinated on the day with free Chippie top-up.





The effort is part of the companys pledge to support the local communities it serves and assist in the return to a stable economy. Our team is part of our island community, and we want to do our part in increasing our vaccination-rate to keep our customers, our friends and our loved ones safe. says Flow Country Manager Eastern Caribbean, Charlesworth Sydney.





With a higher vaccination rate, we can also look forward to more visitors retuning to our island because they feel safer deciding to do so. This will of course benefit us all because our islands economy and livelihoods depend on our guests.





With the vaccination Pop-Up Fair, the Vaccination Management Team (VMT) is also taking steps to make sure the public gets accurate information on vaccination and debunk any false rumors and incorrect information. Medical professionals and other health experts will be on-hand Saturday to answer questions on vaccines and advise on other matters, such as boosting your immune system and overall health.





With the new approach the VMT wants to make sure that truthful, factual information is available so that the public can make informed decisions on their health and wellbeing. To date the (VMT) has vaccinated 25.495 persons with the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.





We applaud the Ministry, the CPS team and our overburdened healthcare workers for their steadfast commitment to keeping our community safe. In talks with the Minister, we saw an opportunity to support and didnt hesitate to do so. We believe in the benefits of corporate citizens supporting local leadership and will offer our support when called upon. As citizens we all want what is best for our island, our families and our livelihoods and the best way for us to remain the top tourist destination in the Caribbean is by making sure that our visitors know that they will be safe when coming to our shores. Sydney commented.





Minister Ottley commented: As Minister of VSA, I encourage everyone to come out and get vaccinated. I am extremely happy that FLOW and other stakeholders came on board and offered their services. We hope that Saturday will be a success and we can continue working towards herd immunity, let us drive to 85.





The vaccination fair at the CPS facility in the Vineyard Office Park in Philipsburg will run from 9 am to 3 pm. Aside from the free credit offered by Flow, the visiting public can also look forward to free pizza from Dominos Pizza and information from various health experts. We are proud to support the Health Ministry in the good work that they are doing and encourage anyone who is hesitant, to come out and get the right information to make an informed decision. Sydney stated.
My father, by contrast, vividly recounted his 9/11 to me. He was at Coast Guard Headquarters when the towers were hit, and he and three of his fellow officers left their offices in the Operations Directorate to find a conference room with a screen so they could watch the news coverage.

by Edward Snowden

The following is an excerpt from my memoir, Permanent Record, available in most languages wherever fine books are sold.

Pandemonium, chaos: our most ancient forms of terror. They both refer to a collapse of order and the panic that rushes in to fill the void. For as long as I live, Ill remember retracing my way up Canine Roadthe road past the NSAs headquartersafter the Pentagon was attacked. Madness poured out of the agencys black glass towers, a tide of yelling, ringing cell phones, and cars revving up in the parking lots and fighting their way onto the street. At the moment of the worst terrorist attack in American history, the staff of the NSAthe major signals intelligence agency of the American Intelligence Community (IC)was abandoning its work by the thousands, and I was swept up in the flood.

NSA director Michael Hayden issued the order to evacuate before most of the country even knew what had happened. Subsequently, the NSA and the CIAwhich also evacuated all but a skeleton crew from its own headquarters on 9/11would explain their behavior by citing a concern that one of the agencies might potentially, possibly, perhaps be the target of the fourth and last hijacked airplane, United Airlines Flight 93, rather than, say, the White House or Capitol.

I sure as hell wasnt thinking about the next likeliest targets as I crawled through the gridlock, with everyone trying to get their cars out of the same parking lot simultaneously. I wasnt thinking about anything at all. What I was doing was obediently following along, in what today I recall as one totalizing momenta clamor of horns (I dont think Id ever heard a car horn at an American military installation before) and out-of-phase radios shrieking the news of the South Towers collapse while the drivers steered with their knees and feverishly pressed redial on their phones. I can still feel itthe present-tense emptiness every time my call was dropped by an overloaded cell network, and the gradual realization that, cut off from the world and stalled bumper to bumper, even though I was in the drivers seat, I was just a passenger.

The stoplights on Canine Road gave way to humans, as the NSAs special police went to work directing traffic. In the ensuing hours, days, and weeks theyd be joined by convoys of Humvees topped with machine guns, guarding new roadblocks and checkpoints. Many of these new security measures became permanent, supplemented by endless rolls of wire and massive installations of surveillance cameras. With all this security, it became difficult for me to get back on base and drive past the NSAuntil the day I was employed there.

Try to remember the biggest family event youve ever been tomaybe a family reunion. How many people were there? Maybe 30, 50? Though all of them together comprise your family, you might not really have gotten the chance to know each and every individual member. Dunbars number, the famous estimate of how many relationships you can meaningfully maintain in life, is just 150.Now think back to school. How many people were in your class in grade school, and in high school? How many of them were friends, and how many others did you just know as acquaintances, and how many still others did you simply recognize? If you went to school in the United States, lets say its a thousand. It certainly stretches the boundaries of what you could say are all your people, but you may still have felt a bond with them.

Nearly three thousand people died on 9/11. Imagine everyone you love, everyone you know, even everyone with a familiar name or just a familiar faceand imagine theyre gone. Imagine the empty houses. Imagine the empty school, the empty classrooms. All those people you lived among, and who together formed the fabric of your days, just not there anymore. The events of 9/11 left holes. Holes in families, holes in communities. Holes in the ground.

Now, consider this: over one million people have been killed in the course of Americas response.

The two decades since 9/11 have been a litany of American destruction byway of American self-destruction, with the promulgation of secret policies, secret laws, secret courts, and secret wars, whose traumatizing impactwhose very existencethe US government has repeatedly classified, denied, disclaimed, and distorted. After having spent roughly half that period as an employee of the American Intelligence Community and roughly the other half in exile, I know better than most how often the agencies get things wrong. I know, too, how the collection and analysis of intelligence can inform the production of disinformation and propaganda, for use as frequently against Americas allies as its enemiesand sometimes against its own citizens. Yet even given that knowledge, I still struggle to accept the sheer magnitude and speed of the change, from an America that sought to define itself by a calculated and performative respect for dissent to a security state whose militarized police demand obedience, drawing their guns and issuing the order for total submission now heard in every city: Stop resisting.

This is why whenever I try to understand how the last two decades happened, I return to that Septemberto that ground-zero day and its immediate aftermath. To return to that fall means coming up against a truth darker than the lies that tied the Taliban to al-Qaeda and conjured up Saddam Husseins illusory stockpile of WMDs. It means, ultimately, confronting the fact that the carnage and abuses that marked my young adulthood were born not only in the executive branch and the intelligence agencies, but also in the hearts and minds of all Americans, myself included.

I remember escaping the panicked crush of the spies fleeing Fort Meade just as the North Tower came down. Once on the highway, I tried to steer with one hand while pressing buttons with the other, calling family indiscriminately and never getting through. Finally I managed to get in touch with my mother, who at this point in her career had left the NSA and was working as a clerk for the federal courts in Baltimore. They, at least, werent evacuating.

Her voice scared me, and suddenly the only thing in the world that mattered to me was reassuring her.

Its okay. Im headed off base, I said. Nobodys in New York, right?

I dontI dont know. I cant get in touch with Gran.

Is Pop in Washington?

He could be in the Pentagon for all I know.

The breath went out of me. By 2001, Pop had retired from the Coast Guard and was now a senior official in the FBI, serving as one of the heads of its aviation section. This meant that he spent plenty of time in plenty of federal buildings throughout DC and its environs.

Before I could summon any words of comfort, my mother spoke again.Theres someone on the other line. It might be Gran. Ive got to go.

When she didnt call me back, I tried her number endlessly but couldnt get through, so I went home to wait, sitting in front of the blaring TV while I kept reloading news sites. The new cable modem we had was quickly proving more resilient than all of the telecom satellites and cell towers, which were failing across the country.

My mothers drive back from Baltimore was a slog through crisis traffic. She arrived in tears, but we were among the lucky ones. Pop was safe.

The next time we saw Gran and Pop, there was a lot of talkabout Christmas plans, about New Years plansbut the Pentagon and the towers were never mentioned.

My father, by contrast, vividly recounted his 9/11 to me. He was at Coast Guard Headquarters when the towers were hit, and he and three of his fellow officers left their offices in the Operations Directorate to find a conference room with a screen so they could watch the news coverage. A young officer rushed past them down the hall and said, They just bombed the Pentagon. Met with expressions of disbelief, the young officer repeated, Im seriousthey just bombed the Pentagon. My father hustled over to a wall-length window that gave him a view across the Potomac of about two-fifths of the Pentagon and swirling clouds of thick black smoke.

The more that my father related this memory, the more intrigued I became by the line: They just bombed the Pentagon. Every time he said it, I recall thinking, They? Who were They?

America immediately divided the world into Us and Them, and everyone was either with Us or against Us, as President Bush so memorably remarked even while the rubble was still smoldering. People in my neighborhood put up new American flags, as if to show which side theyd chosen. People hoarded red, white, and blue Dixie cups and stuffed them through every chain-link fence on every overpass of every highway between my mothers home and my fathers, to spell out phrases like UNITED WE STAND and STAND TOGETHER NEVER FORGET.

I sometimes used to go to a shooting range and now alongside the old targets, the bulls-eyes and flat silhouettes, were effigies of men in Arab headdress. Guns that had languished for years behind the dusty glass of the display cases were now marked SOLD. Americans also lined up to buy cell phones, hoping for advance warning of the next attack, or at least the ability to say good-bye from a hijacked flight.

Nearly a hundred thousand spies returned to work at the agencies with the knowledge that theyd failed at their primary job, which was protecting America. Think of the guilt they were feeling. They had the same anger as everybody else, but they also felt the guilt. An assessment of their mistakes could wait. What mattered most at that moment was that they redeem themselves. Meanwhile, their bosses got busy campaigning for extraordinary budgets and extraordinary powers, leveraging the threat of terror to expand their capabilities and mandates beyond the imagination not just of the public but even of those who stamped the approvals.

September 12 was the first day of a new era, which America faced with a unified resolve, strengthened by a revived sense of patriotism and the goodwill and sympathy of the world. In retrospect, my country could have done so much with this opportunity. It could have treated terror not as the theological phenomenon it purported to be, but as the crime it was. It could have used this rare moment of solidarity to reinforce democratic values and cultivate resilience in the now-connected global public.

Instead, it went to war.

The greatest regret of my life is my reflexive, unquestioning support for that decision. I was outraged, yes, but that was only the beginning of a process in which my heart completely defeated my rational judgment. I accepted all the claims retailed by the media as facts, and I repeated them as if I were being paid for it. I wanted to be a liberator. I wanted to free the oppressed. I embraced the truth constructed for the good of the state, which in my passion I confused with the good of the country. It was as if whatever individual politics Id developed had crashedthe anti-institutional hacker ethos instilled in me online, and the apolitical patriotism Id inherited from my parents, both wiped from my systemand Id been rebooted as a willing vehicle of vengeance. The sharpest part of the humiliation comes from acknowledging how easy this transformation was, and how readily I welcomed it.

I wanted, I think, to be part of something. Prior to 9/11, Id been ambivalent about serving because it had seemed pointless, or just boring. Everyone I knew whod served had done so in the postCold War world order, between the fall of the Berlin Wall and the attacks of 2001. In that span, which coincided with my youth, America lacked for enemies. The country I grew up in was the sole global superpower, and everything seemedat least to me, or to people like meprosperous and settled. There were no new frontiers to conquer or great civic problems to solve, except online. The attacks of 9/11 changed all that. Now, finally, there was a fight.

My options dismayed me, however. I thought I could best serve my country behind a terminal, but a normal IT job seemed too comfortable and safe for this new world of asymmetrical conflict. I hoped I could do something like in the movies or on TVthose hacker-versus-hacker scenes with walls of virus-warning blinkenlights, tracking enemies and thwarting their schemes. Unfortunately for me, the primary agencies that did thatthe NSA, the CIAhad their hiring requirements written a half century ago and often rigidly required a traditional college degree, meaning that though the tech industry considered my AACC credits and MCSE certification acceptable, the government wouldnt. The more I read around online, however, the more I realized that the post-9/11 world was a world of exceptions. The agencies were growing so much and so quickly, especially on the technical side, that theyd sometimes waive the degree requirement for military veterans. Its then that I decided to join up.

You might be thinking that my decision made sense, or was inevitable, given my familys record of service. But it didnt and it wasnt. By enlisting, I was as much rebelling against that well-established legacy as I was conforming to itbecause after talking to recruiters from every branch, I decided to join the army, whose leadership some in my Coast Guard family had always considered the crazy uncles of the US military.

When I told my mother, she cried for days. I knew better than to tell my father, whod already made it very clear during hypothetical discussions that Id be wasting my technical talents there. I was twenty years old; I knew what I was doing.

The day I left, I wrote my father a letterhandwritten, not typedthat explained my decision, and slipped it under the front door of his apartment. It closed with a statement that still makes me wince. Im sorry, Dad, I wrote, but this is vital for my personal growth.
Rohingyas, living in Arakan for thousand years, have been actively involved in Burma's politics since independence.

by Kazi Mohammad Jamshed

Washington-based global lender the World Bank, through concessional lending arms, has gone to bat for Bangladesh to foster its development initiatives since 1972; committing more than $30 billion by backing priorities in economic, social and infrastructural development. Since 2018, this UN affiliated multilateral body, largest source of financial assistance to developing nations, has committed a total $590 million grant to support Bangladesh to confront the challenges posed by the influx of the forcibly displaced Rohingya. Recently, this bank has been extensively denounced both by policy wonks and mass people after its proposal, through "Refugee Policy Review Framework'' (RPRF), on Rohingya's integration in Bangladesh. How rationalis this proposition of the World Bank?

Sources reported that Bangladesh and Myanmar have signed a deal that Myanmar will pay reparations to those Rohingya that fled during the genocide. Photo: Pakistan Today

Four years ago, in late August 2017, "breaking-news" across the world were dominated by the massive influx of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, a result of military-backed bloody "clearance operation". A 444-page report of the UN's Independent Fact-Finding Commission substantiated that more than 7,25,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after this deadly crackdown. The degree of atrocities of this "campaign of terror" embarked on by the military was so intense that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights referred to it as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing" whilst other investigators dubbed it as "genocide". In the first three weeks of August 2017, Bangladesh received more refugees than entire Europe did in 2016 during Syrian crisis. Since then, Bangladesh has been generously hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingyasas short-term guests ensuring "safe haven" on humanitarian grounds. Now, Cox's Bazar based 13 Kilometers long Kutupalong "mega-camp", the largest refugee settlement camp in the world, is the home to thisbeleaguered community.

Rohingyas, living in Arakan for thousand years, have been actively involved in Burma's politics since independence. The recognition of Rohingya as Myanmar's citizens by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) resolves their identity crisis by providing a legal base. Besides, in the hearing of ICJ, Aung San Suu Kyi defined Rohingyas as Arakans Muslims. Myanmar signed two repatriation agreements with Bangladesh in 2018 and 2019 respectively giving consent to take back their citizens. Although these repatriation agreements were in vain due to reluctance of Myanmar, still these agreements are significant proof of Myanmars official stance on Rohingyas citizenship. Though there is no light at the end of the tunnel, still Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, in response to the WB's framework, stated in point blank that they have no desire to receive Bangladeshi citizenship and would like to return to Myanmar.

The WB has proposed to review the RPRF for 14 member states, currently hosting refugees,including Bangladesh, for gauging the effectiveness of the grants for the refugees and host communities under its "soft-loan window" International Development Assistance. This global framework, being reviewed triennially, undertaken in cooperation with UNHCR, suggests providing refugees the rights to procure land & property, choose place of residence & freedom of movement, have equal access to the nation's public service & the labor market etc. like the citizens of the host country. The WBoffered $2 billion to Bangladesh, if it integrates Rohingya refugees with economic & social rights. The framework is germane for Bangladesh since this move will pave the way for the Rohingyas to become permanent citizens through integration into Bangladeshs populace. Bangladesh reiterated its stance,by rejecting the proposal outright, stating that Rohingyas are not refugees rather forcibly displaced persons to whom Bangladesh extended temporary shelter.

The study "Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities" conducted by the UNDP expoundedhowthe overcrowding Rohingyasaffectedhost communities. The major adverse impact includes price hike, increase of poverty, rise in housing cost, reduction in wage rate, deforestation, environmental casualty etc. Moreover, the rise of intragroup and intergroup conflicts in the Rohingya camps shrunk the space of coexistence between the host communities and refugees by recasting the social makeup. This month, August 2021, marks the fourth anniversary of the Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh, but a sustainable solutionis yet to be found.

The 1951 Refugee Convention suggests threeway-outs to the refugee crisis: integration; settlement to a third country; or repatriation. Approximately 166.65 million population of Bangladesh, 8th largest in the world,makes it one of the densely populated countries with 1,125people in per sq. km.This small country, 92nd in terms of land size, with a total landmass of 147,570 sq. km, slightly smaller than the US Iowa state, is hosting 1.2 million Rohingyas which is higher than the total population of Bhutan.No country in the world is bearing the burden of so many refugees asby overpopulated Bangladesh. Bangladesh, with an unemployment rate of 5.30%, exportsapproximately 60,000workers abroad every year which indicates the country's inability to create employment and struggle to generate employment for its gargantuan unemployed youths. This attracts pointed attention towards inadequate demand of labor in Bangladesh. So, the possibility of integrating the Rohingya into the local community is nipped in the bud.As the number of Rohingya refugee is gigantic, more than a million in Bangladesh and some more are living in 19 other countries and no country has shown interest in receiving them, the option to settle them to a third country seems impassable in foreseeable future. The only way out toRohingya crisis lies in safe repatriation to Myanmar.

As the Rohingyasalso want to return to Myanmar, integrationinto Bangladesh, following WB's recommendations, is like denial of their fundamental & human rights. Some local experts believe that integration may lead to a newPalestine Crisisby jeopardizing the sovereignty of Bangladesh and endangering the geo-political stability of South Asia. This kind of proposal from responsible global leaders like WB will motivate Myanmar to slacken the repatriation process by increasing complexities to this multifaced dilemma. Instead of suggesting such impracticable proposal, WB could create pressure on Myanmar to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 by the UN.It could offer financial incentives to Myanmar for expediting the repatriation in internationally monitored safe zones. Some international organizations are planning long-term programs for this short-term emergency crisis which willjust linger the repatriation process.

Bangladesh is trying its level best to ensure decent arrangements for Rohingyas with its limited financial strengths. Despite not being a signatory of 1951 refugee convention, Bangladeshcomplies withits conditions, i.e., not forcing any Rohingya to go back to Myanmar. Accepting WBs proposal will add fuel to the fire by acting as a pull factor for other Rohingyas, around six lacs, to come to Bangladesh from restive Myanmar. Bangladesh has to bring substantial changes in its policy if it agrees to accept the framework, a complex & time-consuming process which will intensifies the misery. Safe &dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmaris the only sustainable solution to come to an end to their plight. Bangladesh needs more support from international communities to resolve this crisis. The country may expect that the world communities will consider all the relevant issues including socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh before making any recommendations to resolve the protracted Rohingya refugee crisisbybringing light of hope to put an end to their struggling present.

Writer's Bio: Kazi Mohammad Jamshed, a strategic affairs and foreign policy analyst, working as a lecturer at department of International Business, University of Dhaka. He can be reached at kazi.duib@gmail.com
The United States Recent Failures in War and Fighting Racism Should Serve as a Warning to Its Allies

by Charles Xu

On May 26, 2021, President Joe Biden ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to produce analysis of the origins of COVID-19 within 90 days. This move followed weeks of speculation surrounding the claim that the virus had escaped from a Chinese laboratory, usually identified as the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Having rightly rejected this claim for more than a year as a Trumpian conspiracy theory, centrist and liberal commentators in the West have breathed new life into the lab leak hypothesis, taking cues from allegations and claims made by U.S. state leaders and corporate media. Meanwhile, Facebook and other social media giants reversed their censorship of lab-leak disinformation almost overnight, impelled by a tawdry mix of insinuations from unnamed U.S. intelligence sources and vague allegations of impropriety relating to the World Health Organizations investigation into the origins of the pandemic earlier this year.

Right on schedule, the nations finest intelligence analysts delivered their report to the White House on August 24 and released an unclassified summary three days later. The once hotly anticipated story landed like a damp squib and was buried by the regular news cycle in less than a day. In part, this was due to the inconclusive nature of the findings: four intelligence community (IC) elements and the National Intelligence Council assessed with low confidence that SARS-CoV-2 emerged from natural exposure, another IC element leaned with moderate confidence toward lab leak, and three others did not commit either way, though they naturally all agreed that Beijing continues to hinder the global investigation, resist sharing information and blame other countries, including the United States. But what really doomed the report to oblivion was a signal failure of U.S. intelligenceand the entire imperial apparatuson a far grander scale: the utter rout of the United States puppet regime in Afghanistan by the Taliban, who in 10 days captured every provincial capital (save one), including Kabul.

One underexplored throughline linking both events is Bidens fraught though largely earnest attempts to restore the traditionally multilateral basis of the U.S. empire, drawing a sharp distinction with his predecessor Donald Trump. While Trump dramatically withdrew the United States from the WHO at the height of a global pandemic in 2020, alleging an entirely illusory pro-China bias, one of Bidens first acts in office was to rejoin the organization. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus duly celebrated the restoration of U.S. funding by contradicting the WHO missions own assessment, as part of a joint study with China, that introduction through a laboratory incident was considered to be an extremely unlikely pathway.

Bidens penchant for pursuing the new cold war through multilateral channels has continued in his engagement with the G7 and NATO. Trump famously denigrated both forums and delighted in alienating the United States sub-imperial vassals. Biden has, meanwhile, used these summits to great effect as ostensibly internationalist window dressing for the military encirclement of China. In June, a NATO Brussels Summit Communique for the first time identified Chinas stated ambitions and assertive behaviour as systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security. In the months since, Britain, France, and even Germany have launched performative naval incursions into the South China Seaalmost the antipodal opposite of the alliances ostensible remit in the North Atlantic.

Biden and the Democrats response to the domestic surge in anti-Asian racism, effectively delinking it rhetorically from their imperial aggression against China, has followed a similar logic. Gone are the days of presidential bombast over the China virus and the Kung Flu. Instead, after the Atlanta spa shootings of March 16, the Democrats worked overtime to identify Trump and his loyalists as the unique locus of violent anti-Asian animus. They extended the promise of full inclusion into American society and protection from isolated acts of vigilante terrora promise somehow underwritten by a violently racist policing system and conditioned on mawkish displays of loyalty to the imperial project. The United States selective incorporation of the Asian and particularly Chinese diaspora, in exchange for Asian Americans active collusion in the relentless demonization by the United States of their countries of origin, has ample historical precedent. That Biden signed the (predictably hyper-carceral) COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act on May 20, 2021, mere days before ordering his intelligence apparatus to fan the flames of sinophobic hate by promoting the lab-leak myth, is testament to the inestimable hypocrisy of liberal anti-racism.

No figure in the Biden administration so thoroughly embodies the hollowness of such politics as Kamala Harris, an infamously vindictive ex-prosecutor now feted as the first Black and Asian vice president. Coincidentally or not, she too found herself playing an awkwardly timed bit part in the hybrid war on China as her governments imperial designs in Afghanistan hurtled to their ignoble denouement. While the humbled U.S. military shambolically evacuated the one remaining piece of Afghan territory it controlled after a 20-year warmaking sure to commit some parting war crimes for long-suffering civilians to remember it byHarris was tasked with enlisting Singapore and Vietnam into the United States machinations in the South China Sea. Vietnam at least did not take the bait, instead reaffirming its historic ties to the Peoples Republic of China as a fellow socialist state.

All that said, the most spectacular failure of the United States return to traditional alliance structures is undoubtedly the Afghanistan withdrawal itself. The irony is inescapable: Joe Biden, who staked so much on multilateralism and a clean reputational break with his predecessor, has infuriated his coalition partners by honoring Trumps unilateral commitment to end 20 years of brutal military occupation. Extraordinarily, the United States has arm-twisted its Western allies into accepting the unmitigated defeat of a common imperial project, which it initiated, gravely harming its relations with its allies in the process.

Already, of course, the U.S. and its allies are undermining the prospects for lasting peace by threatening the new Afghan government with debilitating sanctions and fearmongering about a new Taliban-Pakistan-China axis. This confluence of events has not gone unnoticed in China, where Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointedly urged the U.S. to work with the international community to provide Afghanistan with urgently-needed economic, livelihood, and humanitarian assistance while condemning the so-called investigation report on COVID-19 origins produced by the U.S. intelligence community on a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In the fevered imaginations of U.S. war planners and their media sycophants, the empires greatest ideological, civilizational, and racial enemies of the last centurycommunism, Islamist jihadism, and a rising Chinaseem to be fusing into one. Hopefully, recent events have taught the United States prospective partners to think twice before following them once more unto the breach.

This article was produced by Globetrotter.

Charles Xu is a member of the Qiao Collective and of the No Cold War collective.
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Rohingyas, living in Arakan for thousand years, have been actively involved in Burma's politics since independence.

by Kazi Mohammad Jamshed

Washington-based global lender the World Bank, through concessional lending arms, has gone to bat for Bangladesh to foster its development initiatives since 1972; committing more than $30 billion by backing priorities in economic, social and infrastructural development. Since 2018, this UN affiliated multilateral body, largest source of financial assistance to developing nations, has committed a total $590 million grant to support Bangladesh to confront the challenges posed by the influx of the forcibly displaced Rohingya. Recently, this bank has been extensively denounced both by policy wonks and mass people after its proposal, through "Refugee Policy Review Framework'' (RPRF), on Rohingya's integration in Bangladesh. How rationalis this proposition of the World Bank?

Sources reported that Bangladesh and Myanmar have signed a deal that Myanmar will pay reparations to those Rohingya that fled during the genocide. Photo: Pakistan Today

Four years ago, in late August 2017, "breaking-news" across the world were dominated by the massive influx of Rohingyas to Bangladesh, a result of military-backed bloody "clearance operation". A 444-page report of the UN's Independent Fact-Finding Commission substantiated that more than 7,25,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after this deadly crackdown. The degree of atrocities of this "campaign of terror" embarked on by the military was so intense that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights referred to it as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing" whilst other investigators dubbed it as "genocide". In the first three weeks of August 2017, Bangladesh received more refugees than entire Europe did in 2016 during Syrian crisis. Since then, Bangladesh has been generously hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingyasas short-term guests ensuring "safe haven" on humanitarian grounds. Now, Cox's Bazar based 13 Kilometers long Kutupalong "mega-camp", the largest refugee settlement camp in the world, is the home to thisbeleaguered community.

Rohingyas, living in Arakan for thousand years, have been actively involved in Burma's politics since independence. The recognition of Rohingya as Myanmar's citizens by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) resolves their identity crisis by providing a legal base. Besides, in the hearing of ICJ, Aung San Suu Kyi defined Rohingyas as Arakans Muslims. Myanmar signed two repatriation agreements with Bangladesh in 2018 and 2019 respectively giving consent to take back their citizens. Although these repatriation agreements were in vain due to reluctance of Myanmar, still these agreements are significant proof of Myanmars official stance on Rohingyas citizenship. Though there is no light at the end of the tunnel, still Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, in response to the WB's framework, stated in point blank that they have no desire to receive Bangladeshi citizenship and would like to return to Myanmar.

The WB has proposed to review the RPRF for 14 member states, currently hosting refugees,including Bangladesh, for gauging the effectiveness of the grants for the refugees and host communities under its "soft-loan window" International Development Assistance. This global framework, being reviewed triennially, undertaken in cooperation with UNHCR, suggests providing refugees the rights to procure land & property, choose place of residence & freedom of movement, have equal access to the nation's public service & the labor market etc. like the citizens of the host country. The WBoffered $2 billion to Bangladesh, if it integrates Rohingya refugees with economic & social rights. The framework is germane for Bangladesh since this move will pave the way for the Rohingyas to become permanent citizens through integration into Bangladeshs populace. Bangladesh reiterated its stance,by rejecting the proposal outright, stating that Rohingyas are not refugees rather forcibly displaced persons to whom Bangladesh extended temporary shelter.

The study "Impacts of the Rohingya Refugee Influx on Host Communities" conducted by the UNDP expoundedhowthe overcrowding Rohingyasaffectedhost communities. The major adverse impact includes price hike, increase of poverty, rise in housing cost, reduction in wage rate, deforestation, environmental casualty etc. Moreover, the rise of intragroup and intergroup conflicts in the Rohingya camps shrunk the space of coexistence between the host communities and refugees by recasting the social makeup. This month, August 2021, marks the fourth anniversary of the Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh, but a sustainable solutionis yet to be found.

The 1951 Refugee Convention suggests threeway-outs to the refugee crisis: integration; settlement to a third country; or repatriation. Approximately 166.65 million population of Bangladesh, 8th largest in the world,makes it one of the densely populated countries with 1,125people in per sq. km.This small country, 92nd in terms of land size, with a total landmass of 147,570 sq. km, slightly smaller than the US Iowa state, is hosting 1.2 million Rohingyas which is higher than the total population of Bhutan.No country in the world is bearing the burden of so many refugees asby overpopulated Bangladesh. Bangladesh, with an unemployment rate of 5.30%, exportsapproximately 60,000workers abroad every year which indicates the country's inability to create employment and struggle to generate employment for its gargantuan unemployed youths. This attracts pointed attention towards inadequate demand of labor in Bangladesh. So, the possibility of integrating the Rohingya into the local community is nipped in the bud.As the number of Rohingya refugee is gigantic, more than a million in Bangladesh and some more are living in 19 other countries and no country has shown interest in receiving them, the option to settle them to a third country seems impassable in foreseeable future. The only way out toRohingya crisis lies in safe repatriation to Myanmar.

As the Rohingyasalso want to return to Myanmar, integrationinto Bangladesh, following WB's recommendations, is like denial of their fundamental & human rights. Some local experts believe that integration may lead to a newPalestine Crisisby jeopardizing the sovereignty of Bangladesh and endangering the geo-political stability of South Asia. This kind of proposal from responsible global leaders like WB will motivate Myanmar to slacken the repatriation process by increasing complexities to this multifaced dilemma. Instead of suggesting such impracticable proposal, WB could create pressure on Myanmar to comply with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948 by the UN.It could offer financial incentives to Myanmar for expediting the repatriation in internationally monitored safe zones. Some international organizations are planning long-term programs for this short-term emergency crisis which willjust linger the repatriation process.

Bangladesh is trying its level best to ensure decent arrangements for Rohingyas with its limited financial strengths. Despite not being a signatory of 1951 refugee convention, Bangladeshcomplies withits conditions, i.e., not forcing any Rohingya to go back to Myanmar. Accepting WBs proposal will add fuel to the fire by acting as a pull factor for other Rohingyas, around six lacs, to come to Bangladesh from restive Myanmar. Bangladesh has to bring substantial changes in its policy if it agrees to accept the framework, a complex & time-consuming process which will intensifies the misery. Safe &dignified repatriation of Rohingyas to Myanmaris the only sustainable solution to come to an end to their plight. Bangladesh needs more support from international communities to resolve this crisis. The country may expect that the world communities will consider all the relevant issues including socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh before making any recommendations to resolve the protracted Rohingya refugee crisisbybringing light of hope to put an end to their struggling present.
Mis/dis-information campaigns are not new, not the first nor would be the last. These are like bots and will pop up from time to time but never ends.

by A Special Correspondent

Is the justice for the Easter Sunday attack too far? No one knows. The truth of the Easter Sunday attack by Islam State-inspired extremists seem far beyond the half-truths and untruths filled in todays information environment.

How possible the half-truths and untruths take precedence over the truth. All these efforts are well planned, calculated, twisted, manipulated and injected into the information environment for different reasons.

These mis/dis-information campaigns are not new, not the first nor would be the last. These are like bots and will pop up from time to time but never ends.

Someone surfing social media these days might think that Zahran is innocent. Cannot complain. Because in the world of conspiracy theories of the Easter Sunday attack, Zahrans actual manifestation seemed insignificant. There were many conspiracy theories of the Easter Sunday attacks but the theory Easter Attack is a Gotabayas Plan came into very active when Gotabaya Rajapaksa came into power.

The previous government is for sure responsible for the lack of national security concerns and letting the Easter attack to happen freely. There is no doubt of it. Zahran took the advantage of that situation and simply conduct the attack. Any other person would also have done a similar attack if want. Because the previous government was blinded by the illusions of reconciliation and did not take any inputs which they think would hamper the reconciliation. So, in command responsibility, previous government is at 100% fault.

This situation pushed the previous government also to lose the last 2 elections (Presidential and General).

There were different stakeholders in the previous government. Largely (a) liberalists (UNPers and those in that line) those who gave zero concern to national security priorities and (b) nationalist those who joined the previous government due to political rivalry (Sirisena and his followers) and political survivalists (people like Patali).

When the Easter Sunday attack happened, nationalists in the previous government were so upset because they would also be responsible for being in that government, not doing anything to strengthen the national security, not preventing the extremism and not letting the Easter Sunday attack to happened thus their political careers would also get black marks and threatened.

Take Patali as an example. His future objective of becoming the President would never materialize unless he wash out his black marks of shared command responsibility in Easter Sunday attacks just him being in the previous government.

On the other hand, even for people in SJB, those who were there in the earlier regime need to wash their black marks as well to come back clean in next election.

When the attack happened, Cardinal was furious. His anger means the anger of Catholic community in Sri Lanka as well as the anger of Catholic community worldwide. So does the West! This is a very bad situation for liberalists, all in the previous government.

Now, how to get away with this pressure, divert the public anger, satisfy Cardinal, Catholic community (who largely voted for previous government), how to get away from command responsibility and wash out the black marks of Easter Sunday attack?

If they (UNP, SJB, SLFP, other parties like Patali) says previous government is responsible for the attack, that is a suicide as they are digging their own grave. Anyway, they can do some damage control by making former President, Defence Secretary, CNI, IGP, Director SIS and a few others responsible and sending them to guillotine.

If they say this is an Indian conspiracy (R&AW plan), they know the repercussions. So, they simply dropped the Sara Jasmine theory and now no one remembers what happened to Sara or Abubaker who let Sara go to India.

If they says this is a Western conspiracy (CIA plan or someone else), that would impact the liberalist line and relations with West and West would be furious. Cardinal would be helpless and cannot ask Vatican to conduct investigation.

Thus, there MUST be some other theory. Some convincing theory of attack.

It seemed that Gotabaya theory is the most viable and working for all their troubles.

Gotabaya factor is disturbing the UNP, SJB, JVP, FSP, 43 Brigade, all other political opportunists, larger portion of Catholic and Muslim communities, West, all Tom, Dick and Harry.

All above people who lost the ground in 2019 due to the Easter Sunday attack, those who want to come back clean and who dislike Gotabaya icon and Rajapaksa regime are now very smartly twisting the facts of Easter Sunday attacks to divert the public anger and its responsibility to the President and to intelligence agencies for cooking the conspiracy of Easter Sunday attacks for bringing Gotabaya Rajapaksa to power.

There were two commissions before the present PCoI (appointed by previous regime and completed during the same period) and what were the outputs of those commissions? No one knows and no one cares. Why? Those outputs are not to their taste. Had those commissions created any doubts of a conspiracy by Gotabaya? No, then why now everyone talking about a conspiracy?

Shani was there in the CID under previous regime. As now people says he is a FBI trained, good enough. So, why not he persuade the main suspect identified through IP address Sonic  Sonic or whoever when he had the full authority under previous regime. Why now? How come Military Intelligence intervened to release SIS person? Who was under power that time if the Military Intelligence had done that? Gotabaya Rajapaksa or previous government ? Very childish theories but problem is these are conveniently consumed by common public.

We cannot blame the public because when people like ex-AG himself making statements saying that the attack is a conspiracy, not only anguish Cardinal, everyone would believe these conspiracy theories.

Interested parties fill the information environment with all false and supportive false narratives to their main false narrative and little by little everyone begins to believe that Zahran is a cat-paw of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and think intelligence has some hand behind Easter Sunday attacks.

Intelligence organization are always infiltrating into any organization (LTTE, NTJ, JMI or any other) to gather intelligence and these are common tactics by any intelligence organization, But these interested parties are trying to interpret those efforts as intelligence involvement in the conspiracy theory.

Can you remember what happened to Millennium City case in 2001? UNP hit the Millennium City safe house thinking of a jackpot but apparently found they hit a wrong bucket. Unfortunately, Mr. Ranil W did not want to accept what actually happened in the safe house and when he begins to realize, the damage has already done by lives of intelligence operatives. No one remember that past now.

In the same time, all the interested parties are using Gotabaya Rajapaksas common faith and affiliation to military (of course being a former military person) and trust on intelligence to substantiate the claim of intelligence / military is behind the Easter Sunday.

The story is well written, neatly connected to be acceptable to any common person, Gotabaya used the intelligence to manipulate Zahran to manifest the Easter Sunday attack and thereby come into power. Very convincing story.!

Unfortunately, present governments actions to communicate the right message to public, build or socialize a counter-narrative or fill the information environment with alternative narratives are very less or none. Government action plan on how to deal with the PCoI report and legal procedures are not enough to change the tide, Thus, the public continue to believe what is available in the information environment and in gossip.

Cardinal is no exception. Cardinal is discontented due to the attack on Churches and death of Catholic community in the Easter Sunday attack. Catholic community is pushing the Cardinal for take the responsible persons behind bar. Cardinal in turn needs to turn to someone for answers. When answers are late, he needs some getaway strategy to overcome the pressure of Catholic community. Option available for Cardinal is the use of conspiracy theories of all interested parties.

So, as an escape strategy, even the Cardinal is now using Gotabaya conspiracy articulated by all the interested parties, political rivalries.

Those who are actually responsible for Easter Sunday attacks are Zahran and clan and they are all gone. Others who are directly linked like Naufer are in custody and will take legal actions against them.

Deciding on command responsibility is very difficult. UN is still debating on the command responsibility of Sri Lankas hierarchy for alleged war crimes during humanitarian operations. So, what to say about the command responsibility in Easter Sunday attacks.

Which one is the most satisfying the Cardinal? (a) punishing the Zahrans clan who manifested the attack or (b) punishing the command layers for not preventing it? It seemed that Cardinal is not interested on punishing those who are directly involved in the attack (maybe to avoid becoming target of extremists or to avoid backfire of Muslim community) and largely focusing on command responsibility, which is an objective too far. I doubt whether Cardinal is also want to gain the time seen no solution to the problem.

Very unfortunate. This government has no responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks and no involvement in the same. The previous government is fully responsible for the attack and their members may invariably involve (like Bathurdeen). However, this government, to that matter the President, in particular, is facing all the blame for something that has been done by someone.

Let the Vatican conduct an investigation, let the UN conduct an investigation, let Scotland Yard conduct an investigation, let anyone, any regime to conduct an investigation, no one would find a solution to this. So, we can use this time gain strategy forever.!

Justice for those who suffered in the Easter Sunday attacks will never be delivered. Because, as it can see, the truth of the Easter Sunday attacks seem far beyond the half-truths and untruths.
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McDonald said: Were just residents of Boca, and some of us would like to stay [in this Black neighborhood]. Some of us may end up in a worse situation or worse area. We just want to be respected. We want to be asked what we want, and we want to be part of the decision-making process.
Parents and students say theyve definitely noticed a need for more drivers. Last school year, at least half of students were learning at home, so the demand was less, and school officials were able to block off seats for social distancing. This year, schools are back at 100%, and the driver shortage, buses are more crowded than ever.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said that 95,000 customers were still without electricity more than two weeks after Ida hit. And he said the new storm could mean some who had regained power might lose it again. Homes already badly damaged by Ida were not yet repaired to the extent that they could withstand heavy rain, Edwards added.
This Sunday morning, 12 September, approximately 300 residents of Jubrique village were ordered to leave their homes - as a precautionary measure - by the emergency services as the Sierra Bermeja fire entered its fourth day, still burning out of control.

Shortly after, evacuation began began in Genalguacil another village affected by the blaze.

Also this Sunday morning, the Government has deployed the Military Emergency Unit (UME) to help fight the fire, at the request of the Junta de Andalucia.

In Jubrique early Sunday morning Guardia Civil and National Police officers, were joined by ambulance crews and Civil Protection volunteers from Ronda, Antequera, Teba and other areas to manage the mass evacuation.

The emergency services in Jubrique this Sunday morning (12 September). / SUR in English.

The blaze has already destroyed more than 6,000 hectares of land and extends over a 42-kilometre perimeter. Prior to this morning it had already forced more than a thousand people out of their homes and has claimed the life of Carlos Martinez Haro, a 44-year-old forest firefighter from Almeria.

The decision to evacuate the residents came as shock after some 41 aircraft and 400 firefighters continued to battle the flames on Saturday and the Junta had reported a cautious and slow improvement with respect to the fire.

During the afternoon the efforts of the firefighters had been concentrated in the northern sector as the fire moved back towards Jubrique, Genalguacil and the pinsapar (Spanish fir) forests. But, at around 6pm the residents of two villages  Jubrique and Genalguacil  were advised to stay indoors and close doors and windows as thick smoke accumulated in the area. The concern was for respiratory problems among the population. The order was lifted several hours later.

But, in the early hours of Sunday morning, the emergency services decided to evacuate the population of Jubrique, as a precautionary measure, as thick smoke still shrouded the village.

/ SUR

Evacuated

Prior to this Sunday morning's evacuation decision in Jubrique, some 1,070 people have already been forced to leave their homes. Since Wednesday, night residents have been evacuated from the Quinones area (40 people), from the Forest Hill and Abejeras residential developments (750 people), scattered homes around the Penas Blancas on the MA-8301 road (37), Charca de la Extranjera (12), Huerta Padron (60), Castor river (5), Charca de las Nutrias (5), and Rio Velerin (65) in Estepona, as well as the Montemayor residential development in Benahavis (80).

Ignition points

The blaze, that started with two ignition points being reported on Wednesday night, has spread rapidly across four municipalities in Malaga province  Jubrique, Genalguacil, Estepona and Benahavis - leaving huge ecological devastation in its tracks, as well as the threat to human life.

At 5pm on Friday afternoon, the huge blaze generated a towering pyrocumulus ash cloud, that threatened to rain down incandescent material on the area, forcing the Infoca wildfire brigade to pull back some 200 of their 500 workers on the ground and order the confinement of the inhabitants of Jubrique and Genalguacil to their homes.

Panic

The news spread panic among the local population and messages began to circulate on WhatsApp and social media networks about the risk of an explosion. The danger was real. In Pedrogao Grande (Portugal) in 2017, some 64 people died in a similar scenario.

At 9pm Infoca announced that the pyrocumulus was beginning to dissipate and the Junta lifted the confinement of two municipalities and the Infoca firefighters returned on Friday night to fight the fire on the front line.

The fire has reached grade E, the maximum contemplated in the Infoca plan, and is - along with the great fire on the Costa del Sol in 2012 - the most serious in the last decade in the province. On Friday morning it passed from Level 1 to 2, which implies the possibility of requesting state support. The Military Emergency Unit (UME) will be activated if necessary - and also further backup from other regions.

'Hungry monster'

The deputy director of the Regional Operational Centre of Infoca described the blaze on Friday in a very graphic way: It is a hungry monster and what we intend to do is confine it, enclose it within a few lines of control, and then kill it. What we are doing is accompanying it so that it does not enter the areas where we know it would multiply. We call these types of fires hungry because they are extremely voracious.
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The Disappointed Idealist

Gov. Abbotts irresponsible decision-making and growing unpopularity illustrate why he is not fit for office, says Opinion columnist Zach Freeman
Leading GCC economies have resumed their pre-pandemic growth trajectory  not only on the tried-and-tested path of oil revenue, but also amid national diversification initiatives, according to Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI).



The World Bank forecasts aggregate growth across GCC member states of 2.2% in 2021. It pinpoints the global economic recovery  projected at 5.6%  and the revival of international oil demand and oil prices as core drivers. Yet non-oil revenue from property, tourism and the digital economy, for example, also promises to support the turnaround in the region.



Edris Alrafi, Head of Middle East & Africa at ASI, said: Investors can expect key sectors to move in a positive direction in the next few months. They will welcome this rebound in the economy after the GDP contraction of 4.8% in 2020.



The Institute of International Finance sees the UAE and Saudi Arabia as leading the post-pandemic economic recovery within the GCC.



More specifically, while the World Bank expects the UAE to regain momentum slower than the average, at 1.2%, this will accelerate to 2.5% in 2022 and 2023 driven by government expenditures and Expo 2020 in October 2021.



Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will derive more immediate gains from firmer demand for oil, with the World Bank tipping 2021 GDP to be 2.4% in 2021, and medium-term growth to average 3%. Kuwait will experience a similar rebound; the World Bank said oil exports will likely drive domestic growth dynamics, forecast as a moderate 2.4% in 2021 before ramping up to an average 3.2% in 2022-23.



To uphold this momentum, however, there is consensus that GCC economies need to follow a clear and consistent path to reforms to drive longer-term competitiveness.



For example, investment experts at ASI are eyeing further reforms across key markets to enhance the appeal of what many investors see as future-proof areas of economic development.



The World Bank agreed, based in its recent Gulf Economic Update, released in early August, which stated: Past investments in the [telecommunications] sector accorded the GCC sizable benefits during the pandemic as quarantines, lockdowns and restrictions forced public health surveillance, wholesale and retail commerce, public and private education, banking and financial services, and private and government office work onto digital channels.



The rollout of 5G networks is central to this  a goal that the UAE, most notably, has made a priority and, according to the UAEs Information and Digital Government Sector, this has facilitated the implementation of the latest projects across health, transport, education and logistics.



This is also in sync with the countrys launch of its 2021-2025 strategy to set policies that drive digital transformation.



Edris added: The importance of economic diversification cannot be overstated. Countries such as the UAE will get a boost from ongoing investments in areas of strategic importance, such as digitalisation and telecommunications.



There is still some way to go to ensure non-oil GDP becomes a larger proportion in all GCC countries, which is essential in creating a steady and strategic resurgence in the regions appeal to investors.



Tourism offers another avenue for optimism in the UAE. It was ahead of the global trend in the first half of 2021 with the decline in hotel occupancy less severe compared with other markets. And going forward, the positive impact of the countrys strong vaccine programme coupled with the opening of the Expo 2020 Dubai next month are expected to boost the tourism sector.



ASI investment specialists also foresee the real estate sector as providing another economic boost over the next few months. In Dubai, for instance, growing numbers of transactions and rising prices fuel bullish sentiment.



These again show the importance of investor confidence as a result of the impressive vaccination rates, which have led to confidence that has, in turn, spurred resilience within the business community.  TradeArabia News Service
Aramex has selected the Agility Logistics Park (ALP) in Sulaibiya as the location for its new 16,000 sq m e-fulfillment centre in Kuwait.

The opening of the new Aramex warehouse was attended by Dr Matar Al-Neaydi, UAE Ambassador in Kuwait, Eng Nader Sakeen, CEO of ALP Kuwait and GCC, Fadi Kikoloff, General Manager of Aramex Kuwait along with senior executives from both companies.

Aramexs new facility will be housed in Agilitys recently completed multi-customer logistics warehouse, which was developed by ALP. The facility is the largest logistics warehouse in Kuwait, and was built to meet customer requirements.

The warehouse complex provides Aramex Kuwait with the necessary infrastructure and services needed to meet its customers needs across the country and the GCC.

The new state-of-the-art Aramex facility will help the company expand and grow its e-commerce fulfillment business, which involves movement of different types of consumer goods and products.

Using the latest equipment and technology, the logistics warehouse will operate the latest version of INFOR WMS 10.4, RFID tags and gateways, automated conveyor belts and sorting machines, all of which are geared towards faster and more efficient operations.

Sakeen said: The built-to-suit warehouse was tailored to customers requirements and is move-in ready, enabling fast deployment, flexibility and reduced capital commitments. At ALP, we know how to deliver large-scale projects that accelerate growth and enhance operational efficiency for companies operating in Kuwait and in the region.

Kikoloff said: We are pleased to expand our fulfillment infrastructure to deliver our customers in Kuwait and the wider region the speed and reliability they deserve. This new facility is an important investment that will help support the rapid growth of our logistics business. The facilitys cutting-edge technology strengthens our position by ensuring higher capacity, faster sortation process and reduced transit times. We believe this will allow us to fulfil growing customer demands for more reliable services.

The ALP in Sulaibiya features built-up, international-standard warehousing and logistics facilities that serve leading multinationals, government customers, and small and medium-sized businesses operating in Kuwait.

In twelve countries, the advanced design and layout of ALP warehouses gives customers the ability to store more goods in less space while also utilising state-of-the-art technology and systems that ensure smooth management of inventory and flow of goods.

Sakeen said: Agility Logistics Parks is a world leader in the design and construction of logistics parks and warehousing solutions. Our logistics warehouses provide the essential infrastructure required for both multinational companies and local businesses in the storage, distribution, packaging, processing and light manufacturing sectors.

The secure ALP in Sulaibiya features ready-built warehouses; built-to-suit warehouses; shared facilities; and open storage, laydown, and truck- and car-staging yards. The logistics park also offers ambient and air-conditioned warehousing; freezers and chillers; asphalted container-storage yards; and racked warehousing.

In addition, Agilitys warehouses meet international environmental standards and feature eco-friendly construction materials, using energy-efficient roof and side-insulated panels, wind-driven roof fans, skylights for natural lighting, along with LED and energy-saving light fittings.-- TradeArabia News Service
The Emirate of Sharjah's trade mission to Russia had discussed with Russian officials discuss areas of cooperation and coordination and investment opportunities available in different economic sectors.

Headed by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) and represented by the Sharjah Exports Development Centre (SEDC), the mission saw the organisation of several activities as part of the Sharjah Week in Russia.

One of these activities was the meeting held at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry between Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, SCCI, Chairman, and Vice President of the Moscow Chamber for International Relations, Sorin Oganisovich Vardanyan.

During the meeting, the two sides highlighted the services provided by each chamber to its members, stressing the importance of exchanging visits between commercial delegations due to their role in taking relationships to the next level.

They also discussed the possibility of cooperation between the two chambers in order to organise a trade mission from Moscow to Sharjah in the coming period.

As part of the mission works in Moscow, the SEDC organised at the Moscow Chamber an expanded business meeting between the representatives of the Emirati companies with their Russian counterparts in various economic sectors.

This was followed by a visit to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, where Abdullah Sultan Al Owais met Sergey Nosov, Director of the Department of Asian, African and Latin American Affairs in the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

During the meeting, Al Owais said that the SCCI's strategy of foreign relations is built on organising and leading trade missions, underlining the importance of the current mission in enhancing direct communication and learning closely about fields of cooperation in various economic sectors.

Al Owais added: "The mission also represents a new gateway for several investment opportunities that serve both business communities, increase exports the volume of trade exchange between the cities.

He said that the SCCI has distinguished partnerships with many Russian Chambers of Commerce and Russian government bodies, expressing his hope that these relations will enhance the joint efforts to take advantage of the rewarding investment opportunities in the industrial, commercial, and other sectors.

For his part, Nosov lauded the efforts of SCCI in organising the mission, adding that the Russian government, represented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is ready to provide all means of support to encourage cooperation between the business communities in both countries.

Nosov indicated that his country's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai represents an important opportunity to bring Russian businessmen closer to the reality of commercial and industrial activity in the Emirate of Sharjah and hold direct business meetings with their counterparts.

He said it's important for Russian companies to take advantage of Sharjah's strategic location, its services and logistical components, as well as air and seaports, in entering other regional markets.

The Chambers mission also visited the Department of Foreign Economic Affairs and International Relations in the Moscow government, during which they met with Vyacheslav Monilov, Head of International Relations and Protocol.

The visit included presentations on the Emirate of Sharjah and the city of Moscow about the economic, social, cultural, and tourism aspects.

The two sides discussed the importance of cooperation to find ways to support the products of SMEs. They also discussed the possibility of organising Moscow Day in Sharjah as an economic and cultural event sponsored by the Sharjah Chamber during Russia's participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.

The SCCI Chairman held another meeting with Dmitry Prokorenkov, Director of Overseas Network Development at the Russian Export Centre, during which the two sides discussed areas of joint cooperation in promoting trade exchanges with the Russian Export Centre.

For his part, Prokorenkov expressed his country's willingness to organise exhibitions and trade missions to the Emirate of Sharjah and the cooperation with the SCCI to establish joint events that enhance trade exchanges and strengthen the presence of Russian products in the UAE markets.

He underlined that the Russian Export Centre is keen to consolidate relations with the Sharjah Export Development Centre and collaborate in establishing tangible projects that cater to the aspirations of both sides.

The last stop of the SCCI trade mission will be in Saint Petersburg. The mission schedule there includes meetings and a forum during which the Sharjah Chamber and the participating local private sector companies will make presentations on the advantages offered by Sharjah for foreign investors and businessmen, most importantly the encouraging and promising investment climate.-- TradeArabia News Service
Arabian Centres Company, a leading owner, developer and operator of lifestyle shopping centres in Saudi Arabia, has announced the opening of Jeddah Park Centre on the Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Road in Jeddah.

A key retail destination featuring 126,500 sq m of gross leasable area (GLA), the Jeddah Park Centre is the 22nd centre in the Arabian Centres Company's portfolio.

It will boast over 350 commercial units that include the finest international and local brands in the fields of fashion, cosmetics and food and beverages.

It is in line with the companys strategy of utilizing an asset light model that will contribute to enhancing the companys financial flexibility in order to expand its operations, said Arabian Centres Company in its filing to the Saudi bourse Tadawul.

As per an agreement signed last year with the Jeddah Park Centres owner, it will be responsible for all the leasing, management, operation and maintenance works of the facility, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Washington, Sep 12 (UNI/Sputnik) A group of Afghan pilots are expected to be transferred to a US military base from Uzbekistan this weekend, under a new agreement between the US and Uzbek governments, The Wall Street Journal reports citing people familiar with the matter.

The Afghan Air Force pilots, who fled to Uzbekistan after the Taliban (terrorist organization, banned in Russia) took over Kabul in mid-August, will likely be flown out to the US military base in Doha, Qatar, where they will be processed for onward travel, the newspaper said on Saturday.

The Taliban has promised amnesty to government officials and members of the military, but the pilots still fear for their safety and the Uzbek government has been under pressure by the Taliban to hand over the pilots, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It is unclear whether the pilots will eventually end up being transferred to the US.

"Through a lot of diligent work, we are hopeful that the pilots and military personnel, including the husband [of] one of my constituents, are going to get out of Uzbekistan this weekend," Republican Representative for Texas, August Pfluger, told The Wall Street Journal. "This was accomplished through constant work to hold the Biden administration's feet to the fire," he added.

There are currently 46 aircraft in Uzbekistan that flew over from Afghanistan, as well as pilots, crews, and their families, totaling some 585 people, according to the newspaper. Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen has called on the pilots to return to Afghanistan as the country needs its people to rebuild itself.

The US military withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed on August 31, ending the nearly twenty-year American military presence in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, the Taliban announced the composition of Afghanistan's temporary government.

Internationally recognized Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resigned and left the country for the United Arab Emirates after the Taliban took over the capital, Kabul, on August 15. The seizure of power has forced thousands of Afghans to flee for fear of reprisals from the militants.

UNI/SPUTNIK ASN
New Delhi, Sep 12 (UNI) Congress MLA from Uttarakhand Rajkumar on Sunday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the next year's Assembly polls in the state.

The Congress lawmaker from Purola Assembly constituency under Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand joined the BJP at the party headquarters here in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state BJP chief Madan Kaushik.

Pradhan welcomed him to the the saffron party, saying that his joining was a signal that the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state CM will win the upcoming Assembly polls.

Dhami said Rajkumar is a grassroots leader and his joining would further strengthen the party.

Rajkumar said that he has joined the BJP inspired by the vision of PM Modi and the developmental works done by the BJP governments at the Centre and State.

BJP is working towards making the people belonging to the lower castes self-reliant. These people have been made dependent on subsidies by the Congress since independence so that they can never stand on their feet, he said.

Kumar had won the seat in 2017 Assembly polls as a Congress nominee.

Earlier this week, Independent MLA from Dhanolti Pritam Singh Pawar had joined the BJP.

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New Delhi, Sep 12 (UNI) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall and thunderstorms on Sunday, as the low-pressure area "over east Rajasthan and another forming over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further."

According to the Met department, heavy rainfall in Delhi will continue till tomorrow morning. It will cover Delhi-NCR, Punjab & Rajasthan.

"Systems over east Rajasthan & another forming over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further. Delhi will receive a fresh spell of rain from Sept 17-18," it said.

IMD Senior scientist R K Jenamani said, "The national capital received the highest 24-hour rainfall this year in 121 years."

"Delhi has recorded 1139 mm rainfall in four months, which is highest in 46 years," he said.

Between 8:30 am on Friday and 8:30 am on Saturday, the Safdarjung station recorded 94.7 mm of rainfall. The Palam station recorded the highest amount during the same 24-hour period 103.3 mm.

The observatory at the Ridge logged 67.6 mm.



The incessant rainfall on Saturday has caused extensive waterlogging that affected operations at the Delhi airport, disrupted traffic on key roads, and left passengers trapped inside vehicles in flooded underpasses.

As many as 380 complaints related to waterlogging were received by authorities in Delhi on Saturday after the national capital was pounded by the rain, officials said.

Incidents of tree uprooting incidents were also reported in several areas across the city.

On Sunday, the minimum temperature was settled at around 24 degrees Celsius, one notch below the normal.

"The maximum temperature will be hovering around 30 degrees celsius," said the IMD.

The relative humidity at 830 hrs stood at 100 per cent.

UNI JA ASN
Tripoli, Sep 12 (UNI/Xinhua) The Libyan Ministry of Health revealed that Minister Ali Zanati and his Maltese counterpart, Chris Fearne, have signed an agreement on medical cooperation between the two countries.



The agreement includes training medical and paramedical personnel and treating Libyan patients in Maltese hospitals, the Ministry said in a statement.



Both sides will also cooperate in managing Libyan hospitals and a number of Maltese medical experts will be sent to major Libyan cities to perform complex surgeries.



On Friday, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah visited Malta and met with Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela. They agreed to increase mutual investment, facilitate residency and entry visas for the people of the two countries, and resume flights after setting up necessary protocols.

UNI/XINHUA ASN
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 11:59:53|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has secured an additional 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine as the country continues to battle the third wave of infections.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Sunday that the 1 million Moderna doses from European Union member states will arrive within the next week and go directly to local community pharmacies across the country.

"That means everyone from 12 to 59 can go along to the community pharmacy where Moderna is being administered," said Morrison.

It comes as Australia reported 1,669 new locally acquired COVID-19 infections on Sunday Morning.

Of the new cases, 1,262 were from New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state with Sydney as the capital city, where the state health department also recorded seven deaths.

"There have been 177 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since 16 June 2021," said the statement from NSW Health.

Victoria, the second-most populous state with Melbourne as the capital city, reported a further 392 new local cases.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) reported 15 new cases as Canberrans marked one month in lockdown.

The government also on Sunday launched a new vaccine campaign aimed at those who are hesitant about the vaccine, which mobilizes all Australians to make the decision to get vaccinated.

According to Greg Hunt, minister for health, 81 percent of Australians said they are willing to get vaccinated based on the latest research.

To date, about 67 percent of the Australian population aged 16 and over has had at least one vaccine dose and 42 percent were fully inoculated, according to the Department of Health. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 15:14:22|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken with mobile phone shows damaged houses after heavy downpour in Mansehra district of Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sept. 12, 2021. Twelve people were dead and two others injured due to heavy downpour in Mansehra district of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, local media reported. (Str/Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Twelve people were dead and two others injured due to heavy downpour in Mansehra district of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, local media reported.

Four to five houses were razed to the ground due to land sliding caused by heavy downpour, the reports said.

There were 16 people in the houses and search for the remaining two has been underway, according to media.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Climate impacts including cloud bursts, which lead to heavy downpour, are becoming more frequent in the country in recent years, causing casualties and damages. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 21:16:24|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Afghan female students can attend higher education institutions and universities but in gender-separated classes, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, acting minister of higher education of the new Taliban government, said on Sunday.

"All government-run universities will reopen soon. Higher education authorities are working on regulations as students will return to their classes," Haqqani told reporters.

The minister noted that "boys and girls would not study together ... They will be separated," as co-education scheme has been against Islamic principle and national values.

The minister noted that the "Islamic dress was also necessary for the female students while attending classes."

The report came as an Afghan female student secured a top position at a national university entrance exam this year.

Being affected by the COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year, the Afghan universities were closed after the Taliban takeover of the country in mid-August. However, a number of private universities reopened earlier this week after the Taliban announced a caretaker government in Afghanistan. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 21:57:49|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- After breathing a sigh of relief from the second wave of COVID-19 transmission, Indonesia is now preparing for the transition from pandemic to endemic.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Friday while monitoring COVID-19 vaccination at a school for the disabled in the province of Yogyakarta that COVID-19 would not go away anytime shortly.

"We must prepare for that transition and learn to live together with COVID-19," Widodo said.

In late June to early August, the Southeast Asian country faced a spike in COVID-19 transmissions triggered by the more contagious Delta variant.

The COVID-19 Task Force recorded that the biggest number of daily cases of 56,757 was recorded on July 15 and the highest death toll of 2,068 happened on July 27.

But the downward trend in daily new cases and death started to appear since mid-August. On Sept. 12, the newly-confirmed daily cases were recorded at 3,779, with 188 deaths.

The government has begun to relax the public mobility restrictions, locally known as PPKM, and economic activities such as shopping centers and offices have resumed operations with limited capacity and operating hours to prevent further transmission.

During the transition from pandemic to endemic, people could return to their activities according to the PPKM level in their respective regions, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Friday.

"People have to be disciplined by complying with health protocols and getting vaccinated. We encourage testing, tracing and treatment, including centralized isolation, so that the new cases could be identified quickly," he said.

The government has carried out pilot projects to popularize the use of a test-and-trace application, called PeduliLindungi, which records people's whereabouts and vaccination status.

Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist of Griffith University, told Xinhua recently that a transition could be made if a country has managed to control the pandemic, provided that the positivity rate has consistently stayed at less than 1 percent and the vaccination has covered more than 80 percent of the targeted population.

"Indonesia is still at risk and prone to an increase in cases. It also has the potential to face a third wave with the threat of new variants and vaccination coverage of less than 50 percent," said Budiman.

Therefore, President Widodo asked people not to be complacent about the decline in cases.

"We all have to be aware that COVID-19 is always stalking us, so health protocols must be followed continuously," he said.

To date, at least 41.73 million people in Indonesia have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 72.76 million have taken their first shot. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 22:36:31|Editor: huaxia

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YANGON, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four million more doses of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Myanmar's Yangon on Sunday, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar.

So far, China has supplied 12.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Myanmar, of which 3.9 million doses were donated by China, the statement said.

According to Myanmar's Ministry of Health on Sunday, over 3.23 million people have been fully vaccinated nationwide, while over 1.7 million people have received the first jab of COVID-19 vaccines as of Saturday.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar has increased to 431,833 on Sunday after 1,953 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

A total of 79 new deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 16,530 in the country as of Sunday. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-13 02:47:27|Editor: huaxia

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Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Sept. 12, 2021. (Photo by Kok Ky/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed on Sunday to enhance cooperation in fighting COVID-19, boost bilateral trade and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

When meeting with Wang in the Cambodian capital, Hun Sen said Cambodia is willing to join hands with China to continue pushing forward bilateral relations.

The Cambodian leader promised his country's firm support to China on issues concerning China's core interests, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

Cambodia appreciates China's assistance in helping the kingdom combat the COVID-19 outbreak and hopes to further cement bilateral cooperation in the fields of anti-epidemic measures, trade and economy, and infrastructure, Hun Sen said.

Both sides will strengthen communication and coordination to prevent outsider countries from meddling in the regional issues so as to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region, he added.

Wang said that under the guidance of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, China is ready to further the mutually-beneficial cooperation with Cambodia, and move toward building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future to benefit peoples of the two countries.

He promised that China will provide more COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies to Cambodia to help the kingdom contain its COVID-19 outbreak.

Wang hoped that China and the ASEAN countries could conclude their consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea during Cambodia's ASEAN chairmanship next year, and reach an agreement which is effective, with practical significance, and in line with the international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Before their meeting, Hun Sen and Wang attended the handover ceremony of the China-funded national stadium in Phnom Penh.

Wang arrived here from Vietnam for a visit to Cambodia, the second leg of his four-nation Asia tour, which will also take him to Singapore and South Korea. Enditem
14:40 | Cajamarca (Cajamarca region), Sep. 12.

This delivery will take place within the framework of the decentralized measures implemented by the Government to combat COVID-19 and strengthen the immunization and health care system, which is at the service of the population.

To date, more than 967,000 vaccines have been delivered to Cajamarca, and 927,000 doses are due to be supplied this month, of which 288,000 have already been delivered.

Afterwards, Mr. Castillo will take part in a recognition event organized by the Municipality of Chota, which will be presided over by Mayor Werner Cabrera.

On Monday, September 13, he is scheduled to participate in a ceremony marking the Day of Tacabamba Identity at Tacabamba's Main Square starting 8 a.m.

The Head of State is in Puna village (Cajamarca region), where he is set to meet with district mayors from Chota Province today.

In addition, he will meet with more than 180 Chota teachers at the Teacher's House in said locality.

Likewise, the top official will participate in the opening of the National Autonomous University of Chota and will take a short tour of the new facility located in the city's main square. The event will take place at 11 a.m.

On Sunday morning, the Peruvian leader paid a visit to the educational institution 10465 in Puna village , where he served as teacher before becoming the Head of State.
In 1882, the New York State Experiment Station wrote that, Perhaps no crop grown in our State gives better rewards for careful management than tobacco. In the late 1800s, tobacco was a major crop, especially in Oswego and Chemung river valleys. In 1864, 13 million pounds of tobacco were grown in New York. Tobacco was a high value crop, and even a small plot could help to pay the bills for a year. The leaves of the plant need to be dried in special barns that often had a cupola and some type of doors or slots that could be opened to allow ventilation while keeping the crop safe from the rain.

Although tobacco was not a major crop in Mentz, the production of cigars was a large industry in the village, with names such as Davis & Dickey, Hest Roney & Hest, Willard Vosburgh, Edward Slayton, Major Dodge and Al Humphrey, among others. The Cigar History Museum calculates that in the 19th and 20th centuries, New York state had 4,495 cigar factories, and these were about evenly divided between the New York City area with around 1,800, and upstate with about 2,600. The growth of tobacco in Cayuga County and the manufacture and sale of cigars played an important financial and societal role in Port Byron, which was considered a cigar manufacturing center featuring many well-known brands.
The university did not respond to The Citizen's requests for comment.

"People can have reactions to the vaccine, but by doing it this way and by doing it in an emergency care setting, people also have immediate treatment available," Cosachov said. "It's easier to manage an allergic reaction if it's treated early on than if you wait a significant amount of time."

He added, "It's still possible that somebody could have a real serious allergic reaction and it's possible the patient may not be able to receive the vaccine. But certainly, some are able to receive the vaccine if it's done in a stepwise manner."

At Upstate, the clinic was held in the hospital's pediatric emergency department. Knapp said she arrived at 7 a.m. She was given five injections  three in one arm and two in another  in 15-minute intervals. Her vitals, including her blood pressure, oxygen and pulse, were monitored throughout the process.

Knapp did not have a severe reaction to the shots. After the third injection, she did feel some tingling in her arm, but it resolved on its own.

"Everything went smoothly," she said.
Windows on the World was a unionized workplace, and after the 9/11 attacks, its union donated money to an informal group that helped former employees who were out of work. In April 2002, that organization became ROC United, with Siby as its first member. He later worked as a community organizer for the organization, using his fluency in French and Spanish to connect with immigrants in New York City, before becoming executive director in 2017, and CEO last year.

Siby still keeps photos of co-workers he lost that day. One of them shows Abdoul Karim Troare, a fellow immigrant from Ivory Coast who had been Siby's roommate when he arrived in the United States in 1996.

Traore helped Siby find his job as a cook and dishwasher at Windows on the World. And it was Troare's wife, Hadidjatou Karamoko, who first alerted Siby to the Sept. 11 attacks. She called to say that Traore wasn't answering his phone.

Traore had left that morning at 4 a.m. for his other job, delivering newspapers, before heading to the Twin Towers at 7:30 that morning.

I did not know that it was the last time I was going to see him and hear his voice, she said Wednesday in a virtual call organized by ROC, her first public comments about her husband.
When vaccinations for COVID-19 first became available, there was good reason for the tight controls over who could administer them and who could receive them. The logistical reality was that the nation lacked the supply and the storage capacity to send doses out to every doctor's office and allow every adult to line up for shots.

But those days of mass clinics amid incremental rollouts of who was eligible are long gone. Now the challenge is getting the portion of the eligible population that has so far skipped vaccination to get the shots that will protect them, their family and friends, and their communities from increased cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

While the egregious politicization of COVID-19 has been a huge factor in getting that final group of people to take that crucial step, it's also important to remember that many unvaccinated Americans are truly worried and confused about what to do.

For both the people caught up in politics and those with major uncertainty about what's best for their health and the public's health, the most effective voice won't be politicians or media pundits or social media hot takes. It will be the professionals they've long entrusted to watch out for their health and their family members' health: physicians.
It is not only cars that are being converted into electric vehicles as automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are also trying to bring in electric trucks for achieving a full-fledged electric portfolio. Contributing to this is Europe's Futuricum, a commercial vehicle brand, which partnered with DPD Switzerland and Continental Tires to develop and manufacture electric trucks.

And this team recently made a Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered by an electric truck without recharging.

For the record, the partners used an e-truck that has already been in use in delivery traffic for the past six months. The e-truck, which is a modified Volvo unit, travelled a distance of 1,099 km without stopping to recharge. The electric vehicle was driven on 2.8-kilometer-long, oval test track at the Contidrom, Continentals in-house test centre. Two drivers drove the e-truck and completed 392 laps in 23 hours. The average speed of the truck was at 50 kmph (31 mph), which the company said is a realistic average value for everyday use.

(Also read | Check out the monster EV trucks deployed by Tata Steel at Jamshedpur plant)

Marc Frank, strategy and innovation director at DPD Switzerland shared that the companies decided to invest in electric mobility at an early stage. The e-truck can master the roughly 300 kilometres every day without any problems. We are proud that we have now been able to officially document our performance level," he added.

(Also read | Volkswagen, Toyota's truck units team up to produce electric vehicles jointly)

Adrian Melliger, CEO of Designwerk Products AG, the company behind the Futuricum brand stated that this electric truck has a battery capacity of 680-kilowatt hours which is the largest truck battery in Europe on board. The truck with a 19-tonne weight has a power output of over 680 hp.
Even so, Lopez said he still wanted to be there for the event.

Lopez said he was 17 sitting in drivers education class at Flagstaff High School when 9/11 occurred. There was a TV on in the classroom and although class continued most students and the teachers attention was on the news.

But Saturday morning as he watched the many 18- and 19-year-olds climbing through the arena, Lopez said he thinks events such as the stair climb might take on more importance as the years pass by.

I like seeing that there are kids doing this today that werent born yet. I hope for them its more than just an exercise event, Lopez said. For a lot of us, it really means something. We have friends and family that have died and suffered, and so it means a lot to us; its an emotional event. Versus someone who maybe wasnt born, youre just hearing anecdotally of a friend or a family members experiences. Its kind of like us listening about Pearl Harbor when we were kids.

Lopez said his kids are young, the oldest only being 14, but he doesnt worry about them not recognizing the sacrifice first responders made on 9/11 in the same way, in part because he has been coming to take part in the stair walk, or other events honoring first responders, for so long.
But then came the backlash. Incited by President Donald Trumps Big Lie about a stolen election, a racist mob ransacked the Capitol to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power, marching through its halls with zip ties, cudgels, bear spray and Confederate flags. This threatened the Constitution and the election.

Afterward, 147 Republican members of Congress shamefully voted to reject the election results. Republican state legislators took the baton and quickly introduced new voting laws that make it harder to vote, especially for Black and brown Americans. Eighteen states enacted 30 new laws to restrict our access to vote, and more than 400 bills were introduced throughout the country, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

These laws include reducing the time to vote-by-mail; making it easier to kick people off voter lists; cuts to the number of mail drop boxes; new barriers for voters with disabilities; cuts to early voting; even bans on giving water to voters waiting in hours-long lines.

Congress has the power to override these laws and set fair, national standards for all Americans to vote in federal elections. It says so right in the Constitution in the elections clause (Article I, Section 4 to be exact).
we took our Toyota prius to the Toyota dealer for oil change. During the oild change, they messed up and got oil spilled, so they did a power wash to clean it up. After we took the car back, we found the engine light check is on after drivng for about 20 miles. We sent the car back and they said that engine needs to be replaced since the valve has issues.

we googled it on internet and found a lot of cases that oil spill damaged the engine. But Toyota service center said this engine malfunction is just a coincidence not caused by the oil spill.

Can I sue toyota? How?

Thanks,
NEW YORK (AP)  Even before the first note, there were a pair of standing ovations  one when the chorus filed in and another when concertmaster Benjamin Bowman walked on to tune up the orchestra.

About 90 minutes later, when conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin relaxed his arms, the 3,600 people filling the seats of the Metropolitan Opera House responded with 8 1/2 minutes of thunderous applause, bringing wide smiles and hints of tears to the 200-plus performers on stage.

For the first time in 550 days, an audience was inside the auditorium at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday night, attending a poignant performance of the Verdi Requiem. The night was in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, er3dwwwdfcgrvszterrorist attacks but in fact marked much more.

The company was performing in its home for the first time since hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic, including Met violist Vincent Lionti, assistant conductor Joel Revzen and chorister Antoine Hodge.
Under the new agreement, the federal government will begin laying pipes and building a treatment facility within the next five years. We will be that much closer to delivering clean water across our lands, wrote Crow Tribal Chairman Frank White Clay in an email to High Country News. Having ready access to it will be a game changer for thousands of our people across the reservation. But while this should provide clean water for Crow families, the river itself will remain under threat. And some who grew up here, like Three Irons, question the feasibility of connecting all six of the reservations political districts  which span 2.3 million acres  to a single master water system.

After visiting the Walkses house in May, Three Irons stopped by his childhood home. He sat near his familys sweat lodge, next to the Little Bighorns slow, snaking currents and gangly cottonwood trees. He recalled submerging himself in its waters, watching over the sweat lodge as a child, seeing it burn down one day and, eventually, rebuilding it. Because the river is polluted, his family no longer brings water up from its banks for the sweat lodge; instead, they lug it down from the house.
Its no easy feat to train a dog to smell and sign for something like a small plant.

Finn, who is Wendts personal dog, was among the select few pups who successfully navigated the Working Dogs for Conservation vetting process. The conservation detection dog organization, which has been dispatched to Teton County before, screens about 100 dogs for every one they bring on. Of those, only about a third work out.

Ahead of being brought on by Working Dogs for Conservation (which was a package deal when Wendt took the job), Finn was a waterfowl hunting dog. Then she joined her owner in working for a couple of years on a disaster search and rescue team, where was trained to locate human remains. Since coming aboard with Working Dogs for Conservation, shes been trained on a half dozen scents that aid wildlife research, law enforcement and land management: black-footed ferrets, kit fox scat, elephant ivory, shark fins and caviar.

Now the good-natured purebred chocolate lab has added perennial pepperweed and saltcedar to her repertoire. If all goes according to plan, shell be back in Jackson Hole during the summer for years to come. The dogs will be used for saltcedar and pepperweed sweeps annually, running from the Jackson Lake Dam all the way to the Elbow boat ramp. Next up, tentatively, is the Deadmans-to-Moose stretch of the river.

We plan on having them come back every year, for a long time, Daluge said. If we go a number of years without looking for it, theres the possibility that things will get out of hand again.

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Was getting out of Afghanistan the right thing to do? For sure, and President Biden is to be applauded for that. Was our exit perfectly executed? Not so much. Ending wars you do not win is a messy process.

After 20 years of war, it took just 10 days for Afghanistan to fall to the Taliban. The takeover was expected, the rapidity was not. The Taliban seized its first provincial capital on Aug. 6. Just 10 days later, by Aug. 15, the Taliban were poised to take control of Kabul. By August 31st the U.S. military was gone, three months beyond the Trump deadline but meeting the Biden deadline.

We still have some messy but important evacuations to take care of  a real challenge  but at the end our twenty year misadventure into nation-building the Taliban of 2001 were replaced by the Taliban of 2021.

I am pondering several important questions: how did we enter this war, why did we stay, how much did it cost, where did the money go and can we learn from it?

We entered Afghanistan after 9/11 to crush the Taliban as a way to get at Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. It was not a formally declared war. The last time Congress declared war, a requirement of our Constitution, was on December 8, 1941, against Japan after Pearl Harbor and on December 11 against Germany. More on that later.
Lately, deliberate misrepresentations have been circulating regarding American Prairies proposal to graze bison on six federal allotments in Phillips County. While most Montanans who have commented thus far clearly welcome our proposal, some remain committed to a misinformation campaign based on rumors and misdirection. This only serves to perpetuate divisions and erode our civic fabric. As such, I am compelled to set the record straight.

The Bureau of Land Management can issue grazing permits or leases and modify existing permits to substitute many different types of livestock for cattle, including bison. It has done this for decades in several states across the West.

In July 2021, the BLM released a detailed analysis of American Prairies change-of-use proposal. This comprehensive Environmental Assessment demonstrates that our grazing plan for our privately owned bison will build a resilient prairie landscape, preserve our lands for public benefit, and contribute to Montanas economy  all without harming Montanas ranching community. The BLMs EA and Finding of No Significant Impact came after considerable analysis and public comment, including four in-person meetings in Winnett, Winifred, Malta and Glasgow.
President Biden left thousands of assault rifles (with large clips) for the Taliban to use or lose to Al Qaeda and/or ISIS. So much for gun control.

President Biden kept his promise to leave by the end of August. That promise was to our enemy. President Biden broke his promise to get all Americans and our Afghan allies out. That promise was to us. He gives guns to our enemies, but wants to take those same guns from Americans.
How ironic: The U.S. Supreme Court just allowed a law passed by Texas Republicans that effectively bans abortion while Republicans in Montana have been chanting, "My body, my choice," in protests against vaccine and mask mandates. But then again, the trademark of Trump's party is shameless hypocrisy.

The Texas ban is diabolically dystopian; a nightmare much like Margaret Atwood imagined in her novel, "The Handmaid's Tale." Instead of the state of Texas enforcing the ban, the law deputizes zealots, letting them sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion, starting with her doctor, but including everyone who helps her  her family, her friends, or even her Uber driver. The law does not exempt rape, abuse, or incest, and so, just when a woman is most desperate, it destroys her support system.

Perhaps not even the Taliban could produce a law more hostile to women, more cruel or sadistic. Trump stacked the Supreme Court with a man credibly accused of rape, Brett Kavanaugh, and a woman who literally held the title "handmaid" in a religious cult called "People of Praise," Amy Coney Barrett. And so, now that the Supreme Court has signaled it will overturn Roe v. Wade, how long do we have before Gov. Gianforte and our Republican-controlled Legislature turn Montana into a misogynist dystopia?

Don't give them a chance. Vote all Republicans out of office.
Weaver birds in Rwanda tie knots to build their nests, one example of bird behavior that has long fascinated Tom Murphy.

The old idea that animals cant make tools ... lets see you build a nest with your lips, he said.

People who pooh-pooh birds as not very smart, are missing out on the animals' many adaptations to specialized tasks and feats, Murphy said.

They do all kinds of amazing things we cant do, he noted, such as raptors that can see the ultraviolet reflections of mice urine in order to track them down.

Book

This summer, in an homage to birds and to open peoples minds to the creatures, Murphy released a book into which he put decades of his avian photography from around the world  Birds: Masters of the Air, Land & Water  published by Livingstons own Crystal Creek Press.

The 200-page coffee table book includes essays from Doug Smith, Yellowstone National Parks wolf biologist who took over the Yellowstone Bird Program, and author and New York Times journalist Jim Robbins. Proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit raptor conservation and wildlife research in Yellowstone National Park.

Because the book is so large, 11.5-inches wide by 13-inches long and an inch thick, Murphy joked that he toyed with the idea of selling it with four little legs so it could double as an actual coffee table.

If I would have had another six months, it probably would have another 100 pages, Murphy said.

Migration

The 71-year-old Murphy may be best known for his photography work in Yellowstone National Park, an area he came to love after a 1975 excursion. That was when he hiked from Yellowstone Lake to Cooke City via the remote Pelican Valley. He covered the roughly 60 miles in five days, seeing only four people along the way.

At the time, he was told by the Park Service that he had scored the last available campsite in the backcountry, where a permit is required.

Considering how few people he saw when the backcountry was full, Murphy decided it was his kind of place and relocated from his familys South Dakota ranch. Ten years later he acquired the first permit for leading photography tours in Yellowstone, and since then has been paid to visit a place he loves.

It seems like a pretty good racket, he joked.

Eagles

The new book took off after Murphy began visiting a bald eagle nest located along Minnesotas St. Croix River in 2015, just outside the Andersen Corp.s window factory. In a stand erected atop one of the window companys buildings, he would sit for a week at a time, over the course of three years, to capture the birds and their chicks behavior in a nearby nest.

Previously, most of his photography of bald eagles consisted of shots of them in flight or diving down to catch fish. Watching the birds day-to-day behavior ignited Murphys curiosity and lit the fire for his latest book.

Appropriately, the cover shot of the book shows a bald eagle. Several pages in the back of the book exhibit some of Murphys shots from those tree stand stakeouts.

His advice to others who want to capture bird photos is to be outside early and late in the day and to learn the animals behavior. He shoots most of his photos with a 500 millimeter lens for the simple fact that he doesnt like to carry around heavier, more expensive equipment.

Behavior

One of the most interesting examples of unusual bird behavior took place when Murphy was walking down a street in his hometown of Livingston without his camera. A young magpie had been hit by a car and was lying smashed on the pavement.

About six magpies flew to the intersection, growing to about 20 as Murphy got closer. They were all chattering noisily and then, as if on cue, stopped and observed about two-and-a-half minutes of silence before flying off  a magpie memorial service.

Thats not normal, he said. Theyll argue with an empty room.

Magpies and chickadees are two of Murphys favorite birds. The magpies varied vocalizations impresses him, along with their cunning ability to hide things.

Likewise, Murphy is impressed by the chickadees ability to find stashes of food they leave cached in different places.

Murphy buys large sacks of dog food he softens in water and feeds to the magpies in his yard, prompting odd looks from strangers at the store who ask what kind of dog he has.

Birds

Murphy has traveled the world as a photographer, outdoorsman and explorer. So the book also includes a variety of species, from east African Bateleur eagles to Falkland Island blue-eyed shags. In addition, there are close-up shots of feet, beaks, feathers and wings highlighting the variety of bird coloration and plumed finery.

The first chapter of the book is dedicated to feathers, as Murphy sees this feature as the one that distinguishes birds the most from other animals.

What makes a bird a bird basically comes down to feathers, he wrote. Thats what makes them the most unique.

The feathers he photographs up close sometimes come from birds hes collected after finding them dead along roadways.

The method is less deadly than his well-known bird-loving predecessors, John James Audubon and Elliott Ladd Coues, who shot birds to study and describe them.

They didnt have the advantage of photography, Murphy noted.

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Gov. Doug Burgum said Friday that President Joe Bidens directive that large companies require COVID-19 vaccinations is overreach, and he said he's asked North Dakota's attorney general to look at legal options to challenge it.

Burgum, a Republican, said the mandate steers our country down a dangerous path away from states rights and the freedom of private businesses to make their own decisions on vaccinations.

Biden immediately pushed back at Republican governors on the issue, calling them cavalier with the health of children and communities.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said he met by teleconference with fellow GOP attorneys general Friday to look at legal options.

I'm adamantly pro-vaccination, but I'm also pro-federalism, Stenehjem said. This is federal overreach.

Biden's directive would mandate that employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or be tested for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
The North Dakota National Guard will conduct a ceremony on Saturday in observance of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The ceremony, which is open to the public, is at 10 a.m. at the Memorial to the Fallen in the Global War on Terrorism near the entrance to Fraine Barracks in Bismarck.

Speakers include Gov. Doug Burgum, U.S. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Binstock, senior enlisted leader for the North Dakota National Guard. The emcee will be Connie Sprynczynatyk.

Local streets will be closed from 8 a.m. to noon. Parking is available at the Bank of North Dakota, 1200 Memorial Highway, Bismarck.

Due to limited seating, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. COVID-19 precautions including masks and social distancing are recommended in accordance with North Dakota Department of Health guidelines.

The ceremony will be livestreamed at www.ndguard.nd.gov.
$5.7 million in tax breaks sought for Chautauqua County solar farm A Canadian alternative-energy supplier is seeking more than $5.7 million in tax breaks for a new solar farm in the Chautauqua County.

The company is seeking a package of property, sales and mortgage recording tax breaks from the ECIDA, including a special payment in lieu of taxes that calls for a fixed payment per megawatt of capacity for up to 25 years. The payment would start at $4,500 per megawatt, or $20,250, but would rise 2% annually.

Renewable Properties is also asking for $174,674 in sales tax breaks and $32,332 in mortgage recording tax incentives.

The ECIDA will hold a public hearing Sept. 20 at Marilla Town Hall to obtain feedback. Additional written comments can be submitted through Sept. 21.

"Without a PILOT, we will not be able to finance and build the project," the company wrote. "Erie County residents would miss out on the opportunity to subscribe to a community solar program providing clean, renewable energy."

Canadian alternative energy producer plans solar farm in Pomfret Saturn Power Inc. of Baden, Ont., is seeking to erect a 3.5-megawatt solar array on a 35-acre agricultural field.

Located at 11061 Bullis Road, just south of Greenwood Terrace, the land is currently vacant, with shrubs, forest and wetlands on much of it, and the northern and southeastern portions are actively used by a tenant as farmland for growing soybeans and corn. It's owned by Daniel G. Handy of East Aurora, but Renewable Properties would lease the agricultural portion to develop, build, operate and maintain the solar facility.
DALLAS (AP)  The CEO of Salesforce said the company will help employees leave Texas, and he did so while retweeting a story linking the offer to concern about Texas new anti-abortion law.

Salesforce, which sells customer-management software, joins a small number of companies that have reacted against the Texas law.

CNBC reported that the San Francisco-based company told employees in a Slack message it will help them move if you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state.

On Friday night, CEO Marc Benioff retweeted a post about the story, adding, Ohana if you want to move well help you exit TX. Your choice. Ohana is a Hawaiian term for family.

The company did not return messages for comment.

The Texas law passed the Republican-controlled state Legislature and was signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May but didnt go into effect until this month. It bans most abortions after six weeks, before many women know whether they are pregnant, and lets private residents sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion.
As she steps into the corner office, Gov. Kathy Hochul brings the promise of opportunity and reinvigoration to New York. This effort should begin with the State University of New York.

The past 18 months have been tumultuous for all New Yorkers. Yet for SUNY faculty and professional staff, these challenges were only made worse by the previous chief executive who put more emphasis on headlines than results. With Hochul leading the state, I believe that tide is about to change.

No single institution has a greater impact on New York than SUNY. More than just a world-class public university system, its the states largest employer, with members of United University Professions  the largest higher education union in the nation  working at 29 of its campuses across the state. For every dollar invested in SUNY, more than $8 is generated for our states economy.

But for the last decade, weve had a champion who spun a very public fantasy about his support for the system, while in reality, he systemically cut the financial support we desperately need.
Intellectual property protections help keep the world safe. Getting a drug successfully to market can cost billions of dollars and take several years of scientific toil. Blood, sweat, tears  and money. Fewer than one in 10 products that enter clinical trials are ever greenlit by the FDA. If those that succeed are stripped of proprietary protection, few investors would risk their money in pharmaceutical research and development.

And yet, the very safeguards that made it possible for Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to give us lifesaving vaccines are now threatened by our own, well-meaning government.

On May 5, the Biden administration announced that it would back a proposal at the World Trade Organization to waive all IP protection on the Covid-19 vaccines. Soon, these companies could find their painstaking research in the hands of governments who would be profiting from the work of our scientists. Among these governments is China, America's most fervent competitor, which has made no secret of its own ambitions to dominate the biotech sector.
Nothing is slam dunk about Caputos early musings. He continues to recover from a serious bout with cancer. He recently relocated to Florida after he said threats and harassment posed potential threats to his family (producing police reports to prove it). Hes not sure his family is on board. And he would have to move back to the 142nd District (he remains officially registered at his fathers Orchard Park home).

Perhaps most important, he must adapt to whatever lines the Albany reapportionment gurus hand him early next year. Burke, also based in Orchard Park, has always had to scramble in a Democratic district that occasionally exposes conservative leanings. Dems must deal with that while drawing new lines in 2022, as they must with Monica Wallace in Lancaster/Cheektowaga. Could some of South Buffalos many Democrats get shifted toward her?

Caputo, 59, the subject of a recent profile in Politico, has never shied away from controversy. He counts Trumpian figures like Roger Stone as his friends, even raising money for his legal defense. Ditto for Michael Flynn, the former Trump national security adviser. He was subpoenaed to appear before two House committees investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, telling lawmakers he had no contacts with Russian officials while working for the Trump campaign.
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New Delhi [India], September 12 (ANI): Delhi Police Special Cell arrested two persons belonging to an international narcotic drugs syndicate, including a Nigerian national, and recovered over 16.65 kg narcotic drugs worth over Rs 30 crore.

The accused have been identified as Babu Lal (Bablu) and Chigozie Foster Okafor (David).

Acting on information, a team of Delhi Police Special Cell laid a trap near the cremation ground of Mangolpuri and arrested Babu Lal with the heroin and based upon his information, police arrested a Nigerian national from a rented apartment in Ram Nagar, Delhi and seized over 16.65 kg narcotic drugs along with a car and a scooty from their possession.

During the interrogation, the police said that the duo revealed that they are members of an international narcotic drug syndicate. Nigerian national identified as the main supplier of heroin who used to get the supply from a Delhi based Afghan national whereas Babu Lal worked as the supplier who used to further supply the heroin to small drug traffickers in Punjab and Haryana.

The Nigerian national used to send consignments of heroin to other countries also including UK, Sri Lanka, UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh, South Africa through courier companies by using fake IDs, the police said.

The police further revealed that the Nigerian national came to India in July 2019 on a six months business visa but even after the expiry of his visa, he did not return to his country and continued residing in India illegally.

Delhi Police registered a case under appropriate sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS) Act and further investigation is underway. (ANI)
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People in the auto industry joined to hear the panelists thoughts.

Adam Wehling, CVTC dean of agriculture, energy, construction and transportation, said Goodson is highly educated, skilled and has a great passion for the field.

Jerry (Goodson) believes that career exploration comes in all shapes and sizes, Wehling said. He really enjoys being involved in helping people discover the auto collision industry.

Goodson, 53, who still lives in Hortonville, but stays at his cabin near Ladysmith throughout the week when hes teaching, graduated from Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton with a one-year technical diploma in automotive collision repair in 1987.

With his humble beginnings in the industry, he likes to show students that they can take this education far and wide.

You earn this degree and you have no idea where it will take you, Goodson said. There are opportunities outside of the collision repair shop if thats what you want. The auto repair industry is increasingly comprised of high-tech jobs.

Current trends toward collision avoidance systems and the electrification of our global fleet of vehicles will place even more demands on the skill of the workforce, he said.

Thats why I enjoy teaching. The collision repair industry is diverse. While in school, youre going to get a pretty good dose of repairing damage, painting, welding, and estimating and even customer service  there are so many different avenues students can take their careers.

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With five COVID-19 deaths in the past two weeks and 103 overall since the pandemic began, Chippewa County recently saw a death of someone in their 30s.

Chippewa County Public Health Director Angela Weideman, who is 40, said it was startling to see someone die from virus-related symptoms who was younger than her.

It is very sad to report we are seeing deaths in their 30s and 40s, Weideman said Thursday during her weekly COVID-19 press conference. This is extremely sad for our department, and their families. It takes a huge toll on the community.

Chippewa County currently has 457 active COVID-19 cases. Of those, 26.3% are children, up from 23.6% a week ago, she said.

Weideman urged the public to get vaccinated so schools can maintain normal schedules. She didnt know the number of students who are currently not in classes across the county due to illness, isolation or quarantine.

In the past week, 256 people tested positive out of 663 tests given (38.6%), up from 169 positive cases from 491 tests (34.4%) a week ago.

Those in their 30s and 40s are getting sick, she said. This virus, especially with the delta variant, is relentless and shows no remorse.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12)  John Arcilla bagged the Volpi Cup Best Actor award at the prestigious 78th Venice Film Festival for his performance in the film On the Job: The Missing 8.

Arcilla played the role of Sisoy Salas in the Erik Matti film, which had its world premiere in the festival and the only Southeast Asian entry in the main competition.

Film co-star Dennis Trillo, who physically attended the festival, shared on Instagram a clip of Arcilla virtually receiving his award.

Well, if there is something that I really regret tonight is that I will not be able to kiss my Volpi Cup there in the middle of Venice and on that red carpet just like the other 77 great actors whom I admire who have already kissed their own, this most wonderful and prestigious award, said Arcilla.

The 3-hour and 28-minute film is the sequel to the 2016 film On the Job. The latest film revolves around a corrupt journalist seeking justice for his colleagues.

Among the past winners of the said award were Hollywood actors Willem Defoe, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and Sean Penn.

Arcilla is also known for playing Antonio Luna in the historical biopic movie Heneral Luna in 2015.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12)  Local government units and private companies will soon be allowed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines directly, the country's vaccine czar said Saturday, National Task Force Against COVID-19 Chief Implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. has announced.

"'Yung full authorization ng Pfizer and maybe other brands in the future will change our procurement strategies kasi 'yung...ating mga LGU at saka mga private sectors, puwede na pong dumiretso. Wala na po tayo magiging MPA (multi-party agreement)," Galvez said during a task force meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday.

[Translation: The full authorization to purchase Pfizer and maybe other vaccine brands in the future will change our procurement strategies because...LGUs and the private sector will be able to go them directly. There will be no MPA anymore.]

However, Galvez did not mention when such agreements could begin.

LGUs have yet to comment on this development.

In August, Senator Migz Zubiri filed Senate Resolution 858, pushing for an inquiry on why several tripartite agreements to purchase vaccines have not been signed.

The National Task Force Against COVID-19 and Department of Health previously allowed LGUs and private firms to procure shots provided they enter into tripartite agreements with the national government and vaccine manufacturers.

In the same month, Galvez disclosed that some vaccine manufacturers preferred to deal with the national government directly in procuring doses instead of entering into MPAs.

Galvez said "vaccine makers are still not able to produce at a level that would meet the requirements of all nations."

In the latest briefing, Galvez said the focus now would be on distributing more vaccines outside of the National Capital Region.

"We are recalibrating our Focus and Expand strategy giving more allocation now to Region IV-A. So, sa Region IV-A na po tayo mauuna [will come first] and then Region III, Region VII, Region VI, Region X, Region XI, and other surge areas as directed by the President," he said.

Galvez added around 61 million doses of various vaccines are expected to be delivered to the country from September to October, including 22 million doses of Sinovac and 15 million doses of the Pfizer vaccines.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 9)  The first trainsets for the Metro Rail Transit-7 project were unloaded and installed by San Miguel Corporation on Saturday, the company has announced.

These are the first of six trainsets expected to arrive by end of the year, the statement added.

Two train sets consisting of three cars each were dispatched to the MRT-7 tracks between University Avenue and Tandang Sora, after clearing customs at the Port of Manila.

The second batch of train cars was set to be mounted on Sept. 12.

The project is currently at 55.3% completion, SMC president Ramon S. Ang said.

"SMC is the concession-holder for the project and is fully-funding construction of the 22-kilometer mass transit system that links up with the MRT-3 and LRT-1 and extends from North Avenue in Quezon City to San Jose del Monte, Bulacan... MRT-7 aims to reduce travel time from Quezon City to Bulacan to just 35 minutes," said the statement.
(CNN)  On that ghastly day, September 11, 2001, I never saw what happened in real time. I was on assignment in West Africa, in the midst of Sierra Leone's civil war. But I recall vividly as I was interviewing the hacked-up victims of the Revolutionary United Front guerrilla army  their lips, ears, limbs macheted off, their stories too awful to imagine  something big was happening on the other side of the world.

We had no mod-cons like social media alerts or even proper mobile phone connection. But my London-based producer was trying desperately to reach us, with the first news of a plane  maybe a small prop plane, maybe an accident  hitting the World Trade Center in New York. And that I should be prepared immediately to redeploy.

Easier said than done in a place with no functioning airport, no scheduled flights, no live TV to monitor events. We eventually chartered a puddle-hopper out and got first to the Cote d'Ivoire Ivory Coast airport up the coast. There the full horror was now evident to see on huge screens carrying CNN live.

Even the ghoulish mastermind Osama bin Laden hadn't quite expected this amount of global disruption; he didn't even expect the Twin Towers to fall. In the infamous video discovered by US forces after driving him out of Afghanistan, he had drawn on his engineering background, complete with hand gestures, to explain why he thought only the floors above the planes' impact would melt and topple.

So, what is the straight line that I see drawn from there to here? As others have asked, was 9/11 a day, a moment, or a whole era-defining shift in America's understanding and vision of itself at home and abroad? Did the response to 9/11 do as much damage as the attack itself?

I have concluded the answer is yes. My own question is if 20 years on this can be recalibrated, or whether bin Laden's attack was actually the beginning of the end of American empire.

On August 15, as the Taliban entered Kabul, as Afghanistan fell and brought them back full circle in charge again, I could not help but have this vivid flashback: for the second time in 32 years a bunch of misogynistic, undemocratic Afghan insurgents had defeated a superpower. On August 15, it was the United States. In 1989, it was the Soviet Union and its 10-year occupation.

It brought me back to April 1996, when I first started covering Afghanistan and the total takeover by the Taliban.

What I learned about the Taliban then informs everything I predict for their rule now. The Taliban official I interviewed once they had taken the capital a few months later, in November 1996  Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai  is their deputy foreign minister today, as he was back then. I asked him, of course, about women's rights, and he gave me the same vague non-promises as he is giving the world now.

Why is this relevant today? Well for basic human rights reasons, but also to emphasize once and for all who is in this for the long haul.

As even former US military officials admit today, the Taliban have been playing the long game since the US defeated them after 9/11. Some Americans are willing to acknowledge the Taliban have used the past 20 years to strategize, wait, and act. The United States, not so much. As the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, John Sopko, told CNN, the US has not fought a 20-year war in Afghanistan, but 20 one-year wars.

I realize that now, as I look back on the short-term decisions and the expensive, difficult, barely successful US interventions around the world, which as a whole since 9/11 have contributed to exhaustion and isolationism today at home, and mounting cynicism and anger about America's role as a force for good abroad.

A third way?

President Joe Biden's hugely bungled Afghan withdrawal does not invalidate what he said about no more trying to remake other countries in America's image. But who asked America to do that anyway? It's a false mission that sets up failure, becomes the inevitable straw-dog in the full glare of defeat, and leads to the false conclusion that America therefore should just pack up and go home, with its troops and its ideals under lock and key.

It's a binary all-or-nothing doctrine. Surely there is a third way? Just in my time alone, I've witnessed successful US-led humanitarian interventions. After staying out of the ethnic cleansing that ripped Bosnia and Europe apart during the 1990s, finally the emerging genocide there was too much for the US to ignore, and it did intervene to stop it, and later did the hard diplomatic work of peace, with the Dayton Accords in 1995. It is imperfect and today put at risk by nationalists, but it has kept the peace without a permanent American or NATO occupation, or an attempt to recreate America-in-the-Balkans.

A few years later, America and a willing coalition intervened to preempt a similar genocide in Kosovo. Again, imperfect, but since 1999 Kosovo has been independent, and a reliable US ally.

A few years later, British Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered an intervention to end the brutal civil war in Sierra Leone, which is now at peace in that part of West Africa. There was no attempt to remake any of these nations "in our image."

By way of contrast, in December 1992 I witnessed President George H. W. Bush's humanitarian intervention into Somalia, to stop a devastating famine in the midst of an ongoing civil war. It worked brilliantly to end the famine. However, you didn't need to be there to know why it went off the rails. It's clear as day to anyone who has read the book or watched the "Black Hawk Down" movie. Mission creep took over, and the US shifted from ending famine to trying to eradicate the radicals. It ended in disaster.

A serious case of foreign policy insecurity showed up next in Rwanda in 1994. Burned, humbled and just plain ignorant and inhumane, the Clinton administration actually spearheaded a UN effort not to intervene. The genocide killed 800,000 to a million people in just three months. To his credit, former President Bill Clinton has repeatedly apologized.

There have been no such acknowledgments or apologies from the presidents and prime ministers who devised the post-9/11 policies that have dominated the last 20 years.

Handily branded "the war on terror," it has given carte blanche to endless mission creep, and sent American policy down the dark hole from which emerged the Guantanamo Bay prison, where 39 suspects are still held without trial because the preceding "interrogations" were in fact torture, which is still inadmissible in US courts. It led to "black sites" around the world where American values died amid the hail of beatings, sexual humiliation, animal attacks, and waterboarding.

It set up a lasting division between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds, as well as endless electronic surveillance of ordinary people.

Maintaining world values

Former defense policy staffer Kori Schake was at the Pentagon on 9/11. This week she told me about the real fears of that day, and acknowledged they had led to serious mistakes, especially in shifting American avengers from where they were, legitimately, in Afghanistan, to where they illegitimately ended up... in Iraq.

She is now director of foreign and defense policy studies at the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI), which incubated the intellectual "brain trust" for the 2003 war in Iraq that George W. Bush and his neo-cons so fervently wanted to pursue. Now, she claims, there is an opportunity even at AEI to help find that third way: neither reactive military intervention, nor knee-jerk withdrawal, but something in the middle, based on maintaining the set of world values that the United States built out of the ashes of World War II.

Now, out of the ashes of 9/11, we need a George Marshall  that unique scholar, soldier and statesman  to reacquaint us with the blueprint for America reengaging with the world and, especially, defending strong democracy.

It's something an exhausted America could be proud of, and an updated version is not just needed, it is indispensable. For do we really want to come full circle everywhere, as we have now done in Afghanistan? There, a nation has been handed back to the terrorist forces that the West went to defeat in the first place. Do we want to further empower global authoritarianism by ceding the competition of ideas to Beijing or Moscow? I think not, but we risk just letting it happen.

I know many Americans may have had enough of being the self-described exceptional nation, but back in the late 90s I was honing my journalist experience in the era of America, the "indispensable nation." I believed it then, and though my confidence is severely shaken post 9/11, I think it's possible to restore that image with some serious work and thought. For even in Afghanistan much good was done. And despite Biden's claims, tens of thousands of Afghans did fight and die to protect these gains.

And we journalists have a major role to play. We had a tough time covering the Taliban's Afghanistan back in the late 90s. But we reported the facts and the truth there at the time, so we can see with our own eyes that history is repeating itself.

As a believer in the enduring global ideals and the values that America has always promoted and defended, I will continue to do so with my coverage. It starts with us all consciously and robustly defending the core principles of truth and facts. As the late Senator Daniel Moynihan said back in the 80s, "everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts."

Mindful in my current contemplative mood that our greatest existential threat now is the climate catastrophe, I recommit myself to the mantra I came to while covering genocide in Bosnia: we have to be truthful not neutral. Not all sides are created equal and it's not up to us to create false equivalency. There is special power in knowing and practicing that.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "America's response to 9/11 was as damaging as the attack. It's not too late to change course."
An average of 1,110 people died in the U.S. from COVID-19 each day over the last week, according to the CDC.
In the past, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sometimes been referred to as the Mormon Church. Likewise, its member have sometimes been referred to as Mormons rather than Latter-day Saints. These nicknames come from an additional book of scripture named the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

Our eighth Article of Faith states, We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

The Book of Mormon is a history of peoples who were led from the Old World to the New. The major portion of it spans 1,000 years of history from 600 BC to 400 AD. The highlight of the book is the record of a visit by Jesus Christ after His resurrection to the people in the Americas. Jesus foreshadowed this visit when He said, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16 KJV)

Ancient prophets in the Americas recorded the history of their peoples, along with their teachings and prophecies. These were written on thin sheets of gold. The last prophet of these peoples was named Moroni. He buried the plates with a firm hope that the record would be given to others at some time in the future.
Unity is "the thing that's going to affect our well-being more than anything else," he added while visiting a volunteer firehouse Saturday after laying a wreath at the 9/11 crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He later took a moment of silence at the third site, the Pentagon.

The anniversary was observed under the pall of a pandemic and in the shadow of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is now ruled by the same Taliban militant group that gave safe haven to the 9/11 plotters.

"It's hard because you hoped that this would just be a different time and a different world. But sometimes history starts to repeat itself and not in the best of ways," Thea Trinidad, who lost her father in the attacks, said before reading victims' names at the ceremony.

Bruce Springsteen and Broadway actors Kelli O'Hara and Chris Jackson sang at the commemoration, but by tradition, no politicians spoke there.

At the Pennsylvania site  where passengers and crew fought to regain control of a plane believed to have been targeted at the U.S. Capitol or the White House  former President George W. Bush said Sept. 11 showed that Americans can come together despite their differences.
In Afghanistan in August, the Taliban seized control with menacing swiftness as the Afghan government and security forces that the U.S. and its allies had spent two decades trying to build collapsed. No steady hand was evident from the U.S. in the disorganized evacuation of Afghans desperately trying to flee the country.

In the United States, the 2001 attacks had set loose a bloodlust cry for revenge. A swath of American society embraced the binary outlook articulated by Bush  "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists"  and has never let go of it.

Factionalism hardened, in school board fights, on Facebook posts, and in national politics, so that opposing views were treated as propaganda from mortal enemies. The concept of enemy also evolved, to include immigrants as well as terrorists.

The patriot under threat became a personal and political identity. Trump would harness it to help him win the presidency.

For the U.S., the presidencies since Bush's wars have been marked by an effort to pull back the military from the conflicts of the Middle East and Central Asia.
The court is persuaded by the state's argument that this purported evidence does connect him to the scene of the murder, the judge said.

Gooch attended the hearing virtually from jail.

Gooch's attorney, Bruce Griffen, had argued that the text message exchanges were among thousands that Gooch sent and received, and were the only two that mentioned Mennonites. Gooch didn't initiate the exchange with the brother who was a state trooper in Virginia, he said. He simply responded in a boisterous, pile-on fashion, well after Krause's death, Griffen argued.

Gooch used words like surveillance in the exchange with another brother because he has a military background, Griffen said. And Gooch's text that the older people he saw weren't like the Mennonites he grew up with means Gooch is a young guy, and that's not his crowd, Griffen said.

The state is reading so much more into that, Griffen argued.

Gooch told authorities he drove to the churches because he was looking for fellowship, according to public records. But the prosecutor, Ammon Barker, said neither of the text exchanges suggest Gooch was looking for a nice, Mennonite church.
Escape from industrial life

One hundred years ago, MacKaye laid out his vision for the AT in an article for the Journal of the American Institute of Architects. At that time, progressive thinkers were conceptualizing and promoting the idea of regional planning at many different scales.

Had MacKaye focused solely on a physical trail, the editors probably would have rejected his manuscript. But MacKaye envisioned the AT as a connecting cord that would run through and define a natural and rural region. In his view, maintaining the undeveloped character of the land would only become more essential in the face of an encroaching East Coast metropolis. And because it lay in the eastern U.S., the trail would serve as the breath of a real life for the toilers in the bee-hive cities along the Atlantic seaboard and beyond, he wrote.

By 1925, MacKaye had organized an Appalachian Trail Conference to build the footpath, which was completed in 1937. The first thru-hiker, a World War II veteran named Earl Shaffer, completed the full journey in 1948. Over the following decades, most of the practical work on the AT focused on tying together the thread of the trail itself  a challenging mission of acquiring access rights to myriad public and private lands.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
I saw a music video post on Facebook the other day from my friend Mark Davis. It was Procol Harums classic, Whiter Shade of Pale. One of Marks friends replied that he always thought the verse was, they skipped thru life fandango, which is actually pretty close. That caused Davis to respond, A classic mondegreen. I knew what he was saying, but looked it up anyway.

Mondegreennoun 1. a misunderstood or misinterpreted word or phrase resulting from a mishearing of the lyrics of a song.

It got me to thinking back to some of the other mondegreens I had run across over the years. My all-time favorite came one afternoon as my friend Randy Morley and I were headed out for some lunch. The classic rock station we were listening to was taking requests and a lady called in and asked for 11-Inch Butt, by The Who.

The DJ didnt reply right away, and finally said, I guess Im not familiar with that one.

The caller said, Its one of their biggest hits! So he asked if she could sing some of it, to which she didnt hesitate, belting out, 11-INCH BUTT, ITS A PUT ON!
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Several hundred people line up every morning, starting before dawn, on a grassy area outside Nairobis largest hospital hoping to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Sometimes the line moves smoothly, while on other days, the staff tells them theres nothing available, and they should come back tomorrow.

Halfway around the world, at a church in Atlanta, two workers with plenty of vaccine doses waited hours Wednesday for anyone to show up, whiling away the time by listening to music from a laptop. Over a six-hour period, only one person came through the door.

The dramatic contrast highlights the vast disparity around the world. In richer countries, people can often pick and choose from multiple available vaccines, walk into a site near their homes and get a shot in minutes. Pop-up clinics, such as the one in Atlanta, bring vaccines into rural areas and urban neighborhoods, but it is common for them to get very few takers.
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In upholding the conviction this spring, justices noted that when contacting a company for one client, Hubbard identified himself as a state legislator and as Speaker of the House of Representatives. They also noted how one company executive wrote in an email that Hubbard could get the company, in front of any speaker in the country regardless of party.

The Republican was one of the states most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career. Hubbard, the architect of the GOPs takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control of both legislative chambers.

Hubbard was automatically removed from office after his 2016 felony conviction.

Hubbard was originally sentenced to 48 months behind bars, but that was reduced after some counts against him were overturned on appeal.

His attorney argued the 28-month sentence is well outside the overwhelming majority of the similarly-situated individuals that have been convicted in state court of state ethics violations, and listed sentences of other elected officials convicted in state court.
Several Long Covid cases where symptoms persist after recovery have been detected in Vietnam, some even after being vaccinated.

Tuyen and his wife, who live in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, are still coughing and feel ringing in their ears two weeks after they recovered from Covid-19. Their health has never been the same since they contracted the disease, the couple said.

Last month, the family of four were found to be infected after developing typical symptoms like coughing, fever, headache, fatigue and losing their sense of smell and taste. The entire family was quarantined in a centralized facility, where they fortunately recovered with no severe symptoms.

While the two daughters, one in secondary school and the other in university, have made full recoveries, their parents do not feel the same. Their bodies have seemingly weakened, even after the virus has left the system.

Tuyen's wife, 43, still coughs and feels tired. Sometimes she experiences severe headaches and chest pain. Her sense of smell has returned, but not to how it was before she contracted Covid-19.

"Some smells, which she had no trouble getting even 5-10 m away, are now impossible to get unless she goes real close," said Tuyen.

Tuyen is the only one in the family to have received a Covid-19 vaccine shot, yet "long Covid" still got to him. Days after his supposed recovery from the disease, his ears were still ringing and he coughed after speaking for some time. While these symptoms have subsided over time, they have not gone away entirely. He has also experienced symptoms like difficulty urinating, Tuyen said.

"In general, most of the symptoms are the same as when I first got Covid-19," he said.

Tuyen's home is on the top floor of an apartment complex in District 1, where almost 30 residents got Covid-19 and have since recovered.

"Most of the people here feel that their organs have weakened after recovery, even though they did not experience severe Covid-19 symptoms," Tuyen said. People were coping by resting, exercising and eating well, he added.

Diep Thanh Nhan, a 30-year-old man living in Go Vap District, was treated at a Covid-19 Resuscitation Hospital for 17 days. Thirteen days after he was discharged, the symptoms have largely gone, but his health has not gone back to what it was.

"Earlier, I would only feel slightly tired after doing push-ups or pull-ups. But now, just walking to the second floor or walking around the house make me pant. My lung capacity is only 20-30 percent from what it used to be, I feel, and I have to practice to breathe again," he said.

Nhan said he used to do exercises and play a lot of sports, but feels it would take him around 3-6 months of rehabilitation to gradually recover.

Pham Van Tien, 28, was fully vaccinated before he tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The resident of Binh Thanh District only got mild symptoms and was discharged after spending 13 days in a field hospital. Having stayed at home for the past two weeks, Tien said the cough still persists.

"I was a mild case and it's been nearly a month since I contracted the disease, but I still feel fatigued and cough even now. My health is now only 80 percent of what it used to be," he said, adding that he was trying to exercise and eat well to recover.

Still a mystery

The Post Covid-19 Syndrome, otherwise known as Chronic Covid Syndrome or Long Covid, has been observed in several countries as the pandemic rages.

Scientists have still not grasped how the condition came to be, saying it remains one of the most mysterious aspects of the pandemic.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's Covid-19 technical lead, said last month that the organization was deeply concerned by the unknown numbers who may still be suffering with Long Covid.

"We don't know for how long these effects last and we're even working on a case definition to better understand and describe what this Post Covid syndrome is," the AFP quoted Kerkhove as saying.

Nguyen Hong Ha, deputy head of the Vietnam Association for Infectious Diseases, described Long Covid as a condition that affects the entire body. Patients are impacted throughout long Covid-19 treatment periods, causing declining bodily functions and organs, especially among those with severe symptoms, he said.

Lung damage caused by Covid-19 might leave scarring for example, which affects a patient's respiratory system and would take time to heal. Antibodies produced to fight the coronavirus might also inadvertently trigger auto-immune diseases, among others, he pointed out.

Janet Diaz, clinical care lead in the WHO's emergencies program who leads the organizations' Long Covid efforts, said there have been more than 200 reported symptoms, including chest pain, tingling and rashes, the AFP reported.

Diaz said some people seem to have had post-Covid conditions for three months, and others for up to six months.

"We are concerned there may be a small proportion that go on to nine months - and to longer than that."
PM Pham Minh Chinh Saturday called for Vietnam and China to control disputes well and maintain a peaceful and stable environment at sea.

Receiving Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi in Hanoi, Chinh also affirmed that Vietnam treasures its relations with China and considers this as a leading priority in its foreign policy.

On the East Sea issue, the PM stressed that both sides should instruct their law enforcement forces at sea to adhere to the "high-level common perceptions" and the Vietnam - China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues.

Both sides should strive to properly settle and control disputes, maintain a peaceful and stable environment at sea, he said.

He also said that both sides need to work with ASEAN countries to seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), step up the negotiation on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the waters (COC), comply with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and ensure security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight.

PM Pham Minh Chinh (R) receives Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Hanoi, September 11, 2021. Photo courtesy of the Foreign Affairs Ministry

With regard to cooperation in the Covid-19 fight, Chinh appreciated both sides' close coordination and mutual support; and thanked China for assisting Vietnam with vaccine via different forms, especially the provision of another three million vaccine doses announced during the trip by Wang.

Earlier Wang met with Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son Saturday morning to discuss the two countries relations and ways to promote their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Son expressed his hope that both countries will keep strengthening ties in the Covid-19 fight, particularly in terms of vaccines. He also requested China to initiate favorable customs clearance procedures for Vietnamese goods, especially farm produce, at border gates, and permit more fruits from Vietnam to be exported via official channels to China, thus helping balance bilateral trade and sustain supply and production chains.

Son also called for coordination to speed up joint projects likes the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway project in Hanoi and others on social welfare funded by China.

The two sides had frank exchanges on border and territorial issues. They suggested measures for land border management on the basis of reached agreements and legal documents, especially keeping close coordination among the mechanisms of the Land Border Joint Committee and localities.

Minister Son emphasized the need to respect the rights and legitimate interests of coastal countries in conformity with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived Friday on a three-day visit to Vietnam, aiming to strengthen cooperative ties and comprehensive strategic partnership.
The rain wet tinder-dry vegetation and will cool down the fire for one or two days, which firefighters hoped to use to strengthen and expand fire lines in an effort to finally surround the blaze, fire officials said.

However, after a weekend of clear skies and light winds, a ridge of high pressure could bring a warming trend through next week, Jack Messick, incident meteorologist for the fire, said Friday evening.

The rain slowed down the fire but once the sun gets on it, the winds blowing on it, it eventually is going to pick up again and dry off enough and its going to start running again, said Tony Brownell, an operations section chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The threat of new lightning-sparked fires came as more than 13,000 firefighters were working to rein in 13 major fires and more than 12,000 residents were still waiting to return to evacuated homes, according to state agencies.

The Caldor Fire, which at its peak forced 22,000 people to evacuate South Lake Tahoe and areas near the Nevada state line, was 53% contained after burning more than 341 square miles (883 square kilometers) and destroying more than 1,000 structures, including hundreds of homes.
Late this week, the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee released new details on various aspects of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, including those related to energy tax credits and the expanded child tax credit.

This bill comes after the passage of a trillion-dollar infrastructure package in the Seante. The bill was negotiated between a bipartisan ground of Senators and the White House. This bill is a narrower piece of legislation than the American Jobs Plan, a sweeping infrastructure package that the Biden administration has proposed.

Many conservative Democrats and centrist Republicans worked together on the legislation after rejecting President Biden's broad definition of infrastructure. The group chose to drop the elements of the plan focused on human infrastructure, which would have made targeted investments in workers that fuel the economy.

Two of the most anticipated questions circulating around reconciliation bill on whether it would include an extension to the Child Tax Credit, which is set to return to its earlier rendition after this year.

Child Tax Credit

In addition to including elements from the American Jobs Plan, Democrats working on the reconciliation package also took some of the measures included in the American Families Plan. These include topics like paid family leave and the extension of the Child Tax Credits current structure through 2025.

Earlier this year, President Biden announced his support for making the changes to the credits structure passed under the American Rescue Plan permanent, through the American Families Plan. During the announcement, President Biden spoke to how the changes benefited nearly 66 million children, and it was the single largest contributor to the plans historic reductions in child poverty.

Another popular aspect included in the reconciliation bill is a federal family leave policy.

Climate and energy credits

The Ways and Means Committee have and will continue to release information on what made it into the final draft of the reconciliation bill. So far, a few details on the funds allocated to combat climate change and transition to greener energy sources have emerged.

These include support clean energy investment and deployment, which will lead to the creation of good-paying jobs and supporting the energy transition to renewable sources. When the Biden administration had announced the details of his American Jobs Plan, he proposed a ten-year extension and phase down of an expanded direct-pay investment tax credit and production tax credit for clean energy generation and storage.

These suggestions were taken as one element put forward by the committee that focuses on increasing productivity and investment in the wind and solar power sector. This would be done by increasing the production tax rate for solar and wind power companies to the fullest extent possible through 2031 and then gradually phase them out.

Companies that build solar energy facilities in low-income communities could also benefit from an energy tax credit. The value of this credit would be based on the benefits, be it health or economic, that are brought into these communities. The announcements from the House committee yesterday affirm this commitment and include language to ensure that strong labor protections are applied to businesses that receive these credits.

Chairman Neal of the Ways and Means Committee stated that these investments allow us to both address our perilously changing climate and create new, good jobs, all while strengthening the economy and reinvigorating local communities.

Rep. Neal hopes that Taken together, these proposals expand opportunity for the American people and support our efforts to build a healthier, more prosperous future for the country.

The bill's fate is uncertain as the Democrats hope to pass the package through a process known as budget reconciliation. While this allows the party to pass the legislation with a simple majority, that would require that all Democrats in the Senate vote in favor of the package. Based on the public comments of more conservative Democrats, like Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and West Virginia's Joe Manchin that is seeming more unlikley.


Each state across the US requires that students be vaccinated against a range of communicable diseases as a condition for school attendance. The list and age by when children need to receive each of the different vaccines varies from state to state.

Polio is one of the vaccines that every state requires for kids in order to enter kindergarten. Children are normally given four doses of the polio vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months and then the final dose at 4 years of age.

What is polio?

Polio was once a scourge across the globe and one of the most feared diseases attacking its victims' muscles, possibly causing paralysis and even death among those who got infected. The virus before vaccines were available caused over 15,000 cases of paralysis a year in the US.

Through a widespread vaccination effort beginning in 1955, wild polio has been eliminated from the US since 1979 and now much of the globe is considered polio free. The virus is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries where wild polio is still endemic, but health officials are on the lookout to make sure there is not a resurgence as happened in Nigeria in 2016.

Even though polio has been eradicated from the US, the virus was brought into the country by travelers carrying the disease in 1993. Until it is completely wiped out like smallpox was in 1980 vaccination is the best way to keep it from gaining a foothold again.

What other vaccines are mandated?

Vaccination against varicella (chickenpox), diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis are required in all 50 states for children as a condition for school attendance starting in kindergarten. These are given as two different vaccines, one for varicella and another for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP). There are also exemptions for vaccination in each state for certain cases.

The District of Columbia and all of the states except for one requires the measles, mumps, & rubella (MMR) vaccine. The outlier, Iowa, doesnt require the mumps vaccine but children need to be vaccinated against measles and a rubella.

Except for Alabama, Maine, Montana, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont, all other states and the District of Columbia require vaccination against hepatitis B (Hep B) for school children to enter kindergarten.

For other vaccinations required for entry into kindergarten parents should check with your state here.
Egypts interior minister appointed a new head of security in North Sinai on Saturday, two days after a terrorist attack in the area killed five police personnel.

Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar appointed Sayed El-Habal as the new head the governorate's security directorate, replacing Ali Abou Zeid.

Abou Zeid will occupy the position of deputy to the assistant minister for Sinai affairs.

No reason was given for the replacement. However, the decision comes two days after gunmen opened fire on a checkpoint in North Sinai's local capital, Al-Arish, killing three officers and two lower-ranking police personnel.

The attack also left three policemen injured.

Islamist militants based in North Sinai have killed hundreds of police and military troops in the last few years. Authorities have also reported that hundreds of militants have been killed in army campaigns in the governorate.



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Egypt's Army Chief of Staff Lt. General Mohamed Farid and Commander of US Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie had an inspection tour on Sunday of different command centres to follow up the mechanisms of action of the multinational military exercise Bright Star.

This came following a meeting of Farid and McKenzie, who is currently paying an official visit to Egypt on the sidelines of the multinational military drill, a video statement by Egypts Armed Forces Spokesman Gharib Abdel-Hafez said.

The drill, which started on 2 September and is scheduled to last until 17 September, are being carried out at the Mohamed Naguib Military Base in the Northern Military Region, with the participation of 21 countries, including Egypt and the US.

Their meeting touched upon a number of topics related to the joint drill as being a good chance to exchange expertise between all participating parties.

The drill also is deemed a rich military environment to be learnt about military activities at the different departments, the statement added.

Farid expressed the Egyptian Armed Forces' keenness to follow up on all the daily activities of the exercise.

McKenzie lauded the resonance the drill has among all international military circles, voicing his admiration for the ability of the Egyptian Armed Forces to organise the joint drill, which he said was considered one of the most important and biggest in the Middle East, according to the statement.

Farid also met with all troops taking part in the joint drill, conveying the greetings and appreciation of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki.

He also hailed the distinguished level of performance during the exercise, the statement appended.

The Bright Star exercise is held in Egypt on a regular basis. The first was in 1980, a year after the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

The last time the Bright Star exercise was held was in 2018.

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Adjutant General of the Texas National Guard Major General Tracy Norris met with the commanders of the Egyptian Air Force, the Border Guard Corps, and the head of the Egyptian Armed Forces training authority on Sunday, a statement by the Egyptian Armed Forces said.During her separate meetings with the senior army officials, Norris, who is on an official trip to Egypt for the next several days, discussed issues of joint interest, ways to support military cooperation, and the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Norris also emphasised in her meetings her countrys interest in furthering cooperation and coordination between the Egyptian and US armed forces to serve the mutual interests of both countries.



The major general also visited the Texas National Guard personnel participating in the Bright Star 2021 exercise at Mohamed Naguib Military Base in Marsa Matrouh, which kicked off on 2 September and will remain in session till 16 September.

Norris also praised the high standard of training reflected in the Bright Star exercise and how it contributed to the exchange of expertise between the 21 countries participating in it.

The Bright Star training exercise is held in Egypt on a regular basis. The first session was held in 1980, a year after the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

The last time the military exercise was held was in 2018.

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Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed said that Egypt seeks to cooperate with South Korea in the fields of plasma collection and coronavirus vaccine production in a meeting with South Koreas Ambassador in Egypt Jinwook Hong on Sunday.

The meeting discussed means of fostering cooperation between the two countries in the health and pharmaceutical sectors, according to a statement released by the South Korean Embassy in Egypt.

Zayed told Jinwook that South Korean medical firms could benefit from Egypt's strategic location, which would grant them access to African markets.

She also thanked the South Korean government for its support for Egypt in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement added.

On his part, the South Korean diplomat said that his country looks forward to expanding cooperation with Egypt in the pharmaceutical and health sectors, especially since Egypt aims to become a regional centre for drug manufacturing and distribution.

He added that the South Korean Embassy in Egypt will be organising a symposium on 27 September to inform South Korean medical corporations about the capabilities of the Egyptian medical and pharmaceutical market.

Jinwook also extended an invitation to the Egyptian health minister and representatives from the countrys leading health firms and institutions  notably the Egyptian Drug Authority and the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement  to take part in the symposium.

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Some 53 Egyptian young men were returned to Cairo on Sunday from Libya after being arrested by Libyan authorities for attempting to illegally migrate to Europe through the Mediterranean, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the Egyptian Embassy in Tripoli and the Egyptian Diplomatic Mission coordinated with Egyptian authorities to facilitate the return of the illegal migrants via a private aircraft.

The head of the Egyptian Diplomatic Mission in Libya, Tamer Mostafa, expressed his appreciation to the Libyan authorities for presenting all the needed facilities and arrangements to return the young men to Egypt, the foreign ministry added.

Despite the Egyptian governments extensive efforts to prevent trespassing into Libya, the country is still frequently used as a transit point for migrants from Egypt and other nations seeking to reach European shores.

Egypt shares a more than 1,000-kilometre-long border with Libya.

Egypt and Libya agreed in April to resume flights between the two countries capitals, as Cairo seeks to restore normalcy in its relations with the neighbouring country, especially after the election of an executive authority to guide the country until legislative elections are held by the end of this year.

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A missile attack blamed by the government on Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday targeted a key port used to bring humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged country.

The Red Sea port of Mokha in southwest Yemen is the headquarters of government forces in the region.

"Three missiles and Houthi drones targeted the port of Mokha near Bab al-Mandab," a government military official told AFP, adding that no casualties were reported.

The Bab al-Mandab strait separates Yemen from Djibouti and is a key passage for international trade, trafficking and illegal migration.

Yemen, the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, has been devastated by a seven-year conflict pitting the Iran-backed Houthis against the government which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.

The southwest is vital for the import and delivery of humanitarian supplies.

Mokha port reopened for business a month ago after reconstruction and renovation work, the government official said.

Southwest Yemen has been relatively free of such attacks since the signing in 2018 of the Stockholm Accord on demilitarising the strategic port of Hodeida north of Mokha.

Sporadic clashes have taken place in the region, sparking appeals for calm from the United Nations which has been unable to secure similar deals elsewhere in Yemen.

Some 80 percent of Yemenis are now dependent on aid, in what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The war has displaced millions of people.

The UN has issued regular warnings that Yemen could see major famine in 2021, after it raised just $1.7 billion of the $3.85 billion it says the country needs.

The conflict flared in 2014 when Houthi insurgents seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention to prop up the government the following year.

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Iraq on Sunday received a donation of more than 100,000 AstraZeneca doses against Covid-19 from Italy via vaccine-sharing facility Covax, the UN children's agency UNICEF said.

More than four million people in Iraq, or around 10 percent of its 40 million inhabitants, have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab, according to the health ministry.

Healthcare workers say they are battling not just the coronavirus but also widespread scepticism over vaccines, as a result of misinformation and public mistrust in the state.

Iraq on Sunday received "100,800 (doses) of the AstraZeneca vaccine... the first delivery from a pledge of 15 million doses to be donated to Covax by Italy", according to a statement from UNICEF, which works jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Covax is backed by WHO, the Gavi vaccine alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and it aims to ensure equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, particularly to low-income countries.

It is Iraq's third vaccine delivery under the Covax program.

Iraq's public health system, already worn down by decades of war, under-investment and corruption, has struggled to cope with the pandemic.

"In WHO, we believe that we are only safe when we all are safe, and we will control this pandemic only when all people eligible for the vaccine have been vaccinated," said Ahmed Zouiten, WHO's Iraq representative.

Iraq began its vaccination campaign in March, using the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm jabs.

The country has officially registered more than 1.9 million coronavirus cases, and almost 21,500 deaths since the start of its outbreak.

Measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing are widely ignored.

Two deadly fires this year in Covid-19 hospital units, one killing more than 80 people in Baghdad in April and another costing at least 60 lives in July in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, have sparked outrage among the population.

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Israel's foreign minister on Sunday proposed a plan to improve living conditions in Gaza in exchange for calm from the enclave's Hamas Islamist leaders, aiming to solve "never-ending rounds of violence".

The plan, which includes infrastructure and employment benefits, aims to show Palestinians in the Israeli-blockaded enclave that Hamas's campaign of violence against Israel is "why they live in conditions of poverty, scarcity, violence and high unemployment, without hope," Yair Lapid said.

He stressed that he was not calling for negotiations with Hamas, as "Israel doesn't speak to terror organisations who want to destroy us".

Lapid, due to take over as premier in two years as part of a rotation agreement, conceded that his plan does not yet amount to official policy in Israel's eight-party coalition government, but said it had support from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

In the first stage of the plan, the infrastructure in Gaza -- an impoverished territory of two million people -- would receive a sorely need upgrade, Lapid said in a speech at the Reichman University in Herzliya.

"The electricity system will be repaired, gas will be connected, a water desalination plan will be built, significant improvements to the health care system and a rebuilding of housing and transport infrastructure will take place," he said.

"In exchange, Hamas will commit to long-term quiet," he added, noting the international community would play a role in the process, especially Egypt, to Gaza's south.

"It won't happen without the support and involvement of our Egyptian partners and without their ability to talk to everyone involved," Lapid said.

"Any breach by Hamas will stop the process or set it back," he warned.

If the first stage were to go smoothly, Gaza would then see the construction of an artificial island off its coast that would allow the creation of a port, and a "transportation link" between Gaza and the West Bank would be created.

Lapid said he had presented the plan to "partners in the Arab world," as well as to the United States, Russia and the European Union.

"There is still work to do, we're still on the drawing board, but if this plan has a chance to succeed and gains widespread support, I'll propose it to the government as the official position," he said.

Just hours after Lapid's remarks, the Israeli army said it intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza towards southern Israel, the third such incident in as many days.

Israel launched a military offensive on Gaza in May, the fourth since 2008. The conflict ended in an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in late May that Israeli air strikes on the territory had resulted in "the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure".

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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Thirteen people died and eight were injured in Algeria on Sunday when a bus collided with a truck in the northwest, emergency services said.

The crash happened in the Oued Khebaza locality in Naama province, some 650 kilometres (400 miles) south of the capital Algiers, the civil defence said in a statement on social media.

The injured were taken to hospital.

Local media broadcast a video showing a bus with its front completely smashed in.

Authorities opened an inquiry to determine the cause of the crash, the official APS agency said.

Traffic accidents, often due to speeding, are common in the North African nation.

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Two Turkish troops died on Sunday after being attacked during cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq, Turkish officials said. The casualties take the weekend toll to four deaths.

One soldier was killed by fire from ``separatist terrorists'' as his unit was leaving a base in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Turkey launched a land and air campaign in northern Iraq in April and has established several bases in the region.

The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU Tens of thousands of people have been killed since it began its armed campaign against Turkey in 1984.

Meanwhile, one of three soldiers wounded in an attack on a patrol in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Saturday died of his injuries in a hospital. Two other soldiers died during the attack.

The assault happened following a search and screening operation in the Idlib de-escalation zone. The region is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria's civil war and parts are patrolled by Turkish and Russian troops.

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Related Aid group: 22 migrants die on way to Spain; dozens missing Soldiers were deployed Sunday in southeastern Spain to join the battle against a major wildfire that is burning for a fourth day, invigorated by stray embers that sparked a new hot spot.

The blaze in Malaga province has destroyed nearly 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of forest and prompted fresh evacuations, bringing the total number of residents displaced to around 2,500.

Plan Infoca, the Andalusia region's agency in charge of firefighting efforts, described Sunday as a ``key day'' for bringing the blaze under control.

Authorities on Sunday preventively removed nearly 1,500 residents from the towns of Jubrique, Genalguacil and four other villages. Over 1,000 other people had been evacuated before the weekend from areas around the resort town of Estepona, which is popular among tourists and foreign expats.

An emergency brigade traveled from the military base of Moron, in southern Spain, to join more than 300 firefighters and 41 water-dropping aircraft battling the flames.

The reinforcement was welcomed. But firefighters like Rafael Fanega, who said the blaze was still ``out of control,`` called for more boots on the ground to battle the flames.

``I don't see enough deployed personnel,`` Fanega told The Associated Press, speaking in Jubrique after it was evacuated. ``Some may see it differently, but that's how I see it.''

Some progress was seen on Saturday, when authorities said better weather conditions had helped them stabilize the perimeter of the blaze, allowing them to focus on four hot spots.

A combination of hot and dry temperatures with strong winds created a perfect storm, turning the blaze that started late Wednesday into a ``hungry monster,'' Alejandro Garcia, deputy operational chief of Plan Infoca, said earlier this week.

``The potency and strength of this wildfire is unusual for the kind of blazes that we are used to seeing in this country,`` Garcia told reporters Sunday.

The firefighting agency released aerial pictures showing towering plumes of smoke emerging from rugged terrain, which it said made crews' access on the ground difficult. A 44-year-old firefighter died Thursday while trying to extinguish the blaze.

Authorities said they have evidence of arson and are investigating.

Wildfires are common in southern Europe during the hot, dry summer months. But have been particularly numerous around the Mediterranean Sea this year, worsened by the intense August heat waves.

In Spain, over 75,000 hectares (186,000 acres) of forest and bush areas have burned in the first eight months of the year, according to Spain's Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.

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Egypts public treasury has disbursed EGP 115 billion (about $47.3 billion) in green incentives to replace 5,000 obsolete taxis and private cars and 130 mini buses with new natural gas-run ones under the old vehicles replacement initiative, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait announced on Sunday.

He added that 300 new mini buses will be delivered to beneficiaries during September on first-served basis.

This initiative is a model of the developmental partnership with the private sector, which aims to catalyse domestic vehicle manufacturing, increasing the productive capacity and maximising the local components in all industries. That is expected to create more job opportunities and uplift the quality of the citizens standard of life, Maait expounded.

The initiative also intends to spur investment in green economy-related projects, raising Egypts economic growth as well as foster inclusive and sustainable development.

In March, Maait lowered the qualifying conditions to replace a car more than 20 years old from three to two years.

The move comes in response to requests by many citizens who bought their cars less than three years ago.

Under the initiative, private car owners can get 10 percent off of the cost of a new car, up to EGP 22,000 (about $345), while taxi owners will get a 20 percent incentive, up to EGP 45,000 (about $707).

Since July, the finance ministry has started to receive citizens requests to replace their old vehicles with newer models, particularly in governorates of Cairo, Giza, Qalyubia, Alexandria, Suez, Port Said, and Red Sea areas.

The initiative is part of a nationwide state strategy to replace the old polluting vehicles with brand new natural-gas ones.

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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that it has handed the National Bank of Kuwait Egypt (NBKE) a $25 million loan for the sake of boosting renewable energy and energy efficiency in Egypt.

The loan is extended under the EBRDs Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF), which provides financing and advice to private-sector businesses to support Egypts green economy transition, with a financing pool of 150 million for energy-efficiency and renewable energy investments, the EBRD explained.

15 percent of the total loan amount is co-financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), according to the EBRD.

It also clarified that the European Union (EU) will support the financing to NBKE with up to 2.5 million of EU funds for incentive payments to projects that are successfully implemented and verified.

The EU will provide a comprehensive technical assistance package amounts to 6.2 million for all participating financial institutions and their clients as well, and for policy dialogue.

The loan is meant for small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) and households in the country in order to finance investments to alleviate the impacts of climate change, according to the EBRD.

The GCF and EBRDs partnership for transformation has seen the GCF support six EBRD programmes to the tune of US$ 830 million, catalysing more than US$ 3.6 billion in total project value. The GCF is the worlds largest climate fund, supporting developing-country efforts to respond to the challenges of climate change, said the EBRD.

NBKE is an Egyptian joint stock company and a subsidiary of the NBK group.

It has been a partner of the EBRD since 2015, when it agreed an SME loan and a trade finance facility, followed in 2016 by an energy-efficiency loan under the Egypt GEFF.

Egypt  the largest EBRDs operations country in the region  is a founding member of the EBRD, which has invested 7.7 billion in the country through 132 projects since the onset of its operations in Egypt in 2012.

EBRD is committed to promoting the green economy transition in Egypt by supporting efforts to diversify its energy mix and energy-efficiency investments is one of the Banks priorities in the Egyptian market.

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The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Sunday urged authorities in Myanmar to allow a ministerial delegation to visit the country to discuss deadly violence against Muslims.

The world's top Islamic body, in a statement following a meeting in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, also urged the UN Human Rights Commission to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Myanmar.

The statement called on "Burmese authorities to strongly respond to the organisation's appeal and allow a ministerial OIC delegation to visit" Myanmar.

Last year at least 180 people were killed in the western state of Rakhine in clashes between local Buddhists and Rohingya -- a Muslim minority treated with hostility by most Burmese who see them as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

In March, at least 43 people died in Buddhist-Muslim clashes which broke in central Myanmar where mosques were burned down and Muslim homes were destroyed.

The unrest has instilled fear in the country's Muslims, some of whose families had lived peacefully alongside Buddhists for generations.

"Such violence is a clear indication of the government's negative approach in dealing with ethnic and religious tensions that erupted last summer," said OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, describing the violence as "unacceptable".

While the Rohingya -- described by the UN as among the most-persecuted minorities on the planet -- have long been denied Myanmar citizenship, the Muslims targeted in last month's unrest are Myanmar nationals.

The apparent trigger for the latest violence was a quarrel between a Muslim gold shop owner and Buddhist customers in the town of Meiktila. Soon afterwards, a monk was killed by Muslims.

The violence escalated into a street riot that unleashed Buddhist-led bloodshed around the region.

Ihsanoglu spoke at an emergency OIC Contact Group foreign ministers meeting in Jeddah on the Rohingya minority.

The Contact Group, formed in September, includes 11 of the OIC's 57 members -- Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sudan and Turkey.

Last year the OIC condemned the violence against Muslims in Myanmar as "genocide".

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MBC Group readies to leave Dubai Media City for new headquarters in Riyadh



Ati Metwaly, , Sunday 12 Sep 2021



The decision comes within a larger move that also comprises Al-Arabiya and Al Hadath TV channels



MBC Group, the Middle East's largest media company, revealed last week that it will move its headquarters from Dubai Media City to Riyadh.



The decision comes as part of a larger move by a number of other large media corporations in the region, including Al-Arabiya and Al Hadath TV channels, from Dubai to Riyadh.



"MBC, Al Arabiya and Al Hadath are based in Dubai Media City, the United Arab Emirates' media hub that hosts hundreds of media companies and most of their Middle East headquarters," Reuters stated last week.



The MBC Group will be followed to Riyadh by many of the programmes aired by the company, shooting their new seasons in the Saudi Arabian capital.



Reuters adds that: "MBC said in a statement sent to Reuters that back in February 2020 the MBC Group chairman publicly announced the intention to establish a new headquarters in Riyadh which would involve creating a business and production hub."



For MBC, the relocation coincides with the company's celebrations of 30 years since its launch of the first independent pan-Arab channel, MBC 1.



Last week, the celebrations saw the shooting of a special four-segment episode of the Arabic language version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in the Warner Bros studios in Lisbon, Portugal.



The episode will air on 18 September, marking the launch of the media company 30 years ago in London. The media conglomerate later moved to its headquarters to Dubai in 2002.



MBC Group operates over 17 free-to-air satellite TV channels including MBC1, MBC2, MBC3, MBC4, MBC5, MBC Action, MBC Max, MBC Variety, MBC Drama, MBC Persia, Wanasah, MBC Masr, MBC Masr 2, MBC Bollywood, and MBC Iraq.



The group also runs two radio stations, MBC FM and Panorama FM, as well as the video on demand service, Shahid.



For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter [email protected] on Facebook atAhram Online: Arts & Culture



https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/422920.aspx
A woman is photographed dancing to welcome the first rays of morning sunlight on a beach in Rizhao City, east China's Shandong Province, September 8, 2021. Having studied the art form for a decade, the elegant woman has made dance a part of her retirement life. [Photo: VCG]

A woman is photographed dancing to welcome the first rays of morning sunlight on a beach in Rizhao City, east China's Shandong Province, September 8, 2021. Having studied the art form for a decade, the elegant woman has made dance a part of her retirement life. [Photo: VCG]

A woman is photographed dancing to welcome the first rays of morning sunlight on a beach in Rizhao City, east China's Shandong Province, September 8, 2021. Having studied the art form for a decade, the elegant woman has made dance a part of her retirement life. [Photo: VCG]

A woman is photographed dancing to welcome the first rays of morning sunlight on a beach in Rizhao City, east China's Shandong Province, September 8, 2021. Having studied the art form for a decade, the elegant woman has made dance a part of her retirement life. [Photo: VCG]
From an urban memorial to a remote field to the heart of the nation's military might, U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday paid tribute at three hallowed places of grief and remembrance to honor the lives lost two decades ago in the terror attacks.

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden participate in a wreath ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, standing at the National Pentagon Memorial site, which commemorates the lives lost at the Pentagon and onboard American Airlines Flight 77. [Photo: AP]

The solemn day of commemoration offered frequent reminders for Americans of a time when they united in the face of unimaginable tragedy. That fading spirit of was invoked most forcefully by the president at the time of the attacks, George W. Bush, who said, "That is the America I know," in stark contrast to the bitterly divided nation Biden now leads.

Biden left the speech-making to others, paying his respects at the trio of sites in New York, Pennsylvania and outside Washington where four hijacked planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people, shattering the nation's sense of security and launching the country into two decades of warfare.

Biden wiped away a tear as he stood in silence at the site where the World Trade Center towers fell, and looked up at the haunting sound of a jet plane under clear blue skies reminiscent of that fateful day.

In a grassy field in Pennsylvania, Biden comforted family members gathered at a stone boulder near Shanksville that marked where passengers brought down a hijacked plane that had been headed for the nation's capital. At the Pentagon, Biden and his wife, Jill, took a moment of silence before a wreath studded with white, purple and red flowers on display in front of the memorial benches that mark the victims of the attack at the military headquarters.

Delivering Bud Light and appreciation to the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, which responded to the crash of United Flight 93, Biden praised Bush's comments in his only public remarks of the day, saying the Republican "made a really good speech today  genuinely," and wondered aloud what those who died that day would think of today's rancor.

Gesturing to a cross-shaped memorial made of steel from the twin towers adjacent to the firehouse, Biden reflected: I'm thinking what, what what would the people who died, what would they be thinking. Would they think this makes sense for us to be doing this kind of thing where you ride down the street and someone has a sign saying 'f- so-and-so?'"

It was a reference to an explicit sign attacking Biden last week in New Jersey as he toured storm damage that was displayed by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Biden expressed incredulity at recent comments by Trump, whom he accused of abandoning the nation's ideals during his time in office.

"Everyone says, 'Biden, why do you keep insisting on trying to bring the country together?'" the president told reporters. That's the thing thats going to affect our well-being more than anything else.

In a frequent refrain of his presidency warning of the rise of autocracies, he added, "Are we going to, in the next four, five, six, ten years, demonstrate that democracies can work, or not?"

At ground zero in New York City, Biden stood side by side with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton at the National September 11 Memorial as the names of the dead were read aloud by their loved ones. Each man wore a blue ribbon and held his hand over his heart as a procession marched a flag through the memorial before hundreds of people, some carrying photos of loved ones lost in the attacks.

Bush, delivering the keynote address in Shanksville, lamented that so much of our politics have become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2021 - 16:41 | World, All

The United States is "seriously considering" to allow the Taiwanese government to change the name of its representative office in Washington to include the word "Taiwan," in a move that would anger Beijing, the Financial Times reported Saturday.

The newspaper, citing multiple people briefed on internal U.S. discussions, said Taiwan requested last March that the name of its mission in the U.S. capital be changed from "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office" to "Taiwan Representative Office."

The name change would assuredly anger Communist-led mainland China, which views the democratic, self-ruled island as part of its sovereign territory and opposes other countries having any form of official exchanges with it.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been separately governed since they split in 1949 as a result of a civil war. Their relations have worsened since independence-leaning Tsai Ing-wen became Taiwan's president in 2016.

The United States switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

But under the Taiwan Relations Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1979, Washington maintains substantive though unofficial relations with Taiwan and supplies the island with billions of dollars worth of arms and spare parts for its defense.

Since taking office in January, President Joe Biden has continued his predecessor Donald Trump's policies of pursuing closer relations with Taiwan while taking a tougher stance on China over human rights, trade, strategic and other issues.

Meanwhile, China has tried to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, refusing to let it participate in the World Health Organization, for example, and chiseling away at the small group of nations that still maintain diplomatic ties with it.

Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China, left the United Nations in 1971 when the People's Republic of China took its place, and has since been excluded from its special agencies.

It competes as "Chinese Taipei" at the Olympic Games and also uses that name to participate in the World Trade Organization -- an arrangement designed to overcome China's objections to any international recognition of its sovereignty.

According to the Financial Times, between 2017 and 2019, seven of Taipei's missions in countries without diplomatic recognition, including Nigeria, Jordan and Ecuador, had "Taiwan" or "Republic of China" forcibly removed from their names by their host countries under pressure from Beijing.

In July, Taiwan opened an office in Lithuania called the "Taiwanese Representative Office." That prompted China to recall its ambassador to Vilnius and told Lithuania to recall its ambassador to Beijing.

The newspaper said the name change request has wide support inside the National Security Council and among State Department officials in charge of Asia, though a final decision would require an executive order signed by Biden.

The U.S. leader spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping by telephone on Thursday and they may have a chance to hold their first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Italy in late October.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 13, 2021 - 22:11 | All, World, Japan

Ten Afghan evacuees have arrived in Japan from Afghanistan to take refuge following the Taliban's return to power, with the Japanese government arranging for more evacuees to enter the country, the Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The government is also considering long-term support measures for such evacuees to settle in Japan, including helping them find jobs, sources close to the matter said.

On Sunday, four evacuees -- a local worker for the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Afghanistan and the worker's family members -- arrived at Narita airport near Tokyo, becoming the first Afghans to take refuge in Japan after the Taliban's takeover last month. An additional six touched down at the airport on Monday.

They are quarantined as part of Japan's measures against the novel coronavirus. They will be asked to decide whether to continue staying in Japan or leave for another country.

The 10 Afghans arrived in Japan via Doha in the Gulf state of Qatar and arrangements are being made for further Afghan evacuees to arrive in Japan soon, with the Japanese government and JICA shouldering travel and accommodation expenses, the ministry and other sources said.

Japan will continue to seek the safe evacuation of Afghan staff of Japanese organizations and others from the country qualifying for refuge by air and other means through negotiations with the Taliban while sheltering those who have evacuated on their own, the ministry said.

Former Afghan students who studied in Japan are also subject to Japan's assistance if they have a guarantor in Japan, the ministry said.

"We have offered necessary assistance such as issuing a visa and arranging airline tickets," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference in Tokyo, adding the government will continue to provide support for other evacuees.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces were dispatched to the region in late August to evacuate around 500 people wishing to leave Afghanistan.

By the end of the evacuation mission on Aug. 31, the SDF had only evacuated one Japanese as well as 14 Afghans at the request of the United States.

A temporary office that Japan set up for its Kabul embassy in Qatar on Sept. 1 is expected to be responsible for evacuation support.

Related coverage:

Some 10 Afghan evacuation seekers enter Pakistan to head for Japan

Afghan locals left behind by Japan feel anger, hopelessness

Japan sets up Doha office for talks with Taliban delegates
KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2021 - 20:35 | All, World, Japan

Japan and Vietnam share "the same destiny" and should boost defense cooperation for regional stability based on the rule of law, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Sunday, amid China's increasingly assertive maritime activity.

In a speech delivered in Hanoi, Kishi said Vietnam is an important partner for Japan and stressed the need for the countries to work together to address various regional security issues amid the present "harsh reality," according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

The speech at the Vietnamese Defense Ministry came a day after the two countries signed a deal enabling exports of Japanese-made defense equipment and technology to the Southeast Asian country.

Vietnam, a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is the 11th country to sign such an agreement with Japan, at a time when China is stepping up its territorial claims in parts of the East and South China seas.

Kishi, on his first overseas trip as defense minister, met with his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang on Saturday and the two reaffirmed the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, in an implicit reference to Beijing.

On Sunday, Kishi reiterated the deal signifies a "new stage" in the defense partnership between Japan and Vietnam, which is engaged in territorial disputes with China over the Spratly and Paracel island groups in the South China Sea, with Beijing accused of militarizing outposts it has constructed.

He also said the scope of the partnership will be expanded into new areas, including cybersecurity and handling the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to his speech, Kishi also met with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

The Japanese ministry said separately Sunday that a submarine suspected to be from China was spotted off a southern island.

The submerged vessel headed northwest off the eastern coast of Amami-Oshima Island on Friday morning in the so-called contiguous zone, just outside Japan's territorial waters, and it moved west in the East China Sea on Sunday morning, the ministry said.

It said that a Chinese guided missile destroyer was near the submarine.

It is the first time since June last year that Japan has publicly stated that a submarine believed to be Chinese was sailing in the area, according to the ministry.

During Kishi's visit, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi was also in Hanoi for a two-day visit, holding talks with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh on Friday.

"The two sides should cherish the hard-won peace and stability in the South China Sea, place the maritime issues at an appropriate position in bilateral relations...jointly caution and guard against the interference and instigation from forces outside the region," the Chinese Foreign Ministry quoted Wang as saying during the meeting.

Wang's visit also came about two weeks after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Vietnam.

Related coverage:

Japan inks deal to export defense assets to Vietnam amid China worry
KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2021 - 21:35 | World, All

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to continue IAEA recording with surveillance cameras installed at the country's nuclear facilities, the new head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said Sunday.

However, the recorded video will not be provided to the IAEA and its inspections will be still be restricted, making it difficult for the U.N. nuclear watchdog to grasp the full picture of Iran's nuclear development, AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami said.

He made the remarks to reporters after talks with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who was making his visit to Tehran since ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi assumed office in August to urge an early normalization of inspections.

A joint statement issued after the talks, which Eslami called "good and constructive," said IAEA inspectors are "permitted to service the identified equipment and replace their storage media," thus allowing recording to continue.

But the surveillance camera memory cards "will be kept under the joint IAEA and AEOI seals in the Islamic Republic of Iran," it said

Grossi's visit to Iran comes just the day before the IAEA's regular board meeting begins in Vienna.

The Iranian nuclear issue is expected to be a major agenda item at the meeting and the board might adopt a resolution condemning Iran over its inspection restrictions.

There are concerns that could result in a stiffening of Iran's attitude, making progress in talks involving Iran, the United States and Europe on rebuilding the 2015 nuclear deal more elusive.

The IAEA is tasked with verifying Iran's commitments under the nuclear deal with world powers.

Besides restricting inspections, Iran has been enriching uranium to 60 percent purity, which is close to nuclear weapons-grade.

Grossi's visit is seen by many as Iran wishing to show its willingness to cooperate in a bid to alleviate opposition from some countries toward Iran at the board meeting.

"It's clear that a strong (IAEA) response is needed," one source said, adding Iran has not constructively engaged with the nuclear watchdog.

Grossi previously visited Tehran in February during the administration of Raisi's predecessor, President Hassan Rouhani.

Under the 2015 pact struck with six major powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- Iran agreed to curb its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

But U.S. President Joe Biden's predecessor Donald Trump criticized the deal as flawed and pulled the United States out of it in May 2018. Iran countered the U.S. move by increasing its nuclear activities beyond the limits set in the deal.

According to the joint statement, the IAEA director general would visit Tehran again in the near future.

Related coverage:

IAEA chief makes 1st visit to Iran under new president
KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2021 - 09:20 | All, Japan

The Japan Pavilion at the world exposition to be held in Dubai from next month will utilize digital technology to enable its exhibitions to be seen remotely amid travel restrictions under the coronavirus pandemic, according to the trade ministry.

The pavilion will convey the attractiveness of Japan to visitors from all over the world by allowing them to experience the country's history and technology, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said, hoping the exhibitions will also draw interest to the 2025 world exposition in Osaka.

In addition to opening two special websites to serve as a "Virtual Japan Pavilion," the country will allow people from Japan and other locations to use remotely controlled avatar robots to join some events at the pavilion.

Those events will be held for a limited number of participants for a limited period of time.

Under the theme of "where ideas meet," the Japan Pavilion will use the latest visual and spatial presentations including moving images and ultrafine mist to let visitors experience how diverse encounters spark new ideas and lead the world to a better tomorrow, according to the ministry.

The exhibitions will include Japan's landscape and the challenges the world faces now. Miniature models representing the country and a corner to introduce the 2025 expo in the Kansai region in western Japan will also be set up.

Japanese conveyor belt sushi chain Sushiro, of Food & Life Companies Ltd., will open a restaurant at the expo to be held in the United Arab Emirates city through the end of March next year and serve halal dishes prepared according to Islamic law, the ministry said.

"We want to make this event a great success by conveying the charms of Japan as much as possible, and increase momentum toward the Osaka expo," Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshi Kajiyama said at an event held on Sept. 1 to present the exhibition contents at the Japan Pavilion for the Dubai expo.

The Dubai expo, delayed for about a year due to the pandemic, will open Oct. 1 and run through March 31. Its theme is "Connecting Minds and Creating the Future" through sustainability, mobility and opportunity.

The Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, will be held on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, from April 13 through Oct. 13 under the theme of "Designing Future Society for Our Lives." It will mark the sixth official international exposition to be held in Japan and the first since the 2005 event in Aichi Prefecture.

Related coverage:

Organizing body for Osaka's 2025 World Expo ties up with JICA, JETRO

Osaka to request stronger virus measures in response to "fourth wave"
KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2021 - 21:21 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

More than 50 percent of Japan's population has received two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine, with the vaccination rate on course to soon draw level with countries such as Britain and France, the minister in charge of the coronavirus response said Sunday.

"If vaccination moves ahead at the current pace, it will surpass 60 percent by the end of this month," Yasutoshi Nishimura said on a TV program, drawing a comparison with current rates in the two major European countries.

Japan initially lagged behind other major economies in inoculating its population but has made relatively fast progress since.

In the United States, about 53 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while more than 80 percent of people in Singapore have received two doses.

The government aims to complete the full vaccination of all those eligible and willing to get the shots by early November.

The vaccination program began in February with health care workers first in line and then expanded to those aged 65 or older from April. People under 65 began receiving shots in some municipalities and at their places of work later.

Nishimura said increasing the vaccination rate to 80 percent will have a considerable impact on COVID-19 infection numbers.

While Japan's health care system remains under strain due to the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, new cases have been decreasing in the country.

Nationwide, daily COVID-19 cases totaled about 7,200 on Sunday, falling below 8,000 for the first time since July 27, with Osaka Prefecture accounting for the most at 1,147.

The western Japan prefecture has reported fewer cases than the previous week for 11 consecutive days.

Tokyo reported 1,067 new infections the same day, bringing its seven-day rolling average to 1,384 per day, down 45.7 percent from the previous week.

While a state of emergency will be extended in the capital and 18 prefectures from Monday, the government has also laid out plans for a November easing of recommendations against traveling and large events once a high proportion of the population has been vaccinated.
New Delhi:

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is seeking a land parcel of around 700 acres in Haryana for shifting its Gurugram plant, a top company official said. The company considers Haryana as its "mother state" and will scout for another location in the state only, considering the presence of its supplier base. "Already, Manesar plant is spread across 700 acres so we are looking at a similar kind of land (for shifting Gurgaon plant)," MSI Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa told PTI.



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The company has not set any timeline for shifting the plant and the focus right now is to locate a good land parcel, he added.

When asked if the company is looking to establish the new plant in Haryana itself, Ayukawa said: "First we have to discuss with the Haryana (government) people ...because Haryana is our mother state...first we have to focus in that area ... besides, we also have a lot of suppliers here (Haryana) ... we have to manage that also."

He added that so far the company has received a positive response from the Haryana government over the issue.

When asked to comment on the planned investment in the new plant, Ayukawa said it would depend on the production capacity which is yet to be decided.

MSI has been looking to shift its plant from Gurgaon due to congestion and traffic hassles. With the rapid development in Gurgaon, the company now finds its plant in the middle of a bustling city which has made it difficult for trucks carrying raw materials and finished products move in and out of the plant.

It is at Gurgaon plant where the company began its India journey in 1983 by rolling out its first model -- the iconic Maruti 800.

At present, the plant rolls out many of the company's popular models, including Alto and WagonR, with an estimated annual capacity of around 7 lakh units.

Besides Gurgaon, MSI has another manufacturing unit in Haryana at Manesar. Both Gurgaon and Manesar plants have a production capacity of 15.5 lakh units per annum.



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Its parent Suzuki Motor Corp has also set up a facility in Gujarat. The first line with a capacity of 2.5 lakh units is in full production and the second one will be commissioned early next year.

Work has also started on the third line and the expected commissioning is early 2020. MSI is targeting annual production of 3 million units by 2025.
New Delhi:

US President Donald Trump in his first visit to Iraq on Wednesday said that America cannot be the policeman of the world and urged countries to share responsibilities. Trump also defended his decision to pull American troops out of war-torn Syria. "The United States cannot continue to be the policeman of the world," Trump told reporters at a military base west of Baghdad, soon after he addressed American soldiers. Accompanied by First Lady Melania this was Donald Trumps first visit to Iraq. Trump vowed for a "harsh response" from his administration if there was to be another terrorist attack on America.



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"If anything should happen at all, nobody will ever have suffered the consequences they had suffered," Trump told American troops at a military base west of Baghdad.

"It's not fair when the burden is all on us, the United States," he said, as he defended his decision to withdraw troops from Syria and let regional countries, Turkey, in particular, to complete the work of finishing the remnants of the ISIS terror group and Saudi Arabia to invest in development of the war-ravaged country.

In his interaction with reporters, Trump described how he gave "the generals" multiple six-month "extensions" to get out of Syria.

"They said again, recently, can we have more time? I said, 'Nope'. You can't have any more time. You've had enough time. We've knocked them out. We've knocked them silly.

"I will tell you that I've had some very good talks with (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan who wants to knock them out also and he'll do it. And others will do it too. Because we are in their region. They should be sharing the burden of costs and they're not," the US President said.



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Last week, Trump surprised the world and his country as well when he suddenly announced that the US is pulling out its troops from Syria. "In Syria, Erdogan said he wants to knock out ISIS, whatever's left, the remnants of ISIS. And Saudi Arabia just came out and said they are going to pay for some economic development. Which is great, that means we don't have to pay. We are spread out all over the world. We are in countries most people haven't even heard about. Frankly, it's ridiculous," Trump added.

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New Delhi:

Cash-strapped national carrier Air India should disclose its assets abroad and earnings from them, the Central Information Commission has ruled. It summarily rejected the contention of Air India that the information sought by activist Aseem Takyar regarding rent, lease fee fetched by it from April 01, 2008 with regard to its properties abroad; demarcation plan and a total area of these properties, arrears attracts exemption of commercial confidence under the RTI Act.Commission summarily rejects the application of Section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act in the matter as CPIO has failed to provide any tenable justification for the same, Information Commissioner Divya Prakash Sinha said.

Section 8(1)(d) exempts from disclosure the information which is of commercial confidence, trade secrets or intellectual property, the disclosure of which would harm the competitive position of a third party unless the competent authority is satisfied that larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information.

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Appellant has merely sought to know the amount of rent, lease fee and arrears of rent accruing to Air India from its properties abroad and disclosure of this information can by no stretch of imagination impact aspects of commercial confidence, Sinha said.

He noted that arguments of Air India Central Public Information Officer in written submission appear rather feeble and moreover during hearing no argument was forthcoming from him.

"CPIO is directed to provide available and specific information...of the RTI Application for the period mentioned therein...," he said.

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New Delhi:

Pakistani national Imran Qureshi Warsi, who was lodged in Bhopal jail on charges of forging documents and spying, for the last 10 years, on Wednesday returned to his country, through the Attari-Wagah border. Besides, India is set to release another jailed Pak national - Abdullah, who was detained from Attari in 2017. While Warsi, a resident of Karachi, came to India in 2004 to meet his relatives in Kolkata, Abdullah said it was his childhood dream to visit India and meet Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

"Pakistani national Imran Qureshi Warsi who was lodged in Bhopal jail for 10 years for forging documents and spying returns to Pakistan from Attari-Wagah border," the news agency ANI reported.

Pakistani national Imran Qureshi Warsi who was lodged in Bhopal jail since 10 years for forging documents and spying returns to Pakistan from Attari-Wagah border. pic.twitter.com/77Y85JJxpY  ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2018

Speaking to ANI near the Attari-Wagah border, Abdullah further said, "I will be back in India but with a visa this time".

Read | Imran Khan does it again, says Pakistan treats minorities equally unlike India

Warsi, who stayed in India for four years even after expiry of his visa, told reporters, "My term expired in January this year, following which the police took care of me since I had no money of my own. I now get to return home after 14 years, and I could not be happier to see my mother, father and siblings, who all reside in Karachi".

Earlier Warsi got a ration card and a PAN card during his stay in India and got arrested by the police on his way to Bhopal to get a passport.

Praising the police in the Indian jail, he further said, "The police treated me very well, just like a family. I found loving people here the same way there are loving people in Pakistan. I believe good people find good people everywhere".

Read | Nawaz Sharif shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, party questions verdict

Furthermore, Warsi is married to a Kolkata-based girl since 2014 and is having two children with his wife. He plans to take his children to Pakistan after completion of the legal procedure.

The move came days after Hamid Ansari, an Indian national, who was jailed in Pakistan for the last six years, returned to Indian after the end of his prison term on December 15.

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New Delhi:

Embroiled in a row over his "shoot mercilessly" remarks, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy Wednesday rejected the opposition demand for an apology over his comments, saying he was an "emotional person."

Kumaraswamy found himself in a raging controversy Tuesday after a video of his telephonic instruction to "shoot mercilessly" those who had killed a JDS worker in the party's stronghold of Mandya district on Monday went viral.

As the controversy refused to die down despite his clarification, Kumaraswamy said, "It is not a big issue..it is a human tendency...in that sort of a situation any human being will react like that.I have already clarified it, that is why I changed the word also."

JDS worker Prakash was hacked to death allegedly by four men in Maddur town Monday evening.

Claiming that he was an "emotional" person, Kumarswamy told reporters, "Even if a single citizen is in trouble, I will involve myself...that issue is over according to me, that is why I said instead of encounter, I said smoke them out...that is my final word"

Hitting out at Kumaraswamy for his "irresponsible" comments, state BJP President and Leader of Opposition in the assembly B S Yeddyurappa demanded that he apologise to the people of the state.

Questioning BJP leaders about an incident where two farmers were allegedly shot dead by police during Yeddyurappa's tenure as chief minister at Haveri in north Karnataka, Kumaraswamy questioned, "was it not a big issue?"

To a question about the demand for an apology, he snapped back, "why should I apologise?"

A human rights activist has, meanwhile, petitioned the State Human Rights Commission, terming the chief minister's remarks as a "clear violation" of human rights.

The petitioner, T Narasimha Murthy, urged the Commission to issue notice to the chief minister seeking an explanation from him with immediate effect, "to examine the implications and impact of such emotional remarks on the police, judiciary and public," and to issue appropriate direction to Kumaraswamy.

The plea said it hoped that the commission would examine the issue and direct the chief minister as executive head of the state to maintain decorum and also restore the law and spirit of the Constitution.

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Kolkata:

In order to raise awareness about obesity-prevention among students, the West Bengal Education Department has decided to introduce lessons in the school curriculum on the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles for addressing the health problem, a senior official said.

The course will be implemented from the primary education level for which disbursal of funds have already started, he said. Besides imparting theoretical knowledge, the curriculum would also highlight the practical aspect of tackling obesity such as the necessity of physical activity, regular measurement of certain parameters and eating healthy food, the official said.

Teachers will be taught to induce among students the habit of practising yoga to prevent obesity. The teachers in turn will teach the students, he said. "The lessons will explain the necessity of regularly monitoring certain parameters like blood pressure, blood sugar and body weight. The first two factors have an intimate relation with obesity.

"All these will be explained in the curriculum to raise the awareness level of the students, which will eventually help their parents know about the basic things about obesity," the official told PTI.

In fact, measurement of blood pressure, blood sugar and body weight should be regularly done among school students, he said. "The instruments for measuring these parameters will be bought by the schools from funds provided by the department, mainly meant for this purpose," he said.

The department has already purchased sphygmomanometer and stethoscope for measuring blood pressure, he stated. Weighing machines, skinfold callipers for determining state of obesity and glucometer for measuring blood sugar have also been purchased, he said.

"The teachers will be trained by physicians in handling the instruments. They will also be taught about the impact of blood pressure, blood sugar and how obesity can be controlled or prevented through controlling food habits and regular exercising," he said.

Primary schools would get Rs 3,000, upper primary institutions would receive Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 would be allotted to secondary and higher secondary schools, the official said.
New Delhi:

A pregnant woman undergoing treatment for anaemia was given HIV-infected blood at a government hospital in Tamil Nadus Virudhunagar district. Three lab technicians have been suspended after the gross medical negligence came to light. According to media reports, the woman was given the HIV-infected blood on December 3. The blood was brought from the Sivakasi Government Hospital. The lab technicians at the blood bank in the hospital failed the due diligence. They didnt inform either the donor or the patient about the HIV status of the particular unit of blood. It took more than two years before this shocking lapse could be unearthed.

The probe revealed that a man had donated blood at the government hospital in 2016. The hospital failed to inform him that he was detected HIV-Positive. Two years later, the same man again donated blood on November 30.

It was around this time that the man went for a series of medical checkups for his job application abroad. The tests revealed that he was HIV-Positive. He went for another blood test to confirm the HIV status.

In between all this, the pregnant woman was given the same blood brought from the Sivakasi government hospital. Probe began only when the donor himself told the hospital about the HIV status.

This led to the horrific lapse of administering HIV-Positive blood to the pregnant woman. Now, the state government is saying that it will bear all the medical expenses of the woman. The woman is being counselled for the HIV treatment.

While the first level of inquiry has been conducted to identify where the mistake took place, we will conduct further investigations to identify all loose ends, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan was quoted as saying by the New Indian Express. According to Dr K Senthil Raj, project director of the State AIDS Control Society, The lab technician labelled the blood as HIV Negative and stored it. The technician claims it was negative when tested, he said. We have terminated the services of the lab technician, who gave the daily report, the counsellor who did not identify that the donor was in the high-risk category, and the blood banks medical officer, he added.

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Shimla:

At least two people were killed and 23 more injured Wednesday evening when a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district, police said. While one person died on the spot, another succumbed to injuries on the way to a hospital, Bilaspur Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Kumar told PTI.

Three critically injured people were referred to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and 22 others were undergoing treatment at the Bilaspur Civil Hospital, he added.

The bus was on its way to Jai Nagar from Nalagarh when it fell into the nearly 50-feet deep gorge in Jamli village, the SP said. A probe is on to ascertain the exact cause of the accident, Kumar said, adding that a case would be registered in this regard.

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New Delhi:

Pakistan and Russia on Wednesday agreed to continue efforts for peace and reconciliation in the war-torn Afghanistan. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi who is in his last leg of his four-nation tour arrived in Russia and met his counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The two leaders discussed various bilateral and regional issues, including recent developments concerning the Afghan peace process. "On the final leg of his tour to regional countries, FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi held discussions with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov," Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted.



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Later, in a statement, the Foreign Office said the "ministers agreed to continue efforts, including through Moscow Format of Consultations, for supporting reconciliation under an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process."

Lavrov "acknowledged" Pakistan's efforts to achieve a political settlement in Afghanistan and offered his country's support to bring stability in the region, the statement said.

It was underlined that "being the most important stakeholders", Pakistan and Russia had shared interests and concerns in Afghanistan and had the common goal of supporting all efforts to restore peace and stability in the country, the FO said.

Both leaders also underscored the need to harmonise various regional approaches for developing a regional consensus on various issues.

Qureshi also stated that Pakistan "greatly values" its relations with Russia. He also expressed Pakistan's desire to forge a long-term, multidimensional partnership and friendship with Russia.

"Both sides expressed satisfaction on the upward trajectory of bilateral relations," the statement said.

Russia last month hosted Afghan peace talks that were attended by delegations of the Taliban, the Afghan government and global stakeholders. A Pakistani delegation had also attended the peace talks.

Earlier, the foreign minister visited Kabul, Tehran and Beijing, where he met his counterparts and other high-ranking officials.

In Kabul, he met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani on Monday and later dashed to Iran to meet his counterpart Javad Zarif.

During his meetings in Afghanistan, Qureshi stressed the importance of peace in the war-torn nation for regional stability and renewed Pakistan's commitment to assist in the process.

On his trip to Tehran on the same day, the foreign minister discussed with Zarif the bilateral relations and regional situation. Both officials agreed on the importance of improved bilateral relations between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Qureshi was in Beijing and met Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that both sides reiterated their determination to adopt a joint course of action for regional peace and stability, to promote connectivity and work for Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

Diplomatic sources said Qureshi briefed his hosts about Pakistan's efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table in order to achieve peace in war-torn Afghanistan.



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In a sudden move, President Donald Trump last week announced his decision to pull around half of the 14,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan. The move has stunned and dismayed allies, diplomats and officials in Kabul. The announcement comes during a renewed push for talks with the Taliban to end the 17-year war.

Last week, Pakistan brokered a meeting between the US and the Taliban in Abu Dhabi in a bid to pave the way for reviving the peace process that has remained stalled since 2015, Dawn reported.



(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry initiated several schemes in 2018 and plans to sanction construction of one crore houses before 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (urban), a move aimed at ensuring 'housing for all by 2022'. The ministry is mandated to implement a number of flagship programmes - Swachh Bharat Mission, PMAY (U), Smart City Mission, National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) among others.



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An official of the ministry said that since April 2018, 1,612 cities have been declared as open defecation free (ODF) taking the total number to 4124 across the country under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).

The official said that construction of almost 62 lakh individual household toilets and 5 lakh community and public toilet seats is already over or nearing completion.

Further, urban areas of 21 states and union territories have been declared ODF, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh.

The urban and housing ministry also launched Swachh Survekshan', a move aimed at fostering healthy competition among cities for improving cleanliness standards.

Indore had secured first rank in 'Swachh Survekshan' in 2017. The third round was conducted from January 4 to March 10, 2018 covering 4203 statutory towns in India.

Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh had emerged as the top 3 cleanest cities in the country. Swachh Survekshan 2019, launched on August 13, 2018, will cover all urban local bodies in the country and commence from January 4, 2019.

More than 65 lakh houses have been approved so far for construction under the PMAY (U).

"Out of these, 35.67 lakh houses are under various stages of construction of which 12.45 lakh houses have already been completed. The government is on course to sanction one crore houses well before 2020 to ensure that construction activities are completed to provide housing for all by 2022," the official said.

According to government estimates, the total investment involved is Rs 3,56,397 crore. An amount of Rs 33,455 crore has already been released to states and union territories out of the approved total central assistance of Rs 1,00,275 crore.

Under Smart City Mission, 100 cities have been selected in four rounds based on an all India competition.

The ministry said that since the launch of the mission, a total of 5,151 projects have been identified for implementation by the cities worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore which are in various stages of implementation in the 100 cities.

"If we talk about urban transport, around 536 km of metro rail lines are currently operational in 10 cities -Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Gurgaon.

"In 2018 (from January 2018 to till date), about 110 km of metro rail lines have been commissioned in Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Chennai," the official said.

In 2018, three new projects with a length of about 66 km at a total cost of Rs 16,408 crore were approved for Bhopal, Indore and Delhi Metro extension from Noida City Centre to Noida Sector 62.

Twenty HRIDAY projects amounting to Rs 140.14 crore were completed in 2018 in the cities of Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwaraka, Puri and Varanasi.

Under AMRUT, out of the total state annual action plan size of Rs 77,640 crore, contracts for 4,097 projects worth Rs 54,816 crore have been awarded including 1,035 projects worth Rs 2,388 crore which have been completed, the official said.

In the water supply sector, contracts for 965 projects worth Rs 29,205 crore have been awarded including 154 projects worth Rs 1,325 crore which have been completed.



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The government's construction major Central Public Works Department (CPWD) also underwent a major digital transformation, which enabled payments of around Rs 20,000 crore per year electronically.

The e-MB Module, launched in April 2018, is the first integrated web-based module in civil ministries to monitor and track both the financial progress such as utilisation of funds in projects, along with related physical progress captured through e-MB as per schedule of various items of works.

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London:

A British aviation enthusiast was credited Friday with breaking the news of US President Donald Trump's secret visit to Iraq over Christmas after snapping photos of his plane over northern England.

Alan Meloy, a semi-retired information technology worker from Yorkshire, took the pictures of Air Force One from outside his home with a camera he also uses for bird watching.

He shared the images on his Flickr account, correctly identifying the plane as a VC-25 -- one of two highly customised Boeing 747 jumbo jets used as Air Force One.

Other users noted the location and made the connection with a mysterious US military flight winging across Europe, speculating that it could be on its way to the Middle East.

"It's one of those weird moments when you're right place and right time," Meloy, who lives in the suburbs of the industrial city of Sheffield, told The Guardian newspaper.

"If you want to do covert work use a covert plane," he said.

On his Flickr account, Meloy said: "The internet had worked it out several hours before the White House formally confirmed the visit was taking place".

Rumours about the trip spread quickly on social media long before it was reported by media outlets that were respecting a White House embargo.

During the trip, Trump's first to a combat zone, the US president said the security precautions were unlike anything he had previously experienced.

"If you would have seen what we had to go through in the darkened plane with all windows closed, with no light anywhere -- pitch black," he said.

Meloy added: "Fortunately for us Yorkshire inhabitants he was travelling with the curtains shut and lights out so won't have noticed us looking up at him".

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New Delhi:

Day after a Jharkhand man was arrested for murdering his mother-in-law for a tantric ritual, the Jharkhand Police has gone for a ducks post-mortem to add crucial evidence against the accused. The officials want to reconstruct the entire sequence of events to make a water-tight case against the accused. Fhalindra Lohra had sacrificed a buffalo calf and a duck before killing his mother-in-law and drinking her blood. The 30-year-old wanted to gain mastery in black magic.

According to The Hindustan Times report, Lohra confessed about practicing witchcraft. He murdered his mother-in-law for a ritual, which would help his gaining mastery over black magic. Lohra visited his wife's home on Monday, where he killed his mother-in-law. When his father-in-law discovered the body, Lohra tried to flee, but he was caught by another relative.

According to local police, a body of a buffalo calf and a duck were also found from the house in Ranchi's Rangamati village.

Black magic or suspicion of black magic has been reason behind many crimes, especially in rural India. Recently, a 30-year-old man had murdered his mother because he suspected that she was 'doing black magic on him.' According to news agency ANI, the incident took place on December 23 in a village in Telangana. Boinpalle Police of Rajanna Sircilla District said that, "On December 23, a person by the name of Srinivas, killed his mother by strangulating her to death. He suspected that his mother practiced black magic on him, from which he was falling ill often. So the accused decided to murder his 52-year-old mother at her residence." The man has been booked under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.

But it was the Burari case in the National Capital that rocked the nation. In this case, 11 members of a family allegedly committed suicide. Many reports suggested that the Chandawat family of Delhi's Burari area were under some influence and they were preforming some black magic ritual. However, the probe by the Delhi Police has pointed out the ritual gone wrong theory. According to the police, the family members never intended to end their lives. They were performing a ritual also known as 'badh pooja', in which, members tied themselves with the iron mesh in the house. But it was not a mass suicide. The probe has also ruled out any foul play or the theory that Lalit, one of the sons , killed everyone and then committed suicide.

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New Delhi:

Senior Karnataka BJP MLA Umesh Katti on Wednesday claimed he was in touch with 15 disgruntled legislators of ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and his party would welcome them if they chose to join it. The eight-time MLA further claimed BJP would form a new government in the state by next week, drawing a strong reaction from state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, who hit out at him for making "illusionary statements" to 'confuse' people.

The claim by Katti came in the midst of public display of anger by some ministerial aspirants from Congress who were left out in the recent cabinet expansion.

Senior MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, upset after being dropped from the H D Kumaraswamy ministry, has threatened to resign and said he would announce his future course of action later this week.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and senior Congress leaders and ministers have asserted that no MLA would resign and there was no threat to the stability of the six-month-old government.

However, BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa separately said the party was not in touch with any disgruntled MLAs of Congress.

Speaking to reporters in Belagavi, Katti said: "Fifteen MLAs are in touch with me, I cannot divulge their names now, when time comes I will tell.

However, ruling out 'Operation Lotus' (engineering defections), Katti said, "we will welcome those who are pained in Congress and JD(S) and want to join our party. If they come, we will induct them into our party and form the government, he said.

Replying to a question, Katti said he would welcome if Ramesh Jarkiholi came to the BJP.

New government will be formed by the BJP in Karnataka by next week. How it will be formed, why it will be formed, dont think about it. When it is formed we will tell you, he added.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Gundu Rao asked Katti not to confuse people by making such illusionary statements.

If it doesnt happen, Katti will have to resign if he has guts, he told reporters.

Reacting to Rao's comments, Katti claimed that already eight to ten (Congress-JDS) MLAs were ready to resign. "So as a party with 104 MLAs in the 224-member assembly, Im confident we can form the government," he said maintaining that the Congress-JDS government would fall "100 per cent".

Yeddyurappa said the BJP had nothing to do with the disgruntlement among the MLAs of the ruling combine. "...if they are fighting internally, lets wait and watch what will happen at the end...till now no one has contacted us, nor we have contacted anybody and we don't require it also..." he told reporters in Bengaluru.

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New Delhi:

Amid anti-Congress protests following the conviction of Sajjan Kumar in the 1984-anti-Sikh riots case, a group of Sikh protesters on Wednesday defaced an MCD signboard bearing the name of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi at Rajiv Chowk Metro station in Connaught Place, New Delhi. The video showing the protesters, including women, spraying black ink on the signboard and blaming Rajiv Gandhi for 1984 anti-Sikh riots has gone viral on social networking sites. Their demands include the renaming of Rajiv Chowk Metro station after Indian freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The act was carried out in broad daylight this morning.

Speaking to news agency ANI, one of the protesters said, "A prime minister represents all communities, be it Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs. We demand that considering Rajiv Gandhi's role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Bharat Ratna award must be taken away from him and should be conferred on Shaheed Bhagat Singh".

Earlier on Tuesday, in a separate incident, a group of Youth Akali Dal workers vandalised a statue of Rajiv Gandhi at the Salem Tabri area in Ludhiana, Punjab. The incident also triggered strong protests by Congress supporters at various places across the state. The protesters threw black paint on posters of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Read | Delhi Assembly passes resolution demanding to take back Rajiv Gandhis Bharat Ratna, AAP takes a U-turn

Strongly condemning the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh demanded an apology from Sukhbir Singh Badal and asked him to stop indulging in petty politics, warning him that such acts would backfire on his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) stepped up attack on the Gandhi family after the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. The Delhi High Court on December 17, convicted the former Lok Sabha member in connection to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, sentencing him to life imprisonment.

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, or what the Sikh community calls genocide, erupted in India with thousands of Sikhs being killed following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31.

Read | Day after offering to quit, AAP MLA Alka Lamba says she is not resigning

Since then, several political parties, including the Sikh Community people have been critical of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and accusing him of justifying the killing of innocent Sikhs in the 1984 riots.

In an apparent reference to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots the former prime minister said, "when a big tree falls, the earth shakes". Gandhi delivered the speech on Indira Gandhis birth anniversary at Boat Club in 1984.
Washington:

If quitting smoking is one of your New Year's resolutions, you might want to consider cutting back on your drinking too, a study suggests. Researchers from Oregon State University in the US found that reducing alcohol use can help people quit their smoking habit. Heavy drinkers' nicotine metabolite ratio -- that indicates how quickly a person's body metabolises nicotine -- reduced as they cut back on their drinking, according to the study published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.



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Past research has suggested that people with higher nicotine metabolism ratios are likely to smoke more and that people with higher rates have a harder time quitting.

Slowing a person's nicotine metabolism rate through reduced drinking could provide an edge when trying to stop smoking, which is known to be a difficult task, said Sarah Dermody, an assistant professor at Oregon State University.

"It takes a lot of determination to quit smoking, often several attempts," Dermody said.

"This research suggests that drinking is changing the nicotine metabolism as indexed by the nicotine metabolite ratio, and that daily smoking and heavy drinking may best be treated together," she said.

Use of both alcohol and cigarettes is widespread, with nearly one in 5 adults using both. Cigarette use is especially prevalent in heavy drinkers, researchers said.

Drinking is a well-established risk factor for smoking, and smoking is well-established risk factor for drinking, they said.

Dermody and colleagues at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada, wanted to better understand the links between the two.

They studied the nicotine metabolite ratio, an index of nicotine metabolism, in a group of 22 daily smokers who were seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder -- the medical term for severe problem drinking -- over several weeks.

They found that as the men in the study group reduced their drinking -- from an average of 29 drinks per week to 7 -- their nicotine metabolite rate also dropped.



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The findings for men replicated those of an earlier study that found similar effects and provide further evidence of the value of the nicotine metabolite ratio biomarker to inform treatment for smokers trying to quit, Dermody said.

"The nicotine metabolite ratio was thought to be a stable index, but it may not be as stable as we thought," Dermody said.

The women in the study did not see reductions in their nicotine metabolite ratio, but the researchers also did not find that the women in the study reduced their drinking significantly during the study period.

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Giza:

Three Vietnamese holidaymakers and an Egyptian tour guide were killed Friday when a roadside bomb blast hit their bus as it travelled close to the Giza pyramids outside Cairo, officials said. A statement by the public prosecutor's office said 11 other tourists from Vietnam and an Egyptian bus driver were wounded when the homemade device exploded.

The improvised explosive device was placed near a wall along the Mariyutiya Street in Al-Haram district near the Giza Pyramids, it said. The bus was carrying a total of 16 people including 14 Vietnamese tourists, an Egyptian driver and a tour guide, according to the statement.

Armed security personnel quickly deployed to the site and cordoned off the area for inspection. The white tourist bus could be seen with its windows shattered and surrounded by soot-covered debris.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the injured tourists in hospital, where he announced that the tour guide had died from his wounds. Madbouli urged against "amplifying" the incident as he insisted that "no country in the world can guarantee that its 100 percent safe".

"It's possible at times that an individual incident takes place here or there," he told journalists. "We have to know that it's possible that it would be repeated in the future." There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Later, a statement issued by the United States condemning the attack. "We stand with all Egyptians in the fight against terrorism and support the Egyptian government in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

Egypt's tourism industry has been struggling to recover from terror attacks and domestic instability that has hit the country in recent years. In July 2017, two German tourists were stabbed to death by a suspected jihadist assailant at the Egyptian Red Sea beach resort of Hurgada.

In October 2015, a bomb claimed by a local affiliate of the Islamic State group killed 224 people on board a passenger jet carrying Russian tourists over the Sinai peninsula. That incident dealt a severe blow to Egypt's tourism industry still reeling from the turmoil set off by the 2011 uprising that forced veteran leader Hosni Mubarak from power.

Egypt has since been seeking to lure tourists back and spur the lucrative sector by touting new archaeological discoveries and bolstering security around archaeological sites and in airports. Tourism has slowly started picking up. The official statistics agency says tourists arrivals in Egypt in 2017 reached 8.2 million, up from 5.3 million the year before.

But that figure was still far short of the record influx in 2010 when over 14 million visitors flocked see the country's sites. Egypt has for years been battling an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which surged following the 2013 military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi.

Security forces have since February been conducting a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula, aimed at wiping out a local IS branch.

More than 450 suspected jihadists and around 30 Egyptian soldiers have been killed since the offensive began, the army said in October. The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world and a major tourist draw attracting visitors from across the globe.

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Jammu: Cases of many encounters keep coming to the fore from Jammu and Kashmir, in the meantime, in the Rajouri district, a complaint of suspicious activity of terrorists has been received from across the LOC. After receiving the news of the presence of terrorists, the security forces cordoned off the area on Sunday and started a search operation.

Officials said that the search operation is on but so far no contact has been made with the suspected terrorists. Officials said a joint search operation was launched by the police and the army in some parts of Manjakot's Barote Gali and Thanamandi in the early hours of Sunday. Rajouri and Poonch districts of the Jammu region have witnessed a spurt in infiltration attempts since June this year. Due to this, 9 terrorists have also been killed in different encounters. In the earlier operation, three soldiers had also lost their lives. At the same time, two days ago, information about a terrorist attack was also revealed from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

The same was said that the terrorists threw a grenade at the security forces in Chanapora. According to the news, terrorists hurled a grenade at the security forces' block outside Chanapora police station in Srinagar. A CRPF soldier was injured in this attack. Apart from this, information about a woman being injured was also revealed. Earlier, a police post in Sherbagh of Anantnag district was also attacked by terrorists with a grenade. On the other hand, recently a big and nefarious conspiracy of Pakistan has been exposed. According to the news received from the intelligence report, Pakistan is conspiring to provoke individuals in Kashmir by showing them videos of Afghanistan.

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Pakistan has been constantly making efforts to take hold of Afghanistan since the Taliban's occupation of it. Sometimes they send the ISI chief to Kabul and sometimes they make a statement in favor of the Taliban. Pakistan's ISI Chief Faiz Hamid now hosted an important security meeting of intelligence chiefs of regional countries, including China, on the situation in Afghanistan.

According to the same report, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hamid, Director General, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) held talks with the intelligence chiefs of China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan in Islamabad on the Afghanistan issue. Questions are being raised whether Pakistan is preparing for a new move on the pretext of negotiating the Afghanistan issue.

Though there was no official confirmation from either side about the meeting, sources confirmed that the Director-General of ISI discussed how to help ensure the situation, peace, and stability in Afghanistan. The Pakistan Observer newspaper said intelligence chiefs from Russia, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have attended the meeting. However, another television channel claimed that the meeting was attended only by intelligence chiefs from China, Russia, Iran, Tajikistan. The channel quoted sources as claiming that they discussed the ongoing security situation in Afghanistan due to the meeting.

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Do you think you know Nepal? It might be surprising to know that you have learned false information about the country where you have lived in. After all, you went through so many books to mug up multiple facts about the country.

And, since your teachers taught you, you never bothered to cross-check whether it is right or wrong either. But, now, it is time that you question some of the information and facts that you were taught wrong.

Here are some of the facts to relearn from your school times.

1. Daura suruwal, Dhaka topi and gunyu choli are not the national dresses

Mannequins wearing regular cotton daura suruwal and brocade daura suruwal outside a wedding attire shop in Bangemudha. Photo: Nasana Bajracharya

It might be surprising to you to know that daura surwal and Dhaka topi and gunyu choli are not the national dresses of Nepal as you imagine the ensemble to be a true Nepali attire. Of course, they are the traditional attire of Nepal, but not the national dress for now. Of course, they were believed to be the national dress in the past, they were removed from the status after Nepal became a federal republic in 2011.

But, they are still the attire worn by some communities of Nepal, like the Khas Aryas, and are popularly considered official dresses of the country.

2. Kabaddi is not the national game, neither is dandi biyo

Many of you have been taught that your national game is kabaddi. Although kabaddi may be one of the most loved and played games by Nepali people as a pastime or as a competition, it is not the national game of Nepal. Besides this, some of you were also taught that dandi biyo, a game which is played by striking two sticks, was the national game. This is also false.

Volleyball is the national game of Nepal, as declared in May 2017.

3. There are only 4 World Heritage sites in Nepal

In school, you all are taught that there are seven World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu valley, and three others outside the valley. But, the fact is that the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has listed only four sites as World Heritage sites from Nepal: the Kathmandu valley, Lumbini, Chitwan National Park and Sagarmatha National Park.

This means all three Durbar Squares, Pashupatinath temple, Swoyambhu Stupa, Bouddha Stupa and Changunarayan that you were taught as different heritage sites only count as the one single World Heritage site.

4. Neither momo nor dal-bhat is national food

File: A Thakali khana set

As much as you would like to believe, the hard truth is momo is not your national food. Even though nationally, or even internationally, people might think momo is an identity of Nepal and Nepali food, momo still does not hold the title officially. It is one of the most loved food items in Nepal, but it is not Nepali food and is originally from Tibet.

Now, you might question if not momo, what is your national food? You might think dhindo, gundruk or dal bhat is the national food, but again you would be wrong. They are only traditional authentic local Nepali food items because officially, there is no Nepali food as of today.

5. Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain on earth

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, you all have learned this, repeated it and proudly boasted for being the country situated in the lap of Mount Everest. While it is partially true, you might want to get a few more facts right here.

Before you get enraged, let us clarify here that Mount Everest is not the highest mountain on earth but it is the highest mountain on earth that is above sea level, standing tall at 29031.69 feet (8,848.86 metres). But, technically, if you consider the height of mountains from their base to peak, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on earth with a height of 9,966 metres (32,696 feet). Mauna Kea is a dormant volcanic mountain that originates deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, this is why one can only see 4,207.3 metres of it above sea level.

Mount Everest is also not the highest point from the earths centre. You all know that the earth is not a perfect sphere, it is a bit thicker at the equator due to the centrifugal force created by the planets constant rotation. Due to this, from different points, different mountains are the tallest. And, in this regard, the highest point from the earths centre is not Mount Everest but the peak of Ecuadors Mount Chimborazo with a height of 6,268 metres (20,564 ft) above sea level, It is located just one degree south of the equator where the earths bulge is greatest. This also makes Mt Chimborazo the closest point on earth to the stars.

6. Bhimsen Thapa was not the first prime minister

Bhimsen Thapa painting. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In schools, you were taught that Bhimsen Thapa was the first prime minister of Nepal. Despite attempts of correction, people still consider him as the first prime minister of Nepal. But, the fact is he was not the first prime minister as he has never held the position of premier.

Technically, Bhimsen Thapa was a mukhtiyar, a leader of the military troop or commander-in-chief. But many (mis)translate mukhtiyar to be equivalent to the prime minister in terms of duties and position, due to the influence of British writers and the intervention of the international political powers.

But again, Bhimsen Thapa was also not the first mukhtiyar either; he was the second person to hold that title after King Rana Bahadur Shah.

7. Dharahara in Sundara is the not first one

Two Dharaharas. Photo Courtesy: Sushil Bickram Thapa/ Facebook

Many of you learned in schools that Bhimsen Thapa built Dharahara in Sundhara. For the longest time, many believed that it was the first and only Dharahara Thapa had built. But, there was another Dharahara before it. Bhimsen Thapa built older Dharahara in 1824 (1881 BS) at his residence, Janarala Bagh, which is located southeast of Dharahara you know, near Botebahal of Kathmandu. It got collapsed in half in the 1834 earthquake and was never built.

8. Pratap Malla did not start Gai Jatra

For a long time, you learned that Gai Jatra, one of the famous festivals of the Newa community, was started by Pratap Malla to console his grieving queen. But, there is not much information to confirm that the festival was celebrated by the 17th century of the king of Kantipur.

Historian and writer Gautama Vajra Vjracharya said that Pratap Malla was not the one to start the Gai Jatra. It is argued that during the 17th century, every good deed was associated with the monarch and, this festival was another such example only. Historian Dinesh Raj Pant also adds Pratap Malla could not have been the one to start the festivals as Gai Jatra is celebrated more vigorously in Patan and Bhaktapur than in Kathmandu, his kingdom.

9. Swasthani Brata Katha was first written in Nepal Bhasa

Nepalese Hindu devotees take holy water from Bagmati river on the bank of Pashupatinath Temple during Madhav Narayan festival in Kathmandu, Nepal. Nepalese Hindu women observe a fast and pray to Goddess Swasthani and God Madhavnarayan for longevity of their husbands and family prosperity during the month-long festival.

Swasthani Barta Katha is very familiar to many of you. For a month, women and men take fast and follow all the rituals strictly complete reading Swathani Barta Katha. For a long time, it has been popular in the Nepali language and, hence, thought to be an original Nepali scripture. But it has been learned that it was first written in Nepal Bhasa, as early as 693 Nepal Sambat or around 1573 AD by Jayanta Dev. But, from the early 19th century only, you see Nepali versions of Swasthani, which coincides with the rise of Shah rulers in Kathmandu with the influence of the British Empire in India.
Description

In Tent Revival by Majkin Holmquist, a womans astonishing miracle starts her husband on a path toward becoming a revivalist faith healer, and their daughter, Ida, must confront the cost of deeds done to acquire his devoted following. In rural Kansas, 1957, a farmer-turned-preacher searches for inspiration, his wife for hope, and their daughter for a sense of stability. When a seeming miracle turns their church on its head, Ida follows her parents across the state as they spread the word of their newfound faith. But when the miracles begin to multiply, and the demand for spiritual healing grows faster than anyone expected, Ida must confront the cost of deeds done to inspire devotion.
BERLIN, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Armin Laschet, the conservative candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's chancellor in this month's election, demanded an apology from his Social Democrat rival on Saturday for criticising a money-laundering probe which included raids on his ministry.

Prosecutors raided the finance and justice ministries on Thursday as part of an investigation into the government's anti-money laundering agency, shining a spotlight on Germany's failings in tackling financial crime.

The raids come at a pivotal moment for Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, whose SPD is leading opinion polls before national elections on Sept. 26. In responding to the raids, Scholz had said prosecutors could have put their straightforward questions in writing.

"At a time when prosecutors are searching a ministry, the right response is to say we will help prosecutors, not to cast doubt on the rule of law. That helps populists when you react like that," Laschet told the Bavarian CSU party conference to thunderous applause from delegates.

"I hope he apologises," said Laschet, adding Germany should be a model in accepting the actions of justice officials while it criticises populist governments elsewhere for discrediting prosecutors and judges.

Laschet, head of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), is struggling to appeal to voters and the conservative bloc is trailing in polls for the election in which Merkel is not running for a historic fifth term.

CDU grandees backed Laschet in April as the conservative chancellor candidate ahead of Markus Soeder, the more popular leader of the CSU. The two parties form a parliamentary bloc.

Some in the CSU are less than enthusiastic about Laschet's candidacy but the CDU leader received cheers and a standing ovation at the end of a wide-ranging conference speech.

A FGW poll on Friday put support for the SPD at 25%, ahead of the CDU/CSU bloc on 22%, the Greens on 17%. The liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were both on 11% and the far-left Linke on 6%. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Mike Harrison)
(Bloomberg) --

The U.N. nuclear watchdog signaled progress in talks with Iranian officials in Tehran over access to the countrys expanding program, yet prospects for reviving the crippled atomic deal with world powers remain unclear.

Tehran said International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors would be able to replace damaged surveillance cameras and memory cards at atomic sites following a constructive meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Sunday.

We managed to rectify the most urgent issue, which was the imminent loss of knowledge, Grossi said at a press briefing following his return to Vienna. Now we have a solution.

The pact to ensure surveillance data isnt lost at Iranian centrifuge workshops and uranium mines stops short of fully restoring the expanded access for IAEA monitors granted under the 2015 nuclear accord. It may buy envoys time for broader negotiations with world powers aimed at reviving the agreement.

Grossi said his trip to the Iranian capital, where he met with Irans new nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami, was intended to bridge a major communication breakdown that had stifled the exchange of information with his inspectors. The Argentine diplomat said hell return very soon to Tehran for discussions with the new government of President Ebrahim Raisi.

Sundays agreement allows IAEA surveillance cameras to continue recording activity inside key Iranian facilities. Should the broader deal be revived, which reins in Irans nuclear work in exchange for sanctions relief, IAEA officials will receive the camera footage. Until then, Irans Eslami said the old memory cards will remain sealed in Tehran.

The step reduces the likelihood of a formal censure against Iran at an IAEA board of governors meeting that starts Monday in Vienna. It effectively gives diplomats three more months, until the next board meeting in November, to revive the landmark atomic deal that the Trump administration jettisoned three years ago. Iran subsequently began accelerating its nuclear work in response to renewed U.S. economic sanctions.

Story continues

Israel, which opposed the original nuclear deal, said on Sunday that Irans escalating atomic activity should be met with international penalties.

The time has come for action, said Defense Minister Benny Gantz. He added Iran was training foreign militias to use unmanned aerial vehicles, weeks after a deadly drone strike blamed on Tehran targeted an Israeli-managed tanker. Iran has denied being behind that attack and others in regional shipping lanes.

While Irans concession is likely to be welcomed by IAEA envoys meeting this week, Tehran still faces eventual censure over its failure to cooperate in an IAEA investigation into decades-old uranium traces found at several undeclared locations in the country.

Grossi said he sent a complementary message to the IAEAs board about Irans responsiveness on Sunday, suggesting that formal censure may not be needed at this time. Heading into the week, some European nations still held open the possibility of a rebuke that could eventually send Iran back to the UN Security Council.

Tehrans government has warned such a move would scuttle any remaining hope of reviving its broader accord with world powers -- one that would allow Iran to return to the global oil market. The last round of talks broke down before the election of Raisi in June. The president himself warned the UN watchdog against confrontation earlier this month.

IAEA inspectors this week reported that Iran had increased its stockpile of enriched uranium close to the levels needed for weapons and was expanding its production capacity.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but doubts about its intentions motivated world powers to seek the original nuclear accord.

The Biden administration is interested in reviving the deal, with conditions attached, and together with Europe has been trying to coax Iran back to the table as soon as this month. Informal talks are likely on the sidelines of the IAEAs general conference the week of Sept. 21.

(Adds comments by IAEAs Grossi in the third, fifth and 11th paragraphs.)

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FILE PHOTO - A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva

By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea carried out successful tests of a new long-range cruise missile over the weekend, state media said on Monday, seen by analysts as possibly the country's first such weapon with a nuclear capability.

The missiles are "a strategic weapon of great significance" and flew 1,500 km (930 miles) before hitting their targets and falling into the country's territorial waters during the tests on Saturday and Sunday, KCNA said.

The latest test highlighted steady progress in Pyongyang's weapons programme https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-missiles-southkorea-analys-idUSKBN2BM0G8 amid a gridlock over talks aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in return for U.S. sanctions relief. The talks have stalled since 2019.

North Korea's cruise missiles usually generate less interest than ballistic missiles because they are not explicitly banned under U.N. Nations Security Council Resolutions.

"This would be the first cruise missile in North Korea to be explicitly designated a 'strategic' role," said Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This is a common euphemism for nuclear-capable system."

It is unclear whether North Korea has mastered the technology needed to build warheads small enough to be carried on a cruise missile, but leader Kim Jong Un said earlier this year that developing smaller bombs is a top goal.

The two Koreas have been locked in an accelerating arms race that analysts fear will leave the region littered with powerful new missiles. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/caught-between-china-us-asian-countries-stockpile-powerful-new-missiles-2021-07-20

South Korea's military did not disclose whether it had detected the North's latest tests, but said on Monday it was conducting a detailed analysis in cooperation with the United States.

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The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said it was aware of the reports and was coordinating with its allies and partners.

"This activity highlights (North Korea's) continuing focus on developing its military program and the threats that poses to its neighbours and the international community," INDOPACOM said in a statement.

Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party's official newspaper, ran photos of the new cruise missile flying and being fired from a transporter-erector-launcher.

The test provides "strategic significance of possessing another effective deterrence means for more reliably guaranteeing the security of our state and strongly containing the military manoeuvres of the hostile forces," KCNA said.

It was seen as the North's first missile launch after it tested a new tactical short-range ballistic missile in March. North Korea also conducted a cruise missile test just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden took office in late January.

SERIOUS CAPABILITY

Jeffrey Lewis, a missile researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said intermediate-range land-attack cruise missiles were no less a threat than ballistic missiles and were a pretty serious capability for North Korea.

"This is another system that is designed to fly under missile defence radars or around them," Lewis said on Twitter.

Cruise missiles and short-range ballistic missiles that can be armed with either conventional or nuclear bombs are particularly destabilising in the event of conflict as it can be unclear which kind of warhead they are carrying, analysts said.

Kim Jong Un did not appear to have attended the test, with KCNA saying Pak Jong Chon, a member of the Workers' Party's powerful politburo and a secretary of its central committee, oversaw it.

The reclusive North has long accused the United States and South Korea of "hostile policy" toward Pyongyang.

The unveiling of the test came just a day before chief nuclear negotiators from the United States, South Korea and Japan meet in Tokyo to explore ways to break the standoff with North Korea.

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, is also scheduled to visit Seoul on Tuesday for talks with his counterpart, Chung Eui-yong.

Biden's administration has said it is open to diplomacy to achieve North Korea's denuclearisation, but has shown no willingness to ease sanctions.

Sung Kim, the U.S. envoy for North Korea, said in August in Seoul that he was ready to meet with North Korean officials "anywhere, at any time."

A reactivation of inter-Korean hotlines in July raised hopes for a restart of the negotiations, but the North stopped answering calls as annual South Korea-U.S. military exercises began last month, which Pyongyang had warned could trigger a security crisis.

In recent weeks South Korea became the first non-nuclear state to develop and test a submarine-launched ballistic missile. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/skorea-blazes-new-path-with-most-potent-conventional-missile-submarine-2021-09-08

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Daniel Wallis, Peter Cooney and Lincoln Feast.)
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 12, 2021 / The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that class actions have commenced on behalf of certain shareholders in the following companies. If you suffered a loss you have until the lead plaintiff deadline to request that the court appoint you as lead plaintiff. There will be no obligation or cost to you.

Piedmont Lithium Inc. (NASDAQ:PLL)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/piedmont-lithium-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=19509&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: September 21, 2021

Class Period: March 16, 2018 - July 19, 2021

Allegations against PLL include that: (1) Piedmont has not, and would not, follow its stated steps or timeline to secure all proper and necessary permits; (2) Piedmont failed to inform relevant people and governmental authorities of its actual plans; (3) Piedmont failed to file proper applications with relevant governmental authorities (including state and local authorities); (4) Piedmont and its lithium business does not have "strong local government support"; and (5) as a result, Defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.

Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE:PHG)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/koninklijke-philips-n-v-loss-submission-form?prid=19509&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 15, 2021

Class Period: February 25, 2020 - June 11, 2021

Allegations against PHG include that: (i) Philips had deficient product manufacturing controls or procedures; (ii) as a result, the Company's Bi-Level PAP and CPAP devices and mechanical ventilators were manufactured using hazardous materials; (iii) accordingly, the Company's sales revenues from the foregoing products were unsustainable; (iv) the foregoing also subjected the Company to a substantial risk of a product recall, in addition to potential legal and/or regulatory action; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

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Live Ventures Incorporated (NASDAQ:LIVE)

If you suffered a loss, contact us at:https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/live-ventures-incorporated-loss-submission-form?prid=19509&wire=1

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: October 12, 2021

Class Period: December 28, 2016 - August 3, 2021

Allegations against LIVE include that: 1) Live's earnings per share for FY 2016 was actually only $6.33 per share; (2) the Company used an artificially low share count to boost the earnings per share by 40%; (3) Live had overstated pretax income for fiscal 2016 by 20% by including $915,500 of "other income" related to certain amendments that were not negotiated until after the close of the fiscal year; (4) Live's acquisition of ApplianceSmart did not close during first quarter 2017; (5) using December 30, 2017 as the "acquisition date" and recognizing income therefrom did not conform to generally accepted accounting principles; (6) by falsely stating that the acquisition closed during the quarter, Live recognized bargain purchase gain, which enabled the Company to report positive net income in what would otherwise have been an unprofitable quarter; (7) between fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2018, Live's CEO received approximately 94% more in compensation than was disclosed to investors; and (8) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

To learn more contact Vincent Wong, Esq. either via email vw@wongesq.com or by telephone at 212.425.1140.

Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Vincent Wong, Esq.

39 East Broadway

Suite 304

New York, NY 10002

Tel. 212.425.1140

Fax. 866.699.3880

E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com

SOURCE: The Law Offices of Vincent Wong





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/663658/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-PLL-PHG-LIVE-The-Law-Offices-of-Vincent-Wong-Reminds-Investors-of-Important-Class-Action-Deadlines




California Gov. Gavin Newsom has turned to familiar Democratic faces in the final days of a campaign to keep his job.

President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senator Elizabeth Warren have all lent their voices to give the embattled governor a boost against a Republican-led effort to remove him from office. But if Newsom emerges victorious on Tuesday, he may have some big name tech executives, particularly Netflix (NFLX) co-founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings to thank.

With a hefty $3 million donation, Hastingss contribution in support of Newsom is by far the largest sum on either side of the recall fight. His name appears in every Newsom ad, to remind voters. But while Hastings may be the most lucrative backer in this special election scheduled for Sept. 14, the donor list featuring Silicon Valley billionaires extends well beyond the Netflix exec. And their allegiances appear split.

Co-founder and director of Netflix Reed Hastings delivers a speech as he inaugurates the new offices of Netflix France, in Paris on January 17, 2020. - Hastings announced some 20 French projects by Netflix on January 17, 2020. (Photo by Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images)

Here are Newsom's backers and total donation amounts, according to state contribution records:

Priscilla Chan ($750,000), co-founder and co-CEO of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Laureen Powell Jobs ($400,000), president of Emerson Collective

Ron Conway ($200,000), venture capitalist

Andy Fang ($166,666) and Stanley Tang ($166,666), DoorDash (DASH) executives

Connie Ballmer ($1 million), co-founder of the Ballmer group and Washington-state resident, the wife of former Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer

Meanwhile, Doug Leone, managing partner at Sequoia Capital, leads the list of tech donors backing the recall effort with a roughly $150,000 contribution. Former PayPal (PYPL) executive and Craft Ventures co-founder and partner David Sacks donated $180,000 to pro-recall organizations over a seven-month period, despite having donated more than $58,000 to Newsoms 2017 election campaign. Sacks, along with Social Capital CEO and former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya (who donated $100,000 to a pro-recall organization) have been among the harshest critics of the governors handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying "he has done a terrible job."

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The amount of tech money poured into the worlds fifth largest economy highlights the high stakes in Tuesdays election. A new governor could potentially tip control of the U.S. Senate by appointing a Republican successor for 88-year-old Senator Diane Feinstein (D, Calif.), should she retire.

Political insiders suggest the $3.1 million contribution from Hastings and his wife, Patricia Quillin represent a mea culpa of sorts after the Netflix chief, a strong proponent of education reform, backed Newsoms opponent Antonio Villaraigosa in the 2018 gubernatorial primary.

Hes dealing with a sitting Democratic governor. He played against him in the [2018] primary. I think its a wise move and a wise consideration to say, Im going to be behind you', said former Villairagosa consultant Mike Madrid, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a No on the Recall campaign event with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at IBEW-NECA Joint Apprenticeship Training Center on September 08, 2021 in San Leandro, California. With six days to go until the California recall election, Gov. Gavin Newsom was joined by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as he continues to campaign throughout the state. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Newsom has held the upper hand in campaign donations so far, in part because he isnt subject to contribution limits, as the target of a state recall. Candidates seeking to replace him are limited, putting Newsom's Republican opponents at a fundraising disadvantage. While the $125 million raised on both sides already exceeds the $90 million spent during the last California gubernatorial recall, Newsom supporters have raked in nearly double the amount of their opponents.

The latest polls show the campaign to keep Newsom in office with a double-digit lead, heading into September 14. But, Silicon Valley heavyweights already have their eyes on the next big statewide race. If Newsom survives the recall effort, he will face re-election next fall. Hastings and former Facebook (FB) executive Sean Parker already lead the list of tech donors for the governors 2022 campaign, with nearly $100,000 donations combined, so far.

Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @AkikoFujita

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When the Some Gave All Foundation was established, there were just four people who conducted a motorcycle ride and festival that featured more than 1,500 participants.

The event was created in memory of Marine Corps Sgt. Joshua Frazier of Spotsylvania County, who was killed in Al Ramadi, Iraq, in 2007, and Army National Guardsman Sgt. Nicholas Mason, killed in Mosul, Iraq, in 2004.

The Frazier and Mason families combined to host the motorcycle ride that went from Spotsylvania High SchoolFraziers alma materto King George High, where Mason was an alumnus.

The strain of hosting the event began to take its toll on Fraziers father, Rick, after the death of his wife, Jana, seven years ago.

A combination of the stress of hosting a wide-scale event and increased traffic along the route led to the Some Gave All Foundation announcing last month that this years ride would be the final one after 14 years.

The last ride took place on Sunday as about 1,000 motorcycle enthusiasts made the trek from State Route 208 to Lafayette Boulevard and then State Route 3 East before they arrived at King George High.
Supporters of the project believe new apartments and townhomes along that stretch of U.S. 17 one mile west of U.S. 1 will bring much-needed commercial business to a well-traveled area of Falmouth.

[This project] would be a drawing card for commercial, that they could see that this project is an upscale project and I think that this would be the dam-breaker, you might say, for the commercials to start coming in their office buildings, upscale restaurants, things like that, said Roger Embrey, one of the current owners of the property.

Jackie DeBernard, another co-owner, agreed with Embreys analysis and believes the hundreds of new residents who would live there would also require businesses nearby where they could eat, shop and unwind.

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Bringing this in is going to beautify [U.S.] 17 and its going to want people to come with their commercial, said DeBernard. And if theyve got all those houses and apartments, theres definitely going to be people there thats going to use the commercial, especially its restaurants, or whatever it may be.
REMEMBER when China defeated COVID-19

thanks to harsh lockdowns in Wuhan, the largest city in Hubei province? That success lasted less than 15 months. They are back to bolting doors to keep people in their homes in Wuhan again.

Apparently, the new delta strain of the Chinese GMOd SARS2 really has a thing for Wuhan and not Beijing and Shanghai.

I feel bad for the people who live in Wuhan. We all should. They are being abused by their government.

Chinas data on COVID is farcical. According to the Johns Hopkins Universitys COVID tracker, which relies on Chinese data, the Chinese public health authorities have administered precisely 1,832,450,000 vaccines. Thats amazing. China only has around 1.4 billion people, and millions of them are living in remote areas.

OK, lets assume this includes some double doses. China is mostly using Sinovac, its own home-grown vaccine, which is double-dose. According to Johns Hopkins, 223.3 million people have received both dosesor 15.9 percent of the population.

In some cities, they are physically forcing people to take PCR tests. Thats right. They will tackle you to the ground and stick a 12-inch cotton swab up your nose.
Women in Afghanistan will only be allowed to study in universities in gender-segregated classrooms and Islamic dress will be compulsory, a member of the new Taliban government has said.

Abdul Baqi Haqqani laid out the new policies at a news conference in Kabul on September 12, several days after Afghanistan's new rulers formed an all-male government.

The world has been watching closely to see to what extent the Taliban might act differently from its first time in power, in the late 1990s. During that era, girls and women were denied an education, and were excluded from public life.

The Taliban insurgents have suggested they have changed, including in their attitudes toward women.

Haqqani, in charge of education, said the Taliban did not want to turn the clock back 20 years. "We will start building on what exists today," he said.

However, female university students will face restrictions under the Taliban, including a compulsory dress code. Haqqani said hijabs will be mandatory but did not specify if this meant compulsory head scarves or also compulsory face coverings.

Gender segregation will also be enforced, Haqqani said. "We will not allow boys and girls to study together," he said.

Haqqani said that where no women teachers were available, special measures would be adopted to ensure separation.

"When there is really a need, men can also teach [women] but in accordance with Shari'a, they should observe the veil," he said. Classrooms will be curtained off to divide male and female students where necessary, and teaching could also be done through streaming or closed-circuit TV.

Classrooms divided by curtains have already been seen in many places since the Western-backed government collapsed and the Taliban seized Kabul last month.

Haqqani told reporters that subjects being taught in universities would also be reviewed but did not elaborate. The Taliban, who subscribe to a harsh interpretation of Islam, have banned music and art during their previous time in power.

Women in Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan have protested in large and small groups against Taliban rule and efforts to curtail their rights. In some cases, the Taliban has responded with force, wielding whips, beating women with batons, pointing guns and firing weapons into the air.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Details

To volunteer for COSILoveYous annual CityServe event Oct. 2, visit cosiloveyou.com and click on the volunteer button.

CityServes ecumenical worship services will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at First Presbyterian Church, 219 E. Bijou St., and Discovery Church, 4304 Austin Bluffs Parkway.
The 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, coincided with the end of the war that began as a result of the actions of the 19 al Qaeda terrorists, and the two have evoked an outpouring of emotions for veterans who served during the War in Afghanistan.
MATHER, Calif. (AP)  President Joe Biden on Monday used his first Western swing in office to hold out the wildfires burning across the region
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Mostly sunny. High near 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 55F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
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Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
Rep. Jason Crow is a decorated former Army Ranger who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Crow represents Colorados 6th Congressional District and serves on the House Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.
Through the course of this relationship, we learn about the Red Room, which trained women to become elite assassins called Black Widows. The two share the background and wonder about a third.

Black Widow has a fairly lengthy middle section that involves talking and taunting. Theres the threat of brain surgery (how long has it been since weve seen that?) and the return of a man who could be a friend or a master foe.

While the action sequences are typical for Avengers films, this one could have tossed a few and still retained its cred. Because characters wear plenty of Iron Man-like masks, its very clear this is a stunt man competition, not an acting exercise.

What helps is the music by Lorne Balfe, which suggests what moods you should be in at any given time. It enforces what Shortland is doing with her spy thriller.

Stranger Things' David Harbour is here, too, trying for a different vibe than the one he exhibits on the TV show. He doesnt quite have the accent down the way Pugh does, but his subplot gives her and Johansson time to breathe.

They need it -- they're that busy and that good.

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Cerro Gordo County has also begun allocating some of its ARPA funding, but aren't as far along as Wright County. Cerro Gordo County auditor Adam Wedmore said the county has only allocated one use of the funds: $10,000 for sanitary sewer repairs in the city of Meservey.

Wedmore says that the board of supervisors has yet to decide on how the rest of the county's first payment of $4,122,707.5 will be spent, but expects discussions to begin ramping up this month.

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Some communities have not made any official decisions, but have an idea on how some of the ARPA funding will be used.

Hampton city manager Ron Dunt said that while the city council hasn't officially made any decisions, he anticipates some of the $313,322 in funding will go towards water infrastructure improvements.

Another water infrastructure project could be underway in Garner, according to city administrator Adam Kofoed. Garner has discussed using the funding to replace the city's south water tower, which Kofoed said is the second-oldest water tower in the state of Iowa.

Other communities are still undecided entirely on how their ARPA funding will be used.
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Supervisor Enos Loberg declined to comment on the defense fund.

Kristi Harshbarger from the Iowa State Association of Counties said that she didn't believe there were any issues or regulations preventing citizens of Worth County from aiding the county in a potential lawsuit.

"Counties get donations for various reasons and can use those funds," Harshbarger said. "I can't think of any overarching prohibitions."

However, state law prevents elected officials from receiving gifts of any kind from a party that stands to benefit from that officials service or work.

There was also some concern over Gorballs involvement in both the citizens legal defense fund as well as his acting role as planning and zoning commission chair. The fund, for which Gorball is actively soliciting donations, would likely be used to defend the ordinance that Gorball and the commission had a hand in crafting.

Stone said he doesnt think there's any issue.

I wouldnt think theres any conflict if he did contribute to that because he is a citizen who lives out in that portion of the county, Stone said. I would think hes entitled to contribute if he wanted to.
Gordon and Jill Martens

September 7, 2021

Gordon Louis Martens and Nona Jill (Hougham) Martens passed from this life on September 7, 2021. Visitation will be held on September 13, 2021 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Veterans Reception Center, 910 Main Street, Van Meter, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at the same location on September 14, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., with committal services at Iowa Veterans Cemetery at 11:00 a.m., and a luncheon to follow back at the reception center.

The perfect couple. However you knew them  as Gordon and Jill, or Mom and Dad, or Grandma and Grandpa, or Aunt Jill and Uncle Gordon, or Gordie and Jill  you could not help but to admire their lifelong partnership and love story. They laughed together. Sang together. Danced together. Worshiped together. Traveled together. They took care of each other. They honored each other. They loved each other. And when it was time to leave the burdens of this world behind, and move on to greater glory, they made the journey together.
Delivering Bud Light and appreciation to the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, which responded to the crash of United Flight 93, Biden praised Bush's comments in his only public remarks of the day, saying the Republican made a really good speech today  genuinely," and wondered aloud what those who died that day would think of today's rancor.

Gesturing to a cross-shaped memorial made of steel from the twin towers adjacent to the firehouse, Biden reflected: Im thinking what, what what would the people who died, what would they be thinking. Would they think this makes sense for us to be doing this kind of thing where you ride down the street and someone has a sign saying f- so-and-so?

It was a reference to an explicit sign attacking Biden last week in New Jersey as he toured storm damage that was displayed by supporters of former President Donald Trump. Biden expressed incredulity at recent comments by Trump, whom he accused of abandoning the nation's ideals during his time in office.

Everyone says, Biden, why do you keep insisting on trying to bring the country together? the president told reporters. Thats the thing thats going to affect our well-being more than anything else.
Schulz added that 725 high school students were taking courses online, 880 were directly out of their own school, and 239 students traveled to NIACC for their dual credit classes last year.

As a former superintendent, Schulz says recognizes the impact that college credit courses have for high school students earning a degree and having a plan after they graduate.

Schulz said dual credit allowed high school students to explore pathways, complete general education credits early, and be an overall better consumer when it comes to paying for college. He added that earning college credit helps ensure that a student continues on to earn a degree.

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"Anything that (NIACC) can do to help students find their way and help parents find their way, (students) will be more likely to complete their degree," said Schulz.

Clear Lake Superintendent Doug Gee said the earned college credit helps with earning a degree since it gives students a head start.

Last year, Clear Lake Community Schools had 173 students who enrolled in dual credit classes, collecting 275 credits in over 80 courses. This year, numbers have gone to 194 students who are earning college credit in a wide range of classes.
When the women complete the program, they are able to get two certifications. One is from the National Center for Construction Education & Research. They will receive their Welding Level 1 Certification that required 357 hours of training.

The second certification is from a test they could take for The American Welding Society.

With a National Center for Construction Education and Research certificate, a person is able to take their certification to a company to prove they have the foundational knowledge to be a welder.

One of the students, Bianca Wilson, is a recent graduate.

Jackson said she excelled in the program and was ready to hit the ground running with her new certification.

I didnt have an interest in welding, Wilson said. I went into the DCC website one day to check my account and saw the flyer there. Once I saw the flyer, I read the article and had things about it that interested me. I signed up.

At the time, she knew nothing about welding. She did a Google search about it and saw the high interest of women to enter welding. She also knew it was an industry that was offering a higher salary.

She wanted first dibs.
Mott said everything was ready to go until about the end of July, when an unexpected uptick in virtual learning interest resurfaced statewide, likely in response to state mask mandates and increasing COVID-19 cases that caused parents to rethink their childrens plans.

But Mott said that because of the contingency plans, they had more teachers ready and therefore were able to support and grant the requests from school divisions even as late as Aug. 30.

It became very evident in the last week of July that there was going to be the need to add more students, Mott said, noting that in recent weeks, as Virtual Virginia spaces have been granted to school systems, the program continues to prioritize for three groups of students: those who have medical conditions that require them to learn remotely, the students of military families, and those students who may have transferred to a new school division after mid-July and would have likely missed local deadlines for virtual learning.

We dialed things up a bit, Mott said, adding that strong recruiting efforts in early summer ended up paying off in the long run.

Many seats

Some school divisions are taking as many seats as they can get.
Rudolph Giuliani was always somewhat off-center, even in his glory days as New York City mayor. But people who recall him then were stunned by his decline into a conspiracy-mongering swamp creature of Trump world. The 20th anniversary of Sept. 11 lets us remember that on that day of horror, Giuliani was on the chaotic scene, passing out courage and hope.

At 10 a.m. on 9/11, I was in New York on a train being kept underground in Penn Station. The two planes had just hit the World Trade Center.

The conductor came on the loudspeaker telling us repeatedly that this is the safest place you can be right now. We didnt all have cellphones then, but a guy in the back of the car did and informed us that the Pentagon had been hit and the first tower, and then the second, had come down. The conductor asked us to pray for the people in the World Trade Center.

We were scared and shuddered imagining the terror downtown. We didnt know at that point who did it, why or whether they had stopped. We wanted to get out of town, but the train wasnt going anywhere because the tunnels were being searched for bombs.

The conductor came on one last time and told us to stay calm, take our bags and leave the train. We ascended into the light and a totally transformed city, country and world.
A tremendous grief envelops our hearts for the people of Afghanistan, for our troops who were killed or injured there, and for their families. The loss and destruction resulting from this war is almost beyond our human capacity to fathom.

Although some would point to a few positive accomplishments of this invasion, there is now no avoiding the painful fact that Afghanistan is no safer, nor more secure, than when we first arrived 20 years ago. How did the war proceed for so long, when many believed that achieving the long-term objective of a stable Afghan government that could survive without a US presence, was highly questionable?

Remember that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force is what first allowed the president to send troops to Afghanistan. Since then, Congress has abdicated its Constitutional responsibility for oversight of war, allowing subsequent administrations to use this AUMF as somewhat of a blank check.

The best way we can honor the sacrifices of all who fought bravely for a better life for Afghans is to force Congress to reclaim its job regarding oversight of war, to avoid a repeat of this tragedy.
DURHAM  Parents want to protect their children. Nida Allams parents did.

Allam, a Durham County commissioner and the first Muslim woman to hold elected office in North Carolina, was in third grade when the World Trade Center was attacked by Islamic extremists. Her parents tried to insulate their daughters from the aftermath, but they werent at school with their children.

At school, Allams teacher asked her to stand up and tell the class about her faith. At first, she didnt mind it.

When youre a kid, when youre getting that type of attention, youre like, Oh, this is something cool, Allam says. But then they started getting into questions about 9/11 and I was like, I have no idea what this is. I dont know whats going on. And what does this have to do with me or Muslims?

The Sept. 11 plane attacks were horrific. The subsequent treatment of Muslims in the United States also has been horrific. Both of these things can be true.

As we contemplate the 20th anniversary of the attacks, we must also consider the consequences. For young adults, these consequences have shaped our worldviews. For young Muslim adults, these consequences have shaped everything.
REIDSVILLE  Retired Vice Adm. Bruce H. Lindsey, a Reidsville High School alum and former deputy commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command, helped dedicate a 9/11 Memorial sculpture at the city's main fire station on Saturday.

Triad artist Jim Gallucci donated the public artwork that integrates a twisted "I" beam from the rubble of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in New York. The piece features cutouts of first responders, silhouettes repeated in the work's concrete base.

Gallucci said he hoped the sculpture would be a "catalyst" for hope and unity.

"This sculpture is about hope,'' he said. "Even though the piece of wreckage on top is the destruction, underneath is the folding of the people that hold that memory close to us.''

Lindsey saluted the work, saying good art "can make us feel righteous, it can move us, it can soothe us and it can heal us. And in some small way, bring us peace. Now, I believe Jim Gallucci's sculpture is good art because this sculpture accomplishes all of those things.''

A member of the Reidsville High School Class of 1978, Lindsey is the highest ranking military officer ever to graduate from the school, according to city officials.

In July 2009, Lindsey became the 12th commander of the USS Carl Vinson, one of the nations 11 mammoth aircraft carriers and the ship to carry out to sea the body of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaida leader and mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
National

Finding inspiration in tragedy

NEW YORK  The world solemnly marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday, grieving lost lives and shattered American unity in commemorations that unfolded just weeks after the bloody end of the Afghanistan war that was launched in response to the terror attacks.

Victims' relatives and four U.S. presidents paid respects at the sites where hijacked planes killed nearly 3,000 people in the deadliest act of terrorism on American soil.

Others gathered for observances from Portland, Maine, to Guam, or for volunteer projects on what has become a day of service in the U.S. Foreign leaders expressed sympathy over an attack that happened in the U.S. but claimed victims from more than 90 countries.

"It felt like an evil specter had descended on our world, but it was also a time when many people acted above and beyond the ordinary," said Mike Low, whose daughter, Sara Low, was a flight attendant on the first plane that crashed.

"As we carry these 20 years forward, I find sustenance in a continuing appreciation for all of those who rose to be more than ordinary people," the father told a ground zero crowd that included President Joe Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

In a video released Friday night, Biden said Sept. 11 illustrated that "unity is our greatest strength."

Unity is "the thing that's going to affect our well-being more than anything else," he added while visiting a volunteer firehouse Saturday after laying a wreath at the 9/11 crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He later took a moment of silence at the third site, the Pentagon.

The anniversary was observed under the pall of a pandemic and in the shadow of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is now ruled by the same Taliban militant group that gave safe haven to the 9/11 plotters.

"It's hard because you hoped that this would just be a different time and a different world. But sometimes history starts to repeat itself and not in the best of ways," Thea Trinidad, who lost her father in the attacks, said before reading victims' names at the ceremony.

Bruce Springsteen and Broadway actors Kelli O'Hara and Chris Jackson sang at the commemoration, but by tradition, no politicians spoke there.

At the Pennsylvania site  where passengers and crew fought to regain control of a plane believed to have been targeted at the U.S. Capitol or the White House  former President George W. Bush said Sept. 11 showed that Americans can come together despite their differences.

"So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment," said the president who was in office on 9/11. "On America's day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab their neighbor's hand and rally to the cause of one another. That is the America I know."

"It is what we have been and what we can be again."

Calvin Wilson said a polarized country has "missed the message" of the heroism of the flight's passengers and crew, which included his brother-in-law, LeRoy Homer.

"We don't focus on the damage. We don't focus on the hate. We don't focus on retaliation. We don't focus on revenge," Wilson said before the ceremony. "We focus on the good that all of our loved ones have done."

Former President Donald Trump visited a New York police station and a firehouse, praising responders' bravery while criticizing Biden over the pullout from Afghanistan.

"It was gross incompetence," said Trump, who was scheduled to provide commentary at a boxing match in Florida in the evening.

The attacks ushered in a new era of fear, war, patriotism and, eventually, polarization. They also redefined security, changing airport checkpoints, police practices and the government's surveillance powers.

A "war on terror" led to invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, where the longest U.S. war ended last month with a hasty, massive airlift punctuated by a suicide bombing that killed 169 Afghans and 13 American service members and was attributed to a branch of the Islamic State extremist group. The body of slain Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo was brought Saturday to her hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts, where people lined the streets as the flag-draped draped casket passed by.

The U.S. is now concerned that al-Qaida, the terror network behind 9/11, may regroup in Afghanistan, where the Taliban flag once again flew over the presidential palace on Saturday.

Two decades after helping to triage and treat injured colleagues at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, retired Army Col. Malcolm Bruce Westcott is saddened and frustrated by the continued threat of terrorism.

"I always felt that my generation, my military cohort, would take care of it  we wouldn't pass it on to anybody else," said Westcott, of Greensboro, Georgia. "And we passed it on."

At ground zero, multiple victims' relatives thanked the troops who fought in Afghanistan, while Melissa Pullis said she was just happy they were finally home.

"We can't lose any more military. We don't even know why we're fighting, and 20 years went down the drain," said Pullis, who lost her husband, Edward, and whose son Edward Jr. is serving on the USS Ronald Reagan.

The families spoke of lives cut short, milestones missed and a loss that still feels immediate. Several pleaded for a return of the solidarity that surged for a time after Sept. 11 but soon gave way.

"In our grief and our strength, we were not divided based on our voting preference, the color of our skin or our moral or religious beliefs," said Sally Maler, the sister-in-law of victim Alfred Russell Maler.

Yet in the years that followed, Muslim Americans endured suspicion, surveillance and hate crimes. Schisms and bitterness grew over the balance between tolerance and vigilance, the meaning of patriotism, the proper way to honor the dead and the scope of a promise to "never forget."

Trinidad was 10 when she overheard her dad, Michael, saying goodbye to her mother by phone from the burning trade center. She remembers the pain but also the fellowship of the days that followed, when all of New York "felt like it was family."

"Now, when I feel like the world is so divided, I just wish that we can go back to that," said Trinidad, of Orlando, Florida. "I feel like it would have been such a different world if we had just been able to hang on to that feeling."

Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam in Shanksville, Pennsylvania; David Klepper in Providence, Rhode Island; Jill Colvin in New York; and Alexandra Jaffe in Shanksville and Washington contributed to this report.
Updated 2:15 p.m.

GREENSBORO  A 17-year-old has died after he was shot overnight, Greensboro police said in a news release.

Police on Sunday identified the victim as Traveyon Deandre Hairston of Greensboro. Police are investigating his death as a homicide.

At 11:19 p.m. Saturday, police responded to the 2000 block of Ellington Street in reference to a shooting. Officers located Hairston, who was listed in stable condition at the time. He was taken by EMS to a local hospital for treatment.

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Posted 12:44 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Authorities are investigating two shootings that occurred in Greensboro this weekend, according to news releases from police.

The first shooting happened shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday in the 2000 block of Ellington Street.

At 11:19 p.m., officers responded to the scene and found a man with a gunshot wound, police said. He was in stable condition and taken by EMS to a local hospital for treatment.
He checked on his wife, Kathy, and their children, Mario and Madeline.

The only thing you want to do is collect your family and make sure everybody is safe and find out where they are, he said.

A few weeks later at a local scrapyard, Gallucci mentioned turning World Trade Center ruins into art. Business owners made arrangements.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, he found himself at the New Jersey scrapyard where Metal Management took the mangled steel.

He had to supply his resume, references and plans for the steel. It was not to be exploited, he said. It was to be honored and given reverence.

The steel would be free, provided that the sculpture would go to a nonprofit organization. Any proceeds would cover his costs and expenses, but not provide a profit.

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The part that really got me, walking around the yard up there in New Jersey, was when a childs sneaker fell out of one of the beams, Gallucci recalled. Thats when I lost it.

Gallucci had become known for his artistic metal gates. His 9/11 sculpture reflects that.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed its first openly transgender bishop in a service held in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on Saturday.

The Rev. Megan Rohrer will lead one of the church's 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada.

My call is ... to be up to the same messy, loving things I was up to before, Rohrer told worshippers. But mostly, if you'll let me, and I think you will, my hope is to love you and beyond that, to love what you love.

Rohrer was elected in May to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod after its current bishop announced his retirement.

I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing, Rohrer said in a statement. My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward.
The department's anti-terror tools also are being used to solve more run-of-the-mill crimes.

"The systems that were built with Homeland Security funding in the years after 9/11 are for protecting New York City from the threat of terrorism," Miller said. "We would be remiss, and the federal government fully agrees with this, if we did not use those same tools to fight crime. Our job is to protect life and property and dual use for these tools is a legal and accepted practice."

Suspects tracked from 'beginning to the end'

NYPD officials were notified of a heist at a luxury retail store in Manhattan on Aug. 20 where $20,000 worth of handbags were stolen. Five men hopped into a stolen Range Rover and fled with the high priced handbags. Investigators used their plate readers to find them hours later on their way to New Jersey using the Lincoln Tunnel.

The NYPD also used license plate readers to catch Grafton Thomas after federal prosecutors said he entered into a rabbi's home in Monsey and attacked five people with an 18-inch machete. Thomas was arrested an hour after the attack when license plate readers identified his vehicle crossing the George Washington Bridge into New York City, authorities said at the time.
JUNEAU, Alaska  Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said President Joe Bidens effort to require millions of U.S. workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is ill conceived, divisive, and un-American.

At a time in which we are called to work together, forced medical procedures run counter to our collective sense of fairness and liberty, the Republican said in a statement. My administration is aggressively identifying every tool at our disposal to protect the inherent individual rights of all Alaskans.

The statement did not describe what that might entail.

Dunleavy has butted heads with the Biden administration on resource development issues. Dunleavy has faced some criticism in Alaska for not mandating masks or for not implementing a new disaster declaration to deal with a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. He has instead asked lawmakers to act on legislation aimed at addressing staffing concerns raised by health care facilities.

In his statement Friday, Dunleavy said that it is clear from the data and empirical evidence over the last year that the vaccine is the most effective way to fight COVID-19. From what we are seeing in our hospitals, the very ill are mostly those who are unvaccinated.
Unfortunately, and ironically, this mistrust of Muslims extends within the Muslim community itself. This is due to infiltration by FBI informants who have gone into Islamic centers, befriended and framed innocent people  many of whom have been imprisoned.

As a community leader living in the post-9/11 era, I often reflect on the following question: How can I take what I learned from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to help change the anti-Muslim rhetoric and the fear-mongering?

Changing the anti-Muslim narrative begins here  at home. It begins with teachers, parents, faith leaders and community activists. We must teach one another to embrace diversity. We must educate ourselves and one another about the social and political factors that played a large role in 9/11. Lastly, we must promote community safety through unity. It is the responsibility of the majority to protect and amplify the voices of the minority.

After the events of 9/11, the Islamic Center of the Triad and other Muslim individuals received a lot of threatening calls but we also received flowers and cards from local churches. I personally received threatening phone calls but my neighbors comforted me. Collectively, local Muslims were especially welcomed and comforted by the Quakers and Franciscans. These were warm gestures, expressing solidarity.
Twenty years later, the images are as haunting as ever. The passage of time does nothing to diminish the shock and disbelief of jet liners slamming into iconic buildings. The news footage remains as heartbreaking as it was two decades ago, when fellow citizens doomed to die were forced to choose the manner of their own demise: to be cremated alive by the inferno, or to leap from the heights of the World Trade Center.

As we watched the horrors unfold, we were stunned into silence, moved to tears or provoked into trembling rage. Some of us, myself included, alternated from one extreme to another.

For nearly half a century, I have lived in close proximity to (or at least, within earshot of) Piedmont Triad International Airport. The sound of jet engines is so commonplace, such an integral part of the aural scenery of Greensboro, that I no longer even notice it.

One infrequently mentioned oddity of that day was the relative quiet that ensued when all air traffic was grounded. The sudden absence of airplane noise was not only conspicuous, but also a bit disorienting. Yet, under the circumstances, an interlude of silence struck me as ethereal and transcendent  perfectly appropriate to a nation in mourning.
According to the most-recent ranking I can find, North Carolina requires state-approved licenses in more occupations (nearly 200) than most other states do. North Carolina licenses twice as many occupations as Virginia does, and three times as many as South Carolina.

You cannot be an auctioneer in our state unless you spend dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars to obtain a state permission slip. For some occupations, such as barbers and cosmetologists, the number of hours required runs into the thousands.

Whats the big deal? you may ask. Perhaps you think the promised health and safety benefits to consumers are worth the expense. Perhaps you think state policymakers have carefully weighed those benefits and costs.

Alas, you are mistaken. In most cases, occupational licensing comes about because current providers lobby for it. They seek to exclude competitors, so they can charge their customers more, or they seek to deliver the government-required training themselves, so they can collect the revenue.
But in the years since 9/11 the fabric of our society has been worn thin by bitter partisanship that has infected every facet of American life, from the halls of Congress to meetings of county commissioners and school boards across the country.

Were all in this together rang hollow from the beginning.

Incredibly, writes columnist Michael Gerson, COVID has become the latest front in our culture wars. In August, Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Alabama attended by more than 30,000 supporters, most of whom flaunted their freedom not to wear masks.

Trump told his followers that he had been vaccinated and encouraged them to do so as well. OK, encourage is a bit strong. He said the right words, but without the requisite sense of urgency. Still, some people in the otherwise adoring crowd booed him. Back-pedaling, he assured them that he respected their right to remain among the unvaccinated.

Radical individualism trumps patriotism and the greater good.

This weekend videos of airliners exploding into the Twin Towers, the buildings crumbling to the ground, and terrified, dust-covered people desperately running away from the tragedy billowing behind them, will be shown again and again. Some of us will refuse to watch, so painful are the memories.

I suggest that you set aside seven minutes and 17 seconds to watch the video of the gathering of an unlikely impromptu chorus on the steps of the Capitol and remember the day when national tragedy did not rip us apart but brought us together, reminding us, wistfully perhaps, that beneath all the rancor we are yet one nation.
But the likes of House Minority Leader Kevin I Believe the Big Lie McCarthy and other male Republicans spewing such babble is exasperating.

The regime that is taking power is one that routinely violates human rights, particularly the rights of women, McCarthy said, calling the situation another Vietnam.

Excuse me? They are concerned that the Taliban might act like the G-O-P in the U-S-A?

These are the same conservative elected officials who will punish a woman and force her to carry the child of her rapist or her own sibling if shes raped by her father.

This is the law in Texas, where no abortion can be performed after six weeks, about the same time most women realize they are pregnant. Since 85-90% of all abortions happen after six weeks, this law prohibits almost all procedures. And unlike other efforts to sidestep the Constitution, the Texas law deputizes average citizens to ensure compliance. Anybody can sue doctors, clinics or even the Uber driver who shuttles a pregnant woman to the doctors office. Winning the case could net $10,000. This brings a whole new meaning to the idea of a citizens arrest.

This is the law in Arkansas, where abortion is barred unless the mothers life is in peril.
In frustration, I was quoting this line to a student when he said, "Raeford, I dont think Ive ever heard of someone landing a plane while building it mid-air," or something to that effect. He was right; we crash-landed on our path toward academic growth. The test scores unsurprisingly confirm what anyone paying attention already knew: Globally, we failed to meet our learning goals.

Yet, every single person I know worked endlessly to save what was salvageable last school year. We are now better prepared for the challenges of this year, if we grow from the lessons learned when we opened schools last year.

This is all to say that I stand by our noble attempt to steer that ramshackle plane, and I am invigorated by the chance to try again. Empathy, reason and optimism are what I ask as we stakeholders in education move forward.

Robert Raeford

Greensboro

The writer teaches social studies at Northeast Guilford High School.

Masks and dining






September 12, 2021



Media Contact:

Deidre McCabe, Director, Office of Communications, 410-767-3536

Charles Gischlar, Deputy Director, Media Relations 410-767-6491

PHOTO RELEASE: Maryland Department of Health provides free COVID-19 vaccinations at the Salvadoran Independence Festival in Montgomery County

Baltimore, MD  The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) today conducted a free COVID-19 mobile clinic and vaccine outreach at the 16th Annual Salvadoran Independence Festival held at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg.

The event is an example of statewide efforts for the equitable and convenient administration of COVID-19 vaccines by bringing them directly to vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.

Community promoters sharing information with festival participants to encourage vaccination.

In addition to the mobile clinic, bilingual community canvassers shared educational material about the vaccine, available in English and Spanish, with festival attendees to encourage them to get vaccinated.

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov.

To schedule a COVID -19 vaccination appointment, visit covidvax.maryland.gov.

-###-

The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.

Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/MDHealthDept and https://www.facebook.com/MDHealthDept




Brown said she did a little bit of everything under the department's umbrella, including running focus groups, helping to develop a new website for the organization, and calling foster students to inform them of available scholarships.

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"It was rewarding," she said. "It was great to learn that I could make an impact in the lives of other students."

Since its inception in 2017, AJAY has helped secure real world job experience and training with the help of more than 40 area employers for more than 100 students through its Helena Area Summer Jobs Program.

"Every year, we've seen growth and increasing demand from our employers, our students and our community," Rowley told the crowd of mostly participants and family members during the ceremony Thursday at Performance Square. "And this year, we were able to expand and include East Helena and Townsend as well."

The nearly 60 teens who participated were placed in paid positions at more than 30 businesses.

Kelly Cresswell is the executive director of Reach Higher Montana. Cresswell's organization has sat on the jobs program's steering committee and hired its interns for the past two years.
There was an epidemic of spinal meningitis going through many of the military boot camps at the time, and when the medic warned us to take it easy, I thought to myself, 'tell that to the D.I.'

Smilie described how quite a few guys had gone to ROTC or OCS to better control their future service, and he was encouraged to do the same. But that also meant signing up for more time and that didnt appeal to him.

Upon basic training he was among several in his company that were sent across the post for infantry training, with almost all of those graduates guaranteed a free ticket to Vietnam.

In early October of 1971, Smilie boarded a stretch DC-9 contracted from Flying Tiger Airlines with seats reconfigured to hold the most troops. Before they took off, it was announced that approximately 13 or 14 of them would not be returning from Vietnam, which Smilie felt was disconcerting at best.

They refueled in Alaska and Japan, before dropping into Cam Ranh Bay in an incredibly steep and tight spiral (I didn't know big airliners could do that, he thought) in order to avoid rocket and ground fire. Upon deplaning they were met with a wall of hot humidity.

Welcome to Vietnam
About 20 homes were briefly evacuated Saturday afternoon amid a wildfire caused by fireworks in the Nob Hill area of Helena's South Hills, officials said.

The estimated 10- to 20-acre fire was reported just before 3:15 p.m. on park land within the city of Helena, according to city officials.

Firefighters were able to knock down most of the fire within a couple of hours, City Manager Rachel Harlow-Schalk said in an email to the mayor and city commission. Around 5:30 p.m., she said the fire was officially under control and all evacuees were able to return home.

Sgt. Don Skidmore of the Helena Police Department said only one person who was asked to evacuate declined to leave, and "everyone else was more than happy to comply."

Authorities have confirmed the fire was caused by fireworks, and they have been in contact with the suspects, but no charges have been filed.

"We do know the cause. We do know who it is. From there we're just active on the investigation," Lt. Jayson Zander of the Helena Police Department said.

Fire restrictions prohibiting fireworks remain in place within city limits.
Browse through recently listed homes in the Decatur and Macon County real estate market and find your next home!
BLOOMINGTON  For one Central Illinois veteran, the experience of serving in Afghanistan taught him how to be a leader. For another, it soured him to the entire war. A third had already been a Marine for seven years when he was part of the initial invasion of Iraq.

The 9/11 attacks were a turning point for the American military  and the start of a chain of events that continues today. The U.S. had invaded and overthrown the Taliban government in Afghanistan before the end of the year and invaded Iraq in 2003. Veterans' experiences in those wars are as varied as the people who served.

A total of 181,510 people enlisted in the active-duty ranks in fiscal year 2002, which started three weeks after 9/11, according to the group United Service Organizations. The surge came as Americans struggled to make sense of the horrors of the attacks and a deep sense of responsibility to respond.

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Twenty years later, the feelings are less raw but not less real, veterans who spoke to The Pantagraph said.

'The world was under attack'

Stuart Henderson joined the Marines in 1984 after graduating from Bloomington High School after a brief stint at Illinois State University. He was on active duty until 1989 and then in the U.S. Marine Reserves. He was recalled to active duty for Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield, but never deployed to a combat area.

He rejoined the Marines in 2005, he said, partly in response to the 9/11 attacks.

It didnt sit well with anyone. The world was under attack, he said.

Henderson had decided to rejoin the Corps after the Battle of Fallujah, a central battle during the insurgency in Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

The Marine Corps was having a difficult time in combat with the insurgency in Iraq, Henderson said.

After serving in Horn of Africa and a period back in the States, Henderson again had an opportunity to deploy, this time to Afghanistan.

Im humbled  Im incredibly humbled that I was given the opportunity from (age) 41 to 50 to wear the cloth of the Marine Corps, he said.

While Henderson was in Afghanistan, he served as a protective service agent, driving and providing protection to military dignitaries like Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Gen. Jim Mattis and Adm. Michael Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Hendersons 22 missions took him everywhere in the country except Kandahar, he said.

Bloomington resident Travis Wheet joined the Illinois Army National Guard in 2004. He was sent to eastern Afghanistan during 2008 and 2009.

It was clear to him during his time there that the civilians of the country did not want America there, he said. He regrets the deaths of the local Afghans, along with the American service members, all of whom died for what Wheet sees as nothing.

Imagine if a foreign government and its military invaded and occupied the U.S. No one here would take too kindly to that, he said.

Aaron Charlton, now a marketing professor at Illinois State University, joined the Army ROTC while an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University. From there, he was on active duty for four years starting in 2002. That included a tour in Iraq and a tour in Afghanistan.

During both tours, he led a platoon that was a part of missions and patrols into the surrounding communities. In Iraq, and to a lesser extent Afghanistan, he also helped train local security forces.

Nearing 20 years later, it is the cultures that stick out to Charlton, from the spices used in the cooking to the various ethnic groups that inhabited the area.

There were entirely different civilizations and cultures, he said.

Withdrawing from Afghanistan

Jeremy Shipley spoke to The Pantagraph in January 2003, as he was getting ready to deploy as part of the Marines. He ended up being part of the initial invasion of Iraq, which began that March.

Shipley joined in 1996, after a recruiter visited his high school in Forrest. The 9/11 attacks put everybody on edge, he said. There was a lot of uncertainty and he felt that the Marines he was serving with wanted to find a way to go someplace and prevent any future attacks.

For Shipley, the memories that stick out the most are from driving through Iraqi villages along the way. They looked thankful and appreciative as the coalition forces drove through, he said.

The U.S. finished its military withdrawal on Aug. 31 of this year, following a quick takeover of the country by the Taliban.

Charlton said he never opposed the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He believes it was necessary, but not done perfectly.

In the wake of the withdrawal, focus should be on the veterans and their families, especially wounded veterans and families of service members who died, Henderson said. That is especially true of the families of the 13 service members who died in an attack on the Kabul airport last month.

Focus on how we are going to help the deceased service members and the injured service members from the past couple weeks, he said.

Wheet agrees that the withdrawal was necessary, but said he wishes the process had been done differently, especially with the Aug. 26 attack that also killed more than 150 Afghans. Wheet said there has been too much focus on the Americans who died in the attack, and not the additional Afghan deaths after what he described as countless deaths in 20 years of occupation.

Reasons people join the military vary widely, Wheet said. He joined for college money. Carlton joined in part as a way to pay for college, but he came to enjoy the camaraderie of the ROTC and the sense of serving a greater cause. Shipley did not need money for school; he joined because he knew college was not going to be the right fit for him.

All four veterans are glad they joined and feel they benefited from serving. For Carlton, it was a chance to learn leadership and have a lot of responsibility at a fairly young age. Serving in the military forces you to take on responsibilities far quicker than in civilian life.

Looking back, Wheet is glad he enlisted, but regrets that he ended up serving in this specific war.

Twenty years of one country occupying another and countless people died  and none of them should have, he said.

Contact Connor Wood at (309)820-3240. Follow Connor on Twitter: @connorkwood

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Its been two decades since that horrific morning when an assault from the sky caused New Yorks two iconic towers to erupt in flames and left an entire nation feeling it was under attack.

The gas masks, the bottles of water, the wads of bills and the other protective measures stockpiled in the ensuing weeks to prepare for the next emergency are mostly forgotten.

Though terrorists still strike  as they did in killing 13 U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans during the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan -- enhanced domestic security and alertness have kept the American homeland safe.

Still, 9/11 stands as one of those significant crossroads in U.S. history, a fearsome prelude for a series of 21st century blows to our well-being, though its death toll of 3,000 pales alongside the pandemic that has killed more than 200 times that many Americans  and several million elsewhere.

For many of us who lived through it, it will always be one of those days vividly etched in memory, like when assassins gunned down John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In Washington, it was a brilliantly sunny September morning. My wife, Susan Page, was on a plane to New York when I heard the first bulletins, creating some personal heart-stopping uncertainty until I realized the doomed planes were not from the two airlines that regularly flew the Washington-New York shuttle route. Subsequently, I learned her plane had landed safely in Baltimore.

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In the initial hours, there was panic in many streets of downtown Washington, as thousands rushed to leave the city, jamming major roads out of town. As journalists do, we went to work, helping to publish the first extra edition of The Dallas Morning News since the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan 20 years earlier.

Meanwhile, a third terrorist-commandeered craft hit the outer rings of the nearby Pentagon. A fourth was headed for the U.S. Capitol when its passengers courageously took control, forcing it to crash in a Pennsylvania field and saving democracys citadel at the cost of their lives.

Even the president, George W. Bush, conveyed an initial sense of uncertainty. Told of the attacks while visiting a Florida classroom, he was taken airborne for safety, flying in Air Force One to two distant bases, before returning to Washington to take command.

Fortunately, that first day proved to be the day of maximum threat, though the nations nerves were on edge for weeks, in part because of the unknown of whether it would happen again. Everyone shuddered when copycat terrorists sent packets of deadly anthrax to governmental and media offices.

After that initial uncertainty, President George W. Bush took firm command, rallying the nation to unite against the terrorist threat, in an impromptu speech to New York firefighters and a formal address to a joint session of Congress. In a showing of bipartisan unity rarely seen since, all but one lone House member, California Democrat Barbara Lee, voted to grant him the authority to strike back militarily.

The 9/11 attacks changed life for many Americans, especially in the nations capital. Vehicular traffic was barred from the three blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. Easy access to public buildings was constrained.

Airline security was enhanced. Several years before 9/11, finding myself at the wrong Washington airport, I walked onto a totally different flight to my destination without challenge. That can no longer happen.

And the aftermath of 9/11 reshaped our politics. At the time of the assault, the impression in Washington was that the 8-month-old Bush presidency was foundering, his early high job approval numbers drifting downward.

But his firm response gave him a sense of purpose and united the country, laying the basis for him to win a second term three years later.

By then, like so many presidents, he had over-reached, extending what had begun as a united nations strike against al-Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan into the kind of nation-building he had disdained during his successful 2000 presidential campaign.

His uniform support splintered even more when he switched his focus from the universally supported war on terrorism in Afghanistan to a 2003 attack to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. At first, Bush maintained substantial bipartisan support by justifying the proposed attack with claims, later proven false, that the Iraqi president was developing nuclear weapons.

In October 2002, Bush won congressional support to use necessary and appropriate force against Iraq by 296-133 in the House and 77-23 in the Senate. The subsequent invasion quickly overthrew Iraq's dictator.

But the presidents support began to crater after his 2004 reelection as the Iraq campaign morphed into bloody civil war, and the search for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden persisted without success. By the 2006 midterm election, full-scale partisanship had re-emerged, and Bush and his GOP took what he described as a thumping that restored Democratic control of Congress.

The brief bipartisan era Bush initiated after the 9/11 attacks seems even more distant today, amid the sharply partisan reactions to the ongoing war against the COVID-19 pandemic and President Joe Bidens recent end of the 20-year U.S. effort in Afghanistan.

The same president who inspired that more positive approach ultimately oversaw its demise, resulting in division that his three successors have mostly been unable or unwilling to surmount.

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News.

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Millions of dollars in funds have been awarded to projects throughout the Virginia coalfield region from the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization grant program.

On Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam, D, and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, announced eight new projects to receive funding. The program is administered by the Department of Mines, Miners and Energy and designed to boost the local economies of Virginias coalfield region. The agency received $10 million in 2020 to develop Abandoned Mine Land sites, thanks to an amendment that Griffith secured in the 2017 Federal Omnibus Funding Bill, according to a news release.

The program is providing $2.5 million to the city of Norton for an industrial site development aimed at attracting new manufacturing businesses. In Buchanan County, a $2 million award was granted for a commercial solar development on a reclaimed surface coal mine.

In Wise County, $1.7 million was awarded for Elam Farm Property Infrastructure Development. The project is an industrial site for a cluster of light manufacturing facilities, the release states. A total of $500,000 is being awarded to create a pad for an indoor grow farm in Lee County. A regional project through the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority has been awarded $500,000. It will be used for grain processing, storage and distribution terminal.
"The American people are somewhat conflicted about what they have seen out of Afghanistan the last couple of weeks," Gibbs said. "For Biden, it's a moment to try to reset some of that. Remind people of what it is to be commander in chief and what it means to be the leader of the country at a moment of such significance."

On the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Biden now shoulders the responsibility borne by his predecessors to prevent future tragedy, and must do so against fresh fears of a rise in terror after the United States' hasty exit from Afghanistan, the country from which the Sept. 11 attacks were plotted.

Biden is the fourth president to console the nation on the anniversary of that dark day, one that has shaped many of the most consequential domestic and foreign policy decisions made by the chief executives over the past two decades.

The terror attack defined the presidency of George W. Bush, who was reading a book to Florida schoolchildren when the planes slammed into the World Trade Center. He spent that day being kept out of Washington for security reasons  a decision that then-Sen. Biden urged him to reconsider, the current president has written  and then delivered a brief, halting speech that night from the White House to a terrified nation.
At the start of a narcotics investigation, members of the division make a list of the top five targets. We start to do whatever investigating we can into those targets through informants, surveillance, electronic records; we do all those things targeting that drug trafficker, Eddins said

A long-term investigation can take months or years to complete. Those are typically federal investigations, he said. The team has worked cases from North Carolina to California.

The sheriffs office regularly collaborates with other local offices as well as the state and federal investigators.

Most of the drugs in Catawba County come from Atlanta, Georgia, Eddins said. Part of the reason is because there are labs in Atlanta that can take meth in a liquid form and finish the manufacturing process.

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Labs in Catawba County used to be more common, but its cheaper now to traffic it from labs in other cities, Eddins said.

Im not saying theres not labs here. Im saying whoevers doing it is spending a whole lot more on that methamphetamine than buying it, he said.

When investigators locate a drug trafficker, they dont immediately make an arrest and close the case. They wait to find out where the trafficker is getting their supply.
HICKORY  Sept. 12 commences the annual celebration of National Assisted Living Week. Kingston Residence of Hickory will carry out this years theme of Compassion, Community, Caring throughout all of the events of the week.

In that spirit of caring, community, and compassion, the residents, in conjunction with the Kingston Life Enrichment Department, have been planning special projects for various members of the community. These projects include the creation of care packages for local veterans and making special gifts for children receiving palliative or hospice services through the Carolina Caring Cardinal Kids program.

Residents will also celebrate the Kingston community with special musical guests throughout the week.

We are so excited to celebrate our amazing residents and employees this year, said Kim Barrier, Life Enrichment Director. Though the last year or two have not been without difficulties, with the unwavering compassion we have witnessed within the walls of Kingston and the care we have received from our local community, its hard not to feel grateful."
I moved to North Carolina the summer after fourth grade, and Mrs. Belcher became the bar by which all other teachers were measured. I encountered many other caring, dedicated teachers and administrators deserving of my thanks. Joe Biggerstaff introduced me to North Carolina history. Donna Pittman was a supportive advocate when I experienced obstacles in my path. Sue Huffman inspired my love of journalism and many classic American novels. Karen Trivett motivated me to not just memorize Spanish words and phrases, but to learn to speak Spanish. (Im still not there, but I have not stopped trying!)

Johnny Secrest had us memorize the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales in Middle English. I can still recite the Macbeth tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow soliloquy we memorized in his class in its entirety. He challenged us but was still engaging and funny. Allen Biggerstaff and Cuyler Dunbar were approachable and open-minded administrators. Bo Glenn offered me numerous opportunities to serve and lead, which made me a more well-rounded student and a better person. Andrea Goehner encouraged me to expand my horizons beyond what I thought was possible. Ive lost track of most of these influential individuals over the years, but I want them to know they made a difference in my life and countless others lives.

Because she had been my neighbor, I was fortunate to get to keep in touch with Mrs. Belcher. I went back and visited her once as an adult and was able to tell her how important she was to me. We exchanged Christmas cards every year without fail for decades. She told me I could call her Mona, but I could never bring myself to do it. She was always going to be Mrs. Belcher to me. And when I shared on social media last year that she had passed away, the outpouring from my classmates was amazing. I had lost touch with most of them, but about half of the T-4 Class from all those decades ago reconnected, reunited by memories of this influential teacher. It seems Mrs. Belcher had not just set the bar for me, but for almost all of us. One classmate had even become a teacher because of her example.
Lessons is replete with stories of success, in fact, both on the individual level and from communities. He calls The Benning Public House complex in Washington, D.D. a notorious killing field in the late 1990s. Behind the leadership of the Woodson Center and a local grassroots organization, a truce was reached between rival street gangs. For the next 12 years, Benning did not have a gang-related murder. Gang members became agents of change and helped transform troubled youth.

That example is typical of the approach by the Woodson Center, which seeks to heal and improve from within, assisting and empowering the people who have been through the proverbial storm of violence and addiction.

Another of Woodsons success stories involved a gang leader by the name of Robert (Fat Bob) Allen, now deceased, who lived with the Woodson family for a short time.

We helped him to become an ambassador of peace, intervening in gang disputes and bringing about peace, writes Woodson. The pride he received from being feared was replaced by being honored for being a peacemaker.
CHICAGO  A crowd of more than a hundred first responders and other 9/11 mourners from Chicago stood still Saturday morning at Daley Plaza, in a solemn observance of the exact time the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center 20 years ago.

The Chicago police and fire departments pipes and drums band had just finished playing in front of two firetrucks, both with ladders pulled out to form an arch. No one said a word.

Then the clock struck 7:46 a.m., and CFD Battalion Chief John Jake Jakubec began ringing a bell to commemorate the moment the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil began. Recruits from the police and fire academies took off their caps before a lone trumpeter teased out somber notes.

I stand before you today with a heavy heart, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in her remarks. Twenty years on, its still hard to think about that terrible day.  Stability and life as we knew it, figuratively and literally, crumbled as the towers fell. When the dust settled, we were left with a deep wound to our individual and collective hearts and psyche. A wound that will never fully disappear.

In total, the four plane crashes at the twin towers, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killed nearly 3,000 people and redefined the landscape of America for the next two decades, including the yearslong military occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The latter of those conflicts ended last month in a hasty withdrawal, marred by a terrorist suicide bombing that killed 13 Americans and 169 Afghans.

One of Saturdays speakers was McKinley Park native and retired U.S. Army Sgt. Jose Carlos Vega, who was one of the troops in Iraq  and a survivor of 9/11.

Vega described his daily commute into Manhattan that he planned to the minute so he would arrive in the office by 9 a.m. But after getting rushed out of the subway that morning, he walked outside to a sky full of papers fluttering down. His eyes traced the source to a burning World Trade Center.

There are things I bore witness to that horrific day that I choose not to share, Vega said. I found myself walking backwards throughout the city, routinely turning around to look at the World Trade Center still in flames, and I found it hypnotizing and horrific at the same time.

Later that morning, he found out two planes had hit the building, and that the twin towers had fallen. Thats when he knew, he said, that the country was at war.

The following days, maybe even weeks, I remained in a fog, Vega said. I was in a constant state of shock. And I started looking more into joining the military and more specifically the Army. Everyone thought I was just crazy, that I was just talking, until I wasnt. The memory of those brave first responders running toward that building could not escape my mind.

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KANKAKEE  After 50 years of teaching geology at Olivet Nazarene University, Dr. Max Reams is continuing to take his knowledge outside of the classroom and is sharing it with readers everywhere.

Just this year, the Bourbonnais resident has added three new titles to his bookshelf, and his writings do not stop at the topic of geology. He also writes on couple counseling and has penned a few mystery and detective novels, The Daily Journal of Kankakee reports.

When asked how he juggles so many varying genres, he said he has "an insatiable desire to learn things." The book topics and ideas he's generated over his years of teaching have created a "backlog in my brain" that is now becoming a collection of published works.

In 2013, Reams released "Geology of Illinois State Parks," a book that was at least six years in the making. It was written with assistance from his traveling companion, "field assistant" and wife, Carol, to whom he has been married for 60 years.

The book is a guide to geological wonders that make up the state of Illinois. This year, he released another guidebook in a similar realm called "Waterfalls in Illinois  Hidden Beauty at Your Doorstep: An Interpretive Guide to the Geological Side of Illinois Waterfall Wonders."

"A year after (the 2013 book) came out, I started having ideas for novels, so those began to occupy my time," Reams said, adding he didn't complete a book at that time due to teaching. "After I retired, I began to put together other concepts and ideas."

Additionally this year, Reams released "My Mine or Yours: A Novel from the Files of Eric Bonfield, Private Detective-Geologist." The book is a sequel to the 2019 "Oil On My Hands," which introduced the character of Detective Eric Bonfield. Bonfield is also the subject of another title released this year, "Diamonds: Friend or Foe."

Two years ago, Reams released study guides for married and soon-to-be-married couples, titled "On the Journey: A Married Couple's Study Guide" and "Before the Journey: A Premarital Study Guide," respectively.

Reams shared that he has worked with hundreds of married couples over the years, which gave him the knowledge and interest to create the study guides. Because of the aforementioned backlog of ideas that he's had for years, it only took him a few weeks to write these books.

"It was only a matter of how fast I could type," he said.

As far as the mystery novels are concerned, he has three other books in various stages of the writing process.

He said that Carol is a great idea generator for his books, as she often poses him with questions that make him think about the trajectories of the novels.

"When she says those sorts of things, then it begins to cause a cascade in my brain to say, 'OK, here's a couple of thoughts I have not worked on before that would be great to do.'"

He's also currently working on more nature-related books, including a book on Ice Age animals of the Midwest, and Missouri state parks. His nature books are not written for geology experts, but for anyone looking to learn more about the subject.

Reams has not only completed the fieldwork for these books but has completed drafts as well. The books are currently out to readers for feedback.

"Fortunately, I have a lot of wonderful people that serve as my readers and they give me lots of great constructive criticism," shared Reams. "That lets me know if I'm being clear or not."

Reams taught his last ONU class this past spring and now focuses his time on writing. He and Carol also do volunteer work with Riverside, and host religious services there twice per month.

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It is understandable, given the chaos surrounding the U.S. exit from Afghanistan  especially the murder of the 13 U.S. troops  that our attention has been focused on the ending of Americas longest war.

The statistics are sobering. Length of the war: 20 years. Total number of U.S. fatalities: 2,461. U.S. wounded: more than 20,000. Afghan fatalities: more than 70,000. Cost of the war: $2.3 trillion.

Major goal achieved: The Taliban were removed in late 2001 as the head of the Afghan government, denying a base of operations to al-Qaida, the terrorist group responsible for the 9/11 attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. Since 9/11, there have been no similar attacks by Islamist radicals in the United States that were planned or executed from Afghanistan.

Goal not achieved: The conversion of Afghanistan from a congeries of independent tribes into a nation-state able to manage its own internal and external security without interference by outside powers. After 20 years of fighting, the Taliban returned to Kabul and control for the time being of this divided country.

Despite the remarkable airlift of an estimated 130,000 Americans, allies and Afghan friends, there are between 200 and 1,000 U.S. citizens remaining in the country who want to get out and cannot.

There are critical lessons to be learned from the Afghan War.

One, we should only go to war with clearly defined realistic objectives and an exit strategy. Heritages longstanding foreign policy expert Kim Holmes has outlined our vital interests that would justify war:

Protecting American territory, sea lanes, and air space. Preventing a major power from controlling Europe, East Asia or the Persian Gulf. Ensuring U.S. access to world resources. Expanding free trade throughout the world. Protecting Americans against threats to their lives and well-being.

It is the last condition that justified the Afghan War  which, in fact, we won in a matter of months and with the loss of a handful of soldiers. (The Taliban lost control of Afghanistan by early December.) Not on the above list: nation-building.

Two, we must accept that we live in a dangerous violent world that requires us to maintain a strong national defense to defend our vital interests.

Three, we should remember that we won the initial stage of the Afghan War but lost the peace because of the withdrawal of just a small U.S. force and air support. This force was enough to keep the Taliban from seizing and holding a single provincial capital in almost 20 years.

Four, we should look back and reflect how Americans came together after 9/11 as an example for us today.

Immediately following the terrorist attacks, there was a mighty surge in military enlistments by teens and young adults so often dismissed as spoiled and self-absorbed. Thousands of American lined up to give blood.

Millions of dollars were donated to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other welfare organizations. Attendance at churches, synagogues, and mosques doubled. Among the messages from religious leaders the words of Pope John Paul II stand out: Even if the forces of darkness appear to prevail, those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final word.

Examples of patriotism and sacrifice were everywhere. There was the quiet eloquence of an office worker explaining why he risked his life to help someone buried in the ruble at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. A New York City fire chief choked back tears as he spoke of a priest friend who disappeared in a cloud of dust as he searched for people to comfort.

There were the passengers on United Airlines 93 who decided to do something to stop the terrorists who had seized their plane. Their heroism prevented the hijackers from plunging the jet airliner into the U.S. Capitol.

Americans did not crack and come apart. They stood strong on a foundation the Founding Fathers built two-and-a-half centuries ago  a unique mix of political and economic liberty.

A great president has attested to American exceptionalism. President Ronald Reagan declared that what united us far outweighed what divided us. Speaking beneath the Statue of Liberty in New York City Harbor, the president reaffirmed that we are one nation under God. Black and white, he said, we are one nation indivisible. Republican and Democrat, we are all Americans.

Whatever the trial and travail, Reagan said, let us pledge ourselves to each other and to the cause of human freedom  the cause that has given light to this land and hope to the world.

Is such brotherhood possible today? It is  if we draw on the wisdom and the resolve of the past. If we abandon the rigid mindset of red and blue, black and white, rich and poor. If we reaffirm our commitment to a united America.

The lessons we draw from the Afghan War matters  to our allies, to our adversaries, and most of all to the rising generation that needs reassurance that Americas best days are not behind her but yet to come.

Lee Edwards, Ph.D., is the Distinguished Fellow in Conservative Thought in the B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics at The Heritage Foundation

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We want this to be a successful event, but we want it to be safe, said Ted Hageman, the director of MerleFest said. And the way for it to be successful is if we keep it safe.

Back in August 2020, bumping the festival to the fall of 2021, then returning it to its usual April slot in 2022, seemed like a genius idea. Organizers reckoned that the country would have the COVID-19 pandemic under control thanks to a promising vaccine on the horizon.

The delta variant, coupled with a sluggish vaccination rate, only fanned the flames of the pandemic, and the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are now reaching January levels.

Organizers consulted with local and state health officials to figure out a way for 80,000 people from around the world to safely come to Wilkes County, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state.

Then we started getting calls from artists, Hageman said.

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There were cases of, Weve got to have this or we cant come, Hageman said of artists demanding increased safety protocols. Now, its the industry standard.

The vaccination or negative test mandate was announced in August.
Adams also praised the JROTC members, their instructors, teachers and parents for their dedication to public service.

With all that is going on in our country, we are going to be all right, Adams said. I need you to hang in there and hang onto each other because we are going to get through all that weve been through.

Dave Plyler, the chairman of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, said many of the students who attended the remembrance likely werent even born when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Im here because of what took place 20 years ago, Plyler said. Most of you were not here, but I was.

At that time, Plyler and other people couldnt believe the country had been attacked.

Planes dont crash into skyscrapers, Plyler said. It was unbelievable that someone would do something to the powerful United States.

However, Plyler and others realized that terrorists struck a deadly blow in the nation.

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It can happen to us, Plyler said.
Clemmons, who has given birth to three children, said it was shocking to the soul to hear about women being secured to the bed by their legs and arms while giving birth.

House Bill 608 does not apply to women being transported outside of the jail, unless they are in labor and then only medical restraints can be used by a licensed healthcare provider.

If a correctional officer finds it necessary to handcuff a pregnant woman, once in her second trimester, for any reason the officer is required to submit within five days a written report on why it was necessary.

The woman can only be handcuffed in front of her body.

According to a news release from Planned Parenthood, banning the use of restraints on pregnant women is important because the restraint can endanger the woman and her child, as well as make it difficult for healthcare officials to provide proper care.

The bill also prevents a correctional official from performing a body cavity search on a woman in her second trimester until she is six months postpartum unless there is probable cause that contraband is being hidden that could harm her, her child or another person.

Again, if that happens, the official would have to submit a written explanation within five days.
A democratic-republican form of government can only thrive when the public morality is deemed superior to ones privately held view of morality. Otherwise, it risks becoming a theocracy by a different name.

The Texas abortion law is another illustration that the journey can be more important than the destination. Sometimes the American experiment demands that we support issues based on the congruence with the countrys overarching values that we might otherwise oppose. No cause can be so moral that it is achieved by immoral methods.

It is not enough to support the Texas law because one opposes abortion. To do so is to support the radical manner that sovereignty is being altered. In spite of the cacophony emanating from public discourse, the issue is not how one feels about the efficacy of abortion, but, rather, can subjective morality trump sovereignty?

The uniqueness of the American narrative demands at times on public support for issues with which one may personally disagree. Recent polling demonstrates there is support not only for a womans right to choose an abortion, but specifically upholding Roe. What might a poll look like if it were instead framed in terms of the erosion of individual sovereignty?

This is the concern raised when the court gave aid and comfort to the Texas abortion law by denying the injunction. For some, it meant the sovereignty of women of child-bearing age was on the table for debate.

The Rev. Byr on Williams (byron@publicmorality.org), a writer and the host of The Public Morality on WSNC 90.5, lives in Winston-Salem.
Sept. 17 is U.S. Constitution Day, this year the 234th anniversary of our founders creating the law of the land by which we govern ourselves without the intrusions and whims of monarchs, dictators or wannabe emperors. This is the nations hallowed document and, more so, its sacred concept  a government, as Lincoln declared, of the people, by the people, and for the people, not a mob of irresponsible, aged-yet-immature bullies embittered because they lost an election and didnt get their way.

And yet, in the wake of all this patriotic history of whats good and honorable and worth protecting about America, some group decides this is the time to go to Washington to argue that Americans should forget what they saw and ignore the actions of those who called for the death of elected officials, who stormed this citadel of American democracy, who battered its doors, trampled its integrity, brutally injuring and causing the death of sworn officers. For what those gathering in D.C. want to accomplish  some granting of undeserved leniency  this would be the one week to avoid. Unless, of course, you dont know. Thats why history, critical thinking skills and civics education are essential to protecting American democracy. Citizenship and its proper exercise are rightful privileges  privileges earned through thoughtful consideration and by responsible actions.
About this time in the legislative session  when the session runs interminably long and little is happening  the press corps, lobbyists, legislative staffers and even some lawmakers start a pool to predict how long the session might last before adjournment. Currently, Halloween seems a pretty safe bet. I think it was 2016 when folks were decorating Christmas trees; it didnt look like they would ever adjourn.

But all this hemming and hawing comes at a price. You and I, the taxpayers, are spending about $850,000 per month to keep this circus in Raleigh and its fair to ask whether we are getting our moneys worth.

When the General Assembly convened the 2021 session on Jan. 13, it was scheduled to adjourn July 2. Our lawmakers had three primary tasks: passing a new biennial state budget; drawing new districts for congressional, legislative and local government elections; and appropriating a large accumulated surplus. On Monday, they will have been meeting for eight months and they are 0 for 3. They havent passed a budget, drawn districts or acted on the bulk of the surplus, other than saying they want to put a large amount of it into savings. Yes, theyve passed a few laws and tackled a few subjects better left alone, such as rewriting North Carolina history instruction for our schools and limiting gubernatorial powers during emergencies. I think we are seeing why we need someone who can act quickly in times of crisis. The legislature certainly doesnt.
Alternate history  a genre of fiction that asks what if of crucial historic events  can produce thought-provoking questions and insights.

Many have wondered over the last couple of decades: What if then-President George W. Bush had paid better attention to the memo titled Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US, delivered to him in August 2001? Or what if Osama bin Laden had been captured in Afghanistan, where he was hiding, in December 2001? For that matter, what if then-President Bill Clinton had ordered the assassination of bin Laden in 1998? Any of those decisions would have dramatically changed the course of these last 20 years.

But theyre still just questions with no definitive answers. Averting one disaster may have led to another, even worse. We just dont know. We dont get to travel down that timeline.

But we still ask.

The one that sticks with us: What if, rather than invest some $2.261 trillion (an estimate from Brown University) in a futile war, wed invested that money in the U.S. (America first!): in education, affordable and attainable health care, infrastructure, and battling the rising effects of climate change?
Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

I fell in love with Dick and Jane as a first grader and the wonder of sounding out See Dick run is still with me, that magical moment when letters make words and words make worlds.

I started My Year in Books column in 2014, under self-imposed pressure to write something to usher in the New Year. I hated the obligatory Top-10 Lists  mostly because I could never remember, or care about, the best of anything that popular culture had to offer me that year  but books were different. (No, I couldnt remember much about them after I closed the cover, but Id taken to writing down snippets and grading them on old-school library due date cards.)

So the book column became an easy column spot to fill, something I looked forward to, gathering up my cards, trying to decipher my handwriting  sometimes sloppy, sometimes smeared by its secondary use as a coaster or obliterated altogether after a baptism in the bathtub.

The 2021 version is shorter since Im closing the book on my Journal Star career on the cusp of autumn.
What Ms. Dorn said stuck.

The fourth grade teacher at Pershing Elementary School, trying to explain the unexplainable, offered her class reassuring instructions.

Look to the person to your left and tell them you care for them, then do the same to the person to your right.

Then she told the students something terrible had happened. The World Trade Center was burning. America was under attack.

There was no TV in Ms. Dorn's classroom, Cody Thatcher remembers, so the class went across the hall, where others were watching the horror unfold, the Twin Towers like two chimneys churning out black smoke, staining the pristine New York City sky.

"(Ms. Dorn) had no idea she was going to be talking about any of those things that day when she showed up," recalled Thatcher, then a fourth grader in her class. "This really kind of showed me the power of teaching."

In a strange way, he says, Sept. 11, 2001, is one of the reasons he is where he is today, teaching world history at Schoo Middle School, sharing his own "where were you" story about an event that his students don't even remember  let alone were alive to experience.
Before the board voted Tuesday  board member Deb Schorr was absent  Chairman Rick Vest said he didnt see it that way.

I personally do not regard this as a referendum on solar power but a matter of zoning issues related to a very specific group of homes in our areas, he said.

How do we preserve the rights of the majority  and there are a lot of people who want this  and yet respect and protect the rights of those who will be impacted by any decision we make?"

The planning department had recommended the original change to allow solar panels on outlots in the county, because it would make the rules similar to land that falls within the city's 3-mile zoning limit, and it complies with the comprehensive plan.

Last year, the County Board approved rules allowing solar farms in areas of the county outside the citys zoning jurisdiction zoned either industrial or agricultural.

David Levy, the Omaha attorney representing Ranger Power, told the board that means regulations would allow solar panels on ag land across the road from the homes of concerned property owners but not on the outlots behind them, where it would be less intrusive.
In November of 1879 Korty and others from Omaha incorporated the Lincoln Telephone Exchange to build an actual multiparty exchange which would make it the first real phone system in the capital city and the second in the state.

In February of 1880 Kortys firm rented rooms in the Holmes Block on the west side of South 11th Street and began setting poles in the downtown area. That April the exchange opened with 65 telephone subscribers who paid $3 a month for individuals or $4 a month for businesses.

In 1882 the Nebraska Telephone Company incorporated in Omaha utilizing the Bell Company system. In 1888 Nebraska Telephone/Bell Company moved into the Richards Block on the northeast corner of 11th and O streets.

In 1893 Alexander Graham Bells original patents expired, setting the stage for independent telephone companies to form. Nebraska Bell continued to expand, however, and in 1894 hired Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball to design the three-story, Italian Renaissance, cast-iron fronted, St. Louis pressed brick and terra cotta building, extant on the east side of 13th Street midway between N and O streets.
The Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has it supported the full declassification of all records as a way to end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all. The embassy said that any allegation that Saudi Arabia was complicit was categorically false.

The documents have come out at a politically delicate time for the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, which have forged a strategic, if difficult, alliance, particularly on counterterrorism matters. The Biden administration in February released an intelligence assessment implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but drew criticism from Democrats for avoiding a direct punishment of the royal himself.

Victims' relatives said the document's release was a significant step in their effort to connect the attacks to Saudi Arabia. Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was killed in the World Trade Center attack, said the release of the FBI material accelerates our pursuit of truth and justice.

Jim Kreindler, a lawyer for the victims' relatives, said in a statement that the findings and conclusions in this FBI investigation validate the arguments we have made in the litigation regarding the Saudi governments responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.
1871: University of Nebraska classes opened with 20 in college and 90 in the preparatory or high school classes.

Gage County voters approved a $75,000 grant to help the Omaha & Southwestern Railroad connect Omaha and Beatrice by rail.

1881: The Health Board reported that an epidemic of typhoid fever had been brought under control.

1891: Lincoln Methodists were preparing to entertain members of the denomination's Nebraska Annual Conference.

1901: The old cotton mill in Kearney was sold under a $70,000 foreclosure proceeding.

1911: The La Follette League of Nebraska was formed by about 100 progressive Republicans to promote the presidential candidacy of the Wisconsin politician.

1921: Attendance at the State Fair was calculated to have reached a total of 225,037. Rapidly increasing use of automobiles and better roads was to bring big increases in attendance during the decade.

1931: Farmers in the Kearney area were worried about how to get water into the Kearney irrigation canal.

1941: Bans against married schoolteachers were being disregarded in a number of Nebraska school districts as World War II began to drain the supply of teachers.
Partisanship began to dominate the officially nonpartisan Legislature during the always contentious redistricting process.

Right up until the moment it didnt.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, the Republican who chairs the Redistricting Committee, announced senators would bring both Republican- and Democratic-drawn maps to next weeks public hearings, a display of unity and bipartisanship Nebraskans must see more often.

"We're not going to fight over maps anymore," she said. " We can have hearings on both.

Linehan and her fellow Republicans must now follow through on that pledge, ensuring Nebraskans can be heard on the maps and have their concerns addressed, rather than using it as a facade to pass a map that favors a political agenda instead of the people of this state.

The drawing of new political boundaries for U.S. House and Nebraska Legislature districts is an important task that's often been a partisan exercise to help cement the balance of power. The acrimony that inevitably ensues is, therefore, unsurprising.

Before Thursday's excellent call, the 2021 edition was well on its way to more rancor, with the anger over Republicans proposed congressional map splitting Omaha into two House districts.
I have a very small business. Its just me, up close and literally in your face. I cut hair.

I want Lincoln to know that were a community thats supposed to look out for each other.

I feel so glad that most of my immediate community wants to find a way to get out of this COVID nightmare! Vaccinating, masking, caring about other people.

Its so annoying to save someones life ...

Just wear a mask. Cmon!

Liz Wilson, Lincoln

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We saw this a while ago. It peaked our interest and planned it, said Szamlewski. They booked hotel rooms at Harbor Shore in downtown Lake Geneva and then headed over to the fun at Taco Fest.

Her group of friends, who all went to college together at Illinois State, now live all over the Midwest so they thought Lake Geneva was good gathering spot, with Taco Fest starting out their weekend.

Music brings people together, said Paulina Perez of Lake Geneva. When you bring people together, its enjoyable.

Perez works in hospitality in Lake Geneva and this year she worked with a few people from abroad, including two from Magnolia.

Friday night was the last night for two of them before flying home and Perez said she didnt want to pass up the opportunity to bring them to a real Mexican fiesta and have some real Mexican food, something hard to find in Mongolia, which shares a border with China.

They had chips with guacamole and pork and chicken tacos as well as a michelada, a Mexican drink that is made with tomato juice and spices; it is comparable to a Bloody Mary with beer instead of vodka.
Kurt Paskewic, who has been in the Air Force for nearly 30 years, and is currently based at the 128th Refueling Wing in Milwaukee, was stationed in Afghanistan in 2013 and again in 2019.

The Afghans seeking refuge in the United States, he said, likely left their homes with only the clothes on their backs and whatever few personal belongings they could carry, as U.S. troops evacuated the country over the past several weeks.

Paskewic said he is touched to see so many people in Wisconsin offering a helping hand to the refugees.

Its nice that people still have faith in mankind, he said.

The relief drive has been promoted on Facebook in a group called The Grove Community Group.

Kristin Paskewic said she has urged people to set aside their personal political feelings in offering assistance to the refugees. But she worries that the refugees will encounter haters.

The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, but the United States and its allies ultimately were unsuccessful in trying to build a new Afghan government.

Paskewic said she hopes that people will help the refugees out of compassion for their plight.
Project started in 2018

Under a condensed construction schedule, the project began in June 2018 and finished approximately two years later. The many techniques to gain efficiencies and stay on schedule included using stringless paving, ground frost control, precast sign columns and specialty shoring for storm sewers.

Prior to the project WDOT says there were 800 accidents that happened annually along the corridor. Theyre confident that number will significantly drop with this expansion.

This project delivers safety, Southeast Region Deputy Director Roberto Gutierrez said. Maintaining traffic along the corridor throughout the project was a challenge. We appreciate the dedicated efforts of our staff, construction partners and consultants for delivering this important infrastructure improvement that benefits all of Wisconsin.

Thompson said the project supports economic development along the corridor, noting about $1.6 billion in new investment has already been realized through projects such as Hairbo and Amazon in Kenosha County, Foxconn in Racine County and IKEA in Oak Creek.

The I-94 North-South project will compete with other regional nominees for national awards. The top two prizes carry a $10,000 cash prize to support a transportation-related scholarship.
MADISON  Sitting in his North Side Milwaukee rental house, Nazir Al-Mujaahid discussed his son Shuaibs challenges while the quiet 9-year-old lingered in another room. Shuaib excels at sports, Al-Mujaahid said, but his speaking skills developed late, and he lags behind his 6-year-old brother in reading.

Al-Mujaahid, 45, believes that lead poisoning is hindering Shuaibs development. Confirming where the lead came from is impossible, but Al-Mujaahid suspects the lead pipelines that carried water into his home.

The city for years failed to warn the family of lead hazards in their home  or that Shuaib registered elevated lead levels as a toddler in 2014, Al-Mujaahid said.

My awareness of it hasnt been an issue taken seriously at all. Al-Mujaahid said. I found out about it because my son wasnt developing normally.

Shuaib is among 9,600 Wisconsin children younger than 16 found to be poisoned by lead between 2018 and 2020, according to Wisconsin Department of Health Services data. The neurotoxin damages the brain and nervous system, particularly in young children.

Nearly two-thirds of Wisconsins lead-poisoned kids live in Milwaukee County, where 5.6% of children tested in 2020 had blood lead levels above 5 micrograms per deciliter, which the state defines as poisoning. Thats compared to 3.4% of children statewide.

Gov. Tony Evers and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett have called for aggressive lead pipeline replacements, but their health departments primarily focus on lead paint and dust, calling that the predominant hazard, as do many experts.

Since 2016, when the Flint, Michigan water crisis was declared a disaster, Wisconsin has replaced about 20% of known service lines made of lead and galvanized steel that may contain lead flaking  or other materials that might contain lead, a Wisconsin Watch analysis of state Public Service Commission data shows.

Despite that, Wisconsin does not require local governments to test drinking water during lead investigations, even though it can make up 20% of a persons total exposure to lead, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  or up to 60% for infants consuming mostly mixed formula.

Lead in Racine In 2014, the City of Racine had the fifth-highest rate of children who tested positive for lead poisoning in the state. From June 2011-March 2015, the Kenosha/Racine Lead-Free Communities Partnership Abatement Program reported removing lead hazards from more than 180 Racine homes and units. If you have concerns about lead in your home, call the Kenosha/Racine Lead-Free Communities Partnership at 262-605-6717 or email HUD@KenoshaCounty.org.

Childhood lead poisoning rates in Milwaukee and statewide have steadily decreased in recent decades since lead was phased out in paint and gasoline. Yet Milwaukee in 2020 still had a higher percentage of lead-poisoned children than Flint did in 2015.

Al-Mujaahid is among residents urging Milwaukee to bolster lead poisoning prevention efforts  including by accelerating pipeline replacements.

Wisconsin communities have replaced more than 115,000 utility-owned and privately-owned service line portions since 2016, a Wisconsin Watch analysis shows. An estimated 465,000 pipeline portions made of lead or other potentially hazardous materials remained in 2020.

Madison and Green Bay are among cities that have replaced all of their lead pipelines. But Milwaukee is much larger and installed exponentially more than others, even mandating their installation until 1948.

Milwaukee has replaced less than 1,000 of its full lead service lines annually since launching its effort in 2017. Replacing the remaining 70,000 lead pipes at that pace would take more than 70 years, and the full price tag would cost hundreds of millions of dollars that city officials say they lack.

Federal funding may provide the most hope, including President Joe Bidens infrastructure bill, a version of which the U.S. Senate approved this month.

But some residents are tired of waiting.

Its a public health crisis, said Derek Beyer, a steering committee member of Get The Lead Out, a Milwaukee coalition fighting for speedier replacements. Its not an option to wait 30 more years or whatever, to beg for some money that might not ever come.

The Al-Mujaahid family has rented their home since 2014. The home has lead service lines, city records show. In 2017, a fingerstick test detected 11.4 micrograms per deciliter in Shuaibs blood, which prompted the Milwaukee Health Department to warn the family in a letter that Shuaib was lead poisoned.

It wasnt the first time that Shuaib tested positive for lead poisoning. A 2014 test had flagged 6.4 micrograms per deciliter in Shuaibs blood. No immediate follow up tests were scheduled, and Al-Mujaahid said he wasnt notified. The health department could not confirm whether its current notification policy for test results of at least 5 micrograms per deciliter was in place at the time, said spokesperson Emily Tau.

Milwaukee Water Works tested the familys drinking water after Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service profiled their lead saga in 2018, finding lead levels ranging from 0.35 to 2.5 parts per billion (ppb). Thats below the EPAs 15 ppb action level  the trigger for actions such as pipeline replacement and education.

But many experts call that threshold too high, since no level of lead exposure is safe.

The Al-Mujaahids have turned away from tap water. For drinking and cooking, they use 5-gallon jugs of store-bought water. The family wonders whether lead-tainted water flowed through their previous Milwaukee rental home, where they lived when Shuaib was first tested. It also has lead service lines.

Their experience wasnt unique. In January 2018, Barrett announced that the Milwaukee Health Department lost track of whether it had followed up with 8,000 families whose children registered elevated lead blood levels.

A 2020 Public Health Foundation audit found the department made progress in fixing lead poisoning prevention problems, but it flagged lingering issues related to surveillance systems for blood testing, risk assessments of lead exposure, waits for safe housing for lead-poisoned children and budgeting accountability.

Overcoming these challenges and rectifying any mishandlings of cases is a tremendous task that will take time, Tyler Weber, Milwaukee deputy commissioner of environmental health, told Wisconsin Watch in a statement, adding that his team is dedicated to urgently achieving that goal.

Even amid calls to replace pipelines quicker, health officials continue to prioritize paint over drinking water when investigating home lead hazards.

The Milwaukee Health Departments focus is on lead abatement in paint and soil, as lead-based paint hazards are the primary source of lead exposure in the Milwaukee community, Weber said. However, we know lead poisoning can also occur from contaminated drinking water, so the Milwaukee Health Department distributes free water filters to anyone in the city of Milwaukee who needs them to eradicate the danger until Milwaukee Water Works is able to replace the service line.

Elizabeth Goodsitt, a Wisconsin Department of Health Services spokesperson, told Wisconsin Watch in an email: Water is not an issue in Wisconsin the way paint is when it comes to lead poisoning.

Wisconsin local health departments in 2019 identified lead-based paint as a hazard in 97% of investigations of elevated blood levels, Goodsitt noted, and they flagged other primary hazards just 3% of the time. In 2020, 99% of investigations implicated paint.

But Wisconsin health departments investigate only a fraction of lead poisoning cases.

The state mandates investigations and case management services for children only when one venous blood test detects at least 20 micrograms per deciliter of lead  or if two tests conducted at least 90 days apart find lead at 15 micrograms per deciliter. Thats far above the 5-microgram threshold that the state defines as poisoning.

In an email from spokesperson Jennifer Miller, DHS called it uncommon to have water samples collected during an investigation.

Milwaukee offers drinking water testing for families during lead investigations, but doing so requires consent from all building tenants, Tau said. Water must stay stagnant in service lines for at least eight hours, and some tenants opt out.

Henry Anderson, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and expert on environmental and occupational diseases, said prioritizing paint hazards made sense.

But Virginia Tech University engineering professor Marc Edwards, who helped expose Flints water blunder, contends that governments downplay drinking waters role in lead poisoning. Edwards said governments face a massive government conflict of interest in parsing dangers from paint from those in drinking water, because governments often own the pipes.

If its true lead paint is a danger, then lead in water is a danger, too, Edwards said.

Who pays for replacements? Wisconsin homeowners typically own the service line portion from the curb stop to the home, while utilities own the stretch between the curb stop and water main. State law bars municipal workers from performing private construction projects, and partial service line replacements can worsen lead exposure.

Milwaukee in recent years mandated replacements for lead pipes found to be disrupted or leaking  and those that serve private schools and child care providers. For mandated replacements, a city cost-sharing program limits the tab for property owners to $1,843. Properties with more than four units are not eligible for cost sharing. Also ineligible for the subsidy: Milwaukeee property owners who choose to replace service lines when not required.

Al-Mujaahid said his landlord has no interest in paying for a replacement, and Al-Mujaahid doesnt want to pay for work on a property that he doesnt own. The city should bear responsibility for lead pipelines it once mandated, he said.

Said Robert Miranda, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee-based Freshwater for Life Action Coalition: Theres no excuse at this point for the situation we find ourselves in today. Its criminal.

But Karen Dettmer, Milwaukee Water Works superintendent, sees good progress in replacements, and she cited the utilitys compliance with EPAs embattled Lead and Copper Rule since the 1990s, when it began running corrosion control chemicals through its pipes. Still, Dettmer said she understands calls to pick up the pace on replacements.

Barrett has suggested earmarking pandemic stimulus funds for fixing lead paint hazards, and hes waiting to see whether Bidens infrastructure bill will deliver additional funding for pipeline replacements, which the city estimates would cost $800 million to fully complete.

But Al-Mujaahid has lost faith that his homes lead pipeline will be removed. Hes contemplating moving.

My thing is to just get up out of here, he said. Minimally somewhere without these lead lines. Ideally out of this country.

The nonprofit news outlet Wisconsin Watch provided this article to The Associated Press through a collaboration with Institute for Nonprofit News. Diana Butsko was an Edmund S. Muskie reporting fellow for Wisconsin Watch. She is studying at Southern Illinois University through a Fulbright scholarship. Madeline Fuerstenberg of Wisconsin Watch contributed reporting. The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (wisconsinwatch.org) collaborates with Wisconsin Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin, other news media and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication. All works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

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In the new plans, each of the three-story buildings is slated for housing. One building will have retail on the first floor with apartments on floors two and three; the other building is to be entirely residential.

Much of Thursdays discussion focused on the business component of the project, which the Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA), is expected to oversee.

Heather Wessling Grosz, vice president of KABA, said the goal is to offer first priority to the three displaced businesses: Estrella Supermarket, Uptown Restaurant and the Furniture Warehouse of Kenosha.

Speaking to KABAs involvement, Wessling Grosz said, I think it comes from a priority of helping businesses that were completely decimated.

At this time, it remains uncertain whether each of the businesses would participate in the new venture, though KABA is anticipating the offering of $5-per-square-foot of leasable space to the businesses for a limited time  five to 10 years  based on the preliminary details shared Thursday.

Were going to make it as affordable as possible, Wessling Grosz said. Were working to rebuild that neighborhood with the people who occupied it.

Affordable housing
Robin Vos has betrayed our republics of the state of Wisconsin and the United States.

In 2011, he imposed a legislative dictatorship on the people of Wisconsin. Through gerrymandering, Vos suspended representative democracy in the Badgered State, inflicting one-party rule Vlad Lenin would be proud of, that need not heed the will of the people.

In 2012 and 2018, the GOP retained power over our state legislature and our congressional delegation despite losing the statewide vote to Democrats. Gavel in and out Vos knows hes immune from the voters and has shown repeatedly that he feels no need be responsive to the electorate.

Founder John Adams said the representative assembly should be in miniature, an exact portrait of the people at large."

If the founders meant for the people to have a say in their representation only every ten years, they would have prescribed elections be held once a decade.

Vos and his gang will spend over $1,000,000 of our tax money during the redistricting process to deny us the representation we are owed and maintain his dictatorial grasp on the peoples houses for another decade! Republican?
Exactly when did taxpayer dollars in the state of Wisconsin become 'free money' for republican legislators to spend on whim?

Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson admitted in an article published Sept. 2, in The Journal Times, "Nothing obviously skewed" about the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump lost.

On Sept. 3, we learned current GOP speaker of the house Robin Vos and his assembly commission approved a budget of $676,000 for the "Nothing obviously skewed" election investigation. Giving former GOP justice Gableman "something of a blank check," "empowering him to hire as many investigators as he wants," to probe the results of the "nothing skewed" November 2020 election Trump lost?

Aug. 26, The Journal Times reported Wisconsin's own Reince Priebus, Trump's first Chief of Staff, told Steve Bannon (the special counsel pardoned by Trump for "alleged" money laundering and wire fraud) this investigation would cots "about $680,000 at least to start." To investigate a "nothing skewed" election Trump lost.

Something really smells bad in the State of Wisconsin  and I believe it is elephant poop. The only fraud going on here appears to be from republican legislators.
1. Yes. COVID-19 can only be stopped through vaccinations. A mandate is needed.

2. Yes. This is a major step, but were facing a national emergency. It is a justifiable move.

3. No. The government is right to promote vaccinations, but not to require them.

4. No. This is government overreach and legally questionable. A mandate is wrong.

5. Unsure. Its in the publics interest, but mandates infringe on individuals rights.

Vote

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She quickly called Jim, a retired 30-year U.S. Army veteran. He discovered the jet made a direct hit where his former office had been, Brevary said. Hed retired 10 years earlier but still had friends at the Pentagon.

He checked with a woman who had been his secretary at the Pentagon. She escaped harm because shed just stepped into the courtyard to have a smoke, Brevary said. But he also lost several friends.

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A friend in Virginia had been caught in airport in Cincinnati on her way to a business event. Planes were grounded so she rented a car, she said. She also learned that President George Bush was being flown to an air force base in Omaha.

The presbytery meeting was canceled, but nobody wanted to leave. They just stayed in front of the TV, she said. Many of those present knew her husband.

For me, 9/11 was a very personal experience, but people here in Nebraska who had no connection to Washington or New York City were very kind. They were horrified, but in a different way. I felt like I had family around me, she said.

That was a Tuesday. The following Sunday, she was scheduled to preach.
Biden and other top U.S. officials expressed surprise last month by the pace of the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan before the planned U.S. exit deadline of Saturday, Sept. 11. On Aug. 26, roughly 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, including Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, 23, of Omaha, were killed in a suicide bombing by Islamic extremists at the Kabul airport as people flocked there to flee the country.

The chaos that followed, and the loss of 13 extraordinary servicemen and women, including a hero from right here in Nebraska, broke my heart because it never had to happen," Pence said.

Pence described an Oval Office meeting in which Trump, discussing U.S. withdrawal plans from Afghanistan with the Taliban in early 2020, threatened military strikes if the Taliban allowed harm to Americans. The Biden administration followed the Kabul airport bombing with airstrikes against Islamic extremists.

The GOP picnic on the grounds of Arbor Lodge State Historic Park along the Missouri River served as an early stage for Republicans with an eye on the 2024 presidential election, even as Trump hinted at a third campaign.
Still, many labor leaders are hesitant to wade into the mandate issue. Many of the employers of the workers of the Laborer's District Council of Western Pennsylvania, like hospitals, have begun requiring vaccinations. Whenever members complain, the council's business manager, Phillip Ameris, tells them it's not the union's call.

"What we have said is, 'we encourage our members to the get the vaccine, but what were telling everyone to do is to go to your physician, Ameris said. Were trying to keep it nonpolitical. ... Go to your doctor and ask your doctor what is best for you.

Some of the most heated opposition has come from law enforcement unions. In Newark on Thursday, police and fire unions from across New Jersey protested against the mayor's vaccine mandate outside city hall. Police unions from Chicago to Richmond have pushed back against mandates in their cities. In Portland, Oregon, the local police union got its members exempted from the city's vaccine order and a group of police and firefighter unions are suing Gov. Kate Brown to block the state's vaccine requirement for its workers.
Upstairs, the radio was on. Music and the morning news were playing in the background when suddenly, regularly scheduled programming was interrupted by a DJ saying that something had happened in New York City. Staff turned on an office TV just as the second plane hit.

Our annual Campaign Kick-Off Breakfast was set to take place on Sept. 12. We considered cancelling, but ultimately decided that this event was a much-needed opportunity for our community to come together during this difficult time. What is typically a celebratory event was transformed into a much more somber affair, complete with red, white and blue tablecloths and napkins.

We began with a moment of silence. Then, a heartfelt invocation honored those who had lost their lives. In an unplanned act of patriotism, 2001-02 Campaign Chair Dave Trapp stood up and led the whole room in the singing of God Bless America, a spontaneous moment that remains etched in the hearts of the staff who were there.

Like others in our community, our country, and across the world, Great Rivers United Way staff felt a mix of emotions, including anger and fear. We questioned why this had happened, and from 1,071 miles away, we wondered what we could do to help while simultaneously feeling very helpless.
I know what its like to reach safety right here in this country, Agee said. My part is small but I am paying it forward and will continue to do so in any way I can.

As Operation Allies Welcome began, many sections on post had to establish 24-hour operations to ensure the base could receive aircraft around the clock. Master Sgt. Michael Lyons, an airfield manager at Volk Field integrated five additional personnel into the three full-time personnel his section has assigned normally.

Being a part of this mission gives me a sense of overwhelming pride, he said. Although not directly on the ground in Afghanistan, we are a crucial piece in the success of this mission. Seeing the refugees step off the plane brings me both joy and sadness. Joy because we were able to rescue them from a terrorist nation, and they can now live without fear, and sadness for those that were left behind. I am beyond proud to be such an integral part of this mission, it is something that I will remember forever.

Wisconsin National Guard security forces personnel at Volk Field also reflected on their role in this whole-of-nation effort.
Everett! he calls, raspy baritone carrying over the heads of a dozen clusters of families and music patrons. The man looks up, white brows jumping beneath the brim of a threadbare Portobello fedora. Sparks, it is you!

Neil sits up some in his chair, wistfulness and nervous anticipation rising within him as he offers his old friend a grin.

Come on over, set er down, he invites, seeing that Everett is accompanied only by his own folding chair and a sturdy black cane. Wiry white hair spills from beneath the mans hat, and a matching beard nearly brushes the collar of a plain pinstripe flannel. Dark eyes, set in a dark face above an unremarkable COVID-conscious mask, are as warm with familiarity as they were some forty years past.

Everett strolls over, winding his way between the clusters of families dotting the grass. He sits down, letting his cane rest, and removes his mask to reveal a smile.

Ever the early birds, Everett rumbles. Decades have not robbed him of his voice, the deep rich sound Neil had once likened to what a mountain might sound like, given a soul. Its been too long, Mister Young.

Neil barks out a laugh. The resemblance has hardly beared out, old friend. And neither has the career.
Its comforting to believe that here in the upper Midwest we wont see the worst consequences of climate change. After all, we arent threatened by hurricanes, the megadrought that threatens water supplies in the West, forest fires that are burning towns in California, and rising sea levels in coastal cities. Yes, we have been experiencing rather heavy rainfalls that leave many La Crosse streets and intersections flooded, but the high water recedes in a few hours.

The residents of central Tennessee also believed they were immune to climate disasters until Saturday, August 21. On that single day 17 inches of rain fell and deluged the modest town of Waverly, leaving 20 people dead. The devastation was so bad that it took five days to get an accurate count of the dead. This tragedy is personal for me. A former colleague and friend in the Mathematics Department at UW-La Crosse retired to a small farm in Waverly. I have written to ask if she and her beloved animals made it through OK.

A major story in The Washington Post on August 23 began by quoting a resident of Waverly whose family business, a feed store, was near Trace Creek. She reasonably believed that being 500 miles from the ocean, she had nothing to fear from rising sea levels, but after her century-old store was demolished by the roaring creek, she said, I guess an ocean did come to me.
Wisconsin school children cant afford to lose another year of learning to COVID-19.

That means local school districts and communities must do everything they can to limit the spread of the more contagious delta strain of the virus so in-person classes arent disrupted.

Schools across Wisconsin are getting off to a great start this fall by offering five days a week of in-person classes. The personal and more engaging instruction that in-person learning provides should allow more young people to catch up in their studies after a year of mostly online classes that slowed progress. Returning to school buildings also will help satisfy young peoples strong need for social interaction with peers.

Wisconsin has long favored local control of schools, and some flexibility makes sense. Communities have varying levels of disease and vaccination. Some schools have more space for social distancing and better circulation of air to limit transmission. If a district suffers a scary outbreak, it might need to go back online  but hopefully not for long.
Tuesday, Sept. 14, the League of Women Voters of the La Crosse Area is hosting the first of its monthly 2021-2022 Lunch and Learn programs with a focus on the La Crosse County Criminal Justice Management System.

Four members of the Criminal Justice Management Council  Judge Scott Horne, DA Tim Gruenke, County Board Supervisor Margaret Larson, and Professor Suthakaran Veerasamy -- will share their perspectives about the progress made in the past 10 years as it relates to diversion, inclusion, equity and transparency. They then will focus on the progress they would like to see in the next 10 years.

The Criminal Justice Management System touches many aspects of La Crosse County. Understanding its status, how we got here and where we are going will help strengthen our communities.

Due to concerns about Covid, the program will be presented via Zoom; information on registration and viewing is available on our website at www.lwvlacrosse.org. The October Lunch and Learn will follow up on this topic with a focus on policing in the La Crosse area.
Master P wishes he could travel back in time and prevent Martin Luther King Jr. from being assassinated.

The American civil rights activist - who campaigned for equality for African Americans - was shot dead by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968, at the age of just 39.

Rapper-and-actor Master P insists King "left too soon" and he wishes he could have got the chance to continue his campaigning and work and realise his dream of reuniting all communities.

When asked what famous historical event he would travel back to and attempt to change if he could, Master P replied: "The Martin Luther King shooting. I feel he left too soon. I feel like that guy was on to something incredible. I have so much respect for him, and sometimes I imagine what would have happened if somebody had told him not to go to that hotel. He didnt have that much security with him, and it just didnt seem right.

"I feel like we just had so much more to learn from him. This guy was nonviolent, and he wanted to bring people together: blacks, whites, Asians, Latinos Ive never seen a person like that.
LancasterHistory has announced its series of Regional History Colloquium talks and Presidential Lectures for this fall. The series will be held online again this year, via Zoom.

The program features historians and scholars speaking on topics relating to the history of southeastern Pennsylvania and its surrounding region.

All lectures are free and open to the public, but registration is required. Those registering will receive information about how to view the lectures via Zoom.

Presidential Lectures are:

 Was Buchanan A Slaveholder? (And Why That Matters), at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30. Matthew Pinsker, American history professor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, will discuss President James Buchanans relationship to slavery and enslaved people, and his legacy related to the issue.

 Buchanan and The Mysticism of the Law, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4. Tim Blessing, a professor of history and political science at Alvernia College in Reading, will discuss President James Buchanans promotion of the Democratic Partys platform of popular sovereignty, and whether Buchanan really followed the rule of law.

The Regional History Colloquium programs are:

 The First Reconstruction: Black Politics in America from the Revolution to the Civil War, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16. Author, historian and Franklin & Marshall College professor Van E. Gosse will trace the rise of organized, visible black politics, from the Constitution through Abraham Lincolns election, focused on the quest for citizenship, the vote and power within free states.

 The Grand Old Lady of Prince Street: A History of the Fulton Theatre, by Leslie Stainton, author of Staging Ground: An American Theater and Its Ghosts. Stainton teaches writing at the University of Michigan Residential College. The lecture will be streamed at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21.

 C. Emlen Urban: Lost & Found, featuring retired architect and LNP | Lancaster Online columnist Gregory J. Scott. Scott will talk about some of Urbans lesser-known design commissions. The lecture will be streamed at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18.

 The Music of Ephrata Cloister, by musicologist and Grammy Award nominee Christopher Dylan Herbert, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9. Herbert will discuss his research that, among other things, revealed Americas first known women composers.

For information and registration for any of the programs, visit the events page at lancasterhistory.org.
Jean Parvin Bordewich spent two decades working on staff in the U.S. Congress. So when she was inspired to write two recent plays, she was naturally drawn to the history of that branch of government as her subject matter.

Bordewich, a program officer for U.S. Democracy at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in California, has written a play, Nows the Time, in which Lancasters own fiery abolitionist Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and his housekeeper, 19th-century African American businesswoman Lydia Hamilton Smith are major characters.

The play will be performed as a reading online, by professional actors from across the country, on Friday, Sept. 17  a presentation of LancasterHistory.

The play, which takes place in both Lancaster and Washington, D.C., concerns the events surrounding the battle over Reconstruction and the future of the defeated Confederate states; Stevens vision for a transformed society based on equality; and the impeachment and acquittal of President Andrew Johnson.

Bordewich previously worked as staff director for the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee and for Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. John Hall, and served on her town council in the Hudson Valley. She previously wrote and produced a play, Hunt, about the blackmail and suicide of Sen. Lester Hunt in 1954.

We spoke with Bordewich by phone from San Francisco. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why did you choose Thaddeus Stevens as the subject for this play?

I knew about Thaddeus Stevens because of my husband, Ferguson Bordewich. He writes nonfiction books about American history. And he got involved, starting at least 20 years ago, with efforts to first save and then restore the Thaddeus Stevens-Lydia Hamilton Smith house in Lancaster. We have family in the Lancaster area. Im familiar with Lancaster, I love Lancaster, and I was familiar with Stevens.

And so I got really intrigued with Thaddeus Stevens and the role he played in Congress  which is my area of interest and expertise  both during and after the Civil War.

(At a time when) there was a lot of talk among Democrats about, Oh, we need to impeach Donald Trump, I thought, wait a minute, there havent been very many impeachments of presidents in our history, and no one has ever been convicted by the Senate. I thought, why is that? So I started reading a lot about impeachment, and I realized that the impeachment of Andrew Johnson was really a seminal moment in our history.

So, those things kind of came together, and I realized Stevens and the other characters that I eventually brought into my play were operating in one of the most important moments of our history, and yet one of the least understood moments. It was the early years after the Civil War, when almost anything was possible, and so I thought this is a really interesting and exciting moment. Its about race, its about history, its about politics and its about impeachment, and all those things coming together in a compelling and important person, which is Thaddeus Stevens.

How does the play resonate with current events?

I started the play in 2017, and through the lens of impeachment, and more and more I realized what was so pivotal about this play was that we chose what direction we were going to take as a society, as a country in terms of how we handle race and justice and equality. And there were people like Stevens who had a clear vision about a Second Founding. They had made plans in early Reconstruction laws, for example, for formerly enslaved people in the South to be given land that was taken from the defeated plantation owners so that they could have an economic basis for prosperity. And then that was ripped out from under the by the policies of Andrew Johnson. They saw this as the moment, that nows the time to do it. And they made progress, but ultimately it was a failed promise. And I think that, as I worked on this play and we have things like the Black Lives Matter and the George Floyd murder and all that has cascaded since then  and the reexamination of the parts of our history that we dont know or we were never taught  how we have a much fuller history to learn about that includes a lot of what happened both not only during the period of slavery but afterward.

Whats the Lancaster portion of your play about?

The play begins and ends in Lancaster. It opens in Lancaster when Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith are at home and its just a few weeks after Lincolns inauguration, and its the evening when Lincoln was assassinated. So theyre home and talking about the inauguration. And then they get the news by messenger, that Lincoln has been shot and isnt expected to do well. So they start immediately making plans to go to Washington.

The play opens with an imaginary moment, where (Stevens) is seeing the possibility of a different kind of society, where people, black and white, are always together as he hoped.

As the play ends in Lancaster, (Stevens) is talking about that he is dying and hes talking about where he wants to be buried. And, of course (they talk about) Shreiner (-Concord) Cemetery, and he talks about living out his principles even in death (being buried in an integrated cemetery).

I portray (Stevens and Smith) as very close and a very warm and loving relationship, but I dont come down on the side that it was necessarily something sexual or even romantic in nature. She was an independent woman in her own right.

Has the play been performed elsewhere?

Last September 2020, we had a reading of Nows the Time, hosted by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society in Washington, D.C., but we couldnt do it in person this time because of the limitations of COVID. So this is the second public reading and its going to be virtual also.

What do you think is the status of Stevens historical reputation?

I think among a small group of people who are very interested in American history know about him, and the certainly Lydia Hamilton Smith and others in the play, like (Sen.) William Fessenden (Stevens fellow Radical Republican who voted to acquit Johnson) and George Downing. He was an amazingly interesting African American. He left his wealth and businesses behind in Newport, Rhode Island, and came to run the (Congress) members dining room in 1865 after the war, so that he could be near the political action and try to push for these kinds of changes Stevens and others wanted. I think that Stevens and Smith and Downing deserve to be a lot better known than they are, and I hope that this sort of reexamination of our history that is taking place now will help to give them a much more visible role so more people will know about them.

IF YOU GO  What: Nows the Time, a virtual reading of a play about the Reconstruction period and the impeachment and acquittal of President Andrew Johnson. A discussion will follow the performance.  When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17 online.  Cost: Free, but registration is required.  Presented by: LancasterHistory.  Tickets: Visit lancasterhistory.org or the event page at lanc.news/ThaddeusPlay.
When the building where Kabab Station leased space was condemned in early June, the restaurant posted a Facebook message saying it hoped to serve customers again VERY SOON at the 247 N. Queen St. restaurant.

But that hope has turned to frustration as more than three months later there has been minimal progress on needed repairs and the restaurant has remained closed.

I am thinking so far the loser in the condemnation of this building is me, said Ahmad Zaki, who opened the Persian food restaurant in June 2018.

City officials said only minimal work has been done so far to fix the property, which includes two first-floor commercial spaces and 11 apartments upstairs.

Ryan Leese, co-owner of Puff N Stuff, a smoking products retailer that had to close its 253 N. Queen St. shop in the building after the condemnation, is bracing to be gone for up to a year.

Wed like to stay in that location but it all depends on how long these repairs are going to take, said Leese, who opened a Puff N Stuff location in April at the Shops at Rockvale.

City officials condemn properties after they have become unlivable  such as after a fire  or when they are unsafe because of structural or equipment issues, or otherwise deemed unfit to be occupied. Since condemnation means tenants must leave and cant return until repairs have been made, city officials said it is a last resort.

It is not a common occurrence for us to condemn a property. The last thing we want to do is force a tenant or an owner out of their property, said city inspector Randy King.

Condemnation kicks off what can become an extended process during which property owners are informed about the specific work they need to do, while facing increasing pressure to make those repairs. City officials say the vast majority of condemned properties are repaired by their owners, who then have the condemnation lifted. But that ones that arent fixed will slowly move through a process that can end with a forced sale to the city.

Fines dont accumulate while a building is condemned, but owners must pay a $200 fee to have the condemnation lifted.

Our goal is always for the property owner to rehabilitate the property, said Rebecca Geiser, the citys deputy director of health, housing and community development. Geiser is also a member of the citys Property Reinvestment Board, which monitors condemned properties that havent been repaired.

The whole thing is awful

So far in 2021, there have been 22 condemnations, a number officials say has been trending down since 2010 when there were 106.

If theres a property thats borderline, under normal circumstances we will give (the owner) a certain amount of time (to fix it), said King, who added that systematic inspections of rental properties that started in 2009 seem to have improved the citys overall housing stock, leading to fewer condemnations.

The condemnation of the two connected properties at 247-253 N. Queen St. owned by the same New York City man was prompted by a city inspection triggered by calls from PPL and a tenant. An early June inspection led to a condemnation due to electrical system hazards as well as structural issues in the basement of the properties which share an owner, Geiser said. It was not immediately clear how many of the apartments were occupied before the condemnation and where tenants relocated.

Gary Olsen, who operated Kabab Station with Zaki, said there had been a history of maintenance problems he said werent adequately addressed and that culminated in serious problems with the electrical system and some support beams.

(The city) took action. They did what needed to be done, he said.

While lauding the citys response, Olsen said that since June he and Zaki have been in limbo while city officials work with the property owner to get the building fixed, time during which theyve lost out on income and have been unable to recoup losses.

This whole thing is awful, said Olsen. Its frustrating because it is out of our control. Theres nothing we can do about it, and we cant seem to get any help.

Olsen says he and Zaki want someone to help them understand their legal options, but dont have the money to pay an attorney. Thats the frustration which has Zaki, an immigrant from Afghanistan, despairing about the justice system in his adopted country.

I feel there is no law in the system, no help in the system, Zaki said. Justice is useless, the law is useless.

I want to fix it

Once a property has been condemned for 60 days, it can be referred to the citys Property Reinvestment Board, which will review the propertys situation during a public meeting to which the owner is invited. The board can either continue to track the repair work on the property, or issue a notice of blight.

A property is officially deemed blighted by the city planning commission, which could then authorize the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Lancaster to take the necessary steps to acquire the property, and then try to resell it.

Since only minimal repair work has been done, the Queen Street property is on the cusp of being referred to the Property Reinvestment Board, King said.

Eli Barnathan, who owns the property, said he wants to get it fixed and is as frustrated as everyone else about the delays. He said he has already spent an undisclosed amount of money on a contractor but hasnt been getting updates on the progress.

I get income from it. I dont have any income now. I live on this building. Half of my income comes from it. Its very frustrating, said Barnathan, a New York City resident. Its not that I dont want to fix it. I want to fix it.

In an interview with LNP | LancasterOnline, Barnathan expressed a strong desire to have the property repaired but also asked a reporters opinion about the possibility of selling it, and whether there were any updates on the condemnation process.

What did the city tell you? he asked.

Barnathan said he felt the condemnation was unnecessary, adding that he would resist any effort by the city to take it.

Im not going to give it up to anybody, he said.
The 15-foot, 5,200-pound beam of metal outside the Manheim Township Public Library points toward ground zero in New York City, where, until 20 years ago, the World Trade Center towers once stood.

Dozens of people gathered Saturday at the beam, recovered from ground zero and now part of the townships World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial, to mark two decades since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that brought the towers down. Attendees paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks and the first responders who lost their lives in efforts to save others that day.

Manheim Township police and firefighters escorted guests to the beam and two other areas of the memorial honoring those who died in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, to lay wreaths.

We had heroes at all three sites, said Vin Kneizys, a senior member with the Manheim Township Historical Society, which hosted the event.

David Cook, whose brother Dennis Cook was killed in the World Trade Center that day, laid the first wreath at the steel beam in honor of those who died in New York City. He did not speak at the event.

Family friend Chip Snyder of Snyder Funeral Home said Dennis Cook was a full-of-life guy. The middle of three sons, Dennis Cook was survived by two daughters, one who was 3 and the other a newborn when he died.

I went up to New York to bring Dennis home, and its something I will never forget, Snyder said. Its a bond that Ive had with the Cook family since that day.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Michael Angelo, a Lancaster native, was inside the Pentagon on 9/11, preparing to attend a meeting on the west side of the building at 9:30 a.m. when he took a call from his son, delaying him.

As the two were discussing the horrors unfolding in New York City, Angelo heard a sudden, loud bang that caused his office to shake. Angelo knew immediately that the Pentagon had been attacked.

From that moment on, life as we knew it in the United States was changed forever, he said.

The plane that crashed into the west side of the Pentagon set the building ablaze and filled the structure with smoke. All 23 people who attended the meeting Angelo was headed to were killed.

Since I chose to be late for my meeting, my son is now my guardian angel, he said.

It wasnt until Angelo returned home 10 hours later that his family knew he was safe.

Incredibly, Charles Chic Burlingame, the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon, was a personal friend of Angelos.

We had worked together for years in the Department of Defense, Angelo said. He was a reserve Navy captain.

Another Lancaster native, retired Army Brig. Gen. David Wood, was in Ronks on 9/11 as a member of the state National Guard. News of the attacks on New York City were already spreading when the call came to head to Shanksville  and to be prepared to evacuate casualties.

The radios in the cockpit of Woods plane were silent during the trip, with all commercial flights having been grounded. The only chatter Wood heard was from F-16 fighter jets conducting a combat air patrol over the region.

Wood and his unit arrived at the site of the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 to find a field covered with debris.

The numbing reality of the crash site made us understand just what sacrifice those 40 Americans made, he said.

Wood spent the rest of that week flying support into both New York City and Washington, D.C.  an effort he described as being one of the longest weeks of his military career.

Flying a helicopter in the vicinity of Lower Manhattan, the endless smoke and ashes were like permanent clouds, he said. The loss and destruction were incredible, visible from 50 miles away.

Other speakers included Manheim Township Historical Society President Benton Webber and Manheim Township Recreation and Park Planning Director Matt Stopa.

Those of us who lived through that tragic and fateful day, we recognized in an instant just how tragic and just how historic those acts of desperate madmen were that wreaked havoc on countless innocent lives, Webber said.

The event Saturday concluded with a brief moment of silence, followed by a rifle salute and the playing of taps. Deacon Michael Oles of St. John Neumann Catholic Church then read a brief benediction.

The fateful day that occurred 20 years ago is a day that is etched in our collective memory, Wood said.

Twenty-year anniversaries are worth special attention, he said. Not necessarily because 20 years is a long time, but because they signify a milestone that is intergenerational. Its an anniversary that allows one to reflect and remind others who did not experience that day about how important it was.
Update: Nicole L. Gill-Schlegel was found and safely returned home on Sept. 11, Elizabethtown Borough police said in a news release.

Previously reported:

Elizabethtown Borough police are searching for a woman who hasnt been seen by her family in more than a week.

Nicole L. Gill-Schlegel, 46, of Elizabethtown, hasnt been seen by her family since Aug. 31, police said in a news release Wednesday. She was last seen driving a dark gray Saturn Aura with a Pennsylvania license plate.

Friday morning, Elizabethtown police chief Ed Cunningham said that police have not yet located her.

Gill-Schlegel may have been seen leaving Your Place Pizza and Pub in Hershey around 7 p.m. on Saturday, according to the news release.

Anyone with information which could assist in finding Gill-Schlegel is urged to contact Elizabethtown Borough police at 717-367-1835.
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East Hempfield police

DISODERLY CONDUCT

EAST HEMFIELD TWP.: Juan Pinales Rivas, 50, of Lancaster, was charged with disorderly conduct and multiple summary traffic violations after nearly striking an officer with a vehicle as the officer was investigating a motorcycle crash on Route 30 eastbound sometime on Sept. 3, police said.

DUI

EAST HEMFIELD TWP.: Albert S. Ortiz, 58, of Lancaster, was charged with driving under the influence and several summary traffic violations after crashing with another vehicle at Marietta Avenue and Good Drive at 8:13 p.m. on Aug. 28, police said. Ortiz was under the influence of alcohol at the time, police said.

FLEEING AND ELUDING

EAST HEMFIELD TWP.: Daniel Flores Reyna Jr., 56, of Mount Joy, was charged with fleeing and eluding a police officer and several summary traffic violations after failing to pull over during an attempted traffic stop at Rohrerstown Road and Commercial Drive sometime on Aug. 30, police said. Reyna was later found and arrested in the 200 block of North Barbara Street, police said.

THEFT

EAST HEMFIELD TWP.: An unknown thief stole a political sign from the yard of a residence in the 200 block of South Homestead Drive sometime between 8 p.m. on Aug. 26 and 7 a.m. on Aug. 28, police said.

EAST HEMFIELD TWP.: A $5,000 hydraulic heavy duty flat trailer was stolen from the parking lot of PAP Technologies Inc. at 200 Centerville Road sometime between 5 p.m. on Sept. 1 and 9 a.m. on Sept. 21, police said.

EAST HEMFIELD TWP.: Jane Wills, 69, of Kirkwood, was charged with theft after stealing a $1,500 English bulldog from a residence in the 1800 block of Buchers Mill sometime on Sept. 3, police said.

Lancaster police

ASSAULT

LANCASTER: Jaelyn Arielle Harrington, 24, of Penn Township, was charged with aggravated assault after kicking a nurse in the emergency department of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital at 555 North Duke Street around 12:05 a.m. on June 24, police said. Harrington, who was a patient at the hospital, kicked the nurse as they were trying to restrain her, police said.

Lititz Borough police

CRASH

LITITZ: An unknown vehicle struck a parked vehicle in the 200 block of East Main Street and then continued without stopping sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sept. 7, police said.

THEFT

LITITZ: Amy Kristina Diem, 49, of Lititz, was charged with three counts of retail theft after she was seen on surveillance footage stealing $400.50 worth of items from a Weis Markets at 740 South Broad Street on three separate occasions between July 10 and Sept. 3, police said.

Manheim Township police

BURGLARY

MANHEIM TWP.: An unknown burglar broke the front window of Security Rare Coins at 1513 Lititz Pike, causing $335 in damage, and stole a showcase containing items that appeared to be gold at 4:18 a.m. on Sept. 9, police said. The items were actually plastic and aluminum, police said.

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF

MANHEIM TWP.: An unknown vandal spray-painted graffiti onto a power control box in the 300 block of Blossom Hill Drive at 12:09 p.m. on Sept. 7, police said.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

MANHEIM TWP.: Brand O. Martinez, 25, of Lancaster, and Kenny Maldonado-Martinez, 22, of Harrisburg, were each charged with disorderly conduct after they were seen arguing and fighting in a public area in the 500 block of Candlewyck Road at 4:28 p.m. on Aug. 22, police said.

HARASSMENT

LANCASTER TWP.: Corrie D. Collins, 38, of Lancaster, was charged with harassment after grabbing another person by the neck and shoving their head against a kitchen cabinet during a domestic dispute in the 100 block of Westmore Way at 12:41 a.m. on Sept. 6, police said.

LANCASTER TWP.: Cecil R. Bedford Jr., 25, of Lancaster, was charged with harassment after striking a person twice at Rider and Edgewood avenues at 9:22 a.m. on Sept. 6, police said.

MANHEIM TWP.: Vinh Truong Vu, 30, of Lancaster, was charged with harassment after grabbing another person by their shirt during a domestic dispute in the 400 block of Eden Road at 9:04 a.m. on Sept. 8, police said.

STALKING

LANCASTER TWP.: Jennifer Marie Santiago, 19, of Lancaster, was charged with felony stalking and terroristic threats after contacting a person in the 1600 block of Judie Lane and threatening to come to their home, then arriving there and putting them in fear for their safety, at 10:04 a.m. on Sept. 6, police said. Santiago was prohibited from contacting the person through a protection from abuse order, police said.

Manor Township police

FIREARMS VIOLATION

MANOR TWP.: Tyreek Makel Fulwood, 21, of Bath, was charged with possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturers number, firearms not to be carried without a license and three drug charges after he was found with a loaded handgun with obliterated serial numbers during a traffic stop at Cartledge Lane and Knollwood Road at 11:31 p.m. on Sept. 4, police said. Fulwood, who was seen committing several traffic violations, was also found with what was believed to be ecstasy and marijuana as well as drug paraphernalia and drug packaging items, police said.

FLEEING AND ELUDING

MANOR TWP.: Eduardo M. Quintero-Vicente, 21, of Lancaster, was charged with fleeing and eluding a police officer, obstructing administration of law, a drug charge and two traffic violations after fleeing a traffic stop on Donnerville Road near Weaver Road at 11:43 p.m. on Sept. 3, police said. Officers found Quintero-Vicentes vehicle a short time later parked in a nearby neighborhood, with Quintero-Vicente hiding in the backseat and refusing to leave the car, police said.

Mount Joy Borough police

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

MOUNT JOY: Jonathan L. Sumpman, 31, of Marietta, was charged with disorderly conduct and public drunkenness after fighting with other patrons while drunk at a bar and then lighting a small fire outside at 12 a.m. on Sept. 6, police said.

Northern Lancaster County Regional police

STRANGULATION

CLAY TWP.: Angela Nicole Lesher, 21, of Denver, was charged with strangulation and simple assault after grabbing a woman by the throat and bringing her to the ground, then biting her on the shoulder, during a domestic dispute in the 900 block of Hope Avenue at 10:34 p.m. on Sept. 7, police said.
These past several weeks have been challenging. Witnessing the humanitarian crisis  and the largest evacuation by airlift in history  that resulted from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has been distressing for many of us.

Church World Service Lancaster is supporting national efforts to process and welcome Afghan evacuees while working locally to prepare for arrivals. We are proud to have deployed six members of our staff to serve on the front lines of welcome at Army bases throughout the United States. These staff members are returning to our office with hearts heavy with concern for the refugees plight and the promise to continue helping our Afghan friends here at home.

While we do not know when we will start receiving evacuees from Afghanistan here in the Lancaster region, we have indicated our ability and interest to do so to the U.S. Department of State. We anticipate that the first arrivals will happen over the coming weeks and months.

We have been overjoyed with the response from the local community in support of Afghan allies and refugees. In just one recent week, we received more than 150 calls and emails from individuals, faith groups and other organizations wanting to aid newly resettled Afghans refugees. And while we are overjoyed, we are not surprised. Lancaster Countys welcoming community is regularly, and rightly, recognized as a key component of successful refugee resettlement in the region.

Although the current situation in Afghanistan and the national response continue to evolve, one thing remains clear: Refugee resettlement saves lives.

This is true for those who have been displaced immediately due to war and conflict; it is also true for individuals and families who may be languishing in refugee camps for decades, waiting for the opportunity to begin new lives in safety.

As I write this, we are continuing to welcome new arrivals from around the world to our beautiful city, with 32 new clients scheduled to be resettled in Lancaster in September. These individuals and families are coming from countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma and El Salvador  countries far less likely to make it into the news cycle. These families have been waiting for years  sometime decades  to be settled in a place that is safe, free and welcoming, just like Lancaster.

The current humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan represents just one conflict that forces individuals and families to flee their homes. The 2020 report from the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, on global trends in forced displacement indicates that over 82 million people were forcibly displaced  with 26 million of those displaced recognized as refugees. (According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, a refugee is someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.)

While individuals and families continue to be forced to leave their homes and face uncertain futures, typically less than 1% of refugees are ultimately resettled in a third country.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.N. Refugee Convention, the landmark treaty affirming the need for international protections for those fleeing persecution, it is important that the United States continues its commitment to a robust resettlement program and asylum protections.

Here at home, Church World Service Lancaster remains ready to welcome new neighbors from Afghanistan and around the world. Together with generous volunteers, landlords, employers and good-hearted neighbors, we are making Lancaster County a stronger and more diverse community.

Valentina Ross is the office director at Church World Service Lancaster, a nonprofit serving refugees and immigrants. Lancaster city Mayor Danene Sorace will host Church World Service Lancaster in a Live at 5 livestreamed event at 5 p.m. Wednesday on the City of Lancasters Facebook page.
Lancaster County has a lead problem, and its our children who are paying the price.

Children in our community are far more likely to have lead poisoning than their peers across the state. In fact, Lancaster Countys rate of children with elevated blood lead levels ranks fourth worst in Pennsylvania. Its a dubious distinction and one that we must change for the sake of todays children and for future generations.

As physicians who care for children in our communities, we are excited that Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health is making an historic and nation-leading investment in the health of its community through the launch of the Lead-Free Families initiative.

The goal of Lead-Free Families is to create a strong pathway to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in Lancaster County  leading to healthier children, families and communities. With a first-of-its-kind $50 million investment by Lancaster General Health, Lead-Free Families will identify and remediate lead hazards in at least 2,800 high-risk Lancaster County homes over the next 10 years, while also providing community education and temporary housing and support services for families during remediation.

This is the kind of comprehensive program thats needed to address the silent epidemic of lead poisoning that has gripped Lancaster County for far too long.

Its a legacy that comes from our history  more specifically, from the abundance of old housing stock in the county. It is estimated that nearly 91,000 homes in Lancaster County were built prior to 1978, the year lead was banned for use in paint and other consumer products. Today, lead-based paint in the home is far and away the leading cause of lead poisoning in children. Thats why Lead-Free Families is solely focused on removing lead hazards in the home.

Heres how lead poisoning works: Over time, lead-based paint breaks down, creates dust and, if it enters a growing childs body, is rapidly absorbed into that childs brain, bones and kidneys  leading to irreversible damage. Lead poisoning is known to cause lower IQ, learning and behavioral problems in school, and mental health challenges. As the child gets older, these issues can lead to criminal behavior and incarceration, impacting not just the lead-poisoned individual but also that individuals family and society as a whole.

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem of lead-poisoning, as children are spending more time in potentially dangerous houses and going to the doctor less frequently. Like many providers, we have seen this firsthand with an increase in the number of children who test positive for elevated blood lead levels.

Lancaster County is particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning as we have among the highest per-capita number of children younger than age 7 in the state. As bad as our numbers are, again ranking fourth in Pennsylvania for children with lead poisoning, we know the story may be even worse. Thats because Lancaster County children are not screened for blood lead levels consistently. Thats something we want to change with Lead-Free Families, which is why were working with health care providers across the county to stress the importance of early lead screening in children.

But increased lead screening alone will not fix this problem. For those who are poisoned by lead, there is no cure. There is no medicine or treatment to stop its ravaging effects and long-term damage. But we know it is 100% preventable by removing the primary source of the problem  lead hazards in the home  before its too late. Lead-Free Families plans to do just that, remediating thousands of homes so that they are safer places for children and families to live.

This initiative is not only the right thing to do for the health of our community; its also the smart thing to do for the health of our economy. The Pew Research Center estimates that large-scale lead remediation programs, such as Lead-Free Families, could save the public at least $17 dollars for every dollar invested. This savings would result from lower costs in special education, behavioral health and developmental services, as well as reduced crime and incarceration.

It is not often in medicine that a concerted community effort promises to enhance community wellness to the extent of the Lead-Free Families program. We applaud this initiative as the first comprehensive lead-free homes initiative in the U.S. to be 100% funded and led by a health system. For more information on Lead-Free Families, or to apply for the program, visit LeadFreeFamilies.org or call 717-544-LEAD (717-544-5323).

Together, we can make a measurable impact on lead poisonings insidious effects on our children and families  especially for the most vulnerable in our communities  and welcome a brighter future for us all.

Frances C. Gross, D.O., chairs the Department of Pediatrics at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital. Jeffrey R. Martin, M.D., chairs the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Lancaster General Health.
THE ISSUE

More than 655,000 people in the United States have died of COVID-19  1,084 in Lancaster County, as of Friday. As LNP | LancasterOnline reported Wednesday, Lancaster Countys three hospitals had an average of 75 COVID-19 inpatients over the past week, up from 61 the previous week. Deaths have also been on a rise after reaching a pandemic low of just six in July, this newspaper reported. Deaths began increasing in the second half of August and the quicker pace has continued into September, with eight deaths reported here in the first five days of the month, according to data from Lancaster Countys coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni. The highly transmissible delta variant of the novel coronavirus has driven this latest surge.

We have questions for those who continue to resist the measures  masking, social distancing, vaccination  that will help us contain this brutally persistent pandemic.

Were tired of wearing masks, too, but still we wear them. We rolled up our sleeves and got vaccinated at the first opportunity.

Weve done our part, and we cannot grasp what the obstacles are to others doing theirs. So we have questions for mask- and vaccine-resisters, and for the officials who are acquiescing to their demands.

1. You say you want normalcy. Yet small businesses and the hospitality industry simply cannot survive another COVID-19 wave that keeps customers away; they are struggling to make it now. Why wouldnt you do whats necessary to keep COVID-19 cases down?

2. You say you dont want to get any of the three COVID-19 vaccines that were approved after rigorous testing and exhaustive assessment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (More than 377 million doses of these vaccines already have been administered in the United States.) Yet some of you are willing to ingest ivermectin  even the dewormer paste made for horses  which is mostly meant to treat infections caused by parasites, not COVID-19, and can sicken some people who take the wrong dosage. Why not take one of the safe, effective and free COVID-19 vaccines?

3. Some of you say youre afraid of needles. Will you also decline an IV drip or other intravenous medication if hospitalized with COVID-19?

4. This question is for the school officials of Penn Manor, Donegal and Pequea Valley school districts. You have granted grace periods to allow parents to get physician notes so their children can be exempt from the Pennsylvania Department of Healths school mask mandate. Do you think the delta variant is giving your students a grace period?

5. Penn Manor Superintendent Mike Leichliter told LNP | LancasterOnline that his district already has received about 300 exemption requests. School taxpayers: Is this what you wanted your tax dollars to be spent on  processing the requests of hundreds of parents riled up over a mask requirement?

6. Doctors who treat asthma and other lung diseases actually advise their patients to wear face masks to protect against COVID-19. According to research presented at this years convention of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, wearing a mask, which helps to slow the spread of COVID-19, does not impact the oxygen saturation of the wearer, regardless of if the individual has asthma or not, according to the academys website.

This data reinforces that wearing a mask, whether it is a surgical mask, cloth mask, or N95, is completely safe, said study author Alan P. Baptist, M.D. This is true for all individuals, whether they have a diagnosis of asthma or not. Wearing a mask is an essential step we can all take to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

School officials and mask-resisters: Do you think you know more than the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology?

More than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, which all recommended requiring masks in school?

7. This is for the parents of schoolchildren who have been wielding anti-mask signs reading Let (children) breathe outside school board meetings. COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that can make it so difficult to breathe that some patients must be intubated  that is, to have a breathing tube threaded down their throats toward their lungs, so a ventilator can do the work their lungs are too weak and too sick to do.

Again, studies have shown that masks dont impede breathing (see above)  which is why nurses and doctors are able to wear them for hours on end.

If you truly are concerned about the respiratory wellness of your children, wouldnt you want to take the simple precaution of having them wear masks at school?

8. Also, are you OK with your children seeing you scream at school board members and other school officials? Is that how you would want them to behave toward you? Toward their grandparents?

9. Do you think its a coincidence that, as Spotlight PA reported last week, the conservative law firm with ties to former President Donald Trump that has led litigation to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election is the same firm supporting a lawsuit challenging the Wolf administrations mask mandate for schools and child care facilities? Is it a coincidence that Republican state Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, who joined that lawsuit as a parent, is up for reelection next year?

10. Do you think politics should get in the way of ensuring childrens health? Your own health?

11. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration is developing a rule that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to be tested weekly.

Are you aware that OSHA has imposed other standards and directives related to COVID-19? And that the agency requires millions of workers to wear respirators to protect their respiratory systems in workplaces where toxic dust, vapors, gases and sprays are prevalent?

12. Are you aware that some large companies, including Tyson Foods and United Airlines, already mandate COVID-19 vaccination for employees?

13. The Biden administration also will require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in health care settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, including hospitals, dialysis facilities and home health agencies. If a dearly loved one was in the hospital, or on dialysis, or being cared for at home, wouldnt you want to be certain that health care workers wouldnt make your medically vulnerable loved one sick with COVID-19?

14. Biden also said that OSHA is developing a rule that will require employers with more than 100 employees to provide paid time off for vaccination. Does this alleviate your concern about taking time off work to get inoculated?

15. Of Lancaster County residents who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination  that is, those age 12 and older  nearly 57% are fully vaccinated. Your physicians most likely are in that majority. Do you trust their understanding of science? Do you heed their advice on other health matters?

16. And, finally, if youre among those railing against the so-called tyranny of mask mandates and vaccine requirements, what would have been your plan  yes, your plan  to protect your health and that of everyone around you?

You say that individuals should have the freedom to make decisions about their own health. But youve made terrible choices and those choices are keeping the rest of us from overcoming the pandemic. Your choices literally are making other people sick. And they are hurting the economy.

One person at the Donegal school board meeting Thursday night said the school mask mandate was related to the incremental loss of our personal freedom and individual sovereignty.

But what is liberty without freedom from illness and economic ruin? What is patriotism if it doesnt include concern for your fellow Americans?

Tell us: Without mask mandates and vaccine requirements, how would you defeat this pandemic? Because pretending its not harming us  as individuals, as a community, as a nation  is not working. And neither is getting in the way of those who are trying to do the right thing.


A growing number of Americans are questioning the value of four-year college degrees as the prices of higher education rise. Many argue that students are left with deep debts and no clear path to jobs.

The Gallup research company questioned American families about the issue in November and December 2020. It reported that 46 percent of the families said they would prefer their child do something else than go to collegeeven if there were no financial barriers.

But studies show that people with full college degrees make more money over their lifetimes than people with less education. Those with only high school diplomas, professional certifications or two-year college degrees earn less on average.

Investing in a college degree will usually earn a good return, according to the New York Federal Reserve, the states central bank. Its data shows that people with college degrees will earn on average 14 percent more money than they spent on college.

The average earnings for four-year degree holders is about $78,000 per year compared to $45,000 for those with only high school diplomas, the bank reported.

On average does not mean that the return on college education will always be a gain. Where a student attends school, how much debt they collect and the field of study they choose help determine their investment return. And the race, ethnicity and sex of the student can influence all of that.

Here are some of the ways college can turn out to be a good financial decisionor not:

Student loans can impact the degrees value

Student loan debt is hard to avoid and harder to repay. College costs in the United States rose 117 percent from 1985 to 2019, federal data shows. Wages, however, have only risen 19 percent over that same time.

Loans are still the main way for most students to pay for college. In order to make the degree worthwhile, a student will have to earn enough money to pay back lenders. A manageable student loan payment is about 10 percent of after-tax income.

That is why it is so important to graduate. A lot of debt and no degree is the worst outcome for a college student.

Field of study affects wages

Some fields of study are more profitable than others.

Average earnings at the middle stage of someones career are highest among those who hold a bachelors degree in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. Those workers earn $76,000 per year on average, says the Georgetown Universitys Center for Education and the Workforce. That is followed by people who studied business ($67,000) and healthcare ($65,000).

The lowest median earnings were for those in the arts or humanities fields ($51,000), as well as teaching ($46,000).

Place of living matters

In May 2020, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute released a study on college graduates earnings. The research and policy group found that people in cities earned higher wages than people living in less populated areas.

John Winters is an economics professor at Iowa State University and led the study.

In general, college degrees are a good investment, but the return in terms of cosmopolitan areas is phenomenal, he said.

In cities, bachelors degree holders earn $95,229 on average. Winters says that is because cities have more jobs that require four-year degreesfields like technology, finance or marketing. Workers in these fields earn higher wages.

More degrees does not mean greater equality

In some ways a college degree can make income and racial inequalities worse. Poorer students will have a harder time repaying debt, adding to their economic struggles, said Marshall Anthony Jr. He is with the Center for American Progress.

Black students often have greater amounts of debt. They have about $25,000 more, on average, than white borrowers. The Brookings Institution found that four years after graduation, Black Americans have $52,726 in student loan debt. White graduates have $28,006. Higher debt and lower wages also means Black borrowers will have more interest over time.

A college degree doesnt usually work the same for everybody, Anthony said.

Im Dan Novak.

Anna Helhoski reported this story for NerdWallet and The Associated Press. Dan Novak adapted for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

Quiz - A college degree still means higher earnings Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



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Words in This Story

question  v. to ask (someone) questions about something

prefer  v. to like (someone or something) better than someone or something else

diploma  n. a document which shows that a person has finished a course of study or has graduated from a school

certification  n. official approval to do something professionally or legally

according to preposition as stated, reported, or recorded by (someone or something)

determine  v. to officially decide (something) especially because of evidence or facts : to establish (something) exactly or with authority

manageable  adj. easy to control or deal with

cosmopolitan  adj. having people from many different parts of the world

phenomenal  adj. very good or great : unusual in a way that is very impressive

interest  n. the money paid by a borrower for the use of borrowed money
Officials in Australias state of New South Wales announced a plan earlier this month to protect endangered plants and animals in the states national parks.

Environment Minister Matt Kean said the plan is to help fight against, what he called, the worst extinction rate of mammals in the world.

Animals such as Koalas, rock wallabies and a rare tree called the nightcap oak are some of the species to be protected. The effort is being called the states zero extinction plan.

More than 90 endangered species at risk from pests, wildfires and climate change will be given greater legal protection. There are new rules related to birds, frogs and reptiles and rare trees, including the dwarf mountain pine.

The plan includes a number of areas where meat-eating animals will not be permitted. Officials will be able to make conservation and fire-supervision plans to protect plants and animals. For some species there is little time to waste. Some population groups of the brush-tailed rock wallaby in Warrumbungle National Park have fallen to just 10 animals.

Environmental groups have largely welcomed the zero extinction plan.

Rachel Lowry heads the Australian office of the World Wildlife Fund, an international environmental group. She said the New South Wales plan is the kind of plan needed to fight against plant and animal extinctions. Now, I would love to see that being drawn actually for the whole nation, and not just for species in protected areas and in this case species in protected areas in New South Wales only, she added.

Officials in New South Wales have warned that one million species around the world face extinction in the near future.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Phil Mercer reported this story for VOANews.com. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

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Words in This Story

extinction n. the state or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal species) has died out completely

mammal n. a kind of animal that feeds milk to its young and has hair on its body

species n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

pest n. an animal or insect that causes problems for people especially by damaging crops

conservation n. the protection of animals, plants and natural resources
The Chinese Communist Partys efforts to tighten control over culture, business and society have affected everyone from tech industry professionals to schoolchildren. It is all part of President Xi Jinpings plan for a more powerful and successful country.

Since Xi took power in 2012, he has often called for the party to be an economic, social and cultural leader. The party has spent the last 10 years of Xis time in power tightening control and silencing political critics.

In the last 40 years, China has seen large economic growth. But it has also seen a large gap between the rich and the poor. The party is promising to spread wealth more evenly and is pressing private companies to pay for social programs.

To support its plans, Xi's government is trying to create what it considers a more moral society. It has lessened childrens access to video games and has banned men who do not seem masculine enough from appearing on television.

Chinese leaders want to push society in one direction selected by the party, said Andrew Nathan. He is a Chinese politics expert at Columbia University in New York.

China has started enforcing anti-monopoly and data security laws against online shopping company Alibaba Group and social media company Tencent Holdings. The party thinks the companies have become too big and politically independent.

In answer, the companies billionaire executives are trying to show loyalty to Xi by promising to share their wealth. Xis unclear plan for common prosperity aims to narrow the wealth gap in China, which has more billionaires than the United States.

Willy Lam is with the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He said Xis plan to control business will hurt the most creative and lucrative parts of the economy.

The partys rules about monopolies and how information is shared about customers are similar to those of western nations. But the one-sided and sudden nature of the rules is leading critics to warn that they may threaten Chinas economic growth. Already, Tencents stock market value has fallen more than $300 billion.

Chinese officials say the public and business community will benefit from higher pay and more control of large corporations. Some parents supported the rule that limits children under 18 to three hours of online gaming a week.

The rules represent the partys efforts to control a quickly changing society of 1.4 billion people.

The Communist Party now permits freer movement and supports internet use for business and education. But leaders reject changes to its one-party dictatorship. The party controls all media and tries to limit what Chinas public sees online.

June Teufel Dreyer is a Chinese political expert at the University of Miami in Florida. She said that as the last 10 years of economic success slows, Xi sees himself as the only person able to strengthen the country.

Im Dan Novak.

The Associated Press reported this story. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

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Words in This Story

tighten  v. to become more strict or effective or to make (something) more strict or effective

society  n. people in general thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values

gap  n. a space between two people or things

access  n. a way of getting near, at, or to something or someone

masculine  adj. of, relating to, or suited to men or boys

monopoly  n. complete control of the entire supply of goods or of a service in a certain area or market

prosperity  n. complete control of the entire supply of goods or of a service in a certain area or market

lucrative  adj. producing money or wealth

customer  n. someone who buys goods or services from a business

benefit  n. a good or helpful result or effect


And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

On this program we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples, notes on usage and sometimes we use them in a short story.

Today we talk about transportation expressions involving ships, boats, and trains.

A train ride can be a wonderful adventure.

Imagine that you are in your final days of study in Budapest. You have lived there as a student for over a year but have never traveled to Prague. So, on your last weekend, you plan a train trip from Budapest to Prague. But you only have a couple of days to make the trip.

You buy a ticket leaving late on a Friday night. You plan to catch the train after your last class. You are so excited! But after class your professor offers to buy you dinner. He wants to send you off with a celebration. You dont want to be rude. So, you agree, but your eye is always on the clock.

Dinner takes longer than you thought it would and soon its nearing your time to catch the train. So, you thank him and say you have a train to catch. But he insists that you stay for a quick dessert and offers to drive you to the station. You do the time math in your head and figure that if he drives you, you will have just enough time to catch your train. But then, after dessert, he remembers, Oh I didnt drive. How silly of me! You tell him, Thanks. I really have to go!

You rush to the station! But by the time you get there the station, the train  your train -- is pulling away. And there wont be another one until the next night. You have missed your train and your chance to see Prague before returning home!

And that brings us to our expression for today. That train has left the station.

It means you have missed an opportunity. The chance to do something  something you really wanted to do  has passed.

We say this when a process is already underway. The time for discussion is over. Its too late to change your mind. And its too late to make changes. Some possibility or choice is no longer available or likely.

If you like boating expressions, you can also say: That ship has sailed, or that someone has missed the boat. They are all used the same way.

Besides missing an opportunity, all of these expressions could be used in another situation: When events have been put into place and there is no stopping them.

For example, lets say your mother wants to fix you up with the nice child of her boss. She arranges the whole date without talking to you first. You dont want to go, but she has already told her boss that you would.

If you were to tell me about it, I would probably say to you: Sorry. But that train has already left the station. You must go on that date.

Usually when we use that train has left the station or that ship has sailed it means events are going forward and you cant stop them.

Now, here is a note on usage. Simply put, these sayings mean, Its too late. So, save your breath. So, they could sound rude or thoughtless. And they are informal.

So, I would say them to a friend and co-worker. But I wouldnt say them to my boss or my professor  although it was his fault that I missed my train in the first place!

And thats all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time  Im Anna Matteo.

Anna Matteo wrote this program for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor.

_________________________________________________

Words in This Story

adventure n. an exciting or dangerous experience

rude adj. not showing concern or respect for others

insist v. to demand that something happen or that someone do something

dessert n. a usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal

silly adj. having or showing a lack of thought, understanding, or good judgment

opportunity n. an amount of time or a situation when something can be done

boss n. a person whose job it is to tell others what to do; chief

informal adj. not suited for serious or official speech and writing

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But we cannot let these harrowing memories, and the manipulation of new fears, goad us into furthering the terrorists' cause of bringing this nation down. Unity and resolve must triumph over the scare tactics and lies that our adversaries  foreign and domestic  weaponize to divide us.

Shortly after Sept. 11, a classic American battle came to the fore, as our better angels grappled with our inner demons.

"In fighting against bad things, we can't forget what we're fighting for," said Mary Bauer, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia.

For Jason Mollica, a professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, the impact of the attack hit close: He lost two cousins at the World Trade Center. A family friend  a Port Authority officer  rushed into a twin tower to help people and never came out.

"Obviously, it brought people together," he said of the attack, which took place months after the contentious outcome of the presidential contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Unfortunately, I think were more divided than we were, even prior to 9/11.

"Im not sure if well ever get back to that point of feeling that pride in coming together  of making sure that as a nation we are one."
If Reclaim Idaho was looking for a pair of foils to help promote its education funding initiative, the group could hardly do any better than the Republicans heading up education committees in the House and Senate.
I wholeheartedly support it.

I don't like it, but it's become necessary to fight the coronavirus.

I really don't like it, but if I have to get vaccinated to keep my job, I'll do it.

I disagree with it and refuse to be vaccinated.

Vote

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Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway.
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The cost of providing solar energy has dropped over time and may decline more, especially if a stronger domestic supply chain is developed, incentives remain in place and the market continues to validate the option. It didnt take a presidential order for developers and utilities across the nation to read the handwriting on the coal plant walls.

Some local concerns are tied to land use, especially if it involves prime farmland. Farmers dont like to sell their best land; they tend to part with marginally producing acres. Solar farms arent always built on farmland of any kind, but sometimes in sparsely wooded areas that dont have much commercial value.

Once a solar farm reaches the end of its life span and the panels are removed, the land is still there. In fact, it might be even more fertile because it wasnt repeatedly tilled and planted. In Wood County, for example, some of the land surrounding the solar farm will become pollinator habitat.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle facing the solar transition is what the rest of the world does. If the United States goes half-solar by 2050, does it really matter if China keeps building coal plants? The borders of the atmosphere dont stop at California and New York.

Solar energy is already a growing part of the mix and will continue to expand. Whether a huge transition happens soon enough to make a difference is still at question.

Tom Still is the president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. Email: tstill@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com.
Everybody has ideas on how to do infill development, he said. You dont want to demolish housing, affordable housing, or historic buildings.

The existing 2,507-square-foot building, built in 1965 and remodeled in 1987, and site are assessed at $215,000 for 2021, down from $341,000 the previous year.

The existing building has served the community well but has surpassed its intended use, Cooks letter of intent to the city says. It is also out of character with its surroundings, is not a landmark, nor an uncommon or unusual design, it says.

The proposed structure, to be built on a quarter-acre lot, is designed to fit the context of the neighborhood with a front facade of masonry accented with stone and siding with storefront glass on the first floor, the letter says. The fourth floor would step back to help fit the scale of the neighborhood, it says.

The 24 market-rate apartments would be attractive to young professionals and the building would also have an exercise room on the first floor and community space on the fourth floor, Cook said. Its unclear who would lease the commercial space, he said.
Q: Why isnt the law that is quoted on the back of every registration enforced? Im referring to the little box that says if your car isnt insured, the license plates and registration documents must be surrendered. Usually uninsured drivers are cited and sent on their way, still uninsured.  John

A: The only answer I can give you is that I dont know (practicing for politics.)

I do know that Idaho Code 49-1230 reads: Before any applicant required to register his motor vehicle may do so the applicant shall certify the existence of automobile liability insurance covering the motor vehicle on a form prescribed by the department. The department may immediately cancel the registration card and license plates of the vehicle upon notification that the insurance certification was not correctly represented.

I also know that the code reads like this is that person is not compliant: An owner of a motor vehicle who ceases to maintain the insurance required in accordance with this chapter shall immediately surrender the registration card and license plates for the vehicle to the department and may not operate or permit operation of the vehicle in Idaho until insurance has again been furnished as required in accordance with this chapter and the vehicle is again registered and licensed.
The Supreme Court struck down that moratorium last month.

The federal assistance Idaho received has also been slow to make it to tenants. The Idaho Housing and Finance Association received nearly $176 million to distribute. As of Friday, $12.5 million of that pot has gone to tenants, including $2.4 million in the month of August, according to an agency spokesperson.

Boise City/Ada County Housing Authorities also received more than $24 million in emergency rental assistance from the U.S. Treasury Department to be distributed by the end of September 2022. So far, about $11.8 million of that money has been handed out, Watson said.

The housing association has expended outreach efforts to hundreds of landlords and other community partners to raise awareness about the funding available, said spokesperson Ben Cushman. He said IHFA hopes its partnership with the Idaho court system will help at-risk tenants, who will be prioritized.

With 240% more assistance distributed in August than February, were confident we are already seeing those efforts pay off, Cushman said in a written statement.

Including $15 million in past federal CARES Act funds, the Idaho Housing and Finance Association has distributed more than $27 million overall in housing assistance dollars, he said.
One of the proposed congressional maps splits Ada County between the two congressional districts. The other proposed map doesnt split any Idaho counties and would situate Ada County entirely within the first congressional district.

For the past 10 years, Ada County  the states most populated county  has been split between the two congressional districts.

Although the process is technical, redistricting will have far-reaching effects on Idaho politics, elections and government for the next decade. The new maps will determine which district Idahoans live in, and therefore which candidates they will be able to vote for and who will represent them and their families in the Legislature and in Congress for the next 10 years.

Redistricting wont be easy, as commissioners are learning.

Its not merely enough for commissioners to split the state into 35 evenly divided legislative districts with 52,546 people. Commissioners face additional constitutional and statutory requirements, including splitting as few of Idahos 44 counties as possible, attempting to keep cities and communities of interest whole and avoiding drawing oddly shaped districts or districts that are not connected.
BOISE  Gov. Brad Little will put $10 million toward combating substitute teacher shortages plaguing Idahos K-12 schools amid a surge of confirmed coronavirus cases.

New Substitute Teacher Recruitment Grants will help Idahos schools recruit and retain substitute teachers and other classroom support staff, Littles office announced in a press release Friday.

Staffing shortages  especially among subs and bus drivers  have become a hurdle for K-12 leaders across the state in recent weeks. School districts may use funds announced Friday to provide bonuses for subs on top of what they already make, Littles office said.

The money comes with another targeted remedy: paid time off for Idahos executive branch agency employees to work as subs.

That means state employees will not have to tap into their vacation or sick leave to serve their communities as a substitute teacher, the press release states.
The state, federal government and individual hospitals have taken steps to try to keep Idaho nurses from leaving their jobs.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare this month announced $4 million in funds to help Idahos hospitals hire and keep their staff. Hospitals will get $1,000 per licensed bed.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little also told the Sun in an interview Thursday that the federal government is providing 400 health care workers to the state  double the 200 he expected  through General Services Administration contracts. He said the federal government will pay for the surge staffing.

That should be a big help, he said.

This pandemic has inspired people to become nurses

One hospital official said he is optimistic about the future of Idaho health care.

You might think its not the ideal time, but its absolutely fantastic; were seeing significant increases in the number of people entering nursing school and entering medical schools, seeing a real desire to serve, and this pandemic has inspired that in a way that maybe would be surprising, Dr. Frank Johnson, chief medical officer for St. Lukes Health System in Boise, Elmore and McCall said in a recent media call.

Here at St. Lukes, we just completed our onboarding of a big cadre of new nurses who (are) thrilled to provide care, Johnson said. And thats really helped us here, just in the last week, to add to our staff.  So, yeah, I think Im optimistic for the next year. I think were going to see a real injection of new enthusiastic individuals who are here to serve their communities.

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While he did not serve in World War I, he sent four of his sons. After he received the news that one of his sons, Quentin, had died, he wrote: Only those are fit to live who do not fear to die: and none are fit to die who have shrunk from the joy of life. Both life and death are parts of the same great adventure.

These are great reminders for us today. First, life transcends us individuals; we live in a nation and a world that is larger than us and that will endure after we are gone. We need to broaden our worldviews and remind ourselves of this.

The second message is that there are things we can do ourselves. By that, I dont mean that we should get the politicians to do things we can assign to bureaucrats, but instead, the things we can do as individuals to give ourselves, our children and our grandchildren a better future. We can have a limited government only when we have an active civil society. Civic activity and philanthropy are the stitches that hold the American fabric together.
His Southern Idaho paintings are particularly delightful. One shows the Snake River prior to its trout farms of today, cliffs in the background and a hint of spring in the fresh bloom of purple lilac bushes. Another is a quiet scene, probably along Billingsley Creek, with its willows and crystalline flowing water over low lava rocks. Taylor writes that he was a master at painting water, moving or still. It was something he intuitively knew how to do.

Another painting captures the desperate attempt by ranch hands to turn a herd of cattle from an Owyhee cliff. Frightened, wide-eyed cows balk at the precipice as the cowhands struggle to contain them.

There are quite a few photographs of Idahos early river days along the Snake, but Teaters scenes are both historically accurate and detailed, complete with mules, water wheels, sluice boxes, huge sturgeon and mining equipment. They are thus important historical documents as well as works of art.

Teater was prolific, turning out perhaps 4,000 paintings in his lifetime. Many are in private collections today, prized possessions of those who have them. They dont come on the market very much, and when they do, theyre no longer cheap. Collector Leslie Taylor says he is often turned down when he makes a purchase inquiry.
For a moment in time, a disaster like no other, brought our nation together, Pearson said. Our prayer is it doesnt take more international and national disasters to bring us back together again.

The keynote speaker, retired U.S. Congressman Virgil Goode, was the last to take the microphone.

Across our southern border persons come whove not been vaccinated, who have not been checked for criminal records, and who, I suspect, some want to join gangs, and others may want to commit acts of terror, Goode said. We need to seal that border. Its not a political issue; its the right thing to do for the United States of America.

Draper called Anderson, Cassidy and Henry County Sheriff Lane Perry to speak.

Said Draper: This community is second to none as far as public safety working together.

Said Cassidy: Were only as good as our community and as long as we continue to work together as a community, were going to be fine.

Said Anderson: Our service is a very humble service and to be called heroes, a lot of times when you do that youll see law enforcement, fire and EMS, theyll kind of tuck their head.
I thought it was time to take it to the people, said state Sen. Julie Slama, the petition drive's sponsor.

Slama acknowledged that Nebraska has no history of voter fraud, but she said constituents in her rural, conservative district wonder why the state doesn't have a measure that's Republican orthodoxy elsewhere.

It makes us look bad, said Doug Kagan, president of the conservative Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, which has pushed for voter ID laws. Every year, there are more states that pass some kind of voter ID law. Its kind of an anomaly that we havent passed one."

The campaign has already raised $377,000, with all but $1,000 of that coming from Marlene Ricketts, the mother of GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts and the wife of Joe Ricketts, a billionaire conservative activist.

Opponents argue that the goal of voter ID isn't to ensure secure elections but to discourage voting by minorities and others who tend to vote for Democratic candidates. But they acknowledge that Nebraska is likely to remain solidly Republican with or without voter ID. Nebraska is 88% white and backed Donald Trump in the 2020 general election by 19 percentage points over Democrat Joe Biden.
An average of 1,110 people died in the U.S. from COVID-19 each day over the last week, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed on Thursday. The rate of deaths since late August is the highest it has been since early March.

While 73.5% of those ages 12 and up have been vaccinated with at least one dose, tens of millions of eligible recipients remain unvaccinated as the highly contagious coronavirus delta variant continues to grip pockets of the country. Around 62% of the same age group is fully vaccinated as of Friday.

"The vast minority of Americans are resistant to vaccination, but that's where the virus has been circulating," CNN Medical Analyst Jonathan Reiner told CNN's Don Lemon on Friday. "We live in a country that has rules. You can't smoke in most buildings in the United States, and you can't drive drunk. You can't smoke on planes. And you can't blow virus into my face.

"That's how it has to be in this country. And if you're going to be a persistent threat to the public health by refusing to get vaccinated, well your actions have consequences, and the consequences may be you can't work at your job."
I was convinced I wasnt going to cry.

A visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York's Financial District would be a refresher lesson  a look at history from a distance  I told myself.

Standing in line with hundreds of other people over Memorial Day weekend, I was ready to eye the artifacts, hear the stories and, hopefully, come to some kind of conclusion that helped me understand what happened.

And, then, I saw the two pools that went so far down you couldnt see their bottoms. I touched the names  of people who died during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing  and it got to me. This wasnt just another memorial, another museum. It was the final resting place for thousands.

Inside, the first glimpse you get of the horror is of the steel beams that remain from one of the buildings. They pull you down into the exhibition area and lead you on a trail that gets deeper and deeper into the story.
Beyond the Led Zeppelin song, above the K2 mountain-climbing exploits, Kashmir is becoming one of those faraway places in the world Americans better study up on.

Whats unfolding in Afghanistan has implications for Kashmir, all the way over to Bhutan and across the whole Himalayan border region, said University of Montana geography professor Sarah Halvorson.

Kashmir is a flashpoint, but many Americans do not realize what the cause is," Halvorson said. "Its one of the most entrenched geopolitical challenges of our time. Its in between two nuclear powers, whove fought three wars against each other on the highest battlefield on the planet. Things are highly charged in the Kashmir conflict.

Officially known as Jammu and Kashmir, the region lies in the mountains between India and Pakistan. Both nations claim it, although India has the most physical control of the area. Its population of 13 million people is 60% Muslim, while India is 80% Hindu.

Residents there have waged a decades-long separatist campaign that has often turned violent. In 2019, the federal government led by Narendra Modi revoked Kashmirs constitutional autonomy and essentially demoted it from a state to a Union Territory without local elected leadership.
Governing bodies at the University of Montana representing students and faculty have passed non-binding resolutions urging the required use of masks in all indoor and crowded outdoor settings.

They also urge that students, staff and faculty be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Because the resolutions are non-binding, both the Associated Students of the University of Montana and the UM Faculty Senate are asking UM as well as the Board of Regents to take action. They also urge support from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Board of Regents to defend the policies in court if challenged.

The ASUM more specifically considered their resolution a demand for required COVID vaccines.

The faculty senate unanimously agreed to hold a special meeting on Tuesday to make a final decision on its resolution, as the groups first meeting wasnt scheduled to occur until Sept. 23.

The resolution received overwhelming support from the faculty senators, with only two voting in opposition and two abstaining.
European issues also came up, including climate policy and an ongoing dispute between Warsaw and Brussels over changes to the judicial system in Poland which the EU considers to violate the rule of law.

Merkel said she hoped the issue can be solved through dialogue. Merkel, who has been chancellor since 2005, plans to step down after an election later this month.

A meeting between Merkel and President Andrzej Duda, which was originally announced by the German government, isn't taking place after all, and political observers in Warsaw interpreted that as a snub.

Dudas office said Duda would instead be in the southern Polish city of Katowice for celebrations marking the anniversary of Solidarity, the anti-communist trade union.

Relations have sometimes been strained under Poland's government because it has often said it plans to demand reparations from World War II, an issue that resonates with older Poles. Germany often voices remorse for its wartime occupation of Poland, but says the issue of reparations has already been dealt with.

Morawiecki said that despite some disagreements, the Polish-German relationship has developed well during Merkel's time at the helm, and thanked her for her cooperation.
The pandemic has shown Montanans the critical importance that small business plays in both our local and national economies. It was critical for entrepreneurs to immediately change their business models and pivot to a new way of selling their products and services overnight. The U.S. Small Business Administration is highlighting the resilience of Americas entrepreneurs and the renewal of the small business economy as they build back better from the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.

Though beating the pandemic is still front and center in moving our economy forward, our nation is still vulnerable to a variety of natural disasters including wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards and drought. History has shown that up to 25% of businesses that close because of disaster never reopen. All Montana businesses should develop a workable crisis preparedness plan that takes into consideration what we learned over the last 18 months from the pandemic. The following are six simple business strategies a business can use for future crises.

1. Evaluate your exposure. Know your community and the types of disasters most likely to impact your business. Consider your facilitys proximity to flood plains, wildfire areas, rivers and streams, and other hazards. Of course, the COVID 19 pandemic should be the first exposure issue on the list.
How should one best observe the anniversary of the horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001?

These annual commemorations have always been momentous and solemn occasions, and the attention of the American people is where it deserves to be  on the men, women and children who needlessly died that day. It is right and proper that our focus should be first and foremost on the tragic loss of those lives.

It is also right and proper that we should reflect on the lessons of 9/11 and how it came to pass that more than 2,600 Americans were killed over the course of a few hours that day. Even more importantly, we should ask ourselves whether the United States has learned the lessons of 9/11, and whether our government lived up to the commitment that encapsulates the post-9/11 admonition of the American people: Never Forget.

But it seems that our government may have forgotten the central lesson of 9/11  that loosely-governed lands over which the U.S. has little or no intelligence visibility create the permissive environment most attractive to terrorist organizations that desire to strike America. The collapse of Afghanistan into the arms of the Taliban has once again set the stage for that nation to host terrorist groups that target the West.
The Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville is the final resting place for those 40 heroes. The National Park Services website has a page dedicated to the Flight 93 Memorial, which says: The story of Flight 93 is a story of hope, courage, and unity. When confronted with the urgency of their situation, the passengers and crew of Flight 93 chose to act heroically and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. These 40 heroes made a democratic decision to fight back against terrorism, defending our freedom and preventing even further loss of life.

It is impossible to know, but it seems as if the 40 heroes understood the symbolism of our nations capital.

While the attacks on 9/11 and Jan. 6 cannot be compared, we should not dismiss the damage Jan. 6 did to our democracy. Many supporters of the former president do not want to call what happened on Jan. 6 an insurrection. By definition, that is exactly what happened.
Good evening. This is Heidi Bristol, principal at Salem Elementary School. The Burke County Health Department has informed us that we have a cluster of COVID-19 cases at our school. Based on local and state guidance, we do not need to move to remote learning for the school or particular classrooms at this time. We will have extra staff in the building this evening conducting a thorough cleaning. We ask that you continue to monitor for symptoms and keep your child home if he or she is sick. Please do not hesitate to call the school at 828-437-5901 if you have questions or concerns, and we thank you for your continued support of our school.
Childrens programming

Check out our new family storytime with Ms. Sandy at the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library. Zoom Patrol is every third Monday of the month and features Community Resource Officer Sgt. Eddie Marlowe. Septembers Zoom Patrol will be from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20. This program is being offered on Zoom, so be sure to call the library at 828-764-9283 to sign up for this exciting new feature. There is also a craft bag to accompany the storytime. If it is more convenient to pick up from the Morganton or Valdese locations, we can send your bags to either location for pickup. If you would like to pickup at Valdese or Morganton, please register by Sept. 15 to allow time for delivery and let a staff member at C.B. Hildebrand Public Library know that you would like this option.

Wowbrary

Get a jump on all the new books at the library by signing up for Wowbrary at Wowbrary.com. Every week Wowbrary will send you a list of all the new items added to the librarys collection. Click on an item to go to the librarys online catalog where you can place a request for the book. This service is made possible by the Friends of the Burke County Public Library and the Library Foundation of Burke County.

E-books @ your library
Yet a third tale speaks of a virtuous but ill-fated young wife who met with a grizzly end at the hands of her violent, unfaithful husband. Shortly after telling her friends that she was pregnant, the woman went missing. As local authorities began searching for her, the womans husband became increasingly agitated. Shortly afterward, he ran off with another woman, never to be seen or heard from again. The lights are said to be the murdered womans spirit, trying to lead authorities to her body.

In life and in literature, the purpose of folklore and folktales is to help us understand the nature of humanity and to create cultural unity through shared beliefs. Such stories were originally passed down by word of mouth or in song, equipping the listener with knowledge of local norms and establishing common ways of understanding and navigating the world.

These legends attempted to portray the lives of indigenous people, African Americans and women, doing so in ways that both revealed and reinforced their social status. The fierce, noble and spiritual Native, the self-sacrificing slave of the old Souths Lost Cause narrative and the innocent, helpless, victimized woman were commonly accepted depictions of these marginalized groups when the stories originated.

Pondering the stories that have been told, and thinking about the ones that have not, offers a glimpse into the meaning and methods of life for the early inhabitants and settlers of the area. Whether or not we ever uncover the science behind the mysterious Brown Mountain Lights, the folklore surrounding them provides a glimmer, little speckled dots of meaning that chronicle the accepted views and social beliefs of a time gone by.

Leslie McKesson is a member of the Morganton Writers Group.
Community Mass

9/11 Videos

This Harmony in Our Community Day and 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance Celebration of Courage and Honor virtual program was made to help encourage and foster harmony in our community and to honor the courage and memory of the first responders (then and now), and to honor all who have been willing to sacrifice for the health and well-being of others during this pandemic. It also was created to encourage and foster the creation of more harmonious communities with an attitude of greater mutual respect, a willingness to coexist, and a willingness to contribute ones own diverse skills and abilities to benefit the greater good.
Small businesses at the nearly empty Pleasure Island in the tourist district of Tumon are among the hundreds to apply on Day One of the application period of the Guam Economic Development Authority's $20 million small business pandemic assistance grant.
A sign against the coronavirus disease vaccine mandates is seen in the grass during a protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates at Summa Health Hospital in Akron, Ohio on Aug. 16, 2021.
FSM President David Panuelo expresses his appreciation to the Kosrae State Government and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their efforts in helping the FSM transition from Covid-19 free to Covid-19 protected.
Clarence Brooks gives the University of Guam Trident symbol while he waits to receive his Bachelor of Science in Nursing diploma at the universitys commencement ceremony in May at Paseo Stadium in Hagatna.
Want to get the immigration law enforced in CNMI? Then you lose unemployment benefits
Government will launch a website where businesses can report the damages they incurred during the devastating July riots.

The Sunday Times reports that the portal will go live on Monday 13 September and will ask affected businesses to quantify the loss they have suffered.

We have talked to various authorities, as well as the short-term insurers and the banks, but we realise there are still huge gaps in the information we have on the extent of damage suffered by businesses, including micro businesses such as spaza shops operating from peoples houses, said National Treasury deputy director-general Ismail Momoniat.

We want to see the extent of the damage, so we can make more informed decisions about whether government should review the support mechanisms currently in place  or improve the support facilities.

Treasury has allocated R3.75 billion towards supporting business affected by the riots, as well as for other related economic efforts.

However, government needs more information about which businesses were affected, as well as the financial implications they face, so that these businesses can resume their processes.

It matters a lot in terms of local communities, said Momoniat.

The businesses that suffered damage were often providing crucial lines of supply and services to households in their areas.

Sabric CEO Nischal Mewalall warned in August that the effect of the July riots will far exceed the direct impact they had on businesses.

Mewalall explained that millions of rand that was stolen during the riots was not dye-stained, meaning this money is likely to have been injected back in the economy and used to fund organised crime.

This money is the proceeds of crime and there is now a war chest available to fund more organised crime, to corrupt more officials and to promote lawlessness, said Mewalall.

The riots were believed to have impacted at least 1,227 ATMs and 310 bank branches, and Mewalall said it was deeply concerning how national intelligence was not prepared for these mass attacks.

There is great concern over the impact of intelligence failures and the states response to the eight consecutive days of civil unrest that resulted in unprecedented destruction of banking infrastructure in South Africa, said Mewalall.

The theft of R119,400,243 in hard cash is very concerning.

Following the impact of the July riots, there have been concerns that those who instigated the civil unrest in the name of former president Jacob Zuma would do so again.

Such a situation was predicted for 23 August, and the South African Police Service (SAPS) prepared accordingly, but the threat did not come to pass.

The public is urged not to respond to calls for violence and criminality and is discouraged from participating in activities that seek to defy the rule of law, said Police Ministry Spokesperson Lirandzu Themba.

Private security firms like Fidelity were also prepared for renewed rioting, and these teams worked with their customers on contingency plans should future unrest occur.
An anonymous Gauteng lawyer has told Rapport that millions of pieces of personal information were leaked in the recent ransomware attack suffered by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

The Master of the High Courts files contain bank details and secure access to guardians funds sensitive beneficiaries, said the lawyer.

This data could easily be sold on the dark web, the lawyer added.

Department spokesperson Steve Mahlangu confirmed that the attack had caused our systems to be encrypted and unavailable to employees and the public.

However, Mahlangu argued that there is no indication that data have been compromised.

Security industry veteran Anna Collard strongly doubts Mahlangus statement.

Ransomware criminals encrypt your data and, if you do not pay the ransom, the next step is to release your data on the dark web or sell it to a third party, Collard explained to City Press.

The departments data must be in danger.

According to Rapport, the State IT Agencys (Sita) protective barrier to the Department of Justices servers was affected.

Sita head of communications Tlali Tlali said their network has not been invaded by the cyberattack in any way.

SITA is responsible for providing services to government departments. However, there are areas where SITA is not involved, said Tlali.

We conducted a full investigation into the wellbeing of our environment on Tuesday and found no breaks or abnormalities on our network.

The ransomware attack occurred on the evening of 6 September and caused all of the justice departments information systems to be encrypted and rendered unavailable  both internally and to the public.

This includes all electronic services provided by the department, including bail services, email, letters of authority, and bail services.

Child Maintenance payments for month-end have already been processed and will therefore not be impacted by the current system outage, said the department.

The attack forced courts to use manual recording equipment so that cases could continue as scheduled, and a manual process was also used to provide the families of deceased individuals with the appropriate documentation to conduct burials.

Interestingly, this attack occurred almost a year after a ransomware attack was conducted on the systems of the Office of the Chief Justice. Ransomware gang DoppelPaymer claimed responsibility at the time.

It is unclear at this point if these attacks are related.

Website outages unrelated

Tlali shut down speculation that widespread government website outages were related to this ransomware attack.

Tlali said that the website outages were due to infrastructure-related issues.

Some of our customers did not have Internet services because underground internet cables were damaged on Friday morning, explained Tlali.

Websites that were affected by this issue include:

South African government  http://www.gov.za

South African Police Services  https://www.saps.gov.za/

City of Tshwane  https://www.tshwane.gov.za

Department of Communications and Digital Technologies  https://www.dtps.gov.za/

Department of Environmental Affairs  http://www.environment.gov.za/

Department of Education  http://www.education.gov.za/

Department of Home Affairs  http://dha.gov.za/

Department of Science and Innovation  http://www.dst.gov.za/

Department of Transport  http://www.transport.gov.za/

Government Communication and Information Systems  https://gcis.gov.za/

SA News  https://www.sanews.gov.za/

Tlali confirmed that these websites were back online by the end of Friday.

Now read: Department of Justice hit with ransomware attack
President Cyril Ramaphosa will address South Africa at 20h00 on Sunday, 12 September 2021, the Presidency has announced.

The Presidents address follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council, the Presidents Coordinating Council and Cabinet, the Presidency said in a statement.

As South Africa rolls out its Covid19 vaccination programme, government and social partners are continuously monitoring infection, treatment, recovery and vaccination rates, rates as well as compliance with health regulations and other prevention measures.

It is expected that Ramaphosa will announce a relaxation in South Africas lockdown restrictions to an adjusted Alert Level 2.

Under South Africas previous level 2 lockdown rules, the curfew was between 23:00 and 04:00, alcohol sales were completely unrestricted, and larger gatherings were permitted.

An earlier report on News24 said that the shorter curfew, and gatherings of up to 100 people indoors and 250 outdoors were on the cards.

However, government was considering keeping some restrictions in place for the alcohol industry.

An extra day for liquor sales was expected, allowing alcohol to be sold for off-site consumption from Monday to Friday.

According to Rapport on Sunday, Ramaphosas councils have considered allowing the sale of alcohol for off-site consumption on weekends.

On-site alcohol consumption would remain unrestricted, within the limitations of the curfew.

The Presidency said that Ramaphosas address would be broadcast and streamed on a range of platforms that are accessible to South Africans and international audiences.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that South Africa will move to an adjusted lockdown alert level 2 from Monday, 13 September 2021.

Government will relax restrictions on mass gatherings and the sale of alcohol, and the hours of curfew will be shortened.

Alcohol sales for off-site consumption will be restricted to between Monday and Friday from 10:00 to 18:00.

On-site alcohol consumption at restaurants will still be allowed as per their licence conditions, up to 22:00.

The hours of curfew will be shortened by an hour to between 23:00 and 04:00, and public gatherings will be limited to 250 people indoors and 500 outdoors.

There is still a need for a curfew, Ramaphosa stated.

Non-essential facilities like restaurants, bars, and fitness centres will need to close at 22:00 to allow staff to return home before curfew.

This move [to 250 people indoors] is based on consultations from the medical advisory committee, and the submissions received, said Ramaphosa.

Where a venue cant accommodate the full 250 indoors or 500 people outdoors, it is limited to 50% of its rated capacity.

These measures will be reviewed in two weeks time, depending on the status of the pandemic, Ramaphosa said.

Funerals are restricted to 50 people.

The relaxation in lockdown alert level comes as South Africa appears to have crested the peak of its third wave of coronavirus infections and is seeing a consistent downward trend in new cases and hospitalisations.

South Africas vaccination effort has also picked up pace, with over 200,000 doses per day being administered during the week.

Media Hacks vaccination tracker on The Outlier shows that South Africa has administered an average of 179,998 vaccinations per day over the past week.

According to official statistics, the country had administered 3,229,189 Johnson & Johnson vaccines and 11,461,397 Pfizer-BioNTech doses, for a total of 14,690,586 vaccine doses administered by 17:00 on Sunday.

The Pfizer vaccine requires two shots to be fully effective, and a total of 3,970,216 people have received both shots in South Africa.

South Africa, therefore, has fully vaccinated 7,199,405 individuals.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) said that the current surge in Covid19 infections seems to show signs of a sustained downward trend.

It reported on Sunday that there were 3,961 new Covid19 cases in South Africa during the past 24 hours, representing an 11% positivity rate.

The National Department of Health reported a further 126 Covid19 related deaths had been reported, bringing South Africas total fatalities to 84,877 to date.

Senior CSIR researcher Ridhwaan Suliman analysed the past weeks Covid19 statistics from the NICD, which showed week-on-week declines:

Cases: 29%

Tests: 8%

Test positivity: 12.4%

Hospitalisations: 23%

Deaths: 25%
At the Register, elections nights were always special. After weeks of coverage of candidates and issues, us news junkies would finally find out who and what won. We felt part of the drama.

When Napa Countys Registrar of Voters John Tuteur posted a notice on Facebook in July seeking temporary election workers, I said count me in. Not only am I a big believer in democracy, Id be happy to earn $900 staffing a community vote center.

Apparently, I aced the phone interview and nothing alarming turned up when the FBI examined my fingerprints. The next thing I knew, I was taking oaths to uphold the constitutions of the state of California and the United States.

This would be my first paycheck from an entity that wasnt the Napa Valley Register in nearly a half-century. It would also be my first opportunity to wear collared shirts since leaving the paper in June.

Cheryl congratulated me for getting off my duff. She didnt put it that way, obviously, but she did appreciate my initiative to shake things up.

There are four categories of vote center workers. I got assigned to a job for newbies at the American Canyon center.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California's Secretary of State said Friday she won't require a more rigorous audit of next week's recall election results that could remove Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, saying concerns about the security of the state's election management system are inaccurate.

A group of eight election security experts  including computer scientists, election technology experts and cybersecurity researchers  said the audit is needed after copies of Dominion Voting System's election management system were released publicly last month at an event organized by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.

The experts, who detailed their concerns in a letter to Secretary of State Shirly Weber last week, said the management system is very similar to the one used in 40 of Californias 58 counties, adding the threat cannot be fully defended against by technical means.

But Weber, a Democrat who was appointed to the job by Newsom earlier this year, said it's not possible to conduct the type of audit the experts requested on such short notice. She said that audit requires significant preparation, training and testing," adding that nearly all of the state's local elections officers had never done this type of audit before.
Its been two decades since that horrific morning when an assault from the sky caused New Yorks two iconic towers to erupt in flames and left an entire nation feeling it was under attack.

The gas masks, the bottles of water, the wads of bills and the other protective measures stockpiled in the ensuing weeks to prepare for the next emergency are mostly forgotten.

Though terrorists still strike  as they did in killing 13 U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans during the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan -- enhanced domestic security and alertness have kept the American homeland safe.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 6 months!

Still, 9/11 stands as one of those significant crossroads in U.S. history, a fearsome prelude for a series of 21st century blows to our well-being, though its death toll of 3,000 pales alongside the pandemic that has killed more than 200 times that many Americans  and several million elsewhere.

For many of us who lived through it, it will always be one of those days vividly etched in memory, like when assassins gunned down John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Armenia Deputy PM: There won't be surprises in terms of natural gas price in the near future

EU Special Representative, Azerbaijan FM discuss situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Armenia health minister: Authorities have the right to adopt restrictive measures to maintain public health

Armenia PM: Azerbaijan has always declared that it plans to resolve Karabakh conflict militarily

Husband of Armenian pregnant woman who died from COVID-19 shares true story about wife's death

Armenia culture minister: Authorities raise issue of state of Armenian monuments on all platforms

Armenian PM: Panels and footholds were placed since Goris-Kapan road is beyond Armenia's border

Azerbaijan Internal Affairs Ministry confirms detention of two Iranian truck drivers

Armenia PM: Government is ready to consider signals coming from Ankara

Pashinyan: Armenia and Karabakh will do everything possible to make sure route through Lachin corridor remains unchanged

Armenia Ararat Province ex-deputy governor appointed chief of Penitentiary Service

Armenia PM to leave for Tajikistan on working visit

Deputy Mayor of Armenia's Goris: Armenian drivers told me Azerbaijanis had stopped their trucks and checked them

Armenia MOD holds discussion devoted to planning of budget for 2022, makes certain adjustments

Armenia PM refutes news about secret negotiations with Baku

Digest: US doesn't consider issue of Nagorno-Karabakh issue resolved, latest on COVID-19

Armenia army's General Staff chief receives newly appointed US Military Attache

Armenia PM states reason why he used Azerbaijani toponyms to describe situation in Syunik Province

Deputy Mayor of Armenia's Goris: Azerbaijani police detained 2 Iranian drivers in Vorotan

8 international ombudspersons to participate in Russia's elections as experts, including Armenia's Ombudsman

Armenia Security Council Secretary meets with Russian counterpart in Dushanbe

Azerbaijanis celebrate anniversary of Armenian pogrom in Baku with military parade in Artsakhs occupied Shushi

Azerbaijani police detain two Iranian truck drivers on Armenia's Goris-Kapan road

Iran embassy in Armenia on situation on Goris-Kapan motorway section: Elimination of road obstacles is topical

Armenia FM unable to travel to Dushanbe due to aircraft engine malfunction

Armenia government officials answering questions from MPs (LIVE)

Armenia Labor and Social Affairs Ministry to carry out new social support program for displaced citizens of Artsakh

Armenia finance minister receives Japan Ambassador

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief receives Latvian State Revenue Service's Police Department delegation

CSTO Collective Security Council to discuss urgent security issues, Armenia PM to also attend meeting

Friendship group with India to soon be set up again in legislature, says Armenia parliament speaker

Armenian doctors protesting near Prosecutor General's Office in support of Armen Charchyan

Toivo Klaar: Important to reduce tensions on border to contribute to better climate for negotiations

Turkey, Azerbaijan air forces holding joint military exercises

Zas: CSTO foreign and defense ministers councils next meeting will be held in Armenia

PACE regrets tragic humanitarian consequences of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Russia deputy FM, Red Cross president discuss humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

US does not consider Karabakh status issue resolved, says envoy to Armenia

US government to provide $9.5m to combat corruption in Armenia

Opposition Armenia Bloc holds meeting chaired by ex-President Kocharyan (PHOTOS)

Armenia Security Council chief: Azerbaijan policy is obviously provocative

Armenia Administrative Court terminates proceedings on case of army General Staff ex-chief vs. President, PM

Prosecution insists that Armenia 2nd president Kocharyans pretrial measure, amount of bail not be changed

5 new cases of coronavirus reported in Karabakh

Armenia President receives Russia counterparts special representative on international cultural cooperation

Armenia Police special forces apprehend fallen soldiers relative from outside government building

Xi Jinping denies personal meeting with Biden

Baku celebrates 'liberation' from Armenians

Survey: 48.4% of displaced Artsakh residents moved to Armenia (VIDEO)

756 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

World oil prices going up

Politico: European Commission chiefs classified speech found in trash

Armenia Court of Appeal continues considering appeal of case on ex-President Kocharyan, some other former officials

Biden: Extreme weather events will cost more than $100bn in damages this year

Newspaper: Armenia authorities agree to opposition proposal to hold parliament session on Goris-Kapan road issue

Newspaper: Armenia authorities send Karabakh Security Council chief as envoy to imprisoned opposition MP

Energy security expert: Artsakh economic growth averaged 10.5% since 2000

UN General Assembly 76th session kicks off in New York

Karabakh President's spokesperson: Azerbaijanis shoot in direction of Taghavard village, no victims

Armenia Investigative Committee: Battalion commander who was on-duty in Karabakh's Khtsaberd village is arrested

Trilateral MoC signed to raise level of seismic safety of Armenian Nuclear Power Plant to the highest level

Armenia opposition MP: Authorities didn't help Ombudsman prepare report on tortures of Armenian citizens in Baku

Hanged body of 44-year-old serviceman of Armenia MOD found in village

Armenia opposition MP slams parliamentary committee chairman's statement

Police apprehend armed student at Yerevan metro station

Azerbaijanis demand punishing Member of the Russian State Duma Vitaly Milonov

Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker receives Russia President's Special Representative

Armenia President grants high state award to chess grandmaster Elina Danielyan

Armenia PM appoints deputy economy minister

Putin holds phone talks with Iranian counterpart

Armenia Supreme Judicial Council chairman on his relations with PM Nikol Pashinyan

Karabakh President meets with journalists and editors of country's Free Artsakh newspaper

US Embassy in Armenia to Baku: Only comprehensive solution can help normalize Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

Armenia President receives Slovakia FM

Armenia defense minister's mother dies

Armenia parliament's foreign relations committee chairman meets with Ukrainian MPs

Armenia Syunik Province governor meets with newly appointed US Deputy Ambassador

Monument to heroes who took revenge over Armenian Genocide organizers to be placed in Yerevan

Armenia Parliament Speaker receives Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister-led delegation

Digest: Protests being held in Yerevan, more on COVID-19 in Armenia

Yerevan mayor: Not going to resign

Dollar still going down in Armenia

Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of 1 Armenian serviceman found in Varanda

Armenia Cassation Court has new judge

PACE recommends holding debates over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Afghanistan situation

National Archives of Armenia and Iran to sign memorandum within scope of cooperation

Armenia PM, Gazprom Management Committee chairman discuss Armenian-Russian energy partnership

Armenia Deputy PM participates in session of Eurasian Economic Commission's Council

Police apprehend Yerevan neighborhood resident on hunger, water strike

Armenia Ambassador to Ukraine: Aim of intergovernmental commission is to take steps to unblock communication

Deceased serviceman's little brother born at medical center in Armenia's Etchmiadzin

Taliban denies war crimes charges against human rights defenders

Armenia PM, Slovakia FM discuss Karabakh peace process

Criminal case opened into death of Armenia soldier, another one receiving gunshot wounds

Biden: You either keep Gavin Newsom as your governor or you'll get Donald Trump

Armenia Investigative Committee former chair, ex-Prosecutor Generals arrest appealed

4 of Yerevan neighborhood residents protesting outside city hall apprehended

Frances Macron makes social media post in Armenian

Iran ambassador tries to discuss, with Azerbaijan presidential aide, demarche against Iranian trucks in Armenia

4 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh
Shining Path founder Guzman dies in prison aged 86

Guzman founded the Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, transforming it from a ragtag band of peasants and radical students into Latin America's most stubborn guerrilla force. File photo: AFP

Abimael Guzman, leader of the Shining Path rebels who nearly toppled the Peruvian state in a bloody Maoist revolution, died on Saturday while in prison and following several weeks of poor health, the government said. He was 86.



Guzman was captured in 1992 in Lima and jailed for the rest of his life after being convicted as a terrorist. He died one day before the anniversary of his capture, when he was paraded in front of the press in a striped white and black uniform that is not normally used in Peru.



Susana Silva, head of Peru's prison system, told RPP radio on Saturday that Guzman had been ill in recent months and had been released from a hospital in early August.



She said his health condition worsened in the past two days, without elaborating further, adding Guzman was set to receive more medical attention on Saturday but died in his cell around 6:40 a.m. local time (1140 GMT). Defence minister Walter Ayala said Guzman had died of a "generalized infection."



"The terrorist leader Abimael Guzman has died, responsible for the loss of an uncountable number of lives" tweeted President Pedro Castillo. "Our position condemning terrorism is firm and unwavering. Only in democracy will we build a just Peru."



A former philosophy professor, Guzman was a lifelong communist who travelled to China in the late 1960s and was awed by Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution. He resolved to bring Mao's brand of communism to Peru through a class war that he launched in 1980 on the day that Peru held its first democratic elections following over a decade of military dictatorship.



Guzman founded the Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, transforming it from a ragtag band of peasants and radical students into Latin America's most stubborn guerrilla force. An estimated 69,000 people, mostly in Peru's poor interior, were killed between 1980 and 2000 in the internal conflict launched by the Shining Path, mostly in indigenous Andean communities.



Shining Path's bold and immaculately planned attacks, its networks of informants and spies, and Guzman's uncanny ability to evade arrest gave him an almost legendary reputation for seeming to be in all places at once.



During years of fighting, he had been rumored to be dead, gravely ill, or living a comfortable life in Europe.



In 1980, after years of preparation, Guzman, a former university professor, led a band of supporters into the Andes Mountains outside the town of Ayacucho.



Armed with shotguns, dynamite and machetes, they began attacking security forces, elected officials and peasants who resisted their indoctrination with a fervour and ruthlessness never seen in a Latin American rebel group.



Fanning out from the Southern city of Ayacucho, the Shining Path attracted thousands more militants from poor peasant communities and universities.



People in the capital city of Lima got their first taste of the Shining Path in 1981 when guerrillas hung dozens of dead dogs from lampposts - "the dogs of capitalism," said signs pinned to the animals.



By the late 1980s, the group had become such a threat to the state that two-thirds of Peruvians lived in areas under emergency rule - essentially, martial law.



His followers called Guzman the Fourth Sword of Marxism, after Marx, Lenin and Mao, and idolized him in revolutionary chants, songs, posters and literature.



His few written works, though little esteemed by Marxist academics, became like mantras for Shining Path followers who repeated his sayings as if they were biblical truths.



Shining Path propaganda posters showed the bespectacled Guzman towering over peasant masses and guerrilla armies, pointing with one hand and holding Mao's revolutionary "Little Red Book" in the other.



But the first image most Peruvians saw of Guzman was anything but revolutionary. Apparently drunk, he danced to the main tune of the film Zorba the Greek and posed for snapshots with supporters in a Shining Path video captured by police in 1990 and shown on television.



The video made it clear he was alive and still in charge, but it punctured his reputation for austerity and demoralised Shining Path militants.



Nevertheless, their attacks intensified, leading then-President Alberto Fujimori to seize near-dictatorial powers, in what he said was an attempt to crush the revolt.



After Guzman was captured by police at a spacious safe house in a middle-class neighbourhood of Lima in 1992, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.



The Shining Path largely collapsed as a military threat, although remnants remain to this day. Authorities say that rebels claiming to belong to a dissident faction of the Shining Path killed 16 people in a remote jungle area just this year.



In 2018, Guzman was given a second life sentence for a 1992 Lima car bomb attack that killed 25 people.



Guzman's first wife, Augusta La Torre, died in mysterious circumstances in the late 1980s. In 2010, he married his longtime girlfriend, Elena Iparraguirre, who, like Guzman, is serving a life sentence. Both women were Shining Path leaders. (Reuters)
Hong Kong records three imported Covid cases

Tung Shun Hing Building, where one Covid patient lives, is being put under a compulsory testing order. Photo: RTHK

Health authorities recorded three new imported Covid-19 cases on Sunday  with two of the cases confirmed to be carrying the L452R mutant strain.



The two patients  a 31-year-old woman who had flown in from Israel and a 36-year-old woman who flew in from Qatar  had received both doses of the BioNTech vaccine in Hong Kong and their blood samples tested positive for anti-spike protein antibodies in July and August.



Officials noted the woman who flew into the city from Qatar had travelled to Nigeria on August 22, and tested negative for the virus on the day prior to her departure.



She tested positive for the coronavirus upon her return to Hong Kong on September 10, when she also developed symptoms.



The woman lives in Tung Shun Hing Building in To Kwa Wan and last went to work at the Lee & Man Commercial Centre in North Point on August 21. Authorities say these buildings will come under a compulsory testing order as a precautionary measure.



As for the third confirmed case  a 42-year-old man who arrived in Hong Kong from Japan  health officials have not yet confirmed whether he also carries the L452R mutant strain. However, they noted he has an epidemiological link with a confirmed case who was carrying the strain.



Meanwhile, there are fewer than five preliminary cases.



Hong Kong has recorded 12,145 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Qatar foreign minister visits Kabul

Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, has met senior officials of the new Afghan regime. File Photo: AFP

Qatar's foreign minister held talks in Afghanistan on Sunday, becoming the most senior official to visit the country since the Taliban's takeover on August 15.



A Taliban official tweeted that Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met senior officials of the new Afghan regime, although details were not disclosed.



The group released pictures of Sheikh Mohammad meeting new Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, while photographs of him with former president Hamid Karzai circulated on social media.



In Doha, the foreign ministry confirmed he held meetings with the new Afghan government as well as with Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, former chief peace negotiator for the ousted government.



Sheikh Mohammad "urged the Afghan officials to engage all Afghan parties in the national reconciliation", it said.



The talks covered "latest developments regarding the operation of Kabul airport and ensuring freedom of passage and travel for all", it said in a statement.



The ministry said "the two sides stressed the importance of concerted efforts to combat terrorist organisations".



Qatar has long acted as a mediator on Afghanistan, hosting the Taliban's talks with the United States under former president Donald Trump, and then with the now deposed Afghan government of president Ashraf Ghani.



It is also supporting tens of thousands of Afghans who were evacuated in the final weeks of the US-led occupation as they are processed before heading to other nations.



No country has yet formally recognised the new Taliban government  and only three did during the first rule of the hardline Islamists from 1996 to 2001. (AFP)
Associated Press

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday reversed the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an Australian woman in 2017, saying the charge doesn't fit the circumstances in the case. Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual U.S.-Australian citizen who called 911 to report a possible sexual assault behind her home. The ruling means his murder conviction is overturned and the case will now go back to the district court, where he will be sentenced on the manslaughter count.
Celebrities have taken lots of fashion risks at the Met Gala over the years. Larry Busacca/Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The Met Gala is known as the Oscars of fashion thanks to the bold looks stars wear on the red carpet.

Celebrities like Rihanna and Katy Perry always steal the show with their memorable looks.

Other standouts include Jennifer Lopez's sheer dress in 2015 and Zendaya's chain-link outfit in 2018.

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In 2000, Demi Moore stood out in a gold Donna Karan dress complete with draped fabric across the front and the bottom.

Demi Moore and Donna Karan attend the 2000 Met Gala. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images

Moore accessorized her look with diamond jewelry and a matching gold clutch.

Nicole Kidman arrived at the 2003 Met Gala wearing a dazzling one-shoulder Tom Ford dress that was sheer along the sleeve and her chest.

Nicole Kidman attends the 2003 Met Gala. Mark Mainz/Getty Images

She paired the bedazzled dress with chandelier-like earrings and a silver clutch.

Cate Blanchett embraced fringe in a golden Balenciaga gown at the 2007 Met Gala.

Cate Blanchett attends the 2007 Met Gala. Brian Zak/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Blanchett added a pop of color to her gold look by wearing emerald earrings.

Christina Ricci's Givenchy dress at the 2008 Met Gala was the perfect blend of chic and edgy.

Christina Ricci attends the 2008 Met Gala. Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

The dress featured pink tulle draped over a red corset, which she paired with a shiny red clutch.

In 2011, Beyonce looked chic in a custom Emilio Pucci mermaid gown with gold embroidery and a high neckline.

Beyonce attends the 2011 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Beyonce let the dress stand out by wearing very minimal jewelry.

Scarlett Johansson looked ethereal at the 2012 Met Gala in an off-the-shoulder gown with crystal embellishments and a tulle skirt from Dolce & Gabbana.

Scarlett Johansson attends the 2012 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Johansson also wore a bracelet and small earrings that were covered by her loose hairstyle.

Ashley Olsen opted for a pop of color in 2013 in a vintage orange Dior gown.

Ashley Olsen attends the 2013 Met Gala. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty Images

Olsen's gown had a sheer overlay and embroidered flowers.

In 2014, Erykah Badu wore a black jumpsuit with a crystal-covered coat, a matching silk headscarf, and a wool hat - all of which were designed by Givenchy.

Erykah Badu attends the 2014 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

She paired the black-and-white look with oversized earrings and rings.

Beyonce nailed it again in 2014 when she attended the gala in a sheer Givenchy dress.

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Beyonce attends the 2014 Met Gala. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

She paired it with a birdcage headpiece, burgundy lipstick, and dark chandelier earrings.

Jennifer Lopez's sheer Versace dress at the 2015 Met Gala is one of the most iconic "naked" dresses ever worn by a celebrity.

Jennifer Lopez attends the 2015 Met Gala. Larry Busacca/Getty Images

She wore the gown with a red clutch and simple jewelry.

Anne Hathaway made a statement in a gold Ralph Lauren gown that had cap sleeves and a hood at the 2015 Met Gala.

Anne Hathaway attends the 2015 Met Gala. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Hathaway kept it simple with some diamond earrings and rings.

At the 2015 Met Gala, Beyonce turned heads in a sheer Givenchy dress that had perfectly placed jewels.

Beyonce attends the 2015 Met Gala. George Pimentel/WireImage/Getty Images

Beyonce wore minimal jewelry so that all eyes were on her stunning dress.

Rihanna's Guo Pei gown from 2015 is one of the most iconic Met Gala looks to date.

Rihanna attends the 2015 Met Gala. Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images

The look became the subject of constant memes, with people comparing the oversized gown to everything from pizza to scrambled eggs.

Lupita Nyong'o looked elegant in a green, sequined Calvin Klein dress at the 2016 Met Gala, but her hairstyle was the real highlight of her look.

Lupita Nyong'o attends the 2016 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Nyong'o accessorized her gown with diamond rings and bracelets.

Emmy Rossum looked chic at the 2017 Met Gala in a Carolina Herrera jumpsuit with a giant bow on her hip.

Emmy Rossum attends the 2017 Met Gala. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/Getty Images

She completed the look with Fred Leighton jewelry.

Kendall Jenner wore one of her most daring looks to date at the 2017 Met Gala. Her La Perla gown featured 85,000 crystals, a thigh-high slit, and a cutout across her chest and stomach.

Kendall Jenner attends the 2017 Met Gala. Karwai Tang/WireImage

"The entire gown is made from one piece of string," Julia Haart, the former La Perla creative director, told Elle. "It's a very strong, very flexible, incredibly thin piece of nylon, and we've strung 85,000 crystals onto it. "

Blake Lively looked regal at the 2018 Met Gala in a Versace gown that took more than 600 hours to make.

Blake Lively attends the 2018 Met Gala. Taylor Hill/Getty Images

"This year's may be my favorite dress ever," she told Vogue at the time. "They've already worked on it for 600 hours, and it's not done."

Lively paired the one-of-a-kind dress with custom-made Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

"I just sent Lorraine Schwartz and Christian Louboutin my dress, and said, 'OK, let's do something special,'" Lively told Women's Wear Daily. "They're making something custom for it. So it's kind of nice because I have a bunch of artists around me who I have direct relationships with."

For the 2018 "Heavenly Bodies" event, Rihanna wore an outfit inspired by the pope.

Rihanna attends the 2018 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

She arrived at the Met Gala in a pearl and jewel-encrusted robe designed by Margiela.

Lena Waithe made a statement at the 2018 Met Gala by wearing a rainbow cape and suit designed by Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera.

Lena Waithe attends the 2018 Met Gala. Angela Weiss/Getty Images

In an interview with Vogue, Waithe said she wanted to show her support for the LGBTQ community.

Priyanka Chopra looked chic in a burgundy velvet Ralph Lauren gown topped off with a gold beaded hood that took over 250 hours to make.

Priyanka Chopra attends the 2018 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

In a 2018 Instagram post, Ralph Lauren said the dress was made by hand using Swarovski crystals and beads.

Zendaya embodied Joan of Arc at the 2018 Met Gala in a custom Versace gown that had an armor-like neck-and-shoulder piece, chain mail, a spiked belt, and a train.

Zendaya attends the 2018 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Zendaya paired the custom dress with silver heels and Tiffany & Co. jewelry.

Cardi B made an entrance in a huge feathered oxblood gown by Thom Browne and a Stephen Jones headpiece.

Cardi B attends the 2019 Met Gala. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty Images

The gown had a 9-foot long train and took 3,000 hours and 35 people to create, according to Vogue.

Browne told the outlet that he was inspired by the female form.

"I designed this dress for Cardi specifically because she has the ultimate beauty in a woman's body, and that is what the dress is about for me: taking advantage of that beauty," he said.

Billy Porter arrived at the 2019 event dressed as an Egyptian Sun God.

Billy Porter attends the 2019 Met Gala. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images

The actor wore a gold bodysuit and robe by The Blonds that even had wings.

At the 2019 star-studded event, Celine Dion wore an Oscar de la Renta leotard that was designed with a metallic fringe.

Celine attends the 2019 Met Gala. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty Images

The gown weighed 22 pounds, and that didn't include the huge feathered headpiece she wore to match, according to InStyle.

At the 2019 Met Gala, Ciara wore an emerald-green Dundas gown that had cutouts across her torso and a thigh-high slit.

Ciara attends the 2019 Met Gala. arwai Tang/Getty Images

Ciara paired the emerald dress with matching gloves, hair accessories, and shoes.

Katy Perry arrived at the 2019 event dressed as a chandelier in a sparkly silver Moschino dress.

Katy Perry attends the 2019 Met Gala. Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

Perry wore shoes designed by Moschino to complete the look.

Kim Kardashian made her entrance at the 2019 Met Gala in a skin-tight Mugler dress.

Kim Kardashian attends the 2019 Met Gala. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Kardashian said on Twitter that the dress was inspired by Sophia Loren's character in the 1957 film "Boy on a Dolphin."

Lady Gaga made an entrance at the 2019 Met Gala with four outfit changes on the carpet.

Lady Gaga attends the 2019 Met Gala. MARIO ANZUONI/Reuters

All of Gaga's looks were designed by Brandon Maxwell.

Naomi Campbell looked stunning at the 2019 Met Gala in a lilac Valentino Couture gown and a feather cape.

Naomi Campbell attends the 2019 Met Gala. Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage/Getty Images

The dress had thigh-high slits and deep cuts in the front and sides.

Zendaya outdid herself at the 2019 Met Gala by dressing as Cinderella in a light-up Tommy Hilfiger gown.

Zendaya attends the 2019 Met Gala. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty Images

She accessorized with a bag shaped like the Disney character's carriage.

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Four Minnesota women are the first Salvation Army Northern Division volunteers heading to Louisiana, and more are expected in the coming weeks to help in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

"We expect to have teams down there for months. This is not something that will end when these folks come back," said division spokesman Dan Furry.

On Sunday, the women headed south to relieve Salvation Army volunteers who have been working the past few weeks. They will return to Minnesota in two weeks, when the next rotation of Northern Division volunteers will take over.

Rebecca Snapp, director of community engagement at the Salvation Army in Rochester, is on her first deployment, along with veteran volunteers Susan Marsh and Marie Putnam, as well as Anne McGuire, who are all from the Twin Cities.

Putnam has been busy volunteering with the Salvation Army this year, going from the Red River Valley during flood season and to the Superior National Forest this summer to help during the ongoing but now mostly contained wildfires.

Furry said Putnam has been on a half-dozen long-distance deployments around the region. She and the three other volunteers will be working at the mobile feeding unit stationed in Gonzales, a midway point between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

As soon as Ida hit, the Northern Division began assembling teams to relieve those Salvation Army teams around the south who were the first to respond, Furry said.

He said there is no such thing as "short-term disasters" and the North Division will help as long as needed because the damage wreaked by Ida is second only to Katrina.

Ida caused substantial flooding and power failures. In response, the Salvation Army deployed 38 mobile feeding units to serve areas most affected. So far the organization has served 389,000 meals from nearly 200 trained disaster workers that have provided 12,000 hours of service.

Kim Hyatt  612-673-4751
Group of zebras in Tarangire National Park / Tanzania. Getty Images/Stock photo

Five zebras escaped from a private farm in a Maryland town 20 miles from the US Capitol.

Officials told WJLA they have a plan to slowly catch the animals and take them back to the farm.

Authorities said the zebras are not dangerous but can be easily spooked.

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Five zebras have been wandering around a Maryland town for possibly more than 10 days now, several outlets reported.

The zebras, which escaped from a private 300-acre farm, have been frolicking through the roads of Prince George's County, Maryland, NBC News reported.

Three of the zebras were first reported to officials on August 31st.

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"Zebras running loose in Prince George's County is something we've never seen, that's for sure," Rodney Taylor, chief of Prince George's County Animal Services Division, told NBC News. "There's a buzz. A lot of people are talking about it."

Paul Curling told The New York Times that his 10-year-old daughter, Layla, spotted them on the railroad tracks behind their home.

"Mommy, I know you're not going to believe this, but trust me when I tell you: I just saw some zebras behind the house," Layla told her mom last week, Curling said.

Curling said no one believed her until they saw a zebra from a bedroom window and couldn't believe their eyes.

"We've all been pretty much looking and glancing around ever since to see if they possibly make a reappearance," Curling told NBC News.

The farm from which the zebras escaped is located in Upper Marlboro, about 20 miles from the Capitol. It's owned by Jerry Holly, who is legally licensed by the Department of Agriculture to have 39 zebras.

The zebras were brought to the farm about two weeks ago from Florida, the Times reported. It's not clear why Holly has the zebras, according to the Times.

Taylor told WJLA that the zebras are not dangerous.

"They won't attack you," he said. "Please do not try to corner them or try to catch them. They're not used to being handled by humans, so they will kick - zebras do bite - so please if you happen to see them, just give us a call and let us know, but please stay away."

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Taylor told WJLA feeding stations have been set up to win "their confidence" and the zebras have been eating there every morning. He said they'll slowly add corral panels to create a confined area for the zebras, tranquilize them, and then take them back to the farm.

To prevent people from trying to find and potentially frighten the zebras, Taylor won't reveal the location of the feeding stations.

"If you spook them, you're just pushing them further out. And that's when it can get dangerous, they can get out on the highway, [and other] things can happen," Taylor said.

Read the original article on Insider
Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty

Hes the English-tweeting, shitposting Afghan Taliban fanboy whos found fame marketing the groups brutal cultural policies to the far right in its favorite language of messageboard memesand Malang Khostay is enjoying his moment.

Despite the hype of his myriad Western Twitter followers, Khostay isnt a member of the Taliban or its spokesman (although he says hes looking for a job in the new government). But after the Taliban took control over Afghanistan, he rose to demi-celebrity status among a Western far-right audience eager to have its cultural politics affirmed by a group thats been ascendant against the same institutions it despises. And Khostay has been only too happy to give the people what they want in meme after meme.

Well, I am not an official Taliban right now, I am just their social media supporter he told The Daily Beast in a Twitter direct message interview. I am the only one from the Taliban talking to westerners in the meme language which they like most. Its a little bit funny also.

Gen Zs Alt-Right Declares New Hero: the Taliban

While not a Taliban official or member, Khostay is close enough for the Westerners eager to be noticed by a group whose homophobia, misogyny, and antisemitism they appreciate.

For better or worse, its also established Khostay as a pundit and unofficial Taliban intermediary for more mainstream Westerners ignorant of the group and in search of a convenient, social media-accessible interlocutor who can offer them an explanation of Afghanistans new government.

According to Khostay, his 35,000 Twitter followerswhich include a devoted audience of far-right troll accounts and 4Chan celebritieshave flooded his inbox with soo many direct messages professing an interest, real or ironic, in visiting Afghanistan.

That following also made him a sought after panel host for Twitters Clubhouse-like live audio feature, Spaces. In Spaces panels, Khostay now presents himself as an unofficial Taliban explainer-in-chief for the online West. He co-hosts and moderates discussions where panelists put a happy sheen on the future of fake news and women's issues in Afghanistan and protesting and journalism in Afghanistan for audiences of both his troll followers and blue-check Western pundits and journalists as the militant group in control of the country beats reporters and whips women protesters.

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Khostays appeal on social media and among the far right stems in part from a mistaken impression of Afghanistan and the Talibans supporters as ignorant of, unable to access, or hostile to the internet, much less the peculiar language of its Western subcultures.

For someone who speaks English and has a brain, its not hard to know about Western and American culture, says Khostay. Hollywood movies, Twitter, and his Playstation 5 helped him learn not just English but Western internet culture. I play Call of Duty, PUBG, car and motorcycle racing games, GTA and many other games whose names I dont remember. But right now Im not free to that.

Khostay created his Twitter in August and attracted little attention as he shared Pashto-language posts of the Talibans rapid progress in seizing power. He found celebrity in the West only when he posted the Chad Wojak meme, a variation on the popular Yes Chad meme format where a lantern-jawed cartoon character confidently rebuts an opponents (Soyjack) accusations with a simple yes.

In Khostays post, a Taliban Chad Wojak displays his pride and agreement in being called "homophobic, anti Semitic, and a threat to our liberal democratic society" who "literally treat[s] women like property"

Was the American Taliban John Walker Lindh as Bad as We Were Led to Believe?

From there, Khostay says he went viral and racked up over a thousand retweets. So after that I started sharing memes.

The engagement and attention prompted a switch in the tone and direction of his tweeting. What had been a low-follower account sharing footage of Taliban victories for a Pashto-speaking audience in Afghanistan turned into a 35,000-follower account tweeting Taliban policies framed in the language of Western reactionary politics.

Scroll through his feed and youll find several variations of the Chad Yes format customized to ridicule Western cultural politics and brush aside criticisms of Taliban rule: theres the feminists cowering before Talichad, transphobic posts about American veterans children, and antisemitic Simpsons memes.

White nationalists like Lauren Southern and Laura Loomer have shared his content approvingly (Taliban memes have me wheezing ngl, Southern once wrote), fascist and white nationalist Telegram channels are especially fond of them. One of his most shared memes in the extremist right-wing Telegram world showed a Taliban fighter and medieval crusader standing next to each other as they take on a mob of conservative boogeymensocialists, feminists, and racial minoritieswith the pledge to fight them together.

The attention has clearly been exciting to Khostay. Hes curious about the possibility of getting a coveted blue check, reserved for authenticating government officials and notable public figures, next to his Twitter account.

Do you think my account will be verified by Jack? he asked The Daily Beast, quipping that I am a Taliban memes minister, is that not enough?

In a statement released after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Twitter said it would not ban the Talibans official spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, suggesting that the companys approach to the group centered more on an accounts content than its affiliation or proximity to the Taliban.

While Khostay isnt a member of the group, his account has benefited from Twitters light touch approach to moderating content from Taliban supporters.

Before, I was using Facebook. Thats useless with the banning of accounts. And Twitters policy is soft, Khostay told The Daily Beast via direct messages. He claimed to have had nearly a hundred Facebook accounts and pages suspended by the company for violating community standards (The Daily Beast was unable to verify the assertion).

Taliban Lock Women in Kabul Bank Basement After Thousands March for Freedom

For as much as the current moment has made him a celebrity, its unclear how enduring his fame, the far rights flirtation with it, and the new Taliban governments tolerance of it will last. The last time the Taliban enjoyed this much control over the country, internet access was nearly nonexistent and the social media landscape was years away from development. Authoritarian countries, particularly those with strict conservative morality codes, are often uncomfortable allowing the kind of freewheeling online discourse that birthed Khostays fanbase to go unregulated.

For now, Khostay tells The Daily Beast hes heard differing feedback about his account from the Taliban. Some little social media Taliban says its great. Those who dont know English and memes say stop it.

As for the future, Khostay says hes hoping to join [the Taliban government] soon and will work for my nation, claims to have a close relationship with our minister of communication and culture, and considers Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid my teacher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Alaska state Senator Lori Reinbold was banned from Alaska Airlines earlier this year (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

A Republican lawmaker in Alaska who was banned from the only airline offering year-round service to the state capital after refusing to comply with federal law and wear a Covid mask is now blaming that company for preventing state business.

State Senator Lori Reinbold complained to Anchorage Daily News and on Facebook about the airline ban as she explained her request for the state legislature to excuse her from votes and move to a remote system.

Ms Reinbold is a state senator representing an area of Anchorage, Alaskas biggest city. She was banned from Alaska Airlines in April which is the only airline which offers year-round flights to the state capital, Juneau.

Delta Airlines is the other airline in operation but only for part of the year.

I believe what Alaska Airlines has done by my political ban, restricting my movement from the state capital as a senator, is unconstitutional, she told the Anchorage Daily News.

On Facebook, she continued: I asked to be excused because [Delta Airliness] last flight out is Sept 11. To be excused does NOT mean you will not be here, it means the legislative process cannot be inhibited if you are not there.

Maybe its time to proceed on moving the legislature to the road system. If the only airline, that has flights during session to Juneau, can unconstitutionally impede a legislators ability to get to the Capital in a safe and timely fashion, it could undermine our representative republic.

The Independent has reached out to Alaska Airlines for comment regarding Senator Reinbolds latest claims.

The airline confirmed that it would refuse service to the senator earlier this year after repeated violations of mask-wearing policies which are required by federal law. US law also requires passengers to obey flight attendants and other crew at all times when onboard.

We have notified Senator Lora Reinbold that she is not permitted to fly with us for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy, Alaska Airlines spokesman Tim Thompson said in April.

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A spokesperson confirmed to The Independent on Sunday that the ban was upheld.

In April, Senator Reinbold took an alternative route to Juneau from Anchorage following her ban. She drove roughly 700 miles to a ferry crossing which she then took to the capital.

Alaska is the USs largest state by land mass, and travel by land can be time-consuming and difficult especially during winter months.

Republican lawmakers across the country have continued to spread disinformation related to masks, Covid 19, and vaccines while encouraging disobedience of public health guidelines meant to thwart the viruss spread.

The US death toll from Covid is just above 660,000, more than any other country. The more contagious Delta variant has seen a resurgence of the disease and increasing rates of hospitalisations in communities where unvaccinated numbers are high.
By Charlotte Greenfield

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - As international donors gather in Geneva on Monday to discuss humanitarian relief for Afghanistan under Taliban rule, neighbours China and Pakistan have already reached out with aid and discussions of future assistance.

The economy in the war-torn country is in crisis and a humanitarian crisis is looming, experts say.

Yet the United States and other Western nations are reluctant to provide the Taliban with funds until the Islamist militant movement provides assurances that it will uphold human rights, and in particular the rights of women.

The country's roughly $10 billion in foreign assets, held overseas, are also frozen.

"The understandable purpose is to deny these funds to the de facto Taliban administration," Deborah Lyons, the U.N. Secretary General's special representative for Afghanistan, told the U.N. Security Council this week.

"The inevitable effect, however, will be a severe economic downturn that could throw many more millions into poverty and hunger, may generate a massive wave of refugees from Afghanistan, and indeed set Afghanistan back for generations."

Another possible effect could be to drive Afghanistan closer to its neighbours and close allies Pakistan and China, who have already sent planeloads of supplies to Afghanistan. They have also signalled they are open to ramped-up engagement.

China announced last week it would send $31 million worth of food and health supplies to Afghanistan, among the first foreign aid pledges since the Taliban took power last month.

Pakistan last week sent supplies such as cooking oil and medicine to authorities in Kabul, while the country's foreign minister called on the international community to provide assistance without conditions and to unfreeze Afghanistans assets.

MINERALS AND MILITANCY

Pakistan has had deep ties with the Taliban and has been accused of supporting the group as it battled the U.S.-backed government in Kabul for 20 years - charges denied by Islamabad.

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China, with a strong alliance with Pakistan, has also been engaging with the Taliban. Some analysts said it was enticed by the country's mineral wealth, including large reserves of lithium, a key component for electric vehicles.

China has also expressed concern about militancy that could spill over from Afghanistan across its border, which it wants the Taliban administration to help contain.

Beyond humanitarian aid, some experts and officials in the region say China's huge Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) could provide Afghanistan with long-term economic viability.

One possibility is Afghanistan joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a central part of the BRI, under which Beijing has pledged over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan, much of it in the form of loans.

"The Taliban would welcome joining CPEC, China would also be very happy," said Rustam Shah Mohmand, Pakistan's former ambassador to Afghanistan.

China has not made any comment on the BRI but Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said Beijing is ready to actively discuss the resumption of China-Afghanistan freight trains and facilitate Afghanistan's interaction with the outside world, especially its access to humanitarian supplies.

Pakistan's foreign office and a Taliban spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for comment.

TALIBAN, CHINA TALK - SOURCE

Taliban leaders in recent weeks have said they want good relations with China.

A senior Taliban source said discussions have taken place with China in Doha about possible investment opportunities. China is interested in mining in particular but any activity in the sector will be open to tender, the source said.

"The Taliban welcomes foreign investment that will benefit the country," he said.

Two sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan familiar with the matter said China had been proactively encouraging Afghanistan to join CPEC for years but had been met with a non-committal response from the previous U.S.-backed government.

The Taliban, with a need for economic stimulus and international recognition, seems more keen.

"The best way forward and the immediately available alternative option for Afghanistan's economic development is CPEC, which includes Pakistan and China," said Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a Pakistani senator and former chairman of the China-Pakistan Institute.

"The new administration in Kabul would also be receptive to this and they are keen on it."

For China, though, which already has mining interests in Afghanistan that have struggled to get off the ground, any further investment would come with risks attached, given the uncertain security situation in the country.

"Absolutely the security and stability of Afghanistan is also of importance to China," said Wang Huiyao, president of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a think-tank.

"But also links to Central Asia and the connectivity through the Belt and Road, it's all related for the regional stability and prosperity...There's a stake there for China."

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Additional reporting by Alasdair Pal and Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Nicolas Misculin and Jorge Otaola

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina's main opposition party landed a blow against the ruling Peronists on Sunday, winning key races in a congressional primary vote that is a strong leading indicator of how voters will cast ballots in the midterm election in November.

The conservative opposition led by around 5 percentage points in the key province of Buenos Aires, with some 84% of votes tallied in the populous region that has been a bastion of support from the center-left government of Alberto Fernandez.

Other results in the mandatory vote showed the ruling party falling back, which if repeated in the Nov. 14 election could see the government lose its majority in the Senate and risk its largest minority position in the lower Chamber of Deputies.

"The ruling party lost 1.2 million votes compared to the 2019 (presidential election); this brings them to a level that, if repeated in November, leaves Alberto Fernandez very weakened," said Mariel Fornoni, director of consultancy Management & Fit.

With most candidates already set, the open primary vote acts as a nationwide dress rehearsal ahead of the Nov. 14 midterm ballot, where 127 seats in the Chamber of Deputies are up for grabs out of a total of 257, as well as 24 seats out of 72 in the Senate.

Many voters feel let down by the main political parties. A lengthy recession, rampant inflation and a poverty rate that has risen to 42% have hurt public support for the government, despite recent signs of an economic recovery and falling coronavirus cases.

"There is great discontent among people," Patricia Coscarello, a 52-year-old administrative worker outside Buenos Aires, said after she voted. "Apart from the pandemic, the economic situation is complex and salaries are shrinking."

VACCINE ROLLOUT

Fernandez can point to a vaccine rollout that has now reached more than 46 million inoculations for a population of a similar size, falling daily COVID-19 cases and the economy's emergence from recession earlier this year after a plunge in 2020.

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"Obviously some things we haven't done well because the people haven't accompanied us as we would have hoped," President Fernandez said after the results alongside his party leadership, adding the party would learn from its mistakes and get stronger.

"The campaign has just started and in November we have to win it because we have a commitment to Argentina."

Griselda Picone, 60, a housewife in the capital, said she voted for the ruling party despite some concerns.

"While there are many things to improve, the alternative that governed before (Together for Change) made everything worse," she said. "It seems to me that the handling of the economy during the pandemic has actually been good."

The country's skittish financial markets, which collapsed after a presidential primary in 2019 showed Fernandez winning that year's election by a landslide, could rise if Sunday's vote goes against the ruling party.

The logic is that a stronger opposition would temper the Peronists' more militant wings. They have at times clashed with investors, the powerful farm sector and the International Monetary Fund, which is negotiating a debt deal with the government.

Ana Pertusati, a 36-year-old lawyer, and others were pessimistic about prospects for improvement.

"When you ask around, most people don't even know the main candidates," she said while waiting in line to vote. "It seems that whoever wins, it could be of little use to making real positive changes for the people."

(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin and Jorge Otaola; Additional reporting by Agustin Geist, Eliana Raszewski, Lucila Sigal; Editing by Adam Jourdan, Peter Cooney and Richard Pullin)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP)  Texas hasnt considered Arkansas to be a rival for a long time. Judging by the goal posts coming down Saturday night and with the Longhorns set to join the Southeastern Conference soon, that wont last.

Arkansas ran for 333 yards, held Texas to 256 yards of total offense and the Razorbacks beat their former Southwest Conference nemesis 40-21 on Saturday night. The ninth-largest crowd in Arkansas history, 74,531 strong, was jubliant all night and many of them stormed the field afterward, celebrating their teams first win over Texas in Fayetteville since 1981.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was the Razorbacks offensive line coach the last time they played Texas in the 2014 Texas Bowl. He credited his former unit for the big night. Arkansas was 120th in FBS last year in sacks allowed.

Isnt that something? (Offensive line coach Cody Kennedy) comes in in June and we rush for 333 yards, Pittman said. Hes got some really hard-working kids. They took a lot of heat in the past and will, Im sure, some in the future. But the way they played, to rush for 333 against a good Texas squad is outstanding.

The Razorbacks led 16-0 at halftime as Texas was dominated from the beginning. The Longhorns (1-1) punted on six of their first seven drives. Their seventh resulted in a missed field goal.

This was not a performance I was anticipating, first-year coach Steve Sarkisian said. But well find out about ourselves and what were made of, because I really believe this one games not going to define us. But weve got work to do, thats for sure.

Arkansas (2-0) had no such trouble. The Razorbacks punted twice the whole game, on its first two drives. Every other series resulted in a score except one that resulted in an interception that led to Texas first touchdown.

The five minutes that followed that score were the only quiet ones of the night as Texas trimmed Arkansas lead to 16-7. When Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson connected with Tyson Morris for 46 yards on the ensuing drive, the volume returned. Arkansas would cap that series with a 1-yard touchdown from Trelon Smith.

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That was a big answer right there and I was hoping he would do exactly what he did, Pittman said. We could have went in the tank that series, too. We didnt. We went right back down and scored a touchdown.

After an Arkansas field goal, the Longhorns next offensive play resulted in a strip-sack of quarterback Hudson Card the Razorbacks recovered at the Texas 26 and Raheim Sanders went that distance on the next play, practically ending the visitors chances.

Card was pulled on the final drive of the third quarter with Texas trailing 33-7. Casey Thompson led two Longhorns scoring drives in the fourth quarter, both capped by his rushing touchdowns.

The two Texas quarterbacks combined to go 13 of 23 for 118 yards with no touchdowns. Star running back Bijan Robinson, like most of the Longhorns, was bottled up all night and ended with 69 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

The Longhorns 256 yards of total offense are their lowest since 2015. Asked about his quarterback situation, Sarkisian said "well have to take a look at it.

Could we have blocked better? No question. Could Hudson have maybe played better? Sure he could have. Could we have ran better routes? Yes, Sarkisian said. So everybody takes a part in this thing, coaches included.

HENRY'S TIME

Arkansas linebacker Hayden Henry started in place of Bumper Pool, who had to serve a first-half suspension following a targeting ejection in last weeks win over Rice. Henry led with a career-high 15 tackles, including 2 1/2 for-loss. Henrys father played center for the Razorbacks in the late 1980s when the two teams were playing head-to-head every season. He had said this week that when he was a child, he was taught Texas was the enemy.

PROLIFIC HOGS

Arkansas' 333 yards rushing were the most since 2016, the last time the Razorbacks had a winning season. Jefferson was 14 of 19 for 138 yards and rushing for 78 more on 10 carries.

Arkansas touchdowns all came from different players. Dominique Johnson scored the games first from five yards early in the second quarter. Trelon Smith scored his from one yard. Sanders came in the third and fellow freshman running back AJ Green went 30 yards with 8:27 left to provide the Razorbacks final points of the night.

None of the Arkansas offensive players eclipsed the 100-yard, but the four scorers and Jefferson all had at least 44 apiece. Smith, the starter, led with 75 on 12 carries.

OLD FOES

The two teams could meet yearly again soon. Texas accepted an invitation to join the SEC over the summer. Its likely to begin playing in the conference in 2025.

Henry, though, considered this the Longhorns initiation.

Welcome to the SEC, I guess, he said.

Arkansas and Texas were rivals in the now-defunct Southwest Conference, but have only played six times since the Razorbacks left the conference after the 1991 season. Texas leads the all-time series 56-23, but Arkansas has won four of the six meetings since leaving the SWC.

THE TAKEAWAY

Arkansas could be nearing a Top 25 ranking after beating Rice and Texas to open the season. Beating a ranked team will likely build the teams confidence when SEC play begins in two weeks.

Another early-season loss continues Texas trend in recent seasons. The Longhorns have lost at least one of their first three games every year since 2014.

UP NEXT

Arkansas hosts Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern next Saturday.

Texas will host Rice next Saturday.

___

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the APs college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

___

This story has been updated to correct the year of Arkansas' last win at home over Texas.
President Biden speaks as he tours a neighborhood impacted by hurricane-related flooding last week in Queens. This week in California, he'll tour a burn zone caused by wildfires. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

President Biden is embarking on a three-state western swing on Monday that will include two stops in California, where he will assess wildfire damage in Sacramento and rally support for Gov. Gavin Newsom in Long Beach a day ahead of the state's recall election.

The trip, which also includes stops in Boise and Denver, will mark Biden's first presidential travel west of Oklahoma and his first visit to the country's largest state.

The campaign event for Newsom, the administration has admitted, is the primary reason for the trip. Asked last week why Biden was going to rally with the governor, Press Secretary Jen Psaki deadpanned: "Because the election is Tuesday."

But Biden, who has traveled in recent weeks to three states affected by Hurricane Ida, is sandwiching the campaign event between official business, maintaining his recent focus  and robust travel schedule  on responding to emergencies and other problems confronting people across the country.

After committing to campaign for the embattled Newsom weeks ago, Biden's political standing has deteriorated somewhat thanks largely to the frantic withdrawal of U.S. personnel from Afghanistan and the persistence of the coronavirus pandemic.

Newsom, however, has seen his position improve as polls have revealed a steady increase in the number of Californias rejecting the recall effort. That rise in support follows intense campaigning by Newsom and heightened scrutiny of leading replacement candidates.

Just weeks after polls showed the race too close for the governor's comfort, a poll Friday showed him with a healthy cushion. According to the survey from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, 60% of California voters oppose the Republican-backed effort to recall him and just 38% are in favor of it.

David Axelrod, a former senior advisor to President Obama, suggested that the joint rally initially thought necessary to boost Newsom could end up being equally beneficial for Biden. "When you've stalled out a little, one good strategy is to jump on a fast-moving train," Axelrod tweeted Friday shortly after the White House announced its travel plans.

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Psaki also noted last week that the president remains broadly popular in California, where the share of Democrats in the electorate (46%) has risen while the share of Republicans (24%) has declined. His visit follows a campaign event last week that featured Vice President Kamala Harris; some of the party's biggest names, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have also campaigned for Newsom in the state.

A decisive Newsom victory could serve as a template for Democrats heading into next year's midterms and provide a needed jolt heading into a make-or-break period for the president's domestic agenda.

Biden is determined to deliver on a two-pronged legislative effort before year's end, a bipartisan $1.2-trillion infrastructure package, which passed the Senate last month, and a still unformed Democratic budget bill with numerous subsidies and credits for working families.

With progressive and moderate Democrats at odds over the size and components of that second, unwritten bill, Biden will continue his own efforts to broaden public support for it in order to compel lawmakers to fall in line.

While touring storm damage in Louisiana, New York and New Jersey, Biden argued that the damage caused by increasingly extreme weather events underscored the importance of the infrastructure bill and proposed upgrades to roads, bridges and the nation's power grid. It's a point he's likely to emphasize Monday in Idaho, where he'll tour the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, and later that day in Sacramento, where he plans to tour a burn zone from this summer's fires.

Before heading back to Washington on Tuesday, Biden is slated to stop in Denver to highlight the potential impact for local communities of the proposals included in the Democrat's budget bill.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
President Joe Bidens new vaccine and testing mandate is expected to affect some 100 million workers, with employers scrambling to figure out how to comply.

Employment attorneys are already being deluged by corporate leaders who want advice about what to make of the executive order, which covers federal employees, federal contractors, and workers at companies with 100 or more employees. Workers must soon be vaccinated or subject to weekly tests.

Practically half an hour after the president made his speech, I had a line of people on the phone wanting to know when we should comply and how we needed to comply, said labor and employment attorney Rebecca Demaree.

Demaree, based in Tennessee, told the Washington Examiner that there are unknowns about what the mandate will entail and how exactly it will be enforced because details are still forthcoming. She said that businesses will know more about what to do when the Emergency Temporary Standards are released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY: BIDEN SAYS BULLYING GOVERNORS MUST QUIT FIGHTING PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS

She predicted that the reporting requirements likely wont be any more onerous than the reporting requirements that companies already face as part of their quarterly reporting. Biden likely chose OSHA to handle the task because it deals with similar functions, she added.

Another question is how exactly OSHA intends to ensure that employers are providing it with accurate information or whether companies are complying with the mandate. This could be enforced through sporadic audits.

For example, with I-9 reporting, through which employers verify that their employees are authorized to work, companies do their own checks on employees and submit the information to the federal government. The government doesnt have the bandwidth to confirm all the submissions, but occasionally, the Department of Homeland Security will do sporadic spot audits or complaint audits.

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Regardless, OSHA is a small agency, and adding in vaccination duties would likely increase the strain on its capacity without increased funding and staffing, especially if done on a large scale. OSHA and its state partners have about 1,850 inspectors responsible for the health and safety of some 130 million workers, according to the government.

OSHA is not staffed to, nor is it their legal role to, go in and audit every company, private business, in the country over the next few months to make sure theyve issued a mandate, Dan Bowling, a senior lecturing fellow at Duke University, told the Washington Examiner.

Bowling said there are both legal and practical obstacles in implementing and complying with the executive order.

The devil is in the details, and we havent seen the details, Bowling said, adding that he doesnt think the details of this plan have even been fully developed yet.

Frank Cania, the president and founder of HR Compliance Experts, said that another unknown is whether the new mandate will cover all employees at a company with an excess of 100 workers or just those in that company who are expected to report to a physical work site.

Many companies operated with remote employees prior to the pandemic, and many more now do all their work online. How the mandate will pertain to those workers is a major question.

The case could be made that the mandate would be unfair to remote workers because it is intended to address crowded workplaces where one might catch or spread the coronavirus, but proponents argue that the ultimate goal, even beyond the business world alone, is to increase the countrys overall percentage of vaccinated people.

Demaree said she isnt sure about scenarios involving remote workers because it hasnt been addressed by the administration or by OSHA but said there may be more clarity once the agency releases further details.

Companies that dont comply with the rules can reportedly face fines in excess of $13,000 per violation, and because there isnt a framework for employers to track and report violations, OSHA will likely have to rely on the employees of businesses to report violations, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Cania, who told the Washington Examiner he has also received a flurry of calls since Bidens announcement, said some businesses might have a vocal contingent of unvaccinated employees who become upset at the company and begin criticizing it on social media for mandating vaccines.

And while the denunciations might be a headache for employers, there is not much they can do about it, because it would likely be protected speech under the National Labor Relations Act.

Another challenge with implementation and compliance is the issue of unions. That battle is already playing out across the country. While the National Education Association, the largest union in the country, expressed its support for mandatory vaccines, other unions such as the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association have pushed back on the notion.

On the government side of the equation, the biggest hurdle for the administration in implementing and enforcing the new mandate is the prospect of legal challenges. Additionally, some Republican governors have already said they have no desire or intention to help enforce the edict.

Biden responded to Republican claims that the mandate is an example of federal overreach on Friday by saying, Have at it, indicating his administration is willing to do battle with red states that oppose the order.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the worlds largest business federation, did not express support or opposition to the executive order when contacted by the Washington Examiner on Friday.

The Chamber will carefully review the details of the executive orders and associated regulations and will work to ensure that employers have the resources, guidance, and flexibility necessary to ensure the safety of their employees and customers and comply with public health requirements, it said in a statement.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Vaccination, Coronavirus, Biden Administration, White House, Business

Original Author: Zachary Halaschak

Original Location: Biden vaccine mandate leaves companies scrambling to figure out how to comply
ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports

News about injuries at practice usually involves players, but that wasnt the case at Cowboys practice on Wednesday. According to multiple reports, Cowboys assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett was carted off the field during the session. Lett suffered an apparent right leg injury and the severity of it is unknown at this point. Lett [more]
Kansas City Southern on Sunday said it has agreed to be acquired by Canadian Pacific Railway, in a deal that would create the only railway to run from Canada to Mexico.

Behind the scenes: This is the second time that KCS has agreed to be acquired by Canadian Pacific. It first accepted a takeover offer in March, but then walked away in May after a higher bid was submitted by rival railroad operator Canadian National Railroad.

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But Canadian National ran into regulatory troubles, causing Kansas City to reopen talks with Canadian Pacific (which had upped its offer in early August, and which doesn't face the same regulatory issues).

Details: Canadian Pacific plans to pay $31.1 billion in cash and stock, including $3.8 billion of assumed debt. That's more than Canadian Pacific's original bid, but less than what Canadian National was prepared to pay.

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A U.S. Capitol Police investigation into the conduct of officers during the Jan. 6 riot did not find any criminal behavior, but six officers were recommended for discipline for breaking rules, officials said Saturday.

The agency reviewed 38 cases, in which the U.S. Attorney's Office had already found no evidence of crimes committed by officers that day, the Capitol Police said in a statement.

In 20 of the 38, no wrongdoing was found, and in some cases investigators could not identify officers at the center of complaints, the department said.

Disciplinary action was recommended in six cases, including for conduct unbecoming, failure to comply with directives, improper remarks and improper dissemination of information, the Capitol Police said.

The cases stemmed partly from complaints from people who were at the Capitol on Jan. 6. The results will be turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The agency has been under pressure from all sides of the political spectrum following the attempt by supporters of former President Donald Trump to halt the Electoral College vote count. An internal watchdog report obtained by NBC News in April found that Capitol Police ignored critical intelligence that right-wing protesters planned to breach the Capitol on Jan. 6 to try to stop the presidential election results from being certified.

Seven Capitol Police officers attacked on Jan. 6 sued former President Donald Trump, his allies and members of far-right extremist groups last month in federal court, accusing them of sending a violent mob to the Capitol to keep Trump in power.

Four officers died by suicide after Jan. 6.

Trump cast suspicion on the officer who fatally shot rioter Ashli Babbitt as she was warned at gunpoint not to enter a hallway that was being used to evacuate members of Congress.

Lt. Michael Byrd, revealed last month that he was the shooter. The 28-year-veteran of the department has been cleared of wrongdoing, and he said what he did that day was protecting others and doing "my job."

Capitol Police are under high alert ahead of a scheduled Sept. 18 rally to support those arrested in connection with the riot.
As Western nations debate how best to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan without enriching the Taliban, China and Pakistan have already sent planeloads of supplies to the country and are willing to send more, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: Afghanistan is mired in a humanitarian and economic crisis, and China's and Pakistan's willingness to help could draw Afghanistan closer into those countries' orbits.

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State of play: Both China and Pakistan have signaled a willingness to increase their engagement with Afghanistan, Reuters noted.

China announced last week that it intends to send $31 million worth of grain, winter supplies medicine, and 3 million COVID-19 vaccines, Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, Pakistan last week sent a shipment of supplies, including cooking oil and medicine, while its foreign minister called for Afghanistan's assets to be unfrozen, according to Reuters.

The big picture: The United Nations Development Programme warned last week that Afghanistan is approaching universal poverty, and the Afghani currency has plummeted in value since the Taliban took power last month.

The Biden administration froze access to Afghanistan's central bank reserves, and the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have suspended funding in the country.

Between the lines: The Taliban victory is a strategic win for Pakistan, which long assisted the group and harbored its leaders.

China has some concerns about the group's rise to power but also sees economic opportunity in the form of Afghanistan's $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits, Bloomberg reported.

China is our most important partner and represents a fundamental and extraordinary opportunity for us, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said recently, according to NBC News. It is ready to invest and rebuild our country.

It is possible that Afghanistan will join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"The new administration in Kabul would also be receptive to this and they are keen on it," Mushahid Hussain Sayed, a Pakistani senator and former chairman of the China-Pakistan Institute, told Reuters.

China's Belt and Road initiative also offers a pathway to "economic viability," Reuters noted.

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Associated Press

Pope Francis said Wednesday that Catholic bishops must minister with compassion and tenderness, not condemnation, to politicians who support abortion rights and warned that clerics shouldnt let politics enter into questions about receiving Communion. Francis was asked en route home from Slovakia about the debate in the U.S. church about whether President Joe Biden and other politicians should be denied Communion because of their stances on abortion. U.S. bishops have agreed to draft a teaching document that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians, including Biden, for receiving Communion despite their support for abortion rights.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick

The Metropolitan Police commissioner has accused tech giants of making it harder to identify and stop terrorists.

The tech giants' focus on end-to-end encryption was making it "impossible in some cases" for the police to do their jobs, Dame Cressida Dick wrote in the Telegraph on Saturday.

On Wednesday, Home Secretary Priti Patel launched a new fund for technologies to keep children safe.

She also called on tech firms to put user safety before profits.

But cyber-security experts have told the BBC that they are not sure the solutions the government wants are possible to build.

In her piece marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Dame Cressida stressed that advances in communication technologies meant terrorists were now able to "recruit anyone, anywhere and at any time" through social media and the internet.

In response, the UK was needing to constantly develop its own digital capabilities to keep up with terrorists exploiting technology to their advantage.

Her message echoes that of Ms Patel, who launched the Safety Tech Challenge Fund at a meeting of the G7 interior ministers earlier this week.

The fund, open to experts from across the world, is aimed at tackling child sexual abuse online.

Five applicants will be awarded up to 85,000 each to develop new technologies that enable the detection of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online, without breaking end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encryption is a privacy feature that makes it impossible for anyone except the sender and recipient to read messages sent online.

While tech giants such as Facebook say using such technology will protect users' privacy, several governments including the US, UK and Australia have repeatedly objected to the idea since 2019.

Controversy over Apple plan

Cyber-security and privacy experts believe that Ms Patel and Dame Cressida's views could be in response to Apple's decision to delay a plan to scan iPhones for CSAM earlier this month.

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The detection technology, first announced in August, compares images before they are uploaded to iCloud against unique "digital fingerprints", or hashes, of known CSAM material on a database maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Apple's technology was widely criticised by privacy groups and the cyber-security industry as setting a dangerous precedent, because it involved using an individual's own device to check if they could be a potential criminal.

"We already have end-to-end encryption in Apple's iMessage texting technology - it's strange that law enforcement and the government haven't hit out at Apple about that, but it's all about attacking Facebook and WhatsApp," Alec Muffett, who led the team that built end-to-end encryption technology for Facebook Messenger, told the BBC.

Much has been written about the wealth of data tech giants possess about the users of their services, particularly the fact they are constantly tracking user behaviour and interests in order to provide personalised ads.

He argues that tech firms already possess the technology they need to detect paedophiles and terrorists, simply by tracking their behaviour - they don't need to compromise a user's privacy by looking at all their personal files on their phone.

"If you've got an Facebook account of a middle-aged male who is randomly messaging a dozen teenagers out of the blue, then you have a potentially suspicious activity. It might be innocent, but it is certainly an issue worth delving into," said Mr Muffett, who has more than 30 years' experience in cyber-security and cryptography.

"The UK government is trying to detect CSAM by looking at the content, as in trying to snoop, rather than trying to observe behaviours."

On top of this, he says, multiple cyber-security researchers have tested Apple's NeuralHash algorithm and found that it is mistaking two completely different images, as being the same photo, so they fear Apple will falsely accuse users of having criminal content.

Criticism of new tech fund

One leading cyber-security expert who did not wish to be named told the BBC that what the government wants is not technically feasible.

"You can change the law of the land, but you can't change the law of science - there's no way of allowing the mass scanning of devices without undermining the protections of end-to-end encryption," the expert said.

"If somebody manages to viably protect end-to-end encryption while detecting child sexual abuse imagery, they're going to make a lot more than 85,000, so I just don't see what the economics are."

Another cyber-security boss agrees: "It's almost like the government is making a statement to make Facebook and other social media organisations do more and give them more access.

"If you read between the lines, Ms Patel is essentially saying they want to recruit hackers."

Then there's the privacy concerns. "Can we trust those in power not to abuse these powers?" questions online child safety expert Dr Rachel O'Connell, founder of a secure child age authentication tool TrustElevate.

As far as data protection expert Pat Walshe is concerned, Apple's solution is not legal. He says he has asked the tech giant to explain how it can be deployed in Europe, and has yet to receive an answer.

"The European Court of Justice (ECJ) says the mobile phone is an extension of our private sphere, and the courts have said that the device and any information on it is part of the private sphere of our lives, meaning it requires protection under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR)," he said.

Mr Walshe, who led a team at the mobile operator Three that was responsible for dealing with the government and law enforcement, also has grave concerns about the tech fund proposal, saying it prompts too many questions about privacy.

Instead, he says, there need to be better, more direct reporting channels to enable both citizens and communication providers to report CSAM to either the tech firms or law enforcement.

"And law enforcement needs to receive a huge boost in training, manpower and funding to deal with the reports," he stressed.

"I'd like to see a greater emphasis on that, than on breaking technology that keeps us safe every day."
Photograph: Craig Ruttle/AFP/Getty Images

Lower Manhattan woke early on Saturday to a bright, blue September sky  strikingly similar to that of September 11 2001.

As the dawn broke above New York City, thousands of people, among them Joe and Jill Biden, former mayors and other political figures, were calmly headed to Ground Zero to pay their respects.

Related: Joe Biden attends 9/11 anniversary events on day of remembrance

As the dignitaries assembled, focus was on the hundreds of firefighters, law enforcement personnel and family members of those who lost loved ones on that day. Looking up to where the towers had once stood, some were tearful; all were solemn.

Like every year, its hurtful. I lost friends in the fire department, in the police department, the guys who went over to Iraq and Afghanistan, said Ken Corrigan, 54, a firefighter who had responded from the Bronx. To this day I look up for those towers. To see the way the sky is today  20 years ago, same thing. It scares me. Scares the living daylights out of me, he said.

Priscella Davis, daughter of the fallen Port Authority police officer Clinton Davis Sr, holds her son Jaxson as they view his name during the ceremony. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images

Corrigan recalled that as they raced to the scene, dispatchers had said that all responding units were driving into a war. A lot of my guys didnt understand what that meant. They couldnt fathom what we were going into. I said, Somebody declared war on us.

Sean OMalley, a retired firefighter heading to the memorial to play in a marching band, said simply: My feelings today are of sadness. OMalley was off duty that day and was called in to respond. He was assembling a team of firefighters when the towers came down.



It just feels like yesterday. It really does. The loss doesnt get less, and the pain is certainly still there. It doesnt lessen with years, you just get to shoulder the burden a little easier.

At 8.46am, the time the first plane struck the North Tower, the crowds fell silent. Most looked skyward toward where the towers once stood. The silence, and sense of respect, felt profound, as if people were reliving memories and trying to grasp for meaning.

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Abdelalim Abdelbaky, a street vendor selling gyros and other food just south of the memorial, said his grandfather had been working the cart on the day of the attack. He said he had maintained the cart on the same corner on Liberty Street as a mark of respect.

Family members and loved ones of Stuart Todd Meltzer attend the commemoration. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

He couldnt believe what he saw. It affected everyone. Muslims, Christian, Jewish. Everybody cried that day. He said to me, he said his customers from the towers were good people. He couldnt believe that they were lost, Abdelbaky said.

Related: Readers on their memories of 9/11: I think about how lucky I am every day

Many remarked upon the sense that 9/11, for all the loss and tragedy, had brought people together in a way that following crises, including the pandemic, had not. America had been traumatized in the broadest terms and the shock and grief had been universal.

Sitting on steps, a block away from the memorial service, Sarah Routley, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology at the time of the attacks, said she had come up from Tampa, Florida, to mark the anniversary.

Family members of Jayesh Shah make a rubbing of his name at the 9/11 Memorial. Photograph: Mike Segar/EPA

I went to give blood that day because we thought there might be survivors who needed help. They said, No, we dont need your blood. Theres no one to give it to. There are no survivors. The whole idea was unbelievable. And the dust in the air ... we were literally breathing in the people who died. Its still shocking.

The attacks of 9/11, she added, had been later used as justification for a war, and shifted the course of history. For me personally, it made me question: what was I doing in life? It was hard for anyone who didnt have a super-serious job, who did anything at all frivolous.

Today, it is still sad but I think the world has been resilient in a lot of ways. We can take comfort in the resilience of New Yorkers and Americans in general.
Democrats internal wrangling over a massive new social spending plan will soon be eclipsed by much more urgent problems: avoiding an economic collapse and a government shutdown.

There is growing worry among some rank-and-file Democrats that their tunnel-vision mentality on a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill could provoke economic blowback if Republicans hold the line and tank efforts to lift the debt ceiling. And Democrats' threadbare majorities in Congress are leaving the party with little time to wriggle out of a dangerous economic morass that could overwhelm their other priorities, from voting rights to tax increases on the wealthy to a sweeping expansion of the social safety net.

Top Democrats insist they have a plan  they just dont want to talk about it yet. And they are urging calm before a calamitous month of legislating.

"Nobody blinks in the short run. But at the end of the day, we have to raise the debt limit," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), who chairs the Joint Economic Committee. "But it could be after dinner on Sept. 30."

Government funding runs out in just 18 days, and the Biden administration says the debt ceiling must be raised shortly after that  with Senate Republican votes that GOP leaders say they will not provide. Whats more, the House doesnt come back until Sept. 20, which leaves precious little time to keep the trains running, all as President Joe Biden faces the worst approval ratings of his young presidency.

House Democrats are planning a vote the week of Sept. 20 to likely extend government funding until Dec. 10 and have discussed rolling the debt ceiling, disaster aid and assistance for the Afghanistan withdrawal into it, according to aides. They hope pairing the debt limit with a bill to avoid a government shutdown, as well as disaster relief, makes it impossible for Republicans from impacted areas like Louisiana and Mississippi to vote no.

No final decision has been made, and success is far from guaranteed. But even with unilateral power to deal with the debt ceiling themselves, Democrats say they dont want to set the precedent that one party is expected to address the debt limit when they are in charge.

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Republicans voted in many cases for the programs and tax cuts that they gave under the Trump administration that contributed to the debt. So they have to be equally as responsible," said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) "Because if we start at a process in which both sides won't come together to deal with the debt ceiling, then whenever there is a different majority they will face the same challenge."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) have vaguely referred to having several options to raise the debt ceiling, but have been adamant that they won't stick it in a bill that passes on party lines via budget reconciliation. Instead, they will demand GOP support, which Republicans say simply wont materialize because of Democrats big spending agenda.

Rather, Senate Republicans say Democrats should just increase the debt ceiling on party lines as part of their plans to spend as much as $3.5 trillion on education, climate change and health care while raising taxes on the wealthy. But that solution isnt workable at the moment either: Several moderate Democratic senators are not willing to support a unilateral increase in the debt, according to a Democratic aide.

Those Democrats want Republicans to own increasing the debt, too, considering significant spending was wracked up under former President Donald Trump. And Democratic leaders nixed the idea of coupling the reconciliation bill and the debt ceiling last month amid worries that it would further hamper passage of their already labyrinthine social spending plan.

Democrats options include tying the debt ceiling increase to a short-term government funding bill  marrying it with hurricane aid and help for Afghani refugees  or holding a standalone vote and daring Republicans to reject it. They could also try negotiating with the GOP to combine some Republican priorities, such as defense spending, with a debt ceiling increase. When they were in the minority, Democrats helped former President Donald Trump lift the debt ceiling by cutting larger budget deals with the Republicans.

I would hope that the Republicans would act in a similarly responsible way, Pelosi told reporters. People say, Oh, you just want to spend money. No, we're paying the credit card, the Trump credit card, with what we would do to lift the debt ceiling.

But Republicans are holding their hard-line stance as Congress prepares to end its lengthy August recess. In an interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal this week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said: The debt ceiling needs to be raised. The issue is who should do it.

Under these uniquely unprecedented circumstances, its [Democrats] obligation to do it. And they have the votes to do it, and they will do it at some point, McConnell said.

Schumer called McConnells position the height of irresponsibility.

We Democrats, when Trump was president  three times voted to raise the debt ceiling. We could have played the same game. But we realized that we have some obligations to the country and to the financial strength of this country, and not just by politics, Schumer told reporters.

For Democratic leaders, the collision of deadlines approaching at the end of this month promises a September showdown that rivals any previous shutdown threats and funding headaches Congress has faced.

Democrats are quickly trying to advance their massive social spending plan, a key plank of Bidens domestic policy agenda, before turning to the more routine work of funding the government and covering the nations debt obligations.

Pelosi and her leadership team are trying to balance the demands of the caucus two competing factions  the progressives and the centrists  as they work to enact both the sweeping social plan and the Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill later this month.

Progressives have vowed not to support the Senate's infrastructure bill during an expected vote on Sept. 27 unless the much larger social policy legislation is also teed up for a vote.

Democrats publicly insist theyre on track to vote for the up to $3.5 trillion bill in the House later this month. But senior Democratic aides are already privately predicting that timeline is likely to slip several weeks as House leaders continue to face off with Senate Democrats and the White House over major policy disagreements .

And, as they face those internal challenges, a major partisan confrontation with Republicans awaits on the debt.

The full faith and credit of the United States is on the line, and we need to do our jobs, said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who like many senators has been focused more on the social spending bill over the August recess than the upcoming deadlines. Im not as well-versed in what vehicle would be the best. But the job needs to be done.

Marianne LeVine contributed to this report.
Sep. 12EDITOR'S NOTE  This is the second in a series of stories spotlighting the athletic achievements of ECISD athletes as the school district celebrates its 100th anniversary.

During the days of the Great Depression, the 1930s were filled with plenty of challenges for people across the country and around the world.

After Odessa High School saw a football program get established, programs such as volleyball and basketball, known then as "cagers" were also trying to get off the ground.

Also getting off the ground was the oil industry as the population of Odessa began to boom with the amount of oil being discovered in the area.

Most of the news was also reported weekly from the Odessa News-Times. That changed in 1936, when the Daily Bulletin was established and that was followed by a daily edition of the Odessa News-Times beginning in 1937.

After football won three district championships in the 1920s, the 1930s saw a rotation of coaches including the arrival of one that would eventually lead the Bronchos to their greatest success on the gridiron.

That same coach would also be involved in one of the most important global events in history: Fighting in World War II in the United States Navy.

Here are some of the highlights of the decade filled with a tremendous amount of change.

>> August 1930: Alton Swain arrives in Odessa to take charge of the Odessa High football program. Swain had plenty of on-field athletic experience, lettering in football, basketball, track, wrestling and baseball. Swain also had additional professional football experience in New York.

>> September 1930: J.P. Donnell, Harve Mayfield and ECISD Superintedent Murry H. Fly were appointed to lead a committee to build permanent fields for both the Odessa High baseball and football teams. The facilities would also be built with involvement from the Chamber of Commerce and as the story indicated: "Such a park would be an asset to Odessa, as well as making it more easily possible for the interscholastic athletic contests to be self-supporting."

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>> October 10, 1930: The first Odessa High pep squad made its debut the previous Saturday during the team's football game against Fort Stockton. The group was led by R. Henderson Shuffler.

>> 1932: The Odessa Junior Chamber of Commerce made plans to build a new sodded field and track in order to have a "presentable playing field by the fall football season."

>> 1934: The Odessa High boys basketball team closed a strong season by finishing with an overall record of 20-7. Five Bronchos put together a strong starting core for the Bronchos including Jack Deere, John Krebs, Rolon Thomas, Billy Smith and team captain Slim Moore. The Bronchos had won 11 straight games at one point during the season before losing 15-12 to Big Lake in the district tournament. The team was led by Anthony Hunt.

>> Sept. 20, 1935: Lighted technology was being implemented all across the country and Odessa was no exception to that. The Bronchos were set to play their first ever night game in program history against Fort Stockton on a field that had just been fully sodded. It was also the first game under new head coach Brooks Conover.

>> 1938: The Odessa High Bronchettes won its first ever district title in school history by rallying to defeat McCamey in five sets. Calhoun of Odessa High led the way with 22 points over the matches during the day. The Bronchettes defeated Garden City in three sets to advance to the final. The team was led by head coach Bill Park.

>> 1938: Joe Coleman took over as the head coach of the Odessa High football program. The then 26-year old Coleman had recently been married that same year in Dallas. He had coached at Wellington in the Texas Panhandle prior to arriving in the Permian Basin. It was the first of two stints for Coleman. In his first season in 1938, he led the team to a 5-3-1 overall record and a co-district champion. He coached the team until 1941, when he joined the U.S. Navy as part of the war effort in World War II.
The family of a man who was fatally shot in downtown Portland during a pro-Trump protest last year has filed a lawsuit against the city, Mayor Ted Wheeler, and the county district attorney, claiming that their actions fostered behaviors that led to victims death.

The lawsuit was filed on Friday in federal court in Portland. In the suit, the estate alleges that the city engaged in a hands-off approach to widespread political demonstrators and the counter-protestors that they met. Additionally, the family said that the city promoted a culture of vigilante policing when it came to dealing with radical groups that were part of the citys protests that led to the killing of Aaron Jay Danielson on Aug. 29, 2020.

The family is seeking $13 million in damages, according to the Oregonian.

We are seeking justice for the preventable death of a young man, gunned down in a city with a dangerous and deadly hands-off approach to public safety, said the estates attorney Christopher Cauble, in a statement. Time and time again, City leadership and law enforcement have failed to find an effective response to clashing groups of protesters.

The lawsuits other target is Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, specifically saying that his lack of action in pursuing charges for public order crimes including criminal mischief, interfering with an officer or a riot charge, allowed for more dangerous individuals to remain on the street.

Portland descended into chaos last summer as nationwide protests broke out after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyds neck, leading to the Black mans death.

During one of the protests, Michael Reinohel, a self-proclaimed member and security provider for Antifa, targeted Danielson, surveillance footage shows. As Danielson was walking near the downtown area of the city following a rally, Reinoehl came out from a parking garage and shot Danielson.

An autopsy revealed that Danielson died from a single bullet that hit him in the upper right chest.

A multi-agency federal task force later shot and killed Reinoehl while attempting to execute an arrest warrant on him for second-degree murder.
GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba  The FBI released declassified records from its investigation into potential links between the Saudi government and 9/11, with some of the long-anticipated documents released on the 20th anniversary of the al Qaeda terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Families of the 9/11 victims have sought a host of details tied to possible Saudi government involvement in the attacks. Last week, President Joe Biden issued an executive order directing the Justice Department to declassify information stemming from an FBI inquiry into possible Saudi-9/11 links.

Although Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks, the 9/11 victims' families have pointed to links such as Omar al Bayoumi, said to have been a former Saudi intelligence officer, and Fahad al Thumairy, a former Saudi consulate official, who allegedly had contacts with Khalid al Mihdhar and Nawaf al Hazmi, two of the 15 Saudis among the 19 hijackers.

20 YEARS AFTER 9/11, AMERICA  AND AFGHANISTAN  HAVE COME FULL CIRCLE

Mihdhar and Hazmi, who went on to be the muscle hijackers on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, went to a training camp in Afghanistan and were apparently selected by Osama bin Laden for the 9/11 hijacking operation. They were the first hijackers to enter the United States, arriving in Los Angeles in January 2000. The two met Bayoumi at a Los Angeles restaurant early the next month, and he reportedly helped the duo open bank accounts and rent apartments in the same complex as him in San Diego.

The 17 pages of declassified but still partially redacted records, dated April 4, 2016, relate to the FBIs electronic communication tied to Operation Encore, an FBI investigation into Sept. 11, 2001, which included scrutinizing possible links between the Saudi government and the terrorist attacks that occurred that day. Many names are redacted, allegedly to protect personally identifiable information (dubbed PII throughout the records), making tracking people throughout the documents nearly impossible.

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The synopsis in the declassified document is an update regarding interview (12 and 13 November 2015) and associated analysis pursuant to his pending U.S. Citizenship application and statements regarding the circumstances of his contact with persons who provided logistic support to 9/11 hijackers Hazmi and Midhar. The redacted person had multiple personal and phone contacts with individuals who provided, or are suspected of providing, significant logistic support to Hazmi and Midhar, including Bayoumi, Thumairy, Mohammed Muhanna, three redacted names, and the subjects of multiple other FBI investigations.

The 9/11 Commission Report, released in 2004, conceded that Saudi Arabia has been a problematic ally in combating Islamic extremism and that Saudi Arabias society was a place where al Qaeda raised money directly from individuals and through charities. But the report concluded: It does not appear that any government other than the Taliban financially supported al Qaeda before 9/11.  Saudi Arabia has long been considered the primary source of al Qaeda funding, but we have found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organization.

The Saudi Embassy in the U.S. said last week that the kingdom "welcomes the release of classified documents" related to 9/11, arguing that "any allegation that Saudi Arabia is complicit in the September 11 attacks is categorically false."

Many of the newly declassified records centered on Bayoumi meeting the two future hijackers at the restaurant, casting serious doubt on his claims that the meeting happened by chance.

PII stated that he needed to bring Hazmi and Midhar to the Mediterranean Gourmet Restaurant located on Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles, the FBI wrote.

The bureau said that after meeting PII at the Consulate in late January 2000, Bayoumi, accompanied by Bin Don, drove to the Mediterranean Gourmet Restaurant where they encountered Hazmi and Midhar and that this is the same restaurant the redacted person said that he needed to deliver Hazmi and Midhar to.

Bayoumis logistic support to Hazmi and Midhar included transaction, travel assistance, lodging, and financing. Anomalous money transfers within Bayoumis bank accounts coincide with translations wherein Bayoumi provided assistance to Hazmi and Midhar, the bureau continued, adding, Bayoumi provided statements in 2003 to federal investigators as to how he met Hazmi and Midhar on or about 2/1/20000 and how he assisted them.  Bayoumis statements are directly contradicted by eyewitness statements.

According to the 9/11 Commission Report, They encountered Omar al Bayoumi and Cayman Bin Don at a halal food restaurant on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, a few blocks away from the King Fahd mosque. Bayoumi and Bin Don have both told us that they had driven up from San Diego earlier that day so that Bayoumi could address a visa issue and collect some papers from the Saudi Consulate. Bayoumi heard Hazmi and Mihdhar speaking in what he recognized to be Gulf Arabic and struck up a conversation.  Bayoumi told them how pleasant San Diego was and offered to help them settle there. The two pairs then left the restaurant and went their separate ways.

The commission said Bayoumi and Bin Don were interviewed "many times" about the Feb. 1, 2000, lunch, and their accounts corroborated each other "for the most part."

"However, Bayoumi has said that he and Bin Don attempted to visit King Fahd mosque after lunch but could not find it. Bin Don, on the other hand, recalls rising the mosque twice that day for prayers, both before and after the meal. Bin Dons recollection is spotty and inconsistent. Bayoumis version can be challenged as well, since the mosque is close to the restaurant and Bayoumi had visited it, and the surrounding area, on multiple occasions, including twice within six weeks of February 1. We do not know whether the lunch encounter occurred by chance or design, the commission said.

But the FBI wrote in 2016 that approximately one hour prior to meeting Hazmi and Midhar, Bayoumi and Caisin Bin Don visited the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles and met with a redacted name, and that after the meeting, Bayoumi and Bin Don drove to a Mediterranean Gourmet Restaurant.

Bayoumi told the FBI that there was then a chance encounter with Hazmi and Midhar, but the bureau said the facts of which are contradicted in eye-witness descriptions provided by Bin Don. Bayoumi claimed he heard the two future hijackers talking, recognized their Gulf Arabic accents, then went over to talk with them, but Bin Don contradicts Bayoumis statements, saying Bayoumi entered the restaurant and positioned himself to be looking out the front window and that when Bayoumi observed Hazmi and Midhar walk into the restaurant, he approached them from a distance where he could not have heard them speaking first. The FBI said Bin Don told them the group spoke for approximately thirty minutes in Arabic, which Bin Don reports being unable to understand since he did not speak Arabic, and then, they exchanged telephone numbers and departed."

The FBI also said that Bayoumi stated he never spoke to Hazmi or Midhar about Jihad, but one month after 9/11, the ex-wife of a redacted name was interviewed and said she met Mayoumi multiple times and Bayoumi was always talking about the Islamic community needs to take action and that he told her and her husband that they were at Jihad.

Additional 9/11 commission report pages were declassified in 2016, stating: While in the United States some of the 9/11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected with the Saudi government. Since the release of the commissions report, the FBI inquiry unearthed more information.

The 9/11 Commission said that Thumairy has denied preaching anti-Western sermons, much less promoting violent jihad and that he claimed not to recognize Hazmi or Mihdhar, adding that both denials are somewhat suspect. The commission said Thumairy likewise denied knowing Bayoumi, even though witnesses and telephone records establish that the two men had contact with each other.

After exploring the available leads, we have not found evidence that Thumairy provided assistance to the two operatives, the commission concluded.

Yet, the FBIs newly declassified records stated that PII was tasked by Thumairy to assist Hazmi and Midhar while they were in Los Angeles and that the redacted person described the hijackers as two very significant people.

The FBI document also states that there is significant phone connectivity between one redacted name and another prior to and directly following key events of logistic assistance provided by a redacted name to Hazmi and Midhar. The bureau said that this pattern of phone connectivity between PII and PII is not identifiable prior to the hijackers arrival in Los Angeles and does not occur between PII and PII after the hijackers depart California.

Twenty years ago today, they murdered our loved ones and inflicted immeasurable pain and suffering on our lives, Terry Strada, a leader of 9/11 Families United whose husband, Tom, was killed in the World Trade Center, said Saturday evening. Now, the Saudis secrets are exposed, and it is well past time for the kingdom to own up to its officials roles in murdering thousands on American soil.

Brett Eagleson, who lost his father, Bruce Eagleson, in the terrorist attacks 20 years ago, said it was "particularly meaningful" that Biden "today began to fulfill his promise to the 9/11 community."

"Today marks the moment when the Saudis cannot rely on the U.S. government from hiding the truth about 9/11. The release of the 2016 FBI Operation Encore Final Review accelerates our pursuit of truth and justice against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the worst terrorist attack to occur on U.S. soil," he said. "We look forward to more transparency and releases of information from the Biden administration that finally provide the American people the truth they have long-deserved, while our resolve strengthens to hold the Saudi government fully accountable for the tremendous pain and losses we suffered."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Biden's September order required Attorney General Merrick Garland to release applicable declassified documents to the public over the next six months, saying the declassification effort must include further scrutiny of the April 2016 FBI document and a review of the 2021 FBI electronic communication closing Operation Encore.

When I ran for president, I made a commitment to ensuring transparency regarding the declassification of documents on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America," Biden said. "As we approach the 20th anniversary of that tragic day, I am honoring that commitment.

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Tags: News, National Security, al Qaeda, 9/11, Saudi Arabia, Joe Biden, Foreign Policy, Terrorism, FBI

Original Author: Jerry Dunleavy

Original Location: FBI releases declassified records on its investigation into possible Saudi-9/11 links
After a week of optimism about the overall direction of the football program following a hard-fought overtime loss to Notre Dame in the season opener, Florida State now finds itself inexplicably facing a gloomy outlook for the future.

And all it took was six seconds to erase what many believed was the turning point for a program looking to return to national relevance.

Thats how long it took for Jacksonville State receiver Damond Philyaw-Johnson to bob-and-weave his way past several defenders 59 yards into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown with no time on the clock to give the Gamecocks a stunning 20-17 win over FSU Saturday night.

As JSU players and coaches swarmed the field at Doak Campbell Stadium in celebration, many of the 60,000 in attendance were left speechless as to what they had just witnessed.

We did not have our team ready to play today, a disappointed Mike Norvell said after the loss, his eighth defeat in 11 games as the coach at FSU. Coming off last week, we came out and definitely didnt play in any way to the standard of what were capable of. The penalties, the self-inflicted mistakes  its 100% on me. We did not have the guys ready to go.

It was FSUs first loss against a team from the Football Championship Subdivision in 27 games dating to 1978. The Seminoles open 0-2 for the second consecutive season and for the third time in the last five years.

Its embarrassing, the way we performed on a field today, said FSU quarterback McKenzie Milton.

Afterward, Norvell tried to explain how FSUs defense could allow Philyaw-Johnson to score with relative ease.

It was two-deep man-under and we wanted to make sure we tried to get pressure on the quarterback, said Norvell. [We didnt want] to give up something real quickly underneath or in the intermediate passing game with a timeout, so we did not go to immediate prevent [defense].

We just didnt execute how were supposed to and its kind of embarrassing, said defensive end Jermaine Johnson, who led the team with 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. All we can do is watch the tape, figure out what we did wrong, fix it put our best foot forward.

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A week after providing an offensive spark late against the Fighting Irish, Milton struggled to get FSUs offense on track. Too many self-inflicted mistakes led to the offense stalling throughout much of the game. The Seminoles punted on half of their offensive possessions and only crossed midfield five times.

There were too many times as we would get something going, we would have something negative that would set us back, added Norvell.

Penalties doomed any momentum FSU could muster as the team was flagged 11 times for 114 yards. It was the fifth time under Norvell that the Seminoles have been called for double-digit penalties and it was the most penalty yards in a game since Nov. 3, 2018.

The biggest thing was penalties, said Milton, who finished 18-of-31 for 133 yards with a touchdown and an interception. We would get a first down and next thing you know its 2nd-and-25. When you keep putting yourself in those situations is a recipe for disaster.

For the second consecutive week, FSU was stout up front on defense, holding the Gamecocks to 108 yards rushing, including a 2.8 yards per attempt average. The Seminoles have the second-best rushing defense in the ACC.

But its the passing defense that has regressed with the team ranked last in the ACC.

Florida State has allowed a dozen explosive passing plays (20-plus yards) this season, including two of 40-or-more yards plus the game-winning 59-yard strike Saturday night.

The mood following this loss was a very different one than after the loss to Notre Dame. Players and coaches seemed encouraged by the teams effort against the Fighting Irish, rallying from 18 points down to send the game into overtime.

I think when youre satisfied after a loss, this is the kind of stuff that happens, Milton said. Im not saying were OK with losing last week, but you get pat on your back for effort but we still lost. We lost today. We are who we are: were 0-2 and we have Wake Forest to start conference play.

I apologize to our fan base, to our university, and to all Seminoles for the performance that we had, Norvell added. [We have to] take ownership of it. You go and you work and you correct the things that have to be corrected to play to the level that were capable of playing.

FSU travels to Wake Forest (2-0) Saturday looking to avoid starting 0-3 for the first time since 1976.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
Helen Macdonald with Geronimo. (SWNS)

The owner of Geronimo, an alpaca which was executed over Bovine TB fears, said government officials have refused to hand over the animals remains.

The eight-year-old alpaca was killed on 31 August by vets after being removed from a Gloucestershire farm by police.

The High Court ruled that Geronimo must be destroyed after twice testing positive for bovine TB.

Owner Helen Macdonald insisted the tests may have given false positives and launched a four year legal battle in an attempt to save her pet.

Read: Police apologise after fatally stabbed teen's relatives left to scrub bloodstained pavement

Macdonald wanted the Government to allow Geronimo to be tested for a third time or let him live to aid research into the disease.

The alpaca tested positive to TB (SWNS)

Now, the farmer claims that she is unable to give the alpaca a funeral because the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is holding onto his remains because of TB related reasons.

She said: They will never give bodies back to owners or farmers where they suspect disease.

"It was never going to be an option for Geronimo to come home. They incinerated the carcass as they referred to him.

Watch: Chief vet 'sympathises with Geronimo's owner

"They wanted me to arrange for him to be put to death so they could say I consented. They told me to tell them when he was dead so they could collect the carcass.

MacDonald has now lodged a complaint with The British Alpaca Society after the alpaca was removed from her Gloucestershire farm using a rope around his neck instead of a head collar.

She believes that her beloved eight year old pet could have been accidentally throttled by Defra officials inside the van when he was removed from the farm.

She said: I believe he was suffocated and strangled in the horse trailer and they have not provided video footage to the contrary.

Defra says that experienced veterinary pathologists from the Governments Animal and Plant Health Agency found a number of TB-like lesions during the initial post-mortem.

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Chief veterinary officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: A number of TB-like lesions were found and in line with standard practice these are now undergoing further investigation.

Geronimo the alpaca who has been sentenced to death. (SWNS)

These tests include the developing of bacteriological cultures from tissue samples which usually takes several months - we would expect to complete the full post-mortem and culture process by the end of the year."

The department also said it is a legal requirement that the body of any animal suspected of TB infection must be disposed of properly and safely as part of disease control measures.

However, MacDonald has refuted these claims saying a post-mortem found no signs of TB.

Watch: War of words over Geronimo bovine TB post-mortem result
The lawsuit, which stated that a vaccine mandate infringes on workers personal autonomy, has been dropped in light of President Bidens new sweeping vaccination mandate

The lawsuit filed against the Henry Ford Health System after their vaccination mandate, which required all employees to get vaccinated, has been dropped.

In late June, the southeastern Michigan health care provider became the first hospital in Michigan to announce that it was requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all its employees. Workers had until September 10 to be fully vaccinated or they would be prohibited from returning to work.

DETROIT, MI  APRIL 06: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer receives a dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine at Ford Field during an event to promote and encourage Michigan residents to get the vaccine on April 6, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. As the US reaches a milestone in vaccinations, a surge of new Covid-19 cases has swept through the US with Michigan seeing the highest numbers of new cases. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)

More than 50 employees filed a federal lawsuit in early September seeking a temporary restraining order from the health care provider, saying that the mandate was unconstitutional and infringed on their right to reject medical treatment.

The health group did allow employees with medical and religious exemptions to avoid the mandate.

The case, however, was dropped one day after President Joe Biden announced a sweeping new federal vaccine mandate that affects 100 million Americans.

On Thursday, Biden announced an emergency order through the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) which requires all employers with more than 100 workers to have their staff be either fully vaccinated or test weekly for the virus.

For federal employees, contractors who do business with the government, and people employed by facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid, vaccination is required with no test option.

Weve been patient, said Biden during the address. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us.

He also added that the unvaccinated minority is causing a lot of damage.

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Some Republican leaders said that this move will push private companies and workers to legally challenge the mandate, however health law experts have said that the requirement is likely to hold up in court.

OSHA is a federal agency that has the authority to regulate businesses, and particularly large employers, to protect workers against disease, said Peter Jacobson, professor emeritus of health law and policy at the University of Michigan, in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. It can mandate, for example, that workers have to wear certain safety goggles to protect against injuries, and take certain steps for injury prevention. Its therefore, historically, well within OSHAs purview.

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In a letter to employees  signed by Bin Riney, the health groups COO and president of health, and Dr. Adnan Munkarah, the executive vice president and chief clinical officer of the hospital  hospital leadership said that it is committed to helping unvaccinated team members reach the requirement.

Any team member who has not yet been vaccinated but demonstrates their commitment to getting vaccinated by receiving their first dose today or have a appointment scheduled with Employee Health can avoid suspension or voluntary resignation, the letter read. The health service gave unvaccinated employees that missed the September 10 deadline until October 1 to receive at least one dose of the vaccine in order to return to work.

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When LaGarrett King was growing up in Louisiana, his textbooks and teachers taught him about Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. But he often found himself wondering: Where are the other Black faces and voices and stories?

Why weren't his teachers and books explaining the complexities of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision? The failure of Reconstruction after the Civil War? The lingering effects of enslaving humans, which were obvious all around him?

At home, his African American family often discussed those topics and more, but in his public school, staffed almost entirely by white people, they just didn't come up. No one was talking about the institutional racism, mortgage redlining or civil rights violations that made it harder for Black citizens to vote and reshape society around them.

"Black people have always favored education, but what education they actually get, that's a different story," says King.

Thirty years later, King, who founded and directs the Carter Center for K-12 Black History Education at the University of Missouri, says most of the history majors he's teaching still lack a baseline knowledge of the events and people that shaped Black history in the United States.

Quiz: Test your knowledge of U.S. history

Runaway-slave games, sanitized textbooks: Schools do a terrible job teaching about slavery

"They're really hurt that this history wasn't taught to them in school," King says. "If future citizens are only learning about half of the population, well, that's how we end up in the place we are in. If they knew this history, hopefully they would improve our society because we don't want to repeat it."

King is part of a new generation of Black educators who are demanding more from public school across the country, schools that have for generations largely reflected the priorities of white-dominated boards of education and state legislatures, implemented through curricula and textbooks they controlled.

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Now, a shift is underway as more Black and Latino parents push for inclusive and diverse educational materials. An accompanying backlash by conservatives decries the concept of critical race theory, which examines the United States through the lens of people who continue to face systemic racism.

A rally against critical race theory in Leesburg, Va., on June 12, 2021.

Critical race theory, DEI and more: What those terms really mean

Across the country, school boards, statewide boards of education and legislators are more closely examining their textbooks and curricula, traditionally developed by and for white people. Nationally, white kids now make up about 47% of public school students. Hispanic kids make up 27% and Black kids make up 15%.

Textbooks don't just come from Texas anymore

For decades, Texas' statewide standards and millions of public school students meant textbook publishers catered specifically to the Lone Star State's conservative-dominated curriculum-setting process, then sold those same books to districts in smaller states that lacked the purchasing power to demand their own custom modifications.

About a decade ago, the Common Core curriculum standards began bringing new consistency to what kids were learning, although not every state adopted them (and many states later dropped them, at least officially).

And while Common Core focuses only on language and math and lacks any focus on history, the de facto national standards played a key role in loosening the grip Texas once had in determining what kids across the country learned.

Today, on-demand printing and the development of statewide curriculums in states such as Florida and California have freed other states to influence their own textbook purchases. Still, what kids learn remains largely tied to the past.

"There is a sort of circularity to the argument: 'History is written by the winners and people should know history, so they should learn about the winners,'" said David Griffith of the Fordham Institute, a conservative-leaning education think tank. "A certain amount of debate and negotiation is inevitable. It is simply a fact that our history is not as diverse as our current reality, and reasonable people are going to disagree about who should or should not be in."

U.S. history is complex: Scholars say this is the right way to teach about slavery, racism.

In Texas, Board of Education Chairman Keven Ellis said he and his colleagues are proud that students are now offered electives in both Mexican American history and African American history. Ellis said educational leaders need to strike a careful balance between teaching kids a historically accurate accounting of the past while leaving space for their own critical thinking.

Texas offers a statewide curriculum that districts can adopt, although they can make their own if it meets certain standards. The process begins with educators and other experts who recommend certain areas of study, and then gets refined via public input.

Politicians have the final say. Gov. Greg Abbot this spring called a special legislative session to discuss, among other topics, a ban on teaching aspects of critical race theory in Texas' public schools. That ban took effect Sept. 1.

The Texas State Capitol is seen on the first day of the 87th Legislature's special session. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called the Legislature into a special session, asking lawmakers to prioritize his agenda items, including banning critical race theory in schools.

"We don't want to create a mindset for our students, where they have a certain agenda that's given to them. We want to make sure they're given facts to evaluate," Ellis said. Still, he said, U.S. history has caused "scars and open wounds," along with so much good.

"We should educate our children about our history of these scars, and in some cases the open wounds that remain," he said.

Confederate Reckoning: The long shadow of racism in the American South

Do kids see themselves in their classes?

For Silvia Nogueron-Liu, the debate over critical race theory is eerily reminiscent of the battles in Arizona during the late 2000s over Tucson's Mexican American studies program. A Republican-dominated legislature outlawed the program on the grounds that it was teaching "racial resentment," prompting administrators to collect textbooks lawmakers considered inappropriate for kids.

The Tucson program had been teaching students in the primarily poor Latino district using texts and historical figures that reflected what they saw in the mirror, said Nogueron-Liu, who was born in Mexico and earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Arizona State University amid the Tucson curriculum debate.

Every child, Nogueron-Liu said, comes to school with an understanding of their own culture  just like King, the professor, did 30 years ago. It's important for them to be able to anchor new information into the context of their personal history.

Seeing themselves in textbooks is the best way to start that process, she said. The tension comes when governments decide what narrative kids should learn, then reinforce those narratives via textbooks and curriculum.

"When we're learning about history in kindergarten and in first grade and we don't see ourselves reflected in what we are learning, how are we making those connections?" said Nogueron-Liu, now a professor of literacy studies at the University of Colorado. "Children can understand injustice. They can understand inequality."

What teachers actually teach

Today, most states have statewide history standards that guide what children learn and teachers teach. Those standards are typically set by state boards of education and then flow down to the school district, school and then classroom level.

"Textbooks certainly play a role in what teachers teach and students learn," said Morgan Scott Polikoff, an education professor at the University of Southern California. "The way the system is supposed to work, the standards are supposed to be the determinant of what's taught."

The reality, however, is teachers play a significant role in deciding what to emphasize or gloss over, Polikoff said. Some conservative states have started banning the teaching of specific words and phrases, and Polikoff said most teachers were already teaching a "whitewashed" version of U.S. history.

Most states have statewide history standards, but teachers often make their own decisions about what kids learn.

Still, he said, "I strongly suspect that regardless of the materials, on average, teachers tend to teach toward the middle. There are going to be some iconoclast conservative teachers and some outspoken liberal teachers, but teachers in general tend to teach toward the middle."

Surveys of thousands of teachers by the RAND Corp. support that conclusion, said Darleen Opfer, who runs the think tank's education and labor division. About 30% of teachers nationally are using the Engage New York standards developed by the state's education department.

But drill down, Opfer said, and you'll find that half the country's educators also are using the Teachers Pay Teachers website. There, teachers can upload lesson plans they've developed themselves and buy lessons to use in their classrooms.

Dig deeper on race and identity: Subscribe to This Is America, USA TODAY's newsletter

"Even if you had a textbook written for Texas that was adopted all over the country, teachers weren't using it consistently," Opfer said. "When we ask teachers why they deviated from a textbook or a curriculum, they give lots of reasons for why, and they're essentially trying to differentiate their instruction or they're trying to make it more culturally appropriate.

"Right now, because of the climate, we're seeing teachers err on the side of not covering things that might be controversial."

King, the history professor, says the choices of textbooks and curriculum are inherently political. "Education has always been political," he said. He welcomes the conversation about exactly what gets included in textbooks  and what gets left out.

"We use history to tell our students who we are as a people. We need to reexamine questions like: 'What is the purpose of history?' Is it nostalgia?" he said.

"It's not about patriotism or loving America or hating America. History is simply helping understand humanity."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: History curriculum, critical race theory: Why POC aren't in textbooks
By Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. House Democrats are expected to propose raising the corporate tax rate to 26.5% from 21% as part of a sweeping plan that includes tax increases on the wealthy, corporations, and investors, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Democrats are also expected to propose a 3% surtax on individual income above $5 million as part of a wide-ranging $3.5 trillion budget bill.

They are also considering raising the minimum tax on U.S. companies' foreign income to 16.5% from 10.5% and the top capital gains tax rate to 28.8% from 23.8%.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the outline of the proposal, citing a congressional aide. A spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for tax policy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said House Democrats are making "significant progress towards ensuring our economy rewards work and not just wealth by cutting taxes for middle class families; reforming the tax code to prevent the offshoring of American jobs; and making sure the wealthiest Americans and big corporations pay their fair share."

The overall package of tax changes, summarized in a four-page document circulating among lobbyists and congressional aides on Sunday, was estimated to raise $2.9 trillion in new revenue, largely covering the costs of President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion domestic investment plan.

The proposal would also raise the top individual tax rate to 39.6% from 37%, as part of a series of changes aimed at high income individuals that was estimated to raise approximately $1 trillion.

The package also includes $80 billion more in additional funding for the Internal Revenue Service specifically devoted to tax enforcement of high income taxpayers, which could raise as much as $200 billion in additional revenue.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; additional reporting by David Shepherdson and Trevor Hunnicutt; editing by Richard Pullin and Sam Holmes)
TEHRAN, Iran  Iran agreed Sunday to allow international inspectors to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, potentially averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

The announcement by Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran after a meeting he held with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, in Tehran still leaves the watchdog in the same position it has faced since February, however.

Tehran holds all recordings at its sites as negotiations over the U.S. and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran is now enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

I am glad to say that today were able to have a very constructive result, which has to do with the continuity of the operation of the agencys equipment here, Grossi said. It is indispensable for us to provide the necessary guarantee and information to the IAEA and to the world that everything is in order.

Eslami described the negotiations between Iran and the Vienna-based IAEA as sheerly technical without any room for politics. He said Grossi would return to Iran soon to talk with officials, without elaborating. Also left unsaid was whether Iran would hand over copies of the older recordings, which Tehran had threatened previously to destroy.

The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran according to the routine, Eslami said. New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agencys monitoring system.

A joint statement released by the IAEA and Iran confirmed the understanding, saying only that the way and the timing are agreed by the two sides.

The announcement could buy time for Iran ahead of an IAEA board meeting this week in which Western powers had been arguing for Tehran to be censured over its lack of cooperation with international inspectors. Eslami said Iran would take part in that meeting and its negotiations with the IAEA would continue there.

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The IAEA told member states in its confidential quarterly report last week that its verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined since February by Irans refusal to let inspectors access their monitoring equipment.

The IAEA said certain monitoring and surveillance equipment cannot be left for more than three months without being serviced. It was provided with access this month to four surveillance cameras installed at one site, but one of the cameras had been destroyed and a second had been severely damaged, the agency said.

Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian ambassador to the IAEA, praised the agreement on Twitter, calling it technical but very important.

It is no less important for Iran to rebuff groundless speculations against it, Ulyanov wrote.

Iran and world powers agreed in 2015 to the nuclear deal, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.

President Joe Biden has said hes willing to re-enter the accord, but so far, indirect talks have yet to see success. In the meantime, Iran elected Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as president. Raisi also has said he wants Iran to regain the benefits of the accord, though Tehran in general has struck a tougher pose since his victory.

In Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Nafatli Bennett urged world powers to not fall into the trap of Iranian deception that will lead to additional concessions over the impasse. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has long accused Iran of seeking an atomic bomb. Tehran maintains its program is peaceful, though U.S. intelligence agencies and international inspectors believe the Islamic Republic pursued the bomb in an organized program up until 2003.

You must not give up on inspecting sites and the most important thing, the most important message is that there must be a time limit, Bennett said. Iran is dragging on, we must set a clear-cut deadline that says: until here.

The premier added: The Iranian nuclear program is at the most advanced point ever. ... We must deal with this project.

Israel is suspected of launching multiple attacks targeting Irans Natanz nuclear facility, as well as killing a scientist associated with Irans one-time military nuclear program last year.

From Riyadh, the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia and Austria jointly expressed concern over Irans nuclear advances, with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg citing Irans failure to allow access for nuclear inspections.


JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday in response to Palestinian rocket fire into its territory, the Israeli military said.

Tension between Israel and the Palestinians has risen over the past week, after six Palestinian militants escaped from a maximum security Israeli jail on Monday. Israeli forces have since captured four of the inmates.

Drawing Israeli air strikes, Gaza militants fired a rocket into Israel on Friday when two of the prisoners were apprehended and then again on Saturday, after two more escaped inmates were caught. The Israeli military said it struck targets belonging to Hamas, the Islamist armed group that rules Gaza. There were no reports of casualties.

A fragile truce between Israel and Hamas ended 11 days of fierce fighting in May in which at least 250 Palestinians and 13 in Israel were killed.

(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Sunday defended himself against progressives calls for him to step down while both a Democratic president and Democratic Senate are in power.

I didn't retire because I had decided on balance I wouldn't retire, Breyer said in an interview on Fox News Sunday.

The 83-year-old justice echoed his previous statements on the subject, saying he doesnt intend to die on the court. But he also wouldnt say clearly what his plans for retirement are.

Breyer said there are many considerations and many factors to when hell step down, and the role of the court and so forth is one of them.

I can't say I take anything perfectly into account, but in my own mind I think about those things, said Breyer, who has been on the Supreme Court since 1994.

Democrats stepped up their calls for Breyers retirement in recent months, as a Democratic president would be able to nominate Breyers successor and a Democratic majority in the Senate would be there to confirm them. They fear that Republicans might win a Senate majority in November 2022.

In the first of many calls from progressives for his retirement, Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) said in April theres no question that Breyer should retire at the end of this term. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed that sentiment in June, saying she was inclined to say yes as to whether Breyer should retire in the coming weeks.

Progressive activists and groups are wary of a repeat of the situation following Justice Antonin Scalias death, when a Republican-led Senate declined to consider President Barack Obamas nominee to replace Scalia. They also have bitter memories of the situation after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death, when former President Donald Trump quickly pushed through Justice Amy Coney Barretts nomination  and the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed her just before the 2020 election.

But Breyer didnt signal much concern at the push from progressives to step down.

Well I think that they are entitled to their opinion. I think they  and not only they understand the political world much better than I, they understand it pretty well, and there we are, what else do you want me to say? he said.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  A small flag shop, tucked away in the courtyard of a Kabul market, has documented Afghanistans turbulent history over the decades with its ever-changing merchandise.

Now the shop is filled with white Taliban flags, emblazoned with the Quran's Muslim statement of faith, in black Arabic lettering.

On Sunday, four teen-age boys leaned over white fabric draped on a table illuminated by fluorescent lights and filled the template for the Quranic verse with black ink. Finished flags were hung over a balcony railing to dry.

The owner, Wahidullah Honarwer, 58, said that before President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Aug. 15, as the Taliban were poised to take the capital of Kabul, he produced flags from all nations that had diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.

Honarwer still has those flags in stock.

The Taliban came over and saw all those flags and said nothing to us, he said, sitting behind a computer in his shop. He said the Taliban told him to hang on to those flags until the situation stabilizes.

Honarwer said he's been in the flag business for almost four decades, at a time when a Soviet-backed government was in power in the 1980s. The Soviets withdrew in 1989 and their communist allies in 1992, followed by the rule of warlords and civil war.

The Taliban ruled from 1996-2001, when a U.S.-led invasion expelled the Islamic militants. The Taliban retook control as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan by the end of August.

Honarwer says he spent 27 years in exile in Pakistan, but that hell now stay in Afghanistan, no matter who is in charge. It was not immediately clear if the flag shop was open throughout.

I love Afghanistan and I want to live here, he said. Whatever regime comes, my business is on and will continue.
People protest against COVID regulations in Huntington Beach in 2020. Recently, some protestors have been showing up outside the homes of government officials. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

To the editor: Nicholas Goldberg's column points toward but fails to explicitly mention another problematic element of this kind of in-your-face "protest" in front of officials' homes  it provides yet another compelling reason for qualified, caring individuals to avoid public service.

Ironically, these protesters don't even realize their activism is being manipulated by the same media personalities who have been drumming into their listeners' heads for decades the line that government doesn't work.

Given a choice between making a decent, quiet living in some other quarter, or taking on a public-sector position where part of the reward is getting taunted in your own driveway for making difficult decisions, which would any rational-thinking person choose? Who could blame one for doing so?

The result is a sad one: The public is deprived of the work of competent, caring individuals.

Blaise Jackson, Escondido

..

To the editor: I am sympathetic to public officials who have faced protests at their homes that unfold with a far higher degree of venom and personal attack.

However, as one who protested at Getty House against a prior mayor of Los Angeles, I believe the City Council's expansion of the buffer zone from 100 feet to 300 feet is cowardly, infringes on 1st Amendment rights and is frankly unworkable.

What's to prevent protesters from simply reverse-engineering these protests? Simply find a residence 100 yards away from the intended public official's home, make a few token signs that target the neighboring homeowner for, say, not having a xeriscaped yard, then stay the required 100 yards away from that home  conveniently, in front of the official's home  where protesters may also have signs and banners targeting them.

Ged Kenslea, North Hollywood

..

To the editor: Protests in front of a public official's home affects not only the targeted person but also their entire family plus the neighbors in the vicinity.

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Would you want people banging drums and throwing objects on the block where you live? Imagine children terrified by the loud noises and people banging on doors and windows. It could be actually dangerous to go outside or drive down the street.

I believe protests are important, as I have participated in several, but they should occur near an official's place of work, not in a residential community.

Debbie Cassettari, Chino Hills

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Sep. 12MANISTEE  Nearly 400 nme', or lake sturgeon, placed into the Manistee River by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and participants, became the largest sturgeon release since the tribe's initial push to protect the ancient, endangered fish.

The annual Nme' Release happened Sept. 11 at Manistee River's Rainbow Bend, near the LRBOI Natural Resource Division's streamside rearing facility. This is the 17th year that the tribe successfully reared and returned the species back into the river  in the past, more than 300 were released.

The nme' release is a celebration that includes drumming, singing, and community gathering in a sacred ceremony that recognizes the importance of the indicator species both culturally and ecologically.

Community members from the tribe, and surrounding area carry the little sturgeon (fingerlings) in five-gallon buckets to be released into the river. Afterward, the crowd stands silently for a few moments before encouraging the small fish on their new journey.

William "Frank" Beaver, director of LRBOI's Natural Resources Division, said the annual release of the nme' has been incredibly successful because of the support from the council, tribal citizens and their surrounding neighbors.

"The tribe is really committed and dedicated to the success of the lake sturgeon," Beaver, adding that it's an "all hands on deck" collaboration within a multi-agency effort.

The tribe recognizes the importance of nme' and the significance the species has for the overall health of the watershed and Anishinaabek, Beaver explained. Since 2004, the LRBOI intensively evaluated, sampled, and managed the Manistee River's lake sturgeon population.

"Past research had shown that the lake sturgeon populations were very small but there wasn't enough data to really know what the numbers were in the river," Archie Martell, Fisheries Division Manager for LRBOI Natural Resources Division.

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So the tribe began monitoring the population by doing annual surveys, DNA collections, and compiling the data to gain a better understanding of the fish.

In 2007 the tribe implemented their Nme' Stewardship Plan, a multifaceted approach guided by culturally derived principles along with biological criteria.

The collaboration between biologists, and tribal citizens including elders, women, youth, and pipe carriers, states that "the annual nme' return and it's celebration by our Peoples assure the renewal and continuation of human and all other life."

The plan is intended to guide tribe's Natural Resources Division for the next seven generations with four goals that emphasize restoration and reclamation of the environment "on which is dependent for the future generations of nme' and the Anishinaabek."

It also includes the importance of the connection between cultural and biological foundations.

"The first implementation of the rehabilitation plan was to fully understand and assess the status of the sturgeon population," Martell said.

Each spring, workers carefully collect young lake sturgeon in the Manistee River, allowing the natural selection of spawning mates, Martell added, because the tribe only will collect naturally drifting larvae (fry) or deposited, fertilized eggs.

They are then placed into tanks at the tribe's rearing facility along the river. There they are kept safe from natural predators, while raised in their home waters that are pumped into the holding tanks from the river.

The water is pumped into the facility through hundreds of meters of underground piping and enters a set of mechanical sediment filters that remove a portion of the silt and sand load, but keep the water "true to itself."

Martell stated that the tribe does this so the fish are imprinted with unique markers that will call the sturgeon back to the river when they're ready to spawn and preserve the unique genetics for the population.

It's a process that is vital to the cultural and biological integrity of the stewardship plan.

While at the facility they are fed and closely monitored under water quality alarms, safety systems that include UV lighting to kill off any harmful bacteria.

Once they reach a healthy size  Martell said that it's about 6-9 inches  they are tagged and released in the sacred ceremony to welcome them back home.

The goal for tagging the fish is so they can be identified by any other organization doing similar work, like the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. Martell said this is to see if the program is meeting its goals and objectives.

The tribe is looking to implement an adult assessment to evaluate the return rate of rearing facility sturgeon. Currently they are working on putting PIT-tag antennas, or passive integrated transponders, within the river system to track migration and health of the adult sturgeon. This will also allow them to better collect data to gain a bigger understanding of the overall health of the sturgeon, Martell explained.

With what starts off with a gentle scooping up little nme' in the Manistee River doesn't end when another hand gently places them back home.

Beaver said that the goal of the program is to bring the sturgeon and people back to the river.

"We're doing this with the next seven generations in mind."
James Jin pauses to wipe sweat from his brow as he manually mixes steamed rice early in the process of brewing his craft sake. As owner and brewer at Nova Brewing Co., Jin is bringing the ancient art of sake brewing into the present. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Amid the buzz of fluorescent lights, the intermittent chug of a refrigerator condenser and the flapping hiss of an industrial-size gas flame, Mick Jaggers voice rises and falls:

Rip this joint, going to save your soul



Round and round and round we go



Roll this joint, going to get down low



Start my starter, going to stop the show

Exile on Main Street is blasting from a small stereo thats tucked under cleaning supplies and stainless steel tools in an industrial park in Covina, Calif. The Rolling Stones are in full effect on this summer evening, and so is 36-year-old sake brewer James Jin. He moves with great purpose  its almost a dance  as he takes care of business at Nova Brewing Co., the only craft sake brewery and tasting room in the Los Angeles area.

James Jin bundles a pile of rice that he will soon use to make koji rice. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Steaming piles of sake rice cool on a steel rack as Jin feverishly sprays disinfectant on tools and containers. Rice is one of three primary ingredients (in addition to water and koji, a fungus that aids in fermentation) in the alcoholic beverage, and its preparation requires a great deal of attention to things like temperature, humidity and water content.

Theres science and data involved, but Jin seems to approach the brewing more as an art, smashing a few steaming grains of rice between his gloved fingers to see its heart. Satisfied, he sprays his gloves with more disinfectant and moves on to the next step.

When I start brewing, he said, theres so many things going through my head, I go crazy sometimes.

Jin prepares a vat for Gravity brand of sake which has gone through 4 weeks of fermentation. It is now ready to press, or strain, the fermented mash using a premium, low-yielding technique called "shizuku," which means drip, to let the fermented rice mash slowly "drip" out the sake. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

I need a love to keep me happy



I need a love to keep me happy



Baby, baby, keep me happy



Baby, baby, keep me happy

Theres so many things I have to remember, Jin says, as he continues to listen to the Stones. Theres so many things I have to be careful about. I consider it a form of meditation. Especially in the middle of the night. I feel like everybody else is sleeping and Im all alone. This music is flowing in my head. I feel like Im dancing inside. It makes me happy.

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//

Jins path to Nova Brewing wasnt exactly a straight line. A native Angeleno, he majored in Japanese at UCLA, finishing his degree in Japan. Then he worked for six months teaching English there and saved enough money to hike throughout Europe and Asia, 26 countries by his count, for nearly two years.

China to Russia, Russia to Ukraine, Ukraine to Poland, Poland to Germany to the Netherlands, to the U.K. England to France, France to Spain, Spain to Italy, Italy to Greece. He traveled by bicycle, train, bus or ferry, staying in youth hostels and eating mostly cabbage and rice to save money. At one point, Jin flew to India, where he studied meditation for a few months and then traveled all around Southeast Asia. At 25, he settled in Thailand. When I arrived in Thailand, I fell in love with the country, so I got a job and lived there for about four years.

While teaching English again  to pay the bills  Jin says he succumbed to depression, often drinking himself to sleep. I would be in the countryside teaching, and every night I would be so depressed with nothing to do. I would drink whole bottles of whiskey and, on top of that, four large bottles of beer every day until I passed out. I was drunk at work. I was drunk all the time.

Jin carefully spreads koji spores over steaming rice, from left, and checks the quality of his hand-made koji rice. This technique is called "tsukihaze" and will produce a fruitier and lighter-bodied sake. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The weight of his own expectations was almost unbearable. Not knowing what to do with my life. Feeling like Im making absolutely no change or impact on the world.  Feeling like my life has been wasted, he recalls. These thoughts were always in my head since [the] first year of college.

Eventually, Jin returned home and took a job with Mutual Trading Co., a distributer of Japanese food, alcohol and restaurant supplies. While working as a sales rep at MTC, he became a sake specialist  selling it, organizing educational classes for buyers and restaurant and bar staffs, and organizing sake-related events. His interest became an obsession, and while he was still working at MTC, Jin enrolled in the companys Sake School of America to become a certified sake sommelier.

And his coat is torn and frayed



It's seen much better days



Just as long as the guitar plays



Let it steal your heart away



Let it steal your heart away

I was an alcoholic, previously, so learning about alcohol became a treatment for me, he says, adding that the Sake School of America saved my life.

While he talks, the Rolling Stones continue to play.

Jin brews his sake in a refrigerator to control the temperature of a newly steamed pile of rice. Despite the cold, Jin drips in sweat. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Jin peers through a glass of his craft-brewed Gravity sake. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

//

Jin met his partner, Emiko Tanabe, a Japanese native who also was studying for a sommelier certificate, at the Sake School of America. They created the social media site Sake Underground in 2018. We just couldnt understand why nobody was doing a sake brewery in the L.A. area, Jin says, so they decided to build their own. He proposed to her in September 2020, and she accepted, sort of. We both dont really care for legal marriage so were not legally married. We just call each other husband and wife.

Emiko found the Covina location for the brewery and secured the licenses and permits; James went to Japan for three months to learn traditional methods from master brewer Nobuko Inaba, one of a very few female brewmasters in Japan. They opened Nova Brewing Co. in late December 2019. Jin continued to brew during the pandemic and released his first commercial batch, which he christened Vacuum, in August 2020. (Now Vacuum is available only on tap at the brewery.)

He said he was nervous about moving forward throughout the pandemic but was often reassured by Emiko. Recently, after living for the last few years with his mother at her Diamond Bar home to save money for the business, James, Emiko and their 8-month-old daughter, Yuna, moved into a new home.

//

The origins of sake brewing, dating back centuries, are debated. Many sources trace its beginnings to ancient China. Production in Japan took hold around 500 to 300 BC with the adoption of rice cultivation. Eventually, sake became an important part of Japanese religious and social rituals. The fermenting process evolved from farmers spitting chewed rice into buckets to brewers using complex yeast and koji fungus combinations, promoting fermentation with a range of aromatic profiles.

As Jin continues to work, a steady sweat drips from his forehead. Wearing galoshes and rubber gloves, he is preparing to make his koji rice.

Jin purchases rice that has already been processed in a machine that polishes the surface of the grain, or hull, to get rid of protein, fats and lipids, leaving the starchy core. He then washes, soaks and drains the rice before it is steamed.

Left, Jin cleans each grain of rice from a netted cloth after removing them from steam vessels. In Japan, this is usually an automated process, but Jin has developed an improvised system using material he bought. Right, a batch of rice is scrubbed and drained in a 5-gallon bucket. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The brewer uses a secret blend of yellow koji spores (Aspergillus oryzae) and black koji spores mixed with yeast from the Brewing Society of Japan to make the koji rice that creates the distinctive flavor of his sake. That secret blend is used to convert the starch into sugar, which is then fermented into alcohol by the yeast  all in one tank. (The process is known as multiple parallel fermentation and is unique to sake production.)

While doing his best to honor traditional Japanese brewing methods, Jin is determined to create a style unique to Southern California. He uses only Calrose rice grown near Sacramento, imports specialized koji and yeast blends from Japan and has designed and manufactured brewing equipment, frequently using parts purchased at local restaurant supply stores and even Home Depot. In one corner of the shop theres a small, cylindrical clothes-drying machine he used to rinse his first batches of rice.

I respect the history of sake brewing, but its a dying art in Japan, Jin says, adding, Sales of sake [are] constantly going down [there]. Im one of the few brewers in America trying to bring the dying art back to life.

We are putting new twists to it.  I respect their history and the culture of brewing, but I took what I learned and I turned it into my own style of modern sake. Its a lot more appealing to the younger generation. More wine-like, fruitier, higher in acidity, juicy, very fun to pair with food, especially cheese.

Im not a Japanese brewer. Im an American brewer. I purposefully do things they wouldnt do in Japan.

Emiko Tanabe, left, records video for social media as Jin bottles a batch of his Gravity brand of sake. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Jin samples from a batch to check its acidity level, amino acid level, sake meter value and alcohol percentage. Sake meter value is the density of water to sake that indicates sweetness and dryness. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Comments about his first batches were complimentary. Sake Sommelier @Sasaboston on Instagram wrote, His sake to me is like a juicy melon ball! Finished dry, full and luscious  not like anything Ive had before. Master sake sommelier @ueno_toshio wrote, One of our graduates brought me his sake today, what a treat!!! It is Nama Shizuku Sake  very gentle aroma of banana, yellow apple, ripe pineapple and brioche. Vibrant and juicy mouthfeel with dry refreshing finish.

Jin says he was just happy his sake didnt taste like crap.

He estimates that in the last 11 months, hes done 30 batches of sake  equivalent to 5,000 750 ml bottles.

Nova Brewing Co. brews four different sakes, 10 craft beers on tap, and is in the process of producing plum wine. Theres a tasting room connected to the brewery and he accepts appointments for personal tours.  I want people in L.A. to have the full experience of a local sake brewery, he says.

//

You're gonna open up the throttle, yeah



(All down the line)



We're going to bust another bottle, yeah



(All down the line)



I need a shot of salvation, baby, once in a while



Hear the whistle blowing, hear it for a thousand miles

Its near midnight and a long day is coming to a close. Jin checks numerous thermometers throughout the space and looks once more at his computer charts. Exile on Main Street has been playing on a loop for hours but he doesnt notice until he switches off the boombox. Its time to go home.

My enlightenment is seeing everything done at the end of the day and drinking a glass of Chimay beer. I had a 16-hour day. It was a good day. Everything went smoothly," he says. "I never wouldve imagined a couple years ago I would be able to make this. Now Im making it and people are saying they like it. Its an amazing feeling.

Next up on the playlist when he returns to work?

Vampire Weekend.

Jin often works 16-hour days alone, juggling the precise demands of koji rice while also brewing craft beer. He recently hired an assistant. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Photo editing by Taylor Arthur, Kate Kuo and Jacob Moscovitch.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Intermountain Healthcare announced it would postpone "almost all surgeries" across several hospitals due to rising COVID-19 cases.

The suspensions will occur for "several weeks" across 13 out of 24 hospitals within the system.

"Our teams are overwhelmed and we're running out of staffed beds for patients," a press release from Intermountain said.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

More than half of the hospitals within a major healthcare system in the western US region are suspending "almost all surgeries" for "several weeks" due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Intermountain Healthcare, a major healthcare provider whose headquarters are in Utah, announced on Friday that it would postpone "all non-urgent surgeries and procedures requiring a hospital admission in our trauma and community hospitals" starting Wednesday.

The system has 24 hospitals, 13 of which are expected to adhere to the suspension, according to the press release.

"This postponement starts September 15 and will last for several weeks. We will evaluate the situation on an ongoing basis," the release says.

Video: How the Delta variant has changed the course of the pandemic

Dr. Marc Harrison, CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, told CBS affiliate KUTV that half the system's ICU beds are occupied by patients infected with COVID-19. An overwhelming majority of those patients - 90% - are unvaccinated, he said.

"We need some drastic action in order to preserve the public health," Harrison said. "The cavalry is not coming. We are the cavalry, and when I say 'we,' I mean the community as a whole."

When asked by KUTV of his stance on a vaccine mandate, Harrison stopped short of an endorsement.

"Our epidemiologic projection suggests we're not even at the worst part yet," he said. "We believe we're going to need about 40 more ICU beds, and about 70 more general beds in the very near future. And guess what? We don't have them."

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According to the press release, the hospitals are "at a critical point" due to large spikes in COVID-19 cases, particularly in Utah.

"COVID-19 cases have continued to significantly increase in Utah-resulting in consistently high volumes in hospital ICUs and acute care units across our system," the release says. "Our teams are overwhelmed and we're running out of staffed beds for patients."

Positive COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Utah, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Hospitalizations have also been on the rise since July. Just over half of Utah's population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, JHU data says.

Read the original article on Business Insider
capitol coup

Samuel Corum/Getty Rioters at the U.S. Capitol

Seven more defendants pleaded guilty on Friday to charges related to the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol.

Among them was Cleveland Meredith Jr., who threatened to shoot House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in text messages sent to a relative. According to CNN, he told the judge at a plea hearing that the threats were "political hyperbole," before eventually admitting, "I sent the text."

Meredith's mother reported his threatening messages to the FBI, before he was arrested in his Washington, D.C., hotel room on January 7, according to Slate.

RELATED: D.C. Police Officer Who Responded to Capitol Riots Is Third to Die By Suicide

Meredith drove from Colorado to Washington D.C. on January 6, after intending to arrive the day before for former President Donald Trump's rally, according to court documents. During a search of his truck and trailer, investigators discovered a Glock 19, a nine millimeter pistol, a Tavor X95 assault rifle (none of which were registered in D.C.) and approximately hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Meredith pleaded guilty to sending threatening communications, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years and a $250,000 fine. However, prosecutors told the judge they would only seek a maximum of two years and a $75,000 fine, The New York Times reported.

Capitol building coup

Win McNamee/Getty Rioters breach U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021

He has been in jail since he was arrested in January, and he will receive credit for time served upon his sentencing in December. As part of his plea deal, Meredith was not required to plead guilty on the weapons charges that were initially filed.

Felipe Marquez pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. The misdemeanor comes with up to a year in jail. He was also ordered by the judge not to attend an upcoming September 18 rally in DC in support of the Capitol rioters, in addition to staying out of DC altogether during his criminal case.

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Brandon and Stephanie Miller, a married couple from Ohio, also pleaded guilty to illegally protesting in the Capitol, CNN reported. Many nonviolent rioters have received lighter sentences by pleading guilty to the misdemeanor, which is similar to trespassing.

RELATED VIDEO: Pro-Trump Rioters Storm U.S. Capitol, Forcing Evacuation of Lawmakers

With Friday's hearings, 61 of the more than 600 defendants charged in connection with the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol have pleaded guilty, according to CNN. The Justice Department has expedited many of the plea hearings in recent weeks in attempt to resolve the lower-level cases involving nonviolent misdemeanors, most of which have been for misdemeanors.

However, some have pleaded guilty to felonies, such as conspiring with extremist groups, assaulting police and obstructing congressional proceedings, which carry heavier sentences. So far, only six rioters have been sentenced, but more plea and sentencing hearings are scheduled for the coming months.

In a press release from Saturday, the United States Capitol Police also provided an update on its internal investigations into officers' conduct related to the attack on January 6.

The U.S. Attorney's Office did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime following the 38 internal investigations launched by the USCP's Office of Professional Responsibility. In 20 of the cases, no wrongdoing was found.

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However, disciplinary action was recommended in six cases: three for conduct unbecoming, one for failure to comply with directives, one for improper remarks and one for improper dissemination of information.

Another case about an official who is accused of unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming is still pending. The administrative investigation started after a criminal investigation, in which charges were not filed.

The statement added that those six cases should not "diminish the heroic efforts of the United States Capitol Police officers. On January 6, the bravery and courage exhibited by the vast majority of our employees was inspiring."
Nick Ut/AP Images

Walgreens has more than 9,000 stores in the US and employs approximately 450,000 people worldwide.

The company's 2020 sales were $139.5 billion, and it filled 818 million prescriptions last year.

Walgreens' average customer is a white suburban Baby Boomer earning over $80,000 per year.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Walgreens is one of the leading drugstore chains in the US and Europe, with worldwide sales of $139.5 billion last year. The company estimates that 78% of the US population lives within five miles of one of its pharmacies, and it filled 818 million prescriptions in 2020.

Originally founded in 1901 and based in Deerfield, Illinois, there now are over 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade retail locations across the US employing roughly 450,000 workers worldwide.

Slightly less than two-thirds of all US shoppers are Walgreens customers, according to data from the analytics firm Numerator prepared for Insider.

Numerator found that Walgreens' typical shopper is a white suburban Baby Boomer who has a college education and an annual income of more than $80,000. The brand is also very popular among Black and Latino shoppers with similar education and income.

The typical customer visits Walgreens every three weeks on average - about 22 trips per year - and picks up 4 products for a total cost of $22.50 per trip, Numerator found.

Prescription medication constitutes about 75% of Walgreens' US retail pharmacy revenues, and the drugstore offers a variety of over-the-counter medical supplies, personal-care items, food and beverages. This retail revenue accounts for the remaining 25% of the same segment.

Like CVS shoppers, Walgreens customers have an affinity for M&M's and Reese's candies and Hallmark greeting cards, but prefer Coca Cola sodas where CVS customers prefer Colgate toothpaste.

Some of their favorite categories to buy from the pharmacy include candy and soft drinks, as well as first-aid supplies, cough and cold remedies, and digestive health products. Just 1.3% of a Walgreens shopper's total dollars are spent at Walgreens, compared with 11% of their spending at Walmart.

Story continues

Read more typical shopper profiles:

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Telegraph

Paul Azinger, one of only two US captains to have won the Ryder Cup this century, has told Brooks Koepka that he should pull out of next weeks match and give up his place to someone who would love to play.
Undated photos provided by Tea et. al show milkweed butterflies imbibing from dead and living caterpillars. (Tea et. al via The New York Times)

Butterflies seem gentle as they flutter from plant to plant. But some may be more murderous than you imagine. Naturalists recently witnessed several species of milkweed butterfly harassing, subduing and subsequently feeding on milkweed caterpillars, presumably to get their fill of toxic alkaloids inside the larvae.

This behavior was described in an article published Wednesday in the journal Ecology. The authors of the paper say they are unaware of similar behavior being documented among other butterflies or any insects, for that matter, that are so closely related. Although butterflies had previously been observed feeding on grasshoppers that harbor toxic alkaloids, no one had ever documented adult butterflies stealing such compounds from their own kin.

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Scientists did not have a word to describe this toxic behavior, so the studys authors came up with one: kleptopharmacophagy.

The discovery was made in December 2019 when two friends traveled to the Tangkoko Batuangus Nature Reserve on the northern part of Indonesias Sulawesi island. Yi-Kai Tea, a graduate student studying ichthyology at the University of Sydney and the Australian Museum Research Institute, and Jonathan Wei Soong, a naturalist from Singapore, share a passion for macrophotography and butterflies and had decided to spend their holiday photographing the reserves stunning array of fluttering insects.

Many of the butterflies the pair were hoping to see were milkweed butterflies. There are some 300 species in the group, including the iconic monarch, all of which are toxic to would-be predators. They gain most of their toxicity by feeding on plants rich in alkaloids and come in a variety of bold and brilliant colors that serve as warnings to potential predators.

On the first day of their trip, the two men visited a forested area by the beach and stumbled upon a butterfly bonanza. Hundreds of milkweed butterflies from several species were swarming around a patch of vegetation near the forest floor, a rare sight even in this lush reserve.

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Delighted, Tea and Soong spent hours photographing the insects. It was not until the end of the day, when they were going over their pictures, that the two men realized they had documented strange and sinister behavior.

After making the initial observation, Tea and Soong spent the next two days at the site doing their best to document the gruesome gorging in greater detail.

We thought it was really cool, Soong said, adding that he finds milkweed butterflies kind of metal.

Soong and Tea spent hours watching seven different species of milkweed butterfly, including Blanchards ghost and the ismare tiger butterfly, scratching caterpillars, both dead and alive, so violently with mighty claws on their feet that the caterpillars internal juices oozed out. They said the behavior cannot be described as predatory because many caterpillars survive the encounters.

They also observed butterflies doing the same thing to the leaves of plants known to contain toxic alkaloids. As caterpillars, milkweed butterflies eat leaves loaded with pyrrolizidine alkaloids to make themselves unpalatable to their predators.

Having a steady supply of pyrrolizidine alkaloids is also important for male milkweed butterflies. These alkaloids are an ingredient in mating pheromones and also in nuptial gifts, which are globs of sperm and nutrients that males attach to their mates abdomens during sex. Of the dozens of butterflies that Tea and Soong saw scratching leaves and caterpillars, only one was female. This imbalance supports the researchers hypothesis that the milkweed butterflies were attacking caterpillars to get the toxic alkaloids sequestered in the preys bodies. However, more research is needed to confirm this.

One of the highly desirable follow-up experiments would be to see if the compounds are actually transferred, said David Lohman, a co-author of the study and an insect biologist and associate professor at City College of New York.

Tea believes that such butterfly-on-caterpillar violence is not unusual. Butterflies have a whole repertoire of really gross and nasty behaviors, Tea said. One example is pupal rape, a phenomenon in which male butterflies force their way into the chrysalises of female butterflies that have not finished metamorphosing and force them to mate, he said.

Clint Penick, an assistant professor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia who studies the social lives of insects and was not involved in the study, agreed.

The more we zoom in, the more we find insects that are fighting each other and drinking each others blood, Penick said. Thats one of the fun things about studying insects: You can literally walk out your front door and witness some pretty wild biological interactions, just on a small scale.

Soong and Tea are eager for their fellow lepidopterophiles to keep an eye out for more examples of butterfly kleptopharmacophagy and to share them with a photo of the behavior at Hungrymilkweed@gmail.com.

 2021 The New York Times Company
WASHINGTON  The Missile Defense Agency successfully launched a mock-up of a kill vehicle with a new three-stage booster designed to enhance the performance of the interceptors that make up the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System in a Sept. 12 flight test, according to an agency statement.

The GMD system is designed to protect the homeland from intercontinental ballistic missiles from Iran and North Korea.

The launch of the mock-up Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, or EKV, was the first flight test of a three-stage booster operating in two-stage mode meaning the third stage was not ignited, allowing earlier release of the kill vehicle providing increased battlespace, the statement said.

Homeland missile defense system takes out ICBM threat in historic salvo test

The EKV is the section of the Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) designed to destroy targets in high-speed collisions after separating from the booster rocket.

This new booster capability  known as the 2-/3-Stage selectable GBI  gives the warfighter greater flexibility in executing the defense of the homeland while significantly increasing the battlespace for successful threat engagement, MDA said.

The agency used a mock-up of an EKV to reduce the test cost and keep its critical defense assets available, the statement noted.

Initial indications show the test met requirements, but program officials will continue to evaluate the data to determine system performance, the statement added.

The system worked exactly as it was designed to do, and the results of this test provide evidence of the greatly increased battlespace the selectable booster brings to the Warfighter, MDA Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill said in the statement.

The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system is vitally important to the defense of our homeland, and this test demonstrates that we continue to provide enhanced capabilities for our existing Ground Based Interceptor fleet while we rapidly design and deliver the leap ahead technology of the Next Generation Interceptor, he added.

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The new selectable stage booster provides more engagement time and space, the agency said, and future upgrades to sensing and tracking capabilities will offer the ability to assess the threat after initial engagement while retaining the time to engage again if necessary.

Hill said getting the booster capability is our first step toward a robust shoot-assess-shoot capability.

The agency is working on upgrading and performing a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for its GMD system as it races toward adding roughly 20 Next-Generation Interceptors (NGI) to an inventory of 40 GBIs already in the ground at Fort Greely, Alaska. There are four other GBIs at Vandenberg Air Base, California.

Fielding the NGI is expected to take place beginning in 2028, with the last being emplaced by roughly 2030.

It is possible the Pentagon may decide to replace current GBIs with NGIs, but the decision to do so will be down the road.

MDA canceled a previous attempt to redesign the EKV in 2019 due to difficulty meeting technical requirements, so the pressure is on to ensure the GBI system has interceptors capable of destroying ever-evolving ICBM threats.

The new booster capability is expected to be integrated with the current GBI fleet over the next couple of years as part of the ongoing GMD SLEP efforts.
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Were all familiar with the commercials encouraging Americans to enlist in the military. Action-packed and provocative, these ads (even those that call out individual career types) tend to keep it simple, glossing over details about one very important factor: money. How much can you make in the military, particularly as you advance up the rungs?

Military Money: The Complete Guide on Benefits, Investing and More

Find Out: 4 Ways Military Members and Their Families Can Achieve Financial Success

When youre talking about base salary, the answer is not a whole lot  at least, not when compared with many civilian careers. Even those in high-ranking special forces divisions arent sweeping in hundreds of thousands of bucks a year; in fact, theyre often earning much less. Money worries often plague military families, with nearly 9 in 10 active service members and 84% of military spouses worried about money, a National Foundation for Credit Counseling report found.

To get a better idea of how military pay works, heres a look at special forces military careers in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, respectively, considering the average salary and from there, breaking down how payment in the military generally works. Youll want to read on to see some of the perks and benefits that might make the lower pay worth it for you.

Military Money: A Financial Checklist for Big Life Events

The Army: Special Forces Engineer

In the army, a special forces engineer sergeant specializes in construction and demolition. Theyre tasked with building infrastructure such as bridges and field barricades and executing demolition raids against enemy targets. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for this role is between $65,302 and $70,252. This is around what a boilermaker or a first-line supervisor of construction trades and extraction worker would make in the civilian world. This is on the high end for the special forces field. According to ZipRecruiter, the overall average salary for a professional in the armys special forces is $52,611.

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Read: How the Military Incentivizes Getting Married With Pay



The Navy: Petty Officer Third Class (SEAL)

Like the U.S. Army, the Navy SEALs are made up of a large number of military personnel. Pay is greatly dependent on years of service and the nature of ones contract. In 2018, an active and enlisted Petty Officer Third Class with under two years of service started at $2,089 a month. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Navy SEAL is $53,450. This doesnt seem like much considering that these officers are the core of the United States Navy.

The Air Force: Pararescueman

Dating back to WWII, pararescuemen perform search-and-rescue operations, where they recover essentials (and possibly people) from downed aircraft. Sort of like flying EMTs, pararescuemen have paramedic certification. Given the demanding physical nature of the job, they also need to be incredibly fit. According to Simply Hired, pararescue salaries average $57,726 a year.

Be Prepared: 5 Unique Financial Challenges Faced by Military Families

The Marine Corps: Special Operations Capability Specialist (SOCS)

An SOCS is one of the higher-ranking jobs in the Marine Corps, whose mission is to recruit, train and deploy marine forces as delegated by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). These professionals use complex strategies and implement sound-free tactics in unpredictable environments. These specialists are among a higher-earning class, but on average, a Marine Corps member makes $51,000 a year.

See: 25 Hot Jobs That Pay More Than $100,000 a Year

My question, as yours may be, too: Why is military pay so low? There are a number of reasons.

First, most people join the military for patriotic reasons, just as teachers teach because they enjoy helping others, said Dr. Monroe Mann, Ph.D., Esq., MBA, LLM, ME, director and coding projects manager at Break Diving and a Bronze Star nominated Iraq war vet. People join the military because of what it stands for, and it brings pride to oneself. Second, it comes down to supply and demand. There will always be someone else ready to take his/her place, so the salary does not need to be incredibly high.

Find Out: Amazing Perks These 10 Companies Offer Employees

Additionally  and what cannot be overstated  is the slew of expenses paid that come with a military job.

Morgan Lerette, a former Blackwater worker and U.S. Army intelligence officer, gave GOBankingRates the following breakdown of military benefits and extra pay.

Benefits

Medical, dental, housing, food and vacation benefits are given on day one for both the service member and their families, Lerette said.

1. Vacation  30 days and all holidays, plus four-day weekends nearly every month

2. Housing costs  depends on location or furnished by the military, increases when married and again with children

3. Medical  zero cost, zero copay, zero deductible

4. Food is furnished or the service member is given a stipend.

More: 20 Companies With the Happiest Employees

Additional Pay

Deployment, hazard, flight, jump, etc., Lerette said, These pay incentives are for special-trained service members.

1. Tax-free pay while deployed

2. Hardship duty pay  $200/month

3. Hostile fire pay  $225/month

4. Dive pay  $300/month

It all adds up, Lerette said. As a high school graduate, this was a lot of money, and it was all mine!

More From GOBankingRates

Last updated: Aug. 6, 2021

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Do Navy SEALs and Other Special Ops Make?
A 26-year-old Monroe woman was arrested on bomb threat charges after several schools reported receiving threatening emails that explosive devices were on the grounds, according to the Union County Sheriffs Office.

Officers charged Sarah Elizabeth Jones with three felony counts each of making a false report concerning a destructive device and cyberstalking and two counts of identity theft.

Tuesday night, school officials received an email from a bogus account that said explosive devices were at Sun Valley High School, Sun Valley Middle School and an elementary school outside of Union County, according to a sheriffs office Facebook post.

Sheriffs investigators and school officials searched the Union County schools on Tuesday night and again on Wednesday and found nothing, the sheriffs office said.

On Thursday, a school official at Prospect Elementary School in Monroe received a similar threatening email reporting explosive devices on the property. Again, a search yielded nothing, investigators said.

Sheriffs detectives quickly linked the source of the emails back to Jones and subsequently executed a search warrant at her Dellwood Drive residence, where several electronic devices were seized, according to the sheriffs office post.

Sheriffs investigator havent said if they know why the emails were sent to the schools.
SAN JOSE (Reuters) - A Nicaraguan political activist who opposes the government of President Daniel Ortega is in critical condition in a Costa Rica hospital after being shot, police and activists said on Sunday.

Joao Maldonado, a well-known leader of demonstrations in 2018 in southwestern Nicaragua's Jinotepe municipality, was shot twice in the chest and once in the arm on Saturday evening in Escazu, 10 km (6 miles) west of Costa Rica's capital San Jose, a police spokeswoman said.

Yefer Bravo of Unidad de Exiles Nicaraguan in Costa Rica said Maldonado, 32, had been organizing a protest against Ortega's government for Sunday in San Jose. The demonstration went ahead, but turnout was low.

A Nicaraguan government official did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Maldonado underwent emergency surgery, his wife Nadia Robleto said.

More than 80,000 Nicaraguans have requested refuge in neighboring Costa Rica since the 2018 protests; numbers had increased in the past three months as Ortega's government clamped down on opposition politicians and activists.

(Reporting by Alvaro Murillo in San Jose; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
This the first in a series of weekly analyses of COVID-19 policies in 100 large and high-profile school systems, produced by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, Bothell.

President Joe Bidens push for more employers to require vaccines is likely to accelerate an already-growing trend in schools.

In the past month, the number of states requiring teacher vaccinations has jumped to 10, including the District of Columbia, according to a new analysis we conducted at the Center on Reinventing Public Education.

Those include roughly a third (31) of the districts in our review of 100 large and high-profile school systems. And Los Angeles Unifieds high-profile move to require eligible students to get vaccinated suggests vaccine mandates wont be confined to school employees.

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Rising vaccination rates are good news for the countrys students. They increase the chances schools will be able to keep them safe, and keep them learning, all year and in person as much as possible.

But they wont totally eliminate other challenges school systems are likely to face. Clarifying quarantine rules, and supporting high-quality instruction for students who are forced to quarantine or isolate because theyve tested positive or been exposed to the virus, remains a critical task for state and school district leaders.

Related: The First Big Domino to Fall: Los Angeles District Mandates Student Vaccines as Biden Unveils Aggressive COVID Testing Plan

Right now, the amount of time students can expect to spend in quarantine if they are suspected of being exposed to the virus, and the amount of instruction they can expect to receive, varies a lot depending on where they live.

State quarantine and isolation policies leave districts hanging

Forty-three states and D.C. have updated their quarantine and isolation guidelines for the 2021-22 school year, while seven states offer no guidance and simply link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage.

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In 15 states and D.C., schools and districts must follow statewide quarantine guidance, while 29 states offer only recommended guidance. The remaining six states provide very little. The Iowa Department of Public health, for example, stated that it is not currently issuing isolation or quarantine orders for COVID-19 positive or COVID-19 exposed individuals.

Half of the states provide detailed guidance about how long a student should spend in quarantine. Of these, 14 specify isolation periods that range from seven to 14 days for different categories of exposure, and 11 specify periods that range from seven to 10 days.

The other half of states give school districts broad flexibility to determine the number of days students and staff are expected to quarantine, depending on whether they are asymptomatic, vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test.

The result of this loose, varied and minimal state guidance is a wide range of district quarantine policies.

Alaskas Anchorage School District allows up to 24 quarantine days for students who live with an infected household member and cannot avoid continued close contact. At the other extreme, Kansass Wichita Public Schools allows exposed students to return to class immediately, provided they wear a mask for 14 days and take daily rapid antigen tests for eight days.

The shortest quarantines are heavily concentrated in Florida, where seven of eight districts in our review allow students to return as early as two to five days after exposure. Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which requires a 10-day quarantine, is the exception. Florida state guidance recommends four to seven days of isolation.

When will students and teachers have to quarantine? For how long? It depends

Most states have at least some policies that ease quarantine requirements for students who meet certain criteria.

Thirty-eight states exempt fully vaccinated students from quarantines, 23 provide exemptions if an individual has previously been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 7 exempt individuals if they are asymptomatic. In addition, 19 states include the CDCs revised definition of close contact for K-12 settings to determine whether a student counts as having been exposed to the virus.

Easing quarantine rules for vaccinated people can reduce unnecessary learning disruptions and create an incentive to get vaccinated that stops short of a mandate. But some states have tied districts hands.

In Montana, a state law prohibiting people from being treated differently based on vaccination status means that local leaders cannot use it as a way to shorten quarantines. In Ohio, a state law outlines anti-discrimination practices that would prohibit schools from establishing safety precautions specifically for unvaccinated individuals.

Some states devised creative guidance to keep teachers and students in schools as much as possible. The Mississippi State Department of Health allows for teachers and staff deemed essential to keep working if they remain asymptomatic, wear a mask at all times, self-monitor for symptoms and self-quarantine at home when they are not at work. In Utah, local health departments and districts can offer students the option to wear a mask at school for 10 days in place of following quarantine-at-home protocols.

How will students in quarantine continue learning?

Remote learning is a critical tool for keeping students learning during quarantine, but not all students will have access. Eight states  Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas  are restricting at least one aspect of remote learning.

In some cases, states outlined these restrictions in their American Rescue Plan documents, which were created before the Delta variant started rampaging across the country. For example, New Jersey states that, In the 2021-22 school year, if buildings are open for in-person instruction, parents or guardians will not be able to opt their child out of in-person instruction.

Only 17 states have stated they will require districts to ensure that students can access instruction during quarantine or isolation.

Some provide detailed guidance in their 2021 reopening plans about how districts should provide remote learning. South Dakota explains that schools opting to provide long-term virtual options must commit to quality instruction, state-aligned standards and certified, well-trained staff. The Illinois State Board of Education spelled out details about instructional time and enrollment.

Five districts of the 100 we reviewed  Boulder Valley, Colorado; Houston ISD; Kansas City Public Schools; Metro Nashville; and San Diego Unified  are offering their remote learning program, or an equivalent, to quarantined students. The rest will likely rely on schools and teachers to create their own solutions  which, again, means the education students will receive could vary a lot depending on where they live.

Chicago Public Schools expects teachers to provide coursework aligned to the instruction students would have received in class, and for students to receive up to two hours of live, real-time teaching a day while theyre in quarantine.

In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, teachers will be expected to revive a practice from last year: concurrent instruction, in which some students join class by videoconference while others attend in person.

Vermonts Champlain Valley Public Schools distinguish between individually quarantined students and whole-class quarantines. The district will provide remote instruction only if the entire class must quarantine. Otherwise, quarantines will be treated as regular absences, and students wont receive instruction.

Most states back COVID-19 testing

The majority of states  36, as well as D.C.  provide schools and districts with both guidance and funding to administer COVID-19 testing. A robust initiative from the Washington State Department of Health, Learn to Return, helps schools provide vaccines and tests.

The remaining 14 states provide either limited or no information about statewide COVID-19 testing. In the Interim Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Virginia PreK-12 Schools, testing is mentioned as one of nine key prevention strategies. However, there is no reference to statewide support for districts that wish to establish and run these programs.

This month, a new type of policy, known as test-to-stay, has emerged to limit major school-based outbreaks.

Under Utahs recommended policy, if 30 students, or 2 percent of a schools student body  whichever is lower  test positive for COVID-19, the school will screen all students. Those who test positive will be required to isolate at home, but those whose results are negative can continue in-person classes.

In Washington, schools can opt in to a test-to-stay protocol in which someone who comes into close contact with an individual testing positive for COVID-19 can receive a negative test and continue to attend classes, but quarantine from all extracurriculars and other activities.

These policies can help catch outbreaks before they spread out of control. But they also underscore the importance of providing instruction to students who are asked to stay home.

Vaccinations necessary but not sufficient

States and districts received a historic infusion of federal COVID relief dollars with the charge to keep kids safe and learning through the 2021-22 school year.

However, emerging fall trends reveal that states plans are underwhelming and largely miss the mark. Policymakers and education leaders can shift course to ensure students are safe and learning this fall and beyond by reinforcing the things that work:

Provide districts support for coordinated vaccination and COVID-19 testing. States can give districts a framework to increase vaccinations among staff and students while implementing robust testing programs to catch potential outbreaks. For example, state education and health agencies can develop a network of local health authorities who can facilitate both vaccination and testing in schools.

Develop a sense of safety by reporting staff vaccination coverage. A fully vaccinated education workforce across a state will protect students who are not eligible to be vaccinated and limit learning disruptions. Many states publish COVID-19 vaccination rates for health care professionals by county on public dashboards to establish transparency and trust among those who visit care facilities. Reporting similar data for teachers would help develop a sense of safety for parents and students.

Establish clear, easy-to-follow quarantine rules. Differing federal, state and local policies on quarantine and isolation leave parents and students confused and uncertain about what is safe and what to do next. States can establish clear, straightforward quarantine policies along with streamlined communications efforts to ensure students, teachers and families feel secure about school safety precautions and reduce guesswork for local education leaders.

Ensure students have access to remote learning throughout the year. States must set clear expectations about enrollment, attendance and quality of remote learning. With many competing priorities, districts need state support to ensure schools are providing high-quality remote instruction to students in quarantine or isolation.

These measures demand stronger action by state leaders. Students cannot afford to lose days or weeks of instruction while school district administrators navigate vague, conflicting or counterproductive guidance from other layers of government.

Christine Pitts is a resident policy fellow at the Centers on Reinventing Public Education. Bree Dusseault is principal at the Center on Reinventing Public Education, supporting its analysis of district and charter responses to COVID-19.

This the first in a series of weekly analyses of COVID-19 policies in 100 large and high-profile school systems, produced by the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, Bothell. Get this weekly snapshot, as well as rolling daily pandemic updates, delivered straight to your inbox  sign up for The 74 Newsletter.
CHICAGO (AP)  One person died and five others including a teenage girl were injured in a shooting on Chicago's South Side, police said.

A group of people was walking toward their vehicles in the city's West Pullman neighborhood around 9:40 p.m. Saturday when someone inside another vehicle fired multiple rounds, striking the victims, according to police.

A 42-year-old woman who was shot in the arm and armpit was taken to a hospital where she later died. Authorities have not identified her.

A 32-year-old man who was shot in the face was listed in critical condition. The other victims, ranging in age from 15 to 28, were listed in fair condition at area hospitals.

No one had been arrested in the shooting, police said Sunday as the investigation continued.

No further details were released.
Police officers deploy teargas at protesters outside the White House while clearing a path for President Donald Trump to walk to the St. John's Church in Washington, June 1, 2020. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)

In 2010, Officer Heather Weyker of the St. Paul Police Department in Minnesota had the biggest case of her career: a child sex-trafficking ring said to have spanned four states and involved girls as young as 12. Thirty people, almost all of them Somali refugees, were charged and sent to jail, many of them for years.

Then the case fell apart. It turned out, the trial judge found, that Weyker had fabricated or misstated facts, lied to a grand jury and lied during a detention hearing. When three young women unwittingly got in the way of her investigation, according to their court filings, she had them locked up on false charges.

She took my life away, said one of the women, Hamdi Mohamud, who was a senior in high school at the time.

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But there is little that Mohamud can do. For decades, the Supreme Court and Congress have declined to close the many legal loopholes, like qualified immunity, that protect the police from accountability. Now legal advocates say that an increasingly conservative Supreme Court has emboldened lower courts to close off the few avenues that plaintiffs once had to seek redress.

If a federal law enforcement officer lies, manipulates witnesses and falsifies evidence, should the officer be liable for damages? the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit wrote of Weyker, whose investigation ultimately resulted in no convictions. The answer was no.

More than 20 civil lawsuits have been filed against Weyker, a former vice officer who is still the subject of an internal department investigation. Some of the suits failed because she was granted qualified immunity, a doctrine created by the courts that shields officers from lawsuits unless they violate a clearly established right. In others, the courts found that if the facts before them were to be believed, she had indeed violated peoples rights. But she was shielded by the even more robust immunity offered to federal law enforcement officers  even though she is not one.

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The protection extends not just to federal agents but to state and local police officers, like Weyker, who serve on one or another of the numerous joint task forces that bring state, local and federal agents together to fight problems such as terrorism, gang violence and human trafficking.

Federal law allows state and local officers, but not federal agents, to be sued for rights violations, even when their actions are the same. That is why a federal judge recently told the Black Lives Matter organization that it could sue the local  but not the federal  police officers who violently cleared protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington in June 2020.

In a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court last year, James King, a college student walking to work in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was mistaken for a suspect by two plainclothes members of a fugitive task force  one federal, one local  who beat him so savagely that bystanders called 911. The government contends that he should not be able to sue either officer.

A few exceptions to this broad immunity have been allowed, under a 1971 Supreme Court case in which federal narcotics officers searched a mans house, arrested him in front of his family and subjected him to a strip search, all without a warrant. The court said the man, Webster Bivens, could seek damages for Fourth Amendment violations even if Congress had not specifically authorized such lawsuits.

But in recent years the court, now more conservative, has distanced itself from the Bivens decision, emboldening some lower courts to interpret it so narrowly that would-be plaintiffs now have virtually no recourse  a situation that lawyers for Mohamud are trying to address in her latest appeal.

The reductio ad absurdum here is all the defendants in our cases could have intentionally, on camera, shot and killed these people and laughed while they did it, and the courts are saying, Well, sorry, its really a policy decision for Congress; we cant let you sue them, said Patrick Jaicomo, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm that is representing Mohamud and others with similar cases.

Some people with complaints against law enforcement have been told they cannot sue because the circumstances did not precisely replicate what happened to Bivens.

When Jose Oliva, a 70-year-old Vietnam veteran, was choked and assaulted at the entrance to a Veterans Affairs hospital, for example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit barred his claim in part because the federal officers involved had not handcuffed or strip-searched him in front of his family.

In a 2019 case, a Department of Homeland Security agent attempted to resolve a private dispute with a man, Kevin Byrd, by trying to smash his car window and threatening to shoot him, Byrd claimed.

This case arose in a parking lot, not a private home, judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit wrote, denying Byrds claim.

Joining in that decision was Judge Don Willett (an appointee of then-President Donald Trump's), who warned in a concurring opinion that the immunity afforded to federal officials was allowing them to operate in something resembling a Constitution-free zone.

There are at least 100,000 federal law enforcement agents, according to the Institute for Justice.

But in a Washington state case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit said that a Border Patrol agent could be sued by an innkeeper who said the agent refused to leave, pushed the innkeeper to the ground and retaliated when he complained. The agent has appealed to the Supreme Court.

The case in St. Paul began with a Somali ninth-grader, known as Jane Doe 2, whose story changed over the course of interviews with Weyker from that of a rebellious runaway to an innocent child taken in by a Somali gang who used her for sex, according to an opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

The court expressed acute concern that the prosecutions primary witnesses, Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 5, were unworthy of belief. Jane Doe 2 had a forged birth certificate and was most likely several years older than she claimed, and thus could not have been a minor, much less 12, during some of the instances presented as child sex trafficking, the court found.

Officer Weyker likely exaggerated or fabricated important aspects of this story, the court wrote.

The government failed to obtain convictions against nine of the defendants but appealed. Four years passed  during which many of the remaining defendants remained in jail  until 2016, when the 6th Circuit upheld the acquittals and said that Weyker had lied in several instances. Prosecutors then dropped the rest of the case.

The St. Paul Police Department opened an internal affairs investigation, which remains open more than five years later. A spokesperson said she could not discuss ongoing investigations. Weyker, who was promoted to sergeant in 2013, has not faced any criminal charges related to her conduct and declined to comment on the case.

Mohamud, on whose case the immunity issue now rests, had nothing to do with the sex-trafficking case but stumbled into its path in 2011, when trial preparations were underway. She was with two friends when they got into an altercation with an acquaintance, Muna Abdulkadir. Unbeknown to them, Abdulkadir was a witness in the case.

Abdulkadir armed herself with a knife, smashed the windshield of a car and struck one of the three friends, according to court testimony. When they called the police, Abdulkadir called Weyker for help.

Worried about the possibility of losing a witness, Weyker sprang into action, judges in the 8th Circuit later wrote.

She contacted an officer on the scene and told him that the three friends were intimidating a witness.

Instead of arresting Abdulkadir, the officer arrested Mohamud and her friends, who were charged under federal law with witness tampering. The next day, Weyker wrote an affidavit and a criminal complaint against the three, in which she fabricated facts, knowingly relayed false information and withheld exculpatory facts, according to the courts summation of the claims. Mohamud and her friends faced a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Weyker, who is now represented by Justice Department lawyers, has said in court filings that the officers on the scene had probable cause other than her statements to arrest the three friends. A Justice Department spokesperson and a St. Paul police spokesperson declined further comment.

Locked up for over a year, Mohamud said she was kept in a cell 23 hours a day.

I would cry all night, sleep all day, she said.

Then the case against her was dismissed. Her two friends were acquitted. Mohamud, who said she was once an A student and had hoped to become an ultrasound technician, never graduated from high school. She lost her friends over her association with the sex-trafficking case, she said, and rarely leaves the house.

The Supreme Court has not yet indicated whether it will consider Mohamuds case; her lawyers hope that the court ultimately will clarify the law. The court could throw out its Bivens decision entirely, in which case the lawyers hope Congress will be pushed to provide recourse for those who hope to challenge federal officers in court.

Mohamud said she would like Weyker to experience what it is like to go to jail, but would settle for the chance to face her in court.

I dont know whose life Im living right now, she said, but this is not my life.

 2021 The New York Times Company
An alligator is seen on the eighth hole during the second round of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson on October 27, 2017 in Jackson, Mississippi. Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

The alligator was harvested from Eagle Lake in Mississippi and weighed 750 pounds.

Geologist James Starnes identified one of the objects found in the stomach as a type of early weapon from approximately 5,000-6,000 BC.

Scientists believe that there are several reasons alligators eat stones, including as an aid to their digestion.

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On September 2, Red Antler Processing owner Shane Smith was examining the stomach contents of a 750-pound Mississippi alligator that had been brought to his wild game processing and hunting store when he came across two prehistoric artifacts, the Clarion Ledger reported.

When Smith began processing the 13-foot, 5-inch alligator from Eagle Lake, he found an arrowhead-like object and a tear-shaped object, which he shared photos of on Facebook.

Post by Red Antler Processing.

James Starnes, director of surface geology and surface mapping for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, examined a photograph of the arrowhead-like object and determined it was an atlatl dart point, a type of early weapon from approximately 5,000-6,000 BC, the Clarion Ledger reported.

Starnes also identified the second object as a plummet, a heavy stone made of hematite, from about 1,700 BC, although archaeologists do not know what their use was for, according to the Clarion Ledger.

"Scientists have long thought that, like birds, gators swallow stones to help them digest their tough-to-process meals, or accidentally ingest them in the chaos of consuming a live, thrashing dinner," Science Magazine reported, adding that the strategy may also help the creatures maximize their time underwater.

Read the original article on Insider
As the California recall winds down to its final hours, a central question has emerged that will probably dog gubernatorial hopefuls and voters into the upcoming 2022 election.

How much more of this can we take?

Though the current referendum on Gov. Gavin Newsom will wrap up on Tuesday  with recent polls strongly suggesting that he will prevail  the regular election is only a year off. Like wildfires, campaigning is no longer confined to a season.

Election efforts will probably keep rolling forward, making the recall one more chapter in a continuing storyline of identity politics that has captivated some, bored others and, for many, become an endurance test of civic engagement.

If Newsom loses on Tuesday, that upset could reshuffle the Democratic deck. If he retains office, the same slate of candidates is predicted to run again in 2022, though most, including Republican front-runner Larry Elder, have declined to state their intent until votes are counted.



"They might let everybody have a Christmas holiday, and then [we're] back at it," warned Edward Ring, co-founder of the conservative nonprofit California Policy Center.

Whether Newsom keeps his office or not, voters will be asked in June to choose their top two picks for governor in the primary, along with wading through a full slate of state and local offices and ballot measures that will probably include proposals on crucial issues such as criminal justice and water use.

Candidates wishing to collect signatures rather than pay a fee to be included on the next gubernatorial ballot can start gathering that support this December, and petitions collecting signatures on propositions will soon appear outside grocery stores and coffee shops.

How much interest voters will muster to stay engaged remains to be seen, but the top contenders in Tuesday's gubernatorial recall showed few signs of fatigue going into their final weekend.

Dressed in a dark suit and maroon tie, Elder joined in a solemn ritual Saturday morning on a tree-lined street outside firefighter Scott Townleys Fullerton home: Reading aloud the names of the nearly 3,000 people who perished 20 years ago Saturday in the Sept. 11 attacks.

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By lunch, the tie was gone, his sleeves were rolled up and he was eating inside a booth at the Texas Pit Bar-B-Que in Lake Forest, where he dined with formerly homeless veterans.

In Sacramento, Newsom began the day by laying a wreath in remembrance of 9/11 at the Wall of Heroes at the National Guard headquarters, which honors California National Guard soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past two decades.

Then he headed to Oakland, where about 100 union members from the Service Employees International Union, representing long-term healthcare workers, were fired up in favor of keeping a governor who has long been an ally. He didn't hesitate with his message that Elder is "consistently to the right of Donald Trump."

For Newsom, he can only hope Elder chooses to campaign again.

"The people running to succeed Gov. Newsom are ridiculous," former Gov. Jerry Brown said during a Friday night television appearance. "The recall, I think, paradoxically is going to strengthen Gov. Newsom and what he is trying to do."

Jack Pitney, a professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College, said a recall victory over Elder would be "almost a perfect result for Newsom in 2022."

Pitney said the emergence of the far-right Elder, a standard bearer for former President Trump who often makes bombastic statements, reminds him of a quote by 19th century German Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck: "There is a providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children and the United States of America."

"That special providence is now protecting Gavin Newsom, too," Pitney said.

How much divine protection Newsom garners ultimately comes down to how many votes he gets, said Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at UC Berkeley and USC. A big win might make him bulletproof to criticism, but "if he gets [through] the recall narrowly, then he still sustains some political damage. Hes not dead, hes wounded," he said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom responds to reporters after casting his recall ballot on Friday at a Sacramento voting center. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant and co-founder of the Lincoln Project, which tried to rouse Republican opposition to Trump, said he believed the recall "may have been much ado about nothing" when it comes to parsing the power and fate of Golden State conservatives.

He doubts Elder or another candidate will pull off an upset, much less a future win. Madrid pointed out that Democrats in California have long outnumbered Republicans  who make up only 24% of registered voters  and Republicans have routinely lost statewide elections with margins that match that divide, showing that few voters cross party lines.

While unseating Newsom would be cataclysmic, the results of the second question on who voters would choose as a replacement may be more relevant to understanding the future of the Republican Party in the state, Schnur said.

A single-digit showing for a more moderate candidate such as Kevin Faulconer would signal a pullback from Trumpism. By contrast, the predicted dominance of Elder would indicate California conservatives remain firmly in Trump's gravitational pull, edging the party to an extreme that is riddled with conspiracy and mistrust of government. Recently, Trump said that the recall election was probably "rigged," continuing to spread false allegations of widespread voter fraud.

Madrid said that a Newsom win would reinforce the diminishing relevance of Republicans in the state as that far-right flank becomes the party's core, and could spark more recall attempts.

"As the Republican base shrinks, it is becoming more monolithic and extreme and excitable," Madrid said. "It is choosing to regress and isolate in this bubble. When it starts to do that, it is going to become easier to qualify recalls but harder to get them to pass."

That condensed anger was on full display last week at a rally at the state Capitol against vaccination mandates, though no such proposal was being considered by the Legislature.

More than 1,000 people gathered to protest, including a contingent of Alameda County firefighters, and a smattering of nurses and medical professionals who cheered while a speaker erroneously said that vaccinated people who contract breakthrough infections are five to six times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the unvaccinated.

One vendor was selling T-shirts with the image of state Sen. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a proponent of vaccination mandates, his face stamped with "Liar" in blood red ink.

"I really believe that the silent majority is huge and I think that the polls are incorrect because a lot of people are waiting to the last minute because a lot of people want to vote in person," said Linda Rich, a recall volunteer at the event who is convinced Newsom will lose Tuesday because of independent and crossover voters. "My No. 1 question to Democrats is why do you like Gavin Newsom?"

Rich said when she asks that question, she doesn't often get a clear answer. But when she does, "99.9% of the time it is COVID related."

That, Madrid said, might be the biggest takeaway of the recall: Voters don't want their politicians to back down, especially when it comes to ending the pandemic.

"You are seeing that with Biden too now," Madrid said. "Enough of the belligerence, enough of the immaturity  that might be one of the lessons to take from this, is not be be cowed by a vocal minority."

Experts and voters on both sides of the political spectrum also say that the recall should be a wakeup for all elected leaders that Californians want less finger pointing and more of the unglamorous work of governance. A general indifference to Newsom's fate among voters over the summer underscored that fact, bringing an uncertainty to the recall for weeks until fear that a far-right Republican might take charge became its own motivator.

Still, one of the few areas where Republicans and Democrats can find any agreement is that they are tired of the identity politics that both sides used to frame the recall race, and share a frustrating feeling that real issues are being ignored.

"There is genuine sense in California that a lot of things can be governed more responsibly," Ring said. "I don't think it's partisan and I dont think it's restricted to any particular type of voter. I dont think you can stereotype the voters who are feeling alienated and frustrated by the policies coming out of Sacramento."

Schnur said he doubts that long-used and successful strategies are likely to fade anytime soon, especially in another race between Newsom and Elder, but he is optimistic that voters may get a longer break than Ring predicts.

"Even if a defeated candidate were to announce for next year on Wednesday morning, the campaign is not going to attract a great deal of public or media attention," he said. "As a voter, you have more things on your plate to pay attention to this fall."

Wick reported from Fullerton, McGreevy and Chabria from Sacramento.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A record 227 people were murdered for defending their land and environment in 2020, according to a new report.

Four environmental defenders were killed every week from 2015 to 2020, according to an annual report from the human rights organisation Global Witness.

Indigenous groups continue to bear the brunt of the escalating violence and attacks, says the report. More than a third of all fatal attacks in 2020 targeted indigenous people.

The year 2020 was the second in a row where environmental defender murders reached record levels.

The worst country for environmental defender murders was Colombia, where 65 defenders were killed in 2020. The second and third worst offenders were Mexico and the Philippines, where 30 and 29 defenders were killed, respectively.

Leon Dulce, an environmental defender and national coordinator for Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment in the Philippines, said the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic had fuelled violence against indigenous groups.

In the Philippines, the lockdown was essentially a crackdown, he told The Independent.

When the pandemic started here, the government enforced a militaristic lockdown. It focused more on restricting the movement and curtailing the freedoms of Filipino citizens and that also affected the work of environmental defenders.

The lockdown was used to justify the dispersal of indigenous people blockading a mining project. Its been used to justify the dispersal of protests in the capital and provinces as well.

The report found that at least 30 per cent of recorded attacks were linked to exploitative industries such as logging, mining and large-scale agriculture. Logging was associated with 23 murders, the most out of any industry.

Almost three in four environmental defender attacks took place in the Americas in 2020 (AFP via Getty)

Almost three in four attacks took place in the Americas. In Brazil and Peru, nearly three-quarters of attacks took place in the Amazon  a region which is home to 40 per cent of the worlds tropical forests, carbon-rich ecosystems crucial to battling the climate crisis.

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This dataset is another stark reminder that fighting the climate crisis carries an unbearably heavy burden for some, who risk their lives to save the forests, rivers and biospheres that are essential to counteract unsustainable global warming. This must stop, said Chris Madden, a senior campaigner at Global Witness.

US environmentalist Bill McKibben, who wrote the foreword to Global Witnesss annual update on defender murders, added: Corporations need to be more accountable and they need to take action.

Meanwhile, the rest of us need to realise that the people killed each year defending their local places are also defending our shared planet  in particular our climate. The activities that flood our atmosphere with carbon  fossil fuel extraction and deforestation  are at the heart of so many of these killings.

Mr Dulce added he hoped to see greater action from world leaders ahead of Cop26, the global climate summit taking place in Glasgow in just a few weeks time.

Were the first and last line of defence in the planetary crisis were facing, whether its the pandemic, being a zoonotic [animal-borne] disease, or the runaway climate crisis, he said.

In the run up to Cop26, not enough global south or environmental defender voices are being given space and our crucial concerns, especially for the forests as carbon sinks, not being addressed.

The findings also show that 18 environmental defenders were killed in Africa in 2020, compared to seven the year before.

It comes shortly after The Independent reported that a group of young activists, spearheaded by Kenyan environmentalist Elizabeth Wathuti, are also calling for world leaders to take urgent action on the murders of environmental defenders.

Nobody deserves to be murdered for standing up for nature, said Ms Wathuti. If anything, we need to be protected.

Read More

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FOURTH UPDATE, 12:57 PM PT: President Joe Biden told reporters that the core of who we are is not divided, but also warned that the polarization in the country was bolstering authoritarians who believe that democracy cannot survive in the 21st century.

Are we going to in the next four, five six ten years demonstrate that democracies can work or not, Biden said.

He praised President George W. Bushs speech, which focused on the national unity that followed 9/11 and the threat of current division.

He also defended the decision to exit Afghanistan and the way that the withdrawal was carried out.

Can al Qaeda come back? Yes, but its already back other places, Biden said. Whats the strategy? Every place where al Qaeda is we are going to have troops there? Come on.

As I read it, I am told, 70 percent of the American people think it was time to get out of Afghanistan, spending all that money. But the flip of it is, they didnt like the way we got out. But it is hard to explain to anybody how else could you get out. For example, if we were in Tajikistan we pulled up a C 130 and said, We are going to let anybody involved who was sympathetic to us to get on the plane, youd have people hanging on the wheel well.

Later, Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff attended a ceremony at the Pentagon, where they participated in a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial to victims of the attack on the complex on 9/11.

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THIRD UPDATE, 10:53 AM PT: Former President Donald Trump visited a police station in midtown Manhattan to mark the 20 years that have passed since 9/11.

He was not present at an earlier ceremony at Ground Zero, where Joe Biden and his predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton had gathered. Former President George W. Bush attended and spoke at a ceremony in Shanksville, PA, where there is a memorial to the crew and passengers of Flight 93.

On Fox News, anchor Arthel Neville said that in his visit to the 17th Precinct, Trump did not miss any opportunities to air grievances including claiming that the election was rigged which it was not. It has been proven in court multiple times. It has been proven that the election was not rigged by elected election officials, but it started out on a good note. Former president saying that he grew up with the firefighters because hes from New York and he thanked them for their service.

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SECOND UPDATE, 10:40 AM PT: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA.

Biden did not speak at the ceremony, but he of the first lady walked the length of a memorial wall where the names of crew members and passengers are displayed. He later visited the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department.

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UPDATE, 8:05 AM PT: Former President George W. Bush, speaking at a memorial ceremony in Shanksville, PA, recalled the moment of national unity that followed 9/11 and lamented the divisions of today.

In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people, he said. When it comes to uniting America, those days seem distant from our own. Malign force seems at work in our common life, that turns every disagreement into an argument, and every argument into a clash of cultures. So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment. That leaves us worried about our nation and our future together. I come without explanations or solutions. I can only tell you what I have seen. On Americas day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbors hand, and rally to a cause for one another.

He also made a veiled reference to the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol, comparing those who engaged in violent acts that day had something in common with the terrorists of 9/11. He said that we have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within. There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home, but then theres disdainful pluralism and their disregard for human life. In their determination to defile national symbols they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them.

He then paid tribute to the America I know, a country of tolerance and embrace of immigrants.

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Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke of the need of national unity, telling those gathered that in a time of outright terror, we turned toward each other. In the face of a stranger, we saw a neighbor and a friend.

She said, On the days that followed September 11th, 2001, we were all reminded that unity is possible in America. We were reminded that unity is imperative in America.

Former President Donald Trump was not president at any of the ceremonies, but he released a video statement largely criticizing President Joe Biden and a statement congratulating former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

He called Giuliani the greatest Mayor in the history of New York City, for having shown such leadership and doing such an incredible job during and after the attack on our Nation!

PREVIOUSLY: Family members, survivors, President Joe Biden and some of his predecessors and other figures like musician Bruce Springsteen marked the passage of 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, in moving ceremonies designed to honor memories and strike notes of hope.

Opening a solemn ceremony at Ground Zero, Mike Low, whose daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Low, was a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to hit the North Tower.

It felt like an evil specter had descended on our world but it was also time when many people acted above and beyond the ordinary, Low said.

Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attended the ceremony for about an hour, but the president did not speak and instead issued a pre-recorded message on Friday. Joining them were former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Rudy Giuliani, who was mayor of New York on 9/11, also attended, speaking with the current mayor, Bill de Blasio.

Among the performers were Bruce Springsteen, who sang Ill See You in My Dreams and Kelli OHara, who sang Youll Never Walk Alone, and along with a piece from Randall Goosby and Zhu Wang. All of the cable networks carried a performance by Hamilton star Chris Jackson.

A bell was wrung to mark the moments when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center as well as when the towers fell, while much of the ceremony was devoted to the reading of the names of those who died on that day by family, who also shared their memories of their loved ones.

Coverage across the networks varied. CBS and ABC largely stayed with the reading of the names, including pictures in the bottom of the screen. Fox News ran a ticker of the names, while the network and other outlets cut in and out of the ceremonies while featuring pre-recorded and live interviews. In Washington, D.C., the local NBC affiliate WRC didnt carry the network feed or the New York ceremony, instead going to its own local coverage, joining the network at 10 AM.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was interviewed by Fox News Dana Perino, recounting then-President George W. Bushs speech the night of 9/11, telling Perino that he wanted it just to be about reassurance. She also was interviewed on NBC to talk with Lester Holt, offering her memories of that terrible day 20 years ago, her remorse of the loss of 2,997 souls on 9/11 and the current situation in Afghanistan.

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At the Pentagon ceremony, a bell was wrung to mark the time when the plane struck the complex.

We the living have a solemn duty to honor their memory, their legacy, to honor and remember them not just today but every day, said Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of those who died on 9/11. Their legacy lives on in the idea that is America, the increasingly outspoken Chairman stated, calling out international terror groups like the now back in power Taliban and domestic Nazis. And no terrorist, anywhere on Earth, could ever destroy that idea.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a distinct point of speaking to the frayed America of 2021 by emphasizing our core values and the principles enshrined in our Constitution, liberty, rights, the rule of law and a fierce commitment to a government of the people by the people and for the people.

In Shanksville, PA, where Flight 93 crashed amid a heroic struggle by passengers to prevent the plane from arriving at its intended target, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris were attending a ceremony, and the Bidens were due to arrive later in the morning. The president was then to travel back to the Washington, D.C. area to pay his respects at the Pentagon.

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Saira Khan left 'Loose Women' at the beginning of 2021 after several years as a regular contributor. (David M. Benett/Getty Images for Ascot Racecourse)

Former Loose Women regular Saira Khan has confessed she used to "just tolerate" some of her fellow panellists and felt she had "outgrown the programme".

The 51-year-old former contestant on The Apprentice left the daytime talk show earlier this year, having been a regular since 2015.

Read more: Khan sent threats after revealing she's not a practising Muslim

Khan confessed in an interview with The Mirror that a "mixture of things" contributed to her decision to walk away from the role and focus on her skincare business.

She said: "Firstly, Id outgrown the programme. There were some women that I just thought: 'Ive got to just tolerate you to do the job and in real life you wouldnt be my friend'. Theyd say the same about me.

Watch: Saira Khan tells Loose Women panel she only showers twice a week

"Plus, I shared a lot about myself on that show  my abuse, adoption, arranged marriage and a lot of relationship stuff. You dont get a lot of thanks for that.

"My family hasnt asked to be related to someone famous but I felt like I was putting them into a precarious situation."

Read more: Khan reveals struggles with depression after The Apprentice

Khan has previously confessed she never felt like she was "part of the sisterhood" during her time on the Loose Women panel.

She has also said she wanted her seat on the show's rotating roster of panellists to go to a member of the LGBT+ community.

Saira Khan told the 'Loose Women' panel she struggled with depression after appearing on 'The Apprentice' in 2005. (ITV)

Khan said she experienced "horrendous" trolling after discussing contentious issues with her fellow cast members, which contributed to an environment that was "toxic for women".

She added: "When you turn up to a job where your hearts not in it, you come home and you just feel s*** about yourself and about what youve said. The only thing you can do is make a change."

Read more: Katie Piper excited to join Loose Women panel

The star confessed it was a "scary decision" to walk away from such a popular show, but her social media trolling has mostly diminished since her departure.

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She revealed she remains close friends with some of her colleagues from the programme, including Coleen Nolan, Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson and Christine Lampard.

Saira Khan took part in the third series of 'Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins' this year. (Channel 4)

Khan said she has been able to do more work on other shows, including Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, as well as continuing to grow her business.

She recently denied claims she was suing the makers of Who Dares Wins after she sustained physical scarring during the filming of the show.

Read more: Ant Middleton criticises UK version of SAS: Who Dares Wins

The star said that some of the most popular shows on British TV are on her bucket list, and she'd love to do Strictly Come Dancing and I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in the future.

She has already taken part in Dancing On Ice, competing with pro partner Mark Hanretty in the 2019 series, and entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2016.

Watch: Jenny Eclair discusses being sacked from Loose Women
WATCH: Did Simon Rimmer really invent pulled pork?

Sunday Brunch host Simon Rimmer's Wikipedia page once claimed he invented pulled pork, and he has responded to the strange rumour in the latest episode of White Wine Question Time.

The chef and restaurateur spoke to Kate Thornton about the myth and why he continues to add fuel to it. He also spoke about the early days of his career and how his time on Strictly left him so tired he was 'on the brink of hallucinating'.

Thornton asked him about how the rumour started that he invented the popular dish. He explained that he cooked it once on Sunday Brunch and his co-host Tim Lovejoy 'went crazy for it'.

He said: "I think it was just one of those moments in time that at all the ducks are in a row. I think at the time it became the most downloaded recipe on Channel 4 including Jamie Oliver Gordon Ramsay...

"It was just one of the things that everybody wanted to cook it and then about six months later that whole low and slow thing just really took off.

Simon Rimmer is co-host of Sunday Brunch (Channel 4)

"So we just started saying 'my invention' and it's great because whenever it's mentioned it always gets people really, really angry! So it's been around for years.

"When I did Strictly on my intro they say: 'Tell us something people didn't know about you.' 'I invented pulled pork.' And then when that goes out everyone's going: 'He didn't, he didn't, it's been around for ages.'

Listen to the full episode to hear Simon Rimmer talk about how he nearly went bankrupt and his experience on Strictly

"And then my favourite one that somebody took me to task and it was said like pulled pork has been around as long as there's been pigs in the British Isles, and I said: 'My granddad invented pigs!' So I've kind of just delivered it. If I'm abroad, I'll take pictures of pulled pork [and say]: 'Oh my god, my invention has gone all over the world!' I love it. I like how much it winds people up. Anybody could believe that I really think I invented."

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Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer attending the National Television Awards 2017 at the O2, London.

He talked about his early career and that when he opened Greens in a south Manchester suburb in 1990 they were doing something different.

He said: "Our premise when we started Greens was  because I'm not a veggie  I mean, I ate very little red meat these days. But I'm not a veggie and I was a devout carnivore when we started and I think that what happened was that we because we didn't know what we were doing.

"We kind of ignored what the rules were. So most veggie food back in 1991 when we opened was very worthy. It was very brown, it was very worthy, it was very heavy. And it was almost about I felt was quite a negative cuisine.

Alan Halsall and Simon Rimmer attend The Ivy Spinningfields VIP Launch Party in 2018. Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Ivy.

"It was about what you couldn't eat rather than celebrating you could eat  we always wanted to celebrate. It was now that veggie food is a celebration of ingredients and so I used to go to market every day. Before he could get deliveries, getting up at five o'clock every morning. And I would talk to the stallholders: 'Why are those peppers more than that? And why is that?' And they said: 'Well, those are more because they're kind of local. It's from a small producer.' That makes sense.

"I'd rather buy from somebody local. So we were doing that, without even knowing why. And then nobody really was doing it. So for example, if you do like a really beautiful red wine sauce, traditionally, you would always do with veal jus, and you reduce down, reduce down. And it would be very nice, kind of meaty. I was thinking: 'Well, why can't you do that with veggie stock? Why can't you do that same principle?'

Read more: Sunday Brunch viewers spot NSFW mistake in theme tune subtitles

"So I think we just ended up doing things that, you know, I didn't know, I could cook like anybody can cook. But I was thinking, well, that red wine sauce. I really like it. Why can't I just make it with veggie? I think we were just doing different things."

He also spoke about the time early in his career where he risked going bankrupt because one venture did not pay off. He explained to Thornton how things don't always work out how they might expect.

He said: 'Greens is actually just around the corner from where I used to live, and when [his daughter] Flo was born, I had this dream that Ali was going to walk around to the back door with my baby arms are going to kiss my baby. We're going to kiss her wife.

And I'm going to give a beautiful food to take home because she's been busy and the baby's been crying and I've been working. I've made amazing food. What would really happen is I'd get I'd get a phone call from her and she'd go: 'Bring some bog roll home, we haven't got any.' So it didn't quite pan out in that romantic way!"

WATCH: Simon Rimmer on food, ballroom and budgie smugglers
Somalia's long-delayed elections will proceed "as planned", Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble told visiting UN diplomats on Sunday, even as a damaging feud between him and the country's president sparked fresh fears for the troubled Horn of Africa Nation.

The very public spat between Roble and President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known as Farmajo, comes as Somalia struggles to organise polls that are months behind schedule and keep an Islamist insurgency at bay.

As senior politicians made frantic efforts to defuse tensions and end the impasse, Roble told a delegation led by United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed that the vote would go ahead as planned.

The increasingly bitter row has threatened to throw an already fragile electoral process into deeper peril.

Farmajo's four-year mandate expired in February, but was extended by parliament in April, triggering deadly gun battles in the capital Mogadishu, with some rivals viewing it as a flagrant power grab.

Roble cobbled together a new timetable for polls, but the process fell behind, and on Wednesday he accused Farmajo of trying to reclaim "election and security responsibilities" from him.

On Sunday, as Roble sought to reassure UN diplomats about the vote, his office released a statement saying: "We are committed to hold the elections as planned, and other existing matters will not have any effect on the elections."

"The prime minister informed the delegation about the achievements made towards (holding) the election... and how he is committed to (holding) elections that are peaceful and transparent," the statement said.

Elections in Somalia follow a complex indirect model, whereby state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers for the national parliament, who in turn choose the president.

The next phase is scheduled for between October 1 and November 25.

- Security threats -

The row erupted last week when Roble sacked Somalia's intelligence chief over his handling of a high-profile probe into the disappearance of a young agent.

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Farmajo overruled the prime minister, appointing the dumped intelligence official as his national security adviser.

Roble in turn accused the president of "obstructing" the investigation, and in a late-night move on Wednesday, fired the security minister and replaced him with a Farmajo critic.

The spat has raised the political temperature in Mogadishu, with a coalition of opposition presidential candidates on Friday saying it "supports the prime minister... and condemns the actions of the outgoing president".

The UN Assistance Mission in Somalia last week urged both leaders to stop bickering and focus on the elections.

Analysts say Somalia's political crises have distracted from more pressing threats, most notably the violent Al-Shabaab insurgency.

The Al-Qaeda allies were driven out of Mogadishu a decade ago but retain control of swathes of countryside and continue to stage deadly attacks.

str/amu/pbr
Leury Garcia knew Boston Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock has a good fastball.

Whitlock began the ninth inning of Sundays tied game by striking out Eloy Jimenez and Yasmani Grandal, the No. 4 and 5 hitters in the Chicago White Sox lineup.

Garcia was up next, and the shortstop quickly fell behind in the count.

When I was 0-2, my mind was still looking for a fastball because thats one of the best pitches, Garcia said.

Garcia got a fastball and hit it over the center-field wall for a home run, giving the White Sox a 2-1 victory in front of 36,178 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

I knew I hit it good, but it was (to) center field, Garcia said. So Im like, You better go. 

Garcia tossed his helmet to the sky shortly after touching third base and was splashed with water by his teammates as he made his way home. It was the first walk-off home run of his career.

Felt great, man, felt great, Garcia said. Especially playing at home, this is one of the best moments for me so far.

Garcias home run allowed the White Sox to take two of three in the series. Their magic number for clinching the American League Central is nine.

Right now its everything, all hands on deck until we clinch, and then we know where were going and thats the playoffs, White Sox starter Lance Lynn said. You know that (the Red Sox) are fighting for a wild-card spot and theyre in the thick of things. But we havent clinched yet either, even though we have a lead (in the division). Weve still got to do our thing.

Lynn pitched five strong innings in his return from the injured list, allowing two hits and striking out nine. He went on the IL on Aug. 29 with right knee inflammation.

Physically feel great, Lynn said. Outing went great. We won the game, so everythings great. Like I said when I went on the IL, were trying to make sure we catch up to it so we can stay along with it. And I think were in a good spot.

Its something thats not going to go away. Weve just got to make sure we stay on course with it, make sure we do our day to day and things I need to do to make sure Im ready to pitch the next time out. And I think weve got a good grasp on what thats going to be.

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Lynn threw 70 pitches Sunday.

He was sharp, Sox manager Tony La Russa said. Very sharp early. I thought right there toward the fifth he labored a little bit and that was a good time to get him. Pitch count is just one variable that you look at. You look at other stuff. He had given us what he (had). His pitch count was fairly low, but he started laboring in the fifth. He never labors competitively, but it was time to get him.

Lynn left with the game scoreless. Luis Robert gave the White Sox the lead with an RBI single in the sixth.

The Red Sox tied it in the ninth. Kike Hernandez lined a double over Roberts head in center against Craig Kimbrel, who was pitching for the third straight day.

After a strikeout, Kimbrel issued two walks. Alex Verdugo tied the game with a sacrifice fly to left.

The way I look at that, you are going to have tough situations, but its really tough when you give up the run and all of a sudden they have two or three on the board, La Russa said. All they got was one. That run scored and he got the next guy out and we had a chance to win it.

Garcia came through with his fifth home run of the season.

Versatility on defense has always been one of Garcias strengths, with his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as second, short and third.

Hes really grounded, La Russa said. He doesnt have big ups and downs. He doesnt hide when hes had a tough out or tough day. He doesnt go crazy. Hes really one of the most popular teammates in the clubhouse because hes got a sense of humor. Hes really solid. You look at his arm, switch hitting and playing every position.

Recently he has filled in for injured shortstop Tim Anderson. Before the game, La Russa indicated Anderson is nearing a return from a left hamstring strain. He has been out since Aug. 29.

Expectation, unless something develops between now and Tuesday, is that he will play Tuesday, La Russa said.

Garcia is excited to see Anderson back. And he looks forward to continuing to contribute in any fashion.

We all miss Tim. Tim is one of the guys that keeps the dugout, clubhouse happy, Garcia said. I try to do the best, man. I play outfield, infield. Im still taking ground balls at short, second, third, and sometimes Im taking fly balls. Just be ready.

He was ready at the plate Sunday.

What timing, La Russa said. We had the last hero.
Sep. 12EDGEWOOD  Edgewood landowner Gino Ackerman thinks most residents of the community just want a clean slate in Town Hall.

Over the past two years, the little town, located at the southernmost edge of Santa Fe County, has been the scene of squabbles that have led to big shake-ups in government  a judge's removal of the mayor in a lawsuit claiming nepotism and corruption, lawsuits against town councilors, public outbursts and general infighting at public meetings, and even an overhaul in how the town is run.

"There have been some things that have happened that have been unexplainable," said Ackerman, who lives in nearby Moriarty. "I think it's time for change."

Come Nov. 2, Ackerman will get his wish.

Edgewood voters will choose their first elected officials since they decided in strong numbers in a special election in August 2020 to switch the town's form of government from a mayor-council style to manager-commission. A group of residents who circulated a petition calling for the special election had raised concerns about then-Mayor John Bassett. Even after the vote, Bassett intended to remain in his seat until new commissioners took office. Instead, a state district judge in October ordered his removal from office in a civil case alleging he'd violated state law and a town ordinance by appointing a relative to a planning board and advocating for the extension of a sewer line to property owned by his mother.

While some residents were hoping the upcoming election would end what Ackerman described as an "exhausting" saga in Town Hall, Bassett, a key figure in the Edgewood government's muddied past, could become part of its future.

He is aiming to make a return to public service by winning one of the five seats on the Town Commission.

Bassett could be the most controversial figure on a ballot that includes six other names, including current Town Councilor Audrey Jaramillo and Jerry Powers, one of three people who filed the lawsuit that resulted in Bassett's ouster.

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Elected in 2016, Bassett refused to immediately end his term following District Judge Maria Sanchez-Gagne's order. He ultimately left office in November.

Bassett has since appealed Sanchez-Gagne's ruling to the New Mexico Supreme Court. A hearing on the appeal initially was set for Sept. 1, but it later was canceled.

Bassett called the lawsuit a "political stunt" by people with an interest in portraying him as a corrupt public servant.

"You talk about cancel culture?" Bassett said in a recent phone interview. "They are trying to cancel me out of the entire universe, no less."

He denied the allegations against him and said a judge hasn't found him guilty of anything.

Sanchez-Gagne entered two summary judgments in favor of the plaintiffs after Bassett failed to show up in court and didn't respond to the complaint.

Bassett and Town Attorney Marcus Rael Jr. argued they didn't receive proper notice of the case, but the judgments stood.

Even before the lawsuit, Bassett raised eyebrows in the community after pushing to condemn and acquire Edgewood's water system from Edmonton, Alberta-based Epcor Utilities. Some members of the Town Council argued the move was done without their consent.

The decision in part led to the formation of the grassroots organization Citizens for an Open and Responsible Edgewood, known as EdgewoodCORE, which Bassett said has remained a thorn in his side since it formed. Three members of the group  including Powers, who is one of three candidates running unopposed for commissioner seats  filed the lawsuit against Bassett and circulated the petition that called for the special election on revamping the town government.

Bassett said the group is trying to stir up issues in an otherwise quiet town.

"We've done a good job here," Bassett said. "Paid the bills and met all our requirements and everything. But it's just this little group that is making a mess out of things, and they are succeeding."

Powers pointed to a higher-than-usual turnout in the special election. While an election in Edgewood typically draws about 500 of the town's 4,000 registered voters, about 1,600 voters cast ballots in the special election, and about 70 percent of them favored the switch to a manager-commission government.

"Those are pretty overwhelming numbers," Powers said. "I think people have pretty strong feelings about John Bassett."

Powers said he feels Basset's position in the commissioner race will drive voter turnout in the upcoming election.

He and others thought the judge's ruling would have prevented Bassett from holding office again.

However, County Clerk Katharine Clark wrote in an email Friday her office is limited by law to use only documents provided by a candidate and their voter registration to determine if they are eligible to run in a race. "No nominating petitions were required for Town of Edgewood Commission. Mr. Bassett met the filing requirements based on statute," she wrote.

"It is up to the voters to determine whether to remove a candidate from the ballot by filing for removal in court within 7 days of candidate filing day ... or simply not to vote for them," Clark added.

Powers said there are no plans to challenge Bassett's candidacy. "I think it'll just play out at the polls."

Gail Smith, an Edgewood resident, hopes that happens.

While standing outside the Walmart in the town, Smith said Bassett's place on the ballot "just blows my mind."

Jaramillo, who is running unopposed, said she sees the Nov. 2 election as a light at the end of a long tunnel but believes Bassett could affect the town's ability to move on.

"Most comments I get are from people who are shocked and surprised," Jaramillo said of his candidacy. "They thought they made it pretty clear already by changing the whole darn form of government.

"They are bright people," she added. "They are sophisticated. They see through the corruption, and they will not allow it to continue."

Powers said town government issues have continued into 2021.

In January, Town Councilor Sherry Abraham was removed from a council meeting by police Chief Darrell Sanchez at the request of Mayor Pro Tem John Abrams after she tried to raise concerns about the sale of Edgewood's old Town Hall building.

Abraham, who decided not to run for office again, said she was aware of a better offer for the property that was not being considered. She emailed her concerns about the sale to other town officials, she said, but her messages were ignored.

Abrams said he removed the councilor for having "ex parte" communications about the sale. Ex parte typically refers to prohibited one-sided communications in a legal proceeding or criminal case between a judge and only one party.

In February, Abraham and Jaramillo filed a lawsuit to compel the town to start the process of reorganizing the town government. The lawsuit argued a pair of fellow councilors, Abrams and Linda Holle, were not taking the proper steps to prepare the town for the transition.

Neither Holle nor Abrams is running for a town commissioner spot.

More recently, an ethics complaint was filed against town attorneys Rael Jr. and Jessica Nixon, accusing them of violating conflict-of-interest laws for defending Bassett in his removal case and Holle and Abrams in the case filed by Abrahams and Jaramillo.

New commissioners will not take their seats until January 2022.

State District Judge Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood sent a letter to town officials in March asking them to stop using the courts to settle "petty disputes" and to begin the redistricting process required under the shift to a manager-commission government.

Jaramillo said Ellenwood's letter and the series of lawsuits create a perception the Town Council is dysfunctional, which she doesn't believe is the case. She pointed to a number of unanimous decisions by the council on a number of issues.

The lawsuits she filed were simply to compel the council to follow the law, she said.

"The spats?" Jaramillo added. "Those were driven by the people."

Ralph Hill, a commissioner candidate who participated in the town's push to incorporate, said he isn't a fan of Bassett's tenure as mayor but thinks voters want to get back to normal and put the battles behind them. He said he hopes the election is the first step on that path.

"We have had some bad administrators," Hill said.

But, he added, Edgewood is facing pressing issues that have taken a back seat: a faulty sewer system, a need for more economic options and miles of poorly maintained roads.

Bassett said he plans to be involved as Edgewood addresses those problems.

"Edgewood is my hometown," he said. "I am interested in making it the best it can be. All this stuff that has put me in a legal bind is a load of crap."
By Tim McLaughlin

LAWRENCE, Mass. (Reuters) - U.S. Marine Sergeant Johanny Rosario returned to her hometown in Massachusetts in a casket on Saturday, one of the last American service members killed in Afghanistan during a war set in motion exactly two decades ago by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Several hundred people gathered near the Farrah Funeral Home in Lawrence, Mass., where Rosario's remains arrived in a black hearse with a police motorcycle escort. Marines in dress uniform carried the casket into the funeral home, as veterans in the crowd, some of whom had not worn a uniform in years, snapped to attention.

"We came out because she is a hero to us," said Mary Beth Chosse, who waited for several hours with her 12-year-old son, Gavin. Chosse's older son is a Marine on active duty. "Sergeant Rosario's sacrifice and bravery should always be remembered."

Rosario, 25, was among 13 U.S. service members killed in an Aug. 26 suicide bombing outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. She was helping to screen evacuees at a checkpoint at the airport's Abbey Gate when the bomb ripped through a crowd. Scores of Afghans also were killed in the attack.

The last U.S. troops left Afghanistan four days later.

About 7,100 U.S. military personnel have been killed in conflicts tied to the Sept. 11 attacks, with about 2,500 of those deaths happening in Afghanistan, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University's Watson Institute. The financial cost of those conflicts runs to nearly $6 trillion, according to the project.

Like many Americans, Sheila Arias, 41, remembers Sept. 11, 2001 in vivid detail. She was at a hair salon in Lawrence when she watched the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center collapse after al Qaeda hijackers seized control of two airplanes and crashed them into the buildings. Hijacked airplanes would also crash into the Pentagon outside Washington and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

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Arias soon after enlisted in the U.S. Army, leaving a comfortable, steady job as a clerk in Lawrence's water department to join the military effort to root out al Qaeda.

"There was no question that I had to serve," Arias said. "I'm sure Johanny Rosario felt the same way."

'ALWAYS REMEMBER HER NAME'

Rosario, who was 5-years-old when the attacks occurred, would begin her service years later, when the United States was already deeply involved in Afghanistan.

Shortly after graduating from high school in 2014, she enlisted and landed with the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

Eventually she would become a supply chief, a role usually held by a more senior noncommissioned officer, according to the Marines, and volunteered to be a member of the female engagement team to interact with Afghan women, barred by local custom from talking to male strangers.

Just three months before her death, she was recognized with an award for her attention to detail and expertise in tracking and reconciling some $400,000 worth of open supply requisitions.

On Saturday, a group of her friends from Lawrence High School huddled near the steps of the funeral home. Wearing black face masks, they spoke of Rosario's desire to serve her country, take college courses and financially support her family.

One of the women, who like the others declined to give her name, cradled a framed picture of Rosario in a formal gown.

"I can't talk. I would just cry," the woman said.

Like many residents in Lawrence, a working-class city about 30 miles (48 km) north of Boston with a strong Hispanic community, Rosario's roots extend to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, said William Lantigua, a former mayor of the city who knows her family.

Rosario is survived by her mother and a younger sister.

On Saturday, Maria Ogando joined the crowd gathered to pay tribute to Rosario after driving an hour from Worcester, Massachusetts with her family. Her daughter, 9-year-old Kayla, wore a T-shirt with Rosario's full name on the back.

"She is a hero and it is very sad for me to see her pass away," Kayla said. "But I will always remember her name and what she did for our country."

(Reporting by Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Paul Simao)
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  Typhoon Chanthu drenched Taiwan with heavy rain Sunday as the storms center passed the islands east coast heading for Shanghai.

On the Chinese mainland, the government issued a typhoon warning for Shanghai and warned of possible torrential rains.

Airline flights and train service in Taiwan were suspended Saturday as the storm approached. The Central News Agency reported more than 2,000 people were evacuated from flood-prone areas of the east coast county of Hualien.

At midday Sunday, Chanthus center was about 70 kilometers (45 miles) off Taiwan's northeast coast, with winds of 162 kph (101 mph) and gusts up to 198 kph (124 mph), according to the Central Weather Bureau.

Up to 13 centimeters (5 inches) of rain fell Sunday in some areas, the Weather Bureau said. It said up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) was forecast.

Heavy rain also fell on Taipei, the capital, and other parts of the island.

Chanthu is forecast to head north and dump rain on Shanghai before turning east toward South Korea and Japan, the Weather Bureau said.

The airport in Ningbo, south of Shanghai, canceled 41 flights, official media reported. News reports said some 3,400 fishing boats returned to port and 20,200 people who work at fish farms were moved out of flood-prone areas.

Earlier, the storm grazed the island of Luzon in the Philippines, but no flooding or damage was reported.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico arrived Saturday in the Mexican capital promising to work together with officials here to address common challenges like the pandemic and migration.

Ken Salazar will meet in the coming days with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to present his credentials as ambassador

Well work to ensure we have a migration system that works both for the United States and Mexico, Salazar said in Spanish after arriving at the Mexico City international airport. He didnt answer questions.

Salazar arrived in Mexico two days after top advisers to presidents Joe Biden and Lopez Obrador met in Washington to restart a high-level economic talks. Officials said they are eager to advance on topics as migration, infrastructure and trade.

Migration has remained a particular issue for both countries.

In Mexico, Lopez Obrador has faced criticism in recent weeks over images of Mexican immigration agents and National Guard troops clashing sometimes violently with migrants in the southern state of Chiapas. The migration pressure in southern Mexico as well as at the U.S.-Mexico border led Lopez Obrador to renew his effort to persuade the United States to commit funding to social projects he has implemented in southern Mexico that he says could be expanded to Central America.

Lopez Obrador said he sent a letter to Biden suggesting that people participating in the programs should also be offered work visas in the United States.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa was slow to get behind a $1 trillion infrastructure bill after the Senate passed it last month. It wasn't the price tag that tripped up the Democrat from a swing House district. It was that none of the money was targeted for a home state industry  ethanol and biodiesel.

Axne set out to fix that. In the weeks since, she won assurances from congressional leaders that a separate multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint would include money for the renewable fuels. She's now on board.

Her biofuels bargain underscores the political strategy embedded in the negotiations over massive new federal spending.

While Democrats have set out to pass ambitious bills with historic expansions of the social safety net and long-sought new programs, that's not how many politically vulnerable Democrats such as Axne are selling them at home. For them, Washington's spending boom has become a chance to deliver the goods  and win headlines and perhaps bipartisan support in their districts.

If she wants to get elected next time, this is her political bread and butter, Ray Gaesser, a Republican farmer in Axnes district and past candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture, said about her work to secure money for biofuels. For my part, I appreciate her approach."

Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota has taken a similar tack.

Craig, whose district includes vast tracts of farmland southeast of the Twin Cities, is promoting her role securing $2.5 billion for farmers and rural small businesses to convert to renewable energy sources and high efficiency equipment as a financial incentive to meet higher environmental standards.

She tweeted on Friday that she was thrilled that this long-time priority of mine would be supporting family farmers and driving investment across rural America.

In Virginia, Rep. Abigail Spanberger said she is chiefly focused on a measure to exempt her districts small-scale farmers and foresters from an increase in the estate tax which President Joe Biden has proposed to help pay for the $3.5 trillion bill.

Story continues

Though Spanbergers constituents are concentrated in suburban Richmond, the district stretches north and south across the rolling, agricultural Piedmont and its many dairy, vegetable and cattle farms and private forestland.

Ive been very focused on making sure were protecting small family farmers and foresters, certainly across central Virginia, Spanberger told The Associated Press.

The lawmakers' efforts are aimed at assisting rural America, where Democrats have steadily lost votes over the past decade. The party is clear-eyed about needing to at least trim its losses in those areas, if they are to hold the congressional seats  and control of the House in 2022.

Democrats currently have a mere eight-seat majority. Republicans are targeting roughly 30 House seats where Democrats won by fewer than 10 percentage points in 2020. Axne, Spanberger and Craig each won by no more than 2 percentage points.

Theres been a very deliberate effort to think about those provisions in ways that would be beneficial to rural communities, said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin who is advising the party on the budget package.

Republicans argue that the size of the spending bill will turn off rural voters in key districts, not attract support.

Rural voters are incredibly concerned about the reckless spending and massive tax hikes that will be included in Democrats reconciliation bill," said Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "If Democrats think these voters concerns will be mollified by a few kickbacks from the federal government, they are sorely mistaken.

The trillion-dollar infrastructure bill  a plan for roads, bridges, public transit and broadband internet  passed the Democratic-controlled Senate with bipartisan support last month. The House is expected the pass the bill, but its success is tied to progress on the $3.5 trillion budget bill that includes extended child tax credits, expanded Medicare coverage, tuition-free community college, and other social and environmental programs.

Pelosi has set the ambitious goal of passing it by Oct. 1.

Axne announced on Wednesday that the draft of the House budget bill would include $1 billion to expand retail availability of ethanol and biodiesel around the country. Iowa leads the nation producing ethanol, a corn-based fuel additive, and biodiesel, commonly made from soybeans. The amount is double what Axne sought in a bill she had introduced in the House Agriculture Committee this year.

The grants are expected to increase demand for the fuels nationally, spur output in Iowa's 42 ethanol plants and biodiesel refineries, as well as boost the price of corn and soybeans for the farmers who supply them, according to Iowa renewable fuels advocates.

It impacts the price of soybeans by more than a dollar a bushel. Thats a lot of money," said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and a past Republican candidate for Congress. For ethanol youre looking at an extra $400 to $500 million for farmers in Iowa, because the price of corn is higher."

On top of that, for the fraction of the cost of the overall bill, the measure would immediately accelerate cutting carbon emissions, a priority of Biden's plan, Axne said.

There's no way that were going to have everybody driving electric vehicles overnight," Axne said in a recent AP interview. So why the heck are we not, if our goal is to impact climate in a positive way, blending more biofuels now so we can automatically lower greenhouse gases?"

It's also a relatively small price for a House seat critical to Democrats' chances at holding the majority.

Axne holds the distinction of winning by the smallest margin  1.4 percentage points  of any Democrat in a district carried by Republican Donald Trump last year.

Last year, the former state government administrator and small business owner from suburban Des Moines won Polk County, home to Des Moines and most of its suburbs, but lost the district's other 15 counties.

Like Spanbergers advocacy for rural Virginians, Axnes emphasis on an economic priority in the GOP-leaning geographic majority of her district could trim her losses in rural Iowa next year.

There will be other factors, of course. Biden's overall approval rating, now down after criticism for the chaotic recent U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and surging COVID-19 cases, is likely to play a major role. And any number of factors will emerge before an election still almost 17 months away.

Still, Axne's first-step success is a good sign for her, said Shaw, the Republican renewable fuels advocate.

I hate to ever say one thing makes or breaks somebody. But there are times when you have a chance to make a difference and thats where the rubber meets the road," he said. Ultimately, we need folks who can deliver."
I finally got to a phone around one or two oclock, and called my wife, West said. The first thing I hear is West?

He said his wife knew it had to be him because everybody else that was calling to ask about him had already called twice.

And as for the days following, going into work at a burning building is something that lives in his memory.

You come over the highway and there is the Pentagon with its gaping hole and fire still shooting out of it 21 hours later, he said.

But I was told to report at 6:30 in the morning, and everywhere else you looked there were people running out of a burning building. But that morning, there were all manners of people running into a burning building to get to work on what would be the plan of attack for the U.S. Military.

West said one thing that was vivid in his mind from that day was at that moment ... he said of walking into the burning building, he had never been as proud to be an American as I was that day.

And the pride was shown by the congregation at Our Lady of Peace in Appomattox at the memorial service for the 20th anniversary of the events.
History has changed  or at least the exhibition in the State Historical Society of Iowas mobile museum has.

The museum, History on the Move, will be open for self-guided tours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 18-19 at Missouri Valley City Park, 800 W. Huron St. in Missouri Valley.

Housed in a custom-built Winnebago, the museum has already completed a three-year, 99-county tour of the state with a different collection, according to a press release from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. It made 175 stops from 2017-19 and attracted nearly 65,000 visitors, including 11,400 students.

Our first statewide tour was an enormous success, and Iowans let us know they wanted this traveling museum to keep rolling with another exhibition, said Susan Kloewer, administrator of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Were eager to share more stories with Iowans across the state.

The mobile museum will visit all 99 Iowa counties through 2023, similar to its first three-year tour but with a different exhibition.
The association, Ralston added, strongly encourages all Iowans to get vaccinated.

Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek welcomed Bidens mandate for K-12 teachers to be vaccinated.

The teachers union appreciates all efforts to help keep our students, public school employees and communities healthy and safe, Beranek said.

But Republicans argued the mandates are an infringement on the rights of Iowans. House Speaker Pro Tempore John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, drew a comparison to the 9/11 attack on the United States.

My wish is that we do exactly as we did when we were attacked from terrorists from outside the United States and band together against this new tyranny as one people who will never forget this most recent attack on our freedoms and liberties, he wrote in his newsletter.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, said the president should remember we are a country founded under the principles of limited government and separation of powers. The Constitution provides for a president, not a dictator.

Wahls rejected their arguments, saying that the vaccines allow us to have the freedom to live our lives.

Its just stunning to watch Republicans play politics with the most important public health tool available in modern medicine, he said.
And all the while, America found itself trapped, yet again, in a new surge of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant  a surge that grew because almost one-third of Americans had refused to get vaccinated and many Republican governors opposed mandating mask-wearing.

While our politicos debated vaccines and masks, our news screens were inundating us with videos of unspeakable horrors that transcend politics. West Coast villages burned to the ground. New York Citys subway stairways looked like Niagara Falls.

On windows and rooftops in Queens and in New Jersey we saw flash flood victims seemingly trying to decide if they could make their way through surging water-filled streets or wait for rowboat rescuers. TV anchors were saying something about row versus wade  but no, that turned out to be some breaking news about another very different nightmare change event.

Just before midnight Sept. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court  in a stunning 5-4 vote  announced that it had abandoned its duty to protect the constitutional rights of women to obtain abortions in accordance with the courts famous ruling in the case known as Roe versus Wade. The court refused to block enforcement of a Texas abortion law that Justice Sonia Sotomayor called, in her dissenting opinion, a flagrantly unconstitutional law.
The Pentagon has admitted that civilians may have died but places blame for those deaths on the supposed explosives in the car, not the missile that struck it. We may never know whether the strike averted a major attack.

But even if it did, it caused tremendous harm too. Seven children. A father. A fiance. A narrow neighborhood street. A small community blown to bits by a bomb from the sky. Try to imagine what that would do to your community. How understanding would you be if this happened to your family? What must the remaining family members think of America now? Who harmed them? Who is now their enemy?

Worse still is the fact that these victims have no recourse to justice. This happened in a war. The family wont get answers. At most, they might get condolence payments from the U.S. military. The Pentagon has recently overhauled the system to track and pay compensation, but it is still slow to admit errors, and those it acknowledges fall far short of what human rights groups track.

The Department of Defense has tracked and reported civilian casualties only since 2018, and how it tracks them is questionable, typically relying on the same internal records that led to the strike in the first place. Officials rarely visit strike sites or interview witnesses. Most innocent victims of our direct military action receive no resolution or acknowledgment at all.
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She says thats simply not the case.

What weve found from people who have attempted and survived is that they are saying that had somebody acknowledged my pain I was in, then I probably would not have attempted, Krajewski said. By reaching out and even simply acknowledging them  I see you; youre going through a lot. Im sorry that youre going through a lot. I see you  gives someone hope, and by having hope, youre not going to feel hopeless.

She also encouraged people to consider the way they react when someone shares thoughts of suicide.

The worst thing you can do is ... say, Dont do that, thats stupid. Well, all youve done now is reinforced that they shouldnt tell anybody, Krajewski said.

Your co-workers car

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If you noticed a co-worker walking to work when they normally drove, what would you do?

You might ask them whats going on, but if they told you their car was broken, you probably wouldnt feel obligated to fix it.

Krajewski uses this example to explain one thing that she observes often when it comes to suicide.
CURTIS  Fall enrollment of 232 fulltime students at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis increased 6.4% this fall from 218 a year ago.

Given the challenges with the pandemic and strong demand by employers nationwide for skilled employees, we are grateful to see every new student and our second- or third-year Aggies return to complete their degrees, said Larry Gossen, NCTA dean.

Overall enrollment at the two-year college stayed even with 2020 levels at 282 students, when adding part-time, non-degree seeking, and dual credit high school students to fulltime numbers.

University of Nebraska President Ted Carter on Wednesday announced enrollment counts for the five NU campuses in Curtis, Kearney, Lincoln and two in Omaha.

NCTA is part of the NU system and the only two-year campus.

We continue to gain students who are interested in an associate degree with hands-on learning in agricultural production, said Jennifer McConville, associate dean.
Frankly, if greater Nebraska must give up yet another Unicameral seat to Omaha and Lincoln, its time for our rural neighbors farther east to take a turn.

Two competing maps  one that again erases a western legislative district, and a second that doesnt  have been put before Nebraskans for public comment as a special redistricting session opens Monday.

A pair of alternative maps for Nebraskas three U.S. House districts also will be presented at public hearings Tuesday in Grand Island, Wednesday in Lincoln and Thursday in Omaha.

We wont dwell on those here because, honestly, neither would change anything for us here in the heart of the 3rd District.

The legislative maps are another matter.

Were facing the same problem weve faced repeatedly since the Great Depression: The Omaha and Lincoln areas gained population in the 2020 census, while most of the other 90 counties shrank.

For the third time since 1990, explosive metro growth and the U.S. Supreme Courts one man, one vote ruling of 1962 will force senators to take a rural district and move it into the Omaha area.
Gavin Newsom on September 8. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

One week before Election Day, Gavin Newsom strode into a closed-off street in San Franciscos Mission District, where volunteers for his campaign sat at rows of folding tables, calling voters in at least three languages and imploring them not to recall him as governor of California. For 15 minutes, Newsom took pictures with well-wishers, directing them to the best selfie lighting, then turned to a bank of TV cameras to give some remarks and answer reporters questions about the chaotic state of the race. The day before, Larry Elder  a right-wing L.A. talk-radio host and Republican who is the likeliest to replace Newsom if the recall succeeds  had been caught suggesting that slave owners were owed reparations. That morning, the New York Times had published an ominous analysis that Newsom wasnt connecting with Hispanic voters.

This has become a significant distraction, said San Francisco mayor London Breed, who was accompanying Newsom. The telegenic governor, collar undone, hands on his hips, nodded quickly and theatrically, then unspooled his standard speech and took some questions. Asked about his ostensibly waning appeal to Latinos, he offered a list of his accomplishments. Asked again, he squinted, grinned tightly, and urged the reporters not to pay too much attention to polls. Newsom agreed to take one more question, and a TV anchor started asking about Elders crowds. A lot of people believe these things! Newsom interrupted. He looked off, almost wistful. The anchor resumed asking about Elders appeal, and Newsom half-shook his head. He knew he shouldnt go there. Elder is a Fox regular who claims to have introduced Snoop Dogg to the evil weed and who has recently been insisting that even though he favors eliminating abortion rights and the minimum wage, he probably wouldnt go after them as governor. (He has, reportedly, been telling conservative activists the opposite.) Ill leave that to more objective minds, Newsom started  then launched in anyway, reciting some of Elders most alarming provocations. I dont know whats appealing about that! Its very consequential, and I think its, ah, a profound statement on the world were living in. Newsom tried to laugh, but it didnt quite come out. Were debating democracy in this country right now. Whats the appeal of that? He kept going, before catching himself getting a little too expansive. So thats  thats a deeper analysis of whats going on in this country, he said. But it doesnt have to happen here in California.

Every California governor since 1960 has faced at least one Hail Mary recall funded by partisans, but these almost never get far enough in the process to face actual voters. Thats because the efforts tend to be ridiculous. Only one has worked since the law was put on the books in 1911: Gray Daviss ouster at the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003. Five earlier Newsom recall attempts failed in their infancy owing to lack of interest. Last November, however, a Sacramento judge cited the pandemic and extended a deadline for Newsoms latest antagonists to gather enough signatures to trigger an election. They succeeded, and the result is a double vote concluding tomorrow. The first question on the ballot is whether Newsom should keep his job. If a majority votes to oust him, the results for question No. 2  a 46-candidate free-for-all to fill his seat  will be counted. Elder could become governor of Americas largest blue state with the support of something like a quarter of its voters, just a year after 5 million more Californians voted for Joe Biden than Donald Trump. We really could have a complete perversion of our democracy, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf told me.

Larry Elder on September 6. Photo: Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

Aside from the obvious exception of Trump, Newsom has found himself the subject of COVIDs first major political referendum. He is by far the most prominent state leader to face a vote since the pandemics onset last year. (No governorships flipped parties in the 2020 elections, aside from Montana, a red state where the Democratic incumbent was term-limited.) For ages, Newsom and his camp dismissed that idea as rubbish. Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, one of his longtime senior advisers said to me in August. This is an election about who will vote in a September election in an off year; its about nothing else. And yet Newsom, in the final stretch, has now allowed that theres something to the idea with the politics of COVID blending into Republican power grabs blending into a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment around the country. You see whats happening in Florida! You see whats happening in Texas! We have to give those ballots back in! he said on an early-September Zoom call with LGBTQ+ activists. Forgive me for being intense about this, but, man, this is real! This recall is real!

Polls that showed keep and remove voters almost evenly split in August, thanks to liberal apathy and right-wing fury, have now widened to a comfortable 13-point margin in Newsoms favor, according to FiveThirtyEights average. But combined with the general unpredictability of 2021 politics (Will COVID depress turnout? Will mail voting lift it? Are polls even remotely trustworthy? And Trumps absence means  what?), the risks are too great for Democrats to get complacent. Newsoms stump speech imagines the horrors that would befall the state if he loses: A replacement would ignore climate change and put hard-right judges on the bench. Left unsaid is the real nightmare scenario  that if Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is 88, cant finish her term, a Republican governor would replace her with a wing nut, tip the chamber away from Democrats, and tank Bidens agenda.

Its either Newsoms superpower or his downfall that after over two decades in Californias political consciousness, most voters still dont have a clearly defined picture of him. This has both allowed his liberal electorate to project its wishes onto him (All hail Jerry Brown 2.0, our hippie king!) and to be disappointed by qualities he never actually hid (You mean to tell me the guy whos held office since he was 28 is, at his core, an operator?).

With his plastered-back hair, absurdly well-tailored suits, and catalogue-quality sleeve rolls, the 53-year-old manages to be both adaptable and consequential. A former centrist in the Clinton-era mold, Newsom has shifted ideologically with the vanguard of his party and consistently found himself near the center of its thorniest internal battles  one of its earliest champions of same-sex marriage in 2004 and one of few state executives anywhere promising single-payer health care in 2019.

When he finally attained the governorship that year, it was no obvious prize. The states housing and homelessness crises were worsening, as were its wildfires. Brown, his predecessor, warned on his way out the door that California was fiscally in tatters, too: The next governor is going to be on the cliff. Whats out there is darkness, uncertainty, decline, and recession. Good luck, baby. But when the coronavirus arrived in early 2020, it was immediately obvious that it would define Newsoms term. His popularity dipped as COVID ravaged the state, but he stayed afloat politically. Some Californians appreciated his swift early lockdowns and, possibly more to the point, the contrast with Trumps pandemic bumbling. He looked in comparison like a model executive.

In November, though, Newsom began committing a series of slapstick-quality self-owns. First, with his constituents in the grips of COVID cabin fever, he was caught maskless with political allies at the French Laundry in Napa  a gift to his opponents that a Hollywood writers room might reject as too on-the-nose. The gaffe switched the recall efforts signature-gathering effort into overdrive. Since then, Newsoms team failed to make sure hed be labeled a Democrat on the ballot; he pulled his kids from a summer camp after a picture circulated of his 10-year-old son indoors without a mask; he sold his home for an aristocratic $5.9 million. If youre a Democrat, you have to have massively fucked up to lose here, and hes come pretty close to succeeding, one of his longtime local allies told me recently.

And yet other trends have worked in his favor. Californias vaccination program ramped up after a slow start with nearly 70 percent of residents getting one shot by September. Two-thirds of states have had more deaths relative to their population. Newsom also revealed that the bizarre economic vectors of COVID had left California, so recently on the brink of economic disaster, with a $75.7 billion budget surplus. Hes used it to send out new rounds of stimulus checks, to protect renters from evictions, and to hold lotteries for vaccine incentives. On the recall campaign trail, the flurry of activity plays as taking the pandemic seriously. The gulf between this impression and the one given by Newsoms challengers hardly needs measuring. At one August debate between Republicans running to replace him, only one candidate would even admit to having been vaccinated.

Aside from making the case for himself, Newsom has found traction focusing voters attention on the dangers his leading opponent poses to Californias liberal order. Shortly after Elder got in the race this summer, Newsoms political consultants sat the governor down with a highlight reel of the radio hosts most offensive claims. A sampling: Systemic racism is a lie; employers should be able to fire women who get pregnant; the women who marched against Trump in 2017 were too unattractive to be sexually assaulted. What the fuck? Newsom said, according to someone who was there. Is this serious? Soon Politico reported that Elders ex-fiancee had accused him of waving a gun at her while high. I say hes even more extreme than Trump, Newsom now routinely tells supporters. Its worked. By the end of August, Newsom had reeled in huge donations from unions, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood. Netflixs Reed Hastings has donated more to Newsom than most of his opponents have raised in total, while producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, Laurene Powell Jobs, Eric Schmidt, Priscilla Chan, and Connie Ballmer arent far behind.

In the final days of the election, though, Newsom does not appear to have exhaled. He may be in much safer electoral territory than a month earlier, but to his close allies he seems unsettled  grinning, but in disbelief that he has come this close to ceding the governorship of Americas biggest Democratic stronghold to a provocateur in Trumps image. Early on Labor Day morning in Los Angeles, just off Obama Boulevard, Newsom pulled up to a Black-voter-mobilization office, where he met a cheering mass of local officials, labor leaders, and volunteers  his final crowd in Southern California after a busy three-day swing. The recall effort, he said, was tangled up in the overall demise of American politics. This is all part and parcel of whats been happening in the last four years in this country  what happened with the Big Lie, what happened on January 6 and the insurrection, whats happening with voter-suppression laws all across this country, he told the crowd. Newsom, who is always slightly hoarse, was more gravelly than usual.
The Taliban have raised their flag over the Afghan presidential palace, as the US and the world marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The white banner, emblazoned with a Quranic verse, was hoisted by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the Taliban interim government, in a low-key ceremony on Saturday, said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, multimedia branch chief of the Taliban's cultural commission.

The flag-raising marked the official start of the work of the new government, he said.

The composition of the all-male, all-Taliban government was announced earlier this week and was met with disappointment by the international community which had hoped the Taliban would make good on an earlier promise of an inclusive line-up.

Two decades ago, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan with a heavy hand. Television was banned, and on September 11, 2001, the day of the horrific attacks on America, the news spread from crackling radios across the darkened streets of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The city rarely had electricity and barely a million people lived in Kabul at the time. It took the US-led coalition just two months to drive the Taliban from the capital and by December 7, 2001, they were defeated, driven from their last holdout in southern Kandahar, their spiritual heartland.

Twenty years later, the Taliban are back in Kabul. America has departed, ending its 'forever war' two weeks before the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and two weeks after the Taliban returned to the Afghan capital on August 15.

Some things have changed since the first period of Taliban rule in the 1990s.

This time, the gun-toting fighters don't race through the city streets in their pick-ups.

Instead, they inch through chaotic, clogged traffic in the city of more than 5 million. In Taliban-controlled Kabul in the 1990s, barber shops were banned. Now Taliban fighters get the latest haircuts, even if their beards remain untouched in line with their religious beliefs.

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But the Taliban have begun issuing harsh edits that have hit women hardest, such as banning women's sports. They have also used violence to stop women demanding equal rights from protesting.

Inside a high-end women's store in the city's Karte Se neighbourhood on Saturday, Marzia Hamidi, a Taekwondo competitor with ambitions of being a national champion, said the return of the Taliban has crushed her dreams.

She was among the women attacked by the Taliban and called "agents of the West" during one of the recent protests. She said she's not surprised about America's withdrawal.

"This year or next year, they had to leave eventually," she said. "They came for their own interest and they left for their interest."

Hamidi is hoping the Taliban will relent and ease their restrictions, but with a glance toward the store owner, Faisal Naziri, she said "most men in Afghanistan agree with what the Taliban say about women and their rules against them."

Naziri nodded, saying preserving the rights of women is not a cause that will bring Afghan men on the streets.

On Saturday, the Taliban even orchestrated a women's march of their own. This one involved dozens of women obscured from head to toe, hidden behind layers of black veils.

They filled an auditorium at Kabul University's education centre in a well-choreographed snub to the past 20 years of Western efforts to empower women.

Speakers read from scripted speeches celebrating the Taliban victory over a West they charged was anti-Islam.

The women marched briefly outside the centre grounds, waving placards saying "the women who left don't represent us," referring to the many thousands who fled in fear of a Taliban crackdown on women's rights. "We don't want co-education," read another banner.

Outside the hall, the Taliban director of higher education, Maulvi Mohammad Daoud Haqqani, said 9/11 was the day "the world started their propaganda against us calling us terrorists and blaming us" for the attacks in the United States.
There's a new Amazon doc out about LuLaRoe and it has it all: Fart-leggings. Siblings marrying each other. An irrational resentment of Kelly Clarkson.



And it tells us something important about the twin American aspirations of domesticity and wealth.https://t.co/CF0Uz5Yfzq  Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) September 11, 2021

The story of the Lularoe legging scheme has a lot of stretch - it covers prosperity gospel, Mormonism, white feminism, the primacy of the market sphere, exploited caretakers, and the American Dream



I am talking with @annehelen about it soon for her newsletter, Culture Study. https://t.co/l6S4Kqdtsf  Meg Conley (@_megconley) September 7, 2021

I wrote about LuLaRoe and LULARICH, the new 4-part doc series, which drops on Amazon Prime tomorrow. https://t.co/TD6uetvQbM  Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie) September 9, 2021

Remember when all the #bossbabes on FaceBook were trying to get you to buy brightly colored leggings and come to their FaceBook live parties while telling you that joining their downline did not mean it was a pyramid scheme? At the height of their popularity in 2016, LuLaRoe reported almost $2 billion in total sales (thanks in no small part to the $5000 required for each new independent consultant to buy a starter package of clothes to sell). Women who wanted to join were told they could raise the $5000 by selling their breast milk, getting an interest free credit card, or borrowing the money from a relative.Not at all shockingly, LuLaRoe was unable to sustain their MLM dominance, partly due to the noticeably shoddier fabric and large batches of moldy leggings being sent to their "retailers" (that's LuLaRoe speak for their independent consultants who bought leggings for $15 and resold them to their friends for $25).Get some popcorn because there is a lot of craziness under the cut!Some highlights/head scratchers:The Mormon founders, Mark Stidham and Deanne Brady, hired many of their 14 children (and their spouses) to fulfill leadership roles at the company's headquarters (when they got married, she already had 7 kids, he had 4 kids, and they adopted 3 more). Their 23 year old son Austin was in charge of putting together a compensation package because "he was good at Excel."They booked Mario Lopez for one of their first events because he was so cheap. All of the consultants in attendance got to take pictures with him. At a later event, they rented out Angel Stadium and hired Katy Perry to perform.The customer service database was a giant Google doc that any of the employees could edit.At LuLaRoe conventions and cruises, Mark would quote the Book of Mormon and compare himself to the Latter-Day Saints founder Joseph Smith.In 1972, Deanne's parents wrote a book called "The Secret Power of Femininity: The Art of Attracting, Winning, and Keeping the Right Man for You," which included advice like "You must drop every suggestion in speech, apparel and manner that you are able to kill your own snakes or to take care of your own affairs or to spurn the guidance and care of man. The air of being able to kill their own snakes is just what destroys the charm of so many school teachers and competent business, career and professional women. Another tidbit from the book: "Stand before a mirror in the privacy of your room and say to yourself, I am just a helpless woman at the mercy of you big, strong men....Try a pretty pout, stick out your lower lip as much as to say, I thought you liked me. Or stamp your feet daintily, saucily, and shake your curls as much as to say, I am furious, but what can a little girl like me do with a big, strong man like you? According to The New York Times , Deanne's parents also ran something called the Femininity Forum where they charged girls $300 to learn how to behave in order to land a husband. Deanne used material from her parents' book in trainings.LuLaRoe consultants were told that their ultimate goal was to retire their husbands (translation: make enough money to let their husbands quit their jobs). Before joining the top sales level, consultants and their spouses were interviewed and the husbands were pressured to quit their jobs so that their entire family income would depend on LuLaRoe. Despite the female empowerment message espoused by the company, the reality was that women would be empowered at first, and then the husband was supposed to take over and the roles were supposed to be changed. A woman who was a top earner for the company (she received commission checks of $20k-$40k PER MONTH for the existence of her downline) said that after she brought her husband into the business, Deanne began referring to her as "Paul's wife" (rather than by her actual name).Deanne lost 72 pounds after having gastric sleeve surgery. She then began encouraging the other retailers to lose weight and have the same surgery. They had a group text named "Tijuana LuLaRoe Skinny's [sic]" for all the women who went to Deanne's doctor in Mexico to have gastric sleeve surgery. Deanne's sister was making weekly trips to escort these women to Deanne's doctor in Tijuana. One retailer said that after she refused to go to Deanne's doctor to get the surgery, her relationship with Deanne took a turn.Deanne told the retailers to let their assistants and nannies "do the other things that aren't bringing in money for you" so that they could focus on work, which conflicted with the company's whole spiel that selling LuLaRoe was good for stay at home moms and allowed them to spend more time with their families.When retailers began receiving wet, moldy, or stinky leggings, LuLaRoe blamed UPS and told them to try putting the leggings in the freezer or to sell them at half price. The problem became so prevalent that the dropdown menu on LuLaRoe's customer service page had a separate option for "stinky leggings."Retailers were told to post on social media daily and to include the hashtag "becauseoflularoe" in order to credit the company with anything good in their lives, from buying a Louis Vuitton bag or going on vacation to having breakfast with their kids or buying a new car. One retailer posted a picture of herself in front of her house and said that Deanne got upset because she did not include the hashtag.Like many MLMs, LuLaRoe targeted stay at home moms. They used the old bootstrap mentality to convince these women that their earning potential was limitless and directly related to how much effort they were willing to put into it. Retailers who were unable to make tons of money were told that they weren't dedicated enough or that they weren't putting forth enough time/money/effort (rather than the fact that the market was becoming oversaturated with their shoddy products or that people do not need a thousand pairs of leggings). When ordering products, they could choose specific articles of clothing (leggings, shirts, etc) but they could not choose the patterns. The boxes were a jumble of whatever prints got dumped in, which meant that sometimes retailers got stuck with unpopular prints they couldn't sell. Mark and Deanne said instead of complaining about getting fugly leggings that no one wanted to buy, they should see it as an opportunity.In 2016, the top 0.01% of LuLaRoe retailers made over $150K a month in bonuses. 70% of the retailers made $0. The MLM expert interviewed for this documentary said that the people who make a lot of money in pyramid schemes are the ones who joined early. Recruiting and building your downline is the major income source, not the product sales. One consultant said that in her time with LuLaRoe, she spent about $76k on product and she made about $83k so her net profit was less than $10k. But she was making huge amounts of commission every month due to her downline. In 2017, LuLaRoe changed the structure of their bonus checks/commissions to being more sales-based. One retailer said that as a result, she went from receiving $6000 in bonuses per month to $800 per month.At the same time, LuLaRoe implemented a new 100% buyback policy in April 2017, which meant that retailers could return any unsold merchandise for a full refund which resulted in two things happening: (1) people who were on the fence about becoming retailers jumped in because they felt there was no risk (2) there was a mass exodus of retailers who wanted to just get the hell out. LuLaRoe said that this 100% buyback policy had no expiration date and would exist indefinitely. They allegedly refunded over $100 million due to this buyback policy, but many retailers said that they never received their refunds. In July 2017, LuLaRoe announced that they were no longer offering the buyback program. In addition, they stipulated that anyone who had a downline would not receive any refunds until their bonuses had been removed. The buyback policy existed from April 25 - July 31.In October 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed against LuLaRoe by a former retailer for breach of contract due to the discontinued buyback program (her case was settled in private arbitration). Over 50 lawsuits have been filed against the company in total.The artwork used on multiple leggings had been stolen from artists. The artwork department at LuLaRoe had been told that they could use images they found on google and just change the images 20% to avoid being sued. The head of the art department said that they were expected to produce up to 100 new patterns per day. Multiple artists filed lawsuits against LuLaRoe for stealing their art.Another lawsuit filed by clothing manufacturer MyDyer claimed that LuLaRoe owed them $49 million. Mark and the MyDyer CEO Daniel Kang were friends and part of a group called the Ghost Squadron for rich guys who own Swedish luxury cars called Koenigseggs. The MyDyer lawsuit accused Mark and LuLaRoe of hiding money in LLCs because they they were going to be sued. LuLaRoe had dozens of LLCs. They set up 17 LLCs in just one month (December 2017). LuLaRoe countersued and said that MyDyer owed them money.For LuLaRoe's 2018 summer convention, they hired Kelly Clarkson to perform (instead of using the money to issue refunds that still hadn't been paid to retailers who sumitted their requests the year before).In January 2019, the state of Washington filed a civil lawsuit against the company for operating as an illegal pyramid scheme. One major difference between a pyramid scheme (illegal) and an MLM (legal) is that in an MLM, the majority of income is derived from product sales (keep this in mind for later). Other requirements for a legal MLM: there must be a buyback policy, people should only be buying additional inventory after they have sold 70% of their existing inventory, and sales should be going to at least ten different customers (not just other reps/distributors). Other companies currently running legal MLMs: Avon, Mary Kay, Amway, Herbalife, Beachbody, Arbonne, Young Living, Younique.Multiple members of the family were deposed (and the documentary includes footage!). They all played dumb, but so dumb as to be unbelievable. When asked what the address of the company was (a six story building where LuLaRoe was headquartered), Deanne said she didn't know. When her son Kenny, who was the VP of sales, was asked about the buyback program, he said he didn't recall. When Deanne's son Jordan, the head of leadership and culture, was asked what his understanding of a pyramid scheme was, he said, "I don't remember what my understanding of a pyramid scheme was at that time." Cut to a training webinar of Jordan telling LuLaRoe retailers, "We need to get away from being a pyramid scheme." Mark's present day response: "You have to put those comments in context. Most of us are not always precise with language."During the deposition, Deanne was shown a video from a LuLaRoe conference where one retailer said that her last LLR check was $307k, $18k of which was what she sold in product. At a 2016 event, she and Mark presented another couple with a $1.4 million novelty check. When confronted with this fact, Deanne's response: "No, I don't think we did." Cut to a picture of Mark, Deanne, and a husband/wife team holding a check made out for $1,435,701.18. The memo line read, "LuLaRoe's 1st Million In Leadership Bonuses."The Washington investigation said that two of the top retailers at the highest level each made over $2 million in bonuses between 2016 and 2019. In 2021, LLR settled the case with Washington state for $4.75 million. LLR still denies any wrong doing and claims that they made a business decision to stop the litigation by settling. They also had to agree to change their refund policy. The company still exists and the buy-in package is now ~only~ $499.Since 2016, over 100 LLR retailers have filed for bankruptcy. One retailer said she had about $100k in product that she couldn't return when she left.When a retailer named Courtney quit, other retailers were told that if they spoke to her or associated with her, they would be terminated as retailers.When Sam Schultz, Deanne's nephew who served as LuLaRoe's events director, resigned, LuLaRoe's lawyers sent him a letter saying that after he left, they found multiple violations of company policy that would have caused him to be fired if they had known beforehand. The rumors were that he was having relationships with multiple retailers, which he said is not true. He then contacted Courtney and other retailers who had left LuLaRoe. He said he was investing in a marijuana farm and said he needed additional investors. He told one woman that if she invested $7k, she would get $14k back in two days. He said the pot farm was being run by a Polynesian gang in Oregon. He later said that he was taken in by a Ponzi scheme and that he found out the pot farm didn't even exist. He asked Courtney to invest $30k in a Wyclef concert that he was organizing and that she would receive $90k afterward. He sent her a picture of stacks of cash to convince her that she would receive her investment plus more. She did a reverse google image search and saw that it was just a random picture of money that he had stolen from the internet.Review for the documentary:Trailer for the documentary:Sources: my Amazon account and 1
Weaning the world off hydrocarbons to fight climate change is this generations biggest challenge. It is a challenge that has pushed major OECD members to adopt far-reaching strategies, such as the EU Green Deal or the UKs future ban on new gasoline-powered cars. Yet demand for oil and gas continues to increase, putting mainstream hydrocarbon-producing countries in the spotlight. This was exemplified last week Iraqs Finance Minister Ali Allawi, called for oil producers to move into renewable energy.

At first glance, this appears contradictory, with Iraq still funding new oil projects. However, looking at the overall regional picture this claim is less surprising. The Gulf is facing up to the stark possibility of an end to oil, forcing them to reassess the very basis of their economies. As a result, the first shoots of a Middle Eastern green energy arms race are sprouting, with Iraqs declaration emblematic of this.

The outcome is still unclear, but the immense emphasis put by major oil producers like Saudi Arabia, or the UAE, in growing their slice of the hydrogen cake, is an obvious sign that strategies are changing. Simultaneously, most Gulf countries are investing heavily into home-grown renewable energy sources, particularly solar in this sun-drenched part of the world.

GCC nations are keeping a closer eye on the shifting political opinions vis-a-vis hydrocarbons. The nervous ones are increasingly panicked about the draconian tone adopted against oil and gas. The smart ones see this as an opportunity. A major climate roundtable co-hosted by U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry and his UAE counterpart Dr. Sultan Al Jaber in April showed the apparent willingness at least some in this part of the world demonstrate as they tentatively climb aboard the green energy train.

The direction of travel is clear. Speaking on that trip, Kerry said the importance of an oil and gas-producing nation [the UAE] bringing together a group of nations that many people might think were improbably committed to dealing with the climate crisis was an unequivocal signal. Without bringing Arab oil producers on board effective climate action will be significantly hampered and people like Kerry know this.

A major diplomatic effort is underway to convince Gulf states that their long-term interests are best served by helping, not hindering the climate cause. Some appear to be signing up, such as the UAEs ambitious bid to host COP28. Iraqs Finance Ministers recent positive statement on renewables can also be seen as major recognition that fighting against the tide of the green energy transition is a battle OPEC cannot win.

Economically, major issues are still there to be dealt with. OPEC countries dont want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. However, these golden eggs can and are being used to finance a cleaner future. Middle East green investments are booming. This year, renewable investments have outstripped conventional power projects in the region for the first time ever. KSA is aiming to add 58.7GW of renewable capacity by 2030 and the UAE is aiming to source 44% of power from clean sources by 2050.

These moves will make the GCC the 2nd largest green energy growth region in the world behind only the USA. Enthusiasm should be tempered, given the concerns about the efficiency of major infrastructure projects in the region. However, with the support from state-backed hydrocarbon behemoths like ADNOC and Aramco, these investment shifts will have a lasting impact.

The educated gamble is that the pain of falling oil demand will be offset by a booming, high-tech renewables industry financed by, but increasingly independent of hydrocarbon revenues. The place to start will be removing the high hydrocarbon dependency in local supply. Next will be investing in hydrogen projects, backed up by major solar or even wind energy investments needed for blue hydrogen production. It not only will help to diversify economies, hydrogen can also be produced by using existing hydrocarbon reserves that otherwise could become stranded assets.

Another major driver is to maintain a global power position by becoming a renewables powerhouse. Substitution of its oil power status can be achieved by full-force backing of green energy. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have already indicated moves in this direction with billions invested in clean power projects across the globe. Finance Minister Ali Allawi may see his wish become a reality sooner than he realizes as oil-producing Gulf states increasingly realize that smart money is going green.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Hurricane Ida has left a lasting wake of destruction and chaos along the Gulf Coast. The hurricane, which was a category 4 storm when it initially made landfall in Louisiana late last month, killed more than 60 people, caused widespread blackouts and severe flooding as far north as New York and New Jersey, and took out a key United States oil and gas hub. Now, more than a week after Ida swept through the South, more than 80% of oil production capacity in the Gulf of Mexico is still offline and the United States Coast Guard is investigating reports of 350 separate oil spills and 2,000 reports of pollution in the Gulfs waters. A Coast Guard statement says that the organization is currently conducting flyovers off of the Louisiana coastline to look for oil spills to report back to federal, state, and local authorities so that they can put together and dispatch cleanup crews accordingly.

So far, the Coast Guard reports that it has checked out 800 of the 2,000 reports. Coast Guard teams throughout the area are working overtime to respond to every report that comes in, said Captain Kristi Luttrell, one of the leaders in the Coast Guards Hurricane Ida response. We take each report seriously and are responding to ensure we mitigate threats to the environment.

The source of one of the largest oil spills, causing a streak kilometers long, is no longer active, but new leak sources are still being discovered. Pipelines damaged by the storm are leaking throughout the Gulf, although so far it seems that none of the spills have reached the Louisiana coast.

Related: Record-Breaking Energy Prices Could Soar Even Higher In Europe Hurricanes and oil spills are nothing new for the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina caused a rash of environmental disasters including widespread pollution, and the Gulf Waters bore witness to the worst maritime oil spill in history, 2010s Deepwater Horizon. Despite this history, it would seem that the Gulf Coast oil industry has not learned from its past mistakes. NOLA.com has reported that the projections for pollution caused by Ida are predicting a worse outcome than in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The myriad oil leaks caused by the Ida storm paint a disturbing picture of a lack of preparedness and storm-proofing that could have potentially disastrous environmental ramifications, especially as severe storms become more commonplace as the world gets warmer and weather patterns change. Whats more, the oil and gas industry has created a lot of its own current vulnerability, as it has cleared the marshlands that once acted as a natural stormbreak for the Louisiana coast.

Related: Iraq Secures New Investments In Its Booming Oil Industry

The lasting impact on this oil and gas hub is not just environmental, its also economic. As huge amounts of oil and gas production capacity remain offline, United States consumers are likely to bear the burden of rising oil prices at the pumps. Rising fuel prices could even stand to derail the countrys post-pandemic economic recovery on the whole, hitting consumers at a particularly vulnerable moment. The oil losses from Hurricane Ida are historically bad. Hurricane Ida's damage to U.S. offshore energy production makes it one of the most costly since back-to-back storms in 2005 cut output for months, according to the latest data and historical records, Reuters reported this week.

The recovery from Hurricane Ida is going to be a long road for the oil and gas industry, but its likely going to be an even longer road for the fragile ecology of the Gulf waters and shores. Whats more, its almost certainly going to happen again unless drastic protective measures are taken before next years hurricane season.

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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This is not normal, she said. I thought I would yard-bomb my own trees to get a tiny platform to say that we are part of the climate-change continuum. Its a way for the trees to yell pay attention to me.

For the past week, Omahans have been doing just that.

People stop all day long, park and jump out to talk to me, Weil said. Ninety-nine percent of the people who stop are really excited. It makes them feel happy and they feel simpatico about trees.

She created some of the pieces that decorate the trees and some came from the Immigrant Yarn Project, an effort she led and curated in 2018 and 2019.

Weil solicited fiber art from people around the country to represent generations of immigrants from around the world. More than 600 people responded. As the lead artist, she compiled the contributions to create 80 totemic sculptures that were exhibited at the Fort Point National Recreation Center in San Francisco.
Selfless acts of sacrifice are what CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell said she was thinking about on Saturday. We call them heroes, but they are everyday Americans ... that's what's great about this country, (that) terrorists tried to take and did not take away that day.

Differences didn't melt completely away. Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik tweeted he was disgusted that President Joe Biden was at the city's ceremony.

Wallace and her co-anchor, Brian Williams, twice talked about former President Donald Trump's absence from Sept. 11 remembrances Saturday  both times without saying his name.

Trump made appearances at a New York police station and firehouse, and the police visit was covered live by Fox. However, the network broke away, and anchor Arthel Neville said that he did not miss any opportunities to air grievances, including claiming that the election was rigged, which it was not.

Bush's speech, where he discussed the dangers of home-grown extremism, was seized upon by journalists. I think a lot of people are going to be talking about that for days to come, said CNN's Paula Reid.

The news networks carried the initial reading of World Trade Center victims' names by family members, beginning at 8:49 a.m. Eastern.
The Nebraska Department of Corrections on Saturday announced the death of two inmates.

A man in his 30s convicted in Douglas County died Friday at a Lincoln hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the department. He tested positive before being hospitalized and had other medical conditions.

The man was serving time for attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child.

A man in his 60s with underlying medical conditions died Saturday at a Lincoln hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. He was serving a sentence on charges out of Platte County that included possession of a controlled substance and possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person.

The department is not releasing the inmates' names for the privacy of their families and to maintain the confidentiality of their medical records, according to a press release.

The exact cause of death for either inmate has not yet been determined and, as with any in-custody death, a grand jury will investigate.

On Friday, the department reported 13 active COVID-19 cases. The average daily population across the state's 10 correctional facilities was 5,322 people during fiscal year 2021.
With 32 members, Republicans have a clear majority among the 49 senators. But it takes 33 votes to end a filibuster. With 17 members, Democrats have the power to stop a plan they oppose, even if they lack the numbers to pass a plan on their own.

Sen. John McCollister of Omaha, a Republican, said those numbers will drive efforts to reach a compromise.

The filibuster will rule, thats when the negotiations start, he said.

Where those negotiations might lead is hard to predict. Sen. Wendy DeBoer of Bennington, a Democrat, said her biggest concern is keeping communities together and following a fair, nonpartisan process.

Were going to have to use all of our best peacemakers and try to figure it out and work together, she said. We have to do it for the sake of Nebraska.

For Sen. Curt Friesen of Henderson, a Republican, the biggest concern is maintaining as much representation as possible for rural, agriculture-dominated areas of the state. Those are the areas that lost population over the last decade and are expected to grow geographically as at least one seat moves to the population growth areas around cities.
Twenty years later, and there are still moments that cant be shaken.

The sight of first responders rushing toward the mayhem unfolding at the World Trade Center while others ran to escape debris that rained from the sky.

The smell of smoke and decay that lingered for weeks in the blocks surrounding Ground Zero as New York searched for the dead.

An overheard whisper from a stranger: Theres no way he could be alive.

For some Nebraskans, physical distance and the passage of time has not dulled the memories of their experiences in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, and in its aftermath.

Denise Bullings unshakeable moment came as she walked into a New York City hospital. It had been a few weeks since the attack, and pictures of the dead and missing lined the streets.

The Lincoln woman was deployed with a Red Cross national disaster response team as a mental health clinician. She hadnt yet grasped the far reach of 9/11 until she looked up one day to see the picture of someone she knew.

Kenneth Caldwell, the brother of a friend who worked as a professor at the University of Nebraska, was staring back at Bulling from the collage of photos.
LONDON (AP)  Queen Elizabeth II marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by offering her sympathies to the victims, survivors and families affected by the atrocity.

In a message to U.S. President Joe Biden, the British monarch remembered the terrible attacks" on New York and Washington, D.C.

My thoughts and prayers  and those of my family and the entire nation  remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty, she said.

My visit to the site of the World Trade Center in 2010 is held fast in my memory. It reminds me that as we honor those from many nations, faiths and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who joined together to rebuild.''

The ties between the two nations were marked with a special Changing of the Guard ceremony at Windsor Castle in which The Star Spangled Banner was played. Hundreds gathered inside and outside the walls of the castle to watch.

The U.S. national anthem had also been played at Buckingham Palace 20 years ago on Sept. 12, 2001, a mark of solidarity with the United States.
The maps must then be presented to the entire Legislature for debate. Before the Legislature votes on the maps, the public can review, comment or even present alternative maps at meetings to be scheduled in each of the three congressional districts.

While the particular procedural steps used in Nebraska are unlike any other legislative redistricting process in the country, 16 states use a commission model that has become increasingly popular. Eager to minimize partisan influences, each of these states creates a commission of citizens-at-large to draw maps which are ultimately presented to their legislatures for approval. In 2015-16 this concept was proposed in Nebraska by then-State Sen. John Murante in his LB 850. The bill was passed by the Legislature by a vote of 29 to 15, but it was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts. The governor suggested that using an outside commission was an unconstitutional delegation of authority by the Legislature.

In 2020 I introduced LB 1207, which was very similar to the Murante bill, but it was modified to eliminate the constitutionality issue raised by the governor. To be certain that the issue was properly resolved, we asked Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson for an opinion about the bills constitutionality. He opined that the provisions in LB 1207 were constitutional.
First Five Nebraska has some solid successes supporting child care legislation at our Unicameral. The Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, the Buffet Early Childhood Institute and others have grassroots efforts all across the state bringing expertise, training and funding to the local level.

The barriers to successful solutions are many, as are the causes, but we are seeing an expanding coalition working daily to find smart solutions.

Dan S. Mauk, Nebraska City, Neb.

executive director,

Nebraska City Area

Economic Development Corp.

Unavoidably partisan

There are many opposing views on redistricting, many seemingly wanting it both ways. Many voices have rightly claimed the 2nd District must cut over 47,000 voters out of the district and say that if Douglas County is not divided the district will very likely become Democrat-controlled. On the other side of the same coin, those same voices claim that if Douglas County is divided, it would be a partisan act by Republicans. Which one is it?
The 21st century in America has so far been bracketed by two terrible mass-casualty events. The first was the 9/11 attacks. The second is the COVID-19 pandemic. The radically different public response to these episodes reveals a lot about us, and much of it is not flattering.

The airline hijackings were the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history. They catalyzed a wave of fear and anger that permanently reshaped our foreign and domestic policies  or, rather, warped them.

The near-panic that gripped the nation back then is understandable. But its plain today that our leaders, with broad public support, grossly overreacted. The consequences afflict us even now.

No one could have imagined on Sept. 10, 2001, that an American president would authorize the use of torture against alleged enemies in secret prisons. Or that hundreds of American Muslims would be arrested and detained without charges for days, weeks or months. Or that hostility toward Muslims would grow widespread enough to require a new term: Islamophobia. Or that the government would soon be collecting millions of records of phone communications  many of them in violation of the law.
Its not my fathers grain market anymore.

You see, my father got into this business in 1962. He was fresh out of Drake University and landed a job with Cargill. He didnt know much about Cargill back then, it was just a pretty good job for a kid out of Muscatine, Iowa. It was at Cargill where he leaned the grain business. Cargill has a very good reputation for teaching new hires the ins and outs of agriculture  among other things. It is still one of the largest privately-held companies in the world. If it were a public company, it would rank 15th in the Fortune 500. Their revenues for 2018 were $114 billion. Needless to say, it is a behemoth. Not as big in 1962, but it still had its street cred, if you get what I mean.

My father was lucky  he had a knack for the trading business and was promoted quickly. He was first stationed in Des Moines, Iowa, where I was born, and then subsequently we were moved to Minnesota and finally Chicago. The mighty Chicago Board of Trade was where he would stay until his retirement, and it would also be my launching point into this unique line of work. Wearing a funny colored jacket, in this case a black and white cow print, standing around in an octagon-shaped pit of 300 other loudly-clad men, trying to trade the worlds grain  for a profit. I almost left out the hard part  for profit.

Shellady: The farm, media and trading "Agriculture and livestock markets are seeing some crazy prices and volatile times. The world is in a major state of flux and food is at the fulcrum. Add to that the politics that are taking place at home and around the world, and we have a lot of things to talk about," Scott Shellady writes.

This was the early 1970s and this was raw capitalism. There were no trading screens; the quote boards, where trades were recorded, were staffed by men with chalk and erasers. This wasnt your normal scene in "Trading Places," as there was a certain decorum  ties to the top of the neck and a modest sport coat were the norm. While at times the action was frantic, you could still smoke cigarettes in the trading pit during the session. There were big leather sofas for a quick break when the action was few and far between, while some of the older gentlemen (there werent very many women back then) would gather for a quick card game in the canteen to keep their minds sharp in between droughts and floods.

My father relished this environment. It was like sports. No homework, when the final bell rang, that was the final score. You either lost money or made money, but it was done  tomorrow was another day. Same ball field, but maybe a slightly different opponent. No two days were ever the same. When the markets were busy, it usually meant there was some sort of calamity in the fields. Too much heat, not enough rain or Russia was buying all our crops  the action was thick and fast. This put my father in the frame of mind that he wanted to be a part of the business, from beginning to end. That is when we bought our farm  50 years ago. He couldnt get enough of it, and given half the chance, we always spent our vacations, days off or school breaks out on the farm  my brother, sister and I complaining all the way. We learned some valuable lessons up there all these years. The value of a dollar, where food comes from and the effort it takes to get it on to your table. I will be forever indebted. But the real reason I bring it up is that in the hectic world of trading and finance, if my father were alive today, he wouldnt recognize a thing.

Some would say we have lost our way. I can understand that point of view. There is a tremendous amount of speculative money in our markets today, and they are all aided by the advent of technology.

You have heard the words "high frequency traders," "algorithms" and "black box execution." They are all relatively new to this business, where we used to believe we set the price of food (we still do), but we are now in the business of facilitating this new wave of technological trading where it is more important to have machines than men. Now, I can hear you say it is happening to a lot of people in many lines of work. You are right. I have a basic understanding of how a car works, but I could never get under the hood of a new one today. Wall Street has changed, too. It no longer is a place where good ideas go to get funding to bring their products or ideas to the masses. It seems more of a place where people with good ideas can go get paid, cash out and ride off into the sunset. Those who invest are more concerned with a return on their investment than what the company does for its revenues.

There are no more trading pits. The human mind was a natural governor on the amount of business that can be done at any given moment in time. You see, the exchanges make money on volume; if a machine can count faster to 1,000 than I can, that is going to ensure the exchange will make more money with a machine doing the commission counting than if it were me. The problem with that model is that the humans doing the counting were a natural risk management tool. Things didnt move too fast because they couldnt. Speed kills. Mistakes happen. When they do, technology is very unforgiving. Just sit back and relax and let Tesla do the driving.

I am not advocating for the machines to be turned off; I am advocating for a time when things were more customer-focused than volume-focused. Ikea does the same thing to the handmade furniture business, Airbnb to the travel business, and Uber to the taxi business. Things are moving on whether I like it or not, but I just cant help but hearken back to a different, slower time. I know it wont happen, but if my dad came back to the business he was in for over 40 years, it would be totally unrecognizable.

It is not a knock on the business  it is here to stay, its just an older guys romantic observation on the way things used to be.

Scott Shellady serves as markets anchor for RFD-TV and appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN and Fox Business News. His early years were on a farm in Jo Daviess County. He later worked on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade before teaching finance at DePaul University.

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Death came for John W. Puett on the afternoon of Jan. 12, 1917. The Bloomington grain dealer was at his Twin Grove elevator, located some 5 miles west of the city along the parallel rail lines of the Illinois Traction System and Big Four Railroad, just south of Old Peoria Road.

According Park Enlow, who was the only other person at the elevator, Puetts overcoat caught the exposed shafting from the flywheel of the engine powering the elevator. With the flywheel moving at around 150 revolutions per minute, John Puett never had a chance.

Occupied elsewhere, Enlow heard a sickening thud and looked and saw the unfortunate man as he was being whirled through space, reported The Pantagraph. Mr. Enlow rushed over and stopped the engine, but before the wheel had stopped some of Mr. Puetts clothing gave away and he fell to the floor.

Puetts right arm was pulled from the socket, mangled and crushed; his left arm lacerated, and his head horribly beaten about. The right side of his chest was crushed.

Enlow telephoned for help, and 20 minutes later Bloomington Drs. A.E. Behrendt and J.P. Noble reached the scene by auto. Behrendt then brought Puett back on the 2:50 p.m. Illinois Traction interurban, and once in Bloomington he was taken by ambulance to St. Josephs Hospital (then located on South Morris Avenue on the citys west side).

Puetts wife, Meda Ray Puett, was spending the afternoon at the Bob Jones revival, held at a temporary wooden tabernacle erected downtown. A search was undertaken to find her, and after being spotted by Chief of Police John J. Jones, Meda was rushed to the hospital, where she had time enough to say her goodbyes. John Puett passed away at 4:45 p.m., two hours and 50 minutes after the accident.

This tragic story was dutifully recounted in the pages of the next days Pantagraph. But daily journalism can only do so much when it comes to giving voice or agency to the grieving loved ones left behind. With Puetts death, The Pantagraph tells us what happened and to whom, and where it happened and when, but whats missing, of course, is a deeper window into the human condition, and our world of suffering, love and faith.

As a not-for-profit institution, the McLean County Museum of History depends on donations of objects and papers to help preserve the stories of our communitys past. This summer, the museum was contacted by a Stillwater, Okla., resident, who had come to possess a letter written by Meda Puett to several of her cousins. In this 640-word letter, dated Jan. 26, 1917 two weeks after her husbands death  Puett struggles with the immensity of her loss. How does one, after all, express the inexpressible?

This letter was discovered tucked inside an old book that the donors brother-in-law had bought from a bookseller in southern Oklahoma. How it ended up there remains a mystery.

Upon receipt of the donated letter, the museum set about to have it transcribed, which was done by museum volunteer JoAnna Mink. The original letter will then be cataloged and placed in the museums climate-controlled archives, where it will be available to genealogists, students, and others for generations to come. And as the museum learns more of the Puett story, items may be added to the file.

Dear Cousins: I have thought of you people so much since this terrible sorrow came into our home but haven't been so I could write, begins Medas letter. I hope you people wont feel bad at me for not sending a telegram at the time for I was in such a dazed condition I really couldn't think of your town.

As Puett relates, she was at the Bob Jones revival, which was in its third week in Bloomington. Jones, the namesake of the university in South Carolina, won fame first on the revival circuit and then with the new mass medium of radio.

I was called away from meeting at the tabernacle to the hospital and in less than half an hour John was dead. He knew me but that was all and couldn't talk but very little  Oh folks you don't know how heart broken I am and from little Russell was the worst brokenhearted child you ever saw. Little did we think when John left us at noon that would be our last dinner together.

Meda Ray and John Pruett were both born in Colfax, and thats where they married in 1905. They had two children at the time of the tragedy, Geraldine, age 11, and Russell, age 9. The family lived in Bloomington.

I have only pleasant memories to think of, he was so good to me, Meda wrote of her husband. I am glad he was such a good man and I believe he is in a better world than this.

The letter speaks to the mysteries of grief and faith  and how they are inexorably entwined.

We had been attending the Bob Jones meeting at the tabernacle and John was so helped by them, and some of the songs were so wonderful, it would have been a hard heart not to be stirred, Meda told her cousins. And I'm so glad John knew the right way for how soon he was hurled into Eternity.

I'm sure if God had not come with comfort to my poor soul I never could have stood it, she added.

Puetts death also meant attending to his personal and financial affairs. I have been appointed administratrix and I have my heart, hands & brains full, Meda wrote. I am trying to run the elevator and get that big bin of oats off hand. But we are having such a time getting (rail) cars  About all I can do it is to trust to Providence that I'll come out all right.

She did manage to sell the elevator, for that summer it was reopened and in new hands. Farmers are glad to know that some one has charge of the Twin Grove elevator, reported the Aug. 11, 1917, Pantagraph. as it takes two or four teams more (of horses) to haul grain to distant elevators.

By 1930, Meda Ray Puett had remarried, and she and her husband George Charles Garlock, along with her two children, a son-in-law and a boarder were living at the former Puett home on South Main Street. Meda passed away in 1944 at the age of 65. She was living in Joliet at the time.

Pieces From Our Past is a weekly column by the McLean County Museum of History. Bill Kemp is the librarian at the museum.

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This is what decentralized, collective leadership looks like, declared House Speaker Chris Welchs spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll not long after the chamber approved the climate/energy bill on an unexpectedly lopsided 83-33 roll call on September 9.

The vote was without a doubt a spectacular victory, especially considering the Senate was not able to put together its own package that could pass both chambers and be signed into law.

Not only did all but one House Democrat vote for the bill after starting the day miles from that point, but eleven House Republicans ended up on board even though House Republican leadership had said the day before that there was nearly zero support for it and only two Senate Republicans had voted for their chambers version.

The House Black Caucus has for years specialized in blowing up important bills in order to pry concessions loose for their constituency. So, Speaker Welch put Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans, an African-American South Sider, into the lead negotiators role after the Senate punted the issue to his chamber. And when the Black Caucus expectedly demanded more concessions, Leader Evans was able to make some changes and then convincingly explain to the caucus how Black folks were getting a decent deal.

Speaker Welch probably couldve tried to strong-arm the climate/energy bill through the House with the absolute bare minimum of 71 votes (a three-fifths majority), and he might have been successful. Instead, Welch told Gov. JB Pritzker that he had to finally come to terms with Assistant House Majority Leader Jay Hoffman, who had been relentlessly advocating for an approach that would bring the states two municipally owned coal-fired electricity plants to a neutral bargaining position. Hoffman was one of Pritzkers earliest supporters in the 2018 campaign, but the Metro East Democrats strong advocacy for coal-related jobs had put him on the outs.

Hoffman had made his pitch to Welch, but his cause was aided by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. Welch needed votes and he asked Durkin for help but was turned down because Durkin opposed the bill. The Republican did, however, say that coal was a big issue for his caucus. At Welchs behest, Pritzker immediately dispatched his point-person, Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell, to Rep. Hoffmans office. The Senate Democrats claimed for months that Mitchell was the main obstacle to closing a deal, but Mitchell and Hoffman were able to fairly quickly work out an arrangement.

Assistant House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel, Welchs third point-person on the climate/energy bill and the most liberal of the bunch, listened closely to the enviros and effectively communicated their wants and had the political savvy to turn those wants into a doable reality. Her strong credibility also ensured that the enviros stayed in line when a deal was cut that was not close to everything the greens wanted. Leader Gabels role cannot be understated. This simply doesnt happen without her.

So, yeah, Driscoll was right. This was a collective win. But Welch still deserves an enormous amount of credit for masterminding this thing across the finish line. And, frankly, for all the moaning about how Mike Madigan wouldve sealed the deal earlier, I dont think theres any way the former House Speaker couldve ever gotten that many votes on a bill like this. Its a new day and a new way.

The governor, too, played his cards right in the end. As we all know, Pritzker and Senate President Don Harmon still have, um, issues, so the two men apparently couldnt bring themselves to make a deal with one another when the bill was in the Senate. Harmon finally accepted that reality and agreed to kick the ball to the House, where Pritzker was obviously more comfortable and willing to do whatever it took to work with Welch, including taking a deal that he might possibly have rejected if it had been made by the Senate (some insist the House bill wasnt as strong as Harmons best effort last month).

Also, in retrospect, it was probably a good thing for the governor that talks with the Senate broke down at the end of May. If the bill had passed back then, the entire focus wouldve been on the huge bailout for Exelons nuke plants. Instead, the public conversation shifted to coal and climate change, which is a far more politically advantageous spot for Pritzker.

Whatever. Its over now. Harmon graciously accepted the terms, and we wont have to deal with this issue again until the inevitable cleanup bills surface.

Rich Miller also publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

Rich Miller publishes Capitol Fax, a daily political newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.

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President Joe Bidens bid to placate far-left members of his party by extending a moratorium on evictions has, predictably, crumbled following last weeks U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring the moratorium unconstitutional. St. Louis-area courts quickly followed with orders for sheriffs to resume evictions of tenants who are long overdue paying their rent. That means the nation is back to square one when it comes to protecting families whose principal breadwinners became financially strapped because of the pandemic.

Biden had declared his unwillingness to extend a previous eviction moratorium because Supreme Court justices made clear they would not uphold any future moratoriums without specific congressional approval. The House failed to act as their summer recess approached, which prompted progressive protesters to stage a round-the-clock vigil on the Capitol steps to draw attention to the millions of people at the brink of homelessness.

It was Congress, not Biden, who failed to respond once the Supreme Court issued its warning. Now, no amount of protests can stop the coming tsunami of evictions. Landlords across the country have been forced for months simply to eat the billions of dollars in costs rung up by their non-paying tenants, and they have justifiably reached the limits of their tolerance.

At the same time, family breadwinners are well justified in fearing the dangers of returning to potentially crowded workplaces. Consider the paltry attendance figures at recent Cardinals games: The public, regardless of financial means, remains highly skeptical about the safety of any close-quarters mingling.

Congress has approved $46 billion for rental assistance to help tenants and landlords make it through the pandemics first wave. But by mid-August, only $4.2 billion had reached households, the National Low Income Housing Coalition reports. Most states have distributed less than 10% of the funds they were allotted. Missouri has distributed 10.5%. Which means lots of money sat undisbursed while landlord frustrations grew and tenants inched closer to the inevitable day when deputies armed with eviction orders would come pounding at the door.

The first order of business, then, is for Missouri and other states to distribute the aid and avert a national homelessness crisis.

Since coronavirus infections are now rising sharply again, employee fears of returning to their jobs are only going to grow. The members of Congress who led the pressure campaign to make Biden extend the moratorium now must go the traditional route: writing legislation, negotiating compromises with skeptics, and using their best powers of persuasion on the floors of Congress to convince members that a new moratorium is urgently needed.

Winning over Congress promises to be a lot harder than doing TV interviews while camping out on the Capitol steps. But if this is the only option likely to pass Supreme Court muster, it sure seems worth a try.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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In the past two weeks, weve seen reports about the harm Americas withdrawal from Afghanistan is bound to bring for women, girls, journalists and allies. But one group that hasnt received much attention is American veterans whose tours of duty have long since ended. Experts say the news coming out of Afghanistan is likely to reopen emotional wounds for many of them.

Matthew Cassady, a program manager with the Veterans Affairs Chaplain Service, said recent events have brought difficult memories to the front burner for many veterans.

I think we certainly are seeing some things amplify, specifically in the mental health realm, Cassady said. The images that weve seen on television and different news networks have been absolutely heartbreaking for many of us. We know the people. We know the customs. We know the culture. And we know how difficult this is for them right now just seeing this happen. It hurts.

Nancy Ramsay is director of the Soul Repair Center, a clinic at Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth that offers training for chaplains and religious leaders caring for veterans. The Soul Repair Center is a leading voice highlighting something called moral injury, a wound of conscience that results when those in a dire situation like war violate their core moral beliefs. Ramsay said veterans may feel that the withdrawal has violated a moral code.

What Im hearing is that theres great anxiety on the part of vets who know that they were protected by these persons and feel an obligation, understandably, to make sure our commitments to them were fulfilled, Ramsay said.

She said theres a link between moral injury and high suicide rates among veterans. We need to pay attention to the ways in which these events could trigger really painful emotions and memories, she said.

And Ramsay said this phenomenon will not just be limited to those who served in Afghanistan.

Everything I can see suggests that there are a number of folks who served in Afghanistan and possibly also Vietnam for whom these days are very challenging, Ramsay said.

Military leaders are aware of those challenges. Last week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley both spoke out about the emotional dynamics for veterans.

All of this is very personal for me. This is a war that I fought in and led. I know the country, I know the people, and I know those who fought alongside me, said Austin, a retired four-star Army general who served as a commander in Afghanistan. We have a moral obligation to help those who helped us. And I feel the urgency deeply.

Ramsay and Cassady said its important for all Americans to know that veterans may be affected by recent news, even if they didnt serve in Afghanistan, and that each veterans moral wounds will heal differently. For veterans in our neighborhoods, workplaces and social networks, we should take the emotional toll seriously. We shouldnt make assumptions about how theyre processing the news. We shouldnt try to elicit political opinions or war stories from them. We should be quick to listen and slow to speak. And, Cassady reminded, it never hurts to thank them for their service.

Dallas Morning News Editorial

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Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, has lauded the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission for producing the Draft ECOWAS Vision 2050, a successor to Vision 2020.



He said ECOWAS Vision 2050 was a very important milestone in the Communitys journey to the realization of an integrated, peaceful and prosperous West Africa by 2050.



"It is also important that I congratulate all major actors in the region for the achievements and successes recorded during the implementation of the ECOWAS Vision 2020," Mr Ofori-Atta said in a speech read on his behalf at the opening experts meeting to validate the Draft ECOWAS Vision 2050.



The Vision 2020, which had the ambition of transforming the Community from an ECOWAS of States to an ECOWAS of People expired last year.



The Vision 2050 is, therefore, needed to provide the region with a new and medium-term strategic plan that takes into account current development dynamics.



It would be adopted by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in December 2021 but its implementation will begin in January 2023.



The Vision Statement is to create: A fully integrated Community of peoples, living in a peaceful and prosperous region, with strong institutions and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, striving for inclusive and sustainable development.



Mr Ofori-Atta said government was proud of the achievements of ECOWAS in Peace and Security; Democracy and Good Governance; Intra Regional Trade and Investments; Free Movements of People, Goods and Capital; and Infrastructure Development (Transport, Energy and ICT) during the implementation of the Vision 2020.



He said those achievements had earned the Community a prestigious place amongst the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa, saying: "ECOWAS is no doubt the model REC in Africa".



"Despite these achievements, so much still remain to be done in order to raise the living standards of our people and contribute to the progress and development of the African Continent as enshrined in the Revised ECOWAS Treaty," he noted.



Mr Ofori-Atta urged the participants to consider, in their deliberations, how the Regional Vision would be aligned with the National Development Plans in Member States and how the Vision would address extraordinary shocks such as covid-19, as well as adequate funding for its implementation.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will host and deliver the Keynote Address at this year's Presidential Business Summit at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, slated for September 14-15.



It is an annual calendar event being organized by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the Office of the President and selected Ministries, Departments and Agencies.



A statement from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the Summit was to provide a platform for structured dialogue between government and the private sector on critical areas of interest to the private sector.



The theme is: Public-Private Dialogue on the Role of the Private Sector in Ghanas Post-COVID Economic Recovery.



The deliberations in the Plenary Sessions will focus on five cross-cutting thematic areas: Fiscal and Non-Fiscal Incentives to Support Production and Private Sector Development; Foreign Exchange Regulation and Currency Stability; Access to Finance and Cost of Capital; Energy Pricing, Availability, Access and Reliability; and Supporting Local Industries through Government Procurement and Local Content Regulation.



This will be followed by Breakout Sessions for a deep dive into seven economic sectors: Agriculture and Agribusiness; Manufacturing; Construction and Mining; Financial Services; Information and Communication Technology; Tourism and Hospitality; and Transport and Logistics.



Deliberations at the Summit will feed into governments Policy Framework for Private Sector Development, including the Budget Statement and the Economic Policy for the Year 2022.



The outcome will be a Ghana Business Compact, which will detail out specific priority areas of government policy interventions in support of private sector development.



Speakers include Mr Pierre Frank Laporte, the Country Director for World Bank Group; Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Senior Presidential Advisor; Mr Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry; Mr Ken Ofori Atta, Finance Minister; Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Energy Minister; Mr Charles Adu-Boahen, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, and Dr Ernest Addison, Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines. (REUTERS/Johanna Geron)

EJ Obiena would not be denied a date with history in the 2021 International Golden Roof Challenge in Innsbruck, Austria on Sunday (September 12).

The Filipino Olympian cleared a height of 5.93 meters to set new Philippine and Asian records en route to a gold-medal finish in the event.

Obiena eclipsed his previous national record of 5.91 meters set in the Wanda Diamond League several weeks ago. He also erased the 23-year-old Asian record of 5.92 established by Igor Potapovich of Kazakhstan in 1998.

The 25-year-old pole vaulter coasted through 5.60 and 5.70 meters before securing the gold with a 5.80-meter clearance as the five other pole vaulters competing in the meet bowed out of contention at that point.

Staring down a golden opportunity of carving his name in the Asian history books, Obiena buckled down to business and pulled off the feat in three spirited attempts.

Matt Ludwig of the United States came in second after overcoming 5.60 meters while Ersu Sasma of Turkey settled for third place with an identical height clearance.

Ohmer Bautista is a sports journalist who has covered local and international sporting events in the Philippines. The views expressed are his own.

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HUDSON FALLS  Flags, wreaths, candles, speeches and song brought Hudson Falls veterans and first responders together Saturday morning for American Legion Post 574s annual tribute to those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

The event started in the posts pavilion with Patriot Guard Riders lined up outside as a color guard. Larry Montello, the posts second vice commander and event organizer, recalled working at Fort Hudson nursing home that day. When he heard the news, I didnt believe it, he said. As stories of the horror trickled out of lower Manhattan, he was struck by the valor of those who responded to give aid, even at the cost of their own lives.

We can never allow the American public to forget those who rushed in while others were rushing out, Montello said. He thanked law enforcement personnel and first responders who keep us protected.

Now what? What do we do next? Cindy Roberts said she asked that day. Her daughter, Kristie Ann Roberts, was moved to join the Army as a medic. Roberts said she asked the same question almost 10 years later when Kristie died in the service.

Roberts joined American Gold Star Mothers Inc. and is today president of the Department of New York.
When the suit was filed last month, legal experts suggested it left Andrew with no good options as the second son of Queen Elizabeth II seeks to repair his image and return to public life.

If the prince tries to ignore the lawsuit, he runs the risk that the court could find him in default and order him to pay damages. And if he decides to fight, Andrew faces years of sordid headlines as the case winds its way through court.

Guiffres attorney, David Boies, said in court documents that it was implausible that Andrew is unaware of the suit.

Attorneys at Blackfords, who he has apparently instructed to evade and contest service, have confirmed that Prince Andrew himself already has notice of this lawsuit and is evaluating his chances of success, Boies wrote. And even if Blackfords had not confirmed as much, any other conclusion would be implausible  reputable media outlets around the world reported on the filing of plaintiffs complaint, and hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about this lawsuit have been published.

The lawsuit is another unwanted story for the royals, reminding the public of Andrews links to Epstein two years after his death. Britains royal family is also still recovering from allegations of racism and insensitivity leveled at them by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, earlier this year.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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I keep giving advice on this pandemic, particularly how badly it impacts women and the poorest of them, she said. We dont have a good health system to deal with this phenomenon.

Women in Somalia have been especially hard hit by the virus, Adam said, both physically and economically.

I personally took my two vaccinations, many people did, but many poor people in the camps, the internally displaced people, the very poor, vulnerable people do not have that chance, she said. What I am hoping is to win this election. (The pandemic) will be one of my priorities, because we dont want to lose more people.

Apart from some awareness messaging, Somalias federal government does little to enforce basic virus prevention measures of social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing.

At the countrys coronavirus treatment center in the capital, deputy director Abdirahim Omar Amin told the AP that very many women have been infected by COVID-19. Health ministry data, however, show that men represent more than 70% of confirmed cases in Somalia.

The people themselves do not have the awareness, or they are in a state of denial, calling it just heartburn and stay at home, and the person is brought here when it is too late, he said.
Matyas Mezosi, a Hungarian Catholic who got to the Mass site early, was jubilant that the pope had come at all so soon after his surgery. The 84-year-old pope had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed in early July.

Its great to see him recovered from that surgery, Mezosi said. Him being here in Hungary today means that he sacrifices himself to be with us, and that he feels good now.

During the flight from Rome, Francis indeed seemed in good form. He stayed so long greeting journalists at the back of the plane that an aide had to tell him to get back to his seat because it was time to land.

Francis said he was happy to be resuming foreign trips again after the coronavirus lull and then his own post-operative recovery. If Im alive its because bad weeds never die, he quipped about his health, quoting an Argentine dictum.

But later in the morning he apologized to a gathering of Christian and Jewish leaders that he had to deliver his speech sitting down. In his remarks, Francis warned against a resurgence of antisemitism in Europe, saying it is a fuse which must not be allowed to burn.
Source: Patheos

By Philip Jenkins

In a recent Times Literary Supplement, David Motadel reviewed James Noyess 2013 book The Politics of Iconoclasm: Religion, Violence and the Culture of Image-Breaking in Christianity and Islam. The review, and the associated scholarship, raises important questions about how we conceive of the Reformation, how we teach it, and, significantly, how we will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the event in 2017.

Motadel writes that,

The prototype of all modern forms of iconoclasm [Noyes] found in Calvins Geneva and Ibn Abd al-Wahhabs Mecca. Sixteenth-century Geneva witnessed one of the most devastating waves of religious image-breaking in history. Incited by a group of charismatic theologians  among them John Calvin himself  mobs raged against objects associated with miracles, magic and the supernatural, destroying some of the citys most precious pieces of Christian art. Invoking the Second Commandment, they denounced these works as idols, and as remnants of a rural, feudal and superstitious world, a world corrupted by Satan.

Nor was Geneva unusual. In Basel in 1529, widespread iconoclastic riots destroyed virtually all the material tokens of traditional Catholic worship and devotion in the cathedral and the citys leading churches. Even these German and Swiss manifestations were dwarfed by the devastating Storm of Images (Beeldenstorm) that swept over the Netherlands in 1566.

This movement was directed against any and all Catholic material symbols  against stained glass windows, statues of the Virgin and saints, holy medals and tokens.

Such stories of image-breaking (iconoclasm) are familiar enough to anyone who knows about the Reformation, and there are plenty of scholarly studies.

Recent works, though, highlight two features of the movement that often get underplayed:

1. Iconoclasm was central to the Reformation experience, not marginal, and not just a regrettable extravagance.

Historians of the Reformation tend to be bookish people interested in books, so they focus on aspects of literacy and translation, with the spread of the vernacular Bible as the centerpiece of the story. The idea of the Reformation as a media revolution is common enough.

Yes, we do read of outbreaks of destructive violence and iconoclasm, but these are usually presented as marginal excesses, or understandable instances of popular fury against church abuses. Once we get those unfortunate riots out of the way, we can get back to the main story of tracing the process of Bible translation.

Thats very misleading. For anyone living at the time, including educated elites, the iconoclasm was not just an incidental breakdown of law and order, it was the core of the whole movement, the necessary other side of the coin to the growth of literacy. Those visual and symbolic representations of the Christian story had to decrease, in order for the world of the published Bible to increase.

In terms of the lived experience of people at the time, the image-breaking is the key component of the Reformation. In the rioting and mayhem, a millennium-old religious order was visibly and comprehensively smashed.

In words adapted from the Vulgate version of Job, the Calvinist motto proclaimed,Post Tenebras Lux: After darkness, Light. (And that is still Genevas motto).

We also need to think through the effects of such violence. Protestant historians sometimes write as if the Reformation brought religious knowledge and spirituality to a Continent from which it had been largely lacking. Of course, pre-Reformation believers had ample access to the Christian tradition, but usually mediated through non-literate forms, through drama and visual culture. When Reformation states and mobs destroyed or suppressed those alternative cultural forms, they were in effect removing popular access to the understanding of faith and the Christian story.

It was also an unabashedly top-down phenomenon. That image breaking we hear about was invariably the work of urban mobs, in societies that were overwhelmingly rural. The Reformation was a war of the cities against the countryside, of the ten percent (perhaps) against the ninety percent.

It would be decades or centuries before the new religious order based on books and literacy would disseminate throughout the whole country, including rural areas. Urban communities spent those decades sneering at the religious ignorance of the peasants.

From the perspective of visual art and culture, the Reformation was one of the greatest catastrophes that ever befell Europe. It also had a massive class bias, in that it targeted objects beloved by ordinary people, while princes and dukes were able to safeguard their Classical treasures. Obviously, there were also cultural gains, in the form of mass literacy, and new forms of visual media, including pamphlets and cartoons. But in terms of paintings, murals, sculpture, architecture, and stained glass, the losses were irreparable.

Centuries of vernacular culture and piety vanished within a generation.

2.Analogies between the European Reformation and contemporary Islamism are much closer than many Protestants would like to admit.

Noyes compares Calvin closely to Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of the Wahhabi movement that so often features, unflatteringly, in our headlines. Al-Wahhab (1703-92) was also a near-exact contemporary of John Wesley (1703-91), a fact that cries out for a comparative dual biography!

Like Calvinism, Wahhabi Islam urged the destruction of everything that could be seen as a later accretion to the core of the religion, as well as all manifestations of paganism or idolatry. Since the 1920s, this version of the faith has been the official creed of Saudi Arabia, and variants of it are found among Islams violent and extreme movements.

For present purposes, it is the Wahhabi tradition that has unleashed the savage destruction of shrines and holy places that has been so widely deplored in the past half-century or so. This includes the Talibans destruction of the Buddhas in Afghanistan, the attempted eradication of the glorious shrines and libraries of Timbuktu, and the annihilation of most of the ancient shrines and tombs around Mecca itself. Some Egyptian Islamists fantasize about eradicating all the ruins of pagan ancient Egypt, including the Pyramids themselves.

Modern Westerners are rightly appalled by such acts as desecrations of humanitys cultural heritage. But such outrage demonstrates a near-total lack of awareness of the Wests own history. Nothing that the Islamists have done in this regard would cause the sixteenth century Protestant Reformers to lose a moments sleep. They would probably have asked to borrow hammers and axes so they could join in.

I am sometimes bemused to hear Western commentators call for contemporary Islam to experience a Reformation, by which they mean an opening to freedom and toleration. That is of course an extremely distorted view of Christianitys own Reformation. Arguably, Islam has been going through its own Reformation for a century or so, which is exemplified by the Wahhabis and Salafists. Thats the problem.

In comparing the Protestant Reformers with contemporary Wahhabis, I am not commenting on their theology, their attitude to violence, or to social issues like the status of women. I am speaking very specifically about attitudes to images in religious devotion, and the absolute supremacy of the written text, with the physical iconoclasm that followed from those positions. Could I make that any clearer?

It will be interesting to see how prominently this iconoclastic aspect of the Reformation heritage will be celebrated come 2017. My suspicion is, scarcely at all.

By the way, those recent academic studies that I mentioned include:

Carlos M. N. Eire, War Against the Idols (Cambridge University Press, 1989).

Lee Palmer Wanderl, Voracious Idols and Violent Hands (Cambridge University Press, 1995).

Virginia Chieffo Raguin, ed., Art, Piety and Destruction in the Christian West, 1500-1700 (Ashgate, 2010).

Eamon Duffys brilliant The Stripping of the Altars is in a second (2005) edition.

For an older work, see John Phillips, The Reformation of Images: Destruction of Art in England, 1535-1660 (University of California Press, 1973)

And of course, see the Noyes book I mentioned at the outset.
Karen Alton credits her grandmothers uncanny ability to approach each situation with grace and dignity that allowed her to influence the mostly male leadership board at the time.

Because of the way she was raised, her granddaughter said, she could talk the talk, and knew how to politely get around situations and not take no for an answer. She knew how to work that tenderly, gingerly.

But when it came down to it, Karen Alton said her grandmother never backed down from a fight.

She believed, I have to do the right thing, and if I step on toes, I step on toes, she said, adding, A lot of women didnt do that back then, and thats what made her such a force.

But Elizabeth Alton didn't just influence the Miss America Pageant. She is considered the founding mother of Stockton for undertaking a campaign in the 1960s to establish a local college. She was the only woman on the Board of Governors of Rutgers and used her influence to bring a college to South Jersey.
And by the way? If a dolphin seems to be really checking you out when it pokes its head above water and gazes your way, it probably is.

"They can see us pretty much as well as we can see them," Laurino said. "And they're very curious."

Laurino, 28, isn't just a dolphin expert  she's an expert on New Jersey's dolphins, having studied them for the past nine years. So she knows that the bottlenose dolphins her passengers are ogling are migratory; many of them return to Cape May's nutrient-rich waters year after year during the warm water months to feed, breed and birth their calves.

Laurino, a marine biologist working with the whale watch's nonprofit Whale and Dolphin Research Center of Cape May, collects and updates data on over 500 individual dolphins and submits it to the Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Catalog, a collaborative effort of many research organizations that is curated through Duke University. The information is used to track the animals' migration and movement.

The dolphins Laurino studies are part of the Northern Migratory Coastal Stock of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, traveling as far north as New York in the warm water months and as far south as North Carolina during the colder months.
Another aspect to homeownership is the citys handling of vagrants. Tiny home communities can let the least fortunate among us ascend to an independent and decent standard of living.

Desire for homeownership may also be amplified through nature. Atlantic County has several nature reserves and re-wilding would not only beautify public space cheaply, but if done correctly, can also help reduce nuisance flooding.

Rising seas require appropriate engineering to cope with the future, but through land management, state-injected capital and individual resourcefulness like DIYers, the future of Atlantic City is as fiery and vibrant as its oceanic sunrise.

Alexander Hand

Egg Harbor Township

Galloway Democrats

back public trash vote

At the recent Galloway Council meeting, a non-binding referendum was proposed to be placed on the November ballot. The intent was to determine if voters want to have town-wide trash service provided.

The question included the estimated annual cost of this service, which would be $141 per every $100,000 of assessed value. The average resident would pay $236 per year.
NJPW STRONG REPORT; COUGHLIN VS CONNERS, COUGHLIN CUTS A POST MATCH PROMO, AND MORE

We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono and Satoshi Kojima (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English).

Match Number One: Kevin Knight versus DKC

They lock up and DKC goes for the leg and he takes Knight to the mat and Knight escapes. They lock up and Knight with a waist lock take down. DKC with a waist lock and he gets a near fall. They lock up and Knight with a side head lock and take down. DKC with a head scissors into a front face lock. DKC with forearms and kicks. DKC with chops and forearms but Knight with a forearm and European uppercut. DKC with a kick and knee.

DKC gets a near fall. DKC with a chop and he tries for a hip toss but Knight with a block and he hip tosses DKC> DKC with kicks. Knight with a knee to the midsection followed by a sliding clothesline for a near fall. Knight with a forearm to the back. Knight with a snap mare and reverse chin lock. Knight with a near fall and he returns to the reverse chin lock. DKC backs Knight into the corner and he connects with forearms. Knight with kicks and European uppercuts in the corner. Knight with a slam and he gets a near fall. Knight with forearms to the lower back and he gets a near fall.

Knight with a reverse chin lock. Knight with forearms to the back and DKC with chops. Knight with chops and DKC with a drop kick for a near fall. DKC with forearms and chops to Knight. DKC trips Knight and hits a bulldog. DKC with a running chop for a near fall. DKC with kicks to the chest. Knight with a tilt-a-whirl back breaker followed by forearms. Knight with a splash for a near fall. Knight goes for a Boston Crab but DKC blocks it and he applies a triangle. Knight gets to the rope to force a break.

DKC with chops and a back fist. DKC with a firemans carry and then he chops Knight many times and goes for a rollup but Knight gets DKC up. DKC with a crucifix bomb for a near fall. DKC with Rings of Saturn but Knight gets to the ropes. Knight with a drop kick and he applies the Boston Crab and DKC taps out.

Winner: Kevin Knight

Match Number Two: Clark Connors versus Alex Coughlin

They shake hands before locking up and Conners with a waist lock and Alex escapes. They lock up and Conners with a side head lock. Alex tries to escape but Conners adds more pressure. Clark with a side head lock take down. Clark with a shoulder tackle and Alex does not moves. Clark tries again with the same result. Clark with a knee to the midsection and Alex with a shoulder tackle. Alex with a kick to the back and an elbow to the back of the neck. Alex with a kick.

Alex with a slam and a forearm to the lower back. Alex gets a near fall. Alex with a European uppercut and shoulders in the corner. Alex goes for a hip toss but Clark counters with a judo throw and chop to the back. Clark with a suplex for a near fall. Clark with a rear chin lock and he gets a near fall. Clark returns to the rear chin lock and he gets another near fall. Clark with a double wrist lock into a full nelson. Alex powers out of the hold and gets to his feet.

Clark with a suplex to keep Alex from taking advantage. Clark gets a near fall. Clark with forearms and a European uppercut followed by a chop. Clark with a snap mare and kick to the back. Clark with a double sledge off the turnbuckles. Clark goes for a suplex but Alex blocks it and hits a suplex of his own. Alex with a waist lock and he tries for a belly-to-back suplex but Clark lands on his feet and then Clark hits a POUNCE. Clark with chops in the corner followed by kicks and the referee stops him each time. Clark with a chop but Alex with an Irish whip and clothesline. Alex with an overhead belly-to-back suplex followed by a back drop driver for a near fall. Alex with a bridging fallaway slam for a near fall. Alex with a single leg crab and Clark tries to make his way to the ropes and he crawls to get there but Alex brings him back into the center of the ring. Clark gets to the ropes and Alex kicks Clark in the back.

Alex with a waist lock and Clark holds on to the ropes to blocks a suplex. Clark with a back elbow and spear. Clark with a shoulder in the corner and a back drop. Clark goes up top and hits an elbow drop for a near fall. Alex avoids a power slam and hits a flying shoulder tackle. Alex with a chop and he sets for a clothesline but Clark with a power slam and choke slam for the three count.

Winner: Clark Conners

After the match, Conners and Coughlin have some words and then they hug before Coughlin leaves the ring.

In the back Coughlin says the LA Dojo, I came here three years ago and I was a kid with three f***ing hairs on my dick and I never had a beer in my life. I had no idea what I was doing. I came with two of the best people I ever met. Karl and that man, Clark. The man you just saw pick my ass up and splat me on the ground and pinned me one, two, three. This isnt the first time we fought. Our debuts were against each other. Our histories are intertwined until the day we die. I thought today was my chance. He won the first match in front of his family and friends. I beat him in the Young Lions Cup and I made him tap. The last time we met was Lions Break Collision. I came that close to beating him again. That man I fought today wasnt Clark, that was the wild f***ing rhino. I thought I knew everything he did. He is different now. He was better than me. He was the Captain, but I am the Captain. If you go to the main roster or in Japan and you get your ass kicked before I graduate, I will kill you. I love you and I will see you soon.

We go to cleaning and disinfection break.

Match Number Three: Ren Narita versus Karl Fredericks

They tease a Greco Roman Knuckle Lock. They lock up and Karl with a waist lock. Narita with a wrist lock and Karl wit a reversal. Narita with a reversal into a double wrist lock take down. Karl with a waist lock and he goes for a full nelson but Narita gets to the ropes to force a break. Narita with forearm and he sends Karl to the floor.

They lock up and Narita with a side head lock. Karl with punches and Narita holds on when Karl tries to send him off the ropes. Karl with a shoulder tackle and kicks to Narita. Karl with an elbow to the back of the head and a kick to the chest. Karl with a chop. Karl with forearms and Narita fires back. They go back and forth until Karl chops Narita. Karl with a back elbow for a near fall.

Karl with a chop and Narita with forearms. Karl with a knee to the midsection and he stomps on Naritas chest. Karl gets a near fall. Karl with a snap mare and forearm to the back. Karl with another forearm to the back followed by a chop. Narita with a boot to the head and Karl with a back heel kick. Narita with a flying spinning heel kick and both men are down. Narita with an elbow into the corner followed by a butterfly Northern Lights suplex for a near fall. Narita with an Indian Death Lock and he gets a few near falls on Karl.

Karl crawls to the ropes and he is able to get there to force Narita to release the hold. Narita with a double leg take down and Narita with a Cloverleaf. Karl gets to the ropes to force a break. Narita with a bear hug and forearm. Karl with a Pele Kick and both men are down. Karl with a splash into the corner followed by forearms. Karl with a hesitation drop kick in the corner for a near fall.

Karl with a front face lock but Narita with forearms and he tries for an abdominal stretch but Karl blocks the arm. Narita with a rear naked choke. Karl with a guillotine but Narita powers out of the hold. Narita with a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall. Narita with a bear hug but Karl blocks a suplex attempt. Karl with head butts and a forearm. Karl with more forearms and a European uppercut but Narita with a slap and an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and bridge for the three count.

Winner: Ren Narita

After the match, Narita says something to Fredericks as Fredericks leaves the ring.

Fred Rosser makes his way to the ring to congratulate Narita on his victory. Rosser offers his hand and Narita is not sure whether he wants to shake his hand. Rosser says that he is Naritas friend and he wants to shake his hand. Rosser says Ren is young, but you are also dumb. You need to be taught a lesson in respect. At Fighting Spirit Unleashed, you are leaving with three boots on. Two on your feet and one in your ass. That will be a lifetime reminder of how bad I put a whooping on your ass. He tells Narita to get ready because it is time to go to work.

Rosser drops the mic at Naritas feet.

Narita says something to Rosser in Japanese and he tosses the mic away and he leaves the ring.

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AEW, ROH & NEW JAPAN STARS HEADING TO NEW YORK COMIC CON

Our friends at www.Highspots.com announced this afternoon they will be bringing in a number of talents at the New York Comic Con next month at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

Announced as signing and taking photos with fans:

*Jay White.

*MJF.

*Danhausen.

*Orange Cassidy

The official announcement and schedule:

Nerds Clothing  Highspots @newyorkcomiccon

Head over to https://highspotslive.com/ to purchase your Meet & Greets for the following guests appearing at New York Comic Con:

10/8 @the_mjf

10/8 & 10/9 @danhausenad

10/9 @orangecassidy

10/10 @jaywhitenz

Can't make it to NYCC this year? No worries, we are accepting mail ins for the above talents over at highspotsauctions.com now!

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
The cartoon strip "Pogo" many years ago featured a character who coined a phrase that seems to fit our national moment. He said, "We have seen the enemy and it is us".

What he meant was that either through our carelessness or zeal to be right, we can become our own worst enemy. We can cause or contribute to the very thing we seek to avoid.

In our time, we see Pogos wisdom revealed in any number of areas.

Consider the challenges facing our environment. Almost daily, new records are being set: highest temperatures recorded, most rainfall received in a 24-hour period, longest drought on record, or (perhaps most critical) highest level of atmospheric CO2 in the last 800,000 years. Yet, as the disasters add up  from floods wiping out towns in Europe, to drought-driven forest fires burning down cities in California, to a derecho that in 2020 left a path of destruction across the Midwest  we are either fighting over whether climate change is real or beginning to accept that disasters are the new normal.
The agency said individual losses have ranged from $10,000 to $4 million. And with the pandemic prompting a shift of a significant part of the workforce to remote work, the risks have only grown greater.

If the incidents in Rock Island County and LeClaire haven't already, they ought to alert other local governments to review the procedures and training they have in place to protect against such scams. And local elected leaders, who have the ultimate responsibility for the wise use and safeguarding of these public funds, ought to be quizzing their administrative staffs about what they have in place to prevent this.

This, of course, isn't just a problem in the public sector. Private individuals and entities also are victims. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center said in its most recent report it got nearly 800,000 complaints in 2020, a 69% increase over the year before.

The agency said that Americans were scammed out of $4.2 billion in online scams, up from $1.5 billion just five years ago. The Business Email Compromise was the biggest category, with adjusted losses last year of $1.8 billion, an increase from the year before. (Adjusted losses include funds recovered by law enforcement or banks.)

It's remarkable how the examples cited by the FBI are so similar to what happened here.
"A year after (the 2013 book) came out, I started having ideas for novels, so those began to occupy my time," Reams said, adding he didn't complete a book at that time due to teaching. "After I retired, I began to put together other concepts and ideas."

Additionally this year, Reams released "My Mine or Yours: A Novel from the Files of Eric Bonfield, Private Detective-Geologist." The book is a sequel to the 2019 "Oil On My Hands," which introduced the character of Detective Eric Bonfield. Bonfield is also the subject of another title released this year, "Diamonds: Friend or Foe."

Two years ago, Reams released study guides for married and soon-to-be-married couples, titled "On the Journey: A Married Couple's Study Guide" and "Before the Journey: A Premarital Study Guide," respectively.

Reams shared that he has worked with hundreds of married couples over the years, which gave him the knowledge and interest to create the study guides. Because of the aforementioned backlog of ideas that he's had for years, it only took him a few weeks to write these books.

"It was only a matter of how fast I could type," he said.

As far as the mystery novels are concerned, he has three other books in various stages of the writing process.
Legislators claim that those changes were necessary to enable passage in the first place fell short with Rees, who wrote such considerations were not permitted in the world of one-person, one-vote.

The courts plan had a population disparity of less than 1%, the lowest in the country. Massive changes followed in the Statehouse. By the 1974 election, half of the lawmakers who had approved the 1971 remap plan either left politics or were voted out.

Eager to stay out of court the next time, legislators in 1981 came up with a new approach. Proposed maps would be drawn by the scrupulously non-partisan Legislative Service Bureau.

The goal, then and now, is to create districts as close to population parity as possible. The drafters cannot consider the home addresses of incumbents, nor any consideration of partisan strength in districts.

Further, districts must be as "compact" as possible, meaning they should be squarish, and should respect city and county borders whenever possible.

Legislators may either approve or reject the first plan, no amendments, and same for the second one. Should the first two be rejected, the third nonpartisan plan could be amended.
The one big exception was Operation Warp Speed, the public-private partnership initiated by the Trump administration to develop viable vaccines by the end of 2020. It was an unprecedented timetable for a process that normally might have taken years. The speedy delivery of the vaccines has undoubtedly saved countless lives. Trump will always deserve credit for that historic achievement and for encouraging his followers to take the vaccine  even if too tepidly and with mixed success, as was demonstrated recently when some of his own followers at a rally in Alabama booed him for it.

Perhaps that was on Trumps mind when he told The Wall Street Journal last week that he probably wont get the booster shot that doctors say may soon be necessary for the fully vaccinated (as Trump is). Two weeks prior, he dismissively told Fox News the boosters are a money-making operation for Pfizer.

After leading the extraordinary vaccine-development effort, Trump first hobbled it with his mixed messaging on the seriousness of the pandemic, and now has completely kicked the legs out from under it by giving his followers one more reason to continue putting themselves and those around them in danger. How many more of Trumps followers have to die before he finally understands the damage hes still doing, even out of office?

2021 STLtoday.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. Capitol Police said Saturday it has recommended disciplinary action in six cases after an internal review of officer behavior stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The department's Office of Professional Responsibility opened 38 internal investigations and was able to identify 26 of the officers involved, the police said in a statement. It said in 20 of the cases, no wrongdoing was found.

However, the police said violations were sustained and disciplinary action was recommended for six of the cases  including three for conduct unbecoming, one for failure to comply with directions, one for improper remarks" and one for improper dissemination of information.

It was unclear in the statement whether a case was an individual officer or if an officer could be cited in more than one case. Names of the officers involved and details about the behavior or actions that led to the alleged violations were not made public.

The statement also said the U.S. attorneys office did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime.
Friends of Fort Owen invites the public to a Mud Party hands-on interpretive event on Saturday, Sept. 18, anytime between 11 am and 3 pm at Fort Owen State Park in Stevensville.

Interpretive stations will focus on the art and science of making adobe brick, which is a rare building material for Montana. Bring the kids and be prepared to get your hands muddy and have some fun at Fort Owen State Park.

The event will feature touchable examples of various types of adobe bricks, as well as soil scientists and adobe and historic preservation experts to show how to look for clay, what John Owen said in his journals about making adobe bricks, whats in them, how to make them and use them to build a building.

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Earlier this year, Friends of Fort Owen received a grant from the Montana History Foundation to work in partnership with Montana State Parks on the restoration of the East Barracks at Fort Owen State Park. The East Barracks building contains the oldest remnants of pioneer settlement in Montana and is the most historically significant structure in the park.
Editor's note: This article was revised at 2 p.m. MT on Sept. 13, 2021, to correct the frequency of trips Gary Popiel took between Helena and Missoula to visit his daughters as they received psychiatric and medical treatment.

Gary Popiel had to drive more than 200 miles round trip to visit his adult daughters in separate behavioral health facilities as they received psychiatric and medical treatment.

It was 2000, and the familys only options for inpatient psychiatric beds were in Helena and Missoula  far from their Bozeman, Montana, home and from each other. Fast-forward 21 years, and Montanas fourth-largest city still lacks a hospital behavioral health unit.

This would be just as traumatic now as it was then. We still would have to leave Bozeman, Popiel said. Why should families have to witness their loved one being hauled off or take them themselves to another facility  or outside the state  to receive help?
The question on the postcard stuck to a board inside the newly opened Hanover Museum of History & Culture was this: If you were granted one wish, what change for good would you make in your town?

One anonymous response, in swirling cursive, said: For all residents to constantly seek the good in others, spotlighting what makes Hanover unique and special. Smiles, waves and positivity.

It ended with: Kindness matters.

Within Hanover Countys newest attraction  a history museum that happens to be in one of its oldest buildings  this postcard activity might seem an insignificant interactive gesture, something fun to do on a whim and never think about again.

But for those behind the museum with hopes of using it to cultivate conversations, foster partnerships and engage the community in new ways, such feedback, no matter how casual, is not only taken to heart but used as relevant data to glean information about how a community thinks, feels and behaves.

Long gone are the days  the really old-school days  of museums telling the community what it needed to know, said Director Jaime Robinson Fawcett on a recent quiet afternoon inside the museum.
The southbound lanes of Interstate 95 near the Belvidere Street-Chamberlayne Avenue exit in Richmond reopened early Sunday morning after being closed for about 20 hours Saturday because a tractor-trailer ran off the road and overturned, spilling fuel onto the highway.

The Virginia Department of Transportation said at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday that the stretch of I-95 had reopened.

Crews worked throughout Saturday cleaning up the fuel spill. VDOT initially had tried putting sand over the fuel, but I-95 was still too slippery. Workers then removed part of the surface and repaved that section of the highway before the interstate reopened.

VDOT had initially expected that the southbound lanes would reopen Saturday evening. Southbound traffic had been diverted off the highway at the Arthur Ashe Boulevard exit.

At one point Saturday afternoon, there was a 3-mile backup. Overhead message signs along I-95 southbound alerted drivers to use alternate routes prior to approaching the crash.

The northbound lane also was shut down for about two hours early Saturday afternoon as repairs were conducted, VDOT said.
The city municipal building will continue to display the portraits of a few former mayors who achieved milestones and the incumbent mayor. Theyre on the wall inside the councils meeting room.

That was a way to continue to honor the intent of what I think those photos represented, Cowell said, referring to the removed hallway display.

In place of the wall of mayors, which had been just outside the council chamber, Cowell promised a very good representation of our diversity and our welcoming nature.

I mean, Cowell added, this is where the people of this community come to do the peoples business. And being able to represent that ... in the most diverse manner as practical is really important.

After the mayoral portraits were removed, Roanoke officials entrusted the bare-walled corridor to the Roanoke Arts Commission, which organized an exhibit titled Welcome to Roanoke: Images of a Compassionate, Diverse and Welcoming Community.

It features colorful works by 15 artists, the youngest of whom is 15 years old, selected from a call for submissions that went out in early August. The city spent about $1,000 on a display system for the new exhibit, which will be used for years to come.
Just over 37% of eligible Black people in Richmond are fully vaccinated, the lowest of any racial or ethnic group, according to state estimates that do not include details for an other race category. The data reflects rates of about 56% for whites, 60% for Latinos 60% for Asian and Pacific Islanders, and 88% for Native Americans.

As of late August, nearly all of the least-vaccinated parts of the city and Henrico were in South Richmond, the citys public housing units and eastern Henrico  places where the poverty rate has soared as high as 80%.

Local health officials have been opening vaccination hubs throughout the least-vaccinated areas of Richmond and Henrico, seeking to address the problem of waning demand for vaccines as infections rise and unvaccinated people carry the most risk of hospitalization and death from the virus.

Velina Glenn, regional coordinator for Team Ujima, said she initially set a goal of getting 2,500 people vaccinated in central Virginia by Nov. 30. But after being surprised by the level of skepticism the team has encountered, Glenn has lowered her expectations while remaining hopeful that the volunteers can make their goal.
Maybe most 20-year-olds dont buy a house, he acknowledged, laughing, but that wasnt going to keep him from doing it.

What made this possible, he said, was the system of support that surrounded him. From the community at Impact, to his case worker with social services and his family, he had people to fall back on.

Rolf said many young people who age out of foster care end up homeless, incarcerated or unemployed. The heart behind what Impact does is highly relational, she said  its about addressing what she calls relational poverty, getting mentors and advocates involved in young peoples lives so that even once they leave the program, they have a community that is there for them.

The outcomes for youth who hit 18 are pretty stark, she said. Impact started to solve that problem and to give some extra support to those really critical years.

In conjunction with the Virginia Department of Social Services, Impact provides housing, case management and skill training. It also supports the pursuit of college educations, and will help pay for school or, in some cases, reach other financial goals, such as purchasing a car.
Lyttle did take a dual-enrollment class in high school and had earned some credits at Germanna. So, unsure of what else to do, he applied to continue his studies there.

On the Germanna campus, he was surrounded by students who were older, who had more life or work experience and who came from different backgrounds. It opened his eyes.

Germanna was helpful in that it taught me how to be a student and it also provided me with a bit of a unique perspective that I wasnt expecting, Lyttle said. It kind of let me put more value on practical experience than on academic experience.

Someone can get rejected from pretty much every four-year school they apply to and still want to keep going and not let that deter them, he continued. Those are the kind of people I was surrounded with at Germanna.

Lyttle said Germanna wasnt an easy ride for him. His favorite professor failed him, he recalled.

He was tough, but fair, Lyttle said. Even though I had difficulty in his class, because I was making an effort, he never made me feel stupid or less than when I was struggling. I was appreciative of that attitude.
Assisted Living Week

honors many who care

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered daily life for residents and staff in the more than 500 assisted living communities across Virginia, including here in Richmond at St. Marys Woods Retirement Community. But despite the hardships we face, the heroic staff members continue to serve residents in these communities with the care they truly deserve.

We are so fortunate and proud to celebrate National Assisted Living Week during the week of Sept. 12. Its theme  Compassion, Community, Caring  highlights the incredible care and support provided by our caregivers. It also honors the sense of connectedness that has helped so many of us persevere in this difficult time.

National Assisted Living Week celebrates the dedication of staff, the individuality of residents and the deep and lasting connections formed in these settings that make us all family. We are grateful for our wonderful residents families, who continue to cheer us on from the outside while the residents warm our hearts on the inside. This outpouring is what has sustained us and given all of us a purpose during the pandemic.
Todays Black farmers and the descendants of Black farmers who struggled and lost their stakes argue that they are the ones who have been the victims of injustice:

The Virginia farmer who barely was able to keep part of his farm when the USDA threatened to sell it at auction. The Kansas man who lost the land his grandparents once homesteaded. The Arkansas farmer who is holding on by a thread, praying the federal aid will come through in time.

It was racism, says farmer John Wesley Boyd Jr. And it still is.

I think discrimination is still pervasive. I think that its done in a much subtler way, Boyd says. I dont think youre going to see many USDA officials spitting on people now or maybe calling them colored, but they arent lending them any money  the way they lend white farmers.

Encountering prejudiceSteering his John Deere tractor with his left hand, the 55-year-old Boyd clutches a rusty, mud-encrusted horseshoe in his right. Discovered in a field by one of his workers, its become something of a talisman.

This horseshoe here probably came off one of the mules, he says as the squeaky-creaky planter carves rows into the rocky soil. Because thats what Blacks were using. They werent using no tractors like this, man.
You know your science. Vaccines are safe and highly effective, with minimal side effects. That doesnt mean there is zero possibility of bad effects  yes, some people have gotten sick and even died from inoculations over the decades, including coronavirus vaccines. (I know at least one person who had serious health problems that could have been related to a COVID-19 shot.) But you know that serious adverse side effects are highly unlikely.

Thats because you understand math and statistics.

For example, some people have been worried about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after it was possibly linked to blood clotting among some adults back in April. Nearly six months later, around 14 million J&J shots have been given and five people who received them have died, four from clots and one from complications of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. So, about one death per 2.8 million J&J shots. (The rate of death or adverse effects from other COVID-19 vaccines is even lower.)

By contrast, the United States has recorded about 41 million cases of COVID-19, resulting in the deaths of more than 666,000 people, according to the website Worldometer. Thats about one death per every 70 cases.
At the advice of a staffer in the office of Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington, Hatchel appealed the reversal in October 2020. She waited until July 13 for a hearing over the telephone. And then on July 20, VEC Examiner N. Ozoh issued a decision in Hatchels favor.

That meant Hatchel no longer had to repay the agency. It also meant she was retroactively eligible for all the benefits the VEC should have paid since May 2020  $12,732.

But even that wasnt enough to get Hatchel the back benefits.

After the appeal in her favor, six weeks passed during which Hatchel could not get the agency to send her the money. Hatchel reached out to Pillions office again  and after that she got a call from a male VEC official.

He told Hatchel that someone hijacked her mailing address and bank account information within the VECs computer system, and changed details for both of them. The money had been directed to a bank account Hatchel had not opened. The official promised to correct the bad account and address info.

Around this time is when Hatchel contacted The Roanoke Times.

Friends from church had urged me to contact you, Hatchel said. They said to ask for you specifically and you would get it done. And you did.
Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley is continuing a decade of growth by bringing an award-winning town house design to Floyd County.

The $1.4 million project is a partnership with the New River Valley HOME Consortium, which includes Radford and the counties of Floyd, Pulaski, Giles and Montgomery. The consortium, based in Blacksburgs housing office, leverages government funding to help its partner organizations build affordable housing.

The Floyd development will sit on 1.8 acres in the 300 block of Newtown Road and feature seven town homes, some of which will be ADA-accessible, Habitat Construction Manager Dan Crowder said. Each home will have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms and sell for up to $140,000.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., visited the future project site last month on a swing through the region. But work has not yet begun on the town homes, Crowder said. Habitat is seeking approval from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for erosion and sediment control planning before crews can begin grading the site.

Crowder said he hopes the homes can be ready for occupancy sometime next year.
Every year, Amy Rice stands at a wooden lectern in front of the Henry County Board of Supervisors and tries to explain the escalating costs of the Childrens Services Act.

Shes typically asking the board for more money because the cost of serving at-risk kids is always more than they anticipate. Rice, the countys director of social services, said it gets harder every year to explain why the county should keep paying the never-ending bill.

Henry County is one of many Virginia localities seeing CSA costs skyrocket, with little ability to control, or even predict, the increases. By February, the county had spent $1.3 million in fiscal year 2021 on CSA costs, a 457% increase compared to the same period five years ago.

Theyre writing a blank check every year, Rice said. CSA is just this gap. We have no way to predict how many children are going to have needs or what those needs will be.

The Childrens Services Act, legislation implemented in the 1990s, pooled state money from social services, education, behavioral health and juvenile justice. That pool of funds is used by the state and each locality to pay for services for at-risk children: kids in foster care or in private special education, or those who receive community services to avoid foster care.
Windell Ely said he was reminded of the Old Testament story of Joseph, who told the Israelites to make sure his bones were taken home to the Promised Land after his death. It was no easy task, but Josephs loved ones saw his wishes fulfilled, carrying his body inside a coffin from Egypt, through the Wilderness of Sinai for 40 years, to Israel, where they had to conquer enemies that held the mountain where Joseph was to be buried.

This is a huge thing that the nation has paid the price, Windell Ely said. That the people have set aside time and worked and put all their labor in to bring the bones of Stewart back home, where his heart was. Home, the place that, like Joseph, is where he wanted his bones buried  no other place in the world.

Windell Ely, who is a Vietnam veteran, said it was his duty to bear witness for both the dead and the living.

Witness [so] that we never forget how dangerous this life is for all of us. We will never forget the dead, because if we do, then we actually kill them a second time. So, in the end, all thats left when we die from this place are our memories. My memory is of a young hero in my family that gave his life for this country. They fought, they died [so] that all of us could be free today.  Weve got to remember the cost of war because its a great cost to have freedom like we have.
In January, Miyares was endorsed by four prominent activists opposed to laws expanding abortion access.

It is an honor to have the ongoing support from the pro-life community. Life in all stages is beautiful. From day one as a legislator, I have been committed to the issue of Life, Miyares said in a statement he shared on Twitter and his campaign disseminated. He added: As your Attorney General, I will continue to protect the unborn and respect the sanctity of human life.

Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, said in a statement that The restrictive and dangerous abortion ban in Texas is a clear warning of what could happen in Virginia if any of the Republicans on the ballot are elected. He asserted that Jason Miyares votes already paint a clear picture to voters that he cannot be trusted to stand up for womens rights.

As for future measures, Morrissey said he would anticipate voting with Republicans on abortion issues, describing himself as proudly a pro-life vote in the Senate.

To the extent that the Hala Ayala campaign is using me, have at it, he said. Im not changing my position.  Some decisions are easy for me, and thats one of the easier ones, you know? And if Planned Parenthood doesnt like it, guess what. Campaign against me.
Then how about more recent history?

The AP investigation found clear evidence of discrimination against Black farmers from the 1980s forward  and many Blacks would say it hasnt ended yet.

Among the farmers whose stories are told to help humanize the report is Virginias John Wesley Boyd Jr.

Boyd says he faced racism from the day he walked into a U.S. Department of Agriculture office when he bought his first farm in the early 1980s, assuming an existing USDA loan.

He said Black farmers could get appointments with the local lending officer only one day a week, a practice that became known as Black Wednesday. He said one officer tore up his application in front of him; another accidentally spit tobacco juice on him.

From federal records, AP confirmed a pattern of discrimination. Boyds requests for an operating loan sat unprocessed in the local office for years, despite orders from the state director. On another occasion, his account was wrongly flagged as delinquent when it should have been restructured; that error only worsened Boyds financial problems.

In 1996, the agency foreclosed on part of his property, executing the foreclosure in just 30 days. It then moved to foreclose on his remaining 110 acres.
Representative image

Beijing [China], September 12 (ANI): In yet another intrusion by the People's Liberation Army, a Chinese military plane entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ).

A single People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ on Thursday, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND).

In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defence missile systems to track it, Taiwan News reported.

Thursday's intrusion marks the seventh day in a row Beijing has sent planes into the identification zone.

Since mid-September of last year, Beijing has stepped up its grey-zone tactics by regularly sending planes into Taiwan's ADIZ, with most instances occurring in the southwest corner of the zone and usually consisting of one to three slow-flying turboprop planes.

Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.

Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing. China has threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war.

On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island. (ANI)
Free Balochistan Movement holds protests in Hanover, Germany

Berlin [Germany], September 12 (ANI): The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) held a protest rally in Hanover, Germany against the "fake encounters" in Balochistan province staged by Pakistani forces.

According to release by the movement, the protest began at 2:00 pm German time in front of the Hannover Central Station in Germany after the protesters marched through various streets to George Platz.

The rally participants held banners and placards with slogans against torture, human rights abuses and illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan and Iran.

Participants also carried pictures of enforced disappeared people who were killed in staged encounters by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). Participants chanted slogans during the demonstration and distributed hundreds of pamphlets to spread awareness among the people.

The protesters were addressed by scores of Baloch people who accused Pakistan of atrocities in occupied Balochistan. The speakers said that Pakistan was pursuing its earlier infamous "kill and dump" policy of forcibly disappearing Baloch, it continued the same process by killing the disappeared Baloch and burying them in mass graves.

The speakers explained that now the Pakistan state forces have adopted a new policy under which the victims of enforced disappearances are fake encounters. They raised the issue of over 20 fake encounters in a single month.

The FBM in its statement further said that Pakistan has changed the method of Baloch genocide to misled the world. "Pakistan is trying to give the impression to the world that it is taking action against the terrorists by killing the Baloch in its custody in the name of encounters by its terrorist force CTD."

The statement clarified that the people killed in CTD's encounters were previously abducted and disappeared by Pakistani forces and they were being killed in staged encounters to cover up Pakistan's crimes against humanity in Balochistan. (ANI)
Our meat lab is very similar to what Id think a small local locker would be like, Grunklee said.

Interest in the program has grown and Grunklee thinks its due, in part, to more people wanting to know the origin of their food. That trend is visible at some restaurants, where chefs source food locally and often list on the menu the farms where produce and animals were raised.

For a lot of people at these lockers, they know the producer, Grunklee said. I might buy a pig from them, take it to the locker for processing. I get to see how that pig is raised. I get to see the condition its in. Not only is the food safe for them, but its produced in a way they feel comfortable with.

The Edgewood Locker, with 59 full-time employees, has been doing small-scale meat processing since 1966. Located in Edgewood, on the border of Delaware and Clayton counties, the locker processes beef, pork, venison, goat and lamb for custom orders and retail, said co-owner Baili Maurer, who also is on the artisanal butchery task force.

Earlier this year, the locker started an apprenticeship program that combines hands-on work with courses at Hawkeye. Their first apprentice, Brenden Pape, started this spring on a program expected to take about two years.
Through the course of this relationship, we learn about the Red Room, which trained women to become elite assassins called Black Widows. The two share the background and wonder about a third.

Black Widow has a fairly lengthy middle section that involves talking and taunting. Theres the threat of brain surgery (how long has it been since weve seen that?) and the return of a man who could be a friend or a master foe.

While the action sequences are typical for Avengers films, this one could have tossed a few and still retained its cred. Because characters wear plenty of Iron Man-like masks, its very clear this is a stunt man competition, not an acting exercise.

What helps is the music by Lorne Balfe, which suggests what moods you should be in at any given time. It enforces what Shortland is doing with her spy thriller.

Stranger Things' David Harbour is here, too, trying for a different vibe than the one he exhibits on the TV show. He doesnt quite have the accent down the way Pugh does, but his subplot gives her and Johansson time to breathe.

They need it -- they're that busy and that good.

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Meetings and events

Bruguier's Cabin Tours, the second Sunday of the month from June to September, special group tours can be arranged by calling 712-490-6506.

Top O' Morning Toastmasters Club, Mondays, noon to 1 p.m. Contact LeAnn Blankenburg, 712-870-1120, for meeting information.

The Siouxland Ostomy Support Group, find us on Facebook. For more information and meeting times contact Dick Lindblom at 712-251-2453.

Southside "South Bottoms" former residents, 6 p.m. potluck, second Wednesday of the month at Goodwill Industries cafeteria, 3100 Fourth St. Gert, 258-2227.

Siouxland Metal Detecting and Archeology Club, 6:30 p.m., first Tuesday of the month in the Gleeson Room at 4510 Buckwalter Drive. Visitors welcome. Ray Turner, 712-899-2114.

American Legion Post 64, 7 p.m. last Thursday of the month at 4021 Floyd Blvd. 712-258-3986.

Marine Corps League, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Elks Club on TriView Ave. All marines welcome. For more information, call Cathy Moreno, 712-899-8441.
SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City school board will review a third version of the COVID-19 relief funding budget on Monday.

The district was allocated $38.9 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds in the latest of three rounds of federal funding. After receiving feedback from the school board, community, teachers and more, a third version of the budget has been developed, with more funding being allocated towards learning loss recovery.

Superintendent Paul Gausman said the funding is a once in a career opportunity and can make a difference for students.

Gausman said this proposed budget is another step in an ongoing process that will continue until the funding use deadline of 2024.

The most prominent change in the third version of the budget is increasing the allocation for learning loss from the federal minimum of 20 percent to a board-recommended 40 percent. This increase has been requested by board members concerned about how students were affected by the pandemic in terms of their classroom learning.
Epic Games filed notice that is appealing a federal judge's decision in a lawsuit alleging that Apple has been running an illegal monopoly that stifles competition.
BOSTON (AP)  Federal prosecutors are seeking an 11-year prison term for disgraced former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia following his May conviction on felony fraud and corruption charges.

In court documents filed Friday, prosecutors also called on a judge to order the once celebrated young mayor to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution to investors and more than $20,000 to the IRS, and forfeit more than $560,000.

Correia's lawyers haven't filed their sentencing memorandum and have declined to comment on the prosecutors' request. He's due to be sentenced Sept. 20.

The now-29-year-old was convicted on 21 counts, including extortion, wire fraud, and filing false tax returns. He's appealed.

Prosecutors argued that the judge's sentence needs to send a message not to just to Correia, but to others who might abuse their power in public office. They also argued that the former mayor is remorseless and without empathy for his victims" and has not accepted responsibility for his actions.
Marijuana enforcement hasnt been a high priority for Richmonds police department, during a time of high numbers of shootings and slayings, the newspaper reported.

Richmond officers are focused on the evolving needs of our communities to include gun violence, homicides, theft from motor vehicles, and reducing occurrences of residential burglaries and robberies, city police Chief Gerald Smith said in a statement.

The large majority of marijuana arrests in the region since the law took effect has been in Chesterfield, where police have charged or issued summonses to 20 people. Still, marijuana arrests there have dropped 86%.

Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz says how the legislature fashioned the new law was poor public policy.

Theres no public marketplace for anyone to go purchase what they made legal, and that means that in order for someone to possess marijuana, they either have to grow it themselves or purchase it from a street-level drug dealer  and thats what were seeing, Katz said. He posted a Facebook message in late June warning residents about the nuances in the law, along with a short video on the provisions.

State law governing possession with intent to distribute marijuana remains a felony offense. At least six of the people charged locally since July 1 are facing felonies for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP)  This years menhaden catch so far in the Chesapeake Bay is worrying Virginias top fisheries regulator, but the company harvesting most of the oily fish say they wont exceed a set quota.

Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner Steven Bowman wrote that Omega Protein has already caught 75% of the bays quota, the Daily Press of Newport News reported.

This is a troubling development, as recent harvest rates mirror those from 2019 when Omega did exceed the Bay harvest cap by 15,000 metric tons, Bowman wrote to the Virginia-based company, which operates a fish oil and fishmeal plant in Reedville.

Omega spokesman Ben Landry said the company has no intention of breaking the law: We are not going to exceed the Bay cap.

In 2019, Virginia had a different quota from the Chesapeake Bay than the one set by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an interstate body that manages several fish species. Omegas catch was within the state cap, Landry said.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand  New Zealand is buying an extra 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Denmark as it tries to keep its coronavirus vaccination program running at full speed, the government said.
BEIJING (AP)  A city in southern China that is trying to contain a coronavirus outbreak told the public Sunday not to leave town, suspended bus and train service and closed cinemas, bars and other facilities.

Anyone who needs to leave Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province south of Shanghai, for an essential trip must have proof of a negative coronavirus test within the past 48 hours, the city government announced.

China declared the coronavirus under control in early 2020 but has suffered outbreaks of the more contagious delta variant. Authorities say most cases are traced to travelers arriving from Russia, Myanmar and other countries.

In Putian, 19 new infections that were believed to have been acquired locally were reported in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday, according to the National Health Commission. One was reported in Quanzhou, also in Fujian.

The first cases in Putian were students from Xianyou county, but experts suspect the outbreak might have originated with the father of one student who returned from Singapore on Aug. 4, according to the official Global Times newspaper.
TOKYO (AP)  Japan detected a submarine believed to be Chinese off a southern Japanese island, the defense ministry said Sunday, heightening Japans caution levels in the East China Sea as China increases its military activities.

The submarine remained submerged, but the ministry said in a statement that it believes the submarine is Chinese because a Chinese Luyang III-class guided missile destroyer is near the submarine.

The submarine moved northwest off the eastern coast of the Amamioshima Island, about 700 kilometers (420 miles) northeast of the disputed East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but also claimed by Beijing, the ministry said.

The submarine on Sunday morning was heading west in the East China Sea.

Neither the submarine or the ship entered Japanese territorial water. Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force sent three reconnaissance aircraft and two destroyers to the area for early warning and information gathering to analyze Chinas intentions.

A submarine believed to be Chinese also was spotted in the area in June 2020.
TOKYO (AP)  Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China's growing military influence.

Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defense partnership to a new level and that Japan and Vietnam plan to deepen defense ties through multinational joint exercises and other means. Details about the transfer of specific equipment, including naval vessels, will be worked out in subsequent talks, the ministry said.

Kishis meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi coincided with a two-day visit to the Vietnamese capital by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He wrapped up his visit by saying China plans to donate 3 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Vietnam.

The agreement comes two weeks after the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation. During the tour, Harris urged countries to stand up against bullying by China in the South China Sea.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkey is working with the U.N.s refugee agency to repatriate Syrians to their home country, the Turkish foreign minister said Sunday.

His comments are at odds with the UNHCRs overall policy towards returning migrants to Syria, a country that it still considers too dangerous to send refugees back to.

We are now receiving better support from the international community for the safe return and repatriation of refugees, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. We are working to repatriate refugees, especially in Syria, especially with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Responding to those remarks, UNHCR spokesperson Selin Unal said only a political solution in Syria would allow people to return, adding that refugees should have the right to voluntarily return in safe and dignified conditions.

Turkey holds the worlds largest refugee population while Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq also hold significant numbers of Syrians.

Cavusoglu was speaking at a ceremony in the southern province of Antalya followed a visit to Turkey days earlier by UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, during which he met Cavusoglu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It has trade issues with Australia; a border dispute with India in the Himalayas; and differences with Vietnam, the Philippines and four other nations over who owns the islets in the South China Sea. China also claims Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands occupied by Japan.

But with the exceptions of Taiwan and Hong Kong, which it claims as sovereign Chinese territory, Beijing has not pressed any nation to adopt a political system similar to that of China's Communist Party.

It coexists with Communist Vietnam, autocratic Myanmar, theocratic Afghanistan, and democratic India, Australia and Japan.

Beijing's quarrel with us is not that America is "a democracy." China's objections are that we block its ambitions and back the nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia that thwart its strategic goals.

The quarrel is not ideological, but political and strategic.

Why, then, turn it into a war of systems? Where is the evidence that Beijing is trying to communize her neighbors, or change their political systems to conform to her own?

However, there is considerable evidence to demonstrate that the United States actively seeks to subvert the rule of Putin in Russia.
The FBI ended the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by releasing a newly declassified document regarding its investigation into support given to two of the Saudi hijackers. The heavily redacted 16-page document details how the hijackers had contact with lots of Saudi associates in the run-up to the attacks but fails to provide conclusive proof that senior officials of the Saudi government were complicit. The document, which was released late on Saturday, is the first record disclosed by the FBI since President Joe Biden issued an executive order calling for the declassification of documents related to the attacks. Families of the victims of the attack had called on Biden to skip memorial events on Saturday if he didnt declassify documents that they claim will show how Saudi officials played a role in the attacks. Biden has called on the Justice Department and other federal agencies to release declassified documents of the attacks over the next six months.

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The document relates to an interview conducted in November 2015 with an unidentified Saudi man who was applying for U.S. citizenship. The man had lots of contact with Saudi nationals in the United States who supported the hijackers when they arrived in the country before the attacks. But the document released on Saturday provided no new conclusive evidence about the Saudi governments role, details the New York Times. Families of victims dont quite see it that way though. In a statement, 9/11 Families United said the document puts to bed any doubts about Saudi complicity in the attacks. Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed on Sept. 11 and is part of the group, said the document has exposed the secrets of Saudi Arabia and it is well past time for the Kingdom to own up to its officials roles in murdering thousands on American soil. Jim Kreindler, a lawyer for the relatives of victims, said the findings and conclusions in this FBI investigation validate the arguments we have made in the litigation regarding the Saudi governments responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.

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There have long been questions about whether Saudi government officials played a role in the attack. The speculation was in large part fueled by the repeated refusal to declassify 28 pages of a 2002 congressional investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks that addressed connections to Saudi Arabia. The document was released in 2016 and detailed suspicious meetings and hints of financing while also exposing how Saudi Arabia tried to push back against U.S. operations targeting al-Qaida. Saudi Arabia has long denied any role in the attacks and publicly welcomed Bidens declassification drive as a way to end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia.

In its final report released in 2004, the Sept. 11 Commission found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the attacks. But the carefully worded statement left open the possibility that lower-level Saudi officials were involved. Plus the commission encouraged the FBI to continue looking into the issue.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is continuing his media interviews to coincide with the release of a new book. On Sunday, Breyer was interviewed on Fox News Sunday and once again refused to give any hints of when he might retire. During the interview Chris Wallace noted how former Justice Antonin Scalia wanted to time his retirement so that it would coincide with a Republican president but he died before. Do you agree with Scalia that a justice who is unmindful of the politics of the president who replaces him is a fool? Wallace asked the 83-year-old justice. Breyer responded: I dont intend to die on the court. I dont think Ill be there forever.

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WATCH: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer discusses retirement on #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/tQEIu8Qgv8  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 12, 2021

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Breyer didnt give much of an explanation as to why he has not announced his retirement amid calls from many progressive Democrats who want him to step down while their party controls the White House and the Senate. I didnt retire because I had decided on balance I wouldnt retire, Breyer said. He said many factors will play a role in his decision of when to retire, including the possibility that a Republican president would decide on his successor. I see the point, and probably in the background, there could be something there. There are many considerations, Breyer said.

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Breyer, who was nominated by President Bill Clinton in 1994, didnt seem too bothered by the increasing calls for him to step down from progressives. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for example, said in June she was inclined to say yes when asked whether Breyer should step down. I think that they are entitled to their opinion, Breyer said. I think theyand not only they understand the political world much better than I, they understand it pretty well, and there we are, what else do you want me to say? He also reiterated his support for term limits, saying it would make life easier for me.
U.S. officials called it a righteous strike. It was the last drone strike before the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and American officials claimed they stopped an ISIS bomb that posed an imminent threat to the Kabul airport. Turns out though that the strike appears to have killed a worker for a U.S. aid group and there are indications there were no explosives in the vehicle that was hit, according to investigations by the New York Times and Washington Post. In all, 10 civilians appeared to have been killed in the Aug. 29 strike, including seven children. They were all members of the same extended family.

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At the time of the strike, tensions were high in Kabul. The United States was rushing to finish evacuations days after a suicide bombing killed 13 U.S. servicemembers and more than 170 Afghans. The military had been warning that there was a risk of another imminent attack at the airport. So it at first appeared to be good intelligence work when the military said it had carried out a drone strike on a suspected terrorist driving a car that appeared filled with explosives. The supposed terrorist had been tracked for hours and military officials said he had been acting suspiciously. To support the case, U.S. officials said there was a large secondary blast after the drone strike that suggested there were bombs inside the vehicle. But the Times and Post both say they found no evidence of a large secondary blast. Two experts the Post talked to said the evidence suggests that if there was a second blast it had to do with an ignition of fuel tank vapors.

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Beyond the issue of the secondary blast, military officials said they didnt know the identity of the driver of the car but said his activities that day were suspicious. The driver was identified by reporters as Zamari Ahmadi, a technical engineer at Nutrition and Education International, a California-based aid group. His co-workers said the U.S. military may have confused his everyday job as something suspicious since he transported lots of colleagues to and from work. Analysis of video evidence also suggests that what the U.S. military may have interpreted as loading explosives into the car was actually Ahmadi and a colleague loading canisters of water into the vehicle so he could take them home. Ahmadi and another member of his family had applied to be resettled as refugees in the United States.

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When U.S. officials decided to strike they saw only one other man near the vehicle. What they missed though is that when Ahmadi arrived home several of his children and his brothers children came out, excited to see him, and sat in the car as he backed it inside, according to the Times. Ahmadis relatives said that besides the 43-year-old Ahmadi, the others who were killed in the strike included three of his children, aged 20, 16, and 10. In addition, a 30-year-old was also killed along with five other children: a seven-year-old, a six-year-old, two three-year-old girls, and a two-year-old. All of them were innocent, said Ahmadis brother. You say he was ISIS, but he worked for the Americans. So far, the U.S. military has only acknowledged three civilian casualties.
A hospital in upstate New York said it will stop delivering babies for a while later this month after several staff members quit over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. At least six staffers of the maternity ward at Lewis County General Hospital have resigned recently and seven others remain undecided about their future as the states mandate is set to take effect. The resignations, coupled with a number of existing vacant positions, mean that the hospital wlll be unable to safely staff its maternity department starting Sept. 25, said Gerald Cayer, chief executive officer of the Lewis County Health System, at a news conference. The number of resignations received leaves us no choice but to pause delivering babies at Lewis County General Hospital, Cayer said. Other departments could also see a decrease in services.

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The pause will begin two days before the deadline that has been established for healthcare workers to get vaccinated across the state. New York doesnt allow religious exemptions to its vaccine mandate for healthcare and nursing home workers although medical exemptions are still allowed. Overall, 30 staffers at the Lewis County General Hospital have resigned over the mandate, 20 of whom were employed in clinical positions, including nurses. An additional 30 workers have been vaccinated since the mandate was announced in late August. At least 464 staff members, or around 73 percent, are vaccinated Cayer said, adding he unequivocally supports a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. We as employees have an obligation not to put those we care for or our coworkers at risk, he added.

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Cayer expressed optimism this would just be a temporary situation and would not lead the maternity unit to close entirely. If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to reengage in delivering babies here in Lewis County, said Cayer. For now though, the hospital is losing staff at a time when COVID-19 cases are increasing in the area. Lewis County has the highest seven-day and 14-day positivity rates in the state of New York over the past three days, said health system Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sean Harney.
A U.S. Capitol Police internal investigation has recommended that six officers face disciplinary action over what they did during the Jan. 6 riot. Three were singled out for conduct unbecoming, one for failing to comply with directions, another for improper remarks, and the last one for improper dissemination of information. Capitol Police did not identify the officers nor detail what the disciplinary action could entail. But what is clear is there will be no criminal charges.

The recommendations came after the departments Office of Professional Responsibility opened 38 internal investigations over what took place that day when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol. It was able to identify 26 of the officers involved, and found no wrongdoing in 20 of the cases. One investigation into an officer who was accused of unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming, remains open.

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The Capitol Police released the details of the disciplinary recommendations after it had provided the Department of Justice with information on the cases. The U.S. Attorneys Office did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime, according to the statement. Six Capitol Police officers had been suspended with pay in February, while 29 were placed under investigation. It is unclear whether the ones who could face disciplinary action now are the same ones who were suspended.

Although Capitol Police said it was committed to accountability it also emphasize that the six cases should not diminish the heroic efforts of most of the officers who were present that day. On January 6, the bravery and courage exhibited by the vast majority of our employees was inspiring, the Capitol Police said.

The recommendation for disciplinary action comes amid concern that there could be violent clashes next week in Washington in a protest planned for Sept. 18 near the Capitol to support the Jan. 6 rioters. More than 600 people are facing federal charges over their role in the events surrounding the Jan. 6 riot. Around 10 percent of them have pleaded guilty.
Hundreds of believers, politicians and the representatives of the Church welcomed him at the airport.

Pope Francis arrived in Slovakia on Sunday, September 12, shortly after 15:30.



He was welcomed by President Zuzana Caputova, PM Eduard Heger (OLaNO), Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollar (Sme Rodina), Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok (SaS nominee), Bratislava Mayor Matus Vallo, the representatives of the Church, invited guests such as Ombudswoman Maria Patakyova, Frantisek Miklosko as a representative of the Catholic dissident movement during communism, and Holocaust survivor Herta Vysna, the SITA newswire reported.



There were also hundreds of believers welcoming him at the Bratislava airport.

The pope was offered bread and salt after his arrival, and received a bouquet of flowers typical for Slovakia.

Caputova said that the first words the pope told her after his arrival were: You invited me to Slovakia in December, and now I fulfil this promise.



She hopes his visit will contribute to reconciliation in society. The president met with the pope at a private meeting held at the VIP lounge at the airport, as reported by the TASR newswire.

A pilgrim in Slovakia

Later in the afternoon, an ecumenical meeting was held at the apostolic nunciature in Bratislava. In his speech, held during the meeting, Pope Francis thanked the representatives of the Church for coming to meet him. He called himself a pilgrim in Slovakia.



He also talked about freedom, saying that the freedom of brothers and sisters is also his freedom. He added that it is nice but at the same time hard to have faith in freedom in live. The pope mentioned in his speech the legacy of St Cyril and Methodius and their contribution to spreading Christianity as well.

Moreover, the pontiff expressed hope that Slovakia will continue in its ecumenical journey.

After the meeting, he will also meet with members of the Society of Jesus.

First visit to Slovakia

This is Pope Francis first visit in Slovakia. He was invited by President Caputova during her visit in the Vatican last December.

The pope will spend altogether four days in Slovakia, leaving on September 15 in the afternoon. Apart from Bratislava, he will also visit Presov, Kosice and Sastin. People should prepare for several traffic limitations during his stay here.

12. Sep 2021 at 15:58 (modified at 12. Sep 2021 at 17:21) | Compiled by Spectator staff
https://sputniknews.com/20210911/hamas-military-wing-pledges-captive-swap-deal-if-israel-includes-jail-escapees-1088992117.html

Hamas Military Wing Pledges Captive Swap Deal If Israel Includes Jail Escapees

Hamas Military Wing Pledges Captive Swap Deal If Israel Includes Jail Escapees

Six Palestinians escaped Gilboa earlier this week, including 45-year-old Zakaria Zubeidi, a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The five other men are... 11.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-11T23:59+0000

2021-09-11T23:59+0000

2021-09-11T23:59+0000

hamas

israel

prisoner swap

palestinians

palestinian cause

military

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Palestinian prisoners who escaped from Israel's Gilboa prison and were recently re-arrested by Israeli police must be included in a prisoner exchange deal with the Jewish state, a spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said on Saturday."In the face of the enemy's threats to our people in the West Bank and Jenin al-Qassam, we affirm that the Jenin camp and its revolutionaries are not alone, and we will not allow the enemy to overpower them and we will perform our religious and national duty towards them," he reportedly added.According to Israel's police press office, four out of the six escapees have been re-arrested. The two most recent are Zubeidi and 39-year-old Mahmoud Al-Arada, the latter has been given three life sentences by Tel Aviv.The two men who have not yet been captured are Iham Kamamji and Munadil Nafiyat, Israeli media reported. The former was reportedly charged with killing an Israeli in 2006, while the latter is serving a life sentence for being a member of the Islamic Jihad, as Israeli legal practice imprisons members of the sect without the necessity of filing charges.The inmates reportedly escaped by using a rusty spoon to dig a hole into a large cavity under the prison and tunnel out on the other side of the facilitys wall where they were conveniently picked up by a waiting car. The actual digging reportedly took five months.This comes amid continued unrest in the West Bank, in which Palestinian protesters have clashed with Israeli security forces. The most severe clashes reportedly occurred on Wednesday, when at least 100 Palestinians were injured near the city of Nablus.Palestinians have been protesting against Israeli expansion in the West Bank throughout the summer.

https://sputniknews.com/20210911/hamas-warns-of-escalation-of-confrontation-with-israel-after-escaped-prisoners-recaptured-1088982369.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/al-sisis-invite-to-bennett-an-indication-egypt-wants-warmer-ties-with-israel-ex-diplomat-says---1089002290.html

Al-Sisi's Invite to Bennett an Indication Egypt Wants Warmer Ties With Israel, Ex-Diplomat Says

Al-Sisi's Invite to Bennett an Indication Egypt Wants Warmer Ties With Israel, Ex-Diplomat Says

Israel's former ambassador to the North African nation believes Egypt has lost many deals as a result of its decision to keep its relations with the Jewish... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T06:49+0000

2021-09-12T06:49+0000

2021-09-12T06:49+0000

egypt

naftali bennett

meeting

world

middle east

africa

israel

abdel fattah al-sisi

israeli-palestinian conflict

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is set to meet the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in the upcoming days, although no official date has been announced yet. It would be Bennett's second official trip since he took office in mid-June, and reports suggest the meeting will take place on the shores of the Red Sea, at the popular Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh. Zvi Mazel, a former israeli diplomat who served as ambassador to Egypt, says the meeting, if it is to take place, will be significant, primarily because it was the first time al-Sisi has extended his formal invitation to an Israeli PM. The last time Israel's head of government paid an official visit to Egypt was back in 2011, when former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Sharm El Sheikh, where he met Egypt's then-leader Hosni Mubarak. Looking to Boost Ties Mazel says it is not really clear what prompted al-Sisi to invite Bennett right now but he suggests that it is connected to the developments of the past two years. "First of all, it is connected to the rise of radical Islam that hasn't disappeared," says the former diplomat, referring to the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban* has taken control, or in several Middle Eastern states, where Daesh* terrorists still maintain a significant presence.In August, it was reported that one year since the signing of the accords, trade between Israel and the UAE had topped more than $500 million. The same report also suggested that within three years that number could exceed $3 billion. In comparison, trade between Israel and Egypt over the same period of time stood at less than $100 million. Over the years, there have been very few exchanges of delegations, cultural cooperation has been almost non-existent, and the tourism industry has never managed to lift itself. Partially, it can be explained by Egyptian public opinion, which largely rejects Israel. Partially, it was due to the fact that there was no progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, something that caused frustration in Cairo. Egyptian authorities have always reiterated that relations with Israel will only see a boost if the Palestinian issue is solved. But as time has gone by, and no progress has been achieved, some in Cairo have realised that it would be better to improve relations with Tel Aviv regardless of its decades-long conflict. Revival of Talks Possible? A source within Egyptian military establishment, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, said that in the upcoming meeting al-Sisi might want to push Bennett to revive the talks with the Palestinians that have been stalled since 2014. Egypt has already initiated a number of steps in that direction, with al-Sisi meeting Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, and the Jordanian leader, King Abdallah II. But Mazel is certain that Bennett will not be ready to start negotiations with the Palestinians, not only because it runs counter to his hawkish views but also because he believes they've rejected all previous plans regarding the resolution of the conflict. *The Taliban and Daesh are terrorist organisations banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputniknews.com/20201223/power-and-money-keep-egyptian-border-shut-as-israels-airport-remains-open-says-sinai-guide-1081547383.html

See you in the ice Muslim Pohjolans destroy life. Israeli Pohjolans destroy life. That is why Pohjolans migrate or live in wastelands. The Israeli "Cohens" most common ydna haplogroup is the same as that of most of the life destroying Muslim males, J. Israelis have looted the West to have those nice cities built in the Middle East. Black and White Pohjolans trying to build a new Babylon in the desert hoping to force the Green/Blue? Man Osiris?, whom the Pohjolans attacked, into the Desert. Similar to what they said in the Watchmen. As we see in the movie The Arrival and in Baldur's Gate games...Grey aliens or dopplegangers want to kill everyone. "Your time is done, primate." Prime color ape. No color robots HATE HUEmans. 6

Martian Al-Sisi' & Bennet and their disgrased establishments are all members of the USrael World Terrorist Organization being on US Military Industrial Complex and Pentagon Payroll, 0

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/biden-doesnt-give-a-damn-about-britain-other-countries-ex-obama-advisor-claims-1089011255.html

Biden 'Doesn't Give a Damn' About Britain, Other Countries, Ex-Obama Adviser Claims

Biden 'Doesn't Give a Damn' About Britain, Other Countries, Ex-Obama Adviser Claims

The old friendship between Britain and its former colony has suffered a setback in recent weeks in the wake of NATO's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, with... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T13:45+0000

2021-09-12T13:45+0000

2021-09-12T13:57+0000

joe biden

united kingdom

boris johnson

united states

afghanistan

special relationship

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Joe Biden's failure to appoint an ambassador to Britain, over seven months into his term, is a sign that the president doesn't really care about Britain or the rest of the world, former US diplomat Brett Bruen, who served as White House director of global engagement under Barack Obama, has suggested."It is certainly surprising to see someone who spent his whole career doing foreign policy now continuing with a political rationale pioneered by [Donald] Trump and putting foreign policy on the back burner", the ex-official lamented.An unnamed businessman working in both the US and the UK and with both countries' governments called the current situation "a low point" that's "proving to be a problem. Biden hasn't even appointed an ambassador and it is a real insult".Slow AppointmentsThe Biden administration has faced intense criticism over its inability to get candidates for national diplomatic postings approved by the Senate. Last month, a former US diplomat calculated that the administration still has over 80 vacant ambassadorships, with President Biden's record on the matter shown to be worse than predecessors Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and even Donald Trump, whom Democrats and their media allies attacked relentlessly for his unadulterated Twitter diplomacy and supposed "disengagement with the world".The US ambassadorship to Britain has been vacant since January, when Trump-appointed envoy Woody Johnson left his post, and was replaced by charge daffaires Philip Reeker. Biden has nominated career diplomat Jane Dorothy Hartley for the job, but the post and dozens of others like it have yet to be filled, despite the Democrats' strong position in the Senate, where appointees are vetted.The long-standing "Special Relationship" between the US and Britain that formed during the Second World War has been scuffed by Washington's unilateral decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan earlier this year without consulting its NATO allies. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reluctantly agreed to pull British forces out of the war-torn country ahead of the "remorseless" US deadline, and told parliament that the UK had come up "against [the] hard reality" that the US contributed the overwhelming majority of forces and weapons deployed by NATO, and that Britain and other nations could not go it alone in the conflict.This week, British Defence Minister James Heappey said that the Afghan disaster has led to a "worrying" "wobble in confidence" in the personal relationship between Johnson and Biden, and suggested that the US appeared to be facing "a real crisis in confidence about its role in the world".British lawmakers gave Biden an unprecedentedly sharp rebuke during a debate on the Afghan pullout last month, with the US president and the British prime minister facing a flurry of criticism from parliament, including from members of his own Conservative Party, over the country being overrun by the Taliban* before foreign forces had even left.*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations.

https://sputniknews.com/20210908/british-military-reportedly-spotted-uk-us-trained-afghans-among-taliban-fighters-1088889303.html

fleabitten Biden does not care about America either! We have a real piece of shi- for a president. 12

See you in the ice why would he? the vast majority of the things infesting Britain are Germanic and Pohjolan traitorous parasitic thieves and beggars. They all think they should be paid but they live as parasites. The Pohjolans, Pharaoh Ra and his false Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans all eventually got theirs. Wheel has turned, it comes again. 11

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/capitol-fence-to-be-reinstalled-as-law-enforcement-gears-up-for-pro-trump-justice-for-j6-rally-1089011532.html

Capitol Fence to Be Reinstalled as Law Enforcement Gears Up For Pro-Trump 'Justice for J6' Rally

Capitol Fence to Be Reinstalled as Law Enforcement Gears Up For Pro-Trump 'Justice for J6' Rally

The "Justice for J6" rally, slated for 18 September, has been billed by its organisers as a protest for defendants involved in the Capitol riots on 6 January... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T14:18+0000

2021-09-12T14:18+0000

2021-09-12T14:18+0000

donald trump

united states

capitol

joe biden

nancy pelosi

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The protective 7ft fencing outside the US Capitol, erected after the 6 January riot and removed in July, is going up again, reported The Guardian. The prospect of violence at a pro-Trump rally in the nation's capital next week has prompted the decision by top security officials in Congress, says the outlet, citing sources. It added that the security plan does not involve summoning the national guard, as the threat assessment doesn't warrant their deployment. However, the boosted security will presuppose the authorisation of US Capitol police officers to use deadly force to protect members of Congress and staff in a possible worst-case scenario, according to the cited sources.Final recommendations are purportedly to be unveiled at a briefing to congressional leaders on Monday.Justice for J6 The Justice for J6 rally is being organised by Matt Braynard, who worked for ex-President Donald Trump for five months on the latter's 2016 election campaign, and his organisation Look Ahead America. Braynard is said to have filed a permit for an estimated 700 people to attend. Allies of ex-POTUS Trump are said to have distanced themselves from the rally, with no lawmakers confirming their attendance. The event is ostensibly being held to bring public attention and support to close to 600 people taken into custody in connection with the siege of the Capitol on 6 January. At the time, lawmakers had gathered inside to officially count the votes in the 3 November 2020 presidential election that Trump had repeatedly denounced as "rigged" and fraudulent, and certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner. Meanwhile, scores of pro-Trump supporters rallied outside the US Capitol building. The mob stormed the building, vandalising it, and clashed with police. Five people died as a result of the events and dozens more were injured, including at least 138 police officers. Law enforcement authorities have since arrested over 500 individuals who participated in the Capitol riots, charging some with assaulting federal police officers. Democratic lawmakers used events at the Capitol to try to permanently ban Trump from politics by impeaching him a second time. However, the impeachment trial failed in the Senate in February, when Trump was already out of office.

raindrop The government is illegitimate and the junta that installed the coup needs to go away. 4

neutral hooper the retarded will show up ! everyone with a brain contact the military and request a usa Forces strike on NYC WASH DC city of London financial wharf tel aviv and a few more minor and when i say strike i mean thermo Nucelar !! 4

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/every-place-where-al-qaeda-is-were-going-to-invade-biden-defends-afghanistan-withdrawal-1089002873.html

'Every Place Where Al-Qaeda is, Were Going to Invade?': Biden Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal

'Every Place Where Al-Qaeda is, Were Going to Invade?': Biden Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal

There has been broad bipartisan criticism of the Biden administrations handling of the situation in Afghanistan, with scathing censure coming from Republicans... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T07:42+0000

2021-09-12T07:42+0000

2021-09-12T07:42+0000

joe biden

donald trump

afghanistan

taliban

9/11

osama bin laden

al qaeda

daesh

afghanistan

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US President Joe Biden defended the widely-criticised chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan on Saturday during a visit to the Pennsylvania site of one of the 9/11 plane crashes. Biden visited all three sites of the September 11 attacks as the nation marked the 20th anniversary of those deadly events. The President was asked if he felt the current 9/11 anniversary had come at a new phase, as there are no longer US troops present in Afghanistan. Biden responded by saying that American troops should not have stayed on in the South Asian country after Osama Bin Laden had been eliminated. The president, who has been under fire for his administrations handling of the Afghan pullout, weighed in on the criticism, saying: The 46th American president began the day by attending a memorial event at ground zero in New York with first lady Jill Biden and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former first lady Michelle Obama. He then travelled to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania for a wreath-laying ceremony, before visiting the local fire department. Biden later participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Pentagon. Bad Planning, Incredible Weakness Earlier, Bidens predecessor, ex-President Donald Trump reiterated his heavy criticism of the US pullout in his 9/11 video address timed to the anniversary events. The leader of our country was made to look like a fool, and that can never be allowed to happen. It was caused by bad planning, incredible weakness and leaders who truly didnt understand what was happening, Trump said.He added that while the 20th anniversary of the events dating to September 11, 2001 should have been a tribute to victory, honour and strength, Joe Biden and his inept administration surrendered in defeat. Trump deplored the billions of dollars in US military equipment abandoned in Afghanistan and seized by the Taliban "without a shot being fired". A bipartisan chorus of voices has censured the Biden administration for its handling of the Afghanistan issue. I think what is very clear for all Americans, now that the Biden administration made a political decision against what was good intelligence information that they had, is what was occurring in Afghanistan, said Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, on August 25. He added that Biden continues to try to pass the buck for this decision. Democratic senators, like Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said the withdrawal of US troops "should have been carefully planned to prevent violence and instability". The US troop pullout from Afghanistan was begun by Joe Biden on 1 May, originally to be concluded by September 11th, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 events that prompted America to invade the war-torn country. The swift pullout opened the way for the Taliban* Islamist group to launch an offensive that toppled the western-supported Kabul government. The militant group seized the capital, Kabul, on August 15, prompting the US and NATO to begin a massive evacuation of citizens, embassy staff and vulnerable locals ahead of Biden's self-imposed 31 August deadline.Amid the frantic rush to leave the country, terrorist attacks claimed by a Daesh* affiliate killed scores of Afghan citizens and 13 US soldiers. Controversy has been triggered by the US retaliation for the attack, as the Pentagon said it had targeted an alleged Daesh-operative in its recent drone strike in Kabul. However, an investigative piece in The New York Times claimed the strike had mistakenly killed an Afghani aid worker and his seven children on August 29th.*Terrorist organisations banned in Russia and many other states

mooney Quinn Sleepy Joe Biden couldn't organize a 2 man raid on a 1 man shit house 8

WhatTheFishIsThis We're Placing Al-Qaeda where We're going to Invade !! Be positive. 3

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/fbi-releases-first-doc-on-911-investigation-following-bidens-order-1088998445.html

FBI Releases First Doc on 9/11 Probe, No Evidence Saudi Gov't Was Complicit

FBI Releases First Doc on 9/11 Probe, No Evidence Saudi Gov't Was Complicit

Biden previously issued an executive order initiating an interagency review to possibly declassify, within six months, certain documents related to the... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T03:00+0000

2021-09-12T03:00+0000

2021-09-12T04:57+0000

9/11: 20 years later

9/11

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has published the first of several documents relating to the 9/11 investigation, under US President Joe Biden's executive order.The publication, which appears to be heavily redacted records from the 2016 Operation Encore, consists of over a dozen pages of witness testimony collected mainly during a November 2015 interview, regarding "significant logistic support" provided to 9/11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar.The people who provided support to the hijackers include Omar Al Bayoumi and Fahad Al Thumairy. Bayoumi is said to have had contact with Osama Bassnan, a man who allegedly knew the Bin Laden family and maintained communication with them. Thumairy is said to have served as an administrative officer at the Saudi Consulate. According to FBI sources, he had extremist beliefs. He appears to have helped arrange meetings between Bayoumi and the two 9/11 hijackers.The latter, however, appears to have been more involved in providing "logistic support to Hazmi and Midhar includ[ing] translation, travel assistance, lodging and financing."The FBI document says that on October 17, 1992, Bassnan hosted a party in Washington, DC, for the "Blind Sheikh" Omar Abdel Rahman, the convicted mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Towers bombing.Though the document describes various contacts that two of the men who hijacked planes on 9/11 had with Saudi associates in the United States, it gives no evidence that the Saudi government was complicit in the plot.Following the release, 9/11 Families United issued a statement claiming that despite withheld information, the document contains bombshell new revelations.US families of victims of the September 11 attacks have long pushed the US government to declassify information related to the links Saudi Arabia may have had to the terrorists who carried out the attacks.The kingdom previously expressed full support for declassification of documents related to the 9/11 attack probes in the hope of clearing up what it described as "baseless allegations" about Riyadh's complicity in the attacks.On September 11, 2001, terrorists from Al Qaeda* seized four passenger planes, crashing two of them into the World Trade Center in New York and another into the Pentagon. The fourth jet came down in a field in Pennsylvania after being initially directed toward Washington.The attacks happened in the early morning on a Tuesday. At 8:46 a.m. local time (15:45 GMT), an American Airlines (AA) Boeing 767 with 81 passengers and 11 crew members on board en route from Boston to Los Angeles crashed into the North Tower of the WTC in Manhattan between the 93rd and 99th floors. At 9:03 a.m., a United Airlines (UA)-operated Boeing 767 with 56 passengers, including five terrorists and nine crew members, en route from Boston to Los Angeles crashed into the South Tower between the 77th and 85th floors.About thirty minutes later, at 9:37 a.m., an AA-operated Boeing 757 with 58 passengers, including five terrorists and six crew members on board, en route from Washington to Los Angeles, crashed into the Pentagon. And at 10:03 am., a UA-operated Boeing 757 with 37 passengers, including four terrorists, and seven crew members, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco crashed in a field in southwestern Pennsylvania outside Shanksville, 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Washington.* A terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other states

https://sputniknews.com/20210911/george-w-bush-warns-us-threatened-by-violence-that-gathers-within-in-911-anniversary-speech-1088991467.html

Preterist-ADSeventy The title should be FBI Releases First Doc on 9/11 Probe, Hides Evidence Israeli Gov't And Mossad Was Complicit 19

Martian So still nothing about the white van and the Dancing Israelis!? The Federal Bureau of Investigation is a terrorist organization which should be banned in Russia and International community. 19

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9/11
https://sputniknews.com/20210912/india-australia-concerned-over-rapid-rollback-on-womens-rights-in-afghanistan-1089004394.html

India, Australia Concerned Over 'Rapid Rollback on Women's Rights' in Afghanistan

India, Australia Concerned Over 'Rapid Rollback on Women's Rights' in Afghanistan

For the first time New Delhi and Canberra have launched a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The latter saw Minister for Foreign Affairs and Women Marise Payne visit... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T10:15+0000

2021-09-12T10:15+0000

2021-09-12T10:20+0000

rajnath singh

australia

india

south china sea

subrahmanyam jaishankar

marise payne

indo-pacific

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India and Australia have called for a "broad based and inclusive" government in Afghanistan, an indication that the two countries agree on their unwillingness to recognise the Taliban* regime.Expressing "deep concern about the situation in Afghanistan", top ministers from both countries, who met for a dialogue over the weekend and released a joint statement on Sunday, called for the protection of women and children's rights and their full participation in public life. There have been "reports of a rapid rollback on women and girls' rights and access to services and public spaces, as well as targeted violence against women's rights defenders", said the statement. The ministers also agreed to remain alert to the "broader repercussions of the developments in Afghanistan for the ongoing terrorist threats around the world".India, Australia to Strengthen Defence TiesThe defence ministers of India and Australia, Rajnath Singh and Peter Dutton acknowledged the need to enhance defence cooperation between the countries. Australia has invited India to participate in the upcoming Talisman Sabre exercises, a biennial, multinational military exercise led by Australia and the United States, to empower operational compatibility between their defence services. The two nations will increase cooperation in various defence technologies, including unmanned vehicles and cyber security. For this more collaboration will be needed between the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India and Defence Science and Technology Group of Australia. Enhanced Cooperation in Indo-Pacific RegionCanberra and New Delhi reiterated their "commitment to maintain a free, open, inclusive, and rules based Indo-Pacific region to support the freedom of navigation, overflight, and peaceful, unimpeded commerce". Emphasising that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea should be fully consistent with international law, particularly, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they noted that it "should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of any nation in accordance with international law and reinforce existing inclusive regional architecture".Both countries pledged deeper engagement in expanding ties between maritime agencies, combating the challenges of marine litter, single-use plastic waste, and target illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Australia expressed support for India's Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative "which will promote better coordination and cooperation to ensure security and growth for all in the region".The two Quad allies said the group has a shared vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, prosperous, inclusive, and based on respect for international law. *The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other nations.

Thomas Turk Maybe they forgot about the rights of the suffering women and children in the many countries they illegally sanction, causing food and medicine shortages. Oh, and let's not forget the OZ war crimes in Afghan, eh, most of them were unarmed civilians, who were shot in cold blood. Go preach elsewhere. 9

smilingjack Indi lecturing anyone about womens rights is absurd. In Australia the PM's best mate - head of the exclusive bretheren christian cult ban women from education as do orthodox jews. Just pure b/s. Just more evil china evil rusia evil Iran crap day in day out. Oy Vey!! 7

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rajnath singh, australia, india, south china sea, subrahmanyam jaishankar, marise payne, indo-pacific
https://sputniknews.com/20210912/iran-to-allow-iaea-monitors-to-service-nuclear-site-cameras-as-talks-on-reviving-nuclear-deal-stall-1089010179.html

Iran to Allow IAEA Monitors to Service Nuclear Site Cameras as Talks on Reviving Nuclear Deal Stall

Iran to Allow IAEA Monitors to Service Nuclear Site Cameras as Talks on Reviving Nuclear Deal Stall

Irans newly-appointed nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami and Rafael Grossi, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog (IAEA), met on Sunday, easing a... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T13:21+0000

2021-09-12T13:21+0000

2021-09-12T13:40+0000

naftali bennett

atomic energy organization of iran

iran

joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa)

international atomic energy agency

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Iran has allowed international inspectors to service surveillance cameras at its nuclear sites and to continue filming there, reported AP. The announcement followed a meeting between Eslami and the visiting director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, in Tehran. Eslami, who replaced Ali Akbar Salehi in late August, was cited as describing the negotiations between Iran and the Vienna-based IAEA as sheerly technical''.There has been no further clarification regarding whether Iran would hand over copies of the older recordings, kept at its nuclear sites. The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran according to the routine New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agency's monitoring system, Esmaili said. Grossi, who was on his first visit to the country after Irans President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August, was cited as saying: Monitoring Seriously Undermined The announcement comes ahead of a meeting of the Vienna-based IAEAs board of governors slated for September 13. Western powers had been arguing for Tehran to be censured over the gathering over its lack of cooperation with international inspectors. The IAEA told member states in its confidential quarterly report cited by Western news agencies on 7 September that verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined'' since February by Iran's refusal to allow inspectors access to their monitoring equipment for servicing. The agency deplored the fact that the continuity of knowledge was declining over time and that would continue unless the situation is immediately rectified by Iran. It was emphasised that certain monitoring and surveillance equipment required immediate servicing after a period of three months. Tensions were exacerbated in February 2021, when the Islamic republic threatened to halt IAEA inspections under the JCPOA, if sanctions were not removed. The parties entered into a three-month agreement on February 21st to continue some of the checks, further extending the agreements in May. However, since May 22nd, Iran has denied the IAEA access to data collected by cameras inside nuclear facilities, and has threatened to delete videos of the past three months. The IAEA also said it estimated Irans stock of uranium, enriched to up to 60 percent fissile purity, to be at 10 kilograms. This represented an increase of 7.6 kilograms since May. Irans total stock of uranium is estimated at 2,441.3 kilograms as of August 30, the agency said.Vienna Talks Stalled In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or the Iran nuclear deal) with the P5+1 group of countries (the United States, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom - plus Germany) and the European Union. It required Iran to scale back its nuclear programme, which Tehran has always maintained was exclusively peaceful in nature, and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption. The US unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, reimposing crippling sanctions on the country. Iran has since responded by breaching some of the deal's core restrictions, like enriching uranium to a higher purity. The remaining signatories to the accord have sought to preserve it, while US President Joe Biden has said he is open to rejoining the pact. Accordingly. since April, the joint commission of the international nuclear deal has held sessions in Vienna in a bid to revive the accord, with the last round ending in June without a clear result. Washington has demanded that Iran immediately comply with JCPOA provisions, while Tehran claims it is the US that must make the first concession, as it was first to leave the nuclear agreement. Negotiations stalled after a new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, was elected in June. Iran has remained non-committal about returning to the talks, not abandoning negotiations, yet also not in a hurry to return to the table, Kayhan daily close to Supreme Leader Ali Khameneis office reported on Saturday.

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naftali bennett, atomic energy organization of iran, iran, joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa), international atomic energy agency
https://sputniknews.com/20210912/moscow-calls-for-timely-resumption-of-vienna-talks-on-iran-nuclear-deal-1089012644.html

Moscow Calls for Timely Resumption of Vienna Talks on Iran Nuclear Deal

Moscow Calls for Timely Resumption of Vienna Talks on Iran Nuclear Deal

Iran and the United States carried out several rounds of negotiations on the reactivation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark 2015... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T15:07+0000

2021-09-12T15:07+0000

2021-09-12T16:00+0000

iran nuclear deal

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Russia is calling for the timely resumption of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal, and is pleased that the European Union's position on the JCPOA's implementation is aligned with Moscow's view, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, has indicated.The diplomat accompanied his post with a tweet by Enrique Mora, deputy chief of the European Union's foreign service, who praised the IAEA and Iran's nuclear energy agency over their agreement to continue cooperation and to allow inspectors to service video equipment installed to monitor activities at Iran's nuclear sites."This is a positive step towards ensuring continuity of knowledge of Iran's nuclear programme. Gives space for diplomacy. I appreciate the efforts. EU's aim remains full #JCPOA implementation by all. For that it's crucial we resume #ViennaTalks as soon as possible", Mora wrote.Grossi and Mohammad Eslami, Iran's newly-appointed nuclear chief, met in Tehran on Sunday, with Iran agreeing to continue IAEA servicing of surveillance cameras at the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear sites.The agreement comes ahead of a meeting of the Vienna-based IAEA board of governors on 13 September. Western powers led by the United States have proposed censuring Iran over its "lack of cooperation" with international inspectors. Iran threatened to halt IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites in February unless the crushing sanctions against the country were removed. A three-month agreement was passed on 21 February to continue some checks, and prolonged in May. However, since 22 May, Iran has denied the IAEA access to data collected from nuclear facilities. At the same time, the nuclear watchdog has expressed "concerns" over Iran's continued uranium enrichment and stockpiling activities.The Vienna nuclear talks, which began in the spring amid the Biden administration's stated interest in returning to the JCPOA, have been stalled since late June. Iran has repeatedly indicated that it would return to the limits on its nuclear programme outlined under the JCPOA if the United States lifted its crushing sanctions first. Washington has demanded that Iran be the first to return to compliance, and its negotiators have sought to include Iran's conventional missile programme and regional policy in the agreement. Tehran has vigorously rejected such efforts.Late last month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed Biden over his administration's intransigence on the Vienna talks, accusing the current White House of acting "extremely shamelessly" on the nuclear issue and being "no different" from the Trump administration.Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi assured Khamenei that his government would support nuclear talks to "guarantee national interests", but stressed that Tehran would not engage in talks for the sake of talks, particularly amid Washington's efforts to try to add non-nuclear-related obligations to the JCPOA.The Trump administration unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA in May 2018 amid heavy lobbying pressure by Israel. Iran provided the agreement's remaining signatories a one-year window to find a way to keep the deal in place by establishing a mechanism to evade severe US banking, energy, and other sanctions. When this failed to occur, Tehran began to increase its uranium enrichment and stockpiling beyond the limits outlined in the JCPOA, while emphasising that its nuclear programme is and will continue to be strictly peaceful in nature.

https://sputniknews.com/20210912/iran-to-allow-iaea-monitors-to-service-nuclear-site-cameras-as-talks-on-reviving-nuclear-deal-stall-1089010179.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210829/irans-leader-blasts-biden-as-predatory-wolf-no-different-than-trump-amid-stalled-nuclear-talks-1083746717.html

neutral hooper Iran needs to build a survivable Nuke force perhaps a Caspian sea bottom crawler prototype SBLM that can be re-supplied from docking submarines the longer it stays down and under the more natural growth on it the less likely it is subject to detection ! and discovery from above or below 2

Ladyshadow 'lack of cooperation", meanng that Iran didn't beg the US terrorist and stood their ground. The remaining member of the Iran deal should work out an acceptable agreement and tell the US to accept or they will be sanctions. 2

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/pope-warns-hungarys-christian-jewish-leaders-of-lurking-threat-of-anti-semitism-in-europe-1089006287.html

Pope Warns Hungary's Christian, Jewish Leaders of 'Lurking Threat of Anti-Semitism' in Europe

Pope Warns Hungary's Christian, Jewish Leaders of 'Lurking Threat of Anti-Semitism' in Europe

Pope Francis arrived in Hungary, with just several hours in Budapest followed by a four-day Apostolic Visit to neighboring Slovakia after having been invited... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T10:44+0000

2021-09-12T10:44+0000

2021-09-12T10:44+0000

slovakia

viktor orban

pope francis

hungary

pope francis

antisemitism

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Pope Francis warned that "the threat of anti-semitism" is still manifest in Europe, as he made a lightning-swift visit to Hungary on Sunday, reported AP. The World Jewish Congress puts the Jewish population of Hungary at between 75,000 and 100,000, and states that most live in Budapest, which "has some 20 working synagogues and a plethora of other Jewish institutions".The Argentine pope called for unity among Christians, Jews and people of other faiths so that outbursts of hatred that would destroy that fraternity will never prevail. Pope Francis arrived in Hungary to celebrate the closing Mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress as part of his first foreign trip since undergoing intestinal surgery in July. The 84-year-old pontiff met with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, President Janos Ader, and deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen at the Museum of Fine Arts.I asked Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary perish, Orban, known for his hard-line stance on migration, wrote later on Facebook. Orban and his government are known to champion conservative family values, claiming to be motivated by a desire to safeguard Hungary's traditional Christian values against excesses of Western liberalism.Under Orban, registered churches have received state support, with an additional 3,000 places of worship built or restored as part of an effort to advance Christian democracy. The Pope who has denounced the globalisation of indifference, has been known to question the pursuit of anti-migrant policies and what he called national populism.After his visit to Budapest, the pontiff proceeded to a four-day tour of neighbouring Slovakia, with his agenda featuring a meeting with the minority Roma community in an impoverished district of the countrys second-largest city of Kosice.

Thomas Turk Not forgetting that we Juice were thrown out of England, (till Cromwell allowed us back in). for sacrificing 11 year old Christchun boys, by bleeding them to DEATH. Maybe some Christchuns still don't appreciate our other talents? 2

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/somber-atmosphere-former-mossad-chief-talks-about-changes-911-attacks-brought-in-intelligence-1088997900.html

Somber Atmosphere: Former Mossad Chief Talks About Changes 9/11 Attacks Brought in Intelligence

Somber Atmosphere: Former Mossad Chief Talks About Changes 9/11 Attacks Brought in Intelligence

Somber Atmosphere: Former Mossad Chief Talks About Changes, 9/11 Attacks Brought in Intelligence

2021-09-12T02:55+0000

2021-09-12T02:55+0000

2021-09-12T04:52+0000

mossad

terrorist attack

intelligence

al-qaeda

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On the day of the 20th anniversary of the attack, a former Mossad chief, Efraim Halevy, spoke about preventing terrorist attacks and ways 9/11 changed national security.86-year-old Halevy, who served three and half years as the Mossad chief, told the Times of Israel that he and his team quickly realized that Israel had to share any available intelligence with the US as well as to initiate activities to gather information subsequent to the attack.Daniel Lewin was an Israeli-American businessman with a degree in mathematics from MIT. He previously served four years in the Israel Defense Forces Sayeret Matkal, an elite unit that works closely with the Mossad and Israels other intelligence services. He was said to have been stabbed by one of the terrorists who hijacked the American Airlines Flight 11, apparently while trying to prevent the action. Reportedly, five Israeli citizens died in the attacks.The former spy master admitted that he immediately realized the attacks could trigger another world war. It didnt happen, but as a result of the 11 September events, hostilities shook the entire of the Middle East.He noted that the terrorist acts also changed the way intelligence operated, finding it more important to prevent rather that punish, which made such practices as surveillance and torture more common.Halevy denied allegations that Israel had offered specific details to US agencies about the possible terror acts, asserting that 9/11 "caught everyone by surprise."The former Mossad chief stressed there were certain signs that should have given the US a heads-up, including prior Al-Qaeda* attacks that showed it was a dangerous threat.He referred to the US embassy bombings in Kenyas Nairobi and Tanzanias Dar es Salaam that killed over 200 people in 1998. Halevy also mentioned the explosion in Aden, near the Yemeni coast, that killed 17 American naval personnel on board the USS Cole.Pointing out that Al- Qaeda proved able to carry out firsts in terms of the scope of the attack operations, Halevy suggested that 9/11 Al-Qaeda terrorists were the first to use the internet while no one covered the internet in such a way and was also a very, very stark revelation.Halevy defended George Tenet, then-CIA chief, who came under fire for allowing the situation to occur. The 9/11 National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the US claimed that he lacked imagination.He added that even if Tenet had prevented the attack, he wouldnt have been able to justify the extremity of the security measures following 9/11. Halevy hasnt excluded gaps in the scope of the intelligence services that prevented them from recognizing and dismantle the suicide attacks.The 11 September attacks were believed to have been planned by Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who at that time was in Afghanistan under the protection of the Taliban*, which had been in power since 1996. When Kabul refused to extradite bin Laden, the US initiated military intervention, quickly overthrowing the Taliban government and pledging to support democracy and eliminate terrorism in the country.*Terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries

Preterist-ADSeventy The title should be Cautious, Paranoid Atmosphere: Former Mossad Chief Talks About Changes, His 9/11 Attacks Brought in Intelligence 1

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https://sputniknews.com/20210912/taliban-initially-offered-help-investigating-911-attacks-spokesman-says-1089012923.html

Taliban Initially Offered Help Investigating 9/11 Attacks, Spokesman Says

Taliban Initially Offered Help Investigating 9/11 Attacks, Spokesman Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Taliban* was ready to cooperate in the investigation into the 9/11 terrorist attacks when they occurred 20 years ago, according to... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T15:24+0000

2021-09-12T15:24+0000

2021-09-12T16:12+0000

9/11: 20 years later

9/11

september 11

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"I recall that we condemned the incident. [Abdul Salam] Zareef was the ambassador [to Pakistan] and I was an aide. We called a press conference and we condemned the incident. We said we will cooperate to unearth the real behind the scenes culprits", Shaheen said as quoted by Geo TV on Saturday.The Taliban called on Washington 20 years ago to resolve the issue through dialogue, not invasion, Shaheen said, adding that al-Qaeda*, the terrorist group responsible for the attacks, did not warn Afghanistan about them. Therefore, the Taliban, who ruled the country at the time, was "caught off-guard", the spokesman said.In mid-August, as the Taliban took over Kabul, Shaheen said the movement would not let al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups pursue their goals in Afghanistan.On 11 September 2001, members of al-Qaeda crashed two hijacked commercial planes into the World Trade Centre in New York, while another plane hit the western part of the Pentagon near Washington, DC. A fourth hijacked aircraft crashed near the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks.*The Taliban and al-Qaeda are terrorist organisations banned in Russia and many other nations.

netman Guns do not kill people, people do.. Fire does not cause a building to collapse, explosives do show me one single steel high rise building that collapsed in its footprint because of fire only! 6

koursk koursk Taliban investigations will conclude that al qaida and the Islamic state are military firms belonging to the military-industrial bazaar of billionaires *** the paramilitaries recruited by these firms via the nato services condemn themselves to suicide in return for a life annuity for their family *** the damage caused by the 4 planes, whose passengers had been taken hostage by the paramilitaries of the al qaida company, would provide the pretext for interventions in afghanistan and iraq already scheduled *** these interventions were decided following the arrival of poutine at the head of russia *** immense support from the chinese for poutine which put an abrupt halt to the russian federation's cutting projects decided by the big mafia and the nato zone *** in 2001 , billionaire bandits intervene in afghanistan to open bases in neighboring countries to try to prevent any rapprochement of russia and china with central asian countries *** a total failure for the billionaire mobsters who 5

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9/11, september 11
https://sputniknews.com/20210912/texas-gop-website-allegedly-hacked-by-anonymous-in-protest-over-restrictive-abortion-law-1089005079.html

Texas GOP Website Allegedly Hacked By Anonymous in Protest Over Restrictive Abortion Law

Texas GOP Website Allegedly Hacked By Anonymous in Protest Over Restrictive Abortion Law

Earlier, the US Justice Department sued the state of Texas over a restrictive abortion law, following the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in favour of the... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T09:51+0000

2021-09-12T09:51+0000

2021-09-12T09:51+0000

us justice department

texas

united states

anonymous

gop

republican party

9/11

gop

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The website of the Texas Republican Party was hacked Saturday by a group claiming to protest the states restrictive new abortion law, reported Texas Public Radio. Jon Cooper, a former New York financial adviser to President Joe Biden and ex-President Barack Obama, rushed to applaud the fact on Twitter, exclaiming that the news made my day. Hacking group Anonymous claimed responsibility for the hack, as the website is said to have featured the groups banner across the top of the page, a Rick Astley music video, and an obscene photo for several hours. It also carried a statement saying the GOP was taking voices from women to promote theocratic erosion of church/state barriers", according to the outlet. Anonymous launched Operation Jane after the anti-abortion legislation went into effect, targeting web sites purportedly established to identify people assisting those seeking an abortion after six weeks, added Texas Public Radio. Controversial Heartbeat Bill This comes as the Texas Senate Bill 8, dubbed the "heartbeat bill", effectively bans abortions after six weeks and allows suing abortion clinics or those who help women get abortions in the state. The legislation took effect on September 1 after being passed by the states GOP-led Legislature and signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Reproductive health physicians insist the term fetal heartbeat used in the legislation is misleading as there is no cardiovascular system or a functional heart six weeks into pregnancy. Earlier, the US Supreme Court voted 5-4 not to block the law, however, on September 3rd a Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order to protect the states abortion clinics from facing lawsuits. A hearing in the case is set for Monday. The US Justice Department (DOJ) on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Texas over the legislation, which President Joe Biden slammed as an "unprecedented assault on a womans constitutional rights." Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press briefing on Thursday that the law is "clearly unconstitutional under longstanding Supreme Court precedent." He warned it may" become a model" for similar action in other states. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Republicans have vowed to defend the new law. Paxton responded to DOJ's lawsuit, saying on Twitter that the administration should be focusing on the border crisis, Afghanistan, the economy and countless other disasters instead of meddling in states sovereign rights."

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Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

us justice department, texas, united states, anonymous, gop, republican party, 9/11, gop
https://sputniknews.com/20210912/trumps-2024-return-favoured-by-slim-majority-of-republicans-poll-finds-1089014698.html

Trump's 2024 Return Favoured by Slim Majority of Republicans, Poll Finds

Trump's 2024 Return Favoured by Slim Majority of Republicans, Poll Finds

The former president has spent months titillating die-hard supporters regarding possible plans to run in 2024, with Republican-leaning media testing the waters... 12.09.2021, Sputnik International

2021-09-12T16:56+0000

2021-09-12T16:56+0000

2021-09-12T17:06+0000

joe biden

donald trump

republican party

2024 us presidential elections

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Nearly two-thirds of Republicans want former President Donald Trump to remain leader of the party, but just 51 percent believe the GOP would have a better shot at the White House with him as their candidate in 2024 than without him, a new poll by social research firm SSRS for CNN suggests.According to the poll, 63 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe Trump should remain the party's grandee, with 37 percent expressing the opposite opinion.If the results are accurate, the polling seems to show a measure of Trump fatigue among the GOP. Similar polling conducted in March 2019 found that just 17 percent of Republicans would prefer an alternative to Trump in 2020.The SSRS/CNN poll of GOP and Republican-leaning voter attitudes comes after a separate survey by Emerson College found that Trump would narrowly defeat Biden in the national race if the 2024 election were held today. The survey found Trump leading Biden 47-46 percent, while 6 percent of respondents said they would opt for another candidate. The Emerson survey also found that 67 percent of Republicans would support Trump's nomination in 2024.Some Republicans from the George W. Bush wing of the party have been carefully testing the waters of GOP voter attitudes floating possible alternative candidates to Trump amid fears that the billionaire businessman could upset the military and intelligence community's interests, and that the chaos which followed the 6 January riots at the Capitol may have "tainted" him.Along with Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, senators Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, and Rick Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, and even former CIA head and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have been considered as potential candidates in 2024.However, DeSantis, the perceived frontrunner in any potential primary race against Trump, has dismissed that he has any intention to run in 2024, recently telling reporters that at this stage, "all the speculation about [him] is purely manufactured".Trump has said repeatedly that he is "100 percent" considering running again, and that he would "certainly" mull picking DeSantis to replace Pence, who publicly rebuked Trump over claims that the 2020 election was "stolen", as his running mate.Trump spent weeks after the November vote accusing Democratic officials in key swing states of rigging the election by using faulty voting machines and fraudulent mail-in ballots, claiming he had "thousands" of witnesses and "hundreds and hundreds" of sworn affidavits on hand to prove fraud. State courts refused to hear the Trump campaign's allegations, and the Supreme Court struck down an attempt by the state of Texas to contest results in other states in December.Democratic officials and media, and even some Republicans, dismissed Trump's claims of election fraud as nonsense and accused the president of engaging in a dangerous provocation to try to hold on to power. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached him for a second time amid the fallout from the 6 January violence, accusing him of being responsible, and suggesting that the rioters were motivated by his "absurd" and "dangerous" election-related allegations. Yet, recent audits of election results in several swing state counties in Georgia and Arizona have shown that negligible irregularities did take place, prompting the former president to once again repeat his claims that the election was rigged.

https://sputniknews.com/20210905/trump-would-beat-biden-in-hypothetical-2024-presidential-race-claims-poll-1083801426.html

https://sputniknews.com/20210811/ex-trump-ag-reportedly-persuaded-potus-not-to-launch-case-to-overturn-election-in-key-swing-states-1083580435.html

Raymond Reddington A poll from CNN, what a total crap!! This is not even rubbish... 9

PaleRider > 63 % of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe Trump should be nominated by the party. Remember, the 51% is from CNN and nothing CNN says can be trusted. And that will definitely increase, as De Santis, the Florida Governor, has said no to a 2024 run for President. 8

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Ilya Tsukanov

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Give full marks to pacing colt Powertrain, who wasn't North America Cup-eligible but certainly showed he belongs with those colts with a dazzling mile in a $50,000 Three-Year-Old Open Pace contested on the 2021 Pepsi North America Cup undercard.

Leaving from post five, driver Sylvain Filion left aggressively with Powertrain and briefly entertained company in the form of Summa Cum Laude (Yannick Gingras) before forcing that foe to take the tuck through a :27 opener.

Favoured Century Heineken (Doug McNair) came with a backside brush move that looked impressive enough to clear, but Filion and Powertrain had other ideas and parked out that rivals through a :54.4. half and 1:21 third station. Turning for home, Powertrain had every excuse to pack it in but instead he poured it on. A two-length lead was maintained through the stretch as Summa Cum Laude tried to narrow that gap but wasn't able. Powertrain tripped the timer in a lifetime best 1:48.2, with Summa Cum Laude the only one even close. Twin B Heart Throb was best of the rest in third.

Another solid performer from the Nick Gallucci / Millar Farms tandem, Powertrain (Shadow Play - Mmillion Blue Chip) picked up his fourth win in nine tries this season. The winner's share of the purse lifts the sophomore's bankroll to $96,825  all earned in his three-year-old season.

The three-year-old open was contested on a stakes-packed card anchored by the 2021 Pepsi North America Cup. Read all the recaps from Cup night in the 2021 Pepsi North America Cup News Centre.
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) will conduct a teleconference meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 15, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Consistent with Governor Gavin Newsoms Executive Order N-29-20, the meeting will be teleconference only. No physical location will be provided.

The public may participate in either of two ways. The webcast audio link on the CHRB website will continue to provide a way for the public to listen to this meeting. Those wishing to speak during the meeting may dial 888-392-4564 and enter 6896291# to join the teleconference. To speak on any item, press star 1 to enter the speakers queue. Those providing unsolicited public comment on individual agenda items will be limited to two minutes. Comments must relate specifically to the agenda items. Note that for agenda item #15, Public Comment, no further comments will be permitted after 30 minutes.

The agenda and package of materials are available on the CHRB website.

The agenda items include discussion and action by the Board on the Application for License to Conduct a Horse Racing Meeting of Watch and Wager LLC (H), at Cal Expo, commencing October 27, 2021 through December 21, 2021, inclusive.

(With files from CHRB)
Almost 3,000 Americans died, including 340 firefighters and 72 law-enforcement officers. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in human history.

Our thirst for revenge equaled that following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Like that atrocity, this one also started a war, but it was a different kind of war.

The War on Terror did not provide us with an easily targeted enemy. U.S. troops deposed the Taliban in Afghanistan in short order, but it took nearly a decade to track down and kill the leader of al-Qaida and 9/11s architect, Osama bin Laden.

And now, 20 years after 9/11, our troops have left Afghanistan to the Taliban. Americas longest war, and perhaps its most frustrating one, is over.

The world has been made safer, though. In the aftermath of that horrible day, we are more careful. If we see something, we say something. Countless terrorists have been sent to their dubious reward.

It is a human tendency, and certainly an American one, to choose the pound of cure over the ounce of prevention. Warnings of a probable Japanese attack were ignored in 1941. The threat of a COVID-19 pandemic went mostly unheeded in its early days. We seem unable to come to grips with climate change until the water is lapping at our doors.
Carbon sequestration is coming up often in the farm press as we learn about another stream of farm income rising from our land-management practices. Why is adding carbon to the soil worth money to farmers, you might ask?

Increasing organic matter or carbon in the soil improves production traits that farmers need in soil to grow plants. Included are water-holding capacity, nutrient storage and increased microbial activity that improves soil health. But there is more.

It seems that industry and others interested in what happens to carbon released into the air from human activity here on earth want to do something about it. They know carbon dioxide is among several greenhouse gases that scientists say are responsible for climate change.

If you are an industry with a carbon-dioxide emissions problem, purchasing carbon credits from those who remove carbon dioxide from the air is a good idea.

This would be sequestering carbon in the soiland farmers do this in long-term pastures, forestry and no-till cropping. All of these put carbon into the soil as a result of plant production, adding decaying plant material, which turns into organic matter high in carbon.

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The sudden change in ownership came as a surprise to some longtime customers, such as Larry Hobday, who visited the store to try to get an item laminated. I didnt know they were selling it ... but Ive been going in and out of here at least once a month for a long time, Hobday said.

He said he often checked the store out to purchase office supplies.

Hamon said she went door-to-door, introducing some of the new Eakes representatives to several of her regular customers. She said its that type of one-on-one interaction which she will miss the most when she retires. Eakes, though, primarily targets a different type of customer.

We focus more on business-to-business commercial sales than we do walk-in retail sales, Hafer said, adding that the company will not operate as a traditional retail store.

The bulk of their business will involve supplying other businesses with materials through contracts and shipments. In addition to a few current MoneyWise employees staying on, they will hire representatives to oversee supply, janitorial, copy and printer, and furniture sales.
Hey look another wormy! school resource officer Chris Burgman yelled out to the screams of nearby students and the laughter of others.

Its these fun interactions with children that Burgman said he loves about his job.

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Any time we can positively interact with the community is always a blessing, and being able to come out to a situation such as this, and see the young kids out here doing such good things for their community and their school is a wonderful change of pace, he said.  Just have a little bit of fun with the kids  thats a good thing that this community allows us to do. They allow us to be a part of the community, and they welcome us, and we, as officers, greatly appreciate that from the community.

Officer Travis Enlow echoed that sentiment.

Its always fun to be involved with kid stuff, he said. Its always a nice change of pace from some of the stuff we deal with. Kids are kids, and theyre always kids. Its fun being around here.

For the third officer in attendance, John Starke, it was a proud moment to see his elementary school doing something so significant for not just first responders, but for the children as well.
On Saturday morning, more than 200 firefighters at Five Rocks Amphitheater for the West Nebraska Engine Academy paid tribute to the fallen firefighters who lost their lives on 9/11.

Gering Fire Chief Nathan Flowers said it was coincidence that the first day of the firefighter training was on Sept. 11.

Everything just came together. We have about 240 firefighters here from throughout the region, so we definitely wanted to pay respects to what happened 20 years ago. In the fire service, we lost 343 brothers and sisters. We want to make sure that we never forget that, because we lost some men and women that day, he said.

As a firefighter, Flowers said it holds a lot of significance for him.

What it means to me is to carry on and to represent for those newer firefighters that we had a tragic situation, he said. A lot of our guys that are here today werent in the fire service 20 years ago, so we want them to see a different side and a different aspect of what 9/11 was. It affects us all. It affected us as a whole country. This platform gave us the opportunity to remember and share that experience with our new firefighters.

It is important to remember and pay respects to those who lost their lives, he said..

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Authorities are seeking to have a 14-year-old youth charged with the murder of 13-year-old Lucia Bremer in Henrico County last March transferred from juvenile court to Circuit Court for trial as an adult.
The questions go beyond allegations of ties to terrorism. A more basic question is whether those evacuated from Afghanistan actually helped the United States in the 20-year war in Afghanistan. The U.S. priority list was always citizens first, followed by those who assisted American forces during the war. Other Afghans who did not aid the United States, even if they have a legitimate fear of Taliban rule, are not near the top of the list.

The most important point is that, given the frenzied evacuation, U.S. officials do not really know who they have airlifted out of Afghanistan. Look at this recent account in The Washington Post, quoting an Afghan named Mustafa who had helped U.S. forces and got onto an American plane:

Many [of those on board] had minimal identification and did not appear to have worked closely with the United States as [Mustafa] had, serving as a translator and analyst, the Post reported. They were just people, Mustafa said, who took advantage of the disorderly evacuation to flee their turbulent country. Nobody knows who was the good guy and who was the bad guy getting into the plane, said Mustafa ... Its a risky thing that I believe happened.

So bottom line, it will not be -- or at least it should not be -- easy for the Joe Biden White House to turn the page from Afghanistan. Of course they want to talk about the presidents agenda. But the Afghan evacuation happened, and now some U.S. citizens remain stranded in Afghanistan, while thousands of insufficiently vetted Afghans are arriving in the United States, courtesy of the administration. No president can walk away from that.
Several studies have found that gentrifying neighborhoods do indeed attract new businesses at a higher rate than non-gentrifying areas. These include a 2011 article in Economic Development Quarterly, a 2012 piece in RSUE, and a 2017 report from the office of the New York City Comptroller, which found that of the ten New York neighborhoods experiencing the fastest business growth between 2000 and 2015, all but one was a gentrifying neighborhood.

Jobs

New businesses in an area should bring new jobs, and several studies confirm that this happens in gentrifying neighborhoods. The 2012 RSUE study found that when the average income in an area is rising, retail jobs increase. A 2014 paper published in RSUE also found a small, yet uneven amount of employment growth in gentrifying areas, with restaurant and service jobs increasing while manufacturing and wholesale jobs declined.

A 2017 paper in RSUE looked at this question in more detail, trying to find out whether gentrification actually creates jobs in the immediate neighborhood. It found that the neighborhoods where income was on the rise actually lost jobs at an average of nine jobs per year, or about 10 percent of all the jobs in a typical neighborhood. However, areas within one to two miles of the gentrifying neighborhood gained 10 to 21 times as many jobs as the immediate neighborhood lost.
Is there anything worse than government overregulation of beer-related cartoon nudity?

Well, sure, there are plenty of things worse, but today we are going to deal with government overregulation of beer-related cartoon nudity.

As a concerned citizen, I was shocked and appalled to learn the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Commission told Maryland-based Flying Dog Brewery that it could not sell its winter ale, Freezin Season, in the Tar Heel state because the depiction of a naked cartoon guy on the label was in bad taste.

I always thought the Alcoholic Beverage Commissions main role was to make sure the drinking populace wasnt poisoned by bootleg hooch made in car radiators, but apparently commissioners have transitioned into art criticism.

The label, like others for Flying Dog Brewery, was designed by the cartoonist Ralph Steadman, an associate of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. As the proud owner of the book Gonzo: The Art, I can say the label is tame compared to some of Steadmans other mind-blowing work. Plus, cartoon nudity has a long and proud tradition. Bugs Bunny only wore clothes when the role called for it.
The IAEA said certain monitoring and surveillance equipment cannot be left for more than three months without being serviced. It was provided with access this month to four surveillance cameras installed at one site, but one of the cameras had been destroyed and a second had been severely damaged.

Grossi said the broken and damaged cameras would be replaced, but indicated that the technical agreement reached in Tehran was only a stopgap.

This cannot be a permanent solution, he said. If you ask me how many months, how many days, its difficult for me to say. But I dont see this as a long term prospect."

Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian ambassador to the IAEA, praised the agreement on Twitter, calling it technical but very important.

It is no less important for Iran to rebuff groundless speculations against it, Ulyanov wrote.

Iran and world powers agreed in 2015 to the nuclear deal, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.
Organizers are looking to re-create the magic of a regional online giving campaign that broke records in 2020 due to a pandemic that prevents close contact.

Donors who couldnt meet at galas or auctions in 2020 turned to their computers instead for the annual Give More 24! fundraiser. The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington campaign saw the largest increase in participating nonprofits, donors and contributions in 2020, said Senior Communications Officer Maury Harris, who hopes the momentum carries through this fall.

I have confidence people understand the dire situation the small business community, local nonprofits and people on the fringes are still experiencing, he said.

For 24 hours, each year, the Community Foundation holds an online fundraiser for participating nonprofits in Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties.

Online donations were up for the region in 2020, as well as the rest of the country, reports the nonprofit software company Blackbaud. The company said 2020 online giving grew roughly 21% year over year for the roughly 5,000 nonprofits it surveyed.

Give More 24! virtual fundraiser kicks off at midnight Thursday Nearly 230 nonprofits, including 36 Cowlitz County organizations, aim to raise $2 million during this year's virtual Give More 24! fundraising

2021 event
Residents of the Alabama Street campsite will be moved to a nearby parking lot beginning Monday to prepare for a multi-week cleanup of the current homeless site.

The camps residents will be shifted into a nearby parking lot for Longview city employees for the duration of the cleanup work starting Monday and throughout the rest of the week. The cleanup will start Sept. 20 and will be done by a company contracted by the city of Longview.

Longview City Manager Kurt Sacha declared a public health emergency at the encampment in late August because of unsanitary conditions that endangered residents and the community. Sacha worked with the city councils committee on homelessness, Longview Police Chief Robert Huhta and multiple city departments to plan how the cleanup will work.

We would like the site to obviously be free from any individual so that what is left is items that can be discarded, that are of no value, Sacha said.

Once the residents have settled into the temporary site, the contracted company will use an excavator and truck to haul out the refuse left behind. Gravel and rocks will be laid across the base of the site to limit the effects of flooding. Trees which had been damaged by recent fires will be cut down and a new tent layout will be set up to provide clear walkways through the site.

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As Washington hospitals, including PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center, report an increase in pregnant COVID-19 patients, doctors are urging caution and vaccination to avoid illness or increased risks to the pregnancy.

We definitely recommend that pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant do get the vaccine because the benefits outweigh potential risks, said Dr. Robert Cruz, obstetrician-gynecologist at PeaceHealths womens health clinic in Longview.

PeaceHealth didnt have many COVID-19 positive pregnant patients until the past month, as cases overall increased, Cruz said. The organization has seen more patients with symptoms and an uptick in poor outcomes, such as preeclampsia, he said.

Preeclampsia and related disorders are characterized by a rapid rise in blood pressure that can led to seizure, stroke, multiple organ failure and even death, according to the Preeclampsia Foundation. Most patients with preeclampsia will deliver healthy babies and fully recover, but some will experience complications, which may be life-threatening, according to the foundation.

Normally with these issues we see maybe one or two a year, in the past month weve seen that same amount, Cruz said. Its always concerning to see that uptick thats out of the norm.
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover successfully collected its first pair of rock samples, and scientists already are gaining new insights into the region.

After collecting its first sample, named "Montdenier" on September 6, the team collected a second, "Montagnac," from the same rock on September 8, according to a release by NASA.

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Analysis of the rocks from which the Montdenier and Montagnac samples were taken and from the rover's previous sampling attempt may help the science team piece together the timeline of the area's past, which was marked by volcanic activity and periods of persistent water.

"It looks like our first rocks reveal a potentially habitable sustained environment," said Ken Farley of Caltech, project scientist for the mission, which is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California.

"It's a big deal that the water was there a long time."

The rock that provided the mission's first core samples is basaltic in composition and may be the product of lava flows. The presence of crystalline minerals in volcanic rocks is especially helpful in radiometric dating. The volcanic origin of the rock could help scientists accurately date when it formed.

Each sample can serve as part of a larger chronological puzzle; put them in the right order, and scientists have a timeline of the most important events in the crater's history. Some of those events include the formation of Jezero Crater, the emergence and disappearance of Jezero's lake, and changes to the planet's climate in the ancient past.

"What's more, salts have been spied within these rocks. These salts may have formed when groundwater flowed through and altered the original minerals in the rock, or more likely when liquid water evaporated, leaving the salts. The salt minerals in these first two rock cores may also have trapped tiny bubbles of ancient Martian water. If present, they could serve as microscopic time capsules, offering clues about the ancient climate and habitability of Mars. Salt minerals are also well-known on Earth for their ability to preserve signs of ancient life," read the release.

The Perseverance science team already knew a lake once filled the crater; for how long has been more uncertain. The scientists couldn't dismiss the possibility that Jezero's lake was a "flash in the pan": floodwaters could have rapidly filled the impact crater and dried up in the space of 50 years, for example.

But the level of alteration that scientists see in the rock that provided the core samples - as well as in the rock the team targeted on their first sample-acquisition attempt - suggests that groundwater was present for a long time

The US space agency said this groundwater could have been related to the lake that was once in Jezero, or it could have travelled through the rocks long after the lake had dried up. Though scientists still can't say whether any of the water that altered these rocks was present for tens of thousands or for millions of years, they feel more certain that it was there for long enough to make the area more welcoming to microscopic life in the past.

"These samples have high value for future laboratory analysis back on Earth," said Mitch Schulte of NASA Headquarters, the mission's program scientist.

"One day, we may be able to work out the sequence and timing of the environmental conditions that this rock's minerals represent. This will help answer the big-picture science question of the history and stability of liquid water on Mars," the official statement said.

Perseverance's next likely sample site is just 656 feet (200 meters) away in "South Seitah," a series of ridges covered by sand dunes, boulders, and rock shards that Farley likens to "broken dinner plates."

The rover's recent drill sample represents what is likely one of the youngest rock layers that can be found on Jezero Crater's floor. South Seitah, on the other hand, is likely older, and will provide the science team a better timeline to understand events that shaped the crater floor, including its lake, read the release.

By the start of October, all Mars missions will be standing down from commanding their spacecraft for several weeks, a protective measure during a period called Mars solar conjunction. Perseverance isn't likely to drill in South Seitah until sometime after that period.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently stated that Apple could potentially include satellite connectivity with their upcoming iPhone 13 smartphone. With that said, the iPhone 13 will have a much larger coverage, making it a great tool especially when the user does not have access to cellular towers.

However, based on another leakster, it seems that satellite connectivity only allows users to send extremely short messages. While it does not seem like much, its more than enough to relay information in case of an emergency.

Do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, because Apple has yet to provide an official confirmation on whether the iPhone 13 will have satellite connectivity. Not only that, but theres also no news on the Malaysia release date, local pricing, and exact tech specs for now.

What are your thoughts regarding the iPhone 13 so far? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.
Cover Story

Water conservation should not be considered an option any longer. Current circumstances require our full attention if we hope to thrive as a civilization. Now, if these statements sound dramatic, it is because much of the world is currently suffering due to a lack of clean water. Fortunately, modern bathroom technology can not only make your morning routine easier, but it can also help you save water and energy. Serving this global requirement, Coimbatore based Watertec India has been in the cause for the last two and a half decades. Incepted as a joint venture between UMS Group, Coimbatore; WATERTEC Malaysia; and South Asian Investments, Sri Lanka, Watertec Indias journey began with a single-minded mission to revolutionize the bath spaces by replacing basic metal fittings &...
When we got to write letters to Mr. Mathison, that was very powerful because they got to tell him how thankful they were that people like him were there to help, and they were grateful to know that there were people helping and caring about others in this terrible, terrible time, Honea said.

Mathison said seeing the letters showed him that children should not be underestimated about what they understand and how they react to traumatic events.

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They express themselves very well in there, but you could tell there were genuine concerns, and thats what kind of surprised me about it, he said.  I firmly believe that engaging those kids and writing those letters and everything, probably eliminated a lot of fear and anxiety out of those kids.

After reading the letters, Mathison said, he challenged Honeas class to write essays about what it means to live in America and to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and how that compares to the life of children in Afghanistan. One students essay  as selected by the class  received a shirt Mathison wore on the 10-day mission to Ground Zero.

Honea said Mathison served as a role model to the students, showing there were people who wanted to help and could be a light in the midst of the darkness.
It might be enough for the lifelong Louisiana resident to leave for good. As she finds herself trashing her storm-damaged belongings, she said she sees no way to find peace in the state.

Shes not alone. Many people have fled the state after major storms, data show. In metro New Orleans, and even in Chalmette in particular, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded signification population loss from its 2000 to 2020 counts. After Katrina, in 2006, nearly 160,000 Louisiana residents in total moved to Texas, Georgia and Mississippi. Louisiana's population rebounded as people returned to rebuild, but it's been in decline again since 2016.

For families who stay in spite of natural disasters, it seems each new generation learns new lessons of survival, said Toya Lewis of Project Hustle, a New Orleans nonprofit that organizes Black and brown street vendors who work in the informal economies.

No one was prepared to be without power in New Orleans for more than eight days, Lewis said. Were taking all of this lived experience and organizing to thrive. We must begin organizing around our survival.
NorthWestern Energy customer service center reopens in Grand Island

NorthWestern Energys customer service center in Grand Island has opened to the public after being closed to walk-in traffic since March 2020 due to the pandemic. The office at 612 S. Webb Road is open for walk-in customers from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Our customer service centers are located in buildings where our line crews, supply teams and other mission-critical workers are based, said NorthWestern Energy Director of Customer Care Lori St. Aubin. The difficult decision was made to close to walk-in traffic to keep our employees and our customers safe. Our employees time was spent assisting customers over the phone and online.

NorthWestern Energy has protocols in place at its customer service centers to keep customers and employees safe during in-person visits.

We continue to encourage customers to use northwesternenergy.com, with options such as paying NorthWestern Energy bills or to sign up for or discontinue service, St. Aubin said. Payments can be left at the drop boxes located at all of the customer service centers.

MLH Stroke Program receives recognition
The festival was emceed by Steven Mitchell, an openly gay pastor at United Congregational Church, who moved to Grand Island in 2018.

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I was absolutely shocked to see how closeted the LGBT community was here, out of fear of being noticed for who they were, Mitchell said. Thats what prompted me to make more strong statements with PFLAG, saying we need to actually create a festival where people can come out, feel safe, network and feel good about who they are.

PFLAG is a national LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

Mitchell described Nebraskas non-LGBT residents as being largely neutral toward the LGBT community because they havent had to deal with that topic visibly.

The level of support from the community at the two events is appreciated, he said.

I think its a start, Mitchell said.

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the G.I. Pride Planning Committee celebrated the communitys first responders at the event.

Mitchell presented a certificate of appreciation to Grand Island Police Department, represented by Capt. Jim Duering and officers Tyler Noel and Peyton Kinne.
In addition to all of the program information that is being provided, IANR faculty will be available to answer crop and animal production questions. They will also be available to look at plant and insect samples the visitors might bring along. We all look forward to seeing and visiting with all HHD participants.

Quick, free health screenings

For many years, health screenings have been a crucial component  along with exhibits on rural safety, and health and wellness at Husker Harvest Days.

More than 80 nursing students from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing will be onsite providing blood pressure checks. A nurse practitioner will also be available to perform skin cancer screenings.

Field demos on the schedule

The latest, most technologically advanced farm equipment in the world will be in action during Husker Harvest Days. Across 300-plus acres, visitors will see the latest equipment from top ag manufacturers in the field. Each day youll be able to see a new combine, grain cart or tillage tool at work in the fields.

Demonstration times are:
Thats why Hirschman started the fan club collection of pennants, to help get through it.

Everyone has a bad day, he said. Thats one reason he likes to cheer people up.

If he can make somebody smile or laugh, My days made, he said.

Hirschman enjoyed his time in the Seabees.

When you join the military, you learn respect and you learn how to work. You have rules and regulations to follow, and thats just the way it is, he said. If somebody tells you to jump, you ask how high.

The enemy didnt bother Hirschman and his fellow Seabees too much because they were busy working on roads and bridges.

We were building things for them, he said.

We were surrounded by the Army and the Marines and when they lobbed in mortars every once in a while one would land in our base, Hirschman said.

If one mortar came in, you didnt have to worry about the next one, because the North Vietnamese adjusted their sights so the next one wouldnt land in the same place.

So we kind of lucked out on some of that stuff, he said.
For example, Jungmann said because last years live show was canceled, many of the major farm equipment manufacturers were not able to preview their latest technological advances at the show. So, at this years show, there will be a lot of new farm equipment that will be seen for the first time and will revolutionize how farming is done in meeting the challenges of the future.

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Each year, farm equipment is developed with ever more precision in getting the job done with fewer resources. That technology can be in the form of drones that will do a host of farm jobs, such as scouting fields or spraying for insects or crop diseases. Or it can involve automated equipment with sophisticated on-board computers that can shave off even more hours of work, making it possible to plant and harvest thousands of acres of cropland in a matter of hours rather than days, saving a lot of money by using resources more effectively.

One of the ironies is the parts that make these machines so efficient are in short supply because of the pandemic. It is one of the factors impacting this years HHD show.
Baaberry Farms

Debi and Keith, who originally is from Kearney, lived in Texas for more than 20 years where Keith was a plumber and Debi worked for Exxon. When Debis mother got sick in 2010, Debi semi-retired in order to care for her mom and to keep up with the couples children.

The Roberts were attending a family members wedding in Nebraska when Debi saw a piece of property for sale near Miller. At one time the building had been a store in the early 1900s that sold gas, snacks and drinks, Debi said.

We drove by this broken down house with a For Sale sign out front. I have no idea. I just made him stop the car, and I said, I want this. We are buying this. He said, You are outside your mind. I said, No, no this is mine. We are buying it, Debi explained.

The Roberts lived in south Texas, and Debi was amazed by the green, lush landscape of Nebraska. She described it as coming from the black-and-white Kansas to the colorful Oz in The Wizard of Oz. They didnt immediately buy the property, but Debi kept her eye on the real estate listing online. When it was still on the market over a year later, they were able to visit and bought it.
Speaking to the press after meeting separately with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang made a similar point, saying, Let Chinese-Cambodian friendship be steadier than iron and stronger than steel.

Hun Sen pointed out other assistance from China for the construction of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of roads and seven big bridges across the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. He noted as well that vaccines sold and donated by China had helped Cambodia battle the pandemic.

Hun Sen added, however, that Cambodia is not reliant solely on China but makes friends with all the worlds countries, and welcomes their aid for development. The U.S. has also donated COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia.

Washingtons relations with Hun Sens government are frosty, as Beijings support allows Cambodia to disregard Western concerns about its poor record in human and political rights, and in turn Cambodia generally supports Beijings geopolitical positions on issues such as its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In recent months, the U.S. has expressed concern about their ties and urged Cambodias leaders to maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy that would be in its peoples best interests.
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Harold Wilken is a steadfast believer in letting nature take its course. Under his watch, Janies Farm Organics in Danforth, Illinois, has transitioned from conventional farming practices  such as the use of pesticides and GMOs  into a 100% organic operation growing yellow and white hybrid corn, soybeans, wheat and rye, and he couldnt be prouder.

Down on the farm

Raised in a farming family that dates back several generations, Wilken was riding tractors with his dad at the tender age of 2 years old.

His great-grandfather founded what would today be considered an organic, biodiverse farm on Illinois land in 1882. After learning the industry through years of working in the fields, Wilken decided it was time to break away and start his own farming operation in 1982; he would pursue traditional growing methods for the 23 years that followed.

I rented a piece of land from an older lady who was willing to give a young farmer like me a chance, he says. When I took my first herbicide bill to her, she looked at it and told me that if I could just figure out how to do things the natural way, she wouldn't have to pay it. Her words were very prophetic, and theyve stuck with me through the years.

Opting to go organic

Wilkens decision to take the farm in an organic direction came about as a result of several life-changing events that occurred in quick succession. Already disillusioned with GMOs and losing faith in conventional farming practices, he was directly sprayed with dangerous pesticide chemicals when a hose broke in 1990, leading to health issues.

Then, in 2001, Wilkens beloved daughter Janie passed away in a tragic car accident at age 15.

When Wilkens neighbor Herman Brockman sent a condolence letter and offered him the opportunity to transition his adjacent acreage into an organic farm, it seemed like a sign.

Thereve been lots of unexplained coincidences that I credit to Janie putting together for me on the other side, Wilken says. I think back on the things that have happened in the 20 years since shes been gone and the people whove helped us get through it, and it really all started because of Hermans letter.

Wilkens initial move toward organic farming was met with skepticism from some of his peers and even within his own family due to concerns about reduced yields, increased weeds and other worries.

My father started using pesticides back in the 1960s, and he thought they were the saving grace of agriculture, Wilken says. He passed before I completed my first transition crop, but he definitely did not approve of my decision.

Feeling there had to be a better, more natural way to go, Wilken attempted non-GMO crop rotation for a few years, but it wasnt until he went fully organic in 2005 that he finally began to feel a true sense of peace.

The soil was just dead, he says.

It takes 36 months from the last application of herbicide to cycle out enough for the land to be considered organic, but I think it takes more like 60 months to really restore the soil to good health through crop rotation and cover cropping. These practices are what add nutrients; increase water absorption; prevent erosion; and suppress weeds, insects and soil-borne plant diseases.

Ready, set, grow

Since 2005, Janies Farm has flourished from its original 700-acre footprint into 3,200 acres of land co-owned by a group of farmers who work collaboratively to support the organic movement. Together with his son, Ross Wilken; nephew, Tim Vaske; and neighbor, Ryan Wolfe, Wilken currently owns a 450-acre spread on which he grows his organic crops.

Janies Farms growing season continues nearly year-round, starting with putting in cover crops as early as January and planting corn in mid-May through wheat harvest beginning in July until the last corn is picked in November. The organic products ultimately find their way to distributors, large and small food companies, breweries and distilleries, often personally delivered in a truck driven by Wilken himself.

For the mill, we service a customer radius in an area about four and a half hours out from the farm, going as far as Ann Arbor, Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and a bit into Louisville, he says.

Through a recent partnership with Tom Luhrs Family Farm in Imperial, Nebraska, Wilken and his team hope to expand the selection of heirloom variety grains Janies Farm can offer to its customers even farther.

Run of the mill

While loading a semitruck with wheat for a trip to New York in 2016, Wilkens own wheels started turning as he contemplated his next move. The following year, a broker contacted him looking for someone to mill flour, which planted more seeds of inspiration.

After installing custom, Danish-made Engsko machinery, Janies Mill started stone-grinding whole-kernel flours in 2017.

In another serendipitous twist, Herman Brockmans daughter, Jill, came on board to manage the mill; and his other Chicago-based daughter introduced Wilken to Hewn Bakery in Evanston to do some product testing and development, laying the foundation for a productive business relationship that continues to this day.

When we started out, we were doing 3 or 4,000 pounds of flour a week, Wilken says. Now, were producing between 5,000 to 7,000 per day. Our wholesale efforts are growing, and we did a booming retail package business during the pandemic. Were so proud that were able to provide jobs on the farm and in our mill that help keep our rural community healthy economically, environmentally and socially.

What lies ahead

Looking toward the future, Wilken is aiming to double the Janies Mill production capacity and keep looking for markets that allow the farm to work directly with customers. As the demand for transparency increases and savvy consumers want to know more about the origins of the food theyre eating, he hopes that more farmers will join the organic movement.

The landowners have got to be the ones who change the landscape, he says. As some are now taking over family farms, theyre coming to the realization that they want to work with people who are conscious of land stewardship and reflect their values.

Wilken would also like to see leaders within the farming community devote more time and attention to the bigger picture of transitioning soil from conventionally treated to organic.

I think well do the environment more good by getting land transitioned from conventional to organic than by taking organic acres to the next level, like in regenerative agriculture, he says. Then well really start to see a benefit to the environment.

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Alison Dreith, deputy director of Hope Clinic, said up until a few years ago, Hope was the only clinic south of Springfield that provided abortion care in Illinois and it is one of the oldest abortion clinics in the country, having opened in 1974 shortly after the passage of Roe V. Wade. She said about 60% of the clinics patients come from out of state.

So a bulk of that, at about 55% of our patients are from Missouri, and another 5% all over, including outside of the United States. But particularly we see a lot of patients from Indiana and Kentucky, Dreith said.

Dreith said this is because Illinois has more access to care and is less restrictive than other states in the Midwest.

So every state kind of that touches Illinois is pretty restrictive when it comes to access to abortion care, Dreith said. That's certainly the case for Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, are all very restrictive states. And so we're an option for a lot of those people seeking care out of their own communities because we go to 24 weeks gestation. And a lot of our surrounding states only go to 20 weeks, or I think in Indiana, the case is even 14 weeks.
About 11:45 p.m. Friday, a 50-year-old woman was shot while she driving in the South Deering neighborhood in the 9500 block of South Stony Island Avenue. Police said someone inside a red sedan fired shots, striking the victim to the right arm. She drove herself to Roseland Community Hospital, but was being transferred to Stroger Hospital, police said.

About 10:30 p.m., two boys, ages 13 and 12, were shot while they were standing on a front porch of a residence in the 5800 block of West Augusta Boulevard in the South Austin neighborhood. Police said someone inside of a silver SUV fired shots striking one boy to the right leg, and the other boy in the left leg. Both were taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.

Shortly before 8:50 p.m., a woman and two men were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the Bronzeville neighborhood in the first block of East 43rd Street, police said. The victims were standing on a sidewalk when someone inside a gray SUV opened fire striking a woman, 23, to the buttocks. She was taken in fair condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center. A 42-year-old man who suffered a wound to the right leg was taken to the same hospital also in fair condition. The third victim, 35, suffered gunshot wounds to the body, was in critical condition, police said.
Nearing 20 years later, it is the cultures that stick out to Charlton, from the spices used in the cooking to the various ethnic groups that inhabited the area.

There were entirely different civilizations and cultures, he said.

Withdrawing from Afghanistan

Jeremy Shipley spoke to The Pantagraph in January 2003, as he was getting ready to deploy as part of the Marines. He ended up being part of the initial invasion of Iraq, which began that March.

Shipley joined in 1996, after a recruiter visited his high school in Forrest. The 9/11 attacks put everybody on edge, he said. There was a lot of uncertainty and he felt that the Marines he was serving with wanted to find a way to go someplace and prevent any future attacks.

For Shipley, the memories that stick out the most are from driving through Iraqi villages along the way. They looked thankful and appreciative as the coalition forces drove through, he said.

The U.S. finished its military withdrawal on Aug. 31 of this year, following a quick takeover of the country by the Taliban.

Charlton said he never opposed the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He believes it was necessary, but not done perfectly.
I was around 8 or 9, and my mom was trying to find more things in the area for us to get involved with, so she found a 4-H horse club, she said. So, that started my involvement in 4-H and it just kind of grew from there to all the other projects.

Grant said being named a Presidential Tray winner was a special honor to culminate her time as a 4-Her.

Its the highest honor that a South Carolina 4-Her can achieve, and so, my entire 4-H career had been working towards that goal, Grant said. It was such an honor to receive that.

As a homeschooled student, Grant said 4-H not only allowed her an outlet for working with horses, but also provided a social component that might have otherwise been lacking.

Definitely just being able to meet so many people who share the same interests as me and that are mentors in the 4-H world and in the horse world, all the connections Ive made have been beneficial, she said.

And the banquets guest speaker, Tom Garrison, who began as a 4-Her in 1966 and remained through 1976 when he graduated high school, said overcoming challenges was nothing new either in 4-H or in the career it led him to: that of a full-time farmer.
We woke up early Sunday morning, Aug, 15, and headed to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The airport is already busy with a lot of travelers. I was nervous boarding the airplane but it went very smoothly.

We had to keep our masks on the whole trip on the plane. About 3 1/2 hours later, we landed at the Salt Lake City International Airport.

The sky over Salt Lake City was very smoky. Our shuttle driver said that it was because of the fires in California and in the mountains of Salt Lake City. We could barely see the mountains because of the smoke being so dense.

Even though we couldnt see much of the mountains, it was so good to be out west with some good friends. Monday morning, we returned to the airport to meet our group. Our first stop was to a Korean restaurant in Salt Lake City for lunch. After lunch, we got to go visit the state capitol in Utah.

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After we visited the state capitol, we headed for Idaho. On our way there, the sky became a little clearer and we could see the large mountains in Utah and Idaho. Our first stop in Idaho was Bear World where we got to see a lot of black and brown bears and some baby bears playing.

Our first night was spent in Idaho Falls in Idaho. We all were tired and worn out from traveling and walking so much.
On American soil, the lives of innocent people were impacted. At the World Trade Center's twin towers, scenes of people running scared in the streets and first responders frantically rushing to save lives remain fixed in my mind even today.

I had the opportunity in 2010 to visit the memorial site where the twin towers once stood. It was a solemn and unforgettable experience. I even decided to make a photo album as a keepsake of that traumatic day.

I realize that life is precious and fleeting. Since 9/11, I have made it a daily habit to make the most of each day. I have learned to listen to and embrace others as much as possible, build friendships and family relationships, and pursue good causes because HUMANITY matters in this country and world, which are both changing in unimaginable ways.

Debra Sylvester, Orangeburg

We will not forget

If were old enough, we all remember Sept. 11, 2001; its one of those unforgettable dates.

And we more than likely remember where we were. I was in my office at The T&D following the breaking news on a small television  just after the first attack and before the second of the twin towers was hit. It was also before streaming TV on the internet.
The Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has it supported the full declassification of all records as a way to "end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all." The embassy said that any allegation that Saudi Arabia was complicit was "categorically false."

The trove of documents are being released at a politically delicate time for the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, two nations that have forged a strategic  if difficult  alliance, particularly on counterterrorism matters. The Biden administration in February released an intelligence assessment implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but drew criticism from Democrats for avoiding a direct punishment of the crown prince himself.

Victims' relatives cheered the document's release as a significant step in their effort to connect the attacks to Saudi Arabia. Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was killed in the World Trade Center attack, said the release of the FBI material "accelerates our pursuit of truth and justice."

Jim Kreindler, a lawyer for the victims' relatives, said in a statement that "the findings and conclusions in this FBI investigation validate the arguments we have made in the litigation regarding the Saudi government's responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.
Biden is also requiring vaccination for employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government  with no option to test out. That covers several million more workers.

Republican-dominated Montana stands alone in having a state law on the books that directly contradicts the new federal mandate. The state passed a law earlier this year making it illegal for private employers to require vaccines as a condition for employment.

But University of Montana constitutional law professor Anthony Johnstone said the federal rules would trump the state law. That means larger Montana businesses that previously couldnt require their employees to get vaccinated will now likely be required to, including hospitals that are some of the largest employers in the sparsely populated state.

Given that the rules are still being drafted and haven't been released, experts say the devil is in the details. It remains to be seen exactly what the rule will require employers to do or not do, and how it accounts for things such as other rights that unvaccinated employees may assert, such as the right to a disability accommodation, Pandya said.
 Who advised Biden that evacuating the military before removing Americans (and others) was the best course of action? Knowing this answer will help evaluate the fitness to serve of everyone involved in the decision.

 Biden denied that the U.S. intelligence community had assessed that the Afghan government would likely collapse. The leaders of the intelligence agencies should be heard from in hearings.

 Did Biden misrepresent to the American public what he knew to be untrue when he uttered, the likelihood theres going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely?

 Americans need to know what changed from the time Biden promised to get all Americans out and the actual departure.

 Did Biden ask then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani during a phone call July 23 to lie when he said, ... And there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture, about the need to change what Biden called a perception problem?

 Who did we kill, precisely, in the drone strike that occurred days after our service members were killed at the Kabul airport?
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Pinched by their per diem allowances, the legislators flocked to the Hitch. It was a smart move on Smiths part. He got the legislators which meant their meals and bar bills and he also attracted the lobbyists who lived at the Hitch and also rented conference rooms for their legislative receptions.

Formerly a modest motor court, the Hitch became known as Wyomings Second Capital.

Over the years the inn also hosted five presidents, a host of other national politicians and celebrities in addition to all the local civic organization meetings and conventions.

When I began covering the Legislature in the early 1970s its member were a different breed of politician. They drank more than they do now, but they also got along better.

Sen. Dick Tobin of Casper, a Republican, announced the happy hours at the Hitch on adjournment, and called them the attitude adjustment period.

That gathering was attended by Republican and Democrats.

During the day they continued to squabble, but then they would have a drink or dinner together as friends.

As a result of this co-mangling at the bar or the restaurant dinner table, they were not cemented to one position and were more willing to compromise.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki asserts that the arriving Afghans have been carefully vetted, that theyre U.S. allies who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. against the Taliban, and that some hold Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also insists arrivals will undergo careful screening and security vetting.

But the State Department in its second quarter FY 2021 report that recounted SIV issuance procedures found that the processing time is 703 days which means that U.S. officials cannot possibly have properly vetted most of the 24,000 already arrived Afghans. Moreover, State and Homeland Security Departments data from January through March showed that Afghan SIV denial rates hit 84 percent; 137 SIVs were approved, while 728 were denied. Rejected were those whose service doesnt meet the SIV bar, and they appealed. The State Department said that of the 713 appeals filed during the second quarter, 601 were denied again.
Wyoming is entitled to a representative in Congress who remembers who sent her there and honors the conservative principles we share. Liz Cheney has done neither, but I will do both. I am running against Cheney in the 2020 Republican primary so that we can take back Wyomings lone congressional seat and return it to those of us who have earned the right to call this great state home.

As a fourth generation Wyomingite, I learned the value of hard work, integrity, and loyalty while growing up on my familys ranch near Fort Laramie. I was my parents fifth child, and when I was born, my oldest sibling was only 5 years old. My parents had just bought a ranch, were over $200,000 in debt, and had only $35 in the bank. I know firsthand what challenges our citizens face and how much effort they put into taking care of their families.

As a constitutional conservative, I have fought for Wyoming by opposing the crushing overreach of government, which threatens the ability of people to make it the same way my family did. I have waged my battles in court to protect Wyoming against runaway regulations and to preserve property rights.
Reaching out to the PACs endorsed candidates, I made connections with women running for office across the state. I co-organized and attended statewide and interstate events for women interested in running political campaigns. I read dozens of articles and research on women in politics and the socioeconomic factors that affect us across the state and nation. I found massive inequities in these spheres endemic at every level. I took this research and related media, and built a social networking presence for the Cowgirl Run Fund. I worked to make a budget and schedule for the upcoming 2022 election season.

As of the end of the summer of 2021, I have reached hundreds of women and young people from acrossand even outsidethe state with voting information, how to overcome obstacles in the way of running for office, and the importance of civil discourse in politics. To do this, I have used mediums that range the gamut of social media platforms, websites, and word-of-mouth. Though I threw myself into my work with the Cowgirl Run Fund with little initial idea of how my passion would be distilled into a tangible means of helping my peers, I was committed to educating myself and connecting with individuals and organizations I hoped would help me achieve this purpose. Turns out, simple steps were all I needed to start. To all other young women and youth across the state, thats all you need to begin as well. As long as we have the will to ask questions and look for solutions among the resources around us, we have the power to shape our future and our government, starting now, and every moment moving forward.
COVID-19 has become the third rail of Wyoming politics, and that reality has major implications as the state attempts to manage the ongoing surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths here.

The first is that Wyoming, in many instances, has walked away from the steps that allowed it to keep its schools open all of last year. When schools reopened in September 2020, they did so with several measures designed to balance the benefits of in-person learning with the need to keep the virus under control. That included things like masks, partitions and social distancing. This year, however, most districts have done away with mask rules, and predictably, cases and quarantines are rising. In Cheyenne schools, for example, more than 1,000 students had to stay home in the first weeks of classes either because they were sick or because they were exposed to someone else who was. (On Wednesday, Cheyenne schools implemented a mask mandate.)

Weve also learned that information on how many students and staff are sick or quarantined has been inconsistent at best. Some districts have done a commendable job of keeping the public informed, including Laramie County School District No. 1, which keeps an updated dashboard. Others have been inconsistent or infrequent in their updates.
Editor:

Right now, Wyomings federal judges in Cheyenne and Casper are working to hire a new magistrate judge for the U.S. District Courts courthouse located in Mammoth Hot Springs within Yellowstone National Park. This magistrate judge is unlike any other in the country, as the position is the only full-time judge  inside the only full-time courthouse  in a national park.

Decisions of the judiciary rarely involve opportunities for democratic participation. However, the hiring of a new magistrate judge provides a valuable opportunity for public input into a position that will undoubtedly be held for years to come.

Magistrate judges serve a critical role in our judiciary, none more so than the only magistrate judge who oversees Yellowstone. The hiring for this position is an opportunity to prioritize diversity on the bench, including in race, gender, and professional background.

The federal judiciary is disproportionately represented by former prosecutors, who provide an important but overrepresented perspective. Our judiciary should reflect a diversity of backgrounds, and that includes more judges with experience as public defenders or criminal defense attorneys.
While conceding that political patronage is a major factor in appointments to State enterprises, retired permanent secretary Arlene McComie says it has to be considered that those people must know what it means to govern.
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Extravagant gifts such as a Benelli M4 shotgun are being showered on several police officers and employees of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service by businessmen in exchange for fast-tracking gun licences.

The businessmen in question operate their establishments in Central Trinidad and Sea Lots.
The eyes and ears of employees and employers alike are intensely focused on the industrial relations battle between Republic Bank and the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) and, by extension, the trade union movement, regarding the banks position: unvaccinated workers are required to pay for Covid-19 tests every two weeks.
Their ventures inspired Cass Hite, a Montana and Colorado prospector who actively searched for what became known as the Merrick-Mitchell Mine. With the assistance of a Navajo chief known as Hoskininni (an anglicized version of his name was Hush-Kaaney), Hite was credited with having discovered placer gold on both sides of the Colorado near Dandy Crossing in the upper part of Glen Canyon in 1883.

A subsequent gold rush involving several hundred miners resulted, with placer mining in the canyon. Wright Bar was a notable site for placer gold found in low sand bars rather than in gravel terraces.

Hite would go on to solicit capital from inventors for mining operations in the canyon including the formation of the Denver, Colorado, Canyon and Pacific Railroad Co. By decades end, Robert B. Stanton was involved in surveying a water-grade railroad route for that railroad company that would connect Grand Junction, Colorado, to the Gulf of California. During the survey, Stanton staked out five placer claims (two in Kane County and three in San Juan County, Utah). However, the venture proved unsuccessful because of a lack of capital from investors.
She is looking for ways to keep it going far beyond the next 18 months.

Many of these youth have never had an opportunity to come to a safe place and talk about the losses that theyve had, she said. Theyve felt very isolated.

'Not accepting that he was gone'

One of the youths who participated in a recent bereavement series is Deana Nunez, who lived on the Navajo Nation for most of her teen years but returned to Tucson after her father died here of COVID-19.

Nunez, 20, moved in with her grandmother and began working to finish high school with help from Meeks' program through Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona. Then her grandmother died, too  also from COVID.

One of the most difficult days was last month, on the one-year anniversary of her fathers death. She had attended a family gathering to pray the rosary and felt overwhelmed.

I was not accepting that he was gone, she said.

I reached out to people at Goodwill, she said, explaining she told them all that had happened over the last year. She appreciated the way it was set up with icebreakers first, and then the real sharing started.
Much of Sundays debate was devoted to substantive issues, including the parties' policies on housing, health, pensions, taxation and immigration.

Despite seeing her party slip in the polls, Green party candidate Annalena Baerbock largely refrained from personal attacks on her rivals and focused instead on her signature issues of social justice and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The next government is the last one that can still actively influence the climate crisis, said Baerbock, arguing that Germany needs to bring forward its deadline for phasing out coal from 2038 to 2030.

Laschet defended Merkel's 2015 decision to leave Germany's borders open to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and persecution in Syria and elsewhere, but refused to disown a candidate who has polarized members of his own party with anti-immigrant comments.
OPINION: "We are staring across a chasm where the vaccine-hesitant see the pandemic in terms of a personal risk they believe they can manage, and the vaccinated see it as a world-wide public health crisis," writes our regular contributor Renee Schafer Horton.
Im a big believer in going to a region you like and getting lost on purpose, Rachael Ray said from her home in Tuscany, Italy. My mom used to do that with me when I was a kid. Wed drive to Vermont and wed go left instead of right or down a different street or into a different place. You dont have to go far, but I completely love the idea of getting lost a little bit. Im an off-the-beaten-path kind of person and I like places that have reinvented themselves. Currently in her 16th season of the syndicated Rachael Ray Show, she also is the author of the upcoming cookbook, This Must Be the Place: Dispatches & Food from the Home Front, which will be out on October 26. Ray, who also has a home in New York, shares her travels with fans on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RachaelRay), Twitter (https://twitter.com/rachaelray) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@rachaelray?).
Nearly two-thirds of the more than 200 companies responding to a mid-July survey in the tech-centric Bay Area said they are expecting their workers to come into the office two or three days each week. Before the pandemic, 70% of these employers required their workers to be in the office, according to the Bay Area Council, a business policy group that commissioned the poll.

Even Zoom, the Silicon Valley videoconferencing service that saw its revenue and stock price soar during the pandemic, says most of its employees still prefer to come into the office part of the time. "There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to returning to the office," Kelly Steckelberg, Zoom's chief financial officer, recently wrote in a blog post.

But the biggest tech companies, which have profited even more than Zoom as the pandemic that made their products indispensable for many workers, aren't giving employees much choice in the matter. Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have made it clear that they want most of their workers together at least a few days each week to maintain their culture and pace of innovation.

That well-worn creed sounds like backward thinking to Ed Zitron, who runs a public relations firm representing technology companies  and which has been fully remote since it launched in 2012.
We are quite fortunate in Oklahoma to have parks all the way from the Panhandle, such as Black Mesa, to Beavers Bend in McCurtain County to everything in between. With such great diversity also comes a large number of ecoregions that represent all the different types of terrain around our state.

It has certainly been a very busy summer at all the parks with thousands visiting and taking advantage of not only all the activities available to guests, but also the different types of lodging. But here is something to consider: When visiting a state park during the week, it can sometimes feel like you almost have the place to yourself!

Its certainly fun to be visiting a state park with lots of like-minded people around. But, visiting during the week provides a little more peace and quiet. Getting back to nature at a state park can provide more time to truly enjoy your surroundings, to unplug and relax, to recharge and take a breath and let nature provide its earthly therapy. And staying during a weekday can provide you with more options for lodging, especially when everything is not so crowded.
In little more than a year, by mid-1991, two separate groups announced plans to build such a facility.

One, constituting the Five Tribes and led by Chickasaw Gov. Bill Anoatubby, proposed a $28 million showplace near the intersection of Interstate 35 and the Turner Turnpike.

The other proposal, by the states other 29 recognized tribes and flying the Oklahoma Institute of Indian Heritage banner, was for a less-defined something at the I-35/I-40 interchange  about where the FAM is opening this month.

Disagreements between the two groups scotched early federal funding requests, leading then-U.S. Sen. Don Nichols to tell them they werent going to get anything until they get their act together, according to an October 1991 Associated Press story.

Not until creation of the Native American Cultural and Educational Authority three years later did the concept begin to take real shape. The state first appropriated money to the authority in 1996, and the site southeast of downtown Oklahoma City was officially chosen in 1998.

But the project, originally priced at $100 million, soon became far more expensive and difficult than had been imagined, especially in Oklahomas erratic economic climate.
A 20-year-old murder case was dismissed on this day in 2014 after prosecutors said they would not attempt to retry Michelle Murphy, who was fr
The first time Joel Slaughter walked into the Crystal Ballroom, chunks of plaster were falling off the walls and the floor was carpeted with p
This was a time when it was thought that Indian culture was dying out, and so many of these objects were purchased for next to nothing, Halfmoon said. When we made the selection, one of the curatorial team discovered that many of the families who originally owned these items were still here, and we reached out to them. Many of them didnt even know these items were in the Smithsonians collection.

We were just blown away by how much these families knew about these objects, which they hadnt seen in nearly 100 years, Halfmoon said. They shared with us some profound stories that weve been able to incorporate into the exhibit.

While much of the museum is ready for the public, Halfmoon said that some aspects, such as the Family Discovery Center, aimed at younger visitors, and planned galleries for shorter-term exhibits, are yet to be completed.

As much as we tried to incorporate in the museum, theres still so much to tell about Native peoples, she said. Thats something we will be addressing in the future, with additional exhibits and programming.

For senior curator Ahtone, the goal she hopes the First Americans Museum achieves is a simple one.
I was sitting in the back seat behind the drivers seat, and my dad was in the drivers seat, while my little sister was next to me and my aunt was in the passenger seat up front, she said. I remember waving to him at first when he was walking up, not really sure what was about to happen.

She said her father had cracked his door open when the man shot him in the head, without saying a single word. Her sister and aunt rushed out of the car with her, she said. She remembers a second gunshot.

He was clearly shooting at us but missed, she said.

The killer left in the familys car, a brown Suburban.

I remember going to the hospital and seeing my dad and saying goodbye, she said. It was hard seeing him like that.

After the murder, she dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder and extreme panic attacks.

She grew up with close family who lived nearby and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelors degree in hospitality business management. Now she works in finance out of state.

Although it has been more than two decades since her fathers murder, Howells memories of him are vivid.
Instead, the states Republican leadership is promising to challenge Bidens plan to impose workplace safety rules that would require all workers at businesses with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated or be regularly tested for COVID.

Virgin also noted the Republicans have enacted legislation that prevents local school districts from requiring masks, although some districts are essentially doing so, anyway.

Last November, when 1,400 Oklahomans had died of COVID, our caucus asked Governor Stitt what his plan was to keep that number from getting to 2,000, Virgin said. Today, 10 months later, more than 8,000 Oklahomans have died, and we are still waiting on a plan from the governor.

Fines and fees: An interim study by four Republican House members signaled that the funding structure of state courts, which rely heavily on fines and fees, is likely to be on the agenda again next session.
The phrase was eventually shortened to the word you and I know today; Hes OK.

Over time, OK expanded beyond politics to mean any person, place, thing or situation that was acceptable. As in, Hows the food at the new restaurant? Its OK. Not great, not awful. The friend zone of achievement. OK.

As is so often the case with words in our convoluted and ever-evolving English language  which tended to be made up as it went along  there are alternative versions of OKs origins.

One claims it came from the Choctaw Native American language. Another  and its a stretch  is that the word somehow morphed out of oll korrect, which was an Old English for all correct.

The most ridiculous of all explanations came from the early 1800s craze among young people of using abbreviations for laughs. A particular favorite was KG, short for know go, which in turn was a wordplay on no go. How KG supposedly grew into OK stretches credulity, though some people adamantly insist it somehow happened.

Personally, the Old Kinderhook explanation has a serious ring of truth to it.

Just how did the word go from an American idiom to global slang? World War II.
I remember as a teen going to the pond on someones property around Mohawk Park to skinny dip.

The community police came and knew right away who we were, where we lived and who our parents were.

Instead of handcuffing us and arresting us for trespassing, they took us home to our parents. This is what community police do.

We broke the law, and, yes, we couldve been charged and ruined our chances of college or jobs.

But the community officer knew our parents and took that into consideration rather than humiliate us because they had the power or because they needed an arrest quota.

A lot of us went on to do great things. One ended up perfecting a laser surgery technique that everyone uses today. Another became a national music star, some became profound educators and corporate administrators.

Mayor G.T. Bynum is ignoring again the citizen oversight committee he originally proposed when he was running for office.

Just like the search for graves from the 1921 Race Massacre, the mayor has reneged on a promise to work with the community for better relations with police.

How can the police police themselves?
Tallinn, Estonia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2021) - With the help of a professional team, Company in Estonia OU helps foreign investors to start and develop businesses in Estonia, the country with no zero income tax and business-friendly legislation. Estonia is ranked 16th in the list of the most favorable countries for business.





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Thanks to the experts of Company in Estonia OU, clients can establish a business in Estonia on a turnkey basis, as well as take advantage of a wide range of services, such as:

It should also be noted that Estonia is a loyal country to cryptocurrency projects. According to the data, launching a blockchain startup in Estonia is much more profitable in terms of state fees, taxes, and the amount of registered capital (for example, in Estonia it is only 12,000 euros, compared to 730,000 euros in Malta). After receiving a license for cryptocurrency storage and exchange, the company will be able to participate in transactions with digital assets and real money on a par with such companies as Binance, Kraken, Coinbase, and others.

With the help of Company in Estonia OU customers can both register an alternative cryptocurrency fund and get access to legal investments in cryptocurrencies, as well as get a license for exchange and cryptocurrency storage services.

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Individual approach - all services of the company can be adapted to the individual needs of each client, taking into account their ethical background. In addition, the company's services are regularly updated and improved by customer requirements and Estonian legislation.

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Story continues

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The company has already served more than 900 customers from more than 100 countries, and the flow of new orders is growing every day. More than 50 new service requests are processed daily, more than half of the clients successfully launch their startups, and one-third of the clients regularly recommend Company in Estonia OU to their colleagues.

To visit the company, it is possible to take advantage of the flexible schedule customized to the customer, and the company generates a response in just one hour to the first client request .

Company in Estonia OU is the industry leader in consultancy services in Estonia and has been awarded the Credit info certificate for the strongest turnover growth during the year. The company now has an annual turnover of more than half a million euros. Several hundred investors are attracted to Estonia every year with its help.

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Jamie McDonough, RN, gives instructions to a COVID-19 patient in the COVID ICU at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images

Dr. Nicole Linder from Michigan said she watched a patient's COVID-19 symptoms worsen for weeks.

Her patient, Kathy, refused to get vaccinated, and now it's too late, Linder said.

"Despite everything that could possibly be done for her, she's going to lose her battle and lose her life," Linder said.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

A doctor in Michigan issued a stern warning for a woman lying on a hospital bed who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine: "Death is imminent."

Dr. Nicole Linder, chief hospitalist at OSF St. Francis Hospital Medical Group in Escanaba, Michigan, urged the public to get vaccinated against the coronavirus on Thursday. To make her point clearly, she cited a "very special patient" of hers named Kathy who had "refused the vaccine adamantly" before contracting the coronavirus.

Kathy has been in the hospital for at least three weeks battling COVID-19, Linder said, according to local news outlet MLive.com.

After being admitted to the hospital, Kathy called up several friends and family members to convince them to get vaccinated. At least six people got vaccinated after speaking with Kathy, Linder said, according to MLive.com.

Kathy has since been released on hospice care to spend time with her family as her symptoms continue to worsen. Ahead of her release, Kathy and Linder hugged goodbye.

"It was too late for her," said Linder, who got permission from Kathy to share her story. "Despite everything that could possibly be done for her, she's going to lose her battle and lose her life. And she's vivacious and gregarious and just a wonderful person and this did not have to happen. Her family didn't have to lose her."

For months, health experts have been urging the public to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released on Friday says that unvaccinated people are up to 11 times likelier to die of COVID-19 than people who've gotten a jab.

Story continues

Nationwide, about 54% of the US population is fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

"I'm fatigued, and I am heartsick and I'm tired of watching people suffer needlessly and die of a disease that could have been prevented by a simple and safe and effective vaccine," Linder said. "I don't want to watch my patients' families suffer with the grief of this and also the guilt if they played some role in their family member's decision not to be vaccinated."

Read the original article on Business Insider
China is poised to test a thorium-powered nuclear reactor in September, the worlds first since 1969. The theory is that this new molten-salt technology will be safer and greener than regular uranium reactors, and so could help Beijing meet its climate goals. Yet is the country's investment in this also geostrategic?

A new page in the history of nuclear energy could be written this September, in the middle of the Gobi Desert, in the north of China. At the end of August, Beijing announced that it had completed the construction of its first thorium-fuelled molten-salt nuclear reactor, with plans to begin the first tests of this alternative technology to current nuclear reactors within the next two weeks.

Built not far from the northern city of Wuwei, the low-powered prototype can as yet only produce energy for around 1,000 homes, according to the scientific journal Nature.

But if the upcoming tests succeed, Chinese authorities will start a programme to build another reactor capable of generating electricity for over 100,000 homes. Beijing could then become an exporter of a reactor technology that has been the subject of much discussion for over 40 years, according to French financial newspaper Les Echos.

Lower accident risks?

The Chinese reactor could be the first molten-salt reactor operating in the world since 1969, when the US abandoned its Oak Ridge National Laboratory facility in Tennessee.

Almost all current reactors use uranium as fuel and water, instead of molten salt and thorium," which will be used in Chinas new plant, Jean-Claude Garnier, head of Frances Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), told FRANCE 24.

Watch: Are We Getting Closer to Thorium Nuclear Fuel?

These two "new" ingredients were not chosen by accident by Beijing: molten-salt reactors are among the most promising technologies for power plants, according to the Generation IV forum  a US initiative to push for international cooperation on civil nuclear power.

Story continues

With molten-salt technology, "it is the salt itself that becomes the fuel", Sylvain David, research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and nuclear reactors specialist, explained in a FRANCE 24 interview. The crystals are mixed with nuclear material  either uranium or thorium  heated to over 500C to become liquid, and are then be able to transport the heat and energy produced.

Theoretically, this process would make the installations safer. "Some accident risks are supposedly eliminated because liquid burning avoids situations where the nuclear reaction can get out of control and damage the reactor structures," Jean-Claude Garnier added.

There's another advantage for China: this type of reactor does not need to be built near watercourses, since the molten salts themselves "serve as a coolant, unlike conventional uranium power plants that need huge amounts of water to cool their reactors", French newspaper Les Echos noted. As a result, the reactors can be installed in isolated and arid regions like the Gobi Desert.

China's plentiful supply

Beijing has also opted to use thorium rather than uranium in its new molten-salt reactor, a combination that has drawn attention from experts for years. This is mostly because there is much more thorium than uranium in nature, Francesco DAuria, nuclear reactor technology specialist at the University of Pisa, told FRANCE 24.

In addition, thorium belongs to a famous family of rare-earth metals that are much more abundant in China than elsewhere; this is the icing on the cake for Chinese authorities, who could increase its energy independence from major uranium exporting countries, such as Canada and Australia, two countries whose diplomatic relations with China have collapsed in recent years.

Beijings investment is also a long-term one. For now, there is enough uranium to fuel all operating reactors. But if the number of reactors increases, we could reach a situation where supply would no longer keep up, and using thorium can drastically reduce the need for uranium. That makes it a potentially more sustainable option," Sylvain David explained.

A 'greener' nuclear energy?

According to supporters of thorium, it would also a "greener" solution. Unlike the uranium currently used in nuclear power plants, burning thorium does not create plutonium, a highly toxic chemical element, Nature pointed out.

With so many positives on their side, why are molten salts and thorium only being used now? Essentially because uranium 235 was the natural candidate for nuclear reactors and the market did not look much further," Francesco D'Auria added.

Watch: Top 5 swaps for sustainable living

Radiation, corrosion and... nuclear weapons

Among the three main candidates for nuclear reaction  uranium 235, uranium 238 and thorium  the first is the only isotope naturally fissile, Sylvain David explained. The other two must be bombarded with neutrons for the material to become fissile (able to undergo nuclear fission) and be used by a reactor: a possible but more complex process.

Once that is done on thorium, it produces uranium 233, the fissile material needed for nuclear power generation. That then becomes another problem with thorium: "The radiation emitted by uranium 233 is stronger than that of the other isotopes, so you have to be more careful," Francesco D'Auria warned.

The feasibility of molten-salt reactors is also questionable as it creates further technical problems. "At very high temperatures, the salt can corrode the reactors structures, which need to be protected in some manner," Jean-Claude Garnier explained.

The stakes are clearly high for the Chinese tests and they will be watched very closely around the world in order to see how Beijing hopes to overcome these obstacles. But even if China ends up claiming victory, they should not rejoice too quickly, Francesco DAuria said: "The problem with corrosive products is that you don't realise their damage until five to 10 years after."

Moreover, the expert claims there is no reason to celebrate a nuclear reactor that not only produces energy, but also uranium 233. "This is an isotope that does not exist in nature and that can be used to build an atomic bomb," pointed out Francesco D'Auria.

As such, China could end up revolutionising the nuclear industry but, at the same time, they might once more alarm supporters of non-proliferation around the world.

This story was adapted from the original in French.
Frances government plans to donate 400,000 euros (or $473,000) to Azerbaijans mine action in the Karabakh region, heavily contaminated with landmines during nearly three decades of Armenian occupation. Another area where intl [international] cooperation is needed is demining, so internally displaced people can return to their land, Zacharie Gross, the French ambassador to Azerbaijan, tweeted on Wednesday, Caspian News reports.

The areas in Karabagh that require demining are huge. So, I was happy to officially inform ANAMA that France is keen to donate 400 000 euros to demining this year, the diplomat added, referring to Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action.

France followed in the footsteps of the United Kingdom, whose government last week allotted half a million pounds (or $693,000) for the same purpose.

The Karabakh (Garabagh) region, which is an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, has been mined heavily during their nearly 30-year-long occupation by Armenia since the early 1990s. Armenia kicked off full-blown military aggression against Azerbaijan following the Soviet Unions dissolution in 1991. The bloody war lasted until a ceasefire in 1994 and saw Armenia occupying 20 percent of Azerbaijans internationally recognized territories. Over 30,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, and one million were expelled from those lands in a brutal ethnic cleansing policy conducted by Armenia.

On September 27, 2020, the decades-old conflict between the two countries spiraled after Armenias forces deployed in the occupied Azerbaijani lands shelled military positions and civilian settlements of Azerbaijan. During the counter-attack operations that lasted 44 days, Azerbaijani forces liberated over 300 settlements, including the cities of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha, from nearly 30-year-long illegal Armenian occupation. The war ended in a tripartite statement signed on November 10 by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. Under the statement, Armenia also returned the occupied Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action or ANAMA leads the ongoing mine clearance operations in the liberated territories. The agency deployed its specialists and cutting-edge machinery of the Turkish, British, and Slovak production there shortly after the hostilities ended in November 2020.

According to data compiled by Azerbaijans foreign ministry, more than 15,500 hectares (38,300 acres) have been cleared from over 46,500 landmines and unexploded ordnances as of September 6.

Earlier this year, Armenia submitted some minefield maps of the once occupied Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Zangilan districts of Azerbaijan. The maps, which reportedly identify the coordinates of a total of 189,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, have been swapped for 30 Armenian saboteurs detained after the ceasefire. However, the inaccuracy of these maps and Armenias refusal to provide other maps hampers the demining process.

Mines planted in the once occupied but recently liberated Azerbaijani lands pose serious threats to the life of civilians, leading to fatal consequences.

After the ceasefire, 160 Azerbaijani citizens were killed or injured by Armenian landmines in the liberated lands. On June 4, two journalists and a government official in Azerbaijan were trapped in a fatal mine explosion in the Kalbajar district.
On the last day of summer, the parents of the servicemen buried in the Yerablur military pantheon gathered in front of the Armenian government building, protesting against the dismantling of their sons' graves. They called it vandalism and sacrilege. The fact is that earlier, the parents of Narek Gevorkyan, who died during the Second Karabakh war, discovered that his grave was destroyed: the tombstone, columns and benches were demolished and stolen.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said that the relatives of the deceased intended to erect a monument in Yerablur, which resembles a mausoleum, which cast a shadow on the neighboring graves or even blocked them altogether. But the question is how the dismantling was carried out: was it carried out by specially trained people or ordinary vandals?

Aysor quotes Gevorkian's father: "I came and saw that my son's grave was destroyed, the photograph was lying on the ground. Although we received special permission to erect a tombstone from the former and current defense ministers."

However, the Ministry of Defense said: We spoke many times with the father of the serviceman, Roman Gevorkyan, repeatedly urged him to stop construction.

One way or another, now in the military pantheon, work is underway, the result of which should be the bringing of all tombstones to a single standard. The Ministry of Defense of Armenia plans to install the same type of tombstones by the end of the year, similar to military cemeteries in other countries.

As reported by "Sputnik Armenia", both the parents of those buried in the pantheon and its architect oppose this. The relatives of some of the dead servicemen are outraged that the builders are using too much concrete, leaving no room for the green zone: when you look at the graves from afar, you see solid concrete. But the main problem is different - the search for the remains of the victims is still ongoing. If new remains of those already buried are found, they will have to break the concrete. Aslan Mkhitaryan, who is responsible for the architecture of the pantheon, says that he is not involved in the ongoing work, which, according to him, is carried out haphazardly.

One way or another, work at Yerablur is planned to be completed by the end of this year. Critics of what is happening at the cemetery recall in this regard that the Armenian nationalists created in the cemeteries of the Azerbaijani lands occupied for almost three decades - "they dug up graves, pulled out gold teeth from the dead, sold tombstones, broke steles" ...
Afghans are stressing that no one should use the Pakistani currency and those using it should be punished. A number of people have reacted to a report in a Pakistani newspaper that said business deals in Afghanistan should be based on Pakistani rupees, India TV News reports citing Pajhwok News.

Daily Jang, a Pakistani newspaper in a report quoted the country's Finance Minister, Shawkat Tareen as saying that Afghanistan faced shortage of dollar reserves and that would be the reason Afghanistan would make transactions in Pakistani rupees.

The report said that Tareen made the statements after International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank suspended payments to Afghanistan.

Raha Press reported Pakistan's most "shocking" economy minister has told the Senate Economic Committee that since Afghanistan is running out of dollar liquidity these days, trade with Afghanistan may be in rupees (Pakistani rupees).

It should be noted that in the past, in many cities of the country that border Pakistan, the main trade exchanges were based on the Pakistani rupee, which was met with many reactions, the report said.

Shaukat said the situation in Afghanistan was being closely monitored and Pakistan would send a team to help revive the Afghan economy.

After these reports, Afghans launched a social media campaign titled 'Afghani is our national identity', Pajhwok News said.

Most of the social media activists shared slogans, such as: "We are residents of Afghanistan, Afghani is our national identity and using Afghan currency is our national responsibility".
The remarks of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky about war with Russia are very dangerous for European countries, therefore, EU leaders should pay attention to them, Speaker of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin noted in his Telegram channel on Sunday, commenting on Zelenskys statement that he believes a full-scale war with Russia is possible, TASS reports.

"Does the leadership of European countries understand that these remarks by Zelensky are very dangerous to their nations? European Union leaders should pay attention to whats happening in Ukraine. If they dont want Europeans to be dragged into a full-fledged war," Volodin underlined.

He is convinced that Russians and Ukrainians "are one people that became split because of politicians like Zelensky." "We have common history, culture, religion, we are united by the Russian language. Therefore, we need to think about friendship and developing relations rather than about war and gap," the politician stressed.

According to him, Zelenskys statements about the gap between people of the two countries point to his unwillingness to establish normal relations. "Zelensky made statements which make it clear that our brothers - Ukrainian citizens - will have even more problems with this president in addition to the ones that the Ukrainians already had to face," the speaker emphasized. Volodin recalled, "a bad peace is better than any war, even more so than a full-fledged," which needs to be clear "even if youve spent your whole life making jokes and playing roles." Moreover, he added that wars often lead to country destructions.

Earlier, Zelensky told the YES Brainstorming forum that a full-scale war with Russia is possible in response to a moderators question. At the same time, he added that it would be "the biggest mistake for Russia primarily." The Ukrainian leader is also convinced that Ukrainians and Russians have become enemies with a huge gap lying between them now.
President Joe Biden, speaking unexpectedly during a visit to the Pennsylvania site of one of the 9/11 plane crashes, again defended the widely criticized withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying the US could not "invade" every country where Al-Qaeda is present, NDTV reports.

"Could Al-Qaeda come back (in Afghanistan)?" he asked in an exchange with reporters outside a Shanksville fire station. "Yeah. But guess what, it's already back other places."

"What's the strategy? Every place where Al-Qaeda is, we're going to invade and have troops stay in? C'mon."

Biden said it had always been a mistake to think Afghanistan could be meaningfully united.

Biden said American forces had achieved their central mission when a special forces team killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011 in a compound in Pakistan.
Georgia will receive 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on September 11, Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze has stated today, Agenda.ge reports.

Registration for the batch will open on September 13.

A total of 1,366,678 people are vaccinated in Georgia as of September 8, out of which 856 956 have received one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, while 509,722 have received two doses of vaccine.

A total of 27,011 individuals have been vaccinated in the last 24 hours in the country.
Many investors have offered to sell their homestays as they do not have enough money to pay debts and maintain operations.

Many investors have offered to sell their homestays

T., the owner of a homestay in Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh province, said he built a 400 square meter homestay in 2019. At first, the homestay had many customers, and he thought he would able to pay bank debts quickly. Homestay was a favorite form of accommodation chosen by a large number of tourists, especially the youth, for the competitive prices and novel experiences.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, which caused the number of guests to plummet. He cut the workforce to save money and stopped operation temporarily, hoping to reopen later.

In September 2020, he offered to sell the homestay at VND15 billion, but could not find buyers. As he has incurred heavier losses since the fourth Covid-19 outbreak, he has offered to sell it at VND12 billion. But the number of calls asking about the homestay has been very modest.

There are now thousands of homestay sale ads on real estate trading websites.

The homestay rush kicked off several years ago. In 2017-2019, the rapid growth of the tourism industry led to higher demand for accommodations. Investors then rushed to develop homestays, a market with an estimated revenue of $130 million in 2018.

In 2019, a report from AirDNA, a market analysis firm, showed that the homestay market in Vietnam saw the hot growth of 452 percent in terms of supply within only one year. HCM City, Da Nang, Hanoi, and Lam Dong and Khanh Hoa provinces had the highest number of homestays.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, investors managed to survive the three pandemic waves. However, the recent fourth wave appears to have dealt a death blow. Investors have been hurrying to sell homestays to stop losses.

Selling rush

Homestays major clients are domestic and foreign travelers. Because of Covid-19, Vietnam has yet to reopen the market to international tourism, resulting in a sharp fall in foreign travelers.

The General Statistics Office (GSO) reported that only 88,200 foreigners came to Vietnam in the first half of 2021, a decrease of 97.6 percent compared with the same period last year. Domestic tourism has also been quiet because of the pandemic.

The total number of travelers to Ninh Binh province in the period dropped by 42.3 percent compared with the same period last year, while revenue dropped by 32.8 percent.

In Lam Dong, where tourism is considered the key business field, only 2 million travelers were seen in the first seven months of the year, a drop of 11.99 percent. Meanwhile, foreign travelers plummeted by 84.4 percent.

In Da Lat, the famous tourism city in Lam Dong province, many ads about the sale of hotels and home stays can be seen.

A 4x20m homestay on To Ngoc Van Street, just a five minute motorbike drive from Xuan Huong Lake, is being offered at VND10.7 billion. The seller, when posting the ad about the sales, said that he has fallen into insolvency and is wili g to sell the homestay at a loss.

On the website of a real estate trading floor in Da Lat, one can find many homestays on sale, with prices between several billions of dong and VND30-40 billion.

In Ninh Hai commune in Hoa Lu district in Ninh Binh, where there are about 100 homestays, many investors are seeking buyers. However, a local official said since late 2020 the local authorities have reported about only two official transfer deals.

Quan, a broker, said the market is gloomy with many sellers and few buyers. In general, small homestays priced at several billions of dong have higher liquidity, while the ones priced at tens of billions of dong cannot attract investors.

Quan said homestay owners want to sell as soon as possible because they built them with borrowed money and now is the time for them to pay debts.

According to Quan, buying homestays can be a wise decision now, because the prices are very good. However, few investors show their interest in homestays, because they cannot go to see homestays amid social distancing, and cannot do business with homestays soon after the purchase.

Mai Thanh

Hotels, private hospitals join fight against Covid-19 Many resources in society have been mobilized for testing, vaccination and medical quarantine, which has improved service quality and helped businesses earn revenue.
By the time he turned 27, Phan Thanh Quoc had visited 30 countries and 150 cities. And now he is working to earn enough money to take a trip around the world after the Covid-19 pandemic ends.

The beauty of Cao Bang

Quoc, 29, was visiting Trung Khanh, Cao Bang province when he met a reporter from VietnamNet.

At first, Quoc was going to be there for one month, but because of Covid-19, he decided not to return to HCM City but stay to learn more about the life and culture of Trung Khanhs people, and wait for the rice ripening season.

I live in a homestay run by a local family. I am now a member of their family, not a traveler. I cook with them and do fieldwork, Quoc told the reporter.

The young man who has a passion for travel visited 50 cities and provinces in Vietnam when he was a university student. By the time he was 27 years old, he had been to 30 countries and territories.

He stopped traveling abroad in early 2020 when Covid-19 broke out. Instead, he has spent time on domestic trips. While traveling, Quoc continues to work as a software developer, and writes a travel blog, which has attracted 65,000 followers.

Quocs first trip abroad was to Cambodia in 2016. The trip prompted the young man to discover other countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, and beyond, to France, Germany, Switzerland, India, Egypt and Nepal. Some of his trips last two months, but he stays in one country no more than two weeks.

Quoc said he never sets a plan on where he will go next. When he is in a country, he thinks about where he will visit next and then follows procedures to ask for visas.

Quoc returns home when his money runs out. Instead of staying in resorts, he will go out to have experiences, such as visiting the Egyptian Pyramids and volcanoes in Indonesia, or wandering in a village in the Alps in Switzerland.

To have money for traveling, Quoc said he has to work hard. His work as a software developer brings a good income. He also always practices thrift and spends his money in a reasonable way.

When traveling, he shares rooms and taxis with others. Sometimes, he takes a bus and goes all night to a new place to save money for a hotel room. He always carries water bottles and eats reasonably priced food and enough carbohydrates for energy.

Unforgettable experiences

Each journey brings invaluable experience, joys and troubles.

In Egypt, Quoc one day was swindled by a taxi driver, who deliberately took a longer way than usual and forced Quoc to pay money though he did not bring Quoc to the destination. The two parties argued. Luckily, Quoc met two Egyptian musicians who helped negotiate the fare with the driver and took Quoc back to the city.

He also likes going to areas where the indigenous culture remains intact and discover the natural beauty of the local landscapes. However, in these areas, people cannot speak English so Quoc sometimes runs into troubles.

In April 2018, Quoc arrived in Mathura, India at 3am. He was startled when he saw armed troops. There was no wifi, and simcards were not sold to foreigners.

During his three days of staying there, Quoc realized that he was the only foreigner in the locality. He could not communicate with anyone, and he met scammers who cheated him.

But, fortunately, he met a good-natured local man, Rami, a tuktuk driver. The man helped him discover Mathura and Vrindavan.

Quoc said he "grows up" after every journey. He sometimes faces troubles during trips, but he also meets good people.

After every trip, I have positive changes in my way of thinking, and my way of looking at life. My foreign language and communication skills are much better, which help me get better jobs and earn more money, he said.

Proud of being Vietnamese

Having been to 30 countries, Quoc realized that there are few places that have the special natural beauty of Vietnam.

The natural landscapes and traditional culture of the regions in Vietnam are all wonderful. People are good natured and friendly. However, Vietnam is still not very good at tourism media, compared with other regional countries such as Thailand and Singapore, Quoc said.

That is why he has made photos and videos about the beautiful scenery of Vietnam, especially in Ninh Binh, Lao Cai and Cao Bang. He hopes this will be a way for young people in the country and foreigners to know more about Vietnam.

The wonderful landscapes and people in Cao Bang are tied to my feet. And I believe that there are many more localities like Cao Bang in our country, he said.

Linh Trang

Magical breeding season of sea turtles in Bay Canh Island Bay Canh Island is the second largest of its kind in Con Dao Archipelago in Ba Ria  Vung Tau Province, where sea turtles come to nest and breed mainly between July and September every year.
The audit results of water resource management in the Mekong River basin show that the amount of water upstream of the river to the Cuu Long (Mekong Delta) has decreased sharply.

Saltwater intrusion and polluted canals have adversely affected the Mekong Delta region.

The Mekong River faces a serious water shortage.

The state audit agencies of three out of six countries in the Mekong River basin, including Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, with professional and technical support from the State Audits of Malaysia, Indonesia, the World Bank (WB) and the Canadian Auditing and Accountability Fund (CAAF), have jointly audited the management of water resources in the Mekong River Basin.

The audit was carried out at four ministries and central agencies including the Vietnam Mekong River Commission, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and 12 provinces and cities in the Mekong River basin, including: An Giang, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Soc Trang, Can Tho, Tra Vinh, Ca Mau, Hau Giang, Ben Tre, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Dak Lak.

Implemented from March 3 to April 29, 2021, the audit assessed the management of water resources and Vietnam's compliance with international commitments in the management, use and protection of water resources of the Mekong River basin, associated with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and identified negative impacts due to the reduction of water resources of the Mekong River in Vietnam in the period 2016-2020.

The audit results show that the inadequacies and limitations in water resource management combined with climate change factors and the increase of water exploitation in the upstream countries have led to negative impacts on Vietnam, especially in the Mekong Delta. This area of more than 17.3 million people provides over 50% of rice production, 65% of aquatic production, and 70% of fruit production of Vietnam.

Specifically, the amount of water from upstream to the Mekong Delta in 2020 decreased by 157 billion m3 compared to 2011, while the amount of sediment fell by 14 million tons compared to 2017 (37%).

Many localities reported a decline in the number of species and the number of individuals of many species of creatures and aquatic species of the Mekong River. As a result, hundreds of thousands of workers had to leave their hometowns and their traditional jobs to look for jobs in big cities and urban areas.

Based on the audit results, the State Audit of Vietnam has proposed that the Vietnam Mekong River Commission assume the prime responsibility for and coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies and localities to develop technical documents/guidelines on monitoring the use of water on tributaries; maintain minimal flows (on the mainstream and tributaries of the Mekong River); and develop specific provisions and sanctions to resolve disputes over disagreements between member countries in the management and use of water in the Mekong River basin.

In addition, the Vietnam Mekong River Commission is asked to promote the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to implement the transfer of monitoring systems (fisheries, ecosystem health, silt...) and for the member countries to effectively operate these systems, in order to ensure a database for integrated management of water resources throughout the Mekong River Basin.

Ngoc Ha
Vietnam has confirmed 11,478 coronavirus cases during the past 24 hours, down by nearly 500 and 1,843 cases respectively compared to the previous two days, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in its 06.00pm coronavirus update on September 12.

Of the new infections, 6,650 cases were detected in the community through test screening or random testing, nine tested positive upon returning to Vietnam from overseas, and the rest were documented in quarantine or lockdown areas.

Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong, the two largest coronavirus hotspots, registered 6,158 and 3,188 new cases respectively, accounting for more than four fifths of the total.

They were followed by Dong Nai with 974 new cases, Long An 285, Kien Giang 117, Tay Ninh 93 and Tien Giang 80, all in the south.

Elsewhere, Quang Binh topped central localities in infection number, recording 61, while Khanh Hoa and Quang Ngai reported 48 and 30 more cases respectively.

In the northern region, only two localities confirmed new infections, with Hanoi capital detecting 20 and its neighbor Hung Yen just 1.

September 12 is the second consecutive day that has seen infection numbers fall in Vietnam. The MoH earlier announced 11,932 new cases on September 11 and 13,321 new cases on September 10.

As of 06.00pm on September 12, Vietnam has recorded 613,375 coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak in January 2020, and 608,997 locally acquired infections following the resurgence of the virus four and a half months ago.

Of the total, 371,804 patients have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, including 11,116 recoveries announced on September 11.

The MoH has also confirmed 261 COVID-19 deaths during the past 24 hours, with HCM City and Binh Duong reporting 200 and 39 fatalities respectively.

The September 12 figure has raised the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in Vietnam to 15,279, making up 2.5% of the total number of infections and 0.4% higher than the average death rate globally.

More than 18.1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered nationwide, with over 5 million people getting their second shot.

Source: VOV
Across America, a war is going on, fought almost exclusively on the phone.

Former and retired military members are taking it on themselves to try and help Afghan interpreters get to the safety of another country. For years, these interpreters worked against the Taliban with foreign militaries and now fear retaliation.

President Joe Biden has said the United States will continue to work to get people out. But it is not that easy. Although many have gotten out, there are still hundreds remaining. Some groups have gotten out since U.S. forces withdrew, but for those working from far away to try to bring people to the States, it is not good enough. They have taken it on themselves to try and get people out faster.

Mexia residents David and Holly Maples, both former military members, have spent hours and hours on the phone trying to help former interpreters get to the States.
Dean has not responded to messages left by The Associated Press at phone numbers listed for him and his businesses and through attorneys who have represented him. But Dean defended the Ida evacuation to WAFB-TV: We only had five deaths within the six days, and normally with 850 people youll have a couple a day, so we did really good with taking care of people.

Louisiana rewrote its nursing home laws and regulations after Katrina was blamed for dozens of nursing home patient deaths in 2005.

A health department study of Katrina's death toll found 132 nursing home patients died, including from the stress of the evacuation or preexisting conditions exacerbated by the storm impacts. Thirty-five residents of a nursing home in St. Bernard Parish drowned in Katrina's floodwaters.

Kanter said that before Katrina, some nursing homes didn't have evacuation plans at all. He said they are now required to submit annual plans to parish and state officials describing their emergency preparations in extensive detail.

But after Ida, questions are being raised about whether those plans are reviewed closely enough to ensure safety, whether staffing levels are adequate for evacuations and whether enough is done to make sure family members know where their loved ones are going in an evacuation.
The non-binding House resolution  stating that anyone who unknowingly votes when ineligible should not be criminally incarcerated for making an innocent mistake  was pressed by Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows. The West Texas attorney confessed on the floor that I would not have known that being on supervised release would have made you ineligible (to vote). That is a high bar to impute on somebody to put them away for five years.

Crystal Mason was convicted for doing just that. One of the two co-authors of the House resolution sending a clear message to the state judiciary: Waco Republican Rep. Charles Doc Anderson.

Some changes ahead

Verdict on this byzantine patchwork of election law: If you vote by the former presidents preferred method for his subjects (notwithstanding his general practice of voting by mail), you shouldnt notice much difference when voting in person. Otherwise, prepare for critical, fine-print changes. Have your drivers license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number handy if you wish to vote by mail. Prepare to sign your John Hancock to certain terms and vows if you assist the disabled in voting.
Joanne Hueske, Moody

Rules of tipping

Tip the person who delivers anything to your home, even if the store offers free delivery. Its the right thing to do. If you cant afford to tip, a nice thank you or we appreciate what you do will suffice.

If food is being delivered, and you cant afford to tip, you cant afford to be ordering takeout. Cook instead. The same thing if eating in a restaurant. Waiters and waitresses deserve tips, too.

Tip more to delivery drivers using their personal vehicles. They have additional expenses of fuel, car upkeep and car insurance  often not included in their pay. They usually get paid by the delivery  not minimum wage. Consider the distance and time they are saving you.

If its a prescription, have it filled by a pharmacy close to home, not the one across town where you lived previously.

Tape the tip to the front door in an envelope marked driver if you dont see them face-to-face due to the pandemic. Theres always a way to show appreciation.

Virginia Finger, Elm Mott

Whose propaganda?
WAVERLY  Not only is it Suzette Casillas first time planning a flea market and swap meet for the Camp Creek Threshers, its also the first time Camp Creek will be hosting an event of this type in the fall.

Treasures by the Creek, the first fall flea market and swap meeting, will be on Saturday, Sept. 11. The day will kick off at 6 a.m. with a pancake breakfast followed by an antique tractor pull starting at 10 a.m.

While admission is free for visitors, vendors have a $30 fee with an extra $20 charge for electricity. The breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, milk, orange juice and coffee and be $7 for adults and $3 for kids five years old to 12 years old.

Along with the flea market, swap meet and breakfast, Camp Creek will also host an antique tractor pull. For each tractor pull, the driver will be charged $20 during the competition.

Camp Creek President Don Kneifl said Little Red Sled tractor pulling will be helping with the event, but this is the first time the company has done an event like this at Camp Creek.

Kneifl said the reason for adding the event came from the interest of Camp Creek patrons.
There are precious few military aircraft which attain immortality with the public following their operational careers, and fewer still achieve such immense popularity while serving on active duty. However, one such aircraft which can claim the latter status is the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, affectionally referred to as the Rhino by aircrews and aviation enthusiasts alike. While most air arms have long-since retired their Phantoms, the type is still on the front lines with a handful of air arms, and despite these aircraft not technically qualifying as warbirds in the true sense of the word, the iconic fighter is so beloved that every news item featuring the F-4s current flying exploits is eagerly sought out by many (Click HERE for previous articles).

So with that being said, our good friend Steven Comber at the Centre of Aviation Photography (COAP) sent us a set of magnificent images featuring Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Phantoms which he took last week in the skies over Tanagra Air Force Base near Athens, Greece during the 9th Athens Flying Week International Air Show; the biggest aviation event in Greece.

The Phantom entered service with the HAF in 1974 under the arms program Peace Icarus. Although it is a third-generation combat jet, and ancient by modern standards, 36 F-4E Phantoms have received significant upgrades with advanced electronics under the program Peace Icarus 2000, extending the types operational relevance. The fighters are based at Andravida Air Base (117 Combat Wing, 338 and 339 Squadrons with call signs Aris and Aias respectively) and at Larissa Air Base (110 Combat Wing, 337 and 348 Squadrons Ghost and Eyes respectively). Following the upgrade program, all HAF F-4Es now wear Aegean Ghost camouflage schemes, while their RF-4Es wore Vietnam War-era Southeast Asia camouflage until their retirement in 2017.

During the show, visitors had the opportunity to witness flying displays performed by the French Air Forces Dassault Rafale Solo Display Team, the Hellenic Air Forces historic Supermarine Spitfire, the Patrouille de France, and Saudi BAe Hawks, as well as the HAF Zeus F-16 Demo Team, the Royal Danish Air Forces F-16 Solo Display and US F-15s, among others.

The program included the demonstration of a Combat Evac exercise by the Greek armed forces along with water-drops from fire-fighting aircraft. Furthermore, there were a number of special aircraft formations commissioned by the Athens Flying Week to mark the Greek Revolutions Bicentennial.

Many thanks to Steven Comber for these beautiful photos. To learn more about the Centre of Aviation Photography, please visit their website HERE. While the pandemic will have 2021 plans in flux for the moment, they are sure to have an amazing lineup of fabulous aviation photography adventures lined up for next year!
Czacka, born in 1876 to an aristocratic family, went blind as a young woman and devoted the rest of her life to helping others. The Franciscan nun helped develop a Polish version of Braille and opened a center for the blind near Warsaw.

Pope Francis paid tribute to them both during a visit to Budapest on Sunday, recalling how Wyszynski was arrested and imprisoned and how Czacka devoted her whole life to helping the blind.

May the example of these new Blesseds encourage us to transform darkness into light with the power of love, he said.

Wyszynski led the church through nearly three turbulent decades of often bitter conflict with the communist authorities, followed later by a form of partnership with the secular regime. Late in his life, Wyszynski had become accepted by the authorities as an important force in national life, and members of the regime attended his funeral.

During the difficult years of the 1950s, when Poland's avowedly atheistic government sought to silence the church, the tall, slender Wyszynski thundered from his pulpit that Christ has the right to be announced, and we have the right to announce him.

Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz recalled Wyszynski as a man who saved the Polish church under communism.
Pelosi has set the ambitious goal of passing it by Oct. 1.

Axne announced on Wednesday that the draft of the House budget bill would include $1 billion to expand retail availability of ethanol and biodiesel around the country. Iowa leads the nation producing ethanol, a corn-based fuel additive, and biodiesel, commonly made from soybeans. The amount is double what Axne sought in a bill she had introduced in the House Agriculture Committee this year.

The grants are expected to increase demand for the fuels nationally, spur output in Iowa's 42 ethanol plants and biodiesel refineries, as well as boost the price of corn and soybeans for the farmers who supply them, according to Iowa renewable fuels advocates.

It impacts the price of soybeans by more than a dollar a bushel. Thats a lot of money," said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and a past Republican candidate for Congress. For ethanol youre looking at an extra $400 to $500 million for farmers in Iowa, because the price of corn is higher."

On top of that, for the fraction of the cost of the overall bill, the measure would immediately accelerate cutting carbon emissions, a priority of Biden's plan, Axne said.
This is now the third year that Iowas students have been affected by the pandemic, Langholz said, noting that strong opinions on the law were not a basis for a restraining order against it.

Langholz said the law, House File 847, includes a saving clause. If a federal law required students to wear masks in schools, that would override the state law prohibiting mask mandates. However, he said, there was no such federal law.

I want to be absolutely clear that these defendants do not agree that any federal law that theyre aware of  mandates, as a matter of law, that universal mask mandates for an entire school district [exist], Langholz said.

Senior Judge Robert W. Pratt presided over the hearing. He did not say when he would decide whether to issue an injunction.

If he does issue a temporary restraining order against the law, Iowa school districts would be allowed to once again require universal masking at their buildings. But even that doesnt necessarily mean that mask mandates will click immediately into place: school districts would need to decide whether to require face coverings, a process that has been contentious in other states.
What does law enforcement have to say? Fabian Blache Jr., the executive director of the Louisiana Chiefs of Police, said: Police officers are trained around the country and they make mistakes. So why are we going to give opportunity to people who are not trained to be able to carry a firearm and use it at will?

In Texas, San Marcos Police Chief Stan Standridge, the past president of the Texas Police Association, said: At least with the license to carry permit, citizens must demonstrate basic knowledge and awareness of laws.

Steve Loomis, head of a police union in Cleveland says: When you have all these people running around with guns and rifles, you dont know who the bad guy is.

Robert Spitzer, author of The Politics of Gun Control points out: There is something of a disjunction between repeating the slogan of back the blue versus supporting policies the rank and file police and leaders of police organizations actually support.
There are a lot of voices weighing in on the current morale issues facing the Waterloo Police Department, but the voices of current police officers have been consistently missing. This isnt surprising as officers take their jobs extremely seriously and have a tradition of refraining from politics. Thats why as three of the departments most recent retirees we feel an obligation to our colleagues to speak out on their behalf. Politicians and the media have painted a narrative that morale has tanked largely in part to the removal of the griffin from the police department. The griffin is such a small part of the overall problem.

We all served as police officers, two of us sergeants, retiring this summer after decades of service. We took great pride in our choice to serve the citizens of Waterloo. Its unfortunate that due to issues of poor leadership and horrible morale within the department, the end of our careers wasnt as happy as the beginning. The negative issues within the department are due in large part to the poor leadership and direction of Chief Joel Fitzgerald.

The concerns with Fitzgeralds leadership arent new. There are glaring similarities of concerns with his leadership skills penned in his termination letter in Fort Worth, Texas. In fact, one could simply change the name of the city and the letter would hold true in Waterloo.
The same was true for Agrari, the next beach over, where I got a sunbed in an outlying cluster for 15 ($18)  by far the cheapest I had seen. A diligent, somewhat forlorn man served inexpensive comfort food.

I set off by foot for the opposite end of the beach, climbing a hill spiked with jagged rocks, facing Elia Beach, just to the east. Below the crest, however, was a small, sandy alcove. Although it was not marked on my tourist map, it held over three dozen men, nearly all of them naked, crowded together on beach towels. Many were young and quite well-built; I figured: Im older and lately bald, but Ive kept well-tempered abs  surely thats an entry visa to the domain of Poseidon.

Since my last visits, havent I learned that to travel well you must reach past your comfort zone? I went down the single, narrow path to the beach, not exactly saying, Pardon me, straight guy coming through, but so obviously giving that impression, I was once again politely ignored by all.

To close the circle on my first experience at Super Paradise Beach, so long ago, I joined the other guys for a proper Grecian skinny dip. The water was perfect  the right temperature and rolling in a gentle way that made it feel more like an open-air bath than a trip to the beach.
Like all children, NATO wants to be the only game going in the sandbox:

Currently, NATO has not been invited to send observers to Zapad-2021, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told RFE/RL. Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has never opened an exercise for mandatory OSCE Vienna Document observation. This is despite the fact that observations are mandatory when exercises exceed 13,000 troops. We call on Russia and Belarus to act in a predictable and transparent way, in line with their international commitments. This is especially important when there is increased military activity along our borders, to reduce risks and avoid any accidents or incidents, Lungescu said in e-mailed comments on September 2.
Like chum in shark-infested waters, news of the states revenue windfall has stirred up a feeding frenzy.

But while a projected $1.4 billion in new money available for expanded spending in the 2021-22 fiscal year certainly opens the door to options, its important to remember we have existing, substantial obligations. Before we create new programs, we need to ensure the states financial foundation is sound and that existing, successful programs are fully supported.

This includes shoring up the shaky pension funds for employees in state and local government, public schools and higher education. These workers have earned their retirement benefits, and the state has a legal and moral obligation to provide them, but the funds are insolvent. Together, the Public Employees Retirement Association and Education Retirement Board funds are $15.7 billion short of what they need to provide for existing retirees and working employees already in the retirement system.

Along the same lines, data on state employees indicates the states pay schedule continues to drag behind the market, making it hard for agencies to attract and keep the best employees. A failure to attract enough quality employees can hamstring essential services, with consequences ranging from inconvenient to deadly, and investing in new initiatives only exacerbates the problem.

The list goes on  from the need to replace the one-time federal money that shored up the state budget this year to restoring the many, many positions cut from environmental protection agencies over past administrations to boosting the potentially inadequate formulas used to fund effective, critical public school services. Fortunately, budget drafters arent working blind. The Legislative Finance Committee, which drafts a spending plan for consideration by the full Legislature, works from budget guidelines that outline priority spending areas and identify the elements that make a program worth the investment.

The committees highest priority continues to be public schools, followed by public health, workforce development, public safety, protections for vulnerable citizens, economic growth, and transportation infrastructure. Increases will be focused on programs that we know will provide a strong return on the investment. At the same time, committee members will look for services that can be cut because they are redundant, ineffective or can be provided more efficiently.

The committee also has set guidelines for revenue measures, with an eye toward expanding the states tax base to allow for lower rates and temper the states over-reliance on the oil and natural gas industry. And, indirectly a budget issue, we plan to carefully review how best to get a handle on crime.

No doubt, budget drafting is more rewarding when revenues are strong than when they are weak. Its heartbreaking to cut essential services during a downturn. But its only a little easier to sort through the clamor of new ideas, mostly well-intended but not always well-thought-out.

Rep. Patricia Lundstrom is executive director of the Greater Gallup Economic Development Corporation and has served in the New Mexico Legislature representing McKinley and San Juan counties since January 2001. She is also a member of the House Transportation, Public Works and Capital Improvements Committee.
Victims of violent crime, their families, and everyday Burquenos are done with the finger-pointing and partisan bickering, especially from outside critics who care little and understand less about our city except when politically convenient. People are demanding solutions that work, not empty rhetoric, to our citys violent crime epidemic.

To that end, weve proudly joined criminal justice leaders from across the city through efforts like the citys Metro Crime Initiative to develop new strategies and policies that address crime and resolve gaps in collaboration between stakeholders.

As the city hits disturbing and unacceptable levels of violent crime, lets take stock of whats been tried and failed, and where we must make changes.

For starters, the failed war on drugs, with its so-called tough-on-crime laws both parties have supported but which Republicans are once again proposing, did little more than waste billions of dollars over decades while destroying New Mexican families. Laws like 3-Strikes Youre Out would only serve to pack our jails full of New Mexicans whose only crime was treating their trauma, physical or mental illness with readily available yet criminalized drugs. We must continue to invest and rebuild a modern rehabilitation system that treats addiction as an illness worthy of a cure, especially after the dismantling of our behavioral health system under our previous governor.

We must also recognize our judicial system seems to have swung too far the other way when it comes to the most dangerous criminals. Bernalillo Countys pretrial detention system is failing to hold accountable violent offenders, resulting in a revolving door thats without strong supervision and monitoring of those that are released. This is a demoralizing message for our law enforcement officers who work hard every day to keep these violent criminals off our streets. As a Legislature, we must do a better job of incentivizing judges and district attorneys to use their discretion to ensure that violent criminals are kept off the street.

A new approach is critically needed. We know our families want to live in safe neighborhoods, our police desperately need additional personnel and efficient coordination with other agencies to effectively do their jobs, and our community leaders are calling for an end to policies that target their marginalized communities while failing to invest in future opportunities that give folks a legitimate way to get ahead.

Thats why House Democrats have proposed a comprehensive legislative package that makes necessary adjustments to our pretrial detention system, implements common-sense gun safety measures to reduce high-capacity magazines like those used to injure four APD officers last month, criminalizes the failure to properly store firearms to prevent another school shooting like the one at Washington Middle School, and funding increases to train, recruit and retain more law enforcement officers, as well as for violence intervention and prevention programs and tougher penalties for second-degree murder.

New Mexico is finally beginning to invest the resources necessary to break the generations-long cycles of poverty that are well-documented to contribute to violent crime. Now, we must use the time remaining before the next legislative session to build a consensus around effective crime-fighting legislation that delivers a safer New Mexico today, and in the days, weeks and years ahead.

https://www.abqjournal.com/?p=2427946
Albuquerque is in the midst of the worst crime wave we have ever seen, and New Mexico is ranked the most dangerous state to live in for 2021. The unfortunate thing about this is the crime wave has been enabled by both legislative actions as well as inaction. For years, Republicans in the House and Senate have offered legislation to protect law-abiding citizens. New Mexico Democrats have killed every proposal and have instead pushed through legislation that excuses criminals. If this werent bad enough, Albuquerque Democrats have argued that law enforcement officers are the real problem, and they have decried Republican crime bills as failed policies and mocked Republicans for pursuing an all crime all the time agenda.

If holding criminals accountable for their actions are failed policies, why is it that crime has been spiraling out of control since Democrats implemented their soft on crime  soft on criminals  tough on police agenda? Now that Albuquerque has broken the annual murder record with four months remaining, House Democrats and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have finally recognized their soft-on-crime policies may not be popular with voters. As a result, they have decided to alter their catch-and-release system, which was put in place because the old bail system was one of those failed policies they often refer to.

While families are afraid to go out to dinner or take a walk around the block, Albuquerque Democrats and the governor are making every effort to have you forget that they are ultimately responsible for this problem. If they were so concerned about crime, why, year after year, have they killed every thoughtful proposal to keep our families safe? More importantly, why have they supported and enabled the cultural shift that has undermined law enforcement officers by declaring criminals to be the victims of law enforcement? No wonder Albuquerque is operating with less than half of its police force in the field and the governor has once again been forced to pull State Police officers from their regular posts around the state to supplement APD and the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office.

What is happening in Albuquerque and across the state should not be a surprise to anyone. Disrespect for the rule of law was crystalized last year when the mayors of Albuquerque and Santa Fe had law enforcement stand down while rioters demolished their downtown areas and monuments were vandalized in each of the two historic plazas. The message was loud and clear  lawlessness will be tolerated. Respect for the rule of law and for the police officers who enforce the law must replace the insane coddling of criminals.

Over the next several months, the governor and her co-conspirators in the Legislature are going to try and convince you they are the embodiment of Wyatt Earp and his brothers. In reality, their effect on New Mexico crime is more like Calamity Jane. Their new soft-on-crime package they have announced will literally do nothing to address the crime problem they created. How asinine is it to think that you can be tough on crime while continuing to be soft on criminals?

https://www.abqjournal.com/?p=2427945
I am a retired, decorated Albuquerque police officer. I began my law enforcement career in 1994 as a state of New Mexico probation/parole officer. In this position, I supervised the highest-risk felony offenders, both on probation and parole. I served 11 years as a PO, then left to attend the police academy in 2003. As an Albuquerque police officer, I served both as a detective in the Crimes Against Children Unit and as a patrol officer. I chose to spend most of my APD career as a patrol officer, mainly in Southeast Albuquerque.

The crime problem in New Mexico is complex; however, key factors are eminent. First and foremost is a lack of accountability, i.e. punishment for committing a crime.

N.M. judges have discretion in sentencing and can suspend any, or all, of a sentence, with the exception of certain enhancements, averaging one year. Plea deals run rampant and reduce sentencing on the underlying charge significantly. Judicial discretion in sentencing further reduces consequences, often down to near-zero accountability, with deferred and conditional discharge sentences for violent and serious felony crimes.

As a probation/parole officer, I often supervised two- and three-time convicted violent offenders, including murderers, who were out on the streets, most of them reoffending very quickly on release from prison, sometimes the same day.

Michael Astorga was wanted for absconding while out on a pending murder charge at the time he killed Bernalillo County Deputy James McGrane in 2006. Davon Lymon killed APD Officer Daniel Webster in 2015 while on parole for convictions including voluntary manslaughter and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Jessica Kelley, a repeat offender, had been released from prison four days before 10-year-old Victoria Martens was killed, dismembered and burned in 2016; Kelley pleaded no contest to child abuse recklessly caused resulting in death, tampering with evidence and aggravated assault.

During my career as a probation/parole officer, I supervised violent offenders, child abusers, rapists, drug traffickers, murderers, all crimes imaginable, and those individuals were all out on the street, once again endangering N.M. citizens.

Judges are elected by the citizens and campaign funds come from supporters, including high-priced defense attorneys in private practice. It benefits these lawyers to cut plea deals so their success among the criminally charged is evident. Prosecutors, on the other hand, are over-burdened with cases and are paid a conservative salary, thereby provoking acceptance of unjust plea deals.

The legislators in Santa Fe are responsible for creating laws that ensure the safety of N.M. citizens. However, most of these officials are elected with no credible credentials and are clueless as to how the system works. Some are in the pockets of lobbyists working for those who prefer the rights of criminals paying their salaries vs. N.M. victims. Most N.M. citizens vote into office elected officials simply by name recognition, or party affiliation, and have zero knowledge of the candidates qualifications for managing our state.

Police officers risk their lives on a daily basis enforcing N.M. laws. Soon after arrest, these offenders are back out on our streets reoffending. Liberal lawmakers and judges focus on rehabilitation and the rights of the criminal, stating non-violent offenders deserve many chances. Keep in mind drug trafficking is considered a non-violent offense, although most drug addicts and drug traffickers commit numerous violent offenses to maintain their criminal behavior, i.e., armed robberies, home invasion, murder, etc. throughout their careers. Also, the N.M. children growing up in the custody of these criminals are often severely abused and neglected.

In summation, corrupt, greedy and unqualified individuals are elected every year to manage and ensure the safety and wellbeing of N.M. citizens. Ask yourself, how well are we, the citizens of N.M., doing?
With a methane cloud hanging over the San Juan Basin so big scientists can see it from outer space, something needed to be done.

Producers had been venting or flaring methane at well sites without penalization for generations. It had become so common in the Permian Basin that tiny Eunice and Jal stood out in the night skies from above.

So banning the routine flaring and venting of natural gas except in cases of emergencies and malfunctions (not just to relieve pressure at well sites), as the state Oil Conservation Division did in March was the right move.

But with five New Mexico counties  Dona Ana, Eddy, Lea, San Juan and Sandoval  earning failing ozone pollution grades in the American Lung Associations latest air quality rankings, we still have a lot of work to do. San Juan County consistently has ozone levels at or approaching federal limits, and ground-level ozone exceeds federal standards in southeastern New Mexico.

Under new rules proposed by the state Environment Department, ozone is targeted as an air pollutant. Operators would be required to find and fix oil and gas equipment that leaks or emits volatile organic compounds and nitrous oxides, the main ingredients that react in sunlight to form ozone gas. By retrofitting equipment, regulators can also slash the smaller amounts of methane emissions that often accompany the chemicals.

The Environment Department estimates the rules would reduce ozone-forming pollutants by about 129,000 tons each year  the equivalent of taking 8 million cars off the road every year  and also reduce about 425,000 tons of methane.

Unfortunately, the rules latest version has received pushback from lawmakers and industry concerned about smaller oil and gas producers and New Mexicos budget. But weve heard that before.

As Environment Department Secretary James Kenney says, Its clear that self-policing is not the answer.

For too long, operators of oil and natural gas wells in New Mexico havent had to report the specific reasons for flaring or venting  or even emissions data  to state regulators. Inspections of production sites, pipelines and gathering facilities have also been limited as operators have basically been on the honor system.

The result has been higher than expected rates of methane leaks and other air pollutants at Permian Basin storage tanks and well sites, according to aerial footage compiled by state and federal regulators.

The proposed rules would require professional engineers to certify emissions data calculated by each oil and gas operator. The new rules would also require operators to capture 98% of natural gas by the end of 2026.

Before you dismiss this as too green, its the same flaring capture rate Texas has.

Companies would be able to earn credits toward the 98% target by locating and addressing methane leaks before the state steps in. Operators who fail to meet their yearly gas capture targets could face penalties, shut-in wells or lose opportunities for additional permits.

Its time to clamp down on the bad actors with regulations that have teeth. This has been in the works for years, so no one should get away with claiming they didnt see it coming.

An Environment Department panel will begin to hear the agencys proposed rules Sept. 20. The hearing will likely last two weeks; new rules could go into effect as early as March.

Methane is a main contributor to global warming, trapping heat in the atmosphere. Several New Mexico cities hit record-high temperatures just last week. Temperatures were in the mid-90s or higher across much of the state, unusual for this time of year, National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Guyer tells the Journal. Farmington has had triple-digit temperatures 14 days this year, the most on record.

Environmental groups support the Environment Departments broad goals, but industry groups oppose the lack of exceptions for small producers. While reasonable phase-ins and accommodations make sense, allowing outsized pollution doesnt.

Some lawmakers say the equipment and operational costs necessary for compliance would be especially burdensome for mature wells that produce low volumes of oil and natural gas. That may be so. No one said reversing generations of polluting would be without its costs. But we mustnt dismiss the incalculable benefits of cleaner air. Improving air quality from Farmington to Jal and also reducing surface temperatures are goals we should all share. The technical summary of the recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says sustained methane mitigation can help get us there by reducing surface ozone.

Sept. 20 should kick off productive discussions involving oil and gas producers, environmental groups, state regulators and the folks living under those methane clouds and breathing the smog from ground-level ozone.

We can significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, maintain our status as a leading producer of oil and natural gas in the nation and all breathe better if we find that common ground.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Chris Maynard always wanted to fly.

Not in a plane, but by himself.

Thus began an affair with feathers that has brought him to galleries and museums, eventually resulting in the coffee table book Feathers: Form and Function.

Maynard will show his feathered constructions at Santa Fes Gerald Peters Gallery beginning Friday, Sept. 17.

He says it all started when his mother died 10 years ago.

She was a professional artist and I had been making art all my life, but never professionally, he said from his home outside Olympia, Washington. I was negotiating water leases in the Pacific Northwest.

I just realized, What am I going to do with my life?

Maynard buys, collects and trades for feathers ranging from Amazon parrots to colorful ocellated turkeys found in the Yucatan, Belize and Guatemala. They all are naturally shed.

He carves the feathers into shapes using the scissors and forceps used in eye surgery. He often slices the shape of the bird into the feather and arranges the two mirror images together atop cotton paper.

To Maynard, shed feathers symbolize gentleness, a refuge from the harshness of life. The birds grow, yet they retain their beauty. Feathers represent their essence.

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But Maynard is more than just a bird nerd. Before he begins slicing, he carefully sketches out his compositions on paper. He retains the dimensional shape of the feathers as he works with light and shadow.

En Trance features peacock-shaped silhouettes sliced from the eyes of their feathers.

My father was an ophthalmologist, so I have his tools, Maynard explained. I have these old Steampunk magnifying glasses.

In Whats Up Duck he carved Amazon parrot feathers into ducks, complete with webbed feet. Sparkling Sunangel features oscellating turkey feathers sliced into the shapes of hummingbirds.

Maynard never uses feathers harvested from endangered species; he is also forbidden from using the feathers of migratory North American birds  including hummingbirds and robins.

I raised exotic pheasants for a while, so I know the community of zoos and breeders, he said. Lately, hes been watching the swallows in his barn fledge, then migrate.

They line their nests with feathers, he explained. Ive read it increases their survivability by 45%. Its not warmth so much as it protects them from pests. I just feel them flying. When they sweep and soar, I feel them in my body. I want to do that.

Hes working on a second book and recently found inspiration from his agent. She walked up to his hummingbird feeder wearing bright red lipstick. The hummer flew directly toward her mouth. Hes been experimenting with using a black cut-out silhouette of a womans face and a hummingbird carved from his feather cache.

Pressed, Maynard reveals the roots of his obsession emerged when he was 12 years old.

I went to the zoo with my grandpa, he said. He approached the zookeeper and asked if I could go in the aviary and collect feathers. They were flamingo. That was my start.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Barks and whines echo down the hallway as wagging tails and wet noses greet those who walk by.

Kennels in local animal shelters are brimming with dogs, cats and other critters as the facilities struggle with critical capacity issues. Several shelter workers said the influx in pets, mainly dogs and puppies, can be attributed to the lack of spay and neuter resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the pandemic first began in New Mexico, spay and neuter surgeries werent considered essential and were suspended under public health orders, said Murad Kirdar, public and business relations officer at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.

Now, theres an influx in dog populations at shelters because of that, he said.

A lot of the dogs coming into the shelter are around a year old, arent spayed or neutered and dont have a microchip. This leads Kirdar to believe these dogs were born during COVID-19.

Another factor is that a lot of these dogs werent properly socialized because people stayed home with their pets during the pandemic. If the dogs grow up without socialization, they likely wont be adoptable later on, he said.

As Kirdar walked through the hallways between kennels, he stopped in front of 3-year-old Chanels enclosure. Chanel was brought to the shelter in late-2020 and is one of the facilitys longest residents, he said.

She was surrendered to the shelter because her previous owner had to go to a senior living facility and couldnt take her with them. Kirdar pulled back the blanket in front of Chanels kennel to give her some pets and she quickly jumped up to lick his hand, her tail wagging back and forth as she looked around with big, expressive brown eyes.

Kirdar explained that, in addition to the increased capacity, adoption rates have also slowed. For every animal adopted, four more come in, he said.

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To help combat this, the animal shelter is reducing all adoption fees to $50 for all animals 6 months and older. The shelter also offered no-fee adoptions over the Labor Day weekend, during which time the shelter was able to find homes for around 60 pets.

This issue isnt unique to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. Other shelters, such as Espanola Humane, are also at critical capacity.

Mattie Allen, communications director for the humane society, said they have had to double up dogs in kennels to help make room for them all.

The humane society recently had 28 dog and puppies dropped off overnight and, as they were opening, three animal control trucks pulled up with more dogs, Allen said. That same day, another person surrendered two dogs, each with a litter of puppies.

Allen described the situation as a sustained level of crisis. Without the help of fosters, that drop-off day would have completely overwhelmed the shelter. The humane society currently has almost 200 pets in foster homes, she said.

Were definitely seeing the effects of the lack of access to spay-neuter services statewide. By just an increased population, she said. Were also seeing a huge spike in vaccine-preventable disease. Some people were not able to get their vaccine updates, or even their regular puppy shots, because most vets dont have the capacity to take on new clients right now.

Some vet offices also shut their doors due to the pandemic, she said, and, even before COVID-19, New Mexico faced a shortage of veterinary care.

Over the summer, Allen said she saw a lot of puppies with parvovirus and even distemper, which are illnesses puppies can be vaccinated against. Some of the puppies survived the distemper, but, once it turns into a neurological issue, its fatal, Allen said.

In addition to dogs, some of the kittens at the humane society also had ringworm and respiratory illnesses.

Though the main issue facing shelters involves an increase in dogs, cats and kittens were also part of the equation.

Rescue partner Felines & Friends is also at full capacity. The rescue helps take cats and kittens from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Espanola Humane when they might need a little extra help, or step in when the shelters are full. The rescue also takes cats from shelters in southern New Mexico, owner surrenders and more.

Lounging on a cat tree without a care in the world is one of these cats, named Gypsy, said Executive Director Bobbi Valentine Heller. Gypsy came to the rescue from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter because shes diabetic and needed extra care.

We dont have the size of facility that a regular shelter does, Heller said. So, we dont have the ability to have open admission.

Heller said she attributes her full capacity at the shelter to the lack of spay and neuter services during COVID-19. She said that, by the time the surgeries were offered again, the damage was done.

We got set back a good two years because the young cats that came of age and didnt get fixed had a litter. They often had a second litter, sometimes three, she said. We had the first litter giving birth to their own litter, so we had an outbreak of kittens.

Kittens can have their own litter well before they turn 6 months old, Heller said, which allows cats to reproduce quickly. Now, shelters and rescues are catching up with spay and neuter surgeries, but theres still a long way to go.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Although Santa Fe is surrounded by numerous pueblos, the Native Americans living within its midst can sometimes use a bit of cultural refreshment.

That idea is at the heart of the upcoming Indigenous Community Day from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Ragle Park.

Connecting back to our Native culture is important, said Caren Gala, director of the Santa Fe Indigenous Center, which is sponsoring the event. For the urban Natives who live in Santa Fe, theres sometimes a lack of the cultural connections, so we want to make sure we provide a place to gather, and to celebrate our culture through song and dance.

The free event, canceled by COVID last year, is open to Native Americans who want to return to their roots, as well as the simply curious who want to learn more about Native culture, Gala said.

Entering its ninth year, it started off as a picnic with about 30 participants and its grown to more than 200 people, she said. Of course, we want the Native people to come and enjoy, and celebrate culture. If somebody wants to learn about the culture, theyre welcome, too.

The afternoon will feature food, music, dancing and booths run by more than 20 nonprofits that offer services to Native communities.

Dancers from the Taos and Ohkay Owingeh pueblos will show off their traditional skills, and noted Ohkay Owningeh caterer Norma Naranjo will put on a traditional northern New Mexico group meal of southwest-style posole, green chile enchiladas, bread pudding and horno bread.

Music spinner Garron Yepa, of Jemez Pueblo, who has been a DJ for more than 20 years under the name of DJ Garronteed, will be delivering background music throughout the event.

Im very comfortable playing the music and setting the ambiance, he said. I dont produce music myself, but I play other peoples creations and string it together so it hopefully tells a story, helps people relax and have a good afternoon. Thats my approach.

Yepa said he tries to reach his audience with music appropriate to the event that has appeal across a broad spectrum of listeners.

I feel like I can read a room, or a park, he said. Im pretty confident that I can touch all the different age groups at different times, ride the wave. I would steer those tunes to those kinds of audience.

Noting his roots in the Jemez and Dine communities, Yepa adds, Ive played for lots of community events, graduations, quinceaneras, weddings. I kind of just approach it with those hits and misses in my back pocket.

Guitarist Nelson Alburquenque plays six-string and seven-string guitar music that is very much earth-inspired.

I play instrumental music, and I see music as poems and poetry, prayers and also poems having to do with land and sky, and connectivity, he said. Ethereal. Thats how I would first describe it. Meditation, poetry, but it does come from a source of earth, and wholesomeness and inclusivity.

He developed the sound while living in Los Angeles for eight years.

It began with a band and, throughout the years, morphed into this almost symphonic sound where all the strings are in concert with each other in unique tunings, he said. I play the guitar like a harp. Its very unique in its sound and very full.

Both men said they are looking forward to the chance to do their thing in front of a live audience again.

The past year and a half, the whole world, particularly people of color and Native communities, have been decimated by COVID, Alburquenque said. Everyone has been running with fear and dealing with a lot of anxiety. This is an opportunity to feel healing and community. As a student of the Institute of American Indian Arts, I am looking forward to being a part of that unity and providing people with that type of feeling in my music.

Live music is a powerful healer, Yepa said, and something that has been missing in the COVID era.

Im happy to be asked to do my part, he said. These gatherings of people, they like to hear music loud. We miss concerts. We miss human experience and a big bassline. The loudness, its a sensory experience.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Compassion, empowered women and the many faces of love provide insights into the poems and remembrances in Joy Harjos memoir Poet Warrior.

Reading the book is a magical ride.

Blending many elements  I think thats how my life is, said Harjo, Muscokee/Creek, who is entering her third term as the U.S. poet laureate. Most writers I know are tremendously writerly with everything focused on literary study, etc. My life is not like that.

Harjo is widely known for her writing  poetry, childrens books, memoirs, and fiction. She sees writing and music meshing with everything else in her life  her large family, her politics, the environment.

I have to think of it as one large story field all fitting together, she said in a phone interview from her Tulsa, Oklahoma home. Its representative of how I move and think. Poetry is part of everything else. Right now, poetry is doing the heavy lifting.

And I love all kinds of music, she continued. Lately Ive been teaching myself piano, guitar.

On her recent album, I Pray for My Enemies, she performs her compositions on saxophones, flutes and bass.

Poet Warrior, the second memoir in a planned trilogy, contains recollections of family, colleagues and mentors she thinks of as challenges rather than hardships.

Writing about them is always difficult until the writer has a bent for it, she said. When I write about different things I try to keep a perspective of compassion. We never know the whole story.

Poetry and stories are stitched together throughout the memoir. In the opening part, Ancestral Roots, Harjo writes a poem of hopefulness about a Girl-Warrior who will learn how to make/Right decisions by making wrong onesYou will find yourself again.

Harjo speaks about her mother who loved words, especially the way they could move with music.  in her songwriting and her poetry.

Harjo recalls as a youth finding a poem of Emily Dickinsons she liked to read aloud : Im Nobody! Who are you?/Are you  Nobody   Too? /Then theres a pair of us!

Harjo loves the biblical psalms, which she considers poems. Psalm 23, The Lord is My Shepherd, was a prayer poem of protection. The rhythm quickens and I imagine a leader who loves me she writes.

The part titled Becoming shows the authors hunger for ritual during her coming-of-age; she believes ritual creates belonging. In the part A Post-Colonial Tale, Harjo writes that she didnt plan to be a poet. She began to write poetry at the same time she was creating art and attending feminist events with other Native students of the University of New Mexicos Kiva Club. The seed of her poetry had come from the Old Ones in her tribal nation in Oklahoma. It emerged when she was with fellow Indian artists at school in Santa Fe before blossoming with friends in the Kiva Club. Hearing Simon Ortiz of Acoma Pueblo read his poetry led Harjo to use poetry as a tool for justice. His work brought her to the poetry of Leslie Marmon Silko of Laguna Pueblo, resulting in Harjo writing a poem about Navajo activist Alva Mae Benson and then produced an interest in several African poets.

  

Sandra Cisneros publisher identifies her lively, compact new book, Martita, I Remember You, as a story. Reviewers call it novella.

Novella is fine with me because it has a density you find in a novel. To me, it doesnt qualify as a short story, Cisneros, a MacArthur Fellow, said in a phone interview from her home in San Antonio, Texas. The books narrator is Corina, nicknamed Puffina, a Mexican-American from Chicago who dreams of becoming a writer sitting in Parisian cafes just as Americans had done in the 1920s. However, during the short time Puffina is in the French capital, she runs out of money, sleeps where she can find an empty pad and barely survives a frigid winter.

The most memorable passages are the vignettes of the friendships Puffina develops  lovingly remembered in correspondence years later  with two other young women leading hardscrabble lives  Martita, from Argentina, and Paola, from Italy.

Cisneros said the novella originated with a trip she made to the City of Lights, and that theres some of her in all three female characters. She hopes readers will think of Martita, as relevant to current immigrant issues in the United States.

The book has a dual language title. In English its Martita, I Remember You. In Spanish, Martita, te recuerdo. Cisneros feels its the right time to publish a bilingual book for adults. We are now understanding the public and how many Latinos buy books, she said.

Cisneros famous 1984 novel The House on Mango Street, is one of the choices for the current National Endowment for the Arts Big Read. At the same time, Mango Street is being adapted into an opera. Cisneros is writing the libretto and Derek Bermel(cq) the music.

Sandra Cisneros will be in conversation with Carmella Padilla about Martita, I Remember You at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12 in a Zoom event through collectedworks bookstore.com
Hampton Sides challenged himself on his latest project.

The Santa Fe-based author is gearing up to released The Exotic: Intrigue and Cultural Ruin in the Age of Imperialism, on Wednesday, Sept. 15. The release is a Scribd Original.

Scribd is a reading subscription service that provides access to ebook, audiobook, magazines and podcasts.

It was a pretty cool opportunity to work with Scribd, Sides says. They are trying to publish stories that are longer than a magazine article, yet shorter than a book. I hope this story telling format gets traction. Its a nice length at 20,000 words and allows the story to breathe.

Sides took about six months to work on the nonfiction novel.

He says its partly an adaptation from his forthcoming book about British explorer Captain James Cooks third voyage.

This has a travelogue and personal essays, he says. Its a hybrid form that I havent worked with that much.

The story follows Mai, who is mentioned in Captain Cooks third voyage travels. Mai hitched a ride from Tahiti with Cook and became the first South Seas islander to set foot on English soil.

Hes mentioned as an afterthought and Mai is hovering in the background, Sides explains. I thought, What if I were to elevate him and turn him into a major character? Especially in recent times, weve seen this correction in history and academia where we are increasing interest in telling the stories of marginalized people. I think this change needed to happen.

Sides was drawn to Mai because he is an Indigenous person who traveled with the British explorer.

By turning the table and telling the story from Mais point of view, Sides was able to capture the characters essence.

Mai is the major character in the books first half. The second half begins with Cooks journey to Alaska.

Everyone seemed to grow to love Mai, Sides says. There had probably never have been an Indigenous person so well-documented and so vividly described from the king of England all the way down. Mai was charasmatic and he won people over.

Sides says Mais real purpose for journeying to England was to learn about weapons and acquire them.

People said that he didnt know how to think strategically or play the long game, Sides says. He was playing the long game and winning at the same time. Mai is an interesting character.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

As bagpipes wailed Amazing Grace, helicopters passed overhead and a gunfire salute boomed within Civic Plaza, there was pain still being felt.

Twenty years after the 9/11 terror attacks, Rosy Macarah is still searching for answers. Her husband, Matthew, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, is still waking up from nightmares.

We suffer as a nation. We continue to suffer. Were still in the process of healing in the here and now, she said, tears sliding down her face.  Im hurting. Im still in pain. That day brings up so many memories.  I look back and Im, like, 20 years later  what have we done? What has changed?'

The atmosphere was filled with conflicting feelings as Macarah and dozens of others endured the sweltering heat Saturday afternoon to attend the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in Downtown Albuquerque.

State and local leaders, along with ranking firefighters and police, addressed the crowd as the names of the thousands killed in the attacks scrolled on the pavilion screen behind them.

It was one of countless commemorations around the country as America marked the 20th anniversary of the attacks, which left nearly 3,000 people dead.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said that two decades ago, America witnessed tragedy and heroism on a scale that none of us had ever seen in our lifetimes.

We remember it was a day that was meant to break us, but it was the bravery and the selflessness of our first responders that so clearly, immediately, reaffirmed the strength of our nation, he said. We did endure, we are changed and we will not forget. We continue forward, we rebuilt, we faced and overcame new challenges, and we will always, as a country, come out stronger.

Keller said he believes the anniversary has taken on new meaning.

Today, 9/11 doesnt represent fear; it doesnt represent a wounded nation trying to heal. Instead, its a reminder of heroism that was seemingly unimaginable but, in fact, is very real, he said. I see it here with us today, and I know that you carry it in your hearts.

The crowd was flanked by cadets from the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue. Behind the crowd, 343 sets of firefighter gear were spread out on the pavement to symbolize the first responders lost in the attacks.

A giant American flag waved lightly in the breeze, strung up between the ladders of two fire trucks on Third Street. People in the crowd could be seen wiping away tears with wadded tissues. Others clapped for those speaking and recorded the event on smartphones.

In the hours before the ceremony, AFR firefighters ascended the equivalent of 110 stories in the stairwell of a Downtown bank building in memoriam of New York City firefighters who lost their lives in the World Trade Center, while Bernalillo County firefighters stood at attention for 343 minutes before 343 sets of bunker gear as a ceremonial bell was rung on the hour.

Some attendees, including Camille Diaz, dropped small notes into the empty firefighter gear.

It was a thank-you for their services, and to look over the other fallen firefighters, Diaz said. To look over the firefighters that continue to do what they do.

At the Civic Plaza memorial, Macarah sat without her husband.

She said that the anniversary  along with the recent Afghanistan withdrawal  has been hard on him and that he cant watch the ceremonies on TV for more than a few minutes.

Macarah said the family spent much of the war wondering whether he would come home. Now, she said, there are feelings of anger, disillusionment  wondering Was it worth it?

That sacrifice is near and dear to my heart, because at the end of the day, we left and nothing happened, she said. And we left people suffering. Theres a lot of mixed feelings. Its heartbreaking, and that tells me that we havent healed from it.

Ortencia Gallegos called the ceremony a great honor to those who died in the attacks and the war that followed, a sacrifice that hits close to home because her husband served in Vietnam.

Gallegos said she remembered her son calling and telling her to turn on the TV. She said that one tower had been struck and that within minutes she saw the second plane hit.

She collapsed onto her bed devastated.

I started crying, because I thought to myself, All those people that are going to die in that building. What are they thinking? Are they thinking of their families at home?  she said. Youd never think this was going to happen to us.

Gallegos said the country needs to regain the unity that came after the attacks and over the years has dissipated.

Today, at this time, we are all tearing at each others throats, to tell you the truth, she said. This incident had nothing to do with politics. And yet right now thats whats going on. Its Whos Republican? Whos Democrat? They should be thinking of us, protecting us.

Journal staff writer Elizabeth Tucker contributed to this report.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

On a Sunday evening in early June, an Albuquerque Police Department dispatch supervisor sent an urgent message to the only police lieutenant on duty: No officers were available to respond to calls in the city.

I just wanted to advise at this time we are holding 114 calls, she reported. Two Priority One calls, the most life-threatening, were in the Southeast APD Command and 10 Priority Two calls were holding in the SE and NE combined, according to the supervisors message obtained by the Journal.

The supervisor said she had checked dispatch frequencies in each of APDs six city geographic area commands. No one has units 10-8 (available) at this time, the dispatcher wrote. I just wanted to advise.

Albuquerque is far from alone in facing a shortage of police officers  a problem plaguing law enforcement agencies around the country. Nationally, the exodus is blamed in part on anti-police rhetoric and calls to defund the police.

In Albuquerque, police also cite the Legislatures new ban on qualified immunity making it easier to sue officers for excessive force and other misconduct. And exit interviews show some departing APD officers are fed up with the Department of Justice consent decree governing the use of force and other policies.

The drain at APD  down about 60 officers from earlier this year  comes at a time when Albuquerque police are contending with a seemingly relentless violent criminal element, exploding homicide rates and a growing chorus of people who question whether residents of Albuquerque are safe anymore.

Listen, crime is unacceptable in Albuquerque, said City Council President Cynthia Borrego, who at a recent City Council candidate forum recalled the days of the past when it was fine to go outside, go to my car.

Now people are living in fear, and that is totally unacceptable, she added.

Both violent and property crime started to escalate in the city in 2015, Borrego noted. Recently, property crimes  especially auto theft  have decreased, but violent crime remains high.

There is no simple solution to what has become the major issue in the Nov. 2 city elections. In addition to council races, Mayor Tim Keller is being challenged by Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales. Both are Democrats. Republican Eddy Aragon is also seeking the seat.

Its taken us this long to get where we are, said Borrego, who represents the citys District 5, on the West Side. Its going to take some time to go back.

According to the latest data and Journal interviews:

The city budget authorizes up to 1,140 sworn officers  Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina says we may need 1,200  but as of late July, the force numbered 939. That leaves about 200 positions vacant, although 48 cadets are expected to join the ranks by the end of October.

Excluding supervisors, 404 patrol officers are working the streets in uniform  369 patrol officers and 35 problem response team officers, according to the most recent data from APD. Thats some 74 fewer patrol officers than in May 2016, according to an APD staffing plan. The percentage of patrol officers on the streets is less than half of the force, compared with 57 percent five years ago.

During the first eight months of this year, 101 officers have left APD. That compares with 82 departures in 2020 and 58 officers leaving in 2019.

Response times in getting officers to the most life-threatening 911 calls increased over last year. A Priority One call is taking nearly an average of 12 minutes for police to arrive on the scene, nearly two minutes longer than in 2020.

While police leaders are finding ways to transfer some police duties to civilian employees, Medina told the Journal that he is contending with officer vacancies throughout the department and that its not as easy as just adding more officers to patrol.

We still dont have a property crimes division (in terms of staffing) like we had in 2012, Medina said. The field is short. I wish I had more people for investigations, but we dont have them.

The push to get more officers in the department has been a rallying cry for decades, with previous mayors including Martin Chavez and Richard Berry also struggling to exceed 1,000. In 2016, the number of APD officers was 821.

The general trend over the past five years has been an increase in the number of officers  even reaching above 1,000 in fiscal year 2020  but over the past year, staffing levels have dipped again.

Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, said that since Mayor Tim Keller took office, there have been more hirings than separations at the department each year.

Considering the hiring of new cadets, laterals and sworn officers at commander and above, about 350 new sworn officers have been hired, Gallegos said. We invested $24 million in compensation and a new contract in 2018 that helped with recruiting, training and efforts to retain experienced officers.

Gallegos said retirements increased in 2021 because benefits are based on the average of an employees highest 36 consecutive months of salary. He said that when salaries were increased in 2018, some officers delayed their retirements by three years.

Profession is vilified

Some retirements have been expected at APD, but Medina said others are leaving the states largest police force midway through their careers. Some go to other police agencies. Others quit the profession altogether.

We literally had one officer who left to be a security consultant, Medina said. I was shocked. He had eight or 10 years in, and (we said) Youre giving all that up? He said, Yeah, my family doesnt want me in law enforcement anymore. 

Professor Maria Haberfeld, chair of the Department of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in New York City, said that across the country law enforcement agencies had higher rates of departures in the past year than they had previously.

She said although no peer-reviewed studies have been published on exit interviews from officers leaving the profession, she believes it has to do with the rhetoric blaming law enforcement over the past year.

Ive studied police misconduct for over 25 years, so Im the first one to say there are bad police officers out there , she said.  But you cannot paint the entire profession as racist or, you know, incompetent  people just dont want to be part of the profession that is vilified.

Haberfeld said she expects that as crime increases  a phenomenon experts say is driven by a breakdown in social services during the pandemic, heightened distrust in police and an increase in gun ownership  the public will demand more law enforcement presence.

Crime will go up, she said. The demand for more police will be louder rather than defunding the police, and then this will be the turning point.

To address the problem in Albuquerque, leaders have undertaken aggressive recruiting practices in recent months, including offering sign-up bonuses of up to $15,000 to bolster the ranks.

But retention is another issue  one that hasnt spurred similar financial incentives, although Medina hopes Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham might help with funding as part of her proposed crime fighting initiative. She wants 1,000 more law enforcement officers statewide.

However, Haberfeld warns that departments cant just focus on quantity; they also have to look at the quality of new hires.

We cannot just recruit based on we need 100 officers,  she said. This is the source of many problems throughout the years; there were times that there were shortages and people and standards were compromised. Then years later, we are paying the price for this.

Critics of the Albuquerque Police Department would agree with this.

About half of the officers who made headlines for shootings, alleged criminal activity or violating policies and procedures in the years leading up to the Department of Justice investigation into APD signed on from 2002 to 2009, when then-Mayor Chavez was pushing to add 100 officers each year.

Less police presence

Former City Councilor Dan Lewis, who is trying to unseat Borrego in District 9, said at a recent candidate forum that Albuquerque police should have more visibility.

We should ensure that uniformed officers, marked police cars are proactively policing in our neighborhoods, he said. We should see badges everywhere we go.

Louie Sanchez, a retired APD officer running for the District 1 City Council seat, said that when he was a field services sergeant, there were 10 to 12 patrol officers and a police service aide in a command squad.

Now its so bad theres only five to six officers assigned to a specific squad. You want the police officers out there to be visible. But I havent seen a police officer drive down my street in the last six, seven, eight years. When the presence of police is out there, the criminals dont act.

Proactive police work by patrol units should include traffic enforcement, which leads to pulling people over and checking for warrants  a strategy linked to reducing crime, Sanchez said.

But with calls for service at more than 500,000 last year, patrol officers go from call to call, responding to crime, and theres no time to try to prevent it.

Medina also cites the revolving door of the criminal justice system in Bernalillo County.

What also hurts us, is have you ever thought about the fact that we arrest people over and over, like auto theft. Those cases take a half or whole shift to process the case. Imagine if we had a criminal justice system where we arrested somebody once, maybe even twice and they stayed incarcerated?

Arresting repeat offenders also often requires the use of force.

So were not only losing officer time by having to investigate something a subsequent time, Medina told the Journal, were also losing officer time through use-of-force investigations related to that hardened criminal we have to use force on.

Use of force by APD officers, even if warranted, triggers a detailed investigation under the citys settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which found in 2014 that the agency had a pattern or practice of excessive force that violated the Constitution and federal law.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Across the board  Albuquerque police chief Harold Medina, the police union president and some city councilors  say officer dissatisfaction has its roots with the settlement agreement that the city signed with the U.S. Department of Justice.

In 2014, the DOJ concluded a lengthy investigation by finding that Albuquerque police officers have a pattern and practice of using excessive force. The city subsequently entered into the Court Approved Settlement Agreement laying out areas where it needs to reform.

Medina told the Journal in a recent interview that exit interviews with Albuquerque police officers who leave before they reach retirement show a primary reason for their departures is that theyre very fearful of the DOJ and the discipline that has come down through the DOJ process.

And Medina said the settlement agreement is impacting the amount of time officers can spend fighting crime on the streets. It dictates an often time-consuming use-of-force investigative process and requires adequate staffing for Internal Affairs force investigations, he added.

In general, staffing at APD has been on an upward trajectory over the past five years, but more officers have left in the past year than in previous years.

Medina said the discipline concerns were valid for a period of time because discipline was really high.

I didnt agree with how it was rolled out, he added, noting that the disciplinary policy was revised in July.

At that time APD adjusted the way it disciplines officers for minor infractions  a change Medina said distinguishes misconduct from mistakes.

Albuquerque Police Officers Association president Shaun Willoughby and other officers interviewed said officers were getting suspended left and right for minor infractions.

Peter Simonson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, defends the settlement agreement.

He said sometimes it is difficult for officers to adjust to a new regimen of discipline when they are being held accountable for policy violations when in the past they hadnt been.

He called the agreement tremendously important, and said it dictates policies on use of force as well as administrative rules.

What this reform is trying to accomplish is to raise the level of professionalism inside the department, he said. By reforming use-of-force practices, thats going to have multiplier effects throughout the department, including protecting the community from crime.

Internal affairs investigations

Albuquerque City Councilor Brook Bassan, whose District 4 is in the Northeast Heights, said in an interview that she has spoken with constituents who have given up calling 911, 311, or even 242-COPS.

The public is crying out why arent you protecting us better, yet we have a consent decree where you cant do your job (as an officer) because were going to investigate every single movement you make.

Medina acknowledged the challenges of complying with the agreement and responding to calls given APDs current staffing.

For example, after a use-of-force incident on a call in the Foothills Area Command in early May, the subsequent Internal Affairs investigation tied up the entire swing shift of five officers, some who had to stay as witnesses to the incident. The call that began in the early evening finished about 3 a.m. the next morning, dispatch records show.

I think the community would be very upset to know that even a relatively minor use of force such as forcing a suspects hand behind his back can trigger an investigation, Medina said. And just imagine, we just lost that officer, the backup officer and a supervisor for five hours while they do a level one force investigation.

Even a show of force, such as an officer pulling out a Taser to try to get a suspect to comply, triggers nearly as lengthy an internal investigation even if the Taser is never fired, Medina said.

The settlement agreement also requires that the department have adequate staffing to conduct internal force investigations. And all uses of force are investigated, not just those that generate complaints. In 2020, there were 920 uses of force  ranging from those that cause passing discomfort to fatalities.

It kills me that I had to assign six more individuals to (use of) force investigations but the settlement agreement said we had to, Medina said.

Willoughby said the six officers assigned to force investigations came from Field Services Division  the men and women in uniform dispatched to answer calls on city streets. This disaster is catching up with the APD, Willoughby said. They are robbing Peter to pay Paul.

On Labor Day, the wife of an APD officer who was one of four officers injured in a shootout Aug. 19 with a robbery suspect issued a public statement calling APD staffing a joke.

When my husband was on duty at the time of the shooting, there were only five officers on patrol in my husbands squad in the Foothills area, said Tryna Verbeck, wife of officer Mario Verbeck, who was critically injured.

There are more officers doing non-police work than responding to calls.

Staffing shortage

Medina issued a written response to Verbecks statement, saying he has expressed concerns to the independent monitor hired to oversee compliance with the DOJ agreement.

The pendulum has swung too far in the wrong direction where officers do not feel supported, or that they can do their jobs effectively and safely in all situations, he stated.

At the same time, Medina added, we cant simply move every officer to patrol the streets.

In an interview with the Journal, Medina said there is no wiggle room when it comes to the settlement agreement. I dont have the authority to defy a court order, he stated in the written response to Verbecks statement.

Over the past seven years the city has struggled with compliance in different aspects, and more recently dipped overall in terms of how it was doing in completing the DOJ agreement.

In May the independent monitor overseeing the reform effort took the city to task for having an aversion to discipline.

Regarding staffing, the department hit a low point of 821 officers at one point in 2016 and since then says it has been adding more officers than have left each year. But the current number of sworn officers is 939, far below the 1,140 authorized strength funded in this years city budget.

Medina recently asked a private consultant to reassess APDs staffing levels by considering the hours consumed by each Internal Affairs force investigation, the homicide numbers and the citys crime rate.

Medina laments the loss of some departing officers, but adds that without a doubt there are some people leaving that its probably a good thing if were going to get the department reformed.
Three teams of civilians trained as behavioral health responders hit Albuquerque streets Sept. 8 to handle certain 911 calls and relieve the burden on Albuquerque police.

When the initiative of Mayor Tim Kellers administration is fully operating, as many as 3,000 emergency nonmedical, nonviolent calls a month could be routed to the civilian responders in the new Albuquerque Community Safety Department, city officials say.

That would make a dent in the estimated average of about 40,000 calls for service a month that APD receives.

911 gets so many calls, and we just dont have enough cops, said Mariela Ruiz-Angel, director of the community safety program. We (the civilian responders) can take the low priority calls that would take police three to four hours to get to.

The 911 dispatch system routes calls to the teams when there are disturbances, issues involving mental health or homelessness, suicides, welfare checks and other lower-level calls. Once it is fully staffed, the program will be able to operate 24/7 by the end of the year or earlier. Depending on the demand, Ruiz-Angel hopes to add at least 100 more responders.

The aim is to free up Albuquerque police officers to answer calls for more serious offenses more quickly and permit officers to focus on core police work and community policing reform efforts.

City Councilor Lan Sena, who was appointed in March 2020 and is now running for election on Nov. 2, said in an interview, Theres always been an issue in terms of police staffing.

At this moment, we are using our officers as a one-stop shop, and sometimes the calls dont really necessitate an officer. We need a more nuanced approach.

APD Chief Harold Medina said that over his 23-year APD career, there have always been 911 calls on hold waiting for an officer to respond. But some of those calls arent police matters  such as a barking dog or a 7-year-old who needs discipline, Medina said.

Some calls are already being routed to other city agencies or the APD telephone reporting unit, he said.

With police shortages reported nationwide, including in New Mexico, Medina said, the work of trained civilians is becoming more important.

I think the days of officers responding to every single call because somebody wants us there is unsustainable.
SANTA FE  Native American communities across New Mexico are completing proposed redistricting maps aimed at greater self-determination in future public elections, as competing plans wind their way toward the Legislature for consideration.

Participants in a redistricting commission for New Mexicos Indigenous pueblo communities said Friday that map proposals may be finished as soon as this week.

The maps will be submitted to a seven-member Citizen Redistricting Commission that is reviewing proposed redistricting maps for the Legislature, which can adopt recommendations or start from scratch

. The seven-seat commission has no Native American representation.

New Mexico is home to 23 federally recognized tribes, whose growing political clout is reflected in the election of Laguna Pueblo tribal member Deb Haaland to Congress in 2016 and her promotion this year to secretary of the interior.

Attorney Joseph Little is working with a broad alliance of Native American communities to turn redistricting principles into action using results of the 2020 census to track population changes.

He said the census numbers were provided only recently because of a federal delay that held up their release for months. Major redistricting changes are most likely in the heavily Native American northwestern part of the state and the oil-producing region in the southeast.

Its important that we get these maps in early, Little said. We didnt have the census numbers until recently.

The share of New Mexico residents who identify themselves as Indigenous by race or by combined ancestry was 12.4% according to census results announced in August. Alaska was the most predominantly Native American state, followed by Oklahoma and then New Mexico.

At the same time, Native American politicians have ascended to top legislative leadership posts on committees overseeing taxation, Indian affairs, agriculture and elections, although some frustrations persist about the distribution of state resources to tribal communities.

In April, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, signed a bill that funnels more federal impact aid to schools in Native American communities to offset property tax losses on tax-exempt federal and tribal lands.

State Rep. Georgene Louis of Acoma Pueblo on Friday commended tribal communities for their engagement in the redistricting process.

In New Mexico, I think were very fortunate, where the tribes are very active in looking at how we can ensure that were involved in the process about selecting our own representatives that will then hold the state accountable, she said.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Residents of the Santa Barbara and Martineztown area are pleading with the city of Albuquerque to do whatever it can to protect a park headed to the auction block.

As part of its bankruptcy, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is selling property, including Santa Barbara Park, near Edith and Rosemont NE.

Several people who live around the park wrote the Albuquerque City Council this week, urging the municipal government to buy the land or somehow intervene.

Please do what you can to save for the public this pretty, quiet place in the midst of an historic, yet humble neighborhood. It is important, Teresa Storch wrote in public comment submitted to the council.

The auction comes as the archdiocese  which has filed for bankruptcy  liquidates assets to fund future settlements related to sexual abuse claims against clergy members.

The city  which already leases the property as part of its park system  is interested in acquiring the land, a spokeswoman said.

It is not, however, an ordinary transaction.

The City contacted the Archdiocese to purchase the park outright, but due to the churchs current legal situation, an auction is required, Parks and Recreation Department spokeswoman Jessica Campbell said in an email to the Journal. The City will be participating in the auction that begins September 20.

She said the money would come from the budget but declined to say how much the city is willing to pay for the property.

The city has used the park under an agreement with the archdiocese that goes back to the late 1960s, according to Campbell. About five years ago, the city made $550,000 in improvements at the site.

Its current lease extends to 2036. Should another bidder win the property, Campbell said, the citys lease would transfer to the new owner.

Tom Macken, chancellor for the archdiocese, said through a spokeswoman that the property will be maintained as a park at least until the citys lease is over.

The winning bidder would get ownership immediately, but the lease still gives possession to the City until their lease is over, the archdiocese said in an email.

Loretta Naranjo Lopez, president of the Santa Barbara Martineztown Neighborhood Association, said the park is a vital community asset  a much-needed green space that benefits residents health and has served as the neighborhoods playground for generations. She said she is grateful the community is speaking out about its importance and hopes the city acquires the site.

This is a historic neighborhood, said Lopez, who lives about two blocks from the park on a street where both her mother and father were raised. We should treasure these neighborhoods and not destroy them.
There is widespread support among Albuquerque city leaders to make ABQ Ride bus service free for all passengers.

The city even has money set aside to cover any related revenue losses.

But despite the collective will and resources, the City Council last week once again postponed a vote on legislation that would formalize the zero-fare pilot program. It was the third straight meeting the council failed to take action on the bill.

At issue is whether the city has an adequate security program in place to handle potential problems that come with opening the buses to any and all.

Councilors Pat Davis and Lan Sena  who co-sponsored the bill with Klarissa Pena and Isaac Benton  said they felt comfortable moving forward. Davis said making the system free would eliminate fare disputes, which is among the more common sources of conflict, and that the citys system doesnt have as many problems as some might think. He said city data shows 135 total transit incidents from January through June, but only 32 were on the buses themselves. Most were at stops.

Sena, meanwhile, said eliminating fares should also increase ridership, which can have its own benefits.

More people on buses also mitigates a lot of the security concerns, she said.

But Benton, who noted that he strongly backs a zero-fare model, said he did not think the program was ready for prime time because he was not confident the city had an adequately detailed security plan. He said that he regularly uses the citys public transportation and that security concerns are a fact of life.

I would still get on a (city) bus myself today if I needed to go somewhere and that was my option, but its pretty rough out there, Benton said, adding that he speaks from experience.

Im an old kid that grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, riding the bus for 5 cents  you want see some rough characters  then you can see them down there.

But we have a challenge here, and I really want us to succeed, and I really want the zero fares to succeed, (but) I dont think were ready to see it succeed (given) the questions that we have today.

Councilor Trudy Jones said she also had reservations about launching the program, noting that if problems arise, they could scare away new riders the city should be trying to lure, including people seeking an alternative to driving to work every day.

Crime and uncomfortable situations on the bus will stop the people who use this for true transit, Jones said.

Albuquerque Municipal Development Director Pat Montoya  whose department oversees security  said there are 20 security officer positions specifically budgeted for the transit system, and the potential to supplement with an additional five to seven from the general city security team. But he acknowledged that is not enough to cover all routes and stops seven days a week.

He said that security now focuses most heavily on Albuquerque Rapid Transit and the Lomas and Menaul routes, but that his staff would prepare a more specific plan for councilors.

We can come up with a written plan that addresses the concerns that are being raised (by councilors), he said.

DIRECTOR DEPARTURES: There has been some significant turnover in the upper reaches of Albuquerque city government, with three department directors leaving their jobs in the past month.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Tim Keller confirmed that Brennon Williams retired in August as head of the Planning Department for personal family reasons. He had been with Planning for 15 years, and the director since 2019.

Ryan Mast, who took over at the citys Environmental Health Department in early 2020, left last month, also for family reasons, city spokeswoman Ava Montoya said in an email.

City Economic Development Director Synthia Jaramillo is also moving on. Montoya said Jaramillo has taken a job as the senior vice president of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Jessica Dyer: jdyer@abqjournal.com
FLAGSTAFF  Prosecutors will be allowed to present evidence at a trial that they say shows an Air Force airman charged in the death of Mennonite woman had disdain for the religious group, a judge ruled Friday.

The evidence includes text message exchanges between defendant Mark Gooch and his brothers in which he talked about surveilling Mennonite churches in metropolitan Phoenix and praising one for ticketing a Mennonite during a traffic stop.

Gooch is charged in the shooting death of Sasha Krause, who lived in a Mennonite community outside Farmington. Krause disappeared while gathering materials for a Sunday school course in January 2020, and her body was found near Flagstaff more than a month later.

Jury selection begins Sept. 21 for the three-week trial. Gooch faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder and other charges.

Coconino County Superior Court Judge Cathleen Brown Nichols wrapped up a two-day hearing Friday on requests to refine the evidence. She said the text messages sent before and after Krauses death point to motive and are more relevant than prejudicial.

Its for the jury to decide if the defendant had some sort of religious bias toward Mennonites, she said.

Brown Nichols also allowed evidence from cellphone data that prosecutors say showed Gooch returned to the forested area where Krauses body was left before authorities discovered it.

The court is persuaded by the states argument that this purported evidence does connect him to the scene of the murder, the judge said.

Gooch attended the hearing virtually from jail.

Goochs attorney, Bruce Griffen, had argued that the text message exchanges were among thousands that Gooch sent and received, and were the only two that mentioned Mennonites. Gooch didnt initiate the exchange with the brother who was a state trooper in Virginia, he said. He simply responded in a boisterous, pile-on fashion, well after Krauses death, Griffen argued.

Gooch used words such as surveillance in the exchange with another brother because he has a military background, Griffen said. And Goochs text that the older people he saw werent like the Mennonites he grew up with means Gooch is a young guy, and thats not his crowd, Griffen said.

The state is reading so much more into that, Griffen argued.

Gooch told authorities he drove to the churches because he was looking for fellowship, according to public records. But the prosecutor, Ammon Barker, said neither of the text exchanges suggestc Gooch was looking for a nice Mennonite church.

The state is not saying because hes surveilling people, hes a murderer or has a character trait for being a murderer, Barker said. It shows motive.

Gooch and Krause didnt know each other but both grew up in large families who were part of the Mennonite church. Gooch never became a church member. Krause became part of a group of conservative Mennonites in which women wear head coverings and long dresses or skirts and men were plain clothing, her community has said.

Brown Nichols earlier rejected a request to admit evidence that Gooch may have targeted Mennonites in burglaries as a teenager in Wisconsin. A childhood friend of Goochs testified Thursday that he didnt recall Gooch saying that he disliked Mennonites.

Brown Nichols has not ruled on a defense request to determine whether statements Gooch made to a detective during an interview at Luke Air Force Base, where he was stationed in metropolitan Phoenix, were lawfully obtained.
BAGHDAD  Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. But the terrorist attacks in the United States changed forever the lives of Iraqis.

In their aftermath, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, swiftly deposing the Taliban regime that had been sheltering Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaida terror network blamed for the attacks.

But it was not long before President George W. Bush shifted his attention to Iraq, identifying it, along with Iran and North Korea, as part of an axis of evil and asserting that its brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein, was armed with weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaida. No evidence of either was found.

What followed was a U.S.-led invasion of a country in the heart of the Middle East that spurred a decade of war, with consequences that reverberate across the region to this day.

At first, I was happy with the U.S. invasion, everyone was happy. We were filled with hope for a better future, said Mohammed Agha, an Iraqi Kurd who was 27 when the invasion began.

But then what happened was that the countrys institutions were destroyed and never rebuilt again, he said. There was no planning for the day after and no nation-building.

Aghas words reflect the lingering anger and bitterness felt by many Iraqis over what they regard as a lost opportunity to remake their country following the ouster of Saddam, who ruled with an iron grip for almost 30 years.

The invasion reshaped Iraqi politics, including a shift in the countrys power base from minority Arab Sunnis to majority Shiites, with Kurds gaining their own autonomous region. But while many Iraqis welcomed Saddams ouster and the degree of democracy that followed, they expected the U.S. to bring good governance, security and reliable basic services like electricity.

Failure to achieve any of those things fueled resentment and led to an insurgency that ultimately devolved into civil war, with both Shiite and Sunni militias fighting the Americans for control of the country.

After decades of conflict, Iraq today has a relatively stable government, and the car bombings, suicide attacks and death squads have subsided. But the economy is in tatters, its infrastructure is crumbling and corruption is rampant. The government, with its fractious politics, is unable to control the dozens of powerful Iran-backed militias that wield enormous control.

For some, the loss is also personal.

On the evening of April 7, 2003, two missiles crashed with such a deafening sound and force that they knocked Itimad Hassoun to the floor of her home in Baghdads Jadriyah district and blasted her doors off their hinges.

The Americans had been bombing for more than two weeks as part of their shock and awe campaign to topple Saddam, and the Iraqi capital was in darkness. Hassoun had been sitting by candlelight with her husband. The next few moments were a blur, as she fumbled blindly, screaming for him and their children.

Her son, two daughters and a granddaughter lay dead in the rubble of their home next door. Only a newborn granddaughter survived.

Twenty years after 9/11, Hassoun is 74 and still dresses in black after losing her son 18 years ago. She says she will never forgive America for killing her loved ones.

Theres nothing that makes me happy. I have a pain that cannot be removed and an injury that cannot be healed. Its inside me, she said, looking frail and tired as she sat in a chair in a large guest room.

Baghdad fell on April 9, two days after the airstrike that killed Hassouns family. Many Iraqis cheered as U.S. Marines pulled down a statue of Saddam in the capitals Firdous Square.

But the euphoria was short-lived, as hope gave way to occupation, as well as more daily death and destruction after the Americans dissolved the Iraqi army. The move led to the rise of al-Qaida and later the Islamic State group in the country.

The following years were stamped with images of horror. Among them: the bodies of four U.S. security contractors hanging from a bridge over the Euphrates River in Fallujah in March 2004; photos cataloging the abuse of Iraqis in the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison; the bloody battles between U.S. troops and al-Qaida militants in Fallujah in 2004; the February 2006 attack by Sunni extremists that shattered the golden dome of a revered Shiite shrine in Samarra, unleashing sectarian bloodletting.

By the time Washington withdrew its last combat troops in December 2011, tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians were dead, along with 4,487 Americans. U.S. troops were invited back in 2014 after Iraqi security forces collapsed in the face of an onslaught by the Islamic State group there and in neighboring Syria. Tens of thousands more Iraqis were killed before the last pockets of those militants were defeated in 2017.

A dictatorship was removed for a supposed democracy, and we found ourselves with a civil war, al-Qaeda and ISIS, with no services and just thieves all around us, said Assim Salman, Hassouns 53-year-old neighbor who helped dig out the bodies of her relatives that fateful night.

To hell with such democracy.

In his 2010 memoir, Decision Points, Bush admitted to mistakes in Iraq, including the decision to disband the Iraqi army, and said he got a sickening feeling every time he thought about the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, his main justification for the war. But he stood by his decision to invade.

Political analyst Bassam al-Qazwini said the people of Iraq and Afghanistan paid the price of the U.S. invasions after 9/11, not the quickly collapsing regimes in those countries.

Instead of building democracy in Iraq, he said, the Americans supported a political class that created networks of corruption and militias that continue to rob the country. Even though it is rich in oil, Iraq suffers chronic blackouts and crumbling infrastructure because of graft, profiteering and mismanagement. Tens of thousands of students graduate each year with no hope of finding jobs.

This corrupt network is capable of killing Iraqis to survive, the same way Saddam killed Iraqis to stay in power. So, what has changed? al-Qazwini said, citing the crackdown on peaceful anti-government protests in 2019.

Today, Hassoun lives in the same house in Jadriyah, 200 meters (yards) from the Tigris River. Black and white photos of her husband adorn the walls.

Dina, her granddaughter who survived the bombing, is now an 18-year-old student of dentistry.

Hassoun wants the few thousand Americans still in Iraq to leave  a departure without a return, this time  because of what they did to her family.

But her neighbor Salman, like many other Iraqis, views the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan with concern, worried about a return of militant groups like the Islamic State.

America needs to fix things, he said. It cannot do to us what it did to Afghanistan, where it fought the Taliban for 20 years and then gave the country back to them.

___

Karam reported from Beirut.
TEHRAN, Iran  Iran agreed Sunday to allow international inspectors to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, potentially averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

The announcement by Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran after a meeting he held with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, in Tehran still leaves the watchdog in the same position it has faced since February, however.

Tehran holds all recordings at its sites as negotiations over the U.S. and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran is now enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

We had a major, major communication breakdown with Iran, which, of course, is something we cannot afford, having so many important issues that we need to solve, Grossi told reporters on his return from Tehran. And I think that was solved.

Eslami described the negotiations between Iran and the Vienna-based IAEA as sheerly technical without any room for politics. He said Grossi would return to Iran soon to talk with officials, without elaborating. Also left unsaid was whether Iran would hand over copies of the older recordings, which Tehran had threatened previously to destroy.

The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran, according to the routine, Eslami said. New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agencys monitoring system.

A joint statement released by the IAEA and Iran confirmed the understanding, saying only that the way and the timing are agreed by the two sides.

Grossi said the agreement would ensure continuity of knowledge that would ensure the watchdog can piece together the data it needs in future.

The reconstruction and the coming together of the jigsaw puzzle will come when there is an agreement at the JCPOA level, he said, a reference to the talks on reviving the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers. But at that time, we will have all this information and there will not have been a gap.

The announcement could buy time for Iran ahead of an IAEA board meeting this week in which Western powers had been arguing for Tehran to be censured over its lack of cooperation with international inspectors. Eslami said Iran would take part in that meeting and its negotiations with the IAEA would continue there.

The IAEA told member states in its confidential quarterly report last week that its verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined since February by Irans refusal to let inspectors access their monitoring equipment.

The IAEA said certain monitoring and surveillance equipment cannot be left for more than three months without being serviced. It was provided with access this month to four surveillance cameras installed at one site, but one of the cameras had been destroyed and a second had been severely damaged.

Grossi said the broken and damaged cameras would be replaced, but indicated that the technical agreement reached in Tehran was only a stopgap.

This cannot be a permanent solution, he said. If you ask me how many months, how many days, its difficult for me to say. But I dont see this as a long term prospect.

Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian ambassador to the IAEA, praised the agreement on Twitter, calling it technical but very important.

It is no less important for Iran to rebuff groundless speculations against it, Ulyanov wrote.

Iran and world powers agreed in 2015 to the nuclear deal, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.

President Joe Biden has said hes willing to re-enter the accord, but so far, indirect talks have yet to see success. In the meantime, Iran elected Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as president. Raisi also has said he wants Iran to regain the benefits of the accord, though Tehran in general has struck a tougher pose since his victory.

In Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Nafatli Bennett urged world powers to not fall into the trap of Iranian deception that will lead to additional concessions over the impasse. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has long accused Iran of seeking an atomic bomb.

Tehran maintains its program is peaceful, though U.S. intelligence agencies and international inspectors believe the Islamic Republic pursued the bomb in an organized program up until 2003.

You must not give up on inspecting sites and the most important thing, the most important message is that there must be a time limit, Bennett said. The Iranian nuclear program is at the most advanced point ever.  We must deal with this project.

Israel is suspected of launching multiple attacks targeting Irans Natanz nuclear facility, as well as killing a scientist associated with Irans one-time military nuclear program last year.

From Riyadh, the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia and Austria jointly expressed concern over Irans nuclear advances, with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg citing Irans failure to allow access for nuclear inspections.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem, Isabel DeBre in Dubai and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
If youve lived in New Mexico for any length of time, you already know that Latinos play an outsized role in the states economy. But thanks to a national report, we now have a number that bears that out: $36 billion.

Thats the Gross Domestic Product  a measure of economic output, for all you non-economics nerds out there  that New Mexico Latinos produced in 2018, according to a new study authored by a pair of professors from California universities. If taken as a standalone figure, thats larger than the entire economic output of Vermont, and its growing quickly, according to the study.

It is clear that Latinos, because they are such an important source of vitality and resilience in the economy, they will be drivers of the nations post-pandemic recovery, said Matthew Fienup, executive director of the Center for Economic Research and Forecasting at California Lutheran University and one of the study authors, during a presentation earlier this month.

But while the high-level number gets the headlines, some of the more interesting data from the study is buried under the surface, painting a picture of an economic engine that helped support New Mexico during a challenging decade. And its only going to get stronger in the future, according to the study.

This is an impact that will only grow in size and importance in the years ahead, Fienup said.

The study, funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, provides state-level analysis of New Mexico and seven other states with substantial Hispanic populations. The study does not differentiate between Hispanics and Latinos.

According to the study, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Texas collectively contain nearly three-quarters of the nations Latino population, and more than three-quarters of the lofty $2.6 trillion the study estimates Latinos contributed in economic impact in 2018.

What we see is Latinos in these eight states together represent the worlds ninth-largest economy, Fienup said.

More than the totals, Fienup highlighted the GDP growth for Latinos in New Mexico and across the country. Between 2010 and 2018, Latino GDP grew by 76%, faster than any of the 10 largest national GDP totals in the country, Fienup said.

Fienup attributed that to a couple factors, namely the groups increased educational attainment, which grew far faster than the national average during that period, and its growing presence in the labor force, each of which fueled more demand for goods and services.

The single biggest driver of the growth of the economic impact of Latinos is rising consumption, he said.

But what does this mean for New Mexico, which has the nations highest percentage of Hispanic residents, according to the 2020 census? In New Mexico, a strong showing from Latino workers helped buoy the state during its so-called lost decade, according to the study. Fienup said the state would have lost population if not for Latino residents from 2010 to 2018, as the non-Latino population and workforce declined during that window.

New Mexico has a reputation for having a lot of government jobs, but thats less true for Latinos than for other populations. David Hayes-Bautista, director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the University of California-Los Angeles, said almost 68% of employed Latinos work in the private sector, compared to about 55% of other demographic groups. In a government-heavy state, Hayes-Bautista said these private sector jobs  concentrated in industries like construction and health care  have fueled wage growth.

And that creates the economic growth that can then be shared around the society, Hayes-Bautista said.

Hayes-Bautista also noted an age gap between New Mexicos older residents, who are majority non-Hispanic white, and its younger cohort, who are disproportionately Latino. As baby boomers continue to age out of the workforce, the workers replacing them will be primarily Latino in New Mexico.

Hayes-Bautista acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on Latinos in New Mexico and elsewhere, with higher mortality rates than the national average. However, he said he was encouraged by what Latinos contributed to their communities, as sums of money sent home to family members in Mexico and Central America, which some expected to drop during the pandemic, rose significantly.

What we have seen during the 18 months of the pandemic is that Latinos rose to COVID with confidence, with optimism, with resilience, Hayes-Bautista said.

Stephen Hamway covers economic development, health care and tourism for the Journal. He can be reached at shamway@abqjournal.com.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I have been working for my boss for two years, but now its time for me to find a new job. I feel so guilty, because my boss is going to be surprised and upset. There is nothing she can do to keep me, but how can I tell her Im looking for a new job, so she isnt blindsided?  Sydney

DALE: It does you credit that you care about your boss. And while your concern says a lot about you, it also says something important about your boss: The same traits that make your boss unaware or clingy (or whatever else it is that you fear in her reaction) make her someone you dont want to count on to have the kind of smooth, professional transition youre hoping for. In fact, the only boss you could count on to respond well would be a boss youd never want to leave.

J.T.: Do not tell her you are looking. First of all, finding a new job could take you a while and the moment you tell her itll be hanging over her head, knowing that at any time you can walk in, and it could be your last day. That could make her want to resolve the issue, and she might even let you go. Additionally, as you go on interviews, you might just figure out that you dont want to leave after all. Ive seen this happen quite a bit.

DALE: It is also common for a boss  especially the sort who refers to employees as family  to take an employees leaving as a personal affront. When you announce that you dont want to be part of the family anymore, it can turn ugly.

J.T.: So, go do some interviews and if you find a better opportunity, then let her know and try to give her more than two weeks notice. Also tell her that you are always available by phone over the first couple of months in the event they need your information or assistance. The solution is to let her know that while youre moving on, you want to support her through the transition.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I am ready to move to a new state, but I would like to get a job there before I move. I dont have enough money saved up to not be working. Any suggestions?  Thom

DALE: This has always been the classic standoff: you dont want to move without a new job, and almost no one wants to hire someone who isnt already local (unless youre a hard-to-find specialist). However, here in the Yet Another New Economy, theres an option: search for companies with remote employees. Then, once you relocate and settle in, youll be in a position to explore more local options.

J.T.: As for pursuing traditional employment in another city, its important to create something called an interview bucket list. This should be list of 20 or 30 companies in the area that hire for your skill set. Once your LinkedIn profile and resume are updated, message the recruiters at these companies. Ask them to connect with you via LinkedIn and when they accept the connection, let them know that youre moving to the area in the next six months and that you would love to know what it would take to earn an interview with them. The only way to get hired remotely is for you to initiate the contact and let them know you are moving there no matter what. Most companies arent going to pay your relocation expenses, and they want to know that you intend to move there at your own expense but that your goal is to get a job secured before you arrive. Also, if you know people in the area you are moving to, you should really try to leverage those connections as much as you can with these employers on your bucket list. Your network is your net worth, and the more referrals you can get, the better your chances!

Jeanine J.T. Tanner ODonnell is a career coach and the founder of the leading career site www.workitdaily.com. Dale Dauten is founder of The Innovators Lab and author of a novel about H.R., The Weary Optimist. Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via email, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.  2021 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Get ready, news junkies of New Mexico, theres a new media outlet in town.

National nonprofit news network States Newsroom went live with its New Mexico outlet, Source NM, on Tuesday. Interested readers can sign up for the online outlets free newsletter at sourcenm.com.

Longtime New Mexico journalist Marisa Demarco is heading the local organization, which will focus on state government coverage, including the states legislative sessions.

Some of the biggest issues facing New Mexico  are the environment and water issues and the governmental decisions that go into allocations of water resources and understanding climate change in this region, Demarco said.  And those stories dont get nearly enough attention.

The outlet will make its stories available for free for newspapers, and Demarco said she hopes to collaborate with radio and television stations as well. It employs three full time reporters, and is headquartered at 1606 Central SE, Suite 104, with plans to open a Santa Fe satellite office.

Demarco has worked at KUNM for the past eight years. She previously worked at the now-shuttered Albuquerque Tribune and Alibi publications, and helped launch the online-only New Mexico Compass, which is also no longer publishing.

States Newsroom, headquartered in North Carolina, was founded in 2018, and by the end of the year expects to have online news outlets in 25 states, including New Mexico. The outlet is funded through donations and grants, and lists some major donors at its national website, statesnewsroom.com.
Instagram Celebrity

James Middleton, the younger brother of Duchess of Cambridge, has become a married man as he exchanges wedding vows with fiancee Alizee Theventet in France.

Sep 13, 2021

AceShowbiz - Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother, James Middleton, is a married man.

The 34-year-old entrepreneur tied the knot with Alizee Theventet, surrounded by friends and family in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France on Saturday (11Sep21).

He shared the news on Instagram along with a photo of the newlyweds, writing, "Mr & Mrs Middleton. Yesterday I married the love of my life surrounded by family, friends and of course a few dogs in the beautiful village or (sic) Bormes-les-Mimosas. Words cannot describe how happy I am."

It is believed Duchess Kate and her husband, Prince William, were among the guests at the wedding, along with James' sister, Pippa Middleton, and her spouse, James Matthews. The couple had previously cancelled the wedding twice due to coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

In September 2020, James revealed the couple had marked a year since its engagement on vacation in Italy and admitted it had been a hectic 12 months.

He wrote on Instagram, "It's a year since I asked Alizee to marry me... what a year it's been! Two homes, lockdown, two attempts at a wedding, a litter of (puppy emoji), launching of new company, a beard shave and much more but the best part is that I get to share it with you @alizeethevenet and I can't wait to take on whatever the future holds for us."

The Boomf founder previously credited his dog for bringing himself and the French financial analyst together.

"The two of us (Ella and me) were at the South Kensington Club in Chelsea. Ella was lying at my feet under the table; realising she might want some water, I trusted her to take herself over to the water bowl across the terrace. However, she made a beeline for Alizee. Rather embarrassed, I went over to apologise and bring Ella back."

"But Alizee thought I was the waiter and ordered her drink while continuing to stroke Ella, who at this point was on her back lapping up the attention. Little did I know, but I had just met my future wife, all thanks to Ella. If I hadn't trusted Ella, I wouldn't have brought her to the South Kensington Club and she wouldn't have been able to say hi to the woman who became my fiancee."
WENN Celebrity

The Duke of Cambridge celebrates 999 Day in his home country by honoring 'all the heroic people working and volunteering in the emergency services and the NHS.'

Sep 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Prince William met with emergency workers to celebrate 999 Day in the U.K. on Thursday (09Sep21).

The Duke of Cambridge returned to work after his annual summer break by paying a visit to Dockhead Fire Station in south London, where he spoke with first responders as they met with members of the public who have received support from them.

A post on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Instagram account read, "This #999Day we're saying a huge thank you to all the heroic people working and volunteering in the emergency services and the NHS. (sic)"

It was accompanied by a gallery of images of the "incredible" people who the prince had heard from at the event.

Among those the dad-of-three spoke to were ambulance technician Charlotte Speers and fire-fighters Marc Rustage and James Knight, who came to the aid of five-year-old Lila when she collapsed, with pictures showing the little girl had donned a tiara for the occasion.

He also got to chat to Police Constables Ryan and Ahmet, who "acted quickly to save the life of then six-year-old Noura, who had received appalling injuries at the hands of her father."

And William met with Ravi and his Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) rescuers, who came to a man's aid after he was dragged out to sea, where he heard how he had "remembered their 'Float to Live' advice and was able to remain afloat for almost an hour before being rescued."

The gallery was rounded off by a photo of William speaking to a woman named Mariam and fire-fighters, who told how she was rescued from a blaze on the eighth floor of a building earlier this year.
WENN Celebrity

The cancer-stricken member of The Wanted receives a message from the 'Maggie May' rocker after the boybander went public with his battle with stage 4 brain tumour.

Sep 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - The Wanted's Tom Parker has revealed Rod Stewart reached out to him after hearing about his terminal cancer diagnosis.

The "Maggie May" rocker announced in 2019 he was "in the clear" after an intense course of radiotherapy for his own battle, with prostate cancer, two years earlier.

Tom, who was diagnosed with an inoperable stage 4 brain tumour in October 2020, was blown away when Stewart contacted him to offer his support.

Parker told The Mirror on Wednesday (08Sep21), "Rod messaged me saying, 'Listen, I've been through this situation. If you ever need to rant, I'm here for you whenever.' What a lovely thing to do, It was so nice of him to do that."

Members of the boy band, which formed in 2009 and broke up in 2017, announced on Wednesday they are reuniting for a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall on 12 November (21), with all proceeds going towards cancer research.

Bandmembers Max George, Tom, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness, and Siva Kaneswaran had originally planned to reform for their 10th anniversary in 2020, but the pandemic forced them to put that plan on hold, until now.

The band also dropped a new single, its first in seven years, on Wednesday, and announced a greatest hits album is en route too.

Tom told The Sun, "It feels amazing, it is quite nice to be able to do something that is not related to treatment, it is like nothing has ever changed."

The band members shared a video announcement with fans, which they captioned on Instagram, "Here we go!! We are MEGA excited to announce that we are BACK and will be releasing our Greatest Hits Album on November 12th!!"

"We'll also be performing LIVE at the @royalalberthall as part of @tomparkerofficial 'Inside My Head' concert. It's been far too long... Let's do this!"
In just over a year, Africa has experienced three successful coups (two in Mali and one more recently in Guinea), one unsuccessful coup attempt in Niger, and an arbitrary military transfer of power in Chad following the assassination of its president.

These power grabs threaten a reversal of the democratization process Africa has undergone in the past two decades and a return to the era of coups as the norm.

According to one study, sub-Saharan Africa experienced 80 successful coups and 108 failed coup attempts between 1956 and 2001, an average of four a year. This figure halved in the period from then till 2019 as most African nations turned to democracy, only for it to once again be on the ascendance. Why?

Different decade, same problems

In the early postcolonial decades when coups were rampant, Africa's coup leaders virtually always offered the same reasons for toppling governments: corruption, mismanagement, poverty.

The leader of Guinea's recent coup, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, echoed these justifications, citing "poverty and endemic corruption" as reasons for overthrowing 83 year old president Alpha Conde. The soldiers who led a coup in neighbouring Mali last year claimed "theft" and "bad governance" prompted their actions. Likewise, the Sudanese and Zimbabwean generals who toppled Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and Robert Mugabe in 2017 respectively, deployed similar arguments.

While well-worn, these justifications still resonate with many Africans today for the simple reason they continue to accurately depict the reality of their countries. Furthermore, in many countries, people feel these problems are worsening.

The research network Afrobarometer conducted surveys across 19 African countries which showed 6 in 10 respondents saying corruption is increasing in their country (the figure was 63% in Guinea) while 2 in 3 say their governments are doing a poor job fighting it.

Furthermore, 72% believe ordinary citizens "risk retaliation or other negative consequences" if they report corruption to authorities, a sign Africans believe their public institutions are not just partakers in, but active defenders of, corrupt systems.

When it comes to poverty, an already tragic situation has been worsened by the battering Africa's fragile economies took from the coronavirus pandemic.

One in three people are now unemployed in Nigeria, West Africa's largest economy. The same goes for South Africa, the most industrialized African nation. It is now estimated the number of extremely poor people in sub-Saharan Africa has crossed the 500 million mark, half the population.

This in the youngest continent in the world with a median age of 20 and a faster-growing population than anywhere else, further intensifying an already fierce competition for resources.

These conditions create fertile conditions for coups and for increasingly desperate young Africans who have lost patience with their corrupt leaders to welcome coupists promising radical change, as was witnessed on the streets of Guinea following the takeover, with some elated Guineans even kissing the soldiers.

But as with the coups of the 1970s these scenes of joy will likely be shortlived, says Joseph Sany, Vice President of the Africa Center at the United States Institute of Peace. "The initial reaction of what you see on the streets will be of joy, but very soon, people will be demanding action... and I'm not sure the military will be able to deliver on the expectations, basic service delivery, more freedoms," he says.

Threat to democratic gains

What is clear is that these coups pose a serious threat to the democratic gains African countries have made in recent decades. Worryingly, research shows that many Africans are increasingly ceasing to believe elections can deliver the leaders they want.

Surveys conducted across 19 African countries in 2019/20 showed just 4 in 10 respondents (42%) now believe elections work well to ensure "MPs reflect voters' views" and to "enable voters remove non-performing leaders."

In other words, less than half believe elections guarantee representativeness and accountability, key ingredients of functional democracies.

Across 11 countries polled regularly since 2008, the belief elections enable voters remove non-performing leaders has dropped by 11% points among citizens, according to the survey. It is not that Africans no longer want to choose their leaders via elections, it is simply that many now believe their political systems are gamed.

Leaders like the deposed Conde are part of the problem. The only reason he was still in power until the coup was because he engineered constitutional changes in 2020 to enable himself serve a third-term as president, a common practise by several leaders on the continent, from Uganda's Yoweri Museveni to Alassane Ouattara in Cote d'Ivoire.

The African Union is rightly condemning Guinea's coup, but its response to such constitutional abuses has been muted.

These double standards and perceived elite conspiracies create the perfect environment for young swashbuckling officers like the 41-year-old Doumbouya to step in and promise to save the day.

"If the people are crushed by their elites, it is up to the army to give the people their freedom," said Guinea's new leader, quoting the former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings who himself led two coups

It is perhaps no coincidence Doumbouya quoted the feisty Rawlings, who was very effective at expressing the anger Ghanaians felt towards their political elites when he led military juntas in the 1980s. Desperate citizens living in political systems they often rightly believe are fixed can easily be seduced by anti-elite, anti-corruption rhetoric coupled with the promise of the new.

We should, unfortunately, prepare ourselves for the eventuality of more coups in Africa in the coming years. They are not to be expected in richer countries with strong institutions such as South Africa, Ghana or Botswana but in the poorer more fragile states. As are Mali, Niger, Chad and now Guinea where coups and coup attempts have recently occurred.

Fifteen of the twenty countries topping the 2021 Fragile States Index are in Africa, including countries like Cameroon, Central African Republic, Somalia and South Sudan as well as larger nations like Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia (which has been experiencing violent internal conflict for close to a year now) and Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

This increasing probability of coups will make Africa in general less predictable and stable, a negative for investors that could end up worsening the economic situation.

Can this undesirable trend be reversed? Yes, but while the international condemnations of coups in Guinea and elsewhere are crucial as deterrents to other would-be power grabbers, the only actors who truly have the power to reverse this worrying trend are African leaders themselves.

They are the ones in charge on the ground and it is their response to these recent events that will be the deciding factor. They need to reignite the belief democracy can deliver for Africans. But if the problems still being cited to justify coups continue to worsen in today's African democracies, then the temptation to try something else will continue to be dangerously seductive, both for coupists and citizens alike.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
At 8:45 a.m. EST, a farmer was harvesting corn with his son in southern Illinois.

Another was tending his hogs in Pike County and planning a trip to Washington D.C. in a few days.

A former Secretary of Agriculture was mid-sentence chairing a conference in Canada.

Exhibitors at the Big Iron Farm Show, in North Dakota, were having breakfast preparing for opening day.

An agricultural advocate was winging his way from Bloomington, Illinois, to Washington D.C.

At 8:46 a.m. EST, everything changed. American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.

Rich Guebert

That Sept. 11 morning started normally on the Randolph County farm of Rich Guebert as he, his son and an employee picked corn in southwestern Illinois.

Like millions of others, he watched the tragedy unfold when he went in for lunch.

It was a dark day for America. Our hearts went out to New York, said Guebert, of Ellis Grove, who has been the Illinois Farm Bureau president since 2013 after serving as vice-president from 2003.

He knew of people at the Illinois Farm Bureau who were caught in different cities and scrambled for rental cars to return home that day.

That day changed security all over the world, he said.

Phil Bradshaw

I was in the hog barn. I didnt know anything about it until two hours later, at lunch. It was shocking, said Phil Bradshaw, a Griggsville crop and livestock farmer in western Illinois.
So, what is going on in the Ahwatukee real estate market? Is the bubble going to burst?
https://www.aish.com/tp/b/ancient-modern/Defying-Death-with-Life.html

In his 1973 Pulitzer Prize winning book The Denial of Death, anthropologist Ernest Becker argued that subconsciously, we are so terrified of death, that everything we do, without even necessarily being aware of it, is in in some way trying to deny the fact that we will die.

Based on Beckers work, psychologists Jeff Greenberg, Sheldon Solomon, and Tom Pyszczynski formulated what they call terror management theory (TMT). Their goal is to demonstrate through research that we behave differently when reminded, either subtly or explicitly, of death-related concepts. Hundreds of studies of TMT have been conducted, many situated near funeral homes and cemeteries. One of the primary results of these studies is that when we are reminded of death, we manage the anxiety that comes along with such terror by thinking and behaving in such ways that build self-esteem and encourage us to invest in our value system.

As Moses prophesizes in about the eventual misdeeds of the Children of Israel and the consequential punishments, he laments that if they were to be wise, they would understand this; they would reflect upon their fate  [yavinu acharitam] (Devarim 32:29). The basic understanding of the verse is that if the Children of Israel would be aware and mindful of the heavy costs of their actions, they would choose the course of their behavior more wisely.

Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv, known as the Alter of Kelm, adds an additional level of interpretation in his work, Chochma UMussar (1:35). The fate [acharitam] that they should reflect upon is the ultimate fate of all of us, namely, death. As Rabbi Eliezer recommends (Talmud Shabbos 153a), we should repent every day, because who knows if tomorrow will be our last? Rabbi Ziv implores us to constantly bring awareness of death into our consciousness. This can raise our consciousness of our actions and motivate us to live a life based on our ultimate values.

In a captivating address launching the publication of the Koren Sukkot Machzor, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks suggested that this is the core message of Ecclesiastes. The most prominent word in the holy work is hevel, which Rabbi Sacks translates not as futile or vanity as most do, but as a shallow or fleeting breath. The running theme in the book is that we may be able to accomplish and accumulate a lot in this world, but in the end, we are all a breath away from death.

The first person to die in Tanach is Hevel, who is killed by his brother Kayin. Kayins name comes from the concept of acquisition. Many look to acquiring goods in order to assuage the anxiety that the fragility of life presents. But material acquisition, King Solomon contends, is not the way to confront the existential anxiety. The true way to defeat the terror that comes from awareness of death is through simcha  by living in the moment, by being mindful of the present, and enjoying what you are given and can experience in the here and now, despite the fact that the present moment is fleeting.

This pairs well, Rabbi Sacks argued, with the message of the holiday of Sukkot as well. A Sukkah by definition is a temporary structure. The simcha of Sukkot is to rejoice in the temporary and in the insecurity.

When confronted by the inevitability of death, let us respond by maximizing our time, living a life guided by Torah and mitzvot, and being mindful  i.e., enjoying the simcha that is afforded by living in the present.
My late brother, a World War II veteran, had a talent for getting at the heart of things and a knack for expressing his thoughts forcefully on his feet. In the Brooklyn, New York of the 1930s, he could boast that he argued with priests and took them down in face-to-face debate. In spite of his Catholic upbringing, he managed to make his family wonder what had gotten into him.

The scholar in my brother induced him to read Thomas Aquinas and other luminaries of Christianity, presumably to debunk church teaching, and when he discovered the depth of his ignorance about life and about the true nature of Christianity, the turncoat of the family soon dedicated himself to following Christ.

The spiritual journey of his kid brother, me, not less dedicated to seeking truth, led to a study of other religions. I read Alan Watts instead of Aquinas. Sal got to know one religion well; I got to know several well enough to appreciate where they came from and to see the gap in thought and feeling between East and West, a gap that many 20th century theologists tried to bridge with Western rationales, to little avail. Even Watts, who knew East and West perhaps better than any other soul, stumbled when, in comparing their respective metaphysics, he thought that Western religion was flawed in uniting God with the moral principle.

This to me was a tacit surrender to the principle that might makes right, after all, a de facto dismissal of the value and the reality of human life.

My own research told me that separating God from the moral principle is like separating body from mind, the very dualism shunned in the East where notions like matter/mind, up/down  tolerated for convenience  need to be grown out of, on the way to becoming mature adults. But in the West, where polarity dominates everything including thought, the separation of God from the moral principle becomes a detour from the road to growing fully into a human being.

This is quite like trying to change the body because science tells us there is something wrong with it. In response, I would say back to the drawing board  not for the body but for the science. The brain, thanks to its Originator, is designed to engage in reality, not invent it.

This is something that agenda-mongering progressives have yet to learn, after centuries of vaunted progress. And their number includes, I must add, todays reformers of the Christian faith, among them a good many pastors. To continue my analogy, these reformers of society are attempting to dismantle their own bodies and destroy their own souls, taking down their followers with them.

The obsession of progressive religious leaders for making Christianity generic, as in universal, ecumenical, inclusive is applauded by globalists who by their actions demonstrate their contempt for God-centered religion. When I first heard the word inclusive, as it has come to be used since the 1970s, I said to myself and to others, Are we to include evil? I asked and still ask: Are we to be so naively undiscriminating as to include death and self-destruction when such outcomes are peddled with seductive words like choice and liberation? Christian church leaders fail in their mission to guide people through the moral tunnels of life when they include ideas and attitudes at odds with the Christian Gospel, such as terminating the life of children before they are born or suppressing the life of humans of any age that no longer serve the rulers, or promoting sexual conduct that violates the design of the body and rejects the first and primary purpose of sex: procreation.

We are supposed to reject such outdated moral advice because it is out of fashion. Have we forgotten that having a body with a head on it is equally old fashioned, a fact that transhumanists seem to detest. Doing stupid and evil things, in the name of progress or under the mantle of the common good, has become a habit among progressive reformers since their washing out of Christianity from public life and from the church.

The smell of degeneracy in the church has in fact a long history. It was in January 1798, wrote William Hazlitt, that I rose one morning before daylight, to walk ten miles in the mud, to hear [Coleridge] preach. ...A poet and a philosopher getting up into a...pulpit to preach the gospel was a romance in these degenerate days, a sort of revival of the primitive spirit of Christianity...as if the sounds had echoed from the bottom of the human heart. [1]

How to connect the depth of the heart with the height of the intellect, even among brainy Christians that squabble over doctrine, is a problem that ought not freeze the will to find and abide in the truth regarding our union with God.

Which brings me back to what got into my brother when, like the new hotshot on the block, he ridiculed the faith not only of his parents but of parents reaching back to God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob. What got into him (before his awakening), and continues to get into many who wittingly or unwittingly wander from the spiritual unity with God that they are born with, is heresy preached by intellectuals who themselves are not fully awake. Its a mistake not made by, for example, the man of math and science we know as Blaise Pascal who ultimately concluded that the laws of nature and the laws of God  God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of philosophers and scholars  set limits on us. Reject them as oppressive, and we suffer; accept them as opportunities, and we prosper. [2]

Blaise Pascal

How far has heresy closed doors of opportunity and driven people astray? How many have fallen asleep to reality? Thanks to the celebrated ghost of sophistry known as Zeitgeist, today even the pope wants his flock to follow the atheistic United Nations instead of the Gospel, while atheists get appointed as chaplains  to cite two extreme examples of compromising morality. That such actions are applauded by those who hate God, tacitly or openly, while claiming to help society should surprise only those still sleeping.

- - - - - - - -

[1] William Hazlitt, My First Acquaintance with Poets.

[2] Statement found on a slip of paper sewn inside Pascals coat after his death.

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I have no doubt that Joe Biden set September 11, the 20th anniversary of the worst attack on American soil, for his botched bug out from Afghanistan thinking it would be a triumphant conclusion to twenty years of war in Afghanistan.

Doesnt look like that plan was worth following.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people who should have been evacuated first are now hostage to murderous barbarians there.

Doesnt look like that plan was worth following.

Billions of dollars of military equipment were left behind to be used by these same enemies of western civilization.

Doesnt look like the plan was worth following.

China eyes for itself the well-fortified and equipped Bagram airbase which it will likely use to manage the exploitation of Afghans rich rare earth deposits which are essential to modern living. Instead of a grateful nation applauding a move most wanted -- an end to the war there -- the way in which it was done, including the terrible timing for an anticipated boost to his popularity, instead has caused support for Biden to tank.

I highly recommend a new book by Toby Harnden if you want to see how we got there: First Casualty. Harndens a wonderful chronicler of military history, and this book is exceptional. It focuses on the eight-member CIA team Alpha. They were the first Americans to be dropped behind Afghan lines after 9/11. They had U.S. air support and help from Green Berets, Afghan allies, and the British Special Boat Service. Operating as insurgents they defeated the much larger Taliban force. That force faked a surrender and hundreds of them were imprisoned in Qala-i-Janga where two Alpha Team members, Mike Spann and David Tyson (the latter a skilled linguist who had spent years studying in Uzbekistan) interrogated the prisoners, one of whom, it turned out, was Marin County Californian John Phillip Walker Lindh, who following a troubled family dissolution, declared himself on the side of the Jihadists.

Spann, as you may recall, was murdered by the inmates. Tyson shot the killers and against difficult odds, made it out of there. Spann is dead with a young family left behind. Lindh, on the other hand, cut a plea deal that the government offered to avoid defending his claims of a tortured confession. He served some time in U.S. prison and was released on May 23, 2019, before the end of his 20-year sentence. He still seems to adhere to the jihadi cause.

Harndens narrative recounts how once the astonishingly successful Alpha team left Afghanistan, the U.S. military took over, and instead of the insurgent tactics which served us so well, the military operated as occupiers and poured troops and munitions into the country. It built fortified bases and its mission was no longer checking the activities of the jihadists. It turned to a fantastical notion conceived by its civilian leaders of converting this backward, fractious group of tribes (which Harden exquisitely details) into a modern democracy. In Harndens words, early success became a long, drawn-out failure. Its also worth noting that both the British and U.S. operatives on the ground there were successful in certain significant parts because they had free (or freer) rein from the constraints of the bureaucrats in the various government agencies of both countries.

The horror of 9/11 in which thousands lost their lives at the hands of jihadists is gradually being erased by the same nitwit culture that tied our hands in waging battle against such evil and turned our military into some sort of therapeutic social work task force. On the anniversary of 9/11, Rutgers University and San Francisco State University featured speakers with terrorist affiliations.

College students interviewed by Campus Reform indicated that we should omit the gruesome details and avoid placing blame. for the events of that day.

Students also told Campus Reform that they agree that teachers shouldnt mention or promote American exceptionalism in lessons about 9/11. We don't need more nationalism in this country... we need more healthcare, one student said. I think they should focus on America's faults, not how amazing we are and how we need to be superior, because we're not. In terms of propagating this idea that our nation is the best no matter what... I would agree that that should be avoided, another student said. Students didnt seem to agree with the idea of American exceptionalism. Its rooted in a lot of colonist and imperialist notions of how we should treat other people, one student said. Another student said, I think it's a dangerous mindset to teach young people that because I think that's the reason why a lot of people grow up to be extremists and really nationalistic.

No better example of the educational rot could you look for than this.

In Fairfax County, Virginia the daughter of the leader of the mosque to which some of the 9/11 hijackers belonged sits on the school board and opposed a resolution honoring the victims. The President himself issued an absurd statement referring to the Taliban as businesslike and professional at the very moment the Taliban were searching house to house, beating and killing those who were our allies. He added insult to his countrymen to this absurdity:

We also witnessed the dark forces of human nature. Fear and anger. Resentment and violence against Muslim-Americans -- true and faithful followers of a peaceful religion, Biden said in a prerecorded video published for the occasion."

Like the now thoroughly discounted Trump Collusion with Russia, the evidence of Islamophobia is evidence-free poppycock.

Looking over the Taliban leadership we are reminded that President Obama handed them over in exchange for another misguided American idiot, Bowe Bergdahl, a military deserter.

Four of the five Taliban members released from Guantanamo Bay by the Obama administration in 2014 in exchange for admitted US Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl are part of the Islamic fundamentalist groups new hardline government in Afghanistan, according to local media reports. The four members of the so-called Taliban Five who have joined the new government are Acting Director of Intelligence Abdul Haq Wasiq, Acting Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs Norullah Noori, Deputy Defense Minister Mohammad Fazl, and Acting Minister of Information and Culture Khairullah Khairkhah. The fifth member of the Taliban Five, Mohammad Nabi Omari, was appointed governor of eastern Khost province last month. Afghan outlet TOLOnews published a list Tuesday of members of the new caretaker government, which features several familiar faces who helped run the war-torn country between 1996 and 2001 -- when the Taliban were forced from power by US-led NATO forces following the 9/11 attacks. Wasiq, Fazl and Khairkhah all held positions in the former Taliban government -- Wasiq as a deputy intelligence chief, Fazl as army chief of staff and Khairkhah as interior minister.

I dont mean to suggest that everything done in that 20-year period was a failure. I agree with the editors of the Wall Street Journal who observe there were some notable successes even in the face of unwarranted criticisms.

Start with the fact that America hasnt been struck with a comparable attack on the homeland since 9/11. As the 9/11 commission report noted, the jihadists had been at war with us for years, but we had refused to recognize it. There was every reason at the time to believe that our lack of vigilance had made us vulnerable to more such attacks, especially when the anthrax envelopes from an unknown source began arriving in mailboxes a week later. The Bush Administration mobilized public support for an extraordinary response that went well beyond toppling the Taliban. U.S. intelligence was revamped so the FBI and CIA actually talked to one another. Terrorists were killed or, better, captured and interrogated to gain information that could prevent the next attack. The al Qaeda network that planned the 9/11 attacks was largely broken up. The supposed excesses of U.S. surveillance are vastly overstated. The privacy of Americans hasnt been threatened, while the Patriot Act has provided the feds with tools to break up domestic terror cells. The biggest intelligence failure concerned weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The worst surveillance violation of recent decades had nothing to do with terrorism. It was the FBIs 2016 spying on the Trump campaign and lying to the FISA court. Its also dogma to deride the prison at Guantanamo, but the alternative was handling hundreds of enemy combatants in civilian courts under rules that made extended interrogation far more difficult. The hindsight brigade forgets how much we didnt know at the time about the jihadist threat, its relation to state sponsors, and where they might strike next.

The Department of Defenses strategy for overwhelming force and a big footprint, however, did fail us for twenty years and the bug out only made more obvious the military brasss incompetence to adapt to new circumstances. Even its lies are so weak and transparent they cannot overcome minimal scrutiny. After the devastating videos of desperate people on the tarmac and at the gates of Kabul airport we were told by Major General William Taylor that one of our drone airstrike targets was known to be an imminent ISIS-L threat and that there had been secondary explosions that indicated the presence of a substantial amount of explosive material that was going to be used in a high profile attack. Obviously, the idea was to allay any thought that since we had left, we were defenseless against jihadist activities there. At the time, it occurred to skeptics like myself that it was odd that we werent told who this imminent ISIS-L threat was. That Taylor fantasy was pricked by the New York Times:

Times reporting has identified the driver as Zemari Ahmadi, a longtime worker for a U.S. aid group. The evidence, including extensive interviews with family members, co-workers and witnesses, suggests that his travels that day actually involved transporting colleagues to and from work. And an analysis of video feeds showed that what the military may have seen was Mr. Ahmadi and a colleague loading canisters of water into his trunk to bring home to his family.

Were not in Afghanistan any longer. We seem to have destroyed any meaningful on-the-ground intelligence and no amount of bluster and errant drone strikes can hide that.

Nor is it easy to dismiss that we are being more hamstrung by government fiat than the now back in power Taliban are. Its hard to argue with the poster Ive dubbed The Great Iggy:

The Taliban are back in power but it's us who have to be humiliated to get on a plane, have to wonder if what we're typing in our own homes will be used by our government to harm us, are publicly shamed if we even suggest Islam might have even a tiny bit to do with jihad, are practically forced to repeat the prog doggerel about Islam being a religion of peace, are routinely called the Taliban and domestic terrorists by people who at the same time perversely defend Islam and condemn us even though Islam is in opposition to almost everything they claim to believe in. And to top it off, George W Bush, the neo-cons and the Cheney family, all of whom we more or less supported back then have not only either turned their backs on us when we tried to defend ourselves from the progs or have outright attacked us and sided with the progs, but they set in motion much of the above that now plague our country.

Aside from the easy-to-discount blather from the White House and Departments of State and Defense to spackle over the cost of the incompetent bug out, the President tried to deflect from the disastrous coverage by issuing a clearly unconstitutional vaccine mandate for federal workers and employers of over 100 people. As Mark Wauck chronicles, the likelihood of the obviously unconstitutional mandate passing judicial muster is small. Its another displacement tactic -- like look, a squirrel! Biden is, in effect, saying the Taliban arent the problem, those unvaccinated Americans are. He says that at the same time as he admits without much vetting or vaccination thousands of Afghans and over our wide-open borders hundreds of thousands of unvaccinated people from countries all over the world.

Cartoon courtesy of Michael Ramirez

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A thorough review of the historical records provides startling indications that much, if not all, of what we know about Muhammad is legend, not historical fact, writes Robert Spencer in his new edition of Did Muhammad Exist? An Inquiry into Islams Obscure Origins. Therein this bestselling author, scholar, and world-renowned Islamophobe details numerous factual, fatal objections to the received faith-based narrative of Islams founding by a prophet named Muhammad.

Spencer surveys the historical record of various of various societies like the Byzantine Empire that bore the brunt of Arab invasions in the Middle East and North Africa following Muhammads supposed death in 632. The surprising documentary result:

No one who interacted with those who conquered the Middle East in the middle of the seventh century ever seems to have gotten the impression that a prophet named Muhammad, whose followers burst from Arabia bearing a new holy book and a new creed, was behind the conquests.

Spencer notes that this silence is extremely strange. Islam, in its canonical texts, is an unapologetically supremacist religion. Tellingly, coins minted in the 650s and possibly as late as the 670s by early Islamic caliphs like the Damascus-based Umayyads make no reference to Muhammad as Allahs prophet or to any other distinctive element of Islam. Some of these coins even feature crosses, but it is hard to imagine that such a coin would have been minted at all had the dogmatic Islamic abhorrence of the cross been in place at the time.

Muhammads normative biography raises grave doubts for Spencer, based as it is largely on the hadith, or canonical narratives about Muhammads words and actions. Spencer observes that Islamic orthodoxy holds that the hadith passed from Muhammads lifetime to the ninth century in an uncorrupted oral tradition before Islamic scholars verified and transcribed hadith. Seldom, if ever, has such a feat of memory been documented, Spencer skeptically comments.

While theologically the short Qurans sparse content is Islams primary document, functionally, if not officially, the Hadith are the primary authority in Islam, Spencer notes. This particularly results from the doctrine in Quran 33:21 and other verses that Muslims should emulate Muhammad, whose biography the hadith minutely chronicles in dizzyingly voluminous collections. Additionally, to a large extent, even the Muslim holy booknot just its Arabic neologisms and turns of phrase -- would be incomprehensible without the Hadith, Spencer analyzes, which detail the occasions for the revelation of every passage in the Quran.

The resulting potential for hadith fraud surrounding a holy lawgiver Muhammad is enormous, Spencer observes. Thus, with Muhammad held up as an exemplar, the Hadith became political weapons in the hands of warring factions within the Islamic world. And as is always the case with weapons in wartime, they began to be manufactured wholesale. The consequence of all this was inevitable: utter confusion, Spencer concludes; the Hadith is riddled with contradictions.

Parallel problems plague the Sira or Islamic biography of Muhammad that canonically supplements the hadith in Islamic Sunna or tradition. All accounts of Muhammad ultimately derive from a biography written by Ibn Hisham, who died in 833 almost exactly two centuries after Muhammad, a historian who in turn edited portions of a Muhammad history compiled by Ibn Ishaq, who died in 773. As Spencer notes, there is simply no alternative to Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham if one wishes to record what the earliest available Islamic sources say about Muhammad.

This evidentiary record is obviously deficient, Spencer assesses. Material that circulated orally for as many as 125 years, amid an environment in which forgery of such material was rampant, is extremely unlikely to have maintained any significant degree of historical reliability. Yet if Ibn Hisham is not a historically trustworthy source, what is left of the life of Muhammad? Spencer questions.

Moreover, Muhammads orthodox biography is hardly flattering. The Muhammad of Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham is not a peaceful teacher of the love of God and the brotherhood of man but rather a warlord who fought numerous battles and ordered the assassination of his enemies, Spencer reviews. Muhammad is more of a cutthroat than a holy man.

Muhammads biography is not holy writ by any standard, yet his supposed revelation, the Quran, is no better. For Muslims, the Quran is a perfect copy of the perfect, eternal book -- the Mother of the Book (umm al-kitab) -- that has existed forever with Allah in Paradise, Spencer observes. This perfect and miraculous book is, however, decidedly imperfect, as even some Muslims have begun to note publicly, he caveats.

The Quran is, like the Hadith, riddled with contradictions, Spencer writes, as the example of alcohol across several Quran verses demonstrates. Alcohol started out as permitted, and then containing some benefit but also leading the believer into sin, with the sin outweighing the benefit, and finally alcohol is the work of Satan, he notes. This suggests that the Quran was written by committee, the product of the combination of numerous divergent traditions.

Even more critically, the earliest manuscripts of the Quran do not contain most diacritical marks, Spencer notes. He insightfully explains:

Many Arabic letters are identical to one another in appearance except for their diacritical marks -- that is, the dots that appear above or below the character. In fact, twenty-two of the twenty-eight letters in the Arabic alphabet depend entirely on diacritical marks to distinguish them from at least one other letter.

Early Quran manuscripts are not even consistent in the sets of identical letters they choose to distinguish from one another, Spencer observes. The implications of this confusion are enormous, he correctly concludes. It is entirely possible that what is taken for one word in that canonical text may originally have been another word altogether.

Diacritical marks are even more essential for the Quran insists on its Arabic character so often that Islamic theologians have quite understandably understood Arabic to be part of the Qurans very essence, Spencer notes. In reality, the Quran contains numerous indications of a non-Arabic derivation, or at very least considerable non-Arabic influence. As the Islamic scholar Christoph Luxenberg, many of the Qurans notable oddities become clear when the text is reread in light of the Syriac language and other possible substrata, Spencer observes. Many words in this self-proclaimed clear Arabic book are neither clear nor Arabic, he summarizes.

Reviewing Islams canonical farrago, Spencer surmises that the realm of political theology, then, offers the most plausible explanation for the creation of Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran. Every empire of the day was anchored in a political theology. The Romans conquered many nations and unified them by means of the worship of the Greco-Roman gods. This Greco-Roman paganism was later supplanted by Christianity, Spencer notes. Similarly, the Arab empire controlled, and needed to unify, huge expanses of territory in which different religions predominated.

Spencers analysis easily explains why Islam developed as such a profoundly political religion. Likewise, Muhammad had to be a warrior prophet, for the new empire was aggressively expansionistic. This clearly found theological justification in Muhammads teachings and example.

Spencer has provided indispensable insight on Islam. As Islamic scholar Volker Popp noted in the book preface, the material culture of an Islamic past is never judged on its own merits, but only by its usefulness for validating the Islamic myth. Yet Spencer realized it was time to get back to real scholarship unhampered by political correctness and the corruption of Saudi money, stated his colleague Ibn Warraq.

There is a long scholarly tradition of inquiry into the historical Jesus, Ibn Warraq noted, but equivalent investigations into Muhammad are far more fraught. Some of the bold scholars who have investigated the history of early Islam have even received death threats. As a result, some publish under pseudonyms, including scholars of the first rank like Warraq and Luxenberg, Spencer noted. May more brave individuals follow in his footsteps in uninhibited examination of Islam.

Image: Bombardier Books

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In the 9/11 coverage, the press is making a big deal about all the wonderful (read: post-Trump) presidential unity.

Here's CBS's story and that's just one example:

Three presidents and their wives stood somberly side by side at the National September 11 Memorial, sharing a moment of silence to mark the anniversary of the nation's worst terror attack with a display of unity. President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton all gathered at the site where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades ago. They each wore blue ribbons and held their hands over their hearts as a procession marched a flag through the memorial, watched by hundreds of Americans gathered for the remembrance, some carrying photos of loved ones lost in the attacks.

Here's the aw-shucks screen shot from the VOA video on YouTube of the three former presidents together:

Covering Shanksville, Pennsylvania in perfect harmony with the Ground Zero picture was former President George W. Bush. The screen shot is from a YouTube video from The Bush Center:

It all looked very nice as if something was being sold to the public. Unity? Isn't that what Joe Biden talks about? The show of presidential force from just Democrats and their one Republican ally isn't quite unity unless President Trump never happened. Trump, in fact, the only New York native, was attending his own events with first responders.

To the ordinary observer, the "presidential unity" was actually the four faces of failure. It was a reminder to the public of how many presidents had failed us.

Afghanistan was a disastrous war that ran for 20 long years in the wake of 9/11 and the presidential failures there were emblematic in that lineup.

Bill Clinton, who occupied the first slot, was the sorry president who turned down the golden opportunity to destroy Osama bin Laden who'd launched a string of pre9/11 terrorist attacks when Sudan offered it to him on a platter.

George Bush, who came after, was also pretty wretched. Rather than just blow the hell out of the terrorists in their nests, he turned his whole project into a nation-building operation, which ended up being a lot of consultant contracts. Worse still, he failed to learn the lessons of post-World War II as long as he was big on national building. Were property rights and personal security placed first, as Gen. Douglas MacArthur had done? No, they weren't. It was all about the Afghanistan girls, and wokester education, bolstering the blue-city dynamic at the expense of the countryside. This disturbing, haunting, and likely true long story by Anand Gopal at the New Yorker pretty well lays out the entire failure of the Bush nation-building project. Back home, Bush gave us the nationalized TSA, making blue-haired grannies open to frisking as if maladjusted Middle Eastern military-aged young men weren't the actual terrorism perpetrators.

Then there was Barack Obama, who extended the legal handcuffs on our troops he sent to Afghanistan to fight. He gave the order to get bin Laden but he ruined the victory by giving bin Laden a proper Muslim burial as if this monster were some kind of good Muslim who deserved one, and after that allowed no pictures of his sorry rotten carcass to demoralize the enemy as if he wanted no terrorist feelings hurt. Worse still, he traded five top Taliban leaders imprisoned at Gitmo for the sorry U.S. deserter, Bowe Bergdahl, complete with a bizarre White House ceremony. Today those savages rule Afghanistan, in powerful positions such as intelligence. Failure? That's putting it politely

But none could top the kingpin of failure, miserable Joe Biden, the man who alone opposed the 2011 killing of bin Laden. After that, as president, he then delivered the Afghanistan pullout fiasco, the worst foreign policy disaster in American history. He failed to plan for the inevitable in setting up the pullout, he focused on giving the enemy a symbolic 9/11 date and they took advantage. When disaster came, he hid in his basement for most of the horrible news footage. When he came out it was to blame his predecessor and claim himself the hero. He stiffed America's allies, longtime Britain and the Afghani military at Bagram Airfield, pulling out without notice and refusing to take their phone calls. He hauled in tens of thousands of unvetted Afghanis who managed to push and shove their way onto departing American planes to the states while leaving Americans and Afghani translators behind. Some 44 unvetted Afghanis who were brought to the U.S. without papers have been found to have terrorist ties at last count and Biden doesn't know what to do about them. His failures were the apex and cascade of all failures that could come of his pullout. Our enemies are licking their chops now, with China coolly eyeing Bagram.

Unity? An aw-shucks wonderful presidential picture? No, just failure, failure in so many different forms. Frankly, I couldn't stand to look at the picture.

Image: Screen shot from VOA video with AP pool footage, via shareable YouTube

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For decades now, David Horowitz has been telling the truth about the lefts real goals for America and explaining how they are nearing their achievement. The ignominious surrender of Afghanistan to the very enemy we fought for almost two decades there is a signal moment, revealing the deep rot in the military leadership of our nation.

David has asked us to share this essay, which will be published Monday in his organizations Front Page Magazine. We are pleased to reproduce it here with permission.

By David Horowitz

Photo by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 3.0 license

Our Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin - a leader who presided over the worst, most incompetent, most humilitating military defeat in the history of our nation - is black. Of course, hes black. He was appointed by Biden to display the wonderful diversity of the most progressive president in history. He wasnt chosen because he was a brilliant military leader (obviously). He was chosen because he was a political hack ready and willing to embrace even the most suicidal left-wing policies. (Note: Left-wing policies are by their very nature suicidal because the defining characteristic of the left is that it hates America and wants to dismantle it and replace it with the left-wing fantasy of a socially just future.)

In February 2021 - with the deadline for withdrawal in Afghanistan a bare three months away - General Austin was not ordering a military alert to prepare for what was going to be a major humanitarian and military reckoning. Instead, he was ordering a military stand down to indoctrinate all Americas troops in Black Lives Matter hate white people and hate America propaganda.

In passing may I note that 85% of the troops who gave their lives in Afghanistan to protect the American homeland and to give the Afghan people and especially women the right to breathe free  were white. So much for real diversity.

Diversity Training as it is practiced, is a racist scam whose promoters have the hateful mentality and low I.Q. level of the Jim Crow bubbas of the past. Their goal is to demonize white Americans and (white) America, and to promote an anti-American agenda that strikes at the heart of a soldiers military oath to defend the Constitution and the nation it created.

Here is a dose of the beliefs that our soldiers were being indoctrinated in during the two-month stand down during the run-up to the Afghanistan debacle:

that the country was founded by racists, that the country has always been racist

that the Constitutions ratification codified white supremacy as the law of the land,

that whites are inherently racists (whether they realize it or not), and that the country must transform and become something altogether different than what it was and is.

We know this is the diversity training curriculum because a courageous patriot, former Lt. Colonel Matt Lohmeier - a commander in the Space Force and head of a unit tasked with identifying ballistic missile launches - experienced it first-hand. Lohmeier had the personal courage and love of country to tell the non-military world about the rot that is eating away the confidence and patriotic dedication of the military. He did so in a learned, self-published book called Irresistible Revolution from which this passage comes.

For this gesture of patriotism and dissent, the Space Force removed Lohmeier from his command and then kicked him out of the military altogether. They then stripped him of his pension, earned during fifteen years in the armed services. From his testimony we know that to criticize the Marxist, insurrectionists and pathological liars of Black Lives Matter or their poisonous doctrines is forbidden in todays military, presided over by diversity commander-in-chief Lloyd Austin.

What is the impact of these doctrines on the troops? How do you take an oath to defend a Constitution that institutionalizes white supremacy?

Lohmeier tells you. [It] is wrecking young peoples motivation to serve in the US military, regardless of their political leanings. Many of those who believe these false narratives are finding their motivation for continued service shattered. Many of those appalled by the accusations are likewise demotivated. These narratives are teeing up a lose-lose scenario for the uniformed services and for the American people. I know because I am hearing about it all the time from people at my own base and elsewhere.

In October 2020, Lohmeier attended a discussion group, set up as part of the militarys indoctrination program. It was led by a black female officer who assigned a book by Ijeomo Oluo called, So You Want to Talk About Race. Oluo is a Nigerian and a Black Lives Matter star. Her book has been widely read and praised. Here is its wisdom as Lohmeier reports it: The book teaches that the United States is a white supremacist society that must be dismantled piece by piece. It teaches that speech that makes people of color feel unsafe is an act of violence, but that if whites are uncomfortable, do not allow [them] to be treated as if harm has been done to them. Could Oluos mind-numbing racism be any clearer?

This racist garbage would be of little consequence if it were not the dominant theme in Americas culture today, promoted by the White House, the popular culture itself, and corporate giants like Google and Apple who have instituted the same racist indoctrination programs for their employees and everyone within their reach  which is everyone.

What makes these doctrines sinister is that the Marxists who devised them always had the goal of dismantling America in the process. Their success in Afghanistan should be a code blue warning to every American who loves their country.

Americas current corrupt leaders are always talking about the existential threat to America. And their answer is always the same white supremacist domestic terrorists. And where are they exactly? Our leaders deploy this fiction for one reason, and one reason alone: to empower their witch-hunts against patriots and conservatives like Matthew Lohmeier who is a prime victim.

But any patriotic American not seduced by the Black Lives Matters lies knows that the opposite is the truth. Anti-white racism, and ignorant attacks on the American founding  these constitute the greatest existential threat to America. The fact that Black Lives Matters racist fictions make up the crippling doctrine of our military leaders should awaken everyone to the menace we face. There never has been a greater threat to our patrimony and freedom since the darkest days of the Civil War.

David Horowitz is the author of The Enemy Within: How A Totalitarian Movement Is Destroying America, and the forthcoming (October 5th) I Cant Breathe: How A Racial Hoax is Killing America.
George W. Bush appeared at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Saturday to honor those who died on 9/11. It was an interesting speech, but not necessarily in a good way. He told the veterans of Americas long wars that their sacrifices werent in vain, an obviously false statement now that Biden has given Afghanistan itself and U.S. hi-tech weapons valued at $83B to the Taliban. More provocatively, Bush said that Islamic violent extremists are the same as domestic violent extremists when it comes to their disregard of human life. The big question is whether Bush was referring to Antifa and BLM or to the January 6 protestersand, interestingly, everybody assumes he was speaking about the latter.

To Bushs credit, after the Islamist attack on the Twin Towers, he handled the immediate aftermath with dignity and fortitude. He was also correct to want to bring the war to those who attacked us.

After that, though, Bush was wrong in so many ways. Ill refrain from blaming him for the fake intelligence about Iraqs WMDs or the Pakistan-related realpolitik that seems to have prevented anyone from delivering a death blow to the Taliban.

Bush, however, was wrong to believe that we could democratize Muslim countries through warfare. He misunderstood the examples of Nazi Germany and Bushido Japan. In those cases, we completely flattened the countries as a predicate to rebuilding them in a more democratic mode and we stuck around for more than seven decades. Additionally, both those countries were modern nations when the war began, making rebuilding easier.

At home, Bushs compassionate conservativism too often veered into Democrat-lite policies, but he did tryand, like Trump, he was the victim of an irredeemably hostile media that convinced many Americans that he was a failure at everything. The most memorable example was Hurricane Katrina, to which Bush responded very well, but the media insisted his response was a disaster. (Meanwhile, the media are completely silent about Bidens abandonment of those in Louisiana who just suffered another devastating storm.)

Bush lost significant support from his base after his presidency when he suddenly became besties with the Obamas. On the one hand, it was nicely ecumenical. On the other hand, given that Barack Obama wasnt just a traditional Democrat but was, instead, attacking America at her foundations, that was an awful lot like sleeping with the enemy.

Things really went downhill, though, when George Bush sided with Hillary in 2016 and Biden in 2020 against Trump. Regardless of his personal feelings about Trump, Bush knew that Hillary was an utterly corrupt hard leftist. He should have taken a stand against his fathers support for her but he didnt. Moreover, by 2020, he knew that Trump had governed as a true conservative and that Biden was not only as corrupt as Hillary but was also stupid (with an increasing dollop of dementia) but he refused to endorse Trump, thereby tacitly endorsing Biden.

With that history of backing his leftist Deep State buddies over America, we saw George W. Bush was a Deep State, Vichy Republican. Its scarcely surprising, then, that when George W. Bush spoke about domestic extremists but didnt name names everyone assumed he was speaking about a cohort of unarmed, middle-aged and elderly people who, deeply frustrated by a manifestly irregular election (and probably encouraged by leftist provocateurs), did exactly what leftists have always done, and entered the Capitol to complain.

Bushs exact words were as follows:

There's little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard of human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit, and it is our continuing duty to confront them.

Considering that the January 6 protesters killed no one and destroyed nothing, the words are inapposite to them. They apply perfectly to BLM and Antifa, groups that tore down monuments, looted and torched buildings, brutally attacked law enforcement, and left almost two dozen people dead. But still, most believed Bush gave the back of his hand to Trump supporters. Conservatives believed that:

I have personally overlooked many things from former President George W. Bush but his comparison between Trump voters and the Jihadists from 9/11 is an absolute disgrace. F*cking unbelievable. #NeverForget https://t.co/ZPFtz9J6a0  Col. Rob Maness ret. (@RobManess) September 11, 2021

20 years later its hard to imagine the heroism displayed by first responders, who are now openly despised by New York City and state leaders, and whose personal sacrifice is downplayed by the Commander-in-Chief, who compares this deadly attack to a small riot at the Capitol.  Cernovich (@Cernovich) September 11, 2021

Bush today endorsed the use of government power against perceived domestic terrorists. He, like Biden, share a petulant slow-burn bc tens of millions of American voters spurned them (GW brother, Jeb!) and voted for Trump.



Read this by @davereaboi: https://t.co/HAD0RWPSBR  Julie Kelly  (@julie_kelly2) September 11, 2021

Bush is publicly comparing 9/11 to Jan 6



They want Trump supporters treated like jihadists



Are you paying attention yet?pic.twitter.com/ByOi5hEoXt  Jack Posobiec  (@JackPosobiec) September 11, 2021

Youd think he was talking about Antifabut hes talking about you. I cant think of anyone else whos made such a disgusting disgrace of his legacy. https://t.co/QKf9L5BlY9  David Reaboi, Late Republic Nonsense (@davereaboi) September 11, 2021

And the media believed that. The Daily Mail made the same assumption, writing that Bushs words were an apparent reference to both the 9/11 hijackers and the January 6 Capitol rioters. A widely syndicated New York Daily News report had as its lede, Former President George W. Bush used the occasion of a 9/11 speech to take a thinly-veiled slam at the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and other U.S. political extremists. USA Today had the same take:

Former President George W. Bush compared domestic and foreign extremists Saturday, seeming to liken the insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to the 9/11 hijackers and calling on Americans to confront the growing threats from both groups.

Again, Bush didnt say a word about which homegrown extremists he meant. But the media can think of only onebecause the riots, arson, destruction, and death in 2020 were mostly peaceful"while Trump supporters understand that Bush is and was always a creature of the monoparty, permanent governing class. We supported him and he stabbed us in the back. What a pathetic piece of work he turned out to be.

Bonus contentJulie Kelly's Twitter feed gives information about some of the people Bush attacked:

His heartbroken mom: Robert entered the army at 17. While in bootcamp, he had his 18th birthday and was chosen to be an Army Ranger. As an elete soldier, Robert completed three tours in Afghanistan. As an elite soldier, Robert was injured many times.  Julie Kelly  (@julie_kelly2) September 11, 2021

His heartbroken mom: Robert entered the army at 17. While in bootcamp, he had his 18th birthday and was chosen to be an Army Ranger. As an elete soldier, Robert completed three tours in Afghanistan. As an elite soldier, Robert was injured many times.  Julie Kelly  (@julie_kelly2) September 11, 2021

There are many veterans of Bushs war on terror who were at the Capitol on 1/6. Some are incarcerated at the DC jail including Jeffrey McKellop, Jessica Watkins, Robert Morss, Dominic Pezzola.



Bush told America today they are terrorist. He is a disgrace.  Julie Kelly  (@julie_kelly2) September 11, 2021

Image: George W. Bush at Shanksville. YouTube screen grab.

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Dr. Haruo Ozaki, chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association recommends ivermectin for use with COVID patients. He notes that the parts of Africa that use ivermectin to control parasites have a COVID death rate of just 2.2 per 100,000 population, as compared to 13 times that death rate among African countries that do not use ivermectin. Similarly, worldometer.com statistics say that the COVID death rate in India (which uses HCQ and Ivermectin to treat COVID) is 32 while the COVID death rate in the U.S.A. is 6.5 times higher at 205 per 100,000 population.

If these stats are accurate, then at least 6 of every 7 people who have died in the U.S. of COVID could be alive today had they been treated with ivermectin. Of course, ivermectin's effectiveness against COVID was not yet known when the first COVID wave hit the United States. Also, U.S. health statistics are notoriously inaccurate. Hospitals are given a financial incentive to identify almost everyone who dies with COVID as having died of COVID. Also, the first wave of COVID that hit the U.S. before Africa and India was much more deadly than recent waves, simply because deadly viruses keep mutating into forms that spread more readily partly because they are less symptomatic and deadly.

In recent months, a growing number of American physicians have discovered that Ivermectin works. But, according to The Last Refuge, President Biden's Department of Health and Human Services is taking steps, through the liability insurance system, to suppress the issuance of ivermectin prescriptions. Australias federal government has just banned physicians there from prescribing ivermectin to treat COVID.

Photo credit: Rumble video screengrab

Howard Richman blogs at idealtaxes.com. He co-authored the 2014 book Balanced Trade: Ending the Unbearable Costs of America's Trade Deficits, published by Lexington Books.

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Much has been written about ivermectin lately  most of it untrue. People are mocking the use of a "horse-dewormer" in the treatment of COVID. Outlets like Rolling Stone and CNN take great pleasure in ridiculing its use. They have printed and promulgated a false story about overdosed ivermectin users in Oklahoma clogging emergency room admissions. Any sane person not associated with left-wing politics and journalism has to wonder why all this negative passion is directed toward a medication with a high degree of anecdotal success as a treatment for COVID.

Off-label use of prescription medications has been going on for as long as prescriptions have been written. If a drug has been declared safe by the FDA, it may legally be used and prescribed for medical conditions for which it was not originally intended. Testing of drugs has been stringent since the thalidomide disaster of the late '50s and early '60s when a drug administered to prevent nausea in pregnant women was discovered to cause the birth of malformed infants. These unfortunate babies were born with flipper-like appendages instead of normal limbs.

Following this debacle, the FDA and other agencies throughout the world became much more strenuous in testing for undesirable side-effects. Health officials have been rightly obsessed with preventing a similar medical disaster. Testing periods have been, in almost all cases, lengthened before a drug is deemed safe. The rapid development of the COVID vaccines is a notable exception.

The particular objection to the use of ivermectin is that it is widely perceived to be a medication for animals, particularly horses. The fact is that this medication was approved for use in humans in 1996 for various parasitic infections, so in proper dosages, it has been tested for human consumption.

Lest we forget or be foolishly outraged at the use in humans of medications originally used in animals, virtually all medications that we consume were originally tested in animals. Many animal rights activists continue to fight the use of laboratory animals in the testing of medicines, as well as their more properly focused outrage at the use of these animals for testing cosmetics and other substances.

It is also a fact that accidents and unlikely discoveries have greatly changed health care. A bit of mold, carelessly allowed to drift into one of Scottish physician Alexander Fleming's Petri dishes containing staphylococcus bacteria, gave us penicillin, which has saved millions of lives. Warfarin, a rat poison, became Coumadin, an anti-coagulant that has also saved countless lives by preventing blood clots. I can only assume that the use of these two life-saving medications would have been similarly scoffed at as nothing but unproven, anecdotal "snake oil" remedies by the same folks criticizing ivermectin. I might also mention viagra, originally intended as a blood-pressure medication rather than as a medication whose uplifting effect on our culture is well known.

So why the furor over ivermectin? If rat poison and mold can save lives, why not a "horse-dewormer"?

There is no doubt in my mind that, like hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin has been harshly criticized by the left because Donald Trump supported its use. To those folks, if Trump says black, they say white, even if the subject is India ink. This foolish and obstinate opposition has likely caused many unnecessary deaths.

Let's ensure that patients who wish to use this medication are allowed to. Let's be certain they are given a proper human dosage rather than being forced to self-administer horse dosages because they get no help from organized medicine. Let's end the foolish foot-dragging over something that might help end this nightmare for good.

Image: herrenvonbuttlar via Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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Dr. Jenn Jackson is a professor of political science at Syracuse University. Dr. Jacksons website biography reads, "Jenn M. Jackson (they/them) is a queer gender flux androgynous Black woman, an abolitionist, a lover of all Black people, and an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Political Science." (A gender flux androgynous woman?!)

Why do I mentionerumthem? Because Jackson published a series of tweets on Friday, September 10th, in which she they made preposterous claims about the motive for the terrorist attacks of 9/11 that killed nearly 3,000 innocent Americans of every race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, and color.

Jackson huffed, "It's twenty years since 9/11 and I'm still really disturbed by how many white pundits and correspondents talk about it. I'm watching [White House chief of staff on 9/11] Andy Card and [Former Homeland Security Secretary] Jeh Johnson on MSNBC. Card just said that 9/11 was the first time that Americans ever felt fear. He said that it was the last morning we woke up without fear and that the 'terrorists' succeeded in introducing us to fear."

She They continued: "White Americans might not have really felt true fear before 9/11 because they never felt what it meant to be accessible, vulnerable, and on the receiving side of military violence at home. But, white Americans' experiences are not a stand-in for 'America. Plenty of us Americans know what it's like to experience fear and we knew before 9/11. For a lot of us, we know fear *because* of other Americans."

Way to take a massive and unspeakable tragedy, but one that united the nation for a time, and use it to divide, demean, and denigrate, Jenn. Yet, there is some truth to that particular statement. Think of the thousands of Americans murdered every year due to Democratic policies and Black on Black crime. Far too many Americans know that fear.

Dr. J soldiered on, stating, We have to be clear that the same motivations that animated Americas hypervigilance and responsiveness to terror after 9/11 are now motivating the carceral state and anti-immigration policy. This, of course, is exactly, 180 degrees wrong. We have been arbitrarily (okay, COVID) letting criminals out of prisons by the countless thousands. We arent jailing many of them anymore, to begin with. Many areas of the country have dispensed with bail requirements. Four of the five Taliban members released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by then-President Obama in 2014 are now part of the Taliban government in Afghanistan!

Jackson complains about our supposed hypervigilance. Should we have done nothing? She They put terror in quotes, as if this, too, was an overreaction by overly sensitive straight white male pundits and observers. I mean, it wasnt nearly as bad as 1/6, when a couple of windows were broken, the only person to die due to the deliberate actions of another was a diminutive female Trump supporter, and Congresspeople were back in the terrorist ravaged Capitol building a few hours later. Right, Jenn?

And then Jackson opined, "We have to be more honest about what 9/11 was and what it wasn't. It was an attack on the heteropatriarchal capitalistic systems that America relies upon to wrangle other countries into passivity. It was an attack on the systems many white Americans fight to protect.

This literally couldnt be less honest/correct/truthful. Does anyone really think 19 Saudis (or Taliban members today) would want to attack or destroy America because it was a largely heterosexual society? They stone gays or imprison them! And does anybody believe all these militant male Muslims fervently dislike the patriarchy here? They keep women in the home, covered in drapery, deem them unfit for government, and immolate them for serving a bad meal!

People who force women to dress this way oppose "hyperpatriachy"?

What the hell?!! No one is that dumb or uninformed. Most statements like this arent ignorant or inaccurate. Leftists and would-be totalitarians say things like this calculatedly, deliberately. Its a tactic, a ploy to accuse those they hate of doing what they do, of being what they are. And I am sick of it. And I am really sick of the fact that so many Republicans and even conservatives let them get away with it.

The truth is that Dr. Jenn Jackson would love to eviscerate what she they mistakenly believe to be Americas entrenched heteropatriarchal capitalistic systems. That is why she they publish statements such as this.

By Jacksons reasoning, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor because of Americans love of Bushido and sake.

The U.S. eventually wrangled Japan (and Germany) into passivity. But took none of their land, and promptly built them into arguably the two biggest economic powerhouses on earth other than itself. Both the former and the latter were made possible by capitalism, and capitalism only.

We have to be more honest about why those on The Left do what they do.

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Within the United States resides the most productive, innovative, and resilient population in the world. Makers, doers, creators, all crave freedom to live their own lives and have flocked here for almost 250 years. These people joined a union with others that had a similar mindset: the American Union.

This union is not a tightly organized group that takes orders. This union is one that is comprised of individuals who march to their own drum. The result is both the strength and weakness of the union. We do not know how many people are in it. The entrepreneur businessman, the grocery store clerk, the doctor of oncology, the machinist, and the cattle rancher are all members. The vast majority of people in this union are the people who make the world go round.

Like many labor unions have in the past, it is now time for the American Union to work as one to improve our current working conditions. When we are handed mandates that must be met in order to create value, and when these mandates go against our own best judgment, it may be time to do as labor unions have done so many times before. We go on strike.

Power is found in numbers. If one individual goes on strike it will have an effect equal to the value that he produces. For many within the American Union, this alone is significant. Imagine what would happen if the entire American Union went on strike?

Everything will stop.

This is not breaking a law. This is not using violence. This is simply demonstrating the results when we show extreme compliance to an unconstitutional mandate. The President of the United States said that if you do not comply, you will no longer have a job. If you voluntarily decide not to work, are the results any different? Ask yourself, are they really willing to simply vacate your contribution to society in order to force a vaccination? Do they understand the total contribution of everyone who refuses to be vaccinated? I think they do but are terrified by the thought of us figuring it out.

Imagine how quickly things would change if we simply picked a day, and everyone in the union decided to withhold their contribution. What would the elites do? More importantly, what will you do when you realize how many of us there really are?

We hold all the power. It is time to use it.

Image: Stilgherrian

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Sajid Javid has said the Government will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports in order to gain access to nightclubs and other crowded events.

Plans had been announced that members of the public would be required to show proof they have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in order to gain entry to clubs and other large-scale events in England.

But in a U-turn on Sunday, following a backlash from Tory MPs, the Health Secretary said the idea had been scrapped.

He told the BBCs The Andrew Marr Show: Ive never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers or something to do what is just an everyday activity, but we were right to properly look at it.

Weve looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, Im pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.

(PA Graphics)

The announcement came shortly after the minister had appeared on Sky News and told host Trevor Phillips a final decision had yet to be made.

Asked about the policy, Mr Javid had said: We have been looking at that. Weve been open about that. Instinctively I dont like the idea at all of people having to, lets say, present papers to do basic things.

So if we do that, it has to be something that is looked at very carefully and something that we believe that has to be done with no alternative.

With the vaccination rates rising  for example with 16 and 17-year-olds we only started just last month, now over 50% of 16 and 17-year-olds are already vaccinated  I think we need to take that into account and make a final decision, but I hope we can avoid it.

He added: I am not here today to rule that out. We havent made a final decision as a Government.

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Vaccine passports had caused growing disquiet among Tory ranks, as well as facing opposition from opposition parties and industry figures.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi faced a fierce backlash when he defended the policy in the Commons on Wednesday, with Tory MPs accusing the Government of picking an unnecessary fight with them.

He said: It is not something we do lightly, it is something to allow us to transition this virus from pandemic to endemic status.

The decision means Covid measures in England again deviate from those in Scotland, where a motion on their introduction was passed in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, while a decision is expected in Wales next week.

Stormont ministers have yet to reach an official position on using vaccine access passports within Northern Ireland.
The UK Government is being challenged to invest 500 million in the north east of Scotland as part of a just transition away from the oil and gas sector to more environmentally friendly forms of energy.

The Scottish Government has already pledged it will invest this amount in the north east and Moray over the next 10 years  with Holyroods Finance and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes calling on ministers in London to match that commitment.

She made the plea as she vowed that SNP ministers would not abandon workers in the oil and gas sector in the way the Tories did to heavy industries in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s.

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With the country looking to recover economically from the impact of coronavirus, Ms Forbes told the SNP national conference that recovery means that we can, and must, do things differently.

She stated: We have an opportunity to deliver a just transition to a new economy as we tackle the climate emergency.

I want to be clear that, in doing so, we will not abandon our workers and communities in that process.

Thirty years ago, at a previous industrial crossroads, the government of the day abandoned workers and forgot about industry.

But you have our commitment, we will not allow history to repeat itself in Scotland.

With the Scottish Government promising 500 million of cash over the next 10 years in a just transition fund for the north east and Moray, Ms Forbes added: I challenge the UK Government here and now to match our commitment, to match our 500 million pledge in Moray and the north east over the next 10 years.

Her call for cash came at the same time as she accused the Tories at Westminster of seeking to dismantle the devolution settlement in Scotland.

SNP ministers have accused the UK Government of using initiatives such as the Levelling Up Fund and the Union Connectivity Review to fund projects directly in Scotland that should be under the control of the devolved Scottish Government.

The party of Brexit is now taking back control from Scotland, Ms Forbes claimed.

She stated: It might sound dry and technical but how we use our countrys wealth to service our citizens is the bedrock of our movement and the ability to decide how we spend our money is at great risk.

You see the Tories, knowing they are unlikely ever to secure power in Scotland through a democratic process, are now dismantling the devolution settlement.

The Finance Secretary said the Conservatives were looking to impose their pet projects on Scotland, all wrapped up in a Union Jack.

She added: The very fact that the Tories accept the need, in their words, to level up reveals the decades of disregard and disdain for Scotland.

But she insisted: Levelling up is a con, and it is anything but a fair and rightful redistribution of wealth and resources.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden will announce new steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 before the U.N. General Assembly meets, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Sunday.

Murthy did not specify what those steps would be. The next session of the General Assembly opens Tuesday; the first day of general debate will be the following week.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Murthy defended Biden's efforts to expand vaccination in the United States.

"There will be more actions that we continue to work on, especially in the global front," he said.

Biden on Thursday said he would require federal workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and mandate that large employers either require their workers to be vaccinated or regularly tested.

Biden said the United States had donated 140 million vaccine doses to other countries. "That's American leadership on a global stage, and that's just the beginning," he said.

(Reporting by Brad Heath and Jeff Mason; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Cynthia Osterman)
By Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Joe Manchin on Sunday said lawmakers were unlikely to pass their massive budget package by Democrats' Sept. 27 deadline, adding that he could support a smaller $1.5 trillion bill.

Manchin, a West Virginia moderate who has urged a "pause" on fellow Democrat U.S. President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion domestic spending plan, said while he supported some provisions such as universal preschool, he did not back clean energy and other measures.

The plan would also have to include a "competitive tax code" to help pay for it, he told CNN, adding he could support a domestic spending bill costing between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had agreed to hold a Sept. 27 vote on a separate bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill. While Biden and Pelosi had hoped to pass both bills together, centrist House Democrats had objected and pressed for a vote on funding for roads and other projects first.

That could push back a vote on the domestic spending bill as Democrats continue to hammer out a final number even as congressional committees move ahead with drafting portions of the package.

"There's no way we can get this done by the Sept. 27 if we do our job," he said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

"We don't have the need to rush into this and get it done within one week," he separately told NBC News' "Meet the Press" program. "I could not support $3.5 trillion," he added.

Democrats have floated various ways to pay for the so-called reconciliation spending package, including taxing stock buybacks.

Manchin said while he supported raising taxes on companies, the bill must have "globally competitive" tax rates, including citing a 28% capital gains tax rate, a 25% corporate net rate and a 15% minimum corporate tax rate, telling CNN: "They should all pay something."

Democrats maintain a narrow grip on Congress, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding a tie-breaking vote in a 50-50 split Senate and a six-seat edge in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Those tight margins mean every Senate Democrat must be on board to pass most bills that lack Republican support.

"I don't think that I am the lone vote" against the $3.5 trillion plan, Manchin told NBC.

Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats and holds large sway over the party's progressive wing, separately said he believed both the infrastructure and the domestic spending bills would garner enough votes.

"It would really be a terrible, terrible thing for the American people if both bills went down and that is a real danger," Sanders said. Asked if he believes ultimately both bills would pass, he told ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" program: "I believe they will yes."

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; additional reporting by Humyra Pamuk; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
The visit of the central leaders comes after Rupani on Saturday met Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted his resignation

Ahmedabad: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday reached Ahmedabad as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) central observer over the matter of deciding state's leadership, a day after Vijay Rupani resigned from the post of Gujarat Chief Minister.

"We have come here to hold further discussions (over the name of next chief minister of Gujarat). We will hold discussions with the state President and other senior leaders," Tomar told reporters at the airport in Ahmedabad.

Tomar was accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi is likely to arrive later during the day. The BJP is likely to hold its legislative party meet later today.

The visit of the central leaders comes after Rupani on Saturday met Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted his resignation from the post of state Chief Minister. His resignation came ahead of the elections to the 182-member Assembly scheduled for next year.

Sources told ANI that Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, BJP vice president Gordhan Zadafia and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administrator Praful Khoda Patel are being considered as possible choices for new chief minister.

Rupani took charge as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarat's Rajkot West as MLA. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state's 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
HP

AMG

Advertised by RMSothebys for their St. Moritz auction in Switzerland, on September 17, its part of a 200-unit limited production run. The Mercedes-Benz G 500 Cabriolet Final Edition was showcased at Frankfurt in 2013, and was the swansong of the two-door open-top body style. The model was so well received that all examples were spoken for before the grand unveiling.All of them featured stainless steel rear wheel cover and kickplates, electric soft top, 18-inch alloy wheels, Designo leather interior, and  Final Edition 200  logos on the B pillars.Power was supplied by the 5.5-liter V8 engine, which produced 388and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of torque, and worked in conjunction with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. Despite having the aerodynamics of a small shed, it was quite agile, with a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) sprint time quoted at 6.2 seconds.Built on October 21, 2013, this G 500 Cabriolet Final Edition was shipped to a dealership in Munich, Germany, two days later. It features a Designo Platinum Black paint finish,-style grille, chrome accents, and V8 badging on the front fenders. The xenon headlamps, electrically adjustable side mirrors, park assist, electronic stability control, automatic climate control, satellite navigation system, and AMG steering wheel came from the factory.As for the icing on the cake, it has only 3,388 miles (5,452 km) on the clock at the time of cataloging, so it probably retains some of that new car smell, even if it left the factory floor almost eight years ago. The question is, is it worth that much to you?
And its not even all that difficult to find an image capable of impressing us. The difficult part is choosing the right photo to express whatever state of mind were in at a given moment. And heres another, amazing pic to make that choice even more difficult.What youre looking at are some of the most modern fighter planes in the world. Closest to us is the mighty F-35A Lightning II , the Mach 1.6-capable machine presently described by its maker, Lockheed Martin, as the most advanced fighter jet in the world.Accompanying it in the background are two F-16 Fighting Falcons , two fine examples of one of the oldest and most widespread military aircraft in service.All three airplanes are deployed with the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, and are seen here as they fly over the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex in late July.They were taking part in an air refueling operation that also involved an Alaska Air National Guard KC-135R Stratotanker , not seen in this photo, and were captured from another aircraft by one of the U.S. Air Forces staff sergeants.In fact, its these aerial refueling ops that have created some of the most exciting images of military airplanes flying, as it seems Air Force personnel is always trigger-happy, at least as far as cameras are concerned, the shoot the perfect image - you can get a taste of what that means in the Photo of the Day section of our website.
September 2021

2020 Polestar 2

2021 Volvo XC40 P8

2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge

2022 GMC Hummer EV

2022 Renault Megane E-Tech Electric

2022 Volvo XC60

2022 Volvo S90

2022 Volvo V90

2022 Volvo V90 Cross Country

2023 Ford cars

2023 Lincoln cars

So while the two companies are using different approaches to expand in the automotive sector, at the end of the day, the final goal for both of them is to expand their services beyond the typical screen of a mobile device and a computer.Google has been offering Android Auto for quite some time, but now the company is working around the clock on Android Automotive, a fully-featured operating system coming pre-loaded on head units as part of partnerships between the search firm and carmakers.Weve already detailed the differences between Android Auto and Android Automotive here, but one thing thats worth keeping in mind is the latter offers a native experience without the need for a smartphone to power the entire experience behind the wheel.Announced back in 2017, Android Automotive is therefore the platform that powers everything related to infotainment in the cars where its installed, though as compared to Android Auto, it also offers more advanced functionality such as integration with vehicle functions.What carmakers seem to love about Android Automotive is the support for custom skins, so in theory, the operating system can be personalized by each company with a different user interface, despite the functionality remaining pretty much the same.What this means for drivers is that Android Automotive could end up looking different from one brand to another, but under the hood, its still the same operating system with the same feature lineup.Since its a rather new product, Android Automotive is yet to become a widely adopted operating system, though Google is working hard with carmakers out there to make sure more of them eventually embrace it.This strategy obviously advances at a slow pace, especially because an operating system like Android Automotive needs the right hardware to run properly, so unlike Android Auto, where a head unit upgrade is the only thing thats required, more improvements under the hood must be made this time.In addition to the cars already using Android Automotive (and listed below), there are several other carmakers that have already confirmed they would use the operating system in their cars.The first of them is the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi group, which has already announced it plans to install Android Automotive in some of the models launched by its brands. The first is the Renault Megane E-Tech Electric , already announced earlier this month.General Motors also confirmed it would begin equipping cars with Android Automotive, and so did Stellantis, which is expected to install the OS in its models beginning with 2023. Ford and Lincoln cars will also make the switch to the same platform in two years, while others, including some Dodge models and the Lucid Air, use an Android Automotive-based system without Google Automotive Services.Without a doubt, the Mountain View-based search giant is already discussing with other carmakers as well, though it goes without saying that installing Android Automotive on a new model cant happen overnight.In the meantime, the adoption of Android Auto is going up as well, with statistics showing that the wireless mode is already running in no less than 100 million vehicles , without even counting the ones currently featuring a third-party head unit with the same capabilities.Heres the full list of cars currently confirmed with Android Automotive as of(new models are added as they are confirmed):
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President Biden used a call with Xi Jinping on Thursday night to test whether personal diplomacy with the Chinese leader can make more progress than the meetings among subordinates, who have been snubbing and rebuffing Biden's aides.

Driving the news: The call was the first between Biden and Xi in seven months. Since Biden's election they had only spoken once previously, on Feb. 10.

Behind the scenes: Biden had requested the call with Xi, "not seeking specific outcomes or agreements" but to "have a broad and strategic discussion about how to manage the competition between the United States and China," said a senior administration official shortly before the call.

Biden wanted to "test the proposition" that having these conversations at "the leader level will be more effective than what we have found below him," the official added.

The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and talked on condition of anonymity, said Biden's goal was to establish a "steady state of affairs" between the U.S. and China  to "set guardrails" so that they have a "stiff competitive posture" without spiraling into unintended conflict.

Between the lines: The official said that "lower-level engagements [between Chinese and U.S. officials] have not been very fruitful. And, candidly, we've not been very satisfied ... with our interlocutors' behavior."

Top Chinese officials have snubbed and lectured top Biden aides, and Beijing has used Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan as a propaganda coup  to elevate doubts about the competence and staying power of liberal democracies in general, and the U.S. in particular.

and Beijing has used Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan as a propaganda coup  to elevate doubts about the competence and staying power of liberal democracies in general, and the U.S. in particular. When climate envoy John Kerry visited China last week, senior Chinese officials emphatically rejected Biden's proposal to deal with climate cooperation as a freestanding issue, apart from other, more contentious matters.

Worse, they would only meet speak with Kerry by video call, sending a junior official to meet the former secretary of state. (These Chinese officials had no problem, however, meeting a Taliban delegation in person just weeks earlier).

This follows the March summit in Alaska, where top Chinese officials hectored Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan in front of the news cameras  breaking with agreed-upon protocol.

Biden has long preached about the power of personal diplomacy. Confidants say he feels he has an almost unique ability to shape events through his deep relationships with world leaders. But he's got little to show for it so far with China.

The Biden administration has spoken in broad strokes about its plans to deal with Beijing  a "whole-of-government approach," lots of coordination with allies  but has made little tangible headway thus far. Officials say they're still reviewing their China strategy.

The details: The call ran for around 90 minutes and since they were talking late into the evening, Biden sat in the Treaty Room in the White House residence, according to the same senior administration official, speaking shortly after the call.

The official described the tone of the call as "familiar," "respectful" and "candid." They discussed the Biden administration's complaint that Chinese officials have been "playing for the press" rather than engaging seriously in negotiations, the official said.

Biden sought to explain U.S. actions towards China "in a way that [is] not misinterpreted as...somehow trying to sort of undermine Beijing in particular ways."

Biden is expected to reveal soon what he will do with the tariffs that former President Trump placed on Chinese imports. The two leaders discussed economic issues on the call but "there wasn't a particular ask [about tariffs] from President Xi," the senior official said.

The big picture: The Biden administration has publicly raised concerns about China's hacking of Microsoft and other U.S. entities, its continued aggression in the South China Sea, its menacing behavior towards Taiwan, and its continued human rights abuses in Hong Kong and ongoing genocide in Xinjiang.
The press is being pulverized in places where democracy is deteriorating, leaving the world with little visibility into how those regions are transforming under authoritarian rule.

Why it matters: The COVID-19 pandemic was already taking a huge toll on press freedoms around the world. A new wave of geopolitical tension is exacerbating the issue.

Driving the news: In Hong Kong last week, Next Digital, a media company founded by press tycoon Jimmy Lai, said it was shutting down in response to new Chinese Communist Party restrictions that made it impossible to continue operating.

"The climate of fear is unbelievable," said Mark Clifford, an independent non-executive director of Next Digital's board. Clifford and other members of the board resigned, citing that environment.

said Mark Clifford, an independent non-executive director of Next Digital's board. Clifford and other members of the board resigned, citing that environment. "It's not a kleptocracy, like Russia. They don't want money. They just really want to silence this voice," he continued. Beijing regulators essentially made it impossible for the company to operate financially.

The move has shattered hope among press activists that a vibrant free press ecosystem will ever be able to exist in Hong Kong, following the passage of a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing that dramatically reduces personal freedoms.

Lai, who was sentenced to 14 months in prison earlier this year, was one of the most vocal pro-democracy voices in Hong Kong for years.

His newspaper, Apple Daily  the biggest publication within Next Digital  shut down in June after authorities froze the bank accounts for the paper and arrested its top leadership. Clifford said Apple Daily sold over 1 million copies on its last day publishing.

The big picture: Hong Kong isn't alone. Around the world, several countries that were hinging on democracy have seen press freedoms fall apart this past year in response to rising authoritarian regimes.

Afghanistan, which saw a vibrant press scene grow over the past two decades, has been radically transformed by the Taliban takeover last month. "Less than a month after taking power, the Taliban seem to be letting their masks fall," said Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire, citing reports that the Taliban has been beating and arresting journalists.

which saw a vibrant press scene grow over the past two decades, has been radically transformed by the Taliban takeover last month. "Less than a month after taking power, the Taliban seem to be letting their masks fall," said Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire, citing reports that the Taliban has been beating and arresting journalists. Belarus: Belarusian President Alexandre Lukashenko has in the past year taken drastic new measures to target the press, including drastic changes to the countrys media laws that make it much harder for journalists to report. His war on journalism made global headlines in May after leaders used a supposed bomb threat to ground a Ryanair flight carrying an opposition journalist.

Amid the pandemic, several countries, like Hungary and the Philippines, introduced "fake news" laws to curb the spread of social media.

Such efforts, experts argue, are not meant to quell misinformation, but rather are used to empower autocrats. Leaders of counties like Turkey and Brazil have introduced similar measures.

What's next: Press experts argue that the rhetoric from the Trump administration inspired other world leaders looking to consolidate power to target the press.

The world will be looking to the Biden administration to play a leading role in setting a tone around what the U.S. will deem acceptable.

While the Biden administration has pledged transparency domestically, it has also faced some challenges in trying to establish itself as a leader on press freedoms. Press activists condemned the administration's decision earlier this year not to sanction the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist and American citizen Jamal Khashoggi.

Go deeper:
As another violent summer ends in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot vows to fight crime. But critics say the city is in crisis.
Capitol Police announce disciplinary action against six cops for their actions at Jan. 6 riot
For those suffering with cancer or lung disease, 9/11 did not end on 9/11
'We're uprooted': Hundreds who lost their homes still waiting for Ida relief aid
Robert Price is a journalist for KGET-TV. His column appears here Sundays. Reach him at RobertPrice@KGET.com or via Twitter: @stubblebuzz. The opinions expressed are his own.
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Sallie Rainer knows how to make a plan.

Even before her term as the president and CEO of Entergy Texas, Rainer spent most of her career thinking about and working toward the best possible future, often tasked with projects that shaped the utility into what it is today.

As she finishes her final tasks in a nine-year stint as the Texas branchs chief executive and a 37-year career with the company, she is still forming plans that will pave the way for the utility to move into a changing energy landscape.

In 2018, Rainer was able to announce the completion of the $937 million Montgomery County Power Station  the utilitys first new generation source in Texas in more than four decades.

I would have to say one of the most exciting points in my career was seeing a plant built for the first time since 1979, Rainer said.

Related: Entergy Texas CEO announces retirement, next CEO

And just two months ago, she made another announcement, this time regarding the Orange County Advanced Power Station, a natural-gas powered plant that will replace almost 60-year-old infrastructure with the companys first station capable of using hydrogen from day one.

Plans for that project will soon be headed to state regulatory authorities for review.

Its a fitting bookend for a career that started in 1984 when Rainer, a fresh Louisiana State University graduate, joined Entergys New Orleans office as a planning technician.

She described her first job as the lowest rung on the ladder in Entergys professional positions, letting her work from the bottom up over the next 10 years as she and other team members formed long-term plans for the company using the latest computer models of the time.

Rainer and her family grew roots in New Orleans, and she was enjoying life as a new mother when she finally saw the sign that her next step was west  in Texas.

The catalyst was Entergys merger with Gulf State Utilities, the Beaumont-based utility that covered most of the area in East Texas and Louisiana that Entergy now serves.

Rainer was able to stay in New Orleans a little longer when the rest of her team moved to Arkansas, but by 1997, administrative and planning positions starting being placed in The Woodlands.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

I always knew there was a lot of movement in this business, thats where opportunities open up, she said. I knew at some point I would be moving and just wanted it to be the right time.

She changed positions during that time as well, heading to the transition and competition analysis portion of the office, during what she described as an interesting time to be in the utility industry in Texas.

A study on whether parts of East Texas should join the states independent power grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas had been completed a few years before, and state leaders had decided the cost of the transition would just be too much for customers to bear.

It wasnt long before Rainer worked her way through the ranks and into executive positions, earning the titles of director of regulatory affairs and energy settlements in 2005 and vice president of federal policy a few years later.

In that role, she helped arrange Entergys membership in Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which manages the power grid in 15 states and parts of Canada.

That deal was made official in December 2013  more than a year after she took over as president and CEO of Entergy Texas.

Related: Entergy plans new, greener plant in Orange County

Rainers succession of former President and CEO Joe Domino also marked the full transition of Entergy Texas headquarters from Edison Plaza in Beaumont to The Woodlands.

Her early days as an executive were marked by the countrys recovery from an economic recession but a booming period for the electricity market, especially for Southeast Texas.

Fracking and renewed interest in the nations production of natural gas fueled growth for utilities and the region, meaning Entergy Texas had a large role to play in making sure new projects and companies moving to the Gulf Coast had competitive and abundant power to operate with.

The companies that move to this area are some of the most competitive industries around, which means they are looking for the best providers for their projects, Rainer said. We have to make sure were doing our part to stay competitive in the market and serve our role in economic development for the area.

Part of that drive to stay competitive also meant keeping a diverse energy generation portfolio, Rainer said, which is why much of her guidance of the company has focused on technology.

The new generation plant in Willis used the latest turbine technology that will allow it to eventually transition to hydrogen as a fuel source as the company continues to bring on more solar and wind generation.

She said she has seen the market drift to heavy reliance on natural gas, which will probably continue to be an important piece of any energy transition, but it was important to pursue opportunities for greener energy as customers come to expect more from their providers.

Rainer has a deft way of looking into the heart of a problem and confidently explaining the way she sees it, even if it is something as nebulous as what the future of energy generation should look like.

But there is one thing she has trouble talking about. When Rainer talks about the staff of Entergy Texas, no one works for her, they work with her.

From emergency situations, to roll-outs of new technology and everything in between, Rainer said her team has always been the driving force to anything shes been able to accomplish, which is why the next few months are going to be difficult for her.

Its always important to recognize the people you worked with over the years, but its one of those things thats been difficult for me to say, she said.

They are the ones who make it happen  Its been my honor to lead them.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
More than 600 locked out ExxonMobil workers have again taken their fight on the road, this time to county government.

Hardly a seat was left Tuesday morning as unionized workers, some of whom were wearing red United Steelworker T-shirts and Polos, filled row after row of the Jefferson County Commissioners Courtroom to formally bring their case before the bench.

Were not on strike. ExxonMobil locked us out of our jobs, Meekie Moseley, Vice President of United Steelworkers 13-243 and an A operator at the blending and packaging plant, said while standing at a podium before the elected leaders. Our members reported to work, only to have the company escort us out of the facility and lock the gates. But those gates represent stability for over 600 families.

Thats more than financial stability, he said. Its access to quality health care. Its peace of mind.

We have worked through hurricanes, floods and freezes to ensure safe and profitable operations, he said.

We stayed on site through hurricanes even as our families were being evacuated.

We kept the power running at ExxonMobil even as our families were home in the dark.

Leslie Garza, a worker in the plant and chairwoman of Women of Steel who attended the Comissioners Court meeting, recalled driving to work in the middle of Hurricane Imelda because she had to be there, no matter what.

I was stuck on I-10 for nine hours because it was flooded out, she said. Just trying to make it to my job because Im essential personnel. That was me. That was my safety. We sat there, no food, no where to use facilities.

They dont want wage increases. They want a safe work environment, Garza and many others said. They want a work environment where seasoned employees are retained in leadership positions. And so they came to ask the Commisioners Court to do something, to help them negotiate more effectively with the executives.

And it seems that plea was heard.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Everette Bo Alfred invited the workers to come talk to him. He said he already has met with company leadership.

My role is to find out from (the plant-workers) angle what is going on, he said.

I just want to see if we can get to some way to move this thing ahead, because it is hurting people in our community and it is hurting the image of our community.

At the same time, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said he met with company leadership. He said he hopes that the parties will reach a resolution soon for the sake of involved families.

I talked to the company on Wednesday, and Ive just impressed upon them my desire that some kind of resolution be reached, and Im hopeful that everybodys going to bargain in good faith, and then theyre going to make some headway, Branick said.

ExxonMobil on multiple occasions has said it has bargained in good faith since the parties started negotiating in January.

Weve had over 40 meetings with the USW as it relates to contract negotiations. The company presented fair offers, but the USW rejected all of them, said Nakisha Burns, Beaumont Area Public and Government Affairs Manager.

Over 120 days have passed since the initiation of the lockout, and the Union has not presented an offer that came close to meeting the companys objectives.

Nonetheless, it remains the sincere hope of each and every member of Management that the USW Local 13-243 Bargaining Committee will accept our offer and hold a membership vote.

And while locked out workers were calling on the county to help with negotiations, the company on Thursday presented a graphic on social media explaining the process they are considering for ending the lockout.

According to their information, the company would need a ratified contract approved by voting union members before it would end the lockout.

The company has previously said it initiated the lockout in May to avoid the potential of union members exercising their right to walk out on short notice after strike action was authorized by the USW earlier in the negotiation process.

Staff writer Jacob Dick contributed to this report.

rachel.kersey@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/ontheREKord
The Port Neches Fire Department paid tribute to the first responders who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers with a Memorial Stair Climb on Saturday.

A small group of community members cheered on the fire fighters early Saturday morning as each one made 28 trips up and down a nearly 40-foot tower behind the fire station.

Hes climbing the stairs, said 6-year-old Autumn Hoffpauir as she watched her father, Firefighter Brandon Hoffpauir, from below.

PNFD Chief Eloy Vega said the 28 trips equals the 110 stories of the twin towers.

The guys gave it their all like always, Vega said. They finished it true and strong.

Vegas jacket bore Laredo on the back. He was a paramedic with the Laredo Fire Department on an ambulance when he learned of the attacks on the radio. He traveled with members of the department two weeks later to Ground Zero where he was immersed in the reality of the devastation.

On Saturday, Vega climbed past brightly colored chalk writing on the walls of the tower paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of one of the darkest days in the nations history.

It was definitely a proud moment but not easy, said Vega, as he described the experience of the memorial stair climb. Most, if not all proud moments, are not easy. The effort makes it worthwhile.

This is something that we all do, the guys not only here in Port Neches but all of the fire departments across the nation or even across the world  we are the last line of defense.

These men and women in the fire service and around the world and dedicate their lives and chose this profession and vocation to serve others, he said. That is our mantra, to serve others, whether we are fire, EMS or police.

Sweating under the sun, firefighters carried about 50 pounds of gear on them. Throughout the exercise, some of the firefighters paused to remove some of the heavy equipment, such as oxygen tanks, and to hydrate with water before returning to the stairwell to finish with the rest of the crew.

Its a challenge. It definitely feels rewarding and humbling to put in that sacrifice the same as those guys did, said 28-year-old PNFD Fire Engineer Gerald Finley, of Bridge City.

Family members, including children of the firefighters, watched and shouted encouragement.

I think it is awesome, a perfect display of respect and honor for the men and women who sacrificed their lives, said Port Neches resident Darian Watts, 28, while holding 1-year-old Adley.

The pair, along with Watts son Beau, watched Adley and Beaus father, Zack Watts, finish the tribute with his team.

Vega said firefighters were passionate about commemorating and remembering the 20th anniversary. He said many of the firefighters were still in elementary or middle school when the towers were hit.

To hear them say this is what inspired me to join the service, this is what inspired me to become a firefighter  it was very inspiring, and it makes me very proud to work alongside such passionate and dedicated individuals, Vega said.

Their drive and passion is certainly inspiring to me to be a better firefighter in every aspect that I can.

Twenty years ago, Port Neches Fire Department Capt. and EMT Tyler Hebert was in his first period class as a freshman at West Brook High School.

I remember a teacher from across the halls came and poked her head in, and said, Hey, a plane just hit the World Trade Center, Hebert said. I had no idea what the World Trade Center was back then. I just thought, huh, someone doesnt know how to fly.

The teacher returned and informed the class another plane had hit another tower. He said after the Pentagon was hit and another plane went down, it was apparent this was more than just an individual who didnt know how to fly.

Starting from that day forward we all came together, and we all watched each other a little bit closer, he said.

Those attacks set a course for his future. During his senior year, he decided to join the United States Marine Corps, where he served for four years.

He spent his time overseas in Japan. While he was in a less hostile environment than other service members, he said the Marines based there still trained to be ready to head to the Middle East.

It was still a huge impact, even on us three or four years down the road after 9/11 attacks  that we were still honoring those victims by training and pushing ourselves to the limit to make sure that we were (finding) the kind of people who planned and thought of those types of attacks, he said.

When he returned home, Hebert attended school to become a motorcycle mechanic. But the job market ultimately led him to become an EMT. He later joined the fire academy and pursued a fire service career because he found it rewarding to help people and serve the community.

He and other firefighters took time on Saturday morning to reflect on the 343 firefighters the New York City Fire Department lost two decades ago.

They charged into those buildings fearlessly, and they had one mission  even though they knew at the end of the mission that might be the last day on the job, he said.

He said that time for reflection recharges first responders thinking and reminds them they are training not only for themselves, but to protect the community.

Its a good feeling, Hebert said. You still have to be sad and remember the lives that were lost, but if we leave it at that, we are not protecting the future and the future generations.

To do that is when we start reflecting and remembering all the fortitude and bravery that those men and women showed that day to be able to protect their community.

Aside from the mental and emotional impact the event has had on first responders, it also significantly changed the way first responders run command on incidents, whether its a small car accident or a major disaster like the explosion at TPC Groups Port Neches plant.

It improved the organization within the incident command system, which made it possible to better and more strategically manage incidents, compared to the past when incident command was still in its infancy.

That had a huge impact not just on the fire service, but homeland security and the way police departments and EMS operates, Hebert said. It has become more of a multijurisdictional effort to mitigate and eliminate any kind of hazards we were faced with, and that gives us a better sense of the multiple agencies we could be working with: FBI, police department, homeland security, neighboring fire departments, our local EMS.

It gives us an umbrella of where to start and I think that was one of the most positive things that could have from that, he said.

Related: Post-9/11 grants built SE Texas emergency radio system

Sept. 11, 2001, also influenced training.

Hebert said seeing those firefighters walk 80 flights of stairs with gear, hoses and other equipment brought a fresh way to look at the way they physically train for the job.

Hebert, who also serves the IAFF Local 3713 President, said grants stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks have helped fire departments across to the nation fund better equipment that they may not have been able to provide.

He has said fire department pay and budgets have improved, noting in the 1930s and 1940s that old Port Neches Fire Department documents showed a $10 budget, now that communities are looking to have firefighters on hand at a moments notice.

And in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks, more medical diagnosis from firefighters and others who assisted with the disaster and recovery began to surface. Hebert said many of the people who helped inhaled concrete dust and asbestos.

He said this underscored the need to look at the carcinogens and dangerous gases that are in the smoke and the environment firefighters work in.

From 9/11 until the present, our view and our awareness on trying to stay clean and trying to mitigate the contact that we have with the carcinogens in the air has definitely improved, Hebert said.

Hebert said theres a fight for better health screenings now, such as he is wanting to pursue with Port Neches Local No. 3713s push for collective bargaining.

The professional firefighters association has received the number of required signatures to add the agreement to the November ballot. To pass, voters must choose the option on election day.

We are fighting for the coverage on medical expenses that result in firefighters being diagnosed with cancer, Hebert previously told The Enterprise.

 As far as our health and well-being is concerned, since 9/11, we have definitely improved on what we are doing and trying to protect our firefighters from long-term health effects.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com
File Photo/Hearst Connecticut Media

The Port Arthur Police Department has arrested a teen accused of aggravated robbery at the Encore Apartment Complex.

Police received the report of a robbery just after 4:45 p.m. at the apartments at 3609 Jimmy Johnson Blvd.

Police say a 17-year-old boy robbed two people at gun point. Officers said he also pepper sprayed the people and stole their vehicle.

Police found a vehicle that matched the description, but the driver allegedly refused to stop and led police on a pursuit.

The driver allegedly crashed the car and ran away before he was caught and arrested by police.

He was arrested on two counts of aggravated robbery and evading arrest/detention. He was taken to the Jefferson County jail.

Meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

Twitter.com/megzmagpie
A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Jefferson County, according to the 10:30 update from meteorologist Donald Jones of the National Weather Service Lake Charles. A Storm Surge Warning was issued from High Island, Texas, to Rutherford Beach, Louisiana.

On the forecast track, the center of Tropical Storm Nicholas will pass near or just offshore the coasts of northeastern Mexico and South Texas on Monday, and move onshore along the coast of south or central Texas coast Monday night or early Tuesday. Strengthening is forecast until Nicholas reaches the northwest Gulf coast Monday night or early Tuesday.

The trajectory of Tropical Storm Nicholas has shifted eastward and Jones said that it remains a relatively weak system, but there is still a possibility it strengthens to a Category 1 hurricane if it remains over the Gulf of Mexico.

The NWS National Hurricane Centers 10 p.m. advisory for Tropical Storm Nicholas has extended watches and warnings Northeastward.

Changes with the 10 p.m. advisory include a Hurricane Watch extended eastward to Freeport, a Tropical Storm Warning extended eastward to High Island, a Tropical Storm Warning extended eastward to Sabine Pass and a Storm Surge Watch has been extended eastward to Rutherford Beach, Louisiana.

Tropical Storm Nicholas outer rainbands moved ashore as expected Sunday afternoon in Southeast Texas.

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles expects the storm to officially make landfall on the middle Texas coast on Tuesday with the possibility of turning into a Category 1 hurricane targeting the Southeast Texas or southwest Louisiana coast on Wednesday.

But weather expects are telling Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana to focus on the rain, not the wind, with this system.

The biggest threat is going to be the heavy rainfall with this system, Meterologist Donald Jones with NWS in Lake Charles said in a 4:30 p.m. update Sunday.

Jones said they are confident the large, unorganized system will slow down and stall as it moves inland. The weather experts expect Nicholas to bring 5 to 10 inches of rain, regardless of the development, with some areas seeing as much as 15 to 25 inches throughout the week.

Bursts of heavy rainfall also are expected, which means rainfall totals ultimately could double in some areas depending on the storm, Jones said.

Long durations of heavy rain fall could bring street flooding, which could enter homes and businesses. Additionally, tides will run 1 to 2 feet above normal and winds will be gusty Tuesday and Wednesday, which could cause power outages, NWS said.

Flooding is definitely going to be a threat, Jones said.

Jones said the area is looking at 1-3 feet of possible storm surge. The storm is currently moving about 14 mph with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph.

While the storm is expected to slow down, Space City Weather Meterologist and Editor Matt Lanza cautions comparison to past major storm events.

This is not a Harvy by any means, Lanza said in a social media Tweet on Sunday. As far as Allison or anything else, I dont think this compares. Its a unique storm with unique hazards to itself.

Yes, flash flooding is possible during this storm, he continued. Yes, it could be significant flash flooding. But to compare to first ballot hall of fame storms is not reasonable right now. Allison, Imelda, Beta were all tropical storms with unique impacts. Focus on the current forecasts.

NWS Lake Charles will host another Facebook Live briefing at 10:30 p.m. Sunday to discuss Nicholas and its expected impacts across the region.

The briefings are interactive, and we will answer questions live, Jones said. Once it begins, the broadcast will appear on our Facebook page listed below. Please share with partners, customers and anyone who may find this information useful. The briefing will be available for additional viewing as a recording once the live broadcast concludes.

Related: Tropical Storm Nicholas forms, poses flood threat to coastal Texas and Louisiana

Entergy Texas, Inc. also is monitoring and planning ahead of the storms landfall, which forecasters expect to bring heavy rains, high winds, high tides, and flooding to portions of southeast Texas by midweek.

Entergy Texas crews and contractors are on alert and will be ready to safely restore power as safely and quickly as possible if needed, Entergy Texas said in a news release.

The City of Nederland will provide up to 10 free sand bags per vehicle or address to residents beginning Monday at 10 a.m. at the rear of Doornbos Park, 2301 Avenue H. Residency will be confirmed by either a drivers license or a utility bill. Residents must bring a shovel and be prepared to fill their sandbags.

We are asking the public to remove any debris or obstructions that will prevent the flow of rainwater thru a ditch or culvert, City Manager Chris Duque said on Sunday afternoon. The Monday garbage route will run its normal route tomorrow. We ask people to stop placing additional trash at the curb since this may impact drainage as the weather event progresses this week. The City will continue to provide updates via STAN, the local media, and the Citys social media pages.

Due to COVID-19, sand piles will be separated to allow people social distance when filling their bags; people are encouraged to wear a mask. If you have any questions, contact the City Managers Office at (409) 723-1503, the notice said.

Orange County officials are also providing sand and bags to help residents prepare at the county maintenance barns and at 11897 State Hwy 62 in Mauriceville directly across from Market Basket.

Residents are welcome to bag the sand to use to protect their home from rising water, Orange County Office of Emergency Management said in a social media post. Bring your own shovel.

Related: Sand and bags available ahead of tropical wave

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has placed resources on standby along the Gulf Coast, from Beaumont to the Rio Grande Valley, ahead of potential flooding.

"The State of Texas has deployed resources ahead of this tropical system, which is expected to impact the Gulf Coast beginning on Sunday," Abbott said in the news release. "We will continue to closely monitor this storm and take all necessary precautions to keep Texans safe. I encourage Texans to follow the guidance and warnings of their local officials and be mindful of potential heavy rain and flooding."

Activated resources include the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services six swift water rescue boat squads and eight overhead packages, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden boat teams, five of the Texas Military Departments ground transportation platoons with high profile vehicles; and, the Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Emergency Medical Task Force severe weather packages.

Other actions and resources have also been rostered for potential activation if needed, according to the news release.

Those include the Texas A&M Forest Services Saw Crews and Incident Management Teams, the Texas Department of Transportation with road condition monitoring and prepositioned water-filled barriers, the Texas Department of Public Safetys Texas Highway Patrol (ESF 13) search and rescue aircraft and the Tactical Marine Unit, and the Public Utility Commission with power outage monitoring and coordination with utility providers.

Texans are urged to prepare for flooding and follow safety tips during severe weather events, including by knowing the type of flood risk in your area.

Visit FEMAs Flood Map Service Center for information.

Sign up for your communitys warning system. The Emergency Alert System and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio also provide emergency alerts.

Build an emergency supply kit. For more information on how to build a kit, visit: https://www.ready.gov/kit

Keep important documents in a waterproof container, the release said. Create password-protected digital copies. Protect your property. Move valuables to higher levels. Declutter drains and gutters. Install check valves. Consider a sump pump with a battery.

Be extremely cautious of any water on roads or in creeks, streams, storm drains, or other areas - never attempt to cross flowing streams or drive across flooded roadways and always observe road barricades placed for your protection, the release continued. Remember, Turn Around Dont Drown.

For more flood safety tips, visit gov.texas.gov/hurricane. Texans can also visit www.TexasFlood.org for resources and tips on how to stay safe during flood events, the release said.

meagan.ellsworth@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/megzmagpie
HOUSTON (AP)  A third man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of an off-duty New Orleans police officer and his friend during a holdup while the two were dining at a Houston restaurant, police said Thursday.

Khalil Nelson, 19, has been charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of New Orleans police Detective Everett Briscoe, 41, and Dyrin DJ Riculfy, 43.

Court records do not list an attorney for Nelson who could speak on his behalf. He was set to make his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon. News of his arrest was first reported by KHOU-TV.

Frederick Jackson, 19, and Anthony Jenkins, 21, had each been previously charged with capital murder.

Briscoe and Riculfy were dining on a restaurant patio Aug. 21 when two men wearing hoodies approached, tried to rob them and then shot them, police said. The suspects fled, according to police.

Briscoe, who had been a 13-year veteran of the New Orleans police department, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting while Riculfy died 10 days later at a Houston hospital. Both Briscoe and Riculfy were members of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club and were taking the trip with club members at the time of the shooting.

Nelson, along with Jackson and Jenkins, remained jailed on Thursday and prosecutors were asking that Nelson be held without bond. Both Jackson and Jenkins are being held without bond.

At the time of the shooting, Nelson had been free on bond on a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge for his alleged involvement in an April carjacking, according to authorities.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has previously said Jackson and Jenkins had also been free on bonds when the shooting happened. Jenkins was out on a bond for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, while Jackson was out on bond for an aggravated robbery, Ogg said.
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP)  A Texas death row inmate won a reprieve Wednesday evening from execution for killing a convenience store worker during a 2004 robbery that garnered $1.25 after claiming the state was violating his religious freedom by not letting his pastor lay hands on him at the time of his lethal injection.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked John Henry Ramirezs execution about three hours after he could have been executed. He is condemned for fatally stabbing 46-year-old Pablo Castro, who worked at a Corpus Christi convenience store.

Ramirez was in a small holding cell a few feet from the Texas death chamber at the Huntsville Unit prison when he was told of the reprieve by Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark.

He was quiet when I let him know, Clark said. He shook his head and said: Thank you very much. God bless you.

In its brief order, the court directed its clerk to establish a briefing schedule so Ramirez's case could be argued in October or November.

Prosecutors say Ramirez stabbed Castro 29 times during a series of robberies in which the inmate and two women sought money following a three-day drug binge. Ramirez fled to Mexico but was arrested 3 years later.

Seth Kretzer, Ramirezs lawyer, had argued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was violating the death row inmates First Amendment rights to practice his religion by denying his request to have his pastor touch him and vocalize prayers when he was executed. He called the ban on vocal prayer a spiritual gag order.

It is hostile toward religion, denying religious exercise at the precise moment it is most needed: when someone is transitioning from this life to the next, Kretzer said in court documents.

Lower appeals courts had rejected Ramirezs argument.

The request by Ramirez, 37, is the latest clash between death row inmates and prison officials in Texas and other states over the presence of spiritual advisers in the death chamber.

In recent years, the Supreme Court has granted stays halting several executions in Texas and Alabama over the presence of clergy or spiritual advisers in the death chamber. The only execution stays the Supreme Court has granted in recent years have been related to issues of religious practice or discrimination.

In April, the Texas prison system reversed a two-year ban on allowing spiritual advisers in the death chamber. The ban came after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 halted the execution of another Texas inmate who had argued his religious freedom was being violated because his Buddhist spiritual adviser wasnt allowed to accompany him. That inmate, Patrick Murphy, remains on death row.

Texas previously allowed state-employed clergy to accompany inmates into the chamber, but its prison staff included only Christian and Muslim clerics. The new policy allows an inmates approved spiritual adviser to be in the chamber but the two cannot have any contact and vocal prayers during the execution are not allowed.

Texas prison officials say direct contact poses a security risk and the vocal prayer could be disruptive and would go against maintaining an orderly process. Aside from some prison officials, an inmates final statement and a doctor who announces the time of death, no one else usually formally speaks during an execution.

Dana Moore, Ramirezs spiritual adviser the last four years, said the request to let him touch Ramirez was about letting the inmate practice his Christian faith and treating him with a certain amount of dignity.

Moore and Kretzer say the laying of hands is a symbolic act in which religious leaders put their hands on someone in order to offer comfort during prayer or confer a spiritual blessing at the moment of someones death.

Johns sentence wasnt death and you cant have any meaningful contact, said Moore, who is pastor at Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. He is paying for his crime. I guess the question that would come up, is that not enough?

But Mark Skurka, the lead prosecutor at Ramirezs 2008 trial, said while he believes a death row inmate should have a spiritual adviser at the time of execution, there should be limitations based on security concerns.

Pablo Castro didnt get to have somebody praying over him as this guy stabbed him 29 times. Pablo Castro didnt get afforded such niceties and things like to have a clergyman present, said Skurka, now retired after later serving as Nueces County district attorney.

Castro, who had nine children, had worked at the convenience store for more than a decade when he was killed.

He was a good guy. He would help people out in the neighborhood. Everybody liked him, Skurka said.

Two women who took part in the robberies and were convicted on lesser charges remain in prison.

Six more executions are scheduled for later this year in Texas, the nations busiest capital punishment state.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours. A few storms may be severe. High near 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Showers and thundershowers early, then overcast overnight with occasional rain. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Former WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne has reportedly passed away. She was 57.

A 21-year veteran of the Chicago news station, Payne died in her home on September 1, according to a WGN press release.

Beginning her Chicago anchoring career at just 25 years old, Payne covered a wide range of stories both domestically and worldwide, including tracing former President Barack Obamas Kenyan roots and traveling with Rev. Jesse Jackson to the Ivory Coast.

RELATED: Ayesha Faines Cause Of Death Revealed

"I couldn't have asked for a better partner than Allison Payne. She had it all ... smart, beautiful and inquisitive, but most of all, my friend," said her former co-anchor, Steve Sanders.

A Detroit native, Payne called the Windy City home for many years and played an active role in the community, WGN reports, who also described her as a mentor. She also established a foundation for journalism students.

"While so many journalists worry about the list of questions they want to ask, she taught me the most important part of an interview is the listening, said WGN-TV producer Tyra Martin, according to the news station. That even if you don't ask the right questions, if you listen well enough, the story will reveal itself.

It isnt clear at this time how Allison Payne died. She returned to her native Detroit in September 2011.
A plan for a nice Labor Day outing for a Danvers, Massachusetts, Black family at an apple-picking farm turned into a nightmare of racial profiling.

Connors Farm phoned the Danvers Police Department after accusing the Rev. Manika Bowman, vice-chair of the Cambridge School Committee and Jeff Myers, a commercial real estate director, of stealing six apples. The family shared their Labor Day experience in a blog post.

RELATED: Black Chicago Woman Speaks Out About Her Violent Encounter With Police Officer While Walking Her Dog

Our family did not get the apple cider donuts wed been looking forward to all day at Connors Farm in Danvers this Labor Day, the couple wrote. What we did get at Connors was a traumatic experience of being falsely accused of stealing apples. And to boot, they accused us of stealing while we were on our way to their farm store to buy more stuff, to spend more money at their establishment.


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BOISE  Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Friday said the state is exploring legal action against Democratic President Joe Bidens plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccines or routine testing for employees of large businesses.

Biden on Thursday announced a plan to require businesses with more than 100 employees to either mandate COVID-19 vaccines or require weekly testing. Federal contractors will also be required to be vaccinated, Biden said, with no option to test out. The president has directed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to draft the rule.

Little in a statement on Friday said he is working with his legal counsel and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden on legal options. He called Bidens plan unprecedented government overreach into the private sector.

It is wrong for President Biden to dismiss the concerns of millions of Americans and tell governors who represent Americans that he will use his powers as president to get them out of the way, Little said in a news release. This is not leadership. When President Biden took office, he promised to do his best to unify our country, and he has only driven us further apart. President Biden is out of touch, and his mandates only add to the divisiveness within our country.

The Attorney Generals Office declined to comment.

While Biden aims to require employers to mandate COVID-19 vaccines, some Republican state legislators and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin have tried to ban vaccine mandates in the state.

Little has urged Idaho residents to get the vaccine but continued to leave decisions on vaccine mandates up to private businesses. Dozens of House representatives have pushed for the Legislature to convene to consider banning mandates.

The governor also issued an executive order against vaccine passports, which prevented state agencies from mandating vaccines as a condition of employment or access to state facilities, including state university and college campuses.

In response to possible legal challenges from Republican states, Biden on Friday said, Have at it.

Im so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities, Biden said during a visit to a school in Washington, D.C. Were playing for real here. This isnt a game. I dont know of any scientist out there in this field who doesnt think it makes considerable sense to do the six things Ive suggested.

The Idaho Republican Party also threw its support behind a possible legal challenge. Chairman Tom Luna called Bidens plan one of the most egregious and tyrannical violations of the 10th Amendment.

We will fight back, Luna said in a statement Friday. We will ensure that our state sovereignty and individual rights are protected and preserved.

Bidens announcement came just days before he plans to visit Boise on Monday.

IDAHO BATTLES COVID-19 SURGE AS HOSPITAL ICUS FILL WITH PATIENTS

Idaho continues to struggle with another COVID-19 surge among its unvaccinated population. Intensive care units have been filling up with COVID-19 patients, many of whom are younger, according to state officials and health care providers. The state has implemented crisis standards, a protocol to ration health care, in North Idaho earlier this week.

About 50% of Idaho residents 12 and older have been vaccinated, according to the state. The national average is 62%.

Little in a virtual AARP town hall earlier this month said he has no plans to return Idaho to earlier stages of the coronavirus pandemic that limited large gatherings and imposed other state restrictions.

The governor in his Friday statement said he still urges Idaho residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to help children stay in school and keep residents healthy.
From terror attacks to natural disasters, U.S. history is replete with examples of Americans of different backgrounds unifying in the face of hardship. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic will not likely be remembered as such an occasion. The virus, which originated in China, ushered in a surge of violence directed at Asian Americans at a time when hate crimes were already at their highest level in over a decade.

According to the FBI, hate crimes are those motivated by prejudice and committed against victims based on their race, color, religion, or national origin, as well as based on biases of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or gender.

In Idaho, there were 38 hate crimes reported in 2019, or 2.1 for every 100,000 people a the 24th lowest hate crime rate among states. Meanwhile, there were 8,559 incidents nationwide, or 2.6 for every 100,000 people. Of all reported incidents of hate in the state, 75.0% were motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry, 4.2% were motivated by religion, and 4.2% were motivated by sexual orientation.

Hate crime reporting in Idaho is more comprehensive than it is across much of the country. There are 106 agencies in the state that track and report hate crime data, covering 99.7% of the population. Nationwide, 93.0% of the population are covered by agencies tracking and reporting hate crimes.

All data used in this story is from the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. States were ranked based on the number of reported hate crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019. It is important to note that reporting practices and standards related to hate crimes vary by state, and in many parts of the country, reported hate crime figures may not be an accurate reflection of the true prevalence of hate crimes.
While various corporate news people spotlight the intense division in America, which the corrupt media cheers on, few will report the real story facing this country: the amazing ability of President Biden to create disastrous situations.



The Covid mandates are the latest demonstration of Mr. Bidens incompetence. Instead of rallying the nation to combat the virus on a personal level, the President demonizes the unvaccinated and tries to punish them.



Its not that the basic premise is wrong - it isnt. Unvaccinated adults are allowing the virus to spread quicker. Thats the truth no matter what the far-right puts forth. But by going full-tilt authoritarian, Biden gives ammunition to the vaccine resistors, makes them sympathetic in some quarters. Thus, anti-vax opposition deepens and more Americans get sick.



We all know how Mr. Biden screwed up Afghanistan, and his destruction of Americas border security is a big-time scandal - even if the corrupt corporate media ignores it.



But the worst may be yet to come.



Heres the brutal truth: Joe Biden is not able to mentally assess cause and effect. He was stunned when Afghanistan fell, not understanding his foolish strategy led to it.



He completely hides from the collapsing southern border even though his executive orders to stop the wall and cease immediate deportations to Mexico have caused millions of migrants to cross illegally into the USA.



Bidens attack on the American oil industry has directly led to higher pump prices, his embrace of late-term abortion has angered millions of human beings who were allowed to be birthed.



The radical-left progressives who run Biden know full well the man cannot grasp the consequences of his actions. And the US economy is up next.



The socialists understand that only making millions of Americans dependent on government handouts will incite a change from capitalism to federal control of the economy. Socialism will only happen if Americans give up trying to earn their prosperity and allow Washington to provide.



Thats what the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill is all about - creating dependence on government giveaways. Free stuff is a powerful drug.



President Biden, in my opinion, is totally oblivious to the consequences of record government spending and the draconian tax hikes that will accompany it. And when the economy crashes, which it will if this insane spending continues, Biden will do exactly what he did with Afghanistan: declare some kind of excellent outcome.



But this time Americans will feel the pain directly - just as the Afghans are today.



President Biden is completely lost. And so are many of the folks who are enabling him. But not all. There are forces in this country actually rooting for the demise of traditional America. And Joe Biden, knowingly or not, is helping them.
The Commonwealth Bank has been accused of defaming a Colombian-Australian remittance service using cryptocurrencies, after the bank told its customers using the service they were possible victims of a scam before closing their accounts.

According to the claim filed in the District Court of NSW, CBA defamed the company by writing letters to customers of remittance group Colcambios Australia urging them to contact the police in Colombia, as it appeared money deposited in their accounts were proceeds of fraud.

The only cryptocurrency licensing that exists in Australia involves the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, which is administered by AUSTRAC. Credit:Bloomberg

The case is the latest example of the tension between the big banks and cryptocurrency dealers, with the fintechs claiming they are being unfairly debanked and the banks saying they are acting in accordance with regulations, particularly those pertaining to anti-money laundering.

This week the big banks were accused at a senate inquiry of debanking small businesses in the cryptocurrency space, including by Bitcoin Babe Michaela Juric who told the inquiry she had been debanked by 91 financial institutions, been bullied by Austrac and put on a terrorism watchlist.
The tension between financial innovators and governments globally is on view within Australia where the innovative fintech sector, fresh off the global success of BNPL company Afterpays acquisition by Square, is at loggerheads with the banking sector. Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Credit:AP Schot-Guppy reports that fintech companies in Australia are being dropped as customers by banks at a higher rate than their peers overseas, amid fears of falling afoul of anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws. Entrepreneur Michaela Juric from the Bitcoin Babe peer-to-peer trading platform said she was turned down by 91 financial institutions because of her business. But the other driver to debanking, many in the fintech community suspect, is the desire for major banks to maintain their dominance.

Last week Schot-Guppy testified to the Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre that 150 fintech companies have been de-banked by major banks. Instances of debanking occur at far less frequency on other markets, she said. So I could see jobs and innovation moving there. Yet the real impact of cryptos rise may run past the banking sector. Internet 2.0s Robert Potter sees inherent tensions between the crypto and banking communities. Australian National Universitys Dr Philippa Ryan said cryptocurrency will be a wake-up call for the banking industry, she said, yet the heart of banking will remain lending against property and tangible assets.

A bigger problem will be for the black market and tax system, and the ability to move wealth between nations without attracting tax or oversight. Ryan said cryptocurrency undermines borders and undermines government. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies disruptive nature is also key for the kind of innovation that has emerged as a new area of geopolitical competition. China has launched a digital currency controlled by its central bank that gives it the potential for international influence that could challenge the US dollar. Facebook is trying gamely to promote Diem (previously known as Libra) as an alternative to a China-dominated future. Bitcoin, which is controlled by no government, has the prospect of forming an alternative trading system and shadow economy, as it is doing in Lebanon. As El Salvador imposed so-called B-Day on unprepared citizens (Millennial-bro President Nayib Bukele wants to use volcano power to support energy-intensive bitcoin mining), the clash between innovation and caution seen internationally is evident at home.

Governments dont want to regulate cryptocurrency yet, says Robert Potter Co-CEO of Internet 2.0 because they dont want to crush innovation. But there is a tension between letting this grow and not letting it get out of hand, he said. For now, the cryptocurrency and fintech community enjoys a lot of freedom compared to banks that have obligations that dont go away, he said. Its entirely reasonable for banks to have an interest in maintaining their status, he said but theyre regulated into those positions as well. There is an inherent cultural difference between the cryptocurrency and the banking community, too.

When you listen to people who build these crypto exchanges they often talk about disrupting financial institutions and the regulatory environment they have created, Potter said. Light regulation of dramatic innovations: the collapse of Lehman Brothers was seen as the trigger for the 2008 global financial crisis. Credit:Daniel Acker Whether supervision will catch the risks created by innovation is not clear. One of the triggers of the global financial crisis of 2007-8 was the banking innovation mortgage debt repackaged and resold in ways that no one could fully understand. The financial collapse, which unregulated innovation helped trigger, kicked off a steep economic recession, bringing pain to the public in the US and Europe.

Loading The nature of cryptocurrency means that its risk is increasingly carried by the public. Encrypted, and peer-to-peer trading could cloak vulnerabilities that  like misinformation on social media -emerge only after the technology is fully adopted. When exchanges collapse, or are hacked, or when an owner loses their crypto keys, to date, the individual often bears the risk. High-profile examples abound. Last month, $US97 million worth of digital coins were hacked from Japanese crypto exchange Liquid, about half of that total was converted to another crypto asset through decentralised exchange, allowing hackers to make off with the funds. ANUs Dr Ryan, who trades in cryptocurrency, said that last week she got an email from a platform she was using instructing her that her account would be closed in a several weeks time. She was instructed to trade her funds before to avoid losing the currency held by the exchange  in effect, a forced transaction.

If that isnt manipulating, I dont know what it is, she said. The uneven playing field has been criticised by no less a figure than Jackson Palmer, co-creator of Dogecoin  the currency embraced by Elon Musk. Lose your savings account password? Your fault. Fall victim to a scam? Your fault. Billionaires manipulating markets? Theyre geniuses. He said this is the type of dangerous free for all capitalism cryptocurrency was unfortunately designed to facilitate since its inception.
Crown is planning a no jab, no entry policy for visitors and compulsory COVID vaccination for its staff, according to reports.

Crown Resorts chief executive Steve McCann said consultations with the federal government and its workforce were underway for a new vaccination policy that would cover its three casinos in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, The West Australian reports.

Anyone working at or visiting our sites will need to be vaccinated, McCann told the publication.

Other big companies such as Qantas, Telstra and Virgin Australia have vowed to bring in mandatory vaccination for all staff, with frontline workers to be fully vaccinated by mid-November.

Crown Melbourne and Crown Sydney are currently closed because of lockdown restrictions. The company gave no indication of when it would look to introduce its vaccination policy.

The findings of a Royal Commission into Crowns Melbourne operations are due to be handed down next month.
When foreign influence in Australia is raised, the first thing that comes to mind is the Chinese Communist Party. But the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party? Not so much. It is barely on the radar. Whod have thought that Hun Sens Cambodia is interested in peddling influence on Australian soil?

But it is, and on Monday I will be among witnesses who will give evidence to Australian MPs on the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade as it holds its annual roundtable discussion on human rights and foreign interference. For the first time, the committee has allocated a special session for the Cambodian diaspora.

Threatened to beat up protesters ... Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, among leaders including then Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in the ASEAN family photo for the 2018 summit in Sydney. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Some Australian MPs are well aware of the problem. They include federal Labor MPs Julian Hill in Melbourne and Chris Hayes in Sydney, whose electorates are hard hit by this interference. In a parliamentary speech in 2018, Hill said of the Cambodias ruling party: The CPP has divided Australia and New Zealand into regions and has front groups overseen by key people in most Australian capital cities.

In March this year, Hayes told Parliament: We now see ... foreign interference from the Hun Sen government even being played out here in our university campuses, business and charities, where support bases have been actively built for this Cambodian dictator.
He added that Russias actions had not come as a complete surprise.

Canberra  The suddenness and brutality of Russias recent actions and the threats they posed to world peace were shocking and deeply depressing, the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) told the House of Representatives.

Mr Menzies said Australias security was directly involved and the Government wholeheartedly supported President Kennedys decision to resume underground nuclear tests.

Russias resumption of atmosphere tests made the U.S. decision essential to the security of the free nations.

So long as the Soviet Union refuses to conclude and effective agreement for the prohibition and control of nuclear tests, we will be left in the grim position that the only assurance that its leaders will not resort to the ultimate weapon is the knowledge that its use would mean their own annihilation, Mr Menzies added.

Moderation

I should still like to hope that in the larger interests of mankind, the Soviet leaders could recover something of the spirit of moderation and cooperation which marked the recent Antarctic conference in Canberra and that the ban on nuclear tests, with proper control and safeguards, will become universal.
The NSW government has ditched a search for a private partner for the planned Western Harbour Tunnel more than a year after it began, sparking fears that construction of the multibillion-dollar project will be further delayed.

The government faces a bill running into the millions of dollars to compensate three bidders who had vied to be the Sydney toll road projects development partner, before recently learning the process had been canned.

The decision to quietly scrap the process is embarrassing for the states transport agency, which began a search in the middle of 2020 for a private sector partner and shortlisted three contenders last December.

An upgraded Warringah Freeway will be linked to the new Western Harbour Tunnel. Credit:James Brickwood

Three sources familiar with the situation, who sought anonymity, said the scrapping of the development partner process was likely to delay the start of major construction of the motorway tunnel from North Sydney to Rozelle by up to a year  a point refuted by Transport for NSW.
A range of small businesses including hairdressers, restaurants, pubs and other retailers are promoting themselves on social media as wanting to welcome customers who are jabbed or unjabbed, once they open.

A pizza outlets social media post jokes that it only discriminates against customers who want pineapple topping.

Gabriele Moretti, who runs Amorettis, said he would not discriminate against any customers who come through his door.

The NSW governments road map to freedom will allow fully vaccinated people and those with medical exemptions access to hospitality venues and retail stores after NSW hits the 70 per cent double-dose target.

A Facebook site called FairBusiness is promoting businesses and services that say they are not discriminating or refusing entry based on vaccination status.
South-east Queensland has again avoided lockdown after no new cases overnight.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said it was the best result we could have hoped for after a family of five from two households in Brisbanes suburbs all tested positive on Friday and Saturday courtesy of an incursion from NSW.

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says Queensland is not out of the woods, but she is genuinely hopeful. Credit:Getty

But she also warned the region was not out of the woods. Contact tracers were again investigating exposure sites because another infected truck driver from NSW travelled through Brisbane on September 7 and 8 while potentially infectious.

I dont think we have dodged it yet, but Im genuinely hopeful, Dr Young said on Sunday.
By October last year, the federal government had been sitting on draft legislation for an anti-corruption commission for almost a year. In the Parliament, Anthony Albanese asked Scott Morrison why it hadnt been released. A little snidely, Morrison said that, while Albanese might not have noticed, the government had been dealing with bushfires and a pandemic.

When Albanese pressed him, asking how either of those elements stopped the government releasing legislation it already had, Morrison told Parliament he was not going to have one public servant diverted from managing the pandemic.

Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit:

Well, OK. Now heres an answer Morrison gave three weeks ago. Albanese used his well-worn line about the government failing at its two jobs, vaccines and quarantine. Morrison, no doubt tired of hearing this, had his response ready: Anyone who thinks a prime minister of this country only has two jobs isnt up to the job. He went on to say Afghanistan had been the centre of government efforts that week.

Its an ingenious tactic, really. Ask Morrison about a subject, hell say his focus has been on something more urgent. Ask him about that thing, and hell say his focus was on something more urgent still. At some point, trying to discover where Morrison and his government actually spend their time begins to seem like searching for the end of a rainbow. You think you can see it, just, if you look hard enough, but by the time you arrive it always seems to have moved somewhere else.
The Doherty Institutes modelling has shaped the entire national conversation on reopening; the federal governments plans rest almost-entirely upon it. However, a range of other models exist: some more optimistic, some more pessimistic. And the Doherty models crucial underlying assumptions and mechanisms  the key inputs that vary between models  are yet to be made fully public. Its very hard for even people like me to figure out how the assumptions differ. A lot of the values are unknown, a lot of it is kept confidential, said Professor Tom Kompas, a modeller at the University of Melbourne.

We need a conversation where the models are clear, and the conversations are clear, so we can actually have a debate. The Doherty Model The Dohertys model  actually done by more than a dozen modellers across several different institutions  projects if Australia reopens with 80 per cent of adults vaccinated we can expect 275,918 symptomatic infections, 8720 hospitalisations and 980 deaths over the next six months.

Most will be in unvaccinated people; a small fraction will be children. Crucially, it assumes that vaccination rates will continue to rise past 80 per cent after reopening. The model does not project beyond six months. Some projections, including daily new infections, continue to rise beyond the cut-off point  leaving the peak unclear. Professor Jodie McVernon from the Doherty Institute, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, COVID-19 Taskforce Commander and Lieutenant General John Frewen during a press conference at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The next report will address your initial questions, a spokeswoman for the Doherty Institute said. The team has said its a logical conclusion that scenarios that take 180 days to peak will do so at a far lower level than more rapidly growing scenarios. The Dohertys model assumes many virus-control measures will stay in place. It also assumes each person infected with the Delta strain of the virus will pass it on to 3.6 other people on average.

This number is much lower than other models assume - some go as high as eight - but the authors argue it is based on real-world data from NSW in March when few social restrictions were in place. Crucially, for the Dohertys projections to be met, contact tracing needs to operate about as well as it did in Victoria at the peak of its second wave. Authorities on Sunday said they were still contacting more than 99 per cent of positive cases within 24 hours of their test result as case numbers hit 392. The Doherty projections do not model a contact tracing system entirely overwhelmed by extremely high caseloads, said Dr Stephen Duckett, who has developed his own modelling at the Grattan Institute. The model also assumes we will not vaccinate children  and that they play almost no role in spreading the virus.

This may explain why Professor Milnes model is so much more pessimistic: it assumes children play a major role in spreading COVID-19. Were assuming children transmit 50 per cent less effectively than adults. But were still showing vaccinating kids make a huge difference because they mix much more than adults provided classes are opening, Professor Milne said. Liam Mannixs Examine newsletter explains and analyses science with a rigorous focus on the evidence. Sign up to get it each week. Beyond that, independent modellers say, the Dohertys model is hard to critique - because the key mechanisms have not been made public, nor has it been peer reviewed. No one, let alone 25 million, people should be taking much notice of a model that does not meet this standard, said Professor Emma McBryde, a modeller based at the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine.

A preprint explaining the Dohertys assumptions and mechanisms in detail was imminent, a spokeswoman for the institute said. Alternative futures The most optimistic projections come from models built by the Grattan Institute and the University of Melbourne. The Grattan Institute projects about 2000 deaths across all Australia over 300 days if we reopen with 80 per cent of the entire population - children included - vaccinated. Soon-to-be-released University of Melbourne modelling, provided to The Age, projects between 390 and 1400 deaths in Australia over 12 months.

This is much less than any comparable numbers in the Doherty Report  because we model policy dynamically. And here is the price to pay  this scenario also has us in soft or hard lockdown 41 per cent of the time to keep the numbers in check, says Professor Tony Blakely, the epidemiologist who led the modelling. Then there are two models drawing attention for projecting very high death tolls. Modelling led by James Cook University projects 8 million cases and 12,500 deaths. Australian National University modelling produces a headline-grabbing figure: 50,000 deaths. However, these models are very unlike the Dohertys. The James Cook model looks at how many people will be infected over the course of the epidemic; it concludes that 85 per cent of the unvaccinated will be infected if we open up at 80 per cent vaccinated.
In the two months since he came into their lives, a wombat has won over the owners of a boutique Yarra Valley winery.

During multiple COVID-19 lockdowns, hes been a much-needed source of entertainment.

What pandemic? Steels Gate winery owners Brad Atkins (left) Matthew Davis, and son Sebastian with Ewok the wombat Credit:Eddie Jim

When hes startled, he can jump, turn 180 degrees in the air, and run away surprisingly fast.

He sometimes pops up at their feet from nowhere while theyre tending vines at the home block of Steels Gate Wines, in Steels Creek, beside Kinglake National Park.
Victoria Police have charged a Croydon man with murder after a fatal stabbing in Bayswater North.

Police and ambulance responded to reports of an injured male at an address on Mason Court around 7.10am on Sunday.

The man, who is yet to be formally identified, was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.

Forensic investigators spent much of Sunday probing the circumstances surrounding the Bayswater North death. Credit:Nine News

A man was arrested nearby and a crime scene established, with police searching nearby areas for evidence.
NSW reported 1262 new local cases on Sunday and another seven deaths, taking the Delta outbreak death toll to 177. Ms Berejiklian said 45.6 per cent of people aged 16 and over in the state were fully vaccinated, and 78 per cent of this age group had received their first dose. Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said NSW needed to redouble its efforts to protect the most vulnerable. Credit:Edwina Pickles Chief Health Office Kerry Chant said vaccination rates by suburbs published online showed positive upticks in areas of concern with lower socio-economic profiles, while acknowledging vulnerability existed across the board. Even in the most affluent areas, you will often find pockets of disadvantage, she said, acknowledging extensive work was being done to reach vulnerable communities.

The challenge for us is to do all we can to make sure that our vaccine coverage is incredibly high in those groups ... and redouble our efforts in order to protect the most vulnerable. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Friday released an analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing people on lower incomes have died of COVID-19 at four times the rate of higher income individuals. In her letter to the Premier, Ms Goldie said ACOSS was deeply concerned about the precedent NSW could set if it opened before safe vaccination rates were achieved in vulnerable groups. As Dr Chant highlighted, people on low incomes and with great vulnerabilities live everywhere across our communities, Ms Goldie told the Herald. Which groups are being left behind? Has data been gathered? If it has, it needs to be released.

Loading Ms Goldie said ACOSS could not support a recovery road map that does not specify vaccination assurances for vulnerable groups. A federal Department of Health spokesman said more than 22.7 million vaccines had been administered, with more than 67 per cent of people aged over 16 having received a first dose. The department is not able to provide vaccination rates by income level, he said. Vaccine supply is expected to increase across NSW in coming weeks, after one million doses of the Moderna vaccine were secured by the federal government from European Union countries. The doses will be directed to local pharmacies within 14 days.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was not aware of the extra doses until they were announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday. A spokeswoman for Ms Berejiklian declined to comment when asked if the Premier had been informed before delivering her 11am update, her final formal daily briefing. Ms Berejiklian said, in future, she would front the media when she needs to announce a major milestone, or when I feel I need to be accountable, conceding the next two months will be the most challenging. That could be seven days a week, some weeks it could be three times a week. It depends on whats going on, she said. Labor leader Chris Minns later said it was hard to understand the Premiers decision when October was set to be the toughest month for the health system.

More than half of cases continue to be recorded in Sydneys west and south-west. However, cases continue to rise in inner-city suburbs, with City of Sydney local government area reporting 60 cases on Sunday. Health authorities have also expressed concern about numbers increasing on the Central Coast and in the Illawarra, while there are 74 inmates with COVID-19 at Silverwater Correctional Complex. There are 1206 cases coronavirus patients admitted to hospital, with 220 in intensive care and 92 requiring ventilation. Dr Chant said vaccine supply was improving, and she was confident people would embrace vaccination for 12- to 15-year-olds, with federal government approval for Pfizer in that age group to take effect from Monday. Dr Chant said she was confident that NSW would hit the 80 per cent first dose milestone mid-week and challenged the community to hit 90 per cent the following week.
I can sincerely say that it has been a much longer run than I had hoped for or expected, he wrote. In a June 3 email to parents, Mr Berryman states: I cannot in good conscience continue to request that you continue to keep your children at home. Please feel free to send your child to school if you feel that this is best for them or best for your family balance. I do not write this lightly, as this does breach government imposed directives for schools. Three days later he wrote that the Department of Health had contacted the school and warned him to comply. By late July, Mr Berryman was again inviting parents to breach remote learning rules. I am again offering you all the option of sending your children to school, he wrote in an email on July 20. The Age attempted to contact Mr Berryman but could not reach him on Sunday.

Mr Andrews declined to answer when asked on Sunday whether it should be mandatory for teachers to be vaccinated, but flagged the government was considering compelling some people to get immunised. Making it mandatory in a number of areas is very important. It wont just be schools, it wont just be teachers, it wont just be nurses - it will be a whole range of different people because we think its [important]. I will make those announcements when Im ready. Vaccination Lead from DPV Health Kylie Rhook sets up a micro vaccination centre at Broadmeadows Community Hub. Credit:Paul Jeffers Victoria on Sunday launched a pop-up vaccination program targeting postcodes in the north and west of Melbourne. Sixty-five per cent of new coronavirus cases detailed on Sunday were in Melbournes north, particularly the council area of Hume, where 147 new cases were recorded. Just 107 of the cases detailed on Sunday were from known outbreaks. Eight of the pop-up vaccination centres will be in secondary colleges in a bid to get more students immunised. These high schools are in Dandenong, Point Cook, Gladstone Park, Roxburgh, Brunswick, Tarneit, Werribee and Lakeview Senior College in Caroline Springs.

Lakeview Senior College principal Shayne Rule said more than 110 students and staff had booked in for a jab on-campus this Thursday, but more had already had their first shot or made an appointment elsewhere. Mr Rule said his senior students desire to be vaccinated as soon as possible was overwhelming, although a small number of parents had expressed hesitancy or outright opposition to the notion of their children being vaccinated. Osama Jabry receiving his COVID-19 vaccination from nurse Sonya El-Abbas, accompanied by his wife Manal Kareen, and children Rokaya and Hussien at Broadmeadows Town Hall vaccination hub. Credit:Paul Jeffers I know of a number of kids who come from anti-vaccine families and the kids have hopped on buses, made their own appointments and gone and got shots without the support of their parents, he said. I really admire their courage and commitment. Year 7 student Lucy Kerr, 13, who attends Our Lady of Mercy College in Heidelberg, will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine from Monday and said she was eager to book in for the jab as soon as possible.

Im just excited for when there are enough people vaccinated that we can end lockdowns, she said. Kylie Kerr with her 13-year-old daughter Lucy at home in Greensborough. On Monday, 12-15 year old children will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Credit:Paul Jeffers Lucy is in her first year at her school and said it had been much harder to make new friends at her new school learning remotely much of the time. Opening up vaccination to students aged 12 to 15 would ease the worry that schools would reopen only to have to shut again if cases climbed, she said. It will help us be able to go back to school and there not be this worry of, what if we go back into lockdown, she said.

Her mother Kylie Kerr, a lecturer at ACU, said she was confident the vaccine was safe for her daughter. Ive had it and Im fine and my husband has just had it and hes fine, she said. Its worse to get COVID. On Sunday, Mr Andrews faced questioning over when students were likely to return to schools for classes. He declined to nominate a date, saying modelling being done by the Burnet Institute held the key to reopening for face-to-face learning. He said he wanted schools back this year but a plan for the rest of the school year would be made public in about a week. Despite hundreds of daily infections, Victorias contact-tracing team is reaching almost 100 per cent of COVID-19 cases within 24 hours and primary close contacts within 48 hours, Deputy Chief Health Officer Dan OBrien said. He added that while contact tracing had been challenged, it had been meeting the national benchmarks since the beginning of the latest outbreak.

Government sources told The Age the public could expect a road map that outlined when, and how, all Victorian students would be allowed to return to school, giving parents and children a level of certainty  with added caveats  heading into term 4. It is unlikely that all year levels will be able to return at the same time. The Premier also flagged that the government was considering potential staggered start and end times and improvements to ventilation. The Department of Education has drawn up several plans, and is awaiting the Chief Health Officers approval following the outcomes of the Burnet Institute modelling to determine what level of COVID-19 cases Victoria could handle without stretching the healthcare system. Victorias public health workforce status, including the surge capacity, remains in the green zone under the Commonwealths traffic light system, meaning it is within capacity and does not require extra support. Seven per cent of intensive care patients in Victoria have been diagnosed with COVID-19, compared to 24 per cent in NSW, where the health system has been strained. Mr Andrews previously promised once the state reaches 70 per cent of eligible people having a first vaccination there would be an expanded 10-kilometre travel limit, a three-hour exercise limit, and outdoor personal training and real estate inspections would return. By Sunday, 66.2 per cent of Victorians had a first vaccination and 40.8 per cent were double dosed.
Afghan journalist Abdul Amin Haqjo always had a love of domestic and foreign news. As a child, he would try and find ways to read the newspapers, listen to the radio or watch television.

He finally achieved his dream and by 2005 was running Crime Scene Afghanistan, a program sponsored by the UN Mission to Afghanistan, which covered criminal cases, violence against women, corruption and human rights abuses. Now, he fears for his life.

We are very much under the threat of the Taliban and various criminals such as usurpers, murderers, drug traffickers, human rights violators and extremist groups who are all released from prisons with the arrival of the Taliban, Mr Haqjo says in writing and through a voice recording from Kabul, where he is in hiding.

Journalists from the Etilaatroz newspaper, Nemat Naqdi, 28, a video journalist, left and Taqi Daryabi, 22, video editor, undress to show wounds sustained after Taliban fighters tortured and beat them while in custody, after they were arrested for reporting on a womens rights protest in Kabul. Credit:Los Angeles Times

I am on the killing list of Taliban and other criminals. Those criminals that were put in prison as a result of our investigative work, are now actively searching for my name and address. I have been contacted twice by unknown people and asked to give them access to the archive of my work. Once they found my address and entered my place but couldnt find me.
London: Pfizer initially turned down the offer of developing a coronavirus vaccine because the companys top executives thought the virus would be rapidly contained, like Sars and Mers.

Dr Ugur Sahin and his wife Dr Ozlem Tureci, the founders of BioNTech, were told, Guys, this is not going to work, by the pharmaceutical giant as the virus was starting to sweep the globe in January 2020.

BioNTech founders Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci. Credit:AP

The mRNA technology, which has proved so crucial to the vaccine breakthroughs, was, at the time, also considered too experimental by Pfizers vice president and chief scientific officer for viral vaccines, Dr Phil Dormitzer.

My working assumption was that it [COVID-19] would be controlled, Dormitzer admitted.
This is a fitting outcome for the United States of Contradictions, where an implacable partisanship means you have a left who are pro-choice (unless that choice involves COVID-19 vaccinations) and a right who are pro-life, right up until the moment youre born, and your existence is under daily threat thanks to the gun laws. Norma McCorvey, Jane Roe in the 1973 court case, (left) and her attorney Gloria Allred hold hands outside the Supreme Court in Washington in 1989. Credit:AP In that respect, Thornton now embodies her countrys inconsistencies  which seems both grossly unfair and cruelly ironic. After all, that impersonal embodiment has been her burden from the moment of conception. It was her mothers burden before that, and it remains the burden of every woman who doesnt have the right to choose what to do with her own body today. Women shouldnt have to embody anything aside from their own bodies and minds. Make someone a totem for an ethical or political belief, and they will always fall short. Norma McCorvey fell short repeatedly during her chequered lifetime. The Louisiana-born daughter of a TV repairman and a violent alcoholic mother, she left home at 15 after allegedly being sexually abused by a family member. At 16, she was married to a man who also abused her, and after having two daughters  both given up for adoption  found herself living on the streets and addicted to drugs and alcohol. At 21, she became pregnant a third time, and because abortion was illegal in Texas, where she lived, went to a backstreet doctor, but was too scared to go through with it. A lot of women didnt make it out, she later said. They would bleed to death. Attorney Gloria Allred (left) and Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff Jane Roe in the US Supreme Court case that legalised abortion, tear up the Justice Department's brief calling for the reversal of Roe v Wade decision. Credit:Reuters

Desperate, she contacted Dallas adoption attorney Henry Mc-Cluskey, who told her about two lawyers  Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee  who wanted to represent a woman seeking an abortion in Texas. They took her case, and it went all the way to the Supreme Court, changing the landscape of abortion in America, and miring McCorvey in a battle of ideologies that dogged her until the day she died. The affairs McCorvey was subsequently revealed to have had with both men and women were seen as problematic for the Left, who would have preferred their pro-choice poster-girl untarnished, and proof of anti-Christian values for the right. And as McCorvey doubtless felt increasingly incapable of fitting into any accepted narrative, she began to swing wildly from side to side, working first with pro-choice groups and then, after becoming a born-again Christian in 1995, with the pro-life groups that demanded she publicly renounce her homosexuality. But there was one last sting in the tail: on her deathbed, McCorvey admitted to receiving at least $US456,911 in benevolent gifts from the anti-abortion movement in exchange for her conversion. McCorvey addresses a large group of anti-abortion supporters in Dallas in 2003. Credit:AP I was the big fish, she said, in documentary AKA Jane Roe, which came out in 2020. I took their money and theyd put me out in front of the cameras and tell me what to say. It was all an act. I did it well, too. I am a good actress. Of course, Im not acting now.

At 69, McCorvey died just as shed lived: troubled and unhappy. Surely her daughter, granddaughters and great-granddaughters deserve better? Just as McCorvey never set out to be a pro-choice activist, Thornton should not be reduced to a pawn in a war that looks set to rage on in the US for years  as other states look to impose their own six-week bans and the US Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit to challenge the Texas law, calling it clearly unconstitutional. It is perhaps little wonder that Thornton has kept her identity a closely guarded secret. It was only after being tracked down by an investigator, hired by McCorvey, in conjunction with a reporter from the National Enquirer, that a teenage Thornton learnt of her connection to Roe v Wade. A demonstrator claps during a Planned Parenthood Day of Action Rally in Brooklyn, New York, on September 9, 2021, held in response to new laws restricting abortions in Texas. Credit:Bloomberg She had always known she was adopted, thanks to the couple  Ruth Schmidt and her husband Billy Thornton  who had taken in the baby girl born at Dallas Osteopathic Hospital on June 2, 1970, at just three days old. By the time Roe was decided, Shelley Lynn was almost three years old and her adoptive parents had no idea of her connection to the landmark case. They split when Thornton was 10, Ruth moving the two of them near to Seattle, and away from alcoholic Billy. Thornton had just graduated from high school and enrolled in secretarial college, when McCorvey  via the Enquirer  came calling. It led to that heated telephone conversation in 1994, in which Thornton told her biological mother that she would never thank her for not having an abortion. After finding out her identity, Thornton admits in the book that she was shaking all over and crying. Schmidt was forced to seek legal help to demand that no identifying information about her adoptive daughter enter the public domain.

From that moment, Thornton will have understood that tidy narratives only exist in fiction. That knowledge will have shaped her and been behind both her brave decision to come forward now and her apparent refusal to make the complex beliefs built up over a lifetime fit with either the pro-choice or pro-life communities so intent on claiming her. Loading Thornton remembers feeling stuck, says Prager: To come out as the Roe baby would be to lose the life, steady and unremarkable, that she craved. But to remain anonymous would ensure, as her lawyer put it, that the race was on for whoever could get to Shelley first. What a life, Schmidt fretted, always looking over your shoulder. And she was. Thornton married her husband, Doug, started their family and gave up her job, partly nervous of being found out. Prager writes, Every time she got close to someone, Shelley found herself thinking, Yeah, were really great friends, but you dont have a clue who I am.
Mining major Ltd might raise prices of the dry fuel by at least 10-11 per cent to mitigate the impact of increased costs and an impending wage revision, sources close to the development said.

The Kolkata-headquartered company had last hiked in 2018. Its current average regulated price realisation is Rs 1,394 per tonne.

There has been no price rise of fuel supply agreement coal since the last few years. Costs have jumped on all fronts and a wage revision is due. A minimum 10-11 per cent increase is necessary to avoid bottomline erosion.

has informally discussed the matter with board members and most of them have acknowledged the need to hike prices of coal. The miner is awaiting the government's nod following which it will take the final call, they told PTI.

Chairman and Managing Director Pramod Agarwal had recently said the costs of the miner had gone up, and there is no reason that it should not increase prices of the dry fuel.

Within FSA coal, the price for the power sector is cheaper than non-power industrial consumers like steel and cement. "On an average, non-power coal is 15-20 per cent higher than power consumers," the sources said.

The wage revision, which is due from July this year, is likely to cost the miner an additional Rs 10,000 crore, they said. The current annual wage cost is around USD 5 billion.

had in 2017 signed a wage agreement, with worker unions proposing a 20 per cent hike in salaries for five years.

Rise in usually has a ripple effect on the economy, beginning with an increase in electricity cost.

A 10 per cent price hike could result in a 20-30 paisa per-unit jump in power price, the sources said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
services major will come up with fresh investments to the tune of around Rs 2,000 crore in Tamil Nadu, including setting up of a new container terminal, cold storage and sea food processing zone among other units.

The other projects lined up include a free trade zone with an integrated rail siding, minor port in the Eastern Coast of and inland container depots in Erode, Karur and Tirupur. These projects may create employment for 4,500 people (1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect), a government official said. The company has now signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government seeking facilitation support required for the projects.

is the worlds leading port/terminal operator since its inception in 1972 and currently operates at 150 places the world over in ports, terminals, industrial parks, and economic zones, maritime services and marinas. In 1997, it entered India and started its container terminal in Mumbai and in 2001 it laid its footprint in

With an investment of over $1.2 Billion, they are operating six terminals in India at major ports with over 6 million TEU of gross capacity. Chennai Container Terminal (CCTL) with four berths to handle 1 million TEU containers inside Chennai Port was developed by and commenced operation in 2001. Subsequently in Tamil Nadu, DP World also established container freight stations (CFS), cold storage (winter logistics) and third party warehousing. In September 2019, DP World signed a MoU in UAE with Government of to invest Rs 1000 crore in establishing a free trade warehousing zone (FTWZ) and subsequently, Integrated Chennai Business Park (ICBP) in Vallur, Ponneri Taluk, Tiruvallur District was established over an area of 125 acres. This FTWZ was inaugurated in July 2021.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin laid the foundation stone for the proposed data centre to be set up by Japanese technology major NTT Global Data Centres and Cloud Infrastructure at an investment of Rs 2,500 crore. The data centre at Ambattur will be spread across 8.25 lakh square feet, the government said in a statement.
Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji on Sunday said the companys leaders will start returning to office from Monday. After 18 long months, our leaders @Wipro are coming back to office, starting Monday (twice a week). All fully vaccinated, all ready to go  safely and socially distanced, Premji said in a tweet. A year and a half into the pandemic, is taking tentative steps to bring back to office. But it is being done slowly, and on a voluntary basis, with many saying they will take a call on the matter only at the end of the year. Social media giant Facebook is preparing for a staggered opening up of its offices in India from next month. In the US, though, the company will decide whether or not to open offices only in January next year. We are currently on a mandatory work-from-home. But starting October, we will allow 25 per cent of to return to the Gurugram office, says a spokesperson for the company. Cab aggregator Uber India has planned a hybrid work strategy from January 10 next year. We are asking those working in offices to spend at least 50 per cent of their time there every month. Our can work from their preferred location, choosing from a list of dedicated hubs, says a spokesperson. Executives at South Korean electronics giant, Samsung, say they have increased the cap on employees in their large corporate offices from 10 per cent when the lockdown was lifted, to 33 per cent. To ensure safety, rosters of staff are made two weeks in advance, and they can come to office only after undergoing an antigen test each time. Search engine Google has been in the public eye after it introduced a work location tool in the US that allows employees working from home to determine its impact on their pay package. Sources say the move could lead to a cut in salary of up to 25 per cent for many employees and some believe that the system may be implemented in India, too. ALSO READ: 'Everyone is scared': Govt's criticism of Infosys, Tata worries India Inc But a spokesperson for Google India says, Outside the US, each country currently has a single compensation category, so there is no difference in pay, whether you are fully remote or an in-office employee. E-commerce player Amazon India says its employees at supply chain and warehouses are already back. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Right now, we are asking employees in roles which can be done effectively from home to continue to do so till January 3 next year, says the spokesperson for the company. Indian information technology (IT) companies, which had been votaries of work-from-home during the lockdowns, are also putting in place strategies to bring their employees back to office. Rajesh Gopinathan, chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in a recent media interaction, said the company plans to get 75 per cent of its employees back to the workplace by the end of the year. TCS expects a majority of its employees to be double vaccinated by then.

Tech Mahindras Harshvendra Soin, global chief people officer and head of marketing, says over 80 per cent of its associates are already vaccinated. Of that, only 20 per cent are working from offices. Till December, all associates have been advised to choose their work location, according to their convenience.

ALSO READ: Hybrid learning here to stay, like work: Report by PwC and CII HCL Technologies is going for a staggered roll-out. Says its spokesperson, We may start with one or two days a week, depending on their roles. While we want to encourage our employees to return to office, we do not want to mandate anything now.

Domestic companies, including those in manufacturing, are also ready to bring back vaccinated employees. In JSW Steels Mumbai headquarters (HQs), fully vaccinated employees were asked to return to office from September 1.

Similarly, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India confirmed that a large majority of its employees are back at work on-premises, except those with pre-existing health conditions or those not required to be physically present in office.

In the Birla HQs in Mumbai, the top management is already attending office, while the rest of the fully vaccinated staff are coming to work in batches. Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of Aditya Birla Group, expects most organisations to revert to the pre-Covid workplace scenario once the pandemic is quelled.

Fully vaccinated employees at ITC, too, are attending office in greater frequency. In many locations, the company has carried out random testing to ensure pre-emptive action. We remain in a hybrid mode with regard to office presence and are ready to move back to full remote working, based on the evolving situation, says Amitav Mukherji, head of corporate human resources (HR).

But many multinational are still waiting and watching for cues from their global HQs.

Apple Inc. was earlier planning to open offices in phases from September 1, but this has now been deferred to next year. Ericsson also announced it would continue with work from home till December and then decide on the matter.

As for PepsiCo, sources say the company will take a call on this only in December. The hybrid work model is a win-win situation for employees and employers. The same shall be put into place once we resume work from office, depending on the external situation, says Pavitra Singh, chief HR officer of Pepsico India.

like Tata Steel have also rolled out an agile working policy for all managers, wherein they are offered the flexibility to work from home and advised to come to office if necessary. The agile working policy has been conceptualised and implemented to adopt the new way of working, arising out of the pandemic situation. We aim to institutionalise it and make it part of our overall value proposition, says a spokesperson.

India Incs back to office playbook Fully vaccinated staff being asked to report to work in batches

Conducting regular antigen tests

Increasing cap on percentage of employees who can come to work gradually

Arrange for vaccination drive for employees and families

Hire transport to avoid public conveyance

Mandatory attendance for top management

Allow some staff to come, but only after permission from departmental head Many MNCs waiting for cues from global HQs With inputs from Ishita Ayan Dutt in Kolkata and Shine Jacob in Chennai With inputs from Ishita Ayan Dutt in Kolkata and Shine Jacob in Chennai
has decided to shut down its grocery delivery service, which it began in July this year, due to gaps in order fulfilment and the traction 15-minute grocery delivery has been getting in the recent past, it told grocery store partners in an email on Saturday.

"We have decided to shut down our grocery pilot and as of now, we have no plans to run any other form of grocery delivery on our platform. Grofers has found a high-quality product market fit in 10-minute grocery and we believe our investment in the company will generate better outcomes for our shareholders than our in-house grocery effort," said a spokesperson.

The company will be pulling the plug on its grocery delivery pilot on September 17.

Zomato's grocery delivery service promised order fulfilment within 45 minutes, and it told grocery partners in the email that this pilot saw "moderate success" in the email on Saturday.

"Store catalogues are very dynamic and inventory levels change frequently. This has led to gaps in fulfilment, leading to poor customer experience. In the same period (of the two months pilot), the express delivery model, with under 15 minute delivery and promise & near perfect fulfilment rates has been getting a ot of traction with customers and expanding rapidly. We have realised that it is extremely difficult to pull off such a delivery promise with high fulfilment rates consistently, in a marketplace model (like ours)," said in the email.

Zomato had announced plans to roll out its grocery delivery service at the launch of its initial public offering in July. At the time, Chief Financial Officer Akshant Goyal had said grocery is a large opportunity and it is still in the nascent stage. He also confirmed the food delivery and listing company's $100 million investment for a minority stake in Grofers.

Grofers has been doubling down on its 15- to 10-minute delivery strategy since late July, expanding it to ten cities by the end of August.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, India's grocery delivery has seen a huge rise in demand By industry estimates, the market rose nearly 80 per cent to $2.66 billion in 2020 and is on track to reach $20-25 billion by 2025.
Expressing great concern over the recent waterlogging in parts of Delhi airport, former Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-chairman M Shashidhar Reddy on Sunday wrote to Union Aviation Minister suggesting a "flood audit" of all airports in India.

Reddy, who had the longest stints as a member (2005-2010) and as vice-chairman (2010-2014) of the NDMA, also suggested widening of a drainage system from Delhi airport's terminal three to Najafgarh to check flooding.

"It is a matter of great concern that the world-class airport in Delhi was flooded on the morning of September 11, 2021, causing severe disruption to the public -- about 100 flights were delayed and five diverted," he said in the letter to Scindia.

Major operational areas like Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) T3 terminal, airport taxiways, airport approach road and others were submerged due to rains, Reddy said.

The NDMA, headed by the prime minister, is the apex body for disaster management in the country.

In a statement on Saturday, the spokesperson of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said the airport operator has been requesting the state and the central government agencies for the past few years to widen the underground drainage system that goes from terminal 3 to Najafgarh.

The spokesperson had said that due to sudden extremely high downpour, the forecourt of Terminal 3 of Delhi Airport saw some waterlogging, which was cleared within a few minutes.

In his letter, Reddy said Delhi has been experiencing very heavy rainfall and the previous day's rainfall may have saturated the soil, but this type of flooding yesterday was certainly avoidable.

He said there is a 17-metre steep gradient between Highway 8 (NH8) and T3. Due to this, the entire area in between acts as a catchment and drains water towards T3, Reddy wrote in the letter.

"Normally, this water gets cleared by the drainage system from T3 to the Najafgarh Drain. Apparently, this did not happen," he said.

Reddy highlighted a media report of a major rainfall event on September 15, 2011, when the capital had recorded 117 mm of rain in three hours and severe flooding was experienced inside the baggage belt area at T3 arrivals and other parts of the Delhi airport.

"I am given to understand that consultants were hired by the operator of the Delhi airport for Rs 70 lakh in 2011-12 to address this issue. It appears that their recommendation was to widen the drainage system from T3 to the Najafgarh drain. Regretfully, this has not been implemented even after so many years," he said in the letter emailed to Scindia.

This time, the airport got flooded with less than half that time's rainfall, Reddy said.

"I hope that you will make a beginning by leading efforts for the much-needed widening of the drainage system to avoid flooding in Delhi Airport Terminal 3," he said.

Reddy highlighted Scindia's visit to Hyderabad on Saturday during which the minister "promised support for the expansion of Hyderabad airport besides taking necessary steps to set up six more airports in Telangana".

This is welcome but it will be imperative that any expansion should take design considerations fully factoring in the climate change-induced frequent high-intensity rainfall events, he said.

"However, I strongly feel that there is an urgent need for a flood audit of all the airports in India to identify flood-prone areas in and around airports and take up immediate preventive measures thereafter on top priority," said Reddy, a senior Congress leader based in Hyderabad.

Operations at other major airports like Mumbai, Chennai, Vizag, Kolkata, Leh and others have also been disrupted in the past due to high-intensity rainfall in a short duration, he said.

Vishakapatnam airport was inundated for about 10 days in 2006 and Chennai airport was not operational for several days in 2015, Reddy said.

In his letter, he has also shared excerpts of the NDMA's National Guidelines for Management of Urban Flooding, released during his tenure at the authority in 2010.

"Airports are critical infrastructure... It is, therefore, of utmost importance that these will be made flood-proof by providing efficient drainage for much higher intensity rainfall and using best management practices like provision of holding ponds," Reddy said.

The urban heat island effect has also resulted in an increase in rainfall over urban areas from 50 per cent to 150 per cent. Additionally, the threat of a rise in sea level rise is also looming large on all airports of coastal cities, he said



The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' Urban Drainage Manual of 2019 has recommended that all airports and other critical infrastructure should be designed for a 1-in-100-years return period, he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's cumulative COVID-19 coverage surpassed 73.82 crores, (73,82,07,378) as per provisional reports, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

With the administration of 72,86,883 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, country's COVID-19 coverage surpassed the cumulative figure of 73.82 Cr (73,82,07,378) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 75,25,766 sessions, the ministry informed in a press statement.

The ministry stated, "Over 72 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union Territories so far through the Government of India's free of cost channel.

As per an official release, mentioning the fact that the Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 throughout the country, the ministry stated, "More than 72.21 crores (72,21,17,085) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category."

"More than 57 lakh doses (57,56,240) are in the pipeline," it added.

The ministry further stated, "More than 5.16 crore (5,16,66,835) balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered.

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The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended various tax returns filing deadlines till December 31 this year but it will continue to levy interest on delayed payments made after July 31, the original due date.

Officials say tax payment has to be done through net banking, and the assessee doesn't need to use the e-filing portal, which has been facing glitches.

So, taxpayers have to bear the interest payment liability of 1 per cent per month on the outstanding tax for those who filed a return after July 31. clarified this in the wake of industry stakeholders seeking amendment in the Act to provide relief on interest liability for the assessment year 2021-22.

In its September 9 circular, while extending the ITR and other deadlines, said that extension of dates shall not apply to Section 234 A (deals with interest payment when there is a delay in filing ITR) of the I-T Act.

However, it extended the interest relief to small taxpayers having self-assessment tax liability below Rs 1 lakh and certain senior citizens, the circular said.

The latest extension of the deadline comes amid continuing technical glitches on the new tax filing portal managed by Infosys, which has been facing widespread criticism from the government and taxpayers. Infosys has been asked to rectify the portal by September 15.





ALSO READ: Things to keep in mind while filing your income tax return this year

While the due date of furnishing returns has been extended, no relief has been accorded to taxpayers in respect of interest levied under Section 234 A, where amount of tax on total income as reduced by permissible deductions (TDS/ TCS/ Advance tax) exceeds Rs 1 lakh," said Rakesh Nangia, chairman, Nangia Andersen.

Considering the unresolved technical glitches on the newly-launched portal, a much-needed relief has been granted to the taxpayers who were encountering difficulties while fulfilling the compliance obligation.

"However, notably, despite the extension, interest will continue to be levied. Therefore, one must endeavour to file the return as soon as possible to avoid further accumulation of interest, he said.

Another expert Lokesh Shah, partner, Saraf and Partners, said taxpayers may consider depositing their entire tax liability even though the return may be filed within the extended due date to not draw interest liability, to some extent.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently held a meeting with Infosys managing director (MD) chief executive officer (CEO) Salil Parekh. Here, she expressed disappointment and concerns of the government as well as the taxpayers about the issues in the e-filing portal.

On Wednesday, the finance ministry had said the issues were being positively addressed as the statistics of various filings on the portal showed a positive trend. The ministry, in a statement, said that more than 88.3 million taxpayers have logged in till Tuesday with a daily average of over 1.55 million in September.

has increased to 320,000 daily in September 2021. As many as 11.9 million ITRs for AY 2021-22 have been filed. Of these, over 7.62 million taxpayers have used the online utility of the portal to file returns.
The two pilots flying Boeing 737 were extricated dead an hour after the plane crashed in Keralas Kozhikode as the airport rescue and firefighting (ARFF) team was unfamiliar with the aircraft, an investigation has said.

The pilots, whose error has been blamed for the crash, and 19 others were killed when the aircraft hit a gorge after a runway overrun on August 7, 2020. The aircraft was returning from Dubai and it carried 184 passengers.

The investigation report of the August 7, 2020 crash was released by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau Director General Aurobindo Handa on Saturday. It has recommended the airline and Airport Authority of India (AAI) to improve their training and suggested better maintenance of simulators and runway-end safety areas at airports to prevent further accidents.

The ARRF crew at Kozhikode was not familiar with the type of aircraft which resulted in poorly coordinated rescue operations and delayed evacuation of the pilots from the cockpit, the investigation report noted. The pilot in command was pulled out of the cockpit by a CISF inspector while the co-pilot was removed by an unknown person and the ARRF personnel were not present during the rescue of pilots, it said.

The investigation team has recommended that must ensure aircraft-familiarisation training is provided to all ARRF crew within a defined timeline, in addition to recurrent training as per existing requirements.

It has also suggested better upkeep and maintenance of the runway end safety area which can help to arrest the speed of an aircraft in case of an overrun.

While the investigation concluded that the captain carried out an unstabilised approach and ignored the co-pilots call for a go-around, it also pointed a finger at management for its lack of supervision in training, operations and safety practices. This, it said, has resulted in repeated human error accidents.

It has called upon the airline to improve its training especially for landing on wet runway in tail wind conditions and promote assertiveness of the first officer to take over control and initiate a go around in case the captain fails to respond.

The civil aviation regulator has been asked to revise its regulations on flight data monitoring and introduce periodic surveillance of flights at critical and table top airports including red eye flights.

It has also suggested the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to study the feasibility of a child restraint system for safety of children and infants on board an aircraft. Out of the ten infants on board the aircraft, three sustained fatal injuries, three had serious injuries and four escaped unhurt, the report noted.

The report has called for an installation of approach radar. Kozhikode airport is amongst the ten busiest airports in India, has hilly terrain and experiences extended adverse weather conditions. Therefore it is recommended for better guidance to the aircraft approach radar be installed at the airport, it said.
: Swami Vivekananda firmly believed that the true essence of religion was the common good and tolerance and to fulfill the dream of making a resurgent India through these principles there is a need to instil his ideals in today's youth, N V Ramana said on Sunday.

Justice Ramana while virtually addressing an event to mark the 22nd Foundation Day of Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, Hyderabad and the 128th anniversary of the historic Chicago Address of Swami Vivekananda said: "Swami Vivekananda, in his address, propagated the idea of tolerance and universal acceptance. He analysed the dangers posed by the meaningless and sectarian conflicts in society to the nations and the civilisations. There is greater need today, in contemporary India, to pay heed to the words spoken by Swami Vivekananda as early as in 1893."



Swami Vivekananda's address in the World "Parliament of Religions" at Chicago in 1893 drew the world's attention to the ancient Indian philosophy of Vedanta. He popularised practical Vedanta as it preached love, compassion and equal respect for all, the CJI said, pointing out that his teachings have great relevance for all times to come.

"He was prophetic. Long before the painful churning that took place in the subcontinent during the freedom struggle resulting in framing of an egalitarian Constitution of India, he advocated secularism as if he foresaw the events to unfold.

"He firmly believed that the true essence of religion was common good and tolerance. Religion should be above superstitions and rigidities. To fulfil the dream of making resurgent India through the principles of common good and tolerance, we should instil the ideals of Swamiji in today's youth," Justice Ramana said.

Swami Vivekananda believed that youngsters in India are the chain that binds our past to a greater future. He believed that anything is possible if one has the required belief, he said.

It is imperative for the youth to be aware about the social realities and challenges, the CJI said, adding "Remember, any change in the nation's trajectory always stems from its youth and their participation. It is for you to build the ideal nation and society that you desire to witness."



"The democratic rights that we take today for granted are a result of the struggles of thousands of young people who took to the streets fighting authoritarian figures either during the freedom struggle or the dark days of emergency. Many lost their lives, sacrificed lucrative careers, all for the greater good of the nation and society," Justice Ramana said.

Trust the youth to check the deviations in a society's journey towards peace and progress, he added.

"Although it is desirable to be independent and economically successful, at the same time we must not forget our duties towards our family, our community and the nation," he said.

"The youth often perceive every action with a clear set of principles-they don't tolerate injustice either towards themselves or towards others. They don't compromise with their ideals come what may. They are not only selfless but also adventurous. They are willing to sacrifice for the cause they believe in. It is these unadulterated minds and pure hearts which form the backbone of our nation," the Chief Justice said.

Justice Ramana further said today resources are available at one's fingertips and there is unlimited access to a world of information. "These advantages come with a heavy burden. The hyper awareness that modern society allows, with the ease of flow of information mandates that students are more socially and politically aware."



Justice Ramana also advised youth to focus on their health and engage in physical activities and sports.

"Visit the slums to be conscious about the divides that exist even within urban spaces, visit villages to be aware about rural living. Beyond a mere awareness of the issues, you need to have the mentality to find solutions, and take action to make meaningful change in society. You need to be aware that your actions are a part of the process of nation building," he said.

He further called upon educational institutions to inform and create awareness in the students about rights and restrictions.

They should promote and transmit a culture of lawfulness, of respect for the law. Institutions should equip young minds with knowledge about their rights and duties and empower them to be change-makers in society, Justice Ramana added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The samples of four close contacts of the 12 year-old child who succumbed to infection last week has returned negative, but the source was yet to be identified and the government was according top priority to it, health minister Veena George said here on Sunday.

"Four samples of the close contacts of the child were tested again for confirmation. All were tested negative. Our field surveillance is continuing along with the fever surveillance. The sample testing is also continuing in the epicenter of the infection," minister told the media.

She said it was important to identify the source of infection and the surveillance team from the Institute of Virology, Pune,has been collecting samples from various areas.

"The high risk contacts have been isolated in the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. Their health condition is stable. It's important that we identify the source of the infection. We are trying to. The Pune NIV team is collecting samples from various parts to identify the source," she said.

The state government had conducted a complete house-to-house survey within a three-km-radius from the house of the 12-year-old boy who succumbed to on September 5 as part of it's fever surveillance.

The government had earlier stated that around 15,000 houses from the containment zone were included in the survey and details were sought from around 68,000 people.

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The is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the alleged snooping on certain people in India involving Israeli spyware Pegasus.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana had on September 7 had granted more time to the Centre to decide on filing a further response on the petitions after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that due to some difficulties he could not meet the officials concerned to take a decision on the filing of the second affidavit.

The Centre had earlier filed a limited affidavit in the apex court saying the pleas seeking an independent probe into the Pegasus snooping allegations are based on "conjectures and surmises or on other unsubstantiated media reports or incomplete or uncorroborated material".

On August 17, the top court had issued notice to the Centre on the pleas, making it clear that it did not want the government to disclose anything which compromises security.

In its short affidavit filed in the court earlier, the Centre had said the position on the issue has already been clarified in Parliament by Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

With a view of dispelling any wrong narrative spread by certain vested interests and examining the issues raised, the government will constitute a committee of experts, it had said.

The top court, while issuing notice on the pleas, had said that it did not want the government to disclose anything related to the security and had asked the Centre what is the "problem" if the competent authority files an affidavit before it on the issue.

"Our considered response is what we have respectfully stated in our last affidavit. Kindly examine the issue from our point of view as our affidavit is sufficient," the law officer had told the bench, adding, "The Government of India is before the highest court of the country."



The law officer had said if the government of any country divulges information about which software is used and which is not used, then those involved in terrorist activities may take preemptive measures.

The pleas are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO's spyware Pegasus.

An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware.

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Security forces on Sunday launched a cordon and search operation in the upper reaches of Rajouri district in following information about suspected movement of terrorists from across the Line of Control (LoC), officials said.

The officials said the search operation is underway but there was no contact with suspected terrorists so far.

The search operation was jointly launched by the police and the Army in the forest area of Barote Gali in Manjakote and parts of Thanamandi in the early hours of Sunday, the officials said.

The twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region have witnessed a spurt in infiltration attempts since June this year, resulting in the killing of nine terrorists in separate encounters.

Three soldiers also laid down their lives in the earlier operations.

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Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech on Friday launched the Phase III clinical trial of its Covid-19 vaccine on a group of children and teenagers between six months and 17 years old in

The study, carried out in collaboration with South African company Numolux Group, has enrolled approximately 2,000 participants in the country, who will receive two doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine or a placebo, 28 days apart. The efficacy assessment will be based on relevant indicators, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Numolux CEO Hilton Klein said that there are roughly 24 million children and teenagers in South Africa, and that if the vaccine made by Sinovac is approved for use on them, it will help the country reach herd immunity more quickly.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority authorised the use of the CoronaVac vaccine on the country's adults in July.

--IANS

int/rs

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Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing an executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Gujarats Kevadia on September 2, 2021, claimed that India has seen no major terror attack since Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined office in 2014.

This government will never allow any terrorist intentions to be successful. Since Narendra Modi has come as the Prime Minister, forget Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), India's hinterland has not witnessed any major terror act, newspapers quoted him as saying.

While speaking in Lok Sabha in November 2019, earlier too had said that except for J&K, no terror attack had occurred in the country in the last five years.

This is not supported by facts.





According to a Lok Sabha reply by the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 23, 2021, there have been six incidents in the hinterland of the country (everywhere except J&K and North-eastern states and LWE areas)  three in 2014 and one each in 2015, 2016 and 2018. As many as 11 security force personnel and 11 civilians were killed in these attacks.

Further, J&K alone witnessed 2,546 terrorist incidents between 2014 and 2020, shows data presented in Lok Sabha. In these attacks, 481 security force personnel and 215 civilians were killed.

Notably, a previous Lok Sabha response by the Home Ministry on December 19, 2018 mentioned that there was a major terrorist attack in the hinterland in 2015 and 2016 each.
The Council meeting on Friday, the first physical meeting in more than 20 months, will deliberate on levying the Covid cess on pharmaceuticals and the power sector for intra-state supplies in Sikkim besides extending the states compensation period beyond 2022.

The meeting, being held in Lucknow, may take up notifying a common comprehensive e-portal gov.in for registration, paying tax, and filing returns. Chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the 45th Council meeting will be the first one taking place outside New Delhi in two years.



The Group of Ministers (GoM), led by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, has backed Sikkims proposal for a 1 per cent cess on intra-state supplies of pharmacueticals for two years. It has endorsed a special aid of Rs 300 crore per annum till 2023 for Sikkim by the Centre to overcome Covid-related losses.

However, with electricity being outside the purview, the GoM has recommended the state independently explore the proposal of Rs 0.1 (10 paise) per unit of electricity consumption or sale.

It may discuss extending the compensation cess for states beyond 2022. Most states are likely to pitch for an extension by another five years, amid several fiscal constraints. While the Centre may agree to extend the compensation period, it will press for lower assumed revenue growth as against the 14 per cent at the moment, arguing that it may not be sustainable.





ALSO READ: Hit by GST recovery notices and summons, industry calls for help

States were promised compensation for five years after implementation in July 2017 revenue shortfall assuming a 14 per cent annual growth, since states lost autonomy over indirect taxes. Compensation cess is levied on a few items in the 28 per cent GST slab, such as automobiles, cigarettes, and aerated drinks.

Aditi Nayar, chief economist, ICRA Ratings said that there was a clear case for extending compensation for states as Covid-19 has dealt a blow to state finances. "Stopping compensation in three quarters will be a structural shock for state finances. But, at the same time the assumed growth rate for protected revenues should be more realistic for it to be sustainable," said Nayar.

Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist, India Ratings said that the 14 per cent growth was fixed at a time when both economic growth and tax collections were more buoyant from what they were currently. ...Personally, a buoyancy of 1.1x along with a minimum threshold of 8 per cent or a different combination where compensation is based on collection rather than a fixed annual growth could be discussed in GST council," said Pant.

The Council will also provide clarification on the interest levied on wrongful or ineligible input tax credit claims, in accordance with the agenda circulated on Sunday. It may address the steel sectors problems with manufacturers facing enforcement action including blocking input tax credit and supply-side disruption due to fake invoicing by the scrap dealers. The Council may consider rationalising the GST rate on steel scrap from the current 18 per cent.

The Council may review concessional rates on pandemic-related essentials like medicines, oxygen, and medical kits beyond September 30, 2021, amid fears of the third wave looming large.

It is also likely to discuss the way forward for rate rationalisation and correcting the inverted duty structure on textiles, footwear, etc and bringing petroleum products like aviation turbine fuel and natural gas within GST.

The fitment committee, which recommends rate changes to the Council, has likely proposed increasing the rate on footwear (less than Rs 1,000), readymade garments, and fabrics to 12 per cent from 5 per cent now. For inputs like manmade fibre and yarn, the panel has likely proposed reducing the rate to 12 per cent from 18 per cent to correct the distortion.
India will get this month the third set of Swiss bank account details of its nationals under an automatic exchange of information pact with Switzerland and this will include for the first time the data about real estate properties owned by Indians there, officials said on Sunday.

Marking a key milestone in the Indian government's fight against black money allegedly stashed abroad, India will get this month the complete information on flats, apartments and condominiums owned by Indians in Switzerland as also on earnings made from such properties to help it look into tax liabilities associated with those assets.

The move assumes significance on the part of Switzerland as well as the European Alpine nation is trying hard to reposition itself as a key global financial centre while warding off the long-persisting perception about the Swiss banking system being an alleged safe haven for black money.

While it would be the third time that India will get details about bank accounts and other financial assets held by Indians in Switzerland, it will be the first time that the information being shared with India would include information about the real estate assets.

While the Swiss government has agreed to share details of real estate assets, the information about contributions to non-profit organisations and other such foundations, as also details on investments in digital currencies still remain out of bounds from the automatic exchange of information framework, officials said.

Experts and those engaged in the business of attracting investments to Switzerland said the move would help clear misconceptions about all fund inflows into Swiss assets being illicit and would go a long way in establishing Switzerland as a preferred investment destination, including for real estate properties.

Himanshu, Founder and CEO of Switzerland For You SA, the parent firm of IDDI Investments, which is engaged in the business of attracting investments from India and other countries to Switzerland including in startups and real estate, said transparency has its own virtues and the proposal of the Switzerland government to share information about property ownership of foreign clients with other countries including India is welcome.

"We find no valid reason for Swiss authorities to hide such information. After all, the ownership of property is not something which can be kept under wraps," said the India-origin entrepreneur who goes by his first name only and is settled in Geneva for many years.

"Sharing of such information with other countries under AEOI will bring in more transparency and act as deterrence for those intending to buy Swiss properties from ill-gotten wealth. The move will go a long way in making Switzerland an attractive investment destination," he added.

India had received the first set of details from Switzerland under AEOI (Automatic Exchange of Information) in September 2019. It was among 75 countries to get such information that year.

In September 2020, India received the second set of Swiss bank account details of its nationals and entities, along with 85 other recipient countries with whom Switzerland's Federal Tax Administration (FTA) exchanged information on financial accounts within the framework of global standards on AEOI last year.

From this year, Switzerland's Federal Council, the country's top governing body, has decided to implement a key recommendation of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, under which Swiss authorities will also share details about investments made by foreigners in the Swiss real estate sector.

However, some other recommendations of the Global Forum, including about sharing of information on digital currency accounts and contributions made to foundations and non-profit organisations are yet to be accepted and therefore those details would not be shared by Switzerland with India or any other countries for now.

Hectic lobbying is underway globally to convince Switzerland to start sharing information about digital currency accounts and contributions made to non-profit entities as well.

In each of the last two years, Switzerland has shared details about nearly three million financial accounts with various jurisdictions, while the count is expected to be higher this year.

For the last two years, India has been among prominent countries with which Switzerland has shared details about financial accounts of clients of and various other financial institutions, while it is also expected to figure high this year with regard to details about real estate properties.

Resident and non-resident Indians, as well as Indian companies, would account for a sizeable number in the overall list of those figuring in this year's exchange of information by Switzerland, officials privy to the development said.

Besides, Swiss authorities have already shared information about more than 100 Indian citizens and entities so far this year on receipt of requests for administrative assistance in cases involving probes into financial wrongdoings including tax evasion, the officials added. This count has been similar in the past few years.

These cases mostly relate to older accounts that might have been closed before 2018, for which Switzerland has shared details with India under an earlier framework of mutual administrative assistance as Indian authorities had provided prima facie evidence of tax-related wrongdoing by those account holders. AEOI is applicable only to accounts that are active or were closed during 2018.

Some of these cases relate to entities set up by Indians in various overseas jurisdictions like Panama, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, while the individuals include mostly businessmen and a few politicians and erstwhile royals as well as their family members.

The officials, however, refused to share details about the exact number of accounts or the quantum of assets held in the accounts held by Indians, for which the information has been shared with India, citing strict confidentiality clauses governing the exchange framework.

The information shared by Swiss authorities includes identification, account and financial information, such as name, address, country of residence and tax identification number, as well as information concerning the reporting financial institution, account balance and capital income.

The exchanged information allows tax authorities to verify whether taxpayers have correctly declared their financial accounts in their tax returns.

The 86 countries covered under the AEOI in 2020 included 11 new jurisdictions -- Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Grenada, Israel, Kuwait, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Panama and the United Arab Emirates -- in addition to a list of 75 countries, with whom information was shared in 2019.

Switzerland's first such exchange took place at the end of September 2018 and involved 36 countries, but India did not figure in the list at that time.

Nearly 10,000 entities, including financial institutions such as banks, trusts and insurers, as also condominium and apartment owners' associations are expected to have shared details about their overseas clients with the Federal Tax Authority of Switzerland for further sharing with foreign jurisdictions.

Switzerland has committed itself to adopt the global standard for the international automatic exchange of information in tax matters. The legal basis for the implementation of AEOI in Switzerland came into force on January 1, 2017.

However, AEOI only applies to accounts that are officially in the name of Indians and they might include those used for business and other genuine purposes.

The Global Forum of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reviews AEOI implementation.

According to experts, the AEOI data received by India has been quite useful for establishing a strong prosecution case against those who have any unaccounted wealth, as it provides entire details of deposits and transfers as well as of all earnings, including through investments in securities and other assets.

On condition of anonymity, several officials said the details relate mostly to businessmen, including non-resident Indians now settled in several South-East Asian countries as well as in the US, the UK and even some African and South American countries.

A Swiss delegation was in India in August 2019 before the first set of details could get shared and the two sides also discussed possible steps to expedite the execution of tax information-sharing requests made by India in specific cases.

It is feared many Indians might have closed their accounts after a global crackdown on black money led to Switzerland buckling under international pressure to open its banking sector for scrutiny to clear the long-held perception of being safe haven for undisclosed funds.

Switzerland agreed to AEOI with India after a long process, including a review of the necessary legal framework in India on data protection and confidentiality.

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Finance Minister on Sunday said only vaccination can bring the economy back on track and allow industry to work normally. The minister also urged more private sector participation in extending the reach of government schemes to rural India.

Inaugurating the centenary celebrations of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB), the FM said, Of the 1.3 billion people, we have already given at least one dose of vaccine to around 730 million. We have to wear masks even now. Once two doses are done, we believe that it will not be needed. For the economy, industry to work normally, vaccines are needed.



"Today, people are able to conduct business, traders are able to procure products to run businesses, (thereby) boosting the economy... So, vaccination is the only medicine (to combat the virus, to boost the economy)."



The countrys Covid-19 vaccination coverage surpassed the cumulative figure of 738.19 million (73,82,07,378) on Sunday, adding 72,86,883 doses in the last 24 hours. Sitharaman said that due to the aggressive financial inclusion programme  implemented through the Jan Dhan Yojana  the government was successful in helping the poor in rural India by transferring Rs 1,500 to their accounts during the first three months of the pandemic.

This would not have been possible had we not launched PMJDY, she said.

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) was launched on August 28, 2014. During the pandemic, Rs 500 per month was credited to the accounts of women account holders under for three months (April to June 2020) under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana. A total of around Rs 30,945 crore was credited to such accounts during that time. The minister added that schemes like Mudra Yojana and Svanidhi, too, helped people in the rural areas. She urged the private sector banks to take up government schemes more aggressively.

Sitharaman said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were able to tide over the crisis and are able to run their business now because of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECGS) launched by the government. Under ECGS, loans to the tune of Rs 2.73 trillion have been sanctioned of the enhanced Rs 4.5-trillion limit so far. Of this, banks have so far disbursed around Rs 2.14 trillion.

A lot of energy of the banking sector has gone towards recovery of non-performing assets (NPAs), she said, adding that prompt corrective measures helped the sector to come back to the current level.

Today, the sector is stable after continuous prompt steps that the government has taken. Many banks in the public sector have come back to normalcy now, she said.

According to the latest data, NPAs declined from Rs 7.39 trillion in March 2019 to Rs 6.16 trillion in March 2021, down 17 per cent over two years.

The minister also asked TMB to take up the digitisation drive further to improve financial inclusion, saying it is appreciable that around 74 per cent of its lending is towards the priority sector.

There are a lot of prospects for banking... I think it is important to completely bring in digitisation. Digitisation cannot be avoided for your own good and for the sake of customers, she said. TMB has already filed a draft red herring prospectus with the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India for an Initial Public Offering. In April this year, the banks Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer K V Rama Moorthy had said the lender was planning a Rs 1,000-crore IPO this fiscal year.
The Cabinet note for a government support to is not yet ready. However, discussions between the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the are at an advanced stage.

Last week there were expectations that the package would be announced during the Cabinet meet. That did not happen as the departments, despite the need to step in, wish to proceed cautiously.

The challenge for the Centre in developing a Cabinet note is not only to work out a rescue package, a top level official said. There is also no precedent for it. The Centre has never stepped in to rescue any private sector company using money from its Budget and so none of the options being considered, including a moratorium on payment of adjusted gross revenue and reduction in spectrum usage charges, have a precedence.



The options have always been to offer a tax set off and that too as a sectoral support. has a cumulative debt of Rs 1.92 trillion owed to banks and the government. If the company folds up, India will be left with just two major companies as service providers, Bharti Airtel and RJio.



ALSO READ: Hydrogen may help telecoms to slow down emissions in remote sector

State-owned BSNL and MTNL are already sick and depend on government support to exist as going concerns. For the scale of digital transformation, India is attempting having just two operators makes the stakes too risky. Mergers of the two state owned companies with have been ruled out.

Matters are also a bit complicated since Secretary Anshu Prakash is due to retire at the end of September. Minister for Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw has also taken over the reins just barely two months ago  in July. Given the stakes involved, there is a discussion at the top level if an OSD should be appointed in DoT right away to smoothen the working of the relief package. Since this will be a complicated exercise the Centre will execute with Vodafone Idea over a long time, it is necessary to offer the incoming secretary a feel of the issues involved.

For the Centre proceeding with care to unroll the unusual support programme is also meant to ensure that the beleaguered company does not go the way of BSNL and MTNL. These state-owned companies are now entirely dependent on budgetary support and this is something, the centre is certain, which cannot be repeated.
The raised their flag over the Afghan presidential palace Saturday, a spokesman said, as the U.S. and the world marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The white banner, emblazoned with a Quranic verse, was hoisted by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the interim government, in a low-key ceremony, said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, multimedia branch chief of the Talibans cultural commission.

The flag-raising marked the official start of the work of the new government, he said. The composition of the all-male, all- government was announced earlier this week and was met with disappointment by the international community which had hoped the Taliban would make good on an earlier promise of an inclusive lineup.

Two decades ago, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan with a heavy hand. Television was banned, and on Sept. 11, 2001, the day of the horrific attacks on America, the news spread from crackling radios across the darkened streets of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The city rarely had electricity and barely a million people lived in Kabul at the time. It took the U.S.-led coalition just two months to drive the Taliban from the capital and by Dec. 7, 2001, they were defeated, driven from their last holdout in southern Kandahar, their spiritual heartland.





ALSO READ: Brother of former Afghan VP Amrullah Saleh shot dead by Taliban

Twenty years later, the Taliban are back in Kabul. America has departed, ending its forever war two weeks before the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and two weeks after the Taliban returned to the Afghan capital on Aug. 15.

Some things have changed since the first period of Taliban rule in the 1990s.

This time, the gun-toting fighters dont race through the city streets in their pickups. Instead, they inch through chaotic, clogged traffic in the city of more than 5 million. In Taliban-controlled Kabul in the 1990s, barber shops were banned. Now Taliban fighters get the latest haircuts, even if their beards remain untouched in line with their religious beliefs.

But the Taliban have begun issuing harsh edits that have hit women hardest, such as banning women's sports. They have also used violence to stop women demanding equal rights from protesting.

Inside a high-end women's store in the city's Karte Se neighborhood Saturday, Marzia Hamidi, a Taekwondo competitor with ambitions of being a national champion, said the return of the Taliban has crushed her dreams.

She was among the women attacked by the Taliban and called agents of the West during one of the recent protests. She said she's not surprised about America's withdrawal.

This year or next year, they had to leave eventually, she said. They came for their own interest and they left for their interest.

Hamidi is hoping the Taliban will relent and ease their restrictions, but with a glance toward the store owner, Faisal Naziri, she said most men in Afghanistan agree with what the Taliban say about women and their rules against them.

Naziri nodded, saying preserving the rights of women is not a cause that will bring Afghan men on the streets.

On Saturday, the Taliban even orchestrated a women's march of their own. This one involved dozens of women obscured from head to toe, hidden behind layers of black veils. They filled an auditorium at Kabul Universitys education center in a well-choreographed snub to the past 20 years of Western efforts to empower women.



ALSO READ: Important that Taliban adheres to no-terrorism commitment: India at UNSC

Speakers read from scripted speeches celebrating the Taliban victory over a West they charged was anti-Islam. The women marched briefly outside the center grounds, waving placards saying the women who left dont represent us, referring to the many thousands who fled in fear of a Taliban crackdown on women's rights. We dont want co-education, read another banner.

Outside the hall, the Taliban director of higher education, Maulvi Mohammad Daoud Haqqani, said 9/11 was the day the world started their propaganda against us calling us terrorists and blaming us for the attacks in the United States.

At a dusty book store in Kabul's Karte Sangi neighborhood, Atta Zakiri, a self-declared civil society activist said America was wrong to attack Afghanistan after 9/11.

He blamed the invasion that followed the 9/11 attacks for creating another generation of hardline Taliban fighters.

The Taliban should have been allowed to stay. Why didn't we work with them? Instead they went to fight, he said." And now we are back to where we were 20 years ago.
The British government will introduce legislation in 2021 that will require all newly built homes and offices to feature electric vehicle chargers in England, the media reported.

Specifically, all new homes and offices will have to feature "smart" charging devices that can automatically charge vehicles during off-peak periods.

New office blocks will need to install a charge point for every five parking spaces, Electrek reported.

The new law will make England the first country in the world to require all new homes to have EV chargers, the report said.

It will also boost confidence in helping those who transition from gas cars to overcome range anxiety, as so many homes in England don't have off-street parking or garages.

The proposal is part of the movement to rapidly boost the number of chargers across England ahead of the UK's 2030 ban of new fossil-fuel vehicles, the report said.

The government originally announced a proposal to mandate that all new homes have a charge point with a parking space in 2019, as Electrek then reported.

The home and office EV charger mandate is expected to start in 2022.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The late Saturday released a newly declassified 16-page document related to logistical support provided to two of the Saudi hijackers in the run-up to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The document describes contacts the hijackers had with Saudi associates in the US but offers no evidence the Saudi government was complicit in the plot.

The document, released on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, is the first investigative record to be disclosed since President Joe Biden ordered a declassification review of materials that for years have remained out of public view.

Biden had encountered pressure in recent weeks from victims' families, who have long sought the records as they pursue a lawsuit in New York alleging that senior Saudi officials were complicit in the attacks.

The Saudi government has long denied any involvement. The Saudi Embassy in Washington said Wednesday that it supported the full declassification of all records as a way to end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all.

The embassy said that any allegation that Saudi Arabia was complicit was categorically false.

Biden last week ordered the Justice Department and other agencies to conduct a declassification review of investigative documents and release what they can over the next six months. The 16 pages were released on Saturday night, hours after Biden attended September 11 memorial events in New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia.

Victims' relatives had earlier objected to Biden's presence at ceremonial events as long as the documents remained classified.

The heavily redacted record released Saturday describes a 2015 interview with a person who was applying for US citizenship and years earlier had repeated contacts with Saudi nationals who investigators said provided significant logistical support to several of the hijackers.

The documents are being released at a politically delicate time for the US and Saudi Arabia, two nations that have forged a strategic -- if difficult -- alliance, particularly on counterterrorism matters. The Biden administration in February released an intelligence assessment implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi but drew criticism from Democrats for avoiding a direct punishment of the crown prince himself.

Regarding September 11, there has been speculation of official involvement since shortly after the attacks, when it was revealed that 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudis. Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida at the time, was from a prominent family in the kingdom.

The US investigated some Saudi diplomats and with Saudi government ties who knew hijackers after they arrived in the US, according to documents that have already been declassified.

Still, the 9/11 Commission report found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the attacks that al-Qaida masterminded. But the commission also noted the likelihood that Saudi government-sponsored charities did.

Particular scrutiny has centered on the first two hijackers to arrive in the US, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. In February 2000, shortly after their arrival in southern California, they encountered at a halal restaurant a Saudi national named Omar al-Bayoumi who helped them find and lease an apartment in San Diego, had ties to the Saudi government and had earlier attracted scrutiny.

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Ill always remember Sept. 11 as something that happened in the evening. At the time I was living in a town in northern India, and I watched the towers fall on a TV someone had dragged into the street. Because I was so far away, Ill never know the terror people in New York and Washington felt on that day, the fear that more attacks were coming, that the epic disaster movies so popular during the bored 90s had come viciously to life.

But Im pretty certain that amid all the apocalypticism of that time, most people felt confident in Americas endurance. Yes, had pulled off something spectacular. The scale of it made Osama bin Ladens threat to our country seem far greater than, in retrospect, it really was. Many people felt like a civilizational battle on par with World War II had commenced.

Americas horror and distress, however, were tinged with dark excitement. Plenty of influential people seemed thrilled to shed their post-Cold War ennui, to feel the nation charged with new purpose. They thought themselves cleareyed but were in fact devastatingly naive.





ALSO READ: September 11 and the debacle of 'nation-building' in Iraq and Afghanistan

The writer Christopher Hitchens, speaking in 2003, captured the spirit of the time. Watching the towers fall in New York, with civilians incinerated on the planes and in the buildings, he said, he felt something he didnt grasp at first. I am only slightly embarrassed to tell you that this was a feeling of exhilaration. Here we are then, I was thinking, in a war to the finish between everything I love and everything I hate. Fine. We will win and they will lose.

We didnt win. The danger jihadist terrorism posed to our country, while serious, was never truly existential; fell apart shortly after its greatest triumph. Yet the damage Sept. 11 did to the United States was more profound than even many pessimists anticipated.

The attacks, and our response to them, catalyzed a period of decline that helped turn the United States into the debased, half-crazed fading power we are today. America launched a bad-faith global crusade to instill democracy in the Muslim world and ended up with our own democracy in tatters.

Bin Laden didnt build the trap that America fell into. We constructed it ourselves. For all the harm Sept. 11 did to America, it did not initially accomplish what Bin Laden intended it to. Nelly Lahoud, a senior fellow in New Americas International Security program, has analyzed thousands of pages of Bin Ladens internal communications, seized after Navy SEALs killed him in 2011. As she reported in a recent essay in Foreign Affairs, they were a chronicle of mistaken assumptions, disorganization and disillusionment.

Bin Laden, wrote Lahoud, never anticipated that the United States would go to war in response to the assault. Instead, he expected that a huge antiwar movement would demand the withdrawal of American troops from Muslim-majority countries. He hated America but didnt understand it at all.

The 9/11 attack turned out to be a Pyrrhic victory for The group shattered in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban regimes collapse, and most of its top leaders were either killed or captured, Lahoud wrote. Those who survived went into hiding and lost the ability to carry out major assaults abroad. America could have credibly declared itself the wars winner at the end of 2001, sparing countless lives, trillions of dollars and our national honor.

Instead, we remained in Afghanistan and invaded Iraq, where our war sowed chaos that would enable the rise of ISIS. In time, ISIS, originally a spinoff of Al Qaeda, came to eclipse the group founded by Bin Laden. ISISs indiscriminate brutality, especially against other Muslims, appalled an earlier generation of jihadists; some of Al Qaedas original leadership ended up like many other aging, disillusioned radicals, disgusted by the excesses of their progeny.

But this doesnt mean Bin Laden failed. Today Al Qaeda has reconstituted itself--it is now far larger than it was two decades ago. And the United States in September 2021 is in truly terrible shape. Twenty years ago we were credulous and blundering. Now were sour, suspicious and lacking in discernible ideals.



ALSO READ: As world marks 9/11, Taliban raises flag over seat of power in Kabul

The advance of freedom is the calling of our time; it is the calling of our country, George W. Bush said in 2003. But this epoch of aggressive jingoism, ethnic profiling, escalating paranoia, torture, secret prisons, broken soldiers, dead civilians and dashed imperial dreams has left freedom in retreat both globally and here at home.

Bushs own political party has radicalized against democracy. Faith in human freedom has curdled into the petulant solipsism of the anti-vaxxers. Since 9/11, more Americans have been killed by far-right terrorists than by jihadists. White supremacists have both recruited disillusioned veterans of the war on terror and encouraged their supporters to join the military to gain tactical experience. Of the 569 people the Department of Justice has charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection, at least 48 have military ties.

You cant draw a straight line between the twin towers falling and America entering a protracted nervous breakdown; the end of any empire has multiple causes. But in his recent book Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump, Spencer Ackerman convincingly links the madness that overcame this country after Sept. 11 with the rise of a president who, among other things, campaigned on a promise to end Muslim immigration and bring back torture.

The painful condition of neither peace nor victory, against an enemy seen as practically subhuman, itself required vengeance, Ackerman wrote. Trump offered himself as its instrument. Declaring his presidential candidacy in his golden tower, he asked, When was the last time the U.S. won at anything?

Now, as the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11 arrives with the Taliban back in power in Afghanistan, America is face to face with its defeat. In truth, the immediate collapse of the American-supported government probably saved many Afghan lives. If a Taliban victory was all but inevitable, as intelligence analysts apparently assumed, its probably better that it happened without a long siege of Kabul.

But the lack of a decent interval between Americas withdrawal and a Taliban takeover, besides being a tragedy for Afghans allied with us, revealed Americas longest war as worse than futile. We didnt just lose to the Taliban. We left them stronger than we found them.

The sheer waste of it all is staggering. Twenty years ago, American politicians and intellectuals, traumatized by an unprecedented act of mass murder and not-so-secretly eager to see history revved up again, misunderstood what 9/11 represented. We inflated the stature of our enemies to match our need for retribution. We launched hubristic wars to remake the world and let ourselves be remade instead, spending an estimated $8 trillion in the process. We midwifed worse terrorists than those we set out to fight.

We thought we knew what had been lost on Sept. 11. We had no idea.
India and have called for a "broad-based and inclusive" government in to ensure long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country, signalling their clear unwillingness to accord any recognition to the regime.

In a joint statement issued early on Sunday following the inaugural India- 2+2 ministerial dialogue, the two sides sought the protection of rights of women and children and their full participation in public life and expressed concerns over targeted violence against the defenders of their rights.

The two countries underlined the urgent need for all countries to take "immediate, sustained, verifiable and irreversible" action to ensure that no territory under their control is used for terrorist attacks and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such strikes.

reiterated its condemnation of terrorist attacks in India, including 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot and Pulwama attacks, and reiterated its support for New Delhi in the fight against terrorism, the joint statement said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held in-person talks on Saturday with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton.

In the talks, the ministers renewed commitment to achieving an "early harvest" announcement by December on an interim agreement to liberalise and deepen bilateral trade in goods and services that would pave the way for an early conclusion of a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

"The ministers also underscored the importance of an early resolution of the issue of taxation of offshore income of Indian firms under the India-Australia Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement," the joint statement said.

On the situation in Afghanistan, the statement said the ministers expressed deep concern over it. "The ministers called for the to guarantee safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans wanting to leave the country. They reiterated calls on those in positions of power and authority across to adhere to counterterrorism commitments and human rights, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2593," the statement said.

UNSC resolution 2593, adopted on August 30 under India's presidency of the global body, demanded that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter and train terrorists and plan or finance terrorist attacks.

The joint statement said the ministers noted reports of a rapid roll-back on women and girls' rights and access to services and public spaces, as well as targeted violence against the defenders of their rights.

"In this regard, the ministers reiterated their call for protection of rights of women and children and their full participation in public life," it said.

"The ministers agreed that a broad-based and inclusive government is necessary for long term peace and stability in The ministers also agreed to remain alert to the broader repercussions of the developments in Afghanistan for the ongoing terrorist threats around the world, and in our region," it said.

The joint statement said Australia also expressed its strong support for India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Referring to the threat of terrorism, the two sides strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism.

"The ministers underlined the urgent need for all countries to take immediate, sustained, verifiable and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under their control is used for terrorist attacks and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks," the statement said.

It said the two sides agreed to continue cooperation in the sphere of counter-terrorism, including countering radicalisation and violent extremism, combating the financing of terrorism, and preventing exploitation of the internet for terrorist activities.

The two sides also reiterated their commitment to furthering cooperation in counter-terrorism in multilateral fora such as the UN, G20, FATF, as well as in Quad consultations.

"They also reaffirmed their support for the early finalization and adoption of a UN Comprehensive Convention on Terrorism that will advance and strengthen the framework for global cooperation and reinforce the message that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism," the statement said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japans vaccination minister Taro Kono is the favorite to replace Prime Minister as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, according to a poll conducted by Nikkei and TV Tokyo.



In total, 27% of survey respondents opted for Kono as the right person to become the partys president, from a choice of 10 LDP politicians.

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba ranked second with 17%, and ex-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida came third with 14%, according to the poll. Former Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is seeking to become the countrys first female premier, took fifth place with 7%.

Suga announced on Sept. 3 that he would not seek another term as the partys leader after about a year on the job. His support rate has plummeted amid mounting criticism over his pandemic management. Whoever takes over as leader is virtually assured of becoming prime minister due to the LDPs dominance in parliament.

Kono declared his candidacy for the leadership on Friday, the third lawmaker to officially join the race alongside Kishida and Takaichi.

The Nikkei poll also gave the current cabinet an approval rating of 36%, almost unchanged from the previous months 34%, and lower than the disapproval rating of 56%. The survey comprised of responses from 984 randomly contacted men and women over the age of 18.
Afghanistan's central bank, Da Bank (DBA), has said it has so far not received any formal notification concerning the freezing of its assets.

"So far, Da Bank has not received any formal notification pertaining to the freezing of monetary reserves of this bank and the bank has been informed of it through the news published by the media of the country based on the reports of foreign media," DBA said in a statement on Sunday.

This came after scores of customers waited in long lines to withdraw their savings after the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August.

Reports of freezing of Afghanistan's bank assets by the US as well as the announced halt of funds by the World Bank and the Monetary Fund (IMF) have fueled concerns among Afghans, Xinhua reported.

Last month, the DBA had issued an order to all banks in the Central Asian country setting a weekly limit of withdrawals of 20,000 afghanis for a customer.

"Da Bank assures the noble people of Afghanistan of the safety of their deposits in commercial banks," the DBA statement said.

Last Sunday, most of the banks in Afghanistan have resumed operations in the country, ending nearly weeks-long disruption in financial services.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
hosted a meeting of spymasters of some countries in the region on the situation in Afghanistan, a security source said.

There was no official statement on the meeting, but an intelligence source privately confirmed that the session had taken place, Dawn reported.

The meeting was attended by the intelligence heads from Russia, China, and some Central Asian states.

"The hosting of the meeting by reflects our sincerity for peace in the region and Afghanistan," the report said.

It was the latest effort by Pakistan, which had over the past few days hosted meetings of the foreign ministers of the six neighbouring countries of and that of their special envoys, to develop a common regional strategy on dealing with challenges emanating from the events unfolding in the war-ravaged country.

Foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries earlier in a meeting on Wednesday "agreed to remain seized of the developments in and coordinate with each other for a holistic, comprehensive and harmonized response," according to a joint statement issued after their meeting.

The regional countries are worried about security situation along their borders with Afghanistan, terrorists using Afghan soil for launching attacks on other countries, spread of extremism, possibility of influx of refugees, drug trafficking and transnational crimes.

--IANS

san/skp/

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At the inauguration of the newly revamped in Amritsar, Prime Minister dedicated the site of the 1919 massacre to the nation. Horrors like the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the Partition speak of the sacrifices made for Indias freedom and should not be forgotten as they inspire to keep the country above all, Modi said. Historians have identified the massacre, in which about 400 people were killed and thousands injured, as the trigger that would galvanize the Indian population against their colonial masters and lead to Independence three decades later. The horror that unfolded on April 13, 1919, continues to have significant emotional power and has, naturally, been an attractive subject for filmmakers.

Richard Attenboroughs multiple Oscar-winning Gandhi (1982) depicted the massacre in a realistic, even documentary style. Novelist and critic Marakand Paranjape, in his book The Death and Afterlife of Mahatma Gandhi (2014), described Attenboroughs direction style as mimetic, imitating real life. The 5-minute-long scene in the film begins with an establishing shot of the Golden Temple, before cutting to the protest of Indians on which General Reginald Dyer (Edward Fox) would order his troops to open fire. There is slight menacing background music as Dyer and his troops assemble at the site, but after that soundscape is dominated by the thunder of .303 rifles and the cries of men, women, and children as they fall to the bullets or try desperately to escape.

The last shot is that of an infant, crying over the body of her dead mother. The next scene, where Dyer is being questioned by the Hunter Commission, has no background music. The silence is almost oppressive. The questions by the members of the commission and Dyers tight-upper lip replies are stark, underlining the structural violence endemic to a colonial state. The scene right after this shows Gandhi at Jallianwala Bagh, looking at the bloodstains on the wall of the well where many of the martyrs apparently jumped in to escape the bullets.

Historian Kim Wanger tells us that might not have really happened. There is music in the background  a mournful shehnai. As this brief analysis of the films background score shows us, the depiction of the massacre in Gandhi was anything but mimetic. On the contrary, despite the documentary style, it was subtly manipulative, giving the readers hints  with the music  about how to interpret the images they were seeing on the screen.

Of course, not all representations have been this subtle. In The Legend of Bhagat Singh (dir. Rajkumar Santoshi; 2002), the massacre is a Bollywood spectacle, full of melodramatic music, the legendary well, over-the-top acting, and a sharp montage of images  all aimed at provoking a sentimental response. Born in 1907, Singh would have been 12 years old when the incident occurred. It must have been a traumatic childhood memory. According to some sources, he travelled to Amritsar later and collected some earth from the site of the massacre that he preserved. The cinematic depiction is through the imagination of young (Nakshdeep Singh) and is as much fiction as fact.

Fictional embellishments, especially in biopics or historical films, do not necessarily diminish them and might even accentuate their emotional or intellectual appeal. In fact, a film that attempts to only replicate history might be, to use Paranjapes word, mimetic  or boring. But some deviations are hard to justify. For instance, in 23 March 1931: Shaheed (dir. Guddu Dhanoa; 2002)  one of the three biopics released that year, the third one being Shaheed-e-Azam  young Bhagat drops by one day on his way home from school. This would have been impossible since Singh and his family lived in Lahore and Jallianwala Bagh is in Amritsar. One wonders what purpose such changes  deliberate or careless  serve.

Another film that depicted the massacre was Rang De Basanti (dir. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra; 2006). Told through the eyes of a British documentary filmmaker, Sue McKinley (Alice Pattern), the film reinterprets the legend of for a contemporary audience. McKinley gets interested in the story after reading a diary kept by her grandfather James McKinley (Steven Mackintosh), a conscientious superintendent of Lahore Jail where Bhagat Singh and his comrades are imprisoned. (This is an example of a fictional deviation that actually works). When Sue comes to New Delhi to shoot her documentary, she meets and befriends a group of young Indians who are either disinterested or frustrated with their country.

However, when their friend Flight Lieutenant Ajay Singh (R Madhavan) is killed in a MiG crash  a rather common occurrence even now  they protest against high-level corruption involving defence materiel. The protest is scuttled by the police and turns the disillusioned young men towards armed revolution. The depiction of the massacre is deeply stylized. Shot in black-and-white, with non-linear camera lenses and angles, it is a nightmare that Bhagat Singh (Siddharth) has in Sues dramatized documentary. But it is also referenced later, where General Dyer is transformed into the corrupt defence minister (Mohan Agashe), giving the police orders to fire on peaceful protestors.

The film was critiqued for justifying violence as a political tool  assassinating the defence minister, as Sues friends do, could not be a suitable solution. Also, the violence of these young men was motivated by a desire for personal vengeance, unlike Bhagat Singh and his comrades who sought retributive justice or to spark a revolution. However, the film and its images  such as candlelight marches at India Gate  were referenced repeatedly even half-a-decade later as anti-corruption protests gripped the country. These protests would eventually lead to erosion of the credibility of the United Progressive Alliance government and the rise of

Not that Modis government has been tolerant of protests and dissent. Even as Modi was inaugurating the revamped Jallianwala Bagh site, a video of a senior bureaucrat ordering the police to assault protesting farmers and crack their heads went viral. And in Amritsar, the police had banned protests against the revamp and an order banning gatherings is still in effect. Punjab, of course, is ruled by the Congress and not Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). All of this begs the question: what was the reason for such a revamp, now being described by some as Disnification? Was it a part of Modis spectacular politics, or an attempt at refurbishing the BJPs Teflon coating before important state elections? Whatever it was, it doesnt seem to be working too well.


Gujarat's chief minister-designate Bhupendra Patel met Governor Acharya Devvrat on Sunday evening and staked claim to form the next government in the state after the sudden resignation of Vijay Rupani from the top post.

Patel was accompanied by the central and state leaders, including Rupani, observers sent by the central BJP, Union ministers Narendrasinh Tomar and Prahlad Joshi, state BJP in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, state BJP president C R Paatil, among others.

Patel, a surprise pick by the party, reached the Raj Bhavan to stake claim after he was unanimously elected for the top post in the state during the meeting of party MLAs.

"He presented a letter to the governor to form the government, which was accepted by the governor," a BJP office-bearer said.

According to state BJP chief, Patel will take oath as the chief minister on Monday.



CM-elect Bhupendra Patel meets Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. Former CM Vijay Rupani and state BJP chief CR Patil also present pic.twitter.com/aVdDTurCRL  ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2021

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Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on Sunday reached Ahmedabad as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) central observer over the matter of deciding state's leadership, a day after Vijay Rupani resigned from the post of Chief Minister.

"We have come here to hold further discussions (over the name of next chief minister of Gujarat). We will hold discussions with the state President and other senior leaders," Tomar told reporters at the airport in Ahmedabad.

Tomar was accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Tarun Chugh.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi is likely to arrive later during the day. The is likely to hold its legislative party meet later today.

The visit of the central leaders comes after Rupani on Saturday met Governor Acharya Devvrat and submitted his resignation from the post of state Chief Minister. His resignation came ahead of the elections to the 182-member Assembly scheduled for next year.

Sources told ANI that Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, vice president Gordhan Zadafia and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administrator Praful Khoda Patel are being considered as possible choices for new chief minister.

Rupani took charge as the Chief Minister of on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarat's Rajkot West as MLA. In the 2017 state election, the won 99 of the state's 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan can now give defence equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed on Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China's growing military influence.

Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defence partnership to a new level and that Japan and Vietnam plan to deepen defence ties through multinational joint exercises and other means.

Details about the transfer of specific equipment, including naval vessels, will be worked out in subsequent talks, the ministry said.

Kishi's meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi coincided with a two-day visit to the Vietnamese capital by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

He wrapped up his visit by saying China plans to donate 3 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Vietnam.

The agreement comes two weeks after the US Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation.

During the tour, Harris urged countries to stand up against bullying by China in the South China Sea.

Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that Kishi and Giang agreed on the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as cooperation in various defense areas including cybersecurity.

Tokyo regularly protests the Chinese coast guard's presence near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu.

Japanese officials say Chinese vessels routinely violate Japanese territorial waters around the islands, sometimes threatening fishing boats.

During the talks, Kishi expressed Japan's strong opposition to "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion or any activities that escalate tensions, referring to China's increasingly assertive activity in the East and South China Sea, but without identifying any country by name.

Vietnam is the 11th nation with which Japan has signed a defense equipment and technology transfer deal.

Tokyo is looking to expand military cooperation beyond its longtime ally the United States, and has signed similar agreements with Britain, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President M on Sunday urged the central and state governments and administrations of union territories to patronise and adopt rooftop facilities and it could also be made mandatory.

"Every central, state government and union territory governments building should have rooftop plant. Public sector undertakings should also have the rooftop plant," he said.

He was speaking after inaugurating a 1.5 mw rooftop solar power plant installed at a cost of Rs 7.67 crore in the centrally administered JIPMER medical college here.

Naidu said that installation of rooftop solar power plants could also be made mandatory.

"Buildings and premises should have sunlight and also natural air which were part of the architectural features in ancient days. Now we are living in congested places and therefore there should be adoption of rooftop solar power plant. Building laws could also be modified to make such facilities of rooftop solar power plant and rain water harvesting mandatory," the Vice President said.

He described the initiative of JIPMER as commendable and said the medical college had become a role model for other institutions in installation of rooftop solar power plants.

He also pointed out that JIPMER had done good service in combating Covid by rendering help to not only people of Puducherry but also those in the neighbouring states.

The Covid-19 pandemic had taught us several lessons particularly in understanding relevance and importance of proper ventilation and availability of sunlight into the premises, he added.

Puducherry Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan was among those who spoke.

Chief Minister N Rangasamy , Speaker of Puducherry Assembly R Selvam and Lok Sabha Member from Puducherry V Vaithilingam were among those present.

Earlier on arrival at the Puducherry airport, the Vice President was received by the Lt Governor, the Chief Minister, the Speaker and Ministers.

drove to the Subramania Bharathiar Museum and Research studies established by the Puducherry government on the premises where the poet had lived during his 11-year long sojourn in Puducherry.

is scheduled to inaugurate the Puducherry Technological University and roll out solar power plant on the premises of the Pondicherry Central University at Kalapet near here on Monday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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St. Johnsbury, VT (05819)

Today

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 54F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low 54F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
St. Johnsbury, VT (05819)

Today

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 74F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

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Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
CAMEROUN :: Kribi : A city council worker to appear in court for mandrill trafficking :: CAMEROON

A city council worker shall be standing trail at the Court of First Instance of Kribi on the 13th of September to answer to charges of mandrill trafficking.

He was arrested on the 7thof July 2021 at his home by wildlife officials of the Ocean Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, in collaboration with the Gendarmerie Company as he attempted to sell a live mandrill.

This is the 2nd time the case will be heard in court after the second hearing was adjourned to September 13th for the suspect to fully prepare his defense. The arrest was carried out with the technical assistance of LAGA a wildlife law enforcement organization that is equally assisting in the legal procedure of the case.

The mandrill is totally protected and any illegal possession or trade in the species is punishable by the 1994 wildlife law of the country.

Mandrills are the largest of all monkeys. They are extremely colourful and easily identifiable by the blue and red skin on their faces as well as their brightly hued rumps. They live only in the rain forest of equatorial Africa, they are shy and reclusive primates.

The animal is listed vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) endangered species list. Conservationists have associated their vulnerability to habitat loss and poaching that have put these beautiful animals in peril.
FILE - In this Sept. 4, 2021 file photo, Aiden Locobon, left, and Rogelio Paredes look through the remnants of their family's home destroyed by Hurricane Ida in Dulac, La. Louisiana students, who were back in class after a year and a half of COVID-19 disruptions kept many of them at home, are now missing school again after Hurricane Ida. A quarter-million public school students statewide have no school to report to, though top educators are promising a return is, at most, weeks away, not months. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
As a 9/11 flag waves, riders start their motorcycles Saturday to begin the Morehead City Elks Lodge 9/11 Memorial Ride in memory of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and 13 soldiers recently killed in Afghanistan. (Cheryl Burke photo)
The County Consolidated Human Services Board will consider a request from the County Health Department to accept state funds to hire a public health nurse to assist with COVID-19 related work in county schools. (Cheryl Burke photo)
Premiering today at the Venice Film festival, Los Huesos directors Cocina and Leon spoke with Cartoon Brew via Zoom to discuss the origins of their fictional archival film.

Cartoon Brew: Which came first: a story or the concept of doing a fake archival film?

Cristobal Leon: We never have just one starting point. We have a lot of ideas that we try to connect. Sometimes we forget about one idea, but its still there, you know. We have very confusing processes.

One of the starting points was that we were in the middle of a social uprising in Chile in 2019. We call it Estallido Social which means social explosion. We inherited the political system of a dictatorship. The gap between poor and rich people is wide. Its a very unfair system. So, this was the context in which we started to think about this production. We took two figures of Chilean history, one from the 19th century and one from the 20th century. They were both defenders of the oligarchy. We wanted to get rid of these leaders somehow and liberate Chile from this oppression. Not that we are taking ourselves so seriously. Its not like we think our film is going to change anything.

Joaquin Cocina: The other context was film history. We need to create a fake creative mind behind the film that is not us. It gives us more freedom and distance. Weve also been interested in early cinema. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was this incredible creativity. There was Georges Melies, a magician making fantasy films; then you had a more documentary-style approach from the Lumiere brothers. Two different streams. Were trying to approach projects thinking about those early years. With Los Huesos, the idea is very raw. We are pretending we are creating the first animation film. We thought it was funny to imagine that Chili was the birthplace of animation. We then thought of [Ladislas] Starewiczs first films, made using animal and insect corpses. We thought they were beautiful. So we imagined that we were animating dead bodies in the early 21st century. We found that funny.

Speaking of corpses, non-Chilean audiences (like me) might not know who these two corpses are from the film.

Leon: Actually, they are copies of our bodies. Joaquin is the guy who wears glasses. The other guy looks a bit like me, so we decided that Id be that guy.

Joaquin Cocina: Diego Portales was a political figure who was a defender of the oligarchy near the end of the 19th century. He became sort of the hero of the right-wing conservative movement in Chile. He could have been President but wasnt interested.

Leon: He was a businessman who used politics to make things easier for his businesses. We grew up during the Pinochet dictatorship in the 1970s. In our history books from that time, Portales was praised for bringing order to modern Chile.

Cocina: Jaime Guzman [the figure with the glasses] was the brains behind the Pinochet dictatorship.

Is Constanza based on a historical figure?

Cocina: She was the mother of the kids of Diego Portales. She was 14 years old when they were having some form of sexual relationship. She had three kids with him. He never married her, which was a bad thing to do at the time. She was sick and locked up all her life. Her children were taken away. The story goes that she never stopped waiting for Portales to marry her.

Whats fascinating is that as deeply rooted as Los Huesos is within Chilean history, an international audience can still connect to the film on different levels. When I first saw the film, it triggered thoughts about the murders of Indigenous children at these horrible Canadian residential schools.

Leon: We wanted to make a film that is local but also universal. We designed Constanza with a Chilean Indigenous person in mind because we wanted that extra layer.

On a technical side, you did a remarkable job re-creating this so-called historical film. The lighting, character design, and pacing all bring to mind early animation films.

Leon: We animate only in camera. We dont use any software. I love that dark room of the camera where you never know how its going to turn out. A 16mm camera is radical because you dont know whats going on. We enjoy accidents, bringing mistakes into the process. I enjoyed the mystery of not knowing what would come out of the camera.

Cocina: We also avoided rushing the cuts. In early cinema, the scenes are longer and often go on and on.

What was your approach in terms of music? How did Tim Fain end up part of the production?

Cocina: This was the first time we called a musician. In old films, music was performed live in front of the audience. We wanted to do something based on Chilean musicians of that time. Chilean musicians then were copying European musicians like Chopin. Adam Butterfield [who became executive producer] saw the film and wanted to be involved. He knew Tim Fain and recommended him.

Leon: Our only instruction was that it should be like Chopin but from hell. A very demonic and distorted version of Chopin. At one moment, I had an idea of tuning into a radio that plays stations from other dimensions.

For such a dark film, there is a lot of humor: a painting of you both as cavemen in one scene; visible puppet strings; wrong body parts on the corpses; private parts covered by a glove.

Leon: Almost all of our works begin with jokes. The truth is, I mean this honestly, we always want to do funny things, but the results are always terrifying. We seem to be bad comedians. But we will work on it. We try to have fun working. I am fascinated by artists who manage to combine comedy and horror, like Jordan Peele. I think art is very much about connecting emotions that seem separate.

Lets end with everyones favorite question: what are you working on now?

Leon: We are working on a movie temporarily called Los Angeles, and it will be our first attempt to mix animation and live-action into a feature film. It is a film in which we try to revisit, in our way, the history of fantasy cinema, with its various techniques and aesthetics. We are in the stage of rewriting and searching for co-financing.
Chattanooga Police said they do not believe any gang initiation took place as charged by a man who said on Facebook that he was attacked by a gang near Market Street and Aquarium Way (Second Street). Police said the man, who did not file a police report initially, is now refusing to talk about it. The man said he had to fight off several youths in an incident last Sunday ... (click for more)
A man refused to get off the CARTA bus at 3506 Brainerd Road and was swinging around a knife causing other patrons to feel uncomfortable. On arrival, police spoke with the driver who said the man got off the bus as soon as police got close. Police spoke with the man traveling east on Brainerd toward South Germantown Road. He was verified by the CARTA bus driver as the man who was swinging the knife and refusing to get off the bus. The bus driver said she told the man several times to put his knife away and to get off the bus but he continued to refuse. People on the bus said the man never threatened anyone but did cause discomfort and undue stress for those trying to ride the bus in peace and causing delays to the bus route.

* * *

A woman on Stones Rest Circle called police to say someone had used her Resource Federal Credit Union credit card 18 times in various cities and states. She has spoken with the credit union and they will be reversing the transaction and have closed the account. She is clear that the credit union is the victim on this report.

* * *

The manager at Alpine Villas Apartment at 4040 Mountain Creek Road showed officers two 9mm Luger rounds found near the bus stop which she suspected were related to a pistol stolen about a week ago from a tenants vehicle. She also showed the officers security footage of three vehicles that came on the property this past Saturday. The footage seems to show occupants of these vehicles engaging in attempts to burglarize vehicles on the premises. When reviewing the footage, the officers were not able to obtain a physical description of the people on foot or the vehicles that were driven into the complex due to low light and distance from the cameras. The officers took the two 9mm rounds to the Police Property Room to be destroyed.

* * *

A woman at West 26th Street said a shouting match ensued between her and her brother "Jake" because he had just been evicted from her apartment. She said he had already left the scene before police arrived. The woman was asked to call back at any time.

* * *

A woman on Emma Kate Drive called police to say a woman with the Housing Authority told her she needs to make a report. She said that over five months ago a woman broke the window on the side of her apartment because she thought she had her boyfriend in her apartment. She says that the maintenance people come in her apartment without notice or without asking. She says she needs a report as she is trying to move to a different address.

* * *

Police were called to 2301 Hickory Valley Road near the Speedway gas station where a man was panhandling. Police asked him what he was doing in the area and he said he was just hanging out. Police determined that no crime had been committed and he was free to go.

* * *

A woman on Walden Avenue called police to say the Housing Authority wants a police report before they will approve her to relocate under Section 8. She said her sister is incarcerated in another county on charges related to her using her identity there. She said that none of this was in Chattanooga, but wants a report. She is clear that this is a miscellaneous report since her identity was used in another county.

* * *

A man on Lifestyle Way said he put his wallet on top of his vehicle as he loaded an item into his car. When he looked back on top of his vehicle, his wallet was gone. He said he searched the parking area but did not find the wallet.

* * *

A man on Chestnut Street called police to say someone damaged the driver side rear bumper and under the taillight of his 2021 Ram 2500. He said it occurred while the vehicle was parked. He said the rear bumper had a scratch and was pushed in with a dent as well as the taillight had paint damage.

* * *

An officer responded to a broken down vehicle at the Exit 5 Hixson Pike off ramp. The 2014 white BMW 328 had broken down in the roadway. Per the owners request, a tow was sent for, and Gudel's wrecker responded and towed the vehicle out of the roadway.

* * *

A woman on Market Street said someone stole her black canvas bag out of her car. She said the rear window was left cracked open. The bag contained a few items.

* * *

Officers were called to Taziki's Mediterranean at 2020 Gunbarrel Road where a man had been locked in the bathroom for about 10 minutes and would not come out. Officers spoke with the man who said he was bathing himself in the bathroom. Officers told him he was now banned from the property and could be arrested if he comes back to Taziki's.

* * *

A woman on Jasmine Street said she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend. She told an officer that he was constantly calling her and driving by her home and her mother's home. The officer asked what proof she had and she said her mother was her proof, but she was not on scene. The phone calls that she said that she had from him were from a Google number, since she had him blocked everywhere else. The woman wanted the officer to take out warrants, however the officer did not have enough at this time to do so.

* * *

The Days Inn at 901 Carter Street double booked a motel room. A man checked in at 1 p.m. and another man checked in at 3 p.m. The second man tried to enter the occupied room after a long day working, not knowing that the room was occupied by another guest. As the second man was entering, the first man closed the door on him, preventing him from entering, injuring his finger in the process. The first man believed the second man was trying to break into his motel room. The first guest called police. In actuality, both men had rights to the room as the hotel double booked the room. The motel staff switched the second man into another room.

* * *

An officer responded to an abandoned auto call at 2601 Harrison Pike and found a white Chevy Impala parked behind a business. This car was confirmed as stolen. The officer had the vehicle removed from NCIC by dispatch and the vehicle was towed by Mosteller's to CPD property for processing by the gun team. Dispatch was not able to contact the owner of this vehicle.

* * *

Police saw a suspicious car in the parking lot of Walmart at 501 Signal Mountain Road. The white Toyota Camry had three men inside. They said they were traveling from Oklahoma to Florida and had stopped to rest. They believed the parking lot was the safest location and planned to continue driving in the morning. There were no warrants on file.

* * *

Police saw a suspicious car in a parking lot at 776 Mountain Creek Road. The blue Volkswagen Beetle had a door open, no keys in the vehicle, and no one on scene. The car came back as not being stolen and was left on private property.

* * *

A woman and her boyfriend on North Terrace were drunk and arguing, and she wanted to go to sleep. Since there were no crimes committed and everyone refused to stay somewhere else for the night, they were told to leave each other alone.

* * *

An officer spoke with CBL Security for a suspicious person who was witnessed trespassing on the ALoft Hotel property at 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. The officer spoke with the man who was confirmed as the individual by CBL Security. Police conducted a field interview with the man asking him how he managed to obtain a key to the hotel. He said he received the key from his "street wife" to the room she was staying in. When asked about her details he refused to provide any information. The man was run for wants and warrants which both came back negative. CBL Security banned the man from the property for a year as well as the hotel. The man was told if he violated any of the terms set by CBL Security he would be arrested for trespassing. He was furnished with a copy of the ban form.
Barry Ronelle Ryan, 87, passed away peacefully with his wife and daughters by his side, on Sunday, September 5, 2021.

Barry was originally from Trenton, Ga., then moved to Chattanooga where he married his lifelong sweetheart, Carryl King Ryan. He served honorably in the Army in active duty and in the reserves from 1956 to 1962. He was a devout man of faith serving as deacon of St. Elmo Church of Christ then as honorary greeter at East Brainerd Church of Christ. He enjoyed being part of the Prime Timers class and Romeos, where they would gather weekly to share stories over breakfast. Barry retired as an automotive executive to travel the globe with his family introducing his grandchildren to France and Russia, among other places.

He was known by all for his stylish suits, dapper bow ties, friendly smile and always giving a kind word to brighten your day. Drawing from his southern roots, he enjoyed cooking his favorite southern dishes for his family. Biscuits, grits, country ham and cornbread were his specialties.

Barry was preceded in death by his parents Omar and Bonnie Wheeler Ryan; daughter Maria Ryan; and brother Phil Ryan.

He is survived by his wife, Carryl Ryan; daughters Kimberly Ryan Dougher (Yogi), Renee Ryan King (Matty) and Barrie Elizabeth Ryan; granddaughter, Isabella King and grandsons, John Hewitt King and Maxwell King.

Visitation will be held at East Brainerd Church of Christ on Wednesday, Sept. 15, from 10-11:30 a.m. with the service immediately following at 12 p.m. A military burial service will be held at Chattanooga National Cemetery at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Timothy Hill Ranch at www.timothyhill.org , or the charity of your choice.

Please visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share words of comfort to the family.

Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road.
The blessing was offered and we set upon the pre-hunt lunch of Wal-mart chicken and beans and fixings like there had been no breakfast.

Judging from the heft some fellow dove hunters were carrying, I doubted more than a few had missed a meal in years.

As we over loaded plates, I wondered aloud where everyone remembered where they had been on September 11, 2001. Twenty years had passed, and in my mind it had been as if that horrible day that will live in infamy had been closer to weeks than it had been in years.

One fellow hunter had been in a college class and had gotten a call from a loved one; Weve been attacked! The call seemed to him to be so foreign and strange that it immediately was discounted as unfathomable. Turning on the TV and digesting what he had just seen, he immediately called back and replied, Weve been attacked, go fill up your tank with gas. Some in the room remembered a scarcity of gas for the next few weeks.

Another was called into headquarters to man an Emergency Command Center after being told, Dont let anyone stop you from getting here and get here fast.

One was monitoring a Federal Aviation Administration radio frequency and the FAA was frantically trying to talk to a Piper cub in the near vicinity of a local nuclear plant. Each transmission failed to obtain a response and with each attempt from the FAA controller the call became more and more intense and filled with angst. After what seemed to be hours the pilot of the Piper Cub turned on his radio and landed as ordered. Like so many others that fine September morning twenty years ago, that pilot was just enjoying a fine fall day, oblivious to how the world was changing beneath him.

One of our party of dove hunters recalled being in Southern California on a remote mountain top with a client; when they connected with the home office who told them to turn on their radio. As they sat in their truck overlooking the Pacific, they sensed very little heaviness, it was as if the whole event was almost too foreign for them to comprehend. The heaviness of the moment was driven home when they came off the mountain and descended into the office full of confusion and fear.

One hunter told of his daughter being away at school and calling home to her mother. She asked if she should come home. Mom called dad and dad decided that his daughter was safer at school than she was around a nearby nuclear plant. Dad told her to stay at school. He said it is one of the biggest regrets of his life and his decision haunts him to this day. He stated that twenty years ago, all children needed their family and needed to be with them in this most uncertain time in our lives. He regrets this call to this day, even after twenty years have elapsed.

That little bit of honesty from a fellow hunter plunged all of us into silence and fried chicken. I think we were all looking back twenty years ago, and second guessing calls we made or did not make. I imagine we all at that point of personal reflexion, were thinking twenty years in the past about things that were far more important.

Prior to this profound thought, most of us were thinking about too much to eat and how many doves were waiting to be targeted, or if we could catch a nap before we took to the field.

The dogs pulled us out of the reminiscence of the past twenty years. There were two Labs and a German Wirehair just out of range of table scraps but close enough to smell hot chicken bones. They had become more vocal by the minute. I really dont think it was the chicken. These dogs had been here before, and they somehow impatiently knew that the faster we ate the faster they could go to work.

As we splashed the sky with lead and watched the dogs retrieve a few birds, I recognized the day. It wasnt much different a day than that day twenty years ago. The sky was bright, blue and an occasional cloud rolled softly overhead. Twenty years and so much had changed. Twenty years and the sky on September 11 seems the same.

I dont remember a dove hunt on September 11, 2001, but after twenty years there are a multitude of things that have escaped my memory. I do remember twenty years ago and that momentous day with as much clarity as everyone else seems to.

Twenty years ago is an odd thing to think about when you find yourself on an uncomfortable stool in a field, scanning the bright, clear sky for elusive little twisting grey missiles that defy aeronautical physics.

I think we are all incredibly thankful just to be here twenty years later. Thankful for those that sacrificed so much; that sometimes we may have a tendency to take it all for granted.

Not all hunts bring this kind of reflection. Not all September days bring these kind of memories. This hunt was different. This day was the same even after twenty years.

The dogs and the birds may be the same, but this day is different and will always be different.
After a long hiatus, Chesapeake Shores recently returned to Hallmark Channel for its fifth season. The show follows the lives of the members of the OBrien family, particularly single mom Abby OBrien (Meghan Ory), who live in the picturesque East Coast town of Chesapeake Shores. But fans dreaming of visiting Chesapeake Shores in real life wont find it in Maryland. The show, like many Hallmark productions, is actually filmed in Canada.

Chesapeake Shores is set in Maryland but filmed in British Columbia

Andrew Francis and Meghan Ory in Chesapeake Shores Season 5 | 2021 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

RELATED: Chesapeake Shores: Trace (Jesse Metcalfe) Says Goodbye to Abby in Emotional Episode

Chesapeake Shores is based on a series of novels by best-selling author Sherryl Woods. Both the books and the show are set on Marylands coast, not far from Baltimore. But filming for the TV series takes place on Canadas Vancouver Island. Thats not unusual for a Hallmark Channel production. Many of the networks shows and movies are filmed in the Vancouver area. Production on both When Calls the Heart and the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series Marthas Vineyard Mysteries happens in British Columbia, for example.

Author Sherryl Woods calls the shows Vancouver setting beautiful, but questioned this one thing

Woods, who is an executive producer on Chesapeake Shores, says that while the show might not be filmed in Maryland, the Canadian locations capture the spirit of the town she created.

The setting is just beautiful, Woods said in a recent interview with Monsters and Critics. Its a beautiful setting that captures the kind of small-town that I believe Chesapeake Shores would be if we could draw it from scratch.

However, early on, there was one detail that slipped into the show that didnt sit quite right with the prolific author, whose Sweet Magnolias series has also been turned into a series for Netflix.

I was after them last year a bit because now and then mountains would appear in the background, Woods said in a 2017 interview with the Free Lance-Star. There are no mountains in the part of Maryland where the show takes place.

You can visit some of the shows filming locations in real life

Laci Mailey, Meghan Ory, and Emilie Ullerup in Chesapeake Shores Season 3 | Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs

RELATED: Chesapeake Shores: Newcomer Robert Buckley Has Also Been In One Tree Hill, iZombie

While Chesapeake Shores isnt a real place, you can still visit some of the places where the show is filmed. Tourism Vancouver Island has compiled a list of Chesapeake Shores filming locations. They include Qualicum Beach, which is home to Sallys Cafe, and the Fairwinds Marina at Schooner Cove, in Nanoose Bay, which fans will recognize as the Chesapeake Shores marina.

The sprawling OBrien family home is also instantly recognizable to Chessies. The real house is a private residence also located in Nanoose Bay, according to Canadas Super Channel. The four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot waterfront home on 11 acres is available for rent (via Instagram).

Chesapeake Shores airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel.

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Kylie Jenner is currently pregnant, though that has not stopped her from attending fashion-related events in New York City. She was recently seen in the Big Apple with her daughter, Stormi, though fans are criticizing the reality TV star for not shielding Stormi from the paparazzi.

Kylie Jenner | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

A video of Stormi looking uncomfortable went viral

Jenner is just one of many celebrities in New York City to celebrate New York Fashion Week and attend the Met Gala. Photographers have managed to capture shots of Jenner out and about with Stormi.

In one video uploaded to YouTube by The Hollywood Fix, Stormi looked visibly uncomfortable. The 3-year-old covered her ears as she walked alongside Jenner in a crowd of photographers.

Fans criticize Kylie Jenner for making Stormi deal with paparazzi

RELATED: Who Are the Most Down-To-Earth Kardashian-Jenner Sisters, According to Fans?

Jenner is one of the most popular celebrities on the planet, and its natural any child of hers would attract a lot of attention as well. However, some onlookers criticize Jenner for not doing more to protect Stormi.

One person wrote on YouTube, Kylie can easily organize to go in and out of these places quietly. However as a true Kardashian, they organize for the entrance to be like their catwalk so there are lots of people taking pictures. What I dont understand is why they need to do it with a young child?

On Reddit, several fans noted that Jenner was able to lay low during her first pregnancy, which is evidence that she has ways to avoid the paparazzi if she wanted to.

I said a couple months ago that Kylie tends to bring Stormi places that just arent meant for a 3 year old, one fan wrote. I dont think she needed to bring her to NYFW after just dropping a pregnancy announcement knowing that shed be hounded by the paps. Im sure she could have had Stormi brought in separate or in a different entrance to avoid this.

Kylie Jenner once said she would not force Stormi to be in the spotlight

RELATED: KUWTK: Did the Show Already Foreshadow Kylie Jenners Success From the Very First Episode?

Jenner became famous at 9 years old when her family rose to fame on the show Keeping Up With the Kardashians. She has talked about some negative effects of this, and in an interview with Interview Germany in 2019, Jenner said she would not force Stormi into the spotlight at a young age.

I am going to wait until she is old enough to make that decision for herself, Jenner explained.

However, some fans are disappointed that Jenner seems to be backtracking on her words.

No kid should ever be put in this kind of position, one commenter on Reddit said. Stormis body language says it all  this toddler is terrified, yet shes surrounded by adults who couldnt give less of a fuck. The fact that Kylie, whos spoken out about the negative effects of growing up in the spotlight, allows her own daughter, who is *much* younger to experience fame than Kylie ever was, to be put in this kind of situation is absolutely disgusting.
At only 31, Jennifer Lawrence has a pretty impressive resume. At age 14, she dropped out of high school to pursue acting professionally and, through her constant grinding, she became an indie darling for her performances in independent movies. However, after she was cast in Winters Bone, she started accruing more mainstream success. Suddenly, critics were singing her praises and her portrayal of Ree Dolly in the film actually earned the actor her very first Oscar nomination at the young age of 20.

Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence | Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Though Lawrence didnt win the Oscar for Winters Bone, she would go on to be nominated for the prestigious award three additional times for her performances in Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and Joy. And, in 2013, The Hunger Games star actually won the award for Best Actress in Silver Linings Playbook at just 22.

Jennifer Lawrence had a pretty embarrassing fall at the 2013 Academy Awards

Winning an Oscar is likely a very overwhelming experience. Sadly, for Lawrence, her big moment was overshadowed by an unfortunate tumble. When she went up to accept the coveted trophy in her ballgown, she tripped up the stairs. While the actor was able to play off the faux pas, she admitted that it was a pretty embarrassing moment for her.

RELATED: The Hunger Games: Liam Hemsworth Called Kissing Jennifer Lawrence Uncomfortable

They call my name and Im, you know, elated, in shock, Lawrence recalled of her reaction to winning an Oscar in an interview with Dear Medias Absolutely Not Podcast. I kind of, you know, you kind of blackout. Like, I actually dont remember what that moment felt like when they said my name. And then I fell and it just erased everything from my mind. And like my full brain went blank, I dont know. I, I, you know, I can look back at it now Im a little older fondly, but for a very long time, the fall thing was very sensitive.

The Hunger Games star once lost her Oscar

While Lawrence could clearly remember her unfortunate fall for years, one thing she couldnt remember was where she put her distinguished award. Back in 2013, the Catching Fire star was asked by AccionCine Magazine what shed done with her Oscar and she revealed that shed all but lost it. In fact, she could only wager a guess that the award might be in her home state. I dont know where it is, Lawrence confessed. I think it might be in Kentucky. I hope its in Kentucky. If not, its gone. I dont have it.

RELATED: Jennifer Lawrence Confronted Anderson Cooper at a Party for Saying She Faked Her Oscar Fall

But how does one manage to lose an Oscar? In 2014, Lawrence spoke to Ciak Magazine and revealed that she deliberately tried to hide the award. However, Lawrences parents wouldnt let her Oscar stay lost. Once it was found, they decided it was for the best if they kept the prize at their place.

Lawrences parents are keeping her Oscar safe

Now I know! Lawrence shared of her once lost Oscar. It is at my moms! I wanted to hide it, but she said we had to show it off, keep it in plain sight. I didnt agree because every time somebody came over, it just seemed like I wanted them to see it. So we compromised. The Oscar is at my parents house. They keep it on the piano. Clearly, Lawrence isnt the biggest fan of showing off her accomplishments. But her encouraging mom seems to have no problem displaying her award.
The Dune world premiere was on September 3, 2021 at the Venice Film Festival. And Jason Momoa admits hes already seen the movie three times. Heres what the Aquaman star said about experiencing the movie several times before its wide release.

Dune already has excellent reviews

Jason Momoa | Mike Coppola/FilmMagic

Following its highly celebrated premiere at Venice, Dune received its initial reviews by professional critics. And the numbers are good. Denis Villeneuves sci-fi epic currently has a critical rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, an undeniably solid standing  especially for a movie that has been delayed as many times as this one has. The official release date is October 22, 2021.

The supernova cast cant hurt its standing, either. Momoa stars alongside Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, and Stellan Skarsgard in supporting roles.

Dune is just the first installment in an epic that spans 6 books by Frank Herbert.

Jason Momoa says he watched Dune like he wasnt in it

Momoa plays Duncan Idaho in the adaptation. Per Cinemablend, at a global Warner Bros. press conference during the festival, Momoa shared details about seeing the movie for the first few times. He said he approached the initial viewings like he wasnt in it.

I 100% dove into this like I wasnt in it, he told reporters. I feel like that when I went to see it. That was the third time Id seen it. And it was so good. I was blown away.

Momoa added that he was so impressed by the movie that he took his children for his second screening.

The first time I saw it, I was blown away, Momoa said. The second time I went and took my kids which was really, really crazy  Id never taken them to something that adult yet. But I knew it was very important; theres a lot of things I did for my son in the film. Like he learned Cal-i and I used that in the film.

He says hes excited to see a Dune sequel

We will relive this journey again and again. Experience #DuneMovie on the biggest screen possible October 22. pic.twitter.com/uKlVWwoPKc  DUNE (@dunemovie) September 10, 2021

Momoa also said that it was difficult to share such an intense story with his kids. They enjoyed it so much, he added, that its their favorite movie  and hes looking forward to seeing a sequel.

It gutted me, he said. What happens in the film, my kids are seeing that for the first time. Im like, Oh God, but at the same time they wanted to go see it. Its their favorite movie. They 100% love Dune. Im excited to see the rest of it.

Momoa isnt the only one whos looking forward to more Dune. Director Villeneuve also commented on a possible sequel during the press conference, saying that one could happen quickly should the studio decide to move on it.

I mean, it has been the structure, it has been dreamed, Villeneuve explained. It has been mostly designed. In a way that theres a lot of elements that areSo I would say that I will be fairly ready to go quite quickly now  to go quickly with a movie of that size.

The Blade Runner: 2049 director estimated that he could theoretically begin shooting a new installment as early as 2022.

And that gives Jason Momoa at least a few months for repeat viewings of the epic movie.

RELATED: Timothee Chalamet Set Up a Google Alert For Updates on Dune Pre-Production
The Shawshank Redemption is a well-known, much-loved classic. The film was nominated for several awards, and Morgan Freeman received substantial praise for his role as Red. The movie was based on a Stephen King novel set in a fictional prison in Maine. However, it was filmed in a small town in Ohio. The area still attracts numerous tourists who were fans of the movie. There, fans can learn tons of trivia regarding the film, such as the fact that real-life ex-cons were used as extras while filming.

The Shawshank Redemption was set in Maine, but filmed in Ohio

Prisoners working in the field in The Shawshank Redemption | Castle Rock Entertainment/Getty Images

Exterior shots of the fictional Shawshank Prison were actually taken at a location in Mansfield, Ohio. The Ohio State Reformatory is a historical prison that opened its doors in 1896. The prison took inmates who committed minor crimes but were too old for the juvenile system. Criminals who were incarcerated for major offenses went to the Ohio State Penitentiary.

The institutions purpose was to reform the inmates through religion, education, and learning a trade. The system admitted inmates for 18 months at a time, after which they could be released if they showed sufficient progress in the program. It was a successful system, but in the 1960s, OSR lost its financial support from the state.

The state of Ohio wanted to convert the building to a maximum-security prison, and conditions quickly deteriorated. Eventually, several inmates sued the state. They won, and the building was shut down in 1990. It was later repaired and restored so it could be opened as a historic site.

The crew used local ex-cons as extras

As you can imagine, filming a movie caused excitement throughout the town of Mansfield and the surrounding area. Residents were eager to be a part of the project. Unfortunately, filming primarily took place during the day, and most of the residents couldnt appear as extras because they had to work.

The Shawshank Redemption crew got creative and looked elsewhere for extras. They searched local halfway houses for anyone who might be interested in a unique opportunity. Plenty of people were interested, and a few ex-cons were even cast as extras. However, they werent the only ones on screen who were familiar with the prison system. Some of the extras had been employees of the Ohio State Reformatory, including a former warden.

There were many challenges during filming due to the outdoor scenes. On several occasions, filming was postponed due to bad weather conditions. These setbacks resulted in strict schedules for the actors so that they could catch up on lost time. If anyone was late, they were in danger of being fined. As it turned out, filming in Mansfield actually finished ahead of schedule.

Steve Oster, the superintendent of the Board of Developmental Disabilities in the county, spoke with the Coshocton Tribune about his experience as an extra. He played an arresting officer, and he remembers there being a lot of downtime between takes. He said he played cards with the crew, and he was able to explore the building in ways that the public wasnt able to.

He recalls meeting some of the actors, especially a brief interaction with Morgan Freeman. I got to talk to Morgan Freeman just briefly, but he was a nice man. Morgan Freeman is such an icon anyway, but that was the role in his career that helped it get even better.

The Shawshank Redemption helped boost business in three Ohio towns

A TRAIL UNLIKE ANY OTHER

This isnt your typical movie tour experience. The Shawshank Trail is truly one of a kind for movie fans with 16 filming sites. Want to take a virtual tour? Visit https://t.co/B4VJdrJ5Ge to view the virtual guide, enjoy pictures, videos and more. pic.twitter.com/qIDmlLIR02  Shawshank Trail (@ShawshankTrail) March 19, 2020

The film has had a lasting impact on the area. The 13 locations used in Ohio spanned three towns, all of which benefited substantially from The Shawshank Redemptions fame brought to the area.

Fans of the film can visit the Ohio State Reformatory and take a guided tour of the historic building. If they want to get the full Shawshank experience, they can follow the self-guided Shawshank Trail. The trail takes you along 15 stops, including the Food Way store, Brooks bench, and the Shawshank Oak Tree, among other commemorative areas.

Local businesses have even jumped on the Shawshank bandwagon, selling a variety of clever movie-related items. Tourists can bring home a bottle of Reformatory Red wine and Shawshank Bundt Cakes. They can also enjoy a slice of Redemption Pie at Two Cousins Pizza.

RELATED: Stephen King Earned $5,000 For the Rights to The Shawshank Redemption But He Never Cashed His Check
From left are Cherokee Nation Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Executive Director Michael Lynn, Secretary of State Tina Glory Jordan, Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Special Envoy for International Affairs and Language Preservation Joe Byrd, Dist. 2 Tribal Councilor Candessa Tehee, Tahlequah City Administrator Alan Chapman, CN Transportation Director Andy Quetone, Tahlequah Mayor Sue Catron and CN Chief of Staff Todd Enlow. CN officials joined Tahlequah leaders to cut the ribbon on the Bliss Avenue road improvement project on Aug. 30.
China: Police raid Christian music school, arrest principal

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Communist authorities in Chinas Heilongjiang province raided a Christian music school, took away dozens of students and teachers for investigation and arrested the principal, according to a report.

More than 30 officials from the Chinese Communist Party, including SWAT officers, police officers, religious affairs bureau officials and local school district administrators raided Maizi Christian Music High School in Harbin city last Saturday, the U.S.-based rights group China Aid reported.

The officials arrested more than 100 students and most of the staff and released them after an interrogation that lasted for 24 hours. They also confiscated pianos, computers and documents belonging to the school, which caters to students who are younger than 18 and is dedicated to cultivating Christian musicians.

About one-and-a-half hours earlier, police officers stopped the school principal, identified only as Xu, while he took his child to school. Officers transported Xu to their police station and drove his child home to his mother.

Xus whereabouts was not known as of Saturday, and some teachers were still subject to follow-up interrogations.

As the school charges $2,631 (17,000 RMB) for tuition from each student, the authorities might charge Xu for providing illegal education.

Principal Xu has had his home raided twice six months ago, a friend of Xu told The Epoch Times, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. His phone has always been tapped. Despite our best efforts to learn about his whereabouts, we have received no news.

If a school is not authorized, then the government will arrest the responsible with all its energy, ICC added.

Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, estimates that there are about 97 million Christians in China, a large percentage of whom worship in what China considers to be illegal and unregistered underground house churches.

Gina Goh, ICCs regional manager for Southeast Asia, previously said: Beijing seeks to intimidate the leaders in hopes that the churches will dissolve due to fear. Their plot will not succeed, thanks to the resiliency of the Chinese house church. They survived the Cultural Revolution, and they will survive Xis era as well.

Under the direction of President Xi, officials from the CCP have been enforcing strict controls on religion, according to a report released in March by China Aid.

Authorities in China are also cracking down on Christianity by removing Bible apps and Christian WeChat public accounts as new highly restrictive administrative measures on religious staff went into effect this year.

China is ranked on Open Doors USAs World Watch List as one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to the persecution of Christians.

The U.S. State Department has also labeled China as a country of particular concern for continuing to engage in particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
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During the 20th century the world witnessed communist, Nazi, fascist and military dictators who between them killed more than 100 million people. Chinas Mao Zedong murdered 60 million; the Soviet Unions Joseph Stalin murdered 40 million; and Germanys Adolf Hitler murdered 30 million.

Today the Taliban is murdering innocent civilians in Afghanistan. This horrific headline a month ago came as no surprise: As Taliban Captures Major Cities, Reports of Killings and Torture Pour In.

When these terrorists were handed control of the government, they began going door-to-door murdering Afghans who had assisted the United States military over the past 20 years. The Taliban has also set its sights on Christians and other vulnerable Afghans.

A poll at the end of August prior to our military withdrawal in Afghanistan revealed these statistics: More than 8 in 10 (84%) Americans think U.S. troops should remain in the country until all Americans are evacuated, and just over 7 in 10 (71%) think they should stay until all Afghans who helped the United States are evacuated as well.

Why would 16% of Americans want to leave our fellow Americans behind, and why would 29% of Americans want to leave our Afghan partners behind? Such callousness is mind-boggling.

On another life-and-death issue, a national survey revealed that vast majorities of Americans reject abortion the day before a child is born (80%), abortion in the third trimester (79%), and removing medical care for a viable child after birth (82%). Once again, the callousness of 20% of Americans is staggering.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has now pledged to bring a bill, H.B. 3755, to the House floor that would strike down current state restrictions on abortion and prevent states from imposing new restrictions on abortions.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement: Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi want to permanently stifle American debate on abortion and instead impose a regime of abortion on demand, up until the moment of birth, paid for by the taxpayer.

When government officials sanction murder, they carry out the work of Satan. Jesus said, The devil was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44).

Hubert Humphrey was a pro-life Democrat who served as the vice president of the United States in the 1960s.

Humphrey stated in 1976: The moral test of a government is how it treats those who are at the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.

How many of Humphrey's fellow Democrats in office today are willing to take such a bold and loving stand for unborn babies? It often requires courage to do the right thing, especially when many of your peers have chosen to turn a blind eye to the most vulnerable among us.

A study that came out a couple years ago confirms that babies in the womb can feel pain as early as 12 weeks old. Earlier this year Senator Lindsey Graham and other colleagues reintroduced the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. Graham said, There are only seven countries that allow wholesale abortions at the 20-week period, including China and North Korea. The United States should not be in that club.

Gianna Jessen testified against Planned Parenthood during a congressional hearing in 2015, saying that "her biological mother was seven-and-a-half months pregnant when she was advised to undergo an abortion by saline  which 'burns the baby inside and out, blinding and suffocating the child, who is then born dead, usually within 24 hours.

Instead of dying, Jessen said on Capitol Hill, after 18 hours of being burned in my mothers womb, I was delivered alive in an abortion clinic in Los Angeles on April 6, 1977. Doctors did not expect me to live. I did.

The horror of abortion is ghastly. An estimated 62 million abortions have occurred since the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

Jesus said, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander (Matthew 15:19).

When a person becomes a Christian, he or she turns away from committing those sins, as well as every other kind of sin. Christ alone can change a dark heart, but it requires repentance and faith in Christ.

Each one of us needs the forgiveness Jesus earned for us through His death on the cross. He rose from the dead on the third day, so that we can rise again and live with Him forever in Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:3-8; John 11:25,26). In the meantime, followers of Christ are called to pray earnestly for the spiritual and physical needs of others. This includes those left behind in Afghanistan, as well as helpless babies being formed by God in their mothers womb.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139:13,14).

Government officials who sanction murder need a new heart. If they turn away from their deadly agenda, they, too, can be delivered from sin and saved by Gods grace. This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds (Acts 26:20).

Talk is cheap. Deeds speak volumes. Jesus put it best: You will know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:16).
Hindu mob brutally attacks pastor summoned to police station over claims of 'false' conversions

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A Christian pastor summoned to a police station in Indias Chhattisgarh state was brutally beaten by a mob of 50 Hindu nationalists who were waiting for his arrival.

The mob falsely accused Pastor Ankush Bariaya of converting Hindus illegally and began beating the pastor with shoes and fists inside the Purani Basti Police Station in the state capital of Raipur, U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said in a statement on Saturday.

A witness at the scene was quoted as saying that the attack seemed to be "well planned."

"I think the police knew about the attack before it took place. It is sad that Christians are not safe even inside the police station, the witness, believed to be one of the two pastors who accompanied Bariayar, added.

The pastor who was attacked was quoted as saying: They told me to my face that they would kill me. I thought I was safe, being with the police in their premises, but I was wrong. In the beginning, the police did not do anything to protect me from the attack. After they hit me with the shoe and punched me in my face, the police then tried to stop them from beating me.

Police registered a case against only seven of the people who were part of the mob, but then identified and arrested only two of them.

Dont we have the right to go to the police station and talk to the police? Dr. Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, asked when speaking to journalists. Why didnt the police stop the attackers and protect Pastor Bariayar?

He continued: We have the right to choose any religion and propagate that religion.  The government must take the strictest action against the attackers who brazenly attacked the pastor. This needs to be taken to the highest level of law and order in the state.

The attack indicates the impunity enjoyed by many radical Hindu nationalists, William Stark, ICCs regional manager for South Asia, said.

This is a symptom of a larger problem in India," he added. "Religious intolerance and religiously motivated violence have become so normalized that attacks on Christians in the presence of police, outside the station, have come to be expected. The only thing that has shocked Christians here is the location of the attack and not the attack itself.

Christians make up about 2.5% of Indias population, while Hindus comprise 79.5%.

India ranks as the 10th worst country globally when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2021 World Watch List. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has urged the U.S. State Department to label India as a country of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating severe religious freedom violations.

Open Doors USA warns that since the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took power in 2014, persecution against Christians and other religious minorities has increased.

The group reports that Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.

Hindu extremists believe that all Indians should be Hindus and that the country should be rid of Christianity and Islam, an Open Doors fact sheet on India explains. They use extensive violence to achieve this goal, particularly targeting Christians from a Hindu background. Christians are accused of following a foreign faith and blamed for bad luck in their communities.

Several Indian states, including Chhattisgarh, have anti-conversion laws, which presume that Christian workers force or give financial benefits to Hindus to convert them to Christianity.

While the anti-conversion laws have been in place for decades in some states, no Christian has been convicted of forcibly converting anyone to Christianity. These laws, however, allow Hindu nationalist groups to make false charges against Christians and launch attacks on them under the pretext of the alleged forced conversion.

Some of these laws state that no one is allowed to use the threat of divine displeasure, meaning Christians cannot talk about Heaven or Hell, as that would be seen as forcing someone to convert. And if snacks or meals are served to Hindus after an evangelistic meeting, that could be seen as inducement.
Here's why members of Congress are exempt from Biden's vaccine mandate

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President Joe Bidens executive orders requiring federal employees, contractors and private employers with more than 100 workers to mandate vaccinations or weekly testing for COVID-19 exempts members of Congress, federal judges and their staffers.

In the coming weeks, the Labor Departments Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to issue an emergency temporary standard implementing the new requirement.

According to the order, businesses can face fines of up to $14,000 if they do not comply.

Because the president's executive order for federal workers and contractors only applies to the executive branch, those who work under the legislative and judicial branches of the federal government are not included.

In an executive order signed Thursday, Biden wrote: It is the policy of my Administration to halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures.

It continued: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the Department of Health and Human Services has determined that the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent infection by the Delta variant or other variants is to be vaccinated.

The order added that for the health and safety of the federal workforce and the efficiency of the civil service, it is necessary to require COVID-19 vaccination for all Federal employees, subject to such exceptions as required by law.

In another executive order, also signed this week, Biden wrote: My message to unvaccinated Americans is this, what more is there to wait for? What more do you need to see? Weve made vaccinations free, safe and convenient. The vaccine is FDA-approved. Over 200 million Americans have gotten at least one shot. Weve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin.

Biden added:  The Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees, that together employ over 80 million workers, to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week.

Employers understandably have concerns about compliance and enforcement, The Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial. Are they supposed to pay for unvaccinated workers weekly testing, and what kind of proof of testing or vaccination must they require? Will franchisees and corporations be liable as joint employers? Nobody knows.

It also noted that OSHA has never mandated vaccinations.

Mr. Bidens logic is also contradictory. In his speech he stressed that the vaccinated are safe from serious Covid. Yet he said the unvaccinated must protect the vaccinated, they added.

Last month, when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was asked about requiring members of Congress to be vaccinated, she responded, We cannot require someone to be vaccinated. Its just not what we can do, Forbes noted.

The vaccination status of members of Congress, she added, is a matter of privacy.

Days earlier, however, 20 members of the House sent a letter to Dr. Brian Monahan, who serves as the attending physician, asking him to mandate vaccinations for members of Congress and their staff or to require COVID-19 testing on a twice-weekly basis.

Responding to Bidens mandate, Guy T. Williams, chief executive of Gulf Coast Bank & Trust in Louisiana, told the Journal, I dont think he has the constitutional authority. Does the president of the United States get to dictate vaccinations?

Similarly, Jeremy Boreing, the co-founder and co-CEO of The Daily Wire, announced on Thursday evening that the media outlet, which has over 100 employees, is preparing to fight Bidens vaccine mandate.

I just got off the phone with our lawyers and I just want to reiterate something that I already said today on Twitter: No, Boreing said. The Daily Wire does have more than 100 employees, but we wont be enforcing Joe Bidens unconstitutional and tyrannical vaccine mandate. Thats it, well use every tool at our disposal, including legal action to resist.

Boreing stressed that the company is not anti-vaccine, but is opposed to Bidens mandate, which it deems as unconstitutional.

Research by the National Academy for State Health Policy shows that Montana is the only state that has banned private employers from mandating coronavirus vaccinations for their workers.

Other Republican-led states might also fight the federal vaccine mandate, as several governors and members of Congress have also denounced Biden's plans.

I will pursue every legal option available to the state of Georgia to stop this blatantly unlawful overreach by the Biden administration, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts also responded, saying: This plan isnt about public health  this is about government control and taking away personal liberties. Americans, not the federal government, are responsible for taking charge of their personal health.

While the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been rising in many states, a CDC study shows 74% of people infected in Massachusetts COVID-19 outbreak were fully vaccinated and four of those who were vaccinated were admitted to a hospital.

Last month, officials in Israel said that of the countrys 650 new daily COVID-19 cases, more than half were among the fully vaccinated.

Researchers from Maccabi Healthcare and Tel Aviv University in Israel recently found that natural immunity affords longer-lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease, and hospitalization due to the Delta variant.

This is the largest real-world observational study comparing natural immunity, gained through previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, to vaccine-induced immunity, afforded by the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, the researchers said.

Other studies have also shown that people who've already contracted the coronavirus will likely have lifetime immunity.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem bans at-home DIY telemedicine abortions

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order on Tuesday banning telemedicine abortions and regulating chemical abortions in the state.

Known as Executive Order 2021-12, Noem signed the order on Tuesday, which directs the state Department of Health to create rules against telemedicine abortions.

Noem said in a press release that she believed the Biden administration was continuing to overstep its authority and suppress legislatures that are standing up for the unborn to pass strong pro-life laws.

They are working right now to make it easier to end the life of an unborn child via telemedicine abortion. That is not going to happen in South Dakota, the governor said.

I will continue working with the legislature and my Unborn Child Advocate to ensure that South Dakota remains a strong pro-life state.

EO 2021-12 states, among other things, that abortion-inducing drugs can only be prescribed or dispensed by a licensed physician following an in-person examination, blocks abortion-inducing drugs from being provided via other means like telemedicine or mail service, and bans abortion-inducing drugs from being provided in schools.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the national pro-life group the Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement on Tuesday that she believed the order was a bold action that will save lives.

The Biden administration would turn every post office and pharmacy into an abortion center if they had their way, leaving women alone and at risk of severe heavy bleeding, physical, emotional, and psychological stress, and more, Dannenfelser said.

States must take action. Governor Noem is setting a courageous model today that we hope more state leaders across the nation will soon follow.

Kristin Hayward of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota said she believed the executive order wrongfully attacked abortion rights.

"Planned Parenthood will always stand up for patients and communities, said Hayward, as reported by USA Today. We know most South Dakotans support the right to safe, legal abortion, but Noem is following a vocal minority that is attacking abortion, contraception, and comprehensive sexual education in this country.

In a medical abortion, women receive two drugs: mifepristone (also called Mifeprex or RU-486), which works by blocking the effects of the natural pregnancy hormone progesterone, and misoprostol, which is used to induce a miscarriage.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, pro-choice activists were pushing to make it legal for abortion clinics to dispense the drugs without an in-person doctor's appointment.

In January, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill into law mandating that abortion-inducing drugs be taken in the presence of a physician, effectively banning telemedicine abortions.
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Any anniversary of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, is painful, especially to those whose lives were directly affected. That includes my wife, Nancy, whose brother Douglas died in the World Trade Center, leaving behind his precious wife and two children.

Yet this anniversary is especially painful, not simply because it marks 20 years since that fateful day in 2001 but because of our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the Taliban now fully back in power.

In September 2018, after doing a TV shoot in Missouri, I was driven to the airport by a young man who had served in Afghanistan as a helicopter gunner.

I said to him, You must have lost a number of friends and colleagues.

He replied, unforgettably, We are expendable assets.

Those words stayed with me, and after our hapless withdrawal, I wondered to myself how this man felt.

It turns out that this very week I was back in Missouri for another TV shoot at the same studio, and he was the one to drive me back to the airport. So, before our ride, I asked for his thoughts.

His reply was strong and clear. Our troops were there first and foremost to protect American lives  meaning the lives of our citizens  and any military leader who put our troops before our citizens had no right to be in the military.

Then he said this: It is our job to protect those lives. If we die in the process, so be it. We would rather not die, but if we do, we do. Thats our job.

Yet today, it feels as if that very spirit of sacrificial service, along with all the lives lost in our fight against terrorism, has now been kicked to the side of the road, as America is laughed at by the world, especially the world of radical Islam.

We went into Afghanistan 20 years ago to punish the Taliban, and now, thousands of lives and trillions of dollars later, the Taliban run the country.

This is as stinging as it is humiliating. And yet it reminds us of a sobering reality: until Jesus returns, there will always be evil on the planet.

If not al-Qaeda then ISIS. If not ISIS then the Taliban. If not Islamic extremists then other religious extremists. If not religious extremists then mass-murdering atheist despots. And on and on the list goes.

If not Stalin then Hitler. Or Mao. Or Pol Pot.

If not World Wars then regional conflicts. Or gang wars. Or violent family disputes.

To paraphrase the words of Jesus, You dont need to worry about tomorrow. Theres enough evil to deal with today (see Matthew 6:34).

Yet as depressing as that may sound, theres a silver lining to this sobering reality as well: Not only is the darkness always present, but the light is as well. Not only is Satan at work, but God is at work too. Not only are people being destroyed, but people are being saved.

In fact, this is the biblical perspective: the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining (1 John 2:9). And this, first to Israel, then to all of Gods people: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and His glory appears over you (Isaiah 60:1-2).

The light shines brightest against the backdrop of gross darkness.

Like you, I hate the fact that the Taliban now rule Afghanistan, knowing the suffering they will bring on their nation and recognizing what a win this is for Islamic radicalism.

Like you, I hate the fact that we have been humiliated before the world because of foolish presidential decisions, costing us more, innocent American lives and endangering the lives of others.

And like you, I hate the fact that evil still abounds in this world. As Paul wrote, evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

But none of this should paralyze us or cause us to throw in the towel and quit. To the contrary, this should remind us that, until Jesus returns, there will be lost and hurting people whom we can love and touch and help and save and bless. There will be needs that we can meet. There will be crises we can resolve and fires we can put out.

The darkness provides the backdrop for the light, the evil the opportunity for the good.

So, rather than allowing discouragement to overtake us, let us make a fresh determination to use the time we have in this evil, fallen world to do the maximum good that we can.

In the famous formulation of John Wesley, Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.
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In the U.S., the week of Sept. 5-11 marks National Suicide Prevention Week. Suicide is an indisputably painful topic, summoning grief for all those who have lost a loved one to it. This tragedy does not take only one form, however; even as the nation remembers those who grievously have been taken by suicide, a steadily increasing number of states have created an avenue for legal physician-assisted suicide (PAS).

When Oregon passed the nations first Death With Dignity Act in 1997, it was an anomaly that can be traced as a root cause of the pervasive devaluing of human life we see in America. Following this legislative model, nine other states and the District of Columbia have created death with dignity statutes or provided state Supreme Court protection for PAS: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington. Perhaps most alarmingly, seven of these 11 jurisdictions have created their provisions since 2016.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness states their desire for any person experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviors to have a number to call, a system to turn to, that would connect them to the treatment and support they need.

Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden claims that his states Death With Dignity Act has helped to improve end-of-life health care for thousands of Oregonians. We are proud Oregon leads the way [] providing peace of mind for the terminally ill.

Though the soothing language of these two perspectives is similar, their messages are decisively contrary; the former urges patients to resist suicidal thoughts, while the latter encourages their fulfillment.

The paradox of the American desire to prevent suicide, while simultaneously creating legal avenues for it, demonstrates a deep disparity between the proclaimed values of the nation and the legislation being passed by its representatives. It is illogical to oppose suicide when a healthy individual performs it, but to champion the right to commit it when a person is terminally ill.

Though advocates for these laws cry Death with dignity, the message they send to those with terminal illnesses is that their lives are burdensome, unworthy, and less dignified than everyone elses. When considering that those struggling with depression are more likely to request assisted suicide, it is clear that causing vulnerable patients to regard their own lives as less worthwhile creates the demand for PAS.

Consistent messaging about the purpose that every human life possesses is crucial in order to successfully advocate for suicide prevention. If terminally ill patients are told that they qualify to end their own lives due to physical suffering or deterioration, how can mentally ill individuals be told to turn away from suicidal thoughts caused by their mental strife? The increasing prevalence of PAS in the states contradicts the culture of suicide prevention, which is so widely accepted that the nation designates a week to recognize it.

The Death With Dignity National Center, which advocates for the legalization of PAS across the states, ironically advises those who have not yet received their suicide prescription, While you are waiting, dont forget to live your life and look for a little bit of joy in every day. Outside of the context of PAS, this advice would ring true; actual death with dignity must come naturally, and the life that exists before it must be treasured and lived abundantly.

In order to appropriately recognize the worth and purpose of human life, we must ban PAS and take a consistent stance in opposition to all forms of suicide.

Originally published at the Family Research Council.
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Throughout the past several weeks, weve all witnessed the horrific scenes in Afghanistan.

Weve seen heartbreaking images of Afghan citizens clinging desperately to U.S. military aircraft as they fear being left behind to face the stunning Taliban takeover, followed by the humanitarian disaster of thousands of Americans trapped behind enemy lines.

The tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan raises some serious questions: Whats the state of Americas military leadership? What does it say about our national security? What will Americas role as a world leader look like in the future?

These are all pressing issues that must be addressed. But theres another equally critical question our foreign policy experts should consider: What does the Afghanistan crisis say about the state of religious freedom abroad, as well as here at home in the U.S.?

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) documented for years the precarious condition of religious freedom in Afghanistan. But after the Talibans takeover, any small hope for religious liberty in the country disappeared almost overnight. Reports from the international human rights community quickly surfaced, noting a renewed persecution of Christians, subjugation of women and oppression of any religious minority who defies the Talibans rule.

As millions of Afghans lose their rights and any hope of lasting freedom to the Talibans tyranny, all Americans  especially our nations leaders  must recognize that a foreign policy that doesnt put religious freedom at the center is one thats ultimately doomed to fail.

Below, well explore why making religious freedom a foreign policy priority is essential not just to Americas strength abroad, but also critical in protecting this First Freedom on our shores.

Why foreign policy should include religious freedom as a priority

Assessing the state of religious liberty in Afghanistan, the United Nations has already warned that ethnic and religious minorities are also at risk of violence and repression, given previous patterns of serious violations under Taliban rule and reports of killings and targeted attacks in recent months.

For Americans, this is a sobering reminder that religious liberty is something special, unique and worth defending.

Lets not forget: Living out ones faith peaceably and without the fear of government repression is something that we consider a right. But for hundreds of millions of people across the globe, its a privilege to profess or act according to their faith  to the point that they risk losing their lives for doing so.

Thats why advancing religious freedom should be a core part of our foreign policy. Failing to incorporate this First Freedom in our international affairs and strategy would be to deny one of the central values and principles that America represents.

Millions of people worldwide look to the U.S. as a safe haven, especially those who face persecution due to their religious beliefs. More than two centuries after our nations founding, we endure as one of the worlds leading protectors of the unalienable right of all to live out their faith.

But Americas longstanding reputation as a beacon of freedom isnt merely based on being a refuge or a sanctuary where people can flee to find shelter from oppression.

A big part of what makes America exceptional on the global stage is our commitment to making religious liberty one of our nations greatest exports. Indeed, maintaining our stature as a world leader demands that we not selfishly reserve for ourselves these fundamental liberties.

Being a force of freedom around the world requires military might, diplomatic savvy, strong presidential leadership and many other factors. But alongside these, Americas foreign policy leaders and ambassadors must ensure that other nations also respect religious freedom as a God-given, unalienable human right  a prerequisite necessary for any country to be truly free.

A wave of hate and hostility on its way to America?

While the Talibans takeover is expected to lead to heinous restrictions and crackdowns on Afghan citizens, the reality is that religious oppression isnt limited only to Afghanistan.

Religious liberty and people of faith are under heavy attack at a global scale. In 2020, the Pew Research Center reported government restrictions on religion reached the highest point in over a decade. From 2007 to 2017, the data showed a 30% spike in countries worldwide with severe religious restrictions. Just last year, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted that over two-thirds of people around the world live in places that are extremely challenged with the absence of religious freedom.

And its undeniable theres been a rippling effect in even the freest of nations. America itself is feeling the aftershocks of a worldwide rise in religious hostility. Pew reports that governmental restrictions on religious activity in the U.S. have more than doubled from 2007 to 2017.

With attacks on religious freedom at an all-time high, its of critical importance for the U.S. to take proactive leadership to safeguard religious freedom worldwide. Because by doing so, were simultaneously ensuring that we are protecting the First Freedom of all Americans right here at home.

Originally published at First Liberty.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that she found it unacceptable that refugees were being used to apply pressure to Poland and other European Union members on the border with Belarus.

Speaking at a news conference during what she said she expected to be her last official visit to Poland as chancellor, Merkel appealed to Belarus, but also to Poland, to help people in difficult humanitarian conditions caught between the border of Poland and Belarus.

She stressed that she found it completely unacceptable that such hybrid attacks were being carried out with the use of people seeking to reach the EU, recalling that it was also a message she delivered to Russian President Vladimir Putin during a recent meeting.

Poland, Lithuania and Latvia have seen a rise in crossings by Iraqis, Afghans, Syrians and Africans from Belarus in recent months. The three EU countries accuse Belarus of pushing the migrants across their borders and say they view that as an element of hybrid warfare against the EU.

Merkel spoke at a news conference with Polish President Mateusz Morawiecki in front of a palace in Warsaw's Royal Baths park.

The two said they discussed the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, security issues in light of recent developments in Afghanistan, as well as new threats coming from cyber attacks.

European issues also came up, including climate policy and an ongoing dispute between Warsaw and Brussels over changes to the judicial system in Poland which the EU considers to violate the rule of law.

Merkel said she hoped the issue can be solved through dialogue. Merkel, who has been chancellor since 2005, plans to step down after an election later this month.

A meeting between Merkel and President Andrzej Duda, which was originally announced by the German government, isn't taking place after all, and political observers in Warsaw interpreted that as a snub.

Dudas office said Duda would instead be in the southern Polish city of Katowice for celebrations marking the anniversary of Solidarity, the anti-communist trade union.

Relations have sometimes been strained under Poland's government because it has often said it plans to demand reparations from World War II, an issue that resonates with older Poles. Germany often voices remorse for its wartime occupation of Poland, but says the issue of reparations has already been dealt with.

Morawiecki said that despite some disagreements, the Polish-German relationship has developed well during Merkel's time at the helm, and thanked her for her cooperation.

We have very often discussed difficult topics, but our solid political coordination has also led to the fact that our economic relations are very good, he said.

He said that despite various differences, we are able, above all, to emphasize what unites us."

Merkel also commemorated the victims of World War II in Warsaw by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The war began with Germany's invasion of Poland. Tens of millions of people were killed in the war, with some 6 million killed in Poland.
On Sept. 3, just two days after Texas banned abortions, Vivek Bhaskaran, the chief executive of an Austin-based online survey software company, quickly assembled the handful of women employees that are based in the city.

In a virtual town hall that lasted about 15 minutes, he told the women that regardless of insurance, the company would cover out-of-state abortion services.

"I'm not a politician; I can't change anything. But I'm still responsible for my employees in Texas, and I have a moral responsibility to them," said Bhaskaran, CEO of QuestionPro.

For the past several years, Texas has been selling itself as a tech haven attracting start-ups and tech companies such as Oracle, Hewlett-Packard Enterprises, and even Elon Musk, Tesla's billionaire founder who has moved to the state. Big Tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Apple all have grown their presence in the state, opening new warehouses, data centers, and production facilities.

But Texas' recent swerve to the right on abortion, voting restrictions and a ban on coronavirus vaccine mandates has many workers and industry leaders like Bhaskaran worried about retaining workers and recruiting top tech talent to the state. In August, Texas had 33,843 tech job openings - the second highest in the U.S. after California - according to a report from the Computing Technology Industry Association. That's up 56% from a year earlier.

"We already find it extremely challenging to attract tech workers," said Bhaskaran, noting there are more jobs than talent in the industry. "This seems like an extremely unnecessary conversation we're going to have to have" with potential recruits.

The new abortion law in Texas, which went into effect earlier this month, bans abortions at six weeks and allows private citizens to sue people or services that perform or aid in an abortion. Reporting parties could receive at least $10,000 as well as recover legal fees if they win their cases. In response, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state over the law, trying to block it. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, on Thursday also signed a bill that would prohibit large tech companies from blocking or restricting people or their posts based on their viewpoint, setting the stage for a legal battle with the tech industry. Abbott also slammed President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for private companies, calling it a "power grab."

Texas led the nation in population growth in 2020 attracting 373,965 residents, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. While experts say it's too early to tell whether the new laws will cause any massive change in worker migration, they note that right-wing measures could lead to a pause of left-leaning tech workers considering moving to the state.

"You might see a slowdown," said Richard Alm, a writer in residence at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business in Dallas who studies Texas' economy. "This has potential to impact the supply of labor if workers are less willing to relocate to Texas."

After Abbott signed the abortion bill into law, many tech workers were quick to air their concerns, frustration, and fears on social media platforms like Twitter. For some tech industry workers who recently relocated to the state, the abortion law is making them consider moving elsewhere.

That's the case for Valerie Veteto, a copywriter who has freelanced for San-Francisco tech companies including Salesforce, Patreon, and Lyft. She and her boyfriend moved to Austin from San Francisco in September 2020, drawn by the city's vibe, creativity, live music scene, tax-friendly environment and the low cost of living.

But a few months later, when Texas' power grid failed during a winter storm, leaving millions without power, heat, and water, Veteto began questioning her choice.

"That was a moment that chipped away at my confidence of living here. Then obviously what's going on currently, it sealed the deal," she said. She and her boyfriend plan to relocate to New York City.

Some professionals in the tech industry say they're worried about what the passage of the abortion law says about the direction Texas is headed in terms of other major social issues.

"It scares the living daylights out of me," said Deep Barot, a Texas native and San Francisco-based angel investor in biotech, software, and cryptocurrency companies. "This is an abortion law, but what's next?"

The issue boils down to one question, said Alm from SMU: Can employers retain and attract top tech talent despite the state's new restrictive laws?

David Panarelli, a user experience designer for an e-commerce company in San Diego, said he and his wife had considered moving to Texas but both are concerned with how officials have handled issues like immigration, the pandemic, and masking guidelines. The abortion law reaffirmed their fears, he said.

"If I'm in a situation where I have to make an extremely irreversible decision, I don't want anyone making that decision for me," he said. "It's not about women. It's about human rights."

Crystal Wiese, QuestionPro's director of marketing, said the reaction from the people on the virtual town hall was mostly silence.

"There was a reassuring feeling, but it's not the kind of conversation you expect to have with your CEO," Wiese said.

Some Texas-based tech companies were quick to respond to what essentially is an abortion ban, recognizing that it could have significant repercussions on future recruitment and retention of talent.

Dallas-based Match, which operates dating apps, said its CEO, Shar Dubey, is creating a fund to help cover the cost of abortion services for employees who have to travel outside of the state.

"I immigrated to America from India over 25 years ago and I have to say, as a Texas resident, I am shocked that I now live in a state where women's reproductive laws are more regressive than most of the world, including India," Dubey said in a memo to employees last week. "Surely everyone should see the danger of this highly punitive and unfair law."

Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, sent a note to employees on Sept. 8, addressing the latest Texas laws, saying the company believes in "the right to free, fair and equitable access to voting" and that its goal is to give employees "more coverage" when it comes to health "not less." The company declined to say whether it is planning anything specific related to Texas' abortion and voting laws.

HPE still believes that its policies and benefits will attract workers "no matter where they're located," said spokesman Adam Bauer. But he said the company can't predict if and how this will impact recruiting in the future.

Kat Scott, a San Francisco-based developer advocate for the open-source foundation Open Robotics, said if the law is not removed quickly, it will have a lasting impact on people's impression of the state.

"It's going to be extremely difficult to recruit women or young people," she said.
People who were not fully vaccinated this spring and summer were more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die of covid-19 than those who were fully vaccinated, according to one of three major studies published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that highlight the continued efficacy of all three vaccines amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

A second study showed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine was moderately more effective in preventing hospitalizations than its counterparts from Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson. That assessment was based on the largest U.S. study to date of the real-world effectiveness of all three vaccines, involving about 32,000 patients seen in hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care clinics across nine states from June through early August.

While the three vaccines were collectively 86% effective in preventing hospitalization, protection was significantly higher among Moderna vaccine recipients (95%) than among those who got Pfizer-BioNTech (80%) or Johnson & Johnson (60%). That finding echoes a smaller study by the Mayo Clinic Health System in August, not yet peer-reviewed, which also showed the Moderna vaccine with higher effectiveness than Pfizer-BioNTech at preventing infections during the delta wave.

Noting the effectiveness of all vaccines against severe illness and death, public health officials have continued to urge people to get whatever vaccine is available, rather than to shop around and delay inoculation.

"The bottom line is this: We have the scientific tools we need to turn the corner on this pandemic," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a White House covid-19 briefing Friday. "Vaccination works and will protect us from the severe complications of covid-19."

The trio of reports comes as President Joe Biden announced sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandates Thursday to curb the surging delta variant, which are expected to increase the pressure on the tens of millions of Americans who have resisted vaccinations. The virus has killed more than 650,000 people in the United States with about 1,500 average daily deaths for the past eight days - a toll not seen since early March, according to data analyzed by The Washington Post.

The CDC studies offer some clarity in a confusing moment in the pandemic amid concerns about waning immunity and the vaccines' protection against a more contagious variant. The data are broadly consistent with findings from other studies: The vaccines continue to provide strong protection for most people against hospitalization and death, even during this delta surge, but are less effective in protecting adults in the highest age brackets, especially those with underlying medical conditions.

The highly transmissible delta variant now accounts for more than than 99% of new coronavirus infections, the CDC estimates. Fear of waning protection against severe disease is why the administration hopes to roll out boosters as soon as health authorities give the green light. Pfizer is in line to be the first brand approved as a booster by the Food and Drug Administration since the company has submitted data on the safety and effectiveness of boosting its own two-shot regimen with a third shot of the same vaccine. Approval of the other vaccines is expected to follow in coming months.

In the CDC report that analyzed vaccine effectiveness by brand, researchers looked at how well the vaccines protected against severe disease. They measured effectiveness against hospitalization and, separately, against trips to the emergency department or urgent care. Overall effectiveness in preventing emergency department or urgent care trips was 82%. Effectiveness was highest among Moderna recipients (92%), followed by Pfizer (77%) and then Johnson & Johnson (65%).

The CDC report doesn't explain why Moderna might offer greater benefit. One possibility is that Moderna's dose of mRNA is three times that of Pfizer-BioNTech's. The interval between shots is also longer: four weeks for Moderna instead of three weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech. Some research has shown that longer intervals between shots -- including much longer periods, beyond four weeks -- could be advantageous to building immunity.

But researchers found diminishing effectiveness against hospitalizations among adults 75 and older, and suggested the decline could be from waning immunity and the impact of a more contagious variant. But the report noted that "this moderate decline should be interpreted with caution and might be related to changes in the virus that causes covid-19, weakening vaccine-induced immunity as more time passes since vaccination, or a combination of factors."

Nevertheless, the three vaccines showed continued robust protection for all adults-- greater than 82% -- for hospitalization, emergency room and urgent care trips.

"It is really, really great to have 82 percent effectiveness in the time of delta," four to six months after many people have gotten vaccinated, said Eddie Stenehjem, one of the authors and an infectious- disease physician at Intermountain Healthcare, a health system based in Salt Lake City that participated in the study. "We hope this is reassurance to the general public."

Another CDC study shows that the vaccines endured some erosion as the delta variant became dominant, especially among adults 65 and older but protection against severe disease and death remained strong, albeit less so in that group. The CDC analyzed data on more than 600,000 covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths among people 18 and older by vaccination status reported from April 4 to July 17 in 13 states and cities.

The report estimated that vaccine effectiveness against infection dropped from 90 percent in the first part of that period, when delta had not yet gained significant traction, to under 80% from mid-June to mid-July, when delta began out-competing all other strains of the virus. Effectiveness against hospitalization and death showed barely any decline during the entire period.

"Still achieving 80 percent is a very good number," said Mehul Suthar, a virologist at Emory University who studies the coronavirus. "These vaccines still hold up against a highly transmissible variant."

There were more breakthrough hospitalizations and deaths than during the spring, but not to a dramatic extent given the broadening of vaccination. Between June 20 and July 17, vaccinated people accounted for 14% of hospitalizations for covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, and 16% of deaths, roughly double the percentage seen in the spring, the CDC reported.

But that is not surprising, given that vaccinations increased dramatically across the country. An increased percentage of vaccinated people among those who are hospitalized or die would be expected when they account for a greater proportion of the population. The CDC said its data showed only a very small decline in protection against severe disease and death when the higher vaccination rates were taken into account.

"The vaccines remain very protective against severe disease," said William Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "I think we set our expectations too high for vaccines, thinking they were going to prevent people from getting infected and transmitting the virus."

The third study looked at the effectiveness of the two mRNA vaccines among hospitalized people at five Veterans Affairs hospitals in Atlanta, New York, Houston, Los Angeles and Palo Alto, Ca. from Feb. 1 to Aug. 6. The report found the mRNA vaccines were 87% effective in preventing hospitalizations and remained highly effective even during delta's predominance.

Effectiveness in preventing hospitalizations dropped to 80% among those 65 and older, compared with 95% among those 18 to 64 years old.

The numbers reported Friday were a reminder of how top government health officials, as well as President Biden, had repeatedly used outdated CDC information, saying that breakthrough hospitalizations and deaths were extremely rare. Their message - that vaccinations are hugely beneficial - is largely supported by the new data, but they were relying on data that did not capture the effects of delta, relaxed public behavior and naturally declining immunity.
Howard Stern was reflecting this week on the coronavirus deaths of four conservative talk-radio hosts who had espoused anti-vaccine and anti-mask sentiments when he took aim at those who have refused to get vaccinated.

"I want my freedom to live," he said Tuesday on his SiriusXM program. "I want to get out of the house. I want to go next door and play chess. I want to go take some pictures."

The shock jock, who advocated for the coronavirus vaccine to be mandatory, then turned his attention to the hesitancy that has played a significant role in the U.S. spread of the virus, leading to what Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has called a "pandemic of the unvaccinated." He pointed to unvaccinated people who are "clogging" up overwhelmed hospitals, calling them "imbeciles" and "nut jobs" and suggesting that doctors and nurses not treat those who have not taken a coronavirus vaccine.

"I'm really of mind to say, 'Look, if you didn't get vaccinated [and] you got covid, you don't get into a hospital,' " he said. "You had the cure and you wouldn't take it."

Stern's comments come after several other celebrities expressed to their large social media audiences their frustration with the ongoing lag in vaccinations when hospitals are being pushed to their limits by the highly transmissible delta variant.

More than 185,000 coronavirus infections were reported Wednesday across the United States, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. Nearly 102,000 people are hospitalized with covid-19; more than 26,000 are in intensive care units. A slight decline in hospitalizations over the past week has inspired cautious optimism among public health leaders.

While there is not a nationwide vaccine mandate, President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order Thursday requiring that all federal employees be vaccinated, without an alternative for regular coronavirus testing to opt out of the mandate, The Post reported. The order affecting the estimated 2.1 million federal workers comes as Biden plans to outline a "robust plan to stop the spread of the delta variant and boost covid-19 vaccinations," the White House said.

Health officials, doctors and nurses nationwide have urged those still hesitant to get vaccinated - and some have gone a step further. Jason Valentine, a physician in Mobile, Ala., informed patients last month that he would not treat anyone who was unvaccinated, saying there were "no conspiracy theories, no excuses" preventing anyone from being vaccinated. Linda Marraccini, a doctor in South Miami, said this month that she would not treat unvaccinated patients in person, noting that her office would "no longer subject our patients and staff to unnecessary risk."

The summer surge also has led celebrities to use their platform to either call on unvaccinated people to get vaccinated or to denounce them for not doing so. Actor and activist Sean Penn said the vaccine should be mandatory and has called on Hollywood to implement vaccination guidelines on film sets. Actors Benicio Del Toro and Zoe Saldana were part of a vaccine video campaign this year to help debunk misinformation about coronavirus vaccination. When actress Melissa Joan Hart revealed her breakthrough coronavirus case last month, she said she was angry that the nation "got lazy" about getting vaccinated and that masking was not required at her children's school.

Late-night talk host Jimmy Kimmel suggested Tuesday that hospitals shouldn't treat unvaccinated patients who prefer to take ivermectin - a medicine long used to kill parasites in animals and humans that has soared in popularity despite being an unproven covid-19 treatment and the subject of warnings by health officials against its use for the coronavirus. After noting that Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to Biden, warned that some hospitals might be forced to make "tough choices" on who gets an ICU bed, the late-night host quipped that the situation was not difficult.

"That choice doesn't seem so tough to me," Kimmel said. "Vaccinated person having a heart attack? Yes, come right in; we'll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy."

Stern has featured front-line workers on his show and has advocated for people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. In December, the host interviewed Cody Turner, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic, about how the front-line doctor struggled with his mental health while treating infected patients when a vaccine was not widely available.

"We are drowning and we are in hell, and people don't understand, not only what's happening to people, you know, but patients across this country," Turner said.

Stern was a fierce critic of President Donald Trump's response to the pandemic, saying last year that his former friend was "treasonous" for telling supporters to attend large rallies, despite the risk of infection, in the run-up to the presidential election.

On his eponymous program this week, Stern referred to four conservative talk-radio hosts who bashed the vaccine and eventually died of the virus: Marc Bernier, 65; Phil Valentine, 61; Jimmy DeYoung, 81; and Dick Farrel, 65. In the weeks and months leading up to their deaths last month, all four men had publicly shared their opposition to mainstream public health efforts when coronavirus infections were spiking.

"Four of them were like ranting on the air - they will not get vaccinated," Stern said Tuesday. "They were on fire . . . they were all dying and then their dying words were, 'I wish I had been more into the vaccine. I wish I had taken it.' "

After he played a clip of Bernier saying he would not get vaccinated, Stern suggested that the coronavirus vaccine be considered as normal as a measles or mumps vaccine.

"When are we going to stop putting up with the idiots in this country and just say it's mandatory to get vaccinated?" he asked.
A son is reflecting on his late father and how he inspired him to join the Conroe Police Department, making them the first parent and child officers to serve there.

Retired Conroe Police Sgt. William Grange McCreary died Sept. 5 in College Station from COVID-19 complications after a little more than three weeks of being hospitalized, according to his son. He was 66.

McCreary, who went by his middle name, started at the department in 1978 and retired in January 2012, said his son, Conroe Police Officer Raymond McCreary, 40.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be just like my dad. All I ever wanted to be was a police officer, said Officer McCreary, who has been with Conroe PD since November 2004. He loved the people that he worked with  his family  he loved everyone that he worked with.

The elder McCreary started as a patrol officer. He was the departments first motorcycle officer, according to a Jan. 26, 2012 article in The Courier.

He was promoted to sergeant in 1984 and worked his way through Conroe PD. Around 2005, he headed up training at the Conroe Police Department-FBI Firearms Training Facility. He left the department after spending a bulk of his career in the narcotics division, his son detailed.

It was an honor to experience that many different aspects of law enforcement, a retiring Grange McCreary said in The Courier article.

In addition to being the first, the McCrearys are the police forces only parent and child officers to have been employed during the same time.

To shake off any impression of preferential treatment, his father was never once his supervisor, the younger McCreary noted. Like every other Conroe PD officer, Raymond McCreary had to take a civil service test, pass a physical agility test and make it through field training, he pointed out.

He was Sgt. McCreary and I was Officer McCreary, he said about how they addressed each other at work. He didnt want for anyone to ever say that I got where I was because of him.

An interest in a life as a public servant came about early on for Raymond. He remembers his father taking him as a small kid to lunch on his police motorcycle during his break. Grange McCreary would drive Raymond in his patrol car to his elementary as the boy chatted with other officers on the police radio.

Grange McCreary was born Oct. 9, 1955 in Arkansas City, Kansas. His father, Bill McCreary, was a police officer in the small town before the family moved to Pasadena.

After working as an officer at the West University Place Police Department, Grange McCreary served in the Brazoria County Sheriffs Office. He then made his way to Conroe.

The budding policeman caught the attention of a young woman working as a city clerk at the municipal court.

She saw my dad and she knew that was who she wanted to be with, so she chased after him, Raymond McCreary said of his mother Jackie Boutotte McCreary, 65, who married his father in October 1979 after a seven-month romance.

The couple had a second son, David McCreary, 37. Both sons went on to join the U.S. Marine Corps. David is a U.S. Postal Service worker.

He was stern, firm, fair, the police officer son said about his father. He never backed down from a fight.

Because Grange McCreary did undercover drug busting in the late 1980s, he was often absent from home at nighttime. When the McCreary boys would ask where Dad was, their mom was careful to never show worry, Raymond McCreary said.

His work in narcotics investigation led to Sgt. McCreary occasionally appearing as an incognito source on 1990s local news magazine shows like City Under Siege on Houston Fox 26. Though his dads face was concealed on camera, Raymond could identify him by his voice, his wedding band and how he wore his watch.

Sgt. McCreary and his wife moved to Centerville in Leon County in 2003 to care for her mother and remained there after his retirement.

On Aug. 4, Grange McCreary tested positive for COVID-19. He was admitted Aug. 13 into Baylor Scott & White Medical Center. He died an early Sunday morning surrounded by his wife and sons.

Grange McCreary is also survived by Raymond McCrearys wife and their four-year-old son and David McCrearys 14 and 12-year-old daughters.

A celebration of life ceremony in the retired officers honor was held Friday in Centerville.

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BERKELEY, Calif. (AP)  Two men were fatally struck on a San Francisco Bay Area freeway when they were standing in traffic lanes to argue about a crash, authorities said Sunday.

The men were behind the wheels of a Chevrolet Malibu and a Dodge Durango that collided on eastbound Interstate 80 in Berkeley around 1:30 a.m., the California Highway Patrol said in a press release.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Two Turkish troops died on Sunday after being attacked during cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq, Turkish officials said. The casualties take the weekend toll to four deaths.

One soldier was killed by fire from separatist terrorists as his unit was leaving a base in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Turkey launched a land and air campaign in northern Iraq in April and has established several bases in the region.
SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP)  Warning that the nation was falling into division and extremism, former President George W. Bush appealed Saturday for a return to the spirit of cooperation that emerged  almost instantaneously  after the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago.

Delivering the keynote address at the national memorial to the victims of Flight 93, who forced down their airplane hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists before it could be used as a weapon against the nations capital, Bush warned of violence that gathers within.

There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home, he said. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.

Bushs warning came barely eight months after the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It marked some of Bush's sharpest criticism of that attack and appeared to be an implicit criticism of Trump's brand of politics.

Bush lamented that so much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment.

He admitted he had no easy solutions. Instead, he channeled the heroism of the Flight 93 victims, and the determined spirit of a wounded nation to emerge from the tragedy stronger.

On Americas day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbors hand and rally to the cause of one another, Bush said. That is the America I know.

He added that in the aftermath of the attacks Islamophobia, nativism or selfishness could have risen to the fore, but the country rejected them, and said, That is the nation I know."

This is not mere nostalgia, it is the truest version of ourselves, Bush said. It is what we have been, and what we can be again.

Bush's appeal for unity drew plaudits from President Joe Biden, who visited Shanksville not long after Bush spoke, having watched his speech aboard Air Force One on the flight from 9/11 commemoration events in New York.

I thought that President Bush made a really good speech today," Biden said. "Genuinely.

Biden too has prioritized national unity, telling reporters Saturday, Thats the thing thats going to affect our well-being more than anything else.
A look at coronavirus developments around New England:

__

MAINE

Maines concert venues are reemerging from a pandemic hiatus, and many are setting strict rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

One Longfellow Square, which was shuttered for 20 months, is the latest venue to adopt a vaccine requirement. Its also requiring that the audience, staff and performers wear masks.

Aura, another Portland venue, has adopted the same stance.

Its our job to make this venue as safe as possible before we have concerts back in, said Jeff Beam, manager of One Longfellow Square.

The Portland Symphony Orchestra is trying a hybrid approach  requiring a COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination to see live performances inside Merrill Auditorium. The PSO also plans stream concerts online.

Even outdoor venues are taking steps to ensure safety. Thompsons Point is requiring proof of a negative test or a vaccination for people to see Phish founder Trey Anastasio performed later this month.

___

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The Governors Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery has launched the COVID-19 Expenses Relief Program to assist local businesses with pandemic-related business expenses from this year and last.

Many small businesses are still in need of financial assistance during the pandemic, said Taylor Caswell, the group's executive director. He said the expenses relief program will help small businesses offset a portion of its COVID-19-related costs.

Eligible businesses can apply for reimbursement of a portion of their eligible expenses until 4 p.m. on Oct. 1.

Awards will be issued following the application deadline, on a capped, pro-rata basis dependent upon total eligible expenses, such as costs incurred while closed and reopening due to the pandemic, and increased costs of doing business.

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VERMONT

Households receiving food stamps will continue to get a higher amount in September and October, according to the state Department for Children and Families.

3SqauresVT is the states name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which was formerly known as food stamps.

The higher benefit in September and October is part of the federal coronavirus relief bill, the department said. Eligible 3SquaresVT households will automatically get the additional benefit, officials said.

Households that get the maximum 3SquaresVT benefit will not be getting more.
BAGHDAD (AP)  Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. But the terrorist attacks in the United States changed forever the lives of Iraqis.

In their aftermath, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, swiftly deposing the Taliban regime that had been sheltering Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaida terror network blamed for the attacks.

But it was not long before President George W. Bush shifted his attention to Iraq, identifying it, along with Iran and North Korea, as part of an axis of evil and asserting that its brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein, was armed with weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaida. No evidence of either was found.

What followed was a U.S.-led invasion of a country in the heart of the Middle East that spurred a decade of war, with consequences that reverberate across the region to this day.

At first, I was happy with the U.S. invasion, everyone was happy. We were filled with hope for a better future, said Mohammed Agha, an Iraqi Kurd who was 27 when the invasion began.

But then what happened was that the countrys institutions were destroyed and never rebuilt again," he said. "There was no planning for the day after and no nation-building."

Aghas words reflect the lingering anger and bitterness felt by many Iraqis over what they regard as a lost opportunity to remake their country following the ouster of Saddam, who ruled with an iron grip for almost 30 years.

The invasion reshaped Iraqi politics, including a shift in the countrys power base from minority Arab Sunnis to majority Shiites, with Kurds gaining their own autonomous region. But while many Iraqis welcomed Saddam's ouster and the degree of democracy that followed, they expected the U.S. to bring good governance, security and reliable basic services like electricity.

Failure to achieve any of those things fueled resentment and led to an insurgency that ultimately devolved into civil war, with both Shiite and Sunni militias fighting the Americans for control of the country.

After decades of conflict, Iraq today has a relatively stable government, and the car bombings, suicide attacks and death squads have subsided. But the economy is in tatters, its infrastructure is crumbling and corruption is rampant. The government, with its fractious politics, is unable to control the dozens of powerful Iran-backed militias that wield enormous control.

For some, the loss is also personal.

On the evening of April 7, 2003, two missiles crashed with such a deafening sound and force that they knocked Itimad Hassoun to the floor of her home in Baghdads Jadriyah district and blasted her doors off their hinges.

The Americans had been bombing for more than two weeks as part of their shock and awe campaign to topple Saddam, and the Iraqi capital was in darkness. Hassoun had been sitting by candlelight with her husband. The next few moments were a blur, as she fumbled blindly, screaming for him and their children.

Her son, two daughters and a granddaughter lay dead in the rubble of their home next door. Only a newborn granddaughter survived.

Twenty years after 9/11, Hassoun is 74 and still dresses in black after losing her son 18 years ago. She says she will never forgive America for killing her loved ones.

Theres nothing that makes me happy. I have a pain that cannot be removed and an injury that cannot be healed. Its inside me, she said, looking frail and tired as she sat in a chair in a large guest room.

Baghdad fell on April 9, two days after the airstrike that killed Hassouns family. Many Iraqis cheered as U.S. Marines pulled down a statue of Saddam in the capitals Firdous Square.

But the euphoria was short-lived, as hope gave way to occupation, as well as more daily death and destruction after the Americans dissolved the Iraqi army. The move led to the rise of al-Qaida and later the Islamic State group in the country.

The following years were stamped with images of horror. Among them: the bodies of four U.S. security contractors hanging from a bridge over the Euphrates River in Fallujah in March 2004; photos cataloging the abuse of Iraqis in the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison; the bloody battles between U.S. troops and al-Qaida militants in Fallujah in 2004; the February 2006 attack by Sunni extremists that shattered the golden dome of a revered Shiite shrine in Samarra, unleashing sectarian bloodletting.

By the time Washington withdrew its last combat troops in December 2011, tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians were dead, along with 4,487 Americans. U.S. troops were invited back in 2014 after Iraqi security forces collapsed in the face of an onslaught by the Islamic State group there and in neighboring Syria. Tens of thousands more Iraqis were killed before the last pockets of those militants were defeated in 2017.

A dictatorship was removed for a supposed democracy, and we found ourselves with a civil war, al-Qaeda and ISIS, with no services and just thieves all around us, said Assim Salman, Hassouns 53-year-old neighbor who helped dig out the bodies of her relatives that fateful night.

To hell with such democracy.

In his 2010 memoir, Decision Points, Bush admitted to mistakes in Iraq, including the decision to disband the Iraqi army, and said he got a sickening feeling every time he thought about the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, his main justification for the war. But he stood by his decision to invade.

Political analyst Bassam al-Qazwini said the people of Iraq and Afghanistan paid the price of the U.S. invasions after 9/11, not the quickly collapsing regimes in those countries.

Instead of building democracy in Iraq, he said, the Americans supported a political class that created networks of corruption and militias that continue to rob the country. Even though it is rich in oil, Iraq suffers chronic blackouts and crumbling infrastructure because of graft, profiteering and mismanagement. Tens of thousands of students graduate each year with no hope of finding jobs.

This corrupt network is capable of killing Iraqis to survive, the same way Saddam killed Iraqis to stay in power. So, what has changed? al-Qazwini said, citing the crackdown on peaceful anti-government protests in 2019.

Today, Hassoun lives in the same house in Jadriyah, 200 meters (yards) from the Tigris River. Black and white photos of her husband adorn the walls.

Dina, her granddaughter who survived the bombing, is now an 18-year-old student of dentistry.

Hassoun wants the few thousand Americans still in Iraq to leave  a departure without a return, this time  because of what they did to her family.

But her neighbor Salman, like many other Iraqis, views the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan with concern, worried about a return of militant groups like the Islamic State.

America needs to fix things," he said. It cannot do to us what it did to Afghanistan, where it fought the Taliban for 20 years and then gave the country back to them.

___

Karam reported from Beirut.
The Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program has announced Linda Domino as the organizations new interim president of the Board of Directors, effective August 2021.

Gift of Life Executive Committee members appointed Domino to fill the position held by the late Nell Morris, who served as president of the board for almost 25 years.

Our hearts have been deeply saddened by the loss of our treasured president and beloved friend, Nell Morris, Gift of Life Executive Director Norma Sampson said in a statement. Certainly, no one can ever replace her, but Gift of Life is fortunate that Vice-President Linda Domino has agreed to serve and lead in this role.

Domino has a long history with Gift of Life, having served as chair of its principal fundraisers that included the Pink Shopping Card, Champagne & Ribs and the Julie Richardson Procter 5K Ribbon Run.

Her service earned her recognitions like the Gift of Lifes Volunteer of the Year Award, the Champion of Our Cause Award and a nomination as a Angel Among Us Honoree. During her more than 20-year tenure as the Gift of Life Board Vice-President, Dominos influence has enhanced the programs sustainability and expanded its regional endeavors.

I am honored to accept the interim position as President of this well-established and well-loved organization that has an extremely dedicated group of board members, supporters, volunteers and staff, Domino said. My goal in leading it is to build on its achievements that have impacted the lives of youth and adults for nearly 30 years.

The Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program was established in 1994 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Beaumont, and for nearly 30 years has been dedicated to the health and well-being of medically underserved Southeast Texas women and men who cannot afford health insurance or high deductibles.

The program has made available more than 41,000 free breast cancer screenings, 10,500 free prostate cancer screenings and has helped extend the lives of nearly 350 medically underserved individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Senior living community Calder Woods has named David Ummel as its new executive director, effective Sept. 7.

Ummel joins Buckner Retirement Services, the operator of Calder Woods, after 13 years working for Buckner Children and Family Services and Buckner church and ministry engagement.

Calder Woods previous executive director, Shane Gabis, stepped down in June 2021 to attend to family matters.

Prior to becoming the executive director at Calder Woods, Ummel worked as the Buckner church engagement officer overseeing Faith Fosters Texas, a state-wide initiative engaging the faith-based community with the child welfare system.

Ummels roles with Buckner Children and Family Services also included senior executive director for preservation programs, senior executive director of Northeast Texas, executive director of Longview and Tyler and ministry engagement director for Houston and Dallas. Before coming to Buckner in 2008, Ummel served as an associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Plano, Texas and held various church ministry leadership positions over a 15-year period.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

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BOSTON (AP)  Federal prosecutors are seeking an 11-year prison term for disgraced former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia following his May conviction on felony fraud and corruption charges.

In court documents filed Friday, prosecutors also called on a judge to order the once celebrated young mayor to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution to investors and more than $20,000 to the IRS, and forfeit more than $560,000.

Correia's lawyers haven't filed their sentencing memorandum and have declined to comment on the prosecutors' request. He's due to be sentenced Sept. 20.

The now-29-year-old was convicted on 21 counts, including extortion, wire fraud, and filing false tax returns. He's appealed.

Prosecutors argued that the judge's sentence needs to send a message not to just to Correia, but to others who might abuse their power in public office. They also argued that the former mayor is remorseless and without empathy for his victims" and has not accepted responsibility for his actions.

The betrayal of people who considered him like family, the pervasive lying, cheating, stealing, and blame-shifting, and the egregious breaches of the public trust must be met with a sentence that thoroughly repudiates the defendants abhorrent conduct and deters both this defendant and others like him from doing it again," prosecutors wrote.

Correia's criminal trial in Boston federal court highlighted his swift rise and fall. At age 23, he became mayor  portraying himself as a successful entrepreneur who could revive the struggling old mill city some 50 miles south of Boston.

Instead prosecutors said he stole money from investors in his start-up to bankroll a lavish lifestyle and solicited bribes from marijuana vendors. Correia insisted he was innocent and dismissed the charges as politically motivated.
BOUNTIFUL, Utah (AP)  Police in Utah say an Idaho man was arrested Sunday after he rammed a police car with his truck and tried to hit two other police vehicles while fleeing a hit-and-run crash.

Fifty-one-year-old Cory Adams of Shoshone was arrested by police and SWAT officers in a cul-de-sac in Bountiful, Utah, about 11 miles (18 kilometers) miles north of Salt Lake City, KUTV reported.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Palestinian militants launched a rocket into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Sunday night, the Israeli military said, adding that the rocket was intercepted.

The launch came at a time of heightened tensions following an escape by six Palestinian militants from an Israeli prison last week and lingering hostilities from an 11-day war last May.
BRIGHTON, Colo. (AP)  A man convicted of vehicular homicide for hitting a car during a Facebook livestream that showed him speeding on a Colorado highway has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The Adams County District Attorney's Office says 44-year-old Bryan Kirby was sentenced on Friday. A jury convicted Kirby in July; he was also convicted of reckless manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident causing death.
ANDOVER, Mass. (AP)  A New Hampshire man was killed and three others were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Massachusetts early Sunday morning, state police said.

The crash happened around 2 a.m. on Interstate 93 in Andover near the New Hampshire state line.
CHICAGO (AP)  One person died and five others including a teenage girl were injured in a shooting on Chicago's South Side, police said.

A group of people was walking toward their vehicles in the city's West Pullman neighborhood around 9:40 p.m. Saturday when someone inside another vehicle fired multiple rounds, striking the victims, according to police.
MARLBOROUGH, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut State Police said Sunday that they are investigating the abduction, assault and robbery of a 64-year-old woman in a business parking lot in Marlborough.

The woman had left the business and was getting into her vehicle when two men approached her and demanded money on Saturday evening, police said.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A special House committee working on drawing new districts based on the 2020 U.S. Census is crisscrossing South Carolina this week.

The House ad-hoc committee will hold four meetings, traveling from Rock Hill to Greenville to North Charleston and then to Bluffton. The committee has five Republicans and three Democrats.

Both the House committee and a similar Senate subcommittee which already held 10 hearings across the state will use the new 2020 U.S. Census data to draw maps for the 46 state Senate districts, 124 state House districts and seven U.S. House districts.

The meetings are being held before the new maps are drawn. Committee Chairman Jay Jordan said Thursday that the House is waiting for the final Census data at the end of the month to make sure it matches preliminary data released in August.

The two chambers usually dont alter the other chambers map. Both chambers will work together on the U.S. House map.

This weeks House hearings are Monday in Rock Hill at the Baxter M. Hood Center at York Technical College; Tuesday at the Greenville High School auditorium; Wednesday at the North Charleston City Hall; and Thursday at the Bluffton High School auditorium. All meetings start at 6 p.m.

Public input is indispensable to ensuring our districts best represent the people of South Carolina, Jordan said at the Thursday redistricting meeting in Florence. We truly are the house of the people. We want your input on specific issues or concerns in your communities, in your neighborhoods.

South Carolina added nearly 500,000 people from 2010 to 2020 to become the 23rd largest state in the U.S. with 5.1 million people, according to the Census.

Much of that growth was along the coast and the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina. Twenty-four of South Carolinas 46 counties lost population, mostly in rural areas.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkey is working with the U.N.s refugee agency to repatriate Syrians to their home country, the Turkish foreign minister said Sunday.

His comments are at odds with the UNHCRs overall policy towards returning migrants to Syria, a country that it still considers too dangerous to send refugees back to.

We are now receiving better support from the international community for the safe return and repatriation of refugees, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. We are working to repatriate refugees, especially in Syria, especially with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

Responding to those remarks, UNHCR spokesperson Selin Unal said only a political solution in Syria would allow people to return, adding that refugees should have the right to voluntarily return in safe and dignified conditions.

Turkey holds the worlds largest refugee population while Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq also hold significant numbers of Syrians.

Cavusoglu was speaking at a ceremony in the southern province of Antalya followed a visit to Turkey days earlier by UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, during which he met Cavusoglu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Grandi thanked Turkey for hosting 3.7 million Syrians and 330,000 other refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly Afghans.

Cavusoglu said the international community must work together to resolve migration.

Its not right to look at this from a security standpoint, he said. Its wrong to look at it in a racist and fascist way. On the other hand, if it is a social problem, it is necessary to evaluate it calmly together and find a solution by producing new policies.

In 2016, Turkey signed a deal with the European Union to keep Syrians from moving to Europe in return for funding after more than 1 million migrants from Syria and elsewhere entered the 27-nation bloc in 2015.

___

Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Bob Lessnau, the Audubon Zoos curator of animals, rode out Hurricane Ida with 35 staff members at the Uptown New Orleans institution. When the power went out, generators provided emergency electricity. It was a tense few hours, as the wind and rain roared past.

You just have to wait it out, with the anticipation and the anxiety that builds, Lessnau said.

Yet all the animals survived at both the zoo and at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the downtown riverfront  and one even gave birth during the storm. No reopening date has been set for either attraction.

Lessnau said the zoo animals were secured inside enclosures for Ida  or at least most were. At the height of the Aug. 29 hurricane, a Barasingha deer escaped through a collapsed fence. Lessnau said staff members set out to retrieve the animal, but it was too hazardous to be out in the elements.

After the wind eased, staff found the deer hunkered down in some brush. A native of Nepal, the creature is known as a swamp deer. So, Lessnau said, it is at home in south Louisiana conditions.

As staff surveyed the zoo grounds, they discovered downed trees and branches but little other conspicuous damage.

Lessnau said that one of the first priorities was to be sure that all of our code red dangerous animals were accounted for and secure. The designation includes everything from lions to rhinoceroses. After that, the crew examined the animals outdoor pens, which were intact.

Within 48 to 72 hours of Idas departure, Lessnau said, the animals were returned to their outdoor environments. Power was restored to the zoo relatively quickly, but theres been at least one mini-blackout since, he said.

Asked how the animals reacted to the storm, Lessnau said he thinks they have a perception of changes in their environments, but none of the creatures seemed to exhibit evidence of stress.

Theyve adapted to the New Orleans environment, he said. They probably do better than most people.

Lessnau was quick to thank the zoos animal keepers and maintenance workers, who set their private lives aside to ensure the safety of their wards. And all of this on top of a pandemic, he said. I applaud our staff for enduring during this challenging time.

At the aquarium, a 17-person emergency crew also weathered Hurricane Ida. The heavy winds caused minor damage to some windows surrounding the Amazon Exhibit, but otherwise the striking building survived, as did the collection of water creatures inside.

Though commercial power failed at the aquarium during the storm, as it did throughout southeast Louisiana, emergency generators compensated, sustaining the aquatic displays. We were extremely happy about how all of the systems worked, said Katie Smith, the Audubon Institutes vice president of marketing.

There was no loss that Im aware of, Smith said. On the contrary, a cownose ray gave birth Aug. 29 to a pup, which was  naturally  named Ida.

News of the survival of all the many species at the aquarium will be a particular relief to New Orleanians who recall the catastrophe that befell the attraction during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Circumstances in the flooded city forced the emergency staff to abandon the building, which resulted in the death of most of the collection.

To avoid the possibility of a similar occurrence, the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, a facility for propagating threatened animals, located on the west bank of New Orleans, shipped 24 cownose rays and one zebra shark to the Mississippi Aquarium and the Institute of Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport Mississippi. The management of the Survival Center evacuated the marine species on Sept. 3 because the facility was then operating on limited generator power in the aftermath of the Aug. 29 storm.

Evacuation is an emergency option in response to conditions after a hurricane, but the Audubon Institute does not transport animals away from the potential path of tropical weather. Storms can shift and we do not want to unnecessarily stress the animals in our care, Smith said. Staying at our facilities is the best option.

Smith said theres no timetable for reopening the zoo or aquarium to the public at this time. She predicts the aquarium will be ready to receive guests sooner than the zoo.
The front end of Kyle Weijaks car gets some air as he starts into a race on Aug. 1 during the Superior Classics Car Clubs drag racing event in Terrace Bay. Weijak was the winner of a best light competition, sponsored by Winters Racing and Tim Slyford.
A. Officials knew the mandates were coming for years; they should have phased in the increase.

B. There's no master plan to justify the millions extra they are collecting.

C. It's Save Our Waters Week; this shows officials care about the environment.

D. Vote them all out of office.

Vote

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Canada recovers 90,000 jobs in August Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey suggests Canada's economy is continuing on an upward trajectory. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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The number of people employed in Canada almost caught up to pre-pandemic levels in August, according to the newest Labour Force Survey.

Canadas employment rose by 90,000. These gains from August and the months prior brought Canadas employment up to just 156,000 employees short of February 2020 levels, which is the closest it has come to pre-pandemic levels.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Statistics Canadas data reflect labour market conditions during the week of August 15 to 21. By this time, most regions in Canada had rolled back public health measures to near-final stages. Plus, the border had opened up to fully vaccinated tourists from the U.S. For the first time since March 2020, the tourism industry could expand to potential clientele from the States.

Employment increases were mainly in services-producing industries, mostly in accommodation and food services. The information, culture and recreation industry also saw significant gains. The number of people working in construction increased for the first time since this past March.

Employment was up in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. All other provinces had little or no change.

Unemployment was at its lowest rate since the onset of the pandemic at 7.1 per cent, though the rate for visible minorities was little changed for the second month in a row.

Long-term unemployment dropped almost 7 per cent in August, but still remained 120 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.

Very recent immigrants continue to see up-trending employment rate

Immigrants who landed in Canada within the past five years continued to see an upward trend in employment to nearly 70 per cent, more than six percentage points higher than August 2019. Part of the reason for this is due to the reduced number of new immigrants admitted in 2020.

Those who have been in Canada for more than five years had an employment rate of nearly 59 per cent, down one and a half percentage points year over year. The Canadian-born population had an employment rate of more than 61 per cent, down more than two percentage points from pre-COVID levels.

Employment of visible minorities

In August, the employment rate increased almost five percentage points among Filipino Canadians to about 78 per cent.

Employment for Black Canadians was down about four percentage points to nearly 72 per cent. White Canadians were employed at a rate of almost 71 per cent, little changed from the month before.

Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Deported from the USA. Can I come to Canada? A U.S. deportation will likely affect your ability to enter Canada.

Deported from the USA. Can I come to Canada? A U.S. deportation will likely affect your ability to enter Canada.

Deported from the USA. Can I come to Canada? A U.S. deportation will likely affect your ability to enter Canada. Matt Hendler Michael Schwartz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Canada and the United States share security information at all ports of entry. This can include criminal and immigration records, even from long ago.

This means that when a person tries to enter Canada from the United States, Canadian border agents have access to all prior U.S. removal or deportation orders. Essentially, if you have been previously deported from the United States, Canadian officials will knowand know whyand may deny you entry to Canada.

Contact a criminality expert at the Law Firm of Campbell Cohen

A record of being deported from the USAor any other countrycan negatively impact all Canadian immigration applications. This is the case whether you want to come to Canada to work, study, or live. Both temporary and permanent stays are affected including those to work, study or reside. For this reason, it is important to understand how a removal order from the U.S. and other countries can affect your ability to enter Canada.

The American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency reports that in 2020, it conducted over 103,000 administrative arrests. In that same period, it also removed over 185,000 people from the United States. Many of those who have been deported show interest in Canada as a new place to settle. Before doing so, it is important to understand the steps to take to ensure you can enter Canada freely.

Are you looking for a way to overcome inadmissibility to Canada because of a foreign deportation?

If you have been deported from the US or another foreign country, you are considered criminally inadmissible to Canada.

To overcome this status, you will require permanent clearance from a Canadian consulate by applying for criminal rehabilitation. This is a status the Canadian government can provide in order to resolve inadmissibility. It lasts permanentlyas long as the person does not re-offendand allows indefinite travel in and out of Canada.

Eligibility will depend on things like how the kind of crime and sentence imposed and how much time as passed since sentence completion. Being criminally rehabilitated can ease any worry about being turned away at the border.

If you were deported from the U.S. because of a criminal conviction, and if it has been more than five years since completing your sentence, you are likely eligible to apply for Canadian criminal rehabilitation. This application is handled by a Canadian consulate. The process is quite thorough, as you must prove that you are posing no risk to Canada or its citizens.

The most important consideration in criminal rehabilitation is establishing the equivalent offence in Canada. For example, Canada considers some criminal acts as less severe, whereas it treats others as serious criminality. Any crime for which the maximum sentence is ten years or more is considered a serious crime. As of 2018, driving under the influence (DUI) carries with it a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. This means that since that point, a DUI conviction is considered serious criminality.

If a criminal record translates to serious criminality, a traveler will face further issues. These include additional scrutiny, longer processing times, and higher application costs ($1,000 CAD) from the Canadian government. The processing fee for non-serious criminality is $200 CAD. Once the application has been prepared and submitted, the standard processing time is approximately 12 months.

Contact a criminality expert at the Law Firm of Campbell Cohen

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Discover your Canadian immigration options at CanadaVisa.com.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds light and variable.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 70F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds light and variable.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12)  Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said that the Office of the Ombudsmans stand not to release the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of any public official would only add to the publics mistrust.

The mere fact na tinatago o di mo mine-make available, dinagdagan mo lang yung mistrust ng tao, she said in her radio show.

[Translation: The mere fact that you are hiding or you are not making it available, you are just adding to the publics mistrust.]

Robredo made the statement after Ombudsman Samuel Martires earlier proposed that anyone who would publicly comment on a government officials SALN must be imprisoned for five years, noting that these public documents could be used to destroy ones reputation.

Martires added that he will not yield to public opinion to release the SALN of any public official.

Diba yung Ombudsman siya yung magi-imbestiga ng lahat ng implicated sa corruption. Pero ngayon ang role niya tuloy, siya yung ngipin ng administration para balikan yung mga nagki-criticize sa pamahalaan, said Robredo.

[Translation: The Ombudsman should be the one to investigate anyone who is complicated in corruption. But right now, his role now is the teeth of the administration to get back on those who criticize the government.]

The Ombudsman also recently denied a lawyers request for copies of President Rodrigo Dutertes SALN.

Malacanang earlier said it is up to the Ombudsman to release the SALN of President Rodrigo Duterte. The President last released his SALN in 2017, wherein he declared a net worth of 28.5 million.

Kung public official ka na walang tinatago, wala namang problema na ikaw mismo ang maglabas, said Robredo.

[Translation: If you are a public official who is not hiding anything, theres no problem if you yourself would release your SALN.]

Listen to contrary opinion

Meanwhile, Robredo also called out Presidential Harry Roques misplaced outburst against doctors who worry about the governments plan to ease quarantine restrictions.

Kaya nga may IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force], para mapakinggan lahat. Kung hindi ka agree, okay naman na sabihin mo na di ka-agree. Pero wala kang mam-bully or mambastos, she said.

[Translation: The IATF is an avenue for everyone to be heard. If you dont agree, you can just say that you disagree. But you dont have the right to bully or disrespect anyone.]

Robredo pointed out that the administration should listen to suggestions and opinions of other sectors.

Karapatan nila na sabihin kung ano yung nasa loob nila....Kung ayaw mo makinig ng contrary opinion ay wag ka na pumunta dun [IATF], she added.

[Translation: They have the right to express their feelings...If you dont want to listen to a contrary opinion, then dont attend the meeting.]

Dapat sana bukas sa contrary opinion para nahahanapan ng solusyon.

[Translation: They should be open to contrary opinion so we can find a solution.]

Roque has since apologized for his outburst.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12)  Senator Nancy Binay has pointed out the proposed 5.024-trillion 2022 budgets lack of allocations for contact tracing that can help contain the spread of COVID-19.

In a statement on Sunday, the senator lambasted what she called a lack of funds earmarked specifically to combat the coronavirus pandemic next year, claiming that both the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) "have no systematic plans or even the slightest effort to kickstart or scale up contact tracing."

"Ang mindset when the budget was made, there would still be COVID next year. Bakit walang nagtanong sa DILG? Bakit walang budget for contact tracing?" she said in the statement.

"We understand the challenges, but there's a mounting necessity to scale up our contact tracing capacities. Napaka-crucial ng contact tracing, especially as infections of new Covid variants keep rising. Yung 2022 budget mismo hindi compliant sa Covid response," Binay added.

[Translation: The mindset, when the budget was made, was there would still be COVID next year. Why did no one ask DILG? Why was there no budget for contact tracing? The contact tracing is very crucial especially as infections of new Covid variants keep rising. The 2022 budget itself is not compliant with COVID response.]

Under the National Expenditure Plan, the DILG may secure 248 billion for its operations in 2022.

During the House of Representatives' Committee on Appropriations hearing on the budget last week, DILG chief Eduardo Ano said the agency may need an additional budget of 6.7 billion to finance the country's contact tracing efforts.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 12)  Supporters of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will push through with their movement's launch on Monday, "unfazed" by her recent pronouncement that she has no interest in running for the presidency in 2022.

In a statement on Sunday, organizers said the Hugpong Para kay Sara (HPS) will be officially launched tomorrow, where they claim over 10,000 new supporters from the Philippines, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States will pledge their support and urge Mayor Sara to reconsider her decision.

"We will proceed with the HPS launching in spite of the recent pronouncement of Mayor Sara that she will not run for president because we still believe she is the most qualified to lead our nation for the next six years, Bagong Henerasyon partylist representative and HPS spokesperson Bernadette Herrera said.

The group said while it respects her recent statement, it still hopes that "Mayor Indays heart for the Filipino people will ultimately prevail."

Last week, Mayor Sara said she will not seek a national position after her father President Rodrigo Duterte accepted the endorsement of a faction within the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan to be its vice-presidential candidate, with Sen. Bong Go as its presidential bet, in the 2022 polls.

READ: Sara Duterte says she won't run for president after her father officially accepts VP nomination

President Duterte earlier said he will step aside if his daughter, a frontrunner in most election surveys, decides to run.

The filing of the certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections will begin in October.
IDAHO

US to bolster firefighter ranks as wildfires burn year-round

BOISE  U.S. wildfire managers have started shifting from seasonal to full-time firefighting crews to deal with what has become a year-round wildfire season as climate change has made the American West warmer and drier. The crews also could remove brush and other hazardous fuels when not battling blazes.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management said on Sept. 2 that it's adding 76 firefighters and support personnel to its 3,400-person firefighting workforce.

Additionally, 428 firefighters will change from part-time seasonal work to either full-time seasonal or permanent work with health and retirement benefits. Ultimately, the agency wants about 80% of its firefighters on permanently. The rest would be seasonal, many of whom are college students who return to class in the fall.

It comes as climate change is making weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive, scientists say. A historic drought and heat waves have made wildfires harder to fight in the West.

The land agency received $13 million in its 2021 budget for workforce transformation that is being used to add the 76 firefighters. The U.S. Interior Department, which oversees the Bureau of Land Management, received $29 million overall to carry out a plan for transforming its firefighting workforce.

So far this year, more than 42,500 wildfires have scorched 7,850 square miles, the center said. To date, the area burned this year is slightly under the 10-year average.

The U.S. Forest Service also has firefighters, and city and state employees fight wildfires. Federal agencies have other workers whose primary job isn't fighting wildfires but who can choose to help out by qualifying for some aspect of firefighting.

Health officials enact crisis standards amid COVID surge

BOISE  Idaho public health leaders activated "crisis standards of care" for the state's northern hospitals because there are more coronavirus patients than the institutions can handle.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare quietly enacted the move on Sept. 6 and publicly announced it in a statement the next morning  warning residents that they may not get the care they would normally expect if they need to be hospitalized.

It came as the state's confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed in recent weeks. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.

The agency cited "a severe shortage of staffing and available beds in the northern area of the state caused by a massive increase in patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalization."

The designation includes 10 hospitals and healthcare systems in the Idaho panhandle and in north-central Idaho. The agency said its goal is to extend care to as many patients as possible and to save as many lives as possible.

The move allows hospitals to allot scarce resources like intensive care unit rooms to patients most likely to survive.

Other patients will still receive care, but they may be placed in hospital classrooms or conference rooms rather than traditional hospital rooms or go without some life-saving medical equipment.

The designation will remain in effect until there are enough resources  including staffing, hospital beds and equipment or a drop in the number of patients  to provide normal levels of treatment to all.

More than 500 people were hospitalized statewide with COVID-19 on Sept. 1  the most recent data available on the Department of Health and Welfare's website  and more than a third of them were in intensive care unit beds.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little called the move to limit care "an unprecedented and unwanted point in the history of our state" and urged residents to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

NEW MEXICO

State flush with cash as revenues climb, oil recovers

ALBUQUERQUE  New Mexico is flush with cash due to a quick recovery of oil and gas markets and higher than expected gross receipts tax revenues as consumers spend federal stimulus checks and tap into other recovery aid, state finance officials and legislative analysts said.

The officials briefed a key panel of state lawmakers on Aug. 27. They said while revenues are expected to hit record levels for the next fiscal year, the pandemic remains a risk factor that still has the potential to derail economic recovery if cases continue to surge or shutdowns are imposed again.

While widespread shutdowns are not likely, the forecast shows what analysts described as a significant upward revision in recurring revenues for the current fiscal year  an increase of more than $632 million from estimates made just six months ago. Nearly $1.4 billion in new money is expected for the 2023 fiscal year, marking growth of nearly 19%.

Some lawmakers warned that the federal recovery aid won't be around forever and urged fellow members of the Legislative Finance Committee to continue building up the state's reserves.

As for the contributions of oil and gas, Dawn Iglesias, the committee's chief economist, noted that New Mexico is now the second largest producer in the U.S. and is the only top producing state so far to have recovered to above pre-pandemic production levels.

New Mexico in April reached a record level of oil production with more than 1.2 million barrels a day. Natural gas production hit a record of 6.5 billion cubic feet of gas a day in May.

Balloon fiesta taking steps to combat pandemic

ALBUQUERQUE  Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta officials say they're canceling some parts of the event and will require guests to wear masks to enter the grounds and while in indoor areas and crowded outdoor settings to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Fiesta spokesman Tom Garrity said on Sept. 1 he didn't believe that face mask requirements and other safety practices would affect attendance numbers for the Oct. 2-10 event.

The music fiesta is being canceled this year due to close proximity of guests and the discovery center is being shelved because of its indoor nature featuring activities with multiple touchpoints, officials said.

Other steps being taken include providing cashless options to buy tickets, moving hospitality seating outdoors and increasing spacing between popular special-shape balloons inside the park, officials said.

The changes track federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations and at public health order issued by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, officials said.

NAVAJO NATION

23 homes finally getting wired for electricity

TONALEA, Ariz.  Tribal President Jonathan Nez has finalized a subgrant agreement between the Navajo Nation and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to extend power lines to homes in the community of Tonalea, providing long-awaited electricity to at least 23 families.

Several Tonalea residents scheduled to receive electricity attended the Sept. 4 signing of the agreement for the 23 homes located in the former Bennett Freeze area.

Selena Slim said she has lived in Tonalea her entire life without electricity and spends $75 on a regular basis to purchase gasoline for her generator to provide electric power for her home.

Slim recalled when schools switched to virtual learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she had to pay even more money for gasoline to provide internet service for her children to complete online instruction.

At the signing, Nez spoke about the importance of building and improving the tribe's infrastructure to provide long-term benefits for communities and families.

The tribe's reservation is the country's largest at 27,000 square miles and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
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Javathinker.org scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 20 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the javathinker homepage on Twitter + the total number of javathinker followers (if javathinker has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the javathinker homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the javathinker homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if javathinker has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the javathinker homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the javathinker homepage on Delicious.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE JavaThinker.orgJava DESCRIPTION JavaSchool,Java,Java,Java Java,SCJD ,SCJP, SCWD,SCJA, SL275,SL285,SL314,SL425,MVC,BrokerTool jsp,servlet,j2ee,ejb,jdbc,swing, KEYWORDS JavaThinker, Java, Hibernate, Tomcat, Struts, Java Web Java, Java, SCJD, SCJP, SCWD, SCJA, SL275, SL285, SL314, SL425, Download, jsp, servlet, j2ee, ejb, jdbc, swing, MVC, BrokerTool OTHER KEYWORDS java, hibernate, java java, struts, java, hibernate hibernate, java hibernate



The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE Chinese (Simplified, China) GB2312Chinese (Simplified, China) DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Apache/2.0.59 (Win32) mod_jk/1.2.37 Resin/3.0.18 PHP/5.2.17 OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Operative System running on the server. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of javathinker.org as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for javathinker.org by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
100%

Website mulugu.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery, Boostrap and Php. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 162633 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 51661 bytes (50.45 kb uncompressed) and 8619 bytes (8.42 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-09-12, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
Ostrowczanie.pl scored 42 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team

This CoolSocial report was updated on 14 Mar 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.

This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the ostrowczanie homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if ostrowczanie has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the ostrowczanie homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the ostrowczanie homepage on Twitter + the total number of ostrowczanie followers (if ostrowczanie has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the ostrowczanie homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the ostrowczanie homepage on StumbleUpon.

Basic Information

PAGE TITLE Forum Ostrowca Swietokrzyskiego :: Strona Gowna DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS ostatni post, ostatni, moderator, moderator move, forum, posty, tematy



The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The title found in the head section of the homepage.

Domain and Server

DOCTYPE HTML 4.01 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE ISO-8859-2 DETECTED LANGUAGE Polish Polish SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux

Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. The language of ostrowczanie.pl as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Character set and language of the site.

Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for ostrowczanie.pl by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

Facebook link

FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND

A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The type of Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The URL of the found Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users.

Twitter account link

TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND
It was April Fools' Day 1971, and Tom Moore wanted to screw with his fellow Texas legislators. So he introduced a resolution to honor one "Albert DeSalvo"the man who, though Moore didn't explicitly mention it, had confessed to strangling 13 different women in Boston.

Resolutions honoring people are just about the most routine (and arguably pointless) thing lawmakers do. Outside of the occasional controversial honoree chosen for partisan reasons, these are people who did good stuff that we all like. And in his proposal, Moore listed several vague facts about DeSalvo that made him sound respectable enough.

DeSalvo had "enabled the weak and the lonely throughout the nation to achieve and maintain a new degree of concern for their future," said Moore (because he made the vulnerable fear for their lives, but Moore didn't mention that). DeSalvo had "been officially recognized by the state of Massachusetts" (i.e., had been convicted and sentenced to life in prison) for "his noted activities and unconventional techniques involving population control and applied psychology" (i.e., killing and terrorizing people).

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The legislature approved the resolution, unanimously. In their defense, the name "Albert DeSalvo" was not quite as well known as his nickname, The Boston Strangler. On the other hand, the man's killings had ended just a few years earlier, so his name must have been better known then than it is now. The equivalent today, perhaps, would be lawmakers voting to honor Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the Boston Bomber.

Afterward, the press said this stunt aimed to prove that lawmakers pay no attention to the bills they vote on. Moore said it hadn'the just did it for the laughs. But just because he didn't mean it that way doesn't mean it's not true.

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For other political pranks, check out:

5 Killer Pranks That Prove Politicians Have A Sense Of Humor

Susanna Salter Was The First American Woman Elected To Office (As A Joke)

Bosco The Pro-Democracy Lab-Rottweiler Mix

Top image: Daniel Mayer
I find it ironic that I was born on Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, fifteen years after it occurred, and later witnessed what happened at the World Trade Center 45 years later from an office building not far away.

If Pearl Harbor was my alpha, I vowed that the World Trade Tower attacks would not be my omega. It was not an easy road for me. I defy any eyewitness to say they did not suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Thanks to ordinary people, most of us who survived made it through the other side.

It started as a typical day. A rush to the train to take the trip to Grand Central Station, and then the subway ride on the No. 4 or 5 train to Wall Street. The sky was blue and the air was fresh. I was scheming to leave work a little early so I could get to the beach for a walk before the sun set. I had just started at a law firm on the 57th floor of the Chase Building as an associate, having gotten my law degree a year before. I was late to the law profession, but finally landed a job in the city. Leaving work early was not going to be easy.

I managed to get a seat on the subway at Grand Central and began the trek downtown. The subway was slower than usual, so I didnt get to Wall Street until 8:46 a.m., just after the first plane hit the North Tower. Oblivious, I exited the subway station to the sight of black smoke powering down onto the street. Thinking the building over the subway station was on fire, I rushed across the street. Papers were streaming from the sky. I thought it odd that memos and files were falling around me. I looked down and saw a plane ticket, which puzzled me.

I could see an angry black hole in the North Tower. The streets were filled with people. As I crossed to Liberty Place a fireman held back the crowd so a fire truck could pass. I still remember the faces of the men hanging off the truck as they raced toward the building. Their truck was later found in the debris. My mind has blocked out other things I saw, though images sometimes push through.

All of us thought the plane strike was an accident. I helped a woman who had been in Deutsche Bank and wanted to get through to her husband to tell her she was OK. My cell phone worked (one of the few that did). But I told her to come to my office so she could call from there. We arrived at 9 a.m. We could see the towers from my office and watched as she called her husband. At 9:02 a.m. I saw a large, gray plane fly down the river, bank left, and aim directly for the South Tower. It leveled off, and I could hear it throttle down before it slammed into the South Tower. I could see silhouettes of people sitting in their seats on the plane before the impact.

I grabbed my briefcase and left. I could have taken the elevator but decided not to, in case another plane was heading for our building. I walked the 57 stories to street level (no easy task). It was pandemonium.

I decided I should not hang around that area and started the long walk to Grand Central. The decision probably saved my life, as the South Tower fell when I got to the City Hall area. I ran as fast as I could ahead of the plume of dust and debris billowing through the area. I did not look back as I continued uptown.

Silence followed as I walked toward Grand Central, which was closed due to fears of bombs in the station. I continued walking, until I flagged down an express bus to the Bronx. I called my parents to tell them I was OK and I would be in the Bronx. I made it home later that day physically unscathed, but mentally bruised.

In the days and months and even years to follow I suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. I did not speak of that day and cried myself to sleep every night for months. I had to go back to work three days later. The sights, sounds and smell remain with me 20 years later. To say going to work in a war zone is unnerving is an understatement. Instead of my usual Wall Street subway stop I took the subway to Fulton Street and walked the rest of the way on a route where I would not see the pile. It did not shelter me from the soldiers with semi-automatic weapons and the smoldering rubble that remained for weeks. For the remainder of my time at the law firm, my office shades remained closed as I could not look out the window to where the World Trade towers once stood.

I was lucky to have a family that was patient and I was able to emerge from the darkness, vowing to make a difference in my town. I left the law firm in New York and ventured out on my own. The events of Sept. 11 have led me on a journey of public service  first as an elected volunteer on Greenwichs Representative Town Meeting and now as an elected volunteer on the Board of Estimate and Taxation. I have performed countless hours of pro bono legal services for those who are mentally ill and find themselves in the court system, and have counseled those who find themselves unable to help themselves and face conservatorships.

Every Sept. 11 I watch the ceremony at the former World Trade site and listen to the names of each person who perished. This year will not be any different. I witnessed their murders and feel it is my duty to make sure that they are remembered by me for as long as I am blessed to be on this Earth. I have not yet been able to go to any public ceremonies. The memory is still too raw, even after 20 years, for me to be in public. But I carry the weight of that day and the weight of what I saw every day since. I did not know the people who died, but they are a part of me and shall be so forever. I will never forget them. We all should never forget them.

Karen Fassuliotis is chair of the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation.
Who among us doesnt remember our first day of college?

Whether it be move-in day and coming to terms with your roommates questionable eye for interior design, waltzing on to a glorious, sprawling campus after finding a space on your third try among the commuter lots, or simply grabbing a seat in your first class at college or technical school  we all do.

For some its a nightmare, and others freedom. And sometimes that nightmare turns into freedom and, yes, that freedom can oftentimes become nightmare. You just wont know until that first semester is under your belt. Making the call that its not working, six weeks in is as foolhardy, as it can be commonplace.

For me it was community college. As a child of the 80s it was a no-brainer for me to take that much-ballyhooed limbo year  that year after high school being one of alleged soul-searching and travel. I say it was a no-brainer largely due to the fact that every college I had applied to rejected me. Every. Last. One. It rendered limbo year as necessary as it ultimately wound up being welcomed.

Especially in hindsight.

I spent some of it in Orange County, Calif., where my sister was attending then-Chapman College (now, over 35 years later, known as Chapman University). What began as me crashing for a bit led to signing up for a few classes at Fullerton JC (Junior College), and I liked the taste. Very much so. The bouncing from couch to couch, from concert to concert, temp job to temp job, and girlfriend to girlfriend, was fun, but I knew more education was in the cards. I just didnt know community college was a gateway into the very schools that had rejected me.

So back to Connecticut it was eventually, and to South Central Community College in New Haven (now - coincidentally enough - known as Gateway!). At the time housed in the building right next door to where the New Haven Register stood for many years (now Jordans), South Central scratched my every itch. And, boy, do I remember that first day.

It helped that my first class, right outta the gate, was Creative Writing. I think this is key for a lot of kids, especially latch ones of my generation (as in latchkey kids): In that first semester having a class that speaks directly to what youre all about. Or, at the very least, what you think youre all about at the time.

The class was taught by a Franz Douskey, who still teaches at the school to this day. Here was a guy who would also go on to teach Creative Writing at Yale University, but I was getting what he gave at South Central in 1987. That first class was everything I wanted and needed and even dreamt it would be. A professor sitting on the edge of his desk, asking everyone who their favorite authors were and why. Sparking debate. Seeing who could recall stanzas, if only to prove they werent full of it when saying Bukowski.

Many, many years later Id find out hed had a longtime relationship with that revered, irreverent scribe, and with Raymond Carver and  to a degree  even J.D. Salinger. Duke  as he is known  remains a New Haven institution still teaching in New Haven. When he gifted me with an Excellence in Creative Writing Award on May 28, 1987, it was not only a proud achievement and a sorely needed pat on the back, but also a justification for a nomadic year.

I was now neatly on my path.

My daughters first day of college just took place. Attending Southern Connecticut State University (for the record, one of the first rejection letters dear old dad had received), hers comes on the heels of feeling like she had two limbo years, but didnt exactly choose either of them. The pandemic saw to it that many a kids education came to a standstill, if only to slowly pick back up and clumsily take a new form.

She was accepted everywhere she applied but chose SCSU for a variety of reasons, all of them spot-on. She was as ready for that first day and for that first class just as I was when I had attended mine, way back when. But for incredibly different reasons. Her hiatus had been unplanned and unwelcome.

Still, she came home from her first day raving about the conversation that took place within the confines of that classroom, the exchanges with other students (from some town I never heard of with a weird name like Higganum) about all of the things that speak to her and, ostensibly, to each and every one of them. She was galvanized. I saw it. I recognized it.

She even said the professor sitting on the edge of the desk thing. Hes just no Duke.
LANDRUM, S.C. (AP)  Becki Plumer said she and her husband, Tommy, were afraid of the unknown when their son, Jack, was first diagnosed with autism at age six.

Now at 15, his self confidence has risen and he can read  something the Plumers never thought he would be able to do  thanks to a school designed to help autistic students throughout the Upstate.

Project HOPE is in its 25th year, starting as a small preschool with less than 10 students and growing into nine campuses across four counties (Anderson, Greenwood, Landrum, Pendleton, Spartanburg, and two campuses in both Greenville and Woodruff)  offering services for all ages from preschool to adults and across the autism spectrum.

We knew then we needed some kind of specialized care for Jack, Becki Plumer said. A family friend told us about HOPE, and at the time it was smaller. ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy) has been vital in his growth and development.

For Yolanda Holmes, HOPE has given her and her son, Khalen, faith and strength.

Khalen was diagnosed at one-and-a-half years old and is 12 now. Ever since he started attending the school, he has calmed down a lot, she said.

Khalen is doing well academically and its amazing to see his life skills progress too, said Holmes. Hes able to hold a conversation, something like heating up food in a microwave or fixing himself a sandwich, the little things that others may take for granted, I am very appreciated of.

WHAT IS THE PROJECT HOPE FOUNDATION?

Project HOPE Foundation Co-Founders and Co-Executive Directors Lisa Lane and Susan Sachs met while seeking services for their young sons in the late 90s, when autism therapies and services were practically non-existent. They couldnt find what they needed, so they created their vision of a school together.

Lane and Sachs have devoted their lives to helping people with autism, giving hundreds of people across the Upstate access to the life-changing autism therapies they desperately need.

Sachs said, Seeing individuals who otherwise wouldnt have had a future now have one, is among the top accomplishments the co-founder is proud of.

Lane said in some ways they would hope one day they wouldnt have a business because that would mean students with autism continue to thrive and not need them anymore, but because we are needed, we are always looking at whats next to be done and trying to meet those needs.

Not everyone is the same, Sachs said. Every year is a different year and every year is a different journey.

HOPE was designed for students with autism who dont thrive in a normal classroom setting. They offer one-on-one time with licensed therapists as well.

Here, when these students have a hard day, we have the resources to help them work through it. Other schools may not have the resources and training to handle challenging behaviors, said Sachs.

And communication is the top priority, as around 40 percent of students with autism are non-verbal, according to Lane.

They dont have the ability to communicate, she said. They have to learn to learn.

The school also leans on the best practice of ABA Therapy, which is helpful in decreasing aggressive behavior and building skills to replace problem behavior, said Lane.

Because of the demand, Sachs said that there is currently a waitlist to attend HOPE, and the school had to adjust because of COVID-19.

We are somewhat limited on the number of students we can have during COVID, she said. Our biggest challenge right now is staff.

We went quickly into in-home sessions, Lane added. We just couldnt stop, as students would have regressed too much.

Lane said they are fortunate for being able to create this HOPE family. The staff and the parents, we all care about the same things.

I feel like we have changed the trajectories for hundreds of lives, Sachs added. Because we had a service that worked.

HOW PROJECT HOPE PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES

Along with the instruction, the Plumers said HOPE has also been supportive of them if they have issues with Jack at home.

They help us through therapy sessions and have changed our lives for the better, Becki Plumer added. They have helped us tremendously.

We are so grateful for them, Tommy Plumer added. The fact that they handle everything: Jacks education, therapy, and life skills has been a huge burden taken off our family, and thats what they do for us every day.

Holmes agreed with the Plumers in that HOPE is supportive of not only the students with autism but parents as well.

They have webinar trainings for parents that are helpful, Holmes said. I know other parents, and its good to have others who share a common bond like we have..

Holmes said her son used to run away a lot and thats another thing HOPE has been able to help him through.

Khalen was so fast and would be out the door running away, Holmes said. It eases my mind that the therapists there have really helped him with that, because before I was scared to leave him. Now, I feel like I can go to work and be at peace knowing he is in a safe place and doesnt run anymore.

Above all, both families agree that through HOPE, they are able to share experiences they otherwise thought wouldnt be possible.

I dont think Lisa and Susan knew what they started 25 years ago, but it has truly made a difference, Becki Plumer said. Him (Jack) being able to perceive things around him and seeing his excitement when he comes home after school is something we never thought we would be able to experience.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa was slow to get behind a $1 trillion infrastructure bill after the Senate passed it last month. It wasn't the price tag that tripped up the Democrat from a swing House district. It was that none of the money was targeted for a home state industry  ethanol and biodiesel.

Axne set out to fix that. In the weeks since, she won assurances from congressional leaders that a separate multitrillion-dollar budget blueprint would include money for the renewable fuels. She's now on board.

Her biofuels bargain underscores the political strategy embedded in the negotiations over massive new federal spending.

While Democrats have set out to pass ambitious bills with historic expansions of the social safety net and long-sought new programs, that's not how many politically vulnerable Democrats such as Axne are selling them at home. For them, Washington's spending boom has become a chance to deliver the goods  and win headlines and perhaps bipartisan support in their districts.

If she wants to get elected next time, this is her political bread and butter, Ray Gaesser, a Republican farmer in Axnes district and past candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture, said about her work to secure money for biofuels. For my part, I appreciate her approach."

Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota has taken a similar tack.

Craig, whose district includes vast tracts of farmland southeast of the Twin Cities, is promoting her role securing $2.5 billion for farmers and rural small businesses to convert to renewable energy sources and high efficiency equipment as a financial incentive to meet higher environmental standards.

She tweeted on Friday that she was thrilled that this long-time priority of mine would be supporting family farmers and driving investment across rural America.

In Virginia, Rep. Abigail Spanberger said she is chiefly focused on a measure to exempt her districts small-scale farmers and foresters from an increase in the estate tax which President Joe Biden has proposed to help pay for the $3.5 trillion bill.

Though Spanbergers constituents are concentrated in suburban Richmond, the district stretches north and south across the rolling, agricultural Piedmont and its many dairy, vegetable and cattle farms and private forestland.

Ive been very focused on making sure were protecting small family farmers and foresters, certainly across central Virginia, Spanberger told The Associated Press.

The lawmakers' efforts are aimed at assisting rural America, where Democrats have steadily lost votes over the past decade. The party is clear-eyed about needing to at least trim its losses in those areas, if they are to hold the congressional seats  and control of the House in 2022.

Democrats currently have a mere eight-seat majority. Republicans are targeting roughly 30 House seats where Democrats won by fewer than 10 percentage points in 2020. Axne, Spanberger and Craig each won by no more than 2 percentage points.

Theres been a very deliberate effort to think about those provisions in ways that would be beneficial to rural communities, said Democratic pollster Geoff Garin who is advising the party on the budget package.

Republicans argue that the size of the spending bill will turn off rural voters in key districts, not attract support.

Rural voters are incredibly concerned about the reckless spending and massive tax hikes that will be included in Democrats reconciliation bill," said Mike Berg, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "If Democrats think these voters concerns will be mollified by a few kickbacks from the federal government, they are sorely mistaken.

The trillion-dollar infrastructure bill  a plan for roads, bridges, public transit and broadband internet  passed the Democratic-controlled Senate with bipartisan support last month. The House is expected the pass the bill, but its success is tied to progress on the $3.5 trillion budget bill that includes extended child tax credits, expanded Medicare coverage, tuition-free community college, and other social and environmental programs.

Pelosi has set the ambitious goal of passing it by Oct. 1.

Axne announced on Wednesday that the draft of the House budget bill would include $1 billion to expand retail availability of ethanol and biodiesel around the country. Iowa leads the nation producing ethanol, a corn-based fuel additive, and biodiesel, commonly made from soybeans. The amount is double what Axne sought in a bill she had introduced in the House Agriculture Committee this year.

The grants are expected to increase demand for the fuels nationally, spur output in Iowa's 42 ethanol plants and biodiesel refineries, as well as boost the price of corn and soybeans for the farmers who supply them, according to Iowa renewable fuels advocates.

It impacts the price of soybeans by more than a dollar a bushel. Thats a lot of money," said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and a past Republican candidate for Congress. For ethanol youre looking at an extra $400 to $500 million for farmers in Iowa, because the price of corn is higher."

On top of that, for the fraction of the cost of the overall bill, the measure would immediately accelerate cutting carbon emissions, a priority of Biden's plan, Axne said.

There's no way that were going to have everybody driving electric vehicles overnight," Axne said in a recent AP interview. So why the heck are we not, if our goal is to impact climate in a positive way, blending more biofuels now so we can automatically lower greenhouse gases?"

It's also a relatively small price for a House seat critical to Democrats' chances at holding the majority.

Axne holds the distinction of winning by the smallest margin  1.4 percentage points  of any Democrat in a district carried by Republican Donald Trump last year.

Last year, the former state government administrator and small business owner from suburban Des Moines won Polk County, home to Des Moines and most of its suburbs, but lost the district's other 15 counties.

Like Spanbergers advocacy for rural Virginians, Axnes emphasis on an economic priority in the GOP-leaning geographic majority of her district could trim her losses in rural Iowa next year.

There will be other factors, of course. Biden's overall approval rating, now down after criticism for the chaotic recent U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and surging COVID-19 cases, is likely to play a major role. And any number of factors will emerge before an election still almost 17 months away.

Still, Axne's first-step success is a good sign for her, said Shaw, the Republican renewable fuels advocate.

I hate to ever say one thing makes or breaks somebody. But there are times when you have a chance to make a difference and thats where the rubber meets the road," he said. Ultimately, we need folks who can deliver."
Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy after midnight. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Robert Wendell Glover, 81, of Dalton, Georgia passed away on September, 13th 2021 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years Patricia Lee McKaig Glover. Robert loved his family and Country and proudly served in the United States Air Force. Born 
Ashland, KY (41101)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

Thunderstorms with locally heavy downpours. A few storms may be severe. High near 85F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. A few storms may be severe. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Blair James (pictured) has built a multi-million dollar beauty empire after creating the world's top-selling self-tanning brand

A man who lost both his parents by the age of 23 has built a multi-million dollar beauty empire after creating the world's top-selling self-tanning brand.

Entrepreneur Blair James, who's the co-founder of Australia's most-loved tanning brand Bondi Sands, launched Growth Bomb in the midst of the pandemic.

Within six months of hitting chemists' shelves, the brand made an incredible $10million in sales, with one product now sold every two minutes.

But his journey to success didn't come easy for the 41-year-old self-made businessman as he spoke about his extraordinary rise to the top.

'I had a challenging upbringing... I look back at that time as a real turning point in my life,' Blair told Daily Mail Australia.

But the journey to his multi-million dollar success didn't come easy for the businessman as he spoke out about his extraordinary rise to the top (pictured with his fiancee Melanie)

Australian model Steph Clare Smith (pictured) is the face of hugely popular Bondi Sands

Blair grew up in Yea, a small country town with a population of just 1,100 people in Victoria, about 100km north-east of Melbourne.

After his family moved to the UK in 1986, his British-born dad decided to set up shop selling imported Australian products in Birmingham.

'As a seven-year-old, I would often spend time in the shop with my dad unpacking stock or merchandising the store. The business was not a success and in the late 80s every UK pound we lost meant losing $3,' Blair said.

'Money was tight and I started looking at ways to make my own money.'

And so he took a box of Vegemite his dad was struggling to sell and walked around the shopping centre to see if anyone would buy the jars.

'I wanted to buy a calculator watch I had been dreaming of. I made enough money to buy the 11 watch ($20.50) and give my dad 8 ($15) change. It taught me that if I want something I needed to find my own way to get it,' Blair said.

The family moved back to Australia after their life in the UK became extremely 'tough financially'.

'After returning we lost the family home. My dad struggled to find work and my mum had to return to work just to make ends meet,' he said.

'The financial struggles continued for the next eight years, not that anyone would have known as my parents sacrificed everything to make sure myself and my brother and sister had everything we needed.'

The self-made businessman is the co-founder of Australia's much-loved brand Bondi Sands

Blair launched a range of Growth Bomb products in the midst of a global Covid-19 pandemic

Blair created Bondi Sands in 2012 after he saw an opening in the market for self-tanning products (pictured with his fiancee Melanie)

When Blair was 17, his dad tragically died, leaving his mum to be the sole breadwinner for the family.

'His death placed more stress on my mum - and her struggles took a toll on her. I didn't realise at that time how much she took on, today I still don't know how she did what she did,' he said.

Four years later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

'I was only just recovering from the death of my dad when mum was diagnosed. When she was sick my focus was on making sure I was there to take her to her treatments and look after her as her cancer got worse,' he said.

'She passed away 18 months later. I was working in retail at the time so the dream of having my own brand was pushed to the side for the time being.

'I think I was in shock for a long time but I didn't have any time to deal with it as I had to find somewhere to live and pay the bills.'

Two years after the death of his mum, Blair said he started suffering panic attacks and depression.

'It all came to the surface... from the unresolved grief. Growing up I used to worry about losing both my parents and I was faced with that reality at 23. After two years of counselling, the entrepreneurial desire started to return,' he said.

In August 2018, Bondi Sands scored a major plug from makeup mogul Kylie Jenner

Since launching in 2012, Bondi Sands is now stocked in 22,000 retailers globally, offering 48 products and holding 60 per cent of the market share in Australia

Bondi Sands has a legion of fans, including celebrities and models (picture of Isabelle Clarke)

At the age of 25, Blair opened up his own salon in Melbourne that eventually led to the development of Bondi Sands.

'We were doing a large number of spray tans every week and when we couldn't fit in anymore appointments I would suggest self tanning products to our customers - but no matter what brand I suggested there was always bad feedback,' he said.

'The product either smelt bad, had bad colour or didn't last long enough... so that was the light bulb moment to make an affordable, salon quality self-tanning range in Australia that was just as good as salon spray tan.'

Since launching in 2012, the fake tan brand is now stocked in 22,000 retailers globally, offering 48 products and holding 60 per cent of the market share in Australia.

Following his huge success, Blair and his friend Hamish Buckley created Growth Bomb, which is a haircare range targeting hair loss and scalp health, during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.

'The entire range is powered by a natural formulation that targets scalp health to develop stronger healthier hair,' he said.

'Our hero ingredients Yerba mate has high levels of caffeine to help increase hair growth while our other unique natural ingredients help to soothe and treat scalp concerns.'

Within six months of Growth Bomb hitting chemists, the team made $10million worth of sales

Following his huge success, Blair and his friend Hamish Buckley (right) created Growth Bomb, which is a haircare range targeting hair loss and scalp health, during the 2020 lockdown

In November, the 'miracle' haircare range launched across Priceline and Chemist Warehouse stores - a rarity for a brand within its first six months of trading.

The brand is on track to make $10million worth of sales by the time it turns one.

'We are excited about these numbers however that is not what drives us, we are driven about building a global brand with a unique product and doing things differently our own way,' he said.

Astonishingly, it took three to four years for Bondi Sands to reach the success Growth Bomb had in just six months.

'Growth Bomb still has a long way to match the global success of Bondi Sands, but we are incredibly excited to see a brand that we created in lockdown become one of the fastest growing haircare brands in Australia in 2021,' Blair said.

For anyone hoping to start a business that will succeed, Blair said it all comes down to who your customers are.

'Understanding your customer is vital. Understanding who your customer is will determine so much about what your business will become,' he said.

'Understanding your customer will help you develop product strategy, pricing, what retailers or retail channels to move in to, what your tone of voice will be... all facets of your business will come from the customer.'
Cael O'Donnell, a therapist turned 'TikTok psychic', claims he knew when his mum would die two years before it happened after being 'told by his spirit guides'.

The 25-year-old man from Mildura in regional Victoria, said the day his mum died he went to school to do an exam knowing that when he got home she wouldn't be there.

When he got a phone call from his aunties to say she had died in her bed aged 44, leaving him and his young sister orphans at 16 and 14, he was already emotionally prepared for it.

It was one of the many moments in his life that led to him quitting his job in the middle of the pandemic to work as a psychic.

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Cael O'Donnell, a therapist turned 'TikTok psychic', claims he knew when his mum would die two years before it happened after being 'told by his spirit guides'.

Cael pictured with his younger sister, Shakirra, who is 23 and 'doesn't believe in psychics'

'In my (Aboriginal) culture it is a normal thing for the aunties to check in on each other, they thought mum was sleeping but then realised she wasn't breathing. She was just laying peacefully in her bed,' he told FEMAIL.

Nine years on and Cael has honed his psychic skills and says his mum is his biggest fan - 'pushing him to succeed from the spirit realm'.

The psychic quit his job as a therapist in a mental health ward in December, 2020, to focus on performing psychic readings for people over the phone and on TikTok.

'It was time to be brave and take the plunge and hope that spots filled up, and they did,' he said.

Cael offers free two-minute readings on the platform, where he has over 590k followers, in between his regular sessions with clients which cost $405 for 40 minutes.

'I have two openings for bookings each year, that show the time slots available for the next six months and they usually book out in about three minutes,' he said.

He has a 24,000-strong waiting list for appointments. The 25-year-old used to squeeze appointments into his weekends and after work before moving full time.

The 25-year-old man from Mildura, in regional Victoria, said the day his mum died he went to school to do an exam knowing that when he got home she wouldn't be there

Some of his TikTok videos have gone viral and been seen my millions of people - with many skeptics even 'becoming believers' after seeing the young Aussie at work.

His younger sister Shakirra, however is not sold on the idea and 'doesn't believe in spirits or psychics or anything she can't see' but tells Cael to 'be himself' anyway.

'I don't think she is convertible, she is the only person who I haven't been able to convert after showing off my gifts,' he said.

He says it is his job to ease suspicious minds and prove he knows what he is talking about because of his connection with the other realm.

'I ask people to sign up with dummy names and email addresses - so that way there is no way I can Google them before a session,' he said.

Cael with his partner, Jovanny Galdeano Nevarez, also 25. Cael and Jovanny are going to relocate to Mexico at the end of the year

'I then like to say things early on which no-one could know,' he said.

'If you can't prove you are connecting and know things no-one else could then 'you aren't worth money,' Cael said.

'They want to know that you know that you are speaking to a grandma who died March, 2017 from whatever disease,' he said.

Cael said the most common things people want to know about are their love lives, future children and to connect with dead mothers and grandmothers.

'I spoke to one woman and told her she would be having a baby girl the following October - a few days later she messaged me to tell me she took a pregnancy test after talking to me and it was positive. She hadn't planned on having a baby with her husband but was so excited.'

Cael can tune into people's energies and interact with their loved ones from anywhere in the world.

A client was shocked when Cael revealed he could see she sent her dead teenage daughter Snapchats every day

He also spoke about the mother sleeping on the couch - where her daughter's spirit also slept following her death by suicide

'I have clients from all over the world, as well as my live-audience shows here in Australia.'

Cael never met his father in real life but said he has had encounters with him in the spirit realm.

'At first he looked a lot like a dog with its tail between its legs, then he said sheepishly that he never got to meet his son.'

'He looked a lot like me, just fat, I remember telling him I hope I don't get fat like him,' he said.

'But I have a friendly relationship with him now, with everyone in spirit but mum is my biggest fan.'

The young psychic believes he stands out because of his talents, but also because he is a 25-year-old Aboriginal psychic and a man.

Cael said he knew he was psychic when he was a teenager and realised not everyone received messages about things that had happened or were about to happen like he did

How does Cael prepare to tune into his psychic powers? Firstly I raise my vibration with music and dance. I like to put on house music like Avicci, David Guetta, Fiasco etc. this helps stimulate my energy so that I can be 'high vibe'. I then spend a good 20 minutes in prayer contacting my spirit guides and indigenous ancestors. They connect me with loved ones who crossed over or provide me with information about a client. I seal the reading with a 'white light' and ask for divine guidance and protection. I like to light a candle and put some essential oils in a diffuser. I often spend time speaking to your loved one before you even arrive to 'break the ice'. Advertisement

'I don't know anyone else like me doing this, I have never met another indigenous Australian psychic.'

He will soon move to Mexico so he can be with his scientist partner, Jovanny Galdeano Nevarez who has family there.

'I don't have much family here and he is close with his, plus it will bring me closer to the US market,' he said.
A mum-of-four has revealed how she and her husband came up with Australia's first TGA approved 'Covid-killing' disinfectant in just two months.

Sophie Westlake, 45, was terrified for her family, and in particular her immuno-compromised husband Steve, 53, when Covid-19 swept across the globe in 2020.

Steve has Myasthenia Gravis a condition similar to MS, and had several lymph nodes in his chest removed as a young man which left him with a compromised immune system for life.

Sophie Westlake, 45, created Virosol within just two months - and took it to the TGA for approval

Steve has Myasthenia Gravis a condition similar to MS, and had to have several lymph nodes in his chest removed as a young man which left him with a compromised immune system for life

Sophie wanted to keep the people she loved safe but couldn't find a disinfectant which was proven to kill the virus on surfaces.

And when she phoned large cleaning-product manufacturers she was disheartened by their lack of enthusiasm to make a Covid-killing disinfected.

So, with the help of her husband who has a medical background and their four children, Sophie created Virosol - and took it to the TGA for approval.

'This all came about at the start of the first lockdown, when we had no idea what we were dealing with, there was just no information about Covid so everyone was scared,' she told FEMAIL.

'We didn't have much else to do apart from baking and craft activities, being in lockdown, so we just spent heaps of time researching.

'As a family we are very proud to have been the first cab off the rank for TGA approval.'

Once the first products hit the shelves, Sophie received calls from the large companies asking how she managed to get her disinfectant over the line so quickly.

'The big companies all wanted to know how we got TGA approval in two months when it can sometimes take years,' she said.

A mum-of-four has revealed how she and her husband came up with Australia's first TGA approved 'Covid-killing' disinfectant in just two months

Steve has Myasthenia Gravis a condition similar to MS, and had to have several lymph nodes in his chest removed as a young man which left him with a compromised immune system for life

'I don't really know how to answer that but I guess it's because I was just being really annoying and calling them every second day to get it pushed through,' she said.

Sophie, who lives on a seven-acre property in the NSW Southern Highlands, knows her family are not high risk when it comes to catching the disease.

But knowing her home is being protected by the disinfectant helps her feel 'a little less helpless' as the pandemic continues to stretch on.

'At the moment we are in lockdown so we only leave the house for essential shopping and vaccination so there is little risk of bringing something in,' she said.

'But now we know more about the disease we know there is no one thing we can do to keep safe. We can get vaccinated, social distance, use masks and use a disinfectant which kills the virus on surfaces.'

The mum sprays her high-touch areas with the disinfectant every day.

She also keeps some in her car so she can wipe down her steering wheel after she has been out and about.

Sophie Westlake was terrified for her family, and in particular her immuno-compromised husband Steve, 53, when Covid-19 swept across the globe in 2020

Sophie revealed most of her customers are 'mums and dads' wanting to keep their homes safe but she also sells to cleaners and pharmacies.

The disinfectant works on the spike protein, which means it will be effective even as the virus mutates and new strains arrive.

When developing the product Sophie asked her husband what it would take him, as a typical man, to use it regularly.

'He told me he would be more likely to make something you could just spray on and walk away from,' she said.

'So that's what we made, Virosol is popular because it is easy and doesn't need to be wiped away.'

The Westlakes have had their own businesses, including a pest control business, for years which helped them with their brand development.

'The hardest part was coming up with a name, the kids helped with that, we needed something catchy but it also had to be something that hadn't already been trademarked which proved difficult.

'We came up with Virosol 30 minutes before our TGA application was set to expire, after the initial name was rejected at the last minute,' Sophie said.

'At the moment we are in lockdown so we only leave the house for essential shopping and vaccination so there is little risk of bringing something in,' she said.

Virosol sold more than 8,000 bottles when it first launched online. Virosol is available online and at some retailers in the Southern Highlands and costs $9.99 for a 750ml bottle because the family wanted it to be affordable.

'We want everyone to be able to use it, some products which are similar, came onto the market at almost $100 a bottle,' she said.

The family are also proud of the fact the product is Australian made - with everything sourced from within 50km of their home.

Other companies have been slammed after making false claims about the effectiveness of their products against Covid-19.

All goods must go through the TGA before they can advertise effectiveness.
The Child of Wales Awards boasted inspirational winners from teenage sisters who raised over 120,000 to help fight leukemia in honour of their late brother to a youngster who became the first person in Europe to perform a wheelchair backflip.

And now, the UK has been given its own event dedicated to celebrating the incredible achievements of our nation's youngsters.

The Child of Britain Awards 2022 will reveal some of the remarkable moments of personal courage, bravery, sporting and creative achievements children across the UK have achieved.

It will also recognise youngsters who help others through its 13 award categories - highlighting those that champion causes in their communities, protect the environment, fundraise and care for others.

The inaugural event - which is partnered with I Saw It First - will also raise funds that will be used to provide much-needed support to children's charities across the UK.

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The Child of Britain Awards 2022 will reveal some of the remarkable moments of personal courage, bravery, sporting and creative achievements children across the UK have achieved

The Child of Wales Awards boasted inspirational winners including teenage sisters who raised over 120,000 to help fight leukemia in honour of their late brother (pictured together)

Another winner included a youngster (pictured) who became the first person in Europe to perform a wheelchair backflip

Hundreds of nominations as well as support from celebrities and communities across the UK have already flooded in.

The Child of Britain Awards 2022 follows the success of the Child of Wales Awards in 2020, when a group of remarkable young people were invited to Downing Street, attracting national attention and the support of famous faces including Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The event grew into the Child of Britain, Child of Scotland and Child of Ireland Awards thanks to the overwhelming support in Wales.

Showing the calibre of those given the awards, winners last year included Holly, 14, and Emily Walker, 12, who came out top in the Young Fundraiser category.

The sisters sadly lost their brother Tom to Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in June 2018 when he was just 13 years old.

Showing the calibre of those given the awards, winners last year included sister (pictured) Holly, 14, and Emily Walker, 12, who came out top in the Young Fundraiser category

Since then, Holly and Emily have raised more than 120,000 in his memory for Cancer Research Wales.

One fundraising event, called Swim for Tom, saw over 600 swimmers swim a combined total of 39,000 lengths and raise more than 25,000.

Toms family have also raised funds for a scholarship for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia research.

Speaking about their achievement, they said: 'I think he would say that he was proud that weve spread awareness, and proud that weve kept his memory alive.'

Their mother Debbie added: 'They've been through one of the worst things to ever happen to them, and they've just coped with it incredibly well.

Their mother Debbie (pictured left) said: 'They've been through one of the worst things to ever happen to them, and they've just coped with it incredibly well'

'We certainly wouldn't be in the position that we are, I don't think, without them. It is their strength that has given us strength to keep going.'

Elsewhere, teenager Lily Rice was given the award for Young Sporting Hero for her achievements in Wheelchair Motocross; she was the Womans WCMX World Champion in 2019.

Six months after she started participating in the sport, Lily, who has Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), became the first person in Europe and the youngest person ever to perform a wheelchair backflip.

HSP is the general term for a group of rare inherited disorders that cause weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles.

Elsewhere, teenager Lily Rice (pictured) was given the award for Young Sporting Hero for her achievements in Wheelchair Motocross; she was the Womans WCMX World Champion in 2019

Lily said: 'Its basically riding a wheelchair on a skate park and as soon as I started riding on it I just got completely hooked.

'I'm the second girl in the world to land a backflip on a wheelchair and the first and youngest in Europe to do so. Im also leading this sport in the UK and introducing it to as many people as I can each day.'

Mark, Lilys father, said: 'Internationally, shes seen as one of the influencers that show, "actually you know we can be cool and we can do this".'

Speaking about her condition, Lily added: 'It basically affects the muscles in my lower body so especially in my legs. Theyre very weak and my muscles are very tight.'

Her father continued: 'For Lily, HSP is a progressive condition, thats the other thing thats quite kind of upsetting about it that, you know, as she gets older the condition is going to get worse.'

Six months after she started participating in the sport, Lily (pictured), who has Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), became the first person in Europe and the youngest person ever to perform a wheelchair backflip

Before Lily started riding (pictured), she said she wasn't very confident and 'didn't like' that she had a disability

Before Lily started riding, she said she wasn't very confident and 'didn't like' that she had a disability.

'I didnt want to be known as the disabled kid,' she admitted. 'I didnt want to use my wheelchair.

'But once I started riding, it gave me a lot more confidence. I started to love my wheelchair. I started to go out in my wheelchair more, I became a lot more confident in myself as well.

'I started to realise that I shouldnt hide my disability, it makes me who I am. It makes me unique and I should embrace that.'

Co-founder of the Child of Britain Awards, Blanche Sainsbury, said: 'These truly remarkable awards tell of awe-inspiring and achievements by children across Britain. They are stories that need to be told.

'The evening will undoubtedly be emotional, inspirational and unforgettable for everyone involved and I'm absolutely delighted I Saw It First will be there to share such a moving experience.

'They are the perfect fit for a partner and share our values of kindness, giving back and leaving a legacy for our nation's children.'
A shopper has issued a warning about the hugely popular Kmart air fryers afer claiming the heat from the gadget damaged her stone tray.

The woman, from Queensland, placed a terrazzo tray beneath her air fryer in an attempt to protect her kitchen benchtop - but she was shocked to find the stone had cracked after using the gadget.

'You hear all the horror stories about air fryers cracking benches - so glad I heard them. So I found this great terrazzo tray that matches my bench... and it has cracked. But at least it isn't the bench,' she wrote in a Facebook group.

The shopper placed a terrazzo tray beneath her air fryer in an attempt to protect her kitchen benchtop - but she was shocked to find the stone had cracked after using the gadget

The shopper issued a warning about the popular Kmart air fryers after she made a surprising discovery in her kitchen

According to the product's manual, the retailer advises customers to use the appliance on a 'dry, level, stable, and heat-resistant surface only'.

'Do not place the appliance on non-heat-resistant surface. Not recommended for use on laminated or vinyl bench top. Placing the air fryer on an insulated heat pad is recommended,' the description read.

Many shoppers urged the woman to place a thick, wooden chopping board or a heat proof silicone mat underneath the air fryer for protection.

'I have mine on a wooden board and no issues so far, had it about a year,' one woman wrote, while another added: 'A thick wooden chopping board will do the trick underneath. I used one in my old house with stone benches.'

Meanwhile, some said they had no idea about the warning.

'Wow I never heard of this happening. I'm going to have to watch for the heat underneath the air fryer from now on,' one woman wrote.

Earlier this year, some shoppers claimed the Kmart air fryer cracked their kitchen benchtops

Another shopper claimed her kitchen splashback was damaged after using her air fryer too close to the glass wall

Earlier this year, a shopper claimed the air fryer cracked her kitchen benchtop.

'Just an FYI and warning. Bought the big air fryer and have been loving it... until I noticed a big crack in my bench top,' she wrote in a Facebook group.

'I didn't realise the heat the air fryer made underneath and has now cracked my stone bench top.'

Another shopper claimed her kitchen splashback was damaged after using her air fryer too close to the glass wall.

'So, probably not a great idea to put the air fryer in front of the glass splash back,' she wrote in a Facebook group.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia at the time, a Kmart spokesperson said: 'At Kmart, we're committed to designing and creating great quality products for our customers; and we're proud to offer families a wide range of cooking appliances.

'Air Fryers are one of our most popular appliance categories; with a 5-star customer rating and dedicated fan page on Facebook with over 398,000 members.

'When it comes to electrical appliances, we recommend customers familiarise themselves with the safety precautions outlined in our User Manuals. This will ensure products are used correctly.

'Placing air fryers on dry, level, stable, and heat-resistant surfaces (away from overhead cabinets or presses, which may be damaged by steam) is recommended.'
Queen Mathilde of Belgium appeared in high spirits as she took part in an annual race through Brussels today.

Dressing to take on the 20km journey, the royal, 48, donned a plain white t-shirt and pair of black joggers, carrying a black backpack on her back as she made her way to the finish line.

The 41st edition of the event, which has been held each year in Brussels since 1980, began in Cinquantenaire Park and Mathilde was seen chatting with fellow racegoers as she made her way around the city.

Traditionally, the event is held on the last Sunday of May, but this year it was postponed due to the Covid pandemic.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium appeared in high spirits as she took part in an annual race through Brussels today

The 41st edition of the event, which has been held each year in Brussels since 1980, began in Cinquantenaire Park and Mathilde was seen chatting with fellow racegoers as she made her way around the city

The mother-of-four appeared to be walking around the majority of the track and, putting safety first, donned a plain white face mask during the busier parts of the race.

Mathilde also wore a pair of white trainers and black oversized sunglasses, while proudly displaying her race number on her white v-neck shirt.

This year, the race has allowed walkers as well as runners and the four hour duration of the run has been extended to six hours.

Participants are required to have a Covid-Safe ticket, meaning they need either both doses of the vaccine or an antigen test of less than 48 hours. Masks were not compulsory.

Dressing to take on the 20km journey, the royal donned a plain white t-shirt and pair of black joggers, carrying a black backpack on her back as she made her way to the finish line

The mother-of-four appeared to be walking around the majority of the track and putting safety first, donned a plain white face mask during the busier parts of the race

Queen Mathilde has been steadily returning to royal duties amid the Covid pandemic, visiting the KAZ primary school, in Zottegem, near Gent, earlier this week.

The Belgian monarch who recently shared a 'back to school' portrait of her own four children with her husband, King Philippe, 61, shone in a stylish yellow suit during the visit.

The Belgian royal palace posted the photograph of Princess Elisabeth, 19, Prince Gabriel, 18, Prince Emmanuel, 15, and Princess Eleonore, 13, to its social media accounts last Wednesday.

It comes after the royal household announced the heir to the Belgian throne Princess Elisabeth would be heading to the UK this autumn to study a three-year course in History and Politics at Oxford University's Lincoln College.
On the first day of Ellen Hardings new job as office manager at a swanky Manchester stockbrokers, she was welcomed with open arms. On paper, Ellen would be an asset anywhere. A former Royal Navy officer, who had launched and run her own successful designer handbag company, she even had a masters degree in staff administration.

Yet the bullying began, she claims, after just a week in the job. Her colleagues joked about the fan she put on her desk to keep herself cool. The young female boss ticked her off publicly for wearing trousers, instead of a dress.

Worst of all, she found a cruel post-it note  which she took a picture of, and still has  stuck on the counter in the office kitchen saying she had a sweaty face. The note named her and, Ellen believes, had been deliberately put there by her boss.

The insult cut deep. In her late 40s, Ellen had hit the menopause early and was suffering from constant hot flushes, a swollen stomach, and other debilitating symptoms that hit women when hormone levels fall at the end of their fertile years.

An increasing number of women are sharing their experiences of sex discrimination and unfair dismissal in the workplace - including Ellen Harding (pictured), who hit the menopause in her late 40s and was bullied for six months in her job

One of the cruellest things was when the female boss told me that my face was always red from the flushes and she didnt want me to be seen in that state by important clients who came into the office, she says. When I wore trousers to hide my bloated stomach and other awkward menopausal issues, I was in trouble, too.

Now 51, divorcee Ellen, a mother of two teenagers, is the successful editor of an online magazine, specialising in womens health and wellbeing, and works from her home in the Yorkshire countryside. But she will never forget the humiliation she suffered in that job in Manchester.

I put up with the bullying for six months. At the time, I found it hard to fight back. I was always tired and completely lost confidence in myself because of the menopause.

Ellen is not the only menopausal woman who has faced workplace hostility. Growing numbers are taking their employers to court claiming that theyve lost their jobs as a result of the menopause.

Last year, there was a record 16 employment tribunals where women mentioned the menopause as a reason for their unfair dismissal or sex discrimination, up from just six in 2019. The first six months of 2021 saw ten such cases  and the number is expected to go on rising.

Employment lawyers say women are increasingly feeling empowered to challenge employers who ignore or fail to understand the devastating impact of the condition on their female workforce.

Women aged 50 to 64 are today the fastest growing economically-active group in Britain (later state pension ages and longer life expectancy means were all having to work longer), yet recent research found we could be losing 14 million work days a year as a consequence of menopause problems.

For a significant number, it goes further even than missed days. A shocking one in four women who experience symptoms consider leaving their job altogether  and many do go on to quit  resulting in a huge loss of knowledge, experience and talent.

Deborah Garlick, 56 (pictured) gave up her high-powered job at Boots 11 years ago when menopausal symptoms left her struggling to cope

Take the alarming case of 56-year-old Sarah Janner, a married mother of one from Lincolnshire who was fired from her job after 19 years and fought back at an employment tribunal last September.

She was sacked for gross misconduct by a housing association where she was a welfare officer. The reason? Her bosses accused her of getting behind in her work, filing reports late, not turning up on time, and going to unauthorised medical appointments.

When Sarah challenged her dismissal at a tribunal, she stood in front of a male, middle-aged judge, and told him her menopause symptoms had suddenly made it hard to stay on top of things. I laid it on the line to him, she says today. I said I had been suffering from constant hot flushes, fatigue, brain fog, heavy periods lasting for days, heart palpitations and exhaustion.

I had lost over two stone in weight and, at just over eight stone, my clothes were falling off me. I had a lack of confidence because I didnt know what my menopausal body was going to throw at me next.

I was going home after work and was putting myself to bed at 7.30 in the evening fully clothed because I was so exhausted. It was half an hour before the bedtime of my ten-year-old daughter who would have to be looked after by my husband.

To Sarahs dismay, the judge took little notice. He took less than a day to throw her case out. She says he treated her as though she had had a touch of the vapours or was an over-hysterical woman making it up.

Solicitor Adam Pavey said it is not uncommon for women to leave employment at mid-life, or to be wrongly dismissed because of poor performance (file image)

She adds: I think he thought it was sour grapes on my part because I had been sacked. He kept asking, in a mystified way, why I felt I had been let down at work when I was an intelligent person. He seemed to think if I couldnt do my job properly, I deserved to lose it.

Sarah  whose name we have changed  was suddenly without a career and has not worked since. She is embarrassed to tell some family and friends that it was the menopause which cost her the job she loved.

I just say, I gave it up because Id had enough, she explains now.

Sarah had been to the doctor about her symptoms, but the GP said: It is just part of being a woman, things begin to slow down when you get older. She told him that with years of her active life ahead, she didnt want to slow down. HRT was not discussed.

Lots of women are going through the same as me, she adds today. They could be your wife, sister, mother or daughter.

Her solicitor Adam Pavey, a leading employment lawyer at Pannone Solicitors, agrees: There are lots of Sarahs out there who hit the menopause and then unwillingly lose, or choose to leave their jobs. It is not uncommon for women to leave employment at mid-life, or to be wrongly dismissed because of poor performance.

The organisation Sarah worked for didnt understand the menopause. I dont think this is an exclusive issue of male bosses not realising the impact of the menopause; many younger female bosses dont either.

Caroline Nokes MP claims excluding menopausal women from the workplace is detrimental to our economy (file image)

While pregnancy is a protected characteristic by itself under UK equality law, the menopause is not. Adam thinks this is wrong: although it doesnt affect all women in such a way as to impact on their ability to work, when so many women do suffer such wide-ranging effects, the menopause should surely come under sex discrimination law.

MPs are looking into it. Last month a parliamentary inquiry was launched into the workplace treatment of menopausal women, to examine if current sex equality laws go far enough.

Indeed, the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee says one million UK women, many in their late 40s and early 50s and at the peak of their careers, have left their jobs because of the menopause.

Three in five women are negatively affected at work as a result of this, says committee chair Caroline Nokes MP. Excluding menopausal women from the workplace is detrimental to our economy, our society, and our place on the world stage.

Despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of UK women are currently going through this process, which can be both physically and mentally draining, it is ignored in law.

This huge issue has been left near-invisible for far too long.

Deborah (pictured) has collaborated with Government ministers to set up an accreditation programme to help employers with training and education about menopause

Several high-profile women have begun to speak out, however. TV presenter and menopause campaigner Davina McCall credits HRT for saving her career.

I definitely would not have been able to continue working had I not gone on HRT, shes said. Women are on the verge of losing their jobs or leaving their jobs because they cant cope with it. I would love to encourage any big business to have a menopause nurse on hand because thats what women seem absolutely desperate for.

Some businesses are already acting. Last month it was announced that HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank had signed up to a new Menopause Friendly Accreditation which recognises companies willing to build awareness around the menopause.

The programme is the brain child of Deborah Garlick, 56, who gave up her high-powered job at Boots 11 years ago when menopausal symptoms left her struggling to cope.

I loved my job, but every day was a battle and I had no idea what was happening to me. Menopause was such a taboo subject back then, I felt I had to leave before I damaged my reputation.

She set up an online community for midlife women called Henpicked, and collaborated with Government ministers to set up an accreditation programme to help employers with training and education about menopause.

Lawyer Adam Pavey says far fewer grievance cases would come to court if employers were more sympathetic about the menopause (file image)

It is all about encouraging an environment where employees can talk openly about menopause, without fear of being stigmatised. The aim is to make menopause a normal subject  just like pregnancy  which you can openly discuss with your manager or HR department.

Deborahs team set up Menopause In The Workplace and they have now worked with 2,000 businesses, many of which have established menopause champions to raise awareness.

Clearly, if someone isnt doing their job properly, employers cant turn a blind eye. But Deborahs work shows how a sympathetic ear and understanding the impact menopause can have at work, can go a long way to solving problems.

Lawyer Adam Pavey says far fewer grievance cases would come to court if employers were more sympathetic about the menopause, and had the knowledge and resources to step in before things spiralled out of control.

Sarah agrees that for her, a supportive line of communication could have saved her job. Id had an unblemished service record for more than 18 years, yet when I asked for help I was treated so badly it only exacerbated my stress levels. I wasnt expecting any special treatment, or special allowances  just a little bit of understanding and support, she says.

There is hope the lifting of taboos and a growing understanding of the complex nature of menopause symptoms will encourage more employers to seek training and guidance.

Business analyst Tracy Wills, 53, said people assumed she was drunk when she had brain fog' during a conference (file image)

Its a sea change that business analyst Tracy Wills, 53, wholeheartedly welcomes. She said of her horrifying experience of being in a conference with eight senior colleagues when menopausal brain fog set in. She was meant to be introducing everybody. I got to one man I worked with every day and couldnt remember his name. Then I forgot the names of two others.

Add to this her sudden misplacing of passwords and clumsiness. People kept asking if I was drunk, she adds. But when she tried to explain it all to her line manager, he looked at her as if she was an alien.

My confidence was so low. I was exhausted. I didnt have the energy to keep my game face on.

Quitting her job at 49, she took a year-long menopause break before looking for a new company, eventually discovering a pioneering finance company, which had a menopause policy in line with the Menopause In The Workplace directives.

I was very open about the fact my career break had been due to menopause symptoms and the woman who hired me said I was being offered the job on the strength of those experiences, she said.

Precisely the sort of enlightened attitude, say a growing band of menopause-at-work campaigners, from which many other companies could learn.
I enjoyed those recent pictures of Michael Gove clubbing in Aberdeen. Was he getting in ahead of the introduction of vaccine passports for revellers? Or perhaps marking his dance-card for a future Strictly invite? The BBCs glitziest show returns this Saturday.

Mostly I took pleasure in those pictures because, like the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, I have tipsily tripped the light fantastic in an Aberdeen nightclub myself. Admittedly, it was a few years  possibly decades  ago. But the fact I have been moved to dance in the city of my birth, while worse for wear, is undeniable.

I also liked that his fellow clubbers put politics aside, and apparently welcomed him. Throwing singular shapes, Gove was allowed to party like it was 1989.

So who might be his nightclubbing literary antecedents?

Patricia Nichol picks out a selection of the best books on clubbing, including David Nicholls's Us (pictured left) and Alan Hollinghurst's The Sparsholt Affair (pictured right)

From Scotland, there is Morvern Callar, the eponymous heroine of Alan Warners striking 1995 debut novel. A young raver and shopworker from a small port town, Morvern awakes one morning to discover her boyfriend has died by suicide, leaving behind a novel on his computer.

Passing the work off as her own, she takes off to Spain to go clubbing. Her every waking moment is soundtracked via music on her Walkman.

In David Nichollss Us, the flailing, middle-aged Douglas reconnects with his son Albie during a big one in a Madrid bar, where the not-yet-out Albie is terrifically sociable. In the BBC adaptation, Douglas does some notable dad-dancing.

Alan Hollinghursts The Sparsholt Affair charts changing attitudes towards homosexuality in post-war Britain through the lives of David Sparsholt, an industrialist caught in a sex scandal involving a Tory clique, and Johnny, his openly gay son.

In a key scene, a newly single Johnny goes clubbing for the first time in decades. He felt his feet shifting and rocking, an effortless energy pulsing up his legs . . . he felt it lift him and stagger him. But it was lovely, absurdly lovely.

Even a home-kitchen disco can feel euphoric. So, should you get the chance, dance!
In the first extract from his hilarious new memoir, author and broadcaster GYLES BRANDRETH described a bizarre visit to Copenhagens red-light district as a member of Lord Longfords Pornography Commission. Today, in the second of a three-part series, he recalls some hair-raising encounters that will make you laugh out loud...

According to Philip Larkins celebrated poem Annus Mirabilis, Sexual intercourse began in nineteen sixty-three  between the end of the Chatterley ban and the Beatles first LP.

I dont believe there was much of it at Bedales School in 1963, even though it was a co-educational boarding school. But while I was there, I did fall in love quite often.

One of my greatest triumphs was with Chrissie, who was 18 when our relationship began. I was four years her junior.

All that I have been ever since, I started being at Bedales. My wife finds this a bit depressing. Gyles Brandreth at New College, Oxford, 1968

The elder sister of a girl in my year, shed come back to the school to see a production of Murder In The Cathedral in which I played the Messenger and had a small walk-on part as one of the monks.

I had no idea she was in the audience, until two or three days after the performance, when I received a ten-page letter from her that began: My dearest darling Gyles, I saw you in the play on Friday and I have to tell you that I am now in love. Dont laugh. This is real. This is true. This is beautiful.

This is odd, I thought, but not unpleasant. She enclosed a photograph, and an invitation to me to write back and share my hopes and dreams and innermost, innermost, INNERMOST thoughts with her.

I wrote back. I have no idea what I said, but I have kept every one of the 100 and more increasingly intimate letters she sent to me over the next two years. Some included line drawings of her sitting up in bed, topless, smiling at me.

There is a coda to this story. One day, when I was 16, I was lying on my bed, reading a book, when a boy popped his head around the door and said, Your friend Chrissie is in the quad. She wants to see you.

I marvel I had any friends at all. I imagine the only reason a girl ever kissed me was to shut me up. Pictured, Gyles Brandreth in 1954

When widdy got the willies In my second year at Oxford, I stood for the Union presidency and won. My immediate contemporaries included four future ministers (William Waldegrave, Robert Jackson, Ann Widdecombe and Edwina Currie). Ann was a tad unusual, even at 20. She had a boyfriend called Colin and they walked about like Tweedledum and Tweedledee, rather stiffly holding hands. Her faith was important to her. As an MP later, when she travelled around the country giving speeches she took with her copies of a book, On Christian Principles, to distribute after the meeting. Once, she left the books in her car and shortly before the meeting was seen running frantically through the streets of Maidenhead calling out to bewildered passers-by: Ive lost my Christian Principles! Advertisement

Chrissie and I had never met. I didnt want to meet her now. Not meeting her is what had made her special. I stayed where I was.

Another message came: Chrissies here. Shes waiting for you.

I got up, I combed my hair, I went down to the quadrangle. I recognised her at once. She looked amazing  even sexier than her photograph.

She didnt recognise me at all. Within three minutes, we had worked out that the boy she had wanted to correspond with had been another of the monks in Murder In The Cathedral.

Her sister had identified me by mistake. I never heard from Chrissie again.

All that I have been ever since, I started being at Bedales. My wife finds this a bit depressing. Theres been no development in your life at all, she says.

For five years without pause, I was busy-busy-busy, running from one project to the next.

Some people at school called me Supercilious Simpson. Was I supercilious? I dont think I was (well, no more than a bit), but I can see now that I sounded it.

The other day I came across a clip of me on TV in the 1960s. My fluting voice is embarrassing: a hideous conflation of Little Lord Fauntleroy, Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter and Leslie Howard as the Scarlet Pimpernel. And I used 100 words when ten would do.

I marvel I had any friends at all. I imagine the only reason a girl ever kissed me was to shut me up.

Every term, I produced plays and cabarets and I was in the school play every year. When I played Malvolio in Twelfth Night, the actor Michael Horderns daughter, Joanna, played Olivia.

Unfortunately, at the opening performance my parents were seated in front of Joannas parents, and every time I came on, Sir Michael  as he became  couldnt contain himself: Oh God, that boy is so dreadful. The overacting  its embarrassing, its unbearable. (What did he know?)

I began my life in politics at Bedales. In 1964 I was the Conservative candidate in the schools mock general election. I collected my campaign material from the home of Lady Ashcombe who lived not far from the school.

Thats where I first caught sight of her granddaughter Camilla Shand, aged 17, in her jodhpurs, hiding in the bushes, smoking a Woodbine. Fifty-five years on, the Duchess of Cornwall doesnt deny she was smoking, but shes adamant it wasnt a Woodbine.

I also edited the school magazine  and wrote most of it (of course). My first interview was with the local vicar. My second was with the President of Switzerland, whom Id met by chance while teaching English one summer to the son of a Swiss brigadier.

President Paul Chaudet, an old friend of his, had come to dinner one night. He was 60 and looked like a friendly version of Adolf Hitler: he had warm eyes, but Hitlers toothbrush moustache and unfortunate hairstyle. He kindly agreed to give me an interview.

Over the years, I have been lucky enough to interview an assortment of presidents, princes and prime ministers, but I dont think any one of them has ever given me such straightforward answers as Monsieur Chaudet did for the Bedales Chronicle.

In Switzerland, women did not get the vote in federal elections until 1971. This was 1966, so I asked the President why it was that women werent enfranchised.

Because men and women are not equal, he said simply.

Do you mean that? I asked.

Yes, I do. The sexes may be complementary, but they are certainly not equal. Man is absorbed in his professional, political, social and military life, while the womans place is in the home.

When there was last a national referendum on the matter and the referendum was open to all, how did your own wife vote? I asked.

Thats where I first caught sight of her granddaughter Camilla Shand, aged 17, in her jodhpurs, hiding in the bushes, smoking a Woodbine. Pictured, Gyles Brandreth and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall

Oh, she didnt, he said amiably. She couldnt. I locked her in the bathroom for the day.

In 1967, I arrived at Oxford, where I met everybody. Everybody. Even my wife-to-be. I certainly lived life at a crazy pace. I started writing for Isis, then sent a note to the first female president in the history of the Oxford University Dramatic Society. She suggested we meet for a drink, so we did.

Diana Quick was 21, dark, beautiful, pouting  and wearing a leather miniskirt. Id never seen or met anyone like her. She crackled with energy and intelligence: she was exciting to be with and a bit alarming. I sensed she could eat a minnow like me for breakfast.

With student revolution running rife across the world, Id thought it might be fun to do something counter-intuitive, like an old-fashioned family pantomime. To my surprise, she seemed amused by my idea.

She said: And why not?, but explained I would have to audition with a scene from Shakespeare.

A few days later, I did just that and Diana played Juliet for me. I think it was asking her to suggest desire by putting her top teeth gently over her lower lip that clinched it.

After securing the gig, I put up notices in colleges across Oxford advertising the auditions: If you have what it takes to be a fairy-tale princess, please come to the Music Room in New College Cloisters . . .

Fifty-five years on, the Duchess of Cornwall doesnt deny she was smoking, but shes adamant it wasnt a Woodbine

And they did  in droves, each one, it seemed, lovelier than the last. And to one of them, mid-afternoon, on the fourth day of the auditions, I heard myself saying: Would you mind waiting outside for half an hour or so until weve finished? Theres something I want to say to you.

There was a history lecture she didnt mind missing, so she waited. And 53 years on, shes still here. (She is as surprised about that as you are.)

Michele Brown was 21 when I met her, dark-haired, bright-eyed and absurdly beautiful. When I had rattled through the rest of that afternoons auditions and found her sitting on a wall waiting for me, I may have said, I love you right away.

I certainly asked her out for dinner. I was completely bowled over. But Michele was no pushover. She played hard to get. She was wary of men in general, I think, and me in particular  with my fluting voice and fruity manner, my non-stop talking and my immediate, over-the-top declarations of love.

I presented her with a book of love poems on our first date and sent her telegrams full of drama and romance. Thats the way it worked in the days before texting. I cant say she responded in kind.

She spent a lot of time looking at me with a gently raised left eyebrow. But I didnt mind: at least she was looking at me.

She declined my offer of a starring part in Cinderella. Thankfully her replacement was excellent, though not quite as beautiful, and I was especially happy with my Fairy Queen.

Eliza Manningham-Buller was a jolly girl in the St Trinians tradition, the daughter of a former Lord Chancellor, who came trailing Benenden and breeding while laughing a lot and not taking herself too seriously.

After Oxford, I didnt see her until I was an MP and she sidled up to me at a Foreign Office party. She was still laughing. She had joined MI5 in 1974 and was on her way to becoming its Director-General.

Cinderella was just a student production, of course, but I wanted it to have that little extra something. And Im proud to say that Sir Michael Redgrave, then 60, agreed to perform the shows prologue on the first night.

How did I manage that? I simply found his address in Whos Who and wrote to him.

I went to the station to meet him. The passengers poured out of the carriages and surged past the ticket barrier. No sign of the great man. The Oxford Playhouse curtain was due to go up within the hour, but where was my star?

Then I saw him on the platform in the far distance, a huge frame in a dishevelled raincoat, carrying a little battered suitcase and looking about him with a puzzled, vacant air. I ran towards him.

Sir Michael? His large face broke into a sweet smile. He wasnt at all well, he told me. He felt unsteady, strange, and his voice had gone, completely gone.

At the stage door, he murmured: A little port might help. Michele, bless her, ran into the pub next door and bought a bottle.

Standing in the wings, he took a glass of port, then another. And another. And one more.

There was something dark about clement I first met Nicholas Parsons in 1969, when I was 21, at a Christmas party given by the TV cook Fanny Cradock. We were friends for 50 years. With his affability, versatility, consummate professionalism and lifelong appetite for work, he was certainly a role model. In his 96th year, Nicholas (below) was still hosting my favourite radio panel game Just A Minute and, to the very last, at the top of his game. When it was first broadcast in 1967, Clement Freud was on the original panel. He was famous in those days as a television chef, with a lugubrious manner, best known for appearing in commercials promoting dog food. When he was older, he had a favourite line: I used to ask women to come upstairs and have sex, but now it has to be one or the other. That joke does not seem so amusing today. In 2016, seven years after his death, three women accused him of child sexual abuse and rape, accusations which led to a police investigation and a public apology from his widow. I knew nothing of the allegations, but I knew him for over 40 years. Certainly, he made you laugh, but he also, always, made you feel a bit uneasy, and seemed to relish doing so. When I was an aspiring Conservative MP and he was an established Liberal one, he invited me to lunch a few times. At the end of the meal, when the bill arrived, although he was nominally the host, he would suggest a little gambling game. It involved making a calculated guess relating to the bill. Whoever lost would pick up the tab. Needless to say, I always fell for it, and Clement always won. He needed to win. He played to win. And never more so than when taking part in Just A Minute. His principal tactic was to carefully watch the clock and then interrupt when there was only a second or so to go, and thus claim the prize at the finishing line. And once, when I was about to move ahead of him in the game, he deliberately knocked my glass of water into my lap. I am reasonably competitive myself, but I was certainly outclassed. As the years went by, I noticed he kept less company with the rest of us before and after the show. He often ate alone. We were uncomfortable with him and he was uncomfortable with us. I always thought he was an odd one. It seems that he was darker than we realised. Advertisement

How are you feeling now, Sir Michael? I asked. A great deal worse, he replied.

The orchestra had finished the overture. An expectant hush had fallen over the auditorium. Youre on now, Sir Michael, I whispered.

I dont think I can do it, he said.

Youre on! Firmly, almost roughly, I pushed him from the darkened wings on to the stage.

As the stooped, shambling figure stepped into the spotlight he was transformed, suddenly tall, erect, formidable, smiling.

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! the mellow voice boomed. The audience cheered, the magic happened.

That night he found the energy  and the courage. Over the next 15 years, as Parkinsons disease took a firmer grip of him and I came to know him better, finding either became increasingly difficult.

When we met in Oxford, in London, off and on, over about ten years, his mind would come and go. He would talk of the early days, of his wife Rachel Kempson (Dear Rachel, she puts up with such a lot) and of Edith Evans. If you are going to play Orlando, you must love your Rosalind! You know, I made love to Edith on the night [my daughter] Vanessa was born . . .

Michael was what my friend Barbara Windsor used to call Tommy Two-Ways. All his adult life he had affairs, occasionally with women, principally with men.

Once, in the deserted debating chamber of the Oxford Union, he recited To be or not to be just for me. It was our fifth or sixth meeting. Perhaps it was flirtation-by-Shakespeare-soliloquy. If so, there are worse kinds.

While still a student, I managed to get a literary agent in London. Irene Josephy had written to me out of the blue, having read about me, and through her I met an interestingly louche crowd.

Among them was the writer Molly Parkin, who told me she had just pleasured an entire Welsh rugby team, but added, with a theatrical wink from her over-mascaraed eyelashes, that she was always ready for more.

I also remember Francis Bacon, the artist, sitting at the bar in the Colony Room, simply staring at me. Whenever anyone spoke to him, hed say: Piss off, you c***  Im looking at the boy.

In 1969, I got my own television show: Saturday night, prime time, on ITV. It was called A Child Of The Sixties and featured me  at age 21  on a stool looking back at the 1960s, quizzing the great and the good of the day.

I have never had a show in that slot since. Soon afterwards, I did my first book signing  having written a book about prisons, an interest at the time.

It was at Selfridges and the line of shoppers stretched from the book department, through the food department, out into Baker Street and around the corner into Oxford Street.

There was a reason for that. I was sharing the table with another first-time author: the actress Sophia Loren. She sold more than 1,000 copies of her autobiography that day.

I sold 11 copies of my book about prisons: four to my mother, four to my father, two to the deputy manager of the Selfridges book department for customers who, apparently, had asked him to put them by. And, yes, one to Sophia Loren.

Adapted by Corinna Honan from Odd Boy Out by Gyles Brandreth, published on September 16 by Michael Joseph at 20.  Gyles Brandreth 2021. To order a copy for 18 (offer valid until September 25, 2021; UK P&P free on orders over 20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3308 9193.
Taxes are being raised to their highest level since the Second World War to grab an extra 12billion a year the Government claims it needs to help tackle the health and social care crisis.

We pick through the details to find where the money is actually going  and how it affects us.

Tax hikes: National Insurance contributions are rise by 1.25 percentage points

So how are our pockets going to be picked?

National Insurance is to rise by 1.25 percentage points. This extra 1.25 per cent tax will be paid by both workers and employers  so it will effectively add up to 2.5 per cent.

The self-employed will also have to pay the new tax, as will pensioners aged 66 or over and still working. The rate of dividend tax will also be raised by 1.25 percentage points  meaning income from investments may be hit.

Why does the Government want this extra cash?

The pandemic has proved costly, leaving a huge backlog of hospital treatments and operations that need to be paid for in the coming years. Already 5.5million people are on waiting lists, but that could hit 13million by the end of the year.

Initially, money raised in the first three years  an estimated 12billion a year  will almost all be spent on clearing up this backlog. Only about 5.4billion of this 36billion has been earmarked specifically for social care.

How will I notice the change?

Your pay packet will be lighter. For example, a basic-rate taxpayer on a salary of 24,100 will pay an extra 180 in tax a year, while a higher-rate taxpayer on 67,100 will pay an extra 715. Although the money will probably end up in an NHS black hole, the tax should appear on a separate line on pay slips  to be labelled as a health and social care levy.

The younger generations will bear the biggest burden because they are funding the elderly

When is the tax hike going to happen?

Next April. But the funding rules for social care will not kick in until October 2023. This means that before then, those facing care costs must keep paying just as before.

Are we all being treated the same?

No. The younger generations will bear the biggest burden because they are funding the elderly, who are more likely to need social care than them in the next few years. But 1.3million working pensioners will also pay the new National Insurance tax.

Previously, employees aged 66 or over never had to pay any National Insurance contributions. There will also be a higher tax on dividend income  hurting investors and the self-employed that take payments in dividends.

So will my investments end up being taxed?

Most private investors will largely be left unaffected if their money is kept inside a tax-efficient Individual Savings Account or within a pension plan, such as a self-invested personal pension. There is also a 2,000 annual tax-free allowance on dividend income for individuals on top of a 12,570 personal allowance.

Those receiving annual dividends in excess of 2,000 a year will pay tax on any surplus at 8.75 per cent, as opposed to 7.5 per cent now. For higher-rate payers, it goes up from 32.5 per cent to 33.75 per cent.

Will all parts of the UK pay these new taxes?

National Insurance contribution taxes are levied the same wherever you live. While those living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must also foot the bill, they will enjoy a combined additional 'union dividend' of 2.2billion a year. This equates to a 15 per cent hike in spending on care. Together, these nations will receive about 300million a year more than they pay into the new tax.

About 5.4billion of this 36billion has been earmarked specifically for social care

What exactly is social care?

It is care that is given to assist the elderly and disabled. This could be provided in their own home, a residential or nursing care home, a day centre or in supported housing. It is focused on personal care  for example, helping the elderly with washing, bathing and mobility issues.

How do we currently fund social care?

The majority of social care is funded directly from those who need support (typically, the elderly who need to go into a residential or nursing home). Some people on low incomes draw on assistance provided by local authorities, and funded through council tax.

In England, you might only get help with care costs if your personal savings and assets are worth less than 23,250  full help from your local council if your assets are under 14,250. Above 23,250, anyone requiring social care must pay the full cost. This has led to thousands of elderly people having to sell their home to fund care home fees.

Currently, the average cost of being in a care home is 36,000 a year  more if full-time nursing is required.

And what will happen under the new regime?

The State will now contribute to care costs if someone's assets are below 100,000  a massive hike on the current 23,250. If someone's assets are below 20,000, the State should pick up the social care tab.

In terms of care costs, a new cap will be introduced that means you will have to foot no more than 86,000 of social care bills. After this 'cap' has been reached, the State should step in with funding.

About one in seven people aged over 65 face care costs that could total more than 100,000 over a lifetime.

Those receiving dividends in excess of 2,000 a year will pay tax on any surplus at 8.75%

Are there any nasty catches?

Yes. There is a big one. Check the small print of the 86,000 'cap' and you discover it only relates to the 'personal' aspect of social care. It does not include the food, accommodation or cleaning costs related to residential or nursing home care.

Experts believe these 'hotel costs' account for about half of total care costs. So although there is an 86,000 cap, by the time you reach this limit you may well have spent double this amount  172,000.

Is 36billion enough to solve the problem?

Nothing is ever enough to fill the NHS black hole. There are fears this cash could simply get sucked up by public-sector bureaucrats. There is already talk of 42 new bosses to be employed on salaries of up to 270,000.

The NHS in England has already received 136billion this year, plus a further 18billion to tackle the Covid-19 crisis. It has more than 1.3million employees to pay. Unions are already calling for bumper pay rises (surprise, surprise).

Is there any way of avoiding the tax hike?

Employees who use salary sacrifice to contribute into a company pension can put more aside into a retirement pot because such contributions avoid having to pay National Insurance on them. Non-working pensioners and those earning less than 9,564 a year also do not pay National Insurance.
The deals have come fast and thick in recent months. The tamely fought battle for Wm Morrison is the most eye catching. After all, every citizen knows and has a view on supermarkets whether it be about prices, food quality, empty shelves or speed of delivery.

Most of the other deals, such as Ultra Electronics or Meggitt, have barely caused a ripple outside the financial pages or Whitehall. What makes these transactions in engineering and aerospace special is their role in our national defence and ownership of valuable R&D. It has been possible for opponents to run up the national security flag.

As someone who is bitterly opposed to private equity ownership, whether at life insurer LV, Morrisons or Meggitt, one fears the impact of financially driven ownership. In private equity the broader stakeholder interest barely exists. These bids, and some lesser known deals such as that for graphene producer Perpetuus Group, have attracted attention in Whitehall and Westminster. It demonstrates that the barriers to acquisitions are higher than in the past and a more determined cohort of directors  too many non-executives are content to run up the white flag  could better defend the targets.

Sailing close to the wind: Boris Johnson and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng have so far done a reasonable job of navigating the choppy Britain-for-sale waters

Another characteristic is that most of these deals are relatively small, in the single billions. The real test for politicians, investors and company boards will come when a bigger FTSE100 beast is targeted.

There is a good record of bigger takeovers/ mergers falling down. AstraZeneca drove off Pfizer, Unilever put up an uncompromising defence against Kraft Heinz and the proposed merger of BAE and Airbus fell apart. Only the bid for chipmaker ARM Holdings, sold to Softbank, made it to the finish line.

The current view among City takeover advisers is that the coming months could see larger eye-catching deals which will test all those involved. Top target is BT. It has two big strategic holders sitting on its share register. Aggressive telecoms investor Altice, controlled by French billionaire Patrick Drahi, owns a 12.1 per cent stake. He could get close to effective control if he were able to buy Deutsche Telecom's 12 per cent holding. Alternatively, there could be a bidding war for new chairman Adam Crozier to preside over.

As a key strategic asset and a critical player in updating Britain's infrastructure, with the rollout of fibre optic broadband, a bid for the flagship telecoms firm would provide a real dilemma for the Government. It could potentially provide the finance to speed up fibre to the door but would mean trusting the UK's online future to an overseas buyer.

Another big potential target is all or part of GlaxoSmithKline. The company is going through a difficult transition under chief executive Emma Walmsley with activists Elliott busy shaking the tree. AstraZeneca garnered the attention in the pandemic but it is GSK which is the vaccine champion, with treatments and inoculations for everything ranging from cervical cancer, to meningitis and even HIV Aids.

Soon it will have Covid vaccines too. There is intense speculation that other major drug companies, some loaded with cash following the pandemic, have their eye on GSK, which is greatly undervalued.

Walmsley is seeking to release value by splitting out the consumer health care division. Perversely, by making GSK a purer pharmaceutical and vaccines play it could be much more vulnerable to an overseas and (less likely) a UK merger. With so much good science, R&D and UK production bound up in GSK it would be a very hard deal for the Government to let happen.
Emerging markets trust Mobius will celebrate its third anniversary at the start of next month. And while the newish fund has faced hurdles in the form of the pandemic and being a small investment fish in a big sea, it's done a pretty good job so far for investors.

Since launch, the trust's share price has risen from 1 to 1.49, a respectable return of 49 per cent for shareholders who invested from the start.

According to lead manager Carlos Hardenberg, the share price growth is vindication of the trust's focus on small to medium-sized companies.

Since launch, the trust's share price has risen from 1 to 1.49, a return of 49% to investors

'Our style is all about investing in companies that are not well researched by others,' he says. 'Their shares are not overbought, the businesses are often not well understood, and their share price usually does not reflect their true value or potential. We then invest with high conviction.'

The result is a 156million portfolio comprising just 28 stocks  and one that does not include the 'big' emerging market stocks typically held by most rival funds: the likes of Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Tencent.

Instead, the focus is on companies often operating in niche areas and leading the way in terms of technological advancement and product development.

Often, the trust's six-strong investment team draw upon external experts  for example, academics, doctors and those working in private equity  to identify emerging investment themes. 'It allows us to move up the learning curve,' says Hardenberg.

Top ten holdings Persistent Systems and eMemory Technology are typical of the companies Hardenberg and his investment team hunt down. Indian business Persistent Systems, one of the trust's first investments, provides information technology solutions for companies operating in the healthcare sector.

'It makes good profits,' says Hardenberg, 'and has a strong balance sheet which is a driver of growth.'

Taiwan-based eMemory Technology is a leader in making semi-conductor chips more secure from hackers.

The 156million portfolio comprises just 28 stocks and does not include the 'big' stocks typically held by most rival funds like Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Tencent

Taiwanese companies account for 17 per cent of the trust's assets  a bigger slice than Chinese businesses (14 per cent). Hardenberg's view is that Taiwanese-listed companies tend to benefit from better corporate governance.

'We're very careful where we invest in China,' he adds. 'We avoid big tech and sectors where there is a risk of regulatory or political interference. We also have concerns over the reliability of much corporate data.'

Its biggest Chinese holdings include fast food home delivery service Yum China and healthcare provider EC Healthcare. The shares of both companies are listed in Hong Kong, the preferred way for Hardenberg and his team to get exposure to Chinese companies.

Hardenberg believes the outlook for emerging markets is encouraging, provided the world economy continues to recover. A potential blip is political unrest in countries such as Brazil and Turkey.

Darius McDermott, managing director of investment scrutineer FundCalibre, says Mobius has been a 'success,' but prefers more established trust JP Morgan Emerging Markets.

Mobius takes its name from Mark Mobius who is often referred to as 'Mr Emerging Markets' as a result of being the investment force behind Templeton Emerging Markets.

When launched in 1987, this was the world's first fund to specialise in emerging markets. Together with Hardenberg, Mobius set up Mobius Capital Partners in 2018.

The trust's annual charges total 1.5 per cent (a little on the high side) and the stock market identification code is BFZ7R98.
Embattled aerospace giant Boeing has received a boost as the Government agrees to pour 400million into military aircraft, including planes used in the UK's evacuation from Afghanistan.

The Royal Air Force will receive 400million to upgrade its fleet of C-17 Globemaster planes and Chinook helicopters, both developed by the US aerospace and defence specialist.

The spending, part of a four-year 24billion defence spree by Boris Johnson, will see 324million invested in improving the C-17  eight vast planes capable of carrying two large helicopters.

Refurbish: The Royal Air Force will receive 400m to upgrade its fleet of C-17 Globemaster planes and Chinook helicopters, both developed by the US aerospace giant Boeing

Its systems will be enhanced to allow longer range communications, making flying information easier for pilots to read, and its parachute capabilities will be improved.

The planes have been used by the UK for 20 years and are available to nine nations, including the US, India and Qatar, under the five-and-a-half-year contract.

Last month, the C-17 completed the biggest capacity flight in RAF history carrying 439 people from Kabul.

Boeing will carry out the manufacturing work with fellow American aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and the US Air Force.

Separately, the UK's fleet of 22 Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters will be enhanced with high-end protective systems in a 64million deal.

The contract with Boeing's UK defence arm will see 'blanking plates'  which mask hot areas of the aircraft and redirect airflow to cool exhaust gases  fitted to defend them against heat seeking missiles.

The full Chinook support programme is worth about 750million, with Boeing working alongside contractors including Thales UK and Germany's Schenker.

The awards mark a bright spot for Boeing, which has spent the past three years handling the fallout from crashes of its 737 Max passenger jet and the effect of the pandemic on its civil aerospace arm.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, head of the RAF, said the Chinook had proved its worth in the Falklands, Iraq, Afghanistan and even helping to stabilise the dam at Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire in 2019.

Asked why US contractors were awarded the work, he said: 'There are no UK equivalents on the market but we are determined to make clear to US contractors there has to be a dividend for highly skilled jobs in the UK.'

The contracts will support hundreds of jobs, including at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

Anna Keeling, head of Boeing Defence UK, said: 'The Chinook and C-17 have been central to our military transport and logistics for decades and we look forward to many more years of service for both.'
The activist investor demanding major change at Rolls-Royce has emerged as the biggest shareholder in retailer WH Smith as well.

US-based Causeway Capital last month demanded a board shake-up at Rolls and a potential break-up of its business.

And the firm has now built up a 9.05 per cent stake in WH Smith.

Struggling: During the shutdowns WH Smith was burning up to 20m every month and it reported a 280m annual loss in November

Yesterday a spokesman for Causeway insisted bosses were 'firm believers' in the British retailer's managers and their strategy.

WH Smith, which made two thirds of its profits from shops in railway stations and airports before the pandemic, has been left reeling by repeated Covid-19 lockdowns.

During the shutdowns it was burning up to 20m every month and it reported a 280m annual loss in November.

Analysts also expect it to post a 68m annual loss this year, with the firm predicting sales may not recover for three years.

Chairman Henry Staunton is expected to step down next year under City governance rules.
Cyber security star Darktrace is set to narrow its losses to 5m this week after its blockbuster float in London.

The Cambridge-based firm, led by chief executive Poppy Gustafsson, is due to report its full-year results on Wednesday. Analysts expect it to post revenues of 201m for the year to June 30, up from 144m in 2020.

Darktrace is still on course to make a net loss of 5m. However, that is down from 20.7m the previous year.

The company has previously warned investors that it may continue to be loss-making while it pursues rapid expansion including pumping money into research.

Darktrace floated in April valued at 1.7billion, or 250p per share.

But since then its stock has surged to 728p, valuing it at 5billion. But the involvement of British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, whose Invoke Capital was Darktrace's first shareholder, has cast a cloud.

Lynch is accused of cooking the books at his former company Autonomy before it was sold to US giant HP in 2011. He is currently battling against extradition to the US, and denies allegations of fraud.
Sunbathing on a speedboat, cruising down to the Bay of Biscay, even a spot of island hopping  its the sort of summer holiday much of Britain would kill for now.

But while most of us have stayed close to home, making do with a staycation, Wally the Walrus had other ideas.

The four-year-old whiskery gentleman simply swam off on his travels some time in March. When he fancied a pit-stop, hed haul his 800kg bulk onto the nearest motorboat and take a nap. Sometimes for several days.

Now his 2,500 mile solo tour has turned him into something of an international celebrity.

From a first sighting off the south-west coast of Ireland, then on to Wales, Cornwall, France, the Isles of Scilly and Bilbao, Wally has left a trail of destruction and a couple of sunk boats in his wake. His sighting in Bilbao in northern Spain is believed to be the farthest south a walrus has ever been seen.

Last sighting of Wally the walrus, as an RNLI volunteer tries to get him to move from the boathouse slipway in Tenby, Wales

A map showing Wally the Walrus' epic journey across Europe, which has made him an international celebrity

Marine experts cant say exactly where Wally came from, but there is some consensus he travelled from as far as Svalbard  a set of islands between Norway and the North Pole.

Melanie Croce, executive director of Seal Rescue Ireland, which has been monitoring Wally, says its likely melting sea ice at home means walruses are looking for new habitats.

And being a semi-aquatic creature  that can sleep for up to 20 hours at a time on floating ice  Wallys use of boats is very resourceful.

Hes absolutely adorable, really charismatic and quite mischievous and most people never get to see a wild walrus in their life, she says.

He needs to sleep and eat so that he can gather up enough energy reserves and blubber to make it all the way back home, up north, which is what we all really hope for. We want him to return to his Arctic habitat to be with his own kind once again.

But before he does that, wheres Wally been? Giulia Crouch, takes a look through his photo album...

Undated handout photo of five year old Muireann Houlihan with the walrus she spotted along the coast of Valentia Island, Co Kerry

March 14: Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, ireland

Wally is first spotted 2,000 miles from home relaxing on some rocks by Muireann Houlihan, five, and her father, who were out walking.

There are only 22,000 of Wallys kind left in the world and this is the first time one has been seen in Ireland since 1999 and is a worrying indicator of climate change.

The walrus, which had been enjoying the sun in Tenby, Wales, was spotted by a group on a sea safari near Padstow

May 20: Padstow, Cornwall

In an absolute first for Cornwall the Arctic walrus appears on its shores. It follows the sighting of killer whales off Cornwall for the first time in more than ten years earlier in the same month.

Wally the walrus is photographed sunning himself in Les Sables-d'Olonne,Western France

May 27: western France

Wally is snapped sunbathing in Les Sables-dOlonne. It is the towns first walrus sighting for 50 years and means hes now 2,000 miles south of his Arctic home. Police who try to move him off a dinghy describe him as uncooperative. From there he travels to Bilbao where he is spotted on June 5 in the River Nervion.

The walrus which has been seen in various places around Pembrokeshire, has now appeared at the RNLI boathouse slipway in Tenby

Wally soon becomes Tenbys top attraction. Local businesses are quick to create Wally memorabilia and a brewery even names a beer after the new celebrity

March 26: Tenby, Wales

Wally is spotted 280 miles away in Pembrokeshire seaside town Tenby where he starts causing mischief.

He is seen capsizing a dinghy before attempting to climb onto a fishing boat moored in the harbour, a spectacle which stops locals in their tracks.

He had his flippers right up on deck, said beachgoer Martyn Thomas, 36. Hes a huge creature.

Another observer, plumber Sean Roche, said: I was late for work this morning and this is the best excuse ever.

April 5: Wally soon becomes Tenbys top attraction. Local businesses are quick to create Wally memorabilia and a brewery even names a beer after the new celebrity.

Members of the public travel from as far as Essex and Leeds  breaking Covid restrictions over the Easter Weekend  to glimpse the wild animal who was seen adorably balancing a starfish on his nose and trying to clamber onto all manner of vessels. Wally was identified as a young, male walrus due to the shortness of his tusks. Cleopatra Browne, of Welsh Marine Life Rescue, was amazed at his size. Hes a whopper  about the size of a cow. Ive seen them on telly and the news, but he was huge, she says.

April 26: Seen again in Tenby after disappearing for several days, having been scared. Anyone who disturbs Wally is warned they could be guilty of a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The mammal had fled the harbour after some people threw items at him, flew drones close to him and used fish in a bid to lure him too close.

RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben says: Weve all got used to social distance over the last year  and thats something we now need to practise with this walrus.

However, emergency services get concerned when Wally becomes fond of taking a nap on the lifeboat station slipway and has to be shooed away.

You wally! The intrepid traveller (right, from top) clambers onto a boat and is snapped (circled) on the lifeboat slipway. Left: Reluctant to budge

Dinghy-popping Wally the walrus causes havoc on Isles of ScillyThe islands' celebrity guest has left some locals feeling deflated

June 17: back to the UK and The Isles of Scilly

Wally spends a month and a half in the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast, where once again he gets up to no good.

Hes pictured mounting several boats and an action plan is put in place to try to deter him.

Groups involved say hes caused thousands of pounds of damage and sunk several vessels since arriving.

Barrier and acoustic deterrents are considered as a means of stopping Wally heaving himself onto boats.

No one has ever been in this situation in this country before, we dont have animals that are this big, and its causing a lot of angst, says Dan Jarvis of British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

August 1: Returns to Ireland

Wally the walrus continues harassing boaters in a small mooring bay in Ireland. 38 year old plumber Paul O'Regan captured the footage of Wally at his local mooring bay in Cork

Last seen in Scilly on July 30, Wally travels 125 miles to County Waterford, south-east Ireland, where he climbs onto the boat of a local hotelier.

Patrick Shields, general manager at the five-star Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, joked: What with Covid, we havent had a lot of international visitors this summer.

So to have someone from Norway was very exciting. A few days later Wally capsizes a boat belonging to Clonakilty Distillery in West Cork.

Boat owner Adam Collier told the Mail: We are delighted to have helped in assisting a wonderful marine creature and we really hope Wally will find his way back to his own family

Where's Wally now?

Walruses can dive up to 90 metres and stay underwater for up to 30 minutes at a time

Seal Rescue Ireland hope Wally will make use of a resting platform they have built for him and that he can build strength for the long journey home.

Walruses can dive up to 90 metres and stay underwater for up to 30 minutes at a time. Hes headed in the right direction now so we hope he continues his journey, says Melanie Croce.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a ban on social media giants kicking users off their platforms or removing their posts due to their political leanings or affiliations.

The law states that social media sites cannot ban users 'simply based on their political viewpoints.'

It targets companies with at least 50 million users in the United States - including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and would allow residents to sue the companies for reinstatement of their accounts.

'Social media websites have become our modern-day public square,' Abbott, a Republican, said after signing the bill into law on Thursday.

'They are a place for healthy public debate where information should be able to flow freely - but there is a dangerous movement by social media companies to silence conservative viewpoints and ideas.'

'That is wrong, and we will not allow it in Texas.'

Conservatives have accused these social media giants of stifling their voices and disproportionately targeting them over liberal and Democratic users.

The social media platforms, though, have consistently defended themselves against such accusations.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law on Thursday making it illegal for social media giants to boot people from their platform 'simply based on their political viewpoints'. Here the governor signs an election integrity bill in Texas on Tuesday

The new law comes months after former President Donald Trump was booted from Facebook and Twitter, when a group of his supporters breached the Capitol in January in an attempt to protest and prevent Joe Biden from taking office.

Twitter claimed that it took Trump off the site over concerns the then-president would use social media to incite violence following the attack.

But under the new Texas law, it is illegal for social media platforms with more than 50 million monthly active users to ban people from their site based on their political viewpoints, and prevents the companies from demonetizing users or removing their posts.

It would also require social media companies to be transparent about their content moderation policies and make reports about any posts they remove, according to the Washington Examiner, as well as build a complaint system on their websites.

And it would only let social media networks ban hate speech if it involves 'specific threats of violence,' Ars Technica reports.

'It is now law that conservative viewpoints in Texas cannot be banned on social media,' Abbott said upon signing the legislation.

The bill initially failed earlier this year when Democrats flooded the state legislature to stall the passage of what they deemed to be controversial partisan bills, but it was revived in a special session in July and passed through the state legislature at the end of August.

Similar bills are now being considered in Utah, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Trump was kicked off Twitter after the January 6 Capitol riot. In this file photo then-President Trump met with Abbott on May 7, 2020 in the Oval office

It was also expected to run afoul of Constitutional rights of private businesses to decide what is voiced on their platforms.

The Texas law argues that social media platforms function as 'common carriers,' and should be forced to host all users, according to the Washington Post.

The idea was popularized by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas earlier this year, who suggested in June that social media companies could be regulated like common carriers, such as phone companies, which face specific regulations due to the importance of the services they offer.

'At this point, a small handful of social media sites drive the national narrative and have massive influence over the progress and developments of medicine and science, social justice movements, election outcomes and public thought,' State Rep. Briscoe Cain said when he initially presented the bill on the House floor.

But in June, a federal judge blocked a Florida law from taking effect that would have allowed the state to punish social media companies for banning politicians or political candidates from their platforms, according to CNET.

In that case, the judge found that the law's prohibition on de-platforming individuals may violate the companies' right to free-speech, and that the legislation on a whole is 'viewpoint-based.'

The judge added that much of the bill's text was 'wholly at odds with accepted constitutional principles.

Some Free Speech advocates now say the Texas law will do the same.

'This bill abandons conservative values, violates the First Amendment, and forces websites to host obscene, antisemitic, racist, hateful, and otherwise awful content,' said Steve DelBianco, president of NetChoice trade association.

'Moderation of user posts is crucial to keeping the internet safe for Texas families, but this bill would put the Texas government in charge of content policies.'
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed its first openly transgender bishop in a service held in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on Saturday.

The Rev. Megan Rohrer will lead one of the church's 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada.

'My call is ... to be up to the same messy, loving things I was up to before,' Rohrer told worshippers. 'But mostly, if you'll let me, and I think you will, my hope is to love you and beyond that, to love what you love.'

Rohrer was elected in May to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod after its current bishop announced his retirement.

Bishop Megan Rohrer speaks to the press before their installation ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on Saturday

Rohrer was elected to a six-year term, and will oversee the church's Sierra Pacific Synod. It's previous bishop announced his retirement in May

Bishop Megan Rohrer, left, and Bishop Marc Andrus on the rainbow steps before Bishop Rohrer's installation. On Saturday Rohrer became the first transgender clergy member to be named bishop in the church

'I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing,' Rohrer said in a statement. 'My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward.'

Rohrer, who uses the pronoun 'they,' previously served as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco and a chaplain coordinator for the city's police department.

Rohrer also helped minister to the city's homeless and LGTBQ community.

Rohrer was one of seven LGBTQ pastors accepted by the church in 2010, when it allowed the ordination of pastors in same-sex relationships

Rohrer, and Andrus. Rohrer will oversee nearly 200 congregations in their new role, which carries with it a six-year term

They studied religion at Augustana University in their hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, before moving to California to pursue master and doctoral degrees at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

Rohrer became one of seven LGBTQ pastors accepted by the progressive Evangelical Lutheran church in 2010 after it allowed ordination of pastors in same-sex relationships.

Rohrer is married and has two children ages 7 and 8.

They said their goal is to focus on issues such as homelessness, racial inequality and food insecurity.

The church is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States with about 3.3 million members.
The UN secretary-general issued a dire warning Friday that the world is moving in the wrong direction and faces 'a pivotal moment' in which business as usual could lead to a breakdown of global order and perpetual crises.

Changing course, he said, could signal a breakthrough to a greener and safer future.

In a horizon-scanning report presented to the General Assembly, Guterres said his vision for a 'breakthrough scenario' to that future is driven by 'the principle of working together ... And recognizing that no community or country, however powerful, can solve its challenges alone.'

In order to do that, the UN chief said the worlds nations and people must reverse todays dangerous trends.

The world is under 'enormous stress' on almost every front, he said, and the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call demonstrating the failure of nations to come together and take joint decisions.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (pictured) called on the world's nations to implement a number of measures to combat multiple crises, including global warming, inequality, disease and the potential for nuclear warfare in a report to the General Assembly Friday

Guterres said this 'paralysis' extends far beyond COVID-19 to the failures to tackle the climate crisis and 'our suicidal war on nature and the collapse of biodiversity.'

Other crises, he said, include 'unchecked inequality' undermining the cohesion of societies, and technology's advances 'without guard rails to protect us from its unforeseen consequences.'

In other signs of a more chaotic and insecure world, he pointed to rising poverty, hunger and gender inequality after decades of decline, bringing people into the streets to protest, 'while conspiracy theories and lies fuel deep divisions within societies.'

Additionally, he cited the extreme risk to human life and the planet from nuclear war and a climate breakdown.

The report - 'Our Common Agenda' - is a response to last years declaration by world leaders on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and the request from the General Assembly's 193 member nations for the U.N. chief to make recommendations to address the challenges for global governance.

Global warming due to pollution, Guterres said, posed a major threat to human life and would need to be better addressed

In todays world, Guterres said, 'Global decision-making is fixed on immediate gain, ignoring the long-term consequences of decisions -- or indecision.'

He said multilateral institutions have proven to be 'too weak and fragmented for todays global challenges and risks.'

Whats needed, Guterres said, is not new multilateral bureaucracies but more effective multilateral institutions including a United Nations '2.0' more relevant to the 21st century.

'And we need multilateralism with teeth,' he said.

In the report, Guterres said immediate action is needed to protect the planets 'most precious' assets from oceans to outer space, to ensure it is livable, and to deliver on the aspirations of people everywhere for peace and good health.

Guteterres said the Covid-19 pandemic only highlighted how unprepared the world's nations are to deal with catastrophes. Pictured: A covid-19 mass grave in Brazil

He called for an immediate global vaccination plan implemented by an emergency task force, saying 'investing $50 billion in vaccinations now could add an estimated $9 trillion to the global economy in the next four years.'

The report proposes that a global Summit of the Future take place in 2023 that would not only look at all these issues but go beyond traditional security threats 'to strengthen global governance of digital technology and outer space, and to manage future risks and crises,' he said.

It would also consider a New Agenda for Peace including measures to reduce strategic risks from nuclear weapons, cyber warfare and lethal autonomous weapons, which Guterres called one of humanitys most destabilizing inventions.

The secretary-general said a new United Nations Futures Lab will publish regular reports 'on megatrends and risks.'

He said the COVID-19 pandemic also exposed deficiencies in the global financial system.

Other crises include the threat of nuclear annihilation amid rising global strife, Guterres warned

To tackle these weaknesses and integrate the global financial system with other global priorities, Guterres proposed holding summits every two years between the 20 leading economies in the G20, the U.N.s Economic and Social Council, the heads of international financial institutions and the U.N. secretary-general.

He also called for the correction of 'a major blind spot in how we measure progress and prosperity,' saying Gross Domestic Product or GDP fails to account for 'the incalculable social and environmental damage that may be caused by the pursuit of profit.'

'My report calls for new metrics that value the life and well-being of the many over short-term profit for the few,' Guterres said.

It also calls for a new Emergency Platform that would be triggered automatically in large-scale crises comprising governments, the U.N. system, international financial institutions, civil society, the private sector and others, he said.

Rising poverty and inequality, Guterres said was fueling large amounts of social unrest across the world. Pictured: A Black Lives Matter protest in Detroit

Guterres also proposed 'repurposing' the U.N. Trusteeship Council, whose work is largely completed, 'to create an intergovernmental body for intergenerational issues' that would be a platform to consider the interests of the entire human family, present and future.

As part of a new focus on the worlds young people and future generations, Guterres said he intends to appoint a special envoy for future generations to ensure the interests of those born in the 21st century and establish a new United Nations Youth Office.

Saying much of the world's unease is rooted in poverty and growing inequality, Guterres noted that the 10 richest men saw their combined wealth increase by half a trillion dollars since the COVID-19 pandemic began while 55 percent of the worlds population, or 4 billion people, 'are one step away from destitution, with no social protection whatsoever.'

To address the threats to social stability, the U.N. chief recommended a series of measures 'to provide universal health coverage, education, housing, decent work and income protection for everyone, everywhere.'

Guterres proposed holding a World Social Summit in 2025 on global efforts to address these issues and repair the social fabric.

The secretary-general also proposed global action to tackle disinformation and conspiracy theories and promote facts, science and 'integrity' in public discourse.

'We must make lying wrong again,' Guterres said.
Chris Whitty and Boris Johnson today criticised Nicki Minaj for spreading an 'untrue' and 'ridiculous' myth that coronavirus vaccines can cause impotence - before she hit back on social media just minutes later. The Prime Minister said he would rather listen to NHS England's top GP Nikki Kanani about the jab as he and the Chief Medical Officer both condemned the remarks by the star, who has not yet been vaccinated. Minaj had been mocked after telling her 22million Twitter followers last night that her cousin will not get the vaccine because his friend allegedly became impotent after being jabbed and his fiance cancelled their wedding. The 38-year-old tweeted yesterday: 'My cousin in Trinidad won't get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you're comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.' Mr Whitty and Mr Johnson both criticised Minaj after being asked about what she said by a reporter during their press conference from Downing Street this afternoon. Minaj then took to Twitter again after watching a video of the two men speaking, saying: 'I love him even tho I guess this was a diss? The accent ugh! Yassss boo!!!' Moment later she recorded an audio message for Mr Johnson in a comedic British accent, tweeting: 'Send this to the Prime Minister and let him know they lied on me. I forgive him. No one else. Only him.' She said: 'Yes, hello Prime Minister, Boris, it's Nicki Minaj - I was just calling to tell you that you were so amazing on the news this morning. And I'm actually British. I was born there. I went to university there. I went to Oxford. I went to school with Margaret Thatcher. And she told me so many nice things about you. I'd love to send you my portfolio of my work, since you don't know much about me, I'm a big, big star in the United States.'
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Catalan separatists have held their first major mass gathering since the start of the pandemic in Barcelona.

The march, on the Catalan National Day, offers a display of unity despite some divisions within their ranks over how to approach upcoming talks with the Spanish government.

Tens of thousands waved pro-independence flags and went out into the streets streets of Barcelona which separatists see as the Catalan capital.

People wore face masks for the event, which went ahead after regional authorities dropped restrictions on the number of people who could gather with Covid-19 cases dropping.

Catalan separatists have held their first major mass gathering since the start of the pandemic in Barcelona. Thousands of supporters are seen waving the Catalan flag and dressed in the flag's colours

There was a brief clash when a large crowd pelted a police station with toilet paper, rubbish and other objects before scuffling with National Police officers.

That prompted Catalan police in riot vans to roll in and clear them out.

The meeting between representatives of the Catalan and central governments does not have a date yet, but it is expected to take place soon.

This second meeting between the two sides is supposed to advance negotiations toward finding a solution to the political crisis that has festered since the failed 2017 bid by Catalan's secessionists to force a breakaway.

Expectations remain extremely low for a quick fix because the Catalan separatists demand an authorised referendum on independence.

The central government said a vote would have to be on a proposal to improve the relationship of the north-east region with the rest of Spain.

The National Catalan Assembly, the powerful group that organised Saturday's rally, sees the talks as a ruse to defuse their momentum. The official slogan of the rally is: 'Fight and We Will Win Independence'

People wore face masks for the event, which went ahead after regional authorities dropped restrictions on the number of people who could gather with Covid-19 cases dropping. Supporters are seen holding a massive Catalan flag during the march

The march, on the Catalan National Day, offers a display of unity despite some divisions within their ranks over how to approach upcoming talks with the Spanish government

Catalonia's voters have for several years been roughly equally divided over the secession question, with half in favour and half wanting to remain in Spain.

The difference of opinion within the separatist camp on the usefulness of the negotiations marked Saturday's rally.

Catalan regional president Pere Aragones and his Republic Left of Catalonia party defended the negotiations with Spain's government.

'Catalonia is on the brink of doing something that it has never achieved before: opening a negotiation with the Spanish state, government to government, to tackle how we resolve this conflict,' Mr Aragones said.

'And we do so with the commitment from both sides that the result of this negotiation will be put to the Catalan citizenry for a vote.'

The other two main pro-secession parties and the movement's leading grassroots groups, however, see the negotiations at best as a waste of time, and at worst a betrayal of the mandate for independence that they claim to already have from the illegal referendum held four years ago that most unionists boycotted.

Josep Rull, one of the nine jailed leaders of the failed 2017 secession attempt in Catalonia, arrives at the demonstration. The meeting between representatives of the Catalan and central governments does not have a date yet, but it is expected to take place soon

Supporters are seen wearing red T-shirts in the colour of Catalonia's flag. Catalonia's voters have for several years been roughly equally divided over the secession question, with half in favour and half wanting to remain in Spain

Catalonian regional Parliament' Speaker Laura Borras arrives at the demonstration. Jordi Sanchez, the general secretary of Together for Catalonia, sees the talks as futile. 'We are deeply sceptical of the attitude of the Spanish government and the outcome of this negotiation,' he said

The National Catalan Assembly, the powerful group that organised Saturday's rally, sees the talks as a ruse to defuse their momentum.

The official slogan of the rally is: 'Fight and We Will Win Independence'.

Jordi Sanchez, the general secretary of Together for Catalonia, also sees the talks as futile.

'We are deeply sceptical of the attitude of the Spanish government and the outcome of this negotiation,' he said.

Mr Sanchez is one of nine high-profile separatists who were pardoned in June by Spain's left-wing government led by prime minister Pedro Sanchez for their roles in instigating the failed breakaway attempt.

'Let the spirit of reunion, mutual affection and concord be our guides on this (Catalan holiday),' the Spanish leader said in a message on Twitter written in Catalan.

'We are advancing toward that which unites us.'
On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a generation of children whose grandparents died in the terror attacks paid heartbreaking tributes to them - with many never having had the chance to meet them.

Some of the victims' youngest decendents - including grandchildren, nieces and nephews - offered heartfelt words at the memorial site in Lower Manhattan on Saturday morning as family members read the names of the 2,977 victims.

'For my grandfather, Michael San Phillip who I was never able to meet, but I'm pretty sure we would have had a lot of fun together,' Charlotte Spero said to the crowd gathered at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza of her grandfather, an investment banker who worked in the South Tower at the time of the attacks.

Charlotte's story echoed that of every other child who took the stage who lost family members in the attacks, long before many of them were even born.

'And my uncle, firefighter Christopher Michael Mazzoto. I know you're with us everyday watching over us, and even though I never met you I still miss you a lot,' another little girl said of her late uncle.

'Mom always tells me the crazy, fun things you did, and I'm sure if you were here I would probably be doing them with you,'

'Thank you for being the best guardian angel. My mom says I have your lovable charm and fearlessness, and I am honored to have your name as my middle name.'

'For my grandfather, Michael San Phillip,' Charlotte Spero (right) said to the crowd of her grandfather, an investment banker who worked in the South Tower

Spero's grandfather,Michael V. San Phillip (pictured) worked as an investment banker in the South Tower

'Thank you for being the best guardian angel. My mom says I have your lovable charm and fearlessness, and I am honored to have your name as my middle name,' another young boy said

Young Jake DiVirgilio's words rang true for most of the children who took the stage on Saturday's anniversary event, expressing love for his grandfather, bond broker David Francis Ferrugio, even though the two never met.

'We all miss you,' the young boy said. 'And even though I didn't get to meet you, I still love you.'

Another said: 'To my uncle, Robert G. Mclevan, although I wasn't lucky enough to have met you, your spirit lives on in myself, my brother and sisters, and all those who loved you.'

'I'm honored to carry your name, and I am living proof that life goes on.'

Family members of those who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago remembered their fallen uncles, aunts, grandparents and parents during Saturday's event

Mina Clemente, 9, who's grandfather Cesar Amoranto Alviar also died in the 9/11 attacks, turned an otherwise somber scene into a moment of levity when she asked her late grandfather to convince her mother to get her a puppy.

'Thank you for watching over us,' the little girl said. 'And please convince Mommy to get us a husky someday.'

Meanwhile, Mina's mother Gemma Alviar told the New York Post that her daughter's request caught her off guard, but that she'll have to make good on it after her daughter put her on the spot.

'She totally surprised me with the dog thing,' told The Post. 'OK, no pressure there, saying that on national television  I guess we have to deliver.'

'I'm honored to carry your name, and I am living proof that life goes on' said the nephew of Robert G. Mclevan, who died in the 9/11 attacks

'And my uncle, firefighter Christopher Mazzoto. I know you're with us everyday watching over us, and even though I never met you I still miss you a lot,' a little girl said of her late uncle

Two other boys dedicated a moment to their aunts and uncle, who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks.

'To my uncle, who's tie I am wearing today, proudly,' the young boy told the crowd, while wearing a pin featuring his late aunt's face.

'And to my aunt, Maria Theresa Concepcion-Santillion, and Judy Santillion-Fernandez.'

'From the pictures and stories I've heard and seen, I know how beautiful you were. After 20 years, you are now reunited with Lula and Lolo, who passed away last year. Please be our guardian angel. We will never forget,and we will always remember you.'

'God bless America,' he added.
Sajid Javid today dramatically killed off the idea of compulsory Covid passports in England after a huge Tory outcry.

The Health Secretary declared that the government 'will not be going ahead' with the controversial move for nightclubs and major events, ahead of Boris Johnson unveiling the government's 'winter plan' on Tuesday.

The U-turn comes after ministers were sent out to defend the proposals last week despite heavy fire from Conservative MPs who branded them 'unsupportable, coercive and discriminatory'.

Responding to briefing about the policy being aced an interview with Sky News this morning, Mr Javid only initially told Sky News that he 'hoped we can avoid' the step.

But little more than an hour later he was categorical, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr show: 'We will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.'

The decision draws another dividing line within the UK, as Nicola Sturgeon has announced that a certification scheme will be launched in Scotland from October 1.

Meanwhile, holidaymakers are poised for a huge boost as ministers indicated that double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK - potentially in time for the October school half-term.

In his big set-piece on Tuesday Mr Johnson will also scrap some of the swinging powers that the government took to manage the response to the disease, and all-but rule out further lockdowns to control an anticipated surge over the coming months - after scientists said vaccinations can be an effective first line of defence.

A booster jab programme could begin as early as this month, while other measures in the 'toolbox' for tackling outbreaks will include masks.

Boris Johnson is set to announce the Government's winter Covid plan, with a focus being placed on vaccination as he remains reluctant to impose further lockdowns

Britain's vaccine drive is continuing to roll forward, taking the total amount of adults fully protected against the virus to just under 43.9million (80.8 per cent)

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that mandatory Covid passports will not go ahead as he stressed rising vaccination rates

Double-jabbed travellers 'to be spared PCR tests next month' Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK, the Government is poised to announce. Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal, providing a huge boost for millions of holidaymakers and the beleaguered travel industry. Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain, while the unpopular PCR tests currently required on the second day after arrival will be replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests. The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests. The plan will be discussed this week by Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who form the so-called Covid-O committee. The change would also tackle fears that some PCR firms are profiteering and could provide an incentive for people to be vaccinated, as the new rules would only apply to those who have been double jabbed. Advertisement

Ministers were sent out to defend the Covid passports proposals last week, with Nadhim Zahawi insisting they were the right thing to do even though he admitted they 'went against everything I believe in'.

But briefing emerged in the Sunday Times about the U-turn. Firms and venues who are already demanding proof of vaccination will be allowed to continue to do so, but they will not be any legal obligation.

Mr Javid was at first reluctant to give a firm commitment, but then stated that the plan will not go ahead - although the concept will be kept 'in reserve'.

The shift poses a challenge for Ms Sturgeon, who again defended her own proposals in interviews this morning.

Speculation has been mounting over what increased measures may be brought in this winter, a high-risk time for coronavirus as other respiratory illnesses.

Mr Johnson hopes to avoid locking down the entire country and will send a message by repealling some of the Government's powers to shut down sections of the economy in England under the Coronavirus Act.

Mr Johnson said: 'Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our road map and life has returned to a sense of normality.

'These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But I'm determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences.

'I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly.'

The powers expected to be repealed include those allowing the closing down of the economy, the imposing of restrictions on events, the power to temporarily close or restrict access to schools, and powers to detain infectious people.

The Government expects the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) to recommend details of a jab booster programme next week.

The focus on vaccination in the Covid winter plan comes after claims ministers were considering a so-called firebreak lockdown in October.

An unnamed member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said a 'precautionary break' could be part of 'contingency plans', the i newspaper reported.

But Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'I don't think that's something we need to consider.'

He said no decisions are 'risk-free' but insisted the 'best defence' against another wave of the virus is the vaccine programme.

Downing Street denied the Government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half-term.

But the spokesman added that they have 'retained contingency plans as part of responsible planning for a range of scenarios'.

They said: 'These kind of measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS.'

There are plans in place to begin giving booster jabs to the most vulnerable as early as this month, as more than 65 per cent of the entire UK population have been fully vaccinated.

Mr Johnson is expected to say vaccines will be the first line of defence this autumn and winter, while a decision is expected on how to roll out a booster jab programme (stock image)

The UK's chief medical officers are drawing up advice to Government on whether children aged 12 to 15 should be vaccinated after the JCVI said the margin of benefit from vaccinating healthy children was too small to say they should receive a jab.

The Observer reported that jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds would begin on September 22.

But the UK's medical regulator has reportedly ruled that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine cannot be used for third doses in this way.

This means the majority of third doses given out this autumn and winter are likely to be Pfizer.

This could see the Oxford jab, initially planned to be the workhorse of the UK's vaccination programme, effectively phased out.

The AZ jab is already not offered to under 40s in the UK due to a link with rare blood clots.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs are safe to use as boosters, but the JCVI has yet to give its advice to ministers.

The JCVI has already said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.

On Friday, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he believes the priority should be donating vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.

His views have been echoed by his Oxford colleague Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, who helped design the vaccine and said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone.

Several other countries, including the US, Israel, Hungary, Germany and France, have announced or started third dose programmes for at least some of their citizens.

Meanwhile, it was reported that hundreds of thousands of long Covid patients were waiting up to six months to access clinics specifically set up to tackle the condition.

Department of Health bosses posted 29,547 new cases on Saturday, down 21 per cent on the 37,578 recorded last Saturday.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) has dismissed the idea of October 'firebreak' restrictions saying it was not 'something we need to consider'

But the number of people dying within 28 days of a positive test is continuing to increase, with 156 people falling victim to the virus, bringing the total figure past 158,000. The figure was up 30 per cent on the 120 recorded last week.

Fatalities tend to reflect changes in infection levels at least a week after due to the time it takes for people to become seriously ill.

Britain's vaccine drive is continuing to roll forward with 89,832 second doses dished out today. It takes the total amount of adults fully protected against the virus to just under 43.9million (80.8 per cent).

Some 25,019 first doses were also dished out, taking the total number of people to receive at least one jab up to 48.4million (89 per cent)

Elsewhere, it was reported that PCR tests needed prior to travel will be scrapped, with the day two test required when returning from abroad to be replaced by a cheaper lateral flow test.

Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday revealed.

The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests.

The plan will be discussed this week by Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who form the so-called Covid-O committee.

The change would also tackle fears that some PCR firms are profiteering and could provide an incentive for people to be vaccinated, as the new rules would only apply to those who have been double jabbed.
The IT giant Salesforce has offered to help relocate its employees working in Texas, following the passage of a restrictive abortion law in the conservative US state.

'If you want to move well help you exit TX,' Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said in a tweet on Friday, adding a link to a CBNC article that first reported the move.

The law, which bans abortion after six weeks, has prompted outrage among women's rights activists and Democrats, and the Biden administration is looking for legal ways to block it.

'If you want to move we'll help you exit TX,' Salesforce CEO said in response to the new Texas abortion law

'If you want to move well help you exit TX,' Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said in a tweet on Friday, adding a link to a CBNC article that first reported the move

Salesforce, a San Francisco-based software company, told its employees that it respects 'that we all have deeply held and different perspectives,' according to an internal note quoted by CNBC.

'With that being said, if you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state, Salesforce will help relocate you and members of your immediate family,' the memo read.

The Texas law, passed this month, bans abortion once a heartbeat can be detected, before many women even know they are pregnant -- except in a medical emergency.

Other tech companies have also taken action in response to the law. Online dating giants Bumble and Match Group, which are headquartered in Texas, announced that they will create funds to support women.

The new law encourages Texans to report all those involved in illegal abortions, including people who take a woman to a clinic to get the procedure. In response, car-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have announced they will cover drivers' legal fees if they are exposed.

Salesforce, a San Francisco-based software company, told its employees that it respects 'that we all have deeply held and different perspectives,' according to an internal note quoted by CNBC. 'With that being said, if you have concerns about access to reproductive healthcare in your state, Salesforce will help relocate you and members of your immediate family,' the memo read

Web hosting provider GoDaddy refused to host a site set up by a Texan anti-abortion group to collect tip-offs to enforce the new law.

One Thursday, the Biden administration sued to block the ban.

Attorney General Merrick Garland branded it as 'clearly unconstitutional' for violating Supreme Court precedents protecting a woman's right to an abortion.

Garland blasted the new law, SB 8, at a press conference at the Justice Department, where he said the US was seeking a preliminary and a permanent injunction to prevent state officials from enforcing the new law.

He slammed what he called an 'unprecedented scheme to in the chief justices words insulate the state from responsibility  and singled out provisions that allow individuals under the new statute to sue abortion providers or those who aid or abet a woman who gets an abortion. State residents can seek up to $10,000 from such individuals who assist an abortion after a fetus reaches six weeks, in a mechanism lawmakers used to get around potential legal hurdles.

He was referencing a dissent by Chief Justice John Roberts, who called out the provision. 'The statute deputizes all private citizens without any showing of personal connection or injury to serve as bounty hunters,' Garland added.

His attacks on the law came after the Supreme Court last week allowed the to go into effect with a late night 5-4 decision denying an emergency appeal while its most controversial provisions get litigated  without issuing a stay that would stall enforcement. The majority wrote that it was not purporting to issue a ruling on the substance of the law.
Pictured: AJ Elfalak, age three

A bush tracker who joined the search for an autistic toddler after he mysteriously disappeared in the wilderness for three days believes the three-year-old survived by hiding in caves and a wombat hole.

Police and rescue crews flew into a frenzy when Anthony 'AJ' Elfalak vanished without a trace from his home in Putty, 150km northwest of Sydney in the Upper Hunter Valley, just after 11am on September 3.

Helicopters, dog squads, SES, Rural Fire Service and hundreds of volunteers scoured bushland to find the little boy - before he was miraculously found alive 72 hours later in a creek, just 500m away from home.

AJ was shivering, starving, dehydrated and had a bad case of nappy rash, but was otherwise in high spirits - prompting questions as to how a toddler with special needs managed to survive in the bush by himself for three cold nights.

Family and friends repeatedly claimed AJ was very likely kidnapped - 'there is no other reasonable explanation than an abduction,' the boy's godfather Alan Hashem told reporters at the time.

His distraught mother Kelly also said: 'He holds my hand all day, all night. We are together all the time. I think hes been taken. If he was around here, I wouldve found him by now.'

But survival expert Jake Cassar who helped with the search says he saw tracks around the mouth of a wombat hole in the area where the youngster was found.

Pictured: Bush tracker Jake Cassar, who says he found AJ's tracks inside a cave and wombat hole

Mr Cassar (right) is pictured with AJ's mother Kelly Elfalak during the search for her son

'It was a small track, but it's highly likely it was his, in my opinion,' the 45-year-old told News Corp.

He also said the property was dotted with caves, including one that looked as though someone had been staying in it.

'It's hard to tell, because it's really soft sand, but it looked like the sand had been dragged out, and you can see what looked like knee marks and maybe some fabric marks in the sand, too,' he explained.

He said the were tracks leading to a wombat hole that he believes were likely left by AJ.

Mr Hashem said footage from CCTV cameras installed on a tree overlooking the driveway leading up to the property cut out the moment the boy went missing, but others claimed the cameras were damaged before the boy vanished.

'How did he leave?' he asked. 'Did anything sinister happen?'

The spot AJ was found was just 500m from his family home and was explored extensively in the days he was missing. Pictured: Moments after he was found

AJ Elfalak (pictured) went missing on September 3 and was found three days later, covered in cuts and bruises

Superintendent Tracy Chapman said last Monday: 'I dont understand what has happened with some footage, however its subsequently part of our inquires still'.

AJ's father Anthony Elfalak told reporters 48 hours after his son went missing that 'little boys don't just up and disappear'.

But Mr Cassar said AJ's injuries were consistent with the theory that he was lost in the bush for three days.

'There's no doubt he'd spent the entire time in the bush,' he said. 'He had scratches that were three days old, scratches that looked two days old.

'I've spent a lot of time in the bush, often for weeks on end, and I know what someone looks like when they've been in the bush for a long time.'

Greg Chalmers, the SES volunteer who first sighted the youngster, also said AJ was shivering as though he had been cold for a long time.

This aerial image shows the distance between AJ's home and the area where he was found - complete with the dense bushland and dangerously steep terrain in between

Once inside an ambulance, paramedics said he devoured an entire pizza and a banana, and 'guzzled' two bottles water - typical traits of someone who hadn't eaten for days.

'He was starving... it's all consistent with him being in the bush the entire time,' a paramedic said.

Police have also suggested that AJ's autism likely helped him maintain a calm state of mind.

'The reality is he didn't know he was lost so he wasn't scared, he didn't panic,' an investigator said.

Celebrations were underway from about 1pm on Monday - an hour after word spread that AJ had been found alive

'The reality is he didn't know he was lost so he wasn't scared, he didn't panic,' an investigator said.

The Child Mind Institute says children with autism often have 'a weaker sense of danger' than others and enjoy exploration.

They're also more likely to 'wander off' or look to remove themselves from overwhelming sensory experiences.

When AJ was pulled from the river, his mother sobbed uncontrollably and his grandmother fell to her knees and thanked the government for the search efforts.
A father has warned other parents to protect their children from a sick new online method that a paedophile used to abuse his son.

Kurtis Whaley, 25, from Sydney's northern beaches was jailed for nearly 10 years in May 2020 for tricking 49 children and teenage boys into sending him nude videos.

The father of one of his victims, who cannot be named to protect his son's identity, said he fell victim to 'capping' in which predators pose as teenagers or modelling agents and look for victims, mostly aged 12 to 15.

Police say dozens of children can be targeted in as little as a few hours on video streaming platforms - with the clips of those coerced into streaming sexual acts captured, where the term originates, and circulated online.

Manipulation and blackmail are then used to prevent the victims from speaking out and to prolong the abuse.

Kurtis Whaley (pictured) from Sydney used 'capping' to target 49 boys online and was sentenced to nearly 10 years prison

'The mobile phone was used as an electronic chain and shackle making my son captive to the paedophile for nearly a month where he was repeatedly abused with no way to escape on his own,' the Queensland father told The Courier Mail.

'My son was fortunate that he got justice, but many never do and they remain in constant fear that this abuse material will resurface again and the perpetrators are still free.'

Queensland Police victim identification specialist Scott Anderson said the new method allowed perpetrators to contact multiple potential victims quickly and dispels the notion they carefully target and groom victims over months or years.

'These offenders are highly manipulative and in extreme cases, they have tricked children into undressing and performing sexual acts on camera within 10 minutes of contacting them through a video streaming platform,' Mr Anderson said.

In Whaley's case, the court heard he posed as a 16-year-old girl named 'Beth' and manipulated 49 boys aged eight to 15 - saving Snapchat, Instagram pictures and recording Skype and Omegle livestreams.

The court previously heard Whaley would make blackmail threats (pictured) his victims if they didn't comply with his demands

In the texts previously revealed in court, Whaley would say if they didn't comply it 'will only make things worse'.

In another set of texts a victim's father told Whaley to 'f*** off' and that he'd notified police.

The friend of a 13-year-old victim messaged Whaley on Instagram after receiving a nude picture pointing out that he didn't appear 'concerned about becoming a sex offender or going to jail for, like, five years'.

'Mate I've been doing this long enough. What can the police do?' he said.

When AFP officers raided his property in 2019 they found 700 pictures and video of the victims along with material he gathered from another 250 unidentified victims on his hard drives.

Whaley (pictured left) was found with 700 pictures and video of his victims with a court previously hearing how he threatened his victims to get more material (pictured right)

With hundreds of thousands of children using video streaming services, authorities warned parents they should remain vigilant to protect their kids.

The government's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said there are some simple steps parents can take to ensure their child remains safe online.

These include using parental controls on devices and apps to monitor your child's activity and limit what they can access.

Setting rules such as hours when electronic devices can be accessed and that they must be used in open areas of the home.

Reviewing privacy settings in apps to restrict who can contact them is also advised along with keeping involved with your child's online activity by co-viewing and co-playing apps and games.
A taxi driver has been awarded more than $1.5 million after he suffered brain damage from a carbon monoxide leak in his car.

While working as an independent contractor for Capital City Taxis on the night of September 3, 2013, Muhammad Salman Shahid was found unconscious at the taxi rank of Crown Casino in Melbourne.

He had suffered a heart attack, hypoxia, and a resulting brain injury.

Mr Shahid was never informed that another taxi driver, Sandeep Brar, was found dead in the vehicle he was driving less than 24 hours before.

Muhammad Salman Shahid (pictured) has been awarded over $1.5 million in damages after he suffered brain damage from a carbon monoxide leak while working as a taxi driver

In the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday, Justice Stephen O'Meara held Alpha Trading Engineering, which operates as Capital City Taxis, liable for the injuries suffered by Mr Shahid.

Mr Shahid was awarded $450,000 in damages and about $1.1 million for the loss of potential future earnings.

Justice O'Meara said that the extent and impact of the injuries suffered by Mr Shahid was clear when he gave evidence to the court.

'His sentences were sometimes incomplete and he was often lost for ideas or words. He was a very vague historian and witness generally,' Justice O'Meara said.

'That said, he had a pleasant manner, and he impressed me as a witness of truth who made every effort to give evidence without in any way embroidering his account.'

Mr Shahid told the court he had to learn to drive and speak again, and he still needed help to even order food in a restaurant.

The hardworking immigrant who moved from Pakistan to Australia was studying automotive technology and was hoping to gain permanent residency before the horrific event.

Mr Shahid, who now works as a security guard as it does not require much speaking, said in a statement that he was pleased with the outcome of the hearing.

'It has taken eight years and six days. It was a hard time for me and I had nothing in my hand. I am happy,' he said through his lawyers Maurice Blackburn to the The Age.

'I spoke to my mum and told her: "Mum, we win." She told me they prayed all night,'

Capital City Taxis was held liable for Mr Shahid's injuries in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday (pictured, Capital City Taxis)

Justice O'Meara told the court the death of Sandeep Brar, a healthy man in his 30s, should have prompted the company owner, Nasir Choudhary, to at least inspect the vehicle.

Taxi M2081, the vehicle both Mr Brar and Mr Shahid drove, had a complete rupture in its tailpipe, allowing carbon monoxide to seep into the car.

The company was responsible for keeping the vehicle maintained, but Mr Choudary's defence claimed that no risk of injury was reasonably foreseeable.

Mr Choudary said in his evidence that police said the initial death looked like a heart attack, explaining why he didn't check the vehicle.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Mr Shahid's legal team for comment.
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Joe Biden has defended his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan while attending a 20th anniversary memorial service for the victims of 9/11.

The Commander-in-chief was asked about his decision to pull out troops from the Middle Eastern country as he left the service in Shanskville, Pennsylvania on Saturday.

'Could al Qaeda come back? Yeah. But guess what, it's already back other places,' Biden stated.

'What's the strategy? Every place where al Qaeda is, we're going to invade and have troops stay in? C'mon. I'm told 70 percent of American people think it was time to get out of Afghanistan spending all that money, but the flip of it is they didn't like the way we got out. But its hard to explain to anybody how else could you get out?'

Biden then appeared to reference the heartbreaking footage of Afghanis clinging to and falling from a US Air Force plane as it took off from an airport at Kabul last month.

'For example, if we were in Tajikistan and we pulled up in a C130 and we said "We're gonna let anybody who was involved in being sympathetic to us get on the plane" we'd have people hanging in the wheel-well. C'mon,' he bizarrely stated.

Meanwhile, the President has not spoken publicly about a US drone strike that mistakenly killed an Afghani aid worker and seven children on August 29. The New York Times revealed the US blunder an investigative piece published on Friday.

Biden's defense of Afghanistan on Saturday, came just before his predecessor, Donald Trump, trashed him during a meeting with first responders in New York City.

Joe Biden has defended his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan while attending a 20th anniversary memorial service for the victims of 9/11

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden lay a wreath at the Wall of Names during a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville

Footage from Kabul's airport last month showed hundreds of people running alongside - and in front of - a US Air Force plane preparing to take off

Desperate Afghan nationals tried to run onto RCH 885 as it took off from the airfield last month. Some were crushed by the C-17's wheels and others clung to the fuselage as it took off

Trump took aim at Biden over the 'embarrassment' of the Afghanistan withdrawal as he surprised officers at NYPD's 17th Precinct in East Midtown in Manhattan.

'It was gross incompetence and I hate to talk about it on this day,' Trump told the crowd.

'They gave $85 billion [worth of equipment] away - brand new Apache helicopters. Can you believe it? They gave them away. Why would you give them away? You'd fly them out, you'd take them out,' he said.

'And they had all the time in the world. We had everybody on hold, the Taliban was on hold.

'I dealt with the top guy - Abdul - and there was nothing he was going to be doing with us.'

Trump then pushed his claims that the 2020 election was 'rigged.'

'All of a sudden we have a rigged election and all of a sudden we flee Afghanistan,' he said. The former president has failed to produce any evidence to back up his claim.

'That's why I'm saying what timing, what horrible timing - the 20th anniversary - and I watch the speeches and not one person spoke about the fact that three days ago we fled Afghanistan and we left Americans behind and others too and we left $85billion of the best equipment ever made - much of it that I bought.'

He continued to slam the president's handling of the withdrawal saying 'a five-year-old would have said the military goes out last.'

Donald Trump paid a visit to NYPD and FDNY officers on the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, after deciding not to make his own solo trip to Ground Zero

The former president surprised officers at NYPD's 17th Precinct in East Midtown in Manhattan, New York City, Saturday afternoon where he posed for photos with a group of cops and held a brief question and answer session

Trump said very little about America's darkest day and instead took aim at Joe Biden over the 'embarrassment' of his Afghanistan withdrawal

'They could have stayed there for one month or three years. They [the Taliban] weren't going to be able to do anything but they left and when they left there was a vacuum,' Trump said.

'And then they came in and filled the vacuum and whoever thought of this - a five-year-old would have said the military goes out last and that's what they [the Taliban] wanted.

'They couldn't believe they were leaving so it was gross incompetence and I hate to talk about it on this day but people are saying why aren't they talking about what the hell they did.'

Trump has repeatedly laid into Biden over the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan last month.

The withdrawal was turbulent with 13 American troops and dozens of Afghans killed in a suicide attack in Kabul, while the Taliban has regained control of the country.

His visit to the precinct came after Biden was joined by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama at the official 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero Saturday morning (pictured above)

Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff lay a wreath at the Pentagon

In his brief address before taking questions, Trump described the anniversary as a 'sad day' before launching into an attack on Biden over Afghanistan.

'It's a sad day, a very sad day,' he said.

'For a lot of reasons and we just added to that reason last week as it should never have been allowed to happen.

'I watched all the speeches and nobody mentioned what they did but we have to live with it for a period of time. It's very disappointing.'

The former president circled back to Afghanistan later describing the Biden administration's withdrawal as 'gross incompetence' and claiming his deal with 'Abdul' from the Taliban meant the militants were 'on hold.'

'They gave $85 billion [worth of equipment] away - brand new Apache helicopters. Can you believe it? They gave them away. Why would you give them away? You'd fly them out, you'd take them out,' he said.

'And they had all the time in the world. We had everybody on hold, the Taliban was on hold.

'I dealt with the top guy - Abdul - and there was nothing he was going to be doing with us.'

Trump then pushed his claims that the 2020 election was 'rigged.'

'All of a sudden we have a rigged election and all of a sudden we flee Afghanistan,' he said. The former president has failed to produce any evidence to back up his claim.

'That's why I'm saying what timing, what horrible timing - the 20th anniversary - and I watch the speeches and not one person spoke about the fact that three days ago we fled Afghanistan and we left Americans behind and others too and we left $85billion of the best equipment ever made - much of it that I bought.'

He continued to slam the president's handling of the withdrawal saying 'a five-year-old would have said the military goes out last.'

Trump told Fox News Friday he would be attending Ground Zero in New York City Saturday. He had been expected to make a trip around 1:30pm to avoid any chance of bumping into Biden

'They could have stayed there for one month or three years. They [the Taliban] weren't going to be able to do anything but they left and when they left there was a vacuum,' Trump said.

'And then they came in and filled the vacuum and whoever thought of this - a five-year-old would have said the military goes out last and that's what they [the Taliban] wanted.

'They couldn't believe they were leaving so it was gross incompetence and I hate to talk about it on this day but people are saying why aren't they talking about what the hell they did.'

Trump has repeatedly laid into Biden over the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan last month.

The withdrawal was turbulent with 13 American troops and dozens of Afghans killed in a suicide attack in Kabul, while the Taliban has regained control of the country.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden visited all three sites of the 9/11 attacks Saturday.

The president did not hold speeches at any of the ceremonies instead releasing a pre-recorded video statement Friday telling Americans to 'not be afraid'.

The Bidens walk through Shanksville, western Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed on September 11 2001

First, he attended the New York City ceremony at Ground Zero where the name of each victim was read out, beginning at 8:30am and lasting several hours.

There were six moments of silence throughout the ceremony started by the chime of a bell - for the moment each tower was struck by the planes, the time both towers fell.

Bell chimes also rung out for the moment the Pentagon was struck by the third hijacked plane and the moment Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville.

Biden then flew to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony.

The president told reporters the memorials are 'really important' but 'also incredibly difficult for the people affected by them'.

'It brings back the moment they got the phone call, it brings back the instant they got the news, no matter how years go by,' he said.

The Bidens also paid a visit to the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, which responded to the crash on September 11.

Dr. Jill Biden was captured passing out Bud Light and IC Light - a local Pittsburgh brew - to the first responders while the president took photos with firefighters and their families, including - he told reporters - some boys in Trump hats.

He then visited the Pentagon where he was joined by the first lady, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff to lay a wreath.
Savile Row tailors and shops selling formal wear in London's famous Jermyn Street have seen a leap in orders from returning office workers, including requests for clothes to be adjusted after customers' waistlines shrank or surged during lockdown.

Cad & The Dandy, in Savile Row, experienced a 30 per cent increase in business last week alone.

Co-founder James Sleater said: 'There has been a huge shift. Everyone is in the mindset of being back at work and getting new suits made. Very few people have stayed the same size.'

Cad & The Dandy, in Savile Row, experienced a 30 per cent increase in business last week alone as workers return to the office after lockdown (stock image)

He added: 'Some have lost weight because of fitness regimes. One guy lost 10in on his waistline.

'It's like getting five years of your life back. That could be the difference between having corporate lunches and not. Others, like me, took the opportunity to drink too much red wine.'

But he added that the long-term fortunes of rivals on Savile Row would depend on the return of tourists to the Mayfair hotspot.

Jermyn Street shirtmaker Charles Tyrwhitt said it had enjoyed a 220 per cent rise in suit sales in store last week.

Jermyn Street shirtmaker Charles Tyrwhitt said it had enjoyed a 220 per cent rise in suit sales in store last week as workers with changed waistlines seek clothes adjustments (stock image)

Its founder Nick Wheeler said: 'People have gone both ways  some fitter and some fatter. They are also spending more on suits, after saving in lockdown.

'A lot of men have decided to do a clear-out, getting rid of old shirts and deciding, 'If I'm going to wear a suit less, then the one I wear can be of better quality.'

People have said the suit is dead and a lot of suit sellers have gone out of business, but we've seen huge increases.'

According to Public Health England, more than 40 per cent of adults in England gained weight during the pandemic, with an average increase of about half a stone.
Shoppers are set to see a post-Brexit shake-up in food labels  with Ministers determined to show off Britains world-class produce.

The Government is drawing up radical reforms for clearer food labelling now that the UK is free of Brussels bureaucracy.

Ministers hope that it will allow consumers to choose home-grown food more easily.

Environment Minister George Eustice fired the starting gun yesterday on a 12-week call for evidence for views on the reforms

But first, the Government is inviting the public to give their views on how post-Brexit labels should look.

Environment Minister George Eustice fired the starting gun yesterday on a 12-week call for evidence for views on the reforms.

He said: British farmers produce food to an exceptionally high standard of animal welfare, and consumers have come to expect nothing less.

Now that we have left the EU, we have an opportunity to look at food labelling  and whether the information that we give to shoppers helps them make informed choices.

'This call for evidence is a first step in ensuring that we fully meet consumers needs, and fly the flag for the high standards for which our farmers are renowned.

The change has the potential to build a better food system for people and the planet  from farm to fork.

Ministers hope that it will allow consumers to choose home-grown food more easily

Mr Eustice also singled out The Mail on Sundays War on Food Waste campaign, which is calling on every household to cut food waste by 30 per cent to help the environment and boost family budgets.

He said: I welcome The Mail on Sundays campaign to cut food waste and highlight the ways in which we can all play our part.

Officials said last night that the proposed reforms, to apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, could empower consumers, to support British farmers and improve animal welfare.
A Labour MP terrified by online abuse from trans activists is staying away from this years party conference  for her own safety.

Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield said she would not attend the Brighton rally partly because of the hassle she would get from certain parts of the party.

Ms Duffield, 50, fears her attendance would be an issue with LGBT+ Labour and possibly other groups.

The MP provoked anger this year for liking a tweet by an American rapper which said trans people were mostly heterosexuals cosplaying as the opposite sex and as gay.

Last year, she spoke of how she was terrified by online abuse after liking a tweet suggesting individuals with a cervix should be called women

Ms Duffield was forced to quit as a Labour whip last year after this newspaper revealed she had broken Covid lockdown rules with her married lover

Last year, she spoke of how she was terrified by online abuse after liking a tweet suggesting individuals with a cervix should be called women.

Ms Duffield was forced to quit as a Labour whip last year after this newspaper revealed she had broken Covid lockdown rules with her married lover.

The Labour Party said it takes the safety of everyone attending conference very seriously.
A Tory donor caught up in the row about the refurbishment of Boris Johnsons flat also bailed out Prince Charless struggling eco village at Dumfries House.

Lord Brownlow was revealed this year to have partly funded work at No 11 Downing Street after Mr Johnsons then fiancee, Carrie Symonds, allegedly objected to the John Lewis furniture nightmare left by Theresa May.

But the peer, who was a policeman before making a fortune in the finance sector, also stepped in when the Prince of Wales struggled to sell properties at Knockroon in East Ayrshire.

Lord Brownlow was revealed this year to have partly funded work at No 11 Downing Street

The new development of 770 homes was intended to be like Poundbury  the Dorset village built to meet the Princes architectural and community values.

In plans drawn up after Charles put together a consortium to buy Dumfries House in 2007, the sale of the houses at Knockroon would produce millions of pounds that could be used to renovate the run-down Palladian mansion.

But after developers struggled to sell even the first phase of 31 houses, Lord Brownlows Havisham investment group stepped in to buy nine properties as buy-to-lets and a cafe.

The 45 million acquisition of Dumfries House  including 20 million borrowed through Charless charitable organisation, The Princes Foundation  was a financial risk for the future king.

However, it came with 68 acres of farmland where he hoped to create his eco-village and raise more than enough money to repay his charitys debts and fund ambitious plans for restoring Dumfries House.

Experts say the scheme was worthy but misconceived, with the properties too expensive for the former mining area.

The first tranche of flats and houses went on sale in 2011, with a four-bedroom house costing 220,000.

By comparison, a three-bedroom property in nearby Cumnock was on the market for 39,950 at the time. The failure of Knockroon is thought to explain why Charles turned to donors to bankroll Dumfries House.

A Tory donor caught up in the row about the refurbishment of Boris Johnsons flat also bailed out Prince Charles

Charles really put everything on the line financially and emotionally for the purchase of the house and estate, said royal author Ingrid Seward.

Knockroon was crucial to the economics. He wanted to create his own Scottish Poundbury, a showpiece model village of sustainable living to help offset the cost and create long-term sustainability. But it hasnt worked out so far.

The failure to build as many houses as he would have liked put pressure on raising money from other sources  including donors.

Despite the intervention of the Havisham Group, Knockroon developer Hope Homes walked away from the project in 2015.

Lord Brownlow contributed 58,000 towards the refurbishment of No 11. Mr Johnson subsequently repaid the money.

The Havisham Group did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesman for The Princes Foundation said last night: As our annual accounts show, The Princes Foundation remains in robust financial health.

A source stressed that the sum borrowed to partly enable the purchase of Dumfries House in 2007 has long since been paid off.
Sirhan, 77, learned he would be eligible for release last month after spending 53 years behind bars for assassinating the senator during his 1968 presidential campaign

The Kennedy family are 'at war' after Robert Kennedy's widow Ethel sent a letter, with the support of six of her children, to the California parole board opposing the release of his killer, Sirhan Sirhan.

Sirhan, 77, learned he would be eligible for release last month after spending 53 years behind bars for assassinating the senator during his 1968 presidential campaign.

While the 93-year-old matriarch and six of her and RFKs children vehemently opposed Sirhans parole, not all were in favor of the release for the man who killed their father.

The family members who opposed the release had promised not to make a statement to the parole board at Sirhan's hearing on August 27, but according to the New York Post, they blindsided sons Robert Jr - also known as Bobby - and Douglas, who were in favor of his release.

The rift has caused the family to accuse each other of 'double-crossing' the others, a source close to the August 27th parole hearing told the New York Post.

'Bobby got backstabbed,' the insider told the Post.

Sirhans lawyer, Angela Berry. says the family quarrel erupted into a full-blown showdown between differing factions of the Kennedy clan - those that supported Sirhan's release and those who did not.

'The night before the hearing I got a letter from the parole board via the LAPD,' Berry told the news outlet.

'It read, On behalf of the Kennedy family, we oppose the release of Sirhan. [Bobby] had been staying out of it specifically on the assumption that his family was going to stay out of it  I got ahold of him right away letting him know what happened.'

'We are in disbelief that this man would be recommended for release,' the statement from the six siblings read.

It was signed by Joseph P. Kennedy II, Courtney Kennedy Hill, Kerry Kennedy, Christopher G. Kennedy, Maxwell T. Kennedy and Rory Kennedy who write that the decision has 'inflicted enormous additional pain.'

Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert Kennedy who was assassinated during his 1968 presidential campaign, wrote a letter to the parole board pleading with them to not release Sirhan Sirhan

Ethel described her husband's death as 'an unspeakable loss to the inhumanity of one man' (Pictured Robert (left) and Ethel Kennedy (right) on their wedding day in Greenwich, Connecticut on June 17, 1950)

He should NOT be paroled': RFK's widow Ethel Kennedy, 93, joins 6 of her nine surviving kids opposing Sirhan Sirhan's parole in opposition to sons

But two of RFK's children, Douglas Kennedy, 54, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 67, have supported Sirhan's parole.

Upon learning of his mother's letter, Bobby composed a last-minute statement of his own the night before the hearing in favor of Sirhans parole, which just barely made it in time to be reviewed at the hearing.

'The parole hearing started at 8:30 am and Roberts letter streamed in at 10:30 am,' Berry said.

'It read in part, I have to assure you that the letter you got is not on behalf of the whole Kennedy family. That was the very last thing the hearing officer read into the record.'

FOR: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) and Douglas Kennedy (right) have supported Sirhan's recommendation for parole

AGAINST: The statement posted Friday was signed by six of Robert Kennedy's nine surviving children announced that they were 'devastated' by the San Diego panel's ruling. L-R Joseph P. Kennedy II, Maxwell Kennedy and Rory Kennedy

AGAINST: The siblings will continue to fight to keep Sirhan behind bars for their father's murder. L-R Courtney Kennedy Hill, Kerry Kennedy and Christopher Kennedy

Meanwhile, Douglas spoke at the hearing in support of Sirhan's release, saying he was 'moved to tears' by his remorse, according to an Associated Press report.

'Im overwhelmed just by being able to view Mr. Sirhan face to face,' he said.

'I think Ive lived my life both in fear of him and his name in one way or another. And I am grateful today to see him as a human being worthy of compassion and love.'

'I do have some love for you,' he told Sirhan, who nodded in response.

RFK was shot in Los Angeles after giving a victory speech following his win in the South Dakota and California 1968 Democratic presidential primaries (Pictured: Ethel, left, RFK, right)

Robert Kennedy immediately after being fatally shot by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968

Robert Kennedy was walking through the kitchen of the hotel stopping to speak with supporters when he was shot, June 1968

The California Parole Board staff has 90 days to review the decision whether or not to release Sirhan, after which California Gov. Gavin Newsom makes the final decision to refuse or allow the Palestinian assassin's parole.

While Ethel's letter may have blindsided several family members, a longtime Kennedy associate said she understood why Ethel 'weighed in' on the controversial topic.

'Its a disgrace,' she said.

'Six kids oppose Sirhans release along with the 93-year-old mother whos gone through nothing but pain and loss for years. What is wrong with those two children who want that lying son of a bitch freed from prison? Where is the family unity?'

Paul Schrade, who'd worked with RFK and was also shot that night, also believes that Sirhan was not the shooter and should be released.

'Sirhan did not shoot Robert Kennedy,' Schrade, 96, maintains. 'I got the first shot, the second shot missed Kennedy,' according to NPR.

He believes that unreliable ballistics evidence by the Los Angeles Police Department disrupted the case and advocates for Sirhan's release in order to find RFK's true assassin.

Sirhan stepped towards RFK with a rolled up campaign poster, hiding his .22 revolver shooting him in the head from only a foot away

He was immediately wrestled to the ground by RFK's security team and taken into custody. He claims that he has been drinking alcohol and did not remember pulling the trigger

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, 70, is the only member of RFK's nuclear family that has not publicly announced their opinion of Sirhan's parole recommendation.

Two of Robert and Ethel's 11 children are deceased. David Kennedy died at age 28 in 1984 and Michael Kennedy died at age 39 in 1997.

This latest parole hearing marked Sirhan's 16th attempt at parole. The panel's recommendation still awaits a review by the California Parole Board and a final decision by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The review process could take up to 120 days.

Robert Kennedy was the younger brother to former President John F. Kennedy, serving as his brother's US attorney general. He was then elected as a New York Senator.

RFK was 42 years old when he was pronounced dead on June 6, 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The rising politician was shot after giving a victory speech following his win in the South Dakota and California 1968 Democratic presidential primaries.
CNN host Brian Stelter has been slammed for tweeting a claim that the 'real leaders' of 9/11 were news anchormen - and adding that 'political leaders were in bunkers or out of sight'.

Stelter tweeted a quote from an article written by AP writer David Bauder, saying: 'Network TV anchors were the closest thing that America had to national leaders on 9/11. They were the moral authority on that first day'.

He then added, 'especially with political leaders in bunkers or otherwise out of sight'.

DailyMail.com columnist and former host of The View, Meghan McCain was one of the first to criticize Stelter, saying: 'I don't know what this is even designed to mean other than to be incendiary on a dark anniversary'.

'First responders led & ran into danger and died. Mayor Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, George Pataki, President Bush, Chuck Schumer.... there were many real leaders leading us,' McCain tweeted in response to Stelter's initial tweet.

On Saturday, the former View host took to Twitter to criticize CNN host, Brian Stelter, after he tweeted a quote from an Associated Press piece, claiming that network TV anchors were 'the closest thing that America had to national leaders on 9/11'

In the AP article, which pays tribute to anchors Tom Brokaw of NBC News, Peter Jennings of ABC and Dan Rather of CBS, the Garrett Graff, the author of 'The Only Plane in the Sky' writes taht they 'were the closest thing that America had to national leaders on 9/11'.

'They were the moral authority for the country on that first day, fulfilling a very historical role of basically counseling the country through this tragedy at a moment its political leadership was largely silent and largely absent from the conversation.'

Smoke billows from the World Trade Center's twin towers after they were struck by commerical airliners in a suspected terrorist attack September 11, 2001 in New York City

A police scooter sits in the rubble in lower Manhattan 11 September, 2001, in New York after two planes flew into the World Trade Center twin towers

'Clearly, however, the prospect of another plane hitting the second building was beyond the contemplation of anyone giving advice. According to one of the first fire chiefs to arrive, such a scenario was unimaginable, "beyond our consciousness,"' according to the report.

In this file photo taken on September 11, 2001, a police officer (R) and others walk in streets covered in debris following the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City

Stelter's tweet was met with a furious response, with Twitter users reminding him that the true heroes and leaders of 9/11 were the firefighters, police officers and paramedics.

Stelter responded to the backlash in a follow-up tweet, writing that he merely quoted the piece he shared.

'I remember,' Stelter said. 'Please send your objections to the author of the story or the person he quoted.'

However, several social media users ignored Stelter's response, adding that the host included own input to the tweet.

'You added your take outside the quotes!' the Media Research Center's Nicholas Fondacaro responded. 'Also, you shared it. So at some level you liked it and agreed with it. You didn't offer criticism, so what other deduction is there? Stop playing these stupid games Brian. We all know what you're doing.'

Other users chose to remind Stelter that former President George W. Bush acted as true leader in response to the attacks instead of TV anchors.

'That day I remember President Bushs speech to the nation from the Oval Office. That is where leadership come from. Not the news anchors,' Chris Miller wrote.

The attacks on 9/11 immediately altered the course of history for nation.

When the commercial plane hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., it was unclear at first what had just happened in Lower Manhattan.

But it was clear to first responders that people needed help. Cops, firefighters  some had witnessed the surreal moment in the sky  rushed to the World Trade Center complex. Thick black smoke was already pouring out of the burning building.

U.S. President George W. Bush listens as White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card informs him of a second plane hitting the World Trade Center while Bush was conducting a reading seminar at the Emma E. Booker Elementary School, in Sarasota, Florida, September 11, 2001

In this file photo taken on September 11, 2001, a man with a fire extinguisher walks through rubble after the collapse of the first World Trade Center Tower in New York City

In this file photo taken on September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center billow smoke after hijacked airliners crashed into them

After the Twin Towers collapsed that morning, as soon as it was possible, thousands of NYPD, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, doctors, paramedics, construction workers, volunteers and others started searching for survivors  some accounts have people using their hands to dig.

Elevators were out. Firefighters climbed the stairs of the 110-story tower to figure out what was happening on its upper floors to report back. 911 operators tried to keep people calm as wave after wave of calls rolled in.

It was unthinkable that the skyscraper and its twin, which for so long had been a fixture of the New York City skyline, would completely collapse.

First responders were trying to get a grip on the crisis when another plane struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.

At 9:37 a.m., a third plane ripped a hole into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C.

Minutes earlier, four men had hijacked flight 93 and rerouted it from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.  their target was believed to be the White House or the U.S. Capitol. Forced to the back of the plane, passengers and crew called family and friends who told them America was under attack. Understanding what was at stake and that their lives were in peril, they bravely fought to get inside the cockpit. In response, the hijackers downed the plane in a Pennsylvania field.

The South Tower fell at 9:59 a.m. The North buckled at 10:28 a.m.

Nearly 3,000 people died.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 unfolded in 102 minutes, with the war on terror beginning that October.
The federal government has secured an additional one million doses of the Moderna vaccine that will help vaccinate all kids 12 and over by November.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, describing it as a 'family-sized dose of hope', said the additional doses will arrive next weekend, doubling the nation's Moderna vaccines.

He said the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is now recommending Moderna for everyone 12 years and older, and people will be able to book their jabs from Monday.

These doses, as well as the 4.5 million Pfizer jabs received in swap deals with the United Kingdom and Singapore will allow every person 12 and older to receive their first dose by the end of October, he said.

The federal government has confirmed Australia will be receiving a million doses of the Moderna vaccine from European Union member countries (pictured, Prime Minister Scott Morrison)

'That means that everyone from 12 to 59 can go along to their community pharmacy where Moderna is being administered and they will be able to get a family jab,' Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.

He said 1,800 pharmacies will begin to receive the doses, bought from EU member states, through the week of September 20.

'These doses, plus those already contracted supply, will be shared around 3600 community pharmacies across Australia, and up to 1800 pharmacies will begin to receive doses through the week starting from September 20,' he said.

'The next few weeks will of course be very critical, as we work together to reach the targets and the goals set out in the national plan'.

Meanwhile, another $50 million will be spent trying to convince the 20 per cent of Australians who are reluctant to get a Covid-19 vaccination to change their minds.

Mr Morrison also called out 'hindsight heroes' that criticised the federal government for not gathering more doses of vaccines in 2020, claiming people would always be willing to criticise the approach.

This boost to vaccine stocks will see every Australia over the age of 12 be able to receive their first jab by the end of October (pictured, a nurse administer a vaccine)

He said this new shipment would also be used to boost Victoria's vaccine rollout, supplying the state with more than 400,000 doses.

'Victoria is currently dealing with the continued surge in cases just like we saw in NSW some time ago,' Mr Morrison said.

'Residents in particular in Melbourne's North and West will benefit from additional vaccines and the rapid expansion of vaccination sites across the region'.

The PM went on to thank the EU member countries that contributed to the shipments, as well as those who assisted with the deal including: Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Bulgaria, Norway and Sweden.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said research showed a growing number of people were willing to be jabbed, as the nation looks to a 70 to 80 per cent fully vaccinated rate before easing lockdown and travel restrictions.

'This campaign targets those who are still unsure to be vaccinated, as it will enable them to do things they enjoy, such as being with family, attending weddings, going to concerts and travelling,' he said.

The Moderna vaccine has been approved by Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to be used on Australians aged 12 and above (pictured, Moderna jabs)

More than 66 per cent of eligible Australians aged over 16 have received at least one Covid vaccination and 41 per cent are fully vaccinated, with some 22 million doses administered across the country.

Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said the government is already making preparations for when the 80 per cent target is met and international borders start to reopen.

He said a QR code that provides evidence of a person's vaccination status has been developed and is being sent out to Australia's overseas posts for trial.

These include the Pacific Islands, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US.

'When the international borders open we want people to be able to travel again,' Mr Tehan told Sky New's Sunday Agenda program.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall told the program his state is on board with the national plan and expects state lockdowns and lockouts will be a thing of the past before Christmas when the 80 per cent vaccination rate is met.

NSW is already planning for its domestic reopening at a 70 per cent vaccination rate, even though its daily infection rates remain stubbornly high, recording a further 1262 cases on Sunday and another seven deaths.

1800 pharmacies across the country will receive the jabs through the week of September 20 (pictured, a vial of the Moderna vaccine)

Federal Labor frontbencher and NSW MP Tanya Plibersek is looking forward to reopening, but has some concerns.

'I would be much more confident about the 70 per cent target if it was clear the premier was getting health advice that backed it,' she told ABC's Insiders program.

She is particularly worried about the state's tracking and tracing, and the capacity of the hospitals to cope.

'We are not going to get answers to those questions because the premier has suspended parliament and cancelled the daily press briefings,' she said.

Victoria recorded another 392 new infections, while the ACT saw a further 15.

Queensland authorities are breathing a sigh of relief after recording no new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, having warned that it might have to take swift action after detecting five cases the day before.
An excited Dan Andrews has discovered on live TV that Victoria will receive a huge shipment of vaccines.

But the Victorian premier couldn't help but take a shot at Scott Morrison for not letting him know in advance and showing favouritism to NSW.

Mr Andrews was asked about the Prime Minister's announcement that 400,000 Pfizer and Moderna jabs were being sent to Victoria to help the state's growing outbreak after 392 cases of coronavirus were recorded on Sunday.

'Good!' he replied, before clarifying he had no idea the vaccines were on the way and they were in addition to other doses he announced.

'I am delighted to know that, that is fantastic news! Get them into arms! That is what I'm about,' he added.

Dan Andrews couldn't help but take a shot at Scott Morrison after finding out live during his daily press conference Victoria were getting another huge shipment of vaccines

He sarcastically thanked Mr Morrison for the vaccines and mocked him for not securing millions of doses last year when he had the chance.

'It's hard to know what to expect, I didn't expect hundreds of thousands of doses that should've come to Victoria went to Sydney, but this is fantastic news,' the Victoria Premier said.

'Maybe while I've been talking to you there's been a missed call on my phone.

'I don't know, let's not argue about who said what to whom. Let's get jabbed in arms and that is what I'm focused on. Always have been.'

Mr Andrews was asked by a reporter if he had just found out the vaccines were coming to his state, to which he replied 'yes', before saying: 'Maybe if they had been ordered last year they would be arms already!'

Mr Andrews sarcastically thanked Mr Morrison for the vaccines and mocking him for the leaked emails between the federal government and Pfizer representatives

Mr Andrews was referring to the emails that were leaked this week between the Federal Government and representatives from Pfizer that showed ministers stalling on a deal that would have seen Australia covered for vaccines in June last year.

On June 30 last year a Pfizer representative contacted the Health Department to request the meeting, saying the American company had 'the potential to supply millions of vaccine doses [around the world] by the end of 2020'.

Mr Hunt left it to Health Department First Assistant Secretary Lisa Schofield to respond and three days later she said that she - not the minister - would attend a virtual meeting on July 10.

The US and Britain signed deals to buy millions of doses from Pfizer in July but no-one from Mr Hunt's office met the company until August 4.

Australia finally signed a deal for a measly 10 million doses in November. The first doses arrived in February, two months after the US and Britain had already rolled them out.

'Maybe if they had been ordered last year they would be arms already!' Mr Andrews said of the shipment of Pfizer vaccines arriving in Victoria

Mr Andrews referenced the failure of the federal government to fully supply Australia with vaccines earlier, while also reiterating Mr Morrison's reported bias towards his home state of NSW.

The Victorian Premier has labelled Scott Morrison the 'Prime Minister for NSW' in the past.

He demanded 340,000 vaccines be distributed to Victoria earlier this week, tearing into Mr Morrison's 'secret' and 'under the table' handling of the rollout.

'I signed up to the national plan to vaccinate our nation, not a national plan to vaccinate Sydney,' Mr Andrews said last week.

'We have seen hundreds of thousands of vaccines that should have come and should now be in the arms of Victorians going into Sydney and into GP practices in NSW.

'This was not announced. This was done without anyone knowing, and the Commonwealth have got caught doing it so it needs to stop.

'There needs to be a make good. There needs to be a reckoning where additional doses come to Victoria.'

Mr Morrison referenced the Victorian supply during a press conference on Sunday, saying they were prioritising the state as its outbreak deepens.

'Victoria is currently dealing with the continued surge in cases just like we saw in NSW some time ago,' he said.

'Residents in particular in Melbourne's north and west will benefit from additional vaccines and the rapid expansion of vaccination sites across the region.'

Epidemiologists are concerned the current trend could see Victoria's rate overtake that of NSW, with the state on track to record over 1,000 cases per day in the coming weeks

Experts are concerned Victoria's numbers are skyrocketing at a faster rate than NSW, with accelerated vaccinations and community compliance required to stop cases rising further

Victoria recorded 392 cases of coronavirus on Sunday amid concerns the outbreak is taking off faster than Sydney's and will soon top 1,000 a day.

Just 107 of the new cases were linked to the outbreak with 285 still under investigation by overwhelmed contact tracers.

They were diagnosed from 48,063 tests and 36,534 vaccine doses were administered on Saturday.

New cases fell sharply from Saturday's dramatic escalation to 450, but were still higher than at any other point this year.

Mr Andrews appeared in Sunday's daily Covid press conference, which was held at the same time as his New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian, who announced she will no longer hold the daily meetings.

Mr Andrews said there were more than 7,000 available slots for Pfizer vaccinations across the state, as well as a stockpile of AstraZeneca jabs.

'These vaccines have been through a rigorous process. They are safe, effective,' he said.

'No-one in hospital who is gravely ill have been double dosed and that's because these vaccines work. They are absolutely effective and safe.'

Experts are concerned Victoria's numbers are skyrocketing at a faster rate than New South Wales, with accelerated vaccinations and community compliance required to stop cases rising further.

As NSW moves towards 'Freedom Day', Victoria looks set to remain in lockdown beyond October as numbers threaten to get out of control.

Sunday's new cases are the most since August 11 last year and Saturday's the most since August 4 which had 700 at the height of Victoria's second wave.

The Deakin University professor said there must be more compliance from the community as the state battles its latest Delta variant outbreak

There are also increasing fears that parts of regional Victoria could be thrown back into lockdown just a few days after they were given their freedom.

Victoria has reached its 62nd day of its latest outbreak, with a three-day rolling average of 369, below that of NSW's average of 427.3 daily cases at the same stage.

Despite that number, experts think the number of unlinked cases and exposure sites mean that figure could drastically increase and see cases spiral out of control unless they ramp up vaccinations and have more compliance from residents.

'Sydney always took a more of a nutcracker approach, but that didn't work when it came to Delta,' epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett told The Age.

'We [Victoria] came in with a sledgehammer, but that still didn't work. There's probably not as much difference between, in terms of effectiveness, the sledgehammer, and the nutcracker, I think it was a bit of a distraction for all of us.'

The Deakin University professor said while contact tracing, social distancing and lockdowns worked on earlier variants, the Delta strain was significantly more difficult to deal with and that vaccinations and increased compliance were the only way out.

'Unless you get that absolute buy-in, luck on your side and a small-enough, tight-enough spread of community transmission that you can contain, then it's all about vaccine because vaccine works everywhere,' Professor Bennett said.

Victoria has recorded 392 cases of coronavirus amid concerns the outbreak is taking off faster than Sydney's and will soon top 1,000 a day

The deputy chief health officer confirmed they were opening a series of new community vaccination centres in Hume, Dandenong and Casey, as well as opening up eight schools for jabs.

'Those pop-ups will be available to students, staff, families of staff, families of students, and other local community members,' Naomi Bromley said on Sunday.

'We will make it as easy as possible for people to access these hubs.'

They have also extended hours of the centres already running to being open for 12 hours as they look to vaccinate school staff and students before the end of year exams.

'This will make vaccination much more accessible to people in those local communities. We've had lots and lots of people using that dedicated phone line to call up and make appointments,' Ms Bromley said.

'We know that many had already made appointments which is fantastic and many going to their local GP which is great If you have a Year 12 student or year 1 student doing 3 and 4VCR subjects, please, make a call, get a booking and get yourself vaccinated in time for your examination period.'

While more than 70 per cent of Saturday's new cases were recorded in Melbourne's northern suburbs, there were eight new cases in regional Victoria, including five in Geelong, one in Cohuna, one in Daylesford and one in Beveridge. The virus has also been detected in Ballarat wastewater.

Most of regional Victoria except Shepparton emerged from lockdown on Friday, with retail and hospitality allowed to reopen under strict rules.

Premier Dan Andrews appeared in Sunday's daily Covid press conference, which was held at the same time as his New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian, who announced she will no longer hold the daily meetings

But Mr Foley said there were no plans for a snap lockdown.

'There's no plans at this time to take such measures, but they are always informed by public health advice, and they will continue to be so,' he said on Saturday.

'All the decisions that public health officials take - and that the government supports - are based on public health advice.

'And they of course look every day, every hour, at the patterns of transmission and the stories behind where the cases are.'

Shepparton is expected to be released from its lockdown next week, while people in Melbourne are waiting for the state government to announce its plans to ease restrictions.

Mr Andrews earlier said the government is waiting for detailed modelling from the Burnett Institute before making an announcement.
A student senator at Washington University is being accused of snatching up 2,977 American flags to commemorate the lives lost in the 9/11 terror attacks on the 20th anniversary before throwing them in trash bags.

Fadel Alkilani, who serves as chairman of the student senate finance committee at the St Louis, Missouri university, is allegedly seen filling blue trash bags with the minature flags used as part of the 9/11: Never Forget Project memorial.

A video posted to Twitter by the Young Americans for Freedom, show as the cameraman confronts Alkilani.

'Who are you?' Alkilani asks the cameraman, identified as Nathaniel Hope, a member of the university's College Republicans.

A student senator at Washington University is being accused of snatching up 2,977 American flags to commemorate the lives lost in the 9/11 terror attacks on the 20th anniversary before throwing them away in the trash

Fadel Alkilani, who serves as chairman of the student senate finance committee at the St Louis, Missouri university, is allegedly seen filling blue trash bags with the minature flags used as part of the 9/11: Never Forget Project memorial

A video posted to Twitter by the Young Americans for Freedom, show as the cameraman confronts Alkilani. 'Who are you?' Alkilani asks the cameraman, identified as Nathaniel Hope, a member of the university's College Republicans. Hope described Alkilani as showing 'no remorse' before claiming the flags were a 'violation of school rules'

Hope described Alkilani as showing 'no remorse' before claiming the flags were a 'violation of school rules.'

'I did not violate any university or legal policy. Now go away,' Alkilani told YAF.

Meanwhile, Alkilani allegedly boasted about the act on his Twitter, which has since been set to private.

He claimed the move was done in 'protest against American imperialism and the 900,000 lives lost as a result of post 9/11 war.'

'There is a large amount of misinformation circulating,' he said before denying he was stealing flags from the campus

He claimed the move was done in 'protest against American imperialism and the 900,000 lives lost as a result of post 9/11 war'

On Instagram, he bemoaned the widespread condemnation he had received online as the story circulated on social media

Alkilani allegedly boasted about the act on his Twitter, which has since been set to private. He claimed the move was done in 'protest against American imperialism and the 900,000 lives lost as a result of post 9/11 war'

On Instagram, he bemoaned the widespread condemnation he had received online as the story circulated on social media.

'Republicans (are) attacking me in the replies,' Alkilani wrote while sharing a post from Washington University in St. Louis's Instagram account.

In a statement posted on social media, Alkilani said that 'there is currently a massive harassment campaign propagated primarily by Washington University College Republicans, as well as the national Young American's Foundation (YAF)' regarding an incident that occurred around 6am on Saturday, September 11, 2021.'

'There is a large amount of misinformation circulating,' he said before denying he was stealing flags from the campus.

Fox News reports that he had tried to destroy the memorial a night prior on Friday, but was stopped by campus police while doing so, students said.

The news outlet reached out to Alkilani, Washington University and campus police, however there has been no response as of early Sunday morning.

Elsewhere on Saturday, thousands of people gathered in Lower Manhattan for the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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Police have descended on thousands of beachgoers who flocked to the surf to soak up the sunshine in soaring temperatures despite health authorities saying sunbathers aren't doing anything wrong.

Sweltering Sydneysiders who live within 5km of the city's sun-drenched beaches were in no mood to stay at home as the mercury hit 30C.

Beaches from Manly in the north to Cronulla in the south saw jam-packed crowds with photos from Bondi and Coogee in the eastern suburbs looking more like pre-pandemic scenes than a city under stay-at-home orders.

Although Bondi and Coogee remained open, nearby Woollahra Council was forced to rope off Camp Cove at Watson's Bay and Redleaf beach at Double Bay, after huge crowds swarmed the popular harbourside spots.

Many followed Covid protocols by visiting with just one friend and wearing a mask, but cops reminded others to follow public health orders - as the number of new coronavirus cases hit 1,262.

Photos showed officers approaching scantily-clad Bondi residents to tell them to wear face coverings while they were not swimming, surfing, walking, or jogging.

Sunbathers gathered on Bondi Beach on Sunday to soak up the warm weather, sparking outrage among Covid-fearing residents

Police roamed the shore and reminded people to wear face masks, and made sure no one was outside their 5km limit

Sydney residents face $500 fines for not wearing a mask 'in all indoor or outdoor areas, other than a place of residence'.

They are allowed to exercise with one other people and can enjoy outdoor recreation such as sunbathing solo on with their household - but must wear a mask.

But photos of teeming masses at the beached enraged people trapped in the 12 hotspot local councils under a tougher lockdown.

They are subject to a 9pm to 5am curfew and have no opportunity to lounge on the sand for hours at a time under 'recreation' allowances - plus any beach is much farther away than the permitted 5km.

Austere images of the west showed streets that would have been vacant if it wasn't for the heavy police presence deployed to ensure people don't leave their homes for non-essential reasons.

The images of eastern suburbs residents enjoying the warm weather sparked rage among those in the city's south-west, but chief health officer Kerry Chant urged people to stay calm.

'I think we've got to temper...' she began at Sunday's Covid press conference when asked about how busy the beaches were, before changing tack.

'I realise that many people who are living in south-western Sydney and Western Sydney don't have access to that because of the restrictions.

Police patrolled Sydney's beaches on Sunday morning to ensure no one was gathering in groups of more than two. Pictured: Bondi Beach

People from Sydney's eastern suburbs flocked to Bondi Beach (pictured) to soak up the sun on a hot spring day

Pictured: People enjoying the sunshine at Bondi Beach on Sunday, as temperatures hit the low 30s

Pictured: Police in uniform making sure no one travelled beyond 5km of home to lie on the beach on Sunday morning

'However, we do have to understand... in outdoor environments, if people are keeping away from each other, are probably the safest environments.'

She encouraged beachgoers not to congregate in large groups to avoid sparking 'spot fire' outbreaks of coronavirus.

'What we want to do is extinguish as many spot fires as we have and I don't want to be having to put an additional burden on our public health resources in responding to outbreaks in those areas,' Dr Chant said.

The chief health officer then admitted she had not seen the photos of heaving beaches, but hoped people were doing the right thing.

When Premier Gladys Berejiklian was asked the same question, she echoed the words of Dr Chant.

Pictured: Police patrolling Coogee Beach on Sunday to ensure sunbathers weren't defying Covid-19 restrictions

Pictured: Two women wearing face masks on Bondi Beach on Sunday. Temperatures his about 30C for the second day in a row

Dr Kerry Chant asked Sydneysiders who do not live within 5km of the ocean not to lose their tempers, and reminded people that outdoor recreation was largely safe

'We know the weather adds to our positivity and what we can look forward to in October, so it is important we all stay the course and stay in there,' she said.

'What is most important is until we have a safe coverage of double-dosed vaccinations, we cannot let down our guard.'

Furious western suburbs residents took to social media to accuse the NSW government of double standards.

'Very nice to see Sydney folk ignoring covid transmission warnings because they selfishly want a swim or picnic while other people in their state are forced to lockdown,' one man tweeted.

'There's a disgusting class divide and you will never get rid of all cases as long as Gladys handles it this way.'

Images of the west were in stark contrast to the heaving beaches of the west. Pictured: A local shopping centre in Bankstown

Pictured: A vaccination centre in Bankstown, in Sydney's west. People took to Twitter to rage about how people in the east are at the beach and people in the west are forced to stay home

Pictured: A sign on a shop door in Merrylands, in Sydney's west, telling customers it will be shut until October

Another wrote: 'I look at Bondi and Coogee beach and realise that Sydney is no longer under stay at home orders. I guess [Gladys Berejiklian] forgot to tell the regions.'

But Guardian journalist Paul Karp defended beach-goers, reminding people that going for a swim is healthy.

'Going to the beach is not "giving up" on fighting Covid, it's doing one of the safest, healthiest things you can do to stop going stark raving mad in lockdown,' he wrote.

'Get a grip wowsers.'

Similar scenes of packed Sydney beaches raised eyebrows on Saturday, when the state had a record-breaking 1,599 new cases of Covid-19.

'This was Bondi today,' a frustrated man from one of Sydney's LGAs of concern posted on Twitter, above a photo of groups of maskless people walking close together.

Another said: 'Meanwhile in my LGA I can't see anyone and wear a mask even when I'm running and I have no friends to walk with. Seriously f**k right off.'

Ms Berejiklian also said in Sunday's press conference - which marked the final daily Covid briefing - that the next two months will be 'the most challenging our state has ever seen'.

'I need to make sure we are not only making decisions for the next day but for the next week and next month.'

Empty stores line the streets in Sydney's west, as residents plough through their third month of harsh lockdowns

Pictured: Austere scenes in Bankstown, as people were forced to remain at home amid tough lockdowns in 12 LGAs of concern

The streets in the city's west would have been empty if not for a large police presence patrolling the streets

The state leader said she will still feature at 11am, but that it won't be a daily occurrence so she can focus on developing a roadmap out of lockdown.

'We are the first to outline a roadmap of living with Covid and outlining travel resume internationally, and he quarantine system on a large scale,' she said.

The statewide lockdown is set to end completely when NSW hits 70 per cent double-dosed vaccinations, with a set target of October 18.

So far, 78 per cent of people over 16 have had at least one jab, and 45.6 per cent of people in the state are fully vaccinated.

When asked whether NSW would be open in time for Christmas, the premier said: 'Absolutely.'

'I would like to think that by Christmas, not only will we be welcoming home more Australians, thousands every week from overseas to reunite for Christmas, but also that we don't have these internal state borders,' she said.

Pictured: Police patrolling Marylands on Sunday to make sure residents don't leave their homes for non-essential reasons

Streets in Sydney's west were largely vacant on Sunday, even though temperatures soared to the low 30s

NSW had 1,262 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, as the state powers through its final weeks of lockdown

'It is only a matter of time before Delta becomes part of every state, every state's experience.

'I predict that NSW and Victoria will work more closely about these matters moving forward.

'And if you look at the way, the way that things have been tracking, there is no doubt Victoria and NSW will be in similar positions in relation to being able to welcome home Australians.'

Cases are expected to peak this week, and already dropped from 1,599 on Saturday, but hospital and ICU admissions will be 'overwhelming' in late October and early November before declining.
A hospital in upstate New York announced it will temporarily stop delivering babies after six employees in a maternity ward resigned instead of getting vaccinated for COVID-19.

Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville said on Friday that it will pause delivering babies after September 24.

According to WWNY, the hospital said it will work with the state's Department of Health to make certain the maternity ward doesn't close permanently.

'If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to reengage in delivering babies here in Lewis County,' Lewis County Health System Chief Executive Officer Gerald Cayer said Friday a news conference.

'If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to reengage in delivering babies here in Lewis County,' Lewis County Health System Chief Executive Officer Gerald Cayer said Friday a news conference

On Friday, Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville said it will pause delivering babies after September 24

By September 27, all healthcare workers in the stateincluding staff at hospitals and long-term care facilitiesmust receive their first COVID-19 vaccination, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in August.

Cayer said that 30 of the hospitals employees received the COVID-19 vaccination, but 30 others resigned. At least six of those were in the maternity unit. Another seven employees have not yet decided whether to get the shot, he said.

'We are not alone. There are thousands of positions that are open north of the Thruway and now we have a challenge to work through, you know, with the vaccination mandate,' he added.

President Joe Biden announced the federal government's aggressive new approach to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, which include new vaccine rules that the White House says will affect two-third of the American workforce

President Joe Biden announced the federal government's aggressive new approach to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, which included new vaccine rules that the White House says will affect two-third of the American workforce.

The strategy involves six steps all aimed at boosting the US vaccination rate, which fell over the summer as a new wave fueled by the Delta variant plunged health care systems in areas with largely unvaccinated populations back into disarray.

About 73.4 percent of Americans over the age of 12 have at least one vaccine dose, but less than 63 percent are fully vaccinated - far short of the threshold to reach herd immunity.

The rate of COVID vaccinations slowed down going into summer, sending the White House into a frenzy looking for ways to encourage people to get the shot

The slowdown in vaccinations coincided with a new surge in coronavirus infections, chiefly fueled by the highly-contagious Delta variant

Biden's approach includes mandating all federal employees and federal contractors get vaccinated, requiring vaccinations for more than 17 million healthcare workers at Medicare and Medicaid-participating facilities and requiring all businesses with 100 or more employees to tell their workers to get vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID testing.

In Texas, employees at the Houston Methodist hospital walked out of their shifts to protest the health system's COVID-19 vaccine requirement in June.

Ashton Handley, a worker who resigned a few weeks before the protest, said she believes getting the vaccine is a choice.

'I'm not on either side, I'm not anti-vaxxer, I've received my vaccine, but I believe it should be someone's choice," she told Houston's FOX 26 at the time.
The FBI has released its first declassified 9/11 document exactly 20 years after the deadly terror attack which claimed the lives of 2,996 people.

The document was published Saturday evening, a week after President Biden signed an executive order directing the agency to make the secret files available to the public for the first time.

The order to release the documents came amid significant pressure from the families of 9/11 victims, who are eager to probe potential Saudi government links to the attack.

The FBI file that is significantly redacted details a 2015 interview with an official who worked at the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles.

He admitted that he allowed two hijackers to use his apartment and helped them travel around LA. He was found to be an al-Qaeda 'facilitator' by the FBI and the Saudi Consul General wanted to fire him for distributing extremist Muslim literature.

He was also a close associate of two other Saudis, Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy, who the helped the hijackers.

The new FBI file reveals that al-Bayoumi, who has admitted befriending them, worked as a 'ghost employee' at a Saudi aviation firm in the US.

And it details how al-Thumairy gave the hijackers money, travel assistance and lodging.

The Saudi official, who is only referred to as PII and who applied for US citizenship in 2015, is thought to be Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah who worked at the Saudi Consulate in Washington, DC.

Al-Jarrah's name was accidently left unredacted in separate court papers penned by an FBI official. However, he has vigorously denied any involvement and insists he did not know any of the hijackers.

Of the 19 hijackers on board the four doomed 9/11 planes, 15 were Saudi nationals.

Last Wednesday, Saudi Arabia released a statement maintaining its innocence, saying 'it is lamentable that such false and malicious claims persist'.

The FBI has released its first declassified 9/11 document exactly 20 years after the deadly terror attack. The document was published Saturday evening, a week after President Biden signed an executive order directing the agency to make the secret files available to the public

It is theorized PII may be Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah, who worked for a time at the Saudi Consulate in Washington, DC. However, he has vigorously denied any involvement and insists he did not know any of the hijackers

The hijackers are identified in the document as Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar. Both of the men were on board American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon on September 11.

The pair were reportedly already long-time affiliates of al-Qaeda with extensive fighting experience, and were chosen by Osama bin Laden to be a part of the ambitious 9/11 terror plot.

The FBI document states that PII admitted showing al-Hazimi and al-Mihdhar the location of a Mediterranean restaurant in Los Angeles that was frequented by others suspected of providing logistical support to the terrorists.

PII 'denied being tasked to do so' and stated that he simply 'assisted al-Hazimi and al-Mihdar because he is a good Muslim and helping two new students in town is the Muslim way'.

The document also states that PII had his own sister move out and stay with another sister for a couple of weeks 'because he was having al-Hazimi and al-Mihdhar stay with him'.

It also states that PII 'worked as a facilitator for the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and was associated with members of the Salafist Group For Preaching and Combat.'

It importantly notes that GIA and the GSPC 'have evolved into al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb'.

Additionally, sources allegedly told the FBI that PII was 'very very vocal against Christians, Jews and enemies of Islam.'

Another stated that 'the Saudi Consul General in LA wanted to fire PII for storage and and distribution of extremist Muslim literature at the consulate'.

PII was suspected of helping hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi (left) and Khalid al-Mihdhar (right). Both of the men were on board American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon on September 11

55 military personnel and 70 civilians were killed when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar were two of the hijackers on board the plane

According to the FBI's newly released document, 'PII was forthcoming with numerous specific details regarding his ... employment with the Consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Los Angeles, [and] anecdotes of personal interactions with Consular leadership.'

During his FBI interview, PII described his duties at the Consulate 'providing assistance to Saudi college students studying in the US, providing translation assistance, executing administrative tasks, and distributing literature on Islam'.

Interestingly, the FBI notes that the two hijackers PII is suspected of helping originally traveled to the US as college students.

It is unclear whether PII was ever granted US citizenship following his 2015 interview with the FBI, or whether he is still connected to the Saudi Consulate.

PII worked at the Consulate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Los Angeles

New document also reveals PII's links to 'suspected Saudi intelligence agent' Omar al-Bayoumi

PII was an associate of Omar al-Bayoumi, who admitted to befriending the two hijackers before 9/11

The newly-released document also states that PII was an associate of Saudi man Omar al-Bayoumi.

Al-Bayoumi has previously admitted to befriending al-Hazimi and al-Mihdhar, but denied ever working officially with them as part of a terrorist plot.

Documents declassified in 2016 reveal that the FBI believed back in 2003 that it was 'possible that al-Bayoumi was an agent of the Saudi Government and that he may have been reporting on the local community to Saudi Government officials'.

He has also been described as a 'suspected Saudi intelligence agent'.

Al-Bayoumi was arrested in London the week after the September 11 attacks and his phone calls and bank accounts were researched before he was released without charge.

The final 9/11 Commission report, published in 2004, concluded that there 'was no credible evidence that al-Bayoumi believed in violent extremism or knowingly aided extremist groups.'

However, the newly-released document appears to say otherwise, and reveals that he had odd ties to the two terrorists.

It states: 'al-Bayoumi's logistic support to al-Hazimi and al-Mihdhar included translation, travel assistance, lodging and financing. Anomalous money transfers within al-Bayoumi's bank accounts coincide with transactions wherein al-Bayoumi provides assistance to al-Hazimi and al-Mihdhar.

The report also states al-Bayoumi's ex-wife told him they were 'at Jihad'.

Interestingly, in his 2015 interview, PII recalled al-Bayoumi receiving special treatment at the Saudi Consulate in LA prior to the 9/11 attack.

According to the newly-released FBI document: 'PIl described al-Bayoumi as a Saudi citizen treated with great respect inside the Saudi Consulate, well regarded by Consulate personnel who held a 'very high status' when he entered the building.

He alleged that stated al-Bayoumi's status was even higher than many of the Saudi persons who were in charge of the Consulate.

The reason for his high status among Saudi officials remains unclear.

al-Bayoumi told investigators in 2003 that 'he came to the US to study work for a Saudi aviation company named Dallah AVCO. Regarding his employment, however, witnesses at AVCO described him as a 'ghost employee' who was 'one of approximately 50 individuals paid at the company who did not show up for work'.

It is reported that al-Bayoumi now lives back in Saudi Arabia.

PII was also 'a close associate of Fahad al-Thumairy - 'a hardcore, militant individual who supported the events of 9/11' and had 'had an office in the Saudi Consulate

The new FBI file also highlights PII's links to Fahad al-Thumairy

The new FBI file also highlights PII's links to Fahad al-Thumairy.

Al-Thumairy was reported to the the Imam of the King Fahad Mosque in Los Angeles.

Interestingly, al-Thumairy also served as an administrative officer at the Saudi Consulate and had an office there.

The newly-released document also notes that al-Thumairy held extremist beliefs and was 'removed from his mosque for un-Islamic activity'.

He reportedly left the United States just before the September 11 attacks.

However, in his 2015 interview with the FBI, PII admitted to still being in contact with al-Thumairy. His current whereabouts has not been disclosed.

The families of roughly 2,500 of those killed, and more than 20,000 people who suffered injuries, businesses and various insurers, have sued Saudi Arabia seeking billions of dollars.

However, newly-released FBI document does not confirm claims Saudi Arabian officials were involved in the planning of the September 11 attacks.

But a statement on behalf of the organization 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed on Sept. 11, said the document released by the FBI on Saturday put to bed any doubts about Saudi complicity in the attacks.

'Now the Saudis' secrets are exposed and it is well past time for the Kingdom to own up to its officials' roles in murdering thousands on American soil,' the statement, published by Reuters, read.
The ACT's road to Covid-19 recovery depends on a potential flow of cases into the territory's main hospital from southern NSW.

The nation's capital reported 15 new infections on Sunday, with nine of the patients in the community while infectious.

Ten people are hospitalised, with three in intensive care and one ventilated, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.

The ACT's road to Covid-19 recovery depends on a potential flow of cases into the territory's main hospital from southern NSW, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said

Canberra's Covid plans are due to be revealed on Tuesday and Mr Barr said NSW's forecast October spike in case numbers is being taken into account.

'We have factored in some flow of patients, severely ill patients, into our system,' he told reporters.

Canberra Hospital acts as a tertiary facility that is relied on by the region, he noted.

'I have repeatedly asked the NSW premier for assurances in relation to the state's capacity to look after their own (patients) as much as possible,' Mr Barr said.

'But our planning does have to factor in there being some transfer from Queanbeyan Hospital (and) some of the other smaller regional hospitals, into our system.'

The ACT's latest infection figures mean there have been 493 cases in the current outbreak, with 239 still active.

The nation's capital reported 15 new infections on Sunday, with nine of the patients in the community while infectious (pictured is Canberra Hospital)

Eight of the latest cases are linked to known sources and six of those are 'household contacts'.

Among the latest case count is a prisoner at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, the territory's only adult prison.

'He is comfortable and being isolated on site,' ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman said on Sunday.

As a result of his diagnosis, three other prisoners and one officer are in isolation pending test results.

On Sunday the nation's capital recorded 15 new cases of coronavirus, with nine of those being infectious in the community (pictured, ICU staff caring for Covid-19 patients)

There were 2406 Covid tests conducted on Saturday, which Mr Barr said was not good enough.

'We would like to see that number over 3y,000 each day,' he said.

More than 75 per cent of the ACT's eligible population has received at least one vaccination dose and nearly 52 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Mr Barr went to great lengths to explain that the national Covid plan relies on all jurisdictions reaching a vaccination rate of at least 70 per cent.

And while the ACT and NSW are on track to get there first, the easing of nationwide restrictions relied on all states and territories achieving the benchmark.
Where Covid-19 is spreading the fastest in suburban Melbourne, misinformation and vaccine hesitancy have also taken hold.

But a long campaign by medical experts and local leaders has started to shift attitudes.

The Islamic Council of Victoria has been running online vaccine information seminars for months, giving hundreds of people the chance to have their questions answered by health professionals.

Council president Adel Salman says he has noticed a change in recent weeks among the state's Muslim community, towards getting a jab.

Covid-19 is spreading fast in suburban Melbourne, where Muslim populations have in the past been reluctant to receive a vaccination (pictured, a dose being administered at the Australian Islamic Centre in Newport, Melbourne)

'A lot of people who were sitting on the fence, sceptical, concerned and afraid - they're now accepting the science and there is a need to do it,' he told AAP.

'There are still the hardcore people - sceptics, conspiracy theorists - and you'll never change their mind. They are in every community.'

The council stepped in after government outreach at the start of the pandemic wasn't making the cut.

'A lot of the information was overwhelming. They could not understand it,' Mr Salman said.

'It wasn't getting through. Since then things have improved considerably.'

According to 2016 census data, Meadow Heights (41.2 per cent), Campbellfield/Coolaroo (41), Fawkner (32), Broadmeadows (30.9), and Dandenong (29.3) have the highest concentration of Muslims in Melbourne.

The Hume local government area, which takes in Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Meadow Heights and part of Fawkner, had the lowest full vaccination rate in the state at 26 per cent as of last Sunday.

But, attitudes are shifting as medical experts and local leaders have come together to run campaigns supporting Covid vaccination (pictured, a dose being administered at the Australian Islamic Centre in Newport, Melbourne)

Dandenong isn't faring much better at 27.9 per cent, the third-worst coverage of any Victorian LGA.

As cases soared in the west over the past seven days, a pop-up vaccination hub was set up at the Australian Islamic Centre in Newport.

Receiving a first Pfizer dose at the mosque on Friday was software engineer Asif Javed, who had several infected family members in Pakistan after they attended a funeral.

'There's a lot of rumours about the vaccines and even I was a bit nervous three days ago,' he told AAP.

But Western Health staff and a recent Zoom session with local leaders eased his vaccine concerns.

'My whole motivation was: I don't care about my life. The most important thing was I should not be the one person who carries the virus and infects others,' Mr Javed said.

The mosque pop-up follows a successful pilot testing/vaccination clinic at Al-Taqwa College last month, after the Truganina school again became the centre of another Covid-19 outbreak.

Local leaders have said the response to the outbreak has been outstanding as education campaigns allow the Muslim community to make informed decisions (pictured, a Covid vaccination being prepared)

Mr Salman said the community response to the outbreak had been outstanding and its 'intensive' education campaign with Muslim Health Professionals Australia was helping more people make an informed choice.

'You have a lot of voices in the Muslim community now like (retired AFL player) Bashar Houli who are getting the word out there,' he said.

'Our role is not to be a mouthpiece for government. It's to get the information out there.'

The Islamic council's cause was further aided in the past week when the Victorian government announced it was among a score of organisations to share $1 million to boost health vaccination messaging.

Mr Salman was also among the group of community leaders to sign an open letter on Wednesday, pleading for Pfizer vaccines to be redirected to Melbourne's Covid-hit northern suburbs.

Their call was answered on Sunday as the federal government confirmed it would send an extra 417,000 Pfizer and Moderna doses to Victoria as part of a three-week blitz of the city's north and west.

During the pandemic, the Islamic council has ramped up its food hamper program for struggling families and is delivering 50 to 100 a week.

Mr Salman said the need for the hampers has been more acute during the latest lockdown.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has thrown his full support behind the national Covid-19 recovery plan, indicating state lockdowns and lockouts will become a thing of the past before Christmas.

The plan that sees restrictions start to ease at vaccination rates of 70 and 80 per cent has caused some consternation among some states, but not SA.

'Once we get to double dose 80 per cent vaccination across South Australia we will certainly move away from state lockdowns,' Mr Marshall told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program.

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall (pictured) has thrown his full support behind a national Covid-19 recovery plan

'I think we will get to the double dose vaccination well before Christmas here in South Australia.'

Mr Marshall's stance is in stark contrast to his neighbour, Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, who refuses to follow the national plan he agreed to.

Mr McGowan said he wanted his state to be closer to 90 per cent vaccinated before he would even set a date for reopening the border to NSW and Victoria - likely not until Easter.

Double dose vaccinations for people aged over 16 in SA are currently running at a fraction above 40 per cent.

He said he was not seeing much hesitancy to get vaccinated compared to a couple of months ago.

'There is a lot of time to go until we get to that position, but we do know that as we increase our vaccination rate we reduce that transmission rate, we reduce hospitalisation,' he said.

'It is going to be a tough period over the next three or four months.'

He also expects to move away from state lockouts, and more towards LGA and exposure site exclusions rather than whole of state.

The state's double dose vaccination rate of people aged 16 and above is currently just above 40 per cent (pictured, Rundle Mall in Adelaide)

The premier expects businesses may insist on people being vaccinated, but that is not something that will be endorsed by governments, unless it is agreed at the national cabinet level.

Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan welcomed Mr Marshall's backing of the national plan.

'That's wonderful news, in particular for our domestic tourism industry,' he told Sky News.

He said 660,000 jobs rely on people being above to move, particularly between state and territories.
Guests yesterday visited the Duke of York, 61, at Balmoral, the Queen's 550-acre estate, despite tomorrow's looming challenge from a New York court (pictured: Andrew in 2001)

Prince Andrew held a shooting party yesterday just two days before sexual claims against him were due to be heard in court, according to reports.

Guests yesterday visited the Duke of York, 61, at Balmoral, the Queen's 550-acre estate, despite tomorrow's looming challenge from a New York court, The Sun reports.

The former sex slave of Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Guiffre, 38, accuses Andrew of abusing her three times when she was under 18. He denies any wrongdoing.

A royal source said: 'This is so brazen it is unbelievable. Prince Andrew is carrying on like nothing has happened and as if he hasn't got a care in the world.

'It has been bad enough that he appears to have been seeking refuge at Balmoral, where the Queen is trying to have quiet time after a tough year... and it is also tone deaf as if he does not care about what is going on with the legal case.'

Victims of Jeffrey Epstein have now voiced fears they would never see his former friend Andrew in court, despite the writ served to him for the civil case where he is accused of rape and sexual assault.

Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer representing nine Epstein victims, said Andrew's team will lodge a motion to dismiss proceedings within days under 'numerous' grounds, and Judge Lewis Kaplan might not accept the writ was properly served.

He told the Mirror: 'The victims I represent don't believe Andrew will ever be held accountable for his actions.

'The justice system will never hold him accountable.

'There is no chance of getting Andrew to court, but he absolutely should be tried in the court of public opinion and that's what this process is doing very successfully.'

He added: 'Andrew should step forward, be a man and answer to his accuser. He should present himself in court. But he's clearly going to hide behind his lawyers.'

Guests yesterday visited the Duke of York, 61, at Balmoral, the Queen's 550-acre estate, despite tomorrow's looming challenge from a New York court (pictured: Andrew leaving Windsor to see head to Balmoral, September 7)

A royal source said: 'It has been bad enough that he appears to have been seeking refuge at Balmoral, where the Queen is trying to have quiet time after a tough year... and it is also tone deaf as if he does not care about what is going on with the legal case'

It comes following reports that Andrew has assembled a 'dream team' of high-powered American lawyers and feels 'confident' that the civil case against him for rape and sexual assault will be thrown out of court.

A source familiar with the legal team appointed by the Duke of York to fight a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by accuser Virginia Roberts  which has its first court hearing tomorrow  told The Mail on Sunday last night: 'The Prince's UK team has slowly but surely been putting together a team of highly-skilled, big-name lawyers to fight on his behalf in the US.

The former sex slave of Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Guiffre, 38, accuses Andrew of abusing her three times when she was under 18. He denies any wrongdoing

'People will be surprised by the names of those who will be defending him. It's a dream team of some of the sharpest minds in the business. There is a great deal of confidence among everyone, Andrew included, that the civil suit will be thrown out before it ever comes to court.'

The MoS first revealed that Ms Roberts  now known as Virginia Giuffre  planned to sue the Duke in a New York court, claiming that she was forced to have sex with him three times when she was 17 and still a minor under New York law.

The lawsuit, filed last month, alleges the Prince 'raped and committed sexual assault and battery' on Ms Roberts, now 38.

She is seeking unspecified damages which could run into the millions of dollars. Prince Andrew has repeatedly and vehemently denied all claims against him and any wrongdoing.

The Duke's legal team in the United States is believed to include Blair Berk, a high-powered, Los Angeles-based lawyer whose previous clients include Harvey Weinstein, Britney Spears, Leonardo DiCaprio and Mel Gibson.

A source familiar with the legal team appointed by the Duke of York to fight a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by accuser Virginia Roberts  which has its first court hearing tomorrow  told The Mail on Sunday last night: 'The Prince's UK team has slowly but surely been putting together a team of highly-skilled, big-name lawyers to fight on his behalf in the US'

'Blair is one of the best in the business. She's nicknamed The Rottweiler,' said a lawyer who has worked with her.

'She takes no prisoners. If anyone can clear Andrew's name and sort out this mess, she can.'

Intriguingly, Ms Roberts's lawyer David Boies attempted to serve a copy of the civil suit on Ms Berk.

Paperwork filed in New York on Friday contained a response from her saying she was 'not authorised' to accept the documents. She failed to respond to questions yesterday about whether she was representing the Prince.

He is 'unlikely' to have lawyers representing him tomorrow when a New York judge will hear from Ms Roberts's lawyers, who will outline the civil case against him and attempt to offer 'proof' that they have successfully served the lawsuit on Andrew in the UK.

Pictured: Jeffrey Epstein

The source said: 'The other side are very good at garnering headlines but ultimately it comes down to the law. The Prince's legal team has no intention of validating this... suit by attending Monday's hearing. They are confident they can get Virginia's suit dismissed.'

One of the possible grounds for dismissal may be a 2009 agreement Ms Roberts signed with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein in which she reportedly agreed not to sue any of his friends, associates or employees in exchange for a financial settlement.

Epstein committed suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 after being charged with multiple child sex offences.

The source added: 'The Epstein agreement may well be enough to cover Prince Andrew and get the case tossed [out].'

On Friday, a source close to the Duke of York said that his UK lawyer Gary Bloxsome was feeling 'very chilled' about tomorrow's hearing, adding: 'I very much expect we won't see the Duke's lawyers represented at Monday's hearing. No one will want to be in court to engage with proceedings.'

However, Ms Roberts's lawyers believe they will be able to convince the judge that the papers were successfully served on the Duke, which will then 'start the clock ticking' for Andrew's team to respond within 21 days or face having a default judgment made against him.
The first pictures have emerged of a teenager who was brutally stabbed to death as police officially named him and announced they have arrested a suspect.

A murder investigation was launched after Abdirahim Mohamed, 18, was found suffering with stab wounds in Melbourne Street, Leicester on Wednesday evening.

A 58-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering the Leicester teenager, who died in hospital from his injuries in the early hours of Thursday morning.

But in harrowing scenes after the incident, it has since been revealed that Abdirahim's own family and friends were left to clean up his blood from outside Melbourne Street.

Leicestershire Police officials have since publicly apologised to the relatives of the murdered boy and promised an investigation into what went wrong.

Pictured: Abdirahim Mohamed, the 18-year-old who was stabbed to death in Leicester's Melbourne Street on Wednesday evening

Police launched a murder investigation after Abdirahim Mohamed was stabbed in Leciester's Spinney Hills. Family and friends were left to 'clean his blood up' from the streets - prompting an apology from local police

Leicestershire Police's Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham admitted it must have been 'extremely distressing' for family members and launched an enquiry into what went wrong.

The force had been called out to respond to the murder of the 18-year-old at 11.45pm on Wednesday, September 8.

But nearly 24 hours later on Thursday night a group of his family and friends had to clean up blood from his multiple stabbing from the street themselves.

Usually police call in specialist cleaning teams to sanitise the area, so it is not known what went wrong in this scenario.

ACC Debenham said: 'I want to apologise unreservedly to the family and friends of this young man, along with other members of the community involved in cleaning up blood from the road and pavement last night. This must have been extremely distressing.

ACC Julia Debenham said 'I want to apologise unreservedly to the family' over the mistake

This morning one of Leicester's most senior police officers said sorry in public on Twitter

'It is totally unacceptable that this mistake happened and I have asked for an urgent enquiry into the circumstances. The investigation into this terrible crime and bringing the offenders to justice is our top priority.

'We have a large team of dedicated specialist officers engaged in this investigation who are working tirelessly to that end.'

Police launched a murder investigation after they were called at 11.45pm on Wednesday following a report of a serious assault.

Officers attended and the 18-year-old was found with multiple stab wound injuries.

Officers have arrested a 58-year-old man on suspicion of murder

East Midlands Ambulance Service were also in attendance and Mr Mohamed was taken to hospital, but he died early on Thursday morning.

Detectives are appealing to anyone who was in the area late evening or during the early hours or who has any information to make contact.

Detective Chief Inspector Joe Banfield, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: 'We have a dedicated team carrying out full enquiries including speaking to witnesses, analysing CCTV and carrying out forensic enquiries. A scene remains in place in the area while these enquiries are ongoing.

'We understand there were a number of people in the area around the time of the incident and are appealing to anyone who was in the area and who has any information to make contact.

'Please think back - were you in the area of Melbourne Street, Maidstone Road, Garendon Street, Maynard Road or Kent Street? Did you see or hear anything which caused you concern? Do you have any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area which could assist our investigation? If you do, please get in touch with us.

'We understand that the incident will have caused concern in the area and our officers do remain in the area speaking to people and offering reassurance.'

Anyone with any information should contact 101 quoting incident 680 of 8 September. You can also report online at www.leics.police.uk
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Taliban fighters have taken over the glitzy Kabul mansion of one of their fiercest enemies.

Abdul Rashid Dostum is a former warlord, communist commander and vice president whose hatred of the Taliban saw him engage in battles with the Islamists throughout the last 30 years.

The Afghan government hoped that his anti-Taliban stance and military guile would see Dostum, 67, take up arms and rally a group of fighters to repel the Taliban, but the aging warlord was forced to flee into his native Uzbekistan in mid-August as the Taliban swept to power across Afghanistan.

Now, his decadent villa in the Sherpur neighbourhood of Kabul, which contains luxurious carpets, lavish chandeliers, an indoor swimming pool and tropical greenhouse, is home to 150 rank and file Taliban fighters who condemn such luxury as the proceeds of years of endemic corruption.

Another of Dostum's opulent strongholds in the northern city of Mazar-i-sharif was taken in early August, where over the years several officials illegally seized land to build luxurious palaces.

Qari Salahuddin Ayoubi (left), one of the military commanders of the Taliban, takes a seat in the opulent villa of warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in the Sherpur neighbourhood of Kabul

Dostum's palace in Kabul contains a tropical greenhouse of several hundred square feet, packed with exotic plants and lavish furniture

Taliban fighters have taken over the glitzy Kabul mansion of one of their fiercest enemies -- the warlord and fugitive ex-vice president Dostum

Taliban fighters were pictured taking selfies inside Dostum's palace, but Taliban commanders have warned they can not get used to the new-found luxury

Afghan General Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek, is a staunch opponent of the Taliban and has fought in battles against the group over the course of three decades

The luxury found within Dostum's mansion would be unimaginable for most ordinary Afghans.

Along an endless corridor with a thick apple-green carpet, exotic fish glide above in huge fish tanks, while plants sprout in a tropical greenhouse spanning several hundred square feet.

Huge glass chandeliers hang in cavernous halls, large soft sofas furnish a maze of lounges and an indoor swimming pool is finished with intricate turquoise tiles.

It even boasts a sauna, a Turkish steam bath and a fully equipped gym.

It is an out of this world experience for the new occupants, who for years sacrificed creature comforts for rebellion - living in the plains, valleys and mountains of rural Afghanistan.

But the new head of the household - now the military commander of four provinces - makes it clear his men will not get used to the luxury.

Qari Salahuddin Ayoubi - one of the new regime's most powerful commanders - installed his company of 150 men in the mansion but insisted that the Taliban will never live in such decadent surroundings.

'Islam never wants us to have a luxurious life,' Ayoubi told AFP, adding luxury comes in paradise, 'the life after death'.

In one wing of the enormous house, Taliban fighters were seen relaxing in a massive tropical greenhouse of several hundred square metres under a huge glass roof.

That is overlooked by a mezzanine dominated by a dark wood bar - a testament to the reported decadent tastes of a general renowned for a penchant for late nights and strong liquor.

In one wing of the enormous house, Taliban fighters were seen relaxing in a massive tropical greenhouse of several hundred square metres under a huge glass roof

Along an endless corridor with a thick apple-green carpet, exotic fish glide above in huge fish tanks, while exotic plants sprout in a tropical greenhouse spanning several hundred square feet.

The new head of the household - now the military commander of four provinces - makes it clear his men will not get used to the luxury

The luxury found within Dostum's mansion would be unimaginable for most ordinary Afghans

Dostum is widely suspected to have hugely profited from the corruption and embezzlement that discredited the former government.

A former paratrooper, communist commander, warlord and vice president, he was the very definition of a cunning political survivor who weathered over four decades of conflict in war-torn Afghanistan.

Before 9/11 he was an infamous warlord who fought in the Soviet-Afghan war of the 80s and against the Taliban in the 90s, before he became a key US ally during the 20 year campaign against the Taliban.

Dostum has a reputation for ruthless military aggression and was known for crushing prisoners alive beneath the wheels of a tank.

The hatred he holds for the Taliban is very much mutual. In 2001, he was accused of killing more than 2,000 Taliban fighters in a horrific manner - death by container.

A favourite of several Afghan warlords, death by container would see enemy fighters and prisoners locked in metal shipping containers in the middle of the desert where they suffocated under a scorching sun.

But Commander Ayoubi has thus far appeared reluctant to seek out and exact revenge.

'If other people who had been oppressed like us came here, you would not have seen the chairs and tables. They might have destroyed them,' he said.

But the new regime will not allow such luxury to be built with ill-gotten gains in the future, he said.

'We are on the side of the poor.'

One of Dostum's other decadent villas in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif was overrun by Taliban fighters in mid-August, who videoed themselves lounging on his gold furniture and inspecting his golden tea set.
Demonstrators protested mandatory vaccines that began in July for health care workers, nursing home staff

Police fired tear gas, water cannons to disperse demonstrators who hurled flares at officers in Thessaloniki

Protesters gathered near the venue of Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' annual economic address

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Greek police fired tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to break up a demonstration of thousands of people protesting against mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations.

Authorities said protesters hurled flares at police in Greece's second-biggest city of Thessaloniki, who blocked them from trying to reach the area where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to deliver his annual economic address.

The annual speech typically attracts crowds of demonstrators, and police estimated more than 15,000 people, including labour unions, took part in the demonstrations on issues ranging from economic policy to Covid-19 vaccines.

The protesters clashed with riot police near the venue, throwing firebombs, firecrackers and stones at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades and gave chase to the protesters. The clashes lasted about an hour, and there were nine arrests.

There were also protest marches by unionists and the extreme left. Participants in the latter burned a US and a European Union flag, as well as electricity bills, but there was no confrontation with police.

Greek police and protesters against mandatory vaccines clashed in Thessaloniki on Saturday outside the venue where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to deliver his annual economic address

Protesters hurled firecrackers, firebombs, and projectiles at police during clashes lasting about an hour on Saturday evening

Police responded to protesters with tear gas and stun grenades and gave chase to the crowd of demonstrators in Thessaloniki

The annual speech typically attracts crowds of demonstrators, and police estimated more than 15,000 people, including labour unions, took part in the demonstrations on issues ranging from economic policy to Covid-19 vaccines

Protests against Covid-19 vaccinations began in July after the government announced the mandatory inoculation of health care workers and nursing home staff.

Authorities have suggested vaccines could become obligatory for other groups too, such as teachers.

'Yes to vaccines, but not mandatorily,' the federation of public hospital workers, POEDYN, said in a statement.

Greece has suspended nearly 6,000 frontline health care workers from their jobs for missing a September 1 deadline to get at least one vaccine shot.

Earlier this month, it offered unvaccinated healthcare workers a second chance to get a shot and allow those who have been suspended to return to work.

POEDYN is worried that a total of 10,000 unvaccinated staff could be suspended, disrupting operations at understaffed hospitals at a time when infections remain high.

Tougher air, sea and rail transport restrictions also come into effect on Monday, with the unvaccinated no longer entitled to free testing.

Greek police fire water cannons on Saturday to break up a demonstration of thousands of people protesting against mandatory coronavirus vaccinations in Thessaloniki

Authorities said protesters hurled flares at police in Greece's second-biggest city of Thessaloniki, who blocked them from trying to reach the area where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to deliver his annual economic address

Riot police stand among smoke and fire amid clashes with demonstrators protesting against mandatory vaccinations on Saturday

Protests against Covid-19 vaccinations began in July after the government announced the mandatory inoculation of health care workers and nursing home staff - with the requirement potentially set to be extended to include teachers

An injured woman shouts at riot police during a demonstration against mandatory vaccinations inThessaloniki, Greece on Saturday

Authorities said protesters hurled flares at police in Greece's second-biggest city of Thessaloniki, who blocked them from trying to reach the area where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to deliver his annual economic address

A protester hurls a flare at riot police during a demonstration, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, against mandatory vaccinations

Police stand by a raging fire during a rally against the mandatory vaccination of health care workers in Thessaloniki, Greece

A masked protester hurls a firecracker towards riot police during demonstration against mandatory vaccination on Saturday

Police fired water cannons at thousands of protesters in Thessaloniki as they prevent them reaching the venue where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was delivering a keynote speech on the economy on Saturday

A masked protester walks through tear gas, fired at demonstrators during clashes with riot police in Thessaloniki on Saturday

The protests came as Mitsotakis delivered a speech on Greece's economy, his keynote address at the Thessaloniki International Fair, where heads of government traditionally announce the coming year's policies

The protests came as Mitsotakis delivered a speech on Greece's economy, his keynote address at the Thessaloniki International Fair, where heads of government traditionally announce the coming year's policies.

Mitsotakis noted that despite there are about 70,000 more people employed than before despite the pandemic; 46,000 additional businesses, and bank savings increased by 35 billion euros (29 billion), of which 20 billion (17 billion) were from additional household savings.

The prime minister also put special emphasis on climate change following massive wildfires that ravaged the country last month.

'This tragedy of overheating will be avoided only if the planet reduces [carbon] emissions to zero by 2050,' he said, adding that his government will effect a swift transition away from the heavily polluting lignite, or brown coal, into renewable energy.

Over 14,000 people in Greece have died from causes related to the pandemic.

Around 5.7 million Greeks, or 55 per cent of the population, are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and 59 per cent have received one dose, according to the latest official figures.

The country recorded 2,197 confirmed new infections on Saturday, and 39 deaths.

Protests against Covid-19 vaccinations began in July after the government announced the mandatory inoculation of health care workers and nursing home staff

An anti-vaccination protester holds a placard and a Greek flag as she kneels during a demonstration in Thessaloniki on Saturday

Riot police attempt to prevent thousands of anti-vaccination protests from reaching the venue where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was set to deliver a keynote speech on the country's economy

The annual speech typically attracts crowds of demonstrators, and police estimated more than 15,000 people, including labour unions, took part in the demonstrations on issues ranging from economic policy to Covid-19 vaccines

A Greek Orthodox priest faced off with riot police at a rally against the mandatory vaccination of health care workers in Greece on Saturday
A primary school where pupils were forced to wade through raw sewage and breathe in toxic fumes after a 2.7million refurbishment may have to be demolished.

Russell Scott Primary School in Denton, Greater Manchester, has been plagued by a number of issues over the years after the construction group Carillion completed work on the school in 2015.

In the months after the disastrous refurbishment, schoolchildren had to be evacuated after classrooms were flooded with raw sewage and the playing field, which is now littered with rubble, craters and dangerous materials, was fenced off.

The Tameside school, which had to be closed six times due to building issues, also failed fire safety checks.

Now, headteacher Steve Marsland, 62, has said the 19th century building may have to be knocked down completely and rebuilt following the botched refurbishment six years ago.

Russell Scott Primary School in Denton, Greater Manchester, has seen its classrooms flooded with raw sewage

The primary school had to be closed six times due to building issues after a 2.7 million refurbishment by the construction group Carillion

He said the year after the building work was carried out work attendance went down from 95 per cent to 60 per cent as a result of illness from sewage fumes.

He told The Mirror: 'For five years since the construction finished, some of the kids have been through their whole school life having never been on the grass.

'They've had to be evacuated because of sewer gas, paddle through sewage with rain pouring in, get sent home due to floods. You name it, they've had to endure it.'

He added: 'People who see it are absolutely flabbergasted. It's like a war zone. The clowns who have done the construction work have made it a place not fit for children.'

Headteacher Steve Marsland, 62, said the 19th century building may have to be knocked down completely

Mr Marsland said he also discovered that the building did not comply with fire regulations on the first day children returned to the school after the refurbishment in 2015.

He told the Manchester Evening News: 'On the first day we actually got back in school, we found out that the building did not comply with fire regulations.

'The children have been sent home on numerous occasions for all sorts of problems with the building, from floor to ceiling.'

Despite never previously having issues with flooding, the school has been flooded on six occasions since the refurbished building was opened.

The school also suffered sewage leaks, which Mr Marsland says was down to the old sewage system remaining in place despite the refurbished school being bigger than the old building, while a new 'hyper-efficient' energy system has also ended up costing the school an extra 30,000.

Mr Marsland said: 'The contractor was saying that everything was fine, while we were being flooded and even tested for explosive levels of sewer gas.

'We had sewage coming into the classrooms, we had to evacuate the building because we were paddling around in filth.

'Since then we have had numerous closures for various non-compliance with building regulations, fire regulations and six floods.

'We are continually monitoring the building. As soon as it rains the sandbags come out.

'In early summer we were flooded again - every time it rains heavily the school is under water. It costs tens of thousands of pounds to replace resources.

'It's only going to go from bad to worse, and we just don't know what is round the corner.'

The playing field was fenced off after it was left with rubble, craters and dangerous materials

After the refurbishment, the school has been closed six times as a result of flooding

Local Labour MP and former Russell Scott pupil, Andrew Gwynne, has raised the issues affecting the school in the House of Commons

Carillion was the company which carried out work on Russell Scott Primary School, in Denton, from 2013 to 2015 - just over two years before it went bust.

Tameside Council have had the school examined by experts and Mr Marsland, said it may now be cheaper to demolish the school completely and rebuild it.

Mr Marsland added: 'All the reports from structural engineers, architects, various experts - they have come to the same conclusion that it's not worth continuing to put a plaster over it.

'Building a new school would be millions of pounds, on top of the millions of pounds it cost for this building.

'It's not just our school that was left like this [by Carillion].

'There are other buildings in Tameside and across the country, and it is coming out of public money.

'We are not the most salubrious area, we are in north Denton with a diverse population and 30 per cent of children on free school meals. This is coming out of our taxes - putting right what the contractors have ridden roughshod over us.'

Local Labour MP and former Russell Scott pupil, Andrew Gwynne, has also raised the issues affecting the school in the House of Commons.

He told Education Secretary Gavin Williamson that repairs for the school have so far cost around 670,000 and another 5 million would be needed.

Mr Gwynne added: 'Even then Tameside Council isn't convinced that the building will be fixed. It's serious.'

Baroness Berridge, parliamentary under-secretary of state for school system, is now set to meet with Mr Gwynne to discuss the issues at Russell Scott.

A Tameside Council spokesperson said: 'Following completion of a 2.7 million refurbishment of Russell Scott Primary school in 2015, the school, the community and the council have been left disappointed after the works carried out by Carillion were found to be of poor quality.

'The council has worked and continues to work closely with Russell Scott Primary School to ensure any immediate and remedial works were carried out so that there is no risk to pupils and staff.

'The council has sought advice from the Department for Education (DfE) on potential solutions given that school condition allocations are unlikely to meet the cost of resolving the issues.

'Unfortunately, there are no immediate funding solutions but officers will continue to work with the Complex Projects Team at the DfE to address the obvious funding gap.'
Sajid Javid today dramatically dismissed the idea of compulsory Covid passports being introduced in England next month after a huge Tory outcry.

The Health Secretary declared that the government 'will not be going ahead' with the controversial move for nightclubs and major events, ahead of Boris Johnson unveiling the government's 'winter plan' on Tuesday.

The U-turn comes after ministers were sent out to defend the proposals last week despite heavy fire from Conservative MPs who branded them 'unsupportable, coercive and discriminatory'.

Responding to briefing about the policy being axed in interviews this morning, Mr Javid only initially told Sky News that he 'hoped we can avoid' the step.

But little more than an hour later he was telling the BBC's Andrew Marr show that although the option is being 'held in reserve', 'we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports'.

Government sources stressed that it is still possible the plans will be revisited if hospitalisations look at risk of running out of control later in the year.

The decision draws another dividing line within the UK, as Nicola Sturgeon has announced that a certification scheme will be launched in Scotland from October 1.

Meanwhile, holidaymakers are poised for a huge boost as ministers indicated that double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK - potentially in time for the October school half-term.

In his big set-piece on Tuesday Mr Johnson will also scrap some of the swingeing powers that the government took to manage the response to the disease, and all-but rule out further lockdowns to control an anticipated surge over the coming months - after scientists said vaccinations can be an effective first line of defence.

A booster jab programme could begin as early as this month, while other measures in the 'toolbox' for tackling outbreaks will include masks.

Asked if Britons will 'get Christmas' this year, Mr Javid said: 'Yes, of course we get Christmas and the New Year.'

He insisted he is 'not anticipating any more lockdowns'.

Boris Johnson is set to announce the Government's winter Covid plan, with a focus being placed on vaccination as he remains reluctant to impose further lockdowns

Britain's vaccine drive is continuing to roll forward, taking the total amount of adults fully protected against the virus to just under 43.9million (80.8 per cent)

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that mandatory Covid passports will not go ahead as he stressed rising vaccination rates

Double-jabbed travellers 'to be spared PCR tests next month' Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK, the Government is poised to announce. Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal, providing a huge boost for millions of holidaymakers and the beleaguered travel industry. Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain, while the unpopular PCR tests currently required on the second day after arrival will be replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests. The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests. The plan will be discussed this week by Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who form the so-called Covid-O committee. The change would also tackle fears that some PCR firms are profiteering and could provide an incentive for people to be vaccinated, as the new rules would only apply to those who have been double jabbed. Advertisement

Ministers were sent out to defend the Covid passports proposals last week, with Nadhim Zahawi insisting they were the right thing to do even though he admitted they 'went against everything I believe in'.

But briefing emerged in the Sunday Times about the U-turn. Firms and venues who are already demanding proof of vaccination will be allowed to continue to do so, but they will not be any legal obligation.

Mr Javid was at first reluctant to give a firm commitment, but then stated that the plan will not go ahead - although the concept will be kept 'in reserve'.

'I've never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers or something to do what is just an everyday activity, but we were right to properly look at it,' he said.

'We've looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I'm pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.'

The shift poses a challenge for Ms Sturgeon, who again defended her own proposals in interviews this morning.

'I think it is part of a package of measures, it has a part to play,' she told Sky News.

'Of course any measure we take has upsides and it has downsides.

'If we take lockdown for example, very, very effective at halting or sufficiently constraining transmission of the virus but came with enormous costs in terms of the economy and our overall wellbeing as a society, so nothing is straightforward here.

'This is a very limited scheme.'

Speculation has been mounting over what increased measures may be brought in this winter, a high-risk time for coronavirus as other respiratory illnesses.

Mr Johnson hopes to avoid locking down the entire country and will send a message by repealling some of the Government's powers to shut down sections of the economy in England under the Coronavirus Act.

Mr Johnson said: 'Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our road map and life has returned to a sense of normality.

'These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But I'm determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences.

'I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly.'

The powers expected to be repealed include those allowing the closing down of the economy, the imposing of restrictions on events, the power to temporarily close or restrict access to schools, and powers to detain infectious people.

The Government expects the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) to recommend details of a jab booster programme next week.

The focus on vaccination in the Covid winter plan comes after claims ministers were considering a so-called firebreak lockdown in October.

An unnamed member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said a 'precautionary break' could be part of 'contingency plans', the i newspaper reported.

But Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'I don't think that's something we need to consider.'

He said no decisions are 'risk-free' but insisted the 'best defence' against another wave of the virus is the vaccine programme.

Downing Street denied the Government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half-term.

But the spokesman added that they have 'retained contingency plans as part of responsible planning for a range of scenarios'.

They said: 'These kind of measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS.'

There are plans in place to begin giving booster jabs to the most vulnerable as early as this month, as more than 65 per cent of the entire UK population have been fully vaccinated.

Mr Johnson is expected to say vaccines will be the first line of defence this autumn and winter, while a decision is expected on how to roll out a booster jab programme (stock image)

The UK's chief medical officers are drawing up advice to Government on whether children aged 12 to 15 should be vaccinated after the JCVI said the margin of benefit from vaccinating healthy children was too small to say they should receive a jab.

The Observer reported that jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds would begin on September 22.

But the UK's medical regulator has reportedly ruled that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine cannot be used for third doses in this way.

This means the majority of third doses given out this autumn and winter are likely to be Pfizer.

This could see the Oxford jab, initially planned to be the workhorse of the UK's vaccination programme, effectively phased out.

The AZ jab is already not offered to under 40s in the UK due to a link with rare blood clots.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs are safe to use as boosters, but the JCVI has yet to give its advice to ministers.

The JCVI has already said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.

On Friday, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he believes the priority should be donating vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.

His views have been echoed by his Oxford colleague Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, who helped design the vaccine and said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone.

Several other countries, including the US, Israel, Hungary, Germany and France, have announced or started third dose programmes for at least some of their citizens.

Meanwhile, it was reported that hundreds of thousands of long Covid patients were waiting up to six months to access clinics specifically set up to tackle the condition.

Mr Javid (pictured on the Marr show today) vowed Christmas will not be cancelled this year as he insisted ministers are not expecting 'any more lockdowns'

Department of Health bosses posted 29,547 new cases on Saturday, down 21 per cent on the 37,578 recorded last Saturday.

But the number of people dying within 28 days of a positive test is continuing to increase, with 156 people falling victim to the virus, bringing the total figure past 158,000. The figure was up 30 per cent on the 120 recorded last week.

Fatalities tend to reflect changes in infection levels at least a week after due to the time it takes for people to become seriously ill.

Britain's vaccine drive is continuing to roll forward with 89,832 second doses dished out today. It takes the total amount of adults fully protected against the virus to just under 43.9million (80.8 per cent).

Some 25,019 first doses were also dished out, taking the total number of people to receive at least one jab up to 48.4million (89 per cent)

Elsewhere, it was reported that PCR tests needed prior to travel will be scrapped, with the day two test required when returning from abroad to be replaced by a cheaper lateral flow test.

Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday revealed.

The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests.
Cambridge University should take 93% of its students from state schools while those studying at the likes of Eton should 'travel to the north to meet more diverse people.'

That's the verdict of Dorothy Byrne, 69, who started her new role as president of Cambridge's all-women's Murray Edwards College this week.

The former head of news and current affairs at Channel 4 said the proportion of state-educated students at Cambridge should match UK society - which sees 93% of pupils attend state schools and colleges.

She added that privately-educated pupils need to 'get over their obsession' with getting into Oxford or Cambridge.

Her comments have riled private school leaders, with one association representing 600 institutions accusing Ms Byrne of promoting 'bias', adding that Cambridge should want to attract 'the best of the best.'

Dorothy Byrne (pictured), 69, said the proportion of state-educated students at Cambridge should match UK society - which sees 93% of pupils attend state schools and colleges

Ms Byrne told the Times: 'Students from Eton would be very lucky to get into Manchester and Sheffield universities.

'It might be good for them. They could travel to the north, which might be a bit of a shock for some of them and meet more diverse people.

'I would posit Boris Johnson and David Cameron would have benefited from going to Sheffield University [rather than Oxford].'

Ms Byrne, who studied at both Manchester and Sheffield, said the ideal intake of state-educated students at Cambridge would be 93%.

She added: 'I understand that will mean that fewer students from top public schools like Eton, Harrow and Westminster will go to Cambridge but luckily there are more than 100 fantastic other universities private school pupils can go to and when they go to those places they will have the added advantage of meeting people who are not like them.'

Her comments come as some 72 per cent of students starting at Cambridge this year have come from state schools - the highest proportion in its 812-year history and a rise on last year's 70.6 per cent.

The figure has been steadily climbing in recent years, and is up from 58.6 per cent in 2011.

But Ms Byrne's suggestion of heavily increasing the figure has been criticised by private schools.

Neil Roskilly, vice-president of the Independent Schools Association, which represents 600 fee-paying schools, said: 'You would imagine that Cambridge should be interested in getting the best of the best.

Ms Byrne has just started her new role as president of Cambridge's all-women's Murray Edwards College (pictured)

'That is in the interests of the university and the country as a whole.

'Any bias against particular sections of society should not be welcomed. Selection should be on academic merit alone and not on any perceived bias against any section of society.

'Cambridge should come up with selection procedures that are blind to background.

'The closer we get to a background-blind admissions system the better. [Byrne] should not be naming individual schools.'

Ms Byrne went on to praise Cambridge's five new heads of colleges this year, which are made up of two women, one black man, a gay man and a lieutenant-general - which she said showed a push by the historic institution to be more representative.

'This is not being "woke"; it is being more representative. Oxbridge did not represent the UK and it should,' she said.

More than half of college principals at Cambridge are now women.

Ms Byrne went on to praise Cambridge's five new heads of colleges, which this year are made up of two women, one black man, a gay man and a lieutenant-general - which she said showed a push by the historic institution to be more representative (Pictured: Cambridge University file photo)

After being approached and interviewed for her new position, Ms Byrne told Murray Edwards College that she wanted to be its president because she believed the mostly white men in positions of power had botched the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

'For me a key reason I was interested in this job was that during Covid I felt that the government and the people running our major institutions were not fit for purpose,' she said.

'The people running our institutions are not good enough. There must be a lot of talent out there but it is not coming through.'

Her college is one of 13 at Cambridge which from 2022 will take on 50 students with lower A-level results - typically three Bs - from poorer backgrounds and place them on a foundation year in preparation for a full degree.

Ms Byrne previously landed herself in hot water while at Channel 4 when she dubbed Boris Johnson a 'known liar' in 2019 and compared him to Vladimir Putin.

She has also been outspoken on sexual harassment and ageism in the TV industry.
Mark McGowan has slammed 'self-absorbed' Sydneysiders, accusing millions of not knowing there's an Australia outside of the Harbour City.

The Western Australian premier was drawn into commenting on New South Wales' controversial plan to reopen the state to the fully vaccinated next month when the jab rate eclipses 70 per cent.

He doubled down on threats to keep the WA borders closed to the rest of the country, saying he will refuse to open just because the east coast states have decided to throw end lockdowns when vaccination rates hit 70 per cent.

Mark McGowan has slammed self-absorbed Sydneysiders saying they don't realise there's an Australia outside of the Harbour City. Pictured: Sydney's Bondi Beach is packed on Sunday

'There's this headlong rush about these things in Sydney and Melbourne, but that's because Sydney and Melbourne are in lockdown,' Mr McGowan said on Sunday.

'And that's because so many people in Sydney don't think there's an Australia outside of Sydney.'

The Labor leader announced that WA has expanded its eligibility criteria for Covid vaccinations allowing children aged 12 to 15 to receive a Pfizer shot.

He's now pleading with parents to sign their kids up for the jab, as the state continues to linger behind the national average when it comes to vaccination rates.

'More than 57 per cent of Western Australians have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine but that rate needs to be rising,' Mr McGowan said.

'From tomorrow, if you're 12 or 20, or like myself you're even older than that, you're eligible to get the COVID vaccine and I'd encourage you to get vaccinated because this is our best chance out of this pandemic.'

He said he won't be rushing to open WA borders the rest of the country just because the east coast states have decided to throw their doors open in the midst of an outbreak which has seen Covid cases climb to around 1500 a day. Pictured: A Sydneysider takes a walk in Sydney's Rushcutters Bay Park on Sunday

More than 100,000 Pfizer doses bound for WA were diverted to NSW in winter as the state battled the ongoing Delta outbreak. Pictured: Sydney's Coogee Beach on Sunday

As part of the vaccination blitz, WA's vaccine commander, Commissioner Chris Dawson, will be looking to set aside special 'walk-in' slots at our vaccine clinics that will allow any Year 11 and 12 students to 'just go in and get themselves vaccinated.'

'[We're trying to] get to that group of people before they leave school and it becomes harder to access them,' Mr McGowan said.

'The Year 11 and 12 students are nearing the end, they're only going to be at school for a matter of weeks. It's a bit of a race against time.'

McGowan has blamed the federal government's uneven distribution of coronavirus vaccines for his state's slow rollout.

Mr McGowan has refused to budge on opening WA borders to the rest of the nation in the lead up to Christmas unless more than 80 per cent of West Australians are fully vaccinated. Pictured: A WA resident gets the AstraZeneca jab at a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Claremont Showground

The Labor leader (pictured) announced that WA has expanded its eligibility criteria for Covid vaccinations allowing children aged 12 to 15 to receive a Pfizer shot

More than 100,000 Pfizer doses bound for WA were diverted to NSW in winter as the state battled the ongoing Delta outbreak.

'The states that provided that additional support to NSW now need to be given our catch-up supplies, in particular of Pfizer,' he said last week.

'We can't have a situation where some states are punished for doing the right thing for NSW.'

'We're basically running our supplies of Pfizer down each and every day,' he said.

As part of the vaccination blitz, WA's vaccine commander, Commissioner Chris Dawson, will be looking to set aside special 'walk-in' slots at our vaccine clinics that will allow any Year 11 and 12 students to 'just go in and get themselves vaccinated'

Mr McGowan has refused to budge on opening WA borders to the rest of the nation in the lead up to Christmas unless more than 80 per cent of West Australians are fully vaccinated.

His firm stance has seen him cop a barrage of criticism from Scott Morrison and various Liberal Party ministers in NSW.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet even called him the 'Gollum of Australian politics,' referring to the depraved character from Lord of the Rings.

'We can't be criticised every day by the prime minister... and everyone else for not vaccinating at the same rate as NSW when they don't give us the same number of vaccines per capita as NSW,' Mr McGowan said.
This is the shocking moment three thieves broke into a security compound and stole 25,000 worth of mouthwash.

The trio took a haulage container filled with 48 pallets of the dental products in a raid on a locked compound in Stallingborough, Lincolnshire.

CCTV footage shows two men breaking through a gate before driving away with their hygienic haul.

The suspects use an angle grinder to get into the site in Stallingborough during the break-in on April 16.

In the footage a third man is seen driving a white lorry cab, thought to have been stolen and using false plates, and smashes through the barrier.

CCTV footage shows two men breaking through a gate with an angle grinder before driving away with 25,000 of mouthwash and chewing gum from a locked compound in Stallingborough, Lincolnshire

The trio took a haulage container filled with 48 pallets of the dental products in a raid on a locked compound in Stallingborough

The thieves attach the container to the truck and make a break for it with their haul.

Humberside Police said the gang stole 48 pallets which had 5,000 bottles of mouthwash and chewing gum, worth around 25,000.

The trailer was eventually found in South Yorkshire, cops said.

Police have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the 25,000 mouthwash haul was caught on CCTV

The suspects use an angle grinder to get into the site in Stallingborough during the break-in on April 16

In the footage a third man is seen driving a white lorry cab, thought to have been stolen and using false plates, and smashes through the barrier

CCTV footage showed the thieves attach the container to the truck and make a break for it with their haul

Detective Constable Wayne Martin, of Humberside Police, said: 'The unit has been hooked up to a trailer with a container loaded with 48 pallets of mouthwash and gum valued at over 25,000.

'The tractor unit and container has then been driven out of the compound. The trailer unit without the container was located on Tuesday 29 June in South Yorkshire on the Yarra Industrial estate in Sheffield.'

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 quoting reference 16/41004/21.
A devastated Sydney vet is begging for a ban on killer dog breeds after two women were ripped apart by a giant American pit bull, said to be the size of a miniature pony.

Desperate neighbours beat the savage dog with an iron bar and stabbed it to stop the frenzied attack on its female owner at a rural home south of Sydney.

The dog's 54-year-old owner was found with severe bite wounds when ambulance crews arrived at her home in Pheasants Nest in the Macarthur region on Friday morning.

The powerful American Staffordshire terrier, reported to weigh more than 80kg, had viciously torn at her face in the horror mauling, said locals on Sunday.

The woman's daughter and two neighbours rushed to help but the dog then turned on them, savaging the second woman, ripping her flesh from the bone, and snapping at a man trying to save them.

A devastated Sydney vet is begging for a ban on killer dog breeds after two women were ripped apart by a giant American pit bull, the size of a miniature pony (pictured, medics work on the victims at the scene)

Desperate rescuers beat the savage dog with an iron bar and stabbed it to stop the frenzied attack on its woman owner at a rural home south of Sydney. (Pictured, a stock image of an American pit bull terrier)

Emergency services found the two seriously injured women at the home, while the man escaped with minor injuries.

'It's such a big dog,' neighbour Rosel Szumski told Daily Mail Australia.

'They shouldn't have had that dog at all.'

Local Anthony Dennis heard emergency sirens flocking to the scene before seeing the medical chopper touch down at the property.

'The worst attack was on the older woman who had facial injuries and they airlifted her to a Sydney hospital,' he said.

A 54-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital following a horrific dog attack in the Macarthur region of Pheasants Nest on Friday morning

Leading Sydney vet Dr Sam Kovac, 32, (pictured) is begging for authorities to ban the breed before anyone else is killed or mauled

'While they were trying to get the dog off that woman, someone was hitting the dog with a metal bar. It must have been a harrowing incident for everyone.'

He added: 'My wife had walked past the property recently and they were pretty excitable dogs. A lot of people have hunting dogs around here.

'I don't know if this dog was, but any breed which is territorial and capable of inflicting serious injury on people shouldn't be in a family home.'

The attack on Friday comes just two months after a deadly attack on the Central Coast in July when a five week old baby was mauled to death by another pit bull.

Vet Sam Kovac (pictured) stresses he doesn't want existing American Staffordshire terriers euthanised - but wants an immediate ban on selling, breeding, importing or rehoming the breed

The woman's daughter and a neighbour rushed to help but the dog then turned on them, savaging the second woman, ripping her flesh from the bone, and snapping at the man trying to save them (pictured, medics work on the victims at the scene)

Now leading Sydney vet Dr Sam Kovac, 32, is begging for authorities to ban the breed before anyone else is killed or mauled.

He stresses he doesn't want existing American Staffordshire terriers euthanised - but wants an immediate ban on selling, breeding, importing or rehoming the breed.

'This latest attack is just history repeating,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday. 'Most of the time they won't be killers.

'But when you're dealing with such a powerful breed that's been bred to fight and kill, when they really want to do this, nobody can do anything to fend them off.

'They should not be allowed to be bred in this country.'

Vet Sam Kovac said he spoke out in the hope of sparking change in July but his pleas for a ban on the breed had fallen on deaf ears (pictured, a stock image of an American Staffordshire terrier)

He said he had been widely criticised for calling for a ban on the breed after speaking out following the July toddler tragedy in Kariong, but the latest incident had strengthened his view.

'Ninety per cent of the time, they're fine,' he admitted.

'But in that very small percentage, if they decide that they want to go after and kill a baby or a human like this horrible case where they were mauled to the bone, no-one can stop them.

'I just checked online and there are literally hundreds of puppies for sale on Gumtree for American Staffordshire Terriers. Rescue shelters are full of them too.

'A proportion of them are going to go to people who don't know how to train them and look after this very exuberantly powerful breed - and encourage some of their bad character traits.

Vet Sam Kovacs said that if an American Pit Bull terrier (pictured) decides to do what they are often bred for, to guard or to kill, then the outcome can be disastrous

'If they decide to do what they were bred for, and that's to guard or to kill, then the outcome can be disastrous.'

Corgi-owning Dr Kovac, who runs three Southern Vet Clinics in Sydney, said he spoke out in the hope of sparking change in July but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

'Nobody's contacted me officially about it,' he said. 'But I really do think it would be good to have a national open conversation about these breeds.'

A heroic neighbour of the victims, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said she had just driven into her driveway on Friday morning when she heard calls for help and saw the woman being mauled by the dog in their front yard.

She said she didn't believe her actions were heroic, but instead, saw someone who was in danger and needed help.

Emergency services (pictured) found the two seriously injured women at the home, while the man escaped with minor injuries

'My neighbour's daughter was there trying to stab the dog with a knife, I tried to kick the dog off, but it was latched onto her upper thigh,' the woman recounted to The Sunday Telegraph.

'The bite was down to the bone, I could see the tendons.'

The neighbour searched for a hose but instead grabbed a knife to try to cut the vicious dog's throat as she felt it was the only way to stop the attack.

The woman described the dog as 'the size of a miniature pony and weighing between 80 and 100kg'.

The use of the knife was enough for the neighbour to get the dog away from the 54-year-old victim and shout for help.

A resident who was driving by the house saw what was happening and quickly dialled triple-zero.

The brave neighbour and the injured daughter managed to drag the older victim to another side of the fence and lay her down as she was worried the dog would soon come back and kill them.

'I grabbed all the towels off the line to tourniquet her leg, that wound on her leg man and the wound on her neck was so bad, I thought "I don't want to watch her die",' she said.

The neighbour said while the victim's daughter had suffered deep cuts on her leg, she was more worried for her mother.

Wollondilly Shire Council confirmed a ranger had been sent to the address and detained the dog

A female police officer later arrived on the scene, and the neighbour shouted: 'Don't come in there's a dog that is mental, shoot it.'

The officer grabbed her gun and walked around the back, but the dog never returned.

An ambulance inspector arrived on the scene shortly after and treated the injuries suffered by the victims.

The 54-year-old woman was airlifted to Liverpool hospital, while her daughter was driven to hospital shortly after.

Wollondilly Shire Council confirmed a ranger had been sent to the address and detained the dog.

The council said in a statement the owner had given permission for the dog to be euthanised due to the extremity of the attack.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Gavin Wood described the scene as 'confronting'.

'Both women suffered horrific bite wounds over large parts of their bodies and were transported to hospital in a serious condition,' he said.

'It was a confronting scene but paramedics did a fantastic job treating the injured patients before they were taken to hospital.'
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared in a new video marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, months after rumors spread that he was dead.

The SITE Intelligence Group that monitors jihadist websites said the video was released Saturday.

In it, al-Zawahiri said that 'Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized,' and praised Al-Qaeda attacks including one that targeted Russian troops in Syria in January.

SITE said al-Zawahiri also noted the United States military's withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.

It added that his comments do not necessarily indicate a recent recording, as the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban was signed in February 2020.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared in a new video marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11, attacks, months after rumors spread that he was dead

Al-Zawahiri was Osama bin Laden's No 2 in Al-Qaeda, the radical jihadist network once led by the Saudi millionaire. The two are seen above in this September 2006 file photo

Al-Zawahiri made no mention of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul last month, SITE added.

But he did mention a January 1, attack that targeted Russian troops on the edge of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.

Rumors have spread since late 2020 that al-Zawahiri had died from illness. Since then, no video or proof of life surfaced, until Saturday.

'He could still be dead, though if so, it would have been at some point in or after Jan 2021,' tweeted Rita Katz, SITE's director.

Al-Zawahiri's speech was recorded in a 61-minute, 37-second video produced by the group's as-Sahab Media Foundation.

In recent years, Al-Qaeda has faced competition in jihadi circles from its rival, the Islamic State group.

IS rose to prominence by seizing large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a 'caliphate' and extending affiliates to multiple countries across the region.

Al-Qaeda perpetrated the attacks on September 11, 2001 that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, DC, and rural Pennsylvania

IS's physical 'caliphate' was crushed in Iraq and Syria, though its militants are still active and carrying out attacks.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of IS was killed by US special forces in a raid in northwestern Syria in October 2019.

Al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian, became leader of Al-Qaeda following the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan by US Navy SEALs.
A man reliving the tragic death of his twin brother in the 9/11 terror attacks and the harrowing journey he's endured since has left The Project panel wiping away tears in an emotional interview.

Andrew Knox, 29, was one of ten Australians killed in the horror attacks in the US that changed the world forever on September 11, 2001.

The environmental architect from Adelaide had been working in New York and was in a meeting on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Centre's North Tower when one of the planes hit.

His death had a devastating impact on twin brother Stuart, who candidly opened up on his battles with PTSD, mental health issues and addiction to The Project on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, which left the panelists crying live on air.

The distressing scenes that shocked the world of the planes hitting the twin towers of the World Trade Centre are still a painful reminder of the day Stuart's life was ripped apart.

Scroll down for video

The Project panellist were left in tears by Stuart's story, including Jan Fran (left)and Hamish MacDonald (right)

'It's horrific. It always has been. This is 20 years later,' Stuart told The Project's Hamish MacDonald as he broke down into tears.

'Just for a moment, pretend that you had a loved one and they died. And that somebody recorded that and they sat you down all the time and played it over and over again.

'And it is just replayed and replayed. It's not even around September. At any time of the year, watching news can be really horrific and it can re-traumatise.'

While it took weeks for authorities to officially confirm Andrew's death, Stuart says he knew his brother was dead the moment he found out about the terror attacks.

'I was playing darts with mates and then my ex-wife at the time came out to say she thought I better come inside and something was happening in New York,' he recalled.

Andrew Knox, 29, (pictured) was working in New York when he was killed in the 9/11 terror attacks

'There was that connection there, that if you're not a twin you don't understand.

'Just that sense of loss and something was going on. And of course there was something going on, something going on huge that was going to impact me directly.'

Stuart desperately tried put on a brave face for the first few years following Andrew's death but it eventually became too much.

He was diagnosed with complex PTSD and buried his grief through drugs and alcohol as he spiralled out of control.

'For many years I was trying to keep it together and doing it really publicly as if I was keeping it together. On the inside I wasn't,' he said.

Stuart Knox (pictured) has battled PSTD, mental health issues, alcohol and drug addiction in the 20 years since his twin brother Andrew was killed

'Every time I'd come to an anniversary I would try to numb the pain. I've been addicted to alcohol, to drugs, to things that make me feel anything other than the feelings that hurt.'

Those addictions forced Stuart to give up his job as a respected school principal.

He checked into rehab facility earlier this year, where he's still recovering and is now the most sober he's been in 20 years.

'There's a lot of emotion I didn't deal with 20 years ago,' he said.

'I learnt in rehab the importance of being vulnerable. For me this year it's a fight to make sure that I don't numb that pain.'

The Project panelists were overcome with emotion after Stuart's harrowing interview aired but left awed by his courage.

'What a beautiful human being he is and you can only imagine how proud his brother would be right now,' Lisa Wilkinson said.

A visibly distressed MacDonald paid tribute to Stuart as fellow panelists Jan Fran and Tommy Little wiped away tears.

'I know it's been a huge decision actually for Stuart to tell his story,' an emotional MacDonald explained.

Stuart Knox hopes his twin brother Andrew (pictured) will be proud that he's the most sober he's ever been in 20 years

'He's been sort of really rock solid guy, fronting up over the years. And to share all of that was a really big deal for him. And I know in talking to him before we actually filmed that, it was really about honouring his brother and his memory.

'I hope you are doing OK, Stuart, because I know you knew it would be a tough weekend.'

Stuart says his teenage son Hudson, born two years after 9/11, keeps him going.

'For the last five years he's just been fighting to get his dad back,' he said.

'He saw me really broken, selling my house, living on the streets, living in my car, cheap hotels. To be able to spend time with him now is a godsend.

It's been 20 years since the Adelaide environmental architect (pictured) was killed in 9/11

Stuart described his late brother Andrew as loving but frustrating at times.

'He was an amazing person. He cared about other people. He had a huge heart. He was always fighting for the underdog.

'He wanted this world to be an amazing one and he wanted to be part of that change.'

He has vivid memories of their last phone call.

'I was lighting up a smoke and he said to me, "That's going to kill you."

He wasn't a smoker. And he was 10 minutes older than me, like the big brother thing he would always do.

Tim Watkins, an Australian in New York placed flowers at the memorial sites of each of 10 Australins killed in 9/11, including Andrew Knox

'So 20 years down the track he would probably be pretty proud now because of the fact I'm not smoking.'

As the world paused for the 9/11 anniversary, Stuart revealed he was getting well as he urged everyone take some time to pray or send positive energy to those still healing from trauma.

'I am letting go and I am moving through what I need to,' he wrote on Facebook.

'Focus on addiction being a disease and that we purposely use the word suffering in front of, because that's the truth for individuals and families.'

'The stigma (negative views by society, prejudice and discrimination) associated with substance use, addiction and mental health problems creates barriers to individuals accessing necessary care and support.'

For anyone in need of confidential support, contact The National Drug and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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Russia used new combat robots and tactical vehicles on the second day of the active main phase of large military drills with its ex-Soviet ally Belarus, the defence ministry said on Saturday.

The 'Zapad-2021' war games, which will run until next Thursday on Russia and Belarus's western flanks including sites close to the European Union's borders, have alarmed Ukraine and some NATO countries.

Troops used Platform-M combat robots, which are controlled remotely and armed with grenade launchers and a machine gun, the ministry said in a statement. New Sarmat-2 tactical vehicles have also been used.

Russian news agencies claimed it was the first time such hardware had been used.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko today reviewed the drills amid plans to buy more than $1 billion in arms from Moscow. Putin is expected to review the drills next week.

The live fire drills are the culmination of the 'Zapad-2021' war games, and will run until next Thursday on Russia's and Belarus's western flanks. Some sites are close to NATO and the European Union's borders, and their proximity has unsettled neighbours including Ukraine and Poland.

Officials say the exercises do not envisage specific countries as adversaries. But the chief of Belarus' general staff, Major-General Viktor Gulevich, said the exercises should be a 'signal' to the West of the 'futility' to taking 'a position of strength' against the two countries.

Russia used new combat robots and Sarmat-2 tactical vehicles (pictured) on the second day of the active main phase of large military drills with its ex-Soviet ally Belarus, the defence ministry said on Saturday

The Sarmat-2 tactical vehicles (pictured) were flown in on helicopters and driven during joint military drills with Russia and Belarus on Sunday

Russian media said it was the first time the Sarmat-2 tactical vehicles (pictured, with a mounted gun) had been used in military war games

Troops used Platform-M combat robots, (pictured) which are controlled remotely and armed with grenade launchers and a machine gun, the ministry said in a statement

Russia used new combat robots and tactical vehicles on the second day of the active main phase of large military drills with its ex-Soviet ally Belarus, the defence ministry said on Saturday

An explosion is seen during joint Belarus and Russia military drills, called Zapad-2021, on Sunday with 200,000 troops and more than 80 aircraft taking part

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko observes the military exercise Zapad-2021 staged jointly with Russia at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin has branded the drills 'sensible' give increased NATO activity near the country's borders and those of its allies.

Neighbours such as Ukraine and NATO members Poland and Lithuania say such big exercises so close to the frontier risk being provocative.

'We need to realise that this [a Russian military attack on Estonia] may indeed happen in the coming years,' Martin Herem, commander of the Estonian Defense Forces said in an interview on Friday evening.

'Russia's goal likely isn't to occupy us  it does not want to gain control through occupation, but it enjoys instability and influence via instability'.

The Russian defence ministry said up to 200,000 military personnel, some 80 aircraft and helicopters, up to 15 ships and nearly 300 tanks are taking part.

Russia's Defence Ministry said the troops would return to their permanent bases by mid-October.

Two Belarusian combat helicopters fire as they take part in the Zapad-2021 joint military exercises with Russia on Sunday

Multiple rocket launcher systems fire during joint military exercises with Russia and Belarus which the chief of Belarus' general staff, Major-General Viktor Gulevich, said the exercises should be a 'signal' to the West of the 'futility' to taking 'a position of strength' against the two countries

Russian paratroopers take part in an airborne assault formation during joint military drills, named 'Zapad-2021', with Belarus on Saturday

Belarusian servicemen march during a ceremony to open the 'Zapad-2021' joint military drills with Russia on Friday, in a move that has alarmed NATO

A soldier in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast in Russia takes part in huge joint military drills with Russia and Belarus on Friday, with war games set to last until Thursday

A Russian serviceman takes part in huge joint military drills with Belarus, set to include never before used hardware, on Saturday

Russian servicemen take part in joint military drills with Belarus and other Collective Security Treaty Organisation states on September 10, in a move that has alarmed NATO

Russian news agencies have claimed several new items of hardware have been used for the first time during these war games

The drills involve live fire and mark the culmination of a bigger three-month exercise. New Sarmat-2 tactical vehicles have also been used, Russian media said

Troops used Platform-M combat robots, which are controlled remotely and armed with grenade launchers and a machine gun, the ministry said in a statement

The drills have alarmed NATO because Belarus is part of quasi buffer zone between Europe and Russia, bordering the country to the east

The manoeuvres are held every four years, but this year's drill has been seen as a particular signal of Russia's support for Belarus and its leader Lukashenko, who has been ostracised by the West for cracking down on dissent.

Russia sees Belarus as a strategically important buffer to its west, and helped to keep Lukashenko in power with loans and political backing while he crushed a popular uprising last year.

'This is one of the most important training events for the armed forces, which takes place against the backdrop of ongoing hybrid aggression by the West against Belarus and Russia,' Lukashenko was quoted by the Belta news agency as saying.

An image published by Belta showed Lukashenko in green military uniform watching the drills at Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground.

Lukashenko also said Belarus planned to buy Russian arms worth more than $1 billion and was negotiating supplies of S-400 air defence missile systems.

Russian Deputy Defence Minister Nikolai Pankov said the drills were purely defensive in nature and would give Moscow and Minsk a chance to improve the way their respective militaries work together.

Top military leaders from the two countries attended the opening ceremony of the war games, called 'Zapad-2021', in western Russia where flags were raised and speeches given on Friday.

Military personnel from Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia were present ahead of the drills, which they are participating in, the Russian defence ministry said at the time.

The Russian defence ministry said up to 200,000 military personnel, some 80 aircraft and helicopters, up to 15 ships and nearly 300 tanks have taken part

The military drills come as Minsk has cosied up to Moscow in recent months, with Putin offering to send troops to Belarus to help quell large demonstrations that broke out in August 2020 following a dispute election that officials said gave Lukashenko a sixth term in office

Eight Belarusian fighter jets fly during the military exercise Zapad-2021 joint military drills with Russia on Sunday

Russian President Vladimir Putin has branded the drills 'sensible' give increased NATO activity near the country's borders and those of its allies

The manoeuvres are held every four years, but this year's drill has been seen as a particular signal of Russia's support for Belarus and its leader Alexander Lukashenko, who has been ostracised by the West for cracking down on dissent

Russian service members attend a ceremony opening the mass military drills named 'Zapad-2021' at Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in Belarus on Friday

Russian service members holding the country's tricolor attend an opening ceremony of the 'Zapad-2021' joint military drills in Nizhny Novgorod Region on Friday

567 PRI*198908300 Belarusian service members attend a ceremony opening the military exercise Zapad-2021 staged by the the armed forces of Russia and Belarus

Monoglian service members take part in a parade during the opening ceremony of the 'Zapad-2021' joint military exercise with Russia and Belarus

Kazakh service members march during a ceremony opening the military exercise 'Zapad-2021' in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia on Friday
A body was recovered in the English Channel just days after Border Force officials were warned they may be breaking the law unless those migrants crossing to UK shores 'consent' to having their boats turned around.

Sussex Police said the body of a man was recovered by Coastguard officials in the mid-English channel on Saturday afternoon and brought to Eastbourne as officers work to ID the victim.

It follows the death of a 27-year-old man aboard a boat carrying 40 people in August - who was airlifted to hospital after a huge air and sea rescue operation in the Channel.

Record-breaking numbers of migrants have so far made it across the Channel this year - with numbers already nearing double those recorded in the whole of 2020.

Migrants are rescued from the English Channel and brought into Dover harbour in Kent by Border Force officials on Sunday, September 12

A group of suspected migrants arrive at Dover, Kent aboard a Border Force patrol boat

Record-breaking numbers of migrants have so far made it across the Channel this year - with numbers already nearing double those recorded in the whole of 2020. Above: Masked suspected migrants wave at Dover, Kent

A group of suspected migrants are led off a Border Force patrol boat following a 'small vessel incident' in the Channel on Sunday, September 12

Reacting to this, Home Secretary Priti Patel has threatened to 'push back' migrant boats from the English coast - insisting Britons expect action amid mounting fury at France's lacklustre efforts to curb the problem despite being handed millions by UK taxpayers to do so.

Under the Nationality and Borders Bill, officers would get the power to intervene at sea to tackle people-smugglers and turn migrant boats away from the UK and back into foreign waters.

But legal expert and unions have weighed in to warn ministers their plans may be illegal and that Border Force staff could refuse to comply if migrants resist efforts to be turned around.

Home Secretary Priti Patel (above) has been warned by lawyers and unions her touted 'turn back' policy for migrant boats could be illegal

Legal expert and unions have weighed in to warn ministers their plans may be illegal and that Border Force staff could refuse to comply if migrants resist efforts to be turned around. Above: Migrants arriving at Dover Habour

The body of a man has been recovered by the coastguard in the English Channel, Sussex Police have said. Pictured: A Border Force official helps a migrant remove his life jacket

Ms Patel also came under fire from experts who said her latest plan is 'not going to happen' because overloaded dinghies might sink and France would need to cooperate.

Lucy Moreton, professional officer at the Immigration Services Union, said she would be surprised if the 'pushback' tactic is used 'even once' because the boats are 'vulnerable'.

David Hammond, former Royal Navy barrister and chief executive of charity Human Rights At Sea, told the Sunday Telegraph: 'As soon as one or more of those migrants panic or think it will be quicker to get on board the vessel by getting into the water, then push back immediately stops and you have the requirement to save life at sea under at least three international conventions.

'It changes in a split second, then Border Force will have to make a call then and there to stop what they are doing and immediately go into a search and rescue role.'

And Tory MP Tim Loughton, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said it was 'not going to happen' as the vessels would capsize and migrants might drown.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police confirmed: 'On Saturday afternoon, September 11, the body of a man was recovered by HM Coastguard in mid-English Channel, following information from a passing vessel, and was brought to Eastbourne.

'Enquiries are under way and no further information is available at this time.'

On August 12, a 27-year-old Eritrean national drowned while trying to cross the Channel aboard a raft that sank near Dunkirk despite a full-scale rescue operation by French and Belgian air and sea units.

Clamours for further action from Britain come amid reports that close to 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel on a single day on Monday September 6.

The deadly crossing from France - made by more than 14,000 people including chidlren so far this year - has claimed many lives in the past.

The most high-profile of them were Rasoul Iran-Nejad and his wife Shiva Mohammad Panahi, who died along with their three children when their boat capsized on October 27, 2020.

Their 15-month-old son Artin was reported missing following the tragedy and it was not until June this year that police confirmed a body found on the Norwegian coast was that of the young boy.

'Pushback' tactic could risk lives and be illegal, warn campaigners Turning back boats in the Channel could risk the lives of migrants, campaigners warned as the legality of the tactic was called into question. The British Red Cross warned that the policy would 'detract' from finding solutions that would give people alternatives to making the dangerous crossing through busy shipping lanes. Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK's refugee and migrant rights director, said: 'The Government's pushback plan is senseless, dangerous and almost certainly unlawful. 'Intercepting vessels in the Channel is incredibly high risk and to push people back will endanger their lives, which is totally at odds with the legal duty of rescue at sea. 'People have every right to seek asylum in the UK, and they only make dangerous journeys and rely on smugglers because there are no safe alternatives made available to them.' Lord West, who was First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 2002 to 2006 and later a security minister under Labour, said the whole policy is 'highly problematic'. Meanwhile, legal figures questioned whether turning back boats would be lawful, amid suggestions that Government officials have been ordered to rewrite maritime laws so the tactic can be used. James M Turner QC, a barrister and arbitrator specialising in cross-border commercial and shipping disputes, said on Twitter that turnbacks are 'highly unlikely to be lawful (even if it were practicable and safe)', In an earlier post, having discussed the various laws at play when considering maritime incidents and asylum seekers at sea, he said: 'Turning back migrant boats in the middle of the Channel would not therefore be lawful under international law. It would also potentially endanger lives.' Human rights barrister Adam Wagner tweeted: 'The Home Office has apparently received legal advice that it would be lawful to 'push back' some refugee boats. Would be very interested to see that advice (which I bet is so heavily hedged it's practically growing leaves).' Advertisement

Home Office figures released this weekend show 1,801 people made it across the Channel in small boats this week.

So far this year, around 14,500 have made the crossing  almost twice the 8,410 recorded in the whole of 2020.

Reacting to Ms Patel's controversial 'turn back' policy, the Immigration Services Union warned staff may refuse to comply with her tactics.

Lucy Moreton, Immigration Services Union professional officer, said: 'It is safe and it is legal as long as the individuals in the boat dont threaten to jump in the water.

'So as long as they effectively agree to be turned around, then it is absolutely fine.

'But if they dont agree - if they start to resist, if they show any aggression or any reluctance that may put them in danger - if we do not break off that would be illegal.'

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Moreton added: 'Our captains will not put peoples lives at risk. They will hold their ground and back away rather than endanger somebody.'

Under the Nationality and Borders Bill, officers would get the power to intervene at sea to tackle people-smugglers and turn migrant boats away from the UK.

However, they would need the agreement of other states, such as France, to drive them back into foreign waters.

The legislation would give immigration or enforcement officers specific 'maritime powers' over ships and other boats or vessels in 'United Kingdom waters, foreign waters or international waters' to 'prevent, detect, investigate or prosecute offences', the document said.

They could be given the power to 'stop, board, divert and detain', including requiring the ship to 'leave United Kingdom waters'.

But the Bill makes clear this could take place 'only if the state, or the relevant territory' is willing to receive the ship.

It also suggests written notice must be given to the 'master of any ship detained', ie the captain or person navigating the vessel  which has prompted questions on how this could work in practice.

Officers will be allowed to use 'reasonable force, if necessary' and take 'equipment or materials'  but it is not yet clear what this could entail.

The stricter rules are part of Home Secretary Priti Patel's pledge to fix the UK's 'broken asylum system' and have been hailed by the Government as 'fundamental reforms' under a 'landmark' Bill as part of its 'fair but firm' plan for immigration first published in March.

This comes as Priti Patel is set to spend 200million on a new fleet of border patrol boats, as she steps up attempts to stop migrants crossing the Channel.

The Home Secretary has ordered a major replacement of Border Force's five ageing cutters, official documents show.

The vessels could be used to block dinghies from entering UK waters  the controversial 'push-back' tactic announced this week.

The proposal, from the latest version of the Home Office's procurement schedule, reveals that the process to upgrade the cutters will start in April.

The huge sum to upgrade the fleet comes on top of the 54million due to be handed to France for coastal patrols and surveillance  which could now be withheld following a diplomatic spat between Whitehall and Paris.
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Geronimo is being 'denied a funeral' because the Government is refusing to hand over his incinerated remains, the alpaca's devastated owner alleged today.

Helen Macdonald claimed the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has insisted on holding onto the South American mammal's ashes due to the risk of contracting TB.

The alpaca was dragged from Miss Macdonald's farm in Gloucestershire last month by Government officials in boiler suits and facemasks - and dozens of police officers fending off animal rights campaigners - days before a court order to execute him lapsed.

Less than 90 minutes later, Defra confirmed that Geronimo - who had twice tested positive for bovine tuberculosis but had refused a third test - was executed by staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, bringing a four-year legal battle to a close.

Miss Macdonald was campaigning for the destruction to be halted after insisting the bovine tuberculosis tests previously carried out returned false positives. She had wanted him to be tested for a third time or allowed to live to aid research into the disease.

The veterinary nurse also argued that the Enferplex test was fundamentally flawed and said Geronimo tested positive because he had repeatedly been primed with tuberculin - a purified protein derivative of bovine TB bacteria.

Speaking to the Daily Star, Miss Macdonald alleged: 'They (Defra) incinerated the 'carcass' as they referred to him. They wanted me to arrange for him to be put to death so they could say I consented. They told me to tell them when he was dead so they could collect the 'carcass'.'

The farmer believes that Geronimo should not have been led from her farm in Gloucestershire with a rope around its neck, but instead in a head collar, the paper added.

A Defra spokesman told MailOnline that Geronimo was euthanised by APHA in line with strict animal welfare policies. By law, any animal with a suspected TB infection must be disposed of properly and safely as part of rigorous and consistent disease control measures.

It comes amid a row over whether Geronimo had bovine tuberculosis after Miss Macdonald claimed the initial findings of the post-mortem showed no signs of the disease.

Miss Macdonald claimed that the preliminary post-mortem findings were 'negative for visible lesions typical of bovine tuberculosis'. However, the Chief Veterinary Officer said in a statement that 'a number of TB-like lesions were found'.

The farmer has called on Environment Secretary George Eustice to resign.

Three Government officials who arrived with a police escort surrounding Geronimo the alpaca at Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire

Helen Macdonald (left) joins members of the Justice for Geronimo and Stop Badger Cull campaigns at a protest outside the offices of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in central London against the killing of the alpaca. Picture date: Wednesday September 8, 2021

Environment Secretary George Eustice leaves following a Cabinet Meeting at Downing Street on September 7, 2021

Helen Macdonald and Geronimo the alpaca at her farm near Wickwar, South Gloucestershire, before he was euthanised

Did Geronimo have TB or not? Experts won't know until the end of this year Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said that the initial post-mortem examination of Geronimo found a 'number of TB-like lesions'. These are now undergoing further investigation, with tests including the developing of bacteriological cultures (growths) from tissue samples. This normally takes several months, and experts expect to complete the full process by the end of this year. A lesion is an area of tissue that has been damaged through disease - and in some cases, the microscopic lesions of TB in the affected organs can take a very long time to progress to larger, visible lesions, if at all. Mycobacterium bovis can be grown in the laboratory from clinical samples, usually from tissue samples collected post-mortem. The culture process takes a long time because the bacterium grows slowly. This process can only be carried out in specialist laboratories, and it is not always successful even in lab conditions. It is only after growth in the laboratory that the species of Mycobacterium can be identified. Advertisement

Miss Macdonald received a copy of the preliminary findings of the examination from the Government's Legal Department after requesting the paperwork, and it was then reviewed by veterinary surgeons supporting her.

Surrounded by her supporters in Westminster last weekamid a vocal demonstration, Miss Macdonald called on Mr Eustice to resign.

In a statement, her lawyers said: 'As reviewed by Dr Iain McGill and Dr Bob Broadbent, the preliminary gross post-mortem findings are negative for visible lesions typical of Bovine Tuberculosis.

'For clarity there are no white or cream caseous, enlarged abscesses typical for bTB in alpacas whether in the lungs, bronchial, mediastinal or retropharyngeal lymph nodes.

'Miss Macdonald has formally requested the full findings of the post-mortem report 'Form TB50', together with all relevant documents and the results of further tests on tissue samples, blood, serum or plasma taken or obtained from Geronimo, along with any further test results including Enferplex, Idexx, Actiphage and any other PCR or interferon gamma tests performed by Defra, along with the results of histopathogical examination.

'She has further requested that both fresh, frozen and formalin fixed tissue and fluid samples be preserved and provided to an independent expert to carry out further tests.'

The post-mortem examination was undertaken by veterinary pathologists from the Government's Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said: 'We have completed the initial post-mortem examination of Geronimo. A number of TB-like lesions were found and in line with standard practice these are now undergoing further investigation.

'These tests include the developing of bacteriological cultures from tissue samples which usually takes several months - we would expect to complete the full post-mortem and culture process by the end of the year.'

Speaking at the protest last week, Miss Macdonald said: 'We urge the Government to act with compassion and cooperation, which to date has been severely lacking, creating deep and unnecessary distress to Geronimo.

'We call on the secretary of state to tender his resignation immediately.'

Geronimo is taken away from Miss Macdonald's farm in Gloucestershire on August 31 before being put down

Geronimo's owner Helen Macdonald speaks on her phone after her beloved alpaca was removed on August 31

Timeline: Geronimo's long struggle for survival 2017 Geronimo is brought to England from New Zealand in August 2017 by his owner, veterinary nurse Helen Macdonald.

He tests positive for bovine tuberculosis twice in August and November, and is put into isolation away from the rest of the herd at the farm in Wickwar. 2018 The Government applies for a court order in July to have Geronimo destroyed. The alpaca is given a stay of execution, with a deadline of the end of August for his slaughter.

Miss Macdonald seeks a judicial review claiming new evidence shows the animal is healthy - marking the start of a series of lengthy legal battles.

In November, Miss Macdonald wins the right to a review at the High Court. 2019 In March, a hearing gets underway and Miss Macdonald claims Government experts relied on 'flawed science'. The case dismissed in July. 2021 In May, a district court judge orders an execution warrant.

Miss Macdonald starts an appeal and an order is made preventing Geronimo's destruction pending the application.

She takes out an emergency injunction to delay a warrant to cull the animal before an an appeal hearing on July 29.

The case is again dismissed. A judge agrees to delay the start of a second execution warrant until August 5

Geronimo is taken away on August 31 and executed. Advertisement

Miss Macdonald also vowed to fight for animal rights in 'honour' of Geronimo. She said: 'Geronimo was a blessing in my life. He touched the world. He was loved and precious to very many people and he lives on.

'I miss him. But I will do him the honour of fighting for him and making sure his legacy lives on for all animals.'

Yesterday, Miss Macdonald accused the Government of 'hiding the truth' over the killing of the animal just over a week ago.

She said she had been denied knowledge of when, where and how Geronimo died - and had been refused an independent post-mortem examination.

Speakers at the protest at Defra's headquarters included vet Dr Iain McGill, animal welfare campaigner and writer Dominic Dyer and broadcaster and journalist Kevin O'Sullivan.

More than 27,000 cattle were slaughtered last year to curb the spread of the infectious disease, Defra said.

Meanwhile, experts are vowing to take further action over the way Geronimo the alpaca was dragged from his pen and bundled into the back of a horse box to be driven away and killed by Government vets.

The British Alpaca Society wrote a letter of complaint to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Mr Eustice and various Government officials over the way the animal was removed from his owner's farm.

Sue Loach, chairwoman of the British Alpaca Society, condemned the way Geronimo was removed from his pen, 'dragging him kicking and screaming', and then left tethered, standing up in the back of a trailer.

She said she has now received an unsigned reply from Apha, which stated: 'Removal operations were carefully planned, conducted and included consideration of Geronimo's welfare.

'Geronimo was transported under veterinary supervision. Veterinary surgeons were present at the loading and the unloading as well as travelling behind the trailer during its journey.

'We can assure you that Geronimo arrived at the destination in the same condition as when he left the farm, was unloaded and then euthanised in accordance with our welfare procedures.

'This was a difficult and high-pressure situation for all involved. We can assure you that our staff did all in their power to protect Geronimo's welfare and treat him with dignity.'
Activists have called on the federal government to increase Australia's intake of refugees from Afghanistan.

A small group gathered in Brisbane on Sunday, also campaigning for permanent visas for all Afghan asylum seekers and refugees, and an end to the ban on refugees arriving from Indonesia.

About 122,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban retook the capital of Kabul in August.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised 3000 places will be allocated to Afghan refugees in Australia's humanitarian migration program this financial year, but has rebuffed calls for an extra intake.

However, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has recently flagged that the federal government's initial commitment could rise to 5000 people.

The UK and Canada have promised to grant safe haven to 20,000 refugees looking to escape the new regime, while Australia is so far accepting 3,000 (pictured, refugees in Kabul)

About 122,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the Taliban retook the capital of Kabul in August (pictured, Australian evacuees are seen returning home from Kabul)

The Refugee Action Coalition (RAC), along with churches and human rights groups, have called for a special intake of at least 20,000 people.

The UK and Canada have promised to grant safe haven to 20,000 refugees looking to escape the new regime.

Hazara community elder Hassan Ghoulam spoke at the rally, saying Australia has a particular responsibility to accept Afghan refugees given its role in the conflict.

'Australia has to compensate for this decision that they have made,' he said.

'We should do something much more than just 5000 (people) even.'

The Taliban is going from home to home, picking people up in the middle of the night and disappearing them, he said, and Australia's reluctance to increase its intake is leaving families to die.

'People in Afghanistan matter as much as any other life.'

A rally for Afghan women is planned in Brisbane on Sunday, September 19. More interstate rallies are being planned for as soon as lockdowns lift in Sydney and Melbourne.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking a new charities chief who will wage a war on cancel culture amid fears that some charitable bodies in Britain have been hijacked by vocal Left-wing minorities trying to 'burnish their woke credentials'.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has warned that some charities are 'hunting for divisions' in British society after a string of cases in which bodies including the National Trust have tried to erase their links with 'controversial' historical figures.

Last week, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust removed pictures of the wartime leader from its website and changed its name to the Churchill Fellowship, while carrying a statement on its website calling the wartime PM's views on race 'unacceptable today, a view that we share'.

It was forced to perform a partial U-turn, reinstating his photograph but insisting the name change will remain and pointing out it has the support of Churchill's grandchildren amid a furious public backlash led by Number 10 Downing Street.

The charity said it believes the old name was 'confusing' and claims the change is not linked to his role in Britain's imperial history or an attempt to 'disown' him. However, Mr Johnson, who has written a biography of Churchill, hit back, calling him a 'hero' who 'helped save this country and the whole of Europe from a fascist and racist tyranny by leading the defeat of Nazism'.

Writing in The Sunday Telegraph today, the Culture Secretary said that the Government has instructed those leading the search to test whether candidates would 'restore charities' focus to their central purpose and empower trustees to be robust'.

Mr Dowden said: 'The Churchill Fellowship has now stated that it is not seeking to disown the reason that they exist, which is welcome. But I found it quite extraordinary that it got to the position where this clarification was required.'

He said the example was 'not an isolated case', adding: 'This just another example of is a worrying trend in some charities that appear to have been hijacked by a vocal minority seeking to go out of their way to burnish their woke credentials. In so doing they not only distract charities from their core missions but also waste large amounts of time and money.'

It comes as 25 Tory MPs called on the Prime Minister to stamp out cancel culture, warning that the trend 'risks fracturing the nation and ushering in a system of mob rule in which there are no winners.'

The letter, organised by Sir John Hayes, the chairman of the party's Common Sense Group of MPs, highlights the formation of a new campaign, called Britain Uncancelled, which was apparently up to 'take a stand against this dangerous modern hysteria'.

'We must begin the process of reversing cancel culture before it becomes institutionalised and steals a march over common decency,' the MPs warn.

Boris Johnson is seeking a new charities chief who will wage a war on 'cancel culture' amid fears that some charitable bodies in Britain have been hijacked by vocal Left-wing minorities trying to 'burnish their woke credentials'. Oliver Dowden has warned that some charities are 'hunting for divisions' after a string of cases in which bodies have tried to erase their links with 'controversial' historical figures

Last summer Black Lives Matter activists attacked the Churchill statue in Parliament Square and smeared graffiti on it

The new website has a page stating that the charity 'stands in solidarity with those in the fight against racism and with our Fellows from minoritised racial communities'. It added: 'Today there is controversy about aspects of Sir Winston's life. Many of his views on race are widely seen as unacceptable today, a view that we share'

The original Winston Churchill Memorial Trust name was removed from the charity's website, as was a picture of the great man

Yesterday the charity put up a new statement, with a picture of Sir Winston, praising him and denying they were cutting ties - although they will not be reverting back to the old name

Why do woke campaigners say Churchill was racist? By Harry Howard Wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War, has been criticised by some campaigners who say he was racist. They highlight factors including his alleged inaction in the 1943 Bengal Famine in India; his views on Indian independence and the fact he was in favour of using chemical weapons against people he regarded as 'uncivilised'. Bengal Famine Whilst some critics attribute blame to Churchill for failing to do enough to prevent the deaths of three million people in the Bengal Famine, which was triggered by a flooding and a cyclone, other historians disagree. Blame has been pinned on him because he argued against re-supplying Bengal with food to preserve supplies for the ongoing fight against Nazi Germany. His defenders point out that after receiving news of the spreading food shortages he told his Cabinet he would welcome a statement from Lord Wavell, the new Viceroy of India, about how he planned to ensure the problems were 'dealt with'. He then wrote a personal letter urging the Viceroy to take action. Tirthankar Roy, a professor in economic history at the LSE, argues India's vulnerability to weather-induced famine was due to its unequal distribution of food. He also blamed a lack of investment in agriculture and failings by the local government. 'Winston Churchill was not a relevant factor behind the 1943 Bengal famine,' he told The Times in July. 'The agency with the most responsibility for causing the famine and not doing enough was the government of Bengal.' On Indian Independence Churchill, who was strongly opposed to Indian independence, also derided the leader of the movement, Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'half-naked holy man'. He also said privately that he 'hated' Indians, branding them a 'beastly people with a beastly' religion. The politician's views were heavily coloured by the fact that he fought against rebellious tribes in the country when he was posted there as a soldier. Advocated the use of chemical weapons In defending the deployment of chemical weapons  despite the horrific way in which they killed and maimed enemy combatants  Churchill said he was 'strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes.' Churchill had advocated the use of tear gas and poison gas against rebels in what was then Mesopotamia in 1920, during what was known as the Iraqi Revolt. However, historians have since questioned whether the weapons were actually used in the region. And in the 1919 memo in which he made the controversial comments, he went on to say that the 'moral effect' of the use of chemical weapons should be 'so good that the loss of life should be reduced to a minimum.' His belief in racial hierarchies In 1937, Churchill said he had no sympathy for Native Americans or Indigenous Australians, despite their mistreatment at the hands of white settlers. He said: 'I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.' However, whilst Churchill did believe in racial hierarchies, historian Richard Toye said he was 'not unique' in having such as views at the time. He added: 'Although Churchill did think that white people were superior, that didn't mean he necessarily thought it was OK to treat non-white people in an inhumane way.' What about the Nazis? In a 2002 BBC poll, Sir Winston was voted the Greatest Briton of all time for his role in defeating Nazi Germany. When he took over as Prime Minister in May 1940, the only other real contender for the role was Lord Halifax, who advocated striking a peace deal with Nazi Germany. He then led Britain through the rest of the Second World War and roused morale by famously vowing: 'We shall never surrender'. Despite this central role, left-wing critics have even derided this aspect of Churchill's legacy. Kehinde Andrews, a professor of black studies at Birmingham City University, said in an online discussion at Churchill College, Cambridge, earlier this year: 'Was it Churchill out there fighting the war? I'm pretty sure it wasn't. I'm pretty sure he was at home. 'I'm pretty sure that if Churchill wasn't in the war it would have ended the same way.' What Churchill's defenders have said Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who wrote a well-received biography of Churchill in 2014, previously said it was the 'height of lunacy' to accuse the politician of racism. He said Churchill 'stood alone' against a 'racist tyranny that without his resistance would have overwhelmed this country and the rest of Europe'. Fellow Churchill biographer Andrew Roberts said in the Mail on Sunday in June that it was important not to judge the former PM by modern standards. He said: 'To wrench historical figures out of their historical contexts and expect them to hold modern views on issues such as race is anyhow absurd. 'People's reputations are being trashed for holding opinions that a large majority of people held at the time  essentially for being insufficiently woke. 'Even Mahatma Gandhi held what to us today are extremely offensive views about black Africans.' The historian also pointed out that, unlike the father of Communism Karl Marx, Churchill 'never used the N-word', which he said 'dyed-in-the-wool racists' tended to use at the time. Churchill's grandson and former Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames previously said it was a 'lunatic representation' to call his grandfather racist. He told LBC: 'All his life he fought fascism.' Speaking last year after the statue of Churchill outside Parliament was covered up after being sprayed with graffiti, respected historian Tom Holland told MailOnline: 'The sight of Churchill boarded up is to large numbers of Britons very sinister.' He added that the move did not do 'anti-racism campaigners any favours' and said it would 'turn people against them'. Advertisement

They urged Mr Johnson to introduce a code of conduct to ensure that any bodies receiving public funding 'operate in good faith' and adhere to 'the fundamental values of this country'.

They also asked the Prime Minister to amend Labour's Equality Act 'so that it can no longer be used to attack free speech or shield malevolence.'

Sources at the Churchill Fellowship criticised their 100,000-a-year 'woke Leftie' chief executive Julia Weston for 'rewriting history'.

Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, whose constituency is a redrawn version of Churchill's old Woodford seat, told MailOnline that the rebranding was 'ridiculous'.

But Sir Nicholas Soames, Churchill's grandson who served as a Conservative MP from 1983 until the 2019 general election, dismissed concerns this was part of the snowflake agenda as 'b******s'.

He said: 'The Churchill family is wholly and unreservedly supportive of the wonderful work done by The Churchill Fellowship. Its record speaks for itself.

'It is not woke, it is not anything. It is not the abandonment of anything.

'It is called The Churchill Fellowship. It is exactly what it always has been  a living memorial to Winston Churchill, and a very, very successful one.'

In an interview on LBC radio this morning, Mr Dowden said of the charity's move: 'I found it quite extraordinary.

'I read their explanation and they say there are various reasons for this but the bottom line is, you look at the website before and after, and there is a lot less Churchill on it after than there was before.

'I do really worry, and you see this in relation to many charities, that they pander to a noisy woke brigade who are trying to challenge all aspects of our history.

'They would not have the freedom - no-one would have the freedom - to make these kinds of decisions were it not for Churchill in the first place.

'I do really worry when we start to question the sort of values that have made this such a wonderful country.'

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was set up after his death in 1965 to fund academic research and help British citizens to travel and learn about the world.

Sir Nicholas's brother, Jeremy Soames, 69, is its chairman, and is understood to support the rebrand.

The charity insisted it decided to change the name because of 'confusion', with some wrongly believing it was a historical organisation set up to remember Churchill.

Fellowship communications director Jonathan Laurie said: 'There are a lot of people saying that we have tried to cancel Sir Winston, but that's absolutely not the case.

'I mean, his grandson is our chairman. The family are absolutely happy with this and don't think it's a betrayal or anything like that.

'I was very happy to put the photo back up and show we don't have a problem with Sir Winston.

'We do one thing, which is offering fellowships, but the old name didn't say that, so we changed it so that it says what we do on the tin.

'It was a mundane, administrative reason. We decided to take the short biography down in the summer of 2020 because we took the view that we are not historians and shouldn't be publishing accounts of Sir Winston's life.

'So all these small things have been taken to mean something, when in reality they are all low-level administrative changes.'

The charity uploaded a post titled 'Our Connection to Sir Winston Churchill' yesterday, which said: 'We are proud of his contribution to saving the world from Nazism and of our connection to him.'

But it also referenced the 2020 race post and said: 'There is also controversy about his views on race.

'We acknowledge the many issues and complexities involved on all sides.'

It comes after a series of attacks on Churchill's legacy by Left-wing activists who have even compared him to Adolf Hitler.

The BBC was forced to apologise earlier this month after not challenging the view that Churchill's attitude to the Bengal Famine was racist.

Historians cautioned against the 'crusade against the past', with Vernon Bogdanor, professor of government at King's College, London, saying: 'It's no good using modern slogans to attack someone who lived in a different era.

'We would all, for example, think it absurd to criticise William the Conqueror because he wasn't a feminist.'

Referring to Churchill, Cambridge history professor David Abulafia said: 'It is mind-boggling.

'It is digging people out of their graves and burning them as the Spanish inquisition used to do.

'He obviously held views about races that were very much of his time, but we shouldn't be exhuming people from the past who are unable to stand up and explain their attitudes to people who live in a different age.'

Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at the University of Kent, said: 'The reason why they are coming for Churchill is because more than any single individual, he personifies Britishness.

'By destroying his reputation you are striking a blow against an individual who symbolised a particular way of life which was uniquely British.'

Mr Johnson, who wrote a well-received biography of Churchill in 2014, previously said it was the 'height of lunacy' to accuse the politician of racism.

He said Churchill 'stood alone' against a 'racist tyranny that without his resistance would have overwhelmed this country and the rest of Europe'.

Fellow Churchill biographer Andrew Roberts said in the Mail on Sunday in June that it was important not to judge the former PM by modern standards.

He said: 'To wrench historical figures out of their historical contexts and expect them to hold modern views on issues such as race is anyhow absurd.

'People's reputations are being trashed for holding opinions that a large majority of people held at the time  essentially for being insufficiently woke.

'Even Mahatma Gandhi held what to us today are extremely offensive views about black Africans.'

The historian also pointed out that, unlike the father of Communism Karl Marx, Churchill 'never used the N-word', which he said 'dyed-in-the-wool racists' tended to use at the time.

Churchill's grandson and former Conservative MP Sir Nicholas Soames previously said it was a 'lunatic representation' to call his grandfather racist. He told LBC: 'All his life he fought fascism.'

Speaking last year after the statue of Churchill outside Parliament was covered up after being sprayed with graffiti, respected historian Tom Holland told MailOnline: 'The sight of Churchill boarded up is to large numbers of Britons very sinister.'

He added that the move did not do 'anti-racism campaigners any favours' and said it would 'turn people against them'.

Senior figures have warned that the future of some of Britain's top cultural institutions are 'under threat' from a 'woke cult'. Simon Jenkins criticised the involvement of 'left-wing politics' in organisations such as the National Trust - which he chaired for six years between 2008 and 2014.

It comes after current chairman, Tim Parker, announced that he would quit amid a revolt over 'woke' policies.

Volunteers at the trust said it was 'rewriting history' and pointed out the former prime minister (pictured) has frequently been voted the greatest Briton of all time

The National Trust's policies and statements that have sparked outrage among members Report on estates' links to slavery Members, ministers and MPs had grown increasingly frustrated with Mr Parker's chairmanship after the charity published a report last September which 'blacklisted' 93 of its estates with links to slavery. Mr Parker, who took on the role in 2014, said the Trust was 'committed to anti-racism and to creating a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment.' The Trust's 115-page report was called 'Connections between colonialism and properties now in the care of the National Trust, including links with historic slavery.' The document sparked a row as it listed 93 National Trust properties said to have links to colonialism and slavery - including Churchill's home. Parker: BLM has 'no party-political affiliations' At last November's virtual annual meeting, Mr Parker was slammed for describing Black Lives Matter as a 'human rights movement with no party-political affiliations' in a letter to a member. In the UK, BLM has described itself as a 'Marxist organisation' which has called for the defunding of the police following the murder of George Floyd last summer. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Parker said 'we are not members of BLM' and added that he hoped Trust members would see 'that in no way the Trust has become a political organisation that has been taken over by a bunch of woke folk or anything of that nature'. Mr Parker, who took on the role in 2014, said the Trust was 'committed to anti-racism and to creating a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment.' In his letter to members, he wrote: 'We understand Black Lives Matter currently is a worldwide human rights movement with no party-political affiliations in the UK. 'Our recent report aimed to give greater clarity and transparency about sources of wealth, to help deepen and enrich understanding of our remarkable places, art and objects.' 2017 gay pride scandal There was further controversy after it emerged that the Trust had tried to force volunteers at a Norfolk mansion to wear the gay pride rainbow symbol on lanyards and badges to mark 50 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality - a demand later dropped. Critics claim the Trust is 'virtue signalling' and deserting the values of its traditional members. Advertisement

Members of the charity were enraged after the trust published a 115-page report which 'blacklisted' 93 of its estates over their alleged links to slavery. Included on the 'hit list' was Chartwell, Churchill's home in Kent.

The list, and a number of other policies, sparked a revolt from grassroots organisation Restore Trust.

The group threatened to table a no confidence vote in Mr Parker's leadership at the charity's AGM. However Mr Parker quit ahead of the meeting.

Speaking to the Spectator about the row, in a podcast named 'Broken Trust: The Crisis at the Heart of the National Trust, Mr Jenkins said: 'I do regard the sort of 'Woke Cult' at the moment as seriously threatening to many cultural institutions.'

On the row within the Trust, he added: 'I do think this is a very odd controversy for the trust to find itself in.

'The National Trust's relationship with the British Empire, let alone with slavery, is pretty tenuous. I don't take this accusation against the Trust terribly seriously. This is just currently what I regard as a sort of cult.'

But Mr Jenkins added that he thought it was 'appropriate' that such discussions take place 'even in institutions which are normally immune to this sort of left-wing politics'.

The comments come after Mr Parker announced he would quit the charity. The announcement came 24 hours after members launched a bid to depose him amid a growing row over his 'woke policies'.

Members, ministers and MPs had grown increasingly frustrated with Mr Parker's chairmanship, which critics said he used to take the charity in a 'bourgeois' and 'politically correct' direction.

Last September, the Trust published a 115-page report which 'blacklisted' 93 of its estates over their alleged links to slavery. The Charity Commission subsequently opened a regulatory compliance case and the heritage minister told Parliament that the report was 'unfortunate' and the Trust should go back to its 'core functions'.

In a statement posted on the Trust's website last month, the charity said Mr Parker had 'informed trustees of his decision' to step down. He will leave the role in October.

Mr Parker had served two three-year terms and had agreed to a 'third exceptional term' to provide stability during the coronavirus pandemic which hit visitor numbers.

Restore Trust, which was founded by members earlier this year in a bid to stop history being 'demonised' by organisations including the National Trust, welcomed the news.

In a statement published on its website last month, it said: 'We are pleased that Mr Parker has decided to resign as National Trust, following the publication of our motion of no confidence in him that would have been put to this year's Annual Meeting.

'His position was clearly untenable given everything that has happened and the current crisis of confidence in the National Trust amongst its staff, volunteers and members. What the National Trust needs now is a chair with a deep understanding and appreciation of our nation's heritage.

'We also call on the Board of Trustees to make this an open and accountable process so that their shortlist of potential candidates is published and they present themselves and their proposals for the Trust to members in open events in the coming months.'

At last November's virtual annual meeting, Mr Parker was slammed for describing Black Lives Matter as a 'human rights movement with no party-political affiliations' in a letter to a member. In the UK, BLM has described itself as a 'Marxists' organisation and called for the defunding of the police following the murder of George Floyd in the US last summer.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Parker said 'we are not members of BLM' and added that he hoped Trust members would see 'that in no way the Trust has become a political organisation that has been taken over by a bunch of woke folk or anything of that nature'.

Mr Parker, who took on the role in 2014, said the Trust was 'committed to anti-racism and to creating a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment.'
Health officials are already working with schools on giving jabs to under-16s, Sajid Javid revealed today.

The Health Secretary revealed that preparations are already being made as he said he expects the UK's chief medics to decide on a mass rollout for 12-15 year olds imminently.

Chris Whitty and his counterparts are widely predicted to give the go-ahead for inoculating secondary pupils in the coming days.

Although the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) ruled that the benefits of vaccines were only 'marginally greater' than the known risks for healthy members of the age group, they suggested that wider social gains such as keeping children in education should be considered.

Mr Javid said he will not 'push' the chief medical officers for their conclusion, but added he has asked for schools to start making plans. September 20 has been identified as a potential start date.

Sajid Javid revealed that preparations are already being made as he said he expects the UK's chief medics to decide on a mass rollout for 12-15 year olds imminently

Around one in 14,500 12- to 17-year-olds given two doses of Pfizer's or Moderna's mRNA-based vaccines are thought to develop the rare heart condition myocarditis, according to data from the Centers for Disease Protection and Control (CDC) published last month. However, the proportion of children who are saved from being hospitalised after both doses is higher in all age groups

Chief medic for England Chris Whitty and his UK counterparts are widely expected to give the go-ahead for inoculating all secondary pupils in the coming days

The Cabinet minister told Sky News' Trevor Phillips show: 'We have been looking at that. I'm not in a position to make a final decision on it.

'I have received advice a week or so ago from the JCVI, our committee of experts, their advice was that I should ask the chief medical officers of the UK, the four chief officers in the UK to take a look at not just the health aspects of vaccination, but whether there were any broader reasons that it might be in the welfare of children, and that's what I've done and they need to be given the time to look at this, and I will wait to see what they have to say.'

Mr Javid added: 'I don't think they will be taking that much longer, but in the meantime I have asked the department to work with schools, the school vaccination teams, to start preparing, just in case we have a situation where their advice is to recommend it, and then if the Government accepts that then I just want to be able to go ahead with it.'

Chris Whitty is set to clear the way for 12 to 15 year olds to routinely be given Covid vaccines  but they may only get one dose, it was claimed today.

Both Pfizer and Moderna's jabs have been linked to a very rare heart complication called myocarditis in young adults and children.

Following the JCVI ruling, ministers asked Professor Whitty and chief medics in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to carry out a wider review to weigh up the societal benefits of inoculating children.

SAGE members have suggested giving the youngest children just one dose of the jab because it offers 'high levels of protection' and carries less risk of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart heavily linked to the second vaccine.

Concerns over vaccinating children have centered around the complication, which appears to be mild but can strike up to one in 15,000 teenage boys after their second dose.

Researchers in Israel spotted 2.7 extra cases of myocarditis per 100,000 people who were injected with the Pfizer vaccine, but this shot up to 11 additional cases for every 100,000 individuals who caught Covid. Their study was published in August

Figures from Public Health England show cases in children aged 10 to 19 spiked by 42 per cent in a week from 478.3 per 100,000 to 681.4 in the week ending September 5. This was nearly six times higher than the 114 cases per 100,000 in over-80s  down 1.2 per cent from the week before  and 145.8 in 70- to 79-year-olds  which remained flat

A University of California study last week revealed boys are six times more likely to suffer the side effect after two doses of the vaccine than be hospitalised if they catch the virus.

But they found their risk of experiencing the rare side effect after one dose was so low that it made hospitalisation with the disease more than twice as likely.

British teenagers aged 16 and 17 have been able to get one dose of the Covid vaccine since last month, when the JCVI approved the expansion of the roll-out. Scientists are still yet to decide whether they should also be offered a second dose of the jab because of the myocarditis risk.

Parents will also be asked for consent to inoculate their children once the jabs receive the green light, with forms set to be posted within days of the announcement.
Karl Stefanovic did not pull any punches when he told one of Joe Biden's former top Covid advisors that the US had really 'stuffed things up'.

The Channel Nine star spoke to the President's former senior Covid response advisor, Andy Slavitt, about the pitfalls America has faced since throwing its doors open in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.

He hinted that Australia could be forced to implement a number of vaccine mandates for certain types of workers, including health and government staff.

The candid chat comes as New South Wales plans to allow double-dosed residents more freedoms next month under a vaccine passport system when jab rates eclipse 70 per cent - a move seen as highly controversial.

'You will do better than we did,' Mr Slavitt told 60 Minutes on Sunday.

'You will. It's impossible to do as bad as we have done.'

The slowdown in vaccinations coincided with a new surge in coronavirus infections, chiefly fueled by the highly-contagious Delta variant

The total number of Covid-related death in the US is once again starting to soar

Cases in the US dropped from 304,000 in a single day on January 8 down to below 10,000 in June.

But as the nation's reopening kicked into gear through the Northern Hemisphere summer break, infections have once again started to surge - climbing to more than 170,000 in a single day on September 10.

There are now around 700 people dying from the virus every day across the US, with a total of 660,000 losing their lives to Covid since the pandemic began.

'You really did stuff it up in the US. Hard yards,' Stefanovic said.

'Yeah,' Mr Slavitt admitted. 'You should just keep looking at the US and say if we continue on this course, that's what we could look like.'

'If someone takes a lesson from how we have handled it, I'll feel a little bit better.'

There are fears from some health experts Down Under that the number of cases will skyrocket once the reopening goes ahead.

Andy Slavitt, a high-ranking policy advisor to Presidents Barack Obama (pictured together) and Joe Biden, said Australia could not do a worse job than the US when it comes to reopening from the Covid pandemic

Once America's Covid reopening kicked into gear through the summer break, infections have once again started to surge - climbing to over 170,000 in a single day on September 10. Pictured: Anti-vax protesters are seen at a rally in Pennsylvania

How the US compares to Australia on Covid Australia: Cases: 73,000 Deaths: 1,091 United States: Cases - 41.6 million Deaths - 660,000 Advertisement

NSW is currently seeing around 1,300 cases a day with hospitals and the state's broader healthcare system already struggling to keep up with the influx of patients.

Although President Biden initially said vaccines should not be made mandatory, a view shared by Scott Morrison and the Australian government, the President is now shifting his stance as the Delta variant continues to ravage the nation.

He is pushing for businesses with more than 100 employees to vaccinate their staff, or force them to get weekly tests as a condition of their employment.

Mr Slavitt said it could be in Australia's best interest to follow a similar course.

'There will be certain sectors, certain segments of the population where it will be almost as if there was a mandate.

'Healthcare, the military, government contractors, federal employees.

'And I am quite sure most people will think it's fine.

'Changes are always rough at the beginning but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make them.

'It just means there is going to have to be some tough choices and some tough decisions.

'That is what politicians need to do. They need to make tough decisions and if they can't they should step down and let someone else do the job.'

Although President Biden initially said vaccines should not be made mandatory, the President is now shifting his stance as the Delta variant continues to ravage the nation. Pictured: An anti-vax protester in Ohio

Karl Stefanovic (pictured on 60 Minutes) did not pull any punches when he told one of Joe Biden's top Covid advisors the US had really 'stuffed things up'

But at the moment those 'tough decisions' are being palmed off to Australian businesses as the federal government refuses to take a position on mandatory vaccinations.

'Essentially our government has outsourced the responsibility for mandating vaccination,' employment law expert Ian Neil SC told the program.

'They have entered the field to some degree in aged care, healthcare and some other setting but in general the position has been that it's up to employers to make that call for themselves, to implement it and to run those legal risks for doing so.'

While several companies including Qantas, Virgin, Telstra and canned food processor SPC, have moved to mandate jabs for their staff, for smaller businesses hoping to do the same, they could be entering a 'legal minefield'.

'They intend to introduce mandatory vaccination policies because they are resourced to be able to do so but small businesses don't have those resources,' Mr Neil said.

'Small businesses are entering a legal minefield with very little guidance from above.

'There will be a lot of cases coming before the courts in this area and that's because there is a lack of clarity.'
The latest new layer of security clearance for employees at Miami International Airport includes a 'sniff down' from two dogs who can detect the presence of the coronavirus.

Cobra, a Belgian malinois, and One Betta, a Dutch shepherd, are trained to sniff out the presence of COVID-19 in more than 150 employees.

The trial program could later be expanded to testing passengers before they board flights, the Washington Post reports.

Miami International is the first airport in the U.S. to deploy the keen-nosed canines in the battle against the coronavirus.

The seven-year-old dogs are trained to detect the smell of the virus with protocols developed by the Global Forensic and Justice Center at FlU, known as Florida International University.

Cobra and One Betta's work hours will consist of sniffing face masks of staff going through five of the airport's employee screening checkpoints to smell the presence of the virus in sweat, breath and scents due to changes within one's metabolism caused by COVID-19.

If one of the animals alerts staff to a potentially infected employee, the person will be directed to take a rapid COVID-19 test for confirmation.

PICTURED: One Betta, a Dutch Shepherd, sniffs a mask for the scent of COVID-19 at Miami International Airport

'The big 'aha' for me was not only could the dogs be trained for this work, but that they were so accurate,' Kenneth G. Furton, a provost and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Florida International University, told the Washington Post.

The accuracy of the canines' sense of smell rivals traditional coronavirus tests and even some lab equipment to help combat COVID-19, Furton said.

Backed by decades of science, the dogs can detect the virus with 97.5 percent accuracy, according to a published double-blind study at FIU

One Betta's accuracy rate was 98.1 percent, while Cobra's was an highly-impressive 99.4 percent.

'Everybody, including humans, are wrong at some point. But she's almost never wrong,' Furton said of Cobra.

PICTURED: Cobra, a Belgian Malinois, prepares herself to sniff airport employees' masks for the scent of COVID-19 at Miami International Airport

Furton and his colleagues began to study the role of man's best friend in the fight against the coronavirus last year shortly after the start of the pandemic.

Though Miami is the first US airport to use the ground-breaking method to detect the virus, other countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Finland have been using it since last summer.

With 50 times as many smell receptors as humans, dog can not only detect drugs and explosives but also different diseases such as Parkinson's, blood sugar level changes in people with diabetes and even some different types of cancer.

Cobra was previously served to sniff out disease in plants: she was trained to recognize the scent of laurel wilt, a deadly disease of red bay and other plants in the laurel family including sassafras, pondberry and avocado. The disease is caused by a fungus which is introduced into trees by a non-native insect, the redbay ambrosia beetle.

Though their sense of smell is astonishingly accurate, it can be costly and time-consuming to train dogs to smell the coronavirus, making it a difficult program to scale up.

PICTURED: COVID-19 sniffing canine One-Betta, screens airport workers at an employee checkpoint before they enter the secured area of the Miami International Airport

Dogs must also exceed certain standards and established protocols to be certified for the work.

However, facilities, including airports, will an abundance of choice as any breed can be trained for the task: Cobra and One Betta are purebreds, but other certified dogs in the program are mixed-breed rescue dogs  'pound puppies,' as Furton described them.

Airport scanners can't match the skill of the dogs, whose detections and alerts are spontaneous, according to Furton.

And their presence may also deter people who are willing to lie about a previous exposure, Furton said.

'If you're in line and you do have COVID, you may be less likely to chance it,' he said.

The two-week-old pilot program is first being tested on airport and airline employees but it will start being in busier sections of the airport in a few weeks, depending on the dogs' progress.

Miami International Airport (pictured) COVID-19 detection canines will be used to screen employees at their entry checkpoints in a 30 day pilot study.

Furton expects there will be more dogs at security checkpoints for passengers than during normal times under the pandemic.

Similar to the millimeter-wave scanners, the detection method remains optional; those with phobias or religious and health concerns can refuse.

As of late, Florida has reached a record number of deaths this summer and has kept on being a persistent hot spot amid the increase in new infections brought on by the delta variant.

In the past seven days, on average, Florida has added 338 deaths and 14,276 cases each day, according to Herald calculations of CDC and John Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center data

On Thursday, the state's seven-day average for new single-day cases was 14,276, according to the Center for Disease and Prevention.

Florida only releases its Coronavirus data weekly.

As Florida's worrying caseload increases, it is likely that the dogs won't have any shortage of work to do over the next two months of the pilot program  though Furton disclosed that they're given a hefty reward for their hard work.

'In this case, their favorite toy is a rubber ball, a Kong,' Furton said. 'When they see the Kong getting pulled out, they know it's time to work. And they know if they get this right, they get their playtime.'

A successful trial of Cobra and One Betta could see them deployed to trials at PortMiami and Miami-Dades Government Center in the future.
An FBI agent who has played a key role in the prosecution of more than a dozen 'militia' members who plotted to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been fired from the agency, two months after he was arrested for allegedly beating his wife.

Richard Trask, 39, was involved in the prosecution of a group of far-right 'militia' members, claiming in court documents that they plotted to kidnap the Michigan governor and dump her in a lake over her strict COVID mandates.

But in July, Trask's reputation started to take a nosedive when he was arrested for assault with intent to do great bodily harm after he allegedly beat his wife in their home following a disagreement at a swingers party.

Trask, who was also moonlighting as a personal trainer, has since pleaded not guilty to the assault.

It is unclear whether his superiors at the FBI were aware he had another job.

Then just last week, prosecutors decided to omit his testimony in the case against one alleged militia member after his social media posts came to light, revealing he once referred to former President Donald Trump as a 'douchebag f****** reality tv star.'

By Saturday, federal officials confirmed to The Detroit News he is no longer employed by the bureau.

They would not confirm what the basis of Trask's firing was.

Richard Trask, 39, was fired from his position in the FBI, the Detroit News confirmed. He has worked on cases involving espionage, terrorism and domestic extremism investigations

Trask also owns a gym at his rural Michigan property. It is unclear whether his superiors in the FBI knew of his other job

He was a key figure in efforts to make a case against 14 men who plotted to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer (pictured) in October

Trask was arrested in July after he had attended a swinger's party in Kalamazoo, Michigan with his wife. They argued about it and on their return home had a physical fight, leaving her bloodied and bruised

Trask was arrested on July 18 for allegedly beating his wife, after they attended a swinger's party in Kalamazoo, where they lived.

Trask's wife said that they had several drinks at the party, held at a hotel in Oshtemo Township.

She did not like the party and they argued about it on the way home

The argument allegedly turned physical when Trask climbed on top of her in bed and repeatedly smashed his wife's head against a nightstand, leaving her bloody.

She attempted to grab his beard to free herself, and he began to choke her around the neck and throat, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Detroit News.

She ultimately grabbed Trask's testicles, which ended the altercation, the document notes, and Trask left their Oshtemo Township home in her vehicle.

Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office said Trask's wife had cuts to the right side of her head and 'blood all over chest, clothing arms and hand,' as well as 'severe' bruising to her neck and throat.

Trask, a gym owner who has worked for the FBI since 2011, was tracked down in the parking lot of a supermarket on Main Street in Oshtemo Township, near Kalamazoo.

He is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, less than murder. Trask was released on a $10,000 bail and is prohibited from carrying a firearm.

Trask has worked on cases involving espionage, terrorism and domestic extremism investigations.

Hundreds of people descended on Michigan's Capitol building on April 30 to protest against Whitmer extending a statewide stay-at-home order. Pictured are Joe Morrison (far right), Paul Bellar (second right) and Pete Musico (red checked shirt) - the co founders of Wolverine Watchmen

A confederate flag hangs on the property in Munith, Michigan, where the group trained

The militia training ground in rural Michigan where at least some of the men charged with plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer practiced shooting and blew up homemade explosives

The site is mostly barren aside from a small trailer. It's unclear if anyone lives in it or if was just used by the training camp

Among shooting targets were metal signs that were riddled with bullet holes

Last year, he made headlines for leading the case against a group of militia members, known as the Wolverine Watchmen, who had planned to kidnap Governor Whitmer.

He and other prosecutors claimed in their affidavits that, through a militia group member who became an informant, federal agents became aware that the men were plotting the 'violent overthrow of certain government and law enforcement components' and taking 'violent action' against state governments that they believed were violating the United States Constitution.

Among these plans, was one to kidnap Whitmer in retaliation for her 'uncontrolled power' amid the pandemic.

The group allegedly met for several months to plan out how they would kidnap the governor, including using a boat to flee with her and leaving her in the middle of Lake Michigan, and engaged in tactical training, learning how to make bombs.

By last September, Trask wrote, the plan began to unravel after the FBI informant introduced an undercover agent to the group, posing as an explosives expert.

Trask testified in federal court that 'several members talked about murdering "tyrants" or "taking" a sitting governor.'

'The group decided they needed to increase their numbers and encouraged each other to talk to their neighbors and spread the message.'

Fourteen men with far-right ties have since been arrested in the plot.

Five of the men face a range of charges including kidnapping and weapons of mass destruction conspiracies. They face up to life in prison if convicted.

Another eight people have been charged in state court with crimes related to the kidnapping plot and threats to overthrow the government.

One of the accused, Ty Garbin, 26, has since pleaded guilty to the kidnapping conspiracy. He was recently sentenced to 75 months in prison.

Fourteen men with far-right ties have since been arrested in the plot to kidnap Whitmer, including Michael Null, William Null, Eric Molitor, Shawn Fix, Ty Garbin, Brandon Caserta, Kaleb Franks, Adam Fox, and Daniel Harris

Trask's firing comes one week after prosecutors decided not to use his testimony in one conspirator's trial after several of his social media posts emerged, revealing that he called former President Donald Trump a 'douchebag f****** reality tv star.'

In one March 28, 2020 post, he wrote: 'As someone whose wife works in the hospital, I hope you burn in hell along with your douchebag f****** reality tv star. His ego is going to kill a lot of people and anyone who supports him is a dumbass.

'That is what you get when you elect an egotistical/narcissistic maniac to the top office. He needs people to be nice to him or he won't help.

'F*** you douche.'

Meanwhile, other federal agents involved in the case are being scrutinized for alleged wrongdoing, including FBI Special Agent Jayson Chambers, who owns a cyber intelligence company, Exeintel, which tweeted about the investigation months before it was publicly reported.

It wrote on October 7: 'Don't worry Michigan, I told ya, a lot more coming soon.'

Just a few hours later, Buzzfeed reported, the members of the militia group were arrested.

Then the next day, as the news of the arrests began to spread, it tweeted again: 'I told ya ahead of time, Michigan.'

Chambers and the FBI declined to comment on the matter to Buzzfeed, which first reported on the tweets on August 26, but five defendants who have accused the government of entrapment asked a federal judge last week to subpoena Twitter over the account.

The attorneys said the Twitter data would help determine if 'a government agent is in control of a Twitter account which was tweeting confidential details about the investigation' and whether 'the agent had a financial interest in the outcome of the investigation.'

The filing also argued the development was further evidence that the defendants should be entitled to records from Chambers' cellular phone and those from another FBI agent, as well as a key confidential informant.

Michael Hills - who represents defendant Brandon Caserta, has also alleged that an FBI agent instructed an informant to lie and delete text messages that would reveal that the agency furthered the kidnapping conspiracy, and asked the court to order prosecutors to produce communications between agents and informants.

And in May, state prosecutor Greg Townsend was reassigned from the case after the Michigan Attorney General's Office discovered potential ethics concerns in a murder and arson case he prosecuted in 2000.

A spokesperson for the state attorney general told the Detroit Free Press Townsend was 'reassigned from his docket with the Department of the Attorney General performs a comprehensive audit of his work.'

Five defendants in the kidnapping case appeared in federal court in Grand Rapids last year. Their attorneys are now seeking to delay the trial, claiming they need time to sort through the evidence the prosecution has provided

A trial in the case against the five militia-men is set to begin on October 12, but their lawyers have asked for a 90-day delay to further investigate the FBI agents involved in the case.

They claim they need time to probe the government's use of at least a dozen confidential informants and undercover investigators, and have noted that trial preparation has been marred by voluminous evidence - including two terabytes of information provided by the government in late August.

'The timing and organization of the discovery productions have created significant problems for the defense in preparing for the current trial date,' they wrote in a court filing obtained by the Detroit News last Wednesday.

Among the evidence, they said, is more than 1,000 hours of surveillance and audio recordings - much of which is duplicative, and some of which are missing information.

The defense lawyers hired a court reporter to transcribe about 25 hours of the recordings but it is a slow process.

'It is not likely that the scope of the work, as currently defined can be completed prior to the final pretrial conference on September 23,' they claimed.

And adding to the defense's apparent headache - their military tactics expert quit on August 30, citing pretrial publicity.

'The defense attorneys as a group have been trying to replace this expert, but as of this writing, only have leads, but no commitments.'

The prosecution must respond to the request by Wednesday, and US District Judge Robert Jonker will consider the request on September 17.
The Alaska State Senate has given a lawmaker four months off the legislative floor after she was banned from the only airline traveling to the state capital for refusing to wear her mask properly.

Lora Reinbold, a Republican who represents a suburb of Anchorage, was filmed arguing with Alaska Airlines employees in April. In the video, she took employees' names down and filmed them as they asked her to cover her nose.

On Thursday, she told her colleagues she can't appear in person for floor votes between September 11 and January 15 'because there's no airline other than Alaska Airlines that flies into Juneau during that period that I'm aware of.'

'The political ban is still in place as long as Biden's illegitimate mask mandate is in place on private and public transportation,' she said, according to the New York Times.

Reinbold represents the Anchorage suburb of Eagle River, which is 833 mi by road to the capital of Juneau.

Alaska State Senator Lora Reinbold, 57, has been excused from the legislative floor for four months due to travel difficulties stemming from her ban from Alaska Airlines

On Thursday, she blamed Alaska Airlines for 'undermining our representative republic'

In April, the Republican lawmaker was banned from the airline indefinitely after arguing with staff over mask rules. The incident was caught on video and shared on social media

The Republican-led chamber accepted her request without objection.

Days after the airport incident in April, Reinbold worked around the airline ban by completing a 500-mile, 40-hour trek to the state capital by car and ferry.

On Thursday, she took to Facebook to argue that airlines' mask rules could 'undermine our representative republic.'

'I asked to be excused because Delta last flight out is Sept 11. Sen Steadman & Von Imhoff have asked for longer excusals. To be excused does NOT mean you will not be here, it means the legislative process cannot be inhibited if you are not there,' she said.

Federal Aviation Authority investigations have soared after the COVID-19 pandemic, largely driven by passengers refusing to cooperate with pandemic protocols

'Maybe its time to proceed on moving the legislature to the road system. If the only airline, that has flights during session to Juneau, can unconstitutionally impede a legislators ability to get to the Capital in a safe and timely fashion, it could undermine our representative republic.'

The Federal Aviation Authority has seen a huge increase in in-flight disturbances since the beginning of the pandemic, largely due to passengers refusing to follow COVID-19 protocol.

The agency has initiated 752 investigations so far this year, up from 146 investigation in all of 2019.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that the Transportation Security Administration would be doubling fines to $500 for passengers who refuse to wear masks. Second fines would be $3,000.

In a different incident last year, Reinbold called airline staff 'mask bullies' because of COVID-19 rules. She reportedly apologized by sending a cake that read, 'I'm sorry if I offended you.'

'If you break the rules, be prepared to pay - and by the way, show some respect,' he said.

Reinbold, 57, is from the Anchorage suburb of Eagle River. She's been a member of the Alaska legislature since 2013, when she started as a member of the State House of Representatives.

Video from April shows airline staff telling Reinbold her mask must cover her nose and mouth. In a second video, Reinbold appears to be filming the staff.

Reinbold told Anchorage Daily News that she had been inquiring about a 'mask exemption with uptight employees at the counter.'

'I was reasonable with all Alaska Airlines employees,' she said, adding that she was able to board the flight to Anchorage.

Days after her travel ban in April, Reinbold completed a 40-hour, 500-mile journey by car and ferry from her home district to the Alaska capital of Juneau

'Please thank my husband for giving up his birthday to make a long unexpected trip to Juneau by road/ferry system!' she wrote on Facebook at the time.

The work-around was longer than a flight, and included crossing the Canadian border

She insisted that she had been 'respectful' of the airline's policy, and darkly insinuated that the airline ban was part of a plot to prevent her from voting against the disaster bill.

Last year, she referred to Alaska Airlines staff as 'mask bullies' after being asked by flight attendants to wear a mask aboard a flight, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

After the incident, she reportedly sent a cake to some flight attendants bearing the inscription: 'I'm sorry if I offended you.'

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Alaska Airlines, which has banned over 500 people, says that Reinbold is banned from flying with them 'while the federal mask policy is in place.'

'Federal law requires all guests to wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times during travel, including throughout the flight, during boarding and deplaning, and while traveling through an airport,' the airline said in a statement.

In April, Reinbold completed a 40-hour trek by car and ferry to the state capitol after being banned from Alaska Airlines.

She made it in time to vote against a key bill extending Alaska's pandemic state of emergency.

'Alaska I went to new heights to serve you & have a new appreciation for the marine ferry system. I am keenly aware of the monopoly in air transport to Juneau that needs reviewed!' she wrote on Facebook at the time.

'Please thank my husband for giving up his birthday to make a long unexpected trip to Juneau by road/ferry system!' she added.

Reinbold has been outspoken on her position against mask mandates and has questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

'Why would you get an experimental MRNA "vax" still under EUA emergency use authorization even after you had covid? To oddly virtue signal to encourage others?' she wrote on Facebook in April.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, also a Republican, accused Reinbold of spreading misinformation in a letter in February.

He wrote: 'You have used your position as a member of the Alaska State Senate to publicly misrepresent the State of Alaska's response to a global health crisis.

'You impugned the motivations of unelected and non-political employees working for the State of Alaska with baseless allegations that, on multiple occasions, were demonstrated to you to be false.

'Time and again, when provided the information unequivocally illustrating the blatant inaccuracies in your public statements about the State of Alaska's health responses, you persisted in continuing to betray the public trust with those statements.'
Thousands of businesses are threatening to blow up the national plan to re-open Australia by vowing to ignore new rules favouring the fully-vaccinated.

The rebellion comes as double-jabbed Sydneysiders welcome a new raft of freedoms from Monday, as NSW steams towards the 70 per cent vaccination level.

One private Facebook group, the poorly-spelt Bussinesses United Auatralia, has gathered a staggering 155,400-plus followers since it launched just three weeks ago.

Every single member of the group has promised they are 'pro-choice' and will not discriminate against anyone based on whether or not they are vaccinated.

The group is full of posts from firms, largely in NSW and Victoria, boasting it will be business as normal once lockdown restrictions are relaxed, 'jab or no jab'.

Business big and small have pledged to ignore the post-freedom regulations, like Lisa Ryan (pictured) the owner of Nine Canaries cafe in Albury

Double-jabbed Sydneysiders welcome a new raft of freedoms from Monday, as NSW steams towards the 70 per cent vaccination level (pictured, women exercising in Bronte)

Companies have pledged to flout relaxed lockdown restrictions once the population hits 70 per cent double-dose vaccination, including tradies, hairdressers, shops, restaurants and cafes.

Gladys Berejiklian and Daniel Andrews have both said relaxed restrictions would see only the double-jabbed allowed into venues, with Scott Morrison warning the un-vaccinated would be left behind.

One Sydney hair salon Organic Hair Sydney posted: 'We will welcome all our beautiful clients once we are allowed to reopen.

'There will never be any discrimination. Your medical choices are not for us to know.'

Someone claiming to be the owner of the Boba Tea Shack in Coffs Harbour insists: 'Everyone is welcome to my cafe. We didn't judge anyone before and we don't judge now.'

WHAT 'PICNIC MONDAY' MEANS IN NEW SOUTH WALES New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has eased restrictions for millions stuck in lockdown after the state passed 8 million vaccine doses. From Monday, fully vaccinated residents from the 12 Sydney local government areas of concern can:- Exercise outdoors for an unlimited amount of time, up from one hour.

Enjoy a two hour picnic 'or recreation' with their household

Gather with one other adult if they live alone. The 9pm to 5am curfew and 5km maximum radius rules remain in place for LGAs of concern. Fully-vaccinated people outside the LGAs of concern can now gather in groups of five for a picnic within the same LGA or their 5km radius, with two children under the age of 12 for each adult. Source: NSW Government Advertisement

Some businesses are threatening to blow up the national plan to re-open Australia by vowing to ignore new rules favouring double-dose vaccinations (Pictured, Ellalong Hotel in the Hunter Valley that said it would not be discriminating against unvaccinated customers)

Private social media groups are full of companies pledging to flout the relaxed lockdown restrictions, as seen here

Poll SHOULD UNVACCINATED PEOPLE BE ALLOWED IN PUBS? Yes - it's their choice No - it puts us all at risk SHOULD UNVACCINATED PEOPLE BE ALLOWED IN PUBS? Yes - it's their choice 248 votes

No - it puts us all at risk 117 votes Now share your opinion





The Ellalong Hotel in the Hunter Valley bragged it would even serve Dragons fans as well as the unvaccinated.

'We will as we always have accept all walks of life,' they posted in the private group.

'We don't care if you're vaccinated or not vaccinated, if you are fat, thin, tall or vertically challenged, gay, straight, white, black, hot or downright ugly, or even a Dragons fan.

'We welcome all. United we stand, divided we fall. Save Australia, some things are worth fighting for.'

Countless others have made similar posts in the past three weeks as the country counts down towards the end of lockdown restrictions.

There are also several other different similar groups with similar posts from other businesses.

New South Wales made the first move to relax lockdown restrictions at midnight on Monday when it brought in 'picnic day' freedoms (Pictured, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at Sunday's Covid briefing)

Countless other companies have made similar posts in the past three weeks as the country counts down towards the end of lockdown restrictions (pictured, JWA Cafe on the Central Coast which pledged to serve unvaccinated customers despite lockdown regulations)

A back-up group, Australian Businesses United, with 28,000 members also includes links to a firm offering apparently fake vaccination certificates and passports.

The fakes promise to allow the bearer a free pass potentially anywhere in the world, regardless of their real vaccination status.

Amoretti's restaurant in Abbotsbury in Sydney's Covid-riddled south-west also posted in a separate Facebook group called 'FairBusiness' vowing to ignore jab rules.

'I can't be filtering customers based on their status,' owner Gabriele Moretti told the SMH.

'There are anti-discrimination laws in place that I'd be breaking if I did that.

'It's also bad business, as a business owner you're essentially ripping yourself off. We can't afford to turn customers away after we have lost so much revenue already.'

'[We are] not going to be like other restaurants in the city who are turning people away based on a personal medical decision they've made.

'That is discrimination straight up'.

Sydney made the first move to relax lockdown restrictions at midnight on Monday when it brought in 'picnic day' freedoms, which also relaxed some restrictions for those living in the city's 12 hotspot LGAs.

By Friday, 76.4 per cent of the NSW adult population had at least one vaccine jab, with 43.6 per cent double-dosed (pictured, a queue for vaccines in Sydney's inner west)

Those in the areas of concern can now exercise for an unlimited amount of time, up from one hour, and enjoy two hours of 'recreation' outdoors with their household.

For the rest of locked down NSW, fully-vaccinated people can enjoy a picnic in groups of five within their 5km radius or LGA.

By Friday, 76.4 per cent of the NSW adult population had at least one vaccine jab, with 43.6 per cent double-dosed.

But under the national plan agreed by the federal government and all state and territory governments, the barriers will come down dramatically once the national adult population hits 70 per cent double dose vaccination, and more at 80 per cent.

The relaxed restrictions are intended to only be for those fully-vaccinated, to try to minimise the spread and impact of the disease on hospitals as the nation re-opens.

Companies like those seen here threatening to opening up their clientele to all Australians, vaccinated or not, could throw the plan to re-open Australia into chaos

The vaccine limits the impact of the disease, with vastly reduced chances of being hospitalised or dying.

But even the double-jabbed can catch Covid, even asymptomatically, and can still spread the disease.

Health officials fear that if the unvaccinated are allowed to mix with those double-jabbed, the unvaccinated will be hit hard by the disease, as seen currently in the US, pushing the health system beyond its limits.

The current Doherty Institute modelling for re-opening Australia still requires some public health orders such as mask use and is based on only the double-dose vaccinated being able to enjoy the relaxed restrictions.

Companies opening up their clientele to all Australians, vaccinated or not, threatens to throw the plan into chaos.

Health officials fear that if the unvaccinated are allowed to mix with those double-jabbed, the unvaccinated will be hit hard by the disease (pictured, a shopper checking in at a Manly shop)

The double-jabbed can catch Covid, even asymptomatically, and can still spread the disease. (Pictured, locals at a mass vaccination clinic in Perth)

Another private Facebook group Jobs Without Jabs Australia has been set up to support workers opposing vaccination.

The group says it supports 'freedom of choice without medical coercion. A free Australia for all, not a two tiered society.'

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant last week warned hospitality workers will need to be fully vaccinated to work in the industry once the state re-opens at 70 per cent double-dose vaccination.

Other big businesses have also mandated vaccination for workers, including Virgin Australia, Qantas and Telstra.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant last week warned hospitality workers will need to be fully vaccinated to work in the industry once the state re-opens at 70 per cent double-dose vaccination (pictured, the Services NSW app which will be used to prove vaccination status)

The vaccination drive has been backed by trade unions, but they said an agreement needed be reached after further consultation.

'We encourage all Australians who have access to the vaccine to get it as soon as possible,' said Sally McManus, secretary of Australian Council of Trade Unions.

'Essential workers and frontline health workers are exposing themselves to risk every day and working families continue to suffer job and income loss because of lockdowns.

'Employers that are considering mandates for health and safety reasons must consult workers and their unions.'
New York police have arrested a 37-year old man in connection to a string of Manhattan groping attacks, including one of an 11-year old girl, which were committed over the past month.

The attacks involved a man on a scooter who casually rode up to his victims on his bike before groping their breasts and speeding away.

A source from the New York City Police Department confirmed with the Daily Mail that James White has been arrested in connection to six of the nine incidents.

Detectives from the Manhattan Special Victims Squad caught White on Friday afternoon around 5pm near Grand and Forsyth streets in the Lower East Side.

He was riding a red and black Fly-3 moped identical to the one used by the suspect wanted in the attacks, the source confirmed.

Further details about White were not revealed, but a law enforcement source told the New York Post that he is a yoga instructor.

James White, 37, was arrested in connection to six of nine groping attacks that were committed in Manhattan over the past month. Pictured above is a surveillance photo taken of the attacker after one of his assaults

The attacks that began on August 2, at Sixth Avenue and West 50th Street, and ended on Monday, September 6, in the East Village.

One of the attacks which White has been arrested over was on an 11-year old girl.

Surveillance footage of the attacker shared by NYPD Crime Stoppers and the NYPD Special Victims Unit shows him wearing all black as he rides a black and red moped. Police said the attacks appear to be random.

He was wearing a mask and a hoodie and looking at the women walking around, a law-enforcement source told the New York Post. Its a good thing he was arrested, especially now that school is opening and there will be a lot more young women walking in the area.

The first assault was in Midtown, with another two attacks on the Upper East Side.

Three of the attacks were reported on the Lower East Side, while two took place in the East Village and one in Nolita, police told The Post.

Police did not reveal which six of the nine recorded attacks White had been arrested for.

But a source told DailyMail.com that one of the attacks which White has been arrested over was on an 11-year old girl.

The NYPD Special Victims Unit first opened an investigation on August 6. The scooter rider headed off three victims over the span of an hour and a half on August 26 and two of them were minors, according to the NYPD Public Information Office.

The first, a 15-year-old girl, was attacked at 4.20pm in the area of Hester and Eldridge Streets. Just five minutes later, he harassed a 20-year-old woman in the area of 315 Grand Avenue.

The attacks involved a man on a scooter who casually rode up to his victims on his bike before groping their breasts and speeding away

The man's victims have ranged from 11 to 31, police told the New York Post

Above is a map illustrating the attacks that have been detailed by police. White is being charged in six of the attacks, including the most serious one involving an 11-year old girl, though it is not clear which of the others he allegedly committed

The most depraved groping of the day, committed against an 11-year-old walking in the area of East 6th Street and Avenue A, took place around 5.40 pm, police said.

'These are serious crimes, sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl is a felony,' said Manhattan Special Victims Division Sgt. Ivan Rodriguez to The Post. 'Women should be able to walk the streets of New York without fear of being sexually assaulted.

White is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a minor and six counts of forcible touching, according to court records.

He appeared today in New York Criminal Court.

Crime in the Big Apple has decreased overall in August as compared to the same month last year, according to NYPD statistics

However, certain crimes rose through September 5, including rape, felony assaults and shooting incidents

Sex attacks are up 26.2 percent this year, with 3,278 incidents reported in the year to September 5, compared with 2,597 in the same period last year, according to the most recent NYPD statistics.

Overall crime dropped by 5.4 percent in August and 0.92 percent in the week leading to September 5, as compared to the same period last year.

However, rape was up by 8.5percent in August and 4.5 percent through September 5.

Felony assaults and shooting incidents dropped in August by 3.7 percent and a whopping 30.7 percent, respectively. Through September 5, the same crimes rose by 5.5 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively.

White's arrest followed a violent Labor Day Weekend in New York City where nine people were shot. They included a 21-year-old immigrant cab driver who was caught in the crossfire of a shootout in Harlem in the early hours of Sunday morning and died three days later.

In an unrelated incident, two men were brutally attacked with a glass bottle and a screwdriver while being called homophobic slurs at a Brooklyn bodega early morning on September 4.

The two male victims, aged 36 and 28, were trying to buy food at a store at 1559 Broadway in Bushwick, Brooklyn at 2.10am, according to the NYPD.

They were approached by two unknown men who engaged them in a verbal dispute and made 'anti-gay statements,' according to police.

The men attacked the victims with a glass bottle and a screwdriver before stealing an iPhone and cash and running away on foot.

New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea has called for reform amid the crime surge, arguing that the 'soft on criminals experiment' has been a disaster.

'This city is built on public safety,' Commissioner Shea said during a Monday evening interview with Spectrum News.

'We're probably about two years into this soft-on-criminals 'experiment' if you will, 'let's empty out the jails, and show me a New Yorker that at this point and time thinks this experiment has worked. It's been a disaster.'

Shea said he hopes New York's new governor, Kathy Hochul, will make necessary changes to increase safety across the city.

'Common sense is what we need. Reforms are good, but let's do reforms that are calibrated in such a way with the input of law enforcement,' he argued.

'It's time to fix these laws and get back to where we all need to be.'
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Britain will be hotter than Portugal as Hurricane Larry catapults a 77F (25C) 'subtropical sizzle' to our shores - bringing a second autumn heatwave.

After last week's 86F, fresh heat arrives from the subtropics on Tuesday - as shown on a weather map - sucked north by powerful Larry, now nearing Iceland.

The Met Office forecast 75F on Tuesday with showers, but sunny spells on Wednesday and Thursday nudging 77F shown on forecast models.

Britain will be hotter than the 73F forecast for Faro, on Portugal's Algarve.

And after a spell of rain on a warm Friday, the Met Office forecast continued heat and dry conditions for many at the weekend and next week.

Warmth will cheer millions after drab August school holidays.

Britain will be hotter than Portugal as Hurricane Larry catapults a 600-mile wide 77F 'subtropical sizzle' to our shores - bringing a second autumn heatwave (pictured: A beach in Dorset today)

After last week's 86F, fresh heat arrives from the subtropics on Tuesday - as shown on a weather map - sucked north by powerful Larry, now nearing Iceland

After last week's 86F, fresh heat arrives from the subtropics on Tuesday - as shown on a weather map - sucked north by powerful Larry, now nearing Iceland (pictured: West Bay, Dorset today)

Ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond of weather trending said: 'With Larry's bundle of energy near Iceland, winds from southern latitudes could send the mercury into the mid-20s - just like last week.

'Remarkable warmth was seen last week, and some may welcome another fine spell after a poor August.'

A Met Office forecaster said: 'As ex-Hurricane Larry approaches Iceland, we drag in warmer weather from Tuesday.

'Monday and Tuesday has rain but also bright spells, with many regions dry on Wednesday and Thursday with sunny spells.

'Friday has a spell of rain for many areas - but through the weekend and beyond has a signal for mostly fine and dry weather in the South and East, with temperatures near to above-average.'

Another told MailOnline the above-average temperatures forecast for later this week were primarily due to warm southerly and south westerly winds sweeping across the UK and an area of high pressure coming down from the north.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'Our weather has been so warm recently - and temperatures in the low to mid-20s are still a few degrees above average.'
A Papa Johns Pizza driver fatally shot a lawyer and wounded her husband in their El Paso home in November because he thought they were pro-choice Jewish Satan worshippers, according to investigators.

Joseph Angel Alvarez, 38, was arrested outside his job at a local Papa Johns after a SWAT team took him into custody, law enforcement officials told The Daily Beast.

The arrest was confirmed on Wednesday. Alvarez is being held on a $2.5million bond at El Paso County Jail.

Alvarez is the suspect in the fatal shooting of Georgette Kaufmann, 50, and the wounding of her husband, Daniel L. Kaufmann, 47, in their home in the Manhattan Heights section of El Paso on the night of November 14.

The Kaufmanns are both lawyers who worked for the Texas Attorney Generals Office. Georgette was an assistant attorney general with the offices Child Support Division in El Paso.

Joseph Angel Alvarez (left), 38, was arrested outside his job at a local Papa Johns Pizza in El Paso after a SWAT team took him into custody last week. He was arrested for the murder of Georgette Kaufmann (right)

Alvarez is the suspect in the fatal shooting of Georgette Kaufmann (left), 50, and the wounding of her husband, Daniel L. Kaufmann (right), 47, in their home in the Manhattan Heights section of El Paso on the night of November 14

The home is located on the 3000 block of Copper Avenue near Memorial Park. Alvarez told police that he zeroed in on this specific area because he believed that the park was being used as a ritualistic satanic ground to conduct abortions by manner of magic.

Daniel was an assistant attorney general with the same division from 2010 until 2014. He rejoined the office in 2016 and worked there until 2019.

Court documents obtained by the El Paso Times indicate that Alvarez held extremist religious beliefs. Alvarez is also alleged to have targeted the couple because he thought they voted for Joe Biden in the recent election.

Alvarez is said to have told investigators that he targeted the Kaufmanns home because he believed that he was executing and exterminating the pro-choice Jewish Satan worshippers.

The home is located on the 3000 block of Copper Avenue near Memorial Park.

Alvarez told police that he zeroed in on this specific area because he believed that the park was being used as a ritualistic satanic ground to conduct abortions by manner of magic.

According to the arrest affidavit, Alvarez was convinced that the families who lived in the four houses on the corner of Raynor Street and Copper Avenue near the park were part of a satanic cult.

'The defendant's belief was "to end the Satanic activity" near the crime scene (Memorial Park) and acted out his manifesto by killing and shooting the Kaufmanns and by mentally fabricating the connection he believed the four corner houses on Raynor and Copper to have been involved in "satanic activity," because of their relative geographic location to the park,' a police officer wrote in the affidavit.

According to investigators, Alvarez sent an email to an official US Army address on the night of the killing.

Police said Alvarez claimed in the emails that there were satanic rituals being held in the park. He also is alleged to have written in the emails that he planned on killing the inhabitants of four houses nearby.

In the email, Alvarez demanded that people stop all murder of babies. The emails also make reference to former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

Alvarez is alleged to have taken photos of the couples driveway as well as other nearby homes and sent those pictures to the Army in his email.

According to investigators, Alvarez perpetrated the shootings at around 7:35pm on November 14.

He is alleged to have shot Georgette Kaufmann through a detached garage door as she returned home.

As his wife lay bleeding to death in their garage, Daniel Kaufmann managed to get to a neighbors home and dialed 911. He suffered five gunshot wounds, being struck in the head, shoulder, and on the wrist

Police said that Daniel Kaufmann heard sounds at the door and was shot by Alvarez when he walked to the back door.

As his wife lay bleeding to death in their garage, Daniel Kaufmann managed to get to a neighbors home and dialed 911.

He suffered five gunshot wounds, being struck in the head, shoulder, and on the wrist.

Police later found Daniel Kaufmann wounded at his neighbors home. His wife was pronounced dead at the scene.

Daniel Kaufmann remains hospitalized, though there is no word as to his condition.

Investigators also found a Facebook page said to have belonged to Alvarez. In it, he describes being fired from an airport job after a female co-worker alleged that he was stalking her on his day off from work.

Police said that the woman complained that Alvarez approached her similarly to 'how Georgette Kaufmann was approached and murdered, exiting her vehicle and by the driver side door.'

Investigators said they tracked down Alvarez after obtaining a Google geofence search warrant.

A geofence warrant allows law enforcement to search a database to find all active cell phone users within a particular geofence - or a virtual perimeter - area.

Using records from the night of the shooting, police narrowed down their search and eliminated all possible suspects.

Investigators then discovered data from a device that was registered to a home in the 6200 block of Gila Road, which is just 10 minutes away from the Kaufmanns home.

A police affidavit identified Alvarez as the owner of the cell phone.

The shooting is still under investigation.

Anyone with information may call police at 915-832-4400 or may anonymously call Crime Stoppers of El Paso at 915-566-8477 (TIPS).
Vivek Murthy revealed Sunday that President Joe Biden will announce this week even more steps toward mitigating the coronavirus pandemic as the Surgeon General also defended not requiring vaccinations for air travel.

'There will be more actions that we continue to work on in the days ahead, and especially on the global front, where we will be taking steps,' Murthy told CNN's State of the Union guest host Dana Bash.

'And the president will be making announcements ahead of the U.N. General Assembly about additional measures that we're taking to help vaccinate the world,' the Surgeon General continued.

'So there's a lot that's been done, a lot that we're doing now, a lot more we will continue to do,' he said. 'And this is what we have to do ultimately to tackle the Delta variant.

Murthy did not specify what steps would be announced to further fight the spread.

Joe Biden will announce early this week even more steps towards stopping the spread of COVID-19. Here the president exits church in Wilmington, Delaware on Sunday

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy revealed to CNN on Sunday: 'The president will be making announcements ahead of the U.N. General Assembly about additional measures that we're taking to help vaccinate the world'

Biden's announcement will come before the United Nations General Assembly meetings, which kick off on Tuesday. Here Biden hugs a woman after talking outside St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church in Wilmington, Delaware on Sunday

Murthy defended Biden's efforts to expand vaccination in the U.S., even after backlash following his announcement the federal government would now require companies with 100 or more employees to gain proof of vaccination or else require weekly testing.

The next session of the General Assembly opens Tuesday, meaning Biden's announcement will come before that point. The first day of general debate will be the following week as the session runs through September 21.

Murthy was also defensive of Biden not announcing vaccination requirements on airplanes despite expanding these requirements to U.S. businesses and companies.

'Why not do a mandate there, just like you have done in the expanded new protocols that the president announced last week?' Bash asked.

'Well, look, certainly, that's a reasonable question to ask, but one the things we have to consider with every decision we make is the equity concerns as well,' he explained.

'And we know that, when it comes to mandating vaccines for travel, there are important issues around equity that would have to be worked out to ensure that people, for example, if they had to travel in the case of emergency to see a relative who got sick, would be able to do that, even if they weren't vaccinated,' he said.

'We need to find a safe way for that to happen.'

Republicans were enraged when Biden announced the mandates last week after vowing repeatedly since taking office that he would not require any proof of vaccine at a federal level for Americans.

Murthy was asked on Sunday if they should have imposed this sooner to get more Americans vaccinated as the rates plateaued over the summer  leading to reimplementation of mask mandates in some areas.

On #CNNSOTU w/ @DanaBashCNN, @Surgeon_General says that US officials have concerns about imposing a vaccine mandate for air travel. https://t.co/neuZ145RWz  State of the Union (@CNNSotu) September 12, 2021

He explained that the Delta variant has changed the way the administration is responding to the virus, including by now requiring two-thirds of the U.S. workforce to be vaccinated.

'Well, Dana, I think that the aggressive actions of earlier this week that the president announced are not the only set of aggressive actions that we have taken in the administration,' he deflected. 'We have been working extraordinarily hard to vaccinate people.'

He said that getting one shot to 200 million people has 'saved many lives and many hospitalizations.'

'Now, with Delta, which was a new twist  a twist, if you will, a new curveball, it has required us to take another set of actions,' he said. 'And that's what you heard the president announced.'
Joe Manchin reiterated on Sunday that he will not back a reconciliation bill with a $3.5 trillion price tag as the moderate Democrat continues to snub his party's plan to not pass infrastructure without the progressive reconciliation package.

'No, I could not support 3.5 trillion,' the West Virginia Democratic senator told NBC's Chuck Todd on Meet the Press.

'If I was writing it from scratch, I'd be looking at, first of all, adjusting the tax code,' Manchin continued. 'I've always said that. I said basically the 2017 tax code was weighted unfairly to the wealthy. We need to change that. That's why I agreed to go to reconciliation.'

'But I'm not going to go to a situation or shoot myself in the foot and not be competitive globally. I think the corporations should be paying. There shouldn't be anyone escaping not paying their fair share. I think the IRS should be able to do its job, all of those things,' he added.

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin doubled-down on Sunday saying he won't back his party's $3.5 trillion reconciliation package as progressives say they won't vote through the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill without its passage

WATCH: @Sen_JoeManchin says he will not support the $3.5 trillion plan. pic.twitter.com/tcZW0P8WyF  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 12, 2021

Manchin then doubled-down on that assertion in an interview with CNN's State of the Union on Sunday morning where he said: 'It's not going to be $3.5  I can assure you.'

He did not say what amount he would approve for a reconciliation bill for major welfare and social spending, but floated to CNN host Dana Bash somewhere in the $1-$1.5 trillion range.

Also on Sunday morning he said that if the progressive branch of his party in the House continues to block the passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, it will be up to them to explain to their constituents that they 'don't care about roads and bridges.'

'That's fine,' he said when asked if his colleagues vote down infrastructure because the reconciliation package fails.

'And if they can go home and tell people, 'I don't care about the roads and bridges, you don't need it'... if they play politics with the needs of America, I can tell you, America will recoil,' Manchin said of his colleagues.

The Senate passed a bipartisan version of the infrastructure bill last month with a price tag of $1.2 trillion.

Manchin said his fellow Democrats will have to explain to their constituents they 'don't care about roads and bridges' if they vote down infrastructure

Right after that passed, however, Democrats in the House said they would not pass that version of the bill unless the Senate passed the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package, which includes a slew of provisions bolstering social programs and progressing parts of the Green New Deal.

Manchin, the most moderate Democrat in the Senate, said that he could not support reconciliation as it stands.

If he does not budge, the Congress could be at a deadlock where neither of the massive pieces of legislation will get through.
Millions in New South Wales could be among the first Australians to dust off their passports as plans for a home quarantine pilot for returning travellers takes off.

The state looks set to be the first to reopen its international borders to foreign and returning travellers as the campaign to get to 80 per cent of eligible Australians fully-vaccinated ramps up.

NSW is leading the way in the vaccine rollout with 78 per cent of over-16s having had their first Covid-19 jab while 45.6 per cent are fully-vaccinated.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is also considering a plan to allow international travellers, who must be fully-vaccinated and provide a negative Covid test on arrival, to come to Sydney and quarantine at home for less than the current period of 14 days.

NSW residents could be among the first Australians to pack their bags for a long overdue overseas holiday (pictured, travellers at Sydney domestic airport in June)

The transition to home quarantine is expected to begin once 70 per cent of NSW is fully vaccinated, due to be reached in mid-October.

NSW tourism minister Stuart Ayres is leading calls for 'home-based' and 'shorter' quarantine system.

He described the current 14-day hotel quarantine as not 'fit for purpose' in a vaccinated society.

'It would be a travesty if fear prevented us from capturing one of the biggest tourism opportunities in our history,' Mr Ayres told the Daily Telegraph.

Board of Airlines Representative of Australia executive director Barry Abrams believes many more Australians home could return home under a home quarantine system.

'But it's highly unlikely that it would get people travelling internationally at the sort of scale that we used to operate at, which would allow airlines to run commercially viable flights to and from Australia,' he said.

A home quarantine pilot could soon replace the current hotel quarantine system for returning travellers (pictured a Sydney quarantine hotel)

Covid cases are still trending upwards in New South Wales, but rocketing vaccinations mean the state may be first to open up to international travel

Ms Berejiklian confirmed the state is 'close' to piloting home quarantining for fully-vaccinated residents returning from overseas.

'We look forward to sharing those details soon,' she said.

The Premier looks forward to welcoming home more Australians from overseas by Christmas.

'That is my intention, not only for families to be reunited by increasing entrance through Sydney Airport but I would also hope by that stage that internal borders are gone in Australia,' Ms Berejiklian said.

'I would like to think that by Christmas, not only will we be welcoming home more Australians, thousands every week from overseas to reunite for Christmas, but also that we don't have these internal state borders that we have now.'

The NSW Premier hopes Sydney International Airport (pictured on September 8) will be much busier by Christmas as more Australians are fully-vaccinated

Australian's international borders are set to open once 80 per cent of eligible residents are fully-vaccinated (pictured, a tourist in Spain)

The news comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison requested all states and territories provide an update on their plans for home quarantine.

'Successful pilots, like the one NSW is considering for some cohorts, will be a key contributor to our national movement towards increasing home quarantine,' he said in a letter to Ms Berejiklian.

Aussies have been banned from leaving the country for holidays since March 2020 and anyone returning must pay up to $2,800 for two weeks of hotel quarantine.

Mr Morrison's national reopening plan allows the international border to finally open for the double vaccinated once 80 per cent are fully jabbed.

The milestone is expected to be reached in mid-November.
The Texas Republican Party's official website was hacked Saturday in an apparent attack related to the newly enacted bill banning abortion in the Lone Star State after six weeks.

TexasGOP.org showed several crude messages on Saturday - the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks  mocking the state's Republican Party and going after Texas' new 'Heartbeat Act.'

On the homepage, the hacked version read: 'Texas: Taking Voices from Women to promote theocratic erosion of church/state barriers.'

The original, according to a side-by-side analysis, said: 'Giving Texans a voice to promote conservative philosophy and principles'.

'We are committed to taking away all the rights of women so we can live our prosperous, Bible-thumping dream,' the Texas GOP's mission statement was altered to read in the hacked version of the site.

The hacker  or hackers  embedded a YouTube video on the website with the 1987 song 'Never Gonna Give you up' by Rick Astley. The spamming of that song has become a common trolling act known as 'Rick Rolling.'

Whoever hacked the page also placed an image known as 'Goatse' prominently on the website.

Hackers launched an attack on the Texas Republican Party's official website, replacing images with memes and text with accusations they are 'Taking Voices from Women to promote theocratic erosion of church/state barriers'

The party condemned the move meant as an attack on the passage of 'Heartbeat Act' banning abortion after six weeks

At the bottom of the website, the hackers included a warning reading: 'Disclaimer: Hackers on Steroids are 10 times more effective at romance than 100% of Republicans. Trans demon hackers are coming to get you. Abortion is a choice.'

'Hackers on Steroids' references how Anonymous was described in the media when the hacktivist group emerged more than a decade ago. This indicates the attack may have come from this shadowy group.

The altered version of the homepage of TexasGOP.org also prompted visitors to join 'Operation Jane,' a group launched by the hackers to combat Texas' restriction new abortion law.

The bill was challenged earlier this summer and a court ruled it unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, ruled that the bill barring abortions after a heartbeat is detected, which is around the six week mark, is constitutional  sending pro-abortion activists and progressives into a frenzy.

'Pro-abortion hackers changed our web page for a short time before we took it down,' Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi said in a statement to The Washington Times on Saturday. 'We will be increasing security and appreciate the hackers providing us with a fundraising opportunityfunds we will use to promote even more robust Pro-Life legislation in Texas.'

'It made my day to see the Texas GOP's website hacked today by Anonymous in support of [Planned Parenthood],' Jon Cooper, former finance advisor to Barack Obama, tweeted.

Planned Parenthood is the nation's largest abortion provider.

Prior to being taken offline, the defaced version of the site linked to the donation page for the Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.
Sajid Javid today vowed Christmas will not be cancelled this year as he insisted ministers are not expecting 'any more lockdowns'.

The Health Secretary insisted 'of course' the festive season will go ahead as Boris Johnson prepares to unveil the government's 'winter plan'.

In his big set-piece on Tuesday, Mr Johnson will scrap some of the swingeing powers that the government took to manage the response to the disease.

And he will say that vaccines can be the main defence against a feared surge in cases over the coming months - avoiding the need for drastic restrictions to be reimposed.

A booster jab programme could begin as early as this month, while other measures in the 'toolbox' for tackling outbreaks will include masks.

However, Mr Johnson made similar commitments on Christmas last year. He suggested it would be 'inhuman' to stop friends and family spending time together - before doing just that by imposing tough new lockdown on millions of people after the Kent variant emerged.

Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr show if Britons will 'get Christmas' this year, Mr Javid laughed and said: 'Yes, of course we get Christmas and the New Year.'

He insisted he is 'not anticipating any more lockdowns' although he stressed that governments could take 'anything off the table'. 'I just don't see how we get to another lockdown,' he added.

Sajid Javid (pictured on the Marr Show today) insisted 'of course' the festive season will go ahead as Boris Johnson prepares to unveil the government's 'winter plan'

Mr Johnson (pictured in Downing Street last December) made similar commitments on Christmas last year. He suggested it would be 'inhuman' to stop friends and family spending time together - before doing just that by imposing tough new lockdown on millions of people after the Kent variant emerged

Britain's vaccine drive is continuing to roll forward, taking the total amount of adults fully protected against the virus to just under 43.9million (80.8 per cent)

Double-jabbed travellers 'to be spared PCR tests next month' Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK, the Government is poised to announce. Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal, providing a huge boost for millions of holidaymakers and the beleaguered travel industry. Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain, while the unpopular PCR tests currently required on the second day after arrival will be replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests. The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests. The plan will be discussed this week by Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who form the so-called Covid-O committee. The change would also tackle fears that some PCR firms are profiteering and could provide an incentive for people to be vaccinated, as the new rules would only apply to those who have been double jabbed. Advertisement

As well as the lockdown promise, Mr Javid dramatically ruled out compulsory Covid passports being introduced in England next month after a huge Tory outcry.

The Health Secretary declared that the government 'will not be going ahead' with the controversial move for nightclubs and major events, ahead of Boris Johnson unveiling the government's 'winter plan' on Tuesday.

The U-turn comes after ministers were sent out to defend the proposals last week despite heavy fire from Conservative MPs who branded them 'unsupportable, coercive and discriminatory'.

Responding to briefing about the policy being axed in interviews this morning, Mr Javid only initially told Sky News that he 'hoped we can avoid' the step.

But little more than an hour later he was telling the BBC's Andrew Marr show that although the option is being 'held in reserve', 'we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports'.

Government sources stressed that it is still possible the plans will be revisited if hospitalisations look at risk of running out of control later in the year.

The decision draws another dividing line within the UK, as Nicola Sturgeon has announced that a certification scheme will be launched in Scotland from October 1.

Last week vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi insisted Covid passports were the right thing to do even though he admitted they 'went against everything I believe in'.

But briefing emerged in the Sunday Times about the U-turn.

Firms and venues who are already demanding proof of vaccination will be allowed to continue to do so, but they will not be any legal obligation.

Mr Javid was at first reluctant to give a firm commitment, but then stated that the plan will not go ahead - although the concept will be kept 'in reserve'.

'I've never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers or something to do what is just an everyday activity, but we were right to properly look at it,' he said.

'We've looked at it properly and whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I'm pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.'

The shift poses a challenge for Ms Sturgeon, who again defended her own proposals in interviews this morning.

'I think it is part of a package of measures, it has a part to play,' she told Sky News.

'Of course any measure we take has upsides and it has downsides.

'If we take lockdown for example, very, very effective at halting or sufficiently constraining transmission of the virus but came with enormous costs in terms of the economy and our overall wellbeing as a society, so nothing is straightforward here.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that mandatory Covid passports will not go ahead as he stressed rising vaccination rates

'This is a very limited scheme.'

Speculation has been mounting over what increased measures may be brought in this winter, a high-risk time for coronavirus as other respiratory illnesses.

Mr Johnson hopes to avoid locking down the entire country and will send a message by repealling some of the Government's powers to shut down sections of the economy in England under the Coronavirus Act.

Mr Johnson said: 'Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our road map and life has returned to a sense of normality.

'These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But I'm determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences.

'I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly.'

The powers expected to be repealed include those allowing the closing down of the economy, the imposing of restrictions on events, the power to temporarily close or restrict access to schools, and powers to detain infectious people.

The Government expects the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) to recommend details of a jab booster programme next week.

The focus on vaccination in the Covid winter plan comes after claims ministers were considering a so-called firebreak lockdown in October.

An unnamed member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said a 'precautionary break' could be part of 'contingency plans', the i newspaper reported.

But Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'I don't think that's something we need to consider.'

He said no decisions are 'risk-free' but insisted the 'best defence' against another wave of the virus is the vaccine programme.

Downing Street denied the Government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half-term.

But the spokesman added that they have 'retained contingency plans as part of responsible planning for a range of scenarios'.

They said: 'These kind of measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS.'

There are plans in place to begin giving booster jabs to the most vulnerable as early as this month, as more than 65 per cent of the entire UK population have been fully vaccinated.

The UK's chief medical officers are drawing up advice to Government on whether children aged 12 to 15 should be vaccinated after the JCVI said the margin of benefit from vaccinating healthy children was too small to say they should receive a jab.

The Observer reported that jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds would begin on September 22.

But the UK's medical regulator has reportedly ruled that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine cannot be used for third doses in this way.

This means the majority of third doses given out this autumn and winter are likely to be Pfizer.

This could see the Oxford jab, initially planned to be the workhorse of the UK's vaccination programme, effectively phased out.

The AZ jab is already not offered to under 40s in the UK due to a link with rare blood clots.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Thursday that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs are safe to use as boosters, but the JCVI has yet to give its advice to ministers.

The JCVI has already said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.

On Friday, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he believes the priority should be donating vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.

His views have been echoed by his Oxford colleague Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, who helped design the vaccine and said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone.

Several other countries, including the US, Israel, Hungary, Germany and France, have announced or started third dose programmes for at least some of their citizens.

Meanwhile, it was reported that hundreds of thousands of long Covid patients were waiting up to six months to access clinics specifically set up to tackle the condition.

Department of Health bosses posted 29,547 new cases on Saturday, down 21 per cent on the 37,578 recorded last Saturday.

But the number of people dying within 28 days of a positive test is continuing to increase, with 156 people falling victim to the virus, bringing the total figure past 158,000. The figure was up 30 per cent on the 120 recorded last week.

Fatalities tend to reflect changes in infection levels at least a week after due to the time it takes for people to become seriously ill.

Britain's vaccine drive is continuing to roll forward with 89,832 second doses dished out today. It takes the total amount of adults fully protected against the virus to just under 43.9million (80.8 per cent).

Some 25,019 first doses were also dished out, taking the total number of people to receive at least one jab up to 48.4million (89 per cent)

Elsewhere, it was reported that PCR tests needed prior to travel will be scrapped, with the day two test required when returning from abroad to be replaced by a cheaper lateral flow test.

Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday revealed.

The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests.
Rudy Giuliani mocked Queen Elizabeths English accent, denied hanging out with Prince Andrew and underage women, and called Americas top military officer an idiot and a*****e during a 9/11 commemoration dinner in Manhattan on Saturday.

The former New York City mayor spoke at the Cipriani restaurant on Saturday, appearing at an annual dinner event to commemorate the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Giuliani's comments about Prince Andrew were made on the same day that lawyers for Virginia Giuffre said they served the British royal with legal papers. Giuffre alleges she was sexually assaulted by Prince Andrew - an allegation that he denies.

The rant on Saturday is just the latest bizarre public appearance by Giuliani - a once-beloved mayor who is credited with leading New York City out of the turmoil of the September 11, 2001 attacks but who has spiraled downward in recent years, raising questions about his sobriety and overall well-being.

In February 2002, just months after the September 11 attacks, Giuliani was awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his leadership during the tragedy. During Saturday's dinner, Giuliani tried to mimic the monarch.

'She said, "You did a wonderful job on Sept. 11",' Giuliani said while attempting to imitate a British accent.

'And therefore Im making you an honorary knight, commander of the royal something or other,' he said.

Giuliani then added: 'I turned down a knighthood because if you took a knighthood, you had to lose your citizenship.'

That claim is incorrect, as several Americans have been awarded honorary knighthoods without having to relinquish US citizenship.

Reports from 2001 state also that he had accepted the Queens' honor to become a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his 'outstanding help and support to the bereaved British families in New York.'

At the time, he told reporters that he was 'humbled and gratified' to accept the accolade.

The rant on Saturday sparked concern from viewers, with one posting online: 'Im not sure I have ever seen someone give a speech at a formal occasion as drunk as Rudy Giuliani is right now at the 9/11 dinner.'

Several clips posted to Twitter show Giuliani give a rambling talk at the podium.

The former mayor took aim at Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, whose name Giuliani mispronounces after referring to him as Miley.

Rudy Giuliani mocked Queen Elizabeths English accent, denied hanging out with Prince Andrew, and called Americas top military officer an idiot and a*****e during a 9/11 commemoration dinner in Manhattan on Saturday

The former mayor took aim at Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, whose name Giuliani mispronounces after referring to him as Miley. Hows that guy a general? Giuliani said, slamming Milley and the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it freaking insane

Prince Andrew is seen with then-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in October 2001

In February 2002, just months after the September 11 attacks, Giuliani was awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. During Saturday's dinner, Giuliani tried to mimic the monarch

Im not sure I have ever seen someone give a speech at a formal occasion as drunk as Rudy Giuliani is right now at the 9/11 dinner. pic.twitter.com/54G5oCuBe3  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 12, 2021

Hows that guy a general? Giuliani said, slamming Milley and the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it freaking insane.

The former mayor, who most recently served as former President Donald Trumps personal attorney, lashed out at Milley and the administration for withdrawing from the Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

Giuliani then describes how he would approach Milley if he saw him in person.

'I wanted to grab his stars and shove it down his throat and say, "It's 400 miles from China, a-hole! China is going to be our enemy for the next 40 years! You have an airbase 400 miles from them and you're giving it up? Idiot! Giuliani said.

'What the hell is wrong with you? Who pays you?'

Giuliani added: 'Christ!'

At another point in the speech, Giuliani, unprompted, then began to speak about Prince Andrew.

'I know Prince Andrew is very questionable now,' Giuliani said.

'I never went out with him. Ever!

'Never had a drink with him, never was with a woman or young girl with him.

'Ever, ever, ever.'

Giuliani said that he met Andrew on two separate occasions.

'One time, I met him in my office, and one time when we had the party,' Giuliani said.

Giuliani (seen above with his Knighthood of the British Empire, or KBE, medal in 2002) was the mayor of New York City and heralded for his response the 9/11 attacks. He coordinated the response and organized the support of state and federal authorities for the World Trade Center site, for citywide anti-terrorist measures, and for restoration of infrastructure

Giuliani displays his honorary knighthood as Prince Andrew (left) and his then-partner, Judith Nathan (right), look on in London in February 2002

Giuliani is pictured on September 12, 2001 while serving as mayor of NYC. He was hailed for his response to the crisis. Then-New York Governor George Pataki (left) and then-Senator Hillary Clinton (right) flank Giuliani in the photo above

House before the dinner at Cipriani on Saturday, Giuliani was seenat the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony near Ground Zero

Giuliani's comments about Andrew were made on the same day that the British royal was sued by a woman who claims he assaulted her when she was 17.

Attorneys for Virginia Giuffre say the documents were handed over to a Metropolitan Police officer on duty at the main gates of Andrews home in Windsor Great Park in London at 9:30am on August 27.

The handover of the documents, first reported by the Daily Mail, is important because Andrew would be obliged to respond within 21 days of the summons.

'If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint,' Giuffres lawyers said in the documents.

But Blackfords, a law firm that said they represent Andrew 'in certain UK matters,' have questioned whether the papers were properly served and raised the possibility of challenging the courts jurisdiction in the case, according to a September 6 letter referenced in court documents filed by Giuffres attorneys.

'We reiterate that our client reserves all his rights, including to contest the jurisdiction of the US courts (including on the basis of potentially defective service),' they wrote.

A US judge will ultimately determine whether the papers were properly delivered. Judge Lewis Kaplan of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York will hold the first pretrial conference in the case via teleconference on Monday.

The prince has repeatedly denied the allegations in the lawsuit brought by Giuffre, a longtime accuser of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When the suit was filed last month in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, legal experts suggested it left Andrew with no good options as the second son of Queen Elizabeth II seeks to repair his image and return to public life.

If the prince tries to ignore the lawsuit, he runs the risk that the court could find him in default and order him to pay damages.

Giuliani's comments about Prince Andrew were made on the same day that lawyers for Virginia Giuffre said they served the British royal with legal papers. Giuffre alleges she was sexually assaulted by Prince Andrew - an allegation that he denies. From left: Andrew, Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell, who allegedly procured underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew is seen above during a television interview in Windsor, England on April 11, 2021

And if he decides to fight, Andrew faces years of sordid headlines as the case winds its way through court.

Guiffres attorney, David Boies, said in court documents that it was implausible that Andrew is unaware of the suit.

'Attorneys at Blackfords, who he has apparently instructed to evade and contest service, have confirmed that Prince Andrew himself already has notice of this lawsuit and is evaluating his chances of success,' Boies wrote.

'And even if Blackfords had not confirmed as much, any other conclusion would be implausible - reputable media outlets around the world reported on the filing of plaintiff's complaint, and hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about this lawsuit have been published.'

The lawsuit is another unwanted story for the royals, reminding the public of Andrews links to Epstein two years after his death.

Britains royal family is also still recovering from allegations of racism and insensitivity leveled at them by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, earlier this year.

Giuliani was the mayor of New York City and heralded for his response the 9/11 attacks.

He coordinated the response and organized the support of state and federal authorities for the World Trade Center site, for citywide anti-terrorist measures, and for restoration of infrastructure.

He has since become a controversial figure over his support for Donald Trump's election fraud claims.

Giuliani's Upper East Side apartment was raided by the FBI in April amid a probe into his dealings with the Ukraine, although he is yet to be charged with any crime, and denies all allegations of wrongdoing.

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, Giuliani and former New York Governor George Pataki were reunited with NYPD and FDNY officials for the first time since September 1, 2001.

Milley has been a target of pro-Trump forces since the top general reportedly expressed relief that Biden won last fall's presidential election.

Several books written about the waning days of the Trump presidency reported that Milley feared the outgoing president would attempt a coup in hopes of overturning the election results and staying in power.

Milley has also been criticized for the manner in which US forces pulled out of Afghanistan even while hundreds of American citizens as well as Afghans who helped the US military during the 20-year war remained behind in the country.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden ignored Milley's request to keep a force of 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan for fear that removing them would lead to a Taliban takeover.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (left) warned President Joe Biden that a full withdrawal from Afghanistan wouldn't provide any insurance of stability, while Milley (right) wanted to keep 2,500 U.S. troops there

Hundreds of people run alongside a US Air Force C-17 transport plane, some climbing on the plane, as it moves down a runway of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 16

Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the airport in Kabul on August 16 after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war, as thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee the Taliban's feared hardline brand of Islamist rule

Taliban forces stand guard at a roadside as Afghan women hold placards during a pro-Taliban rally outside the Shaheed Rabbani Education University in Kabul on Saturday

Biden stayed firm with his decision to remove US troops by August 31, the Journal reported, because he believed the US was propping up an Afghan government on life support.

The president viewed the government in Kabul as corrupt and blamed it for wasting billions of dollars of US aid.

He and his advisers had hoped President Ashraf Ghani and the Afghan government would pull itself together once the U.S. laid out an exit date, the Journal said, however some military advisers warned that Ghani wasn't up to the task.

After capturing towns and villages throughout the country in the weeks and months leading up to the withdrawal, the Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, the same day Ghani fled Afghanistan.

Milley had argued that the US should keep a small fighting force in the country. There were about 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan when Biden took over the drawdown from former President Trump.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who previously served as military commander in the region, warned that a full withdrawal wouldn't provide any insurance of stability.

Biden had argued that by reneging on the agreement Trump made with the Taliban, American forces and US allies could be exposed to more violence.

Biden's team was blindsided by the pace in which the Taliban took over Afghanistan and miscalculated the Afghan army's willingness to fight.
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Britain's Covid outbreak shrank today, with cases falling by 21 per cent while the number of deaths also declined.

Department of Health figures show 29,173 daily cases were recorded across the UK today, compared to 37,011 last week - a reduction of more than a fifth - while Covid deaths fell from 68 to 56.

In Scotland, more than 1,000 Covid patients are in hospital and 5,912 new cases were recorded in the past 24 hours. Though the latest figures north of the border show no deaths, the Scottish Government says registry offices are generally closed at weekends.

Meanwhile, six further deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for Covid in Northern Ireland were registered - while another 1,031 positive cases of the virus were also confirmed in the region.

It comes as Health Secretary Sajid Javid dramatically killed off the idea of compulsory Covid passports in England for nightclubs and major events after Conservative MPs branded the proposals 'unsupportable, coercive and discriminatory'.

Responding to briefing about the policy being axed in interviews this morning, Mr Javid only initially told Sky News that he 'hoped we can avoid' the step. But little more than an hour later he was categorical, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr show: 'We will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.'

The decision draws another dividing line within the UK, as Nicola Sturgeon has announced that a certification scheme will be launched in Scotland from October 1.

Meanwhile, holidaymakers are poised for a huge boost as ministers indicated that double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK - potentially in time for the October school half-term.

In his big set-piece on Tuesday, Mr Johnson will also scrap some of the swinging powers that the government took to manage the response to the disease, and all-but rule out further lockdowns to control an anticipated surge over the coming months - after scientists said vaccinations can be an effective first line of defence.

A booster jab programme could begin as early as this month, while other measures in the 'toolbox' for tackling outbreaks will include facemasks.

Britain's Covid outbreak shrank today, with cases falling by 21 per cent while the number of deaths also declined

Double-jabbed travellers 'to be spared PCR tests next month' Double-jabbed travellers will no longer have to take expensive PCR Covid tests when returning to the UK, the Government is poised to announce. Officials are working towards scrapping the requirement for green and amber list countries before the half-term holidays next month, The Mail on Sunday can reveal, providing a huge boost for millions of holidaymakers and the beleaguered travel industry. Travellers will no longer need Covid tests before leaving for Britain, while the unpopular PCR tests currently required on the second day after arrival will be replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests. The move will slash the cost of family holidays by hundreds of pounds. Currently, the PCR test can cost more than 100, while the NHS offers free lateral flow tests. The plan will be discussed this week by Boris Johnson, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove who form the so-called Covid-O committee. The change would also tackle fears that some PCR firms are profiteering and could provide an incentive for people to be vaccinated, as the new rules would only apply to those who have been double jabbed. Advertisement

Asked if Britons will 'get Christmas' this year, Mr Javid said: 'Yes, of course we get Christmas and the New Year.' He insisted he is 'not anticipating any more lockdowns'.

Ministers were sent out to defend the Covid passports proposals last week, with Nadhim Zahawi insisting they were the right thing to do even though he admitted they 'went against everything I believe in'.

But briefing emerged in the Sunday Times about the U-turn. Firms and venues who are already demanding proof of vaccination will be allowed to continue to do so, but they will not be any legal obligation.

Mr Javid was at first reluctant to give a firm commitment, but then stated that the plan will not go ahead - although the concept will be kept 'in reserve'.

The shift poses a challenge for Ms Sturgeon, who again defended her own proposals for Scotland in interviews this morning.

'I think it is part of a package of measures, it has a part to play,' she told Sky News. 'Of course any measure we take has upsides and it has downsides.

'If we take lockdown for example, very, very effective at halting or sufficiently constraining transmission of the virus but came with enormous costs in terms of the economy and our overall wellbeing as a society, so nothing is straightforward here.

'This is a very limited scheme.'

Speculation has been mounting over what increased measures may be brought in this winter, a high-risk time for coronavirus as other respiratory illnesses.

Mr Johnson hopes to avoid locking down the entire country and will send a message by repealling some of the Government's powers to shut down sections of the economy in England under the Coronavirus Act.

Mr Johnson said: 'Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our road map and life has returned to a sense of normality.

'These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But I'm determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences.

'I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly.'

The powers expected to be repealed include those allowing the closing down of the economy, the imposing of restrictions on events, the power to temporarily close or restrict access to schools, and powers to detain infectious people.

The Government expects the independent Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) to recommend details of a jab booster programme next week.

The focus on vaccination in the Covid winter plan comes after claims ministers were considering a so-called firebreak lockdown in October.

An unnamed member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said a 'precautionary break' could be part of 'contingency plans', the i newspaper reported.

But Mr Javid said: 'I don't think that's something we need to consider.' He said no decisions are 'risk-free' but insisted the 'best defence' against another wave of the virus is the vaccine programme.

Downing Street denied the Government is planning a lockdown or firebreak around the October half-term. But the spokesman added that they have 'retained contingency plans as part of responsible planning for a range of scenarios'.

They said: 'These kind of measures would only be reintroduced as a last resort to prevent unsustainable pressure on our NHS.'

Boris Johnson is set to announce the Government's winter Covid plan, with a focus being placed on vaccination as he remains reluctant to impose further lockdowns

Mr Javid (pictured on the Marr show today) vowed Christmas will not be cancelled this year as he insisted ministers are not expecting 'any more lockdowns'

There are plans in place to begin giving booster jabs to the most vulnerable as early as this month, as more than 65 per cent of the entire UK population have been fully vaccinated.

The UK's chief medical officers are drawing up advice to Government on whether children aged 12 to 15 should be vaccinated after the JCVI said the margin of benefit from vaccinating healthy children was too small to say they should receive a jab.

The Observer reported that jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds would begin on September 22.

But the UK's medical regulator has reportedly ruled that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine cannot be used for third doses in this way.

This means the majority of third doses given out this autumn and winter are likely to be Pfizer. This could see the Oxford jab, initially planned to be the workhorse of the UK's vaccination programme, effectively phased out.

The AZ jab is already not offered to under 40s in the UK due to a link with rare blood clots.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said on Thursday that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs are safe to use as boosters, but the JCVI has yet to give its advice to ministers.

The JCVI has already said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.

On Friday, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he believes the priority should be donating vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.

His views have been echoed by his Oxford colleague Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, who helped design the vaccine and said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone.

Several other countries, including the US, Israel, Hungary, Germany and France, have announced or started third dose programmes for at least some of their citizens.

Meanwhile, it was reported that hundreds of thousands of long Covid patients were waiting up to six months to access clinics specifically set up to tackle the condition.
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Hundreds of mourners lined the streets for the funeral of the 'hero' teenager who died after diving into a canal to save the life of his friend.

Logan Folger, 14, raced to his terrified friend's rescue after she found herself in difficulty in the canal near Mill Green in Staveley, Chesterfield, on August 18.

The brave teenager, who got into difficulty after jumping into the water, was pulled out of the water by firefighters and rushed to hospital in a serious condition, but tragically died three days later.

Today, mourners turned out to pay their respects to Logan as his body was carried to Staveley Methodist Church on a Honda Goldwing trike hearse, before his burial at Staveley Cemetery.

Logan Folger, 14, raced to his friend's rescue after she found herself in difficulty in the canal near Mill Green in Staveley, Chesterfield, on August 18

The teenager's coffin was carried into Staveley Methodist Church before his burial at Staveley Cemetery today

Hundreds of mourners lined the streets for the funeral of the teenage boy who was described as 'a hero to his family, to his friends, to this community'

His heartbroken mother Stacey Bentley, penned an emotional tribute to Logan and his sister, who died a few years ago, which she bravely read out at the service.

She said: 'Heaven needed another angel, I guess it wasn't enough to just take one.

'They already took your big sister, now they've taken our son.

'We love and miss you both so dearly, if only we could make you stay - our hearts would be whole again, and all this pain would go away.

'Son, you are our hero, so caring and so kind.

'We are proud of every part of you, we just wish you didn't have to leave us behind.

'Please always remember my precious blue eyed boy - you're my hero, my pride and my joy.'

Reverend Richard Harris described the popular teenager as 'a hero to his family, to his friends, to this community'.

He said: 'In the sadness of this day, the day that we never thought we'd have to face, we nonetheless remember the courage of a brave young man.

'His bravery saved the life of a friend.'

Rev Harris said Logan was 'completely unique, always entertaining, a lovable rogue and always on the go'.

He added: 'People were drawn to him, his warmth, his generosity, his friendship, his infectious smile.

Family and friends attended the funeral of the 14-year-old boy who raced to his terrified friend's rescue after she found herself in difficulty last month

Mourners turned out to pay their respects to Logan as his body was carried through Staveley to Staveley Methodist Church on a Honda Goldwing trike hearse

Logan's mother Stacey Bentley described her son her 'hero, pride and joy' during the funeral service at Staveley Methodist Church. Pictured: Floral tributes left for Logan

Mourners paid their respects to the teenage boy as his body was carried through to Staveley Methodist Church before his burial

An inquest heard that Logan jumped into the water to try and help his friend but got into difficulty himself on August 18

'Logan made everyone smile - that was true right from the beginning.

'He was deeply compassionate, thoughtful, kind, a tremendously good listener.

'Popular, empathetic, respectful and never nasty, Logan had a genuine interest in other people and helped a lot of people.

'Polite and well-mannered, he'd been brought up well - and he brought great joy to his family, friends and the wider community.'

'Logan had a lot more to give - but he'd already been giving throughout his life, and it's important we remember that.

'Tragedy has taken him too soon.

'His life was rich, rewarding, happy, and he has brought so much light, so much that is good, so much laughter and enjoyment - and we can always hold on to those memories and treasure them. He was a hero.'

An inquest heard Logan jumped into the water to try and help his friend last month.

Following his death Derbyshire Police said: 'Our thoughts are with Logans family and friends at this time.

'We do not believe there to be any suspicious circumstances and a file is being prepared for the coroner.'

Opening his inquest, Derbyshire coroner Peter Nieto said: 'The initial circumstances reported by police are that on August 18, Logan was swimming with two friends in the canal at Staveley.

'One of his friends got into difficulty, and Logan and the other friend went to assist but Logan got into difficulty himself.'
Frank Culbertson was 230 miles from the surface of the Earth on September 11, 2001 - the only American astronaut in space as a group of terrorists attacked American institutions.

It was his third trip to space, having also been part of Space Shuttle missions in 1990 and 1993, but this time he was the mission commander of Expedition 3 to the International Space Station, leading two Russian cosmonauts on the voyage.

He and the crew had been in space for 30 days that Tuesday morning on September 11, and it was up to Culbertson to conduct their medical physicals and report the results back to a doctor on the ground.

Culbertson figured he would just report the findings to Dr. Steve Hart, catch up with his friend, and hang up the phone.

But it took a while for Hart to answer, and when he did, Hart told his friend: 'Well Frank, we're not having a very good day here on Earth.'

It was then that he found out that two planes struck the Twin Towers in lower Manhattan, and a third had hit the Pentagon.

As they spoke, news broke that a fourth plane had crashed in Pennsylvania, after passengers overpowered their captors and prevented the terrorists from crashing into the Capitol building.

Culbertson then made his way to a window, and watched as the second tower fell in a cloud of smoke

It was an experience Culbertson, now 72, said he will never forget as he recounted the events of that fateful day in a recent discussion with Rich Cooper, the Space Foundation's vice president of communications and co-host of its Space4U podcast.

Frank L. Culbertson, now 72, was the only American witnessing the events of 9/11 from space

Culbertson and his crew took this image from the ISS showing the smoke and debris from the Twin Towers traveling over southern Manhattan and onto Long Island

The voyage started out as any other, Culbertson told Cooper.

'The 10th was just a regular day,' he said. 'We were preparing to receive a new module, and so we'd been going through the checklist for that and making sure everything was ready on the station for that.

He said they 'went through our normal routines, you know, worked out some experiments and did some communications with the ground.'

The next day, he said, he had to take care of some maintenance, then conduct medical physicals of all the crew, as they did every 30 days.

'I was basically the flight surgeon,' Culbertson noted, 'the commander and the flight surgeon, but my dad was a physician so I think that justified it.'

Culbertson was supposed to call down to the ground on a secure and encrypted line, as the medical information is private, to talk to the doctor on the ground, Dr. Steve Hart.

'And I called the ground and they finally connected me to him and I said "Hey Steve, how's it going?" And you know, [I was] ready to give him the information and catch up.'

But because Hart was a 'good friend,' Culbertson said, he told him: '"Well Frank, we're not having a very good day here on Earth.'

At first Culbertson said he assumed there was an accident or one of his family members was ill. He was not expecting Hart to tell him that two hijacked planes struck the Twin Towers and a third slammed into the Pentagon.

While they were talking, news broke that a fourth plane had crashed in Pennsylvania.

Onboard that plane, United Airlines Flight 93, passengers managed to overpower their captors, preventing it from crashing into the Capitol building.

But even as the news broke, Culbertson said he had trouble processing it.

'The other odd thing was I was halfway through Tom Clancy's The Sum of all Fears on audiobook - fabulous book,' he said. 'I thought am I in a book? Is this a movie? I mean is this real? And just kind of fleeting thoughts, and as he's describing it, and you know, I asked a few questions, I call my crewmates in to where we were talking in the laboratory.

'They needed to hear what was going on,' he said. 'And of course they were very concerned and very serious.

'Russia had been attacked by terrorists several times in the preceding couple of years,' he told Cooper, noting that 94 Russians died in the World Trade Center that day. 'And we had no idea how widespread this attack was going to be, how many countries might be involved.'

Culbertson was trying to report his crew's medical assessment to a doctor on the ground that morning, when the doctor told him planes struck the Twin Towers and another hit the Pentagon

He watched from 230 miles above earth as the second tower collapsed

The three astronauts soon realized they were orbiting over Canada and that New York would soon be visible.

At that point, Culbertson said, he rushed into one of the bedrooms 'and I clearly see the smoke rising out of New York, out over Long Island, over the Atlantic.'

That made it easy to zoom in with his camera, he said, 'and as I zoomed in a big gray blob enveloped southern Manhattan, and it turned out, I found out later, what I was seeing was the second tower come down.

'To me it was just explosions. And again, you're 230 miles above the Earth and traveling at five miles a second, so it's going away pretty quickly, and I stayed focused on it as long as I could.

'I made some comments and said some words about bringing these people to justice and how much it hurt me to see my country under attack.'

But soon the image faded away - only to return 90 minutes later as the ISS completed its orbit around the Earth. The astronauts used that time to set up more video and still cameras.

The second time around, Culbertson said, they saw smoke emanating from the Pentagon.

What they didn't see, though, were most of the planes that usually form a 'spiderweb over the United States.'

There was one plane he saw flying across the country, he said, that he thought at first must be Air Force One trying to fly the president to safety.

He now believes, though, it was an 'airborne command post,' and that other planes that day must have been from the National Airborne Operations Centers.

The next day, Culbertson wrote a letter to his fellow countrymen, that NASA subsequently published.

'It's horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a fantastic vantage point,' he wrote. 'The dichotomy of being on a spacecraft dedicated to improving life on the Earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are.'

He said: It's difficult to describe how it feels to be the only American completely off the planet at a time such as this. The feeling that I should be there with all of you, dealing with this, helping in some way, is overwhelming.

Culbertson described the smoke as a 'a big gray blob enveloping southern Manhattan'

In the days that followed, Culbertson and his crew continued to get sporadic updates from the ground - including one on September 12 that Chic Burlingame, whom Culbertson attended the Naval Academy with, had been the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77, which smashed into the Pentagon.

'We played the drums and bugle corps together,' Culbertson wrote at the time. 'We were both trying to fly the F4 Phantom at the same time, and we'd known each other since 1967. And so it became very personal.'

He responded by playing the Taps bugle call - which signals the end of the day for US military personnel - on a trumpet in a poignant tribute to his friend.

Meanwhile, back on the Earth, many Americans did not know what could come next, so Don Pettit, who was supporting Expedition 3 from the ground, sent him an email about the potential for a ballistic missile attack on the ISS.

'He sent me an email and said: "Hey Frank, I just want you to know I've done the calculations and they actually could hit you with a Scud missile if they got lucky, because they can get to that altitude. It's not guided, but you know, they might get lucky."'

'And I said: "Thanks for that Don. Thanks a lot for that." I gave him grief about that when I got back.'

The expedition ended on December 15, leaving the three astronauts on board to experience a whole new Earth.

'I was prepared for it,' Culbertson told Cooper. 'I mean people have been sending me pictures and descriptions of what happened in the days and weeks afterwards, and what changes had been made in security and with the airports, etc. and how a lot of things just weren't accessible anymore.'

Still, he said: 'We did come back to a different world, as as we reacclimated and you know, had to travel around the country, around the world for post-flight or to do our business or go anywhere, we saw it clearly.

'So for us, it was a big change.'

After receiving the news that his friend Chic Burlingame died in the attacks, Culbertson played Taps as a tribute

Meanwhile on the ground, people in lower Manhattan had to cover their faces to protect against the smoke coming from the Twin Tower collapse

Aman coated with dust and debris from the collapse of the World Trade Center south tower coughed near City Hall

Two decades later, the Taliban has regained control of Afghanistan, after President Joe Biden ordered the swift withdrawal of American troops from the country.

'The events of this past week in Afghanistan remind us how fragile peace can be and how fragile our nation and civilization and constancy can be, if we don't maintain security the way we should,' Culbertson said at the end of the podcast.

'So I'm concerned about where things are going right now, and whether anything else will happen.

'We need to value those freedoms, as well as value our security and pay attention as things change around the world,' he said.

'By the same token, when you accomplish great things together as international partners, it strengthens all the countries involved and sets a good example for how people should behave.'
Stephen Breyer said he isn't planning to spend his whole life on the Supreme Court as progressives continue to pressure him to step down but the justice says he decided he wouldn't retire yet.

'I don't intend to die on the court. I don't think I'll be there forever,' the liberal Supreme Court justice told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace in an interview that aired Sunday morning.

Wallace played a clip of late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who did die while serving, saying that you have to be mindful of the politics of the president who gets to decide your replacement.

Breyer, 83, admitted that it is something to consider that if a Republican president got to choose his replacement, that court could end up undoing everything he did during his career.

'I see the point,' Breyer said. 'There are many considerations. Many, many considerations.'

Progressive Democrats, like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been calling on the Clinton-appointed justice to retire so that President Joe Biden can replace him with a younger, liberal justice.

Liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, told Fox News Sunday that he doesn't 'intend to die on the court', in a hint toward retirement

Progressive are pressuring Breyer to retire so President Joe Biden can appoint his younger, liberal replacement. Biden leaves St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware on Sunday

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer: "I don't intend to die on the Court, I don't think I will be there forever ..." pic.twitter.com/p00qbmVtzI  The Recount (@therecount) September 12, 2021

When asked earlier this month if she thinks Breyer should retire, Ocasio-Cortez said 'I'm inclined to say yes.'

Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota also said: 'He makes his own decision about if he's going to retire. But if he's going to retire, it should be sooner rather than later if you are concerned about the court.'

The party has expressed anxiety that the justice could hold on until 2024, a Republican could potentially become president and then Breyer could end up dying in the next four years and be replaced by a conservative justice.

This happened with late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at 87-years-old while serving in the court in 2020 and was replaced by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Ginsburg did not retire before 2016 and ultimately the court grew in its conservative majority when she was replaced by a pick by Donald Trump just months before he was defeated in his reelection bid.

Despite the slight hint toward retirement on Sunday, Breyer has given no indication of timeline  including whether it would be during Biden's term.

'So, why didn't you retire?' Wallace asked Breyer.

'I didn't retire because, I decided on balance, I wouldn't retire,' he said.

Breyer warned that increasing the size of the Supreme Court risks damaging trust in the court and said progressives packing the bench with like-minded judges would push conservatives to do the same.

'One party could do it, I guess another party could do it,' he stated.

'On the surface, it seems to me that you start changing these things around, and people will lose trust in the Court.'

Breyer is the senior member of its three-judge liberal wing.

'What goes around comes around - and if the Democrats can do it, the Republicans can do it,' Breyer told NPR in an interview Friday while promoting his new book 'The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics'.

Liberals saw their number reduced on the court under President Trump who nominated three conservative justices during his time in office  replacing two conservatives and one liberal.

As a result, progressives are pushing to increase liberal representation and Biden have set up a commission to study potential changes to the court.

Breyer said maintaining public trust was essential to the role of the court. And he cited comments made by former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid after the 2000 presidential election, when the Supreme Court essentially ruled that George W. Bush won the race.

THIS SUNDAY: "It seems to me you start changing all these things around and people will lose trust in the Court." Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer sits down with Chris for a wide-ranging interview, discussing Court packing and much more. Tune in! pic.twitter.com/PyLse6lzEZ  FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 10, 2021

Breyer (seated, second from right) is the senior member of the court's three-judge liberal wing. They saw their numbers decrease from four to three, leading to Biden setting up a commission to examine reforming the Supreme Court

'He said the most remarkable thing about this case is, even though probably half the country didn't like it at all, and it was totally wrong, in his opinion and in mine, people followed it, and they didn't throw brickbats at each other and they didn't have riots,' Breyer said.

The push for reform took on added urgency for liberals last week with the court's 5-4 decision not to block a strict Texas law that bans almost all abortions - without even any exceptions for rape or incest.

Breyer said the unsigned opinion 'was very, very, very wrong - I'll add one more very.'

Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's three liberals in arguing the law should be blocked as legal challenges play out.

The new law allows private citizens to sue anyone who helps a women obtain an abortion, setting a $10,000 penalty to be paid by the defendant if they lose in court.

'We thought that that particular case should not be decided just on an emergency basis but it's a procedural matter and so we'll see what happens in that area when we get a substantive matter in front of us,' said Breyer.

He was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1994.

And last month, it emerged that Biden had resisted pressure from liberals to ask Breyer to step down.

For his part, Breyer gave no hints of when he might retire.

'When exactly I should retire, or will retire, has many complex parts to it. I think I'm aware of most of them, and I am, and will consider them,' he told NPR.
US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie missed his performance at Wireless festival after he was arrested, allegedly over an incident some two years ago.

The musician, real name Julius Dubose, was due to take to the stage at the star-studded Crystal Palace Park festival on Saturday afternoon.

But following his arrest over the weekend, organisers announced the 25-year-old would not be performing as planned and that the set would be rescheduled.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie then shed light on his absence in an Instagram post, which now no longer appears on his account.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (left) then shed light on his absence in an Instagram post (right), which now no longer appears on his account

He told fans: 'Smh sorry to everyone who came out to see me at Wireless, London police locked me up before I went on stage for something I was accused of 2 years ago.

'I'm OK and I'll try my best to make it up to you guys.'

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: 'On Saturday, 11 September, a 25-year-old man was arrested at the Wireless Festival in Crystal Palace Park.

'The arrest was made by Met Police officers at the request of Greater Manchester Police.

'The man was released on bail to attend a Greater Manchester police station at a later date.'

The rapper hit headlines in 2019 when he snagged the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart after selling just 823 albums - posting 83 million on-demand streams.

Industry tracker Billboard, whose chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the United States, said that A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie's album 'Hoodie SZN' climbed to the top with the equivalent of 58,000 sales for the week ending January 10, 2019.

That multi-metric sum includes streams and downloads of individual songs along with sales of the full 20-song album - but according to Billboard, streams powered the ascent, while the sales set a record-low for an album that reached number one.

He is set to release his fourth studio album, A Boogie vs Artist later this year.
A distressed killer whale has been filmed banging her head against a tank at an enclosure after outliving her five babies.

The heart-breaking footage was taken by anti-captivity activists at MarineLand, Niagara Falls earlier this month and shared on social media.

'Anti-captivity activists entered MarineLand and observed Kiska, their last surviving orca bashing her head against the wall. Please watch and share.

'This cruelty must end #FreeKiska,' Phil Demers, a former park employee and self-described 'whistleblower' wrote on Twitter.

The Whale Sanctuary Project, which aims to end whale captivity, has dubbed Kiska as 'the loneliest whale in the world.'

The 44-year-old orca was born off the coast of Iceland and has been in captivity since 1979, according to Demers.

She has spent the last 10 years alone after outliving her tank mates, including her five offspring.

A distressed killer whale has been filmed banging her head against a tank at an enclosure after outliving her five babies

Killer whales are extremely social animals, which in the wild live in groups or 'pods' comprising of several multi-generational families.

'For over 40 years, she has suffered the loss of her freedom, her babies, and all of her tank mates,' The Sun reported the UK-based Orca Rescues Foundation as saying.

'For the past 10, she has been in complete social isolation from others of her kind. This is what her loneliness, and her captivity, has done to her.'

Rob Lott, a campaigner for an end to whale captivity, told iNews that the behaviour Kiska shows in the video is 'a direct, stress-related result of wild-caught Icelandic orca, Kiska being raised in an artificial, concrete environment for the last four decades.

The heart-breaking footage was taken by anti-captivity activists at MarineLand, Niagara Falls earlier this month and shared on social media

'Sadly, this isn't unique and the repetitive, self-inflicted behaviour shown by Kiska has been seen in other captive orcas where years of boredom in barren, featureless tanks with little or no stimulation manifests itself this way.

'Chronic stress can compromise captive orcas' immune systems and physiology causing illness and sometimes death.

'Kiska has been without an orca companion since 2011 and is deprived of every aspect of the social culture she would have experienced in the wild.

'Orcas, and indeed all whales and dolphins, are extremely poor candidates for life in captivity.'

MarineLand did not immediately respond to a MailOnline request for comment.

The plight of orcas in captivity was put under the spotlight by the 2013 documentary Black Fish, which examined events around Tilikum, an orca that was kept by SeaWorld.

The film generated a huge public response, including millions of dollars in losses for SeaWorld, prompting the business to announce it would end its orca breeding programme and phase out live performances using orcas.
Rose McGowan said she is no longer a 'Hollywood democrat,' at a press conference in which she endorsed Republican attorney and talk-show host running for California Governor Larry Elder, just days after accusing current Governor Gavin Newsom's wife of bribing her in order to suppress her rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

'So this woman, I don't know, some blonde lady name with the last name of the Newsom, cold-calls me, and was like, David Boies wants to know what it would take to make you happy,' McGowan said she was asked by California First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom during a 2017 phone call, which she says she abruptly ended by hanging up. Her comments were first reported by The Washington Post.

BREAKING: Actress and activist Rose McGowan says she is no longer a Hollywood Democrat, endorses Larry Elder for California Governor, and calls out the elitist establishment that has been DESTROYING the United States from coast to coast and everywhere in between. #YesOnRecall pic.twitter.com/XZaj0TUCwi  Suburban Black Man  (@goodblackdude) September 12, 2021

Rose McGowan (seen above during an appearance alongside Larry Elder in Los Angeles on Sunday) says California Governor Gavin Newsom's wife 'tried to bribe her' by acting as a go-between for Harvey Weinstein 's lawyer and offering her money so that she would not come forward with sexual assault allegations in 2017

Boies, the Democratic super-lawyer that represented Weinstein, reportedly gave Gov. Newsom a $300 bottle of wine, weeks after leading a campaign against Weinstein's accusers, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

At the press conference on Sunday afternoon, McGowan said that Elder was the 'the better candidate and the better man' and the Democrat Party was like 'a cult.'

The former Hollywood star also criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, citing that race labels were dangerous and 'humanity' should be the focus.

'They want to hear that the more we micro-label each other, the better,'

'The reality is, today, I challenge this state, I challenge these voters, I challenge the media, to back up. Be human first, vote for humanity,' McGowan said.

Elder is seeking to unseat Newsom in Tuesday's recall election, but recent polls show Newsom, a Democrat, comfortably ahead in deep-blue California.

In her speech, which had vague undertones, McGowan went on to say that America was 'a country for the few,' while prompting the audience to challenge their political ideas and 'run free.'

'And then we have the Jennifer Siebel Newsoms of the world. Why? Why do you keep choosing that? Why do you keep electing that?'

'Don't listen to the their buzzwords...'

'They massage your mind. They keep you in fear. They keep you in doubt. 'I kind of suspect on the inside that this is all a lie. But I don't want to be the one who stands up and takes it on the chin.' Well, I'm here to confirm to you, it is a lie,' McGowan said at the press conference without specifying who 'they' were.

McGowan said the Democratic Party was a cult and Elder was 'the better man and the better candidate'

McGowan has said that she no longer is a 'Hollywood democrat,' at a press conference in which she slammed the Black Lives Matter movement and showed support for Republican candidate for California Governor Larry Elder

According to McGowan, California First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom (seen right with Governor Gavin Newsom in San Leandro, California on Wednesday), called her on behalf of David Boies, the attorney representing disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, in 2017

McGowan has been outspoken in her criticism of Democrats since the Weinstein affair broke open. Weinstein was a prominent fundraiser for Democratic politicians.

'I finally came to a point where I am not a Democrat, because everyone who has harassed, stalked, and stolen from me in my time in Hollywood has been a Democrat,' McGowan said on Sunday.

Elder agreed with McGowan's remarks on BLM, saying that the media had censored him for not supporting the movement, even though he is a black man.

He added that he didn't believe in critical race theory, and didn't think systematic racism was real.

'The first time Gallup asked about racism, about whether or not you'd vote for a Black president was 1958,'

'And the percentage who said yes was in the high 30s. Now, only three percent said they would not vote for a Black president.'

Larry Elder, a republican talk-show host running for California Governor, said that he didn't believe in critical race theory and didn't think systematic racism was an issue

Former actress and activist Rose McGowan holds a news conference with Republican conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder at the Luxe Hotel Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles

In 2017, the former Charmed actor said someone close to Weinstein offered her $1million if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement. McGowan says she refused the offer. It is unclear if Newsom's wife was the one who made the offer. Weinstein is pictured above in February 2020

McGowan alleged that Siebel Newsom sent her an email in which she 'inferred that she was a Weinstein rape victim to get into this private group of Weinstein rape victims,' before asking what Boies, Weinstein's attorney, had to do so McGowan wouldn't come forward.

In 2017, the former Charmed actor said someone close to Weinstein offered her $1million if she agreed to sign a non-disclosure agreement. McGowan says she refused the offer. It is unclear if Newsom's wife was the one who made the offer.

She then went public with allegations that in 1997, Weinstein assaulted her during the Sundance Film Festival when she was just 23 years old.

Recently, McGowan told Dave Rubin on his show The Rubin Report that Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, called her in 2017 to try and broker a deal between her and Weinstein attorney David Boies to make the story go away.

Boies is the powerhouse Democratic Party attorney who co-founded the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP alongside Jonathan D. Schiller and Donald Flexner.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom is the sister of Melissa Siebel Schiller, who is married to Joshua Irwin Schiller, the son of Jonathan D. Schiller. Joshua Schiller is also a practicing lawyer with his father's firm.

'This is about six months before the New York Times article on Weinstein that I set up broke,' McGowan told Rubin.

California Governor and #MeToo champion Gavin Newsom (left) accepted a $300 bottle of wine as a gift from Democratic superlawyer hired to represent Harvey Weinstein, David Boies (right), weeks after reports that the lawyer worked to discredit Weinstein's alleged victims

David Boies (pictured right with Harvey Weinstein in 2002) was hired to represent the disgraced Hollywood producer and dig up dirt on the women who accused him of sexual assault

She added: 'And she called me on behalf of a Theranos board member... long-time lawyer of Hillary and Bill Clinton and Weinstein, one David Boies. So this woman... some blonde lady with the last name of Newsom, cold calls me and is like, 'David Boies wants to know what it would take to make you happy.'

'I don't know if it would be fiscal numeration. I don't know. Absolutely nothing would make me happy.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Newsom's office and to Boies Schiller Flexner LLP seeking comment.

McGowan said that she is supporting Elder even though she doesn't agree with him on every issue.

'I used to listen to Larry Elder after I'd drive home from the set,' McGowan said.

'Sometimes I'd even pull over and use a fake name, usually Tracy, to call in. And from him, I learned about the corruption of the teachers union in this state.'

McGowan added: 'Do I agree with him on every issue? No. So what?'

'He is the better candidate. He is the better man.'

McGowan on Thursday posted a video on her Twitter feed blasting Newsom and his wife as 'frauds.'

Jennifer Siebel Newsom is the sister of Melissa Siebel Schiller, who is married to Joshua Irwin Schiller, the son of Jonathan D. Schiller. Joshua Schiller is also a practicing lawyer with his father's firm. Melissa Siebel Schiller (right) and her husband, Joshua Schiller (left), are seen above in New York City in 2007

McGowan correctly noted the family connection between the governor and the law firm run by the attorney representing Weinstein

'I have the receipts. I wish I didn't. I wish you were all real. I wish you really did help, but you don't and you're on the side of wrong,' McGowan said.

'I hope this recall goes through because California does not need you,' McGowan says in the clip. 'The nation does not need you.

'The world does not need you. We do not need you.'

It was reported on Saturday that the governor and #MeToo champion Newsom accepted an expensive bottle of wine from Boies, the lawyer hired to represent Weinstein and dig up dirt on the women who accused him of sexual assault.

Boies, a Democratic superlawyer, gave Newsom the $300 bottle of wine weeks after Boies led a smear campaign against Weinstein's accusers, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Boies helps run prestigious law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which has also hit the headlines this weekend over a raft of staff departures linked to its work with Weinstein, Theranos founder Elizabeth Smart, and claims of nepotism linked to co-founder Jonathan Schiller's two sons.

The firm has denied claims of impropriety.

While others cut ties with Boies because of his work with the disgraced Hollywood producer, Newsom accepted the pricey gift on December 8, 2017, more than a month after reports revealed the lawyer worked to discredit Weinstein's alleged victims.

The gift is set to reignite accusations that Newsom's wife helped Boies try to squash negative stories about Weinstein.

Despite McGowan's allegations, Jennifer herself accused Weinstein of behaving inappropriately with her at a film festival years before the allegations against the 69-year-old came to light.

'I was naive, new to the industry, and didn't know how to deal with his aggressive advances,' she penned in a column for the Huffington Post, which also slammed 'the entire engine of Harvey Weinstein's business and legal machines' for working to silence victims.

Weinstein is pictured in 2016, the year before he was brought down by the #MeToo scandal and faced 11 additional sex crimes while already serving 23 years in New York

Two months later Newsom accepted the bottle of wine.

In April, prosecutors in Marin County, California dropped a domestic violence misdemeanor charge against Joshua Schiller.

On the night of January 14, Joshua Schiller, 40, was arrested for an alleged incident involving him and his wife, Melissa Siebel Schiller.

Siebel Schiller's injuries were described as minor and not requiring medical attention, according to KTVU-TV.

Joshua Schiller took a months-long leave of absence from the law firm after the arrest.

His attorney said at the time that the incident was a misunderstanding.

'We are clearly pleased, though not surprised, by the decision to drop the charge in light of the facts and circumstances,' Joshua Schiller's attorney, Douglas Horngrad, told Law.com.

McGowan referenced the domestic violence allegations against Schiller as one of the reasons she endorsed Elder.

She accused the Democrats of being akin to a 'cult.'

'Cult leaders, which is what these people are - they massage your mind. They keep you in fear, they keep you in doubt.'

Pointing to Elder, she said: 'I believe in this man, because I know his mind.'

Jennifer also championed the #MeToo movement along with her husband, who has claimed to be a dedicated ally.

Newsom called it 'a cultural movement, not a political movement' while campaigning in Sacramento in 2018, though he was at the center of his own sex scandal as mayor of San Francisco.

He admitted to having an affair in February 2007 when he separated from his first wife Kimberly Guilfoyle with his subordinate Ruby Rippey-Tourk, who was also the wife of his chief campaign advisor.

Rippey-Tourk worked as Newsom's appointment secretary. Her husband, Alex Tourk, resigned from Newsom's campaign after he found out about their relationship.

Guilfoyle went on to become a Fox News host, and is now in a relationship with Donald Trump Jr.

Newsom said of the affair in Sacramento: 'I acknowledged it. I apologized for it. I learned an enormous amount from it. We were very open and honest about it... And I am, every day, trying to be a champion and a model.'

A decade after the affair the now-governor is up for recall after the petition to remove him from office following 'laws he endorsed favor foreign nationals, in our country illegally, over that of our own citizens...the highest taxes in the nation, the highest homelessness rates and the lowest quality of life as a result,' according to the petitioners' grievances.

A decade after the affair the now-governor is up for recall after the petition to remove him from office. The recall election ends Tuesday, September 14

David Boies wants to know what it would take to make you happy@rosemcgowan tells me that Gavin Newsoms wife Jennifer called her on behalf of Harvey Weinsteins lawyer six months before the Weinstein scandal broke to make the story go away. pic.twitter.com/IG99Pb6tvl  Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 9, 2021

'He has imposed sanctuary state status and fails to enforce immigration laws. He unilaterally over-ruled the will of the people regarding the death penalty. He seeks to impose additional burdens on our state by the following; removing the protections of Proposition 13, rationing our water use, increasing taxes and restricting parental rights,' it added.

People behind the recall effort have slated Newsom over the Golden State's draconian COVID restrictions, which went on longer than any other US state.

He outraged voters after dining inside at the ultra-exclusive French Laundry restaurant in November 2020, while urging Californians to stay out of restaurants.

And Newsom faced further accusations of being an out-of-touch hypocrite after admitting his kids had returned to in-person lessons at their private school in October 2020, while many Californian public school districts refused to do so.

Newsom has raised $70million for his campaign, and is widely expected to survive the September 14 recall effort.

Elder, who has pledged to take a far more libertarian attitude to governing should he win, is the candidate seen as the most likely to unseat Newsom should the polls prove wrong.
A senior Metropolitan Police detective has been charged with 19 counts of voyeurism over a three-year period.

Detective Inspector Neil Corbel, 40, of the Metropolitan Police's Continuing Policing Improvement Command has been accused of offences in London, Manchester, and Brighton.

Corbel was charged on August 11, and the Metropolitan Police said that he has been suspended from duty.

The Metropolitan Police arrested Detective Inspector Neil Corbel, 40, of their Continuing Policing Improvement Command on suspicion of 19 counts of voyeurism

The offences are alleged to have taken place 'within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court' between January 2017 and February 2020

The offences are alleged to have taken place 'within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court' between January 2017 and February 2020.

Corbel was not on duty at the time of the alleged offences according to the Metropolitan Police.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

Corbel is also facing an investigation by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards.
The prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case is being probed over at least five other sex crimes.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said convicted paedophile and rapist Christian Brueckner, 44, is being investigated over several other attacks, including on a 10-year-old girl, as well as the murder of a teenager in Belgium.

Brueckner is currently being held in a high security prison in Oldenburg, near Bremen in northern Germany.

Investigators believe he abducted and killed three-year-old Madeleine in Portugal in 2007.

In a new book, Wolters said German police felt 'there is good basis' to suspect Brueckner is responsible for a sex attack on a 10-year-old girl.

The attack happened just six miles from Praia da Luz where Madeleine had disappeared one month earlier.

Christian Brueckner (right), the prime suspect in the case of Madeleine McCann(left), is being probed over at least five other sex crimes, a German prosecutor has revealed

'We are investigating Christian B's possible involvement in this,' Wolters told British journalist Jon Clarke for his book My Search for Madeleine.

The lawyer said that Belgian investigators are also looking into Brueckner in relation to the 1996 killing of 16-year-old Carola Titze in De Hana.

Brueckner is also a suspect in the rape case of a 20-year-old woman in Praia de Rocha, Portugal, in 2004.

'We only have Christian B as the suspect,' Wolters said.

Three-year-old Madeleine, known as Maddie, vanished from a holiday apartment in Portugal's Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007. Pictured: Praia da Luz beach [File photo]

In it the book, the German prosecutor said authorities were also considering whether Brueckner could have been involved in the disappearance of five-year-old Inga Gehricke - dubbed the 'German Maddie' - in 2015.

'A Belgian prosecutor had some concrete questions about Carola not long ago. They needed some information about Christian B and we gave it to them,' he said.

The final case Wolters revealed Brueckner was being investigated in relation to was an incident at a children's playground in Messines, 40 miles from Praia de Luz, in 2017.

A man was accused of carrying out a sex act in front of children, according to Wolters, who added: 'We have now picked up the investigation and he is facing several years in prison.'

Brueckner has denied any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance.
American children between the ages of 5 and 11 could be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of October, according to the former head of the Food and Drug Administration.

Scott Gottlieb, who headed the FDA under former President Donald Trump and now sits on the board of directors at Pfizer, says that the emergency use approval process for vaccinating young children could be done in a matter of weeks.

Gottlieb says the pharmaceutical giant is expected to file the paperwork with the federal government requesting authorization to vaccinate kids as early as September.

'In a best-case scenario, given that timeline they've just laid out, you could potentially have a vaccine available to children aged 5 to 11 by Halloween,' Gottlieb told CBSs Face the Nation.

'If everything goes well, the Pfizer data package is in order, and FDA ultimately makes a positive determination, I have confidence in Pfizer in terms of the data that they've collected.

The vaccine has already been granted emergency use approval for children between the ages of 12 and 15.

Children are far less likely to have severe cases of COVID-19. In states reporting pediatric cases, children accounted for fewer than one-quarter of 1 percent of all COVID-19 deaths, according to National Public Radio.

Seven states have reported no child deaths, while other states reported 0-0.03 percent of all COVID cases in children resulting in deaths.

Scott Gottlieb, who headed the FDA under former President Donald Trump, says that the emergency use approval process for vaccinating young children could be done in a matter of weeks

An air traveler takes a COVID-19 test before boarding an El Al flight to Israel at JFK International Airport in New York on August 5

Gottlieb, who sits on the board of directors for Pfizer, says the pharmaceutical giant is expected to file the paperwork with the federal government requesting authorization to vaccinate kids as early as September. Approval could come before Halloween

'But this is really up to the Food and Drug Administration to make an objective determination.'

Who is the Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for? Ages 16 and up - Full FDA approval granted

- Full FDA approval granted Ages 12 - 15 - Emergency use authorization granted

- Emergency use authorization granted Ages 5 - 11 - Pending request for emergency use authorization, could be approved by late next month Advertisement

Pfizer has been conducting trials of its two-dose vaccine in children over the age of two.

Pfizer and BioNTech are soon planning to seek approval for their COVID-19 vaccine in children aged five to 11.

Dr Ozlem Tureci, chief physician for BioNTech, told German news site Der Spiegel that the companies are set to shortly release results from their study in kids under age 12 and will ask for the shot to be approved for emergency use authorization by the FDA and other agencies.

'In the coming weeks, we will present the results of our study on the five-to-11-year- olds worldwide to the authorities and apply for approval of the vaccine for this age group,' Tureci said.

She added that the vaccine formula is the same as that approved for adolescents and adults, but that the dose size is smaller.

Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is only approved for children aged 12 and older in both the US and the European Union.

Parents and doctors have been debating about whether or not to inoculate children because they make up 0.1 percent of all Covid deaths in the U.S.

The US government says that is it essential to vaccinate children to slow the spread of COVID-19 and its contagious Delta variant.

A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows that children accounted for 26.8 percent of new weekly US cases of COVID-19 - an unprecedented number since the start of the pandemic.

As of the week ending on September 2, nearly 252,000 child cases of COVID-19 were reported.

But hospitalization and death rates for children are significantly lower than those for adults.

In recent weeks, 0.41 per 100,000 children ages 0 to 17 Have been hospitalized with COVID.

This is a high, with the previous peak set in mid-January at 0.31 per 100,000, according to an August 13 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health, calls the recent spike in cases among children 'very worrisome. He noted that over 400 US children have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

'After declining in early summer, child cases have increased exponentially, with over 750,000 cases added between August 5 and September 2,' the AAP said.

Gottlieb told Face the Nation that he believes local public school districts will make the COVID-19 vaccine a requirement - as it has done for other shots including inoculation against measles and other infectious diseases.

'I think you're going to see more local school districts and governors make those recommendations,' he said.

'Eventually ACIP (the CDCs Advisory committee on Immunization Practices) is going to make a recommendation about whether this should be included in the childhood immunization schedule.

'My guess is they're waiting for more of the vaccines to be fully licensed to make that kind of a recommendation.

'But I would expect this eventually to be required as part of the childhood immunization schedule.'

When asked what he would say to parents who are hesitant to give their children a vaccine that has only been given emergency use authorization rather than full-fledged FDA approval, Gottlieb said it wasnt a binary decision.

'There's different ways to approach vaccination,' Gottlieb said.

'You could go with one dose for now. You could potentially wait for the lower dose vaccine to be available, and some pediatricians may make that judgment.

'If your child's already had COVID, one dose may be sufficient. You could space the doses out more.'

He added: 'So, there's a lot of discretion that pediatricians can exercise, making largely off-label judgments, but exercising discretion within the context of what an individual child's needs are, their risk is, and what the parents' concerns are.'

Gottlieb also predicted on Sunday that Johnson & Johnson is likely to file a request with the FDA for approval of a booster shot.

'They have very good data also looking at boosters. They've showed a good response,' he said of Johnson & Johnson.

'And I think that vaccine also could be in a position to get authorized by FDA in short order.'

President Joe Biden last week called some Republican governors 'cavalier' for resisting new federal vaccine requirements he hopes will contain the surging Delta variant.

Biden visited Brookland Middle School on Friday, just a short drive from the White House. He was making the case for new federal rules that could impact 100 million Americans.

All employers with more than 100 workers must be vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus, affecting about 80 million Americans.

About 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also must be fully vaccinated.

'I am so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities,' Biden said during the visit.

'This isnt a game'

Republicans and some union officials say hes overreaching his authority.

Asked about potential legal challenges to the new vaccine requirements, Biden responded, 'Have at it.'
Desperate Sydney hospitals could call in firefighters to drive ambulances with coronavirus cases forecast to flood hospitals in the next two months.

The NSW Ambulance Service contacted the Fire and Rescue NSW to check the availability of staff to drive trucks with paramedics needed to treat people suffering from Covid.

The state's fire service have made as many as 150 firefighters available for the scheme, which was used in London during the pandemic.

Sources in NSW Ambulance Service told Daily Mail Australia the idea has been in the works for months with the idea being circulated internally with paramedics, many of whom have recently returned from working abroad.

Desperate hospitals could look to firefighters to drive ambulances in an effort to maximise the capabilities of frontline staff with coronavirus cases set to skyrocket

One of western Sydney's busiest hospitals is already having to move positive Covid patients to other hospitals as the 'outdated' establishment is 'failing'.

Canterbury Hospital has seen five Covid-related deaths since August, with workers telling the Daily Telegraph the hospital couldn't cope with an influx of positive patients and has started moving people to better-equipped facilities.

In a letter obtained by the Daily Telegraph, the Fire Brigade Employees Union were contacted by NSW Ambulance to help drive trucks if hospitals are overwhelmed in the coming weeks.

The state plans to move out of lockdown on October 18 but government modelling predicts cases will to increase well beyond 1,000 new infections a day for at least several more weeks.

'NSW Ambulance have contacted FRNSW to request assistance with contingency planning to potentially support maintenance of service levels during the Covid-19 pandemic period,' the letter reads.

NSW Ambulance Service has contacted the Fire and Rescue NSW to see the availability of staff to drive trucks with paramedics needed to treat people suffering from Covid

'The availability and deployment of FRNSW staff trained in operational emergency response driving may be able to support and assist NSW Ambulance service delivery, should the Covid-19 Delta wave significantly impact the pandemic workforce.

'At this stage we would estimate that up to 150 staff may be required to provide coverage for any worst-case scenario.

'NSW Ambulance protocols will need to be observed for PPE during term of the shift.'

The firefighters, who will largely be needed to drive the ambulances, may also need to treat patients in 'immediately life-threatening situations', with appropriate training to be provided.

Canterbury Hospital has seen five Covid-related deaths since August, with workers telling the Telegraph the hospital couldn't cope with an influx of positive patients

Healthcare workers told the Telegraph the hospital was 'failing' its patients after five people became infected with the virus while being hospitalised with other conditions

The scheme is designed to ensure frontline workers are maximised, using firefighters who drive fire trucks to man ambulances so paramedics can focus on patient care.

The move will 'support timely response to the community, in high demand periods'.

The London Ambulance Service successfully trialled the system during the worst of its Covid outbreaks, with the unit looking to use the scheme full-time.

Meanwhile, workers at Canterbury Hospital are concerned an increase in cases that could see Royal Prince Alfred and Concord hospitals fill could cause huge issues.

Healthcare workers told the Telegraph the hospital was 'failing' its patients after five people got infected with Covid while being hospitalised with other conditions.

Leaked emails show the patients contracted the virus while sharing a ward with a positive case.
An Afghan suspected killer managed to slip into Britain under a false name just weeks after being accused of the gang rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl.

Rasuili Zubaidullah, 22, sparked fears over border security after it emerged yesterday he had crossed the Channel in a boat of refugees and claimed asylum using a fake name.

Despite being wanted in Austria for murder and rape, he was housed in a hotel at British taxpayers' expense for almost a fortnight until his true identity emerged.

It is understood immigration officials were unaware that Zubaidullah was wanted in connection with the brutal attack of a teenager in Vienna three weeks earlier until they received a tip-off from Austrian police.

Zubaidullah was arrested by officers from the National Extradition Unit at an Ibis hotel in Whitechapel, east London, on July 29 and is now facing extradition proceedings.

The alarming case has led to fears about checks on refugees coming to Britain following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.

Rasuili Zubaidullah, 22, is wanted in Austria in connection with the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl known only as Leonie (pictured)

News that a suspected killer and rapist was able to enter Britain on a refugee boat comes at a time when record numbers of migrants are crossing the Channel  with over 14,000 making the journey since the start of the year.

It is understood Zubaidullah provided Border Force officers in Kent with a false name and other fake details when he entered the country on July 18.

He is said to have fled Austria after the body of a missing 13-year-old girl was found propped up by a tree in central Vienna on June 26. The victim, known only by her first name Leonie, had been drugged and gang raped before being suffocated.

Police launched a manhunt for a group of Afghan refugees who boasted of having 'wild sex' after meeting the girl via social media.

The schoolgirl from the city of Wiener Neustadt, had been reported missing by her mother Melanie, aged 40, and father Hannes, 39, three days before her body was found.

She is alleged to have agreed to meet Zubaidullah and his 16-year-old friend in a nightlife district along the Danube Canal on June 25, after making contact on Instagram.

Zubaidullah is said to have fled Austria after Leonie's body was found propped up by a tree in central Vienna on June 26

Later, she went to an apartment in the Vienna district of Donaustadt where she met two other Afghans aged 18 and 23, including a known drug dealer who plied her with ecstasy. According to police, the teenager was gang raped and then asphyxiated before the killers rolled her body in a carpet and dumped it around 100 yards from the apartment.

An international manhunt was launched for Zubaidullah, who detectives initially believed had fled to Italy. It is thought the fugitive hopped on a train at Innsbruck before making his way across the Continent to northern France, where he paid people smugglers for his passage across the Channel. At least two of the men suspected of being involved were facing deportation prior to the murder.

Leonie's mother told local media: 'I am so angry. Why hasn't this person been deported long ago? My little one trusted a 16-year-old who probably took her to the older one in the apartment and that was her death sentence.'

On September 3, Zubaidullah appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court via video link from Wandsworth prison in south-west London to face extradition proceedings. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 1 and faces a full extradition hearing in January.

The case has raised concerns about checks on the identity of Afghan refugees coming into the country. Border Force staff have admitted that a small number of immigrants flying into Heathrow do not have any ID or have provided false papers.

Alp Mehmet, of think-tank Migration Watch UK, said: 'This case is an example of why we are so worried about the potential for loopholes being exploited by criminals and terrorists who may be seeking to come here from Afghanistan.'

Yesterday, a Home Office spokesman said she was unable to comment on an ongoing case.
A school where the principal encouraged students to attend school during lockdown for their mental health is now facing an outbreak numbering at least 30 students and staff.

The Fitzroy Community School in Fitzroy North, Melbourne was identified yesterday by Victorian Deputy Chief Health Officer Dan OBrien after at least 30 students and staff tested positive.

'It looks like the case numbers are at least 30 but its growing from there,' Mr O'Brien said.

At least 30 students and staff tested positive at Fitzroy Community Centre at Fitzroy North, Melbourne

Philip O'Carroll, co-founder of the Fitzroy Community School, speaks to media in Melbourne on Monday

Victoria reported 392 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Sunday, as Melbourne remains in lockdown

The independent, 'alternative' primary school had posted links to numerous articles on its website about the dangers of lockdowns to the mental health of children and the minimal risk of Covid-19 to children.

The Age reported an email it obtained from the principal, Timothy Berryman, sent to parents in early June that encouraged parents to send their children to the school as Victoria remained in lockdown.

'I cannot in good conscience continue to request that you continue to keep your children at home,' the email read.

'Please feel free to send your child to school if you feel that this is best for them or best for your family balance. I do not write this lightly, as this does breach government imposed directives for schools.'

Mr Berryman was later warned that his encouragement to parents was in breach of health directive at the time but in late July, he continued to suggest they send their children to the school.

'I am again offering you all the option of sending your children to school,' he wrote.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews would not commit to a date when students would be able to return to school in the state at Sunday's Covid-19 update

A local who lives near the school said in an online post that the school, as part of the local community, had an obligation to follow health rules 'for themselves and all those around them.'

'Did the school follow DHHS directives for remote learning? Did they have adequate Covid protocols for staff and students? Were symptomatic staff or students present at the school during the last week, and how was this addressed?' asked the community member.

'Bloody disgusting that the school was not following the health directives,' wrote another person on the Vic Exposure Sites Facebook group.

Under the 'Information' section of the school's website, links to articles from around the world which question the effect of lockdowns on the mental health of children had been posted.

On its homepage, the school states that it has its 'own unique style of operation'.

'Our school has a relaxed atmosphere and good outcomes at the same time. Children are keen on learning and keen on coming to school.'

The school was founded in 1976 by Philip O'Carroll and Faye Berryman in their home on Brunswick Street, North Fitzroy, from where it still operates.

It also has a second campus in Normanby Avenue, Thornbury.

Victoria recorded 392 new coronavirus infections on Sunday.

Premier Dan Andrews has yet to set a date when Victorian students might return to school.

He said on Sunday the plan for a return to face-to-face schooling would be released in another week.

It's not clear as yet whether all school years would return to class at the same time, nor what restrictions would be placed on students attending classes.

The decision is reportedly dependent on Burnet Institute modelling, with scenarios drafted by the Victorian Department of Education awaiting Chief Health Officer Brett Suttons approval based on the modelling.

Darcy Wain, 15, receives a Pfizer vaccination at the Royal Exhibition Building Covid-19 Vaccination Hub in Melbourne

From today, children aged between 12 and 15 years will be able to book a Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine.

Bookings will be available through GPs and Commonwealth Vaccination Clinics.

'I would encourage all parents from September 13 to visit the eligibility checker and book your child in for their vaccination, so we can ensure all Australians are protected from COVID-19,' Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's explosive TV interview with Oprah Winfrey lost out at the Emmy Awards on Sunday to a series about Italian food and culture.

Winfrey's two-hour sit-down with Harry and Meghan in March sent shock waves through the British monarchy when Meghan accused Britains royal family of raising concerns about how dark the skin of the couple's first child would be, and said the stress of life as a royal newlywed had pushed her to the brink of suicide.

On July 14, it was confirmed that Oprah's interview with the royals was competing against Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy and My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman in the best hosted nonfiction series category.

Winfrey and her team were nominated for an Emmy - U.S. television's top honor - but were beaten by actor Stanley Tucci's food show.

Tucci's CNN show consists of six episodes, in which he travels around Italy, exploring traditional dishes and unveiling guarded secrets about the land.

The tell-all interview, in which Meghan confessed considering suicide while pregnant with Archie, had been nominated to an Emmi in the best hosted nonfiction series category

Oprah's bombshell interview with the royals lost to Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy

In the CNN show, Tucci travels around Italy, exploring traditional dishes and unveiling guarded secrets about the land

The Duke and duchess, who welcomed their second child Lilibeth on 4 June, did not attend Sunday's low-key ceremony for creative arts, which precedes the main 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards show on September 19.

The interview was the couple's first address to the media after their decision in early 2020 to quit their royal duties and move to California and was watched by more than 49 million people worldwide in the first three days, broadcaster CBS television said.

Harry and Meghan's interview sparkled controversy around the world as the couple laid bare the extent of their rift with the Firm.

In the interview, Prince Harry claimed the royal family had stopped supporting him financially

They accused an unnamed Royal Family member of racism, suggesting the relative had asked 'how dark' their son would be; said they had been driven out of Britain, in part, by racism; and accused the Palace machinery of failing to support a 'suicidal' Meghan.

Harry revealed an astonishing rift with his father, saying his family had cut him off financially while suggesting the Queen had been badly advised and had cancelled a meeting scheduled at Sandringham.

Meghan also accused her sister-in-law Kate of making her cry; suggested senior royals plotted to ensure Archie would never have a title or adequate security; and said officials had failed to stand up for the couple against 'racist' commentary, while lying to protect other royals.

Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah Winfrey sent shock waves around the world as the couple laid bare the extent of their rift with the Firm

The nomination announcement came just after a royal historian claimed Prince Harry is ready to admit he's made mistakes out of 'sheer temper' since quitting as a frontline royal but Meghan is 'sticking to her guns' and Prince William believes he's done nothing wrong.

The Duke of Cambridge, 39, and the Duke of Sussex, 36, have been separated by a rift that began in March 2019 when William reportedly threw Harry and Meghan out of Kensington Palace over the alleged bullying of staff, with the Sussexes breaking up their joint foundation and setting up a new office at Buckingham Palace.

The claims emerged in Robert Lacey's book Battle of Brothers, published before Harry and Meghan went on Oprah to accuse the Royal Family of racism and claim they were abandoned when the Duchess of Sussex was suicidal and six months pregnant.

Speaking to Newsweek Mr Lacey said he believes that Harry is the only one who may be ready to admit mistakes and contrition for his behavior over the past two years - but claims it may not be reciprocated because William and Kate may feel 'vindicated' in having doubts about Harry's relationship.

In the Oprah interview, Harry made reference to his relation with William (pictured together in March 2020) amid reports the brothers had fallen out in the wake of Megxit

He said: 'On one side we've got William who doesn't seem prepared to concede anything and on the other side friends have told me that Harry wouldn't mind reconciling and then it's Meghan who is sticking to her guns on this issue.

'It should surely be possible for both sides to say the past is in the past. It's very regrettable that Meghan doesn't withdraw just a little. Why can't she say it was the pressure? 'I was getting used to this incredibly complicated system, I was just pregnant, I couldn't sleep'....'Perhaps in retrospect I went over the top about it'.'

In the Oprah interview, Harry made reference to his relation with William amid reports the brothers had fallen out in the wake of Megxit.

Prince Harry told the talk show host: 'As I've said before, I love William to bits. He's my brother. We've been through hell together. I mean, we have a shared experience. But we're on different paths.'
North Korea carried out successful long-range cruise missile tests over the weekend, its state media, KCNA, said on Monday.

The cruise missiles, which had been under development for two years according to KCNA, demonstrated an ability to hit targets 932 miles away during flight tests on Saturday and Sunday.

Thought to be the nation's first known testing activity in months, a successful launch of long-range missiles reinforces Kim Jong Un's commitment to expanding his military capabilities amid a stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the United States.

The decision to conduct the tests on Saturday, when the US fell silent to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11, is thought to be a tactic of petty provocation.

The reclusive North has long accused the US and South Korea of a 'hostile policy' toward Pyongyang, but continues to enhance its military arsenal despite its people suffering widespread famine, horrific living conditions and brutal repression.

The missiles flew 930 miles before hitting their targets and falling into the country's territorial waters during the tests held on Saturday and Sunday, the broadcaster said. Pictured left: The missile is fired. Pictured right: The missile in flight. The images have been supplied by Reuters who say the images cannot be independently verified

The cruise missiles, which had been under development for two years according to KCNA, demonstrated an ability to hit targets 932 miles away during flight tests on Saturday and Sunday, threatening Japan, South Korea and Russia

The broadcaster said the North Korean leadership (pictured: Leader Kim Jong Un) believed the missiles would provide 'another effective deterrence' to 'military manoeuvres of hostile forces'

The North hailed its new missiles as a 'strategic weapon of great significance' that meets leader Kim Jong Un's call to strengthen the country's military might, implying that they were being developed with an intent to arm them with nuclear warheads.

KCNA published photos of a projectile being fired from a launcher truck and an apparent missile with wings and tail fins traveling in the air, and reported that the missiles would provide 'another effective deterrence' to 'military manoeuvres of hostile forces'.

According to the KCNA report, the missiles travelled for 126 minutes 'along an oval and pattern-8 flight orbits' above North Korean land and waters before hitting their targets.

Though 'Supreme Leader' Kim did not attend the test launch, KCNA reported that top military official, Pak Jong Chon, observed the test-firings and called for the country's defence scientists to go 'all out to increase' the North's military capabilities.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said North Korean missiles of such range would pose a 'serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and its surrounding areas', while South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military was analysing the North Korean launches based on US and South Korean intelligence to ascertain their actual effectiveness.

The test is likely just one of many more to come after Kim Jong Un doubled down on his pledge to bolster his nuclear deterrent in the face of US sanctions in January.

During a congress of the ruling Workers' Party, he issued a long wish list of new sophisticated assets, including longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines, spy satellites and tactical nuclear weapons.

Kim also said then that his national defence scientists were developing 'intermediate-range cruise missiles with the most powerful warheads in the world.'

It comes days after it was revealed that the US special representative for North Korea will travel to Tokyo next week for talks with South Korean and Japanese counterparts on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and other issues.

Ambassador Sung Kim will also discuss 'the immediate resolution of the abductions issue' during his visit, the department said in a statement on Friday.

Talks between the United States and North Korea have stalled since the collapse of a summit between Trump and Kim in 2019, when the Americans rejected the North's demand for major sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities.

Kim's government has so far rejected the Biden administration's calls for a fresh dialogue, demanding that Washington abandon its 'hostile' policies first.

The latest tests came after Kim threw an unusual parade last week in the capital, Pyongyang, that was a marked departure from past militaristic displays.

North Korea has staged a nighttime military parade, with personnel in orange hazmat suits (pictured), tractors, and fire engines taking centre stage, rather than the usual missiles

The overnight event in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung square on Wednesday marked the 73rd anniversary of the foundation of North Korea

A slim-looking Kim Jong Un (centre) was seen among the unmasked crowds smiling to onlookers and hugging children at the event

The parade showcased anti-virus workers in hazmat suits and civil defence organizations involved in industrial work and rebuilding communities destroyed by floods, instead of the typically provocative militaristic displays.

Experts said the parade was focused on domestic unity as Kim now faces perhaps his toughest test, with North Korea wrestling with US-led economic sanctions over its nuclear weapons and pandemic border closures that are causing further strain on an already broken economy.

A slim-looking Kim Jong Un was seen among the unmasked crowds smiling to onlookers and hugging children at the event, which began at midnight on Wednesday in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung square, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The leader, who almost always wears a Mao suit at official functions, was dressed in a Western-style suit and tie and did not deliver a speech at the event.

On Thursday, Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Worker's Party's newspaper, published photographs of the hazmat-suited members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards, the country's largest civilian defence force.
A motorist dragged to court and threatened with a 250 fine over a 1 unpaid parking ticket has won a five-year David versus Goliath battle to get it overturned.

Artist Linda Edwards, 58, was meeting her mother for dinner in Manchester in May 2016 when she discovered the car park pay and display ticket machine was out of order.

She reported the fault to operators Excel Parking Services and was reassured someone would be along to repair it. But Mrs Edwards was shocked when she returned to find an inspector issuing a 100 parking fine on her Range Rover.

Linda Edwards, 58, has won a five-year battle against a parking company over an unjust fine

Ms Edwards, pictured, reported a defective parking machine in Manchester in 2016

She appealed, sending a 1 cheque to cover her two hours parking, but it was rejected. Mrs Edwards, who refused to pay the fine, was then sent several letters informing her it had increased to 250. In November 2017 she was told it was being passed on to a debt collection company.

Determined not to be bullied, she started keeping all correspondence and began studying the law so she could represent herself in court.

Earlier this year she was told she could settle the dispute for 272  but she fought on.

Last month her perseverance paid off after a judge at Manchester County Court dismissed the fine.

Mrs Edwards, of Saddleworth, near Oldham, said: When it was nearing the court date I was having sleepless nights. At times I was brought to tears over it as they wouldnt let up. But I dont like to be taken advantage of. I kept reminding myself justice has to be done. I wasnt going to be bullied.

No one likes getting a parking ticket but this wasnt even justified in the slightest.

Mrs Edwards, who is married to Jonathan, 56, added: My husband is a lawyer but this isnt his field. I did all the work myself. I bought a big folder and kept all the documents and correspondence. I didnt want to hire anyone as it would have racked up a silly amount.

I hope from this others will have the courage to stand up to these companies. Its just money grabbing the way they are able to exploit people with the threat of debt collectors and court.

A spokesman for Excel Parking Services, which ran the car park in Bury New Road, claimed: There had been a clear breach of the terms and conditions of parking as no pay and display ticket had been purchased.

However... the judge decided the call made by Mrs Edwards to our helpline represented an intention to pay once the machine had been repaired.
Joel Fitzgibbon with daughter Grace

Veteran Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon has announced he will retire from politics at the next election.

The 59-year-old stepped down from the frontbench last year over fears that Labor's ambition on climate change would alienate regional Australians including voters in his coal-mining electorate in Hunter, NSW.

Mr Fitzgibbon even warned the party faced being wiped out if it failed to focus on working people and their economic security - but now he's confident leader Anthony Albanese has moved to the centre ground and can win the next poll.

'I will not be a candidate at the next federal election,' Mr Fitzgibbon told Sunrise on Monday morning.

'It's always a difficult decision, but I'm very comfortable with it. I am very proud of my work over the course of the last 25 years locally, nationally and internationally.'

Labor lost the 2019 federal election after proposing to scrap tax breaks for property investors - but Mr Albanese has ditched the idea and has backed tax cuts.

The Opposition leader has also visited a coalmine and backed coal exports, which bring in billions for the Australian economy.

'I now feel very confident that Labor has come back to the centre ground, has learnt from the mistakes of 2019,' Mr Fitzgibon said.

'If it focuses on the things that are really important to people - they are the health and safety of their families, the economic security of their family and of course the hopes and aspirations of their family - then Labor will do very, very well.'

Mr Fitzgibbon backed Australia's coal export industry again on Monday, telling the ABC: 'We will be feeding those markets in Asia for decades to come with relatively clean and efficient coal which would be displaced by less efficient and dirtier coal if we were to leave that market.'

In May Fitzgibbon warned Labor is in danger of being wiped out as a political force because it has lost touch with its base of blue-collar workers.

Mr Fitzgibbon said Labor needs to appeal to its working-class base. Pictured: Coalminers protest against a campaign to stop the Adani coalmine in Queensland in 2019

The outspoken Labor MP, who has represented the federal division of Hunter since 1996, said the party's loss in the NSW state seat of Upper-Hunter in May was a huge 'wake up call'.

Former NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay admitted the result was 'terrible' before she stepped down.

Labor campaigned on a pro-coal message, even picking a former coalminer as its candidate, but Mr Fitzgibbon believed the party lost its base by 'demonising' resources workers in its fight against climate change over the past few years.

'It's a wake up call to all of us in the Labor Party and indeed the Labor movement,' he told 2GB radio at the time.

'If we're not careful it will go the way of the Kodak brand.'

Mr Fitzgibbon even threatened to retire from politics if Labor doesn't start speaking up more strongly for blue-collar workers.

'I'll be either running as a Labor candidate or not running at all,' he told Sky News.

But now he says he's retired confident the party can hold Hunter with a 'talented local candidate'.

Mr Fitzgibbon, who almost lost his coal-mining seat at the 2019 election, raised fears that resources workers are suspicious of Labor due to its ambitious climate change policies.

'That suspicion is only fuelled by decisions made late or on the eve of the by-election to oppose the gas generator in the Hunter Valley, a $600 million investment, they just shake their heads and say, ''We thought so'',' he said.

Australian Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese (left) speaks to Joel Fitzgibbon in Parliament in 2019

In November Mr Fitzgibbon quit the frontbench, furious that senior left-wingers - whom he branded the 'cheesecloth brigade' - were calling for an 'even more ambitious climate change policy' in the wake of Joe Biden's US election win as federal leader Anthony Albanese attacked Scott Morrison for refusing to adopt a 2050 net zero emissions target.

'The Labor Party has to speak more about jobs and jobs security as it does about climate change,' he said.

'A lot of our base walked away from us some time ago now and it's clear that they haven't returned.

'You won't get them back quickly or easily.'

Labor's struggle in regional Australia is part of a broader challenge faced by left-of-centre parties in western democracies who are battling to hold their traditional working class voter base while appealing to younger, more internationalist supporters who typically live in major cities.

Former UK Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair even warned that left-wing parties face 'extinction' because their 'focus on extreme identity and anti-police politics' had become 'voter-repellent'.

A review of Australian Labor's 2019 federal election campaign found the party had become a 'natural home for diverse interests and concerns including gender equality, the LGBTQI+ community, racial equality and environmentalism'.

But it warned that 'working people experiencing the dislocation caused by new technologies and globalisation could lose faith in Labor if they do not believe the party is responding to their issues.'

Mr Morrison, who is targeting targeting Hunter and other regional Labor seats at the next election due before May, has pushed this argument, accusing Labor of losing touch with blue-collar workers.

'I think they have abandoned them,' he told The Australian newspaper.

Ms McKay admitted that Labor has 'fundamental issues within our party we need to address.'

Her candidate Jeff Drayton said the defeat was a 'a warning to Labor that we can't take any community for granted.

'Labor needs to do some real soul-searching as to how we will win these communities back,' he said.

'It's going to take honest reflection and a lot of hard work.'

Joel Fitzgibbon (left in August) has said he wants Labor to focus on jobs and getting people back to work

Mr Albanese said his party did not have a problem with winning over blue-collar workers and said the results of a state by-election do not reflect federal results.

He pointed that Queensland and Western Australia, the country's major resources states, saw huge swings to Labor in recent state elections. .

The coalition is expected to target the Labor-held seats of Hunter, Paterson and Shortland at the next federal election.

Senator Birmingham said it was far too soon to speculate on how many Hunter Valley seats the coalition could win.

'It's a long way away to start making those sorts of predictions but we will put up a strong fight in those regions,' he said in May.

'They are regions which clearly have large numbers of working Australian families who want to know they've got a government that is with them and backing them.'

But Mr Fitzgibbon warned that Labor's struggle to win blue-collar voters in the regions would play out federally.

'We have been at best whispering. We have tried to walk both sides of the fence on issues like work and on the other side, the environment. They're suspicious and sceptical.

'Federally, if Labor can't persuade not just mine workers but everyone in those regions whose jobs are dependent on mining, that we stand with them, you can expect a similar result whenever Scott Morrison goes to the polls,' he said.

One in three voters were happy to ignore both major parties in the by-election, siding with independents and minor parties instead.

Labor holds Hunter with a three per cent margin.

Before Mr Fitzgibbon held the seat, his father Eric was the MP between 1984 and 1996.

The 59-year-old served as defence minister under Kevin Rudd from 2007 to 2009.
Children are increasingly being groomed or coerced by adults into sexually abusing themselves on camera.

MPs have warned of a 'disturbing' rise in so-called 'self-generated' child sexual abuse material, especially during the pandemic.

In the first six months of 2021, the Internet Watch Foundation recorded a 117 per cent increase in abusive images and videos created using webcams or smartphones.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Media said social media firms must not encrypt messages unless they can keep platforms free of illegal content.

And it says the Home Office must review legislation to ensure it is easier for children to have their online images removed.

Children are increasingly being groomed or coerced by adults into sexually abusing themselves on camera

APPG chairman Labour MP Chris Elmore said firms 'need to get a grip, with institutional re-design, including the introduction of a duty-of-care on the part of companies toward their young users'.

Susie Hargreaves, of the UK Safer Internet Centre, said: 'The Report Remove tool we launched this year with Childline empowers young people to have illegal images of themselves removed.'

Self-generated content can include material filmed using webcams, very often in the child's own room, and then shared online.

In some cases, children are groomed, deceived or extorted into producing and sharing a sexual image or video of themselves.

The APPG's report, Selfie Generation - What's Behind The Rise Of Self-Generated Indecent Images Of Children?, says the trend 'seems to have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis'.

The MPs say many witnesses 'raised very real concerns' about the impact of encryption on child protection, saying it could 'cripple' the ability of programmes to detect illegal imagery.

They write: 'The APPG believes it is completely unacceptable for a company to encrypt a service that has many child users.

'Doing this would do so much damage to child protection. We recommend that technology companies do not encrypt their services until a workable solution can be found that ensures equivalency with the current arrangements for the detection of this imagery.'

Among 10 recommendations, the report says it should be replaced by 'first person produced imagery' to avoid inadvertent victim blaming.
Fraudsters pretending to be banks, delivery firms or the taxman have conned the public out of nearly 130million so far this year  a rise of more than double.

So-called impersonation fraud sees scammers call or text people while pretending to be from a trusted organisation. Victims are then tricked into transferring cash  to protect their bank account from fraud, to pay tax or a fine, or to receive a supposed refund.

Figures released from banking trade body UK Finance reveal that in the first six months of 2021, losses from impersonation fraud have more than doubled to 129.4million compared to the same period last year.

Figures released from UK Finance said cyber criminals have cost consumers almost 130m during the first six months of the year

Even Jim Harra, chief executive of the HMRC has been targeted by text message criminals

Birmingham drama student Emmeline Hartley was scammed out of every penny earlier this year when she received a text asking her to pay a 2.99 postage fee.

After paying the charge, she received a call from a scammer pretending to be from the Barclays fraud unit who told her she had been scammed and convinced her to move her remaining 1,000.

Phones have been bombarded with millions of texts and calls from criminals during the pandemic. Even Jim Harra, chief executive of HMRC, said he had been targeted in a call from someone pretending to be the taxman.

Earlier this year, Money Mail revealed how scammers pump out thousands of text message scams to random numbers using cheap technology available on Chinese websites.

UK Finance also said that one in four people found it hard to say no to requests for information from strangers on the phone.

It added that there were 33,115 impersonation fraud cases in the first six months of this year  more than twice the 14,947 reported over the same period in 2020 when 57.9million was stolen.
Lewis Hamilton has blamed Formula One title rival Max Verstappen for the horrific crash between the fierce competitors at the Italian Grand Prix.

The drivers collided on lap 26 at Monza, with the Red Bull car's wheel landing on Hamilton's head. Thankfully for the seven-time Formula One champion, the protective Halo device on the Mercedes car protected him from serious injury.

The Red Bull car went nose-first into the gravel with both drivers emerging from the carnage unscathed in the latest dramatic twist in an increasingly heated world championship duel.

Verstappen didn't hang around to check on the condition of Hamilton, instead storming off to the pit lane having ranted to his team via radio, with the British driver emerging from the cockpit of his car a few minutes later.

The two drivers both accused the other of being in the wrong after the race, with Hamilton saying Verstappen 'knew what was going to happen, but he still did it.'

Lewis Hamilton was saved from serious injury by the protective Halo device on his Mercedes

The rear end of Max Verstappen's Red Bull came within inches of Hamilton's head after collison

Two drivers took each other out as they tussled for position in latest dramatic twist in title race

Verstappen responded by saying he had 'nowhere to go' and blamed Hamilton for not giving him the room he needed to negotiate the corner.

Hamilton, who remains five points behind Verstappen in the drivers' championship, stressed that the 23-year-old 'just didn't want to give way' and the stewards sided with the Brit too, giving Verstappen a three-place grid penalty for the Russian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

The incident occurred after Hamilton left the pit lane, with Verstappen competing with him for seventh position at the time of the crash.

Verstappen's Red Bull flies over Hamilton's Mercedes after they collided jostling for position

The Red Bull was left nose-first in the gravel trap with the Mercedes wedged underneath

The damage inflicted on Hamilton's car just inches behind his head is visible as he steps out

What is the Halo? The Halo, which has been mandatory for all Formula One cars since the 2018 season, is a protective titanium bar fitted above the driver's cockpit to serve as a safety device. Although it does slightly impact the field of view for drivers, the Halo, which weighs around nine kilograms (20 pounds) can withstand a much greater force. This could come from another car being launched over the top, a collision with barriers or tyres at the side of the track, or from flying debris. In all cases, the head is afforded greater protection. A simulation performed by the governing body FIA, using data from 40 real incidents, found drivers had a 17 per cent better chance of surviving a crash. It almost certainly saved the life of Romain Grosjean at last year's Bahrain Grand Prix. The Haas driver ploughed into the safety barrier at a force of 67G, causing the front half of his car to be wedged into the barrier while the rear half was shorn off. The Halo hit the safety barrier, protecting Grosjean's head, and he was able to escape the car as it was engulfed in flames, suffering only burns on his hands and ankles. A Halo device fitted to a Ferrari F1 car Advertisement

As Hamilton left the pit lane, Verstappen drew up alongside him and they battled for position at the Variante Del Rettifilo chicane.

Dutch driver Verstappen ran wide and the raised kerb launched his Red Bull into the air, with the rear of the machine landing on top of Hamilton's Mercedes, which had been forced off the track.

Verstappen's car also ploughed into the gravel trap at the side of the track, with the back of his Red Bull left resting on Hamilton's car.

'I'm a little bit stiff and sore on my neck because it landed on my head, but Ill be ok,' Hamilton told Sky Sports.

'Just from what I remember, I was racing as fast as I could, I was in the lead time wise, they fitted me, the pitstop was slow and I lost a couple of seconds. I came out, I saw Max was coming, I left a cars width, was ahead going into turn one, ahead in turn two, then hes on top of me.

'He just didnt want to give way today. He knew going into turn two what was going to happen, going over the kerb, but he still did it. We will talk to the stewards but I dont know what to say. Im sure we will talk when we get to the stewards.'

Verstappen stated that Hamilton 'kept on squeezing' him and said that there was little he could do when the British driver was 'not willing to to work' to make the corner.

The Briton was almost certainly saved from serious injury by the Halo safety device, a titanium bar placed above the driver's head that has been mandatory in Formula One since 2018.

Replays showed Verstappen's car bouncing off the Halo with Hamilton unable to do little else than duck out the way as the Red Bull's wheels and rear chassis flew before his eyes.

Hamilton took to Twitter on Sunday night to reveal he had a headache after the incident and he had a soreness in his neck. A statement read: 'It's days like today I am reminded of how lucky I am. It takes a millisecond to go from racing to a very scary situation. Today someone must have been looking down, watching over me!

'My necks (sic) a bit sore as the adrenaline wears off - it was a bit of a hit on the head, so naturally I have one big headache but I'm doing okay! The halo stopped the crash from being a lot worse and I'm incredibly grateful to all those that work to make our cars and racing safer.

'#TeamLH... the support I receive from you keeps me pushing and fighting. I'm so thankful for each and everyone of you, you are truly the best. Still we rise!'

The pair also collided at Silverstone at the British Grand Prix in July.

Verstappen said: 'We realise it was going to be close into turn one, we cut across and I had to go onto the green part. He realised I was going for it, he kept on squeezing me, I wanted to race.

The pair jostled for position on the chicane after Hamilton had just emerged from the pit lane

Drivers refused to give an inch with Verstappen forced wide to mount 'sausage ramp' on curve

Verstappen criticised Hamilton for not giving him enough room before storming off on Sunday

'You automatically talk about Silverstone these things happen and we are all professional to get on with it. I didnt expect him to keep on squeezing, if hed given me a car width we would have raced out of turn two. Then there was nowhere to go, he pushed me onto the sausage kerb, we touched. He kept on squeezing as I was alongside him.

'You need two people to work together to make the corner, we were fighting for position and unfortunately we touched. If one guy is not willing to work, what can you do? Its not going to happen.

'It is very unfortunate what happened today, nobody likes to see that but we are professional enough to step over and keep going.'

Daniel Ricciardo won the Italian Grand Prix ahead of his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, with Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes in third.

Hamilton emerged unscathed from his Mercedes a few minutes later at the Italian Grand Prix

Hamilton took a moment to inspect the respective damage suffered by the two cars

The two wrecked cars came to rest in a haze of smoke and dust from the gravel
Emma Raducanu's domination of the US Open came under threat of coming unstuck in the final moments, as she needed a medical time-out after two match points.

Leylah Fernandez was bravely weathering the storm as Raducanu stood only a swing from victory before the British teen grazed her knee sliding for the ball.

With blood dripping down her leg Raducanuneeded a medical time-out, as Fernandez complained in a heated debate with the umpire that the stoppage had wrecked the momentum she'd just begun building.

Emma Raducanu needed a medical time-out just minutes before winning the US Open

The Brit got patched up, wrestled back control and stormed to glory at just 18-years-old

Fernandez was fuming after her momentum was disrupted, rowing with the umpire on court

Raducanu took a breath and waited to be patched-up as the tension rose with every passing second inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Brit was on the brink of history and had to find her composure.

The 18-year-old simply stepped back onto court and started powering big shots back at Fernandez, beating her year-older rival into defeat as she completed an astonishing three weeks.

Raducanu didn't lost a single set in her route to the final, including three qualifying matches, and ended Britain's 44-year wait for a female Slam champion in that moment.

'I fell somehow and I thought that would throw my self off balance because I was going to have to serve,' Raducanu said, explaining the late drama.

Raducanu kept her cool despite the late disruption and completer her stunning rise to stardom

'I was just praying not for a double fault. We got through it and just staying in the moment and focusing on the process and the mindset really helped in those tough times.'

Fernandez was gracious in defeat despite her frustration in the final set, with the 19-year-old going on her own stunning journey to stardom this month.

The Canadian is unlucky to be overshadowed by Raducanu in New York, having beaten huge names such as Naomi Osaka, the defending champion, triple Slam winner Angelique Kerber and No 5-ranked Elina Svitolina.

'It's incredible,' Fernandez said. 'I honestly have no idea what to say. Today is going to be hard but Emma played amazing so congrats to your team.

'I am very happy with how I've played. It's been amazing having the New York crowd back and having you cheering me on, thank you everyone.'
Katie Price had her advances turned down at Thursday's National Television Awards after asking a guest for his number, with attendee Kiran Rai telling the former glamour model: 'You're too old for me.'

Katie, 43, was seen cosying up to journalist Kiran in a snap shared on his Instagram and across the image he wrote: 'When you and Katie Price are so drunk at the NTA @KatiePrice. She wanted my number and said, ''I love your eyes. What's your Instagram?'' I replied, ''I don't do have Instagram plus your too old for me.'' [sic]

According to The Sun, Katie - who 'seemed quite drunk by the time she took her seat' - was then seen getting cosy with a businessman at an afterparty in the capital and was heard telling friends she had dumped fiance Carl Woods.

'Too old': Katie Price had her advances turned down at Thursday's National Television Awards after asking a guest for his number

Katie made a red carpet appearance at the London ceremony with eldest son Harvey, 19, just weeks after an alleged assault that left her with facial injuries.

And Katie, who was nominated in the Authored Documentary category for her show Harvey & Me, insisted she has broken off her five month engagement to Woods before openly flirting with another man.

Another onlooker told The Sun: 'She was knocking back the wine and asking for vodka. She was telling people, ''I'm single, I've dumped him'' and was clearly focused on moving on. They had been constantly rowing, and she said she'd had enough.

'She said she was back living at her house in West Sussex even though it wasn't fully done up yet. But she was adamant she wouldn't go back to his place. As far as she's concerned, it's over.'

All over? Katie 'dumped' fiance Carl Woods before Thursday's appearance at the National Television Awards, according to guests at the annual event

In good company: The former glamour model made a red carpet appearance at the London ceremony with eldest son Harvey, 19

'Katie said she couldn't handle it any more and wanted out.'

While guests were asked to remain in their seats between breaks during the live broadcast, guests claim Katie repeatedly got to her feet while gesturing towards the stage.

Sources claim Katie - who was seated alongside Kiran at the ceremony - later 'flirted' with an unnamed businessman at the ensuing after-party, where she remained after Harvey had been driven home.

'The pair of them were walking around the party together, and could have easily been mistaken for a couple. They were very flirty. She looked very tipsy and kept leaning in to him, almost as if to kiss him,' the source added.

Career: Kiran is a freelance journalist who has said to have had his work appear in over 800 publications worldwide (pictured interviewing Jimmy Choo)

Interviewer: He has previously interviewed the likes of Sarah Ferguson (left) and Andrea Bocehlli (right)

Kiran is a freelance journalist who has said to have had his work appear in over 800 publications worldwide.

He has previously interviewed Andrea Bocelli, Jimmy Choo and Sarah Ferguson.

He has also reported from Wimbledon, the Cannes Film Festival and London Fashion Week.

On his Instagram account, he thanked the National Television Awards for inviting him to the ceremony.

Upsetting: The event took place just weeks after an alleged assault that left her with facial injuries (pictured)

It comes after police were called to an Essex property occupied by Katie at around 1.30am on August 23rd, with a man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of assault, theft and coercive and controlling behaviour. He has since been released on bail.

Following the attack, photos showed Katie with a bruise on her cheek and an injured lip. The mother-of-five said that she was attacked as she watched TV inside the property.

Katie's fiance later denied hitting her in a passionate Instagram post shared two weeks after the incident.

Not guilty: Katie's fiance later denied hitting her in a passionate Instagram post shared two weeks after the incident

Katie began dating former Love Island star Carl Woods in June 2020 and announced their engagement in April, just six weeks after her divorce from her third husband Kieran Hayler, 34, was finalised.

Despite the support of her loved ones, the glamour model still 'doesn't feel safe', and has been beefing up the security in the wake of her attack.

Katie told The Sun: 'I'm still all dazed. I'm devastated. I ran away after being punched  I ran to Harvey's house nearby and have now done damage to my feet, which I previously injured.'

Katie said she was attacked as she watched TV - forcing her to flee in terror to her eldest son's nearby home.

Low key: The couple were pictured together for the first time since the alleged assault a fortnight ago, when they arrived in a grey Bentley at Katie's 2million home in Surrey

He wrote: 'I have remained quiet until now due to the investigation being carried out by the police however I have found it so difficult to keep quiet on social media due to speculation and shocking abuse that I have received.

'Anybody who thinks I hit Katie you're completely delusional and have no idea of the reality of the situation.

'I have never and never would do anything to hurt Katie. The truth will be told.'

The couple were pictured together for the first time since the alleged assault a fortnight ago, when they arrived in a grey Bentley at Katie's 2million home in Surrey.

Terrifying: Despite the support of her loved ones, Katie still 'doesn't feel safe', and has been beefing up the security at her home in the wake of her attack

Katie began dating former Love Island star Carl Woods in June 2020 and announced their engagement in April, just six weeks after her divorce from her third husband Kieran Hayler, 34, was finalised.

Despite the support of her loved ones, the glamour model still 'doesn't feel safe', and has been beefing up the security in the wake of her attack.

Katie told The Sun: 'I'm still all dazed. I'm devastated. I ran away after being punched  I ran to Harvey's house nearby and have now done damage to my feet, which I previously injured.'

Katie said she was attacked as she watched TV - forcing her to flee in terror to her eldest son's nearby home.

She said the alleged assault was 'unprovoked', adding: 'I was just sitting there watching telly when the assault happened.'

Neighbours said they heard 'loads of shouting and screaming' on the night the model was rushed to hospital.

One neighbour told MailOnline: 'There was something kicking off because I heard loads of shouting and screaming. It was definitely going off.

'It was anti social and sounded like a load of p***heads coming back from the pub. There was a real kerfuffle.

'Then I saw a car parked across the road for ages. Around half an hour after that I heard loads of talking.

'I came downstairs to see what was going, but I don't know what time it was because I didn't have my phone with me. I didn't see or hear any cops. I didn't see any blue lights.'

Another said: 'We heard an argument at about 11pm. I didn't hear anything at 1.30am when the police were supposed to have been called because I was asleep.

'I know that Katie Price had been living next door. I don't think I had heard any big arguments before last night.'

Source close to the star said friends and family have rallied around her to ensure she has the strength to pursue a conviction.

An insider told MailOnline recently: 'It's not true that she is dropping the case, but she is very scared and and is feeling emotionally vulnerable.

'All her friends and family are behind her and will make sure she has the strength to pursue the case, so she is going full steam ahead.'

MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment.
Mission accomplished!

After a number of setbacks, daunting delays, production problems, and government shutdowns due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, director Christopher McQuarrie wrapped up the shoot for Mission: Impossible 7 after more than a year.

And on Saturday, McQuarrie took to Instagram to mark the milestone with a black-and-white photo of himself and leading man Tom Cruise.

That's a wrap! Director Christopher McQuarrie announced filming for Mission: Impossible 7 had wrapped with an Instagram post of himself and star Tom Cruise on Saturday, September 11; McQuarrie, 53, and Cruise, 59, are pictured together on top of a crashed train

The triumphant pair could be seen sitting atop a crashed train on the MI7 set.

'All you need is good people,' McQuarrie, 53, began in the caption before turning his attention and gratitude to those who made it all possible.

'To our indomitable, unstoppable, unrelenting cast and crew: Even under the best of circumstances, it should have been impossible,' he continued.

'Even having seen it, we can't believe what you've achieved.'

McQuarrie ended the post by sharing, 'Words can never adequately express our gratitude and admiration  not only to you, but to your loved ones. You are the best in the world.'

Daredevil Tom: Cruise parachuted in from a helicopter, in the crashed train scene, which resulted in the carriages hanging off the edge of a cliff

High praise: McQuarrie called the cast and crew 'indomitable, unstoppable, and unrelenting,' when he shared the news of the film wrapping: 'Even under the best of circumstances, it should have been impossible'

In the photo, the two men are staring in the same direction as they sat on the flipped- over train following a daring stunt in Derbyshire, a county in the East Midlands of England.

Cruise, 59, parachuted in from a helicopter, which resulted in the Norwegian train eventually crashing off the edge of a cliff and being suspended upside down above some large trees.

To make the shoot for the movie even more complicated during the pandemic, and subsequent health and safety protocols, production spanned across parts of Italy, Norway, and England. There were several scenes that had be relocated, sometimes to a different town, city or country, due to a host of problems surrounding protocols and restrictions during production.

Gratitude and thanks: McQuarrie made a habit of thanking people, sometimes after finishing up a shoot in a specific country; in this post, the director gave thanks to people in Birmingham

Mission 7 documented: The filmmaker also gave thanks to the people in Norway before heading to Rome, Italy for the news shoot for the film

MI7 is the third film in the franchise directed by McQuarrie, who also was at the helm for the previous two: Rogue Nation (2015) and Fallout (2018).

And in the wake of all the problems and production delays, the plan to go straight into filming an eighth Mission: Impossible movie, with McQuarrie directing, had to be shelved, as previously reported by Deadline.

Along with Cruise, Mission: Impossible 7 also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Esai Morales and Frederick Schmidt, among others.

It is now scheduled to makes its premiere in the United States on September 30, 2022.

After originally being slated for an August 5, 2022 release date, the planned eighth film was pushed back twice, and will now drop on July 7, 2023.
Jennifer Garner was all smiles on Saturday after stepping out to have breakfast with her friends.

The 49-year-old actress beamed and waved cheerfully as she arrived home after enjoying a morning meal at Shutters on the Beach in Malibu.

The 13-Going-On-30 star looked comfortable in a loose-fitting brown and black print midi dress on the sunny day in Los Angeles.

Good mood: Jennifer Garner was all smiles on Saturday after stepping out to have breakfast with her friends

Garner's short-sleeved dress featured a button-down bodice and a pleated skirt.

Jennifer sported black sandals with studded straps and carried a large black quilted leather clutch bag.

The brunette beauty wore her layered locks down in loose waves and sported black cat eye sunglasses.

Dressed down: The 13-Going-On-30 star looked comfortable in a loose-fitting brown and black print midi dress on the sunny day in Los Angeles

She accessorized with a gold necklace, a gold bangle bracelet and a watch with a white leather strap.

After stepping out of her car, the West Virginia stopped in the street to wave before walking to the sidewalk.

Jennifer then walked down the driveway toward her home as she glanced down while holding the skirt of her dress with one hand.

Heading home: Jennifer then walked down the driveway toward her home as she glanced down while holding the skirt of her dress with one hand

Earlier, Jennifer marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a tribute on her Instagram Story.

Garner posted a photo of a firefighter standing at Ground Zero in the devastating aftermath after the World Trader Center collapsed.

On the photo, she wrote, 'To all who were lost and all of the heroes who tried to save them  we honor you.

She continued, 'To every family member and friend, we honor your loss,' adding a red heart emoji and tagging photographer Steven McCurry.

Never forget: Earlier, Jennifer marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks with a tribute on her Instagram Story

Jennifer shares daughters Violet, 15, Seraphina, 12, and son Samuel, nine with her ex-husband Ben Affleck.

She is reportedly dating businessman John Miller, 43. The pair were first linked in 2018 but they split in March 2020. However, the two were recently spotted together in New York City after reportedly rekindling their romance in May.

Meanwhile, Ben, 49, has been spending time in Venice this week with his on-again love Jennifer Lopez, 52. The couple walked the carpet together for the premiere of Ben's film The Last Duel with Matt Damon and Adam Driver.
Vandals smashed through the tomb of murdered rapper Pop Smoke and tried to remove his casket on Saturday morning.

Sources told TMZ that they found the tomb vandalized during a visit at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Photos of the destruction indicate that the slain rapper's headstone had been smashed, and scratch marks indicated the vandals may have tried to pull out his casket.

The 20-year-old New York rapper, whose legal name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, was shot dead on February 19 at his $2.5million rental home in the Hollywood Hills.

The LAPD said the five suspects, including two boys aged 15 and 17, targeted his house when they saw pictures on his social media.

They narrowed down where he lived by using the images and an address posted on a gift bag, and then killed him during a robbery gone wrong, authorities say.

Shocking: The tomb of the slain rapper Pop Smoke was found severely vandalized on Saturday morning, sources who glimpsed it at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn told TMZ

Pop Smoke's casket was interred in a mausoleum surrounded by several other caskets

An outer wall featured a headstone for the musician (born Bashar Barakah Jackson), but photos snapped by an eyewitness seem to indicate that vandals were able to remove the stone.

The top corners had been broken off and shards were scattered on the ground just below it while the remaining chunk of the stone had been leaned up against the tomb.

The ground in front of the stone was also littered with flowers, which may have been left prior to the vandalism, and what a witness said appeared to be burned marijuana joints.

Gone too soon: Pop Smoke was killed in February 2020 when four armed men broke into a rented house he was staying in as part of a robbery attempt; seen in January 2020 in Paris

Desecrated: The stone on the outside of Pop Smoke's mausoleum tomb appeared to have been shattered and leaned up against the wall, indicating that the vandals got into the tomb

Photos of the vandalized tomb appear to show scratch marks on the pavement stones, indicating that something heavy may have been dragged out of the tomb.

It's unclear if the intruders were able to pull out Pop Smoke's casket, but the source who glimpsed the damage snapped a photo of a long rectangular object that was laid out against a stone wall across from the mausoleum.

The eyewitness described the item as being made of concrete and suggested it may have been a divider, either placed atop Pop Smoke's casket to separate it from the casket above his tomb, or to the sides.

The person who discovered the damage reportedly alerted security, who were apparently unaware of the vandalism.

Disturbing: Photos of the vandalized tomb appear to show scratch marks on the pavement stones, indicating that something heavy may have been dragged out of the tomb

Hasty job: The witness returned to the seen hours later and found it blocked off with caution tape. Some of the debris had been cleared

The source who discovered the vandalism added that they returned to the site hours later and found that the damaged headstone had been replaced with a blank slab while caution tape has been put up around the area.

Although some of the stone shards had been cleaned up, the area appeared to still be in a state of disarray.

Pop Smoke, who was born in Brooklyn, was a rising star at the time of his tragic death early last year.

He had a string of popular singles starting in 2019, and he released two acclaimed mixtapes, Meet The Woo and Meet The Woo 2.

The latter, released on February 7, 2020, debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 album chart, making his first top 10 placing.

But the rapper would be gunned down less than two weeks after the success.

Tragedy: Pop Smoke was gunned down less than two weeks after releasing his second mixtape, Meet The Woo 2, which became his first top 10 release on the Billboard 200 album chart; seen in 2019 in LA

He had been renting a house in Hollywood Hills that was owned by former Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp and her husband.

In the early morning hours of February 19, 2020, four men in hoodies broke into the house.

The rapper was later found by police after being shot multiple times, and he was pronounced dead hours after being rushed to a hospital.

LAPD detectives initially believed the killing to be gang-related, but later determined that it was a robbery turned violent, as Pop Smoke had shared posts to Instagram in the days leading up to the killing that showed off pricy gifts he had recently received.

The address for the home was also clearly visible in at least one of the posts.

Violent end: In May, an LAPD detective testified that a woman with Pop Smoke at the time of the break-in said he was in the shower when the armed men confronted him. He ran out, only to be shot multiple times and kicked while on the ground

In May of this year, Detective Christian Carrasco of the LAPD testified during the murder trial that the rapper had been taking a shower at the time that the intruders entered via a second-story window, according to the New York Daily News.

The detective testified that a woman who was in the house with Pop Smoke heard noise that sounded like a struggle coming from the shower, before she saw him run out of the bathroom.

She then heard a gunshot and saw him fall to the floor.

The detective said the woman claimed she heard two more gunshots and saw the intruders kicking the rapper while he was down on the ground.

She also claimed that they took his 'large gold watch.'

Following his murder, Pop Smoke's debut album Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon was released in July 2020 and topped the Billboard 200 chart.

It was followed by a second hit album, Faith, in July of this year. It was also a number one hit, though both albums received mixed reviews.
A handful of reality TV stars enjoyed a wild party on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The Bachelor's Jamie Doran, Married At First Sight's Cameron Dunne and Bachelor In Paradise's Niranga Amarasinghe reunited for the YOT Club yacht launch party.

At one stage, Niranga was spotted getting cosy with Bachelor rejects Charley Bond and Marg Zogoulas.

Reality stars gone WILD! BIP's Niranga Amarasinghe shared a three-way kiss with Bachelor rejects Charley Bond and Marg Zogoulas during yacht party with co-stars on the Gold Coast

Steamy! At one point Niranga was also spotted getting cozy with Marg Zogoulas

The trio were photographed sharing a three-way kiss as they relaxed on the yacht with drinks in hand.

Charley was also seen licking Marg's breast at the event as other TV stars looked on.

Charley flaunted her toned figure in a tiny tie dye dress and a pair of strappy white heels.

Racy! Charley was also seen licking Marg's breast at the event as other TV stars looked on

Stylish: Charley flaunted her toned figure in a tiny tie dye dress and a pair of strappy white heels

Meanwhile, Married At First Sight's Cameron Dunne was also seen posing alongside Beauty and the Geek's Gabrielle Loye at the event.

Gabrielle made a style statement in a red mini dress with a plunging neckline and puffy sleeves.

Cameron looked stylish in black jeans and a light blue buttoned shirt.

Party time! Married At First Sight's Cameron Dunne was also seen posing alongside Beauty and the Geek's Gabrielle Loye at the event

Red hot! Gabrielle made a style statement in a red mini dress with a plunging neckline and puffy sleeves. Pictured Gabrielle and Niranga

Bachelor In Paradise star Jake Ellis was also spotted at the event.

The 34-year-old looked stylish in a denim buttoned shirt and a pair of black jeans as he partied with his reality TV co-stars.

Former Bachelorette star Jamie Doran also attended the event and posed alongside Rosemary Sawtell and Kaitlyn Hoppe.

Jamie, 40, looked unrecognisable as he debuted his new pink and black mohawk haircut.

Star-studded events: Bachelor In Paradise star Jake Ellis was also spotted at the event

Reunited: Former Bachelorette star Jamie Doran also attended the event and posed alongside Rosemary Sawtell and Kaitlyn Hoppe

New look: Jamie looked unrecognisable as he debuted his new pink and black mohawk haircut

Meanwhile, Bachelor star Steph Harper showed off her toned figure in a crop top and matching mini skirt.

She teamed her ensemble with a white bag and wore white strappy heels.

Instagram superstar Nicole Shiraz was also spotted at the event, wearing a figure-hugging orange dress.

Summer vibes: Meanwhile, Bachelor star Steph Harper showed off her toned figure in a crop top and matching mini skirt

Making an appearance: Instagram superstar Nicole Shiraz (pictured) was also spotted at the event, wearing a figure-hugging orange dress
More than a few heads were turning when Jessica Chastain hit the red carpet for the world premiere of her new film, The Forgiven, at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.

The leading lady stunned in a black gown that was stylized with sequins in the upper portion of the gorgeous number, from her waist and above.

The two-time Oscar-nominated actress worked the cameras with a number of looks ranging from some subtle seductive stares to a flash of her infectious smile.

Elegance: Jessica Chastain, 44, lit up the red carpet in a black gown at the world premiere of The Forgiven at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday in Toronto, Canada

The design hugged her tiny toned waist, accentuated her ample cleavage, and had a tiny train that moved along the ground as she stuck pose after pose.

The spaghetti straps also helped showcase her upper body, including her shoulders and arms

Chastain, 44, honed in the entire ensemble with her ginger tresses styled long and flowing past the middle of her back, with added sheen, soft waves and a center part.

Total pro: The two-time Oscar-nominated actress worked the cameras with a number of looks ranging from some subtle seductive stares to a flash of her infectious smile

Lovely: The gown was stylized with sequins in the upper portion, from her waist and above

While working the photographers, Chastain would share the spotlight of the red carpet with co-stars Mourad Zaoui and Ismael Kanater.

The film's director John Michael McDonagh and producers Carter Stanton, Trevor Matthews, Elizabeth Eves and Nick Gordon. were also on hand striking a pose or two for the premiere.

Earlier on Saturday, the Northern California native took part on a Q&A panel while wearing the very same stunning ensemble.

While working the photographers, Chastain would share the spotlight of the red carpet with co-stars Mourad Zaoui (pictured), as well as Ismael Kanater, among others

Stunner: Chastain, 44, honed in the entire ensemble with her ginger tresses styled long and flowing past the middle of her back, with added sheen, soft waves and a center part

The Forgiven takes place over a weekend in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and explores the reverberations of a random accident on the lives of both the local Muslims, and Western visitors to a house party in a grand villa.

For the film, Chastain shares the leading role status with acclaimed actor Ralph Fiennes.

It also stars Rebecca Hall, Caleb Landry Jones, Said Taghmaoui, Marie-Josee Croze, Matt Smith, Christopher Abbott, Alex Jennings and Abbey Lee.

Flattering: The spaghetti straps also helped showcase her shoulders and arms
Tammy Hembrow and her boyfriend Matt Poole celebrated one year together as a couple on Sunday.

The Australian influencer, 27, and her professional IronMan beau shared a string of cosy photos on Instagram to mark the milestone moment, as they enjoyed a romantic night away in Queensland.

For the occasion, Tammy wrapped her famous curves in a skimpy white dress which showed off her pert derriere to perfection.

Celebration! Tammy Hembrow and her boyfriend Matt Poole celebrated one year together as a couple on Sunday - and spent a night away together to commemorate the milestone moment

She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend in a cute video, before planting a passionate kiss on his lips.

'One year of you annoying me,' she captioned the footage.

She later posted a picture of two cocktails, which she captioned: 'Surprise date night away with my amore. Celebrating us.'

She then shared a picture of a plate of lobsters and salmon, showing the duo were enjoying a delicious meal to commemorate the day.

Peachy! For the occasion, Tammy wrapped her famous curves in an incredibly skimpy white dress, which showed off her pert derriere to perfection

Love: She later posted a picture of two cocktails, which she captioned: 'Surprise date night away with my amore. Celebrating us'

Delicious: She then shared a picture of a plate of lobsters and salmon, showing the duo were enjoying a romantic meal to commemorate the milestone

The loved-up couple's sweet display comes after Tammy praised Matt for 'stepping up' and being a role model to her children on Father's day.

She seemingly threw shade at her ex-fiance and the father of the children Reece Hawkins in the message.

Tammy wrote: 'You may not be their father by blood but the bond you have with my babies is something else.'

Tribute: The loved-up couple's sweet display comes after Tammy praised Matt for 'stepping up' and being a role model to her children on Father's day

'Thank you for stepping up and being such an amazing role model and support in their life. We love you,' she continued.

Tammy shares her two children with her ex-fiance Reece, who she split up with in June 2018.

The former couple, who were together for almost five years, currently share custody of Saskia and Wolf.

Bond: Tammy wrote: 'You may not be their father by blood but the bond you have with my babies is something else.' She shared a photo of Matt with her daughter Saskia, five, and son Wolf, four, and thanked him for 'being such an amazing role model'

Reece didn't celebrate Father's Day with Saskia and Wolf this year, as he recently moved to America with his new wife London Goheen.

Reece debuted his new romance with London three months after splitting from Tammy, and the pair welcomed son Stone in March this year.

Meanwhile, Tammy and Matt went public with their romance in September last year during a trip to the Whitsundays.

Former flame: Tammy shares her two children with her ex-fiance Reece Hawkins, who she split up with in June 2018. The former couple, who were together for almost five years, currently share custody of Saskia and Wolf. Pictured is Reece

That month, Matt also made his debut on his girlfriend's YouTube channel, admitting in a Q&A video that he'd been the first to say 'I love you'.

'I did. I am obsessed,' Matt said, before Tammy explained how he had confessed his feelings after they'd 'had a little fight' on holiday.

'We had a little fight over nothing, and then when he was trying to make up with me and apologise, he told me he loved me,' she said with a smile.
She's been turning heads at New York Fashion Week over the last few days.

And on Friday night, Australian model Shanina Shaik certainly ensured all eyes were on her as she headed to the CR x Grey Goose party in Retrofete's Mich Dres.

The 30-year-old Victoria's Secret stunner oozed glamour in the thigh-flashing ensemble worth $770, which featured a plunging neckline and embellished zebra-print detail.

Model behaviour: Australian model Shanina Shaik oozed glamour as she headed out for a New York Fashion Week party on Friday night

She teamed her look with a pair of bright yellow heels, and held a black clutch bag in her right hand.

Irena whisked her hair into a slicked-back up-do for the event, and wore subtle make-up on her already striking features.

A day later on Saturday, Shanina was pictured walking through New York in an oversized blazer, black trousers and a Louis Vuitton handbag.

Stunning: The 30-year-old Victoria's Secret stunner oozed glamour in the thigh-flashing ensemble, which featured a plunging neckline and glitzy embellished detail

While less glitzy than the night before, she looked utterly divine in the business-chic ensemble, which she teamed with a pair of peach sunglasses and a gold pendant.

Shanina recently enjoyed a romantic getaway to Tulum, Mexico, with her boyfriend, record label owner Matthew Adesuyan.

The pair went Instagram official on Valentine's Day earlier this year.

She was previously married to DJ Ruckus, a.k.a. Gregory Andrews, from 2018 to 2019.

Gorgeous: On Saturday, Shanina was later seen walking through the city in a stylish oversized blazer, black trousers and a Louis Vuitton handbag

In December, Shanina admitted she was open to tying the knot again despite her heartbreaking divorce.

Posting to Instagram Stories, the Melbourne-born glamazon wrote: 'I think marriage can be a beautiful union!'

Sharing a picture from her wedding day to Ruckus, she added: 'I'm not against it... and I would love to get married again one day.'
She may be known for her love of cosmetic procedures and hair extensions.

But when it comes to wellness, Bachelor star Laurina Fleure likes to keep things natural.

Speaking to The Herald Sun this weekend, the Instagram model revealed that she's been focussing on her 'mind and body' during lockdown by building her very own wellness sanctuary.

Lockdown wellness secrets: The Bachelor's Laurina Fleure (pictured) has revealed her unique wellness rituals during lockdown - including a garage 'sauna' and rubbing her face with crystals

'I invested in a tiny sauna and I have set it up in the garage,' she told the publication.

'Whenever I need time out I go in there, turn the lights off, play a really loud mediation and rub my crystals all over my face in an upwards lifting motion,' she explained.

The influencer added that performing these rituals really 'soothes her soul'.

'I invested in a tiny sauna': Speaking to The Herald Sun this weekend, the Instagram model revealed that she's been focussing on her 'mind and body' during lockdown by building her very own wellness sanctuary

Back to nature: 'Whenever I need time out I go in there, turn the lights off, play a really loud mediation and rub my crystals all over my face in an upwards lifting motion,' she explained

Elsewhere in her interview, Laurina extended her condolences to embattled footy WAG Nadia Bartel amid her snorting scandal.

Like Nadia, Laurina was left humiliated in March after video surfaced online of the reality star snorting white powder at a party in Melbourne.

Laurina shot to fame on Blake Garvey's season of The Bachelor back in 2014, before later appearing on the first season of Bachelor in Paradise.

Empathy: Elsewhere in her interview, Laurina (left) extended her condolences to embattled footy WAG Nadia Bartel (right) amid her snorting scandal

She went viral after complaining that Blake had taken her out for a 'dirty street pie' at a food truck instead of enjoying a glamorous date like the other women received.

In 2018, Laurina made a brief return to screens on the first season of Bachelor In Paradise.

She entered the Fiji-based reality show in episode two, but decided to quit five episodes later after failing to spark romance with any of the contestants.

Remember this? Laurina was the breakout star of Blake Garvey's season of The Bachelor
The Block's 2022 season is reportedly headed to country Victoria.

According to the Herald Sun, the renovation show is going to be filmed in Gisborne South in the Macedon Ranges Shire - in what would be a first for the usually city-based franchise.

A 79-acre property was recently purchased for around $11million, and the land has been subdivided into seven lots.

Location, location! The Block 2022 'will be filmed in a regional Victorian town' as the series makes a move to the country. Pictured: Host Scott Cam

Gisborne South is a 40-minute drive from Melbourne and is known for its vineyards, olive groves and alpaca industries, while the property itself boasts incredible views of Mount Macedon.

When asked about the rumours on Saturday, The Block creator Julian Cress told the publication: 'While I cant confirm any rumour about where we are going next year, lifestyle properties in regional areas sounds like a great idea.

'If the rumour is true, whoever thought of it is a genius. The Block from its inception 19 years ago has always been about aspirational living for Australians.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for further comment.

New location: According to the Herald Sun, the show is going to be filmed in Gisborne South in the Macedon Ranges Shire

Sold! A 79 acre property was recently purchased for around $11million and the land has been subdivided into seven lots

It would make sense that The Block would film in more regional areas, after so many during lockdown have wanted to swap bustling city life for somewhere much quieter and open.

Over the years, the show has been filmed in locations such as Sydney's Bondi and Manly, as well as Port Melbourne, St Kilda and Brighton in Victoria.

The current season of the renovation show was filmed on a cul-de-sac in the suburb of Hampton in Melbourne.

This year's contestants have spent the last few weeks renovating their homes in front of a national audience.

Earlier this month, realestate.com.au revealed the price guides for all five properties on the show.

On the market: Meanwhile, the current season of the renovation show was filmed on a cul-de-sac in the suburb of Hampton. Pictured: Josh and Luke Packham

The homes being featured on the renovation show are expected to sell for between $2.6million and $3.4million.

Four of the homes are single storey, except for a two-storey home being renovated by Kirsty Lee Akers and Jesse Anderson.

The auction will be held during the show's final episode, which is slated to air on Sunday, November 7, according to TV Blackbox.
Heidi Klum's 17-year-old daughter Leni was seen commanding the runway at the About You Fashion Week show during Berlin Fashion Week on Saturday.

The 48-year-old reality television personality's child appeared to be enjoying her time in the spotlight as she strutted along the catwalk at the annual event.

Leni wore a light beige crop top and kept a cream-colored sweater on her shoulders.

Following in her mother's footsteps: Heidi Klum's 17-year-old daughter Leni was spotted participating in the About You fashion show during Berlin Fashion Week on Saturday

The daughter of the fashion industry icon also wore a matching set of sweat pants and a pair of white high-heeled shoes.

Her lengthy blonde hair was slicked back and fell onto her backside as she made her way along the catwalk.

At one point, Leni was pictured spending time with fellow model Jordan Barrett at the event.

Dressed for the occasion: The model's daughter wore a light brown sleeved crop top while making her way along the catwalk

Comfortable clothing: The model also sported a pair of slightly loose-fitting and cream-colored sweat pants during the event. She also kept a sweater in the same shade with her as she walked on the runway

Heidi and Leni both shared several shots from the fashion show to their respective Instagram accounts.

The America's Got Talent judge initially began a relationship with her daughter's father Flavio Briatore in 1998.

Prior to becoming involved with the businessman, she was married to her first husband, Ric Pipino, from 1997 until 2002.

She then began a relationship with Briatore and announced that she was pregnant with the couple's child in December of 2003.

Hanging out: At one point, Leni was seen spending time with fellow model Jordan Barrett at the event

Family matters: Heidi shares Leni with her former partner, Flavio Briatore, from whom she separated in 2003

However, the two split up not long after the news was made available to the public, and Heidi went on to begin a relationship with her third husband, Seal, who served as Leni's adoptive father.

Last December, the mother-daughter duo made a joint appearance on the cover of Vogue Germany, where the fashion industry icon was seen kissing her child's cheek.

The reality television personality also wrote a lengthy message that was directed at Leni in the post's caption, and lovingly told her that she was 'a really great person with your heart in the right place.'

Heidi went on to note that she wanted her daughter to remember the lessons that she had taught her throughout her lifetime.

Doing their thing: Last December, both Heidi and Leni appeared on the cover of Vogue Germany, and the America's Got Talent judge shared a congratulatory post directed at her daughter to her Instagram account

'I hope that no matter where you are, you always carry what I have given you over the past 16 years. For the big decisions in life, but also for the very little ones,' she noted.

The model then gave her daughter another suggestion that she hoped would be greatly valued as she began her modeling career.

She wrote: 'And even if you often don't want to hear your mom's clever advice, here's another one: never do something you don't want to do and always listen to your gut instinct.'

Mom knows best: Heidi also wrote a lengthy message where she expressed that she hoped her daughter would remember the advice that she had 'given...over the past 16 years'

Heidi also pointed out that Leni's high-profile debut was likely a good omen and that her daughter had a bright future ahead of her.

'I am sure that an exciting time is waiting for you. Vogue is the best way to start the career you dream of,' she expressed.

The model concluded the message by noting that she would always support her daughter in all of her ventures and that she was happy to see her mature into an adult.

Klum wrote: 'And even if it is a little difficult for me to let go of you into this world, I will always do everything so that you are happy and that your dreams come true. I am proud to be your mom!'
Koby Abberton was one of Sydney's most notorious 'Bra Boys' but these days, he's left Australia behind.

The former surf gang member and professional surfer from Maroubra Beach in Sydney, now resides in Bali with his Ukrainian model wife Olya Nechiporenko and their six-year-old son, Makua.

The 42-year-old says he was no longer happy with living Down Under and doesn't like what the country has become.

New life: Koby Abberton (pictured) was one of Sydney's most notorious 'Bra Boys' but these days, he's left Australia behind

'Look at Australia now  everyone is just struggling 24/7  you're paying $12 for a juice and s**t,' he told The Courier Mail on Sunday.

'I don't agree with quite a lot that goes on, so I moved out of there.'

Koby, whose Instagram page is littered with posts that are critical of Australia's lockdowns and vaccine mandates, and has shared anti-vax conspiracy theories, says he now wakes up and does 'whatever he wants'.

Moves: The former surf gang member and professional surfer from Maroubra Beach in Sydney, now resides in Bali with his Ukrainian model wife Olya Nechiporenko and their six-year-old son, Makua. All pictured

Changes: The 42-year-old says he was no longer happy with living Down Under. 'Look at Australia now  everyone is just struggling 24/7  you're paying $12 for a juice and s**t,' he told The Courier Mail on Sunday. 'I don't agree with quite a lot that goes on, so I moved out of there'

'Have a swim, do some yoga, go to the gym, check the waves and if the waves are big I'll make a call and I'll take some kids surfing and surf all day,' he said.

'Then at the end of the day I'll drink a couple of beers, go home to my beautiful family and make love to my stunning wife.'

The surfer also reveals he was uncomfortable with his wealth, which included the ownership of six houses, as well as the fame that came from the 2007 documentary on the Bra Boys, and had 'never been more stressed in his life'.

Free: Koby, whose Instagram page is littered with posts that are critical of Australia's lockdowns and vaccine mandates, and has shared anti-vax conspiracy theories, says he now wakes up and does 'whatever he wants'

'It's all just fool's gold, all that s**t and I realised after all that and it's not something that I want in any way, shape or form... I'm just not into that way of life,' he said.

The former athlete has been openly critical of how Australia is handling the pandemic, and has shared various bizarre conspiracies to his social media.

Last year, Koby unleashed an anti-vax conspiracy rant to claim the government is using coronavirus to stop Australians from leaving the country as part of a mass-vaccination plan.

Fun: 'Have a swim, do some yoga, go to the gym, check the waves and if the waves are big I'll make a call and I'll take some kids surfing and surf all day,' he said. 'Then at the end of the day I'll drink a couple of beers, go home to my beautiful family and make love to my stunning wife'

'Let's be honest this virus ain't what we have been sold all day every day for months through the media. Now the government want us to have another vaccine? Why?' he ranted in his post.

'We are up to 38 vaccine shots for kids and it's too much. Autism is now through the roof and schools for autism are opening all around Australia. They need to open a lot more!' he added.

Anti-vaxxers consistently spread the false and dangerous theory vaccines cause autism, which is based on a completely discredited 1998 medical report that saw the author struck from the medical register.

Tough: The surfer also revealed he was uncomfortable with his wealth, which included the ownership of six houses, as well as the fame that came from the 2007 documentary on the Bra Boys, and had 'never been more stressed in his life'

Despite his criticism of his homeland, Koby has returned to Australia for a pay packet and stars on the upcoming season of SAS Australia.

He told The Courier Mail of his experience on the show: 'I laughed the whole time and was also scared the whole time.

'I even broke some personal boundaries, being screamed at and trying not to react.'

SAS Australia premieres Monday at 7.30pm on Channel 7
Cole Sprouse is still very much smitten with his girlfriend Ari Fournier.

On Saturday, the 29-year-old actor and the 23-year-old model were spotted grabbing breakfast at a cafe in Studio City, California.

Sprouse, who is best know for his stint on the Disney Channel, cut a casual figure in a plain white tee and a pair of navy blue shorts.

Breakfast date: Cole Sprouse and his girlfriend Ari Fournier were spotted grabbing breakfast at a cafe in Studio City, California on Saturday

His brunette hair was combed back and he shielded his eyes with a pair of aviator shades.

Fournier rocked a noticeable glow as she braved the day makeup-free and with her gorgeous blonde tresses tucked behind her ears.

The beauty hid her figure beneath an oversized graphic tee and a pair of black biker shorts.

Ari strolled beside her boyfriend in a pair of solid black sneakers and with her cellphone in hand.

Causal: Sprouse, who is best know for his stint on the Disney Channel, cut a casual figure in plain white tee and a pair of navy blue shorts

Glowing: Fournier rocked a noticeable glow as she braved the day makeup-free and with her gorgeous blonde tresses tucked behind her ears

The couple's outing comes nearly two week after Cole branded some of his diehard fans 'insane' after they had a set of photos of Ari removed from social media by falsely reporting it for 'violence and incitement.'

This week, after posting a birthday tribute to his girlfriend, the Riverdale star discovered it had been deleted by the app.

'These kids are insane,' Sprouse wrote over a screenshot of the violation notice that he shared in his Stories.

Apparently enough of the entertainer's 35.5 million followers reported the post, which featured several loved-up snapshots of the pair, prompting Instagram to remove the images.

Reported post: Sprouse's Instagram post featuring this image of Ari Fourier was deleted from his account

A previously shared birthday post featuring his model companion remains on his profile.

The former Disney star has addressed his overzealous fans in the past. In July he shared an Instagram Stories post that he captioned, 'Time to p*ss off the 14yos again.'

The couple started dating earlier this year after Sprouse broke up with actress and Riverdale co-star Lili Reinhart last year.

The actors played love interests on the show which is currently in its fifth season.

Fournier and Sprouse celebrated his birthday earlier this month with a laundry list of famous friends.

Booted post: 'These kids are insane,' the popular heartthrob wrote over a screenshot of the violation notice that he shared in his Stories

Sprouse is lucky to get a respite from his busy schedule. In addition to his work on Riverdale, the actor also filmed a part for Moonshot, an upcoming science fiction film about a woman who chases after her boyfriend after he moves to Mars.

The film will also feature actors Zach Braff and Lukas Gage.

The Friends alum is also getting ready to shoot Undercover, a movie about a father who gets into a custody battle with his ex while simultaneously working in a cover band with an unprofessional musician. Cole will play the younger musician opposite Zachary Levi.
Jasmine Stefanovic got an exemption to travel from Sydney to Brisbane late last month to reunite with her grandmother who is very sick in hospital.

On Sunday, the wife of Today host Karl Stefanovic, appeared downcast as she stopped by Kmart to pick up toys, presumably for their daughter Harper, one.

Tough new Covid-19 restrictions in Brisbane see family and friends unable to visit their loved ones in hospital, unless it's for an end-of-life visit or for pregnancy care.

Retail therapy: Jasmine Stefanovic (pictured), 37, picked up supplies at a Brisbane Kmart on Sunday as tough new Covid-19 restrictions stop her from visiting her grandmother in hospital

Jasmine, 37, dressed casually in a white T-shirt with a navy sweater on top, cropped light blue jeans and comfy loafers.

She slung a stylish Louis Vuitton tote bag over one shoulder and added touches of bling in the form of delicate stud earrings, bangles and her sparkling wedding rings.

The footwear designer swept her blonde locks into an effortless topknot, drawing attention to her radiant visage and natural beauty.

Casual: Jasmine dressed casually in a white T-shirt with a navy sweater on top, cropped light blue jeans and comfy loafers

Designer style: She slung a stylish Louis Vuitton tote bag over one shoulder and added touches of bling in the form of delicate stud earrings, bangles and her sparkling wedding rings

Quick trip: Jasmine emerged from a Kmart store with what looked to be toys and children's art for daughter Harper, one

Natural: The footwear designer swept her blonde locks into an effortless topknot, drawing attention to her radiant visage and natural beauty

The Sydney-based starlet chatted on her iPhone, and later emerged from a Kmart store with what looked to be toys and children's art for daughter Harper.

Jasmine and Harper got an exemption to travel from Sydney to Brisbane late last month, and have been pictured together at local parks in the area.

After 14 days in hotel quarantine, Jasmine shared a photo to Instagram on Tuesday of her holding her grandmother's hand in hospital.

Exemption: Jasmine and Harper got an exemption to travel from Sydney to Brisbane late last month, and have been pictured together at local parks in the area

On air: Karl Stefanovic, 47, explained on the Today show last month that his wife was 'incredibly close' to her 95-year-old grandmother, who had become unwell

Comments: 'I want to talk about this because this is really big, where Jasmine and Harper are right now and what they're doing,' Karl began

'Nana, with you now and forever,' she captioned the sweet image.

Karl, 47, explained on the Today show last month that his wife was 'incredibly close' to her 95-year-old grandmother, who had become unwell.

'I want to talk about this because this is really big, where Jasmine and Harper are right now and what they're doing,' Karl began.

Sick in hospital: 'So she's had to go to Brisbane because her very dear, dear Nan, who she's incredibly close with, is really, really, really sick,' he said

Karl added: 'This is going on with families right around the country. It's not easy'

Close bond: Jasmine is pictured with her 95-year-old grandmother

'So she's had to go to Brisbane because her very dear, dear Nan, who she's incredibly close with, is really, really, really sick.'

'This is going on with families right around the country. It's not easy,' he added.

Karl and Jasmine wed in December 2018 in a star-studded ceremony in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. They are based in Sydney's lower north shore.

Heartfelt: After 14 days in hotel quarantine, Jasmine shared a photo to Instagram on Tuesday of her holding her grandmother's hand in hospital. 'Nana, with you now and forever,' she captioned the sweet image
Jennifer Hawkins is expecting her second child, a baby boy, with husband Jake Wall.

And on Saturday, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she posed for a selfie while soaking up the sun in a bikini.

Uploading the photo to her Instagram, the 37-year-old looked up at the camera while she placed her hand on her growing belly.

Bumping along nicely! Jennifer Hawkins placed her hand on her growing baby belly as she posed for a bikini selfie while soaking up the sun with her family

Jennifer captioned the sweet image, 'Epic weather and day with my little fam' along with a smiling heart and heart emoji.

The property mogul's post was quickly inundated with comments from her followers, including Pip Edwards, designer Samantha Wills, Cheyenne Tozzi and Jodhi Meares.

Earlier this month Jen showed off her blossoming bump as she shared a gallery of new photos to her Instagram page.

Support: Jennifer's post was quickly inundated with comments from her followers, including Pip Edwards, designer Samantha Wills, Cheyenne Tozzi and Jodhi Meares

Bumping along: Earlier this month Jen showed off her blossoming bump as she shared a gallery of new photos to her Instagram page

In the first image, the expectant mother looks radiant as she poses for a mirror selfie while dressed in black activewear and a pink sweater.

A second photo sees her adorable daughter Frankie sitting on her lap touching her belly, which was exposed.

'Snaps! Hanging with my little lockdown buddy and bump! So much love for this little sweetheart,' Jen captioned the post.

So cute! A second photo sees her adorable daughter Frankie sitting on her lap touching her belly, which was exposed

The former Miss Universe Australia first revealed she and Jake were expecting their second child together on Instagram in July.

'Round two!! Jake and I are so happy to share that we are expecting a baby BOY!!! We both feel really blessed and couldn't be happier to grow our little family!' she wrote in the caption at the time.

She added: 'Can't wait to see our Frankie girl as a big sis!!'

Jennifer married property developer Jake in Bali, Indonesia in 2013, after eight years of dating.

The couple welcomed daughter Frankie in October 2019.
The second season of PBS' adaptation of Jane Austen's Sanditon has been hotly anticipated.

And Rose Williams was seen in character as Charlotte Heywood on Sunday, when she filmed scenes on the deserted Brean beach in Somerset alongside her co-stars.

Wearing full costume, Rose, 27, was dressed head-to-toe in Regency era clothing, looking whimsical in a beautiful tailored coat alongside a hat and gloves.

Filming: Rose Williams, 27, was seen in character as Charlotte Heywood on Sunday, when she filmed scenes on the deserted Brean beach in Somerset alongside her co-stars

Full costume: Dressed in full costume, Rose (right) was dressed head-to-toe in Regency era clothing, looking whimsical in a beautiful tailored coat alongside a hat and gloves

Linking arms with a blonde co-star who was dressed in equally fanciful attire, Rose effortlessly got stuck into the role while surrounded by cameramen and crew.

Rose was also joined by three male co-stars who chatted away in between takes.

Behind the stars, the stunning Somerset beach stretched out, with grey skies looming ahead.

Sanditon was Austen's final and incomplete novel, which was written just months before the author's death in 1817.

Stunning: Behind the stars, the stunning Somerset beach stretched out, with grey skies looming ahead

Jane Austen: Sanditon was Austen's final and incomplete novel, which was written just months before the author's death in 1817

The adaptation tells the story of impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Hayward (Rose), and her spiky relationship with the charming yet wild Sidney Parker (Theo James).

When a chance accident transports her from her rural home town of Willingden to the coastal resort of the title, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make, and the characters whose fortunes depend on its commercial success.

The twists and turns of the plot - which takes viewers from the West Indies to the rotting alleys of London - exposes the hidden agendas of each character and sees Charlotte discover herself and ultimately find love.

Adaption: The adaptation tells the story of impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Hayward (Rose), and her spiky relationship with Sidney Parker (Theo James)

Chatting away: Rose was also joined by three male co-stars who chatted away in between takes

Season two: Season two's official synopsis reads: 'The drama will continue to follow the high-spirited and independent heroine, Charlotte Heywood (Williams) as she returns to Sanditon'

It continues: 'Charlotte's journey is one thread of an intricate tapestry of compelling stories full of intrigue, excitement, and romance'

A synopsis for season two - thought to hit screens in January - reads: 'The drama will continue to follow the high-spirited and independent heroine, Charlotte Heywood (Williams) as she returns to the picturesque coastal resort of Sanditon.

'Charlotte's journey is one thread of an intricate tapestry of compelling stories full of intrigue, excitement, and romance.

'Against the backdrop of beautiful vistas, familiar faces return and new inhabitants are introduced  all of whom will be having adventures as joyous and surprising as the seaside town itself.'

The synopsis adds: 'Against the backdrop of beautiful vistas, familiar faces return and new inhabitants are introduced'

It goes on: 'All of whom will be having adventures as joyous and surprising as the seaside town itself'

Beautiful: The cast and crew spent the day filming in beautiful Somerset

Beach goers: Beach goers watched on as the cast and crew filmed scenes

Vehicles: A large cluster of vehicles parked up on the beach

Speaking of the adaptation ahead of season one's release, screenwriter Andrew Davies said: 'Jane Austen managed to write only a fragment of her last novel before she died  but what a fragment!

'Sanditon tells the story of the transformation of a sleepy fishing village into a fashionable seaside resort, with a spirited young heroine, a couple of entrepreneurial brothers, some dodgy financial dealings, a West Indian heiress, and quite a bit of nude bathing.'

He added: 'Its been a privilege and a thrill for me to develop Sanditon into a TV drama for a modern audience.'

While ITVs Head of Drama, Polly Hill remarked: 'Its a rich, romantic, family saga built upon the foundations Jane Austen laid.

'There is no one better to adapt her unfinished novel than Andrew who has an incredible track record for bold and original adaptations. Were delighted to commission Sanditon from Belinda Campbell and her team at Red Planet Pictures.'

One to watch: Season two of the ITV adaptation of Jane Austen's Sanditon has been hotly anticipated
She welcomed her first child, son Hunter with fiancee Hayley Willis, on March 22.

And Fiona Falkiner was relishing motherhood on Sunday, sharing sweet snaps to Instagram of the couple taking their baby boy to the beach for the very first time.

The former Biggest Loser host, 38, looked radiant in a leopard print bikini as she soaked up the sun and enjoyed quality time with her family.

Fun in the sun: Fiona Falkiner, 38, looked to be relishing motherhood on Sunday as she shared sweet snaps to Instagram of her five-month-old son Hunter enjoying his first beach day

In one gorgeous shot, Fiona couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she sat in the shade next to little Hunter, who looked cute as a button in an olive green onesie.

Another candid photo saw Hayley revealing her trim figure in an abstract bikini and cradling Hunter on her lap.

Fiona also shared sweet footage of Hunter sleeping soundly on the beach, as well as one of the tot playing with a soft toy.

Too cute: A candid photo saw Fiona's fiancee Hayley revealing her trim figure in an abstract bikini and cradling Hunter on her lap

Precious photos: Fiona also shared sweet footage of Hunter resting peacefully on the beach, as well as one of the tot playing with a soft toy

'Loving life,' proud mother Fiona captioned the adorable snap.

On Thursday, Fiona revealed that she has been on a health kick for the past six weeks and is almost back in her old jeans.

Posting to Instagram, the star shared before and after photos of her weight loss.

Her bundle of joy: 'Loving life,' proud mother Fiona captioned one adorable snap

Fighting fit: On Thursday, Fiona revealed that she has been on a health kick for the past six weeks and is almost back in her old jeans. Posting to Instagram, the star shared before and after photos of her weight loss

She wrote in her caption: 'Look who nearly fits into her mum jeans! Being away from home and living in hotels for the past six weeks has been a bit of a challenge.'

Fiona added that she set herself 'some personal fitness goals' and is 'now a big fan of working out at home'.

The beauty added: 'I'm not really one for weigh-ins these days but I can see all my hard work has paid off, not just in my mood and energy levels, but now I'm almost into my mum jeans! Woohoo!'

Work it: Fiona said that she set herself 'some personal fitness goals' and is 'now a big fan of working out at home'

The beauty added: 'I'm not really one for weigh-ins these days but I can see all my hard work has paid off, not just in my mood and energy levels, but now I'm almost in to my mum jeans!'

Fiona and her fiancee Hayley, who got engaged in 2019, welcomed Hunter in March.

Last month, Fiona completed hotel quarantine in Queensland with their baby son.

The TV host entered the state, moving from Sydney, to join Hayley in the state's 'AFL bubble'.

Baby love: Fiona and her fiancee Hayley, who got engaged in 2019, welcomed Hunter in March

In May, the pair revealed they are ready to become second-time mothers.

'I think we are going to have another one pretty soon actually,' Fiona told The Daily Telegraph's Confidential.

In fact, the model added that she wants a large family with at least three children.

However it will be Hayley who will carry the couple's second child, Fiona told the publication.
She won the Best Actress award for her part in the movie at the closing ceremony of Venice Film Festival 2021 on Saturday night.

And Penelope Cruz was proudly toting her Coppa Volpi award as she headed home following her dazzling appearance at the annual event on Sunday.

The actress, 47, appeared on cloud nine as she flashed a beaming smile and waved to the cameras as she arrived at the city's airport with her husband Javier Bardem.

Proud: Penelope Cruz was proudly toting her Coppa Volpi award as she headed home following her dazzling appearance at the annual event on Sunday

Penelope looked typically chic in a knitted black jumper, which she wore with a pair of long denim shorts and red leather heels.

The Official Competition star wore her ombre locks in a loose sleek style and sported a subtle coat of make-up for her exit out of Venice.

She accesorised with a pair of stylish shades, earrings and a cross body bag.

Glowing: The actress, 47, appeared on cloud nine as she flashed a beaming smile and waved to the cameras as she arrived at the city's airport with her husband Javier Bardem

Penelope was joined by her husband Javier, who opted for double denim in a pale blue shirt and dark rinse jeans, which he styled with jeans.

Hours earlier, Penelope had won the Best Actress award for her part in the movie at the closing ceremony of the festival.

The Spanish star posed with the Coppa Volpi on the red carpet where she wowed in a strapless silver gown.

Star: Hours earlier, Penelope had won the Best Actress award for her part in the movie at the closing ceremony of the festival

Accepting the award she said: 'Thank you Pedro. This is 100 percent yours.

'Thanks for once again trusting me, for inspiring me every day with your search for truth, outside and inside.'

The star described Almodovar as 'my safety net' in a press conference ahead of their red carpet appearance in Venice.

Incredible: The Spanish star posed with the Coppa Volpi on the red carpet where she wowed in a strapless silver gown

Happy: Accepting the award she said: 'Thank you Pedro. This is 100 percent yours'

Proud: She added: 'Thanks for once again trusting me, for inspiring me every day with your search for truth, outside and inside'

She explained: 'He can ask me to do something that can really scare me but I know he will be there waiting to sustain me,' adding that she was grateful to the director for giving her 'so many different, challenging characters'.

Penelope stars as Janis in the highly-anticipated film which sees two women meet in a hospital room where they are both about to give birth.

Penelope has appeared in seven of Almodovar's movies, including All About My Mother and Volver.

Long-running friendship: Penelope has appeared in seven of Almodovar's movies, including All About My Mother and Volver

Sweet: The star described Almodovar as 'my safety net' in a press conference ahead of their red carpet appearance in Venice

On the red carpet she stunned in a shimmering silver off-the shoulder gown.

Penelope oozed grace and glamour as she glided across the carpet in her jaw-dropping gown which featured a metallic lace overlay, a dropped waist and a voluminous tulle underskirt.

The Vicky Cristina Barcelona star accessorised her showstopping gown with a pewter clutch back and towering silver and black heels.

Penelope left her caramel tresses to fall gracefully on her shoulders, while she enhanced her beauty with a sleek palette of make-up.

Beauty: On the red carpet she stunned in a shimmering silver off-the shoulder gown

The 2021 Venice Film Festival has taken place from 1-11 September, and is considered one of the world's oldest awards ceremonies and one of the 'Big Five' events.

The jury is headed by Parasite frontman Bong Joon Ho, who said he is 'honoured to be woven into its beautiful cinematic tradition.

'As president of the jury  and more importantly as a perpetual cinephile  I'm ready to admire and applaud all the great films selected by the festival. I'm filled with genuine hope and excitement.'

Style: Penelope oozed grace and glamour as she accepted the award in her jaw-dropping gown which featured a metallic lace overlay, a dropped waist and a voluminous tulle underskirt

The jury is also comprised of director Saverio Costanzo, actress Virginie Efira, star Cynthia Erivo, actress Sarah Gadon, documentarian Alexander Nanau, and director Chloe Zhao.

This year's festival has also invited two Afgan filmmakers, Sahraa Karimi and Sahra Mani, to discuss the Taliban's takeover of the country, with 'particular attention to the situation of filmmakers and artists,' in a panel taking place on 4th September.

The topic of the panel will be 'the dramatic situation of Afghan filmmakers and artists in general, the need for the creation of humanitarian corridors and the guarantee of the granting of political refugee status, as well as concern for their future and the need to provide for their accommodation once they arrive in Europe.'

Role: Penelope stars as Janis in the highly-anticipated film which sees two women meet in a hospital room where they are both about to give birth

Oscar-winning Italian director Roberto Benigni, who helmed the acclaimed Life is Beautiful, will also be honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

In a statement he said: 'My heart is full of joy and gratitude. It is an immense honour to receive such an important recognition of my work from the Venice International Film Festival.'

This year's festival has also seen the grand return of its star-studded red carpet premieres, after last year's event was drastically scaled back due to the Covid pandemic.

Glowing: Penelope left her caramel tresses to fall gracefully on her shoulders, while she enhanced her beauty with a sleek palette of make-up

Incredible achievement: She made her speech after going up on stage to accept the award

Last year's occasion saw a significantly smaller number of guests in attendance, will all red carpet arrivals required to adhere to social distancing, with temperature checks and mask wearing mandatory at the event.

Despite its return, this year's festival is still adhering to strict Covid guidelines, following a rise in cases in Italy.

Public access to the red carpet is banned, and more than 10 testing stations have been set up.

All attendees must show proof of a negative test or vaccination to enter a screen, and masks are required indoors.
Thomas Markle Jr. famously wrote a letter to Prince Harry pleading for him to not marry his half-sister Meghan in April 2018.

And now, a new trailer for Channel Seven's Big Brother VIP sees Thomas, 55, sitting in the diary room announcing plans to write them another letter.

'You know I'm famous for writing letters,' Thomas explains, while seated alongside former Australian Survivor contestant Luke Toki.

Big Brother VIP first look: Thomas Markle Jr. announces he is going to write his half-sister Meghan Markle and Prince Harry another letter in a new trailer for the upcoming reality show

'I'm gonna write a letter to Meghan,' he announces before he is seen putting ink to paper.

'Dear Meghan and Harry The first thing I want to say to both of you' he begins, trailing off.

Elsewhere in the teaser, US star Caitlyn Jenner shares her trans journey with Toki and Imogen Anthony.

Not again! A sneak peek at the upcoming season of Big Brother VIP sees Thomas, 55, sitting in the Big Brother diary room before announcing plans to write the royals another letter

Getting it off his chest: 'You know I'm famous for writing letters,' Thomas explains, while seated alongside former Australian Survivor contestant Luke Toki

Busy busy: 'I'm gonna write a letter to Meghan,' Thomas announces before he is seen putting ink to paper. 'Dear Meghan and Harry The first thing I want to say to both of you' he begins, trailing off

'You've probably never met anybody who is trans?' Caitlyn, 71, is heard saying to Luke, before adding, 'Let me see if I can try to explain. Are you right-handed or left-handed?

'Right-handed,' replies Luke.

'Why are you guys right-handed and me left-handed?' asks Caitlyn.

Candid: Another clip sees Caitlyn Jenner, 71, (pictured) share her trans journey with Toki (left)

Open: 'You've probably never met anybody who is trans?' Caitlyn, 71, is heard saying to Luke, before adding, 'Let me see if I can try to explain. Are you right-handed or left-handed?

Costars: Married At First Sight's Jessika Power is also set to appear on the upcoming series

'Well, it's just the way we were born,' responded Luke, leading the group to a collective 'aha' moment.

Thomas will star on Big Brother VIP alongside Omarosa Manigault Newman, 47, a former advisor to Donald Trump; and a hand full of Australian personalities.

Also appearing on the show is Kyle Sandilands' ex-girlfriend Imogen, 30, NRL star Matt Cooper, 42, and model Ellie Gonsalves, 30.

Game on: Also appearing on the show is Kyle Sandilands' ex-girlfriend Imogen Anthony, 30, NRL star Matt Cooper, 42, and model Ellie Gonsalves, 30 (pictured)

Meanwhile, in the first-ever promo for Big Brother VIP, Thomas claimed he'd 'warned' Prince Harry, 36, about his sister before their marriage.

'I'm Meghan Markle's brother, I'm the biggest brother of them all,' Thomas said while introducing himself in the video.

He then added: 'I told Prince Harry, I think she's going to ruin your life. She's very shallow'.

Thomas does not have a relationship with his famous younger sister, who is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Big Brother VIP is scheduled to air later this year on Channel Seven
She recently gave birth to her third child with husband Paul Stoker.

And EastEnders star Kellie Bright, 45, was spotted with her newborn baby for the very first time at a shopping centre in Buckinghamshire on Sunday.

The actress, who plays Linda Carter in the BBC soap, looked radiant as she sported a yellow maternity dress with lilac floral prints.

Day out: EastEnders star Kellie Bright looked radiant in a yellow maternity dress as she took her newborn baby shopping for the very first time on Sunday

Tying her hair in a ponytail, the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant flawlessly pulled off a makeup-free look as she maneuvered the tot's buggy around her car.

She carried a set of heavy-looking bags from M&S and Sainsbury's, along with a shopping trolley, and wore pair of sandals.

She revealed the happy news to OK! magazine on Friday, telling the publication: 'We're thrilled to announce the safe arrival of the latest addition to our family. Mum and baby are doing well.'

New mum: She recently gave birth to her third child with husband Paul Stoker

Beauty: The actress, who plays Linda Carter in the BBC soap, looked radiant as she sported a yellow maternity dress with lilac floral prints

Busy bee: Kellie appeared to be in deep thought as she went about her business

Kellie, who announced that she was expecting her 'miracle' third baby in March after undergoing a frozen embryo transfer, already shares sons Freddy, nine, and Gene, four, with Paul.

The couple previously opened up to the publication about their IVF journey to conceive their child, the method they opted for when they successfully conceived second son Gene.

Kellie and Paul needed IVF treatment after they struggled to get pregnant with their second child and got four 'strong' embryos, one of which became Gene.

Glowing: Tying her hair in a ponytail, the former Strictly Come Dancing contestant flawlessly pulled off a makeup-free look as she maneuvered the tot's buggy around her car

Looking good: She carried a set of heavy-looking bags from M&S and Sainsbury's, along with a shopping trolley

They then used the remaining three to try for a third, with the first two not working, while they experienced a bleed with the last.

Although the bleed left Kellie in tears, it ended up not affecting the pregnancy.

The soap star said she almost fell to the floor when she learned she was pregnant for a third time, saying she knew it was her 'last chance'.

She added that she was 'shocked and thrilled' when she learned the news, adding that it took her 'breath away'.

Wow! The soap star said she almost fell to the floor when she learned she was pregnant for a third time, saying she knew it was her 'last chance'

Kellie admitted she wouldn't tell women to wait as late as she did before having IVF, describing the experience as a 'rollercoaster'.

Kellie previously fired back at criticism for having a baby at the age of 44 [now 45], saying 'no one would bat an eyelid' if she was a man.

Speaking to OK! magazine in a previous interview, Kellie noted her husband is several years younger than her and so has the energy to run after the kids.

Joy: She recently said, 'We're thrilled to announce the safe arrival of the latest addition to our family. Mum and baby are doing well'

Motherhood: Kellie, who announced that she was expecting her 'miracle' third baby in March after undergoing a frozen embryo transfer, already shares sons Freddy, nine, and Gene, four, with Paul (pictured on EastEnders)

She said: 'First of all, if I was a man having my third child at 44, no one would bat an eyelid. Don't forget my husband is much younger than me.

'He's in his thirties, so he's still running around after the kids, which is great. We met when I was 31 and I didn't want to jump straight into having kids.'

Kellie said she would have finished having babies at the end of her thirties if she had the chance to map out a perfect life.

Team work: Kellie noted her husband is several years younger than her and so has the energy to run after the kids

Speaking to OK! magazine in January 2017 - two months after welcoming second child Gene - Kellie admitted she was already entertaining the idea of conceiving a third.

She said: 'I don't feel ready to shut the door on motherhood just yet. But if we do have another one, it won't be immediately.'

Of motherhood, she added: 'It's such a cliche but it really is a love like nothing else. In that moment, you feel like everything you need is right there in that room  apart from Freddy of course.

'I couldn't believe in only seven hours he'd arrived and my whole world had changed again.'

Pregnancy: The couple previously opened up to the publication about their IVF journey to conceive their child, the method they opted for when they successfully conceived second son Gene *pictured in EastEnders)
Rob Kazinsky will return to EastEnders to play Sean Slater as part of a shocking return, following a two year hiatus from the show.

The actor, 37, was spotted exiting a hotel where he was taken directly to Elstree Studios in Herfordshire, on Wednesday, where the soap is filmed.

He reportedly began filming scenes last week, with a storyline following Sean's mum's illness and his sister Stacey's release from prison.

Emerging: Rob Kazinsky has ditched Hollywood for Walford as he jetted into the UK to make an explosive comeback to EastEnders... as he was spotted heading to the show's set on Wednesday

Throwback: Rob will return to play Sean Slater as part of a shocking return, following a two year hiatus from the show (pictured in-character in 2019)

A resident of the USA, Rob has flown across the pond specially for his explosive comeback to the BBC One show.

A show insider told the Daily Star: 'Rob is back after two years away.

'Producers have done everything they can to keep it hush hush. Only select people have been made aware what is happening.'

He's in town! A resident of the USA, Rob has flown across the pond specially for his explosive comeback to the BBC One show

In the making: He reportedly began filming scenes last week, with a storyline following Sean's mum's illness and his sister Stacey's release from prison

Now a Hollywood star, the British Soap Award winner has made a name for himself in tinsel town, having appeared in HBO's True Blood and Marvel's blockbuster movie Captain Marvel.

The source added: 'For a big name like Rob to come back shows just how much he loves being part of the show.'

The on-screen rogue first graced the streets of Walford in 2006 before leaving for the first time in 2006.

Impressive: Now a Hollywood star, the British Soap Award winner has made a name for himself in tinsel town, having appeared in HBO's True Blood and Marvel's blockbuster movie Captain Marvel (pictured in 2016)

He went on to briefly return in 2019 in which a mental health storyline saw his character contemplate taking his own life.

An intervention from his mum caused Sean to admit himself to a mental health facility while promising to return in time to take his former stepdaughter Amy Mitchell to her late mum Roxy's bar in Ibiza for her 18th birthday.

With Jean announcing in the show that she had returned from a visit to see Sean only last week, it seems fans won't have to wait much longer to see their favourite badboy.
Heidi Klum's 17-year-old daughter Leni commanded the runway at the About You show during Berlin Fashion Week on Sunday.

Appearing to enjoy her time in the spotlight, the teen nailed a chic double denim while strutting along the catwalk at the annual event.

Following the show, her proud mother shared a congratulatory post on her Instagram page, as she sweetly declared: 'It makes me so happy to see you this happy'.

Beauty: Heidi Klum's daughter Leni, 17, nailed double denim chic as she strutted her stuff at the About You show during Berlin Fashion Week on Sunday

Leni looked incredible as she sported a light black crop top and modelled a denim jacket over her shoulders.

The daughter of the fashion industry icon also wore a matching set of trousers while adding inches to her height with black heels.

Her lengthy blonde locks cascaded over her shoulders in beachy waves and she sported a full face of glamorous makeup.

She later slipped her toned physique into a long-sleeved white crop top, which she layered beneath a pair of denim dungarees.

Having unbuttoned the number at her right shoulder, the garment hung loose to create a laid-back appearance.

Looking good: She sported a light black crop top and modelled a denim jacket over her shoulders

Confident: Leni looked like quite the expert as she posed up a storm in front of the camera

Showstopping: Her lengthy blonde locks cascaded over her shoulders in beachy waves and she sported a full face of glamorous makeup

The America's Got Talent judge, 48, initially began a relationship with her daughter's father Flavio Briatore, 71, in 1998.

Prior to becoming involved with the businessman, she was married to her first husband, Ric Pipino, 53, from 1997 until 2002.

She then began a relationship with Flavio and announced that she was pregnant with the couple's child in December of 2003.

However, the two split up not long after the news was made available to the public, and Heidi went on to begin a relationship with her third husband, Seal, 58, who served as Leni's adoptive father.

Outfit change: She later slipped her toned physique into a long-sleeved white crop top, which she layered beneath a pair of denim dungarees

Pals: The blonde bombshell (third from left) posed with her fellow models at the end of the runway

Last December, the mother-daughter duo made a joint appearance on the cover of Vogue Germany, where the fashion industry icon was seen kissing her child's cheek.

The reality television personality also wrote a lengthy message that was directed at Leni in the post's caption, and lovingly told her that she was 'a really great person with your heart in the right place.'

Heidi went on to note that she wanted her daughter to remember the lessons that she had taught her throughout her lifetime.

Doing their thing: Last December, both Heidi and Leni appeared on the cover of Vogue Germany, and the America's Got Talent judge shared a congratulatory post directed at her daughter to her Instagram account

'I hope that no matter where you are, you always carry what I have given you over the past 16 years. For the big decisions in life, but also for the very little ones,' she noted.

The model then gave her daughter another suggestion that she hoped would be greatly valued as she began her modeling career.

She wrote: 'And even if you often don't want to hear your mom's clever advice, here's another one: never do something you don't want to do and always listen to your gut instinct.'

Heidi also pointed out that Leni's high-profile debut was likely a good omen and that her daughter had a bright future ahead of her.

'I am sure that an exciting time is waiting for you. Vogue is the best way to start the career you dream of,' she expressed.

The model concluded the message by noting that she would always support her daughter in all of her ventures and that she was happy to see her mature into an adult.

Klum wrote: 'And even if it is a little difficult for me to let go of you into this world, I will always do everything so that you are happy and that your dreams come true. I am proud to be your mom!'
Eiza Gonzalez and her boyfriend Paul Rabil proved they are not just a good match romantically, but also when it comes to their fashion.

The couple were spotted out on the streets of New York in matching white.

Eiza, 30, wore a white button-down blouse that extended far beyond her slim waist to cover part of her legs as well.

Pulling off white after Labor Day: Eiza Gonzalez, 30, stepped out on to the streets of New York with her boyfriend, Premier League Lacrosse star Paul Rabil, 35, in an all-white outfit

A splash of color: The actress accented her outfit with a bright red handbag

She accented the outfit with a red handbag and parted her hair down the middle.

Her Premier League Lacrosse star boyfriend wore a white short sleeve t-shirt, black pants with large holes at each knee and black shoes.

The pair have been dating for several months now. Rumors of the two of them started floating around after a party in May where the two were seen together.

An insider told Page Six at the time, 'It was clear they are a couple and have been dating for a little while.'

Clearly a couple: The pair were seen at a party together in May and an insider told Page Six at the time, 'It was clear they are a couple and have been dating for a little while.'

Famous flames abound: The Baby Driver actress, seen here in 2020, has been linked to people like Timothee Chalamet and Josh Duhamel in the past

The Baby Driver actress later made the news official via a post to her Instagram story in July that read, 'Congratulations to the Lacrosse [goat] on becoming all-time leader with the most points/goals in pro lacrosse history!!

'I love you [Paul]. No one works harder than you.'

Gonzalez has been linked to some big stars in the past including actors like Timothee Chalamet and Josh Duhamel.

Rabil was previously married to another lacrosse player named Kelly Berger from 2014 to 2017.

Not his first serious relationship: Rabil was married once before from 2014 to 2017

A busy star: Gonzalez has worked on a number of projects recently including Ambulance, the upcoming Michael Bay film

With Rabil and Gonzalez's romance budding, the Hobbes & Shaw actress has also stayed busy in her career.

She appeared in three films that came out this year, and she spent some time earlier this year filming her next movie, Ambulance.

In the movie, two robbers steal an ambulance after a robbery gone wrong. The Mexico City native will play an EMT in the film.

Ambulance will star Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II of Aquaman fame as the two robbers.
Melissa Tattam stunned fans during an Instagram Q&A on Sunday when she revealed she is no longer in a relationship with her fellow Made in Chelsea star Harry Baron.

It was when the reality star, 24, was asked, 'Are you still with Harry,' by one fan that she replied, 'No, she's single,' referring to herself in the third person.

They were one of the show's strongest couples, having made things official over Christmas in 2017.

Shock! Made In Chelsea's Melissa Tattam stunned fans as she revealed she's split from co-star Harry Baron following over three years together on Sunday

The pair moved in together only months later, where they snapped up a swanky Battersea pad which featured heavily in their YouTube videos.

It seemed marriage had been on the cards as they told OK! Magazine that Melissa had her eye on a 150k engagement ring back in 2018.

'Melissa has sent me a photo of the engagement ring she wants  it's 150,000. I'll have to remortgage my life!' Harry, 32, quipped at the time.

Happier times: The pair moved in together only months later, where they snapped up a swanky Battersea pad which featured heavily in their YouTube videos

End of an era: It was when the reality star, 24, was asked, 'Are you still with Harry,' by one fan that she replied, 'No, she's single,' referring to herself in the third person

'Although she jokes, there's a serious element to it,' he said.

'Harry is the easiest person and I'm quite difficult. I couldn't date myself! He's hilarious too  I'm constantly in stitches,' Melissa gushed about the one-time Lothario.

'This is the first relationship I've had where we completely get each other,' he added.

Keeping quiet: While the brunette beauty has made no hesitation in announcing the news, her former flame has remained tight-lipped about the revelation on social media (pictured in 2020)

While the brunette beauty made no hesitation in announcing the news, her former flame has remained tight-lipped about the revelation on social media.

On the very same day, he took to the social media platform to share a string of videos he recorded while taking a leisurely stroll through the Big Smoke.

His trip took him over the Albert Bridge in South West London and along the tree-lined Chelsea Embankment.
Tom Holland couldn't resist voicing his admiration for his girlfriend Zendaya's incredible beauty.

On Friday, the 25-year-old Euphoria star shared a trio of stunning snaps from the Dune premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.

And the 25-year-old British actor apparently loved the look as he left three fire emojis in the comment section.

Wowed: Tom Holland could not resist voicing his admiration for his girlfriend Zendaya's beauty after the Euphoria star shared a trio of stunning snaps from the Dune premiere at the Venice International Film Festival

Loving it: the 25-year-old British actor apparently loved the look as he left three fire emojis in the comment section

'I know I'm late to posting these, it's been a long week but one of the most special weeks,' Zendaya captioned the photos that she posted, which were taken on September 3.

The Emmy winner ruled the red carpet in a gorgeous custom leather floor-length Balmain gown that featured a high slit.

Designed by Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, the nude gown clung to the actress's flawless figure, giving off a 'wet look.'

Gorgeous: The Emmy winner ruled the red carpet in a gorgeous custom leather floor-length Balmain gown featuring a high slit

According to a post on the official Balmain Instagram page, the gown was 'crafted in sculpturally structured leather' and was 'specially created for the star' by 'using a cast model of her bust, highlighting the house's long-running couture tradition.'

Zendaya completed her attention-grabbing look with Bulgari's 'Hypnotic Emerald' necklace.

The statement piece is a 93-carat emerald clasped inside the jaws of a snake encrusted in diamonds and emeralds.

Showstopper: Zendaya completed her attention-grabbing look with Bulgari's 'Hypnotic Emerald' necklace. The statement piece is a 93-carat emerald clasped inside the jaws of a snake encrusted in diamonds and emeralds

Tom and Zendaya have reportedly been an item for years, but only recently went public with their relationship.

Last week, Holland made things Instagram official as he wished the former Disney Channel star a happy birthday.

The Impossible star shared a snap to his grid from their Spider-Man days where she caught a photo in the mirror while hanging out in a dressing room.

Sweethearts: Last week, Holland made things Instagram official as he wished Zendaya a happy birthday

Tom was dressed in full Spider-Man threads  aside from his mask  as he peered into the mirror while Zendaya snapped a photo of the couple.

'My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays,' he captioned the sweet snap. 'Gimme a call when your up xxx.'

Zendaya admitted she was hard at work on her big day as she shared an eerie nighttime photo from the set of Euphoria.

Just the two of us: The 25-year-old actor shared a snap to his grid from their Spider-Man days where she caught a photo in the mirror while hanging out in a dressing room

Love: Hours later, Zendaya proved to be awake and ready to chat

Production: Zendaya admitted she was hard at work on her big day as she shared an eerie nighttime photo from the set of Euphoria

The couple were recently spotted together at a friend's wedding in Simi Valley.

Tom first found fame as Spidey when he was just 15 years old in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America: Civil War, and has since starred in five MCU flicks.

His character, Peter Parker, is classmates with Michelle Jones, aka MJ, at the Midtown School of Science and Technology.

After co-starring together in Spider-Man: Homecoming, the duo also acted in its sequel, Far From Home, and this December, will be seen in the next installment which is subtitled No Way Home.

Love is in the air! Zendaya found the perfect wedding date in Tom Holland as they celebrated a friend's nuptials together in Simi Valley on Sunday

Star power: Tom first found fame as Spidey when he was just 15 years old in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America: Civil War, and has since starred in five MCU flicks; seen in 2017

An insider told PEOPLE last month that the pair have been romantically involved for years, but were attempting to keep their relationship private.

'They started seeing each other while they were filming Spider-Man. They've been super careful to keep it private and out of the public eye but they've gone on vacations with each other and try and spend as much time as possible with one another,' a source said.

Tom was linked to a woman named Olivia Bolton in 2019, but The Sun reported last April that they had called time on their relationship after nine months.

There were also reports that Zendaya and her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi became a couple in 2019, but he is now in a relationship with Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber.
Two-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie masked up and dressed down to watch a double feature at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The Australian 31-year-old - wearing what appeared to be black scrubs - was joined by a blonde gal pal resembling Malignant star Annabelle Wallis.

Margot accessorized her comfy attire with black slides, a matching mini-backpack, and a red headband pushing back her signature flaxen locks.

Movie night! Two-time Oscar nominee Margot Robbie (L) masked up and dressed down to watch a double feature at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles on Saturday night

Robbie and her friend enjoyed back-to-back, sold-out screenings of Martha Coolidge's 1983 teen rom-com Valley Girl and Amy Heckerling's 1995 teen comedy Clueless.

Her Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino bought the single-screen 228-seat cinema, which only plays 35mm prints, back in 2010.

Missing from The Suicide Squad action star's side on Saturday was her husband of four years, producing partner Tom Ackerley.

Friends: The Australian 31-year-old - wearing what appeared to be black scrubs - was joined by a blonde gal pal (R) resembling Malignant star Annabelle Wallis

Dressed for comfort: Margot accessorized her comfy attire with black slides, a matching mini-backpack, and a red headband pushing back her signature flaxen locks

Marquee: Robbie and her friend enjoyed back-to-back, sold-out screenings of Martha Coolidge's 1983 teen rom-com Valley Girl and Amy Heckerling's 1995 teen comedy Clueless

Cinefile: Her Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino (R, pictured in 2019) bought the single-screen 228-seat cinema, which only plays 35mm prints, back in 2010

Margot originally met the 31-year-old Englishman while he was working as third assistant director on the 2014 set of Suite Francaise, in which she played Celine Joseph.

Robbie is currently hard at work playing the late silent film star Clara Bow in Damien Chazelle's Golden Age Hollywood epic Babylon, which hits US theaters December 25, 2022.

The Neighbours alum replaced Emma Stone in the role of the 'It Girl' in the $100M-budget, 1920s-set drama also starring Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Jean Smart, and Olivia Wilde.

No resemblance: The Suicide Squad action star is currently hard at work playing the late silent film star Clara Bow (R) in Damien Chazelle's Golden Age Hollywood epic Babylon, which hits US theaters December 25, 2022
Travis Barker has flown five times this past month, after nearly 13 years of avoiding air travel following a horrific plane crash.

'Flew 5 times in the last month,' the Blink-182 drummer, 45, tweeted on Sunday.

Travis stepped foot for the first time on a plane last month for a flight to Cabo San Lucas with his girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian after surviving a plane crash in 2008 which claimed the lives of four people.

'Flew 5 times in the last month': Travis Barker has flown five times this past month, after 13 years of avoiding air travel following a horrific plane crash

The musician, who jetted off to Mexico with Kourtney, her mother Kris Jenner, and her boyfriend Corey Gamble, later credited his girlfriend for helping him fly for the first time after the incident.

Taking to Instagram, Travis posted a photo of himself holding his girlfriend as they posed in front of Kylie Jenner's jet.

'With you anything is possible,' Travis captioned the photo.

Travis hadn't been able to set foot on an airplane following the deadly plane crash in 2008 in South Carolina in which he was one of only two survivors.

Overcoming his fears: Barker has been conquering his fear of flight as of late

Milestone: Travis stepped foot for the first time on a plane last month for a flight to Cabo San Lucas with his girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian after surviving a plane crash in 2008 which claimed the lives of four people

The plane crash happened on September 19, 2008 - Travis boarded a private jet in South Carolina to head back to Los Angeles following a show, while accompanied by his friend Adam 'DJ AM' Goldstein, his security guard Charles 'Che' Still, and his assistant Chris Baker.

As the small plane was attempting to take off, one of its tires suffered a blow out, causing the craft to overshoot the runway, burst through the airport's fence and over the nearby highway, and finally crash into the embankment on the side of the road.

The pilot, Sarah Lemmon, and the co-pilot, James Bland, were killed within minutes from smoke inhalation and burns as the plane erupted into flames on impact, according to the Chicago Tribune. Still and Baker were also killed on impact.

Forever: The Blink-182 drummer shared PDA snaps with his girlfriend Kourtney and hinted at marriage as he wrote 'forever isn't long enough' after Scott Disick's snide DM earlier this month

Travis and Adam were able to escape from the burning plane via an emergency exit over the wing, but both were engulfed in flames as they slid down the wing and got covered in burning jet fuel.

The drummer had third-degree burns over 65 percent of his body and had to spend three months in the hospital while having skin grafts and 26 surgeries to repair the damage.

Since their trip to Cabo, the musician enjoyed a romantic getaway to Europe with Kourtney.

Recently The Sun recently reported that they're trying to 'combine the two families' and that Kardashian wants Barker to be 'step-dad' to her three kids: Mason, 11, Penelope, nine, and Reign, six.

True romance! The loved pair were seen taking in Paris at night as they posed in front of a lit up Eiffel Tower in a snap posted earlier this month

'Kourtney and Travis are loved up but what's causing a headache is the plans to combine the two families. Right now Kourtney and Travis live minutes away from each other, but they want to move in together to start a new chapter, and that means all their kids need to be involved in the plan too.'

It was added: 'When he's not with his kids, Travis spends all his time at Kourt's - and he more or less lives there,' and that 'Kourt wants Travis to be step-dad to her kids, and her to his.'

The duo had first sparked engagement rumors during a trip to Las Vegas in July, after his daughter Alabama Barker, 15, re-posted an image of the pair with the caption 'So happy for you guys' and later referred to Kourtney as her 'stepmom' in an Instagram live.

Her hairstylist Glen Oropeza had also commented on an image: 'NOWWW I understand why ppl tie the knot in Vegas' with the chapel emoji  but later changed it.

Building a future: 'They want to move in together to start a new chapter, and that means all their kids need to be involved in the plan too,' a source told The Sun; pictured August 31

Though the pair have never addressed any of the chatter, it has been reported that marriage has definitely been discussed.

'Kourtney and Travis have talked about marriage,' an insider told E! News. 'It was an instant connection and bond ever since they became romantically involved...They are in it for the long haul.'

On August 31, however, Disick seemed to try and dim the pair's sparkle as he sent a snide direct message to her ex boyfriend Younes Bendjima  who put the Talentless designer on blast by sharing the DM on Instagram.

Scott message the French-Algerian model, 28, who Kourtney dated from 2016 to 2018 with the message: 'Yo is this chick ok!????? Brooo like what is this. In the middle of Italy,' accompanied by a DailyMail.com photo of the pair having a heated makeout.

Red hot! The Poosh founder shared more images from her European getaway

Brewing tenison: 'Kourtney doesn't want her kids seeing anything online that makes it look like their parents don't get along,' an ET source said of her reaction to the leaked DM

Younes responded back: 'Don't matter to me as long as she's happy. PS: i aint your bro,' and later said that he 'couldn't miss' the opportunity to share the message as Scott had been 'playing around for too long.'

After the leaked DM, Us Weekly reported that Scott was 'riled up' because her new romance was affecting their relationship. 'It's more strained than ever,' the insider said.

It was added: 'He doesn't think she should be showing off too much PDA because of their rated-R behavior. The kids are still young and can easily find paparazzi photos of them on their phones.'

A second ET source said that though she and Travis 'don't care' about Scott's opinion 'Kourtney is upset it's now public.' 'Kourtney doesn't want her kids seeing anything online that makes it look like their parents don't get along.'

Shady business: Disick had sent the above message to Younes which he leaked on Instagram

Bitter: An Us Weekly source said 'He doesn't think she should be showing off too much PDA because of their rated-R behavior' and was worried that their three kids could find the racy images online

And PEOPLE reported that Kourtney had plans to 'confront' Scott once she got back to the US but was 'not shocked' he would stoop to that level.

'She was surprised, but not shocked,' the source said. 'Scott has always had a difficult time accepting that Kourtney is happy with someone else. He is especially threatened by her relationship with Travis.'

'She will confront him about it,' it was added, and though it is currently unknown if she has exchanged words with her baby daddy, Kourtney touched down in the US a few days ago.

In the interim Barker had seemed to laugh the whole thing off as he shared an image of Ray Liotta from Goodfellas laughing hysterically.
Chloe Brockett labelled Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell a 'f*****g idiot' during an argument argument on Sunday night's episode of TOWIE.

The reality show is back for a brand new series and it all kicked off when the group decided to head to Sandbanks for a staycation.

After learning that Gatsby had discussed her fling with James 'Lockie' Lock and said James was 'cringed out' by her, Chloe confronted him at the beach.

Tense: Chloe Brockett labelled Liam 'Gatsby' Blackwell a 'f*****g idiot' during an argument argument on Sunday night's episode of TOWIE

She said: 'I feel like we need to speak about a few things. Saying James was cringed out about me? What's that about?'

Unimpressed, Gatsby replied: 'Why are you coming up to me and talking like we're mates?'

Chloe responded: 'I'm not your pal so why are you saying it?'

Trying to keep his cool, Gatsby said: 'I couldn't care less. I don't care if he's cringing or not cringing. I could not care less.'

Argument: After learning that Gatsby had discussed her fling with James 'Lockie' Lock and said James was 'cringed out' by her, Chloe confronted him at the beach

Chloe insisted the fact he was talking about her at all proved he did care as she replied: 'You said it. There was a million topics you could have had and it was about me and Lockie.'

Gatsby answered: 'Everyone's talking about it Chlo, not just me.'

This was the last straw for Chloe as she replied: 'You're getting involved. Why do you give a f**k?

'I don't need this ag. You can go and write a song no one gives a f**k about you f****n idiot.'

Chloe said: 'I feel like we need to speak about a few things. Saying James was cringed out about me? What's that about?'

After storming off, Chloe was then seen leaving a voice note on someone's phone saying: 'I think we need to talk, I'm on the way back to Essex so I'll see you when I'm there.'

James, who didn't go on the trip, was then seen picking up his phone and listening to the note before putting it away.

Earlier in the episode, James spoke to Chloe Sims and James 'Diags' Bennewith over video chat and said his romance with Chloe, which happened shortly after his split from Yazmin Oukhellou, was not serious.

He said: 'My body was there but my mind.. I'm like a magnet towards women. It was never going to be serious.'

Reaction: Fans took to social media to react to the heated argument on the beach, with many praising Chloe for defending herself

Gatsby had dinner with Dani Imbert, Dan Edgar and Amber Turner during the episode where Amber told him: 'You've been slightly muggy towards my best friends so I didn't want to sit there and be like everything's fine.'

Gatsby replied: ' Obviously they're your friends but I've always got on with you. Even Chloe Brockett I thought was alright. I didn't say anything about her. I don't like them. I just want to get back to how it was.'

Fans took to social media to react to the heated argument on the beach, with many praising Chloe for defending herself.

One wrote: 'There's way too many haters for Chloe on TOWIE now. Uncomfortable watching it.'

Awkward: Liam spoke about Chloe Brockett over dinner with Dani Imbert, Amber Turner and Dan Edgar

Another said: 'I'll give it to Chloe, she holds her own. I'm convinced people start on her for air time at this point.'

One viewer wrote: 'No one can intimidate Chloe B and this is why I rate her,' while another said: 'I'm sorry but Chloe B gives me main character energy. I LOVE it.'

Chloe also tweeted after the show about James and Dani, writing: 'Yawning hell will Gatsby and his plus one ever stop talking about me'.

Viewers can expect plenty of fireworks in the coming weeks as James and Chloe's rendezvous reaches the Lothario's ex-girlfriend Yazmin in Dubai.

Yazmin looks set to make her return in next week's episode as she was seen arriving back in Essex during a preview clip of episode two.

Fling: Earlier in the episode, James spoke to Chloe Sims and James 'Diags' Bennewith over video chat and said his romance with Chloe, which happened shortly after his split from Yazmin Oukhellou, was not serious.

She's back! Yazmin looks set to make her return in next week's episode as she was seen arriving back in Essex during a preview clip of episode two

Yazmin, 27, will return to the show to confront her friend over the betrayal, after Chloe started seeing James following the couple's painful split in February.

A source told MailOnline last month: 'James and Chloe's romance has really shocked a lot of people.

'No one expected them to grow close, especially given Chloe's friendship with Yazmin. Her relationship with James has been over for months now but she still feels betrayed and let down by the way Chloe's acted.

'Yazmin's return to TOWIE will see her confront Chloe over her behaviour, and indeed James' after they agreed to still treat each other with respect following their split.'
Channel Seven has made the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for all staff on breakfast show Sunrise after co-hosts Natalie Barr and David 'Kochie' Koch refused to work with unvaccinated hair and makeup artists.

The anchors took a stand on the issue after a Covid scare last month put everyone on set - including pregnant newsreader Edwina Bartholomew - at risk.

They joined other senior figures at Sunrise, including Bartholomew and executive producer Michael Pell, in successfully lobbying for mandatory vaccines for crew members in a move that could set a precedent for the Australian TV industry.

There was particular concern about unvaccinated freelancers working for different shows across Sydney bringing the virus to 'Brekky Central', reports The Australian.

Taking a stand: Channel Seven has made the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for all staff on breakfast show Sunrise after co-hosts Natalie Barr (left) and David 'Kochie' Koch (right) refused to work with unvaccinated hair and makeup artists

These fears were compounded by the fact Bartholomew, 38, is expecting her second child, and Koch, at 65 years old, is in a vulnerable age group for Covid-19.

Barr, 53, also reportedly raised concerns because she has teenage sons, while Pell escalated the matter with Seven management on behalf of concerned staffers.

The media is considered 'essential work' during Covid and social distancing can be particularly challenging for those working on live TV - which means vaccine mandates will likely soon become industry standard.

However, Seven's move towards mandatory vaccines has apparently 'attracted private grumbles from at least one Sunrise [staffer]' who is unvaccinated and therefore unable to work on the show.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Seven for comment.

Bold move: They joined other senior figures at Sunrise, including newsreader Edwina Bartholomew and executive producer Michael Pell, in successfully lobbying for mandatory vaccines for crew members in a move that could set a precedent for the Australian TV industry. Barr is pictured with a Sunrise crew member

Risk: There was particular concern about unvaccinated freelancers working for different shows across Sydney bringing the virus to 'Brekky Central'. Executive producer Michael Pell (left, with former Sunrise co-host Sam Armytage) escalated the matter with Seven management on behalf of concerned staffers

Sunrise had a Covid scare on the morning of Friday, August 27, after a crew member tested positive for the virus overnight, after working at Seven's Martin Place studios for three consecutive days.

Bartholomew went into self-isolation because she was a close contact of the confirmed case but thankfully returned a negative test result.

'Hello and welcome to Friday, everyone. And we join you after a Covid-19 scare of our own overnight; a staffer tested positive,' Barr said at the start of the program.

Scare: Sunrise had a Covid scare on the morning of Friday, August 27, after a crew member tested positive for the virus overnight, after working at the Seven's Martin Place studios for three consecutive days. The studio was deep-cleaned by cleaners in protective clothing

'The studio has been deep-cleaned. We've all been tested. Everyone here is OK,' she added, as footage aired of the studio being cleaned by a person in a hazmat suit.

'Eddy is a close contact so she's isolating but is all right. And Kochie was already having the day off so Michael Usher is here. We'll have more details on that later.'

The Covid-positive employee was fully vaccinated, asymptomatic and a 'close contact' of another case unrelated to Seven, the network confirmed at the time.

Earlier that month, Barr and Koch, 65, had their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on air.

Bartholomew is also vaccinated, and has encouraged other pregnant women to get the jab.

Scare: Edwina Bartholomew, who is pregnant with her second child, went into self-isolation as a close contact of the confirmed case but thankfully returned a negative test result

Seven had already raised the possibility of a vaccine mandate in a staff email sent out a week before the Covid scare on set of Sunrise.

The network canvassed its employees' views in an internal survey, which read: 'As the Covid Delta strain gathers momentum, talk is turning to whether or not vaccination should be mandatory for staff.

'Before Seven makes a decision, we want to understand your views.

'To obtain your input, we have designed a brief survey which you can access here. It is confidential and should take no longer than 30 seconds to respond.'

Staff on several Seven programs are already receiving three Covid tests a week and complying with Covid-safe measures.

Inevitable: The media is considered 'essential work' during Covid and social distancing can be particularly challenging for those working on live TV - which means vaccine mandates will likely soon become industry standard. Pictured: Seven's Martin Place studios

At the time some employees were said to be concerned about their future at the company if a 'no jab, no job' policy were to be implemented, reported TV Blackbox.

However, a spokesperson said no decision had been made on mandatory vaccines.

'We are not proposing mandatory vaccines. We're gathering the views of our staff, which is the fair and responsible thing to do,' the representative said on August 20.

'The survey closes COB today, so it's premature to speculate what might happen. We will absolutely be guided by what our people want.

Survey: Seven had already raised the possibility of a vaccine mandate in a staff email sent out a week before the Covid scare on set of Sunrise. The network canvassed its employees' views in this internal survey, which was leaked to industry website TV Blackbox

'We will share the results of the survey with staff and whatever happens from there will be in consultation with our staff.

'The health and safety of our staff is our number-one priority at all times.'

Mandatory vaccines have been a topic of debate at workplaces, with the government leaving the decision in the hands of employers.

Airline Qantas and food-processing company SPC have announced they will be making vaccination compulsory for their staff.

Mandate: Mandatory vaccines have been a topic of debate at workplaces, with the government leaving the decision in the hands of employers. Airline Qantas and food-processing company SPC have said they will be making vaccination compulsory for their staff

Meanwhile, Seven is facing another vaccine-related PR issue at the moment after reporter Denham Hitchcock last month suffered an extremely rare side effect linked to the Pfizer jab.

He spoke about his hospitalisation with pericarditis - a rare condition when the sac-like tissue surrounding the heart becomes inflamed - in a lengthy Instagram post that soon became a flashpoint for anti-vaxxers.

While Mr Hitchcock insisted he wasn't anti-vaccine, he was reportedly instructed by Seven management last week to tone done his social media commentary about the jab because it included too much 'editorialising'.
Kim Kardashian continued to be her own best advertisement as she promoted her latest and greatest SKIMS products in a Sunday Instagram post.

The 40-year-old reality star slipped her famous curves into a cotton ribbed bodysuit in a new photoshoot, while teasing the piece's versatility.

The multi-hyphenate's post comes after she made the trip from Hidden Hills to New York City with four members of her famous family as she gears up for the Met Gala on September 13.

Skim-berly: Kim Kardashian slipped her famous curves into a ribbed SKIMS bodysuit to promote the 'all-in-one outfit' and its versatility on Sunday

Kim looked flawless in the shoot as she showed off her go-to glam and breathy pout with her hair down.

The ribbed bodysuit in color Kyanite hugged her slim waist and fell seamlessly on her body, hitting just above the thigh.

'This all-in-one outfit is soft and comfortable enough for lounging around the house and cute enough for everyday wear. Throw this on with anything from sweats to jeansand prepare to wear it again and again,' the brand prompted.

Proving that business never stops for the mogul, she took time to promote some of her favorite shape wear products despite being in NYC.

Night out: Kim and forever friend Lala Anthony enjoyed a girls night out in NYC after the reality star touched down; pictured September 11

Surprise appearance? Page Six revealed that Kanye is set to make a surprise appearance at the MTV VMA's on Sunday evening and an MTV source said that Kim 'may be making an appearance as well'

Just hours after she touched down in a custom BDSM-inspired leather look from Balenciaga, she hit the town with BFF Lala Anthony on September 11.

And as it was revealed that estranged husband Kanye West is set to make a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday evening, it has been rumored that Kim may also be in attendance.

A source told Page Six that West was 'added on as a secret, last minute performer' for the show which is taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to promote Donda.

An MTV source added: 'With the Kardashians in town for New York Fashion Week and the Met Gala, we hear they [Kim and Kourtney] may be making an appearance as well, especially since Kourtney's beau, Travis Barker, is performing with good friend Machine Gun Kelly.'

Edgy: Kim has been wearing exclusively Balenciaga for weeks making it highly likely she is set to wear a daring custom outfit from the designer Demna Gvasalia to the Met Gala on September 13

And though the guest list for the Met Gala is not publicly released ahead of the event, Kim is undoubtedly set to attend the event as she's been a fixture since 2013, though most appearances have been alongside West.

Based on Kim's seemingly exclusive preference for Balenciaga in recent weeks, it seems likely that the brand's designer Demna Gvaslia will be dressing her for the event.

Additionally, Gvaslia was tapped by west to art direct all three of Kanye's Donda listening events and fashioned both their looks and the gown worn by Kim at the Chicago show.
Nadia Bartel could be eyeing off a career in reality television after her headline-making white powder scandal.

The former WAG, 36, was fined $5,452 and dumped by two sponsors last week after a video leaked of her snorting white powder at an illegal gathering in Melbourne on September 2.

But a casting director told Monday's New Idea the controversy could lead to a career boost for the embattled socialite by elevating her into TV stardom.

'It's reality TV gold': Nadia Bartel, 36, could be set to join Real Housewives of Melbourne or SAS Australia following her white-powder scandal, a casting director told New Idea on Monday

'As twisted as it sounds, she now has a scandal, which means she has a redemption story - it's reality TV gold,' the industry insider said.

TV producers are now said to be scrambling to sign up Nadia, and she's even being considered for popular shows like Real Housewives of Melbourne and SAS Australia.

Indeed, a space recently opened on RHOM after a new cast member dramatically quit the show halfway through filming this year's season.

From WAG to Housewife? A space just opened on RHOM after a new cast member quit halfway through filming this year's season. Pictured: The RHOM cast (L-R): Janet Roach, Gamble Breaux Cherry Dipietrantonio, Kyla Kirkpatrick, Anjali Rao, Simone Elliott and Jackie Gillies

Vacant position? Speaking to the Unpopular podcast last month, original housewife Janet Roach (pictured) said the newbie 'couldn't keep up' with the glitz and glamour of the show

Could it be? While Janet didn't identify the quitter, she did confirm they have a TV background, leading many fans to believe she was referring to CNN news anchor Anjali Rao (pictured)

Speaking to the Unpopular podcast last month, original housewife Janet Roach said the newbie 'couldn't keep up' with the glitz and glamour of the show.

While Janet didn't identify the quitter, she did confirm they have a TV background, leading many fans to believe she was referring to CNN news anchor Anjali Rao.

Nadia also wouldn't be the first WAG to appear on SAS Australia - with the likes of Erin Holland and Arabella Del Busso having previously starred on Seven's military-style reality show.

The right fit? Nadia also wouldn't be the first WAG to appear on SAS Australia - with the likes of Erin Holland and Arabella Del Busso (pictured) having previously starred on the Seven show

It comes after it was revealed Nadia's social media star power could be increasing in the wake of her snorting scandal.

According to Social Blade, the mother-of-two's Instagram following has grown by approximately 11,000 new followers.

Her following considerably spiked around September 3, when she issued a public apology on Instagram, and has continued to grow ever since.

Any publicity is good publicity? It comes after it was revealed Nadia's social media star power could be increasing in the wake of her snorting scandal

Popular: According to Social Blade, the mother-of-two's Instagram following has grown by approximately 11,000 new followers

Nadia was recorded snorting white powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate in a video mistakenly shared to Instagram by her friend and business partner Ellie Pearson.

Pearson had meant to send the video to her sister, but due to a cracked phone screen posted it on social media by accident and didn't delete it until 10 minutes later.

Nadia later apologised for the incident and vowed to make 'better choices in the future'.

On Thursday, it was revealed that Nadia was not charged with drug offences after being filmed snorting a line of white powder last week.

The Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Shane Patton, confirmed they were taking no further action because officers were 'unable to determine what the substance on the plate was'.

It has also emerged that Nadia likely attended the gathering on the same day she finalised her divorce from her ex-husband, meaning the event was possibly a celebration.

Scandal: Nadia was recorded snorting white powder off a $1.50 Kmart plate in a video mistakenly shared to Instagram by her friend and business partner Ellie Pearson on September 2

Nadia has been dumped by a two brands in the aftermath of the scandal: Hairhouse Australia, a haircare and beauty brand, and JSHealth, a vitamin and supplement company.

Over the weekend, Victoria Police's former chief commissioner sensationally branded Nadia Bartel a 'moron' over her white powder scandal, telling Sunday Herald Sun: 'Not many people are stupid enough to have themselves filmed doing an illegal act'.

'Youve got to be something of a moron to do that.'
She announced her engagement to her long-time partner, footy star Billy Barden, at the end of last year.

And now former Bachelor contestant Lisa Carlton and her beau have some more happy news - they are expecting their first baby.

The Melbourne model, 28, made the announcement on Sunday evening by posting pictures of her ultrasound and a photo of Billy's son Ollie holding the sonogram.

Baby on board! Former Bachelor star Lisa Carlton announced she is expecting her first child with her fiance Billy Barden on Sunday evening

She also revealed that her baby is due in March next year.

'Little ray of sunshine coming Earth side March 2022' she wrote.

Lisa announced her engagement to her boyfriend-of-three-years, former Collingwood VFL player Billy, last November.

Lisa, who came fifth on Matty 'J' Johnson's season in 2017, uploaded a photo of herself posing with Billy - and her sparkling new ring.

'13.11.20 #mylove,' the statuesque blonde wrote in the caption, commemorating the day she said 'yes'.

In the image, a beaming Lisa posed with her arm around Billy's shoulder while making sure her cushion-cut diamond sparkler was in full view.

At the time, a slew of Lisa's former Bachelor co-stars commented congratulatory messages, including Matty J's winner, Laura Byrne.

'Congratulations beautiful! This is wonderful news,' wrote Laura.

Happily ever after: Lisa and Billy began dating in late 2017, not long after Lisa's stint on The Bachelor

Instant family: Billy is a former Collingwood VFL footy star, and has a son named Ollie from a previous relationship (left)

Tara Pavlovic added 'Stop it!!! Congrats babe!!!', while Cobie Frost enthused: 'Love love love!!! Congratulations my love!! To a life time of happiness!'

In a twist of fate, Matty J's runner-up Elise Stacy also announced her engagement to boyfriend Justin Kosmina around the same time, proudly showing off her stunning oval cut diamond ring on Instagram.

Cobie joked about the coincidence in a separate comment, playfully writing: '@lisacarlton1 @elisestacy.is You do realise this means you have to get pregnant at the same time too now!!'

What a coincidence! Elise Stacy from Matty Johnson's season of The Bachelor also announced around the same time that she's engaged to boyfriend Justin Kosmina, and showed off her stunning oval cut diamond ring (pictured)

Billy is a former Collingwood VFL footy star, and has a son named Ollie from a previous relationship.

In 2014, Billy plead guilty to trafficking cocaine. He escaped conviction, and was fined $5000.

However, it appears he has well and truly turned his life around, opening a popular Mexican restaurant in 2017.
It was September 11, 34 years ago that Reggae legend Peter Toshs life was taken away but his music has lived on forever. His musical influence can be heard across the world as many artists embrace his message, his flow, his style and unapologetic demeanor.

Peter Tosh is a close friend of my father before me born. His music and life means one thing to me and its that there are some special people that visit the earth and cannot be replaced, Riley reflected.

You cannot really speak of Reggae music and not speak of his contribution. Words limit the way to celebrate him, he told DancehallMag.

The Powerful artist shared two photos of Tosh yesterday, with the caption, We Remember The gr8 Peter Tosh for Eva, his music and messageUnforgettable 100 Sept. 11smh..only Jah knws #steppinRazor #BushDoctor #MystciMan #OnthisDaytheGr8PeterToshTrodontoZion

Another artist, who took to Instagram to pay tribute to the icon was Gramps Morgan who posted on Twitter, Peter Tosh we shall never forget REGGAE LEGEND.

Tosh is perhaps best vindicated with the decriminalization of Marijuana, a fight he took on through his music, most memorably with Legalize it.

Legalize It was a popular sentiment among the Rastafarian community in the 1970s and Tosh made it into a Platinum-selling debut album and song, after leaving the Wailers. It was recorded in 1976 and released in Jamaica in the same year.

The album spent two weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart and peaked at 199.

Legalize It was one of the two solo albums released in 1976 by Wailers members. Bunny Wailer also released a solo album that same year, while Bob Marley and his new Wailers released Rastaman Vibration.

Legalize It was banned when released in Jamaica in 1975 but those attempts to suppress the song cause Tosh to gain international fame. The song was written as a direct verbal rebellion against the ongoing victimization of the Rasta Man and other people who smoked marijauna, by the Jamaican police. As a political piece , it pushed for the legalization of cannabis, particularly for religious and medical use.

In 1977, Tosh proclaimed We are the victims of Rassclaat circumstances. Victimization, colonialism, gonna lead to bloodbath. Tosh also said Herb will become like cigarettes, in an NME interview in 1978.

Herb will become like cigarettes.  Peter Tosh, 1978 Peter's prediction holds true. Jamaica has seen #cannabis become decriminalized this decade, along with Ghana + countless states in the US. We must continue to fight or worldwide legalization! #LegalizeIt #PeterTosh420  Peter Tosh (@PeterTosh) April 21, 2020

In 2015, Legislators in Jamaica passed an amendment that made way for the decriminalization of Marijuana for personal use up to 56.6 grams, joining the movement in several territories across the United States, Canada and parts of Europe. Although smoking weed in public is still illegal and attracts a small fine, Jamaica is the first country to explicitly legalize weed for religious purposes.
LULING, La. (AP)  Tara Williams three little boys run shirtless, because most of their clothes were swept away, and they stack milk crates beneath a blazing sun because their toys are all gone too. Their apartment is barely more than a door dangling from a frame, the roof obliterated, most everything in it lost.

A Ford Fusion is the family's home now, and as if Hurricane Ida didnt take enough, it has also put the boys education on hold.

Theyre ready to get inside, go to school, get some air conditioning, said 32-year-old Williams, who has twin 5-year-olds and a 7-year-old and is more pessimistic than officials about when they might be back in class. The way its looking like now, its going to be next August.

After a year and a half of pandemic disruptions that drove children from schools and pulled down test scores, at least 169,000 Louisiana children are out of class again, their studies derailed by the storm. The hurricane followed a rocky reopening in August that led to more COVID-19 infections and classroom closures, and now it will be weeks before some students go back again.

How concerned am I? If you pick up a thesaurus, whatevers the word for most concerned, said Jarod Martin, superintendent of schools in the hard-hit Lafourche Parish, southwest of New Orleans. We were brimming with optimism and confident that we were going to defeat COVID, confident we were on a better path. And now weve got another setback.

Williams was working at McDonalds until COVID-19 cutbacks claimed her job. The family rode out the storm in their apartment as it disintegrated around them, then drove to Florida, where they found a hotel room, which they could afford for only a few days.

The streets around them are dotted with gutted trailers, peeled roofs and mounds of debris, and every mention of the Federal Emergency Management Agency seems to be preceded by a colorfully profane adjective. School would be nice for the boys, Williams says, but right now, they don't even have a home.

A couple of miles away, at the boys school, Luling Elementary, crews are cleaning up fallen trees, and piping from giant dehumidifiers snakes through windows. Shantele Slade, a 42-year-old youth pastor, is among those at work, but her own children an hour away in Amite are on her mind. The pandemic had already taken its toll on her 14-year-old son, who had to go to summer school because hed fallen behind while learning virtually. Now shes worried that he will have trouble keeping up with algebra after so many days of absence.

The last two years have already been so hard on them, she said.

Though many children spent most or all of last school year back in class, some children remained in virtual programs and arrived back in class last month for the first time since the shutdowns began. The return did not go smoothly, with nearly 7,000 infections of students and teachers reported in the opening weeks, a fact that led to quarantines, more shutdowns and more disruptions.

The latest state standardized test scores, released in August, showed a 5% drop in proficiency among students across Louisiana, blamed largely on disruptions from COVID-19. Younger and poorer children fared worst, as did members of minority groups and those with English as a second language.

The states education superintendent, Cade Brumley, acknowledged that students did lose a little bit and that Ida dealt another blow. A quarter-million students' schools remained shuttered Friday, but classes for 81,000 children were to reopen Monday, according to the education department. Brumley said the rest would likely be back in a matter of weeks.

We need to get those kids back with us as soon as we possibly can, he said.

But in the most devastated areas, returning to class requires not only schools to be repaired or temporary classrooms to be set up, but for students and staff scattered around the country to come back to Louisiana. That means they must have homes with electricity and running water. Buses also have to run, and cafeterias must be stocked with food and people to serve it, and so on.

After the storm destroyed their house in Dulac, a stretch of Cajun country swampland, Penny Verdins two children and a nephew she cares for began cramming each night into a car, along with a gecko, a hamster and a squirrel named Honey. They hope to use some lumber and tin from the carcass of their home to fashion a new shack they can stay in.

The children are smiling, one doing handstands on the soggy lawn, another fishing a 3-foot gator out of a creek, but Verdin, 43, says theyve been shaken up by the storm. After a year in which nearly the whole family fell sick with COVID-19 and her disability checks were suddenly halted, shes worried about them falling behind in their studies.

Its going to be a big catch-up, she says.

When the pandemic first raged and students were forced to learn on screens at home, some observers warned of a lost generation of children falling through the cracks. The opening of the school year gave some teachers their first chance to fully assess the effects on pupils, only to have students forced out again.

Lauren Jewett, a 34-year-old special education teacher in New Orleans, said she was just starting to evaluate any regression due to the pandemics disruptions, not to mention the summer slide that happens each year. She already had students who were dealing with family deaths from COVID; now shes hearing about their collapsed roofs, swamped homes and dwindling resources.

We couldnt cover all of the things that are supposed to be covered because of all the disruptions, said Jewett, whose own home was damaged in the storm.

Many people remain without power or running water, and some districts are still assessing damage. In several parishes, no reopening dates have been announced for schools. They are simply closed until further notice.

Last school year was rough. This school year started rough. And then theres this thing here, said Randy Bush, a school board member in Tangipahoa Parish, who worried that the widespread lack of electricity might mean students are not welcomed back until October.

Idas 150 mph winds tore the roof from 44-year-old Christy Aymamis rental home in Kenner, leaving it uninhabitable. Virtual school was rough on her 15-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter, both socially and in what they were learning, and she wonders what this new extended absence might mean. For now, shes waiting at a hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee, focused on finding a suitable hotel closer to home or leasing a new property sight unseen.

I have all the resources, I have fairly good leads, I have cell service and internet and lots of contacts, said Aymami, a former teacher who is a school technology director, and I still cant find anything.

Inevitably, as parents and others ponder whats next for their children, 2005s monster Hurricane Katrina is invoked. When researchers at Columbia University and the Childrens Health Fund tried to determine that storms impact on children five years after landfall, they found unstable living conditions persisted, serious emotional and behavioral issues were rampant and one-third of students in affected areas were behind in schooling for their age.

We dont have to go back that far to see the outright and ultimate failure of our children, said Kevin Griffin-Clark, a 36-year-old entrepreneur and father of three who is now running for City Council in New Orleans. Now the children are going to suffer even more.

Katrina led to the dismantling of the New Orleans school system, which was replaced with a first-of-its-kind all-charter school network that has seen test scores and graduation rates rise, alongside other positive metrics. But resentment simmers over the changes, seen by many as imposed by mostly white decision-makers on mostly Black communities, with widespread firings of teachers and disintegration of union contracts and protections.

Douglas Harris, a Tulane University economist whose work focuses on education, said he expects test scores will eventually recover, as they did after Katrina, but they wont be a true reflection of the harm from the pandemic and now a hurricane.

In both cases, its a significant amount of learning loss, a significant amount of trauma, a significant amount of anxiousness and disruption to life and school, Harris said, comparing the post-Katrina landscape with today. But the disruption has been so much longer now. Were talking about 18 months of COVID. So the effects are going to be bigger here and the amount of time it takes to rebound will be greater.

New Orleans schools superintendent, Henderson Lewis Jr., flatly rejects the comparisons to Katrina, saying physical damage to schools is minimal. He said some will be able to return to class on Wednesday and all should be back by Sept. 22. But he acknowledges the hardships for students since COVID-19 first shuttered schools on March 13, 2020, and everything thats happened since.

Its one more thing compounded, he said.

When students do finally arrive, they will bear memories of howling winds and cratered houses, of weeks spent in faraway places or without a home, of favorite toys and familiar comforts taken away. It amounts to trauma for many, even if their homes did survive, and its compounded by pandemic anxiety.

Ashana Bigard, a 46-year-old New Orleans activist and mother of two, worries schools will be so wrapped up in academic catch-up that they wont do enough to address those lingering scars. She remains worried about her children being infected with COVID-19 in school and expects her kids will get the same subpar education they were getting before the pandemic. But shes prepared to accept that as long as their emotional needs are met.

Dead children cant learn, and children who are broken emotionally and mentally cannot do good on your test. I want my children alive and happy. Id rather that and have them five grades behind, she said. Their education deficits I can deal with.

___

Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://twitter.com/sedensky.
Connecticut drivers will have to yield to pedestrians under more circumstances as a new law takes effect on Oct. 1.

Drivers currently must yield to pedestrians if they have stepped off the curb or into the crosswalk. If drivers fail to yield at a crosswalk when required they are subject to a $500 fine.

The new law requires drivers to slow or stop as necessary if the pedestrian is within any portion of the crosswalk, steps to the curb at a crosswalks entrance and indicates intent to cross by raising a hand or arm to oncoming traffic, or indicates intent to cross by moving any body part or extension of a body part into the crosswalk entrance, according to a Department of Transportation press release.

Extensions of a body part are listed as a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, crutch, bicycle, electric bicycle, stroller, carriage, cart or leashed or harnessed dog, according to the press release.

This new pedestrian safety law is an important step to keep everyone safe, and ultimately save lives, said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti in the press release.

This new law comes as pedestrian injuries and fatalities have increased nationwide, according to Giulietti, who said pedestrian deaths recorded in 2018 and 2019 have not been this high since 1990.

Another law taking effect on Oct. 1 will make dooring illegal.

This law prohibits a person from causing physical contact between a vehicle door and moving traffic by opening the door if the moving traffic is traveling at a reasonable speed with due regard for the safety of people and property, according to the release.

The law also prohibits leaving the door open longer than needed to load or unload passengers.

More information regarding these new laws can be found at www.thepedestrianrules.com.

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
Theres a detail in many New York photos taken after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that were easy to miss all these years, but are now impossible to overlook.

Many people fleeing the scene somehow found masks, medical and makeshift, to shield themselves from the noxious dust and debris that filled the air as well as unprotected lungs. The survival instinct was to cover the nose and mouth.

Firefighters arriving at the scene pulled masks from their stock equipment as well. As recovery efforts continued in the months ahead, the toxic substances would slowly add even more lives to the grim tally of nearly 3,000 lost in the terrorist attacks that day.

So why are we fighting so much over wearing masks to try to halt an even higher death toll in America?

Fatigue has a lot to do with it. People just werent built to avoid one another and cover the organs that permit them to breath. After 18 months of this, wrapping a mask over the nose and mouth still doesnt seem natural.

Not wearing them, however, isnt a sign of proud resistance but of surrender.

There are still history lessons to learn from the pandemic of a century ago. The 1918 Flu eventually retreated a couple of years later as it apparently ran out of hosts after infecting about one-third of the worlds population. With no vaccine as a defense, Americans relied on the few preventative measures they had, notably social distancing and masks.

One hundred years later, the nation has become divided not between the haves and have-notes, but between the pragmatists and the contrarians.

Seemingly out of patience with Americans who have declined the invitation to get the free vaccine to fight COVID-19, President Joe Biden has announced sweeping federal mandates for vaccines and testing. In addition to drawing backlash from states that have low turnout for getting the vaccine, this foreshadows the likelihood of an even nastier showdown if similar treatments are approved for children under 12 years of age.

I am so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities, Biden said Friday.

The president, of course, was not referring to Connecticut, which has one of the highest vaccine rates in the nation, more than 76 percent of eligible residents.

While Biden scorned governors who threatened lawsuits with the rejoinder, Have at it, Gov. Ned Lamont has quietly expressed concerns in Connecticut. Outbreaks were documented in August among groups of unvaccinated (those would be the contrarians) at a summer camp, group home and private party. The state Department of Public Health said the cases also involved inconsistent use of masks.

Its vital to keep our schools open, and even more important to be strong role models for our youngest citizens. We must not look back at this crisis in 20 years and wonder why we didnt so the simple things to protect ourselves, and each other.
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The police informed that accused Ajinas got in acquaintance with the woman from Kollam through a short video sharing app TikTok. (Photo: DC Image/File)

Kozhikode: At least two more persons were arrested on Saturday for allegedly gang-raping a woman after intoxicating her by giving drugs in Kozhikode a few days earlier, the police said.

The incident had taken place at a lodge in Chevarambalam in Kozhikode.

Assistant Police Commissioner N Sudarsan said that two arrested accused has been identified as Shuhaib and Lijas.

He informed two other accused identified as Ajinas and Fahad were arrested earlier in connection with the case. All the accused hail from Kozhikode district.

The police informed that accused Ajinas got in acquaintance with the woman from Kollam through a short video sharing app TikTok, which was banned in India last year.

He invited her to Kozhikode where all the four accused sexually abused her by giving narcotics, the police said.
The state approached the New Development Bank for a loan of about Rs 4,000 crore to improve rural connectivity and develop state highways. (Twitter)

Hyderabad: The Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government has got a major relief with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) partially lifting the embargo on the Rs 17,000 crore borrowings it imposed on Andhra Pradesh a few months ago.

The state is now allowed to borrow Rs 13,500 crore of which Rs 10,000 crore would be raised in next three months and the remaining amount in the last quarter of the current fiscal.

Official sources told this newspaper that the state finance managers including finance minister B. Rajendranath Reddy and finance principal secretary S. S. Rawat succeeded in convincing the Central agencies on the need to allow borrowings during the turbulent Covid time.

We could convince the RBI that Rs 17,000 crore the state availed in excess in about five years cant be adjusted at one go, sources said adding that the amount would now be adjusted in three or four instalments in the next few financial years.

Post bifurcation, the Telangana government, for a few years, transferred its share of debt servicing to Andhra Pradesh, which, in turn, repaid the loans of the combined state. The previous Chandrababu Naidu government included the amount thus transferred also in its own kitty while getting approval for debt limits. The Jagan government continued the practice for another two years till the accountant general audit raised a flag.

This prompted the RBI to reduce the borrowing limit by Rs 17,000 crore giving a shock to the state which factored in the amount in its annual borrowing plan. This is a major relief for the cash-strapped state, sources pointed out.

Meanwhile, the state government also got some good news with regard to the external aid it has been expecting to take up repairs to the existing roads and lay new roads. The state approached the New Development Bank for a loan of about Rs 4,000 crore to improve rural connectivity and develop state highways.

Though a tripartite agreement was signed by the state, the Centre and the bank, the amounts have not been released so far. The state called for tenders also. Meanwhile, the government drew flak for the worsened condition of roads in the monsoon. There was a certain delay by the Centre in clearing the proposals and they got information that it gave the final nod, sources pointed out.
The Swarnim Vijay Varsh victory flame is being received at the Navy House in Bolaram in Hyderabad on Saturday.  DC Image

Hyderabad: The victory flame of the Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations, commemorating 50 years of the 1971 war that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh, arrived at the Navy House, Bolaram, on Saturday.

As part of the celebratons, victory flames were lit on December 16, 2020, and are being carried by the armed forces across the country in the four cardinal directions. The victory flame for the South cardinal has travelled to Port Blair, Visakhaptnam, Rajamahendravaram, Vijayawada and Nalgonda on the naval leg.

The victory flame, carried in the last leg from Nalgonda by war veterans amidst cheers by officers, sailors, and NCC cadets, was received by Rear Admiral V. Raja Sekhar, Station Commander (Navy), on Saturday at the Navy House.

Floral wreaths were laid by the Station Commander, 1971 war veterans and sailors, Vardhini, wife of late war veteran Panduranga Rao, Honorary Sub Lieutenant. Over 20 war veterans from the station were subsequently felicitated.

Vice Admiral K.A.S.Z. Raju (Retd), who was the Commanding Officer of INS Brahmaputra during the war operations along the Eastern seaboard, was present during the event. He was decorated with Nao Sena (Gallantry) for his immense contributions that shaped the outcome of the war in India's favour.

The victory flame would move to Nagpur post completion of events at Hyderabad. The Telangana police provided a full green corridor during the movement of the victory flame to different locations within Hyderabad.
Sanjay continued his padayatra in Andole Assembly constituency on Saturday. He was accompanied by BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya from Madhya Pradesh, former minister Etala Rajendar, former MLA Babu Mohan and others accompanied Bandi Sanjay.  DC file photo

HYDERABAD: BJP state president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has been stashing ill-gotten wealth in foreign countries. Realising that BJP would come to power in Telangana state in 2023, he has begun shifting his wealth abroad, he said.

Sanjay continued his padayatra in Andole Assembly constituency on Saturday. He was accompanied by BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya from Madhya Pradesh, former minister Etala Rajendar, former MLA Babu Mohan and others accompanied Bandi Sanjay. He also participated in the state party office-bearers meeting at Jogipet.z

Addressing a public meeting in Jogipet, he said that farmers, students and unemployed youth were unhappy with the TRS government and they were pouring in their woes during his padayatra.

The state being in a Rs 4 lakh crore debt-trap implies that each person in the state is in`one lakh debt, he said and added that the state government is unable to give even salaries in time while Dalits continue to be ignored.

After the GHMC elections, Rao offered the mayor post to the BJP, which was summarily rejected by Union home minister Amit Shah, who asserted that they would come to power in the state in 2023, he said.

Sanjay said that the people had already given a chance to the Telugu Desam, Congress and TRS and they should now support BJP, which is a pro-people party.
He said technical clearance would be given for the proposed airport at Jakranpally in Nizamabad district. He also said that his ministry would examine and monitor to set up an airport in Adilabad with support from the Indian Air Force.  PTI

HYDERABAD: Union minister for civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia assured Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao that the Centre would extend full support for the development and expansion of the Shamshabad airport as passenger traffic from other countries had increased since Telangana state was developing as the financial hub of the country.

Scindia stated that adequate measures would be taken to set up six new airports in Telangana as requested by the state government, a release issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on Saturday said.

The union minister, who was in Hyderabad on Saturday to participate in several programmes, met Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan. The Chief Minister hosted lunch in honour of the minister.

Chandrashekar Rao requested Scindia that since Telangana state was growing as an economic centre and Hyderabad was fast becoming an international city, more facilities should be developed to operate flights from the international airport in Hyderabad to other countries. He brought to the notice of the union minister that people were visiting Hyderabad as it had become a business, IT, health and tourism hub and hence direct flight connectivity should be increased from southeast Asia, Europe, USA and others to Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister also requested Scindia to extend support for setting up of six new airports in the state and make them operational. The Chief Minister also asked the Union minister to get Metro Rail connectivity to the Shamshabad airport.

In response, Scindia said total support would be extended for the airport, as Hyderabad was being developed as an international city.

Scindia said immediate measures would be taken for the operationalisation of Mamnoor airport in Warangal. He said technical clearance would be given for the proposed airport at Jakranpally in Nizamabad district. He also said that his ministry would examine and monitor to set up an airport in Adilabad with support from the Indian Air Force. He assured the Chief Minister that for the landing and take-off of small aircraft at Peddapalli (Basanth Nagar), Kothagudem and Devarakadra (Mahbubnagar), the matter would be re-examined and necessary action would be taken.
There isnt much that the PCB can do. Every time we attempt to control, they (the idol-makers) run to politicians. The State Pollution Control Board always gets caught between implementing environmental protection, and politicians, a TSPCB official said.  Representational image/DC

Hyderabad: The TS Pollution Control Board, which received a rap  and a reminder of its powers to implement pollution control measures  from the High Court last week over its handling of immersion of Ganesha idols made of plaster of Paris (PoP) in the city's water bodies, on Saturday practically threw up its hands and called on people to follow the court guidelines.

TSPCB member secretary Neetu Kumari Prasad, in a news release, said the High Court had ordered that PoP idols should not be immersed in Hussainsagar pond and other natural ponds in and around Hyderabad. To celebrate the eco-friendly Vinayaka Chavithi festival, it should be done in the direction of environmental protection and, to respect the orders of the High Court in following the guidelines prescribed for immersion of idols, the official said.

There isnt much that the PCB can do. Every time we attempt to control, they (the idol-makers) run to politicians. The State Pollution Control Board always gets caught between implementing environmental protection, and politicians, a TSPCB official said.

The High Court on September 9 banned immersion of PoP idols in any natural water body in the city and issued a set of directions that included a ban on immersing idols from the Tank Bund road.
Twenty years after Nine-Eleven the world is as much at sixes and sevens as it was before Al-Qaedas vicious attacks. Its no surprise, however, that nothing came of Americas promise (threat?) to reshape the world. Tom Paine, the heroic author of The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, first made that promise two centuries before Richard Nixons bombastic We have a historic opportunity to change the world.

For India the most important message of this failure is the confirmation yet again that it must determine its own place in the world and defend it accordingly. The immediate imperative is to reach a modus vivendi with a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. In the long run, India must reconcile its need for Americas helping hand with its own indisputable position as South Asias leading power with regional and global interests to defend. The two need not be in conflict. But Narendra Modi should take a look at Asian history and remember that however flattering Americas patronage might seem now, it has time and again proved to be the kiss of death for Third World governments.

A second message of the crisis concerns the ability of a powerful Hinduist party (citing Eric Hobsbawm) which leads a movement to reduce the multiplicity of Hinduism to a single exclusive and intolerant orthodoxy not to take an alarmist view of the seemingly powerful historical link between Islam and extremist politics. Indias 195 million Muslims places it after Indonesia and Pakistan as the third most populous nation in Islamic terms. The demographic factor cant thus be ignored, but foreign policy takes precedence.

India has invested about $3 billion in Afghanistan. It has funded 500-plus development projects in all 34 provinces. While these must be safeguarded, the goodwill of a stable Afghanistan that is not a base for terrorist attacks matters far more to Indias future. That permanent interest can be sustained only through the cooperation of whoever controls Afghanistan.

Cozying up to the United States is a position Mr Modi quietly adopted from Dr Manmohan Singh. Of course, it was Atal Behari Vajpayee who warbled about natural allies but Dr Singhs nuclear deal injected substance into the relationship in George W. Bushs time. Another Bush-Singh legacy that Mr Modi has enthusiastically taken up and developed is the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) between the US, Japan, Australia and India that was initiated in 2007 on the sidelines of the Asean Regional Forum meeting in Manila. The dialogue was paralleled by joint military exercises on an unprecedented scale: Exercise Malabar.

The diplomatic and military arrangement was widely seen as a response to Chinas rising economic and military power, and Beijing responded to it by formally protesting to its members. Dr Singh then announced he had already assured Hu Jintao, then Chinas paramount leader, that the Quad wasnt a military alliance and there was no question of ganging up against China.

The times have changed. The Ladakh confrontation may justify greater forthrightness. But the situation also calls for a calibrated response that takes into account Chinas history and traditions as well as the US record in its relations with other Asian nations.

Mr Modi must know there is a long and sad list of Asian rulers who felt abandoned and betrayed. In the case of South Vietnams President, Ngo inh Diem, and his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, the US was accused of turning a blind eye to the military coup that murdered them. Asked if she wanted asylum in the US, Nhus beautiful widow said: I cannot stay in a country whose government stabbed me in the back! When he saw how the wind was blowing, another South Vietnamese President, Nguyen Van Thieu, resigned and fled to Taiwan.

It used to be said if an American President called any foreign dictator our son of a bitch, it would have been South Koreas Syngman Rhee. But came the day when the US and Gen. Mark Clark, the US and UN commander, wanted him out. Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines may not have gone into exile in Honolulu, where he died eventually, if he had not realised that while the US was his only patron, he was just one of Americas many allies. Among the many reasons why the Shah of Iran became such an embarrassment for Americans was, as Amnesty International listed, the highest rate of death penalties in the world, no valid system of civilian courts and a history of torture which is beyond belief.

So, Ashraf Ghanis was by no means a unique experience. Donald Trump pointedly excluded him from the Doha negotiations with the Taliban. He wasnt even told the Americans had quit the Bagram airbase, the largest in Afghanistan. Joe Bidens decision to pull out (like Mr Trumps) had everything to do with US interests that took no notice of Afghanistan or Mr Ghani. The stark truth is that the US doesnt stick by its smaller allies. It has displayed little concern for the Philippines, with which it has a 70-year-old mutual defence treaty, and which feels threatened by China in the Spratly Islands.

Mr Modis problems are rooted in Indias geopolitical location, culture, identity and aspirations. They will not be solved by becoming, as Sitaram Yechury once warned, a second Pakistan.

As the Kabul airport bloodbath demonstrated, the Taliban is not a monolith. Its made up of many motley groups, some less extremist than others. Not all are Pashtuns; not all have Pakistani links. As of now, they speak in many voices. That the dominant elements among them seek an engagement with India is significant. With food running out and money in short supply, a landlocked, poverty-stricken Afghanistan denied access to its own foreign exchange reserves cannot afford to be reckless. In theory it can turn to China for technological and financial help, but given the 12 million mostly Muslim, mostly restive Uyghurs in Xinjiang, the Chinese cannot forget earlier Afghan military assistance to the short-lived Turkic Islamic Republic of East Turkestan.

Security knows no religion. Even a Hinduist Indias aim should be to secure the goodwill of a stable Afghanistan that is not a base for terrorist attacks. The Quad may or may not be an Asian Nato, as China claims, but India must be prepared for it to go the way of the now forgotten South-East Asian Treaty Organisation and the Baghdad Pact once the US has resolved its present differences with China. Mr Modis government must then face up to the reality of having to adjust to Muslim numbers abroad as well as at home.
Employees of the Ford India plant in Maraimalainagar near here have demanded the intervention of the Tamil Nadu government in ensuring that jobs are not lost when the US-based giant closes its manufacturing unit. Representatives of the Chennai Ford Employees Union will launch formal talks with the management of Ford India Private Limited on Monday to discuss the settlement offer and other issues.

Ford had on September 9 announced the shutting down of its manufacturing facilities in Maraimalainagar and Sanand in Gujarat, blaming accumulation of operational losses for its decision. Employees said the factory was closed for a week and they were informed of the decision to cease operations through text messages, hours before a media statement was released.

We did not have an idea of what is in store for us till Thursday morning. The union office bearers were told about the decision half hour before we received text messages. That the company is shutting down is yet to sink in, Selvakumar, an employee of Ford India, told DH.

Over 2,600 employees of the plant will lose their jobs once the operations cease to exist. P Senthilkumar, general secretary of Chennai Ford Employees Union, told DH that they will meet the management on Monday to set in motion the process of settlement.

We are meeting the management on Monday. This is the initial meeting that we will have with Ford India management. We will discuss the broad contours of the settlement that the management has announced. It will take at least a few months for us to reach an agreement, Senthilkumar said.

The company has said that its executives are working closely with employees, unions, suppliers, dealers, government, and other stakeholders in Chennai and Sanand to develop a fair and balanced plan to mitigate the effects of the decision to shut down the plants.

Senthilkumar also said the union has sought the intervention of the state government in ensuring that jobs are not lost. We have asked the state government to intervene and ensure that jobs are not lost if Ford India sells the plant to another car manufacturer. The government should step in and help us, he added.

The entry of Ford, one of the iconic automobile brands of the US, into Chennai, laid the foundation stone for the city emerging as Indias very own Detroit. After Ford came to Chennai in 1995, top carmakers like Hyundai, Renault-Nissan, BMW, and others flocked to the city making it an automobile hub of the country.

The company had attributed the decision to close down the plants for vehicle manufacturing to the accumulated operating losses of more than $2 billion over the past 10 years, a $0.8 billion non-operating write-downs of assets in 2019, persistent industry overcapacity and lack of expected growth in Indias car market.

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QuEST Global, a global product engineering and lifecycle services company, plans to hire an additional 5,000 engineers during the current financial year, as it looks to raise its capabilities in the design and development of semiconductor chips for various applications.

"There is a massive shortage of chips globally and the US is creating alternatives to Taiwan and China to meet the future demand. Due to the amount of technology coming into automobiles next decade will have a 10x growth for chips and we are designing new high-capacity chips to meet the demand," Ajit Prabhu, Chairman and CEO, QuEST Global told DH.

Currently, QuEST Global has deployed 800 engineers across multiple locations to design and develop new semiconductor chips across its development centres at Bengaluru in India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It aims to increase the headcount to 1,000 by March next year and add another 1,000 engineers during the next financial year, he said.

In Malaysia, the company recently hired 50 engineers and adding another 50 engineers very soon to build its capabilities to design chips. It is also looking to hire additional engineers across other centres that include Bengaluru, he said.

Todays cars are nothing but computers. About 40% of the electronics in a passenger consists of semiconductor chips. Hundreds of chips are needed for all kinds of systems to be eventually connected to other systems over the cloud. In future, cars will talk to each other with the help of chips, Prabhu said.

Autonomous cars will have lot more cameras to capture images and they need to be able to analyse data and make a decision. Heavy and high computing chips need to be designed to make this a reality, he said, adding that QuEST Global is developing such capabilities for its customers. Other than the automotive applications, the company is also building capabilities for medical, oil & gas, and other industrial clients.

We are banking on clients across industry verticals. Our strategy is to scale and address the need with the help of Synapse Design we acquired this year, Prabhu added.

Synapse Design is a Silicon Valley-headquartered design and engineering services provider to top-tier semiconductor and systems companies worldwide. With Synapse coming on board, QuEST will be able to offer end-to-end hardware-enabled software solutions to its customers across various industries, including semiconductor, automotive, consumer electronics, networking, and storage systems, he said.

We believe that the investments we are making in enhancing our engineering capabilities will help customers solve complex engineering challenges in their respective industries, he said.

Over the last two decades, QuEST Global has been providing product engineering and lifecycle services to its clients in the aerospace & defence, automotive, energy, hi-tech, medical devices, rail and semiconductor industries. It has a presence in 13 countries 56 global delivery centres and 11,250 employees.

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Sridevi was arguably one of Indian cinemas biggest stars and a performer par excellence. She enjoyed a strong fan following due to her striking screen presence and engaging performances. While almost everyone is aware of her impressive body of work, not many may be aware of the fact that she was offered a role in director S S Rajamoulis Baahubali.

The director wanted her to play Sivagami in the biggie but that did not happen, following which they approached Ramya Krishnan and the rest is history. SSR once revealed that the team wasn't able to meet her demands. His comments upset the 'Last Empress', Following this, the Eega helmer said that he 'regretted' talking about the issue in public.

Also Read | Remembering Sridevi: Rare pictures of first female superstar

Baahubali hit the screens in 2015 and emerged as a major commercial success. Its plot revolved around what happens when a valiant king loses his kingdom and his life following a misunderstanding. It had a stellar cast headlined by Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah. Its sequel Baahubali 2 released in theatres in 2017 and proved to be a blockbuster. Both parts of the series received rave reviews, establishing Darling as a pan-India star.

Coming back to Sridevi, she passed away in 2018 much to the shock of her fans. Her death marked the end of an era with many describing it as a big loss for the film industry. Her last movie Mom hit the screens in 2017 and received praise from all corners. Her daughter Janhvi Kapoor made her Bollywood debut with Dhadak, following in her mothers footsteps.

Rajamouli, on the other hand, is working on his latest magnum opus Rise Roar Revolt (RRR). The period drama revolves around the fictional friendship between two freedom fighters and it is touted to be bigger than the Baahubali saga. It features Jr NTR and Ram Charan as the parallel leads and marks the first collaboration between the two. It was to hit the screens on October 13 but the plan was dropped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Actor Lashana Lynch, who will next be seen in the upcoming James Bond film "No Time To Die", has denied speculation that she could take over the franchise as the lead in future instalments.

"Nooo! You don't want me!" she told The Guardian in an interview.

The 33-year-old actor said the next Bond can be anyone: a man or woman, a young or old person, from any race.

"We are in a place in time where the industry is not just giving audiences what it thinks the audience wants. They're actually giving the audience what they want to give the audience.

"With Bond, it could be a man or woman. They could be white, black, Asian, mixed race. They could be young or old. At the end of the day, even if a two-year-old was playing Bond, everyone would flock to the cinema to see what this two-year-old's gonna do, no?" the "Captain Marvel" star said.

Lynch plays Nomi, an MI6 agent who is rumoured to inherit Bond's iconic number 007 in the film, which also stars Daniel Craig in his final performance as the franchise lead.

Her comments come at a time when actors including Tom Hardy, Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston are the frequently mentioned candidates for the role of the next Bond.

Talking about her character of Nomi, the actor said the makers were just looking for someone who would be able to be a match for Bond.

"... Who would be able to stand up and be vocal and forthright and strong and able to handle a weapon, able to handle herself and not someone who takes any cr** from anybody at all.

"Then, as it unfolded, she became this quite complicated, free, open-minded vocal human being who brings a really nice twist to MI6," Lynch added.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that "No Time to Die" will be the longest film in the franchise's history, prompting some amount of backlash from fans.

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film also stars Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Jeffery Wright, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes.

"No Time To Die" is slated to be released in UK theatres on September 30.

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Actor Prabhas upcoming movie Salaar will feature an action-packed interval block, according to reports in the Telugu media. The scenes have been designed to cater to Darling fans and are likely to give the audience goosebumps. The inside talk is that it could be one of the best interval sequences in recent years.

Salaar is directed by Prashanth Neel, who rose to fame with KGF, and marks his first collaboration with Darling. It is touted to be an actioner with mass elements and revolves around the journey of a violent man. The film stars Shruti Haasan as the leading lady and is her first movie with the Baahubali hero. Jagapathi Babu, last seen in the family drama Tuck Jagadish, recently joined its cast. The buzz is Vaani Kapoor may essay a key role in the flick. There were talks of Disha Patani, the star of films such as Loafer and Radhe, joining the cast but that is unlikely to happen

Salaar will hit the screens next year.

Prabhas, meanwhile is going through a busy phase on the work front and will next be seen in Radhe Shyam. The romantic drama revolves around the love story of two passionate lovers and it is likely to cater to the class audience. It stars Pooja Hegde as the female lead and is one of the most important films of her career. It will be released in theatres in January.

He plays Lord Ram in the mythological drama Adipurush, directed by Om Raut of Tanhaji fame. The biggie has an impressive cast that includes Saif Ali Khan, Kriti Sanon and Sunny Singh. Prabhas is paired opposite Deepika Padukone in Project K, directed by Nag Ashwin.

Prashanth Neel, on the other hand, is awaiting the release of KGF Chapter 2, a sequel to the pan-India blockbuster. He also has a film with Young Tiger Jr NTR in his kitty.
Private sector companies in the UAE will have to fill 10 per cent of their positions with Emirati nationals in five years time, the UAE said on Sunday in its latest tranche of economic reforms.

The Gulf state also said it plans to spend 24 billion dirhams ($6.53 billion) to create 75,000 private sector jobs for its citizens over five years.

The target for 10 per cent of private sector workers to be Emiratis will start with a 2 per cent target in the first year, the UAE government said on its Twitter account.

Read more: Saudi lifts ban on UAE travel imposed over Covid

It also said it wanted to have 10,000 Emiratis in the nursing sector in five years time.

Oil-rich Gulf countries like the UAE have traditionally relied heavily on expatriate workforces for skilled and cheap labour. Citizens largely worked in government jobs.

The UAE historically sourced most of its nursing staff from countries such as the Philipines and India.

Since the 2014-2015 oil price shock and as Gulf states try to diversify their revenue bases away from hydrocarbons, they have increasingly encouraged their citizens to work in the private sector rather than be on the state's payroll.

The initiatives are part of 50 new economic projects the UAE is announcing this month to boost the country's competitiveness.

The UAE, a regional business and tourism hub, has launched several measures over the past year to attract investment and foreigners to help the economy recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The changes also come amid a growing economic rivalry with Gulf neighbour Saudi Arabia to be the region's top trade and business hub as Gulf states move away from oil economies.

Various other provisions around private sector employment were announced on Sunday, including granting Emiratis in government jobs a leave of absence and 50 per cent salary for 6-12 months should they want to explore starting their own business.

A child allowance of 800 dirhams per month up to a maximum of 3,200 dirhams will be made to Emiratis working in the private sector, officials said.

Last week the UAE said it wanted to attract 550 billion dirhams ($150 billion) in foreign direct investment in the next nine years and that it would create more flexible visas to attract residents and skilled workers.

A UAE trade delegation is this week in the United States to deepen the trade partnership, state news agency WAM said.

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By Christina Hellmich for The Conversation,

Twenty years ago, the terrorist group al-Qaeda carried out the deadliest attack on US soil the world had ever seen. Overnight, al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden became the most notorious terrorist to date.

Inspired by pan-Islamist ambitions and outraged by US foreign presence and intervention in the Middle East, this was the highlight of al-Qaedas campaign to shatter the notion of US hegemony and invincibility. Their ultimate aim was to bring back the umma, the community of all Muslims once united by a political authority.

Al-Qaeda first appeared on the terrorism radar in 1998 when it carried out simultaneous bombings on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 people and wounding more than 4,000. In October 2000, al-Qaeda rammed a small boat filled with explosives into the USS Cole in the port of Aden, Yemen, killing 17 US navy personnel.

Also Read | How the terrifying evacuations from the twin towers on 9/11 helped make todays skyscrapers safer

Following the strike on 9/11, so they reckoned, the US would withdraw their military forces from Muslim lands and end their support for its autocratic rulers, ushering in a modern day caliphate.

I have only a few words for America and its people, bin Laden declared in the aftermath of the attack. Neither the United States nor he who lives in the United States will enjoy security before we can see it as a reality in Palestine and before all the infidel armies leave the land of Mohammed.

Bin Ladens expectations turned out to be a serious miscalculation. Instead of withdrawing military forces, the then US president, George W Bush, moved swiftly to declare a global war on terror, calling on world leaders to join the US in its response.

In October 2001, when a US-led coalition went into Afghanistan to hunt down al-Qaeda and oust the Taliban, who had allowed the organisation to operate in the country since 1996, bin Laden was caught off-guard. There was no strategy in place to ensure al-Qaedas survival.

Evolution of al-Qaeda

The 9/11 attacks turned out to be a short-lived victory for al-Qaeda. Within weeks of the Talibans collapse, the majority of its leaders and fighters were captured or killed. Those who managed to escape, including bin Laden, went into hiding in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an autonomous area bordering Afghanistan.

For ten years, until he was killed by US special forces on May 2, 2011, bin Laden tried but failed to revive al-Qaeda and influence its legacy.

The next phase (and arguably the biggest mistake) of the war on terror was the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The ousting of the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, who had viewed jihadist activity with disdain, led to a political vacuum allowing al-Qaeda to rise under terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Upon his death in a US bomb strike in June 2006, al-Qaeda in Iraq would become the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and ultimately merge into the Islamic State (IS).

Also Read | Newly released FBI memo hints at Saudi involvment with 9/11 hijackers

The highly publicised creation of al-Qaeda franchises in Iraq and elsewhere including Egypt, North Africa and Yemen, among others, seemed to indicate the revival of al-Qaeda.

These franchise leaders, all deeply involved in their respective local disputes, had much to gain from acquiring the infamous brand of al-Qaeda. The appearance of the black al-Qaeda flag in diverse corners of the world sent shockwaves to Washington. Terrorism experts in the west speculated about the reemergence of the group and the severity of its threat with precious little agreement amongst them.

Hidden away, bin Laden and the senior leaders of al-Qaeda had little influence over the running of the new franchises. This is evident in terrorism researcher Nelly Lahouds careful reading of the Abottabad letters, files of internal communications recovered by US special operations forces during their raid on bin Ladens compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad. In the letters, bin Laden lamented his brothers had become a liability for global jihad during the last year of his life. The new generation of jihadis, he concluded, had lost their way.

Upon bin Ladens death in 2011, senior members of al-Qaeda vowed to continue the global jihad, promising the worst attacks the world had ever seen.

While the vocal threats put al-Qaeda back on the international terrorism radar, action never followed. The group formally continued to operate under the command of its new leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. However, it it had no influence over IS, which was beginning to operate with impunity in areas across Iraq and Syria, and orchestrate suicide attacks in Europe.

By 2014, IS  under the lead of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  had replaced al-Qaeda as the terrorist group most worrying to the west. Within five years, on October 27 2019 al-Baghdadi was also killed in a US military operation. IS was assumed to be, at least temporarily, defeated. It reemerged spectacularly on 26 August 2021 when IS-K, a local affiliate, claimed responsibility for the Kabul airport attack that claimed the lives of up to 170 people including 13 US service members  the deadliest incident for US troops in Afghanistan in a decade.

On August 30 2021 the US completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the end of Americas longest war. Less than a week later, the Taliban announced a new government and declared it an Islamic emirate. Sarajuddin Haqqani, a US most wanted terrorist is the new acting interior minister.

On the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks al-Qaeda might be defeated, but it is clear that jihadism and the ambition to (re)create a caliphate are here to stay.

(The author Associate Professor in International Relations and Middle East Studies at the University of Reading)

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Afghan police at Kabul airport have returned to work manning checkpoints alongside Taliban security for the first time since the Islamists seized power, officers said Sunday.

When the Taliban swept into Kabul last month ousting the government, police abandoned their posts, fearful of what the Islamists would do.

But two officers said they had returned to work Saturday after receiving calls from Taliban commanders.

Read more: Taliban say girls, women may study in no-men classrooms

On Sunday, an AFP correspondent at the airport saw border police members deployed at several checkpoints outside the main buildings of the airport, including the domestic terminal.

"I came back to work yesterday more than two weeks after being sent home," one of the police force members told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"I received a call from a senior Taliban commander who asked me to come back," another officer said.

"Yesterday was great, so happy to serve again."

The Taliban say they have granted a general amnesty to everyone who worked for the former government -- including the army, police and other security branches.

Officials say they want to integrate the opposing forces, but have not spelled out how this will happen -- or how they will sustain a security apparatus made up of around 600,000 people.

Read more: India, Australia pitch for 'broad-based and inclusive government' in Afghanistan

Kabul airport was severely damaged during the chaotic evacuation of over 120,000 people that ended with the withdrawal of US forces on August 30.

The Taliban, who swept into Kabul after routing government forces on August 15, have been scrambling to get the capital's airport operating again with Qatari technical assistance.

The United Arab Emirates has set up an air bridge to deliver tons of aid to Afghanistan, with aircraft bringing in hundreds of tonnes of medical and food supplies.

An airport employee who handles security for a private company confirmed that the border police had been deployed around the airport since Saturday.

"They are sharing the security with the Taliban," he told AFP.

Qatar Airways has operated charter flights out of Kabul in recent days, carrying mostly foreigners and Afghans who missed being taken out during the evacuation.

An Afghan airline resumed domestic flights last week, while Pakistan International Airlines is expected to begin flights from Islamabad to Kabul in coming days.
The Taliban raised their iconic white flag over the Afghan presidential palace Saturday, a spokesman said, as the US and the world marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The banner, emblazoned with a Quranic verse, was hoisted by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the Taliban interim government, in a low-key ceremony, said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, multimedia branch chief of the Taliban's cultural commission.

The flag-raising marked the official start of the work of the new government, he said. The composition of the all-male, all-Taliban government was announced earlier this week and was met with disappointment by the international community which had hoped the Taliban would make good on an earlier promise of an inclusive lineup.

Two decades ago, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan with a heavy hand. Television was banned, and on September 11, 2001, the day of the horrific attacks on America, the news spread from crackling radios across the darkened streets of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

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The city rarely had electricity and barely a million people lived in Kabul at the time. It took the US-led coalition just two months to drive the Taliban from the capital and by Dec. 7, 2001, they were defeated, driven from their last holdout in southern Kandahar, their spiritual heartland.

Twenty years later, the Taliban are back in Kabul. America has departed, ending its forever war' two weeks before the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and two weeks after the Taliban returned to the Afghan capital on Aug. 15.

Some things have changed since the first period of Taliban rule in the 1990s.

This time, the gun-toting fighters don't race through the city streets in their pickups. Instead, they inch through chaotic, clogged traffic in the city of more than 5 million. In Taliban-controlled Kabul in the 1990s, barber shops were banned. Now Taliban fighters get the latest haircuts, even if their beards remain untouched in line with their religious beliefs.

Also Read | Biden again defends Afghanistan pullout on 9/11

But the Taliban have begun issuing harsh edits that have hit women hardest, such as banning women's sports. They have also used violence to stop women demanding equal rights from protesting.

Inside a high-end women's store in the city's Karte Se neighborhood Saturday, Marzia Hamidi, a Taekwondo competitor with ambitions of being a national champion, said the return of the Taliban has crushed her dreams.

She was among the women attacked by the Taliban and called agents of the West during one of the recent protests. She said she's not surprised about America's withdrawal.

This year or next year, they had to leave eventually, she said. They came for their own interest and they left for their interest.

Hamidi is hoping the Taliban will relent and ease their restrictions, but with a glance toward the store owner, Faisal Naziri, she said most men in Afghanistan agree with what the Taliban say about women and their rules against them.

Naziri nodded, saying preserving the rights of women is not a cause that will bring Afghan men on the streets.

On Saturday, the Taliban even orchestrated a women's march of their own. This one involved dozens of women obscured from head to toe, hidden behind layers of black veils. They filled an auditorium at Kabul University's education center in a well-choreographed snub to the past 20 years of Western efforts to empower women.

Speakers read from scripted speeches celebrating the Taliban victory over a West they charged was anti-Islam. The women marched briefly outside the center grounds, waving placards saying the women who left don't represent us, referring to the many thousands who fled in fear of a Taliban crackdown on women's rights. We don't want co-education, read another banner.

Outside the hall, the Taliban director of higher education, Maulvi Mohammad Daoud Haqqani, said 9/11 was the day the world started their propaganda against us calling us terrorists and blaming us for the attacks in the United States.

At a dusty book store in Kabul's Karte Sangi neighborhood, Atta Zakiri, a self-declared civil society activist said America was wrong to attack Afghanistan after 9/11.

He blamed the invasion that followed the 9/11 attacks for creating another generation of hardline Taliban fighters.

The Taliban should have been allowed to stay. Why didn't we work with them? Instead they went to fight, he said." And now we are back to where we were 20 years ago.

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The Biden administration declassified an FBI memo Saturday that fortified suspicions of official Saudi involvement with the hijackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks, but it fell well short of proof that victims' families suing Saudi Arabia had hoped for.

The memo from April 4, 2016, which had been classified until now, showed links between Omar Bayoumi, at the time a student but suspected to have been a Saudi intelligence operative, and two of the Al-Qaeda operatives who took part in the plot to hijack and crash four airliners into targets in New York and Washington.

Based on 2009 and 2015 interviews with a source whose identity is classified, the document details contacts and meetings between Bayoumi and the two hijackers, Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Midhar, after the two arrived in Southern California in 2000 ahead of the attacks.

It also strengthens already-reported links between the two and Fahad al Thumairy, a conservative imam at the King Faad mosque in Los Angeles and an official at the Saudi consulate there.

Also Read | As world marks 9/11, Taliban flag raised over Afghanistan's seat of power

The document says that telephone numbers associated with the source indicated contact with a number of people who assisted Hamzi and Midhar while they were in California, including Bayoumi and Thumairy, as well as the source himself.

It says the source told the FBI that Bayoumi, beyond his official identity as a student, had "very high status" in the Saudi consulate.

"Bayoumi's assistance to Hamzi and Midha included translation, travel, lodging and financing," the memo said.

The memo also said that the FBI source's wife told them Bayoumi often talked about "jihad."

And it further connects by meetings, phone calls and other communications, Bayoumi and Thumairy with Anwar al Alaki, the US-born cleric who became an important Al-Qaeda figure before he was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.

The document released was still significantly redacted and did not offer a clear direct link between the Saudi government and the hijackers.

It was released after President Joe Biden was pressured by family members of those killed on 9/11 who have sued Saudi Arabia for complicity.

Three successive US administrations have refused to declassify and release documents related to the case, apparently because they do not want to damage the US-Saudi relationship.

Jim Kreindler, one of the leaders of the lawsuit, said the document validates the lawsuit's key contention that the Saudi government helped the hijackers.

"With this first release of documents, 20 years of Saudi Arabia counting on the US government to cover up its role in 9/11 comes to an end," Kreindler said in a statement.

The families are still hoping for stronger evidence when more classified material is released inside the next six months, based on a Biden order.

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Myanmars brutal military coup and the Talibans triumphal return to power in Afghanistan are among the crises confronting the United Nations as it convenes its annual General Assembly this coming week.

But Myanmar and Afghanistan present a further conundrum for the worlds biggest diplomatic gathering: Who is the rightful representative of each country?

The Myanmar junta, which seized power in February and has been widely condemned for a deadly crackdown on opponents, has sought to replace the UN ambassador of the deposed government with a junta loyalist.

The Taliban, the violent, extremist Islamic movement that retook power last month after the US-backed Afghan government collapsed, is also expected to seek diplomatic representation, replacing an ambassador appointed just a few months earlier with one of its own.

The idea that a Myanmar putschist or a Taliban militant on a terrorism watch list could become a credentialed UN envoy may sound dumbfounding. But theoretically it is possible  if the government that person represents is deemed legitimate in the eyes of the UN.

Also Read | At least 14 members of Taliban's government, including acting PM Akhund, on UNSC's terrorism blacklist

Envoys from all kinds of political systems, from parliamentary democracies to monarchies to dictatorships, have long worked at the 193-member UN, the one place in the world where even governments that reject each others ideologies enjoy some measure of equal standing. Still, there are standards to verify the legitimacy of both the envoy and the government he or she represents.

Normally, a country has the right to nominate somebody, Volkan Bozkir, a Turkish statesman and the outgoing president of the General Assembly, told reporters at his farewell news conference Thursday. We cant say, I dont like this government, Bozkir said, when seeking to resolve UN disputes over who is  and is not  a countrys rightful envoy.

Why is credentialing important?

A seat at the UN carries symbolic significance, a bench mark of a governments credibility and acceptance in the world community, even if rivals oppose it.

UN membership affords a countrys government the opportunity to not only speak and be heard in the General Assembly but also to participate in a range of other UN agencies like the World Health Organization and Human Rights Council. So the credentialing of a countrys ambassador to speak on its behalf is enormously important.

How does credentialing work?

Verifying who represents each country at the UN falls to the Credentials Committee, a nine-member group appointed at the beginning of each years General Assembly. Its work is normally routine, checking each envoys bona fides to ensure compliance with procedural rules.

The process gets more complicated when the legitimacy of the envoys government is at issue, and disputes sometimes are referred to the General Assembly.

It seems this years Credentials Committee will be called upon to consider not just one, but two, questions of government legitimacy, Rebecca Barber, an Australian research fellow at the University of Queensland, wrote in the Blog of the European Journal of International Law.

How quickly the committee will make decisions remains unknown; it could be weeks or months. But many diplomats and UN experts expect that for now, the committee will defer any decisions concerning Myanmar and Afghanistan, leaving in place the Myanmar ambassador, Kyaw Moe Tun, and the Afghan envoy, Ghulam Isaczai, both of whom were chosen by now-deposed governments.

I think the Credentials Committee will indulge in what we might call creative procrastination, said Richard Gowan, the UN director at the International Crisis Group. Such a delay, he said, would allow both ambassadors to stay in the post for the time being, albeit on fragile ground.

Neither Kyaw Moe Tun or Isaczai responded to requests for comment.

What are the issues in Myanmars case?

Both the deposed government and the junta claim to be the rightful representative of Myanmar. The junta has said it dismissed Kyaw Moe Tun on Feb. 27 after he publicly denounced the military coup on the floor of the General Assembly  a dismissal the ambassador ignored.

The juntas foreign minister, Wunna Maung Lwin, formally notified Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on May 12 that he wanted another diplomat, Aung Thurein, to replace Kyaw Moe Tun and to represent Myanmar in all organs of the United Nations, according to copies of the notification seen by The New York Times. The dispute was left unresolved.

It is particularly awkward in part because the General Assembly, in a rare rebuke less than three months ago, demanded that Myanmars junta restore the deposed government, free political prisoners and allow humanitarian access to the country.

Anti-junta activists, anticipating that Myanmars generals will press their request to replace Kyaw Moe Tun, have rallied to support his retention of the seat. Eleven international law experts, working in conjunction with the Myanmar Accountability Project, a London-based humanitarian group, drafted a legal opinion arguing that the juntas behavior disqualifies its legitimacy.

The implications of this issue for the people of Myanmar are immense, said Damian Lilly, a human rights specialist at the group. Accepting the military juntas credentials would entrench the regime further, giving a green light for continued repression.

What are the issues in Afghanistans case?

Unlike the Myanmar dispute, with rival claims to the seat, the new Taliban government had not, as of this weekend, designated a replacement for Afghanistans envoy, Isaczai. But with the toppled government not contending that it still holds power, Isaczais claim to Afghanistans seat may be tenuous.

Still, Isaczai continues to act as Afghanistans envoy. His Twitter account describes him as the ambassador, he has participated in UN meetings and been warmly greeted by other diplomats  and he has commented on the Talibans cruel and inhuman behavior.

The Taliban are considered an international pariah for their legacy of brutality. The group has long been on a UN sanctions list and on terrorism watch lists as a threat to peace and stability. The Security Council has demanded that a new government in Afghanistan be united, inclusive and representative  including with the full equal and meaningful participation of women. So far, none of those conditions have been met.

Larry Johnson, a former assistant secretary-general for legal affairs, said in an article on the Just Security website that the uncertainty of how the Taliban will behave going forward was among the reasons that credentialing of a Taliban representative remains speculative.

But Johnson said a Taliban credentialing request could conceivably be rejected based on the groups abhorrent and illegal policies and failure to be guided by the Security Council demand.

What about earlier UN representation disputes?

There have been many. But perhaps the most famous are the cases of China and South Africa.

China, a founding member of the UN, was denied UN representation after the 1949 Communist revolution that sent the defeated Nationalist government to Taiwan, which retained Chinas seat.

During the Cold War era, the United States blocked Chinas attempt to reclaim the seat until 1971, when the General Assembly voted to expel Taiwan and recognize the Communist government in Beijing as the only legitimate representatives of China to the United Nations.

South Africa became increasingly isolated in the organisation during the 1950s and 1960s over its racist apartheid policies and was suspended by the General Assembly in 1974, its seat largely left vacant. South Africas UN representation was fully restored 20 years later when apartheid was abolished.

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Talibans spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, who appeared before the media for the first time in a decade at a press conference after the insurgent group seized Kabul last month, said that he lived in the Afghan capital right under the nose of his adversaries who considered him a 'ghost-like' figure during the war.

Mujahid, who operated in the shadows for years, also admitted that he studied at the Haqqania seminary in Nowshera in northwest Pakistan, which has also been dubbed the Taliban University or the 'University of Jihad' internationally.

"They (US and Afghan National Forces) used to think I did not exist," Mujahid told The Express Tribune newspaper in an interview.

Read more: Afghan musicians flee Kabul, fearing for their lives and dire future for art under Taliban rule

"I escaped so many times from their raids and attempts to capture me that they seriously considered that Zabiullah was a made up figure, not a real man who exists," the 43-year-old spokesman said.

"And yet, I managed to move about Afghanistan freely. I think this perception helped with that," he explained. "I lived in Kabul for a long time, right under everyones noses. I roamed the width and breadth of the country. I also managed to have first-hand access to the frontlines, where the Taliban carried out their actions, and up to date information. It was quite puzzling for our adversaries.

Due to his shadowy appearance for years, there was speculation as to whether the faceless spokesman might actually be more than one person.

"The US forces would often pay off locals to obtain some information about my whereabouts. Using that information, like I said, they must have launched dozens of intelligence-based operations hoping to find some trace of me," he said. "But I never left or tried to  even think about try to leave Afghanistan."

Mujahid, who was born in the Gardez district of Paktia province sometime in 1978, said that he specialised in Islamic jurisprudence from the Haqqania seminary in northwest Pakistan.

The Taliban governments acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Water and Energy Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor and Telecommunication minister Najibullah Haqqani  all on the UN blacklist - and Education Minister Maulana Abdul Baqi Haqqani studied at the Haqqania seminary, which has regularly received grants from successive governments in Pakistan.

Mujahid said he became the spokesman of the Taliban following the arrest of his predecessor. He also said that he had never seen the Taliban founder Mullah Umar. "But I have worked with Sheikh Mullah Mansoor, and Sheikh Hebatullah," he said, referring to Mullah Omar's successors.

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An audio file attributed to a Taliban official, said to be Mullah Fazel, the Taliban's Deputy Defence Minister surfaced in which he says that the "Punjabi guest" (referring to Pakistani intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed) had created a major problem for the group and prevented the formation of an inclusive government.

The audio file also mentions an armed clash between General Faiz Hameed's bodyguards and Taliban commanders at the Kabul presidential palace.

An audio file attributed to a senior Taliban official was released in which he criticized the presence of a 'Punjabi guest' in the country and said that he did not allow the Taliban to form an inclusive government, Raha Press reported.

Read more: Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid says he lived in Kabul right under the noses of his adversaries

In the audio file, the Taliban official told other Taliban commanders that Pakistan had tarnished the group's reputation internationally.

The differences between Pakistan and the Taliban are likely over how the cabinet was recently introduced by the Taliban.

Pakistan has reportedly nominated Haqqani and some members of the Quetta Taliban council to join the cabinet.

The Taliban had previously announced that they would form an inclusive government, but before the group announced its new government, Pakistani intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed arrived in Kabul and met with some senior Taliban officials.

The Taliban announced its new interim government last Tuesday (September 7), which does not include any non-Taliban or female members on its cabinet. However, Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman, said the government was inclusive because it included representatives from different ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

Earlier reports suggested Faiz Hameed, the head of Pakista's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had rushed to Kabul before the government formation after a clash between Baradar and Haqqani-supported groups in which Baradar sustained injuries.

The Haqqani and many other Taliban factions simply do not accept Haibatullah Akhundzada as their leader, as per Michael Rubin in 1945 website.

Whereas the Taliban had said that they would unveil their new government on September 3, the day passed without any official word of the appointment of Akhundzada whom the group's representatives earlier signaled would be the Islamic Emirate's supreme leader based in Kandahar, Rubin said.

That delay also postponed Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar's efforts to become political leader in Kabul. The delay may signal a much greater crisis within the Taliban, hence Hameed's emergency trip, he said.

Some Afghan factions seek a more inclusive government and are not enthusiastic about efforts to fight the Panjshiris.

The Taliban largely conquered Afghanistan on the back of political deals rather than military victories and are unenthusiastic about the losses they now sustain in ground fighting in the Valley and its approaches.

It is Hameed and the factions to which he directly dictates that want to finish off Ahmad Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, the two main leaders of the resistance, he added.

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In an operation that displays jointmanship, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) teams of Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) arrested four accused who were on the run from Kerala after an attempt to murder case.

The Kerala police team have now taken custody of the accused, officials said.

On September 5, the RPF Mumbai Division of CR received information from RPF Thiruvananthapuram regarding four suspects in an attempt to murder case who were on run from Thrissur district of Kerala.

A case against these suspects was egistered at Nedupuzha Station, Thrissur on August 27.

A special team was formed under the supervision of PCSC Central Railway, which included RPF Post Inspectors of Kalyan and Bhiwandi and boarded Train No. 06506 KSR Bengaluru-Gandhidham special train from their respective stations.

The train was thoroughly searched and all four suspects, named Arun NS Shanmunga (26), Sajith Sasi (29), Lidhin A.M (29) and Jishnu P.B (22) were identified.

The information regarding these suspects onboard the train were passed on to RPF Western Railway where another special team was readied at Vasai Road station by Post Inspectors of Vasai Road and Virar.

All four suspects were detained by RPF at Vasai Road and Thrissur Police was informed.

The team of police reached Mumbai on September 7 and the accused were handed over to Kerala Police.

In an astonishing series of events, the RPF teams of Mumbai Divisions of CR and WR showed exemplary promptness and smooth coordination in a joint operation. The teams conducted a joint operation in which four accused in an attempt to murder case were caught from running train and handed over to Kerala Police, WR chief spokesperson Sumit Thakur said.
Days after the Supreme Court criticised the Centre for not appointing members to various tribunals, the government has appointed 31 people as members -- judicial, technical and accountant members -- in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT).

Eight judicial and 10 technical members have been appointed to the NCLT, which had vacancies of 19 judicial and 14 other members, while six judicial and seven accountant members -- 25 judicial members and 27 other members -- were cleared for the ITAT.

The appointments came on Saturday, even as the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter concerning the huge vacancies in tribunals, which has irked the apex court, on Monday. On September 6, the Supreme Court said that it does not want any confrontation with the Centre but its patience is running out due to delay in appointments in tribunals. It also said it was extremely upset with the way the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021 was passed in disregard to its previous judgements.

Read more: SC to hear on Monday pleas seeking independent probe into Pegasus snooping row

As of August 5, there were 19 vacancies of Chairmen, including 15 in Debt Recovery Tribunals, 110 judicial members and 111 technical and other members. With the appointment of 31, this number has now come down to 209 at present from 240 on August 5.

Other than NCLT and ITAT, the tribunals which have a high number of vacancies include Railways Claims Tribunal -- 20 judicial and five other members -- and Central Administrative Tribunal -- 18 judicial and 14 other members.

Besides Debt Recovery Tribunals, there are vacancies of Chairperson in National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal in Kolkata, Appellate Tribunal for Forfeited Property (ATFP) and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT).

In NCLT, Andhra High Court Judge Justice Telaprolu Rajani, Retired Bombay High Court Judge Justice Pradeep Narhari Deshmukh, Retired Madras High Court Judge Justice S Ramathilagam and District Court Judge Deep Chandra Joshi are among those appointed as the judicial members.

The appointments will be for five years from the date of assumption of charge of the posts or till attaining the age of 65 years or until further orders.

Six judicial members have been appointed to the ITAT -- Additional District and Sessions Judges Shatin Goyal and Anubhav Sharma, lawyers Sonjoy Sarma, S Seethalakshmi and T R Senthil Kumar and Law Officer in SBI Manomohan Das.

Besides, there are seven accountant members -- Chartered Accountants Bhagirath Mal Biyani, Balakrishnan S, Jamiappa Dattatraya Battuli, Padmavathy S, Arun Khodpia, Rathod Kamlesh Jayantbhai, and Commissioner of Income Tax Ripote Dipak Pandurang. The appointments in ITAT were made for a period of four years.

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Intellectual freedom should not be sacrificed at the altar of party politics and under the "foolish" belief that ignorance of someone's ideas will help defeat them, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday.

His statement was in apparent support of Kannur University's decision to include portions of books of RSS leader M S Golwalkar and Hindu Mahasabha leader V D Savarkar in its post graduate course on Governance and Politics.

The varsity's decision has drawn criticism from various student unions, which have alleged saffronisation of the university, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said his government will not glorify the ideas and leaders who had turned their back on the freedom struggle.

Tharoor, however, in his Facebook post said, "Intellectual freedom is far too important a value in our society to be sacrificed at the altar of party politics. It is foolish to believe that ignorance of someones ideas will help you to defeat them. I have quoted Savarkar and Golwalkar at length in my books, and refuted them."

He said that "some friends" have disapproved of his stand that academic freedom "requires us to read, understand and debate every point of view, including those we disagree with".

"If we dont read Savarkar and Golwalkar, on what basis will we oppose their ideas? Kannur University also teaches Gandhi and Tagore," he said in his post.

Vijayan, at a press meet, had said that no one should glorify reactionary ideologies and the leaders who uphold such ideas. He had also said a two-member expert committee has already been appointed to look into the matter and necessary steps will be taken by the university based on the panel's recommendation.

The committee, comprising experts outside the varsity, has been asked to submit its report within five days and further decision on the syllabus would be taken after that, university vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran had said. According to the students unions, the University has included portions from Golwalkar's books including Bunch of Thoughts and Savarkar's Hindutva: Who Is a Hindu? in the syllabus of the third semester students of MA Governance and Politics.

The syllabus was not prepared by the Board of Studies but by teachers of Thalassery Brennen College and it was decided by the Vice Chancellor, they have alleged. The MA Governance and Politics is taught only in Brennen College under Kannur University.

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At least 26 Myanmar nationals, including 10 women, who had reportedly taken shelter in Mizoram following a military crackdown against the pro-democracy protesters in their country, were arrested in Guwahati on Sunday for illegally entering India.

Police said questioning revealed that they are residents of the Chin state of Myanmar, which is witnessing military violence since March.

Forged Indian documents such as the Aadhaar card and Voter ID have been recovered from them, which according to police were made in Mizoram.

"All of them belong to Chin community and they told us that they were on their way to Delhi to study Bible (theology). From their possession, forged Indian documents such as Aadhaar card and Voter ID have been recovered, which were made in Mizoram," Assam police said in a statement.

The arrested persons, aged between 18 and 28 years, hails from the Sagaing, Falam and Hakha districts of Chin state in Myanmar. They were arrested from a hotel at Rehabari in Guwahati.

Over 9,000 Myanmar nationals including 14 MPs and Chief Minister of Chin state have taken shelter in Mizoram. They have been provided shelter across the state and some are living with their relatives in the state.

A case (860/2021) has been registered under Section 468 IPC, Section 14 of Foreigners Act 1946 and sections of Passport (Entry Into India) Act 1920 and Passport (Entry into India) Rules 1950.

The Centre had in March asked the Northeastern states to prevent possible infiltration from the coup-hit country and take steps for the deportation of those who had taken shelter.

But Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga refused to comply with the Centre's directive, saying it was a responsibility to take care of the ethnic Chin refugees as they are "ethnically Mizo brethren." He said that Mizoram could not turn "a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in their backyard."

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The sour lemon is promising to be the sweet reason for economic success of a remote village on the eastern fringe of Assams Dibrugarh district. Nearly 70 kms away from Dibrugarh town, Cheleng Chuk is being developed as a model lemon village to boost self-employment and per capita incomes, an official said on Sunday.

The village is already known for its lemon cultivation, with two varieties of Assam lemon, locally known as gol nemu and kaji nemu found in abundance in the village.

The GI-certified kaji nemu has already found much appreciation in foreign markets with this lemon variety being exported to Dubai and London, among other places, by farmers from other parts of the state.

As part of an ambitious programme undertaken by the Dibrugarh district administration and the Agriculture department, Cheleng Chuk village of about 570 people will be developed as a model village for growing lemons, the official said.

Dibrugarh deputy commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha inaugurated a project last week under which 125 families of the agrarian village will be made self-sufficient through cultivation and sale of lemons, he further said.

In the first phase, around 2,200 lemon saplings will be planted in the village with the aim to eventually plant 10,000 lemon plants, he added. Jha said climatic condition in the area are suitable for lemon cultivation.

We want to develop the village as a model lemon village. Our aim is to produce lemons on a mass scale. It will boost self-employment and generate revenue apart from rejuvenating the local economy, the DC said.

Besides catering to the local market, the district administration is also eyeing the foreign markets if the demand and supply is in expected line.

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The BJP on Sunday picked first-time MLA Bhupendra Patel as the new chief minister of Gujarat, as the party sought to mollify the powerful Patidar community that has eyed the post for long and nip any anti-incumbency in the bud before the 2022 Assembly polls.

The 59-year-old will be succeeding Vijay Rupani, who stepped down from the post on Monday in a decision that surprised many.

Patel's name was announced at the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar following a legislature party meeting attended by Rupani, deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, scores of party MLAs, two Union ministers  Prahlad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar  and party's national secretary Tarun Chaung.

A builder by profession, the low-profile Patel emerged as a dark horse as his name wasn't on the list of favourites doing the rounds as possible CM candidates.

Also Read | Why Rupani resigned as Gujarat CM and how it might help BJP

An MLA from Ghatlodia Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad, a Patidar-dominated seat, Patel made his debut in state politics in the 2017 Assembly polls and won with a record margin. Ghatlodia used to be represented by ex-chief minister Anandiben Patel, the current governor of Uttar Pradesh. Belonging to Kadva Patel community, a Patidar sub-caste, the new CM is said to be a protege of Anandiben.

Patel has a diploma in civil engineering and is a former chairman of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) as well as ex-chairman of Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

After the formal announcement of his name, Bhupendra Patel thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party's national president J P Nadda and outgoing chief minister Vijay Rupani for trusting him for the top job.

Patel met the Governor Acharya Devvrat at 6 pm and staked a claim to form the government. Patel will be sworn in as chief minister on Monday, said state party president C R Paatil. Party sources said that several new faces are likely to be inducted in Patel's cabinet.

The party is still maintaining secrecy over the role of current deputy chief minister Nitin Patel, who is said to be upset with the development.

"We don't know what is going to happen to Nitinbhai. Things will be clear after two days," said a BJP functionary. "The name of Bhupendrabhai as next CM has stunned everyone. We were not expecting it. But he has a clean image with no criminal record or allegation of corruption," he added.

Meanwhile, prominent Patidar leader Hardik Patel, the working president of Gujarat Congress, released a statement late in the evening congratulating Bhupendra Patel. However, he added that the BJP has given "Bhupendra Patel the new responsibility to hide the party's failure".
The verbal duel between the Congress and BJP over the controversial 'love and narcotic jihad' remark by Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt, intensified on Sunday with the former saying it does not want the Sangh Parivar to gain foothold here while the latter claimed that both CPI(M) and Congress were cornering the Bishop over the issue.

Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan, while speaking to the media said the party was not attacking the Bishop but was only pointing out a mistake as the prevalence of liquor and drug mafia in the southern state should not be foisted upon a certain religious community. That is where Congress has a difference of opinion with the Bishop remarks, he said and added that the party does not want any communal disharmony in the state nor does it want the Sangh Parivar to gain a foothold here.

Responding to Muraleedharan's comments, BJP state president K Surendran said that the Bishop's remarks were against terrorism, "but it hit Congress and CPI(M)" who are now attacking the Bishop from all sides, which is "unacceptable". Addressing reporters at the 84th birthday of SNDP leader Vellapally Natesan, Surendran alleged that the response of the two parties indicated that the Congress and CPI(M) were encouraging religious terrorism "as part of their vote bank politics".

Read: Love and narcotic jihad exists in Kerala: Catholic Bishop

He further said anyone speaking the truth "was being branded as a member of the Sangh Parivar". The link between drug mafias and religious terrorist's world over was clear as daylight, he said and added that if Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cannot see that "then we need to fear such forces". He said that BJP will provide all support to the Bishop against the attacks by Congress and CPI(M).

Earlier, Muraleedharan said such issues should not happen and any differences between religious groups should be discussed by sitting together. He said that he expected the Bishop himself to take steps to resolve the controversy. We do not want any agitations in the state over the Bishop's remarks, he said.

Also read: Political war continues over 'narcotic jihad' remark, Pala Diocese comes out with 'explanation'

The controversial 'love and narcotic jihad' remarks by Kallarangatt triggered ripples in Kerala's political circles as the BJP accused the CPI(M) and the Congress of supporting jihadis, while the latter warned against "Sangh Parivar agenda" to destroy Christian-Muslim harmony in the state.

Amid mounting criticism, the Pala Diocese, under the prominent Syro-Malabar Church, on Saturday had come out with an explanation, saying the Bishop did not intend to hurt anyone and his remarks were not against any particular community. Urging all communities to view seriously the actions of fringe elements indulging in radical and anti-social activities using the names and symbols of religion, the diocese also shared the message of going forward unitedly ending all misleading propaganda.

While the Congress had said the bishop crossed limits, the BJP supported him by urging the society to discuss the statement.

Recently, Kallarangatt had said that Christian girls were falling prey to the alleged love and narcotic jihad in Kerala and wherever arms cannot be used, extremists were using such methods to destroy the youth.

Meanwhile, Kerala Congress (M), a key constituent of the ruling left in Kerala said the Pala Bishop's words were misinterpreted as he was only pointing to the evil impact of drugs in the society. KC(M) leader Jose K Mani, who met the media here, said the Church has always created awareness in the society against the drug menace. His statement comes after a Church organ today asked Mani to clarify his stand over the controversy, which has been raging for the past few days in Kerala.

"Bishop Kallarangatt was pointing to the evil impacts of drugs in the society and cautioned against it. The church has always created awareness among the believers and the general public against its social evils," Mani, whose core vote base constitutes Catholic Christians in central Kerala, said.

"The resistance which was formed against dowry and caste discrimination should also be formed against drug mafia. However, those who are attacking him (Bishop), for calling for action against the drug mafia are in fact trying to destroy the peaceful and secular fabric of the society. This should be opposed," Mani said.

Mani's statement in a way contradicts what Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said. Condemning Bishop Kallarangatt's statement, the CM on Friday said those who hold responsible positions should refrain from making statements causing divisions in the society.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the media had been critical of former prime minister Manmohan Singh during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, but it is not doing the same with the Modi government after several similar incidents.

He said this while addressing the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) national executive meeting. Gandhi was asked by some members why the good work done by Congress governments was not highlighted.

Gandhi cited that several terror-related incidents, similar to the Mumbai attack, had taken place during the Narendra Modi government, but it was not criticised by the media the same way as the UPA was, sources said.

Also Read | BJP sold everything that Congress built in 70 years: Rahul Gandhi

He also alleged Chinese incursions into Indian territory and citing the farmers' agitation said that the media was not covering their protest, even when it is non-political, the sources said.

Gandhi said that farmers have been on protest for several months now.

Farmers are protesting against three Central agri laws at Delhi border points since last year and demanding the legislations be repealed.

The Congress leader also asked young students to work hard against the "anti-democratic government and put every effort possible to work for student welfare", the sources said.

He also exhorted them to strive for increasing the presence of the NSUI across the country.

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Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily on Sunday said some leaders "misused" the G-23 and asserted that if anyone persists with its institutionalisation it would be for "vested interest" as reform of the party was already underway under Sonia Gandhi.

The former Union minister also voiced strong support for poll strategist Prashant Kishor's induction into the Congress and said those opposing his entry into the party were "anti-reform".

In an interview with PTI, Moily, who was among the 23 leaders who wrote to Gandhi last year seeking organizational overhaul, opposed the institutionalisation of the G-23 and said "some of us put our signatures only for reform of the party from within and to rebuild the party, not to destroy it".

Read more: Media was critical of UPA during 26/11 attack, not the same with Modi govt: Rahul

"Some of our leaders misused the G-23. No sooner did Sonia ji think of reforming the party from within and from the grassroots level, we did not subscribe to the idea of G-23," the senior Congress leader said, without taking any names.

He said with the initiation of reform under party chief Sonia Gandhi's leadership, the G-23 has "no role and has become irrelevant".

"If they (some leaders) persist (with G-23) that means there is a vested interest for a few of them to work against the Congress party which we don't subscribe to and rather oppose it," Moily said.

Anybody who again uses the instrument of G-23 is doing a great disservice to the Indian National Congress and its legacy, he said, adding such actions would help the Congress' rivals.

His remarks assume significance as many leaders of the G-23 have either distanced themselves from it or have been silent following the letter they wrote last year. Out of that group of 23 leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi, Jitin Prasada has switched over to the BJP.

A few members of the G-23 had got together at social gatherings a couple of times at Kapil Sibal's residence recently and reportedly discussed party issues. At one of the gatherings, Sibal had invited a host of opposition leaders as well to his residence.

Moily said the "major surgery" of the party that he has been talking about to revitalize the organisation was already being contemplated by Sonia Gandhi.

"She (Sonia Gandhi) is active and taking decisions, such decisions are needed," he said, adding he was happy with the steps taken by the party chief.

Asked about speculation that Kishor could join the Congress, Moily said it was advisable that he joins the Congress and injects reforms from within.

Moily urged those within the party opposing Kishor's entry into the Congress not to do so, saying it was important for the country and the Congress that the party be reformed, which, he said, was the intention of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, Congress president Sonia Gandhi will take a final call on the induction of Kishor and has held discussions with several senior leaders on the issue.

Asked if he thinks Kishor's induction will be beneficial for the party, Moily said the poll strategist has proved that he is successful in working out strategies.

"Instead of working from outside, if he joins the party, it will be quite beneficial," he added.

"Let there be strong willpower to join hands with Sonia ji to ensure that the party's organisation is strengthened within a couple of months. This is what I proposed that Prashant Kishor can inject that kind of resurgence of the Congress party (that is needed) by plan and design," Moily said.

He also said the Congress is the main plank of the politics of this country.

"We may lose sometimes but it cannot be said that we will lose forever. For example, in 1977 we lost and in 1980 with all the allegations against her (Indira Gandhi), ultimately the people found that they wanted the Congress and Indira ji came back, this is the history of the Congress," he said when asked about NCP chief Sharad Pawar's remarks suggesting that Congress' situation was now like impoverished landlords.

Moily also pointed out that Pawar himself has acknowledged that Congress was the only party in power in multiple states that could take on the BJP.

"Congress is the fulcrum of the strength of the politics of this country," Moily asserted.

Asked if Congress would be the fulcrum of an Opposition alliance to take on the BJP in 2024 elections, he answered in the affirmative.

"Ultimately the government cannot function to serve the interest of a group of people, few castes or few religions, it cannot be done. Just because the people are silent it does not mean that they cannot stage a political revolution, they can do it but only under the leadership of the Congress," Moily said.

It should be remembered that the integrity of the Constitution of India is under threat under the NDA regime, he alleged.

Hitting out at those alleging that the Congress was all about the benefit of one family, Moily said Sonia Gandhi had sacrificed for the country and never hankered for posts.

"We should not forget that Sonia ji represents martyrs like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and also the Congress' virtues brought independence and sustained democracy in the nation," he said.

The Congress is the backbone of forces to take on the BJP, Moily said.

Asked about calls from within the Congress that Rahul Gandhi should be made the chief of the party again, he said the Wayanad MP was best suited to lead the party but added that presently it was important to turn attention to reorganise and revamp the party.

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Uttarakhand Congress MLA Rajkumar on Sunday returned to the BJP, with the saffron party now aggressively poaching from rival camps.

He is the second MLA after Pritam Singh Panwar, an independent MLA who was a Minister in the Harish Rawat-led Congress government till 2017 to join the BJP, which is hoping to retain Uttarakhand where it has changed two Chief Ministers in a span of months this year. Uttarakhand is heading for polls early next year.

Rajkumar joined the party in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik.

Rajkumar was with the BJP from 2007 to 2012 but he was denied a ticket in 2012 and 2017 following which he joined Congress.

"The BJP is working towards making people from the lower castes independent, while Congress has made these people dependent on subsidies since Independence. I have joined the party today after seeing BJP's great work in Uttarakhand," Rajkumar said.

A survey by ABP-CVoter earlier this month has predicted that the BJP may return to power this time too but it may not be able to repeat the 2017 results when it won 57 out of 70 seats.

The BJP last week appointed Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi as the BJP election in-charge of Uttarakhand. Sardar RP Singh will be co-in-charge in Uttarakhand, assisting Joshi.

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Strong resentment among BJP cadre at ground level against him was one of the main reasons for Vijay Rupani's removal as Gujarat Chief Minister, sources told IANS.

Rupani on Saturday resigned from office. A section in the party believes that the decision to replace the chief minister might help the party beat anti-incumbency against the government among its own cadre.

While there is no clarity at what exactly led to Rupani's resignation, sources in the saffron party said that there were many reasons for his removal -- one of the primary reasons being strong resentment against him among party cadre.

Also read: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani resigns

"There was a strong resentment among cadre against Rupani. His popularity is low among BJP workers. The removal of Rupani will help the party control the dissent at ground well in advance ahead of next year's assembly polls. In other words we can say that the move might help the party beat anti-incumbency against the government and the chief minister among its own cadre," a BJP leader said.

It is learnt that while discussing the reasons for Rupani's removal, the party leadership decided keeping workers unhappy will adversely affect the party's electoral performance in the state polls, which is all set to become triangular with the entry of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Also read: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani removed as govt failed during Covid-19, says Congress

Another leader pointed out that it is a political course correction ahead of assembly polls. "By bringing a new face, BJP will try to address the issue of social engineering in the state, which played a crucial role in state politics," he said.

A party insider claimed that Rupani lacks the quality of a firebrand leader and may not be able to take on Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which is all set to contest state polls scheduled in November-December next year.

"He (Rupani) was good in executing the given works or assignments, but lacked the quality we needed in our chief ministerial candidate to take on Congress and AAP in assembly polls. Workers are demanding a leader who can lead the party from the front under guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah," he said.

Rupani took the state's Chief Ministerial position on August 7, 2016, and is representing Rajkot West in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. It is learnt from sources that the party will declare Rupani's replacement by Sunday.

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Striving hard to remain politically relevant in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress has decided to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to revive itself in the state, which includes a 12,000-kilometre-long Pratigyan Yatra, ghar wapsi of the old guards and soft Hindutva.

The grand old party, which has been reduced to a fringe player in the politically crucial state, has also decided to project itself as a ''real alternative'' in UP, where assembly polls are due in March next year.

Congress general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been camping in the state since Friday, has asked the party leaders and workers to make the Pratigyan Yatra, which is slated to begin from September 20, a big success.

The decision to undertake the Yatra was taken at a meeting of the party held in Lucknow in the presence of Priyanka.

''We will expose the BJP government over its mismanagement of the second wave of Covid-19, deteriorating law and order, rising crimes against women and unemployment,'' said a senior UP Congress leader.

Priyanka has also asked the senior party leaders to speak to the old guards, who have either left the party or are inactive, and urge them to return to the party fold before the polls.

''If need be I will myself visit them to persuade them to come back,'' Priyanka was quoted as having told the party leaders at the meeting.

Priyanka, who arrived at Raebareli, her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday, paid obeisance at the famous 'Churwa Hanuman Temple' in the district.

The senior Congress leader said that the party would 'stick' to its soft Hindutva policy in the state. ''We will not let the BJP's strategy to project us anti-Hindu succeed,'' he added.

Priyanka had in the past visited famous Hindu temples in Saharanpur and Prayagraj, dropping hints that she would follow soft Hindutva to counter the BJP in the UP polls.

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Six temples of different deities will be constructed on the Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex, according to the final blueprint prepared by the Ram temple construction committee.

The construction of the foundation of the Ram temple is in full swing and is expected to be completed by October-end or first week of November, Ram Mandir Trust member Dr Anil Mishra said.

According to the final blueprint, six temples of different deities will be constructed in the Ram Janambhoomi premises.

Read more: Hindu Sena in Gujarat plans to install Godse's statue in Jamnagar

The deities include Lord Surya, Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Lord Durga, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.

"These six temples of deities will be build along the outer periphery of the Ram temple but within the premises. Along with worshipping Lord Rama, worshipping these deities is also very important in Hindu dharma," Mishra told PTI.

The construction of the base (plinth) of the super structure of the Ram temple will start from the end of October or from the first week of November after the completion of the filling of foundation, he said.

For in-situ setting of stones in the structure of the grand temple, four tower cranes will be installed at four different locations, Mishra added.

The filling of the excavated foundation area of 1,20,000 square feet and 50 feet deep was expected to be completed by the end of October. Now, the temple Trust has decided to construct four additional layers on the foundation area to bring the foundation to 107 meters above the sea level, he said.

Earlier, in the foundation where 44 layers of engineered fill material was to be used, has now been increased to 48 layers, the Ram Mandir Trust member said.

According to sources, after the completion of the foundation filling, the casting of the seven-foot raft will be done again. This casting will be done from concrete in which cement will also be used. So far, cement was not being used in engineered field material, but stone dust and fly ash was being used.

According to Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai, cement absorbs more heat, which will increase the heat in the atmosphere. To avoid this, minimum use of cement is being done.

The plinth of the super structure of the Ram temple is to be constructed with the 3.5 lakh cubic feet stones from Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur, contract for the cutting and setting of the stones has been given to two Mirzapur-based private firms, he said.

The sources said that due to only 10 to 12 hours of electricity supply in Mirzapur, cutting and setting of stones has slowed down.

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The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a batch of pleas seeking an independent probe into the alleged snooping on certain people in India involving Israeli spyware Pegasus.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana had on September 7 had granted more time to the Centre to decide on filing a further response on the petitions after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that due to some difficulties he could not meet the officials concerned to take a decision on the filing of the second affidavit.

The Centre had earlier filed a limited affidavit in the apex court saying the pleas seeking an independent probe into the Pegasus snooping allegations are based on "conjectures and surmises or on other unsubstantiated media reports or incomplete or uncorroborated material".

Read more: German government admits its police used Pegasus spyware

On August 17, the top court had issued notice to the Centre on the pleas, making it clear that it did not want the government to disclose anything which compromises national security.

In its short affidavit filed in the court earlier, the Centre had said the position on the issue has already been clarified in Parliament by Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

With a view of dispelling any wrong narrative spread by certain vested interests and examining the issues raised, the government will constitute a committee of experts, it had said.

The top court, while issuing notice on the pleas, had said that it did not want the government to disclose anything related to the national security and had asked the Centre what is the "problem" if the competent authority files an affidavit before it on the issue.

"Our considered response is what we have respectfully stated in our last affidavit. Kindly examine the issue from our point of view as our affidavit is sufficient," the law officer had told the bench, adding, "The Government of India is before the highest court of the country."

The law officer had said if the government of any country divulges information about which software is used and which is not used, then those involved in terrorist activities may take preemptive measures.

The pleas are related to reports of alleged snooping by government agencies on eminent citizens, politicians and scribes by using Israeli firm NSO's spyware Pegasus.

An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Pegasus spyware.

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A 19-year-old medical aspirant from Salem died by suicide due to the fear of appearing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) scheduled for Sunday, prompting the AIADMK to launch a blistering attack on DMK on the false promise of doing away with the entrance exam.

S Dhanush, a resident of Mettur in Salem district, died by suicide on Sunday hours before the NEET exam was scheduled to start. Dhanush had appeared for NEET twice in the past and this was his third attempt, his family said, adding that he was anxious about the exam for the past few weeks.

Suicides due to the fear of appearing for NEET or failing to clear the exam have rocked Tamil Nadu for the past few years. NEET is considered discriminatory against students from rural areas who are forced to compete with those from cities  almost all political parties in Tamil Nadu are opposed to the exam.

As usual, the suicide triggered a political slugfest but this time the DMK being at the receiving end. Former Chief Minister and Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami sought to know from DMK on the status of its promise to get NEET scrapped once it came to power.

You (DMK) said you will scrap the exam. You spoke of a secret (idea) to do away with the exam. What happened to the idea and when will you implement it? Palaniswami, who paid respects to Dhanush in Mettur, asked.

In his condolence message, Chief Minister M K Stalin blamed the Centres adamant attitude of not realizing the ill effects of NEET as the reason for students taking the extreme step of ending their lives. He also said he will write to Chief Ministers of various states asking them to raise their voice against NEET.

The legal fight against NEET begins in Tamil Nadu tomorrow (September 13). The DMK government will pass a law seeking permanent exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET in the AssemblyThe legal fight will continue till the exam is dispensed with by the Centre, Stalin said.

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The appointment of R N Ravi, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, as Governor of Tamil Nadu has kicked up a political storm. Congress and VCK  allies of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)  have taken strong exception to Ravis transfer from trouble-torn Nagaland to Tamil Nadu.

While Chief Minister M K Stalin welcomed Ravi to the state and expressed the hope that the new Governor will help the governments efforts on the development of the state, the DMK has not issued any statement so far. BJP and AIADMK have welcomed Ravis appointment citing his contributions to the countrys development.

However, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) chief K S Alagiri has issued a strong statement questioning Ravis appointment. VCK chief and Chidambaram Lok Sabha MP Thol. Thirumavalavan also punched holes in the Union Governments decision to replace Banwarilal Purohit with Ravi in the Raj Bhavan in Chennai.

The allies questioned the need for appointing a former police officer with experience in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as Governor of Tamil Nadu, which is now ruled by the DMK. The appointment comes amid the Tamil Nadu Assembly passing two resolutions against farm laws and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

We suspect that there is an ulterior motive in the appointment of R N Ravi as Tamil Nadu governor. The Union Government has in the past made such appointments to create obstacles for state governments ruled by Opposition parties. We have been witnessing this trend for the past few years, Alagiri said in a statement.

He also referred to interference by retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi in the functioning of the Puducherry Government during her tenure as Lt. Governor from 2016 to 2021.

Alagiri sought to know whether the BJP which lost the elections is trying to intimidate the Opposition parties by appointing Governors with the sole intention of obstructing the functioning of democratically elected governments.

He also said the Congress suspects Ravis appointment is a carefully chosen plot and referred to Ravis work as an interlocutor in peace talks with Naga insurgents.

Thirumavalavan demanded the recall of Ravis appointment and asserted that allies will stand behind the DMK if the Union Government attempts to create trouble for a government elected by the people.

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Teenage girls riding bullet motorcycles is no more news. But a teenage girl in Kerala has grabbed attention as she is into repairing Royal Enfield's bullet motorcycles.

Diya Joseph, who just turned 18, has been assisting her father Joseph Dominic, who is a specialist in bullet motorcycle repair. A native of Kottayam district, Diya dreams of going on long bullet rides with her younger sister Maria and hence, she hopes that learning bullet-repairing will boost her confidence in fulfilling her dream.

With videos of Diya repairing bullets at the workshop going viral on the social media, the local Royal Enfield dealers honoured her. Apart from the appreciation the teenage girl is getting, Dominic and his wife Shine are also being appreciated by parents of girl children for allowing their daughter to pursue her dream.

Diya, who just completed her higher secondary studies with 98 per cent marks, has been assisting her father at the workshops on the premises of their home over the last couple of years.

'The only difficulty I am facing is the heaviness of the vehicle and its parts. It is quite difficult to handle for a girl of my age and physique. But as I gain experience, I will also attain the strength and skills to handle bullets and repair it with ease,' says Diya who is ambitious of pursuing a career in automobile engineering.

Dominic, who has been a bullet mechanic for more that 30 years, said that Diya was catching up the skills quite fast. Despite her higher secondary studies, she used to find time to assist him at the workshop. She has also acquired the skill of riding bullets and is awaiting her driving licence test soon.

"I am more happy as parents of many girl children have called me to appreciate for inspiring them too to allow their girl children purse the career of their wish," said Dominic.
Ruling that the Union Government cannot use Hindi for official correspondence with Tamil Nadu, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has observed that the Centre was bound to use English for the purpose of communication with the southern state.

The court passed the order in August, which was made public recently, on a petition filed by Madurai Lok Sabha MP and Sahitya Akademi award-winning writer Su Venkatesan seeking a direction to the Union Government to use English in all official communication with Tamil Nadu.

The MP had received replies in Hindi to the letters he had written in English to various departments of the Union Government. Several other MPs from Tamil Nadu have also been complaining that the Centre was replying in Hindi to their correspondence in English on matters relating to their constituencies.

Admittedly, the State of Tamil Nadu has not adopted Hindi as its official language, whereas it has adopted two languages formally viz., Tamil and English. As per Proviso to Section 1(a) of the (Official Languages) Act, the Central Government is bound to use English for the purpose of communication with the State of Tamil Nadu, the court said.

The bench of Justices N Kirubakaran (now retired) and M Duraiswamy said Hindi cannot be used for official correspondence with Tamil Nadu and observed that it would be appropriate, and it is expected that the Central Government gives its reply to the citizens, in their respective language as stated in Article 350.

The judges also observed that the language issue is a very sensitive one and it should be approached very sensibly and recalled the anti-Hindi protests in Tamil Nadu.

Even if an inadvertent mistake is made regarding the use of language that will be a cause for many issues in the society. Therefore, the Central Government is duty-bound to follow the provisions of the official languages ActOnce a representation is given in English, it is the duty of the Union Government to give a reply in English only which will also be in consonance with the statute, viz., the Official Languages Act, the Bench said.

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Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday joined Koo social media platform, an Indian microblogging site available in several regional languages and English.

A senior TMC leader said Banerjee who tweets frequently on various issues will also be using Koo in a big way in the coming days and party members and supporters will be asked to install it on their mobile phones.

The Lok Sabha MP of Diamond Harbour is one of the key persons in the TMC who popularised Twitter among functionaries of the Mamata Banerjee-led party and its different wings.

The TMC and its Tripura unit already have Koo accounts and Abhishek Banerjee is following them.

His first post on Koo was on the use of a purported image of a Kolkata flyover in a full-page advertisement by the Uttar Pradesh government showcasing transformation of the state under its Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

"Transforming UP for @myogiadityanath means stealing images from infrastructure seen in Bengal under Mamata Banerjees leadership and using them as his own!

Looks like the DOUBLE ENGINE MODEL has MISERABLY FAILED in BJPs strongest state and now stands EXPOSED for all!", his post read.

Banerjee also attached the advertisement to the post.

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Mounting pressure on the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the opposition BJP on Sunday claimed that it has dossiers of two more ministers and would 'expose' them in the days to come.

I will expose the ministers. I have the relevant documents. I have discussed the matter with my party leadership, senior BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya said.

According to him, while one of the ministers is from Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, another is from Sharad Pawar-led NCP.

I will expose one minister this week and another next week, said Somaiya.

I have numerous documents to back the claims, he said, adding that the act of the two ministers will attract several provisions of law.

Since Thackeray-led MVA came to power in November 2019, the BJP has kept on mounting pressure.

This year, in February, forest minister Sanjay Rathod of Shiv Sena had to resign, while in April, home minister Anil Deshmukh of NCP had to quit office.

Rathod had to resign after TikTok star Pooja Chavan (22) allegedly died by suicide by jumping off the Heaven Park building in Punes Wanwadi locality on the intervening night of February 7-8, 2021.

Deshmukh faces investigation by the CBI and ED in the wake of charges levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who has alleged that he had fixed a collection target of Rs 100 crore per month for former assistant police inspector and encounter specialist Sachin Vaze.

Thackerays close aide and state transport minister Anil Parab too faces some allegations and BJP has demanded his resignation.

It may be recalled that a few months ago, state BJP president Chandrakant Patil had claimed that two more MVA ministers would have to resign.

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Amid the firecracker scare that threatened protected birds at Panje wetland in Uran in Raigad district, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has stepped up and asked officials to stop the menace.

Thackeray asked Forest Secretary Venugopal Reddy to monitor the issue.

Environmentalists have called for a thorough investigation by the Crime Branch CID into the horrific incident.

The wetland is under the control of the now de-notified Navi Mumbai SEZ which has already been served notice by the Forest Department.

A public notice cautioning the public against harming the protected birds has been put up at the site. The official notice also warned that action as per the law will be taken against those who harm the birds at this place which are protected under the Wildlife Act 1972.

While we appreciate the prompt action by the Forest Department, it is essential to go beyond to get to the bottom of the conspiracy to kill the wetland by hook or crook, said B N Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation in his letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

We are happy that the CM has swiftly acted and hopeful of equally quick action to conserve the wetland, Kumar said.

Panje, the destination for over 150,000 migratory and local birds, has been repeatedly under attack as all the five water inlets have been choked rendering the wetland totally dry. With the monsoon rains, some water accumulated here attracting hundreds of birds, Kumar said.

Assistant Conservator of Forest Sanjay Waghmode confirmed that preliminary investigation is going on into the firecracker incident. He has already visited the spot with his team. I am assuring you nobody shall be protected by the Forest department, he said in exchange of communication by NatConnect Foundation.

Two men with identity cards hanging around their necks with lanyards could be seen in a video that was shot while they set crackers on fire and with the loud noise hundreds of birds could be seen flying helter-skelter.

Later, the two men could be seen with a couple of men in uniform, Kumar pointed out and requested the investigators to zoom in the photographs and ascertain what they were doing at the spot.

Regional Forest Officer Shashank Kadam confirmed that a notice was sent to NMSEZ for this illegal act. Action will be taken as per the Wildlife Protection Act, he said.

Earlier, Deputy Conservator of Forests Neenu Somraj wrote to Raigad district collector and CIDCO Managing Director drawing their attention to a complaint by photographer Aishwarya Sridhar about scaring the protected birds. Somraj, also the member secretary of the High Court appointed Wetland Redressal Committee, reminded the authorities that the birds visiting the site are protected under the Wildlife Act and that the officials must ensure that the birds are not harmed.

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Shocked by the Sakinaka murder-rape in Mumbai that bore similarity to the Nirbhaya incident, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has swung into action and a team visited Mumbai on Sunday.

The NCW has also taken objection to Mumbai Police commissioner Hemant Nagrales statement, who had said, Police reached the spot within ten minutes. It can't be present at every crime location. They will reach only after getting information. Police worked to the best of their capability.

The statement is extremely unfortunate. Police can't run away from their responsibility, NCW member Chandramukhi Devi stated.

Also Read | Maharashtra CM condemns Sakinaka rape-murder case; promises fast-track trial

Meanwhile, an NCW team visited the family members of the rape-murder victim, a woman aged between 32-36 and a mother of two.

They also visited the crime scene and the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, where she passed away after remaining unconscious for nearly 33 hours and the Sakinaka police station.

A 45-year-old man, Mohan Chauhan, a resident of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, has been arrested, and he is being questioned in detail. Chauhan works as a driver in Mumbai.

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Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar are likely to visit Gujarat on Sunday as the BJP's central observers to a meeting of the legislature party to choose the new chief minister following Vijay Rupani's resignation, sources said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Rupani submitted his resignation to the Governor on Saturday.

His resignation came 15 months before the election to the 182-member Assembly that is due in December 2022.

Also Read | Gujarat BJP legislature party likely to meet on Sunday to choose new CM

Rupani (65), the fourth chief minister to demit office in BJP-ruled states during the coronavirus pandemic, was sworn in as chief minister in December 2017.

BJP's general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh and Gujarat state unit in-charge Bhupender Yadav met party functionaries soon after Rupani announced his resignation.

Party sources said the issue of Rupanis successor will be discussed in the legislature party meeting likely to be held on Sunday.

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By Siouxsie Wiles for The Conversation

While were all rightly focused on the Covid-19 pandemic at the moment, the SARS-CoV-2 virus isnt the only microbial threat we face.

Back in 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that within a decade, antibiotic-resistant bacteria could make routine surgery, organ transplantation and cancer treatment life-threateningly risky  and spell the end of modern medicine as we know it.

Antibiotics are a cornerstone of modern medicine, used to treat infections and to protect vulnerable patients undergoing surgery or chemotherapy. The world desperately needs new antibiotics and Covid-19 has only exacerbated the problem.

In our search for new antibiotics, we have focused on fungi, especially those found only in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our latest research describes the discovery of fungal compounds able to kill Mycobacteria, a family of slow-growing bacteria that includes another important global airborne killer  Mycobacterium tuberculosis  which causes the lung disease tuberculosis and kills thousands of people around the world each day.

While most people in Aotearoa know me as the pink-haired Covid lady, for the past six years my lab has been hunting for compounds that could make good antibiotics. Weve focused on fungi from the International Collection of Microorganisms from Plants (ICMP), cared for by the Crown Research Institute Manaaki Whenua and our collaborator Bevan Weir.

Our latest findings follow earlier research which revealed a fungal compound with some activity against the hospital superbug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.

Why fungi?

One of the earliest antibiotics ever discovered, penicillin, originally came from a fungus called Penicillium rubens. With more than 10,000 fungi in the ICMP database, we think this may be a treasure trove of potential new antibiotics.

For our latest study, we tested 36 fungi collected between 1961 and 2016 from locations right across Aotearoa, including the Chatham Islands. Our first exciting finding is that nine of the fungi are not known species, suggesting they may well be unique to Aotearoa.

Aotearoa is well known for its iconic animal and plant species that arent found anywhere else in the world. Our fungi will be no different. And if they are unique, they may have come up with unique compounds able to kill bacteria.

Our second major finding is that 35 of the 36 fungi we tested had some form of antibacterial activity against Mycobacteria. In fact, when we first started doing this work, we thought we must have made a mistake. Wed never had anything like that kind of success rate when screening fungi against other superbugs.

Taking a deeper dive into the chemistry of those fungal compounds, we found the majority are fatty acids which wont make good antibiotics. But we did find several fungi, including two of our unknown species, whose antibacterial activity wasnt due to fatty acids.

Were currently working to identify these compounds, with our collaborators Melissa Cadelis and Brent Copp.

Long road to discovery

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili once said that most scientific progress is a messy, complex and slow process. Take the Covid-19 vaccines as a good example. While weve watched numerous vaccines come through clinical trials successfully and quickly, they are based on decades of scientific study of mRNA and lipid nanoparticles.

My labs search for antibiotics has its roots in work we did over a decade ago, making tools to make Mycobacteria glow in the dark. Because these bacteria grow so slowly, it can take weeks to months for them to form colonies on a petri dish.

But they glow only when they are alive, and this technique allows us to measure the amount of light they produce instead of waiting for them to grow. This massively speeds up the antibiotic discovery process.

I started thinking about fungi as a potential source of new antibacterial compounds when Manaaki Whenuas fungi expert Peter Buchanan told me about the collection. After a few years of rejected funding applications, we finally got a small grant-in-aid from Cure Kids to get the project started in 2015.

One of their ambassadors, Eva, has battled superbug infections her whole life. Meeting Eva changed my relationship with my work and inspired me to do all I can to find new antibiotics.

Weve still got a way to go before we have any compounds that might be suitable for further development as antibiotics. We also know that many compounds fail as they move through the pipeline that takes them from the lab to clinical trials in humans.

Thats why my lab will keep working its way through the fungal collection for as long as we can afford to. There are thousands more fungi to screen and hopefully many more unique compounds with antibiotic potential to discover.

(The author is an Associate Professor in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Auckland.)

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Vijay Rupani's exit in Gujarat, the changes in Uttarakhand and Karnataka are signs, political observers believe, that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) top leadership is feeling the weight of anti-incumbency amid Covid-19 mismanagement, economic decline and price rise.

Gujarat, which is among the seven states scheduled for Assembly polls in 2022, saw Vijay Rupani quit as the chief minister on Saturday. Uttarakhand, the other state in poll mode, has seen BJP replace two chief ministers since March.

The chopping and changing of chief ministers come on the heels of the BJP's loss in West Bengal and the farmers' protests in north India getting a second wind.

The BJP's nervousness is evident in the dissonance, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, in its message on crucial issues  its confusion over the demand for an OBC (Other Backward Classes) census, its policies on meat and alcohol consumption apart from cow slaughter and women's empowerment.

Also Read | Gujarat BJP legislature party likely to meet on Sunday to choose new CM

The BJP currently rules six of seven poll-bound states. In 2019, the party had won 101 of the 132 Lok Sabha seats in these states, a third of its 303 seats. Assembly polls in UP, Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand are scheduled for February 2022. Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will go to polls in November-December 2022, and Karnataka a few months later in April 2023.

Of the seven states, Gujarat and UP have significant OBC numbers and influential non-OBC agricultural communities  the Jats in western UP and Patidars in Gujarat  both of which are demanding reservations.

Jats in UP, at least since 2013, and Patidars in Gujarat, for over two decades now, are BJP supporters.

On September 5, hundreds of thousands of Jat farmers and scores of farmers from other parts of India held a protest rally against the Centre in UP's Muzaffarnagar.

Also Read | Vijay Rupani BJP's fourth CM to be replaced in last 6 months

On September 11, as the Prime Minister was slated to inaugurate the Rs 200-crore Sardardham building, a business and social hub for the Patidar community, in Ahmedabad remotely, the social media in Gujarat was rife with anti-BJP posts.

These two events have left the BJP rattled.

"The very fact that three chief ministers (in Karnataka, Uttarakhand and now Gujarat) have been changed, two of which in poll-bound states, is evidence that things are not going the BJP's way," Radhika Ramaseshan, a political commentator, said.

"The popularity of the prime minister has taken a beating after Bihar, Delhi and Bengal polls and friction with UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The changing of chief ministers is a way to stamp his authority. The party could soon change the CM of another north Indian state it rules," said Ahmedabad-based senior journalist R K Mishra.

OBC census

The BJP has tied itself up in knots on demand for an OBC census. There is no official word either from the party or the Narendra Modi government on the issue. Modi had tried to convey an impression that he was sympathetic to the demand when he met a delegation comprising Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad.

But party sources say the BJP hopes to strike a delicate balance in reaching out to OBCs while keeping its upper caste support base intact. The BJP fears losing this support base, particularly in UP and Uttarakhand, if the Modi government were to accept an OBC census. The upper caste population is around 25% in UP, while it is nearly 60% in Uttarakhand.

The BJP has taken the next best route to project its OBC leadership and align with smaller OBC-led political parties. After the expansion of the Union Cabinet, the BJP had stressed how it now had 27 OBC and 12 Dalit ministers.

Earlier this week, BJP president J P Nadda appointed Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the party's OBC face in Odisha, the BJP's UP in-charge for the Assembly polls. The BJP has tried its best to keep smaller OBC-led political parties, like the Apna Dal and Nishad party, as its allies. But the Jat and Patidar anger has queered the pitch for the party on the issue.

The BJP is betraying its nervousness by returning to issues such as renaming cities and upping the ante on the question of meat consumption instead of those around its governments' performance.

In UP and Uttarakhand, the BJP's plank has shifted from cow protection and anti-cow slaughter to proposing and implementing more comprehensive bans on meat and alcohol consumption.

A fortnight back, the Yogi Adityanath government banned the sale and consumption of meat and alcohol in a 10 square km area of Mathura, considered the birthplace of Lord Krishna. In March, the Uttarakhand government banned slaughterhouses in Haridwar.

Dilemma within

The BJP leaders would likely promise poll-bound Goa and Manipur voters that it would not unleash any such bans in those two states.

But how would the BJP convince voters in the larger Northeast after a recent law in Assam? The BJP-ruled Assam passed a law on August 13 that has further curtailed cow slaughter and transportation of cattle in the state. Beef-consuming northeastern states are concerned about their beef supply, which mostly comes from Assam.

A BJP leader in Meghalaya, Sanbor Shullai, recently included in BJP-ally Conrad Sangma's council of ministers, has asked people to consume more beef than chicken, mutton or fish. He promised to talk to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to ensure uninterrupted supply.

A recent editorial in the Nagaland Post feared the BJP was extending the cow belt politics of cow vigilantism to the Northeast. An Assam-based politician, who did not want to be named, said Sarma did not have beef consumption issues when he was a minister in the Sarbananda Sonowal government from 2016 to 2021.

The BJP's dissonance is evident in women's safety and empowerment, which has gripped social media ever since the Taliban's win in Afghanistan. Groups sympathetic to the BJP have launched a social media campaign to show how the party has prevented the Taliban influence in India.

In UP, Yogi Adityanath is at pains to showcase his government's efforts to ensure women's safety and security. His government, however, is facing constant flak for several crimes against women and the administration's failure to investigate these properly. The Opposition has also pointed to Adityanath's previous statements that women require protection and not be given independence.

But as political scientist Ajit Jha points out, none of these contradictions might affect the BJP's electoral success in the absence of a credible alternative in the forthcoming Assembly polls, as happened in Delhi and Bengal.

"For all its faults, voters believe the BJP is the only party that can keep the unity and integrity of the country intact. It has become the default choice. Political parties need to talk not merely about the fragments of Indian society, which turns away voters from them, but draw from nationalism rooted in the belief of a united India and question BJP," Jha says.

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Jiban Rabhas hope and hard work in the past six years finally bore fruits on Thursday (September 9). The oil palm Rabha and six other educated farmers cultivated in about seven hectares of land at Khungrajani village in western Assams Goalpara district in 2015 was harvested for the first time.

A Hyderabad-based company bought the oil palm at Rs 10 per kg which would be processed to produce palm oil, a vegetable edible oil on which India is now focussing to cut import cost.

At this rate, we hope to get about Rs 3 lakh per hectare, Rabha told DH from his village, about 100-kms from Guwahati. The income from oil palm, according to Rabha, will triple the amount farmers like him earn by growing paddy, the major crop in agriculture-dependent Assam.

Oil palm is harvested every 15-days after four years of planting the trees. Nearly 1,000 farmers in Goalpara and neighbouring Kamrup district are now cultivating oil palm in about 200 hectares of land, which according to Rabha remained unused. Assam at present has 350 hectares under oil palm cultivation in Goalpara, Kamrup and Bongaigaon districts.

Read | PM bats for oil palm farming in north-east, Andaman & Nicobar

According to the government, oil palm produces 10 to 46 times more oil per hectare compared to other oilseed crops like mustard, sunflower or sesame, which are largely grown in Assam fields as Rabi crops. Rabha hoped that more and more farmers would go for oil palm cultivation with technical support and financial assistance likely to be provided under the National Mission on Edible Oils  Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).

This Centrally sponsored scheme worth Rs 11,040 crore has identified the Northeast region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as focus areas. The mission seeks to expand oil palm cultivation by an additional area of 6.5 lakh hectare, thereby reaching the target of 10 lakh hectare in the next five years.

This hope for more earning by farmers expansion plan has become a worry for environmentalists in the Northeast, one of the biodiversity hotspots in the country. Large scale expansion of monoculture crop oil palm is likely to eclipse tropical forests and the rich biodiversity. As farmers will get more money from oil palm, compared to other traditional crops, they will clear the forests and jungles to switch over to palm oil cultivation, said Narayan Sharma, assistant professor at Department of Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences, Cotton University, Guwahati.

Sharma said oil palm cultivation in such a large scale could lead to destruction of forests the way forests were cleared for cultivation of tea in upper and North Assam districts in the 1990s (Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Golaghat, Sonitpur). The oil palm will create crisis of food for many wildlife species and birds as they dont eat oil palm fruits. This will further aggravate the human-animal conflicts in the region too, he said.

Also Read | BJP ally opposes PM's oil palm mission in North East

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar countered such fears saying that the government was proceeding on the basis of cautious scientific studies. According to him, a study by Indian Council for Agricultural Research identified 28 lakh hectare for oil palm, out of which 9 lakh hectare are in the Northeast. Cultivation will not be done by cutting forests or other crops. These lands are already lying unused, he said.

Climate activist, Rituraj Phukan, however, said there are no wastelands in nature, particularly in the bio-diversity rich Northeast. Phukan, who has taken part in several international climate conclaves said, India is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 30X30 plan which called for protection of at least 30 per cent of all land and sea areas to stop the catastrophic loss of biodiversity by 2030. Indias Paris Agreement commitments include creation of a cumulative carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030, with the stated goal to bring at least 33 per cent of land areas under green cover, up from the current 24.5 per cent.

He added: The National Forest Policy 2018 also aspires for one-third of total land area under forest and tree cover to achieve the national goal for eco-security. These declarations will require creation and regeneration of protected areas, and in the Northeast, we have the defined landscape to adhere to these global commitments and state goals.

Ground water and land use concerns: Being a water guzzling crop, oil palm cultivation, according to Sharma, could further deplete groundwater in the Northeast. An oil palm plant requires 200 litres of water everyday. The rainfall pattern in the Northeast is already erratic due to climate change impact. Most of the months have remained dry, whereas huge rainfall is witnessed in two-three months only. So, farmers will go for borewell irrigation during most part of the year and this will further deplete our groundwater level, he said. Rabha, too, admitted that irrigation became a challenge due to erratic rainfall and so they were depending on borewells between November and March.

Experts say that oil palm could be worse than jhum cultivation (jungles are slashed and burnt for cultivation) practised by tribal farmers on the hills of Northeast. Forests are regenerated if the land is left for a few years after jhum is practiced. But the same cannot happen after oil palm cultivation. Again, farmers can grow at least 20 different crops in jhum fields but being a monoculture crop, no other crop can be cultivated in the palm oil fields, Sharma pointed out.

Malayasia/Indonesia lessons: Experts said India should have taken lessons from the destruction of forests and biodiversity due to large scale oil palm cultivation in other Southeast Asian nations like Malaysia and Indonesia. We do not want to see the wildlife species like Hoolock Gibbon or the Golden Langur suffer the fate of the Orangutans of Malayasia, where habitat has been decimated by palm oil cultivation, Phukan said.

Recent studies have highlighted that forest conversion add to the outbreak and spread of zoonotic diseases like Covid-19. The unplanned promotion of oil palm has already led to disappearance of many native wildlife species in many Southeast Asian nations, said Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, a prominent conservationist and CEO of Aaranyak, an NGO.

Oil palm cultivation was undertaken in Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and in Nagaland about 10 years ago and Mizoram is among the top five states with such cultivation. Mizoram has identified over one lakh hectares of land for oil palm, particularly where jhum is practised. But Conservation Mizoram, an NGO, objected to Chief Minister Zoramthangas endorsement of the Mission saying this could bring a doom to the hills states rich bio-diversity.

BJP-ruled Arunachal Pradesh, where nearly 80 per cent land is under forest cover, wants to bring 1.33 lakh hectare under oil palm cultivation. Chief Minister Pema Khandu clarified that the cultivation will be carried out only in the wasteland.

Nagaland, where BJP is an ally of the coalition government, has identified another 11,000 hectare of wasteland for oil palm cultivation. The state currently has 4,623 hectare under oil palm cultivation, which began in 2014-15.

With BJP and its allies in power in states of the Northeast, the Centre is unlikely to face hurdles in implementing the Mission Oil Palm but Meghalaya has already witnessed a strong protest against such cultivation. Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 said in addition to ecological impact, oil palm cultivation can result food insecurity among farmers in the Northeast, 80 per cent of whom are marginal. This will push the region to an issue of food insecurity as farmers will replace food crops with oil palm, he said.

Gogoi, who is the deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said the government should instead focus on endemic crops like bamboo that have higher benefit-cost ratio, short maturation period and less water consumption, he said.

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Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar blamed the state leadership of the party for missing an opportunity to wrest Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike from BJP after 15 years.

Speaking to media persons at the party office on Sunday, he said the State leaders under various compulsions gave party tickets to wrong candidates, which resulted in at least five winnable Congress ticket aspirants contesting as rebel/ independent candidates; and the defeat of our official candidate. State level leaders, including me, will take the blame for missed opportunity in Hubballi-Dharwad, he said.

Congress won 33 of the 82 wards in HDMP, results of which were announced on September 6. He, however, ruled out the impact of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) on the Congress vote share. The Asaduddin Owaisi-led party has won three wards and dented the prospects of Congress candidates in at least eight other seats.

Claiming moral victory, Shivakumar said Congress is satisfied with the results in two of the three municipal corporations that went to polls recently. We have improved our vote share and seats in HDMP, while in Kalaburagi we are the single largest party and have every possibility of administering it. In Belagavi, we were hopeful of winning 20 seats but ended up with just 10. We will work to improve our number there, he said.

Misusing power

Blaming the BJP for misusing the State election commission for unscientific delimitation and conduct of elections to three city municipal corporations in a hurry, Shivakumar questioned as to why the State government has not made any efforts to conduct elections for the appointment of chiefs for the 10 urban local bodies (ULBs), including Ballari City corporations that went to polls in April. Just because Congress won six of these ULBs the BJP government is not holding polls to elect presidents/ mayor. BJP is trying operation kamala to manufacture a verdict in their favour in these ULBs, he alleged.

'Accepting misgovernance'

Shivakumar said changing of four chief ministers in three states in the last few months by the BJP shows that their leaders have failed in giving good governance in the time of pandemic and were indulging in corruption. By this, the central leadership of BJP has accepted misgovernance by their chief ministers and their lack of trust in these CMs, he said.

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Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar said the question of operation Kamala' does not arise in Kalaburagi as party leaders are directly in talks with Janata Dal (Secular) leaders over the formation of administration in Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike.

Speaking to media persons on Sunday, Shettar said BJP has done exceptionally well in Kalaburagi by improving its seats. JD(S) holds the key for the formation of administration in KMP. Our party leaders have given enough indications that an alliance is going to be stitched. Let us wait till the announcement of mayor polls, he said and added that party senior leaders will decide on offering mayor post to JD(S).

Responding to a charge of KPCC president D K Shivakumar regarding non-holding president/mayor polls for the 10 urban local bodies that went to polls in April, Shettar said the decision to hold elections rests with the State election commission and not the state government.

BJP was not in favour of holding elections for three City Municipal corporations till December as there was a threat of Covid. However, due to Courts order, the elections were held. The party could not perform much to the satisfaction due to shortage of time, wrong selection of candidates and some internal politics played by BJP leaders, he said and added that had there been a higher voter percentag, the party would have bagged more than 45 seats in HDMP.

Regarding the debate over Congress demand for Covid death audit, the former chief minister said the state government is prepared to give an answer to all the questions that Congress wish to raise in the assembly. Last time also Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy raised similar doubts on the government. However, he was silenced by the government by putting forward facts. This time too the same will be repeated, he said.

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Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly Siddaramaiah and state Congress President D K Shivakumar will arrive at the Vidhana Soudha in bullock carts on Monday, to attend the monsoon session of the state legislature, in protest against the price rise.

The 10 day long session will be held from September 13 to 24, at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here.

As part of the protest, organised by the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee against price rise and "anti people" policies of the state and central governments, Siddaramaiah will leave for the Vidhana Soudha in a bullock cart at 9 am on Monday, his office said in a statement.

Shivakumar too will leave for the Vidhana Soudha in a bullock cart from his residence, a statement from KPCC said.

The Congress, which recently held its legislature party meeting, chaired by its leader Siddaramaiah, to discuss the party's strategy during the session, has said it will raise the issues of price rise, deteriorating law and order situation and distressing financial position of the state, among others.

This is the first session of the Karnataka legislature after Basavaraj Bommai took charge as the Chief Minister and his new cabinet assumed office, following the exit of state BJP strong man B S Yediyurappa.

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A well-known store in Derrys Guildhall Square that became a meeting place for Syrian refugees and local people is the inspiration behind a new play produced by award-winning Sole Purpose Productions to be staged at the Derry Playhouse Theatre later this month.

Samaras Shop, managed by Mohamad Ali, became an unofficial advice centre for refugees fleeing the war in Syria when they began arriving in Derry in 2016.

Patricia Byrne, the artistic director of Sole Purpose Productions, wrote the play because she saw a resonance between the people who left Ireland during the time of the Great Hunger and people arriving in Derry from Syria.

Patricia said: I was interested in writing a play comparing the desperate plight of modern-day refugees with emigrants fleeing the ravages of the Irish Famine. Both were prepared to take extremely hazardous journeys on ill-equipped vessels to find a new life.

These ideas had been swirling around in my head for some time and I decided to use the shop as a setting where people who were leaving Ireland during The Great Hunger cross paths with people arriving from Syria and share their stories and experiences.

During her research she was inspired by a series of documentary films, Atlantean, made by Bob Quinn in the 1980s. In a four-year study, he found that Arabic communities living in North Africa traded with Ireland by sea many hundreds of years ago, and as a result there are many similarities between Irish and Arabic cultures, including the language and music.

Patricia added: The Irish Gaeilge language and Arabic language have very similar syntax; the Irish Sean Nos style of song and dance is very similar to the Arabic style of song and dance.

"Quinn explores the possibility that Irish language, music and art is related to ancient Iberian, Mediterranean and North African culture.

The ideas were further developed through workshops with Irish and Arabic speakers, actors, musicians and some local Syrian refugees.

Samara's Shop was inspired by Mohamad Ali's store on Guildhall Square.

The play will include Irish and Syrian actors who will perform music and speak in their own languages. The cast will include Baraa Halabieh, Karim Motaz, Julie-Yara Atz, Cara Park and Sean Donegan.

One of the London-based actors, Baraa Halabieh, is a refugee who spent five months in The Jungle Refugee Camp in Calais. Baraa said, I am really looking forward to working on this production and to seeing the merge of cultures. He will be playing Yoissef, the manager of Samaras Shop.

The play begins with two female characters, Muireann, a presence from the time of the great hunger and Syrian refugee Sedra performing a call and response musical sequence in Irish and Arabic.

Musical Direction and composition is by Martin Coyle with Paul Cutliffe and Nikos Petsakos.

With a truly new sound, the music perfectly magnifies the similarities between Irish and Middle Eastern tones, making for an amazing sensory experience. Samaras Shop is a play for the present, the past and the future and the vital link between us all.

Sole Purpose Productions is a multi-award-winning theatre company and will be celebrating 25 years in 2022. It uses the discourse of imagination to investigate and illuminate social and public issues.

Samara's Shop will open at the Playhouse on Artillery Street on September 23 and run until September 25.

For more information about Sole Purpose go to www. solepurpose.org and for how to book tickets go to: https://www.derryplayhouse.co.uk.
Kareena Kapoor returns to Laal Singh Chadha sets post pregnancy; Saif Ali Khan watches Bhoot Police at home with family

Kareena Kapoor reported back to the sets of her film Laal Singh Chadha after a gap of several months on Sunday morning. The actress shared behind the scenes pictures of her getting ready for shoot and expressed her excitement of being back.

The Forrest Gump remake has been in the making for nearly two years and Kareena had in October last year announced a wrap for her part in the film. The actress had announced her pregnancy in August and was five months pregnant with her second son Jeh Ali Khan when she shot for her last schedule in New Delhi with Aamir Khan. Talking about Jeh being a part of the movie Kareena had said to NDTV in an interview, My son is practically in Laal Singh Chaddha. He is in the romantic song with Aamir and me.

The actress had shared a picture from sets then and said, And all journeys must come to an end. Today, I wrapped my film Laal Singh Chaddha tough times the pandemic, my pregnancy, nervousness but absolutely nothing could stop the passion with which we shot, with all safety measures ofcourse.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan)

On the other hand, actor Saif Ali Khan enjoyed a movie night with his family on Saturday evening. Soha Ali Khan shared a quick video from the evening where the actors recently released Bhoot Police can be seen playing on TV while family sat across enjoying their dinner.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Desimartini Movies (@desimartinimovies)

The movie also features Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and Yami Gautam and released on Friday on Disney+ Hotstar. A horror comedy the movie garnered positive reviews in the press upon releasing.
PM Modi sends Akshay a letter condoling his mother's demise: 'The manner in which you took care of her is deeply inspiring'

Akshay Kumar shared a condolence letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoling the demise of the actors mother who died on the morning of September 8. The stars mother Aruan Bhatia was critically ill and admitted to a hospital in Mumbai when Akshay returned to India from London where he was shooting to be by her side.

While the star is back in the U.K. once again to resume work, on Sunday he shared PM Modis letter where he compliment Akshay for his career and how his mothers love and support made him the man he is today.

The letter read, My dear Akshay, It was best if I would never have written such a letter. In an ideal world, such a time should never have come. I was saddened by the demise of your Mother, Smt. Aruna Bhatia. When I spoke to you that fateful morning, you were crestfallen and you encapsulated it emotionally when you wrote, She was my core. And today I feel an unbreakable pain at the very core of my existence."

Praising Akshays upbringing by his parents which made him an upstanding and successful individual Pm Modi also lauded the star for making his mother proud. What is heartening is that during her life, she saw you scale new heights of success and stardom. The manner in which you took care of her is deeply inspiring. She left the world knowing fully well that her beloved son is one of India's most admired and versatile actors. In such times of grief, words seldom do justice. Preserve her memories and legacy, and keep making her proud. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with you and your family. Om Shanti, the letter concluded.

Akshay had shared a heartbreaking tweet on his mothers demise and her funeral was held later in the afternoon. Several celebrities from Bollywood also arrived at his residence to pay their respects including Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra, Arjun Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Malaika Arora among others.

The Bell Bottom actor and his family returned to the U.K. on September 10 so the actor could resume work.

Akshay Kumar shared a condolence letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoling the demise of the actors mother who died on the morning of September 8. The stars mother Aruan Bhatia was critically ill and admitted to a hospital in Mumbai when Akshay returned to India from London where he was shooting to be by her side.

While the star is back in the U.K. once again to resume work, on Sunday he shared PM Modis letter where he compliment Akshay for his career and how his mothers love and support made him the man he is today.

The letter read, My dear Akshay, It was best if I would never have written such a letter. In an ideal world, such a time should never have come. I was saddened by the demise of your Mother, Smt. Aruna Bhatia. When I spoke to you that fateful morning, you were crestfallen and you encapsulated it emotionally when you wrote, She was my core. And today I feel an unbreakable pain at the very core of my existence."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar)

Praising Akshays upbringing by his parents which made him an upstanding and successful individual Pm Modi also lauded the star for making his mother proud. What is heartening is that during her life, she saw you scale new heights of success and stardom. The manner in which you took care of her is deeply inspiring. She left the world knowing fully well that her beloved son is one of India's most admired and versatile actors. In such times of grief, words seldom do justice. Preserve her memories and legacy, and keep making her proud. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with you and your family. Om Shanti, the letter concluded.

Akshay had shared a heartbreaking tweet on his mothers demise and her funeral was held later in the afternoon. Several celebrities from Bollywood also arrived at his residence to pay their respects including Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Sidharth Malhotra, Arjun Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Malaika Arora among others.

The Bell Bottom actor and his family returned to the U.K. on September 10 so the actor could resume work.
Saif reveals he has nothing to do with Go Goa Gone anymore when egged about film's sequel: 'I sold all the rights and moved on'

Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan says he is no longer associated with the Go Goa Gone franchise as a producer.

Khan, who also starred in the 2013 Hindi-language zombie black-comedy film, backed the movie along with Dinesh Vijan and Sunil Lulla of Eros international.

Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, "Go Goa Gone" follows three men -- played by Kunal Kemmu, Vir Das, Anand Tiwari -- whose holiday to Goa turns out to be a zombie nightmare.

In the movie, Khan played the role of Boris, a Russian mafioso-turned-zombie hunter who is originally from Delhi.

Asked about the status of the film's sequel, the 51-year-old actor told PTI, "I don't know about Go Goa Gone 2'. I've got nothing to do with it anymore. I sold all the rights and moved on from that sort of thing."

In an interview with PTI last year, Vijan said the plot of Go Goa Gone 2 will centre around aliens, unlike its predecessor which was a comedy about zombies.

"Zombie element won't be there, we are doing it with aliens. The world will be similar like the same emotion, same comic timing, like stoner comedy, but a new journey."

"We just need to give every actor, who was there in the first part, a little more like a 2.0 version and bring something new," Vijan had told PTI.

Up next for Khan is the remake of the 2019 Tamil blockbuster Vikram Vedha , in which he will be teaming up with Hrithik Roshan. Their last outing was the romantic-drama Na Tum Jaano Na Hum, which was released in 2002.

"I have seen the original Vikram Vedha' and I am very excited about shooting it with Hrithik for this new film," he said.

The shoot for Vikram Vedha is expected to begin from November.

Khan is also looking forward to his other project Adipurush, the shoot of which commenced in February.

Helmed by Om Raut of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior fame, the multilingual period saga is an on-screen adaptation of the epic Ramayana, which features Telugu star Prabhas as Lord Ram and Khan as the antagonist Lankesh.

The actor said the creative team of "Adipurush" is leaving no stone unturned to present "the correct portrayal of religion, history and mythology" in the film.

"The film is very unique and different. I am not concerned about Adipurush' at all because the director, the writer and the entire creative organisation are highly educated in the material they are doing. It is impossible to imagine them to put one foot wrong also as far as the correct portrayal of religion, history and mythology goes, they cannot make a mistake," he added.

Last year, Khan's remarks over presenting a "humane" side to the character of Lankesh in Adipurush created a stir on social media and he had later issued an apology for his comments saying it was never his intention to hurt people's sentiments.

Backed by T-Series, the film is described as a celebration of the victory of good over evil.

Also starring Kriti Sanon and Sunny Singh, Adipurush is slated to be released in theatres on August 11, 2022.
Munmun Dutta strongly reacts after rumours of dating her co-star hit headlines: 'Ashamed of calling myself a daughter of India'

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah star Munmun Dutta who recently returned to the show after a short break on Sunday took to social media lashing out at the media and trolls alike. The actresss note came shortly after rumours of her dating co-star Raj Anadkat recently went viral.

Munmun strongly reacted to the rumours and called out the media for sharing imaginary made up stories about the personal lives of celebrities. Questioning the media the actress said, R u liable to the damage that you cause to their lives with your reckless behaviour? You don't stop at shoving your cameras on the face of a grieving woman who has just lost her love or lost her son , in a funeral, just for your trps.

She further added, R u going to take responsibility for wrecking havoc in their lives ?? if no then, you should be ashamed of yourself !!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by    (@mmoonstar)

Sharing a different note addressing the general public, Munmun revealed trolls posted filthy comments of her posts and said she expected better from them. Women are constantly age shamed, slut shamed, mom-shamed, at the cost of your humour. Whether your humour drives someone to the edge of a mental breakdown or not, is never your concern. 13 years of entertaining people and it didn't take 13 minutes for anyone of you to rip my dignity apart. So next time someone is clinically depressed or driven to take their own lives, pause and think whether it was your words that drove that person to the edge or not. Today, I am ashamed of calling myself a daughter of India, Munmun concluded her note saying.

On Friday rumours of Munmun dating her much younger co-star made news. It was alleged that the actress has been dating Raj Anadkat who plays Tapu on the show since 2017.
Sanjay Dutt reveals Sunil Dutt gave him a second class train pass to get to college when had expected to be driven there in a car

Sanjay Dutt was a special guest on the dance reality show Super Dancer 4 recently and while watching performances of the young contestants the actor also spoke about his childhood while remembering his parents Nargis and Sunil Dutt.

The KGF 2 star revealed how he had a humble upbringing despite the towering figures his parents were in the Hindi film industry. He said his parents taught him to always love the kids and respect his elders and be kind to everyone.

Sharing an example he recalled how when he made it to college he thought his father would arrange a car for him to be dropped off on his first day. Sanjay revealed he was called on the first day of college and he was handed a second class pass for the local train from Bandra.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay)

He said during the episode, Maine socha yaar, daddy bolenge gaadi mein chod ke aao mere bachche ko. (Instead) bole, 'Ye second class ka pass hai, Bandra station se.' He added how he was instructed to take a bus, auto-rickshaw or walk to the Bandra station and take a train to Church Gate from there. The actor would walk to Elphinstone College after getting off the local train.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay)

After Sanjay expressed his disdain about not being driven to college Sunil Dutt told him when he earns for himself he can get a car. Making everyone laugh at the end of this anecdote Sanjay further added that he did end up dropping out of college after his first year. He joined the film industry in the year 1981 with the film Rocky which his father directed.

On the work front, Sanjay has two big projects lined up for release including Shamshera, KGF 2.
After producing projects in the OTT space, Shah Rukh Khan to star in a web series on Disney+ Hotstar

Shah Rukh Khan fans have been hoping to see him back on the big screen since 2019 and after a self-imposed break, the actor has signed some big projects which include Pathan and Atlees next allegedly titled Jawaan. However, after a hilarious promo released by the OTT giant Disney+ Hotstar recently, fans are left wondering if the star is also ready to join the digital bandwagon.

While the promo shared widely on social media shows Shah Rukh Khan feeling left out, it definitely succeeds in making us curious about the Bollywood stars association with the platform. According to a Bollywood Hungama report, the star will indeed be seen making his web series debut on the platform. The report apart from confirming Shah Rukhs digital debut doesnt give many details about what the project will be about. The details of the project are still under wraps and if this is indeed true then an announcement will follow soon enough.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk)

Stars like Ajay Devgn and Hrithik Roshan are touted to be making their digital debut with a wed series each on the platform too. While Ajays web series Rudra: The Edge of Darkness has been announced, Hrithik is said to be starring in the remake of the British spy drama series The Night Manager.

As far as Shah Rukh Khan is concerned, the actor had forayed into digital as a producer in 2017. He backed the Emraan Hashmi starrer Netflix web series Bard Of Blood. The later went on to produce the Netflix original film Class of 83 which was led by Bobby Deol.
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The ACRPS Strategic Studies Unit held remotely via the Zoom its third Conference on Protracted Arab Civil Wars: Causes and Challenges" from 11 to 14 September 2021. The four days conference examined the protracted Arab civil wars and their causations; exceptionality; security, humanitarian and environmental ramifications; the impact of both female and foreign fighters (participation); the changing character of civil wars in terms of tactics and strategies; the role(s) of international and regional powers; the impact(s) of spoilers; and comparative non-Arab cases of ending civil wars and post-civil war management. The conference will also address a set of important research questions, such as: Is there any exceptionalism in Arab civil wars, in terms of causes, duration, intensity, scale and scope? If yes, why? What are the strategic implications of protracted civil wars for regional and international security? How can external powers influence the trajectories of these civil wars? Can they improve governance in areas that have been afflicted by civil wars? What are the roles of armed nonstate actors as military, political and administrative nonstate entities? How will these wars and their aftermath affect humanitarian and environmental policies in the region and beyond? What are the prospects of total war termination, nonviolent conflict management and sustaining civil peace, stability, and reforms in the aftermath of these civil wars? Are there any lessons to be learned from non-Arab cases?



The first day began with an opening intervention by ACRPS researcher and director of the Strategic Studies Unit, Omar Ashour, who provided context for the conference. Ashour referred to the multiple civil wars that the Arab world witnessed before and after the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011, while today there are at least six Arab countries still suffering from internal wars that have engendered humanitarian suffering, environmental damage, mass exodus, major internal displacement and uncontrollable refugee spill over. Given these protracted and under-researched dynamics, the ACRPS Strategic Studies Unit has organized this conference.

Stathis Kalyvas, expert scholar of civil wars, followed with an introductory lecture in which he offered a general theoretical framework of the topic. In his lecture, Some Reflections on the Arab Civil Wars, Kalyvas shed light on problems when researching civil wars and raised intellectual and methodological questions related to the exceptionalism of Arab civil wars. He also reflected on the proper geographical classification that can be used to discuss wars in the Arab region, and the lessons that can be drawn from them. Following Kalyvass intervention, political scientist, Tamim Al-Barghouti, gave a lecture entitled One War, Different Battles, in which he addressed a key question: how cultural norms and expressions of collective memory and sentiments in the Arab region can be employed in understanding outcomes of political and military conflicts. He shed light on the problems in addressing political phenomena in the Arab world using traditional and mainstream approaches. He opined that prevailing studies in the Arab world, on topics such as nation-states, non-state armed groups, or regional systems, tend to ignore cultural complexities and organic interconnections within the Arab region.

The first panel on Protraction and exceptionality: Causations, Complications and Cases was chaired by Abdelwahab El-Affendi, acting president of the Doha Institute. The first speaker, Sidahmed Goudjili, Assistant Professor for the Doha Institute Critical Security Studies programme, presented his paper Literature Gaps, Exceptionalism and Data Issues in Arab Civil Wars, in which he presented a macro analysis of the Arab civil wars between 1945 and 2020, and a comparative analysis across cases and time. He also discussed the exceptionalism hypothesis of the Arab civil wars and its applicability on civil wars that erupted following the Arab Spring.

The second speaker, Hamid Eltigani Ali, Associate Professor and Dean of the School of Public Administration and Development Economics at the Doha Institute, discussed his paper Causes of Protracted Sudanese Civil Wars. He discussed the factors behind the outbreak and protraction of the conflict in Sudan, such as economic inequality, marginalization and exclusion.

Following this, ACRPS researchers Majd Abuamer and Hani Awad, , addressed their paper on What Civil War is-and is Not-: Lessons from the Arab World, addressing the conceptual chaos resulted from disagreement among researchers over the definition of these wars, as the concept of civil war has been used to refer to or combined with other concepts such as sectarian war, ethnic war, irregular warfare and proxy war. To solve this problem, Abuamer and Awad suggested a normative theoretical model that reconceptualizes civil wars as an armed conflict over the nation state and within its sovereign borders. One of the parties to this conflict is necessarily a state with a weak legitimacy, and a Social Movement Organization(s) (SMO), that emerges as a result of: the failure of settlement between parties, the state's failure to eliminate the social movement or contain its political activism, and the SMO's failure to change the state.

The fifth and the final speaker of the panel, Abdullah Baaboud, Chair of the State of Qatar for Islamic Area Studies at Waseda University, presented The Dhofar Insurgency: Causes and Ramifications, discussing the role that the Dhofar Rebellion (1965  2967) played in the eventual creation of the modern Sultanate of Oman, and how what started as a small-scale tribal insurgency by the Dhofar Liberation Movement (DLF), against the Sultan Said bin Taimur transformed into a wider regional movement. Baaboud placed the Dhofar insurgency in a wider context, as the longest and largest armed struggle within the Arabian Peninsula and the last classic colonial war in the region.

The conference will continue until Tuesday, 14th of September 2021, with a group of researchers and experts discussing pressing questions and present academic interventions related to civil wars in the Arab region. Considering the exceptional circumstances of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this years conference will be held remotely via the Zoom video conference platform and will be streamed across the Arab Centers social media accounts for public access.



The Role of Women and Regional powers



The second day of the conference started with a panel on Women at (Civil) War, chaired by the Doha Institutes Executive Director of Administration and Finance Division, Mariam Al-Misnad. The first speaker, Ora Szekely, Associate Professor of Political Science at Clark University, presented her paper, Unlikely Allies: Women, Privilege, and Participation in the Syrian Uprising, in which she discussed the grievances at the root of the 2011 Syrian uprisings, and the key features of womens participation in it as well as the advantages that some women obtained due to their gender and sectarian identities.

Muhanad Seloom, Assistant Professor at the Critical Security Studies program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, followed with his paper on YPJ in Syrian Civil War: An Intersectional Inquiry into Kurdish Female Fighters. Seloom examined the objectives and roles of YPJ Kurdish women fighters in the Syrian civil war while adopting the principle of intersectionality as a method of inquiry, taking into consideration the multiple interlocking identities and live experiences of Kurdish women fighters.

The third and last paper of this panel Undoing the Caliphate: Women's Roles in ISIS and Repatriation Efforts, was presented by Jessica Trisko, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Virginia Commonwealth University and Duenya Hassan, Project Manager at the William & Marys Global Research Institute. Trisko and Hassan presented the challenge of reintegrating women and children associated with the Islamic State in the Middle East and North Africa, where women were an integral part of the traditional family structure within the group, and their involvement extended beyond the private sphere, as they served as educators, propagandists and enforcers of the Islamic States interpretation of Sharia law.

The last panel of the day, Roles of Regional Powers: Spoilers, Guarantors or Resolvers, was chaired by the director of the Qatar Armed Forces Strategic Studies Unit, Rashid Hamad Al-Nuaimi. Imad Mansour, Assistant Professor at the Critical Security Studies Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, and William R. Thompson, Distinguished Professor and Donald A. Rogers Professor Emeritus at the Department of Political Science at Indiana University, presented their paper on The Rivalry-Civil War Farrago in the MENA, in which they discussed the interaction between interstate rivalry and civil wars onset in the Middle East and North Africa, as they summarized it as a farrago. Mansour and Thompson argued that due to internationalization of civil war, it has become apparent that external interference in domestic warfare has become a substitute for conventional interstate combat. Thus, they suggested a model that integrates domestic grievances and international rivalries, in order to explain this farrago.

The final speaker on this panel, Emadeddin Badi, advisor for Libya at the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Government (DCAF), spoke on The Russian and Turkish Intervention in the Libyan Civil War and the Ramifications. In his paper, Badi examined the Russian and Turkish intervention in Libya following the launch of Khalifa Haftars offensive on Tripoli in April 2019 and presented their different approaches to interventionism. Badi argued that both countries have adopted starkly distinct approaches to security assistance and developed vastly different models of cooperation (or lack thereof) with local partners.



The fourth conference session, was on Foreigners in Civil Wars, chaired by Haider Saeed, Head of the Research department at the ACRPS. Thomas Juneau, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, was the first speaker for the third day. Juneau presented a paper on How War Transformed the Partnership between Iran and the Houthis? in which he analyzed the causes and consequences of the quantitative and qualitative shifts in Irans support for the Houthis and explained how this has represented an important victory for Iran.



Thomas Hegghammer, Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, spoke next on his paper, Will Arab Fighters Return to Afghanistan? He discussed the likelihood of Afghanistan becoming once again a destination for Jihadi foreign fighters, considering the history of the Arab Jihadi movement and the current situation in Afghanistan. Hegghammer argued that although the latest development is generally beneficial to transnational jihadism, a return to the pre-9/11 state of affairs is highly unlikely in the near future.

The following panelists, Hamzeh al-Mustapha, a PhD Candidate in Middle Eastern Politics at the University of Exeter, and Laila Alrefaai, Masters student in Sociology at the Marmara University, presented a paper on The Turkistan Islamic Party between Locality of Syrian Jihad and Geopolitical Conflicts. They addressed the Turkistan Islamic Partys transformation as a foreign faction in the Syrian war, and its involvement in various battles against the Syrian regime on the one hand, and its engagement in Jihadi-Jihadi conflicts between the "Islamic State," Al Qaeda, and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, on the other. Al-Mustapha and Alrefaai traced the Turkistan Islamic Partys roots and operational expansion, and observing its combat tactics, factional alliances and relationship with local communities.

Nicola Mathieson, PhD Candidate at the Coral Bell School, was the final speaker on this panel, discussing her paper, Tracing the Impact of Foreign Fighters: The Long-term Implications of the Soviet-Afghan and Afghan Civil War. She looked at how the capacity to impact armed groups increases with experience and argued that although initial experience in conflict is important for foreign fighters, it must be accompanied by practical application in conflict in order to produce effective fighters.

The fifth panel of the conference examined The Changing Nature of (Civil) War, and was chaired by Marwan Kabalan, Director of the Political Studies Unit at the ACRPS. The fist speaker, Rex Brynen, Professor of Political Science at McGill University in Canada, presented his paper on Military Innovation in the Arab Civil Wars: A Comparative and Historical Perspective, in which he identified the conditions under which military innovation has emerged in civil conflicts in the Arab world, distinguishing between tactics that are truly novel and those that represent a more common adaptation to particular conflict environments.

Second speaker, Craig Whiteside, Associate Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in California, discussed his paper Carving Out a Caliphate: The Islamic State's Revolutionary War Doctrine, in which he engaged captured/leaked primary documents and analyzed over 10,000 Islamic State reported attacks between 2007 and 2014. In addition, Whiteside presented several findings about the groups warfare methods and how it is exporting these to affiliates (Arab and non-Arab) around the world.

The third and final speaker on this panel, Brynjar Lia, Professor of Middle East Studies at the University of Oslo, discussed Jihadi Insurgencies and Proto-states: Origins, Evolution and Future Prospects. He presented some of the key factors explaining the rise, proliferation and resilience of Jihadi-led insurgent movements and proto-states. Lia argued that weakening state structures due to globalization, underdevelopment and ongoing armed conflicts cannot alone explain Jihadi resilience, explaining that actor-specific factors such as their human resources management and their transnational universalist ideology, are central in understanding Jihadi insurgencies expansion and contracting.

The fourth and last day of the conference was launched with the panel Humanitarian and Environmental Implications of (Civil) Wars, chaired by Abdulfatah Mohamed, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies in the ACRPS. The first speaker, Moataz El Fegiry, Assistant Professor and Head of the Human Rights Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, presented his paper Time and Again: Humanitarian Consequences of International and Regional Geopolitics of Arab Civil Wars. He discussed the impact of the complex international and regional geopolitics of the civil wars in Libya, Yemen and Syria, which not only exacerbated the humanitarian cost of these conflicts but also obstructed the means available to the international community to protect civilians and effectively respond to massive atrocities committed during these wars.

The second speaker on this panel, Mohammad Al-Saidi, Assistant Professor at the Department of International Affairs at Qatar University, spoke on The Environmental Impacts of Arab Civil Wars: From Basic Supply Destruction to Weaponization. He addressed the relationship between environmental factors and conflicts in the Middle East and explored the impact of the Yemeni and Syrian civil wars on environment-related sectors such as water, energy and food. Al-Saidi illustrated the immediate impacts of these conflicts on destruction, supply interruptions and weaponization, and the indirect impacts such as the deteriorating the health of humans and ecosystems as well as weakening public institutions.

Moosa Elayah, Assistant Professor of the Public Administration program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, spoke next on his paper Humanitarian and Environmental Data and Implications: The Case of Yemen. He highlighted the issue of the Humanitarian Aid in Yemen as a significant source of funding for armed groups, as those groups are often looting aid to distribute it based on partisanship and to sell it on the black market to finance the war effort. Furthermore, in many cases, aid is distributed through local NGOs that were established by these groups or were pre-politicized in favor of specific region or group. Elayah argued that the ability of NGOs to use and deliver aid effectively to those who deserve it is very limited, and its actions can end up expanding the war economy.

Tomas Dumbrovsky, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Human Rights Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, presented the last paper on this panel Sharing and Trading Refugees: Syrian Civil War as New Impetus for Reconfiguring International Refugee Law. He examined the various solutions proposed in light of the European sharing scheme and the empirical data produced by the Syrian refugee crisis. He argued that any practical solution must combine quotas with a trading mechanism. At the same time, it must preserve the legal and ethical principles developed so far in international refugee law.

The seventh and final panel of the conference, Comparative Successes, Failures and Stalemates was chaired by ACRPS Researcher, Ayat Hamdan. The first speaker, David Darchiashvili, Professor at the School of Arts and Sciences in Ilia State University in Georgia, presented his paper From War to "Democracy": How Did the Georgian Civil War Transform? He illustrated the Georgian experience in ending the ethnic and civil armed clashes since its independence declared in the beginning of the 90s, pointing to the internal and external factors that have managed the political crisis in Georgia since then. He listed an absence of the tradition of military dictatorships, as well as the geographical closeness of a democratic community of nations as factors that have contributed to avoiding the worst-case scenarios manifesting.

Second speaker, Luka Steric, Researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy presented his paper, From Civil War to Security Sector Reform: Assessing Serbia and the Western Balkans after the Yugoslav Civil Wars. He raised a question on the sustainability of the process of importing the democratization model from abroad to pacify and transform the region, while referring to the civil war in Yugoslavia thirty years ago that resulted in the dissolution of the country and the creation of new nation states. He noted the full membership that the European Union has offered to all former Yugoslav republics, under the condition that these countries successfully conduct the process of democratization and liberalization under terms set by Brussels.

The following speaker, Ali Elwahishi, Assistant Professor at the Political Science Department in the University of Zawia in Libya, discussed The Libyan Civil War and the Challenges of Peace Prospects. He addressed the roots of the internationalized civil war in Libya, and the efforts of the United Nations and European countries to bring peace between the conflicting Libyan parties. Elwahishi also examined the challenges and obstacles to the prospects for peace and reconciliation, especially those presented by the parties benefiting from the current situation, whether domestically or abroad.

The final speaker of this panel, Mansour Lakhdari, Assistant Professor at the Department of International Relations in Ahmed Bin Mohammed Military College in Qatar, presented on The Algerian Experience in Ending Civil War: Context and Consequences of the Security Crisis. Lakhdari examined the way the Algerian civil war was ended with a focus on the specificity of the Algerian experience and the role and success of the military in designing the institutional framework to end the war.

Concluding the conference, Omar Ashour, Director of the Strategic Studies Unit at the ACRPS, thanked the participating researchers, attendees and organizers, as well as the professors on the Critical Security Studies Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. Ashour also noted that selected chapters of the papers presented in the conference will be published in an Arabic language book by the ACRPS and in English by a Western University publishing house. This conference, as well as the previous conferences, are part of the Strategic Studies Units activities and the same topics are studied on the Critical Security Studies Program. Ashour finished by saying that in the coming months, the ACRPS will hold a conference on Political Transition in Sudan and Syria, and the Gulf Studies Forum.


ADA [ndash] Graveside Services for Delbert Gene Wallis, 96, of Byng, was 10 a.m. Monday, Sep. 13, 2021, at Rosedale Cemetery, David Gray officiated. Mr. Wallis passed away Friday, Sep. 10, 2021, at his home. He was born March 13, 1925. He retired from Ideal Cement. Survivors are his three so
Professor Brian MacCraith, the Louth man leading the Irish Covid-19 vaccine rollout, has said that the Irish people have shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic and that it can be seen in the massive vaccine uptake across the country.

Professor MacCraith, who is originally from old Muirheavena in Dundalk and now lives in Termonfeckin, is the chairperson of the high-level task force on Covid-19 vaccination and he spoke with the Democrat about his work with the group.

Professor MacCraith said that he was originally offered the job in November 2020 and he quickly accepted despite not knowing entirely what it would entail.

It was a privilege and an honour to be asked to take on something so significant as this, said Professor MacCraith.

The complexity of it wouldnt have been clear from the outset but I knew it was a very big task and I knew it was by far the biggest such programme ever undertaken by the State.

Professor MacCraith worked in Dundalk IT before moving to Dublin City University as a physics lecturer. He later went on to become President of the university, with a 10-year term running from 2010 to 2020.

The former President of DCU said that the work on the task force began immediately and they began preparations for the vaccination programme.

Professor MacCraith told the Democrat that the vaccination programme was always planned to be driven by the supply of vaccines into Ireland and infrastructure was scaled up to reflect that.

We made the commitment right across the programme that the only thing that would limit our ability to administer vaccines would be the supply itself, everything else we would optimise because it was the only thing we didnt have absolute control over.

Professor Brian MacCraith greeting Martina Ralph at Fairways vaccination centre

While the task force knew that they would be receiving small amounts of vaccine in the early days, from February they began to plan for the larger shipments of vaccine that would arrive in the second and third quarter of the year.

We knew from the contracts with the vaccine companies that that would rise up to hundreds of thousands a week during quarter two and quarter three and thats what happened.

We were planning from, certainly February onwards for that scale up.

A significant marker in Irelands vaccine programme has been the extremely high takeup across the country, with 86.5% of over 16s fully vaccinated.

The total number of people fully vaccinated in the country now stands at 3,380,284 as of September 1st.

As to why the uptake has been so high, Professor MacCraith says that it is due to the trust Irish people have placed in science and state institutions like the HSE.

They trusted the science, they listened to the best public health advice, they were an educated population and they made rational decisions based on evidence.

The numbers achieved can speak for themselves.

When you combine that with the response, that scale of coming forward with the great resilience shown by Irish people throughout the whole pandemic, it would make you extremely proud to be an Irish person.

The professor, who received his vaccinations in the Fairways vaccination centre earlier this year, told the Democrat that uptake of the vaccine remains high even moving into younger people, with 90.4% of people over the age of 12 either having registered or already received a vaccination.

Its incredible figures, these numbers is [sic] not being achieved in many parts of the world where people have access to vaccines.

He heaped praise on all those involved in the vaccine programme and the thousands of volunteers who gave up time to work on the programme.

Really its been an extraordinary example of human endeavour and commitment to public service.

The success of this programme is down to the collective coming together to make this happen.

The next priority for Professor MacCraith and the task force is to get more people who havent registered for a Covid-19 vaccine vaccinated.

While Professor MacCraith understands that the programme will never reach 100% uptake, due to those who choose not to take a vaccine, he believes it is still possible to reach other groups of people.

We know you can never get to 100%, theres nowhere in the world where you get 100% vaccination. You have to accept and respect peoples views.

While there are people who will choose not to get the vaccine regardless, Professor MacCraith is focused on those who are likely to get the jab, but due to circumstances like work commitments, travel or being busy stop them from registering.

To combat this, he says that the walk-in vaccine centres have been successful and that the task force was taken aback by their popularity.

Feedback Professor MacCraith has received shows that the flexibility of the centres appeals to people.

We have parents, both parents working and working long hours that just the normal appointments may not have suited them. This walk-in option has really opened up possibilities, said Professor MacCraith.

He also says that there may be up to 10,000 people who received an AstraZeneca dose one, but never returned for their second jab due to concerns.

Professor MacCraith believes that the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) allowing for vaccine mixing in limited circumstances may get those 10,000 back in for their second dose.

For Professor MacCraith, Louth is still his home and he still retains his connections to Dundalk.

Its great to live in such a nice area beside the sea with such great views and scenery around that, said Professor MacCraith about Termonfeckin.

Wed go in and out to Dundalk on a regular basis and Id still have some very good friends that were in contact with.
A 34 year old man accused of money laundering as part of an email scam, which allegedly tricked a company to send almost 100,000 to his bank account, appeared before Dundalk district court last week.

Judge Eirinn McKiernan was told the DPP has directed that the case should only be heard at district court level if a guilty plea is entered.

Craciun Caldanas who gave an address at Avenne Boucicaut,Chalon sur Saone, France is charged with engaging in possessing property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct while being reckless as to whether or not said property was the proceeds of crime, at Ulster Bank, West Street, Drogheda on February 21st 2019.

The Defence solicitor told the court his client was not yet indicating a plea and asked the court for an order directing that the video of the garda interview with his client be handed over.

The court heard the case related to a shipping company receiving an email purporting to be from a supplier, advising it of a change in its bank account number.

Its alleged that almost 100,000 was transferred into the defendants account, and the money was given to another person. Judge Eirinn McKiernan refused jurisdiction and remanded the defendant on bail to October 13th for the DPPs directions.
North Andover, MA (01845)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. W winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
By The Staff of The News

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  A Portales man was sentenced to two years probation Wednesday following a guilty plea in April to operating as an airman without an airman certificate.

According to a release from the U.S. District Attorneys Office, Keith Alexander Thomas, 44, attempted to fly an airplane from Wisconsin to New Mexico without a pilots license.

Thomas was also fined $5,000 by Judge C.J. Williams.

According to the release, in June 2018 Thomas and another man flew to Wisconsin so the other man could purchase a Cessna plane. Thomas agreed to fly the Cessna, which was not air-worth and sustained engine failure as it flew over Iowa. Thomas had to make an emergency landing in Waterloo, Iowa, but did not establish radio communication with the aviation company whose airstrip he used. The Cessna was also out of inspection compliance, and the landing gear was not operational.

Nobody was hurt in the landing.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
ALBUQUERQUE  Eastern New Mexico University regents on Friday stressed that following a year of COVID-related shutdowns of in-person learning, another semester of the same was the last thing anybody wanted.

But low vaccination rates and high case counts in their university counties have regents concerned, and they said the colleges can't defeat the pandemic on their own.

Regents didn't take any action regarding COVID-19 practices at the college, but a discussion item placed on the agenda by Board President Dan Patterson elicited more than a half hour of conversation about concerns spring semesters may have to go virtual if things don't improve.

The university system, which includes the main campus in Portales and branch campuses in Roswell and Ruidoso, does not have any vaccine mandates. Chancellor Patrice Caldwell said, the Higher Education Department has so far chosen to leave those matters with each college's respective board. Eastern New Mexico University has not followed the University of New Mexico in requiring students to be vaccinated, and has instead chosen an encouragement path that rewards students and employees with $100 bonuses for showing proof of full vaccination.

We have no appreciable movement in any of our three counties that supports mandatory vaccination, Caldwell said of Roosevelt, Chaves and Lincoln counties. Vaccines have become political. I'm not saying it's right, I'm saying that's become a fact in the southeastern part of the state.

Caldwell said any vaccine mandate would lead to student pushback; We know there was student pushback (at UNM), because some of them transferred to Eastern. Caldwell had no intent to be negative, but said appeals to vaccination have been met with considerable resistance.

Board Vice President Lance Pyle, who also serves as Curry County manager, said the information municipalities are putting out isn't reaching because the matter has gotten political.

Pyle said before the meeting, he looked up Roosevelt County COVID-19 numbers and saw a rate of 47.4 new daily cases per 100,000 residents, test positivity of 10.77% and full vaccination at 35%. Even if the university mandates vaccines and has full buy-in, regents said, that only represents a fraction of the county population and may only have a minimal dent in infection rates.

The community needs to help us keep the university open, Pyle said. We cannot get the virus under control without the community's help.

Patterson echoed sentiments the colleges could not do it by themselves, and citizens have to help keep their universities open and their economies going

We have to tell them, 'It's your problem just as much as it is ours,' Patterson said. I don't care what their political backgrounds are. If they don't help, the community, we may have to shut down and the community would suffer economically. We have to keep saying that.

Regent Trish Ruiz, a counselor in the Hobbs school district, said the college should consider a vaccine mandate of some type. She noted at one Hobbs campus, there were 21 staff members out that day with either a positive COVID-19 test or a quarantine requirement. Ruiz noted she hates seeing the daily case counts and wondering if Lea County will beat Bernalillo County despite having around a 10th of the population.

I think that's something we need to look at, Ruiz said. I think it comes down to protecting our students, protecting our community and making sure we can keep our doors open and provide a quality education. Big universities are doing it.

Pyle floated the idea of tying spring semesters to vaccination rates in each county. If a county doesn't reach a certain vaccination percentage by the end of the year, for instance, the spring semester may end up virtual.

We may want to send it out there, Pyle said, noting the regents have a responsibility to staff and students. We've got to get out ahead of it.

In other COVID-19 developments:

 The New Mexico Department of Health reported 885 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, including 29 cases in Curry County and four in Roosevelt County.

So far in September, Curry County has confirmed 210 new cases and Roosevelt County 97.

None of the 20 deaths reported Friday were from Curry or Roosevelt counties, but Curry County reported one death each on Tuesday and Wednesday reports.

 Clovis High School, citing lack of available staff, reverted to remote learning on Friday. A Wednesday release from Clovis Municipal Schools said the school expected to return to in-person learning Monday, and reminded the community of a shared responsibility to reduce the spread of the virus.
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Android 12 has taken longer to bake than many of its predecessors, but the end might finally be in sight. XDA editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman claims Google plans to release the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) version of Android 12 on October 4th. As the company often releases polished public releases at the same time as AOSP, that hints Pixel owners may get their upgrade starting that day.

If the timing holds up, this also sets expectations for the Pixel 6 launch. Google can't really ship its new range-topping phones without Android 12, so it's unlikely to formally debut the Pixel 6 before that date. We wouldn't be surprised if the hardware only surfaced sometime later in October.

Be prepared to wait if you aren't using a Pixel. While some phone makers tend to be quick and release major Android updates within weeks, many others take months. Samsung didn't start deploying Android 11 until December 2020, three months after Google officially released the OS. As much as Google has done to shorten update delays with efforts like Project Treble, it still takes time for companies to both adapt Android to heavily-customized interfaces and test the software with customers and carriers.
ENID, Okla.  The city of Enid now owns at least one property on all but one of the seven blocks of the West Randolph-James median after purchasing another earlier this month.

City commissioners next Tuesday are set to approve a purchase claim of over $27,500 that was spent earlier this month acquiring another property on the median.

On Sept. 2, owner Denise Meloy sold her property at 1614 W. Randolph to the city  a one-story house built on a 1-acre lot in 1965, according to the Garfield County Assessor website.

According to the county assessor, Meloy had owned the property since 2007 when the deed was transferred to her from her father, Curtis Meloy Sr.

City officials have been interested in buying the properties on the center portion of West Randolph and James for the past several years, intent on improving the area and eliminating its one-way streets.

Officials intend to demolish all the structures located on the median, but have said theyre unsure whether the street would also be widened to four lanes.

+4 More demolitions planned as city buys more houses on West Randolph median For the last three years, the city of Enid has quietly been acquiring, then clearing, more of the properties sitting on the median, in hopes of widening the often-used street for through traffic.

With over a dozen properties now acquired for the long-planned road expansion, the city says no plans are in the works to invoke eminent domain through the often sticky court process of condemnation hearings.

The city has so far spent roughly $90,000 acquiring six properties in 2021, according to open records-requested costs, as well as city of Enid department purchase claims that partly take into account appraisal and title company fees.

These costs dont include demolition claims from the last year and a half totaling at least $19,000 for work clearing nearly all the properties.

The city owns 13 of the roughly 40 houses that sit on the median between Van Buren and the railroad tracks.

All but two were purchased in the last three years, for costs ranging from $5,000 to $38,000 that the city says were determined according to fair market value.

(The other two were acquired in 1998 and 2009  the latter, at 1422, was transferred from Garfield County for $465, while the former, at 1702, was purchased for $10, according to the city. Several more properties are fields or roads.)

Time not of the essenceWhen Valentin Alatorre bought an empty lot located on the 1200 block of West Randolph at a tax auction in 2014, he said he wanted to put an ice cream and lemonade stand on it for his daughter, Nyomi, to operate.

However, rezoning attempts failed, and Alatorre spent the next seven years mowing the grass every two or three weeks before a letter came from the city of Enid showing interest in buying the property.

Earlier this year, a letter signed by City Manager Jerald Gilbert was mailed to all residents on the block, including Alatorre, asking them to consider the city of Enid whenever they decide to sell their properties.

In January, Assistant City Manager Scott Morris said these letters were sent before the Enid City Commission approved an additional $250,000 to the citys Capital Replacement Department, funds meant to supplement property purchases on West Randolph for the rest of the fiscal year.

A 200% budget increase to the citys Capital Replacement Department further supplemented its purchase funds for the current 2022 fiscal year.

Alatorre sold the property in May this year for $5,000 and some change from the city  well above the public market value for the property  in exchange for the deed, after negotiating down from the $8,000 he offered in a phone call to the city manager.

Alatorre said the agreement was mutual, but added he decided selling now rather than later was a better option.

Instead of trying to argue with (Gilbert) whether or not sell it, it wouldnt be logical for me to not sell it to them when they could just take it whenever they felt like, he said. Thats the government. They got deep pockets. No ones got deeper pockets than them.

Morris said in January that the city didnt plan to use eminent domain over the Randolph properties  the court-approved municipal authority to acquire private property, with just compensation, for the benefit of a public project such as infrastructure work.

Gilbert said Friday that the city has no intent of uprooting anybody living on the median at this point.

The project is around five years off, he said, so time isnt of the essence.

Indeed, none of the properties now-former owners have been named in condemnation hearings  the first step in requesting eminent domain under Oklahoma state statute  from suits filed by the city of Enid in Garfield County District Court.

We are not contemplating condemnations at this point, because this project is a long-term project, Gilbert said. (But) somewhere down the road, whered we have to go condemnation, yes (that could happen).

We dont like to go to condemnation, I dont like to go to condemnation, he said.

The big middle partBen Ezzell, whose building was damaged by the city during road work elsewhere on Randolph, settled with the city last month rather than move forward with a condemnation hearing in county court.

After months of talks and approval from Enid City Commission two weeks ago, Ezzell and his wife received a total $150,000 from the city to buy his three lots.

Realistically, what I got from the city was pretty fair for me and pretty fair for the city, the former city commissioner said.

Mayor George Pankonin said the city of Enid now intends to demolish the building, located on a FEMA-regulated flood plain at 324 and 328 E. Randolph, to maintain the storm-water structure underneath.

Demolition was the only legal option. Substantial improvement  or work done equal to 50% of a structures market value  to structures located on a flood plain is prohibited by federal law, according to the city.

The buildings, which feature a now-partially destroyed mural, have since been vacated, while the city has since resumed work on the Boggy Creek Bridge area in front of the property.

Ezzell, saying his law firm has represented parties on both sides of condemnation hearings, said the city has a bad track record of coming out of cases without having to pay a lot.

(Condemnation) can turn into this time-consuming, big, expensive mess, and its best avoided for everyone, he said. So if the city and the property owner can make a deal that skips the big middle part, it benefits everyone.

Under state statute, landowners are entitled to just compensation if their property is claimed for eminent domain, and their land cannot be taken solely for economic development.

Theses values are determined from fair market value.

If a property owner doesnt accept an initial offer by the appraiser, then the city will acquire easements by condemnation. After the city files a petition in district court, a judge will appoint with 10 days notice three special, independent appraisers to determine how much money the property owner should be paid as compensation.

After the report is filed, either the property owner or the city can demand a jury trial within 60 days of the filing if they believe the appraisal isnt correct. If that happens, then a jury will decide on just compensation.

Gilbert said he was not aware of any condemnations going to jury trial during his nearly eight-year tenure as city manager.

Since February 2020, the city of Enid has petitioned the district court in four condemnation hearings to acquire perpetual or temporary easements through eminent domain from county residents for the citys long-term Kaw Lake Water Program.

The eight-segment pipeline from Kaw Lake is set to cross four county lines, as well as through railroad and utility right-of-ways and eventually private properties. The city needs 230 total easements for the pipeline and another 30 for a connected water main along Chestnut in Enid.

As of September, the city has paid just compensation for three of these four cases, totaling about $55,000.

Over $2.7 million was estimated for a fourth ongoing case as just compensation, which the city has not yet paid. Appraisers determined these costs from a 20-year lease the property owner had with a solar farm company, which was lost due to the lawsuit filed by the city of Enid.

The city has filed procedural demands for jury trial for this case and two of the three others.

Gilbert referred comments on ongoing Kaw Lake condemnations to City Attorney Carol Lahman, who was out of the office Friday.

Past road blocksThe city of Enid has previously embarked on a road-widening project that also called for acquiring properties through eminent domain.

While talks began 10 years ago to widen Willow from Cleveland to Oakwood from two lanes to four, later several legal hurdles resulted in over five more years in delays before work began in 2018.

In November 2013, the city initially petitioned the district court for four condemnations to acquire several easements after private negotiations fell apart.

One was later dismissed by the city, while two property owners respectively received compensation for $78,000 and $30,000.

A third owner settled with the city out of court in 2015, after appraisers recommended $53,000 in compensation. Instead, the city would design and build a wall.

Three years later, city commissioners voted to also purchase the entire property from the trustee of the late Dean Bomholt for $247,900. The house was then put on the market.

In 2008, widening both Willow and the median area of Randolph had also been part of a $39 million bond package proposal, with 70% of the funds specified for street repairs, as is required by state law.

Of the $22 million for repairs, $1.75 million was meant to begin widening Willow from 42nd to 30th. All of Randolph from 30th to 2nd and from Johnson to Garland wouldve been widened, costing Enid taxpayers $19.64 million. The portion of Randolph from Johnson to Van Buren also wouldve cost $2.2 million.

That March, however, voters resoundingly rejected the 70% portion of the proposal, including widening the two arterial streets.

Alatorre, the former property owner, remembered when citizens voted not to let the city expand those roads  but the city moved ahead years later with both projects.

They constantly have us vote on things, but then they do it anyways, on their own terms, he said. The citys going to do whatever they want.
While in Las Vegas, Kate Beckinsale was taken to the hospital.

According to TMZ on Friday, the 48-year-old Underworld star was in Vegas to film "Prisoner's Daughter."

Based on the provided reports, the actress' 'back went out' about 10:30 a.m., forcing a trip to the hospital.

Beckinsale was staying at The Signature at MGM Grand, although it's unknown if she was hurt while filming or at the hotel. The actress is still in the ER, according to reports, and her present health status is unknown.

The "Love & Friendship" actress shared a fun snapshot of herself in a lacy white dress on Instagram on Thursday, documenting her Vegas vacation. Underneath, she wore a black bustier, fishnet stockings, and black combat boots, which gave the ensemble a gritty vibe.

Kate completed the look with a jeweled headband with a black flower perched just over her brow. She captioned the photo, "Oops #Vegas."

ALSO READ: Prince Andrew Finally Served After 'Evading' Agent Representing Alleged Victim Virginia Roberts?

Fans can only hope that what has happened to her is minor and that she'll be up and acting in no time. Despite her age, Kate has always looked healthy and lean, and quite active. So it's a bit incredulous to learn that she is nursing a bad back.

She once said that she never worried about aging and dying, because she knows anyone can die anytime, despite being young. This is what has happened to her dad, who passed away at just 31.

"I've been so aware of the possibility people can drop dead at any time," she revealed, on the topic of whether she worries about getting older.

She also honestly said that worrying about her age is something she can no longer do because she's tired of people pressuring her about it. "People started trying to worry me about turning 40 when I was turning 33. If you overload it like that, you're going to make the person not give a shit," she added.

Apart from making her ready about aging and dying though, her father's death made her commit to being a mom - which for her, means staying alive.

The "Pearl Harbor" actor says her father's death also affected how she acts as a mom to Lily, the 22-year-old daughter she shares and co-parent with ex-partner Michael Sheen.

"I definitely had a sort of "I have to make sure I stay alive [feeling]". Even if she hates me, I've just got to be there," she revealed.

ALSO READ: Denise Richards 'Abusive' Mom? Teen Daughter with Charlie Sheen Makes Heavy Accusations After Being Kicked Out
Transforming landscapes

BCP (also known as BioCarbon Partners) manages the largest REDD+ Project in Africa by size, with over one million hectares of forest protected as part of the Luangwa Community Forests Project (LCFP) in Zambia. After topping two of the categories in this year's Voluntary Carbon Rankings, Environmental Finance spoke to BCP's CEO, Dr Hassan Sachedina, about what makes a successful carbon offset project

Environmental Finance: Why did you decide to launch BCP?

Hassan Sachedina: I'm a career conservationist. BCP was set up to address two key problems: the first was how to fund conservation separate to aid or tourism, and the second was how to incentivise people to protect ecosystems at scale. I saw an opportunity to focus on just one forest type: African dryland forests. Our goal is to focus on the overlap of these forests with the last great areas on earth for certain types of wildlife. Being born in Kenya, it was important to me to establish a fully African company as Africa is often underrepresented in the global carbon markets and receives less than 3% of global climate finance.

EF: What makes a successful carbon offset project?

HS: For us, it's the co-benefits. Emissions reductions are obviously important, but transformational environmental and social impacts are what we strive for. Through our community and Government partnerships, we calculate that the project benefits 217,000 people (36,000 households). If we're not meaningfully creating value for people at a household level, what incentive do they have to keep that forest intact and to tolerate an increase in wildlife?

As a company, we hold our carbon offsets and ourselves to the highest possible standards. Beyond annual Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) audits, we obtain a Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) triple gold certification for our projects. BCP is also a certified B Corporation where we score in the top 0.5% out of around 4,000 global companies. This recognises our social and environmental impacts and how we care for our staff. We are relentless about impact monitoring in order to make sure we are continually improving.

EF: How do you also ensure positive biodiversity impacts in the LCFP project?

HS: As a mission-driven conservation company, our purpose is to make the conservation of wildlife habitat valuable to people. By creating valuable partnerships with communities and Government to build resource protection capacity, we are starting to see increases of wildlife in some areas. We have also begun investing in wildlife translocations to accelerate wildlife restoration in the Luangwa Valley. Our vision is for the whole Luangwa Valley, one of the last great wildlife landscapes left on the planet, to be at carrying capacity populations in the next decade.

EF: How do you approach impact reporting and data collection?

HS: Our goal is for Africa to be known for high-quality carbon projects. This requires having impact monitoring as part of our DNA. In order to improve, you need to seek under-performance and face bad news. We have invested in an in depth digital impact monitoring system. We measure KPIs, management indicators, household income and hundreds of other metrics.

EF: What trends are you seeing in the demand for voluntary carbon offsets?

HS: There has been a huge surge in the past two years. We started the LCFP in 2014 and we didn't know if we were going to sell a single credit. Even though there wasn't much of a market to speak of, deep down we knew this must work, or else humanity would fail in the climate change fight. The supply/demand curve is now rapidly shifting. The Covid-19 pandemic, the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and the lead up to COP26 have contributed to this shift. The pandemic, in particular, has shown that our relationship with the natural world is fragile.

EF: What are your thoughts on the aims and recommendations of the Taskforce for Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets?

HS: There is always room for methodological evolution as technology improves, however, I think the market is getting distracted by credibility concerns. Over the last decade, the voluntary carbon standards have continued to evolve. It's concerning to hear people say REDD+ projects lack credibility when we are seeing household incomes and wildlife increase, and emissions and deforestation decrease with our project.

A possible catalytic role for the Taskforce is to drive higher prices for nature-based solutions. Price is a fundamental driver of future conservation and livelihood transformation for REDD+ projects working in areas with high poverty.

EF: What impact would that have on early-stage projects or projects that struggle to secure financing?

HS: At a higher price, it will incentive more communities and stakeholders to adapt land use to store and remove more carbon. It will drive the supply of projects and greatly reduce market and financing risks for nature-based carbon projects.

EF: What else are you hoping to achieve at BCP going forward?

HS: By 2030, our goal is to have signed co-management agreements across 30 million acres and to benefit three million people in the landscapes we operate in. We currently work across around three million acres, so this is a 10-fold expansion in nine years. These goals are ambitious but the scale of the problem is so huge we have to be.
Amajor event at the end of August was the declaration of economic emergency in Sri Lanka. This was following a surge in food prices after a sharp depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee. This was followed by a crackdown on hoarding of essential commodities by traders. A former army general was put in charge of the distribution of essential supplies to bring down prices.

However, this was not entirely unexpected. Sri Lanka has been steadily slipping into a crisis as growth decelerated and the fiscal balance deteriorated sharply, thus raising government debts in the last decade. The external sector scenario also worsened as imports surged faster than exports running down foreign exchange reserves, and the Sri Lankan rupee sharply depreciated. The COVID-19 pandemic, the consequent lockdown, and the devastation of the tourism sectora major foreign exchange earnerwere the last nails in the coffin. This has caused a sudden depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, surge in prices, and the consequent emergency.

The big question is, how did this relatively affluent nation, with its per capita gross domestic product (GDP) almost 50% higher than that of India and some of the best human development indicators in the developing world, plummet to this sorry state of affairs? The decline followed the short surge in the economy after the end of the civil war in 2009. Growth, which peaked at 9.1% in 2012, has steadily slowed down since the middle of the decade. It touched a low of 2.3% in 2019 and then declined by 3.6% during the pandemic in 2020.

The slowdown has also badly hurt the agriculture sector where growth has slumped from 5.8% to 1% to 2.4% in the last three years. The worst affected include coconut, tea, animal and marine products, and forestry and logging. Paddy output has declined in the last two quarters ending March 2021. The impact of the decline in the production of food has been further aggravated by the sharp depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, which raised the prices of imported goods, including food.

The slowdown has sharply eroded savings and investment rates, which have now slumped close to half the peak levels. Last year, unemployment rates were at a decadal high. The declining economy has also dragged down the fiscal indicators. Government revenues as a share of the GDP are now at a decadal low. In contrast, the ratio of the general expenditure of the government to the GDP is at a decadal high. Consequently, the ratio of annual borrowings of the government to GDP has shot up to double-digit levels. Moreover, the ratio of government debt to GDP ratio has shot up from 70% at the start of the last decade to over 100% now. Foreign financing of the government deficit has further added to the risks.

The deterioration on the external front was far worse. Sri Lankas merchandise import growth rose almost four times faster than that of merchandise exports during the last decade. The foreign exchange reserves, which peaked at around $8 billion in 2014, have touched a low of $2.8 billion in July 2021, which is hardly enough to cover the cost of even two months of merchandise imports. The Sri Lankan rupee, which depreciated by an average annual rate of 5% till the second half of the last decade, has depreciated by around one-third since 2017. The international rating agencies have downgraded Sri Lankas sovereign rating to negative or put under review in recent months.

The steady slowdown and crisis in the economy coincided with the growth of the ethnocracy and concentration of power in the island nation following the rise of the Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which was relaunched in 2016 and is now led by the politically powerful Rajapaksa family that holds the post of both president and Prime Minister. The SLPP, which is a right-wing group, has the backing of the powerful Sinhala-Buddhist community, the countrys largest ethnic group. A sizeable segment of the Sinhala-Buddhist community firmly roots for a strong leader who can ride roughshod over weak coalition groups that have been labelled as divisive and dysfunctional.

Last year, the government passed the 20th amendment to the constitution, which further concentrated the powers in the office of the president and encroached on the powers of the legislature and the judiciary. The government also withdrew from the efforts that were aimed at reconciliation with the Tamil minority. It has been alleged that the minority voters were intimidated during the last presidential elections. Provincial council elections have been repeatedly postponed to avoid power sharing with smaller groups, including Tamils. The media and civil society organisations continue to be under pressure from the government.

All these are familiar issues in India, too, where minorities and civil society groups face similar predicaments. Like in India, the Rajapaksas have tapped ultranationalist and majoritarian sentiments to post decisive electoral wins. But unfortunately, despite the political gains of the Rajapaksas and the increasing concentration of power in the executive, the Sri Lankan economy has gone into a tailspin. The political dispensation holding power in India, too, would do well to recognise the limitations of such ethnocratic policies and ensure full protection of constitutional rights to all disadvantaged groups.
CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816

Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado  September 12, 2021

The Caring Generation Wishing a Sick Parent Would Die

Golden CO- Caregiver subject matter expert Pamela D. Wilson hosts The Caring Generation podcast show for caregivers and aging adults. This coming Wednesday, September 15, 2021, Wilson shares confessions from burned-out caregivers. Caregivers feel judged by family members and others who are not caregivers for making statements like I wish a sick parent would die or no one understands the sacrifices I make as a caregiver.

The guest for this program is Dr. Mellissa Withers from the Keck School of Medicine, who shares research about a form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease-specific to the Hispanic population. Individuals as young as thirty or forty years old are being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Shared are familial concerns about diagnosis, the effect on young children and spouses who lose partners so early in life.

Wilson releases new shows for The Caring Generation series each Wednesday. Featured are tips and conversations about aging, caregiving, family relationships, and managing the healthcare maze. Also shared are interviews and research from experts worldwide about health prevention and planning. Episodes of The Caring Generation are available on Wilson's website, podcast, and music apps worldwide.

Caregiver Confessions

Family members, who are NOT involved in caring for aging parents, tell the primary caregiver that mom or dad appears to be doing great based on a 10-minute phone call or an occasional once-a-month visit. However, it's not what happens during these brief visits with family, but during the other 23 hours of each day, that tells the true story of the care needs of an aging parent.

On this episode, Wilson shares insights from caregivers about the stresses associated with care responsibilities. Concerns discussed include:

Wishing a sick parent would die so that caregiving responsibilities end

The sacrifices caregivers make when caring for elderly parents that are complicated by a lack of family support

Caregivers feeling unable to satisfy the needs of elderly parents

Caregiver thoughts of suicide, anger, and resentment

Uncertainty about being able to continue in the caregiving role

Restoring Balance to Caregiving Relationships

Caregivers experience burnout when an imbalance exists between care responsibilities and the rest of their lives. During this program, Wilson offers suggestions for caregivers to realize that doing everything for aging parents is not always possible or practical. Investigating care options can benefit aging parents and provide exposure to activities, socialization, and daily care.

Choices can be eliminated by waiting too long to research care options for aging parents. Care needs and costs increase when elderly parents fall and break a hip or suffer other advancing healthcare conditions. Caregivers who seek early education and support can learn to manage parents' health concerns, reduce crises situations, and the possibility of experiencing caregiver burnout.

Interview With Dr. Mellissa Withers  Keck School of Medicine About Early-Onset Alzheimer's disease

Mellissa Withers, Ph.D., MHS, an Associate Professor at the Keck School of Medicine in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences joins Wilson to discuss a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease among Latino populations. She is also Director of the Global Health Program of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a non-profit network of 60 universities in the Asia-Pacific.

Withers received a Ph.D. from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health with a minor in cultural anthropology and earned a Master's in International Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a BA in international development from UC Berkeley. The editor of two books, she has published more than 50 scientific articles and serves on the editorial boards of six international global health journals. In addition, she has been working on Alzheimer's-related research among Latinos for eight years.

Wilson supports family caregivers, groups, and corporations worldwide by offering education for caregivers about managing, planning, and navigating issues of health and aging. More about Wilson's online courses for elderly care, individual elder care consultations, caregiver support, webinars, speaking engagements, and brand collaborations are on her website www.pameladwilson.com. Pamela may also be contacted at +1 303-810-1816 or through the contact Me page on her website.

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This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune.

Texas House Democrats had essentially moved in lockstep  fleeing for Washington, D.C., in July and staying there for weeks to prevent a quorum needed by Republicans to pass their priority elections bill during the first special session. The group of over 50 lawmakers maintained a united front in TV interviews and on social media, keeping their plans closely guarded.

But after lawmakers were called back for a second special session by Gov. Greg Abbott, who was determined to pass the elections legislation, Democrats were faced with planning their next moves and the fractures emerged.

On July 31, in the final days of the first special session, Democrats who were camped out in the nations capital met for over eight hours in a hotel conference room taking a number of votes on what they should do next, several members and staffers who were there told The Texas Tribune.

Many of the members were ready to go home. By that point, theyd been away from their districts and families for more than three weeks. Fifty-one percent of the group that voted was for continuing to stay out of Texas, while 49% supported continuing the quorum break back in their home state, according to one of their polls.

In another vote, 20% of Democrats voted for ending the quorum break and showing up on the House floor for the next legislative overtime round.

In virtually every scenario they voted on, a majority of the group agreed they should stay away from the Texas Capitol in the second special session that began Aug. 7 to again block the elections bill they had railed against as a form of voter suppression.

Crucially, members disagreed about the significance of the votes they were taking. Some took the polls to mean they would all commit to doing the will of the majority  that they would continue to move together as a bloc, as they had for so many weeks. Others viewed it as merely a temperature check to get a better sense of the groups standing.

That misunderstanding later fueled a sense of betrayal by some of the Democrats as they watched, angry and befuddled, as their colleagues trickled back to the House over the next few weeks.

I still dont know to this day why that happened, and I truly believe that the quorum break probably would still be going on had the majoritys will actually been honored, said Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas, who was a vocal advocate for remaining in Washington.

The dam broke on Aug. 23, as the largest group of Democrats came back to the floor and helped restore an indisputable quorum that paved the way for Republicans to ram through the elections bill and send it to Abbott, who signed it into law Tuesday in Tyler.

Election integrity is now law in the state of Texas, Abbott said, issuing the kind of declaration of victory that the Democrats had wanted to postpone for as long as possible  but knew they could not stop in the end.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1 as passed during the second special session, overhauls the states election laws, including further tightening the voting-by-mail process and outlawing local voting options aimed at expanding access. Republicans have argued the measures would bolster election integrity, despite there being no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Democrats and voting rights groups criticized the legislation as an infringement on marginalized voters in the state.

Before the House gave the bill a final stamp of approval last month, Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Houston Democrat and the longest-serving Black lawmaker in the Legislatures history, sent a warning shot to Republicans.

If you think youre winning today by the things you have put in this bill, let me give you a prophetic statement: You will reap what you sow. And you know what? It wont be years or decades from now. It will be sooner than you think, she said.

For House Democrats, the story of the second special session is much different from that of the first one. The excitement of leaving the state had worn off, the media spotlight had dimmed, the uphill battle of getting federal legislation to President Joe Bidens desk was looking steeper than ever and the pressures to return home were mounting.

I think were all leaders, but we were in need of leadership, and thats the one thing about the Democratic caucus, said Rep. Jarvis Johnson of Houston, acknowledging there are different mindsets and different ways of achieving a particular goal.

When you look at those teams that win, those teams that win [do so] because theyre on one message, he added.

On top of that, the polarizing process of redrawing the states political maps was looming over lawmakers  and the threat of staying away for much longer, at least for some Democrats, was not appealing if their districts were on the line.

At some point, we have to deal with these things in the arena that were in, and thats on the floor of the Legislature, said Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat who was excused throughout both special sessions due to an illness until he returned to the House floor, in an interview with The Texas Tribune last month. I know for some, that doesnt hold water. But I am sort of a traditionalist in some ways  you can only go so far, then you have to honor your office.

Practical decisions

Despite the debate inside the Democratic caucus, only two of its members returned for the first day of the second special session on Aug. 7: Reps. Eddie Lucio III of Brownsville and Bobby Guerra of Mission. Lucio said he returned for both personal and professional reasons and respected his colleagues decisions to continue breaking quorum  but he also made clear they were in a new phase.

The chapter of the first special session closed, right? he told reporters after the chamber adjourned. It doesnt mean that the fight closed, but the chapter of the session  and that strategy  closed.

Meanwhile, a separate drama was playing out: Over 20 quorum-breaking Democrats had signed on to a lawsuit against Abbott and House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, arguing that Republicans efforts to bring them back to the Capitol infringed on their constitutional rights. By the next day though, a number of Democrats said they had never authorized their names being used in the suit, with some releasing statements to that effect.

That particular suit was just one of the efforts made by Democrats, who had at one point been granted temporary protections against civil arrests, after Republicans in the House signed off on sending law enforcement to track down members. Soon after though, the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court ordered that missing Democrats could in fact be detained by state authorities and brought back to the Capitol.

That was the beginning of the end in the eyes of at least one caucus leader, Rep. Rafael Anchia of Dallas, who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. He said it had become clear the House was precariously close to regaining a quorum, and it was just a matter of time, through arrests or otherwise, that the chamber would get there.

At that point, we had to make practical decisions, Anchia said. We had deaths in families. We had missed weddings. We had parents getting sick. We had people needing to take care of their businesses. And so there were any number of very real pressures on legislators, and Im never going to second-guess a legislators decision because I cannot walk in their shoes.

On Aug. 9, the quorum-breakers experienced their biggest defection yet as four of them returned to the House floor. The group included Rep. Joe Moody, who Phelan had removed as speaker pro tem at the start of the quorum break, and two other El Paso-area lawmakers, Reps. Mary Gonzalez and Art Fierro. There was also Rep. James Talarico, the rising-star legislator from suburban Austin who was most open about his return, announcing it on Twitter ahead of time.

Talarico and others who would be back on the floor in the coming days would say their return was due to a number of factors, including moving the needle in Washington on federal voting rights legislation, which has so far been blocked by the U.S. Senate, and an acknowledgment that the fight in many ways had returned back to the state Capitol.

Given this success and recognizing that we cant break quorum indefinitely, some of my fellow quorum breakers and I returned to the Texas House to begin the work of rebuilding relationships, negotiating policy, and reducing harm, Talarico wrote in an Aug. 27 op-ed published on Texas Signals website. Harm reduction is not sexy or glamorous. It doesnt make for good Tweets or lucrative fundraising emails, but its necessary work.

The four defections prompted criticism from some of their colleagues, who argued that returning to the House floor was enabling Republicans efforts to pass a list of conservative priorities, including that controversial elections legislation. Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos of Richardson tweeted at the four lawmakers saying they all threw us under the bus today!

"The fact that some of us secured a Temporary Restraining Order to protect ALL of us, yet some are trying to please the Governor and His OPPRESSIVE Agenda?! Crockett tweeted. JUST WOW!"

The next morning, a coalition of Democratic groups  including the Texas Organizing Project and Planned Parenthood Texas Votes  released a memo urging members to keep up the quorum break.

The intraparty pushback seemed to work. For the next nine days, there were no further defections.

It was like blow on top of blow"

Then, on the evening of Aug. 18, Coleman of Houston told the Dallas Morning News he would be returning to the floor. Coleman, who had been breaking quorum from his home in Houston while recovering from a leg amputation, said that he regretted playing a role in dividing the chamber and that he hoped his presence would help bring more Democrats home.

As the Houses meeting time approached the next day, it was not clear if Colemans gambit would work. But sure enough, Coleman arrived on the floor with two more defectors, fellow Houston Reps. Ana Hernandez and Armando Walle. In a joint statement sent out around the same time, the three Houston lawmakers cited the COVID-19 surge in Texas as the reason for their return.

A short time later, 99 members of the House  the exact threshold for quorum  were announced as present  and it appeared the quorum break was over after nearly six weeks.

Crockett said the return of the three Houston lawmakers really hurt, noting they were all lawmakers of color, they all represented safe Democratic districts and they all were from Harris County, whose voting initiatives last year were the impetus for much of the elections bill.

It was like blow on top of blow on top of blow, Crockett said.

Thirty-four Democrats who stayed away issued a statement that they were betrayed and heartbroken by the members of their party who returned.

Republicans are now fully enabled and empowered to enact virtually all of Abbotts directives, including many dangerous pieces of legislation that will fundamentally hurt the lives of Texans, they wrote.

While Republicans celebrated the restoration of quorum, Democratic lawmakers who were still watching from outside the chamber were overcome with suspicion. Based on reports from the floor, it was clear that not everyone who was marked as present was physically there.

The message from some of the most strident quorum-breakers to their colleagues was clear: Dont fall for it. Theres still no real quorum. Hold the line.

On Aug. 23, any doubt that the House did not have a quorum dissolved after Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, requested a verification vote to confirm that there were in fact enough members present on the floor for the chamber to conduct business. That vote confirmed that 100 members were present, one over the minimum needed for a quorum.

Some additional members had been monitoring the floor from the nearby Texas AFL-CIO building, watching the live broadcast to see if the House would officially make quorum. After it did, they began streaming to the floor  over a dozen, including Anchia and the chairman of the Democratic caucus, Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie.

The quorum break was, in effect, over. In an interview with reporters once the chamber adjourned for the day, Turner, Anchia and Toni Rose of Dallas said they had returned once a quorum had been confirmed to represent their districts, and that the fight that had previously been in Washington was now back in Austin at the Capitol.

Asked whether Democrats were still unified, Turner said the caucus could not have pulled off a weekslong quorum break without incredible unity.

Though members may disagree on tactic or strategy at times, he told reporters, we all have shared unity and purpose, shared values and we have a shared commitment to defending the freedom to vote.

Still, divisions inside the Democratic caucus crystallized three days later, when at least 20 members announced the formation of a new Progressive Caucus. While the announcement did not explicitly mention the quorum break, almost all the members of the new caucus were those who had stayed off the floor until late in the second special session, if they returned at all.

That divide was largely reflective of a broader fracture in the caucus, one that split between members who were supportive of caucus leadership and those who more closely aligned with a more firebrand style that was spearheaded by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio.

Martinez Fischer had challenged Turner for the post of caucus chair earlier in the year, and, though the race was close, was unsuccessful in his efforts to unseat his colleague. Members say that tensions from that race at times resurfaced throughout the quorum break as the caucus debated its strategy over how to block the elections legislation.

Coleman acknowledged that the experience of the past several weeks has done some damage to his caucus.

Were used to dealing with legislation and people who dont agree with our philosophy. Were used to losing a vote. And were used to putting up a fight, Coleman told the Tribune. Its when your colleagues that are part of the same party youre in basically motherfuck you because they think they can do that. They need to look inside their own cupboard and see the things theyve done over the decades.

We lose if we do not come together

Of the core 57 Democrats who broke quorum during the first special session, there was only one defection, Rep. Philip Cortez of San Antonio. However, he returned to Washington days later, citing unproductive talks with Republicans and amid fierce pushback from some members of his own party.

The extent to which there was dialogue between Republicans in Austin and Democrats in Washington  and whether members made specific deals with one another during that impasse  is fuzzy. Phelan has denied that he was involved in any deals.

The author of the elections bill, Rep. Andrew Murr of Junction, declined to say Tuesday during a Republican caucus news conference how many quorum-breaking Democrats he spoke with. He said he was willing to speak with any colleague about the elections legislation who wanted to  but offered a significant caveat.

Much of that discussion typically was in person, and all of that discussion needed to occur in the Capitol, Murr told reporters. We thought that was best.

House leadership was clearly uneasy with perhaps the most drastic measure available to them: following through on a threat to physically detain the missing Democrats and bring them back to the Capitol.

While Phelan, the House speaker, signed 52 civil arrest warrants for missing members and law enforcement visited the homes of some lawmakers, no member was ever arrested and brought back to the building in Austin.

In an interview with the Tribune after the second special session adjourned, Phelan suggested that the threat of physically detaining members to bring them back to the Capitol is what helped compel the chamber making a quorum.

I think many members saw that if we were gonna go there, they were gonna be the ones maybe possibly causing this harm to the House, and thats why I think you saw a lot of members show up, Phelan said.

A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll that was released Thursday showed that Republicans had voters on the side. Respondents disapproved of the quorum break by an 11-percentage-point margin, while they approved of the elections legislation by a 14-point margin.

How those numbers could impact an election that is still over a year away is an open question.

Democrats are getting only a few weeks to regroup before the next special session, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 20. While the battle over the elections bill is over, Abbotts agenda for the third special session includes redistricting, which is always a contentious process that pits members against one another as they fight for their district lines.

Redistricting is tough under any circumstances, Anchia said. Regardless of how people feel about each other right now, its gonna be really important for people to go into this process with a lot of goodwill.

Rose, the Dallas Democrat, said she is confident her caucus will reunite ahead of the next special session.

House Democrats  we are a family  and its just like any other family, she said. There will be disagreements. We will lose if we do not come together.

Disclosure: Planned Parenthood has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Twenty years ago, an 11-year-old Christian Davila saw images on TV that would change the world. Planes had struck the World Trade Center.

The boy decided he would go into law enforcement when he grew up.

Last year he became a detective for the Bexar County Sheriffs Office.

Saturday, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, he joined hundreds of public servants and civilians at Heroes Stadium on the Northeast Side to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.

Shortly before 9 a.m., they ascended the stadium steps in a nod to the first responders who rushed up the stairs at the World Trade Center to their deaths. Saturdays participants climbed the six flights at the stadium four times in a row to total the 110-story height of the towers.

Firefighters at the climb used words such as brotherhood and lineage as they expressed a need to honor the 343 fallen firefighters.

Robin Jerstad /Staff photographer

San Antonios 110 9/11 Memorial Climb has run for nine straight years. This year, hundreds of first responders and hundreds more civilians and members of the military took part. Their nearest and dearest came to support them and snap pictures.

Jonathan Jaimez said he and his toddler daughter were there to cheer on Jaimezs best friend, an employee of the Fire Departments Station 35 on the West Side.

I know a lot of people who were affected by 9/11, he said. Different family members, friends around the United States.

Footsteps thundered from the metal stands for the better part of an hour.

We have their memory, and its up to us to keep it alive, said firefighter Michael Poling, who has worked for Bexar County Emergency Services, District 10, since November.

Robin Jerstad /Staff photographer

He cooled off against a concrete piling. Youll need a breather when youre climbing the height of the towers in several dozen pounds of clothing and gear amid temperatures topping 90 degrees.

As climbers finished each round, volunteers handed them Gatorade and water and draped soaked washcloths around their necks. By the time the last of them descended, clothing dark with sweat littered the concrete of the parking lot.

Exhausted, firefighter Michael Eakes crossed the proverbial finish line and fell to a squat. He said he had climbed to keep the memory going so other people dont forget.

Officer Kris Salazar, who traveled three hours from Brownwood, put the exertion into perspective.

Those firefighters rushing in that day, they didnt care, Salazar said. They didnt care if they were tired or thirsty or anything like that. They had a mission to do.

caroline.tien@hearst.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  A declassified FBI document related to logistical support given to two of the Saudi hijackers in the run-up to the Sept. 11 attacks details contacts the men had with Saudi associates in the United States but does not provide proof that senior kingdom officials were complicit in the plot.

The document released Saturday, on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, is the first investigative record to be disclosed since President Joe Biden ordered a declassification review of materials that for years have remained out of public view. The 16-page document is a summary of an FBI interview done in 2015 with a man who had frequent contact with Saudi nationals in the U.S. who supported the first hijackers to arrive in the country before the attacks.

Biden ordered the Justice Department and other agencies to conduct a declassification review and release what documents they can over the next six months. He was under pressure from victims' families, who have long sought the records as they pursue a lawsuit in New York alleging that Saudi government officials supported the hijackers.

The heavily blacked-out document was released hours after Biden attended Sept. 11 memorial events in New York, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. Victims relatives had said they would object to Bidens presence at those remembrances as long as the documents remained classified.

The Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has it supported the full declassification of all records as a way to end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all. The embassy said that any allegation that Saudi Arabia was complicit was categorically false.

The documents have come out at a politically delicate time for the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, which have forged a strategic, if difficult, alliance, particularly on counterterrorism matters. The Biden administration in February released an intelligence assessment implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but drew criticism from Democrats for avoiding a direct punishment of the royal himself.

Victims' relatives said the document's release was a significant step in their effort to connect the attacks to Saudi Arabia. Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was killed in the World Trade Center attack, said the release of the FBI material accelerates our pursuit of truth and justice.

Jim Kreindler, a lawyer for the victims' relatives, said in a statement that the findings and conclusions in this FBI investigation validate the arguments we have made in the litigation regarding the Saudi governments responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.

This document, together with the public evidence gathered to date, provides a blueprint for how (al-Qaida) operated inside the US with the active, knowing support of the Saudi government," he said.

That includes, he said, Saudi officials exchanging phone calls among themselves and al-Qaida operatives and then having accidental meetings with the hijackers while providing them with assistance to get settled and find flight schools.

Regarding Sept. 11, there has been speculation of official involvement since shortly after the attacks, when it was revealed that 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudis. Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida at the time, was from a prominent family in the kingdom.

The U.S. investigated some Saudi diplomats and others with Saudi government ties who knew hijackers after they arrived in the U.S., according to previously declassified documents.

Still, the 9/11 Commission report in 2004 found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the attacks that al-Qaida masterminded, though it noted Saudi-linked charities could have diverted money to the group.

Particular scrutiny has centered on the first two hijackers to arrive in the U.S., Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, and support they received.

In February 2000, shortly after their arrival in Southern California, they encountered at a halal restaurant a Saudi national named Omar al-Bayoumi who helped them find and lease an apartment in San Diego. He had ties to the Saudi government and had earlier attracted FBI scrutiny.

Bayoumi has described his restaurant meeting with Hazmi and Mihdhar as a chance encounter," and the FBI during its interview made multiple attempts to ascertain if that characterization was accurate or if the meeting had actually been arranged in advance, according to the document.

The 2015 interview that forms the basis of the FBI document was of a man who was applying for U.S. citizenship and who years earlier had repeated contacts with Saudi nationals, who investigators said, provided significant logistical support to several of the hijackers. Among the man's contacts was Bayoumi, according to the document.

The man's identity is blacked out throughout the document, but he is described as having worked at the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles.

Also referenced in the document is Fahad al-Thumairy, at the time an accredited diplomat at the Saudi Consulate in Los Angeles who investigators say led an extremist faction at his mosque. The document says communications analysis identified a seven-minute phone call in 1999 from Thumairy's phone to the Saudi Arabian family home phone of two brothers who later were detained at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison.

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Follow Eric Tucker at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Pope Francis urged Hungary on Sunday to extend its arms towards everyone, in a veiled critique of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans anti-migrant policies, as the pontiff opened a four-day visit to Central Europe in his first big international outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July.

Francis, 84, appeared in good form during his short visit to Budapest, presiding over a lengthy Mass and standing as he waved to crowds from his open-sided popemobile. He used a golf cart to avoid walking long distances indoors and confessed at one point that he had to sit because Im not 15 anymore. But otherwise he kept up the typical grueling pace of a papal trip despite his ongoing recovery.

Francis spent just seven hours in Budapest before arriving Sunday afternoon in neighboring Slovakia to start a four-day tour. The lopsided itinerary suggested that Francis wanted to avoid giving Orban  the type of populist nationalist he frequently criticizes  the political boost that comes with hosting a pope for a proper state visit ahead of elections in Hungary next spring.

Francis did meet upon arrival with Orban, whose refugee policies clash with the popes call to welcome and integrate those seeking better lives in Europe. After the meeting, Orban wrote on Facebook: I asked Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary perish.

Orban has frequently depicted his government as a defender of Christian civilization in Europe and a bulwark against migration from Muslim-majority countries. In 2015, he rejected proposals to settle refugees from the Mideast and Africa in Hungary and erected a fence along Hungarys southern border to keep out asylum-seekers trying to enter the European Union.

The Vatican said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and lasted longer than expected  40 minutes.

Among the various topics discussed were the role of the church in the country, the commitment to the protection of the environment, the protection and promotion of the family, said a Vatican statement.

Vatican and Hungarian officials have insisted Francis wasnt snubbing Hungary by staying for such a short time, noting that the Hungarian church and state only invited him to close out an international conference on the Eucharist on Sunday.

It was at the end of that Mass that Francis urged Hungarians to remain steadfast in their religious roots, but not in a defensive way that closes them off from the rest of the world.

Religious sentiment has been the lifeblood of this nation, so attached to its roots, he said. Yet the cross, planted in the ground, not only invites us to be well-rooted, it also raises and extends its arms toward everyone.

He said Hungarians should stay firm in their roots while opening ourselves to the thirst of the men and women of our time.

My wish is that you be like that: rounded and open, rooted and considerate, he said.

Orban had a front-row seat during the Mass. During their private meeting, he gave Francis a copy of a 1243 letter from King Bela IV of Hungary to Pope Innocent IV which informed the pope that Bela would strengthen fortifications along the Danube River in Hungary in preparation for a Mongol invasion  evidence of Hungary's long role in preserving Europe's Christian roots.

Francis referred to that history in his meeting with the country's bishops, but also urged them to preach a message of openness and dialogue with newcomers.

Diversity always is scary because it puts at risk acquired securities and provokes stability," he said. But it's still a great opportunity because opens the heart" to the Gospel message of loving one another.

Francis' visit and his final Mass in Heroes' Square went ahead with few coronavirus restrictions even as Hungary, like the rest of Europe, is battling new infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.

Few in the crowd wore masks and no tests or vaccination certificates were required to gain entrance. Some 65.4% of Hungarians over 18 are vaccinated.

Matyas Mezosi, a Hungarian Catholic who got to the Mass site early, was jubilant that the pope had come at all so soon after his surgery. The 84-year-old pope had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed in early July.

Its great to see him recovered from that surgery, Mezosi said. Him being here in Hungary today means that he sacrifices himself to be with us, and that he feels good now.

During the flight from Rome, Francis indeed seemed in good form. He stayed so long greeting journalists at the back of the plane that an aide had to tell him to get back to his seat because it was time to land.

Francis said he was happy to be resuming foreign trips again after the coronavirus lull and then his own post-operative recovery. If Im alive its because bad weeds never die, he quipped about his health, quoting an Argentine dictum.

But later in the morning he apologized to a gathering of Christian and Jewish leaders that he had to deliver his speech sitting down. In his remarks, Francis warned against a resurgence of antisemitism in Europe, saying it is a fuse which must not be allowed to burn.

The Argentine pope called for Christians, Jews and people of other faiths to commit themselves to promoting greater fraternity so that outbursts of hatred that would destroy that fraternity will never prevail.

Hungarys large Jewish population was devastated during the closing months of World War II, with more than 550,000 Jewish deaths. More Hungarians died in Auschwitz than any other nationality, and more Hungarian Jews perished in the Holocaust than from any country other than Poland and the Soviet Union.

Hungarys government under Orban has been accused of trafficking in veiled antisemitic stereotypes, largely aimed at Hungarian-born American financier and philanthropist George Soros, whom the government frequently accuses of meddling in the countrys internal affairs.

Registered churches have been major beneficiaries of state support under Orban since he returned to power in 2010. Additionally, around 3,000 places of worship have been built or restored using public funds since 2010.

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AP visual journalists Bela Szandelszky and Helena Alves contributed.
GREAT FALLS  Bowen Trystianson enjoys solving puzzles. These days, that proclivity is a good fit for his job.

Like many health officials in Montana fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and trying to convince the public to help, deputy health officer Trystianson and his colleagues at the Cascade City-County Health Department are facing profound obstacles. In a community of more than 81,000 people, just about 46% of the eligible population has been inoculated against the virus. Among residents age 12 to 29, that statistic plummets to 28%.

I remember seeing that on a graphic that I get and I was like, oh, cool, Trystianson said, followed by a sarcastic chuckle. So yes, that is unfortunately very low.

The knotty challenges facing the countys health department are piled in no particular order. A slate of new state laws have seriously weakened the authority of local health officials. Department staffers are battling low morale. Theres widespread public skepticism and defiance about the available vaccines, despite their proven safety and efficacy. Misinformation continues to spread like weeds on social media.

To be clear, Trystianson said, answering questions about public health is one of the most fulfilling parts of his job. He respects and even appreciates that Cascade County residents have stacks of questions they want answered before everybody just jumps on board with vaccines.

Their challenges are valid, their concerns are valid, and they do deserve answers, Trystianson said. Whats unique about this situation is that I have people who wont necessarily believe the answer I give them.

INFECTIONS INCREASE AS DENIAL PERSISTS

Cascade County does not have the lowest rates of vaccine uptake in Montana. Other counties, including neighboring Toole and Chouteau, report even smaller percentages on the state dashboard, with a similar drop-off for younger residents.

The fact that Cascade County is average, located near the middle of Montana counties vaccination rates, remains a source of deep concern to its health care officials. As they explain, the median is not a happy place to be.

With less than half of the countys eligible population vaccinated, the Delta variant is continuing to infect more people, said Trisha Gardner, health officer for the city-county health department. The vast majority of new cases are among unvaccinated residents.

We are seeing this spreading in multiple different venues. Every place from workplace to family gatherings, barbecues, weddings, funerals, Gardner said. What weve found is that the people that are getting exposed had multiple opportunities to have an exposure.

The most recent report from Benefis Hospital in Great Falls showed that the 28 patients hospitalized on Monday for COVID-19 took up a small but impactful portion of its total bed capacity. The motivation for Gardner and Trystiansons work is that many of those hospitalizations could have been prevented if patients had received a vaccine and reduced their exposure.

Theres a strong attempt to resume life as it had existed prior to the pandemic, Trystianson said, referring to social events and gatherings that county residents are attending in droves. I do understand people wanting to get back to normal. The only problem is that in order to do that, you have to overlook that things are still not normal. You have to ignore that risk.

Oftentimes, awareness of risk emerges only after someone has started showing COVID-19 symptoms, or when their illness takes a turn for the worse, Trystianson said. That realization can be especially unpleasant for younger residents who consider themselves part of a low-risk population.

My 20-to-40-year-olds kind of perceive themselves, like, well, you know, people in my age range arent necessarily dying. So what does it matter? Im going to have mild COVID. Its not a big deal. Its going to be fine, Trystianson said. Then Ill meet one of them in the clinic and theyll have post-COVID syndrome. And theyre a little bummed about their choice. But hindsight is 20/20.

BE WHERE THEYRE AT

Heading off preventable illness, death and regret among unvaccinated people requires local health employees to be in the right place at the right time.

The goal, Trystianson said, is figuring out how to be where theyre at to offer the vaccine when its most convenient. That way, he said, they dont have to take an additional step to go get it.

Critical to that strategy is making sure that people who are unconvinced about the vaccine can have their questions answered and then have immediate access to a shot. Despite the skepticism he often hears from Cascade County residents, Trystianson said hes seen the approach work in real time.

When the department set up a vaccination site for nine days at the state fair in late July and early August, complete with a posterboard graphic outlining facts and fictions about vaccines, Trystianson recalled, some residents told him they had not gotten the vaccine out of fear that the shots would negatively affect their fertility, an idea that has gained traction despite being researched and debunked in recent months.

Trystianson said he explained how medical researchers have determined that theory to be false and, in doing so, convinced the women the vaccines were safe.

I gave them the vaccine right there, he said. They were on the fence until that point, and then after having that discussion, addressing their concerns, we gave the vaccine right there.

There are still plenty of people who remain unconvinced about the safety and benefits of the shots, Trystianson said, many of whom have come to trust only limited sources for information about the vaccine, such as the anti-vaccination and anti-mask group Americas Frontline Doctors, which sells the parasite-fighting drug ivermectin to treat COVID-19, an unproven approach that Montanas state health department recently warned against.

I dont have an issue with people continuing to question the vaccine. My issue is more when they wont accept a fact-based answer. That becomes a hard thing to address, Trystianson said. And Ive had that happen. Ive had people tell me that where Im getting my information from, regardless of the source, is somehow corrupted. When that happens, he said, I cant convince that person.

Figuring out who remains open to legitimate information, and who doesnt, can be a time-consuming process. But the efforts at the state fair were not for nothing. After setting up a booth every day, the health department said, it vaccinated 124 people, more than half of whom were under the age of 40.

REBUILDING TRUST

Even as the availability of vaccines has dramatically improved the toolbox for fighting the pandemic, Cascade health officials point to bills passed by the recent state Legislature as examples of new setbacks and blockades for local health departments.

Gardner highlighted a handful of bills supported by the Republican majority and signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte this spring. House Bill 702, which broadly prohibits discrimination or disparate treatment based on vaccine status; House Bill 121, which requires oversight and approval by local elected officials for any proposed public health department rules or regulations; and House Bill 257, which generally restricts local health departments from issuing fines and restrictions to businesses and customers, effectively gutting local mask mandates.

I would say those are the big three that have really affected the authorities with public health, Gardner said. And, you know, addressing communicable diseases in particular.

Without being able to ask someone their vaccination status, order someone to self-quarantine or isolate, require extra safety precautions for unvaccinated people, or mandate masks or proof of vaccination at businesses or public gatherings, Gardner said, much of the communication from the health department now comes in the form of recommendations.

Its disappointing, yes, from my perspective, because I dont feel that there was ever a time that we overstepped our bounds with authorities, Gardner said.

I think there was a misperception of how we used that authority previously, she said. Even when we did mandates such as the mask mandate or different closures, our first goal was always, always education. We didnt assign fees or fines to anybody.

One of the ripple effects of the Legislatures additional restraints on health departments, Gardner said, is that their communication, education and advice no longer carries the weight it did prior to the pandemic. Information coming from the department can only be effective when the community trusts the messenger.

To that end, Cascade is shifting its public communication strategy. Starting this week, the department has revamped its partnership with other emergency responders, including Cascade County Disaster and Emergency Service, Great Falls Fire Rescue, and Great Falls Emergency Services, as well as local school districts, hospitals and other health care groups. The coalitions mission is to share messages about how to fight the pandemic and ensure the public knows those statements have widespread support.

I think thats the ultimate goal, Gardner said, adding that many of the same community partners have been coordinating closely over the past year even if the public didnt realize it. Presenting that in a very unified voice and way to the community, I think, can help and just make a difference. Its not just us alone.

The coalition had its most recent meeting on Tuesday. A spokesman for the health department said the groups first messaging focus will be to show appreciation for health care providers working to care for patients sick with COVID-19.

COUNTERING MISINFORMATION

Even on days when the health department feels like its taking small steps forward, employees said, its critical to keep morale from crashing. As the months of pandemic living drag on and case counts surge again, Gardner said, its inevitable that local officials and health care workers can burn out.

Even looking at something like fire season  its a season, Gardner said. This is a pandemic that we dont know at all when it might end. And that uncertainty is a difficult thing, I think. For a lot of people, myself included. It takes its toll.

Gardners strategies for retaining her current staff and protecting their well-being include creating better boundaries between work and home life and trying to curb staff from consistently working extra hours. In her personal life, Gardner said, she tries to stay off of Facebook as much as possible to avoid the stream of negative comments directed at the health department, public health strategies and the vaccines.

Its just not a good thing for me to go down that rabbit hole, Gardner said. You know, I check what I need to do and try to get off and avoid some of the more contentious pieces of it.

Along with comments from supporters and people expressing appreciation for the health departments work, the Cascade City-County Health Department Facebook page also draws plenty of ire from people who are opposed to the vaccines and the departments efforts to distribute them. Responding with patience is sometimes easier said than done.

In a July 30 post promoting vaccine availability at the state fair, the health department offered a free wristband voucher for fair rides to anyone who got a shot. One commenter, out of more than 300, said the incentive and vaccination effort reminds me of the eugenics programs during WWII, suggesting the inoculations are deadly.

Dude we offered to let people ride the Tilt-a-Whirl, the department replied. You cant possibly compare those.

Trystianson acknowledged the frustration he often feels about the vocal opposition the county is facing. He processes those emotions at home or with friends, he said, so when he comes back to work to answer more calls and find more answers for vaccine skeptics, he can continue to see those interactions as opportunities.

Most mornings, Trystianson said, hes not necessarily jumping out of bed with excitement. Snow White-style, having birds tweet all around my head while I get ready for the day, he chuckled. Its not quite that magical.

Sometimes I require that shower and that cup of coffee to kind of reframe my head, he continued. His ideal approach is not to blame, not to just write people off, but to seek information and to see how I can actually improve it. And thats usually what I come in here with. Just kind of a calmer determination to try to see if I can make things better.

Asked what additional tools they could use to continue combatting the virus, Gardner and Trystianson both voiced the need for more staffing, including contact tracers and people to administer vaccines. But they also landed on a wish for the community: patience, understanding, and openness to learning about a rapidly evolving situation.

I hope the community knows that we are trying our best. Were not trying to be frustrating, were not trying to kind of pull the rug out from underneath them, Trystianson said. With the resources they have, he said, theyre working as hard as they can.
Beyond the Led Zeppelin song, above the K2 mountain-climbing exploits, Kashmir is becoming one of those faraway places in the world Americans better study up on.

Whats unfolding in Afghanistan has implications for Kashmir, all the way over to Bhutan and across the whole Himalayan border region, said University of Montana geography professor Sarah Halvorson.

Kashmir is a flashpoint, but many Americans do not realize what the cause is," Halvorson said. "Its one of the most entrenched geopolitical challenges of our time. Its in between two nuclear powers, whove fought three wars against each other on the highest battlefield on the planet. Things are highly charged in the Kashmir conflict.

Officially known as Jammu and Kashmir, the region lies in the mountains between India and Pakistan. Both nations claim it, although India has the most physical control of the area. Its population of 13 million people is 60% Muslim, while India is 80% Hindu.

Residents there have waged a decades-long separatist campaign that has often turned violent. In 2019, the federal government led by Narendra Modi revoked Kashmirs constitutional autonomy and essentially demoted it from a state to a Union Territory without local elected leadership.

On the map, an odd-shaped tail of Afghanistan territory curls around Pakistan and touches its portion of Kashmir, while China has appropriated hunks of both Pakistans and Indias claims to the region.

The most contested area centers around Baltistan, which in more peaceful times drew mountaineers to its spectacular ice fields and peaks, including the Karakoram Ranges K2 and Trango Tower and the six-glacier intersection known as Concordia. Lower-elevation portions of Kashmir were often referred to as Indias Switzerland for their scenic beauty and tourist activity.

The United States withdrawal from Afghanistan makes matters more volatile, according to UM history professor Mehrdad Kia. The incoming Taliban government there has strong ties to Pakistan, and India blames Pakistan for pushing violence in Kashmir.

This is not about Islam, Kia said on Wednesday.

Until the 1970s, Afghanistan was developing into a successful and open Islamic culture before a palace coup overthrew its constitutional monarchy. A subsequent socialist revolution ran so out of control that the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1979. The United States covertly supported the Afghan rebels, known as mujahedin, against the Soviets.

But in the chaos, according to Kia, Arabic terrorists including Osama bin Laden of Saudi Arabia and Ayman al Zawahiri of Egypt established bases in Afghanistan, and started developing a group of radical fighters that became the core of the Taliban. Kia argued those fighters organized around a particularly repressive form of Islam that was foreign to most of the rest of Afghanistan culture and history.

The result was an essentially mercenary army willing to do the bidding of others wanting to keep the United States and other economic powers from getting established in the region, including Pakistan, Iran and Russia, Kia said. Lacking administrative governing skills, the Taliban also wound up making most of its revenue by selling opium on the illegal drug market.

But far below the geopolitical maneuvering of national governments, local religious institutions around the world continue to provide help to needy people. Todays story by Kashmiri journalist Ashwaq Masoodi recounts efforts by Islamic and private leaders to help their neighbors get food despite both political and COVID-related lockdowns in Kashmirs capital city of Srinagar.

So while the Roman Catholic Church can be embroiled in accusations of pedophilia or abuse of Native American children, and Buddhist leaders in Myanmar have been implicated in that countrys military repression, those institutions still run soup kitchens and clinics that do good on a person-to-person level.

The mosque and the religious communities help fill the void, especially when it comes to government shortfalls in the region, Halvorson said. Its really important for us to understand importance of these faith-based organizations that help provide social services, just as its fundamental for us to understand the geography of those places.

Hearing about the Tiffin Aaw food charity in Masoodis reporting, Halvorson added it is a relief to see examples of grassroots help.

It seems really hopeful, Halvorson said, and Kashmir needs hopeful stories.
Britain's high food and farming standards must be upheld as deepening trade relations with Mexico and Canada get underway, the NFU has said.

The union has submitted evidence to the Department for International Trade (DIT) consultations on potential UK trade agreements with the two countries.

Existing trade agreements between the EU and Canada and Mexico were rolled over for the UK to ensure trade could continue post-Brexit.

The consultations looked at these existing free-trade agreements, as well as opportunities to improve trade in future negotiations.

The NFU highlighted existing barriers to trade, such as difficulty accessing the Canadian dairy market, particularly due to challenges around the quota system.

There is also greater opportunity for the UK to access the premium Canadian sugar market, as well as grow exports of poultry meat and eggs.

However, the union raised concerns about the risk of further liberalisation of the market for cereals, beef, pork and horticultural goods from Canada.

For Mexico, the NFU highlighted the lack of sufficient Export Health Certificates (EHCs) for pig meat, including fifth-quarter cuts. It called for greater access for these products into this market.

The NFU has also called for greater market access opportunities for British dairy, fruit and vegetables, poultry meat and organic goods into Mexico.

But the union highlighted concern about the potential for greater market access being given to Mexican exports of beef, eggs, sugar and horticultural goods into the UK.

"Across both trade deals there are other areas of opportunity including greater protection for Protected Geographic Indicators," the NFU added.

"We would also urge the UK government to take the opportunity these negotiations offer in developing ambitious policy to uphold standards such an animal welfare, SPS and environmental provisions, along with access to professional qualifications, across both sets of talks."

Negotiations for each country are expected to launch later this year.

It comes as Mexico officially opens its doors to British pork for the first time, in a deal that could be worth 50m over the first five years of trade.

Global UK pork exports were worth over 421 million to the economy in 2020, reaching 75 export markets worldwide.

According to the AHDB, access to the Mexican market alone is estimated to be worth 50m to UK pork producers over the first five years of trade.

Defra Secretary of State George Eustice said it was 'great' to see another market open its doors to 'high quality, high welfare UK produce'.

Access to the Mexican market, with its substantial demand for high-quality pork, will be a welcome boost for our pig farmers and producers.

This is a significant development, which will reinforce our global reputation for quality food and drink."
Oak Hill, WV (25901)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms during the evening. Cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
For the past 17 months, its been my great honor to serve on the local Covid Task Force. Local leaders from all walks of life  health care, business, government, non-profits, churches, first responders, and more  work together so that we can better respond to the real world effects of the 
We may not have seen Nargis Fakhri in Bollywood for a long, long time but her performance as Heer in the hit film, Rockstar, is still remembered. Even though she agrees that she received a certain amount of negative press after the film's release, the model and actress shares that there are still people who remember her as Heer in Rockstar. During her stay in India, Nargis Fakhri was linked with actors Uday Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor. While the Ranbir Kapoor dating rumours were probably just that - rumours - the actress does admit that she was in a relationship with Uday Chopra.

"Uday and I dated for 5 years and he was the most beautiful human I met in India. I never have said this to the press as people told me to keep my relationship quiet, but I regret that because I should have shouted from the mountain tops that I was with such a beautiful soul. The internet and social media is very fake and the people out there won't know what the truth is. Most often we idolise certain people who are actually bad behind closed doors," she told ETimes in an interview.

She also speaks warmly about Ranbir, whom she starred opposite in Rockstar. "To this day, I am grateful to have worked with Ranbir as my first co-star. He is a fantastic actor and easy to work with. Also getting to know his mom was a blessing as she was very sweet to me. It was really comforting to have her in my life at that time as I was all alone in India," she says.

The actress also says that she keeps in touch with some friends from Bollywood, mainly Varun Dhawan, Huma Qureshi and Ileana D'Cruz. "I keep in touch with Varun (Dhawan), Ileana (DCruz) and Huma (Qureshi) but mostly through Instagram. Recently when I was in Texas, I had lunch with Ileana. When Huma was in LA we hiked together and had lunch, too," she said.

"I really enjoyed working with all of my co-actors. But with each person you develop a different type of rapport. I think I had the most fun with Varun Dhawan on set. He's just really full of energy and positivity and he's funny so it's contagious," she added.
Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - September 12, 2021) - Feng Xu, a contemporary and the first bunny artist in China, the creator of the "Miss U Bunny" fairyland, and the initiator of the "Bunny Charity Plan" presents Serie of NFTs to Commemorate COVID-19. His works are widely recognized by the public as paintings of warm and vivid bunnies. He has attended many important exhibitions and was awarded dozens of times. His first inspiration of bunny was sparked when Feng Xu had a close encounter with a bunny in the jungle. Back then, his pregnant wife was staying at his hometown. The bunny that he saw carried his miss and hope brought by the new baby. Since then, especially after the birth of his son, he began to draw bunnies and refer to them as people. He hopes to convey a message of love through bunnies. He believes that certain power and warmth can be spread among people and influence them. To the date, Xu Feng has exhibited over one hundred bunny exhibitions.





Artist Profile

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8203/96262_06fd9eddf4fe18cc_001full.jpg

The Story of Feng Xu

Feng Xu was born in a small town in Guizhou Province, China. In pursuit of higher artistic attainments, he went to Beijing, the capital of China and a big city, for graduate school and stayed. In China, people call those who come from other cities to work in Beijing as "Beijing Drifters". Because of the "Hukou" system, China's residential system, and the traditional concept with stable residence, Chinese are not fans of "drifting". It feels like they are drifting their way through life without a true sense of belonging. As a young artist from a small town, surrounded by skyscrapers and wandering alone, Feng Xu began to doubt who he was and how in the world he would survive here. The post-modern art is reflective and critical, and Feng Xu is also taught to be so. Therefore, his early works, like many post-modern art pieces, are full of distortions, criticisms, exposing the darkness of human nature, trying to cry out through distortion, eager to be seen or heard.

Miss U Bunny: Manifest the trivial beauty in daily life with love

The post-modern style lasted until his son came to his life. The moment when Feng Xu and the bunny looked each other in the eye, he was touched. People may be able to look at each other closely for half an hour or even an hour but looking at an animal so close is a very strange experience. Even though it only lasts for two seconds, the two seconds felt like a century. After returning home, Feng Xu kept thinking about that bunny and decided to draw it down. He simply used a shabby canvas, painted it white with acrylic, and roughly sketched the bunny with merely a few brushstrokes. Maybe he poured his love for his wife and his expectation for his son into the painting. Everyone who sees the bunny thinks it is very vivid and lifelike.

After the birth of his son, the theme of his work completely focuses on bunnies. "When you see children's clear and innocent eyes, you would wonder that the world is so beautiful, even though the world is so awful", Feng Xu once said. In 2014, Feng Xu formally started his bunny series. At the beginning, the bunnies he painted were very cute and adorable like children. Later, his bunnies started to show various emotions like his friends, such as joy, sorrow, distance, ecstatic after making a fortune, etc. It is a human world demonstrated by bunnies.





Xu Feng

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Xu Feng believes that good painting or handwriting skills can only make you a good painter or calligrapher, yet it cannot make you a good artist. Artists should always aim higher for spirit pursuit and creativity. Good art works should be closely related to our daily life. Your art is your life. Sincerely express what the era makes you feel and express it in the way you are best at it. This is the art Feng Xu wants to pursue.

Bunny Charity Plan: Pass on love to others

Feng Xu has drawn various bunnies, such as bunnies that are cute and childish, a family portrait of four bunnies, a bunny wearing a mask, or a bunny wearing a suit yet standing in the jungle. The last bunny, Feng Xu once said, refers to himself. The jungle behind the bunny refers to his rustic hometown, and the suit refers to his big city identity. The jungle and the suit point out a conflict, just like the conflict between his current big city identity and his childhood in the small town. Now, he can simply accept this conflict and unnaturalness, face it with a smile and look at it like an outsider. He is optimistic towards life and keeps influencing his wife (a fashion designer), mother (a tailor), and father-in-law (a carpenter), trying to help them become artists and discover arts in the things they make.

The poverty-stricken hometown is never an identity burden, but the place where he wants to feed back with love. Back then, when he came to Beijing from Guizhou, he was funded by others. Now, he wants to pass on the love to the students there. In 2018, he held an exhibition called "The Warm Bunny", donated half of the income to his alma mater, and set up the "Bunny Charity Plan" to support poor students with excellent grades. He sees this plan as part of his art, demonstrating the bunny spirit, conveying love and warmth. Feng Xu said: "God helps those who help themselves and gives them love and warmth."

Bring the Miss U Bunny to the NFT World

In August, 2021, Feng Xu decided to mint 24 exclusive Miss U Bunnies as NFT. The NFT market is a borderless circulating market, where all artists, collectors and art appreciators are gathered in one place. He wants to let the bunnies meet more people around the world and bring warmth to them. The first 18 NFTs will be auctioned on OpenSea for two weeks. These 18 NFT artworks were created during COVID-19, which commemorate the special time of people covering masks and the desire to breathe fresh air and live in a healthy world.

Maskbunnies Collection on OpenSea: https://opensea.io/collection/nftmaskbunnies

Media Contact:

Company: Crypto Booster

Email: contact@cryptobooster.org

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/96262
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Samsung launched the Galaxy A52s 5G in India earlier this month. Now it has received its first software update after the launch that brings RAM Plus feature, which is the RAM expansion technology, which uses the internal memory of the phone to expand the RAM by 4GB, in addition to the existing 8GB of RAM that the phone already has. The virtual RAM feature is available in realme, OPPO, Redmi and more smartphones.

Samsung says that the virtual RAM helps the system by speeding up processes to reduce the startup time of certain apps. With this, the phone can keep more applications open in the background, although in return it loses speed in the system. Samsung said that it expects to implement in more devices in the future, so we can expect the RAM Plus feature in other Samsung phones via OTA update soon.

The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G A528BXXU1AUH9 update is 250.49MB in size and also brings camera improvements, but it still has the Android security patch for August 2021.
(Meredith) -- A Texas woman picked up a rifle and fatally shot a man she allegedly caught peeping into her bedroom window, police said.

The unidentified woman shot through a wall multiple times and struck the suspect as he stood outside her home in Houston around 11 p.m. Friday, Houston Police Lt. Ronnie Wilkins told reporters.

"She was in fear," Wilkins said.

Police believe the suspect, who suffered gunshot wounds to his torso, staggered a short distance before collapsing and dying at the scene.

The woman is cooperating with the investigation, KHOU-TV reported. No charges have been announced.
Thank you very much. Laura and I are honored to be with you. Madam Vice President, Vice President Cheney. Governor Wolf, Secretary Haaland, and distinguished guests:

Twenty years ago, we all found -- in different ways, in different places, but all at the same moment -- that our lives would be changed forever. The world was loud with carnage and sirens, and then quiet with missing voices that would never be heard again. These lives remain precious to our country, and infinitely precious to many of you. Today we remember your loss, we share your sorrow, and we honor the men and women you have loved so long and so well.

For those too young to recall that clear September day, it is hard to describe the mix of feelings we experienced. There was horror at the scale -- there was horror at the scale of destruction, and awe at the bravery and kindness that rose to meet it. There was shock at the audacity -- audacity of evil -- and gratitude for the heroism and decency that opposed it. In the sacrifice of the first responders, in the mutual aid of strangers, in the solidarity of grief and grace, the actions of an enemy revealed the spirit of a people. And we were proud of our wounded nation.

In these memories, the passengers and crew of Flight 93 must always have an honored place. Here the intended targets became the instruments of rescue. And many who are now alive owe a vast, unconscious debt to the defiance displayed in the skies above this field.

It would be a mistake to idealize the experience of those terrible events. All that many people could initially see was the brute randomness of death. All that many could feel was unearned suffering. All that many could hear was God's terrible silence. There are many who still struggle with a lonely pain that cuts deep within.

In those fateful hours, we learned other lessons as well. We saw that Americans were vulnerable, but not fragile -- that they possess a core of strength that survives the worst that life can bring. We learned that bravery is more common than we imagined, emerging with sudden splendor in the face of death. We vividly felt how every hour with our loved ones was a temporary and holy gift. And we found that even the longest days end.

Many of us have tried to make spiritual sense of these events. There is no simple explanation for the mix of providence and human will that sets the direction of our lives. But comfort can come from a different sort of knowledge. After wandering long and lost in the dark, many have found they were actually walking, step by step, toward grace.

As a nation, our adjustments have been profound. Many Americans struggled to understand why an enemy would hate us with such zeal. The security measures incorporated into our lives are both sources of comfort and reminders of our vulnerability. And we have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders, but from violence that gathers within. There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.

After 9/11, millions of brave Americans stepped forward and volunteered to serve in the Armed Forces. The military measures taken over the last 20 years to pursue dangers at their source have led to debate. But one thing is certain: We owe an assurance to all who have fought our nation's most recent battles. Let me speak directly to veterans and people in uniform: The cause you pursued at the call of duty is the noblest America has to offer. You have shielded your fellow citizens from danger. You have defended the beliefs of your country and advanced the rights of the downtrodden. You have been the face of hope and mercy in dark places. You have been a force for good in the world. Nothing that has followed -- nothing -- can tarnish your honor or diminish your accomplishments. To you, and to the honored dead, our country is forever grateful.

In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people. When it comes to the unity of America, those days seem distant from our own. A malign force seems at work in our common life that turns every disagreement into an argument, and every argument into a clash of cultures. So much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear, and resentment. That leaves us worried about our nation and our future together.

I come without explanations or solutions. I can only tell you what I have seen.

On America's day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbor's hand and rally to the cause of one another. That is the America I know.

At a time when religious bigotry might have flowed freely, I saw Americans reject prejudice and embrace people of Muslim faith. That is the nation I know.

At a time when nativism could have stirred hatred and violence against people perceived as outsiders, I saw Americans reaffirm their welcome to immigrants and refugees. That is the nation I know.

At a time when some viewed the rising generation as individualistic and decadent, I saw young people embrace an ethic of service and rise to selfless action. That is the nation I know.

This is not mere nostalgia; it is the truest version of ourselves. It is what we have been -- and what we can be again.

Twenty years ago, terrorists chose a random group of Americans, on a routine flight, to be collateral damage in a spectacular act of terror. The 33 passengers and 7 crew of Flight 93 could have been any group of citizens selected by fate. In a sense, they stood in for us all.

The terrorists soon discovered that a random group of Americans is an exceptional group of people. Facing an impossible circumstance, they comforted their loved ones by phone, braced each other for action, and defeated the designs of evil.

These Americans were brave, strong, and united in ways that shocked the terrorists -- but should not surprise any of us. This is the nation we know. And whenever we need hope and inspiration, we can look to the skies and remember.

God bless.

The-CNN-Wire

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Tropical Weather-Atlantic for Sunday, September 12, 2021



Tropical Storm Nicholas forms in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico

The system that AccuWeather meteorologists have been tracking for several days has been designated as Tropical Storm Nicholas. The storm is located in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and is moving

north-northwestward. Some additional intensification is expected, though Nicholas is not likely to reach hurricane intensity before making landfall along the Texas coast Monday night.

Regardless of intensity, flooding rainfall will be the primary impact from Nicholas. The heaviest of the rain is expected to reach coastal areas of eastern Mexico today, spreading northward across

Texas and southwestern Louisiana by Monday. Rainfall in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana will linger into Wednesday where rainfall amounts of 4-8 inches will be common. Rainfall amounts

of 8-12 inches are expected along the coast of southeastern Texas with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 24 inches. This rainfall can lead to significant flooding across the region and damage

to property and businesses. Flooding in some areas may persist for multiple days and cause travel disruptions.

Elsewhere in the basin, there are a few other areas of interest. A tropical wave located near the Cabo Verde Islands continues to produce some disorganized showers and thunderstorms. However,

environmental conditions are becoming less conducive for tropical development as drier air and stronger winds aloft fight against this tropical wave. There remains a low chance for tropical

development with this feature.

Another wave set to emerge off the west coast of Africa will be monitored for possible development in the eastern Atlantic around the middle of the week.

Also, an area of low pressure is expected to form near or just to the northeast of the Bahamas around the middle of the week and then track toward the Carolinas by the end of the week, perhaps

reaching the coast as a tropical storm.

By AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller and updated by Brian Wimer



Copyright 2021 AccuWeather
President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room at the White House, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in Washington. Biden is announcing sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below.
The Danielson estate also accused Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt of playing a role by broadcasting last summer that he had adopted a new policy and generally wouldnt pursue what he considered public order crimes such as criminal mischief, interfering with an officer or a stand-alone riot charge, and instead would focus on deliberate property damage and threats of force or actual force against others.

Schmidts office didnt immediately return a message seeking comment.

Residents protested police violence against people of color in cities around the country after the 2020 death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a white officer in Minneapolis. In Portland, demonstrations were nearly nightly and led to complaints that authorities were heavy-handed in their use of force to control crowds.

Michael Reinoehl, a self-described anti-fascist who said he provided security for racial justice protests in Portland, appeared to have targeted Danielson, according to surveillance camera video of the shooting released by police. Reinoehl, 48, emerged from an alcove of a downtown parking garage before firing two gunshots as Danielson was walking in downtown after the rally, according to a police affidavit.

The suit says Danielson deployed bear spray at Reinoehl in response to the gunshots.
Around 400 people gathered outside the Linn County Courthouse Saturday at 8:46 a.m. to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

On that day, terrorists hijacked multiple planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. Passengers on board United Airlines Flight 93 fought against their hijackers and the plane crashed into a farm field in Pennsylvania.

The start time of the annual memorial corresponded with the time the first plane hit the North tower of the World Trade Center.

The American Legion Post 10 in Albany put on the event, which included multiple speakers from the local community and beyond. American Legion Post 10 Commander David Solomon shared his experience as a first responder on 9/11 and the impact the events of that day have had 20 years later.

He was working on an ambulance in New York City at the time and the memories of death and destruction are embedded into his mind as he lost friends and colleagues that day. He took a moment to recognize the local law enforcement and first responders in attendance on Saturday.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Gettysburg, PA (17325)

Today

Heavy thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Heavy thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.
This combination of photos shows cover art for "A Tropic of Orange," from left, "I Hotel," and "Brazil-Maru," by author Karen Tei Yamashita. The National Book Foundation announced Friday that Yamashita has been awarded its medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. The 70-year-old Yamashita is an author and playwright who in such fiction (and meta-fiction) as I Hotel and Tropic of Orange blends multiple perspectives and narrative styles. (Coffee House Press via AP)
Gillette, WY (82718)

Today

Plenty of sunshine. High 84F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low near 50F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
If youre searching for a way to organise your BBQ equipment and show your skills at the grill, masters of the trade have full-heartedly endorsed KamadoSpace.

Vilnius, Lithuania, Sept. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While perfecting yourself as a BBQ master, do you need ever more space to put all your accessories? And over time they're taking up more space than you thought, right? Yeah, weve all been there. The answer to your problem might well be a portable grill island.

One of those getting the best reviews is KamadoSpace - a kitchen on wheels, made specifically for Kamado grills. The grill island gives you an easy-to-clean stainless steel tabletop, drawers and shelves for all the accessories (kazans, pans, cast iron bars, heat reflectors, etc.). It also has space designated for charcoal or gas, dishes and spices. Its design lets you have everything comfortably at hand, and you wont need to run home if you forget salt or pepper.

KamadoSpace is very compact and everything there has its place. And of course, theres the favourable price-performance ratio. Before KamadoSpace, I used to keep all my Kamado accessories in shelves and boxes, and always had to look around everywhere before I could use them. Its way more fun when you have everything within reach, and, like in your kitchen, you can go straight from the table to the grill, says Klaus Breinig, a multi-award-winning grill master from Germany.

Marcus Bawdon, a BBQ master from the UK, describes a similar experience: All too often when youre grilling, you run out of room, worktop space and storage. I used to have my Kamado just on a stand. There was no storage, and I struggled for worktop space. KamadoSpace makes a big difference by creating space to work with.

It is also important that the table is mobile, so you are not tied to a specific place. Mobility expands grilling boundaries in terms of both physical effective space around the kamado, and in terms of greater freedom and comfort so you can enjoy your grilling experience.

KamadoSpace is well designed and built; it looks beautiful and is very practical. It's given me room to be more creative and has become a hub to my outdoor cooking, Bawdon adds.

The grill masters agree that the key components for good grilling are quality meat, good charcoal, using your grill with the lid down, being organised and having fun.



For the original news story, please visit https://www.prdistribution.com/news/grill-masters-kamadospace-is-like-your-kitchen-outdoors-2.html

Attachments
Lovinas Amish Kitchen is written by Lovina Eicher , Old Order Amish writer, cook, wife, and mother of eight. Readers can write to Eicher at PO Box 1689, South Holland, IL 60473 (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for a reply); or email LovinasAmishKitchen@MennoMedia.org and your message will be passed on to her to read. She does not personally respond to emails.
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Daily Times.
LOGANSPORT, Ind. (AP)  The body of a Marine who was among 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing during the U.S.-run evacuation at Afghanistans Kabul airport was returned Sunday to his northern Indiana hometown.

A military procession marked the beginning of memorial services for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22, of Logansport.
Week 36 in review: iPhone 13 event set for next week, vivo X70 series official

Another week done, so let's recap. Apple will unveil its iPhone 13 series on September 14, that's next Tuesday. We'll cover the whole thing and we expect the announcement of the iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.

A retailer revealed the upcoming iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 will arrive in six colors: black, blue, purple, pink, white, and Product RED. The mini will be available in both 64GB and 128GB storage options. Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 will arrive in either 128GB or 256GB. The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max will arrive in four, more conservative colors: black, silver, gold, and bronze. The Pro will come in either 128GB or 256GB storage options while the Max will come in 256GB and 512GB variants.

We even saw supposed renders of next year's iPhone 14 Pro Max, showing no notch but a punch hole camera as well as a flush camera island on the rear.

Tecno's Spark 8 is coming to India next week, as per our sources.

A word on Pixel phones. Firstly Google put out an official video teaser of the Pixel 6 and we got wind that the duo - Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, may launch on October 19.

Then there's the Pixel 3. Many reports suggest that the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have started bricking overnight. Google is yet to address the reported issue with a fix and there's no clear-cut reason for the bricking. Some hypothesize it's due to a recent security update.

vivo's X70 series were unveiled this week. The X70 Pro+ has a SD888+ chip and a custom V1 image processing chip. It does processing for the 50MP wide, 8MP 5x periscope tele, 12MP 2x tele and 48MP ultrawide. The vivo X70 Pro+ will be available in China later this month starting at CNY 5,500 ($850/720) for the base 8/256GB model.

The vivo X70 Pro uses an Exynos 1080 chipset, 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 2x tele and 8MP 5x periscope zoom. The vanilla X70 uses a Dimensity 1200, 40MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide and 12MP 2x tele.

See you in a week!



Tecno Spark 8 is launching in India next week It's powered by the Helio P22 SoC and packs a 5,000 mAh battery.





All iPhone 13 color and storage options revealed by Ukranian retailer The iPhone 13 and 13 mini will come in six colors while the Pro models will be offered in four.





Leaked photos show an Infinix phone with an 108MP main camera, 5x periscope The first time we saw a periscope on an Infinix was the concept phone that demonstrated the company's 160W fast charging system.





vivo X70 Pro+ goes live with SD888+ and custom V1 image processor chip Other improvements include 50W wireless fast charging, slightly bigger and an IP68 rating. The screen is bigger too, a 6.78" Samsung E5 panel.





Lenovo unveils Tab P11 and P12 Pro 5G tablets The P12 Pro is bigger and much more powerful than the P11 Pro (SD730, 11.5").





Why GSMArena's Twitter account isn't verified Some fans weren't sure which is the right account to follow, since ours isn't marked as verified. Here is what happened.





Red Magic 6S Pro arrives with Snapdragon 888+, improved cooling and 720Hz touch sampling rate And that's 720 Hz with multiple fingers, the original 6 Pro could only do 360 Hz. The cooling has been beefed up with phase change materials.


Weekly poll: vivo X70 series will be rolling out to new markets soon, will you buy one?

vivos new X70 series may (or may not) be coming to a store near you soon. Besides launching in China, the phones will be available in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the UAE. The question is do you want one? And which one?

The vivo X70 Pro+ is the one to get if you want great photo and video features and money is no object. Speaking of money, the company hasnt announced the global pricing yet, so we will have to work with the price tags for China.

Back to the Pro+. It use the Snapdragon 888+ chipset and the new V1 chipset for further image processing. It is also the only one with a high-transmittance glass lens by ZEISS. Its ultra wide camera has gimbal stabilization and 360 Horizon Leveling Stabilization. This one also has the large 50 MP 1/1.31 sensor in the main camera.

The X70 Pro+ is vivos first and so far only phone with an IP rating, an IP68 at that. The other two X70 phones dont even get splash resistance. Also, this one has faster 55W wired charging (vs. 44W) and more importantly, 50W wireless charging (the other two are wired-only).

We should note that the vivo X70 Pro in China will also use the V1 chip paired with an Exynos 1080. For the global market, however, the phone switches over to the Dimensity 1200, the same chipset as the vanilla model, and loses the V1.

The X70 and X70 Pro are not without upgrades. Or should we say not without changes. For example, the main cameras on both have larger sensors with larger pixels. In the case of the Pro, the main camera went from an 1/2.0" sensor with 0.8 m pixels to 1/5.6" with 1.0 m pixels. But the 125 mm (5x) periscope is gone without a replacement.

Did we mention that the vivo X70 and X70 Pro will have 6.56 AMOLED panels with 120 Hz refresh rate and 1080p+ resolution, the same as the X60 series from earlier this year? We bring it up as the Pro+ got a bigger, better, faster Samsung E5 panel (all 6.78 of it), an LTPO panel with a refresh rate of 1-120 Hz. And it has 1440p+ resolution for a sharper image to boot (517 ppi vs. 398 ppi).

Speaking of the X60 series, in India you can have the vanilla model for INR 35,000, the X60 Pro for INR 50,000 and the Pro+ for INR 70,000. In Europe theres only the X60 Pro at 800/750 and vivo hasnt even announced plans for a X70 series launch on the Old Continent.

For comparison, the Chinese prices for the new models are CNY 3,700 (42,000) for the X70, CNY 4,300 (49,000/565) for the X70 Pro and CNY 5,500 (63,000) for the X70 Pro+. Of course, the Chinese prices are lower than those abroad, but still  the X60 Pro will be cheaper than the X70 Pro, the same goes for the rest.

Time to vote  which phone would you buy? One of the X70 series or one of the previous generation? Or, perhaps, not a vivo X-series at all?

If you are having problems with the embedded poll above, try casting your vote here.
With Guam located in the Pacifics typhoon alley, residents are no stranger to big storms that take out the power grid.

Jeffrey Borcione of Mangilao offered some advice on preparing meals when a power outage is expected to happen.

Utilizing his experience as a sous chef, Borcione emphasized the importance of proper food storage. Before any time a typhoon is expected to come, I always like to check to see if all of the meat in my fridge has been stored properly away.

Borcione explained that when blood from meat defrosts, it could contaminate whatever it gets into contact with, like vegetables. He recommended placing your ready-to-eat produce above or away from raw meat, poultry and fish.

Another practice of his is preserving perishable goods in either salt or vinegar. Salt and vinegar are pretty much the basic ingredients you would need whenever it comes to preserving food, which is great since most likely everybody got that in their pantry.

According to Borcione, salt helps to draw out any moisture from your food, which stops mold from growing. Bacteria likes to grow in dark and moist places, so you could imagine how quickly mold could start to form during a power outage.

As for the vinegar, Borcione explained that the acid the ingredient contains kills off any microbes that threaten to spoil the food.

Using these two ingredients, Borcione said that simple dishes, like pickled mangoes, could be made. He said they are an ideal snack to make since they require very few ingredients to make those dishes.

He added that you could use those same ingredients alongside soy sauce to braise any type of protein to create an easy and delicious rendition of adobo, the national dish of the Philippines.

Borcione also advised stocking up on canned goods, which is always a no-brainer on his to-do list. Canned goods like Spam are accessible and flexible to use in everyday dishes, and he incorporates them into his own meals.

Canned goods may not be the most luxurious or well presented food ever, but they are very much delicious. I dont think anyone could really say no to having a classic serving of some Spam and rice, he said.

Below, he offers a recipe featuring canned goods that he makes when the power goes out during or after a typhoon.

Storm-ready Sandwich

Ingredients

1 can of tuna (or other canned meat such as sardines, Spam or corned beef)

1 can of Vienna Sausage

3 tablespoon of mayonnaise

1/5 cup diced onion

3 slices of tomato

chopped lettuce

2 slices of bread

Salt and pepper to taste

Crumble and flatten pieces of Vienna sausage. Mix the tuna, sausage, mayonnaise, onions, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread mixture well over one slice of bread. Layer lettuce and tomato over the slice. Combine both pieces of bread to form the sandwich.
Want a chance to win an emergency preparedness kit? Then enter one of several contests being organized this month by Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense as part of National Preparedness Month.

Themes for the month include:

Week 1 Sept. 1-4: Make a Plan

Week 2 Sept. 5-11: Build a Kit

Week 3 Sept. 12-18: Low-Cost/No-Cost Preparedness

Week 4 Sept. 20-26: Teach Youth about Preparedness

Students from Head Start to fifth grade can submit a poster about pandemic safety and preparedness.

Middle school students in grades six to eight can create a comic poster with two panels about the building a kit or low-cost/no-cost preparedness and pandemic safety and preparedness.

High schoolers are invited to create a 3-8 minute video that focuses on at least two of the weekly themes .

Students can submit entries to Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense in Agana Heights or scan and email them to mar.espinosa@ghs.guam.gov and jaimie.franquez@ghs.guam.gov no later than 5 p.m. Sept. 17.

There is also an Instagram contest open to all, with entry deadlines at the end of each theme week.

Go to www.ghs.guam.gov/ghsocd-host-contests-national-preparedness-month-1 for more details.
While they may not have as many years of experience in the water as older surfers, Guams teens are well aware of the unspoken rules of the sport.

Even though there are a lot of people who come to Talofofo Bay, whether they be military personnel or locals, they are always sending good vibes. Everybody knows surfing etiquette and everybody has respect for one another, whether the surfers are just learning or are long-time athletes of the sport, Sarah Benavente, 16, said.

Risa Hendrix, 16, learned about surfing rules from her uncle, a surfing instructor at the Onward Beach Resort.

Her mother started bodyboarding when she herself was a teen and wanted Hendrix to appreciate the ocean, which is why Hendrix spent many grueling hours after school perfecting her strokes with the Tsunami Swim Club.

Though she swims competitively, she tries to dedicate some of her time to relaxing and enjoying the water with her friends catching waves.

Im so happy I took the opportunity to learn (to surf). I truly enjoy every bit of time I spend surfing with my friends. I may not be the best at surfing but each time I go out into the water, I strive to improve my skills.

A healthy lifestyle

A veteran surfer at 16, Noa Mendiola hopes to inspire a greater number of people to try surfing because he believes it can be a life-changing activity.

Surfing provides a healthy lifestyle and a different approach to life. You seek the desire of having fun and being able to get away from the reality of the real world, Mendiola said. From another aspect I strive to be great at my sport like my father is. Although I dont want to be a professional in the future, I want to introduce people to surfing.

Mendiola suggests that those interested in surfing try Talofofo Bay as the place to start because of its smaller waves and sandy shore.

I surf around the island at places like Boat Basin and Paseo, Ricks Reef  located behind the Sheraton and Surf Side or Talofofo Bay. The best place for starters would be Surf Side Beach (in Talofofo).

It is all sand and the waves are not very strong which is great for beginners. The next place would be Ricks Reef. I find that Ricks Reef provides a good introduction to the reef breaks of Guam. It has a reef that is sharp and waves that are powerful compared to Surf Side.

Whether youre looking to spread good vibes or ride gnarly waves, the beach is the place to be to enjoy Guams nature while appropriately socially distancing.
The Coast Guard is looking for help from the public to identify fish to be sampled for contaminants as part of its cleanup effort on Cocos Island.

The site of a Coast Guard station that was on Cocos Island until 1963 has been leaking chemicals into the lagoon  PCBs, DDT and petroleum.

The Coast Guard and its partners  the Environmental Protection Agency and other groups  are restarting efforts to identify, and eventually remove, chemicals harmful to people and marine life.

Public input is required, and welcome, before the planning phase for the cleanup can be finalized. Field work is expected to begin January 2022.

From a previous public input session in 2019, residents said that fish sampling was a major concern.

Fishers and residents are now invited to identify fish they want sampled and voice their concerns or questions on the project on the comments section of posts about the project on the Coast Guard Sector Guam Facebook page, according to Mark Marini, a civilian contractor working with the Coast Guard.

Those who fish the areas around the island could give the best data, said Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Ensley of the Coast Guards Honolulu Civil Engineering Unit. It helps the Coast Guard see which fish are being caught and eaten to test them for the level of harmful chemicals present.

The Coast Guard also would like to know where the fish were caught to focus sampling and cleanup efforts.

The rough deadline for comments is the first week of November.

An open house was held Friday in Malesso for residents to come and learn about the project. More information for those unable to attend can be found on the Coast Guard Sector Guams Facebook page.

Ensley said another resource for questions is public information officers at Coast Guard Sector Guam.

This time the Coast Guard, more than any of the other efforts they put in, they are approaching it with a comprehensive plan. In other words the entire Coast Guard property is going to be sampled, said Matthew Neal, a subcontractor working with the Coast Guard.

Plans for taking more samples to locate and clean up sources of contamination were put on hold when the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020.

Contaminants removed from Cocos Island and the lagoon with be sent off island to government facilities to be properly disposed, said Neal.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, Lt. Josh Tenorio, second from left, and military leaders, are presented with a wreath during the Rotary Club of Northern Guam 9/11 Wreath Laying Ceremony at Two Lovers Point in Tamuning, Sept. 11, 2021.
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Gwinnettians remember victims of 9/11 terrorist attacks on 20th anniversary

Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Gwinnett County Commissioner Jasper Watkins recalls being at the Pentagon during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as he speaks at the countys 9/11 memorial service at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville on Saturday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Gwinnett County Public Schools bus driver Daniele Roberts stands in front of the 2,977 paper cranes that she and her family made to memorialize the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Each one of the 2,977 origami paper cranes that Daniele Roberts and her family made includes the name of a victim of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Law enforcement officers salute a wreath that was placed at the Fallen Heroes Memorial at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center on Saturday in honor of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Members of a multi-agency Gwinnett County public safety honor guard walk past Gwinnett Fire Deputy Chief Fred Cephas as they retreat the colors at the countys 9/11 memorial service at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville on Saturday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans A Lilburn resident takes a photo of the 2,977 origami cranes which are hanging from a tree in Lilburn City Park this weekend as a temporary art installation in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The cranes were made by Daniele Roberts and her family. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans A Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley takes a photo of the 2,977 origami cranes which are hanging from a tree in Lilburn City Park this weekend as a temporary art installation in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The cranes were made by Daniele Roberts and her family. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Daniele Roberts and her family made 2,977 origami cranes, which are hanging from a tree in Lilburn City Park this weekend as a temporary art installation in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Daniele Roberts and her family made 2,977 origami cranes, which are hanging from a tree in Lilburn City Park this weekend as a temporary art installation in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Daniele Roberts and her family made 2,977 origami cranes, which are hanging from a tree in Lilburn City Park this weekend as a temporary art installation in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Service firefighters listen to speakers at the county's 9/11 memorial service at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville on Saturday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Chief Fred Cephas addresses attendees at the county's 9/11 memorial service at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville on Saturday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans A multi-agency public safety honor guard retires the colors at Gwinnett County's 9/11 memorial service at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville on Saturday. Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans A public safety honor guard carries a wreath honoring the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during Gwinnett County's 9/11 memorial service at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville on Saturday.

For Gwinnett County Commissioner Jasper Watkins, the attack at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, was not something he saw unfold live on TV.

Watkins was heading into the Pentagon when one of the highjacked planes crashed into it. He was a member of the medical branch of the personnel command that was heading to the Pentagon for a daily morning briefing.

Like we did every morning at that time, we were on the yellow line waiting to go into the Pentagon and from the left, its vivid, but from the left, before we were going down, one of the members of the party said, Hey, this is not the flight path, you know, this plane is not in the flight path, Watkins said.

And, then we went down and the train abruptly stopped kind of mid-way and then scooted up, and thats when we knew that the Pentagon was hit.

Watkins shared his recollections during Gwinnett countys annual 9/11 memorial at the Fallen Heroes Memorial, which is located at the Gwinnett Justice Administration Center in Lawrenceville, on Saturday. It was one of several events that took place around the county to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Remembrance events were also held at the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth, Suwanee Town Center Park, Betty Mauldin Park in Norcross and Lilburn City Park.

Each event offered a unique way to mark the anniversary.

Lilburn officials unveiled a temporary art exhibit created by Gwinnett county Public Schools bus driver Daniele Roberts.

Roberts and her family created 2,977 paper cranes  one for every person killed on the highjacked planes, in the Twin Towers in New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Georgia and forced schools into digital learning in March 2020, Roberts decided to begin working on an idea shed had about a way to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Its a small memorial (but) its a personal memorial, but each person has been memorialized in one way or another, Roberts said.

With some time on her hands since students were learning from home, Roberts began folding pieces of blue paper, origami style, into small paper cranes.

It took her awhile since she could only work on the project when she had time available, and she had another job as well, but eventually, she and her family made 2,977 paper cranes  one for every person who died as a result of the 9/11 attacks.

It kind of came to me as an idea to put together something that I could personalize and hold onto and meditate upon each and every one of them, Roberts said. And, I thought, What would I do with it once I created all of these origami cranes, which are really very therapeutic.

I put it all together and the town of Lilburn was very open to the idea to string from this tree.

The paper cranes were hung from an oak tree at Lilburn City Park and Mayor Tim Dunn said they will remain there until at least Monday. Each crane has the name of a victim of the terrorist attacks written on the underside of one of the paper birds wings.

I hardly know what to call it, its so full of emotion, Dunn said during a brief ceremony.

The events held on Saturday offered Gwinnettians a chance to recall memories of where they were two decades ago when the attacks happened.

Watkins said he and the other command members thought they were prepared for anything, but 9/11 proved to be something they had not anticipated.

It was attack on the heart of the U.S. military, on U.S. soil. As part of the medical command, he had to focus on the 106 people who were wounded and needed medical treatment at the scene of the Pentagon attack.

That number will always stick in my mind because those are the people I was responsible for in personnel command, Watkins said. What I had to do was make sure that we found everybody who was taken away, and you ask, Well why was that important?

Youve got to understand, clandestine operations happen all the time and there were reports of EMS services that had the word Emergency spelled wrong and some reports that some of the emergency vehicles had the word Emergency right side up as opposed to backwards. So, the thought was all of us that had security clearance, if you were taken and put under, you could give out vital information.

Meanwhile, Lawrenceville resident Marlene Taylor Crawford, who is a native of New York, said she had already moved to Georgia before the attacks occurred, but she recalled worrying about her fathers safety. He worked in downtown Manhattan, a few blocks away from the World Trade Center.

You couldnt get through on the phone so you didnt know what was going on, Crawford said. It was terrifying because youre also thinking, Whats next? What else is going to happen?




Haiti - FLASH : The radical opposition (SDP) signs the agreement for peaceful governance with PM Henry





On Saturday September 11, 2021, Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry in his official residence, signed the "agreement for peaceful and efficient good governance " during the interim period, declaring "It is a big step that has just been taken for the well-being of the collective interest" adding "I have the assurance that this agreement will make it possible to conduct, in harmony and good understanding, the affairs of the State during the interim period that I wishes as short as possible, in order to achieve our main common objective which is a return to normal functioning of our democratic institutions on new bases, in a secure and stable environment [...]"



The representatives of different political parties and sectors of civil society initialed this document : Me Andre Michel Spokesman for the radical opposition known as the "Democratic and Popular Sector" (SDP), Edmonde Supplice of La Fusion, Saurel Yacinthe from INITE, are some of the representatives of opposition political organizations who signed this agreement. The Prime Minister indicated that throughout the weekend, other organizations and personalities will come to sign the agreement [...]"



The signature of Me Andre Michel of the SDP at the bottom of this agreement is historic "[...] It was not an easy decision... But we understood that the time has come to build this country on a consensual basis of dialogue permanent. If this agreement did not contain the demands of the population, the democratic and popular sector would not sign," declared Me Andre Michel, who announces that a government of consensus will soon be formed.



Note that the opposition has accepted that during the transition period there will be no provisional President and that the country be ruled by the Council of Ministers under the leadership of Prime Minister a.i. Henry,



The Head of Government continued, "Rest assured that no distraction, no summons or invitation, no maneuver, no threat, no rearguard combat, will distract me from my mission. I want to say to those who have not yet understood it, that the diversionary maneuvers to sow confusion and prevent justice from doing its job serenely, will not pass. The real culprits, the intellectual authors and the sponsors of the heinous assassination of President Jovenel Moise will be identified, brought to justice and punished for their crime."



A very clear allusion from Henry to the invitation of the Government Commissioner of Port-au-Prince to come and explain himself to the Public Prosecutor's Office on the content of 2 calls he made on the day of the assassination of President Moise with Joseph Felix Badio, one of the main suspects in the assassination of Jovenel Moise on the run and actively sought by the PNH and Interpol https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34225-haiti-notice-the-pnh-is-looking-for-3-dangerous-and-armed-individuals-including-a-former-senator.html .



In his September 10 correspondence to the Prime Minister, the Government Commissioner wrote "[...] it is confirmed that you, Dr Ariel Henry, had several phone calls, including two, on July 7, 2021 at 4:03 AM and in 4:20 AM with one of the main and much wanted assassin of President Jovenel Moise, Joseph Fefix Badio. The geolocation of these tendentious calls deserves to be clarified, established unequivocally that the fugitive Badio was at the time of the conversation at Pelerin 5 : place of the victim's residence and the commission of this crime [...]" inviting the Prime Minister to come and explain the content of these calls... https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34714-haiti-flash-the-prosecution-wants-to-hear-pm-henry-in-connection-with-the-assassination-of-the-president.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34714-haiti-flash-the-prosecution-wants-to-hear-pm-henry-in-connection-with-the-assassination-of-the-president.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34225-haiti-notice-the-pnh-is-looking-for-3-dangerous-and-armed-individuals-including-a-former-senator.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Assassination of the President : The Office of Citizen Protection requests the resignation of PM





In a note, the Office for the Protection of the Citizen (OPC), an independent National Institution for the promotion and protection of Human Rights, "has learned with indignation, that in accordance with an official request to the company Digicel by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Port-au-Prince https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34704-haiti-news-zapping.html , the company handed over telephone records indicating calls made between Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry and Joseph Felix Badio, one of the alleged assassins of President Jovenel Moise."



According to information confirmed by Digicel and relayed by the press, "shortly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7, 2021, Ariel Henry and Jean Felix Badio had a 3-minute telephone conversation around 4:03 am. According to GPS data, Ariel Henry was located at the Montana Hotel and Badio at Pelerin 5, at the scene of the crime. 17 minutes later, at 4:20 a.m., the two men called each other again for 4 minutes." https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34714-haiti-flash-the-prosecution-wants-to-hear-pm-henry-in-connection-with-the-assassination-of-the-president.html



"The OPC is outraged and flabbergasted after the confirmation of such data and calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry."



"In the name of the right to the truth and with a view to continuing the ongoing investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Mr. Ariel HENRY must resign without delay and put himself at the disposal of justice."



"The OPC calls on the international community, particularly the Organization of American States (OAS), the Core Group, the so-called friendly countries of Haiti, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Haiti to avoid supporting or to support the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, who now becomes one of the suspects in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise."



Read also on the assassination of President Moise :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34714-haiti-flash-the-prosecution-wants-to-hear-pm-henry-in-connection-with-the-assassination-of-the-president.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34704-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34567-haiti-flash-new-investigating-judge-in-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34371-haiti-flash-a-4th-police-officer-arrested-in-direct-connection-with-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34351-haiti-flash-all-the-arrested-colombian-ex-soldiers-were-aware-of-a-plan-to-kill-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34339-haiti-flash-official-report-by-dimitri-herard-on-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34331-haiti-flash-arrest-of-the-presidential-security-coordinator-jean-laguel-civil.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34299-haiti-flash-7-of-the-colombians-arrested-had-received-american-military-training.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34296-haiti-flash-the-company-which-participated-in-the-financing-of-the-operation-knew-nothing-about-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34283-haiti-flash-follow-up-of-investigations-into-the-assassination-of-president-moise-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34278-haiti-national-funeral-note-from-the-first-lady-martine-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34265-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34250-haiti-flash-according-to-colombia-in-the-commando-only-a-few-knew-about-the-assassination-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34238-haiti-flash-monitoring-of-investigations-into-the-assassination-of-president-jovenel-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34225-haiti-notice-the-pnh-is-looking-for-3-dangerous-and-armed-individuals-including-a-former-senator.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34223-haiti-justice-the-dg-of-the-colombian-police-wonders-about-the-role-of-the-chief-of-security-of-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34220-haiti-politic-creation-of-the-organizing-committee-for-the-national-funeral-of-president-moise-text-of-the-decree.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34218-haiti-flash-wanted-notice-for-a-very-dangerous-colombian-mercenary.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34217-haiti-flash-the-white-house-does-not-rule-out-sending-troops-to-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34214-haiti-assassination-of-president-a-colombian-team-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34212-haiti-politic-a-large-american-delegation-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34210-haiti-flash-arrest-of-one-of-the-intellectual-authors-of-the-assassination-of-president-moise-and-an-attempted-coup.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34205-haiti-flash-statements-and-testimony-from-colombia-about-the-commando.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34203-haiti-usa-no-american-military-assistance-for-the-moment.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34201-haiti-flash-authenticated-message-from-the-first-lady-martine-moise-audio.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34199-haiti-assassination-of-the-president-names-of-the-20-members-of-the-commando-arrested-5-others-still-on-the-run.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34193-haiti-flash-the-government-requests-the-sending-of-american-soldiers-to-the-country.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34188-icihaiti-flash-11-mercenaries-arrested-in-the-taiwanese-embassy.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34193-haiti-flash-the-government-requests-the-sending-of-american-soldiers-to-the-country.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34188-icihaiti-flash-11-mercenaries-arrested-in-the-taiwanese-embassy.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34183-haiti-flash-the-commando-that-killed-the-president-included-26-colombians-and-2-haitian-americans-official-video.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34182-icihaiti-assassination-of-president-moise-15-days-of-national-mourning-text-of-the-decree.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34178-haiti-politic-what-measures-contains-the-state-of-siege-text-of-the-decree.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34177-icihaiti-usa-the-pm-met-with-secretary-of-state-anthony-blinken.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34176-haiti-un-the-security-council-condemns-the-assassination-of-president-jovenel-moise.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34174-icihaiti-diplomacythe-assassins-of-moise-were-professional-mercenaries-dixit-bocchit-edmond.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34173-haiti-flash-the-police-intercepts-the-presumed-assassins-of-president-moise-official-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34172-haiti-flash-martine-moise-in-florida-for-treatment.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34170-haiti-flash-the-first-lady-martine-moise-would-still-be-alive-but.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34168-haiti-flash-the-state-of-siege-is-declared-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34165-haiti-assassination-of-jovenel-moise-what-says-the-constitution.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - UN : RNDDH denounces the Haitian Government, BINUH and the international community





During a virtual meeting with the United Nations Security Council Me Rosy Auguste Ducena Head of Programs of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) made an uncompromising intervention, accusing the Haitian Government and the Integrated Bureau of United Nations in Haiti (BINUH) to be responsible for almost all the evils that Haiti knows.



Extract from the intervention of Me Auguste Ducena:

"[...] Since the departure of dictator Jean Claude Duvalier in 1986, this is the first time that the country has regressed so much in terms of respect for the rules of the democratic rule of law.



With the passive complicity of the international community including the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), the regime in power has decided to strengthen armed gangs and weaken State institutions such as the police and justice [...]



As we speak to you, BINUH remains the worst UN mission the country has ever seen. On the national territory, any sector of society which dares to denounce the abuses of the State, that is to say, impunity, corruption, the instrumentalisation of State institutions, faces the BINUH which immediately cuts off any contact with this sector.



In addition, for having hastened in the aftermath of the tragic assassination of de facto President Jovenel Moise, to install a one-headed government with the Core Croup, without any political agreement, the BINUH became one of those responsible for this new crisis that is raging in the country and which is pushing its citizens a little further away [...]



And, since it turns a blind eye to the deterioration of the general human rights situation in Haiti, in the various reports it submits to you, BINUH describes a utopian country, where everything is fine.



[...] We recommend that the United Nations Security Council position itself in order :



[...] To urge BINUH to end its support for a one-headed government, as well as for an electoral process that risks aggravating the current political instability with already devastating consequences;



[...] To invite BINUH to tackle the task for which it was mandated, while listening to the Haitian people.



[...] We urge the United Nations Security Council to change the leadership of BINUH."



Download the full intervention of RNDDH (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/3-Intervention-Orale-Briefing-Conseil-de-Securite-des-NU-8Sept2021.pdf



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Politic : History will remember...

"History will remember that political actors have known today how to transcend their differences in this mission to save our country, which is currently in danger," declared Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry after the signing of the "Political agreement for peaceful and effective governance of the interim period" See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34722-haiti-flash-the-radical-opposition-sdp-signs-the-agreement-for-peaceful-governance-with-pm-henry.html



September 11 : Messages from Haiti to the USA

Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry :

"On this dark and memorable day marking the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York, my Government and I, on behalf of the Haitian people, send a special thought to the parents and loved ones of the thousands of victims of this appalling act which will mark forever the history of the United States of America and around the world. We also renew our solidarity with the people and the American Government who are always by our side and who support our journey."



Ambassador of Haiti in Washington D.C. Bocchit Edmond :

"We stand with the United States in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the worst devastating terrorist attack on American Soil. We are committed to working with our allies & strategic partners in fighting Int terrorism through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and Haitis anti-terrorist laws."



Morne Tapion accident, 17 victims

The tools of the bus accident which occurred on Friday morning September 10, 2021, in Morne Tapion (Petit-Goave) is 9 dead and 8 injured, some seriously https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34706-icihaiti-flash-terrible-accident-in-morne-tapion-at-least-9-dead-and-many-injured.html



FNE : Development of temporary school shelters

The National Education Fund (FNE) is currently working on the development of temporary school shelters to accommodate students from 40 schools destroyed in the earthquake that devastated the great South on August 14. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34681-haiti-earthquake-latest-assessment-of-civil-protection.html



Reactions on the assassination of Jose Pablo Sylvain

The National Association of Petroleum Product Distributors (ANADIPP) is shocked and indignant at the assassination https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34709-icihaiti-insecurity-businessman-jose-pablo-sylvain-shot-dead.html of Jose Pablo Sylvain Vice-president of the National Association of Service Station Owners. ANADIPP offers its deepest condolences to its family and collaborators and calls on the authorities to find the culprits of this heinous crime.



Renald Luberice, Secretary General of the Council of Ministers :

"The assassination of Jose Pablo Sylvain President of the Mango Exporters Association is deeply revolting. I learned about Jose's commitment to agricultural production through the late President Jovenel Moise, another fervent defender of agriculture. Both also cowardly murdered. My sympathies to his family."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2021/09/11 | Source

New character posters added for the Korean movie "Hostage: Missing Celebrity" (2021)

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In its statement, the center said that the Guerilla forces carried out a series of qualitative operations against the Turkish occupation soldiers in Avasin and Metina areas, killing 9 of the Turkish occupation army.

The statement stated:

Revolutionary hawks of the Zagros campaign in Avasin

On the 11 of September, at 8:30 Am, our fighters from the Star units carried out a qualitative operation in which they targeted a site of the Turkish occupation soldiers, where 6 soldiers were stationed, who were targeting our forces with toxic chemical gases. During the operation, our fighters were able to kill 4 soldiers, wound two others, and destroy the entire site, in addition to the chemical weapons that were stored there. Star fighters carried out this operation to revive the resistance fighters of Gire Tire, Saha and Rakhla. After the operation, the Turkish occupation forces transported the dead and wounded via military helicopters.

The Revolutionary Khabur resistance campaign in the Metina area

Today, corresponding to 12 of September, our forces were able, in the early morning, to surround military vehicles belonging to the Turkish occupation that were constructing roads for military operations. Our forces targeted the occupation soldiers from two axes in Kordeneh Square in Matina area. The operation resulted in the killing of 5 soldiers of the Turkish occupation army. After the operation, the Turkish occupation forces transported the dead by helicopter.

Werxile Square in Avasin District

On September 10th, the Turkish occupation forces targeted with bombs and heavy weapons Barxwedan Square in Werxile and tried to move forward, which resulted in violent clashes in which our forces managed to break the Turkish occupation and prevent it from advancing.

Today, corresponding to September 12, in the dawn hours, the Turkish occupation forces planted large quantities of explosives in Werxile Square, but our forces were able to disable the explosives.

On September 10th, at 12:30 PM, the Turkish occupation warplanes bombed Martyr Amed Square in the Gara region.

On September 11th and in the afternoon, the warplanes of the Turkish occupation targeted Stune Square in the Avasin area. On the same day, the squares of Mervanos Tabora Araban, Gire Spi, Gire Tire and Gire Suleiman witnessed an intense movement of Turkish occupation helicopters. The occupation also bombed Martyr Revenge Square, Kila Basiya, Dola Bizina and Tel Qartal.

On the eleventh of this September, at exactly five forty in the afternoon, the occupation warplanes bombed the village of Shii in the Dinarti district.

Today, corresponding to September 12, in the morning, the occupation warplanes bombed Kroghru Square in the Zab area, and Rikhali Square in the Afashin area.

A

Source: Roj News
Jewish philosopher Walter Bendix '' History is written by the victors, and victors preserves his civilization from extinction''. If we want who we are we ought to trace our roots that are cultural heritage that was inherited to us by forefathers after bloody battles to preserve it from extinction.

The Syrian crisis was a chance for Turkey to occupy territories located on its borders to steal its treasures and transfer it to Europe to write the history as suits its policies. Excavation of historical sites that is happening in Afrin under the nose of the whole woeld is a mere example.

Co-chair of the Antiquities Protection Directorate in the Euphrates Region, Ali Sulaiman, says '' significance of antiques comes from preservation of culture of peoples, it is the link between the present and the past, that makes some countries to cheat and defame history via transferring antiques from the areas they occupy to others, to demolish this bridge''.

Sulaiman added '' Turkey is one of the countries that poses grave dangers to the humanitarian heritage in modern times, it demolishes Afrin archeologically and transfers its relics to Turkey to complete the demographic change already taking place, after the region is being evicted of its residents, that shows the extent of hatred towards the region's peoples''.

According to latest numbers, by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the SOHR, in 2020, Syrian mercenaries affiliated to the Turkish occupation forces destroyed more than 25 archaeological and historical sites in occupied Afrin. To facilitate and cover excavation all historical and archaeological sites have been made military bases and barracks in all areas occupied in northern Syria to transfer all findings to Turkey, the most notable of these was the basalt lion of the Ain Dara. The Ain Dara Temple is one of the most deeply rooted sites in Syria.

The silence preserved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, encourages Turkey to go ahead with the process.

The Kurds' culture and civilization that survived all battles and invasions from the dawn of history it poses great dangers to the west for this all international associations preserve silence.

Sulaiman says stealing these relics and antiques is a way of the wars launched against the region within the struggle of civilizations, that aim to obliterate the identity of the Kurdish people from the region, Turkey, that is searching to preserve it self, is the executioner of the process. This is in line with the fascist countries that seek to write the history of this region we ought to be cautious.

Sulaiman noted that some people are taking part indirectly in the process by selling some artefacts to outside traders to get money. But they should know that are behaving in the wrong way.

At the end Sulaiman said the best way to preserve our culture is via awareness and the importance of these sites whose responsibility lies great on media outlets.

l..a

ANHA
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Winchester, TN (37398)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High around 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
Bronson South Haven Physician Assistant Ruth McDowell is shown receiving her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020 when doses were first placed on the market for first responders, such as those in the medical profession. Bronson Healthcare is now requiring all staff members to be fully vaccinated from the COVID-19 virus by Dec. 1.
Uniontown, PA (15401)

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Generally cloudy. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to cloudy skies after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
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A Vietnam veteran condemned the Biden administrations withdrawal from Afghanistan and hit on other conservative themes during a 9/11 memorial service in Katy over the weekend.

Former Katy VFW Post 9182 Commander Mike Mastrangelo took aim at the removal of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, the teaching of critical race theory in classrooms, so-called defund the police efforts and the flow of migrants across the border in his remarks at the service, held to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Related: Conversation: Navy SEAL on Osama bin Laden raid reflects on 9/11

National political leaders largely kept the focus on those victims during speeches in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Mastrangelo acknowledged that his viewpoints might offend some, but said his views trumped a need for sensitivity.

My remarks represent my views and I strongly feel the need to have them said, he stated. If you value our personal freedom  our way of life  if you care about them, we have a responsibility to confront the issue and not gloss over it or in any way minimize the harm it does for fear of offending anyone.

Withdrawing the American military from Afghanistan recalled the fall of Saigon, which marked the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, said Mastrangelo, who served with the Army in Vietnam and retired years later as a colonel. Fast forward to today  the circumstances surrounding the fall of South Vietnam and Afghanistan are eerily familiar, he said.

Biden last spring ordered the withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 U.S. troops by the end of August. The Afghan government collapsed that month, and the U.S. led a massive airlift of Americans and Afghans who had worked with the U.S. The Trump administration had signed a peace deal with the Taliban in 2019 that called for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces even earlier, in May.

The U.S. now needs to focus on the Mexican border, Mastrangelo believes.

We have remained in solidarity with those who suffered on the East coast. I submit to you, look around the country, he said, referring to the 9/11 attacks. Our people have to deal with what's happening on our southern border as illegal migrants who come around the world pour into our communities, largely unvetted, which cripples the ability of our system, way of life and property and personal safety.

Mastrangelo fears that some curricula in schools, specifically critical race theory, which calls for the consideration of endemic racism in society, will poison future generations against the nation.

The schools are failing and what is being taught as history is enough to break your heart, he said.

September 11 has become a day that is synonymous with first responders. Firefighters, EMS and police officers, many of whom lost their lives, ran into the World Trade Center towers to help rescue people trapped inside the buildings before their collapse.

Mastrangelos final condemnation was against initiatives to defund the police, which emerged after the death of former Houston resident George Floyd in police custody last year but have gained little traction in Texas. Police, firefighters, emergency response  those were the real heroes then, and theyre the real heroes now, Mastrangelo said. We continue as a society to curse at them and harm them. And now we call for the funding of as stupid a public policy as ever been uttered by police makers.

On HoustonChronicle.com:'A war zone': A Houston native inside the World Trade Center on 9/11 shares his story of survival

Following Mastrangelos remarks, Don Byrne, VFW Post 9182 Post Commander and Texas VFW District 17 Senior Vice Commander, called for educating children about the events of 9/11.

You hear me at the podium every time I speak about getting the kids involved and letting them learn, Byrne said. History repeats itself, folks. And if we don't watch out, we will allow it to happen again.

The event concluded with certificates of recognition for the Katy Fire Department and Katy Police Department and a 21-gun salute to the fallen military in the war on terror.

claire.goodman@chron.com
On Saturday morning Conroe-area residents donned red, white and blue as they gathered under a blue cloudless sky  much like the one that morning in New York City  to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

A solemn remembrance ceremony honored the first responders and others who lost their lives that day. The event took place early in the day at the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park in Conroe, kicking off a day full of remembrance events in Conroe and The Woodlands.

The observance of the anniversary began on Friday night as two high-powered lights were placed on either side of the first responders flag at the park at Texas 105 and I-45. The blue beams of light shined through the night at the park as a reminder of that tragic day 20 years ago.

Scott Bullitt, retired U.S. Navy and Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission board member, served as master of ceremonies.

A joint honor guard from the Conroe Fire Department and Conroe Police Department presented the colors.

Conroe Mayor Jody Czajkoski lead the Pledge of Allegiance and local vocalist Kenzie Soape offered the national anthem and then Amazing Grace later in the ceremony.

Prayer for first responders, the victims and the country followed from Conroe Police Chaplain Anthony Shelton, Conroe Councilman Duke W. Coon and Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Judge Wayne Mack.

Were are so proud and so pleased that yall are here today. It shows the dedication and the patriotism of the people of Montgomery County, said Jimmie C. Edwards III, Chairman of the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission.

Edwards then presented a first responders flag to restaurant owners Joe Haliti and Chris Sadler for their support.

Haliti owns Joes Italian Restaurant in Conroe and Sadler owns Honor Cafe, a military-themed restaurant, in downtown Conroe.

They have both backed the law enforcement, first responders and military communities in a number of ways, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A member of the Conroe recruiting station for the U.S. Army then presented a special 9/11 plaque to Edwards. The plaque was a pentagon shape with 9-11-01 on the front with the 11 representing the World Trade Center Towers. The words Remember were a part of the design under the date.

State Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, like most Americans, remembers where he was when the news broke about the attacks.

I was right down the road at Conroe High School in Spanish class. We could tell our teachers knew something we didnt know. Our principal Fred Richardson came on the announcements and let us know our country was under attack, he said.

The students spent the rest of the day watching the coverage before coming home to hug their loved ones.

Everyday life changed. Traveling on airplanes change. Our perspectives changed. America was more united than ever before. Communities across the nation came together in prayer, singing patriotic songs, loving each other, neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend and stranger to stranger, Metcalf said. I pray that we can find our way back to that unity without another horrific attack or massive loss of life taking place. It is my hope and prayer that America does not ever forget that tragic day.

Those who hate America and what she stands for tried to divide us, and instead they unified our country. To me, the most important thing we can do here in our own community is to raise our children to be patriotic members of our society, to love their country despite difficult and divisive times and to be optimistic about the future of America because weve come so far, he told those gathered.

If we dont fight for that love of country, we may very well lose her. We must never forget the events that drew us together and brought us standing hand in hand. We must never forget the people who lost their lives on that tragic day in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania. We must never forget the men and women who put on their uniforms and bravely shipped overseas to defend our nation. It is our duty as Americans to keep the memory of Sept. 11, 2001 alive for future generations so that complacency never takes over. Its important now more than ever.

A moment of silence followed the lowering of the first responders flag on the north end of the park.

Then a final call tone went out across Conroe Fire Department and Conroe Police Department emergency equipment signaling the 20th anniversary of the large loss of life.

The ceremony came to a conclusion with Conroe High graduate and current Caney Creek High School music teacher Stephen Kloesel offering TAPS by trumpet.

As the last notes faded, white doves were released over the silent crowd in memory of those lost on this day 20 years ago.

For more information about the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park, visit www.honoredmission.org.

shernandez@hcnonline.com
BILOXI, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi man is in custody in the death of his father, who disappeared earlier this month.

Biloxi Police arrested Noble V. Marske, 41, of Biloxi, Saturday on a charge of first-degree murder. The body of Marske's father, 66-year-old Van L. Marske, was found Friday near Mississippi 603 in Bay St. Louis, news outlets reported. The Biloxi Police Department said in a news release that the elder man had been reported missing a day earlier. He was last seen alive Sept. 4 in Biloxi.
Jay Jordan

One person died in a crash in southwest Houston Sunday morning.

Authorities said a motorist in a Nissan Altima driving north on the Southwest Freeway near Renwick ran a red light, striking an Acura TL.
Regarding U.S. still has lessons to learn from 9/11, must stop living by the sword, (Sept. 10): We told you so rings hollow. In the face of tens of thousands of lives lost, trillions of dollars spent and countless communities destroyed, pointing out that early critics of the U.S. war on terror were accurate seems crass and cruel, sanctimonious and self-serving.

But its also dangerous to ignore the dissenters. Those of us who were active in the anti-war/anti-empire movement before Sept. 11, 2001, came together almost immediately to organize resistance to what was coming. Anyone aware of basic post-World War II history could see what was coming. And the wars came.

What matters today is not demonstrating that ones political group had the better analysis, but pleading to learn from history.

Robert Jensen, Austin

Social studies

Regarding Opinion: Texas teachers, speak up for a rigorous history curriculum, (Sept. 9): Thanks to Daphane Carter for this excellent article. She writes that the goal of the social studies curriculum is to engage and students with the world around them, using not only their own real-world experiences, but what our history can teach them. It encourages them to develop critical thinking skills, something our Republican legislators obviously fear. The 'liberty' think tank Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is working with the University of Texas to develop is one example of this agenda.

Additionally, the writer describes how House Bill 3979 and Senate Bill 3 require teachers to lie to their students about our history. As a psychotherapist working with dozens of teachers for over 30 years, I have seen the joy and pride in their profession being replaced by anxiety, fear, desperation and sadness. Yet the drive that keeps so many of them in their classrooms is the love they feel for their students, and the passion they have for helping children explore and understand the world they inhabit.

How would you feel discovering your favorite teacher taught you only what the partisan government wanted you to learn? Doesn't sound like democracy to me.

Tierney Lancaster, Kingwood
Robert E. Lee has retreated from Richmond. Again.

The first time, you will recall, was in April of 1865, when he and his tattered army abandoned the city, fleeing east before finally surrendering at Appomattox Courthouse to federal forces commanded by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. This latest  and, one hopes, last  retreat was similarly ignoble. Last week, a 12-ton, 21-foot-tall statue of the Confederate icon was lowered by crane from a graffiti-scarred pedestal, cut into two pieces and carted away on a flatbed truck.

Because Gods got jokes, the construction company doing the work was Black-owned. A crowd serenaded Lee with that chant Americans reserve for losers: Na na na na, na na na na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.

Lees fall after 131 years is a signal moment in the cultural confrontation sparked by the 2015 church massacre in Charleston and renewed by last years police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Those events traumatized Americans into a necessary reckoning with a simple question: Why do we raise memorials to the greatest act of treason in American history?

You will find virtually no statues of Benedict Arnold on public land, nor will you ever meet graduates of Benedict Arnold High (Home of the Fightin Traitors?). Yet a 2019 report from the Southern Poverty Law Center counted nearly 1,800 monuments, schools, counties and military bases honoring the Confederacy.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

So, last years protests demanding an end to this celebration of treachery were long overdue, if occasionally overreaching in their ambition. Some activists, for instance, also demanded the removal of statues venerating the likes of Thomas Jefferson. The view from this pew is that the legacy of the third president is badly scarred by, but not restricted to, his ownership of human beings. He did other things, and they are worth honoring. By contrast, the only reason history knows Lees name is that he betrayed the nation in service to slavery. And in toppling him from a pedestal of honor on a showplace avenue in the former capital of the Confederacy, protesters did a righteous thing.

Not that everyone was thrilled. A retiree who used to work for the federal government issued a statement bemoaning the destruction of our culture by the Radical Left. The Florida man, who once denigrated the heroism of former POW John McCain, praised the loser Lee as a genius and a unifying force.

Which was characteristic of how some of us like to mythologize and make benign Americas greatest trauma. They want gallantry and pageantry, not buckets of limbs sawed off without anesthesia or hogs feeding on the entrails of the dead. They want kind and noble Bobby Lee, the reluctant Christian warrior, not Robert E. Lee, the cruel slave master who lacerated brown flesh and ordered it washed with brine. And they want moral equivalence, want those who broke the Union in assertion of the right to own people to somehow stand level with those who fought to stop them, as if there were no difference between traitors and patriots.

Consider that Virginia used to celebrate not Martin Luther King Day, but a monstrosity it called Lee-Jackson-King day, pairing King with Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson, as if a moral ocean did not yawn between a Black civil rights icon and two slave-holding Confederate generals. America, you see, has always run from the truth of itself. Thats what made Lees last retreat so satisfying.

For once, the truth caught up.

Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald.
Many issues with COVID-19 have led to a discomforting conflation of politics and science: the value of masks, when to forbid gatherings and whether vaccines will stop transmission. In some cases, we needed new evidence to make the policy decision. In others, there were tradeoffs with economic or liberty concerns. Yet, on one issue, the public health scientific community has been of one voice: There is virtually no logic to closing the border to asylum-seekers to prevent the public from contracting COVID-19.

In March 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Trump administration issued a public health order, commonly known as Title 42, empowering border agents to immediately expel migrants attempting to cross the border, depriving them of the right to seek asylum. This has been widely criticized by medical experts as being divorced from public health principles. The CDCs own scientists repudiated the policy at its inception when the Trump administrations immigration officials overrode the agencys health experts and instituted a deterrence policy that had been planned long before the arrival of COVID-19. As former CDC scientists, it is difficult to overstate what a very bad mistake this order has been in terms of damaging the institutions scientific credibility, undermining staff morale and tarnishing the nations image abroad.

While SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus, methods of disease prevention are not. The CDC and its predecessor agencies have a long history of recommending quarantine-type measures to prevent disease transmission. In decades past, immigrants and travelers were often tested for tuberculosis, for example, depending on their country of origin. During the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak, returnees from affected West African countries were required to check their temperatures and report into their local health department daily for three weeks. In these and other instances where the U.S. government placed restrictions on travelers in the name of public health, before COVID-19, they were based on one of two cornerstones of logic. Either the people targeted had been diagnosed with a contagious health condition, or their circumstances put them at dramatically higher chances of having the infection of concern than the average American. Neither of those cornerstones of quarantine logic apply with this CDC COVID-19 order, which expels migrants regardless of their COVID-19 status. We no longer deny entry on the basis of HIV, leprosy or tuberculosis. And as with those diseases today, we have tools to treat and contain COVID-19, yet we are actually expelling people seeking asylum rather than taking the basic mitigation measures we have used in the past, like testing and isolation where needed.

Indeed, there is virtually no disease-control rationale behind these Title 42 expulsions. First, there is no basis for singling out migrants given that all travelers in general may pose some COVID-19 risk. People seeking asylum, however, make up less than 1 percent of the inbound traffic arriving at the southern border each day. Truck drivers or U.S. citizens traveling for leisure now cross the southwest border without being tested or even screened for COVID-19, unlike incoming migrants.

Second, over virtually the entire outbreak, people in Mexico or Central America have been less likely to be carrying the virus that causes COVID-19 compared to the U.S. general population, which has consistently led the hemisphere in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Evidence recently filed in federal court shows that only 1.14 percent of asylum-seekers in Mexico tested positive for COVID-19, far lower than the positivity rates currently seen in the United States.

Third, unlike every quarantine example we know of, the main justification for the Title 42 order centers on the heightened risk of infection posed by keeping asylum-seekers in crowded facilities and for extended periods. However, these risks are created by the U.S. governments own policies, which focus almost entirely on detaining or expelling migrants.

Evidence-based public health strategies such as offering vaccinations; deploying rapid COVID-19 tests during processing; shifting some processing to outdoor settings; and promoting masking, distancing, and improved ventilation can all reduce transmission risks but have instead been underemphasized. Most importantly, shortening detention and processing times reduces crowding. More than 90 percent of asylum-seekers have loved ones in the U.S. with whom they are attempting to reunite. During the Obama administration, allowing asylum-seekers to stay with such contacts was far more common; a pilot program in five cities that kept asylum-seeking kin together resulted in 98 percent of applicants attending their assigned court hearings. Finally, and most seriously, unlike the tens of thousands who cross the border daily without being detained, people seeking asylum are often fleeing for their lives. Many will eventually be killed or harmed after being expelled into the hands of gangs and cartels in Mexico.

Every public health intervention requires weighing costs and benefits. Yet, the Biden administrations legal documents defending the renewed order completely ignore the harms induced. From an international perspective, this order, which seeks to justify a pre-existing Trump administration anti-immigrant policy, has become inextricably linked with the immigrant deterrence policy of separating children from their families  an act that occurred over 5,000 times during the Trump administration. Unsurprisingly, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has called for an end to Title 42 and singled out the United States for enacting the most onerous border restrictions against the most vulnerable compared to many countries, including most of Europe, that have kept their doors open to asylum-seekers. A recent Supreme Court ruling, imposing roadblocks to winding down an overlapping Trump-era policy, the Migrant Protection Protocols (more commonly referred to as Remain in Mexico), compounds the harms imposed by Title 42 and elevates the urgency of bringing the order to an end.

This order is bad science. It is bad policy. And it induces an extremely negative international image. It needs to be rescinded.

Kachur, MD, MPH, is a Columbia University public health professor and the former chief of the Malaria Branch at the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roberts, MSPH, PhD, is a public health professor at Columbia University and a former epidemic intelligence service officer and senior assistant scientist at the CDC.
Last month, off-duty New Orleans Detective Everett Briscoe and his friend. Dyrin DJ Riculfy, were shot and killed during an aggravated robbery in Houston.

The tragedy surrounding their slayings was only aggravated by the news that their suspected killers had been walking free on a combined six felony bonds, including cash-free bonds, a $40,000 bond for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and $75,000 for robbery. A judge had revoked the bond for one of them after he failed to appear in court.

Sadly, this cycle of violent reoffending has been a common theme in Harris County and throughout the state. Due to a broken bail system primarily based on ability to pay rather than the individuals risk of being a danger to others, many high-risk offenders are released while low-risk offenders are left sitting in jail. This system continuously puts Texans in danger, and it must change.

Just days after the senseless killings of Briscoe and Riculfy, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 6, named the Damon Allen Act in memory of a state trooper who was murdered by an individual out on bond in 2017. It is now on Gov. Greg Abbotts desk, waiting to be signed into law.

The Damon Allen Act will be a first step in reforming Texas broken pretrial system and is critical to the protection of our communities. Abbott rightfully declared bail reform an emergency item in the 87th Legislature, allowing conservative lawmakers to take the lead on this issue.

Largely a Republican-led effort, lawmakers spent months gathering bipartisan support for this reform that will improve training for magistrates, increase transparency in the pretrial system and provide magistrates with more information when making bail decisions. The reform also bans cashless releases for defendants charged with violent and sex offenses. Low-risk defendants are now ensured the least restrictive bond to avoid pretrial detentions for no reason other than they cannot afford bail.

However, while limiting the use of personal recognizance bonds will prevent high-risk defendants from a cash-free release, these defendants will still be granted the opportunity for release via cash bail. In Texas, the accused have a constitutional right to bail  meaning unless a defendant is charged with capital murder or meets a certain criteria for repeat violent felonies, the judge cannot detain a defendant, but must afford that defendant bail, no matter how dangerous they believe that defendant to be.

This creates a system in which high-risk defendants who can afford bail can buy their freedom  despite the public safety threat they pose.

Legislators had the opportunity to fix this issue. The proposed constitutional amendment, SJR 3, would have afforded judges the discretion to deny bail where certain violent and sexual offenses were concerned. This is generally referred to as preventative detention.

Allowing judges to detain high-risk defendants who pose a threat to public safety prior to trial is not rocket science. Its not unorthodox or even groundbreaking. In fact, many states allow for the denial of bail for a variety of offenses and circumstances beyond capital murder, and nine states do not have a constitutional right to bail. And the federal criminal justice system relies almost exclusively on a risk assessment to determine pretrial detention.

Preventive detention is not designed to strip defendants of their due process rights or disregard the presumption of innocence. Everyone has due process rights, and everyone is innocent until proven guilty. However, the Supreme Court has ruled that not everyone has the right to bail. In this ruling, the justics affirmed that both court appearance and public safety should be considered when determining pretrial release conditions; if there are no conditions that would reasonably ensure the safety of the public, then pretrial release can be denied.

Unfortunately, the expansion of pretrial detention fell victim to a political tug-of-war and a misinformation campaign organized by opponents from the left. Magistrates are now left trying to guess just how high is high enough for a bond on a defendant who poses a threat to their community.

Bail has proven a poor pretrial mechanism to ensure public safety. The killings of Allen, Briscoe and Riculfy, the countless other victims, and their families, demand a rightsizing of the pretrial system. This means giving judges the discretion to deny bail when it is the only way to protect Texans.

While we celebrate the Damon Allen Act being signed into law, critical work remains to be done before the state pretrial system will truly serve in the interest of Texans safety. When the Legislature reconvenes in 2023, we must continue to strive for a system based on risk, not riches.

Tolman, a former U.S. attorney, is the executive director and Pressley is the Texas state director of Right on Crime, a national campaign supporting conservative solutions for reducing crime, restoring victims, reforming offenders and lowering taxpayer costs.
Seeing our neighbors in Louisiana suffer the effects of Ida, one of the strongest storms to make landfall in recent memory, is a somber reminder that but for the grace of God goes Houston. This same week four years ago, we were reeling from Hurricane Harvey, a storm that, by dumping nearly 52 inches of rain on the region over just four days, will certainly be remembered as a defining moment for the area.

Unfortunately, these storms are not going away any time soon; weather events like this are coming with greater intensity. Even before being appointed to chair the Climate Mayors and Resilient Cities Network, creating a stronger and more resilient city has been a top priority for my administration. We need to set a higher bar for our infrastructure. We need to make climate resilience a priority by advancing innovation in infrastructure projects.

In the four years since Hurricane Harvey, Im proud to say the city has invested $780 million in infrastructure repairs from local funding for fully completed projects. More than just rebuilding the properties that were destroyed, the funds are directed towards communities and people. Were improving local drainage infrastructure, creating new regional detention areas and investing more than $500 million in capital improvement projects that focus on drainage. We are investing $50 million in state grant funds, supplementing over $120 million of previous federal and state grant funds, for additional dredging of Lake Houston. We have dedicated $34.7 million to projects identified as a priority by our Storm Water Action Team, with 142 total projects constructed by the end of this fiscal year. The city has acquired ten properties totaling 357.6 acres of new detention at the cost of $70.5 million. Additionally, the city has elevated more than 260 homes since Harvey through FEMAs Flood Mitigation Assistance program, and many more homes are planned as annual funding becomes available.

Were also taking a multi-faceted approach at encouraging, and in some cases, requiring more resilient infrastructure from private developers. The floodplain ordinance, Chapter 19 of the citys Code of Ordinances, which promotes public health, safety and general welfare to minimize losses due to flood conditions, has been updated to require higher base flood elevation requirements for future home construction or reconstruction. This ordinance, when originally adopted, prevented any habitable structures from being constructed within the designated floodway; this criterion remains in effect. Weve adopted new rainfall and detention rates that align with the increased precipitation estimates provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But regulations will only take us so far. Weve also created incentives for green stormwater infrastructure. Now, builders and developers will be recognized and rewarded by the city when their projects are designed to meet the needs laid out in Resilient Houston, our resilience strategy. As evidenced in our recent memorandum of understanding with Denmark, were also committed to working internationally to find resilient water management solutions, improve climate mitigation, advance environmental restoration, and develop efficient water and wastewater management practices.

And the work continues, even as we recognize that city coffers cannot fund all the needed projects. The citys top four hazard and mitigation projects for regional detention and flood damage reduction have been approved and fully funded by FEMA. These investments at Lake Houston Dam, North Canal, TIRZ 17 in southwest Houston and the Inwood area will take us one step closer to reducing flood risk in many neighborhoods repeatedly devastated by flooding and major storm events.

But much of the money expected to help Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey simply has not made it to this office. As of this writing, the City of Houston has received exactly $0 in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Program funding from the Texas General Land Office in relation to Hurricane Harvey. This money was passed by Congress to address previous disasters, by far the largest of which was Hurricane Harvey. If not for Houstons damage, the $4.3 billion allocation would have been significantly lower. Despite GLO opposition, I am committed and will continue to advocate for our city and our region to receive funds that were duly appropriated by Congress for Harvey relief. I will continue to advocate for funding made available through the bipartisan infrastructure bill to cities like Houston focused on prioritizing a resilient future and building forward.

We have seen it time and again  power offline for days and weeks on end, high-water marks topping several feet on buildings miles inland from the coast, people huddled in emergency shelters with hopes that they will have homes to return to. But, as so clearly evidenced in the last weeks, Houston is not alone in its vulnerability to climate disasters. We have already raised the bar when it comes to climate infrastructure, and the need for action continues. So, yes, we are safer today than we were during Harvey. And yes, we still need the assistance and support of our community, our state, our country and our partners around the world to address the damaging effects of climate change. But Houston is glad to lead the charge and will continue to do so.

Turner is the mayor of Houston.
High Point, NC (27260)

Today

A widely scattered shower or thunderstorm is possible this evening. Then cloudy skies overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

A widely scattered shower or thunderstorm is possible this evening. Then cloudy skies overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
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Carroll Shelby had to think fast.

There's a great scene in "Ford vs. Ferrari," the movie based on the true story of the legendary Ford Motors team who won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France.

Shelby, a former race car driver turned automotive designer, is in a predicament: He needs to convince Ford CEO Henry Ford II to allow his friend and fellow racer, Ken Miles, to be the primary driver at Le Mans. (Shelby knows the team will need every advantage to beat Ferrari, who had won at Le Mans for six years in a row previous.)

The problem is, Ford and his lieutenants don't really like Miles, who they don't see as a team player.

So, how could Shelby convince Ford that Miles would be the best man for the job?

Shelby takes Ford on a little ride...

In the race car.

"You ready?" Shelby asks Ford, as Ford sits shotgun...about to take the ride of his life.

"The name on the middle of that steering wheel should tell you that I was born ready Shelby," responds Ford. "Hit it."

As Shelby peels out in a prototype Ford GT40, Ford is literally pinned to his chair. He instinctively braces himself for impact by placing his hand on the dashboard. Shelby continues to floor it, in a car capable of speeds over 218 mph (350 km/h). Ford becomes visibly distressed.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Ford yells, his face violently contorting as Shelby takes each successive turn at high speed.

In the distance, accompanied by team engineer Phil Remington, Ford's lieutenants are speechless as they look on. They can only imagine what's going through their CEO's mind as he hangs on for dear life.

"It's about right now the uninitiated have a tendency to soil themselves," Remington says, with a smirk.

Shelby continues his joyride for a while longer, narrowly missing huge cones, oil barrels--even another truck--before he ends the treacherous run by yanking the handbrake and bringing the car to a sudden, brutal stop via a perfect bootleg turn.

Ford sits, struggling to control his emotions. Suddenly, he breaks into tears.

"I had no idea," he whimpers.

"I had no idea."

Although this example is extreme (and likely fictional, although I wouldn't have put it past Shelby to have done this in real life), Shelby did convince Ford to let Miles race at Le Mans.

The story also demonstrates a major lesson in emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotional behavior.

It all starts with something called "the perspective gap."

What's the perspective gap?

The perspective gap (also known as an empathy gap) is a common occurrence in which one dramatically underestimates the effects of a psychologically or physically intense situation.

Usually, we think we understand a certain set of circumstances--even if we've never experienced them--but we really have no idea. Other times, we've actually experienced something similar to what another person is describing, but the way we remember handling the situation is much better than we actually did.

The perspective gap explains why physicians consistently miss the mark when attempting to estimate their patients' level of pain, or why we find it so challenging to put ourselves in the shoes of a colleague, or even a family member.

It's also why Ford, who had already given Shelby the green light in putting together the company's racing team, still needed extra convincing.

But what can this scene teach us about the perspective gap?

Here are two lessons:

Don't be like Ford.

There are likely people at work right now who are trying hard to get you to understand the problems they're facing. They're trying to get your support.

It's easy to dismiss those people with expressions like:

Toughen up.

It's not that big of a deal.

You're making a mountain out of a molehill.

If you want to build trust and stronger relationships...stop it.

Instead, bridge the gap. Try to see things from their perspective.

In other words, if it's important to them, make it important to you.

Be like Shelby.

But what if you're in the opposite situation?

What if you're trying to garner support from a colleague, your team (or even a family member)--and they're just not getting it?

Remember, even if they've gone through a similar experience to you (and especially if they haven't), they're not likely to empathize with you. There's going to be a perspective gap.

But you don't have to give up.

Instead of telling them the challenges your facing, help them to feel those challenges themselves.

You can do that by first identifying your own feelings: Are you frustrated? Angry? Disappointed? Sad?

Now, ask your colleague to describe a situation that makes them feel frustrated, angry, disappointed, or sad.

Now, you're helping them to connect, not to your situation...but to your feelings. You've helped them to relate.

You've helped them to build empathy.

If you can accomplish that, you'll have a partner whose invested. Your problem has become their problem.

Learning to bridge the perspective gap is how you build great teams, and companies.

It's how you learn to solve problems together.

And it makes for a darn great movie scene, too.
The gravesite of the late rapper Pop Smoke has been vandalised, according to reports.

Photos published by TMZ show damage to the artists crypt at New Yorks Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

Pop Smoke, real name Bashar Barakah Jackson, died on 19 February last year at the age of 20, after being shot during a home-invasion robbery.

TMZ reports that the gravesite was damaged by vandals who smashed a marble plaque in the crypt, and seemingly attempted to drag something out.

Law enforcement sources later told the outlet that the NYPD responded to a call from the cemetery around 2pm local time, after an employee discovered the damaged crypt.

According to the police department, the damage occurred between 2.30pm on Friday and 2pm on Saturday.

It was also disclosed that there were no cameras in the area.

The total damage caused by the vandals amounts to roughly $500 (361).

There are currently no suspects and no arrests have been made, though police are reported to be investigating.

Pop Smoke was credited with helping bridge the gap between UK drill and New York hip-hop, and was known for his 2019 single Welcome to the Party, which was remixed by Skepta and Nicki Minaj.
Tom Edges submarine-set crime drama continued on BBC One on Sunday night, throwing yet more convolutions into the story. With only two more episodes left now remaining, things are starting to come to a boil, with murders, love affairs and deadly twists coming thick and fast. Is the HMS Vigil set for sabotage? Could Anglo-Russian tensions lead to an international stand-off?

These questions and more go unanswered throughout Vigils fourth episode, but theres plenty of information that does get divulged  from the identity of Jade Antoniaks killer to the specifics of Amy Silvas (Suranne Jones) relationship with Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie). By this point in the series run, its fairly clear who we should and shouldnt be rooting for. Jones and Leslies characters have endeared themselves to us through professional acumen and grit in the face of adversity; Shaun Evanss devious coxswain Elliot Glover has now firmly established himself the shows most superficially loathsome figure in my book. Fortunately for the momentum of the series, however, the overall whodunnit is still very much alive and kicking. Whats actually going on? Who knows. It all has the feel of a conspiracy thats as big and all-consuming as the sea in which the Vigil roams.

Testing, testing

At the start of the episode, Silva is awoken from turbulent dreams by the sound of an alarm; the Vigil is awash with activity, the order sent down to launch a missile. Making her way to the cabin, Silva is shoved (a little melodramatically) into a wall, giving her a nasty-looking head wound. As she talks with the captain in a state of panic, he assures her that the whole rigmarole is in fact simply a drill. Silva is left looking the fool, but you cant help but feel for her. Whod schedule a missile drill at a time like that?

Later, the incident comes back to haunt her, as Glover dobs her in to Captain Newsome (Paterson Joseph). Casting aspersions on her psychological wellbeing, the coxswain tells the commander about Silvas medication, something he could have only known through his illicit affair with medical officer Tiffany Docherty (Anjli Mohindra). The captain sides with Glover, and confines Silva to the care of Docherty, until she is deemed mentally fit to continue. Its not quite send her to the brig, but it may as well be.

Not-so-diplomatic immunity

Episode three ended with Detective Longacre being taken in for questioning by two MI5 operatives. As you might guess, shes a tough nut to crack. Its just as much a fact-finding exercise for Lonacre, too, who asks prickly questions about MI5s own infiltration of activist groups, receiving only cagey answers in response. Before too long, Colin Robertson arrives and ends the interrogation, marching her out the room before asking: What did you get out of them?

Robertson (Gary Lewis) and Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) (BBC/World Productions)

Longacre manages to catch a breakthrough in the murder of Jade Antoniak, after video footage leads them to a well-spoken man wearing a laughably conspicuous blood-stained sweater. After searching his property, they also find evidence connecting him to Jades killing. This is, it seems, most definitely the guy. Except the name hes been using isnt his real one; hes actually a Russian spy, one of many, and as such qualifies for diplomatic immunity. The whole thing is very Lethal Weapon 2, and Longacre is rightly miffed at the injustice of it all. Its enough to earn a pow-wow with a government minister, however, who agrees to consult with the Prime Minister about returning Vigil to port. The order comes down by the episodes end  but thanks to a particularly inconvenient communications error, itll be days before Vigil gets the message.

Love during peacetime

Interspersed throughout the episode are flashbacks to Silva and Longacres relationship: what looks like an anguished breakup, then an early courtship. Through a series of surprisingly affecting achronological scenes, we see their anguished breakup, followed by their tentative courtship, and Silvas own sexual awakening. We are being fed the characters backstories in pieces; Vigil has yet to assemble them into a whole. But its getting there.

At loggerheads: Amy Silva (Jones) and Glover (Evans) have it out (BBC/World Productions)

Another breakthrough, another corpse

Another alarm gives Silva the opportunity to move freely around the submarine again, and she investigates the quarters of Petty Officer Jackie Hamilton (Anita Vettesse). After learning that Jackies son was released from Indonesian Prison after serving just a year of a ten-year drugs charge, Silva suspects some kind of nefarious intervention. Sure enough, theres signs of the poison that killed Burke on a cloth by Jackies bed. Taking the evidence to the captain, she seems to convince him of the theory, and he summons her to be questioned.

When she doesnt show, however, Silva goes looking  and finds a body, instead. She barely has time to process the scene before she is approached and tackled by a figure wearing some kind of gas mask. Whether this is friend or foe, I guess well find out next week.

Vigil continues next Sunday at 9pm on BBC One
Politics is full of surprises, and not the least of them is the strange rebirth of social democracy in Germany. As the largest economy in Europe faces a general election on Sunday 26 September, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) seems set to be the shock winner  albeit on only around 25 per cent of the vote. For the first time since the demise of Gerhard Schroeder in 2005, Germany will have a person of the left, Olaf Scholz, at the helm, though inevitably governing in some sort of coalition.

It is quite a turn-up for the books, given that the SPD, like so much of the European left, has seemed to be in terminal decline for so long. With their voter base eroded by industrial change and nationalistic populism, centre-left and progressive parties the world over have been written out of the political script. The victory of Joe Biden and the more muted re-emergence of the German left give their fraternal partners globally a little ground for hope for a break in the clouds.

It makes a change. In recent years, given the SPDs feeble electoral performance, it has only managed to hold on to power and influence at all by the grace of Angela Merkel, who found the various alternatives too distasteful and thus had to prop up the old rival party. It was almost an act of charity, and a bit of a humiliation for such a historic movement. Now, though, it is the SPD which is in the ascendant (or at least doing less badly), with the Christian Democrats, now bereft in the face of the imminent departure of mutti.
Venice Film Festival is always a highlight on the red carpet calendar, attracting some of the most talented people in showbiz from across the world to celebrate new releases for the year ahead.

This years proceedings were no different, with Kristen Stewart, Penelope Cruz, and Dakota Johnson among those in attendance.

Heads were turned on several occasions, and not just because of the volume of A-list attendees, but because power couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez made their red carpet debut as a couple at the annual event.

After weeks of being photographed together on yachts and various holidays, the old flames finally made their relationship official to the public on Friday night at the screening of The Last Duel, a historical drama directed by Ridley Scott, co-written by and starring Affleck.

Naturally, the couple dressed for the occasion, with Lopez wearing a scoop-neck white gown with diamante embellishments while Affleck wore a tuxedo with a bow tie.

There was plenty of fashion excellence elsewhere, too, though, with several bespoke designs making their way onto the Italian red carpet.

Heres our pick of the best-dressed stars at Venice Film Festival 2021.

Penelope Cruz

It took 300 hours to make this Chanel gown. The actor wore a bespoke black and white dress that came complete with an ecru silk tulle petticoat embellished with petals. (Getty Images)

Zendaya

The actor is renowned for her red carpet looks, which often go viral. This one was no different: a deep plum two-piece by Alaia that featured a cropped top and a feathered skirt. (AFP via Getty Images)

Anya Taylor-Joy

The 25-year-old actor attended a screening of her new film, Last Night in Soho, in a Barbie-inspired Dior Haute Couture satin silk dress that featured a matching beret. (Getty Images)

Isabelle Huppert

The world-renowned French actor wore a column gown by Armani Prive taken from the houses 2005 Fall collection. (Getty Images)

Kristen Stewart

A Chanel muse, the Spencer star wore a mint-green Chanel look for the red carpet that featured slim-fitting trousers and a loose tunic top with a black bow and lace trims. (Getty Images)

Kirsten Dunst

The American actor arrived at the film festival in a patterned dress and a slick blazer fitted with a red belt. (Getty Images)

Charlotte Gainsbourg

The French actor and fashion darling arrived in a micro black scalloped dress by Saint Laurent paired with knee-high sparkle-covered boots. (Getty Images)

Alessandro Michele and Dakota Johnson

The Gucci creative director wore a double-breasted burnt orange suit, while Johnson, one of his muses, wore a sheer gown. (Getty Images for Netflix)

Tia Taylor

The author arrived at the event via boat in a black halter-neck gown with an open back. (Getty Images)

Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac

The acting duo, who star in Scenes From a Marriage together, made quite the fashion statement on the red carpet, with Chastain in a red sequin strapless gown, while Isaac opted for a classic black tux. (AFP via Getty Images)

Kate Hudson

The American actor turned heads in a scarlet gown with mesh and lace inserts by Valentino. (Getty Images)

Cynthia Erivo

The actor wore a sheer floral gown for the closing ceremony. (Getty Images)

xx
Queen Elizabeth II marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by offering her sympathies to the victims, survivors and families affected by the atrocity.

In a message to U.S. President Joe Biden the British monarch remembered the terrible attacks" on New York and Washington, D.C.

My thoughts and prayers  and those of my family and the entire nation  remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty, she said.

My visit to the site of the World Trade Center in 2010 is held fast in my memory. It reminds me that as we honor those from many nations, faiths and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who joined together to rebuild.''

The ties between the two nations were marked with a special Changing of the Guard ceremony at Windsor Castle in which The Star Spangled Banner was played. Hundreds gathered inside and outside the walls of the castle to watch.

The U.S. national anthem had also been played at Buckingham Palace 20 years ago on Sept. 12, 2001, a mark of solidarity with the United States.

U.S. Ambassador Philip Reeker thanked the queen for the gesture.

Speaking for the United States, we have no closer ally and no closer friend, in good times and in bad times, and we are very much reminded of that today ... through the enduring relationship between our two countries, he said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also remembered the attacks, issuing a statement ahead of the anniversary saying that the terrorists had failed to shake our belief in freedom and democracy."

They failed to drive our nations apart, or cause us to abandon our values, or to live in permanent fear.

Sixty-seven British nationals were among the almost 3,000 people killed when hijacked planes crashed into New Yorks World Trade Center, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania.
A military procession will return the body of a Marine who was among 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing during the U.S.-run evacuation at Afghanistans Kabul airport to his northern Indiana hometown.

Sunday's procession will mark the beginning of memorial services for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22, of Logansport.

Sanchezs body is scheduled to arrive Sunday morning at Grissom Air Reserve Base near Peru The procession will then head to Logansport, where it will briefly stop under a large garrison flag in the citys downtown area, according to Indiana State Police The public is invited to line the procession route that will end at Gundrum Funeral Home.

Sanchez was among 17 members of his Logansport High School class who joined the military after their 2017 graduation. He died in the Aug. 26 attack in Kabul, where he had been transferred after serving as a U.S. embassy guard in Jordan according to his obituary.

A public visitation is scheduled for Monday at LifeGate Church in Logansport. The funeral is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday the church. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia  A group of virus deniers and anti-vaccination protesters have broken into the building of Slovenias public broadcaster, triggering a police intervention.

The confrontation happened Friday night evening in Slovenias capital, Ljubljana Local media say about 20 people burst into the RTV Slovenia building and managed to push their way into a news studio before police arrived and drove them out.

The studio wasn't on the air when the protesters broke in demanding to be allowed to broadcast their opinions. Vaccine opponents have gathered outside the building for months, often disrupting journalists coming to or from work, the STA news agency reported.

The head of RTVS, Andrej Grah Whatmough, described Friday's incident as a grave attack on our media house and public media outlet, which we condemn in the strongest terms. Whatmough says RTVS management will beef up security.

Slovenia has seen an increase in daily reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Brazil starts booster shots while many still await a 2nd jab

 Virus pummels French Polynesia straining ties with Paris

 US booster plan faces complications, some may miss Sept. 20 start

 U.S. hospitals hit with nurse staffing crisis; some travel for more pay

___

 Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronvirus-vaccine

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

PARIS  New Caledonia, a French archipelago in the South Pacific, voted to make vaccination mandatory on the islands.

According to the government of New Caledonia, the archipelago has had no new COVID-19 cases since August 18 and only a total of 136 since the beginning of the pandemic. Yet only 1 out of 4 people there is fully vaccinated.

New Caledonias measure was approved by the local legislature overnight Thursday to Friday. Sanctions for violations are set to be introduced starting in 2022.

The territory is drafting a list of first line workers, jobs related to seaports, airports, sensitive sectors, or people at-risk who will be required to get vaccinated.

New Caledonia fears experiencing the devastating outbreak that French Polynesia is seeing after more than a year with limited cases and deaths.

While France has mandated the use of COVID-19 health certificates on most of its territory since early August, the requirement did not apply to New Caledonia.

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand  New Zealand reported its first coronavirus death in more than six months on Saturday, while the number of new cases continued to trend downward.

Health authorities said the woman who died was in her 90s and had underlying health problems.

Authorities reported 20 new community cases, all in the largest city of Auckland.

New Zealand remains in lockdown as it tries to eliminate an outbreak of the delta variant that began last month.

New cases in the outbreak have steadily fallen from a peak of more than 80 each day. New Zealand has so far escaped the worst of the pandemic and has reported just 27 coronavirus deaths since it began.

___

SAO PAULO  Some cities in Brazil are providing booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, even though most people have yet to receive their second jabs.

The move reflects the concern in the country over the highly contagious delta variant. Rio de Janeiro, currently Brazils epicenter for the variant and home to one of its largest elderly populations, began administering the boosters Wednesday.

The northeastern cities of Salvador and Sao Luis started on Monday, and the most populous city of Sao Paulo will begin Sept. 6. The rest of the nation will follow the next week.

France, Italy, China and Chile are among those countries offering boosters, but much greater shares of their populations are fully inoculated than the 30% in Brazil.

A U.S. plan to start delivery of booster shots by Sept. 20 for most Americans is facing complications that could delay third doses for those who received the Moderna vaccine, administration officials said Friday.

___

PAPEETE, Tahiti  Frances worst coronavirus outbreak is unfolding 12 times zones away from Paris, devastating Tahiti and other idyllic islands of French Polynesia.

The South Pacific archipelagos lack enough oxygen, ICU beds and morgue space  and their vaccination rate is barely half the national average. Simultaneous outbreaks on remote islands and atolls are straining the ability of local authorities to evacuate patients to the territorys few hospitals.

The problem is, there are a lot of deaths before we get there, lamented Vincent Simon, the head of the regional emergency service.

French Polynesia is Frances latest challenge in juggling resources to battle the pandemic in former colonies that stretch around the world. With more than 2,800 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, it holds the national record for the highest infection rate.

And thats only an estimate: Things are so bad that the multi-ethnic territory of about 300,000 residents stopped counting new infections as local health authorities redeployed medical staff to focus on patient care and vaccination instead of testing.

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MADRID  Spain is tweaking its travel entry rules from next week to require vaccination certificates from U.S. tourists, adjusting to recent European Union advice on stricter rules due to growing anxiety over coronavirus contagion in the U.S.

The European Councils decision earlier this week to remove the U.S. from a safe list of countries for nonessential travel also came amid unanswered calls from European officials for reciprocity in travel rules. Despite the EUs move to open its borders to U.S. citizens in June, the U.S. didnt allow EU tourists in.

Spain, a major tourism destination, is among a handful of EU countries that has announced steps to adjust its entry rules to the Councils recommendation.

The country published Friday the new guidelines on its official gazette, also removing Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia from the safe list.

Under the rules, U.S. tourists will no longer be admitted from Monday, Sept. 6, unless they can show proof of being fully vaccinated at least 14 days before their trip.

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ATLANTA  A nurse staffing crisis is forcing many U.S. hospitals to pay top dollar to get reinforcements to handle the crush of COVID-19 patients this summer.

The problem, health leaders say, is twofold: Nurses are quitting or retiring, exhausted or demoralized by the crisis. Many are leaving for lucrative temporary jobs with traveling-nurse agencies that can pay $5,000 or more a week.

In Texas, more than 6,000 travel nurses have flooded the state to help through a state-supported program. But the same time 19 travel nurses started work at a hospital in the northern part of the state, 20 other nurses there gave notice theyd be leaving for a traveling contract, said Carrie Kroll, a vice president at the Texas Hospital Association.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Bidens plan to start delivery of booster shots by Sept. 20 for most Americans who received COVID-19 vaccines is facing complications that could delay the availability for those who received the Moderna vaccine, administration officials said Friday.

Biden announced last month that his administration was preparing to administer boosters to provide more enduring protection against the coronavirus, pending approvals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. He recommended boosters eight months after the second shot.

However, those agencies are awaiting critical data before signing off on the third doses, with Modernas vaccine increasingly seen as unlikely to make the Sept. 20 date.

According to one official, Moderna produced inadequate data for the FDA and CDC to approve the third dose of its vaccine. The FDA has requested additional data that is likely to delay those boosters into October. Pfizer is further along in the review process, with an FDA panel review on boosters on Sept. 17.

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MADISON, Wis.  Wisconsins $100 reward program for those receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will be extended two weeks until Sept. 19.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says extending the incentive will give an opportunity for more people to get vaccinated. The program began Aug. 20 and was originally scheduled to end Monday.

Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 1, more than 65,000 people received their first dose. Evers launched the program amid a spike in cases across the state caused by the more infectious delta variant. The level of new cases and hospitalizations are at a level not seen since January.

On Aug. 22, the day before Evers announced the program, the seven-day average of vaccinations in Wisconsin was 8,360. That grew to 9,712 as of Wednesday. More than 3 million people are fully vaccinated in Wisconsin, about 52% of the total population. Among adults age 18 and over, more than 62% are fully vaccinated.

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NEW YORK  There will be celebrations and somber reflections as American Jews observe the upcoming High Holy Days. There also will be disappointment as rabbis once again cancel or limit in-person worship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chief culprit is the quick-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus. Its surge has dashed widespread hopes that this years observances, unlike those of 2020, could once again fill synagogues with congregants worshipping side by side. One rabbi in Florida has decided to hold only virtual services for the holy days.

Other synagogues are offering a mix of in-person and virtual offerings. Temple Beth El, in Augusta, Maine, will require masks inside the synagogue. Workers also erected a big tent in the yard for an outdoor service Sept. 7.
Police have reportedly ruled out suggestions to dig up land at a farm in Berkeley, where as many as 20 more victims of Fred and Rose West are believed to have been buried.

A documentary to be aired by ITV next week claims that there is evidence that the sadistic serial killers and child abusers murdered more young women and girls than originally thought.

The couple are known to killed 12 people between 1967 and 1987 for which they were charged in 1994.

However, the documentary team, led by former DCI Colin Sutton and presenter Sir Trevor McDonald, believe there are up to 20 more victims whose bodies are yet to be discovered at three sites  two in Hertfordshire and one in Gloucestershire.

At one site, a farm on the outskirts of Berkeley in Gloucestershire, a dozen more bodies are believed to be buried.

Multiple sources, who had been in contact with the Wests in the 1990s, had told the investigators that more bodies could have been hidden on the farm.

Janet Leach, a social worker who was Fred Wests appropriate adult during police questioning, said that he had told her there were many more bodies of young women and girls from Hertfordshire buried at the farm.

She said, as the Daily Mail reported: Fred told me there were another 20 bodies to be found after the 12, some in fields, the rest in the barn.

Fred said some of the victims bones were missing because it was a ritual thing and they did something with the fingers so there was no way of finding out who they were.

A pair of Wests former employers, Wendy and Derek Thomson, claim that he had told them he had done something in Berkeley.

The programme claims, after a seven-month-long probe, that potential burial sites have been uncovered using ground penetrating radar and dogs trained to detect human remains.

Sir Trevor has urged police to investigate and excavate the site, saying that there is still much more to the murderous campaign of Fred and Rose West.

It comes after police spent at least 55,000 to excavate land at a cafe in Gloucestershire in May.

Fred West is thought to have killed teenager Mary Bastholm in 1968 and hid her body at the Clean Plate Cafe, originally named Oasis Cafe, in Gloucester. But the investigation that involved digging the cellar found no trace of any bodies.

Now, Gloucestershire Police are ruling out the possibility of digging up any more areas, according to Gloucestershire Live.

A police spokesperson said, according to the news website: After careful assessment we do not believe the evidence submitted to us at this time meets the threshold to justify further searches in the locations identified.

However  as with all cases  we will review any new evidence submitted to us.

The other two sites the investigation team had urged police to excavate are located in Fingerpost Field near Much Marcle, Herefordshire, a village where Fred West was born and had grown up.

He buried his first known victim, 18-year-old Anne McFall, in the same field that the investigators want to dig in.

He also disposed of the body of his first wife, Catherine Rena Costello, in the nearby Letterbox field.

Both of the womens remains were discovered in 1994, the year before Fred West killed himself in prison before he stood trial. Before his death, he admitted to killing all 12 women and girls.

Rose West was convicted of being involved in the murder of 10 women and girls, including her and Freds daughter Heather  who was killed by her parents after revealing to her friends that she was repeatedly raped by her father.

Also among her victims  who were all buried under their homes on Midland Road and at 25 Cromwell Street, both in Gloucester  was her husbands step-daughter Charmaine, who was eight-years-old and whose mother was Rena Costello.

Rose West is still alive and serving a life-long sentence in a prison in West Yorkshire.
A woman has been found dead on Margates seafront hours after she went missing today.

A multi-agency search was launched after the swimmer was reported missing from the Kent coast, on the south-east of England, just after 3am.

Two Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) lifeboats were deployed as part of the search of areas near Margate harbour and Nayland Rock, as well as further east to allow for tidal drift.

The body of a woman was discovered at around 5.45am by members of the RNLIs shore crew.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service attended the scene, where the woman was declared dead.

After calling off the search, the RNLI said it passed on deep condolences to the family and friends of the deceased woman.

HM Coastguard and the local emergency services had supported the RNLI in the search.

A spokesman for Kent Police said they did not think there were any suspicious circumstances at present.

Officers are continuing their enquiries, and will be preparing a report for the coroner.
A former Royal Marine who founded an animal shelter in Afghanistan has said he is so bloody happy that his staff have fled the country after it fell to the Taliban.

Paul Pen Farthing was forced to leave behind 68 staff and their family members when he and some 150 animals were evacuated from Kabul amid chaotic scenes last month.

The animal welfare campaigner described it as absolutely mind-blowing that his staff had arrived in Pakistan on Saturday. In a tweet, he said that the staff at his Nowzad shelter were now safely in Islamabad and in the care of the British High Commission.

Mr Farthing said he had seen pictures of staff and family members  who include 25 children and one newborn baby  after their arrival in Pakistan and the smiles on their faces just tell you everything you need to know.

He added: I am so bloody happy right now! This is absolutely mind-blowing. It has still not really sunk in.

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, said they were being assisted by diplomatic staff in Islamabad and would be brought to the UK in the coming days.

Mr Farthing returned to the UK last month as the Foreign Office raced to evacuate British nationals following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on 15 August. He had attempted to get hundreds of cats and dogs, his staff, and himself to the UK in what was known as Operation Ark.

He claimed that his staff had been denied access to Kabul airport after the US authorities announced that they would require a passport with a visa.

The campaign attracted widespread support, although defence secretary Ben Wallace last month complained that a few of Mr Farthings supporters had taken up too much time of senior commanders.

Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, who served with the British Army in Afghanistan, also told LBC that the UK had used a lot of troops to bring in 200 dogs. Meanwhile my interpreters family is likely to be killed.

Mr Farthing was also forced to apologised after The Sunday Times published an audio recording of an expletive-laden voicemail allegedly sent to Mr Wallaces special adviser Peter Quentin. In the message, he threatened to f***ing destroy the aide on social media unless he expedited the evacuation.

Speaking about his staff members last month, Mr Farthing told The Sun: It is just so depressing I had to leave them behind. Some of them came with me to the airport but they werent allowed to cross the line from Taliban to British control.

I feel so many things. I feel very sad for them, Im relieved for me and I feel happy for the animals. There were lots of tears when we said goodbye.

The Foreign Office has evacuated more than 15,000 people, though ministers have conceded that at least a thousand eligible Afghans have been left behind.
Boris Johnson will this week set out the governments plans for dealing with the challenges of Covid in the winter months and is expected to repeal specific measures contained in the powers passed by MPs.

In his first coronavirus press conference since lifting the majority of legal restrictions on 19 July, the prime minister is expected to outline a blueprint for managing Covid amid fears of a further wave.

It is expected to coincide with a final decision on booster jabs from the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination (JCVI) after interim advice from the body suggested planning for the most vulnerable to be offered jabs from late September.

No 10 said it was difficult to predict with certainty what pressures will be placed on the NHS, with Covid circulating alongside flu, but warned: The winter months will bring renewed challenges.

It comes amid reports the government could enforce the mandatory use of masks and once again advise people to work from home under contingency proposals if infections surge in the autumn months.

But the traffic light system governing international travel will be scrapped, reports in the Mail on Sunday suggest, as well as the requirement for Britons returning from overseas to pay for expensive PCR Covid tests.

There are also reports the government is set to unveil plans imminently to begin vaccinating 12-15 year-olds, with The Observer reporting schools have been warned to begin implementing a programme within weeks and perhaps as soon as 22 September.

The decision comes as the chief medical officers in the UK are leading a review into whether a mass inoculation campaign would help childrens education; the Joint Council on Vaccination and Immunisation concluded the health benefits of vaccination for younger teenagers were minimal.

Experts have warned that admissions to hospital related to Covid-19 are already increasing at an alarming rate  putting increased pressure on the NHS as it struggles to cope with demand for emergency care and millions waiting for treatment.

According to the Daily Telegraph, however, Mr Johnson is adamant that a national lockdown will not be reimposed and Downing Street has denied it is considering a firebreak in October.

In a statement ahead of unveiling his plan, the prime minister added: Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our roadmap and life has returned to a sense of normality.

These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But Im determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences. I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly.

Officials said the prime minister will commit to repealing some specific powers contained in the Coronavirus Act (2020) that are no longer necessary, including powers to detain potentially infectious persons and closing down sectors of the economy, or applying restrictions to events and gatherings.

Vital elements will be retained, No 10 added, including providing sick pay for those isolating from day one rather than day seven, directing schools to remain open if they go against government guidance, and for people to isolate if they test positive.

The Coronavirus Act did not pass parliament until 25 March 2020  two days after the prime minister ordered Englands first national lockdown. Large swathes of the emergency powers used by ministers, including national restrictions, fall under the Public Health Act (1984), which is not expected to be altered.

In a paper published earlier this year, the Institute for Government think tank, said: The Public Health Act is the basis for most of the emergency powers that the government has used to respond to Covid-19.

The Public Health Act allows the appropriate minister to make provisions to prevent or control the spread of infection, including provisions to close schools, shops, restaurants and other premises, prohibiting or restricting events or gatherings, and limiting the activities of the public.
A 9/11 memorial in Greenville, South Carolina has been defaced with the word "Taliban" spray-painted onto a pair of granite slabs shaped like the World Trade Centers Twin Towers.

Upstate Granite Solutions, a company which designs, builds and installs granite countertops, owns the monument which was defaced late on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The base of the monument had the word Taliban spray-painted in two locations.

On Sunday the company posted photos of the damage on Facebook, writing that it "takes more than a little spray paint to destroy our spirit of patriotism. The company said the "damage was minimal" and that it has since been cleaned off.

CEO Paul Nichols said the company began working on the memorial a month ago so that it would be ready for the 20th anniversary. He said the towers - a pair of 4,000lb granite slabs filled with concrete that are 13 feet tall on a 2.5ft base - were completed on Wednesday.

Mr Nichols said the memorial has attracted hundreds of people since being finished, particularly at night when the monument is lit up and can be seen from 25 miles away.

"Apparently during the night on Saturday night, someone came through and spray painted the base of the monument and one of the towers with spray paint," he said.

"I received a message from a community member saying that the monument had been vandalized."

The 9/11 memorial at Upstate Granite Solutions in Greenville, South Carolina fully lit. (courtesy of Upstate Granite Solutions)

The CEO said that he was out of town when he learned of the vandalism but his employees alerted the Greenville County Sheriff's Office and filed a report.

The Independent has reached out to the sheriffs office for comment.

"After they completed their report we were able to get the spray paint removed with chemical cleaners," Mr Nichols said.

He said the company received an outpouring of support from the community after the photos of the vandalism were shared online.

"We spent the time and money on this monument in order to bring our community together and unite over the memory of those who died in the attacks 20 years ago, as well as those first responders who willingly laid down their lives to serve others," he said.

The company also flies South Carolinas largest American flag over its headquarters in Greenville.
A 9/11 truther was ousted on Saturday from the memorial ceremony to mark 20 years since the World Trade Center attacks in New York.

The woman, wearing a t-shirt which appeared to read 9/11 They Should Be Alive Truth and Justice was escorted from the solemn event by two police officers. The woman also wore a small blue ribbon similar to others attending the ceremony.

9/11 truthers claim that the terrorist attacks in September 2001 were an inside job by the US government.

A spokesperson for the Port Authority said the 37-year-old woman, who has not been identified, was taken to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital for evaluation.

The Independent has reached out to the New York Police Department for comment.

On September 11, 2001, around 3,000 people were killed by al-Qaeda hijackers, who seized four passenger planes and flew them into World Trade Centers Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.

President Joe Biden visited all three sites on Saturday and former President George W Bush, commander-in-chief at the time of the attacks, spoke in Shanksville, Pennsylvania where United Flight 93 was brought down by passengers before it could reach its intended target of Washington DC.

There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home, President Bush said.

But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has made history by installing the first openly transgender bishop.

Bishop Megan Rohrer will serve a term of six years in the northern parts of Nevada and California.

The bishop uses the pronoun they and is married with two children.

The reverend was installed in the post during a ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on Saturday. They will be in charge of almost 200 congregations as they lead one of the churchs synods  a church council.

Bishop Rohrer is the first publicly transgender person holding the post in any mainline Christian denomination.

My call is ... to be up to the same messy, loving things I was up to before, the bishop told worshippers. But mostly, if youll let me, and I think you will, my hope is to love you and beyond that, to love what you love.

Following the retirement announcement of the previous officeholder, Bishop Rohrer was elected in May to lead the Sierra Pacific Synod.

I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing, Bishop Rohrer said in a statement, The Associated Press reported. My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward.

Bishop Megan Rohrer, left, and Bishop Marc Andrus stand on the rainbow steps before Bishop Rohrers installation ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 (AP)

Bishop Rohrer previously worked as the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco and also served as the chaplain coordinator for the San Francisco Police Department. They also worked with the citys homeless and LGBT+ community.

Bishop Rohrer studied religion at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota  their hometown. They then moved to California to earn a master and a doctorate at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

The progressive Evangelical Lutheran church began allowing pastors in same-sex relationships in 2010.

Bishop Rohrer was one of seven LGBT+ pastors accepted that year.

The church has 3.3 million members and is one of the largest Christian denominations in the US.
The FBI has released previously classified details of its own investigation into alleged links between the 9/11 attacks and the Saudi government.

The document details the contacts several of the 9/11 hijackers had with Saudi associates in the US. Yet, the information did not appear to provide conclusive proof that senior Saudi government officials themselves were complicit in the plot.

Saudi Arabia has always denied that its government or officials played any role in the attacks, even though 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens.

A week after Joe Biden signed an executive order vowing to make public any information the government had into the al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington DC that killed almost 3,000 people, the Department of Justice released the first tranche of such information  a heavily-redacted, 16-page summary of Operation Encore, the FBIs own probe into possible links between the hijackers and Saudi officials.

 Educating The Next Generation On 9/11

While the document may not be the smoking gun some were hoping for given that so many names were blanked out, lawyers representing survivors and relatives, claimed it was just that.

With this first release of documents, 20 years of Saudi Arabia counting on the US government to cover up its role in 9/11 comes to an end, New York attorney James Kreindler said in a statement, first reported by the Florida Bulldog, a watchdog site.

The findings and conclusions in this FBI investigation validate the arguments we have made in the litigation regarding the Saudi governments responsibility for the 9/11 attacks. This document, together with the public evidence gathered to date, provides a blueprint for how al-Qaeda operated inside the US with the active, knowing support of the Saudi government.

Meanwhile, Brett Eagleson, whose father died in the Word Trade Centre, said the release of the FBI material accelerates our pursuit of truth and justice.

Mr Biden had promised that an FBI electronic communication dating from 4 April 2016 would be made public by the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

Survivors, along with relatives of those who died, had long suspected the document could relate to Operation Encore, an investigation that the FBI continued, long after the 9/11 Commission issued its report in 2004, and which suggested Americas greatest error in not preventing the attacks had been a failure of imagination.

As it was, the previously classified document was slipped out with minimal fanfare by the Department of Justice shortly before midnight on Saturday, and in doing so just meeting Mr Bidens promise. It was located on a part of the DoJ website called the The Vault.

Particular scrutiny has centred on the first two hijackers to arrive in the US, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar and the support they received.

In February 2000, shortly after their arrival in southern California, they encountered at a halal restaurant a Saudi national named Omar al-Bayoumi who helped them find and lease an apartment in San Diego, had ties to the Saudi government and had earlier attracted FBI scrutiny.

Among Mr Bayoumis contacts was Fahad al-Thumairy, at the time an accredited diplomat at the Saudi consulate in Los Angeles who investigators say led an extremist faction at his mosque. The two men left the US weeks before the attacks, and have always denied any wrongdoing.

The document details interviews carried out in 2015 by the FBI with someone who had contact with Mr Bayoumi. The name of the individual was redacted from the report and was referred to as PII.

The New York Times said PII was applying for American citizenship, and that he had detailed his work at the countrys consulate in Los Angeles and shared anecdotes about his personal interactions with embassy leadership. The document also summarised his contact with people who investigators said had provided significant logistic support to two of the hijackers.

The document also says communications analysis identified a seven-minute phone call in 1999 from Mr Thumairys phone to the Saudi Arabian family home landline of two brothers who became future detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

Saudi Arabia has also insisted it had no role in either planning or financing the attacks, the 20th anniversary of which was marked in services and ceremonies across the US.

Last week, the Saudi embassy in Washington DC repeated the kingdoms previous denial of any complicity.

Previous declassification of materials relating to the September 11 attacks, such as the 28 Pages, only have confirmed the 9/11 Commissions finding that Saudi Arabia had nothing to do with this terrible crime, it said.

It is lamentable that such false and malicious claims persist.

In a statement on behalf of the organisation 9/11 Families United, Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was one of the 2,977 victims, said the document released by the FBI on Saturday put to bed any doubts about Saudi complicity in the attacks.

Now the Saudis secrets are exposed and it is well past time for the kingdom to own up to its officials roles in murdering thousands on American soil, the statement said.

Additional reporting by agencies
More than a dozen members of a gorilla troop at an Atlanta zoo have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Handlers at Zoo Atlanta noticed that a number of western lowland gorillas were experiencing mild coughs, runny noses and slight loss of appetite, so they collected fecal samples and tested the gorillas for disease.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 13 gorillas tested positive for Covid-19.

The report claims the disease was most likely transmitted to the gorillas from an asymptomatic worker who subsequently tested positive.

The employee was vaccinated, according to a report. Zoo Atlantas policy requires all workers to wear gloves, masks and face shields while on the job.

A Zoo Atlanta statement did not confirm how many of its gorillas are infected.

The Associated Press reported that a University of Georgia lab was analysing some samples and had returned positive Covid results for several gorillas.

Covid tests were also sent to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Amex, Iowa. Zoo Atlanta is reportedly awaiting those results before definitively saying that the gorillas have Covid.

The Independent has reached out to Zoo Atlanta for comment.

All 20 gorillas living at the facility are now being tested for Covid.

There are four gorilla troops at Zoo Atlanta. According to the AJC, members in each troop have shown signs of infection.

Zoo Atlanta spokesperson, Rachel Davis, told the AJC that employees are not mandated to take Covid vaccines but that a high percentage of staff have done so.

The zoos staff aren't the only ones to be vaccinated. Zoo Atlantas Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, African lions, clouded leopard, and Sumatran tigers have all received the Zoetis vaccine, which was developed for veterinary use.

Zoos in San Diego and Detroit have also vaccinated their at-risk animals.

This isn't the first time a group of gorillas has shown signs of coronavirus infection.

A troop of eight gorillas at San Diego Zoo Safari Park underwent treatment for the coronavirus in January. One of the park's silverback gorillas was even given an experimental regimen of antibodies, according to National Geographic. All of the animals recovered.

Humans have been known to infect animals however the distance and barriers enforced by zoos means that transmission between species there is unlikely.

The US Centers for Disease Control has stated that animals are not a major contributing factor to spreading Covid to humans.
An upstate New York hospital has said it will stop delivering babies in two weeks time, because many of its maternity unit workers have resigned over the Covid vaccine mandate.

Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville will not be delivering babies after September 24, reports WWNY, as too many staff members have quit for the maternity ward for it to stay open safely.

In mid-August, former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all healthcare workers in the state would be required to receive at least the first dose of a Covid vaccine by 27 September.

Lewis County Health System CEO Gerald Cayer said in a statement on Friday, that the announcement had prompted 30 workers to get vaccinated, while another 30 resigned over objections to the mandate.

Mr Cayer said that six of the 30 hospital workers who handed in their notice worked in the maternity ward and another seven remained undecided about whether or not they would get the jab.

He said he hoped the situation would be temporary and would work with the Department of Health to make sure the unit wouldnt permanently close.

If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to reengage in delivering babies here in Lewis County, said Mr Cayer.

He added that 165 hospital employees have yet to be innoculated against the virus, while 464 workers have received the vaccine.

Our hope is as we get closer [to the deadline], the numbers will increase of individuals who are vaccinated, fewer individuals will leave and maybe, with a little luck, some of those who have resigned will reconsider, Mr Cayer said.
The American employer of a man killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan has pushed back on the official US narrative and strongly denied that he was an Isis-K terrorist, saying the US government has disgraced his honourable name, in a statement to The Independent.

Zemari Ahmadi, 43, was killed in August when his vehicle was taken out in Kabul by a US military drone, a New York Times investigation found.

Serious questions have now been raised about the drone strike after The Times reported that the target was a technical engineer working for a California-based aid groupand discovered evidence that he is not an Isis-K terrorist as suggested by US officials. In Kabul, Mr Ahmadisrelatives said that nine other people were killed in the attack, including seven children.

Following the strike, US officials said the vehicles driver posed a threat to US forces at Kabul airport after he was seen loading what appeared to be explosives into his car, and then stopped at an alleged Isis-K safe house in the city.

But Dr Steven Kwon, the founder of California-based, non-profit Nutrition and Education International (NEI), said the US government is lying, in an email to The Independent this weekend.

The false accusation that our talented, dedicated, long-term employee is instead a plotting Isis-K terrorist has disgraced his honourable name, Dr Kwon wrote.

The president of the aid organisation said that Mr Ahmadi was a technical engineer who had worked for NEI since 2006. NEI works to end protein deficiency in Afghanistan by helping women and children suffering from malnutrition.

Dr Kwon said Mr Ahmadi was well-respected by his colleagues and compassionate towards the poor and needy.

The NEI founder, who has visited Afghanistan more than 70 times, said Mr Ahmadi helped establish 11 soy-processing factories in Afghanistan and had previously been in charge of humanitarian feeding programs.

After the Taliban takeover of Kabul on 17 August, Mr Ahmadi had shifted his efforts to preparing and delivering soy-based meals to hungry women and children at local refugee camps in Kabul, his employer wrote, and bravely navigated around the celebrating Taliban to deliver food.

Dr Kwon said that other NEI employees in Afghanistan are now at great risk because of the US military.

The incorrect media statements made by the Pentagon claiming that the NEI Kabul compound is an ISIS-K safe house and that NEIs employees are Isis-K insurgents is putting our remaining Kabul employees at great risk, he wrote.

Dr Kwon said that his organizations employees are afraid that they and their families will be killed by the Taliban.

This is not an unfounded fear as the Taliban have already come to the NEI compound and injured our night guard, the charity boss added.

He said that his top priority is to clear Mr Ahmadis name by publicly confirming that he was not associated with Isis-K but was instead a talented, dedicated, and caring NEI employee.

NEIs honourable reputation built upon years of hard work has been damaged by this false association with Isis, and must be restored, Dr Kwon said.

The Pentagon and the US State Department declined to comment on Dr Kwons allegations to The Independent.

In an earlier statement, a Pentagon spokesperson said that no other military works harder than we do to prevent civilian casualties. The official noted that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, has said the drone strike was based on good intelligence and that the US believes that it took out an imminent threat to the airport.

US officials said that prior to the strike, aerial surveillance followed Mr Ahmadi to a compound southwest of Kabul airport. The Times reported that this matched the location of the NEI office.

US officials also stated that Mr Ahmadi was seen loading load heavy items into a car with the help of three other individuals. Military officials thought the packages could be explosives.

Dr Kwon said Mr Ahmadi and an NEI guard carried and loaded into the trunk of Zemaris vehicle three black bottles each filled with 30 litres of water, and one yellow plastic bottle filled with 20 litres of water.

He added that Mr Ahmadi didnt have city water at his home so he would often bring the empty containers to work to fill and take them home at the end of the day.

Dr Kwon said it was unclear why the drone would have misidentified these water containers as explosives.

Dr Kwon also told The Independent that as the US-based president of a non-profit, he expected to have been contacted by the Pentagon as part of the investigation into the drone strike and would be fully cooperative.

As this call never came, I have tried to set up a meeting with Pentagon officials but they continue to ignore our requests, he added.

He has also contacted Democratic California Congresswoman Judy Chu to help set up a Pentagon meeting, he said.

Representative Chu toldThe Independent: My office has reached out to the Department of Defense in order to facilitate a meeting between them and leaders of NEI. We need answers from the investigation by the Department of Defense, and I urge transparency when civilians are killed or injured.

According to the New York Times investigation, published on Friday, Mr Ahmadi was hit by a US drone in the courtyard of his Kabul home on 29 August.

US officials said a Reaper drone followed a vehicle for several hours and then attacked because of evidence that the car was carrying explosives. But video analysis and interviews at the site of the drone strike provided a different version.

Reporting by The Times, including interviews with more than a dozen co-workers and relatives of Mr Ahmadi, casts doubt on the claims of explosives in the vehicle. It has brought into question that the driver had connections to Isis, and that a subsequent explosion followed the drone strike.

Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for US Central Command said the drone strike had disrupted an imminent Isis-K threat to the airport.

He added that the US military knew that there were substantial and powerful subsequent explosions resulting from the destruction of the vehicle which indicated a large amount of explosive material inside that may have caused additional casualties.

The Times reported that there appeared to be no evidence of a second explosion as the US military claimed.

In response to The Times report, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said US Central Command continues to assess the results of the airstrike in Kabul on August 29.
A Republican lawmaker in Alaska who was banned from the only airline offering year-round service to the state capital after refusing to comply with federal law and wear a Covid mask is now blaming that company for preventing state business.

State Senator Lori Reinbold complained to Anchorage Daily News and on Facebook about the airline ban as she explained her request for the state legislature to excuse her from votes and move to a remote system.

Ms Reinbold is a state senator representing an area of Anchorage, Alaskas biggest city. She was banned from Alaska Airlines in April which is the only airline which offers year-round flights to the state capital, Juneau.

Delta Airlines is the other airline in operation but only for part of the year.

I believe what Alaska Airlines has done by my political ban, restricting my movement from the state capital as a senator, is unconstitutional, she told the Anchorage Daily News.

On Facebook, she continued: I asked to be excused because [Delta Airliness] last flight out is Sept 11. To be excused does NOT mean you will not be here, it means the legislative process cannot be inhibited if you are not there.

Maybe its time to proceed on moving the legislature to the road system. If the only airline, that has flights during session to Juneau, can unconstitutionally impede a legislators ability to get to the Capital in a safe and timely fashion, it could undermine our representative republic.

The Independent has reached out to Alaska Airlines for comment regarding Senator Reinbolds latest claims.

The airline confirmed that it would refuse service to the senator earlier this year after repeated violations of mask-wearing policies which are required by federal law. US law also requires passengers to obey flight attendants and other crew at all times when onboard.

We have notified Senator Lora Reinbold that she is not permitted to fly with us for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy, Alaska Airlines spokesman Tim Thompson said in April.

A spokesperson confirmed to The Independent on Sunday that the ban was upheld.

In April, Senator Reinbold took an alternative route to Juneau from Anchorage following her ban. She drove roughly 700 miles to a ferry crossing which she then took to the capital.

Alaska is the USs largest state by land mass, and travel by land can be time-consuming and difficult especially during winter months.

Republican lawmakers across the country have continued to spread disinformation related to masks, Covid 19, and vaccines while encouraging disobedience of public health guidelines meant to thwart the viruss spread.

The US death toll from Covid is just above 660,000, more than any other country. The more contagious Delta variant has seen a resurgence of the disease and increasing rates of hospitalisations in communities where unvaccinated numbers are high.
Rudy Giuliani impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and berated President Joe Biden during a wild speech at an annual event to commemorate the 9/11 terror attacks.

The former New York City mayor appeared on stage to address the crowd at the ritzy Cipriani restaurant in midtown Manhattan, hours after attending a memorial service at Ground Zero alongside President Joe Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on the 20th anniversary of the attacks.

In rambling remarks, the former mayor discussed his apparent interactions with the Queen and sexual assault allegations against her son, Prince Andrew.

He also ripped into the Biden administrations drawdown from the 20-year war in Afghanistan last month.

I dunno. I shouldnt get into this, he said. What Biden did in the last two weeks is freaking insane. It cannot be explained.

The former attorney for Donald Trump also lambasted General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over his decision to withdraw from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

He said: I wanted to grab his  what is it, five stars? Ten stars? Twelve stars?  he had so many stars theyre coming up his ears. I wanted to grab his stars and shove it down his throat, and say, Its 400 miles from China, a******. China is going to be our enemy for the next 40 years. You have an airbase 400 miles from them and youre giving it up, idiot? What the hell is wrong with you? Who pays you? Christ! That is crazy.

Mr Giuliani claimed that Queen Elizabeth offered to knight him following the September 11 attacks.

While appearing to speak in the Queens voice, he said: [The Queen] said, You did a wonderful job, on September 11, and therefore Im making you an honorary knight, commander of the royal something or other.

He went on to claim than he had turned down the honour before falsely stating that if you took a knighthood you had to lose your citizenship.

In the wake of 9/11, Mr Guiliani was named Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his outstanding help and support to the bereaved British families in New York but was not required to renounced his US citizenship.

Mr Giuliani then pivoted to speaking about the Queens son, Prince Andrew, who has been accused of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit. The prince has repeatedly denied the allegations in the legal action brought by Virginia Giuffre, a longtime accuser of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

I know Prince Andrew is very questionable now, Mr Giuliani said. I never went out with him. Ever! Never. Never had a drink with him, never was with a woman or a young girl with him.

Far-right media figure and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, whose Real Americas Voice network broadcast from the event at Cipriani, also was in attendance.

Former New York Police Department commissioner Bernie Kerik, who was granted a presidential pardon by Mr Trump over his 2010 guilty plea to tax fraud and lying to the government, spoke onstage before Mr Giuliani.

Pat Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association which endorsed Mr Trumps 2020 presidential campaign, also appeared onstage.

Among the guests reportedly at the event were husband-and-wife attorneys Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, part of the legal team that sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The Independent has requested comment from Mr Giuliani.
The Supreme Courts oldest liberal justice, Stephen Breyer, has discussed his potential retirement plans amid growing calls for him to step aside while his replacement can be confirmed under a Democratic president.

Justice Breyer spoke to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, and joked that one potential Supreme Court reform being considered by Democrats - on term limits - would make his considerations about retirement a lot easier.

He was asked by Mr Wallace about a number of potential reforms, including adding justices to the nine-member bench. While Justice Breyer was not in favor of the former he appeared open to considering term limits.

I think you could do that. It should be a very long term because you don't want the judge who's holding that term to start thinking about his next job, Mr Breyer said.

He then quipped: But it would make life easier for me.

The Fox anchor also asked Justice Breyer why he did not retire this year, ahead of the 2022 midterms, when Democrats risk losing control of the Senate. The decision by former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to not retire under former President Barack Obama has become a contentious point of debate on the left, as hers was one of three seats filled by former President Donald Trump during his four years in office.

That cementation of conservative power on the Court was felt in recent weeks when the Court declined to block Texass restrictive new abortion law from going into effect, by extension leading to the near-shutdown of abortion services statewide.

"I didn't retire because I decided, on balance, I wouldn't retire, the judge replied. He said that the balance of the court was one of many factors playing in to his decision.

There are many considerations. Many, many considerations, he added.

Justice Breyer turned 83 last month. He joined the Court of Appeals in the Eighties after being nominated to the bench by former President Jimmy Carter, and was nominated to the Supreme Court by Bill Clinton in 1993.
A teenage girl is one of three people charged in Sweden for buying at least 12kg of explosives to blow up a corner shop.

The 16-year-old and two young men  aged 21 and 23  have been accused of being behind the attack in Malmo at a supermarket, and a grill restaurant next door to it.

The girl and the 23-year-old man picked up the explosives in the city of Helsingborg, about 65km away from Malmo  according to prosecutors, as reported in Swedish media.

The girl and the younger man are accused of setting off the explosion outside the shop, called Fosie Livs, in the district of Fosie, on 23 May.

The explosion was so powerful that it shook the ground, Swedish newspaper Sydsvenskan reported citing a local resident.

According to the indictment, the 23 May explosion did more than 4,000 worth of damage to the shop, damaged a nearby car, and left the shop-owner suffering pain and impaired hearing.

No one was killed in the attack.

Footage shows at least one person, believed to be one of the suspects that had detonated the explosives, running from the site before the blast occurs in a big cloud of smoke.

Pictures published by Swedish media also show the windows of the retail units smashed.

All three suspects have been charged with aggravated assault with flammable and explosive goods, general destruction and assault.

Police have been linking the explosion outside the shop to gang warfare that has also been connected to several other explosions in Malmo earlier this year, according to Sydsvenskan.

Prosecuters have said that there were three bomb attacks on corner shops in the city within the space of a few hours on 6 May.

Lawyer Tomas Olvmyr considers the attack on 23 May as most probably a revenge bombing for one of the three earlier explosions.

Police built a case against the three suspects by tracking the movements of their phones, inspecting CCTV footage, and information gleaned from having tapped one of the mens phones.

Mr Olvmyr told UK newspaper The Telegraph that the girls involvement showed how gangs in the country use those under the age of 18 who, if convicted of serious crime, typically spend only short stints in care institutions.

He said he believed the girl had not only bought the explosives, but also set them off, and that the attack was planned by the 23-year-old man.

It is becoming more and more common that young people are used in serious crimes, he said.

A date for the trial has not yet been set and none of the three suspects, who are of Somali backgrounds, have admitted guilt.

Right-of-centre parties such as the Sweden Democrats have blamed such attacks on immigrant communities.

But Justice Minister Morgan Johansson, of the Social Democrats, has written on Facebook that he believed that gaps in the welfare system and class differences were important factors.
As Mohamed Salah joined the Premier Leagues 100 club, Leeds and Liverpool find themselves in very different groups. Jurgen Klopps side remain among the unbeaten and victory put them in a select band of three leaders on 10 points. Leeds, meanwhile, are still in the band of the winless, an unconvincing start to the campaign continuing.

For Liverpool, celebrations of Salahs century gave way to concern about Harvey Elliott, stretchered off with a seemingly serious ankle injury after a challenge that brought a straight red card for the Leeds substitute Pascal Struijk. The abiding image of Salah in this landmark game may be him rushing to the aid of the stricken Elliott, rather than eviscerating Leeds.

But eviscerate he did. Fabinho and Sadio Mane also scored in a game that, 48 hours earlier, it appeared the Brazilian would miss. Liverpools superiority was still greater than the scoreline suggested. Leeds have already been thrashed at Old Trafford this season and this might have been another rout. After going unbeaten at Elland Road against the Big Six last season, this was a chastening result.

Their defensive difficulties were compounded by the loss of the injured Diego Llorente, while Struijk now faces a three-match ban. With Liam Cooper and Junior Firpo both struggling and Leeds conceding to a set-piece  a regular failing last season  it amounted to a wretched day for their rearguard.

Initially, however, Marcelo Bielsas side seemed to have much to savour. Dan Jamess debut was delayed, although he came on as a substitute to a rousing reception, and Raphinha began on the right in his stead, latching on to Kalvin Phillipss diagonal pass and setting up Rodrigo for a shot Alisson blocked. It was a high-speed, high-class Leeds attack.

But then Liverpool assumed the initiative. Weight of pressure and speed of attacks told, relentlessness bringing a reward. Liverpool excelled on their right, with Salah dominant and Elliott and Trent Alexander-Arnold providing fine support. Their breakthrough came from Joel Matips ability to carry the ball forward and featured a low cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold that Salah tucked in. The onlooking Robbie Fowler no doubt admired the predatory finish, but perhaps it was fitting that Salahs milestone goal was created by a Liverpool full-back.

It meant his ton of top-flight goals in England  how Chelsea must wish that more than two were scored in their colours  came in just 162 games. Only Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Thierry Henry have brought up a century quicker.

Salah could have had an assist, too; Diogo Jota chested down Salahs cross but directed his volley too close to Illan Meslier. Thiago Alcantara headed in a Salah cross, but only after the Egyptian was offside.

Liverpool continued to fashion a host of chances. Mane missed the best with his Ronnie Rosenthal moment, skying a shot over from five yards when Jota picked him out. The opportunities kept coming for Liverpool. Elliotts shot was parried. Manes went just wide. First the Senegalese and then Salah failed to convert in quick succession in the second half, but the latter produced a corner. Alexander-Arnold took it, Virgil van Dijk headed it down and Fabinho prodded the ball past Meslier. Manes goal eventually arrived, greeted by the winger with a smile and a sigh of relief, when he was teed up by the influential Thiago.

Luke Ayling had denied him with a superb sliding intervention, but it was a damage-limitation exercise for Leeds by then. There were a couple of isolated highlights, with Dan James coming on for a debut and Patrick Bamford almost succeeding with an audacious attempt to lob Alisson from 50 yards. But realistic hopes of a fightback departed with Struijk. As his afternoon ended prematurely, the fears soon were that Elliotts entire season had too.
Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community!

Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region.
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Kareena Kapoor Khan finally addressed the trolls for demanding 12 crore to play Sita in a Ramayana film. There were trolls who even said that she is showing disrespect towards the mythological character by demanding the money. However Bebo differs that and her point of view is different.

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone had dinner along with the badminton champion and nations pride PV Sindhu last night and they all had a smashing time together.

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The actor who was last seen in Bhuj: The Pride Of India will shoot this episode in Maldives with adventurer, and host, who is also known for his Man vs Wild series.

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In 2021, Bollywood movies have seen phenomenal content. Creative juices flew like never before and we saw some mind blowing cinema. But there are movies from the past which holds relevance till today. The movies can easily be mistaken for today's time and age. Here's taking a look at 10 such films that were way ahead of its time, some are forward even for today.

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Veteran Pakistani comedian and television personality Omer Sharif is critically ill and his family is seeking help from the Prime Ministers Office to arrange a health visit to USA. Omer is right now admitted in a private hospital in Karachi.
















Artificial intelligence is changing the future of healthcare, especially in terms of diagnosis. AI algorithms fed with diagnostic data are able to predict the outcomes better than many doctors.

Even though AI isn't the predominant player in healthcare yet, fresh studies are shedding light on its impressive capabilities. Researchers from Kaunas University in Lithuania recently developed an AI-driven method to predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

A stellar success rate

The method assessed brain images and was able to predict the progression of the disease with accuracy of a WHOPPING 99 PER CENT! The scientists used MRI images from 138 participants and found that the AI showed impressive results across metrics like accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity.

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Alzheimer's disease is responsible for dementia around the world, and the World Health Organization (WHO) claims that it now contributes to 70 per cent of dementia cases.

Also read: Groundbreaking: AI Successfully Detects Dementia Before Symptoms Show



About 24 million people are affected by Alzheimer's, with the number expected to jump over the next two decades with aging populations to rise across societies. Alzheimer's earliest symptoms include mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - which is the limbo between normalcy and dementia for most patients.

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How will AI help in Alzheimer's diagnosis?

The deep-learning AI model for detecting Alzheimer's onset was able to detect MCI features among the 138 participants with over 99 per cent accuracy. In total, 51,443 and 27,310 images from The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were fed to the AI algorithm.

Also read: COVID May Leave Patient's Brain With Affects Like Alzheimer's & Parkinson's Disease, Says Study

The algorithm, if developed into a software could help with early detection of the disease especially among those who don't necessarily show symptoms. The chief researcher of the study hopes to expand the AI model into a more complex entity to register more symptoms.

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For this, they hope to integrate other signifiers of well-being like eye movements, face reading, analysis of voice, etc. Artificial intelligence is making great strides in healthcare, police work and general data upkeeping.

Hit us with a comment below if you think AI is the future. And as always, don't forget to read Indiatimes.com daily for the latest in science and tech.
By now almost all of us have had to undergo COVID-19 testing, be it for travel purposes or to scare away a false alarm.

The current method of testing requires nasal and oral swabs, which many people find uncomfortable.

Reuters

"Lollipop-like" testing kits

In the face of so much hesitancy about getting tested, a start up which operates from both India and Singapore has come up with a more convenient way to test people for COVID-19.

A "lollipop-like device", the technique includes collecting saliva to be tested for COVID-19.

Developed by Test At Home Pvt Ltd, the clinical trials for the lollipop-like tests were completed successfully, yielding an accuracy rate of 95 per cent.

Reuters

The swab works a lot like lollipop too and enables people to test themselves for COVID-19 instead of going to labs.

Also read: No Painful Nasal Swabs, You Just Need To Shout In New Covid-19 Test



Through the process of chewing, saliva is produced and collected by the lollipop-like device.

The company claims its testing mechanism is safe for use by all age groups. According to Test At Home, the device is designed to produce minimal aerosols and captures the less viscous oral fluids. The material used in testing kids has also FDA's approval.

Painless and quick!

In addition to being painless (not that regular nasal swabs cause more than a tinge of sensation), the lollipop-like swabs are easier to administer. For some people, the current swabs (known as deep nasopharyngeal swabs) cause pain, but are also considered the best way to detect COVID-19.

Clinical trials conducted by Test At Home included 150 subjects from India.

Also read: China Makes Anal Swab Test For COVID-19 Mandatory For Foreign Visitors & People Are Not Happy

Out of these, 50 people had coronavirus while 100 didn't. According to the company, tests were able to detect coronavirus successfully 95 per cent of the time.

Reuters

The trials were undertaken in collaboration with Datar Cancer Genetics (UK-Germany-India) and the National University of Singapore.

Also read: You Can Now Book Vaccination Slots On WhatsApp: How It Works

Would you prefer a lollipop-like device to test you for COVID-19 as opposed to conventional nasal and oral swabs? Let us know in the comments and make sure you check out all that's new on Indiatimes.com.
A woman in Michigan, U.S., became a millionaire after winning $1.2 (Rs 8.8 crore) million jackpot from a lottery drawing after playing the same set of numbers every week for a year.

The woman from Oakland County, who chose to remain anonymous, reportedly matched the winning Lotto 47 numbers that were drawn on August 18: 05-06-11-36-40-47 - after buying a ticket online from Michiganlottery.com.

Representational Image/Pixabay

Interestingly, she is only the second person to win the Lotto 47 jackpot with an online ticket. Before her, a man from Wayne County won $2.5 million on an online ticket.



The 51-year-old winner told the media she played Lotto 47 every week of the year. "I have played Lotto 47 online for about a year. I always play the same numbers and I always play them online," she said.

Representational Image/Shutterstock

When I checked the results, I saw someone had won but didnt even think it could have been me. When I looked a little closer, the numbers seemed familiar. When I verified in my account that I was the winner I was shocked. Im still shocked," she added.



She has already claimed her winnings from the Lottery headquarters in the state, and decided on a one-time lump sum payment of $734,000 (after tax deductions), instead of 30 annual payments totalling $1.2 million.

Representational Image/Shutterstock

She now plans to take a vacation, share a part of the winnings with her family, and save the rest for her retirement.

In July, A Maharashtra mariner has hit a jackpot by winning $1 million in a lucky draw contest in Dubai.

Ganesh Shinde, based in Maharashtra's Thane, bought the jackpot ticket from the Dubai Duty-Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draw website on June 16. Shinde, who is a seaman for a Brazilian company, had bought the coveted ticket when he was travelling back to Dubai.

On his arrival, he was left stunned as he found out that he had won the jackpot.






Travelling to a historic destination is an unforgettable and incomparable experience. Getting to know a historically important city provides a deep and complete understanding of the events and moments that shaped and changed humanity. Ancient cities seem to live outside of time. From the historical settlements, long abandoned by people, sand literally pours, but at the sight of each of them, goosebumps run down the skin.



Cities with a thousand-year history have much more to offer travellers than just beautiful architecture and unique artefacts. They bear the imprints of previous eras and civilizations. They reflect the development of mankind - both the creative aspects of this process and the destructive ones.

These cities are the 11 oldest permanently inhabited places on Earth. Visiting them is like taking a trip in time:

1. Jericho, West Bank - 11,000 years old

Viator

Its history was particularly tumultuous because the city was destroyed around 1,500 BC for a reason that still seems to remain rather obscure: an earthquake or an Egyptian invasion? Among the oldest cities in the world still inhabited is Jericho (Palestine), where archaeologists have found traces of habitation dating back to 9,000 BC. Located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west under Israeli occupation since 1967. Archaeological excavations have revealed traces of dwellings that are even older, around 11,000 years. Currently located in the West Bank, Jericho is also the lowest city in the world. Its altitude is around - 258m. Today, the town has more than 25,000 inhabitants.

2. Damascus, Syria  11,000 years old

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Cited by research studies and historical evidence as the oldest inhabited city in the world also named as the capital of Arab culture in 2008, Damascus may have been inhabited since 8,000 to 10,000 BC, But there is no evidence that it was an important city at that time. Damascus has been the preferred target of many kings and conquerors. Damascus was an important settlement region for the Arameans, who were responsible for implementing modern water network systems. Later, the city was conquered by Alexander the Great. Its wealth of historical sites made it a popular tourist destination until the recent unrest hit it. Since 1979, the city has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.



3. Aleppo, Syria  8,000 years old

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Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia is the most populated city in Syria with nearly 4.4 million citizens in its metropolitan area. Aleppo is undoubtedly one of the oldest cities in the world, already mentioned in Paleo-Babylonian times under the name of "Halab". While the ancient site is occupied by the modern city, it is hardly touched by archaeologists. The city was under Hittite (An ancient group of Indo-Europeans who moved into Asian Minor and formed an empire at Hattusa in Anatolia (modern Turkey) around 1600 BCE.) control until around 800 BC, before passing through Assyrian, Greek and Persian hands. It was then occupied by the Romans, Byzantines, and Arabs, besieged by the Crusaders, then taken over by the Mongols and the Ottomans. For several centuries, it was the largest city in the Syrian region and the third-largest city in the Ottoman Empire.



4. Byblos, Lebanon  7,000 years old

Wsimag

Founded as Gebal by the Phoenicians, Byblos received its name from the Greeks, who imported the papyrus from the city. For centuries, the city has been the main exporter of papyrus to Greece. From the fourth millennium BC. The word Bible is derived from Byblos. The main sights of the city are ancient Phoenician temples, Byblos Castle, and the Church of St. John Mark, built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, as well as the medieval old town walls. The Byblos International Festival (music) is a more modern attraction. Located 40 kilometres from Beirut, the city attracts tourists from all over the world with its unique mix of beaches, mountains and ancient ruins.

5. Athens, Greece  7,000 years old

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Cradle of Western civilization and cradle of democracy, Athens' heritage is still very evident. Athens has been inhabited for more than 7,000 years. Ottoman, Byzantine, and Roman civilizations left their imprints on the outward appearance of the city. This is the homeland of prominent philosophers, writers, playwrights, and artists. The city has had its ups and downs and has not always had the importance it has regained today.



6. Susa, Iran  6,300 years old

Tehran Times

Susa no longer exists today, but Shush is a small town that is more or less on the site of the ancient city. We can therefore see a certain continuity. Susa dates from 8000 BC was the capital of the Elamite Empire before it was captured by the Assyrians. It was then taken by the Achaemenids Empire under Cyrus the Greek. It is the city where the play of the Persians of Aeschylus takes place, an Athenian tragedy that is the oldest play in the history of the theatre. The modern city, Shushan, has a population of around 65,000 people and is also mentioned in the biblical books of Esther, Nehemiah, and Daniel.



7. Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan  6,000 years old

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North of Kirkuk is Erbil, which has been repeatedly dominated by the Assyrians, Persians, Sassanids, Arabs, and Ottomans. It was a major stopover on the Silk Road while its ancient citadel, which rises 26 meters in height, still overlooks the horizon.



8. Sidon, Lebanon  6,000 years old

Cloudfront

Located 40 kilometres from Beirut, Sidon is one of the most important, and perhaps the oldest of the Phoenician cities and it would have been possibly the oldest. It was the base from which the great Phoenician Mediterranean Empire grew. Both Jesus and Saint Paul would have visited Sidon, as did Alexander the Great, who captured the city in 333 BC.



9. Plovdiv, Bulgaria  6,000 years old

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The second-largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv was originally a fortified Thracian city, before becoming a large Roman city. It later fell into the hands of the Byzantines and Ottomans, before integrating Bulgaria. The city is an important cultural centre and is home to many ancient remains, including an amphitheatre and a Roman aqueduct, as well as Ottoman baths. Throughout its history, it was dominated by Byzantines and Ottomans until, finally, the Bulgarians conquered it in the year 815. The name Plovdiv first appears in the 15th century. After World War II, communism was instituted in the country and the city became the focus of democratic groups that overthrew the regime in 1989.



10. Varanasi, India  5,000 years old

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India is the world-famous centre of ancient civilisations, religions, and spirituality, and at the same time, the cradle of the oldest cities in the world. The sacred city of India Varanasi. formerly known as Benares, has been a religious and cultural centre for at least 5000 years.



11. Jerusalem, Israel - 5,000 year old

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Jerusalem is one of the cities that is believed to be about 4,000 to 5,000 years old from today. But this city holds its own place in the world because the mixed culture of three religions is seen here. The historical sources of these three religions are found here, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The city of Jerusalem is considered a religious city. And it has a long history of struggle. Historian Eric H. Cline has written that the city was destroyed at least twice and 23 times the city was besieged and 52 times attacked. And about 44 times it was captured and lost and captured again.
An old video has resurfaced again sowing a weather presenter having an unfortunate experience live on air after a fire extinguisher he was using malfunctioned.

Meteorologist Jude Redfield, was reporting on high temperatures Louisville, Kentucky during a segment for WDRB News when the incident took place. The footage of the incident has been shared widely online.





The city had been witnessing a record heatwave at the time of Redfields appearance, so the reporter in a lighter vein had a fire extinguisher on hand to allow him to extinguish the heat.



However, it all took a dramatic turn when Redfield turned the extinguisher in the direction of the graphic displaying the temperatures and went to let it off. It made a pop sound and the canister of the extinguisher fell to the ground.

Smoke emerged as another part of the extinguisher fired backwards off-screen, and a shocked Redfield was left holding the nozzle of the device.

Thankfully, Jude Redfield escaped the ordeal harmless.

Screengrab/YouTube

Though the entire ordeal was over in a couple of seconds, it ended up being re-posted online and garnered thousands of views after it was first shared in 2019.



Redfield described the incident as one of his top five moments in broadcast history, while Twitter users responded to the clip to express their amusement and note that the meteorologist had a lucky escape.

Last month, Canadian meteorologist Anthony Farnell was delivering an update about the conditions in Toronto when he was joined by his pet pooch in search of treats.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, the mini Goldendoodle is seen nonchalantly walking towards Farnell, the chief meteorologist for Global News, who was on air explaining the weather forecast in Canada on August 28.



Yes, Storm is in the building, getting some treats, walking on thin air, Farnell can be heard saying in the viral clip where the dog is seen wandering around.


U.S. climate envoy John Kerry gestures as he arrives at the Ministry of Finance for a meeting with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in New Delhi on April 6, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)
The Tribute In Light shines up from Lower Manhattan on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2021 in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Glimpses of the reading out of press statements as well as press interaction by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Minister for Defense of Australia Peter Dutton, and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia Marise Payne after the inaugural 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India and Australia, in New Delhi on Sept. 11. (ANI photo)
Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below.
Woodbridge, VA (22192)

Today

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. SSW winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. SSW winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
Having a child in Ireland in 2021 is an increasingly costly endeavour for parents, even for those in relatively well-paid employment.

Thousands of new parents get a rude awakening when it comes to returning to work and they realise the huge costs associated with childcare. Added to this is the stress of finding a suitable place, especially for a baby under the age of one.

The average rate for a creche place in Ireland at present is in the region of 800 per month per child, based on data released by the Department of Children in late 2019, though the figures vary wildly  in south Dublin the average cost is closer to 1,070, and fees of closer to 1,300 are not uncommon.

At the same time, childcare businesses are struggling desperately to survive. Rising costs and increasing regulation, coupled with an industry-wide shortage of suitably-qualified staff (mostly due to the consistently low wages which are common in the profession), make merely keeping a business afloat a tall order.

Parents can't even get creche places

As a result of those increased costs, the majority of creches in Ireland will no longer accept children aged younger than one. This, coupled with Irelands status as the second-worst provider of statutory parental leave in the EU, places new parents in a massive predicament. Childcare is not easily found, when it is it can be prohibitively expensive, add in Irelands well-worn issues of housing and rental costs, and the situation becomes increasingly difficult.

And then theres Covid-19 which has, as it has in so many ways across our lives, dealt a cruel blow to childcare providers, many of whom closed at the beginning of the pandemic and never reopened.

Nevertheless, there are huge numbers of children in childcare in Ireland  over 200,000 according to a 2019 Pobal survey, with more than half of that figure being cared for in creches.

Inadequate statutory paid parental leave

The Department of Children has committed to bringing funding for the sector up to scratch, though how long that will take is anyones guess. It has also acknowledged the evidence of undersupply for certain cohorts, including children under the age of three.

Coupled with the headache of intense competition for childcare spaces is the fact Ireland ranks among the worst countries in Europe for paid statutory parental leave. While both parents are entitled to five weeks leave during the first two years of a childs life, there is no onus on an employer to pay a full salary during that time. The same is true for maternity leave.

In a seemingly hopeless situation for parents, the solution for many can only be found through thinking outside the box, be it working outside what would commonly be seen as normal hours, or enlisting the help of Irelands army of grandparents to share the childcare burden.

Here are five stories of a struggle being felt in homes across the country and across the social spectrum.

Helen, nurse: 'After creche we have no expendable income left' Rising costs, increased regulation, and a shortage of qualified staff is making places in creche scarce  even for those parents who can afford to pay for them. Stock picture Helen is a 36-year-old nurse living in south Dublin. She has two sons. She is currently on unpaid maternity leave. The creche in which her older son is cared for doesnt accept children under the age of one Helen wants to return to her work at Beaumont Hospital in December, but is caught in a dilemma as her new baby wont be one until March. I opted for unpaid maternity leave a few weeks ago, she says: To go back to work I somehow need on my nurses salary to afford a childminder, who needs to be paid minimum wage, on top of my creche fees. My husband and I both have very small incomes: After creche, we have no expendable income left. It is no secret that the level of nursing staff in Ireland is at a critical point. But how am I to go back and help with no childcare? she asks. Her hospital manager is amazing, she says. She knows the situation, but when it gets to October theyre going to need to know when Im going to work in order to draft the new rosters. She says to be honest, I dont really know what Im going to do. In a worst-case scenario, I cant go back. But the dole wont cover the mortgage. I could do community work at night, but its not exactly something to look forward to. I want a work-life balance, who wants to be constantly exhausted? A consistent problem for the early years industry, particularly for creche workers, is the issue of low wages. Finding staff is problematic. Keeping them is more difficult again. Helens current creche moved to part-time hours for the month of August due to staffing shortages, but is expected to return to full opening hours from the end of September, which means at least one of her children will have childcare. The future for many creches is precarious, however, between increasing costs and neverending staffing issues: If you look online you can see the amount of positions in childcare in our area. I had rung every creche in the area. Most dont have places until 2022. Some dont have any until 2023! I mean those babies havent even been conceived yet. The bottom line is that childcare workers do an amazing job. We trust them to care for, educate, and socialise our children at such an important part of their lives. The workers pay should reflect that. People cant be expected to do this job on the frontline for 12 an hour. How could anyone have the incentive to progress and stay in the sector with this pay? They have families to support too.

Renata, deli worker: 'Its not easy to sleep for just two hours and then work a night shift'

Although her daughter Haniya will soon be eligible for the ECCE scheme, Renata Karpicz and her husband are struggling to find a preschool place.

Renata Karpicz is from Poland and has been living in Ireland for the past six years. She and her husband both live and work in Tallaght in west Dublin.

The 35-year-olds story is one that brings home what parents in a world of often exorbitantly priced childcare sometimes have to do to get by.

Their daughter Haniya is two years and five months old. Its a significant age  in three months Haniya will become eligible for the ECCE (early childhood care and education) scheme, the States offering of free preschool education, first introduced in 2009.

The ECCE now adds up to two years of pre-primary education, fully subsidised, for three hours a day, in tandem with the school year. Applying for the scheme is one thing, finding a preschool to take a child is another, particularly when many have large waiting lists.

Haniya has never been in childcare, she has never had a childminder. Instead, her parents work practically every hour in the day to take care of her between them.

I have been working night shifts and day shifts, Renata explains. At present she works in a delicatessen in Tallaght between 9am and 3pm each day. Her husband works the night shift as a security professional. He minds Haniya when he comes off shift.

When Renata comes home, he grabs a couple of hours of sleep before heading for his overnight job once more, she says:

I do my best to work part-time. What we are doing is very difficult for my husband, for us. You cant imagine it. Its not easy to sleep just two hours and then have to work a night shift.

Some respite beckons in the form of ECCE. Renata has applied, and Haniya has been accepted for the scheme. The problem now is to find a preschool which will take her in. Renata and her husband have been looking for the past three months.

Weve tried four places around here. We dont drive so it has to be around here. People say to get a preschool close to the school where she will eventually go, but its so difficult, she says. Two of them say she is on a waiting list since June. But when I try to meet the manager of the school they are always busy. Nobody can take a call. We are both so tired.

One principal has told Renata that they will be able to take Haniya from the end of September. But were still not certain, she says.

For the moment, Haniya is still at home, and her parents are still working around the clock. It is very hard for us, Renata says.

Suzanne, creche manager: 'If private providers closed their doors it might make the Government finally take notice' The private creche sector points out the challenges they face including the disparity in supports between their sector and community childcare. Stock picture The problems with childcare in Ireland are a double-edged sword. On one side are the parents suffocating under enormous costs, on the other are the businesses struggling desperately to survive. Irelands creche industry is predominantly a private, market-driven one. There is another issue, however, the divide between community childcare  which are not-for-profit organisations, generally in more populous areas, often catering to parents of limited means  and their private counterparts. Both are swimming in the same waters, and working off the same employee pool. Suzanne is a manager with a childcare chain in the Midlands, a private business operating several facilities catering to children aged six months and older. She says that community childcare services are heavily subsidised, handing them an unfair advantage in terms of rates and pay, numbers her own service cant compete with. Weve lost four staff recently, she says, people who have in effect been headhunted by local competing community concerns. We are lucky really, a lot more were approached, but said theyre happier here, the respect they get in a private setting is better, we feel we handle the mental health side of things, which is huge because of Covid, a bit better. We support our staff as best we can. Its not always about money. However, Suzanne is under no illusions that differences in wages will eventually add up for a worker. She estimates that the two community services in her area are paying roughly 25% more per hour than her own company can afford. When you see the large scale difference in rates and pay  I know they say private is a business and community is not for profit, we can only pay wages based on our income, and we cant keep raising creche rates for parents, she says. We have had to close one of our baby rooms and we may have to close more as getting suitably qualified staff into the sector is such a major problem. A national standard ratio of one adult to three children in a baby room applies, making such a facility a lossmaker for any creche offering it. Overall, we can suffer the loss of earnings in the room but when we don't have the staff we can't continue to provide the service, which significantly impacts working parents. At fault is 20 years of childcare policy on the part of the State, she says. The Government funding model is creating a divide between community and privately-operated services, because everything should be the same, all things being equal. Were all doing the same work, after all. With capital funding from the Government community creches can get up to 500,000 to upgrade their premises, and 50,000 for maintenance work. Weve 7m which has gone into the sector, and all we can apply for are 500 worth of IT upgrades, she says. Private providers could not be treated more disrespectfully if the Government tried. If all private providers closed their doors it might make the Government and everyone else finally take notice.

Emma Carolan, civil servant: 'The work has to be done'

One of the severe difficulties parents face is that many childcare facilities now operate an age cut-off, and are not accepting children under one or two years of age. Stock picture

Emma Carolan has run the gauntlet of trying to find suitable childcare on several occasions. With children ranging in age from 18 down to one, she has seen it all. The Cavan native says over the years the situation has mostly got worse.

Two months ago, her two-year-old son was asked to leave the creche where he had been minded since his infant days due to his not yet being potty trained [children vary in when they get used to using a toilet  two-and-a-half is perhaps an average starting point, but it varies].

That creche will now only take children aged three and over, a recurring trend across the country due to the relative ease of caring for older children and the heightened cost benefits of same.

Now Lavey-based Emma is stuck working from home and minding two children under three. Shes due to return to the office in Cavan town this month, but has yet to find a spot for either of her two youngest.

Ive been in touch with about six creches in the town. Two of them would take babies under one. Other than that its from three years onward only, she says.

The creche we were in used to take kids from six months but stopped about two years ago. About a year ago they decided they werent taking kids who werent potty-trained as they were renovating and getting rid of the baby room, but they assured me nothing would happen to my son.

Then one evening they said well see him again when hes trained, and that was it.

The same creche was where Emma had sent her older children. I would have always sung their praises. I wouldnt want to say anything bad about them, but I think they handled it very badly  they should have worked around him, she says. She works for the Department of Agriculture, but no specific childcare scheme for those in the civil service exists:

My manager is aware of my situation, and is very understanding, but at the same time the work has to be done. At least two women in my section are in the same position. Lots of creches just closed and then never reopened again after lockdown.

What is really driving me up the wall, she says is the fact a new creche in nearby Ballyjamesduff, which had been due to open in June, has been repeatedly delayed due to backlogs involving the relevant inspections by child agency Tusla.

Ive had my little man down for it ever since I heard about it opening. Its going to take another three or four weeks I think. In the meantime, the creche is just sitting there.
It is difficult to think of any town in Ireland that does not have a problem with dereliction.

Even some of our most prosperous places have an excessive number of vacant buildings. This appears particularly baffling given the obvious economic potential.

Over the past few weeks the Irelands empty towns articles have illustrated the consequences of such dereliction.

They have also presented an impressive set of solutions that various communities, local authorities and individuals are using to fight back.

Inspired by what came before, I have scaled up some of the ideas from the previous pieces and added some more suggestions on how to solve the problem of dereliction in our towns. I have attempted to make sure that the possible solutions supplied below fit within the governments recently published housing strategy, Housing for All.

Lets measure

We simply dont know the exact number of derelict buildings in our towns. The 2016 census uncovered 183,312 vacant dwellings nationally.

In the recent Q2 2021 GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report, a figure of 92,135 vacant dwellings was given. The methodologies vary between the two surveys.

Regardless, neither includes the larger non-residential buildings that often dominate town centres.

A way forward is to significantly expand the amount of town centre health checks being carried out nationally.

These surveys can quantify and map vacancy and the underuse of upper floors.

This provides the information needed to understand the issue, prepare a plan and measure progress.

Reducing fear

Our town centres are dominated by older structures built before World War 2. These are buildings constructed mostly of stone, brick, lime mortar, timber and slate.

For many prospective buyers these buildings appear just too risky. Often, to the untrained eye a largely superficial repair issue can be misconstrued as a significant structural problem.

Effectively, things can seem worse than they actually are. There is also a misconception that most old structures are legally protected when this is the case for only a small minority.

Combined, these create a perception of old buildings being too much trouble and risky. There is indeed risk. However, that risk can be significantly reduced by understanding the building and the planning process.

In the Scottish city of Stirling, the Traditional Buildings Health Check scheme provides low-cost surveys of older homes and buildings from surveyors experienced in historic structures. The scheme also offers grant support and guidance on the process of undertaking repairs.

One of the key benefits of the scheme is that for property owners the survey and supports give confidence to conduct repairs. For prospective buyers, the building report - once provided by the current owner - is an expert, independent assessment of the structure, available at zero cost to them.

Tulla Business centre on the Main Street has boarded and broken windows. Neither the 2016 census nor the recent Q2 2021 GeoDirectory Residential Buildings Report includes the larger non-residential buildings that often dominate town centres. Picture: Caitlin Griffin

If a vacant structure is legally protected, the additional barriers to development caused by extra regulation can be significantly reduced through accessing professional advice. Assistance from private sector planners and architects cost money.

There are excellent Architectural Conservation Officers in various local authorities that could help current and prospective owners of protected structures. Unfortunately, less than half of our local authorities have an Architectural Conservation Officer.

Of those that do, only four have more than one Architectural Conservation Officer on staff. This severely limits the ability for the public to access free, independent advice that would remove much of the anxiety connected with owning a protected structure and modifying it for modern life.

Adequately staffed architectural conservation teams with support from local authority archaeologists, Heritage Officers and planners would be a strong information resource that would facilitate the sensitive re-use of protected structures.

Compulsory purchase

The new national housing strategy calls for at least 2,500 vacant properties to be acquired over the next five years by local authorities via compulsory purchase orders (CPO). The properties are then to be prepared for sale.

Although each local authority has a Vacant Home Officer and will be supported by advice from The Housing Agency, a more ambitious target would be enabled through the creation of vacant home units.

Appropriately resourced, these units should then be presented with rising annual targets as their experience and efficiency increases.

Doing some simple maths on the 2,500 base target means each of the 31 local authorities acquiring 16 properties annually through CPO.

An old B&B sign hangs over a vacant premises on Kickham Street, Carrick-On-Suir, Co. Tipperary. Visually prominent derelict buildings can decrease property values and economic vitality by undermining the desirability of an area. Photo: Larry Cummins

Surely, when it is considered that in three years Louth County Council acquired over 90 houses, a national target of 5,000 by 2026 still seems modest?

If every local authority purchased 65 vacant buildings per annum that could be brought back into use for housing, over 2,000 properties would be made available annually.

Larger structures with no housing use could also be subjected to CPOs and either refurbished for community use or released to the market.

Taxing vacancy

While advice on repair works and greater provision of grants will encourage the re-use of vacant structures, the stick of tax is also needed to prompt development. Although we complain about property tax, it is low by international levels.

Certainly, it is not high enough to prompt the development or sale of a vacant property. For example, a simple early 20th century house in Cork City valued between 150k-200k will cost 338 to tax for 2021.

This is during a time when it is increasing in value as an asset with no inputs. The result is that the property owner can still pay the tax and be richer at the end of the year.

Many owners of vacant properties do not have the ability to develop their properties. Others simply dont financially need to take on the risk of redevelopment when the status quo is working for them. In these situations, a vacant house tax is required to motivate either re-use or sale.

The governments Housing for All strategy only commits to assessing the merits of introducing a vacant property tax once the Local Property Tax returns in November are in. This looks like a political move to put off a necessary but contentious action.

My own view is that vacant buildings are effectively a tax on everyone who doesnt own that building. For instance, vacant dwellings reduce the pool of housing thereby increasing house prices.

This perversely rewards inaction. On the other hand, visually prominent derelict buildings can decrease property values and economic vitality by undermining the desirability of an area.

A derelict building on Marlboro Street in Cork city. We must significantly expand the amount of town centre health checks being carried out nationally. Picture: Dan Linehan

Unavailable vacant homes also push individuals and agencies to spend more money on new constructions rather than cheaper refurbishments. Finally, new builds also expend far more carbon than the refurbishment of existing dwellings.

Combined, all this means that long-term vacancy of homes and other buildings reduces the prosperity of all those who do not own vacant buildings and impacts on the accessibility of a proper home for those struggling to buy or even rent a place of their own.

For those reasons, a vacancy tax in towns is both required and justified.
Al Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri appeared in a new video marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, months after rumours spread that he was dead.

The Site Intelligence Group that monitors jihadist websites said the video was released on Saturday.

In it, al-Zawahri said that Jerusalem will never be judaised, and praised al Qaida attacks including one that targeted Russian troops in Syria in January.

Site said al-Zawahri also noted the US militarys withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.

It added that his comments do not necessarily indicate a recent recording, as the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban was signed in February 2020.

Al-Zawahri made no mention of the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan and the capital Kabul last month, Site added.

But he did mention a January 1, attack that targeted Russian troops on the edge of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa.

Rumours have spread since late 2020 that al-Zawahri had died from illness.

Flowers and a photo adorn the inscribed name of Paul Frederick Beatini, a victim of the attacks of September 11 2001 (Craig Ruttle/AP)

Since then, no video or proof of life surfaced, until Saturday.

He could still be dead, though if so, it would have been at some point in or after Jan 2021, tweeted Rita Katz, Sites director.

Al-Zawahris speech was recorded in a 61-minute, 37-second video produced by the groups as-Sahab Media Foundation.

In recent years, al-Qaida has faced competition in jihadi circles from its rival, the so-called Islamic State group.

IS rose to prominence by seizing large swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a caliphate and extending affiliates to multiple countries across the region.

ISs physical caliphate was crushed in Iraq and Syria, though its militants are still active and carrying out attacks.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the shadowy leader of IS was killed by US special forces in a raid in northwestern Syria in October 2019.

Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, became leader of al Qaida following the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan by US Navy Seal.
Claire Ibarra, former Key Biscayne resident and teacher at St. Christophers Montessori School, has released her debut novel, Fragile Angels, and will be holding a book reading and discussion at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, at Books & Books in Coral Gables.

Ibarra lived in Key Biscayne for 18 years, working on and off as a teacher at St. Christopher's, a place filled with people described as family to her. While her husband's career took the family to Colorado, Ibarrra keeps in touch and visits every year. She admits to missing Key Biscayne, running into families and friends at Winn Dixie or the Beach Club.

Most of the people I know from Key Biscayne are aware of my long journey in writing this novel, she told Islander News. A journey that eventually led me to the Masters in Fine Arts writing program at Florida International University.

Ibarra said she has been a writer her entire life.

During her third year of college, she studied in an International Program in Peru. The program lasted only a year, but she fell in love with the country, its culture, her future husband, and a large Peruvian extended family.

After her program was done, she stayed in Peru, married and had her first daughter.

I was in my early 20s at the time, she recalled. And so throughout my life I have always felt a deep connection to the country and people.

Ibarra spent a lot of time in Lima, but also had the opportunity to travel to remote areas. Peru has a bountiful culture and interesting history, she said, so, as a writer, it would have been difficult to resist using the country she knows so well as a setting.

Peru lends itself to magical realism, as there is so much mystery and intrigue to the country, she said. There is also a darker side to the history and culture, which involves colonialism and oppression.

Her novel, Fragile Saints, is inspired by her travels, experiences and people she met on her journey. But the countrys darker side is prominent in the novel, manifested as gothic themes.

The main character, Elsa, lives in California and is struggling with loss, betrayal, and her recent divorce. Her dying grandmother requests to see her, so she visits Peru. There, Elsa learns she has inherited a country house thats haunted by a dark secret.

Elsa is intrigued with the house, its caretakers, and her new lover, Gustavo, but she also encounters disturbing ghostly visitors.

The novel is written primarily from Elsas point of view, but there is an omniscient narrator who also guides readers into the familys past. Fragile Saints uses magical realism to create a family saga in which ancestral mishaps and the natural world influence the characters, making them vulnerable and yet also indomitable.

In the book, the familys old hacienda, located near Elsas inherited home, had become a small town in the Andes. This was actually based on Ibarras own experience running a hostel and trekking business in the Andes with her then-husband.

It's not found on a map, she said, but is a tiny village that at one time had been a working hacienda.

While Peru isnt her homeland, Ibarra said the connection has remained strong because of her two grown daughters, Celia and Carmen, who strongly identify with their Latin American heritage.

I feel that Elsa's journey in Fragile Saints could be my daughters' journey in many ways, she reflected. Like Elsa, my daughters have a Peruvian father, as well as an extended family with a rich history, and nearly fantastical family stories and lore.

Fragile Saints, published by Adelaide Books, is available online at amazon.com or at adelaidebooks.org.

If you go

Author Claire Ibarra will appear at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept, 13.

Masks are required and the event will be limited to 30 people to ensure social distancing.
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Ray Ploof, 61, passed away in his home in Jacksonville, TX, Wednesday, August 25, 2021. He was born in Burlington Vermont August 20, 1960. Ray was a member of Central Baptist Church. He was a talented machinist who worked in maintenance. He was well loved by everyone he met. Left to cherish 
Evan Robinson-Johnson covers issues residents face on a daily basis, from smoky skies to housing insecurity. Originally from New England, he has settled in east Jackson and avoids crowds by rollerblading through the alleyways.
Shirley Kay Hemby, of Pittsburg, KS, passed on September 13, 2021 at Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, KS. She was born on May 8, 1948, in Pittsburg, KS, the daughter of Henry F. Nannie (Brown) Johns. Shirley was a graduate from Pittsburg High. On April 7, 1968, Shirley married Robert Walla
Over 50 motorcycles participated in a remembrance ride on Saturday, Sept. 11. The ride covered Jefferson County, passing by each fire and rescue location and police department. Riders here are shown traveling on Route 9 bypass from the mountain toward Charles Town.
Richard Murphy, left, receives COVID-19 vaccine at Montbello Barbers in Denver on July 29. Twenty-six states in the US have fully vaccinated more than half of their population, federal data shows, but some hospitals are still filling up with COVID-19 patients who did not get their shots.
The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly. Workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
tvN's "Hometown Cha-cha-cha", the highest rated romance comedy during Saturday and Sunday, finally aired its highly anticipated fifth episode.

The latest episode gave the viewers an exclusive sneak peek of what happened to Yoon Hye Jin and Hong Dook Sik's, played by Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho, late night wine date.

Hometown Cha-cha-cha Episode 5: Yoon Hye Jin Leaves Hong Doo Sik's Home Early Morning, Rumors Spiral

To recall, Chief Hong rushed to Hye Jin's dental clinic out of worry and helped in arresting the patient who caused a huge disturbance.

Because of this, Hye Jin saw that it was just polite to thank the kindhearted Hong Doo Sik personally, and even gave him wine.

The two then ate dinner together at Doo Sik's humble home, and drank the wine she brought. The next day, Hye Jin woke up with a severe headache next to a sleeping Doo Sik. To her shock, she immediately collected her things and went straight home. But even with her careful and vigilant steps, she wasn't free from the community's prying eyes.

As soon as she got home, she was welcomed by her best friend and dental assistant, Pyo Mi Seon (Gong Min Jeung), with a message in a chat room where Hye Jin and Doo Sik are the topic. In addition to her despair, she doesn't even remember what happened last night.

Yoon Hye Jin Draws a Line, Casually Offending Hong Doo Sik

With her messed up mind and hangover as well as Gongjin's gossiping mouths, she bravely marched to her clinic. However, the face she dreads to see was the first one to welcome her day. When Doo Sik asked the dentist to breakfast and cure their hangover, the residents of Gongjin, led by Jo Nam Sook (Cha Chung Hwa), played as spies and watched the two eat together.

This made the dentist extremely uncomfortable, meanwhile, Hong Doo Sik kept his cool. After eating, Hye Jin lost her temper and confronted Doo Sik.

The kind man who is always there to help everyone, even Hye Jin, was deeply hurt by Hye Jin's words.

Although she didn't mean it, Hye Jin delivered her words tactlessly, implying that she will never fall for the man due to their societal differences and contrasting lifestyles.

Choi Eun Chul Shares His Ideal Type to Pyo Mi Seon

In the fifth episode, Pyo Mi Seon suffered alone inside the bathroom for her unbearable constipation.

When it went from worse to worse, she immediately ran for help to the nearest pharmacy to buy antidiarrheal medicines.

Her embarrassment amplified when police officer Choi Eun Chul (Kang Hyung Seok) dropped by to buy dental floss, who happened to be Yoon Dental Clinic's patient and the apple of Mi Seon's eyes.

With her brazen personality taking over her, she asked the police officer what his ideal type of woman was. At home, Mi Seon spent her day off watching sageuk or historical dramas after the charming police officer said he prefers women who look good in hanbok.

She soon realized that she was much different from the reserved and gentle women in the dramas.

Yoon Hye Jin and Hong Doo Sik Visit Gongjin Elementary School

Since Hye Jin's dental assistant, Mi Seon, is currently under the weather, she called for the all-rounder Chief Hong, who immediately came to the rescue.

Hye Jin's neighbor, Choi Hui, who happened to be a teacher in Gongjin Elementary School came to her house to formally introduce herself. The two found out that they will be seeing each other in school for Hye Jin's dental education session for the children. In the homeroom classroom, Hye Jin and Doo Sik danced and sang together to the song that teaches the students how to properly brush their teeth.

The two showed undeniable chemistry while brushing the human teeth replica, that even the children sensed the romantic tension between Hye Jin and Doo Sik. With an awkward atmosphere, the two just smiled at the children who clamored for snacks as soon as the bell rang.

Yoon Hye Jin and Hong Doo Sik Go Out on a Date in The Neighboring Town

As a payment for his exemplary help, Hye Jin treated Doo Sik to lunch in Gongjin's neighboring town to avoid being Gongjin's gossiping victims.

In the restaurant, the two shared a moment which was far from their usual bickering selves. Hye Jin and Doo Sik actually spent their lunch with a light heart and an exchange of warm smiles. The dentist also found out that Doo Sik is an engineering graduate at Seoul National University, one of the most prestigious schools in South Korea, which made her feel bad for judging his character and apologized.

Before the food was served, the two spent their time solving CSAT mathematical problems on the table, which drove the restaurant owner crazy. Hye Jin is a woman of principles, who likes to play by the rules.

On the other hand, Doo Sik encourages Hye Jin to live a little, and opens her eyes that there is more to life than stressing out over money and success. These kind words softened the dentist's heart, even agreeing to Doo Sik's abrupt decision to run and play at the beach even though the sky was pouring huge amounts of rain.

Hye Jin and Doo Sik, without a doubt, spent their day well with each other's company. After they played in the rain, Hye Jin worried about herself getting sick, and like a knee-jerk reaction, Doo Sik quickly checked her temperature.

The sudden skin-to-skin physical contact made the dentist blush and remembered what really happened the other night. In her memory, the two of them shared a romantic, passionate kiss.

However, Doo Sik, in a heartbeat, denies it all and firmly believes that nothing strange happened between the two of them.

At the end of the video, it was revealed that Doo Sik experiences nightmares for years, which gives him extreme difficulties in sleeping.

But surprisingly, when Hye Jin slept in his home next to him, Doo Sik slept comfortably with a contented smile on his face.

On the other hand, Ji Seong Hyun (Lee Sang Yi), Hye Jin's friend in Seoul, visited the beautiful seaside village of Gongjin and met Hong Doo Sik.

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Written by Elijah Mully.
Carroll uses the example of a political debate, contrasted with going to live theater.

You dont really change your mind about who you support after a debate, she said. You might wish your candidate had done better or said something different, but you still support that person. With theater, though, we identify with the characters on stage and theres a chance for people to wonder am I the character who grows and changes  or am I the character who stays the same? Going to the theater with an open heart can lead to a change of heart.

For Herschel, another way theater can be an agent of change is by telling peoples stories that might be different. Remember, it was a big deal decades ago when Billy Crystal played a gay character on the sitcom Soap.

Its important that people are seen and heard on stage, he added, especially if they didnt have a chance to have their voices heard before. Theater should reflect the community.

In the theater

As much as theater is about whats happening up on the stage, its also a way to bring people together.
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. -- A former Cottage Grove pastor is reflecting on his ground zero experience 20 years after terrorists attacked the country on September 11, 2001.

"At 6 o'clock that morning on September 11, I got a call from somebody from the church I was pastoring," Jim Jenkins, a former United States Navy Chaplain who now lives in Monmouth, said. "They said, 'turn your TV on' and I knew that night that I was going to go there."

Jim Jenkins was a pastor in Cottage Grove for 20 years. He was ordered to go to ground zero. He arrived to New York 12 days after the attack.

"I arrived in Manhattan at night, rented a car and drove to Battery Park and there were National Guardsmen in their combat gear with weapons at the ready. They ran a mirror under my car to see if there was a bomb. I mean, everybody was on high alert," Jenkins said.

The next day, he saw ground zero in-person for the first time.

"As far as your eye could see, there was debris and destruction," Jenkins said. "It looked like Berlin after the bombing in World War II."

Jenkins accompanied family members of those who were lost that day on trips to see ground zero.

"The city of New York started taking family members to go around Manhattan, get out at Wall Street, and walk to a staging area that was prepared for them to see ground zero," Jenkins said. "When we got there people screamed, some people got sick, one lady I saw pull out clumps of her hair until her scalp bled because this was the only grave many of them were ever going to have. They were looking where their loved one was buried."

Jenkins described several instances where those who were impacted by the tragedy recognized him for the significant role he played in their recovery.

"When you walk into a circumstance like that as a responder of any kind, just your presence, being there, if you go in the name of the lord and you go there to care for people, they experience something way beyond you, they experience God touching them and doing something for them and I saw it time and again back there," Jenkins said.

When Jenkins returned to Cottage Grove, he wanted to do something to honor local first responders.

"We arranged to have a ceremony to honor the first responders," Jenkins said. "They had the old high school then and there was like 600-700 people crammed into that auditorium."
SIPTU members have voiced their deep dissatisfaction with the current funding model for the Early Years Sector, and the issues of poverty pay, no provision for sick pay and pension and the high cost for parents.

Kilkenny Big Start Activists along with Organiser Lenka Halouzkova met with Sinn Fein TD and Spokeswoman for Children and Youth Affairs Kathleen Funchion in the grounds of Kilkenny Castle. The group, which is seeking better conditions for early year educators asked Deputy Funchion and Sinn Fein support SIPTUs  New Deal for Early Years, which demands 150 million to be allocated to address pay and childcare costs in the 2022 Budget.

Low Pay is driving qualified committed early years teachers out of the sector, the level of staff turnover means that quality education and care is being compromised," said activist Sarah Taylor.

Our sector stood up during the pandemic, and were back to work allowing parents to continue to work and serve our society throughout lockdown. Its time to acknowledge our contribution by ensuring respect for our profession, and that means pay that reflects our experience and qualifications. We expect pay negotiations under the Joint Labour Committee will address our issues, but funding must be there to ensure it can.

Deputy Funchion remarked that 'for far too long early years educators have been taken for granted by this State'.

"The SIPTU members Ive met do some of the most important work in society and cannot be overlooked in the Budget 2022. I and my party Sinn Fein are more than willing to support their fight for Professional Pay and Conditions. These ladies are in the vanguard of the fight for better pay and conditions, and all early years teachers should get organised and join the campaign.

The Sinn Fein spokesperson on Children has also warned that if pay and conditions for childcare and early years educators is not prioritised in this years budget, the sector will haemorrhage qualified staff.

I am calling on the Minister to take the dire warnings on staffing levels, retention and recruitment seriously and to match it with serious investment.

Ireland continues to lag behind its closest neighbours in Europe when it comes to investment in childcare, a recent UNICEF childcare investment ranking put Ireland at 36 out of 41 countries.

It begs the question, why do we keep keeping it so wrong when it is obvious to everyone how to alleviate stress on the sector?

To see prices drop, workers retained, and for services to remain open, we must substantially ramp up investment.

We also saw the launch of the findings from the most recent Early Years Staffing Survey Report, from the New Deal for Early Years Coalition.

It found that 61% of managers think their service may have to reduce capacity due to staff shortages, however, shockingly one third of all services believe they may have to close due to staff shortages.

In last years budget, I called for an investment of approximately 500 million for the sector, to deliver accessible, affordable childcare for parents and secure and properly paid careers for early years professionals.

I also called for a sustainability and capacity fund for providers, these measures would reduce creche fees for parents by two thirds starting with a reduction of one third in the first year.

Government ministers and TDs continue to pay lip service to parents, service providers and those working in the sector. Yet when it comes to voting for investment in the sector, they toe the party line.

Calls by the sector are dire, and they must be taken on board by the Minister," she added.
A new start, with a first and a last is the unusual return to school for Colaiste Eamann Ris, in Callan.

This term marks the arrival of a new uniform, new mixed classes, a new head boy, but it is also the last year of the school as a CBS secondary school.



Next September Callan will have a new secondary school - Colaiste Abhainn Ri, which will be an amalgamation of the CBS and the nearby St Brigids College.



In preparation for this, students of both schools are now sharing mixed classes. This offers an opportunity for the students to take subjects which previously were only available in one of the schools. For example the boys can now take music or home economics and the girls can study woodwork or engineering.



The CBS boys are going over to St Brigids, and the girls crossing to Colaiste Eamann Ris.

Only the senior classes did this before, but now its an option for classes from first year. Another new feature at Colaiste Eamann Ris this September is the completely new uniform for new students. With the colours blue, black, grey and wine in the tartan and a grey and blue tie with a black stripe, this will also be the uniform of Colaiste Abhainn Ri.

OBriens in Callan are stockists of the uniform.



Head Boy

A unique point in the history of the school is that this year it has its first - and last - head boy and deputy head boy.



Above: Head Boy Ben Fitzpatrick and Deputy Head Boy Josh Buckley attached with their teacher Mr Ryan

Ben Fitzpatrick, head boy, explained his role is to be a safe and secure link between the students and the staff, bringing queries from students to staff if needed. Also, he will help promote a happy and healthy learning environment, and a good social environment.

Josh Buckley, deputy head boy, said they were both elected by their classmates at the end of last term. Since school started back they have been reminding fellow students to keep up Covid precautions and advising them to buckle down and study.



Ben and Josh will also liaise with the head girl and deputy head girl at St Brigids College, to work towards making the amalgamation of both schools as easy as possible.
ALBERT LEA, Minn.- Communities across southeastern Minnesota are remembering 9/11, including Albert Lea. First responders drove through the downtown area on Saturday to pay tribute to the lives lost during the attacks.

Kurt Wallace is an Albert Lea firefighter. He was only 25-years-old when the attacks occurred. He attended the parade on Saturday to remember the victims.

"I dont think anyone doesn't remember where they were that day. It was just tragic and everyone's got a story of where they were. It's fun to hear everyone's story and what they were doing."

After seeing FDNY's heroic work on 9/11, Wallace wanted to become a firefighter.

"I was always interested but after that it just sealed the deal."

Albert Lea Fire Rescue Captain Dennis Glassel participated in the parade. He still remembers where he was during NYC's dark day.

"I was working that day. We had done our normal truck checks and daily stuff. Somebody had said hey come up stairs, something happened in New York. Were standing there watching the TV and boom, second plane hits."

The parade didn't draw a big crowd but members of Albert Lea American Legion Riders were among the spectators giving their respects.

"We want to pay tribute to the guys and gals that stand up for us and do everything they can to make sure were safe day to day," says its director Duane Thomas. "We just want to show that we support everything they do."

Joining Albert Lea Fire Rescue in the parade were Albert Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, and Freeborn County Sheriff's Office.
ISABELLA, Minn. (AP)  Authorities say a vast majority of the Greenwood Lake wildfire in northern Minnesota is contained, one month after lighting ignited the blaze in the Superior National Forest.

The U.S. Forest Service reported that the nearly 27,000-acre fire was 67% contained as of Sunday morning. The Forest Service had said last week that the fire was nearly half under control as hundreds of firefighters were still being dispatched to the area. The fire started Aug. 15 about 10 miles southwest of Isabella. It has destroyed 14 cabins and homes along with 57 outbuildings.

Authorities say the fire is not expected to grow now that cooler weather is moving into the Great Lakes region.
It didnt matter if a person served in the Marine Corps or in the Navy. It didnt matter if a person had served at all.
Hanssem headquarters in Seoul / Courtesy of Hanssem



By Park Jae-hyuk



Recent shareholder actions taken by foreign hedge funds against SK Chemicals and Hanssem are expected to have a limited impact on the market, considering domestic laws and responses by other investors.



Teton Capital Partners, a Texas-based fund serving as Hanssem's second-largest shareholder with an 8.64 percent stake, filed an injunction with Suwon District Court earlier this month asking it to ban Hanssem founder Cho Chang-geol and four affiliated persons from helping IMM Private Equity conduct due diligence on the furniture maker before its takeover.



Hanssem confirmed this Friday, a day after Lotte Shopping announced its decision to invest 299.5 billion won ($255 million) in a special purpose entity set up by IMM to acquire Hanssem.



Teton has urged the furniture maker's largest shareholder not to provide the potential buyer with important information, such as licenses, assets and intellectual properties the company has, as well as major contracts it has signed.



The U.S. firm is said to have particularly complained about the buyer's plan to acquire the largest shareholder's stake for 220,000 won per share, without allowing other major shareholders to sell their stakes at the same price. Hanssem's stock price closed at 117,000 won, Friday.



"Regarding the court injunction, our board of directors will take countermeasures in compliance with the law," Hanssem said in its regulatory filing. "We will disclose the progress of this litigation in the future."



Given that IMM has conducted due diligence since it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanssem's largest shareholder in July, Teton's recent legal action does not seem to pose a significant problem to the acquisition deal.



In addition, most legal experts do not expect the court to accept Teton's request, because domestic laws do not mandate that the largest shareholder talk with other major shareholders before selling its controlling stake.





SK Chemicals headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of SK Chemicals




A North Korean propaganda outlet on Sunday blasted South Korea's recently announced defense plan, accusing Seoul of "sharpening a knife aimed at the brethren behind a curtain of peace."







The South's defense ministry unveiled the mid-term defense plan early this month, including developing a massive ballistic missile as powerful as a tactical nuclear weapon that can destroy underground missile facilities and bases by penetrating underground tunnels.







Meari, a North Korean propaganda website, denounced the plan on Sunday, claiming it is aimed at improving capabilities of striking key facilities in North Korea.







"The South Korean authorities, who like to emphasize dialogue and peace every time they open their mouths, are actually sharpening a knife aimed at the brethren behind a curtain of peace," the website said.







"There is no longer a need to discuss who is threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and worsening inter-Korean relations," it said. (Yonhap)


President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, right, poses for a photo with Korea's Speaker of the National Assembly Park Byeong-seug during a meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, April 5. Courtesy of Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Korea



By Dinara Kemelova



On Aug. 31, 2021, the Kyrgyz Republic celebrates the 30th anniversary of its independence.



The Kyrgyz nation with a centuries-old history and rich cultural identity has undergone many challenges in the struggle for its national identity and statehood. In the past century, Kyrgyzstan was a part of the Russian Empire, and after the October Revolution of 1917 and the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), became a Soviet Socialist Republic.



The collapse of the USSR and the adoption by the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan of the "Declaration of State Independence" on Aug. 31, 1991, were significant events in the history of the development of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to this historic act, Kyrgyzstan has become an independent, sovereign, and democratic state. In addition, the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, adopted on May 5, 1993, proclaimed Kyrgyzstan as a legal and secular state based on the principles of freedom, independence and unity.



Kyrgyzstan is a multinational country, where more than 100 nationalities live. Today, there are more than 17,000 ethnic Koreans  citizens of Kyrgyzstan. There are a lot of successful entrepreneurs, athletes and public figures among them, of whom Kyrgyzstan is proud. And in turn, there are more than 6,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan in the Republic of Korea and about 350 Kyrgyz students are studying at various universities in Korea.



Since gaining independence, Kyrgyzstan has established democratic institutions of government, legal mechanisms, a market economy and a stable national currency. There has been built a strong civil society and legal institutions have been established for the protection of human rights and freedoms.



The Kyrgyz Republic has made significant progress, especially in strengthening the country's sovereignty. During this period, the people of Kyrgyzstan, who have experienced many challenges, have proven that they're the only source of power.



This shows similarity with the Korean people. The spirit of freedom and democracy lives in us.





Dinara Kemelova, left, ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Korea, shakes hands with Korea's President Moon Jae-in during a reception for diplomats in Seoul at Cheong Wa Dae, Oct. 18, 2019. Courtesy of Embassy of Kyrgyz Republic in Korea



This year early presidential elections were held in Kyrgyzstan in January. The current President Sadyr Japarov won. This year two referendums were held in Kyrgyzstan to determine the form of government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the draft of a new Constitution, which was adopted on May 5. According to the new Constitution, our country is currently a presidential republic, as is the Republic of Korea. This year, it is planned to hold parliamentary elections under a mixed system in autumn.



Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kyrgyzstan and South Korea in 1992, an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding has been prevailing. More than 50 treaties and memorandums have been signed, and the parties are engaged in an active political dialogue and maintain dynamic cooperation in the economic, cultural and educational spheres. The dynamics of bilateral relations are confirmed by fruitful exchanges of high-level visits. The following visits of the Kyrgyz delegations to the Republic of Korea  by the Presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic in 1997 and 2013, by heads of Government in 2007 and 2012 and by speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament in 2014  played an important role in promoting bilateral relations.



In 2019, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon made his first historic visit to Kyrgyzstan. Another significant event of the history of bilateral relations was this year's first official visit of the Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea Park Byeong-seug to Kyrgyzstan in April. During the visit, Park held talks with President Japarov, Speaker of the Kyrgyz Parliament Talant Mamytov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Ulukbek Maripov.



Kyrgyzstan is one of the countries embraced by the "New Northern Policy" of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. In January 2021, by a decision of the Korean government, Kyrgyzstan was placed on the list of priority partner countries of the Republic of Korea.





Ala Kol lake in Issyk-Kul region of Kyrgyzstan / Courtesy of Tokochev Kenjebek
Rod Egan of Worldwide Auctioneers calls for bids on a 1942 Packard Derrin convertible at the Sept. 4 session of The Auburn Auction in Kruse Plaza. The cars selling price of $800,000 set a record for its type, but was only the fourth-highest price of the auction.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Mostly clear. Low 53F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 53F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 53F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 53F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
MISSOULA, Mont. - Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of September 11th, a day that changed United States history forever.

Thousands across the country are paying tribute including right here in Montana, as well New York officials who witnessed it all.

One of those tributes includes one of many deployments we've seen from the New York fire Department's Incident Management Team.

In their recent visit to Montana, the team assisted our local firefighters in combating the heavy fire season over the summer.

During their time here they reflect on the events post-September 11. They tell us, helping our fire teams is just one way of showing their appreciation for the help our firefighter's offered on their city's road to recovery.

"It's an honor for us to come out here and help out with the community that helped us after 9/11, after 9/11 the wildfire community came out and assisted us, with the trade center and since then we've been doing everything we can to try and pay back to the community for the help they gave us during our time of need," said NYFD Incident Commander, Richard Deprima.

As they returned to their homes where this all started in New York, officials tell us this will certainly not be their last visit to the Treasure State.
Tropical Weather-Pacific for Sunday, September 12, 2021



Eastern Pacific:

All is quiet for now

At this time, the Eastern Pacific Basin remains quiet.

However, a weak area of low pressure is found just off the coast of southern Mexico and is currently producing some disorganized showers and thunderstorms. As this area of low pressure moves along

the southern coast of Mexico over the next couple of days, some organization into a tropical depression or storm will be possible, though land interaction will likely limit how strong this system can

become. Regardless, locally heavy rainfall and some gusty winds can be expected across southern Mexico into the middle of the week.

Western Pacific:

Chanthu to bring significant flooding to eastern China

As of Sunday evening, EDT, Tropical Rainstorm Conson, has largely dissipated over the mountains of central Vietnam and Laos.

Farther east, Typhoon Chanthu, known as Kiko in the Philippines, has winds that are equal to a Category 2 hurricane (maximum sustained winds 96-110 mph) on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

The typhoon is moving to the north in the East China Sea, just off of the coast of Zhejiang, China.

Chanthu is expected to stall near Shanghai, or just offshore thereof, which will bring a prolonged strong winds and a potentially significant flooding event in northeastern Zhejiang and Jiangau

provinces. An AccuWeather Local StormMax of 30 inches is expected where the heaviest rain sets up. As Shanghai is one of largest cities and shipping ports in the world, significant impacts may

not be limited to the east coast of China, but could be felt around the world.

Eventually, Chanthu is expected to pull away to the northeast with impacts to South Korea and Japan possible later in the week.

Southern Pacific:

No new information for this time period.



Copyright 2021 AccuWeather
BILLINGS, Mont. - During the 9/11 ceremony Saturday, one of the guest speakers asked the crowd to raise their hand if they remembered where they were during the attacks. Nearly everybody present raised their hand.

Many lives changed after that day, whether you knew a victim or not. In Billings, one man felt the need to take action and join the armed forces to help prevent a tragedy like this one from happening again.

Tommy Wilcox joined the United States army in 2007, in 2009 he was shipped out to fight in the Iraq war, soon after he graduated high school. He says the attack on 9/11 pushed him to want to protect his country

I was very upset when it happened and even the day it happened I wanted to do something about it, Wilcox said. I decided I was going to join the army and go and fight for my country and try to make a difference.

20 years later, Wilcox still feels the same emotions from that day.

Anger sadness, I know people who had family members when the building came down and I feel really sad for them but also anger against the people who perpetrated those attacks, Wilcox said.

Saturday at city college, during the ceremonies, many gathered around this 612-pound steel beam from the world trade center, that was gifted to the city back in 2011.

The events started at 8:46 a.m., the exact time the first plane hit the north tower in New York City.

Speakers included representatives from senators Tester and Daines office as well as former naval airmen who worked on the United Airlines emergency response teams.

Siren sound-offs and moments of silences were honored for all the victims.

Allan Lohaf, a captain with the Billings Fire Department says he remembers recognizing the bravery of the first responders as soon as he learned of the attacks.

There's a lot of pictures from 9/11, I vividly remember the one picture from inside the towers as the firefighters going up the stairs as the people were coming down the stairs and I knew the firefighters going in were going to face a horrible horrible scene when they got there but they were still climbing and to climb 102 flight of stairs in your full gear is amazing, Lohaf said.
New images are shining a spotlight on a game of fetch that's out of this world. Astronomers have captured the most detailed observations yet of the asteroid 216 Kleopatra -- an asteroid with two moons that just happens to look a lot like a dog bone.

The new observations were made using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, and the sharp clarity of the images has helped scientists learn more about the mass and 3D shape of the asteroid. This information could shed more light on how the asteroid and its two moons formed.

At its closest to Earth, Kleopatra is 124 million miiles (200 million kilometers) away.

Two studies including the observations published Thursday in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Once focused on the shape of the asteroid, while the other looked more closely at the asteroid's mass, as well as its moons.

"Kleopatra is truly a unique body in our Solar System," said Franck Marchis, lead study author of the 3D shape study, in a statement. "Science makes a lot of progress thanks to the study of weird outliers. I think Kleopatra is one of those and understanding this complex, multiple asteroid system can help us learn more about our Solar System."
Soybean cyst nematode, the pathogen that causes the greatest yield losses in soybean in the United States, has been found in Lancaster and York counties.
The former Navy SEAL who says he fired the shots that killed Osama bin Laden was arrested early Friday on a drunk-driving charge after police found him asleep in a car parked at a convenience store in his Montana hometown, authorities said.

Customers at the store in Butte called police to report a man sleeping behind the wheel of the running car about 2:30 a.m., Butte-Silver Bow County Undersheriff George Skuletich said. The officer who responded woke the man up, identified him as Robert ONeill and noticed odd behavior.

He was confused. His actions were consistent with somebody who might be under the influence of something, Skuletich said.

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ONeill denied drinking, gave different stories about where he had been and at one point told the officers he had taken prescription medication to help him sleep, Skuletich said.

ONeill failed a field sobriety test and would not perform others, the undersheriff said. The officers brought him to jail, where he refused a test to determine his blood-alcohol level, Skuletich said. At that point, he was charged with driving under the influence, a misdemeanor.

Jail records show that ONeill was released at 4:26 a.m. after posting a $685 bond. It is ONeills first arrest.

ONeill denied that he was intoxicated and thanked police for their professionalism and courtesy.

The facts are that I took a prescribed sleep aid to help with long-standing severe insomnia, he said in a statement released Friday through a public relations firm. While the timing was bad and I highly regret this decision, I am innocent of the charge and have entered a plea of not guilty.

I am confident I will soon be cleared of this matter, he said.

ONeill began publicly discussing his role in the 2011 Bin Laden raid two years ago. He told the Associated Press in a 2014 interview that the American public had a right to know more details about the killing of the Al Qaeda leader.

Pentagon officials previously said it is not clear whose shots killed Bin Laden.

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ONeill has made numerous speeches across the country since 2014.

ONeill, who joined the Navy in 1995, participated in the 2009 rescue of the captain of a merchant ship taken hostage by Somali pirates, a mission that was the subject of the Tom Hanks movie Captain Phillips.

He also helped rescue the survivor of a four-man team attacked in 2005 while tracking a Taliban leader in Afghanistan, which was featured in the 2013 film Lone Survivor.

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The plane last seen in public in Portlaoise over 100 years ago, when it was one of the first planes in ireland to take to the skies, returned home to Portlaoise on Sunday.

A huge gathering of well-wishers, heritage and aviation enthusiasts gathered in the spacious grounds of Laois Music Centre to view the newly restored plane, to hear the story of its journey so far and to hear music composed in honour of Portlaoises other great aviation hero, Col. James Fitzmaurice.



Addressing the gathering, Cllr Conor Bergin Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council said: The Plane was designed and built in Aldritts Garage Portlaoise by Frank Aldritt and his sons with the help of master carpenter John Conroy  the first plane to be built and take to the air in what is now the Republic of Ireland and here today we celebrate the vision, creativity, imagination and originality of those Portlaoise men of the past. But its also important for us to celebrate the achievement of the people who have rescued this priceless artefact from obscurity. more below picture.





The Cathaoirleach continued: "We must remember Joe Rogers, who first highlighted the continued existence of the plane in a private collection in England; Teddy Fennelly and Alan Phelan who pursued the plane and persuaded the owner to part with it and allow it to return home; Brendan ODonoghue and Johnny Molloy who painstakingly worked on the craft to restore it to its shining glory and Tim Costelloe who informed and inspired all those involved from the start of the project, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for all aspects of Irish aviation and in particular in designing the replica engine we see on display here today with the plane.



As well as being a valuable artefact on its own right, the Portlaoise Plane is linked to Portlaoises other major aviation story: A young James Fitzmaurice records in his memoirs that he witnessed the construction of the plane and was also present when it made its first short experimental flight.

This early exposure to the excitement of flight was credited by Fitzmaurice with inspiring him in his career as a pioneering aviator. This links the Portlaoise Plane directly with the first east-west transatlantic flight  elevating the story and confirming the place of Portlaoise as the centre of Irish aviation history. More below picture.





Chairman of the Heritage Council Michael Parsons also spoke at the event on Sunday.

The Heritage Council encourages national and local exploration and appreciation of Irelands rich natural, built and cultural heritage. The Portlaoise Plane tells a story of exploration, bravery and derring do, that should make the Aldritt, Conroy and Rogers families very proud of their ancestors.

"All of us in Laois and Ireland can join in celebrating this great story of these pioneers of Irish Aviation. The Heritage Council commends Laois County Council for its warm support of the Portlaoise Plane. I personally wish that the plane will soon be on permanent display where it belongs  here in Portlaoise, he said. MORE BELOW PICTURE.





All speakers paid tribute to Teddy Fennelly, aviation enthusiast and author of the book Fitz and the Famous Flight.

John Mulholland, Chief Executive of Laois County Council outlined his contribution.

Teddy has rescued both the aviation story and the plane for the people of Portlaoise. He has motivated everyone with his selfless drive and enthusiasm and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for saving and helping to restore this vital part of our heritage.



Speaking about the Plane and its restoration, Teddy Fennelly thanked the many people who had helped along the way, mentioning in particular the staff of Laois County Councils Portlaoise MD, who have generously assisted with the safe storage of the plane in Portlaoise for the past number of months.

He also paid tribute to the Management and Elected Members of Laois County Council who he said had always supported heritage projects in Laois and had been generous in their support of this project to date.



The Portlaoise Plane event was bookended by the performance of extracts from The Impossible Dream composed by Martin Tourish to commemorate the life and achievements of Col James Fitzmaurice. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

The music which was commissioned by Music Generation Laois with funding from Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme 2017  2022, was performed by members of the Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra, accompanied by -Martin Tourish and Siobhan Buckley.



MC of the event Alan Phelan commended the young musicians and their tutors, paying special tribute to Rosa Flannery, coordinator of Music Generation Laois and the driving force behind many unique creative projects in the county.

At the end of the event, Alan asked Brendan O Donohue who spearheaded the restoration of the plane, and Tim Costelloe who carried out much of the research including the design of the replica engine also on display with the plane, to stand, and those gathered showed their appreciation of the two men with hearty applause. MORE BELOW PICTURE





The event was attended by representatives of the Irish Air Corps who paraded on at the start of proceedings and by members of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association Post 27 Portlaoise Branch, who provided a special guard of honour for the plane while it was in situ.

General Officer in Command of the Irish Air Corps Brigadier General Rory OConnor was an honoured and welcome guest. A fly-past of light aircraft from the Lime Tree Airfield just outside Portlaoise lent a further special aviation flavour to the historic event. MORE BELOW PICTURE.





Col Fitzmaurice Archive

In addition to restoring the Portlaoise Plane, Teddy Fennelly has been collecting original archive material relating to the flight and Fitzmaurice for many years - the first East West Transatlantic Flight was major international news both in Europe and the US, and was front page news on the New York Times for 19 days after the flight.

Now, with thanks to Heritage Council funding, much of the collection has now been conserved by specialist paper conservator and digitised, and the and the Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee has ensured that the newspapers will be made publicly available through the digital archive of the Laois County Library Service.



The archive project was brought about through the collaborative approach of the Laois County Council Culture Team  the piece of music commemorating James Fitzmaurice is another showcasing how the culture Team members from the Heritage, Libraries, Arts, Music Generation and Archives work together through the Creative Ireland programme, to become more than the sum of their parts, and producing truly imaginative, ground breaking work.



Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee

The Portlaoise Plane event on Sunday was the final event of the year for the Col Fitzmaurice Commemoration Committee, which is made up of Teddy Fennelly, Alan Phelan, Michael Parsons, Louise Cahill, PJ Kavanagh, Sean Murray and Catherine Casey.

The work of the group continues and more on the projects and plans of the Committee can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ Fitzflight.

More on the Portlaoise Plane Restoration Project is at https://portlaoiseplane.com/
A native of Estonia, Tiina Laas arrived in Leitrim 20 years ago to work in the Bank of America in Carrick-on-Shannon. After being made redundant in 2008 and reluctant to leave Leitrim, a county she had fallen in love with, she began running a quail farm on her one acre holding in Foxfield.

Tiina had been told about the health benefits of quails eggs when she suffered a severe bout of frozen shoulder, and initially bought 12 of the birds for her own use.

Tiina soon expanded the flock on 12 Quail Farm and was soon selling to shops and high end restaurants throughout the region.

Tiina supplemented her business by turning her hobby of making handcrafted soaps at her kitchen table in to a business.

Using donkey milk as the main ingredient she started selling the soaps at local farmers markets, creating the soaps in a variety of shapes and colours.



Her daughter Liisa Keranen, an IT professional, joined the team which now also includes marketing manager Cianan Redmond.

Donkey milk is regularly recognised for its medicinal properties with people like Cleopatra and Pope Francis cited as fans.

The anti-bacterial qualities of the raw material and a global preoccupation with hand washing helped this Leitrim-based company survive at a time when Covid 19- inspired lockdowns could have spelled disaster.



While the soap was being sold in to about 70 shops across Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada and mainland Europe, the pandemic meant that these retail outlets had temporarily closed but the business switched to online sales, which they successfully achieved with assistance from the Trading Online Voucher from the Local Enterprise Office.



 We were lucky when Covid hit that we already had our online store operational so we were able to hit the ground running when retailers closed in March 2020, but this voucher helped us fine-tune our website and ultimately win new customers, said Cianan.

And post pandemic, the company will be ready to bounce back to more traditional markets.

Cianan Redmond has been busy, investigating opportunities in China, Europe and North America and has made contact with a distributor with access to 5,000 retail stores in China.



One question the team is often asked is how many donkeys they need to meet demand for the soaps, but in fact the key ingredient comes as powdered milk from Greece and Portugal.

We would need to have 700 donkeys, like Cleopatra, explained Tiina referring to the legend that Cleopatra bathed daily in donkeys milk because of its rejuvenating qualities.



Cianan attributes their achievements and success to the supports provided by the Local Enterprise Office outlining being listed as finalist in the 2020 National Enterprise Awards for Leitrim as well as participating in the three month Northwest Export Development Programme has helped us forge a pathway to expand our exports and the Local Enterprise Officer Mentoring Programme and other supports has provided practical solutions to handle the challenges that our business face.



For further information on Donkey Soap

Contact: Cianan Redmond

Phone: 089 4711565

Website: https://12quailfarm.com/
The bog in the townland of Edercloon, Co Longford, first came to archaeological attention in 1964, when a local farmer discovered a prehistoric stone axe that retained a portion of its original wooden handle.

Forty-two years later, during test excavations in advance of the construction of the N4 Dromod Roosky Bypass, the preservative peat of Edercloon relinquished further ancient secrets in the form of a large network of wooden trackways and numerous artefacts. This proved to be one of the most remarkable archaeological complexes ever excavated in Irelands wetlands.

Evidence for human activity at Edercloon extends back almost 6,000 years, when the first narrow track of branches and twigs was laid down on the wet bog surface.

This practice would continue for four millennia as further structures were built and wheel fragments, spears, and vessels were deposited among them.



The story of Edercloon is not limited to the sites and objects submerged within the peat, however, it is also the account of an evolving landscape.

Volcanic ash, ancient pollen, microscopic organisms, deep accumulations of peat, beetles wings, and the wood of the trackways themselves have been the subject of specialist palaeoenvironmental studies.

Their findings greatly enhance and explain much about the archaeological tale recounted in Between the Meadows - the discovery of a potentially unique wetland ritual complex that was the focus of sustained activity over millennia.

It is also worth noting that the majority of the N4 DromodRoosky Bypass passes through County Leitrim, bypassing Dromod in Leitrim and Roosky in Roscommon.

The new book focuses on two sites excavated at the southern tip of the road scheme in County Longford -Edercloon and Tomisky - but also refers to the 12 other archaeological sites excavated in County Leitrim.

About the author

Caitriona Moore studied archaeology at University College Dublin and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996 and a Master of Arts degree in 2009.

She has worked on a wide range of archaeological projects across Ireland and specialises in the archaeology of wetlands, ancient woodworking and wooden artefacts.

Caitriona is a Managing Director with Archaeology and Built Heritage Ltd.

The book can be purchased online in paperback format (price 25) at https://wordwellbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1971.
The Dock Arts Centre in partnership with The Reading Room Bookshop have created a 'Writing Time award'.

The aim of the award is to provide the writer with an opportunity to concentrate on their own work; to resolve or develop new writing.

The award is targeted at writers from Leitrim, and surrounding counties Roscommon, Longford, and Sligo.

The award is open to writers of fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction (e.g. memoir and essays).

This definition specifically excludes writing in areas such as journalism, religious writing, professional, instructional, and academic writing.

While applications will be accepted from writers throughout Ireland, the winners must be available to travel to Carrick-on-Shannon in October/November 2021 to record a reading of their work for a podcast that will be broadcast by The Dock.

Any costs associated with travel to The Dock for a reading are included in the overall award so it may be a better fit for writers from the region.

This is an open competition, and the successful writer will be selected based on their submission. The work will be judged anonymously and independently from The Dock.

The winner of the overall award will receive 1000 towards writing time and the cost of travelling to read at The Dock. Two runners up will be awarded 250 each.



The award may be used to buy time away at an artists residency such as The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Grey Wood Arts or The River Mill. However, any application to these residencies is to be made independently by the winning writer and does not form part of the award.

The closing date for entries is midnight on October 11th 2021. Submissions should be sent to writingatthedock@gmail.com

For further information on submission you can visit www.thedock.ie
LIMERICK-based Water Stewardship Ireland, a collaborative network of leading businesses, environmental and state agencies, has relaunched with a new identity, with the aim of preserving water resources through investment, collective action and promotion of sustainable water usage.

Water Stewardship Ireland is an evolution of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Large Water Users Community of Practice, with membership drawn from multiple industry sectors, across both Irish and international organisations, as well as environmental groups and state agencies.

The original network was established in 2013 to encourage better business water usage and now with over 300 members, represents approximately 70% of Irelands industrial water usage. M

embers and partners have spent over 2 million on water stewardship research and support initiatives over the past three years and plan to spend a further 3 million in the next three years.

Training and certification are key pillars for Water Stewardship Ireland, where alongside other national skills and training initiatives, it partners with Skillnet Ireland and Irish Water to deliver a free Certified Water Stewardship Programme for Irish-based businesses.

Collaboration and research are also central features to the Water Stewardship Ireland network with regular peer-to-peer meetings and site visits, sharing of best practice and collaborative to promote better water stewardship practices.

Speaking about the relaunch of Water Stewardship Ireland, its chairman Ken Stockil said: The impact of water risks on Irish society and the economy cannot be understated and has the potential to cost jobs, impact livelihoods, food security and inward tourism. The worst impacts of climate change will be felt and seen through water and there is a clear responsibility on Irish businesses to take urgent action to become more sustainable and efficient in their use of water resources.

Cliona Ni Eidhin, Inspector at Environmental Protection Agency Ireland added: Since 2013, Water Stewardship Ireland has provided an excellent opportunity to industry, stakeholders and agencies to address the water challenges facing Irish businesses. This progressive network has gone from strength to strength and has made a hugely positive impact on promoting water stewardship.

Welcoming the news on behalf of Irish Water, Christine Crawford, Business Communications & Marketing Executive said: Climate change is impacting the precious resource of water, and the operations of businesses across the globe who are experiencing water shortages and droughts. Irish Water is supporting Irish businesses to take urgent action to become more sustainable and efficient in their use of water resources, with our Water Stewardship Programme.
A SERIES of fundraisers organised by a County Limerick community has raised more than 28,000 for the Irish Community Air Ambulance.

The HEMS Air Ambulance, which is based in North Cork, was tasked to five separate incidents in the small village of Galbally since it was launched in 2019.

The missions to the Galbally area included a medical emergency, a horse-riding accident, a woman who was trampled by a cow, a man who was crushed by a tree and a young child who suffered serious burns.

The GAA and Camogie clubs in Galbally combined with members of the community to organise five fundraisers during the August Bank Holiday weekend to thank the service which is Irelands first and only charity-funded HEMS Air Ambulance.

The events included a cycle, 5km walk, a drive-in quiz and a hurling and camogie crossbar challenge. A tractor and vintage car run was also held in the village.

A cheque for 28,120 was recently presented to Micheal Sheridan, CEO of the Irish Community Air Ambulance, at a small event in Galbally.

The money raised will fund at least eight missions.

Commenting afterwards, Mr Sheridan said: I want to say a big thank you to the entire community in Galbally for raising such a significant amount of money. Were not government funded so we rely on donations and fundraisers like this to bring hope to people in emergency situations. Were called to the most serious incidents, often in rural and isolated locations like Galbally. It means a lot to us when we can meet former patients and we see how well they are doing. It proves just how vital the service is.

One of the organisers - Tom Quinlan, chairman of Galbally GAA - was injured while cutting trees in March of this year.

"The entire community made the weekend such a success and I want to thank everyone near and far for their support. It was driven by a small, but hard working committee of 14 people with more volunteers helping out with events each day. I am proud that the hard work paid off and that our events will fund eight emergency missions. I know first-hand just how important the service is to a rural parish like ours and Im glad they were there to help me when I needed them most.

For more information about Irish Community Air Ambulance or to make a donation see communityairambulance.ie.
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Teething issues such as tax implications may push Indias inclusion into a couple of global bond indices beyond the March quarter as forecast by Morgan Stanley, according to industry experts.

Last week, Morgan Stanley said it expects the JP Morgan GBI-EM and Bloomberg Global Aggregate Index to add India government bonds in their index as early as the first quarter of 2022. The bank said it expects index inflows in 2022/23 at about $40 billion, followed by annual inflows of $18.5 billion in subsequent years.

If you have bonds that can actually be traded overseas and can be exchanged between foreigners directly on global platforms, then there is a question on where the incidence of taxation is and how that gets resolved from our local perspective? There isnt any clarity on that. And before people actually engage, that clarity will be required. The industry was hoping it would come through in the last budget, but it didnt. And unless that goes through, we could potentially see further delays as well," a Mumbai-based debt market banker said on condition of anonymity.

The resolution of the tax aspect would need amendments in the Finance Act, and thus it could probably happen only in the next budget, he said. But, if they are really intent on it, then probably we could see something coming through in the winter session of the parliament, but that looks unlikely," he said.

He said other preconditions for these index inclusion such as international settlements through global platforms such as Euroclear and Clearstream are also yet to be put in place.

According to an economist with a foreign bank, who also requested anonymity, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may want to wait for the macro-economic situation to improve before it pursues the inclusion in these global indices. When RBI started planning for the inclusion before the covid, India needed those dollars. The question is are they as keen to push for it as compared to before. The other part is that RBI might want to do it from a position of strength, at a time when macro situation is better," he said.

The Morgan Stanley report projected that the IGBs (Indian government bond) curve could flatten by 50 basis points and 10-year IGBs are likely to trade at 5.85% in 2022. While everybody is expecting inflows worth $10 billion or 75,000 crore, nobody is expecting that RBI could reduce open market operations and the net demand supply doesnt change. RBI could then decide that the 10 year G-sec will not go below 6%. So, the bond markets could have an initial reaction, but that will not determine the bond movement in future," he added.

The Morgan Stanley report forecast that foreign portfolio inflows will lead to lower borrowing costs and help Indias debt sustainability further. It expects a 30-40 basis points (bps) tightening in Indias credit spread and foreign inflows into onshore corporate credit to pick up. We will definitely see the larger corporates benefitting, the government enterprises benefiting, as rates will certainly drop, but we need to see that also translate into benefits for other parts of the market for these flows to have a significant impact on the corporate debt market. The loan market too will benefit as a fallout of this," said Gaurav Kumar, founder and CEO, CredAvenue, an institutional debt platform.

Gopika Gopakumar contributed to this story.

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MUMBAI : In April this year, when media reports suggested that the government was working on a restructuring plan to boost the sagging performance of the countrys largest oil exploration and production (E&P) entityOil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd ( ONGC )the company was quick to issue a rejoinder.

It rubbished the misleading" reports and claimed that the government has been continuously encouraging" ONGC to play a larger role in the context of Indias oil and gas sector. The hurried denial and attempts at damage control were, in a way, revealing.

Why does a company that was set up 65 years ago with the sole purpose of discovering and developing new hydrocarbon blocks need encouragement? ONGC remains Indias best bet at shoring up oil security via domestic discoveries. While private firms such as Cairn-Vedanta and Reliance Industries Ltd have entered the exploration arena decades later, ONGC is the undisputed leaderaccounting for 76.7% of all domestic production.

Yet, strangely for an E&P major, ONGC has had no significant hydrocarbon find for at least a decade. The firms crude oil production has also dropped consistently, falling every year for at least the last five fiscals. The fall in domestic production matters especially at a time when India has repeatedly locked horns with international suppliers over crude oil prices.

Naturally, ONGC has been in the firing line for some time. The companys capital expenditure is spent almost entirely on keeping its ageing oil and gas fields alive rather than on any new explorations. The last big discovery came in 1976 (the Bassein field, about 80 kilometres off the Mumbai coast). In 1974, the firm hit black gold in Bombay High. Those heady days are all in the distant past.

Clearly, reforms are in order. The Union government, which holds a 60.4% stake in ONGC, wants the oil behemoth to shed some flab by forking out stake in a few of the hydrocarbon producing fields and monetizing existing infrastructure. The directive is also to rope in foreign partners in order to improve exploration and production prospects. Hiving off certain divisions such as seismic and drilling services into a separate arm is also under consideration.

The problem with ONGC is not (just) their lack of performance but the overhang of government policies," said an analyst from an international brokerage who requested anonymity. Look at any of the public sector units; their stocks are undervalued. ONGCs stock is the cheapest in Asia, if not globally."

View Full Image Paras Jain/Mint

In April this year, when media reports suggested that the government was working on a restructuring plan to boost the sagging performance of the countrys largest oil exploration and production (E&P) entityOil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC)the company was quick to issue a rejoinder.

It rubbished the misleading" reports and claimed that the government has been continuously encouraging" ONGC to play a larger role in the context of Indias oil and gas sector. The hurried denial and attempts at damage control were, in a way, revealing.

Why does a company that was set up 65 years ago with the sole purpose of discovering and developing new hydrocarbon blocks need encouragement? ONGC remains Indias best bet at shoring up oil security via domestic discoveries. While private firms such as Cairn-Vedanta and Reliance Industries Ltd have entered the exploration arena decades later, ONGC is the undisputed leaderaccounting for 76.7% of all domestic production.

Yet, strangely for an E&P major, ONGC has had no significant hydrocarbon find for at least a decade. The firms crude oil production has also dropped consistently, falling every year for at least the last five fiscals. The fall in domestic production matters especially at a time when India has repeatedly locked horns with international suppliers over crude oil prices.

Naturally, ONGC has been in the firing line for some time. The companys capital expenditure is spent almost entirely on keeping its ageing oil and gas fields alive rather than on any new explorations. The last big discovery came in 1976 (the Bassein field, about 80 kilometres off the Mumbai coast). In 1974, the firm hit black gold in Bombay High. Those heady days are all in the distant past.

Clearly, reforms are in order. The Union government, which holds a 60.4% stake in ONGC, wants the oil behemoth to shed some flab by forking out stake in a few of the hydrocarbon producing fields and monetizing existing infrastructure. The directive is also to rope in foreign partners in order to improve exploration and production prospects. Hiving off certain divisions such as seismic and drilling services into a separate arm is also under consideration.

The problem with ONGC is not (just) their lack of performance but the overhang of government policies," said an analyst from an international brokerage who requested anonymity. Look at any of the public sector units; their stocks are undervalued. ONGCs stock is the cheapest in Asia, if not globally."

|#+|

Over the past five years, even as the broader market Nifty 50 index surged by 97.8%, ONGCs share price fell by 26.8%.

As long as ONGC is in the broader government ambit, their decision making and performance will be the way it is. ONGC cant be compared to any E&P company internationally due to this reason," the analyst cited above added.

ONGCs travails have broader ramifications. India imports over 80% of its crude oil requirements and the import bill stood at $24.7 billion in the first quarter of this fiscal year. In 2020-21, the country spent $62.7 billion to import 198 million tonnes of crude, according to the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. A decisive energy transition towards cleaner fuels might take years, or perhaps decades. Crude oil will remain a mainstay in Indias energy mix until then. And a well-functioning ONGC could ease the import burden. So, what exactly ails ONGC and what can be done about it?

A glorious past

ONGC was set up by minister K.D. Malviya in the mid-1950s when none of the western exploration firms could find any oil in India after the worlds second major discovery was made at Digboi, Assam, in the 1860s.

In 1956, ONGC not only established new oil findings in the Cambay basin (Gujarat), but also found new resources in the Assam-Arakan fold belt and the east coast basins (both inland and offshore). Its moment of reckoning, however, came in 1974 when it discovered the giant oil field at Bombay High (also known as Mumbai High), followed by the Bassein gas field off Mumbai High in 1976. Since then, though, there was no big discovery for the company until the Krishna-Godavari 98/2 block, which though discovered in the 1980s was commissioned only last month.

It is not that ONGC has not made new discoveries. Yes, there have not been big structural discoveries (or a single big discovery)something as sizeable as the Mumbai High. But ONGCs reserves have been clocking an uptick," said a senior ONGC official on the condition of anonymity. There have been satellite discoveries (peripheral discoveries at a certain distance from a primary block) made in scattered fields. These are of reduced reserve size and can be brought to production (only) as part of a cluster (several low-potential fields are developed together to keep costs under control)," the official added.

An ONGC spokesperson said that the firm is hopeful of making new discoveries in some unexplored areas. ONGC has a balanced portfolio of green field projects as well as brownfield redevelopment schemes," the spokesperson said.

But the reality is that around 95% of ONGCs production comes from ageing or mature fields. Over the past decade, more than two-third of the firms capital expenditure or capex has gone towards arresting production declines in these fields; only one-third went towards new exploration. This, say analysts, does not bode well for a company whose core business is E&P.

According to the ONGC spokesperson cited above, it is because of ONGCs substantial exploratory efforts that the firm is able to maintain a reserve-replacement ratio (RRR) of more than 1 for the past 15 years in a row. RRR is the amount of oil that gets added to a companys reserves divided by the amount that is extracted for production. While this ratio is indeed used by investors to judge an oil firms operating performance, analysts point out that ONGC has maintained a good ratio through a sleight of handby simply not drilling the satellite fields yet adding them to the reserves.

One key reason for the firms reticence in turning reserves into production blocks is price. While prices at the retail pump might be at an all-time high due to the effect of taxation, the global benchmark price for oil and gas is relatively low. In FY21, ONGCs production cost for crude oil was $39 per barrel and $3.75 per mmBtu (million metric British thermal unit) for natural gas. The firm then sells the crude oil to oil marketing companies (OMCs) at around $58.10 per barrel and natural gas at $1.79 per mmBtu.

This (price) is a matter of grave concern for upstream operators and also jeopardizes the potential for further commercial development of gas resources. Without necessary policy interventions and fiscal support, upstream gas development at such price levels is economically a loss-making proposition," said ONGC in its annual report. The gas formula (which is used to determine prices) was a step away from the regulated pricing regime but because of its linkages to prices in international gas hubs (which are) located in more liquid and gas-rich areas, it does not fully capture the realities of the domestic market," the report added.

The exploration cycle

Oil exploration is a long-drawn-out process. India has 26 sedimentary basins, and each basin has its history of exploration. Usually, companies first study the geological and geophysical data via drilled wells and seismic data.

Based on the available data, an assessment is made regarding the viability of a source rock (whether it could generate movable quantities of hydrocarbons). A slew of follow-up parameterssuch as the potential volume, the likely thickness of the reservoir and the amount of hydrocarbon which could be entrapped, among other factorsare then studied. Finally, firms rank all potential blocks in terms of prospectivity and size. Depending on the size of a discovery, the exploration firm then prepares a development plan for the field. The development could be for a particular reservoir or a multi-level reservoir. Once the director general of hydrocarbon (DGH) approves the plan, the company can go ahead with the exploration plan for which it issues tenders and call for bids.

From studying the prospects to producing hydrocarbon, the process could take anywhere between 5-10 years. Due to this long gestation period, most oil and gas exploration firms ought to be nimble and plan well in advance. This is where being a state-run firm comes with its own set of challenges.

While till 2014-15, ONGC along with the OMCs had to bear the burden of selling petroleum products at a subsidized rate, in 2016, ONGC was forced to acquire an 80% stake in the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporations (GSPC) Deen Dayal field in the KG Basin for 7,738 crore. Often dubbed as a dud field, ONGC officials say that so far there is no viable deep-water technology that can be used to develop the Deen Dayal field.

In 2018, ONGC had to buy" the state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd from the Union government. The firms cash reserves promptly fell, and debt shot upfrom 74,399 crore in FY17 to 1,01,246 crore in FY18. At the end of FY21, the outstanding debt is at 1,23,945 crore.

To be an exploration company, you need funds to explore. ONGC has been successively squeezed of funds and treated as a cash cow," said a retired ONGC official, who did not wish to be named. The company is not given a level playing field in terms of product pricing and is expected to perform. How is that possible? You cant tie ONGCs hands and ask it to perform," the official added.

Lack of technology

Despite ONGCs 65-year existence, India has still not been able to build a robust oil field services industry. Oil field services refer to allied services that an exploration company requires in its cycle of exploration and production.

To an extent, ONGCs performance also depends on the services available. ONGC has been using its in-house services to meet its needs, but it is not a services company by itself. So, its reach will be limited," said an ONGC official.

The recent quest to establish tie-ups with international E&P companies stems from an acknowledgement of the current limitationsthe domestic oil field services industry is seriously underdeveloped and the lack of access to technology continues to be a major bottleneck.

We are looking for a partner on a case-to-case basis," Subhash Kumar, chairman and managing director, ONGC, told analysts on 14 August.

We are not necessarily looking for a partner to bridge the investment gap or the risk gap. It is actually the alliance we are more interested (in) so that they bring in value their international knowledge of similar basins where they have succeeded," he added.

If a combination of organizational reform, urgency, and new technology is infused into the company, ONGC could potentially look beyond the seven or eight basins where oil has been encountered until now. While these could be risky bets, the potential rewardin the event of a new major findcould also be high.

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The India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) meeting in early September, among other things, saw the creation of a new initiative to help India achieve its climate financing needs. The Climate Finance Leadership Initiative (CFLI) India, announced on 2 September, will seek to channel private investment to help India meet its Paris 2015 goals. The CFLI, a brainchild of Bloomberg LP owner and United Nations special envoy Michael R. Bloomberg, was created in 2019 to mobilize private finance to aid countries with a green energy transition. The India initiative is CFLIs first global pilot project.

One of Indias key international commitments in the global fight against climate change is the establishment of 450 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy (RE) by 2030. For a country that is currently overwhelmingly dependent on coal for its energy needs, that is a pretty substantial commitment, but one that the government is confident of honouring. A potentially fatal stumbling block to this may be finance. The CFLI envisages a shortfall of about $649 billion that India would need over the coming years to reach this target and plans to plug this gap by mobilizing private investment.

CFLI India will be co-chaired by Shemara Wikramanayake, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer of the Macquarie Group, and Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata group. It also comprises several Indian and multi-national corporations and financial institutions. The partnership will be supported by the governments of UK and India, along with the City of London Corporation, the Global Infrastructure Facility, and Bloomberg LP.

In an email interview with Mint, Michael Bloomberg spoke on the CFLI, its aims and what it hoped to achieve in India. Edited excerpts:

BloombergNEF estimates a $649 billion gap in Indias financing needs to reach the 450GW target. How does CFLI India plan to mobilize this investment? What is the time frame that youre looking at?

CFLI India is focused on the kind of measures that can help increase climate finance around the world: Working with partners to launch financing opportunities tailored to the local market, with the potential to create new models for funding sustainable infrastructure; building public-private partnerships, including with the national government and multilateral organizations; and addressing specific opportunities for policies that break down hurdles to clean energy and sustainable infrastructure.

In terms of time frame: Over the next year, we aim to help drive financing to one or more specific projects that are important to Indias climate goals. Over the next two years, well identify a priority policy opportunity (maybe more than one) and work with the Indian government to address it, while also bringing new technical assistance to support that work.

What will be the nature of the supporting role played by the City of London Corporation, the Global Infrastructure Facility and Bloomberg LP?

Each partner will contribute through its strengths and relationships. The City of London Corporation has been collaborating with India for over 10 years and can facilitate dialogue with the financial industry. The Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) provides resources to help prepare projects so theyre attractive to investors, and it helps address market conditions that might hinder investment. Bloomberg LP is helping to coordinate the whole initiative and we are supporting collaboration by running the CFLI India Secretariat. We will also provide data and analysis to support the work of the initiative.

Could you tell us a little about the genesis of this idea to raise local private investment to meet climate financing targets? To what extent does it align with your role as UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambitions and Solutions?

The fact is: We cant reach the goals of the Paris Agreement without an enormous amount of new private capital. At the same time, funding the transition to clean energy and sustainable infrastructure is an opportunity for investors. The opportunities are out therewe just have to fix obstacles that stand in the way of investment, particularly in emerging markets. The CFLIs latest report outlines what some of those obstacles are, and how to address them.

India is a great example of this dynamic and a natural place for the first major CFLI effort. It has vast renewable energy resources, ambitious plans to utilize them, great opportunities for investors, and so much to gain from switching to clean powerin terms of economic growth, job create, public health, and environmental impact.

The CFLIs India pilot calls for industry-led initiatives. Will these be industries in the emerging green economy space or also include companies from high-emission industries and sectors?

The initiative will have a targeted approach focused on a number of key sectors and themes identified by industry leaders. They are likely to include things like: electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, grid capacity and stability, industrial water management and recycling, and reducing the emissions from heavy industry.

There is already a lot of momentum to make progress in these areas given the work being done by partners in the initiative, including the Indian government.

What kind of policy signals and market reforms do you envision the Indian government to undertake in line with this new financing?

Policies and incentives can help direct capital to more clean energy projects. For instance, local governments in India are adopting financial incentives and supportive policies to encourage electric vehicle use. That can make a very big difference, but its crucial that the electric power come from clean energy, not coal fired power plants.

Does the CFLI initiative look at fostering Indian innovation, especially in the power sector?

Supporting new technologies for clean energy projects is a key goal of CFLI India. The country is taking important steps to make that possible. For instance: Prime Minister Modi recently formally announced the launch of a National Hydrogen Mission to accelerate plans to generate carbon-free fuel from renewables and achieve self-reliance in energy. To help spur more innovation, were bringing together a group of local and multinational financial institutions and industry leaders, government partners, and others to coordinate on public policy and financing solutions and share ideas.

Clean technology transfer and climate financing has long been important demands from India and global south to combat climate change. So far, despite plenty of announcements to this end, projects like the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund havent delivered. Can private investments really plug the gap?

Increasing private investment is critical, but there are other important steps that we need to take as well. For instance: As part of the Paris Agreement, wealthy countries pledged to provide at least $100 billion each year to help developing countries fight climate change and prepare for its impacts. That pledge has not been fulfilledand it needs to be.

Moving on to the COP26 in Glasgow this year. What are the key areas in climate negotiations that youre hoping to see decisive action in?

In Paris in 2015, Bloomberg helped to pull together local leaders from around the world to highlight the role of cities in the climate fight and the progress they have been making. That helped ensure a strong agreement, and since then, cities have continued to help lead the way. COP26 is a chance to build on that. The more we support cities, the faster we can make progress.

Some of the most important steps weve taken since Paris are in the area of climate risk disclosure. Companies want to address the risks they face from climate change, but they often dont have the data to take actionand that means investors arent equipped to make informed decisions. The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) is working to fix that by helping companies disclose information on climate-related risks and opportunities.

So far, more than 2,500 public and private sector entities have endorsed the framework, including the G7 and G20. COP president Alok Sharma has called on more businesses to support the TCFD in the lead up to COP26, which will help bring even more momentum to this work.

Climate finance has been an important point of contention between wealthy countries and lower and lower-middle income countries in previous COPs and the COP26 hopes to resolve this. Is it reasonable to hope that this will happen?

Governments and businesses have strong incentives to finance the fight against climate change. CFLI India is a great example of how they can join forcesand it can set a strong example that leads to more progress around the world.

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The Maya have lived in Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula since at least 1800 B.C. and flourished in the region for thousands of years. According to countless studies, the Maya civilization collapsed between A.D. 800 and 1000. But though the term "Maya collapse" brings up images of ruins overgrown with forests and of an ancient civilization whose cities fell and were abandoned, the reality is far more complex.

So, why did the Maya civilization collapse, and can you even call it a "collapse"?

For starters, the Maya are still here today. "It was the Maya political system that collapsed, not [their] society," Lisa Lucero, professor of anthropology and medieval studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, told Live Science in an email. "The over 7 million Maya living today in Central America and beyond attest to this fact."

Related: Did the Maya really sacrifice their ballgame players?

The ancient Maya didn't have one central leader, like an emperor in ancient Rome, and were not unified into a single state. Instead, the ancient Maya civilization consisted of numerous small states, each centered around a city. While these city states shared similarities in culture and religion, they each had their own local leaders, some more powerful than others. There was no single collapse for these polities; rather, a number of Maya cities rose and fell at different times, some within that 800 to 1000 time period, and some afterward, according to scholars. For example, while areas in southern Mesoamerica, such as Tikal in what is now Guatemala, declined in the eighth and ninth centuries due to environmental problems and political turmoil, populations rose in other areas, such as Chichen Itza, on what is now the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, scholars said.

"Collapse is not a term that should be universally applied to 'the' Maya, who should not be referred to as a single term either," Marilyn Masson, a professor and chair of anthropology at the University at Albany, State University of New York, told Live Science in an email. "The Maya region was large, with many polities and environments, and multiple languages were spoken in the Maya family."

When Chichen Itza declined, largely because of a lengthy drought during the 11th century, another Yucatan Peninsula city, called Mayapan, started to thrive. "Mayapan had lords, priests, hundreds of religious hieroglyphic books, complex astronomy and a pantheon of deities," Masson said. "Much of what we know about earlier Maya religion comes from books written in Mayapan's day and from descendant populations who met and survived European contact."

While Mayapan declined prior to European contact, partly due to warfare, another Yucatan Peninsula site called Ti'ho was growing at the time Europeans arrived, Masson said.

Maya states continued to exist even after the region was ravaged by war and disease brought about by the European conquests in Central America. "We should always remember, the last Maya state, Nojpeten, fell only in 1697  pretty recent," said Guy Middleton, a visiting fellow at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Newcastle University in the U.K.

Why did they fall?

A mix of political and environmental problems is usually blamed for the decline of Maya cities.

Analysis of speleothems , or rock structures in caves such as stalactites and stalagmites, shows that "several severe  multi-year  droughts struck between [A.D.] 800 and 930" in the southern Mesoamerica region, Lucero said. "And since the most powerful Maya kings relied on urban reservoirs to draw in farmers/subjects during the annual dry season for access to clean drinking water, decreasing rainfall meant water levels dropped, crops failed and kings lost their means of power." What's more, "the decreasing rainfall exacerbated any problems kings were having," she said.

Related: Why does rain give off that fresh, earthy smell?

The fact that Maya rulers often linked their own powers to deities created more political problems. The problems the Maya suffered from droughts "caused people to lose trust in their rulers, which is more than just losing trust in the government when your rulers are closely tied to deities," said Justine Shaw, an anthropology professor at the College of the Redwoods in California. The droughts, combined with political turmoil, would have also disrupted agriculture, maintenance of water storage systems and resulted in Maya rulers wasting resources on warfare, Shaw said.

Lucero noted that some Maya areas experienced deforestation, and lower water levels made it harder to trade goods. "Less rainfall likely impacted canoe trade since water levels noticeably drop each dry season  so less rain meant less canoe travel," Lucero said.

However, a "collapse" in one area could be a time of "boom" in another. The Cochuah region on the Yucatan Peninsula thrived during the Terminal Classic [800 to 930] after much of the south was depopulated due to drought and political conflict. "But it, too, eventually lost much of its occupants," Shaw said. The reasons why Cochuah boomed and collapsed are currently being investigated.

This pattern of decline in one area and growth in another continued through the time of European conflict with Maya cities. Political and environmental problems often led to the decline of one area, while another area grew possibly because they were not suffering as badly from these problems.

Modern Maya

After the last Maya state was conquered by the Spanish in 1697, the Maya people continued on, enduring discrimination and at times revolting against Spain and the governments that came into power after Spanish colonial rule ended in 1821. "The Maya have suffered horrendously, but periodically have rebelled, unsuccessfully; they still lack adequate political representation in the countries where they live," Middleton told Live Science.

"It is really important to get the message out there that though classic Maya cities and states did collapse, and culture did transform, the Maya in no way disappeared," said Middleton, adding that "we should pay attention to the story, the state and status of the Maya descendent population in Mesoamerica now."

Originally published on Live Science.
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Waxing, waning COVID restrictions continue to force filmmakers to develop workarounds if they want to work at all. While one can admire their enterprise, it would be fibbing to pretend most such efforts to date have been very interesting as art or entertainment, beyond the novelty of whatever conceptual gimmick allowed them to keep cast and locations to a segregated minimum. An exception last year was streaming hit Host, which delivered a fun and scary ride despite the notion of a demonic presence invading a group Zoom call being similar to numerous other recent horror opuses. Its success was particularly notable since the film didnt even quite reach feature length, clocking in at just under an hour.

Going for broke at a whole 77 minutes  well, if you count the whopping 11 dedicated to final credits  is Dashcam, which reunites director Rob Savage and his Host co-writers. Again, their hook is COVID-related, although rather than dealing with dutifully sequestered characters, the narrative this time is propelled by a noxious pandemic denier who flouts all contagion-prevention protocols.

Her heedless travel affords a bigger, more action-packed canvas here, albeit one still framed by a found footage gist  the film was shot by Savage and cast members (no DP is credited) on iPhones. That looser format brings mixed rewards, however, as by the handheld camerawork. The result is at once fun and fatiguing. Scary its not, and many viewers will find their patience tested by the character they most hope will be dealt a quick demise being the one were principally stuck with.

Amid lines blurred between on-screen fiction and off-screen reality throughout, Los Angeles musician Annie Hardy plays herself, however cartoonishly exaggerated. Shes introduced in the act of livestreaming Band Car, an actual series billed as the Internets #1 Live Improvised Music Show Broadcast From a Moving Vehicle. It apparently consists of Hardy driving around, improvising raps to a synth groove as prompted by the stream of comments from her followers, occasionally interrupting that flow to yell at a passerby. This iteration of Hardy (whos also fronted indie rock band Giant Drag since 2003) is funny in a crass, childish, scatological way, straddling the humorously bratty and the truly reactionary. By all evidence here, that tenor perfectly suits a fan base whose default response is SHOW YER TITS.

Unsurprisingly, this self-caricature is also a flaming libertarian-style opponent of all policies imposed by COVID, which she rants is some kind of fake-news conspiracy anyway. Proclaiming shes running away from the fing madness of America, she boards a flight at a near-empty LAX, landing in the London home of former collaborator El Stretcho (Amar Chadha-Patel). Neither he nor his live-in girlfriend (Jemma Moore) are especially happy to host this surprise guest, who for the sake of her broadcast and freedom compounds offenses so fast shes soon thrown out. As she sees it, its only fair that she should then steal their car.

While in possession of said wheels, Annie is asked to deliver a seemingly frail, mute older woman of color, Angela (Angela Enahoro), to a particular location. Enough money is proffered that our far-from-altruistic heroine agrees. But sickly Angela brings problems  first of a bodily fluids grossout ilk, then in ways alarming, homicidal and not very human. Eventually Stretcho shows up, having tracked his purloined vehicle. But he and Annie arent equipped to deal with the creature theyre saddled with, who proves an agent of grave harm to anyone crossing their collective path.

Dashcam doesnt explain whats happened to Angela, let alone what has got hold of her (suffice it to say one performer gets billed as The Parasite) or exactly what its powers are. But those powers are formidable, requiring deployment of VFX and stunt personnel. Together, those folk achieve some nice fantasy imagery within the films faux-live presentation.

Yet when one of Annies viewers texts, I cant see what is happening, were all too sympathetic to his complaint. As crisis piles upon crisis, with the performers holding cameras in all states of physical agitation, what we witness is too often just confusingly chaotic. A final stretch at a country estate introduces intriguing elements, but they too seem random and inexplicable. Then the narrative jerks to a halt, and we get many minutes of Hardy improvising amusingly juvenile raps in response to the closing cast and crew credits.

As a showcase for her, Dashcam may be a little too much of a good thing  shes an acting natural, but this character is so vividly irksome it turns the whole film into a sort of deliberately off-putting standup routine. As sendup of the Trumpian belligerent-know-nothing politics that only heightened (and expanded well beyond the U.S.) during COVID, the effect is awfully broad as well as grating. While otherwise well-acted and crafted, Savages film is so dominated by this Gorgon persona, it cant help feeling like an overextended comedy sketch. Where Host was short and sweet (as well as frightening), over-the-top Dashcam feels longer than the bare 66 minutes it logs pre-final credits. Its a clever stunt  still, not so clever that it cant wear out its welcome.

Reviewed online, San Francisco, Sept. 10, 2021. (In TIFFMidnight Madness. Also in BFI London.) Running time: 77 MIN.

Running Time: 1 hour 17 minutes

Production

(U.K.-U.S.) A Blumhouse presentation of a Shadowhouse Films production in association with Boo-urns. (World sales: Endeavor, Beverly Hills.) Producers: Jason Blum, Douglas Cox, Rob Savage. Executive producers: Gemma Hurley, Rob Savage, Jed Shepherd, Ryan Turek. Co-producer: Jennifer Trent.

Crew

Director: Rob Savage. Screenplay: Gemma Hurley, Rob Savage, Jed Shepherd. Camera: Ollie Craig. Editor: Brenna Rangott.

With

Annie Hardy, Amar Chadha-Patel, Angela Enahoro, Seylan Baxter, James Swanton, Caroline Ward, Jemma Moore, Mogali Masuku.

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For the first time in its 46-year history, a Tanzanian film is part of the official selection of the Toronto Film Festival, as Amil Shivjis Vuta NKuvute (Tug of War) prepares to bow at the Canadian fest on Sept. 13.

Set in colonial-era Zanzibar, Tug of War is the story of a young freedom fighter and a runaway bride whose romance blossoms against the backdrop of a political uprising in the final years of British colonial rule.

The film is produced by Steven Markovitz (Big World Cinema) and Shivji, who co-wrote with South African director Jenna Bass, who also debuts her latest feature, Mlungu Wam (Good Madam), in Torontos Platform section.

Based on the Swahili novel by Shafi Adam Shafi, Tug of War is a story that captivated the director when he first laid his hands on it. I picked it up and couldnt put it down, Shivji tells Variety. I realized that this book was so cinematic. It was like I was watching a film through Shafis writing.

The movie centers on Denge (Gudrun Columbus Mwanyika), a young revolutionary agitating for Zanzibari independence, and Yasmin (Ikhlas Gafur Vora), an Indian-Zanzibari woman who flees an arranged marriage in search of her own freedom. Forbidden love stirs between the two, even as the resistance struggle by Denge and his comrades intensifies and a growing crackdown by colonial authorities puts all their lives in jeopardy.

Shivji says Tug of War is the first period drama in the history of the nascent Tanzanian film industry. It explores a little-known chapter in the archipelago evocatively referred to as the Spice Islands, whose white-sand beaches and UNESCO World Heritage Stone Town  among the top tourist attractions on the continent  paint an image of an island idyll frozen in time.

With his second feature, the director says he hoped to push back against that conventional framing. This whole towns history removes the people completely from the narrative of what Zanzibar is, and the people are the biggest part of the culture. Its ever growing, ever changing, and very progressive, he says. I just felt like this would really help fill a void of a history that we havent been taught in our schools.

In the 1950s, as Africans across the continent began agitating for independence, Zanzibar witnessed an increasingly bloody struggle for democratic rule that would put an end to a sultanate that  backed by British colonial administrators  had ruled for 100 years.

The 1950s was a great time [in Zanzibar]. It was a time where political debate was encouraged, and critical thinking was encouraged, says Shivji. There were 100 newspapers being published every day on an island of 300,000 people in four different languages. It was a hub for social and critical thought. But then it just broke down over a decade.

Shivji was born in Dar es Salaam but traces his familys roots to Zanzibar, which he visited often as a child. The islands history has always had a grip on him. With the help of production designers Emilia Roux and Eliudi Dominic Mwanyika and costume designer Hawa Ally Issa, Tug of War evokes the fin de siecle character of a society on the verge of a violent disruption, as British administrators blithely wine and dine in expat social clubs and the plangent chords of taarab music echo through the narrow lanes of a Stone Town harshly segregated along arbitrary racial lines.

More than half a century after the bloody struggle that brought an end to colonial rule, those divisions persist in modern-day Zanzibar. That inter-generational trauma continues to exist, and the memory has been very hard for people to process, says Shivji. I knew that one film is not going to solve these problems. But it was an opportunity to allow us to look at the 50s and realize that we actually arent that far away.

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Have you ever noticed how, in Western culture, when referring to someones death, writers feel obliged to insert the word tragic somewhere in the sentence? Is there any other kind, a reader might rightly ask. Sometimes they mean unexpected, a kind of shorthand intended to show that the life in question was cut short before its time. But just as often, the phrase tragic death is simply redundant, a trite cliche intended to signify that the speaker isnt some callous bastard.

Writer-director John Michael McDonagh recognizes that not all deaths are tragic. Some are merciful, others accidental; while many are unfortunate, on some occasions, people meet an end that could be described as poetic  or at the least, deserved. McDonagh (like younger brother Martin) is a brute-force moralist. Both siblings write scripts in which the term reckoning often applies, which is to say, movies and plays where atonement is meted out in a blunt and bloody fashion, often with darkly comic undertones. John Michaels first three features  The Guard, Calvary and War on Everyone  certainly qualify, and his fourth, The Forgiven, isnt merely concerned with such themes; its consumed by them.

Undeniably wicked yet deliciously prickly in its portrayal of adult affairs, The Forgiven takes place in Morocco, where life is cheap, but some things  like decency, respect and a clean conscience  cant be bought. The film stars Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain as David and Jo, a posh European couple on holiday in the Sahara, who kill a boy by accident and see the situation not as a tragedy but more of an inconvenience.

Its hardly a coincidence that Jo has brought along a copy of Andre Gides The Immoralist to read. David and Jo are too blase about the trip to perceive themselves as literary figures  although thats exactly what they are: complicated protagonists of Lawrence Osbornes biting 2012 novel. McDonagh saw something in the book, and while his adaptation is a fairly faithful rendering of the incidents and individuals contained therein, he tweaks it here and there to suit his own worldview, especially in the way he directs the films last few minutes.

The Forgiven observes  and judges  how ostensibly civilized outsiders conduct themselves in a place where laws dont touch them because they can buy their way out of any situation, an oasis rendered exotic by such authors as Evelyn Waugh and Paul Bowles (whose more impure motives are here cast into the light: to bugger little Arab boys, according to McDonaghs typically brusque and deliberately offensive dialogue). A travel writer-cum-social critic, Osborne seems to have been inspired by the (mis)conduct he observed when living in Morocco, cataloging the excesses as a kind of damning evidence: If something terrible should happen to these perceived infidels, they will have deserved it, for escaping to the desert for their debauchery, then shipping in oranges from Spain, butter from Paris and drinking water from another corner of the country.

David and Jo have been invited to a party at an old friends ksour in Azna. Their host is a snob (Matt Smith) whose partner (Caleb Landry Jones) throws decadent, tone-deaf parties, the sheer excess of which is an insult to the locals, who could live for years on the resources wasted for one nights revelry. Davids a functioning alcoholic who tanks up on liquor before making the drive, then hits a young fossil seller en route, killing him instantly. It was after dark, and the boy stepped into Davids path. He refuses to acknowledge responsibility, insisting that the boy was to blame. Jo has misgivings, but invents her own excuses. Maybe the kid was a carjacker  and owing to a revolver revealed early on, the film allows that maybe he was.

Still, theres no denying: David has blood on his hands  quite literally, as McDonagh makes a point of showing his stained driving gloves  and as the movie proceeds, the will gradually gain perspective on the situation. He will, in fact, have to face the boys father, convey his contrition as convincingly as possible and make the journey all the way to Tafalaalt to attend the funeral. These things are the custom, we are told. So is payment, and David brings 1,000 euros along as blood money. He intends to pay not a centime more.

Is that all a life is worth? And what of Davids? Theres a good chance, he realizes, that he wont return from the burial trek. He fears he might be killed on the way by ISIS (the characters barely attempt to disguise their contempt for the locals), or executed by the dead boys vengeful father, Abdellah (Ismael Kanater), stoic but not as shallow a stereotype as he first appears. While Davids away, Jo seems genuinely concerned but also liberated. The role might not appear to have much to offer Chastain , but it becomes the richest in many ways, as she acts out, quite recklessly, pursuing an affair with a bisexual American (Christopher Abbott) because she can.

McDonagh has the nerve to make these characters deeply off-putting, if not downright unlikable, to his audience. These are upper-class, over-educated, under-compassionate gargoyles, the lot of them  self-anointed elitists who would not recoil at allegations of privilege (white or otherwise) and who might, in fact, be all too happy to reiterate their superiority over others if so accused.

But McDonagh loves his monsters, and in casting someone as adept at conveying the nuances of the characters transformation as Fiennes, he shows that he understands the core tragedy of The Forgiven. Its not the boys death we mourn. The kid is a nobody, David sneers. Its the fact that this seemingly irredeemable character, David, could come around to finding his own humanity, and that the epiphany still might not be enough to save him. It had never occurred to him why he had not been forgiven, because he had forgiven himself, Osborne writes in the books final chapter. Earlier, Jo also admits, I dont need to be forgiven anymore. McDonaghs characters are more complex than the initial caricatures make them out to be  perhaps, in the end, even pitiful  leaving audiences to decide how they feel about their ultimate fates.

Reviewed at Sepulveda Screening Room, Los Angeles, Sept. 7, 2021. (In Toronto Film Festival  Gala Presentations.) Running time: 117 MIN.

Running Time: Running time: 117 MIN.

Production

(U.K.) A Focus Features release of a Brookstreet Pictures, Head Gear, Film 4 presentation of a House of Un-American Activities, Brookstreet Pictures production. (World sales: MadRiver Pictures, Beverly Hills.) Producers: Elizabeth Eves, John Michael McDonagh, Trevor Matthews, Nick Gordon. Executive producers: Norman Merry, Peter Hampden, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, Jack Heller, Scott Veltri, Kimberly Fox, Donald Povieng, Ollie Madden, Daniel Battsek, Lawrence Osborne.

Crew

Director, writer: John Michael McDonagh. Camera: Larry Smith. Editors: Elizabeth Eves, Chris Gill. Music: Lorne Balfe.

With

Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, Matt Smith, Said Taghmaoui, Christopher Abbott, Ismael Kanater, Caleb Landry Jones, Mourad Zaoui, Abbey Lee, Alex Jennings, Marie-Josee Croze.

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Eight months after winning the documentary Oscar for Free Solo, directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin began working on their next documentary project: National Geographics The Rescue. The directing duo used never-before-seen footage and exclusive interviews to tell the story of the dramatic 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave. Unlike Free Solo and their 2015 docu Meru, Vasarhelyi and Chin relied on other peoples footage, Zoom interviews and reenactments to make The Rescue. Film screens at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Was The Rescue a commissioned project or did you bring the idea to National Geographic?

Vasarhelyi: National Geographic controlled the rights to the footage, and [Jimmy] and I asked if we could direct it. We pursued the project because it was a story we just loved.

The Rescue uses never-before-seen footage shot by the Thai Navy Seals. When did you discover that footage existed?

Vasarhelyi: We had only heard rumors from the divers themselves that they remembered carrying GoPros. When we met in person with the Thai Navy Seals, we were expecting they had at most 90 minutes of cobbled-together material. When we finally came to an agreement with them, we realized there was 87 hours of all of this amazing footage of what happens inside the cave [including] the footage of the kids themselves. It was like looking behind a curtain because we had no idea that was what was involved because we had never seen images of it.

From those 87 hours of cave footage, how did you know what had to make it into the film?

Vasarhelyi: The shot in the movie  what I think of as the Holy Grail shot  is when the children are found and diver John [Volanthen] leads them in a motivational cheer.

The Rescue includes several reenactment sequences. You and Jimmy had never film reenactments, so how did you approach it?

In an ideal world, we would have filmed the real participants in the real cave, but as we were unable to get to Thailand because of COVID, we filmed the real divers reenacting certain parts of their accounts from the rescue in a tank in England. Our intention was to try to make them as impressionistic as possible. What it ends up as is a pastiche of real footage from GoPros and reenactment.

The boys who were rescued from the cave were not interviewed for the film. Why did you decide to not include their voices in The Rescue?

Vasarhelyi: There is a preexisting deal with another studio who own the rights to the children. We did everything in our power to try and get some access to them, but it didnt end up working out.

The Rescue is your first film after winning the Oscar for Free Solo. Is it nerve-wracking to go out with a new film after all the acclaim for Free Solo? And do you feel pressure to achieve the same level of success with this film?

Vasarhelyi: Every time we make a new film we feel immense responsibility and pressure, thats who we are. Mostly because someone has trusted us to share their story with the world, so we have to get it right. Our experience with Free Solo was very special, and each film is different. We love The Rescue and its been incredibly special to spend time with this film during the pandemic.

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Canadian actor Sarah Gadon told Variety Saturday she was really happy with the decisions of Venices main jury this year, on which she served alongside Bong Joon-ho, Saverio Costanzo, Virginie Efira, Cynthia Erivo, Alexander Nanau and last years Golden Lion winner Chloe Zhao.

The jury gave the Golden Lion to French director Audrey Diwans powerful abortion drama Happening, while Italian director Paolo Sorrentinos semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama The Hand of God took the runner-up grand jury prize.

I feel that our choices are very strong and we all arrived at a place where we were unanimous about them, she said, admitting that the discussions about the presented films werent just restricted to four jury meetings. We often spoke after the screenings. It just felt natural, she said.

Gadon, who studied film theory and criticism at university, was vocal about her excitement over joining the jury, writing on her Instagram: The film geek in me is doing somersaults. The actor in me is humbled. The cinephile in me that hasnt seen a movie in a theater in two years is bursting with joy. Lets hope I remember how to walk in high heels.

The actor received acclaim for her role in the CBC miniseries Alias Grace, based on the Margaret Atwood novel, as well as her collaboration with David Cronenberg on A Dangerous Method (presented in competition in Venice in 2011), Cosmopolis (in competition in Cannes in 2012), and Maps to the Stars (in competition in Cannes in 2014). She also worked with Denis Villeneuve on his thriller Enemy.

To be able to exercise that part of my brain was really exciting. When you are a film student, you dream that one day, you will be able to judge films and have really stimulating discussions. Thats what we have been doing for the whole festival, with people I deeply respect, she said, calling her jury duty an experience of a lifetime.

I have spent the past two years pretty much in isolation, so being here feels like this huge celebration. Now, more than ever, I appreciate being able to go and see the films with an audience.

Due to a scheduling conflict the actor will be unable to attend the premiere of her latest film All My Puny Sorrows, however, now shown in Toronto. Canadian filmmaker Michael McGowans adaptation of Miriam Toews novel about two sisters is also starring Alison Pill.

The premiere is tonight [Saturday]. I am sad, because I really love the film. I wanted to tell this story because I love the book so much, but also because Alison Pill was going to be in it. Our lives have been intertwined since we were kids. She is such an incredible actor, said Gadon.

A self-described introvert, she also opened up about the pressures of the red carpet and the decision to not work with a stylist this year.

Its not natural for me to be exhibiting myself in that way. It has been a journey, understanding its a part of the industry. Everything that I wore [in Venice], every brand I worked with, I chose. For me, thats important, because I need to feel comfortable in what I am wearing. I enjoyed this part of the festival, precisely because I had so much control over my image, she said.

Everybody gets judged based on how they look and its something I came to expect. But I feel excited when people, once they get to know me and we sit down to have a conversation, leave with a very different perspective of who I am as a person.

Gadon admitted that she felt energized and inspired by the films she saw in Venice, after having been starved of the performing arts during the pandemic.

I am really excited about some new voices, people who are making their first or second films, but also about the masters showing their current work. It has been very helpful in terms of what I want to do as an artist, she said.

Something that I really love about festivals is getting to meet other filmmakers and actors, and talk about films. Thats the magical thing everyone has been missing out on. Its not even about networking  its about being able to make friendships and establish connections.

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From the International Bridge to the streets of Del Mar, events were held around town Saturday to reflect on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Two major events, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, provided time to reflect and offered insight as to how the nation has changed in just two decades.

One event was held at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in which traffic was paused at the land port for about an hour as the ceremony occurred around 7 a.m.

On the 20th anniversary, we reflect and honor those who have lost their lives that fateful day, said Rick Pauza, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Laredo Field Office Public Affairs Officer. We also mark how the threat picture continues to evolve and how over time CBP has evolved as the premier federal law enforcement agency charged with securing our nations borders and was created as an agency of the Department of Homeland Security as a result of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

CBP has developed and enhanced its border security technology, from facial biometrics and non-intrusive imaging systems to fixed and relocatable towers systems, mobile and subterranean surveillance systems, increased interoperability and information and intelligence sharing with our law enforcement partners, to include the Government of Mexico and state and local enforcement partners.

According to Pauza, the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge was chosen for these ceremonies because it is a central location and it is the larger of the downtown bridges.

Pauza said he still remembers what he was doing when the attacks began to unfold around the country.

I was in Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2001, ready to attend a conference at U.S. Customs Service Headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building when the planes struck the twin towers at the World Trade Center and then shortly thereafter, the Pentagon, Pauza said. We were ordered to evacuate the building and gather at the National Mall, and you could hear fighter jets overhead. Ill never forget it.

The conference was canceled, and we were immediately pressed into service, responding to media inquiries on what we were doing at our nations borders, including correcting misinformation that the borders had closed. We never closed, and we were conducting close inspections, keeping our borders safe.

Pauza said it is important to honor the anniversary of the attacks each year to remember all the lives lost, especially those first responders who went head on into the site of the attack and never came back.

Its important to honor the memory of those who lost their lives that day from the thousands of civilians that were trapped in those buildings to the law enforcement professionals that rushed in to rescue and help and who were not able to go home to their families that day, Pauza said.

Pauza said the ceremony is also important because it marks the event that led to the creation of Homeland Security and the Customs and Border Protection Office.

Our frontline CBP officers feel proud and honored to serve their nation by protecting the American public and advancing CBPs dual mission, which is to facilitate travel in the United States while we secure our borders, our people and our visitors from those that would do us harm like terrorists and terrorist weapons, criminals and contraband, Pauza said.

At another event held by Del Mar Avenue, people thanked local firefighters and waved flags in honor of those who died on Sept. 11.

Today we took ice cream to a few fire stations to tell them thank you for taking care of our community and to let them know we did not forget the 343 firefighters who died at the World Trade Centers in NYC 20 years ago, District 28 congressional candidate Sandra Whitten said.

Whitten said it is important to hold events honoring that day as it is something that many people, especially those alive during those times, could not forget.

It is important that we remember the lives that were taken at the hands of terrorism and the sacrifices that have been made, the heroes of 9/11 and the men and women who have bravely fought to keep these terrors off of our soil, Whitten said. I was 17 years old that day. I remember seeing things on TV we had never seen before. I remember seeing old and young, people of every background, different religions all come together to mourn, to band together, to pledge revenge of innocent lives that were taken by the hands of evildoers.

Whitten said honoring 9/11 is also valuable because it is one of the few events in which Americans truly unite and not much discourse or divisions is heard.

That day and the days and weeks that followed proved that Americans could set differences aside and focus on what was important. Today, Patriots Day, is a day we should not see Republicans or Democrats or anything else. We should just be Americans.

During the flag-waving event, Whitten also discussed Lance Corporal David Lee Espinozas arrival to the city and what it meant for people to be honoring him in the midst of 9/11.

LCPL Espinoza has never known a world before 9/11, Whitten said. I think this weekend and the last several days since have brought the reality of the history of 9/11 home to Laredo.

As a military family, what the Espinoza family and friends are going through is something we always knew could happen. My heart aches for them. The ceremonies and the added attention to them will soon end, but my hope and prayer is that their support for the coming days and weeks and years will not. This weekend, we all should join together and hold our military and our Gold Star families close in prayer and love and support.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
The family of fallen Marine Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza gathered Saturday at the Joe Jackson Funeral Home for a private service following Fridays emotional and surreal arrival procession.

City of Rio Bravo City Commissioner Amanda Aguero has been granted access to the family as she has accompanied the family and helped them with anything they need. Aguero has been a longtime friend of the family as Espinozas mother was highly involved with the Rio Bravo Community Center where Aguero works.

She was the only one to ride with the family during the arrival procession, and she provided details of how the family reacted to the outpouring of love they saw in the streets of Laredo.

According to Aguero, Espinozas grandfather Jesus Damian said, Did you just see what I saw? My grandson was a real hero.

Aguero said the family has been in strong spirits but understandably emotional as they experienced Espinozas return.

Being there through the whole process was the most emotional and sad thing to see as I got to witness the hurt of a mother, and then going through that parade of people I witnessed how everybody was crying, everybody on the sidelines was hurt and there were tears, which showed that not only is the city of Rio Bravo hurting but all of Texas is hurting, Aguero said.

Aguero said having a 20-year-old daughter who went to school with Espinoza made it hit home that much more.

She said Espinozas mother Elizabeth Holguin continues to remain strong despite the difficult reality check of seeing her sons coffin.

She has tried to always be strong and composed herself, but of course when the body arrived it was very difficult for all of us, especially when were along the route to take the body to Joe Jackson, Aguero said. The overwhelming amount of support was incredible, and I have honestly never seen anything like that. It was a big eye-opener to see how people appreciate those who are on the frontlines.

Aguero said Espinozas stepfather Victor Dominguez is also devastated by the passing of his son. According to Aguero, their bond was so great that Espinoza always wanted to change his name to Dominguez.

He was his stepdad, but he raised him. He was there, and to David they always wanted him to get his last name changed as he loved his stepfather, Aguero said. He always wanted to be Dominguez like his stepfather as he really loved that man, and he always used to do everything with his father. In the arrival procession you could see that Elizabeth was holding herself, but he was completely devastated when he saw his childs coffin. I cannot imagine the hurt they are facing right now.

According to Aguero, Espinozas two brothers and one sister are also struggling with the loss. She said the oldest brother has tried to remain strong for his younger siblings, and his sister who turned 13 a day after Espinoza was killed is struggling the most.

Since her birthday was right after Davids passing, members of the Marine Corps actually went to their residence and sang them happy birthday and gave them a cake and everything, Aguero said. She is still out of it, and just as the eldest brother tries to remain composed, the little sister cannot stop showing her emotions as she is very hurt. This is because if you see all the family photos, David always used to come out with her and care for her as he would carry her and everything, which shows how they had a deep and meaningful bond.

As the family took part in the private service on Saturday, people from all around the community continued to pour in support and messages of hope for the family and for Espinoza.

I just hope and pray that the family remains strong, and I hope that they remember him from the day he said goodbye to them waving his hand and not remember his final goodbye as this box, Constantina Cantu said.

Cantus son, who wants to be in the military as well, said that he understands the familys sadness and wishes nobody had to go through it.

It is sad because we try to save our community, so it is sad seeing that he died because of that service, Luis Antonio Cantu said.

Other people were glad that they were able to pay their respects and hope to do so more as Espinozas final farewell begins on Monday.

It is sad that we were here on a standing ovation for this entrance rather than bringing him home safe, so it is was rather moving, WBCA President Natalie Hernandez said. And we dont wish this for our soldiers, but we are glad that we were able to pay our respects.

Some people who have family who have served took this personally as said they hope the family is allowed their privacy to grieve and heal in the coming days.

As we honored Sept. 11 today, it is important to understand for the Espinoza family, this is their Sept. 11 and this is ours too as we lose somebody else in a senseless terrorist attack, Ricardo Cruz said. All of us should care for him as he went to our schools, shopped in our Walmarts and also breathed the same air as we do, but he took the courage to go out there and serve. I hope the family sees the love and support they have as this is one of the few times in which I have seen the community unite together and not spread any hate.

Aguero said as the family continues to receive tributes, there are many plans to continue honoring Espinoza and even to cement his legacy in Rio Bravo. This includes the renaming of the Rio Bravo activity center complex as the David Lee Espinoza Complex and painting a mural at the entrance of the city. She said she is already working with Ray Sanchez from Smiles from Heaven to get the project going.

The whole Rio Bravo complex, which includes the WIC center, the activity center and also the campito as the young local kids call it, is going to be named in honor of him, Aguero said. I know there is a mural that is going to be painted as well at the entrance of the city, which I think is one of the best ways to memorialize him.

According to Aguero, the renaming of the complex is fitting because Espinoza used to volunteer at the center along with playing there with friends.

As the remembrance of Espinoza continues, Aguero said she was told his mother is tired and appreciates the continued respecting of their privacy during this trying time.

Right now, I believe that Elizabeth is very mentally and physically drained, Aguero said. I dont think the family will be there at the public service as from what I understood when I talked to Jesus, who is Elizabeths brother, they will most likely let the community pay their respects on Sunday and then come together on Monday to say their final farewell.

The public service vigil will be held at the Joe Jackson Funeral Home from 8 a.m. to midnight for all of those that want to attend.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
Prior to being found dead, Gracie Alexandra Espinoza had expressed to a Child Protective Services caseworker that her boyfriend was controlling and toxic. Phone records also shed light about the problems Gracie and Joel David Chavez III had, including a sexually transmitted disease, according to an arrest affidavit.

The case unfolded at about 7:48 a.m. Sept. 10, 2020, when Laredo police responded to a report of a man down by the intersection of Plum Street and North Buena Vista Drive. An officer arrived to discover the body of Gracie, 19. Laredo Fire Department paramedics confirmed that she had died. LPDs Crimes Against Persons detectives would take over the case.

Forensic Identification Services Division investigators were summoned to document the scene using digital photography and process the evidence. Police said Gracie was lying face down. Her body was on the north side grassy area between the sidewalk and fence of the Albert Ochoa Park in the 1800 block of Plum.

Gracies upper clothing was bloody. A Nixon High School letterman jacket was placed on top of her. Police said there were signs that she was dragged from east to west in the grassy area between the grassy area and fence. Authorities discovered a concrete boulder with what appeared to be blood at the starting point of the drag trail along and broken eye prescription glasses.

A single droplet of blood found in the pavement near the southeast corner of Plum and North Buena Vista turned out to be Gracies, according to police. Gracies mother and a female juvenile arrived at the location at about 10 a.m. The mother stated that at about 9:30 a.m., she went to her daughters nearby apartment to drop off a food stamp card.

What worried (her mother) was that her daughters current live-in boyfriend answered the door in his shirt and boxers and appeared to have been crying. The boyfriend told (the mother) that he and (her) daughter were in an argument last night and she left without her phone. He then closed the door, states the affidavit.

The mother found the encounter with Gracies boyfriend odd. Authorities would identify the boyfriend as Chavez, 24. She felt concerned for Gracie and walked up from her residence to the crime scene, where she expressed her concerns. The mother further told police that Gracie was two months pregnant, according to court documents. Police would then identify Gracies body with her mothers description of a tattoo on Gracies torso and a nose ring.

Loud banging noise

The mother led police to a small apartment building located about a block away from where Gracie was found. Authorities arrived at an apartment in the 1900 block of East Frost Street where Gracie and Chavez lived. Investigators along with patrol officers knocked on the door several times to no avail. A neighbor told police that he heard the couple arguing the night before. The neighbor then heard a loud banging noise before everything became quiet as if something had hit the wall or ground hard, states the affidavit. He thought about calling the police but ended up not doing it.

Meanwhile, Dr. Corinne Stern, Webb County Medical Examiner, arrived to pronounce Gracie dead at 10:04 a.m. Stern conducted a preliminary assessment of the body at the scene.

It was confirmed that Graciela had bruising on her neck and petechiae in her eyes that would suggest she was asphyxiated. Graciela also had several stab wounds and incised wounds on the right side of her neck. On Gracielas cheek, chest and upper abdomen there were abrasions, states the affidavit. Later, after an autopsy was performed, Dr. Stern ruled the official cause of death as manual asphyxiation in association with multiple stab wounds and incised wounds. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Gracies mother was interviewed at LPD headquarters. She stated that on Sept. 9, her daughter and son, both juveniles, were at Gracies apartment. An argument between Chavez and Gracie led Gracie and her two siblings to leave the apartment and walk to her mothers home in the 400 block of Palm Drive. A friend of Gracie picked them up along the way, according to court documents. The mother then spoke to police about that first, odd encounter when she went looking for her daughter at the apartment to drop off the food stamp card.

On different occasions, Joel (Chavez) would invite (the mother) into the apartment, but this time he did not and even stopped the door with his foot to prevent it from opening all the way. Joel (Chavez) told (the mother) that he and Graciela had an argument and Graciela had left without her phone. Joel (Chavez) told (the mother) that he caught Graciela texting with a guy, states the affidavit.

The mother told police she found the encounter odd because Chavez would follow Gracie any time she would leave. Her mother also stated that her daughter would never leave without her cellphone, according to court documents. The mother added that Gracie confided to her that could not stand Chavez because he was all over her. Chavez always wanted to be on her belly to hear the baby and wanted to be on top of her.

Jealous of a dead ex-boyfriend

Joel (Chavez) acted like a baby and always wanted her attention. Joel (Chavez) wanted for Graciela to block all her friends so that he could be the only one she talks to. Joel (Chavez) wanted to separate Graciela from her family and always wanted Graciela inside the apartment. Joel (Chavez) was jealous of Gracielas dead ex-boyfriend because she had a tattoo of his birthday on her torso. (The mother) recalled Joel (Chavez) as always crying, states the affidavit.

Chavez once called Child Protective Services on Gracies family after an incident where a window was slammed on his hand because he was attempting to enter the mothers home after being told to leave. Gracies mother was in jeopardy of losing her housing. She told Gracie that if she wanted to stay with Chavez, she would have to find an apartment, authorities said.

(The mother) stated that the only reason Graciela stayed with Joel (Chavez) was because she did not want the baby to be without a father, states the affidavit.

Gracies juvenile sister also spoke to police regarding the case. She stated that she and her brother were dropped off at Gracies apartment on Sept. 9. They were watching Netflix with Gracie when Chavez arrived from work. The sister stated she noticed that Chavez was bothered by her and her brother being at the apartment. Gracie and her two siblings left walking to their mothers home on Palm. The sister then revealed that Gracie called a male friend, who picked them up in his red vehicle by the Laredo Medical Center and drove them to Palm.

Once at the home on Palm, Gracie left her cellphone with her sister and left with the male friend to an unknown location. During this time, Chavez kept texting and calling Gracie. The sister added that Gracie returned later for her cellphone and left again with the male friend. The sister recalled that one time, Chavezs parents went to speak to Gracies mother telling her to be careful with Chavez, according to court documents.

Joel (Chavez) would get out of hand and will not be able to control himself. Joels mother went on to explain that Joel (Chavez) tried to punch an ex-girlfriend of his and broke a door and a window, states the affidavit.

Son of a cop

A detective called Chavezs father, a retired LPD lieutenant, by calling the number provided by Gracies mother. The father told police he would take his son to LPD headquarters to be interviewed. Chavez arrived at about 12:57 p.m. He handed over his cellphone and Gracies cellphone to a sergeant. Chavez waived his rights and agreed to speak to police.

Police informed Chavez they were conducting a homicide investigation but withheld the name of the victim. He was told he was a person of interest in the case. Chavez did not ask who the victim was. He stated he lived with his girlfriend, Gracie, who was two months pregnant at an apartment in the 1900 block of East Frost Street. Chavez added he worked at the H-E-B on 2310 E. Saunders St. in the business center.

Shortly thereafter and without (the detective) asking to give his account of events from last night, Joel (Chavez) began with We had an argument yesterday/I havent seen her, the affidavit states.

Chavez mentioned that he arrived from work at about 10:30 p.m. Sept. 9. He found that Gracie and her siblings were at the apartment. He stated he noticed that something was bothering Gracie. He said he asked Gracie several times about the way she was acting. Gracie then left walking with her siblings to her mothers house on Palm.

At about 11:20 p.m., Chavez said he left the apartment on his bicycle to look for Gracie at her mothers residence. Chavez added that Gracie made it clear through text messages that she did not want him to go to her mothers residence. Chavez then waited for Gracie at the bus stop on Cherry Hill. Chavez allegedly admitted to checking Gracies GPS location via the Life 360 app, which is a GPS locator for friends and family who link up the accounts.

Chavez returned to his apartment at about 12:08 a.m. Sept. 10 and took a shower. Gracie then arrived at about 1:18 a.m. He described Gracies demeanor as being lovey dovey and then turning cold shortly after. Chavez then took her cellphone away to see her text messages. Chavez learned that Gracie was texting the male friend.

An argument then followed. Gracies dead ex-boyfriend was brought up during the argument. As per Chavez, Gracie began yelling and told him she was annoyed with him. She also told Chavez that she did not want to be with him anymore, according to court documents.

I dont love you anymore

Graciela declared to Joel (Chavez), I dont want to be with you. I dont love you anymore, and I cant stand you. Joel (Chavez) stated that Graciela threw him the ring back, states the affidavit.

Gracie wanted her cellphone back, but Chavez told her he was the one paying for it. Gracie then left the apartment about 1  hours later and did not return. Chavez stated that he did not go after her because Gracie told him she would scream for help. Chavez then discovered that Gracies sister was the one texting him during the time Gracie was gone.

Chavez added that Gracies mother arrived at the apartment at about 9 a.m. He told her that Gracie had left after they had argued. Chavez then called his father and asked him if he could pick him up. Chavez took a backpack with a change of H-E-B work clothes. Chavez mentioned he arrived at his fathers home not before taking a short cruise to the Ancira Volkswagen of Laredo on 2701 Bob Bullock Loop. Surveillance video from the business recorded a gray Volkswagen sport utility vehicle belonging to Chavezs father in the lot of the business at about 10:19 a.m. to 10:21 a.m. Sept. 10.

Joel (Chavez) was notified that Graciela was found dead. Joel (Chavez) stated, I dont know what to say. Im speechless. He then asks (the detective) what happened to her. Joel (Chavez) showed little emotion to the news of the death of Graciela and her unborn child and almost immediately was back to normal, states the affidavit.

Chavez allegedly gave written consent to have his Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max searched. He also provided written consent to have his apartment searched. Oral/buccal swab samples and nail clippings were also taken from Chavez pursuant to a written consent. In a follow-up interview, Chavez continued to show little emotion and added that he was sticking to his story because he gave the detectives all the facts. In addition, Chavez asked if he was the only culprit and asked several times what was the evidence police had against him.

When told that we could see that he wanted to talk about it, Joel (Chavez) stated that he did his part in cooperating and has done everything we have asked, but to answer that was to sign his death wish, states the affidavit.

Authorities told him at one point during the interview to stop focusing on himself and tell the truth. Chavez then stated, I thought I played my cards right. I thought I did everything I was supposed to do, according to the affidavit.

A detective then asked Chavez what had happened after the argument in the apartment, what set him off and what he did after he got set off. Chavez then invoked his right to remain silent.

Police also spoke to Chavezs father, the retired lieutenant. He confirmed that Chavez had called him wanting him to pick him up at the apartment because he had an argument with Gracie, according to court documents. Chavez told his father he was done with the relationship and wanted to return to his parents house. After being contacted by detectives, the father asked Chavez if he did anything so he could get him a lawyer. Chavez allegedly replied, We had an argument and she left.

(The father) described an incident that occurred not too long ago where Graciela had slammed a window on (Chavezs) hand, thus injuring him. He attempted to convince Joel (Chavez) to end the relationship with Graciela, expressing to Joel (Chavez) that Graciela had anger issues. Joel (Chavez) assured (his father) that he was going to work things out with Graciela and told his father that he can change her, states the affidavit.

Chavezs father gave written consent to search his residence in the 300 block of Glen Cook Drive. During the search, a detective found a closed black, red and blue backpack in a spare room of the home that was brought by Chavez.

Sex with a friend

Police then spoke to the 25-year-old male friend who had picked up Gracie and her two siblings. He confirmed that after Gracie called him, he picked up the trio in his orange 2016 Hyundai Tucson at the Laredo Medical Center and drove them to the home on Palm.

Gracie left her cellphone with her sister so that the cellphone would ping its location at the home on Palm since Gracie knew that Chavez would check her location on the Life 360 app.

(The male friend) and Graciela then arrived at the Cactus Motel located at 4119 Santa Maria Ave. to have consensual sex, states the affidavit.

The male friend then drove Gracie back to the home on Palm to pick up her cellphone. He then dropped her off in the 1800 block of Plum Street at Gracies request sometime between 1:40 a.m. and 1:45 am. on Sept. 10. He then saw Gracie walking south on Buena Vista until she turned toward the east.

Violent, controlling and jealous

During the course of the investigation, detectives spoke to an ex-girlfriend of Chavez. She stated she and Chavez had a two-month long relationship in 2019. She described him as violent, controlling, and jealous, states the affidavit. She recalled an incident when Chavez had gone to her workplace and counted each male co-worker that left. Chavez then accused her of sleeping with them all, according to the affidavit.

Furthermore, Chavez found out that the ex-boyfriend worked at a local Whataburger. He waited outside the business to write down the license plate of the vehicle. Chavez then told his ex-girlfriend that he ran a plate check and found out where the ex-boyfriend lived. Chavezs parents then went to the Whataburger and told the manager that the ex-boyfriend was harassing their son, Chavez, according to court documents.

In another incident, Chavez obtained his ex-girlfriends password and logged into her school account. He then sent threatening messages to himself from her school account. Chavez then took photos of the messages and confronted her. Chavez told her that he was going to call the police and report the incident to the school so they could run her off, states the affidavit.

On one occasion, Chavez went looking for his ex-girlfriend at the True Fit Gym because she was not answering her cellphone. He allegedly grabbed her by the arm and led her outside to ask her why she was not answering the phone. Frustrated, she told Chavez she did not want to talk to him anymore.

She then described an incident when Chavez got mad after an argument, pushed her and attempted to strike her. She got out of the way, but Chavez punched a door and damaged it. She told Chavez she was going to call the police.

Joel (Chavez) told her that no one was going to believe (her) because (Chavezs father) was a lieutenant in the police department and she was a nobody, state the affidavit.

When she attempted to drive away from the residence, Chavez placed his foot in her path so she could run over it. She did not move the vehicle. Thats when Chavez attempted to open the doors but he could not. He then screamed and claimed that she had run him over. Chavez then keyed her vehicle, according to court documents. Shortly after the incident, Chavezs parents sat down with her parents to talk about Chavez.

Parents describe Chavez as bipolar

(Chavezs) parents begged (her) not to press charges and offered to pay for the damages caused by Joel (Chavez). They described him as being bipolar. They also admitted to running (her) ex-boyfriends license plates only because Joel (Chavez) had told them that (her) ex-boyfriend was harassing her, states the affidavit.

Authorities spoke to a second ex-girlfriend of Chavez. She described the relationship as good overall and added that they met while working at Hollister. She stated she was Chavezs first girlfriend until she broke up with him. Chavez wanted to be with her all the time.

This was something that she did not want. She further stated that the relationship never became sexual but was headed that way, according to court documents. She added her arguments with Chavez were usually over jealousy. She recalled that Chavez always wanted an explanation when he would see her talking to other men, including her co-workers, states the affidavit.

She recalled Chavezs feeling becoming too intense, which was another reason to break it off. After breaking up, Chavez apparently took it well. But she then got a call from Chavezs workplace to try to calm him down because he was crying at work and only wanted to speak to her. She called Chavezs mother about the situation. She was told they would get Chavez some help, according to the affidavit.

Authorities spoke to Chavezs best friend during the course of the investigation. He stated he had a face-to-face conversation with Chavez the Saturday after Gracie was killed.

During the conversation, Joel (Chavez) had told (his friend) referring to Graciela, She was choked; you can see the hand print on the neck, beaten up, and stabbed. He just told me that she was all bruised up and stabbed 10 to 17 times, states the affidavit.

In a follow-up interview, the friend stated that Chavez said she had bruising on the neck and was horribly disfigured and stabbed. The friend was unsure where Chavez was getting that information from. Chavez also told him that he did not kill Gracie, according to court documents.

Controlling and toxic

A review of iPhone audio recordings found on Gracielas and (Chavezs) cellphone shed light on the problems they were having leading up to the incident, states the affidavit.

A review of three audio recordings from Chavezs cellphone on Aug. 3, 2020 depicted Chavez talking to Gracie while he is crying. Gracie is heard telling Chavez that they are not getting back together and that she is happy where she is right now. Chavez then is heard explaining in Spanish, presumably to Gracies mother about a Snapchat post Gracie was angry about.

Further review of Chavezs cellphone revealed that Gracie told Chavez she had tested positive for positive for chlamydia and accuses Chavez of transmitting it to him, according to court documents.

She expresses her concern for the health of the baby and shows (Chavez) an image of the sonogram. Joel (Chavez) admits that he must have obtained chlamydia from his previous relationships. Joel (Chavez) also conveys that he misses Graciela and loves her. Graciela does not reciprocate the sentiment, states the affidavit.

In an audio recording, Gracie described an incident to a CPS caseworker where she and Chavez argued in his car. The argument was over a guy messaging Gracie. Chavez grabbed the phone and accused her of having sex with the guy. He grabbed her from the arm and prevented her from leaving.

Graciela describes him as controlling and toxic, states the affidavit.

Chavez always wanted to look at her phone and have her phone next to him. If someone texted Gracie, even if it was a girl, Chavez wanted to know what they were talking about.

Graciela is heard referring to Joel (Chavez) as a lost cause and that she would rather be by herself than be with someone like that, states the affidavit.

A review of Chavezs cellphone depicts his state of mind leading up to the incident. A note created on Aug. 18, 2020, and modified on Aug. 24, 2020, is titled Im tired of putting the effort, according to court documents. Chavez expressed that he is with a girl, Gracie, who does not love him or appreciate him.

This is in the midst of a break-up. He conveys that he made a mistake choosing her. Joel (Chavez), also explains that Graciela will always choose her dead ex-boyfriend over him. Joel (Chavez) states that he feels numb, angry, and sad and that those feelings continue to grow. Joel (Chavez) wishes that they had never met. Joel (Chavez) indicates that he thought the baby would unite them but it does the opposite. Joel (Chavez) also indicates that Graciela has told him that she does not love him enough to be together. He goes on to state that he would be there for the baby no matter what. Joel (Chavez) states that he is happy venting to himself and this keeps him in control of his emotions, states the affidavit.

A paternity test revealed that Chavez was the biological father of Gracies unborn child. DNA evidence corroborated sexual activity between Gracie and her male friend. Gracies DNA was present on the fingernail clippings collected from her male friend, according to court documents.

Gracies blood DNA was identified in one of two red rubber gloves that were located inside the backpack Chavez took to his parents house after his father picked him up at his apartment. Gracies and Chavezs DNA were identified from inside the red rubber gloves, according to court documents.

On Wednesday, authorities announced that Chavez was charged with two counts of murder via indictment, one for Gracie and the other for her unborn child.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran agreed Sunday to allow international inspectors to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, potentially averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

The announcement by Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran after a meeting he held with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, in Tehran still leaves the watchdog in the same position it has faced since February, however.

Tehran holds all recordings at its sites as negotiations over the U.S. and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran is now enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

We had a major, major communication breakdown with Iran, which, of course, is something we cannot afford, having so many important issues that we need to solve, Grossi told reporters on his return from Tehran. "And I think that was solved."

Eslami described the negotiations between Iran and the Vienna-based IAEA as sheerly technical without any room for politics. He said Grossi would return to Iran soon to talk with officials, without elaborating. Also left unsaid was whether Iran would hand over copies of the older recordings, which Tehran had threatened previously to destroy.

The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran, according to the routine, Eslami said. New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agencys monitoring system.

A joint statement released by the IAEA and Iran confirmed the understanding, saying only that the way and the timing are agreed by the two sides.

Grossi said the agreement would ensure continuity of knowledge" that would ensure the watchdog can piece together the data it needs in future.

The reconstruction and the coming together of the jigsaw puzzle will come when there is an agreement at the JCPOA level, he said, a reference to the talks on reviving the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers. But at that time, we will have all this information and there will not have been a gap.

The announcement could buy time for Iran ahead of an IAEA board meeting this week in which Western powers had been arguing for Tehran to be censured over its lack of cooperation with international inspectors. Eslami said Iran would take part in that meeting and its negotiations with the IAEA would continue there.

The IAEA told member states in its confidential quarterly report last week that its verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined since February by Irans refusal to let inspectors access their monitoring equipment.

The IAEA said certain monitoring and surveillance equipment cannot be left for more than three months without being serviced. It was provided with access this month to four surveillance cameras installed at one site, but one of the cameras had been destroyed and a second had been severely damaged.

Grossi said the broken and damaged cameras would be replaced, but indicated that the technical agreement reached in Tehran was only a stopgap.

This cannot be a permanent solution, he said. If you ask me how many months, how many days, its difficult for me to say. But I dont see this as a long term prospect."

Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian ambassador to the IAEA, praised the agreement on Twitter, calling it technical but very important.

It is no less important for Iran to rebuff groundless speculations against it, Ulyanov wrote.

Iran and world powers agreed in 2015 to the nuclear deal, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.

President Joe Biden has said he's willing to re-enter the accord, but so far, indirect talks have yet to see success. In the meantime, Iran elected Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as president. Raisi also has said he wants Iran to regain the benefits of the accord, though Tehran in general has struck a tougher pose since his victory.

In Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Nafatli Bennett urged world powers to not fall into the trap of Iranian deception that will lead to additional concessions over the impasse. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has long accused Iran of seeking an atomic bomb.

Tehran maintains its program is peaceful, though U.S. intelligence agencies and international inspectors believe the Islamic Republic pursued the bomb in an organized program up until 2003.

You must not give up on inspecting sites and the most important thing, the most important message is that there must be a time limit, Bennett said. "The Iranian nuclear program is at the most advanced point ever. ... We must deal with this project.

Israel is suspected of launching multiple attacks targeting Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, as well as killing a scientist associated with Iran's one-time military nuclear program last year.

From Riyadh, the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia and Austria jointly expressed concern over Irans nuclear advances, with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg citing Irans failure to allow access for nuclear inspections.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem, Isabel DeBre in Dubai and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.
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Laredo Medical Center and Primary Care Associates of Laredo are proud to welcome Christopher B. Tchou, D.O. to Laredo and to its medical staff.

Dr. Tchou is a family medicine physician. Dr. Tchou received his medical education at Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee. He completed his residency as part of the first class of the Laredo Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program, where he served as Co-Chief Resident and received the Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award at the completion of the three-year program.
AP

KABUL, Afghanistan  The Middle Eastern State of Qatar, which has played an outsized role in Afghanistan since the Talibans sweep to power on Aug. 15, has sent a delegation to Kabul. It is the highest diplomatic level delegation to visit the Afghan capital since the Taliban announced their interim Cabinet.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweeted Sunday about the high-level delegation, saying it included Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdur Rahman Al-Thani, the deputy prime minister who is also Qatars foreign minister.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks which brought the country and the world to a standstill.

Laredoans both young, old and in-between continue to remember that day and how it impacted them personally and the nation as a whole. Clearly, the attacks marked a turning point for many people and is something that many still remember as if it happened yesterday.

I remember vividly where I was that day, Laredoan Scott Roberts said. I was at work and was told by a coworker that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, I rushed to the television in the front office to see what was happening without realizing at the time that America was being attacked. Most of us thought it was an accidental crash. No more than 30-45 minutes later, we all watched in horror as the second plane crashed into the second tower. It felt so unreal that two planes could have crashed by accident.

Roberts recounts how he felt numb and useless, because he could not do anything to help the people involved as he was thousands of miles away.

I felt so helpless and vulnerable because I wanted to do something, but all I could do was watch in total disbelief, and when the towers fell, I felt devastating sadness, anger, betrayal and a sense of helplessness, Roberts said. 9/11/2001 is a day I will never erase from memory, and this weekend is a time for reflection not only individually but as a nation. How is it that we have become so divided since 9/11 on basic principles?

Edgar De Leon was 14 at the time of the attacks. He remembers many firefighters valiantly involved in the rescue process. That led him to wanting to be a firefighter, which he now does in El Cenizo on a volunteer capacity.

I remember watching all the firefighters just running in, and me asking why are they doing that if there is no fire? But thats when I learned that these men and women save people from all kinds of dangers, and I wanted to become one of them, De Leon said. Though many firemen died during that day, another was born in me, and it is something that I attribute to that sick and horrible day.

Other locals remember waking up to the news and reflecting on how their whole world had changed. From the time they fell asleep to the time they awoke, the country where they lived and felt safe in had been under attack.

I remember that my husband and I were actually in San Antonio, and we got awaken by the news and got a call from my mom as we were in the hotel, WBCA President Natalie Hernandez said. She told us to watch the news, turn it on, and right within minutes is when the second plane hit the second tower. And it has been something that has been with us as a country, to have something like that happen is unbelievable, and it is something that changed us dramatically. And we all changed in so many ways because of the events of Sept. 11.

According to Hernandez, this Sept. 11 she simply wants to state a prayer in honor of all those that lost someone. That includes those who died directly from the attack as well as others including first responders who have perished or had their lives affected during the rescue efforts.

Another woman recounted how Sept. 11 was a hard day for her as she was having trouble with her first pregnancy. Constantina Cantu said she went to the doctor to get a checkup and saw everything unfolding on television as she waited for her own news about her child.

I saw the large television screen at the doctors office and noticed people throwing themselves from a building, and I remember asking my mother-in-law, What movie was that? Cantu said. An elderly coupled asked the same question. ... To our surprise, thats when several nurses came to us and told us that that it was not something out of a movie but rather something real, as the Twin Towers in New York were under attack and they were collapsing.

According to Cantu, she has never forgotten that day. She was going to be told whether her first pregnancy was going to be successful following some troubles early on, and also because all of her children  including her youngest child, Luis Antonio Cantu  have shown interest in serving the military.

The fact that we are burying one of our own this weekend (in Laredo Marine Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza) and it is Sept. 11 as well shows how deaths because of freedom and to fight terrorism continues to this day, Cantu said.

Even people who lived in Mexico at the time expressed how they were very interested in what was happening and quickly informed students about the attacks.

I was studying in Monterrey, Jose Angel Gutierrez recalled. ... All of a sudden that day, the teachers told us to all go to the auditorium and see what was happening. At first, we were like what do we care for what happens in New York? But years later, we realized that magnitude of this event, as it was not just something that affected the USA but also the whole world. It continues to affect us all today.

Ultimately, some people see the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks as an opportunity to once again unite and find common ground honoring Americans who died two decades ago. They hope to let go of the things that divide each other and bond together as Americans.

"United we stand, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all, Roberts said. To me, the words have a much greater meaning today than ever before. As Americans, we must come together and stand proudly for our nation, our flag, our brothers and sisters. This is how we remember and honor those who gave their lives for the freedoms we at times fail to appreciate.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
Longford's rich association with Irish music has been given further impetus following confirmation of rising musician Angelina Carberry's latest prestigious accolade.

It was announced yesterday in Belfast that the Manchester born banjo performer, who lives in Kenagh, will be awarded the 'Ceoltoir na Bliana' at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil.

Widely viewed as the country's premier annual traditional music awards scheme, Angelina was selected by an independent panel of adjudicators in a ceremony which is to coincide with the station's 25th anniversary.

Angelina, whose father Peter, hails from Derrahaun in Kenagh and a family steeped in traditional music, expressed her delight.

I was absolutely shocked when I heard, said the mother of one. My God, I was just overwhelmed.

Angelina will be presented with a specially commissioned piece by leading sculptor John Coll as well as a small stipend at Queens University Belfast's Whitla Hall on October 31, an event that will be broadcast from 9.30pm to celebrate TG4's 25th Birthday and it will be available online for international viewers on TG4's player TG4.ie

The award is just the latest in a long line of accolades to come the way of the immensely talented 42-year-old.

A former member of renowned all-female band, the Bumblebees, Angelina's Gradam Ceoil honour comes more than two decades since her duet album 'Memories of the Holla' with her father first came on stream.

She was back in the studio last weekend with local music producer Paul Gurney ahead of the long awaited release of her most recent compilation of tradional Irish music.

We are thinking of calling it 'Back in Time', she said, while revealing how one of its tracks is influenced by an Abbeyshrule based manuscript dating back to 1884. There are some (recordings) from the 1920s too with well known people like Frank Quinn and Packie Dolan who was a fiddle player from Ballinamuck, she added.

Heritage and history is clearly a narrative Angelina believes fervently in, a fresh chapter of which will be etched into the local annals in Belfast on October 31 next.
The Government has been urged to set up an independent inquiry into allegations of abuse within the Defence Forces.

The calls follow an investigation broadcast by RTE Radio One, revealing a series of allegations relating to conduct within the Defence Forces.

Longford trad star set for top TG4 award Longford's rich association with Irish music has been given further impetus following confirmation of rising musician Angelina Carberry's latest prestigious accolade.

Titled 'Women of Honour', the programme detailed the experiences of former female members and included accounts from women who spoke of incidents of alleged sexual abuse.

The Department of Defence said in a statement that there are robust policies, practices and procedures in place within the Defence Forces for addressing allegations of this nature, and their allegations relating to sexual offences are taken very seriously by Minister Simon Coveney.

The statement acknowledged that the Minister has been in receipt of correspondence outlining a number of allegations and is currently examining the overall response to that correspondence with a view to conducting an independent assessment of actions taken to date, and whether any other actions should be adopted.

Responding to a series of questions from RTE, the Defence Forces said: It is inappropriate for Oglaigh na hEireann to comment on individual cases or allegations of a criminal or disciplinary nature or any measures that would fall within the purview of the protected Disclosure Act 2014.

Sinn Fein's defence spokesperson Sorca Clarke said today that the allegations made are "very serious and deeply disturbing".

"I support survivors' calls for an independent inquiry into these allegations. It is imperative that immediate action is taken to establish the extent of these issues and ensure that steps are taken to ensure justice for survivors," she said.

Deputy Clarke said Minister Coveney must now waive any Non Disclosure Agreements in relation to settlements paid to members of the Defence Forces to facilitate survivors in coming forward to discuss their experiences of abuse should they choose to.

She added, "No survivor should feel silenced and prevented from sharing their story due to the threat of an NDA. The Minister must also meet with those involved with the Women of Honour group as a priority in order to listen to their concerns and their calls for action. These survivors stories must be not be silenced and survivors must be afforded the respect and dignity of sharing their stories if they choose to do so.

Social Democrats defence spokesperson Gary Gannon said: "It is clear that there remains a culture of bullying, misogyny and discrimination against women that is not only tolerated, but continues to thrive in today's Defence Forces.

"I will further be calling for the Minister for Defence, and the Secretary General of his Department, to come to our Committee to answer questions about the length of time he has been aware of these complaints and to request an independent investigation into this toxic culture."

Labour's Mark Wall said that the contents of the programme required "urgent attention from the minister" while Aontu's Peadar Toibin said there must be an independent and external investigation into sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination within the Defence Forces.
An image of the horrific incident between Hamilton and Verstappen.

An image of the horrific incident between Hamilton and Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were both involved in a dramatic collision during Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

The accident happened just after Hamilton came out from the pit lane just ahead of 23-year-old Verstappen. The pair were fighting for position when they collided.

The safety equipment in Hamilton's car did its job to protect the British driver from what could have been a very harmful collision.

Verstappen's car ran over the top of Hamilton's cockpit, but the halo safety device protected him from what would have almost certainly been an extremely serious injury.

Romain Grosjean had a similarly traumatic incident during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, and said the halo device saved his life.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was asked if the halo equipment was to thank for Hamilton coming out of the race unharmed.

"I think when you look at Turn 4 [Hamilton] backed out, and then the incident where they crashed, it was clear for Max it would end in a crash," he told Sky Sports.

"We've had a high-speed crash in Silverstone, here a car has landed on our head.

"Did you see the car? The whole thing is damaged over the halo, all over Lewis' head."

Hamilton also spoke about the collision afterwards.

"It landed on my head, but I'm okay," the seven-time world champion said.

"I was racing as hard as I could, finally got past Lando, I was in the lead."

What is the halo in F1?

Halo was made a mandatory piece of safety equipment on all Formula 1 cars in 2018, and is a three-pronged titanium bar which covers the cockpit of the vehicle.

It is designed to protect drivers from serious injury caused by crashes or debris.
Kylian Mbappe during Paris Saint-Germain's last match at the Parc des Princes on August 14.

Kylian Mbappe during Paris Saint-Germain's last match at the Parc des Princes on August 14. GETTY IMAGES

Kylian Mbappe returned to the Parc des Princes on Saturday for the first time after the closure of the transfer window where he was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, and he received audible whistles from the Paris Saint-Germain faithful.

Paris Saint-Germain were back in Ligue 1 action on Saturday against Clermont Foot and the PSG fans made their feelings known following the whole Real Madrid transfer saga.

The Frenchman is entering the last year of his contract at PSG and appears unwilling to pen a new deal, which has irked the fans who are questioning his loyalty.

In PSG's first league match at home against Strasbourg back on August 14, there were fans who also booed and whistled Mbappe, whose future was up in the air at the time.

Mbappe has reportedly turned down two renewal offers from PSG and it is clear that the supporters are not at all keen at the fact that he is refusing to sign a new contract.

For his part, the prodigious forward, whose contract expires next summer, has expressed his commitment to PSG, for this season at least.

Meanwhile, none of Neymar, Angel Di Maria, Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos were at Mauricio Pochettino's disposal for Saturday's match.
Banner on Ronaldo rape allegations flies over Old Trafford: Believe Kathryn Mayorga

Banner on Ronaldo rape allegations flies over Old Trafford: Believe Kathryn Mayorga

A feminist group paid for a banner in support of Kathryn Mayorga during Manchester United's 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday at Old Trafford, a former school teacher who accused Cristiano Ronaldo of rape in 2009.

Taking advantage of Ronaldo's highly anticipated second debut with the Red Devils, the banner flew over the stadium to bring attention to the accusation.

Mayorga accused the Portuguese superstar of sexual assault in Las Vegas after the pair met in a hotel room in 2009.

Ronaldo has persistently denied the allegations, while Mayorga is still seeking 65 million euros in damages over her claims.
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Marietta, GA (30060)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Atlanta, GA (30303)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Older adults who are socially isolated in intensive care unit are more likely to experience worsened disability or die when they return home after their hospitalization, states a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.



"Social isolation among older adults has increased substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic" said study co-author Jason Falvey, PT, PhD, an Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In the new study, Dr. Falvey and researchers from Yale School of Medicine examined data from a nationally-representative cohort of 997 patients over age 65 participating in the National Health and Aging Trends Study who were admitted to the ICU from 2011 through 2018. Social isolation was assessed using a 7-point score of the number and depth of interpersonal connections. The researchers found that each 1-point increase in the isolation score was associated with a 7 percent increase in the level of disability and a 14 percent increased risk of dying within a year following admission.

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Socially isolated older adults are at significantly heightened risk for disability and more than twice the risk of death within a year if they are admitted to the ICU because of a COVID-19 infection or other serious illness.
Years after actor Nargis Fakhris break-up with Uday Chopra, she has finally accepted that they indeed dated for a long time. In a new interview, Nargis said that she was told to keep their relationship hidden from the media and her fans.



In a recent interview, Nargis called Uday a beautiful soul and regretted not speaking about him from mountain tops.

She said, Uday and I dated for 5 years and he was the most beautiful human I met in India. I never have said this to the press as people told me to keep my relationship quiet, but I regret that because I should have shouted from the mountain tops that I was with such a beautiful soul. The internet and social media are very fake and the people out there won't know what the truth is. Most often we idolise certain people who are actually bad behind closed doors.

Reports of the two dating started surfacing around 2014 but the duo kept on denying it every time. She said, I am repeating myself: Uday and I arent dating each other. But he will always remain a part of my life. I have very few friends in India, and I feel fortunate that hes one of them.

Soon after their breakup, Nargis left for New York. Many people suspected that she left the country due to heartbreak but her spokesperson said that it was due to health issues.

The spokesperson said, Nargis has been extremely overworked working on three films simultaneously over the last year. Schedules and intense work hours that film-making demands are not something everyone can cope with. Even though she was advised complete rest, she ensured she completed everything she had committed to Azhar.

Nargis Fakhri was dating Justin Santos. However, now the two have broken up.
Actor Akshay Kumar took to social media to express gratitude towards PM Narendra Modi sending him a letter expressing condolences on his mothers recent demise.



The actor took to social media and shared a photo of the heartfelt letter that he received from the Prime Minister. The letter reads as, "My dear Akshay. It was best if I would never have written such a letter. In an ideal world, such a time should never have come. I was saddened by the demise of your Mother, Smt, Aruna Bhatia. When I spoke to you that fateful morning, you were crestfallen and you encapsulated it emotionally when you wrote, "she was my core. And today I feel an unbreakable pain at the very core of my existence."

The letter further read as, "My thoughts are with you and your family."

Akshay shared the heartfelt letter and wrote, "Humbled by condolence messages on moms passing, thankful to all. grateful to Hon'ble PM for this amazing gesture to take out time and express warm feelings for me and my late parents. These comforting words will stay with me forever. Jai Ambe."

Humbled by condolence messages on moms passing, thankful to allGrateful to honble PM for this amazing gesture to take out time and express warm feelings for me and my late parents. These comforting words will stay with me forever. Jai Ambe pic.twitter.com/22lDjZfEE6  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) September 12, 2021

While announcing the demise of his mother, Akshay wrote, "She was my core. And today I feel an unbearable pain at the very core of my existence. My maa Smt Aruna Bhatia peacefully left this world today morning and got reunited with my dad in the other world. I respect your prayers as I and my family go through this period. Om Shanti."

She was my core. And today I feel an unbearable pain at the very core of my existence. My maa Smt Aruna Bhatia peacefully left this world today morning and got reunited with my dad in the other world. I respect your prayers as I and my family go through this period. Om Shanti  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) September 8, 2021

Post which, Akshay, along with his wife Twinkle Khanna and daughter Nitara were clicked at Pawan Hans Crematorium, where his mother was cremated. The shocking news had come a day before Akshay's 54th birthday and on his birthday, Akshay had taken to social media to thank his fans and friends for sending heartfelt wishes, love, and prayers. And in his note, he had written, "life goes on."
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In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
A deal was heard at $525 per tonne during the week, compared with a deal heard at $518 per tonne one week earlier. There was also a deal reported at $510 per tonne but this was for a small tonnage and not from a regular supplier.

Prices in India showed small week-on-week rises but have fluctuated in narrow ranges through the week, with trading activity limited.Fastmarkets calculated its weekly steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Port Qasim, Pakistan , at $530.42 per tonne on September 10, up by $5.46 per tonne from $524.96 per tonne the previous week.Deals were heard at $527, $528, $530 and $535 per tonne this week. Deals had been heard at $519-530 per tonne the previous week.Offers of material have been heard at $530-545 per tonne with bids reported at $520-527 per tonne, and sources saying that the price recovery has been supported by strong demand.Fastmarkets calculation of the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India , was $518.84 per tonne on Friday. This compared with $519.15 per tonne on September 7 and $516.59 per tonne on September 3.Market sources said that transactions were still rare because demand for scrap remained low, despite the monsoon season coming to an end. The achievable prices for finished steel did not allow the mills to accept higher costs for scrap.One source said that integrated steelmakers in India that use iron ore have the advantage now of lower costs, while electric-arc furnace (EAF) mills had to keep prices low to remain competitive.Scrap suppliers have not been willing to give discounts because they have the opportunity to sell to other markets at better prices, sources said.Official offers have been heard at $535 per tonne cfr, with bids reported about $500 per tonne cfr.Fastmarkets weekly price assessment for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India , was $450-460 per tonne on September 10, compared with $440-460 per tonne on September 3.
Miami, FL (33127)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 76F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Sunday that China has agreed to provide the Southeast Asian nation with grant aid of 1.75 billion yuan ($272 million), announcing the assistance during a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang met with Hun Sen and other officials for bilateral talks on combating COVID-19, trade and investment, education and security issues. Cambodias foreign ministry said earlier that Wangs meetings on Sunday and Monday also would include discussions of regional and international issues of shared interest.

China is Cambodias biggest investor and closest political partner whose assistance largely underpins the Southeast Asian nations economy. Hun Sen did not detail what the aid from Beijing would be used for.

Hun Sen spoke on a live television broadcast in which he praised China for its aid at a handover ceremony for a new 60,000-person capacity stadium built on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh. The Chinese government provided the $160 million funding for the project, Cambodia's state news agency AKP reported Tourism Minister Thong Khon as saying.

Before, we could not imagine that Cambodia would have such a large stadium here, but China helps make it happen for us, AKP quoted Hun Sen saying at the ceremony. He called the stadium the fruit of the ironclad Cambodian-Chinese friendship.

Speaking to the press after meeting separately with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang made a similar point, saying, Let Chinese-Cambodian friendship be steadier than iron and stronger than steel.

Hun Sen pointed out other assistance from China for the construction of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of roads and seven big bridges across the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. He noted as well that vaccines sold and donated by China had helped Cambodia battle the pandemic.

Hun Sen added, however, that Cambodia is not reliant solely on China but makes friends with all the worlds countries, and welcomes their aid for development. The U.S. has also donated COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia.

Washingtons relations with Hun Sens government are frosty, as Beijings support allows Cambodia to disregard Western concerns about its poor record in human and political rights, and in turn Cambodia generally supports Beijings geopolitical positions on issues such as its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In recent months, the U.S. has expressed concern about their ties and urged Cambodias leaders to maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy that would be in its peoples best interests.

The concerns have focused partly on Chinas construction of new facilities at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia and the potential for its military to have future basing rights there.

Ream faces the Gulf of Thailand that lies adjacent to the South China Sea. Holding basing rights in Cambodia would extend Beijings strategic military profile considerably.

Wrapping up a visit to neighboring Vietnam on Saturday, Wang said China planned to donate 3 million vaccine doses to that country, which is under a lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge.
MIDDLETOWN  Elementary school parents have raised questions and concerns about the public schools recess policy, which splits recess into two 10-minute periods rather than one continuous session.

Those who have taken issue with the policy say it is the same mask break practice as last year being relabeled as recess, and that 10 minutes is not enough time for children to reap the benefits of free activity.

Recess is needed for exercise, socialization, to learn creative play and problem-solving, mother Sarah Kristiansen said. To get the benefits of recess, the time needs to be longer.

Kristiansen has one child in fifth grade at Wesley Elementary School, where she attended while young. Even if her child was not still in elementary school, Kristiansen said she would speak out on the issue. I love this community and support the school district, but its hard to understand this decision.

Parents have contacted school officials and taken to social media to voice their concerns. One parent, Colleen Sylvestre, who has three children at Farm Hill Elementary School, started an online petition that has since gained almost 1,900 signatures.

Sylvestre said the petition came about after her questions regarding recess received unsatisfactory answers. Their reasoning doesnt make much sense to me, she said.

Middletown Public School officials have said that one of the reasons for the two separate recess periods is to mitigate the potential for virus spread by following cohorting guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These guidelines recommend that students and staff remain separated into groups throughout the school day.

This reasoning has only led to more questions from parents, including Molly Salafia, who has a kindergartner entering Moody Elementary School this year. Parents have questions because conclusions are not explained and, in my opinion, illogical and not fully brainstormed, she said.

On the same topic, Kristiansen said she believes cohorting doesnt mean shortening recess.

The other reason the district gave for two separate recess periods is a continuing effort to achieve equity. They said shorter recess periods allow for different cohorts of students to have equal access to the playground and all other equipment.

Kristiansen said she offered a solution to both issues in an email to school officials on Tuesday, saying that students could remain in their cohorts and move from one play area to the next in shifts. She said this would maintain cohorting, and allow for equitable access to all play areas  from the blacktop to the playground.

There seems to be clear solutions that havent been addressed, Kristiansen said.

Some parents have said they felt blindsided by the policy. Joshua Yahwak, who has two children in Farm Hill Elementary School, said allowing parent input sooner would have prevented the issue, and that better communication was needed.

We just learned about the recess issue through the grapevine when it should have been been presented earlier on in the summer so that parents could have their voices heard, Yahwak said.

Salafia agreed, saying she has discussed the topic with many other parents. This issue needs public, transparent, creative brainstorming with parents. Judging by the petition, there are many who have a lot to say.

In response to the concerns being voiced by parents, Superintendent Michael Conner sent out a letter to elementary school parents and staff Tuesday outlining the policy. In it, Conner said that recess is on.

Recess, defined as free time for unstructured physical activity during the school day, is essential to child development, Conner said in the letter.

Connecticut statute says that students must receive at least 20 minutes of recess every day. This requirement is satisfied by the districts current recess format.

Middletown Public Schools will provide every elementary school student with two separate 10 minutes (20 minutes total) of unstructured physical activity, supervised by their teacher, during the school day, the letter said.

This response did not satisfy some parents, however. The memo was disappointing rather than reassuring in regards to questions, Salafia said.

Kristiansen also said she was disappointed by the letter. Its misleading and really nothing has changed. Recess is on is inaccurate.

She said parents want to revisit the policy with their input, and at the very least, wants to see what research and reasoning went into the decision.

Sylvestre said she plans to continue to work toward a solution. At the end of the day, we all just want whats best for the kids.
HARTFORD  Police are investigating a non-fatal shooting on Sunday afternoon after responding to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

At approximately 4:08 p.m., Hartford Police were dispatched to the hospital on a report of a gunshot victim arriving for treatment, according to a press release.

The victim, a man in his 20s, sustained a single gunshot wound and is listed in stable condition, police said.

The location of incident has not yet been determined, police said.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with any information regarding the case is asked to call the HPD Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
CURRITUCK, N.C. (AP)  Charges against an Outer Banks motorist now include second-degree murder after an 11-year-old girl struck by a vehicle on a North Carolina road last month died.

Daniel M. Deweese, 32, of Kitty Hawk, already had been arrested after authorities said his vehicle hit Julie Hope Randel of Barco on Aug. 30 as she crossed a highway near her middle school.

Randel was taken to Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, where she died on Wednesday, The Daily Advance of Elizabeth City reported.

Deweese, who was originally charged in part with impaired driving and speeding in a school zone, was charged with felony death by vehicle and second-degree murder after the childs death, local District Attorney Andrew Womble said Friday.

Deweese was in the Currituck County Detention Center on Sunday with a combined bond of $840,000 and a court appearance set for later this week, sheriffs Sgt. Penny Sylvester said. The jail didnt have information on whether Deweese has an attorney.

Randel, who attended Currituck Middle School, had crossed U.S. Highway 158 and reached the shoulder before re-entering the roadway to pick up something she had dropped, the state Highway Patrol said. Thats when Deweeses Dodge Neon struck her, the patrol said.

Deweeses vehicle was traveling 56 mph (90 kph) , Trooper S.D. Hurley said. The speed limit is usually 45 mph (72 kph), then drops to 35 mph (56 kph) during school hours, the newspaper reported.

The patrol believes alcohol played a role in the collision, Hurley said. Deweese also was originally charged with marijuana possession and possession of an open container of alcohol, documents show.
MIDDLETOWN  The mother and girlfriend of a city man accused of a shooting that killed one person and injured another in May have been charged with interfering with a police investigation after detectives obtained surveillance footage from inside their home, court records show.

Matthew O'Banner, 20, is facing charges of murder and first-degree assault for the May 16 shooting that killed 25-year-old Tylon Hardy and injured another individual, who was 17 at the time, officials said. O'Banner originally agreed to turn himself in to Middletown police, but then vanished for two months before being caught in New Jersey, records show.

Michelle Sanders, O'Banners 54-year-old mother, and his girlfriend, 21-year-old Alexandra Vazquez, were also arrested in August and charged with interfering with police. Sanders is also charged with second-degree hindering prosecution, tampering with evidence and drug possession, records show.

The warrant for Sanders said footage captured the dispute leading up to the shooting, and the familys deliberations afterward on how to cover up their involvement.

According to court records released last week, Middletown detectives and U.S. Marshals secretly tracked Sanders car to an apartment in North Bergen, N.J., where marshals took him into custody in early August.

O'Banner was extradited to Connecticut and arraigned on Aug. 24. A judge ordered him held on $2 million bond and he was scheduled to appear next week in Middletown court.

Court documents in his case remain sealed.

According to the arrest warrant for Sanders, police were dispatched to a shooting that occurred in the area of Stirling Street just before 11 a.m. on May 16. When they arrived, they found Hardy unresponsive, suffering from a gunshot wound and bleeding from his mouth and ears, the warrant said.

The warrant said Hardy was pronounced dead approximately 15 minutes later. Police were also notified of a second victim, who was 17 years old, who arrived at Middlesex Hospital in a private vehicle. He had two gunshot wounds in his back and one in his forearm, according to the warrant.

According to the warrant, the teen was flown to Hartford Hospital, where he later told a detective he was on Stirling Court when he heard an argument involving multiple people. As he walked closer, the warrant said, the teen heard gunshots and was shot running from the area.

The warrant shows investigators recovered a black Taurus 9mm handgun, shell casings, shoes, a hat and prescription eye glasses from the area, according to court documents.

When police spoke with Sanders at her home, she said she had not seen her son since earlier that morning and that he was with Vazquez. She denied knowing about the shooting near her property, the warrant read.

Detectives later spoke with Vazquez, who told investigators that a person had threatened her and O'Banner, telling her they were all pulling up on her boyfriends house, according to the warrant. She told investigators that she, O'Banner, their child and Sanders were all at the Stirling Court home, but claimed she did not know where he went after the shooting, the warrant shows.

Police were also given video evidence from nearby residents, the warrant said. One video showed a group in a verbal dispute in the area when a man emerged from the Stirling Court home and opened fire. The warrant said the videos showed Hardy get shot, the crowd scatter and cars, including a Honda registered to Vazquez, peel out in all directions.

Surveillance video from another resident showed a silver Nissan fleeing and a man walking south with what appeared to be a black firearm in his hand, the warrant stated.

When the Honda drove by, the warrant said, this man turned and pointed the firearm in the direction of the vehicle. The warrant said officers could not determine whether he fired the weapon.

Sanders declined to let detectives search her home, the warrant said. As investigators worked to secure a warrant, Sanders tried to take a black backpack from the property, the warrant said, but officers stopped her and took the backpack back to the home, according to the warrant. Investigators said it was later found to contain crack cocaine and heroin.

When they searched the home, officers found evidence indicating O'Banner lived at the residence, as well as a Kel-Tec firearms box in what they believed to be his room, the warrant said.

The warrant said police also found several security cameras inside the house linked through Google Nest and Xfinity. The warrant said an officer sent a preservation request to Xfinitys parent company to ask that the company keep all records associated with the address.

Investigators obtained the video and corresponding audio from the incident, which show Vazquez and Sanders knew O'Banner was responsible for the shooting, according to the warrant.

In the video, both women pleaded with O'Banner to not confront the person who made the threat after he had called to warn that he and his acquaintances would be coming to the house, the warrant said.

If he comes here do not do that, none of that ... you have a son to think about, an indoor camera captured Vazquez telling O'Banner, according to the warrant. Do not do that, he has one, too. ... You guys dont need to do that.

Moments later, O'Banner emerged from the garage wearing clothes that matched evidence found at the property next door and ran upstairs, the warrant said.

When Sanders mentioned calling the police, O'Banner is heard on camera saying: What are you talking about, I have mad illegal stuff here ... dont do that, thats dumb, youre gonna get me arrested doing that, according to the warrant.

Three minutes later, O'Banner exited the front door and onto the porch, where audio recorded gunshots ringing out, according to court documents. He then fled and Vazquez ran back into the home, shouting hes going to jail and hes dead, somebody call the cops, the warrant said.

As police arrived, Vazquezs mother and sister came into the home, the warrant shows. The document said the women discussed how neighbors witnessed the shooting.

Approximately 30 minutes after the shooting, the video appeared to capture Vazquez on the phone with O'Banner, according to the warrant.

Where are you? she said, according to court records. Tylon is dead.

One of the women, the documents said, could be heard yelling from another room that O'Banner should ditch the gun in the river, another referenced erasing everything.

This is crazy, I feel like Im living in a movie, Sanders said before the video feed cuts out.

Video footage stops at 11:42 p.m., which detectives took to mean the rest of the security camera video was erased manually from one of the control hubs inside the home, according to the warrant.

Tracking cars

Middletown police obtained an arrest warrant charging O'Banner with murder at the end of May, and an attorney for him advised authorities that he would voluntarily surrender, court documents show. Though they agreed to meet at the lawyers office on June 14, O'Banner did not show, according to arrest records.

On June 22, the warrant said, Middletown police asked the U.S. Marshals for help locating him. Sanders, who owns an Audi Q5, was given a loaner vehicle from a New York dealership while hers was being serviced, the warrant read.

Marshals learned the loaner vehicle regularly transmits its location whenever the engine is shut off. Those transmissions showed Sanders visited the North Bergen, N.J., address of an acquaintance of O'Banner at the end of June.

Marshals secretly placed a GPS tracker in Sanders vehicle in the beginning of July while it was at the dealership and began tracking it when she picked it up, the warrant said. Meanwhile, marshals set up a camera for live-surveillance feed at the New Jersey address.

Early the next day, marshals spotted O'Banner, Vazquez and Sanders entering the apartment. The warrant said marshals took O'Banner into custody later that morning.

O'Banner remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Sanders posted a $250,000 bond and was released. Vazquez was released on a promise to appear in court. Both are scheduled to appear in court later this month.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
As the military shifts its attention to competing against the world's major navies, the Air Force is working on a new weapon: a ship-killing GPS-guided bomb.

On Aug. 26, the Air Force Research Laboratory tested the ability to use modified 2,000-pound GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs, on both stationary and moving targets on the water.

Three F-15E Strike Eagle fighters from the Eglin Air Force Base, Florida-based 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, armed with dummy versions of the weapon, tried out a slew of different ways of using it, looking to prove it would work.

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In a Friday interview, Col. Anthony Meeks, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's munitions directorate, said the test was designed to see whether pilots could drop the bombs on "different aim points to defeat maritime threats."

Those "aim points" -- the place where the crew wants the weapon to hit -- could be at the top of the vessel, the waterline, or just below the surface of the water, Meeks said.

He declined to answer whether that meant the weapon could target specific portions of a ship such as its bridge, propulsion, fuel tanks or weapons, saying the exact capabilities of the weapon are classified.

The development of the weapon comes at a time when the military is largely moving away from the last two decades of fighting land-based militant groups in the Middle East, and toward preparing for potential conflicts against major powers. Some of those adversaries, such as China, have considerable naval forces.

The Air Force's Sept. 1 press release on the test said it was intended to be "a low-cost method of achieving torpedo-like seaworthy kills from the air." However, the JDAM is not self-powered, and its velocity comes from the speed of the aircraft releasing it and gravity, while fins steer it toward its target. That means a maritime variant wouldn't streak under the surface of the water toward its target like a torpedo.

But among the modifications that have been made to this bomb are a redesigned nose plug, Meeks said. If the JDAM hits the water shortly before striking its target, that modified nose plug is intended to keep it from caroming off the surface in another unexpected direction.

"Did you ever skip rocks across the surface of a pond as a child?" Meeks asked. "What we're trying to understand is the physics, the dynamics, to prevent a JDAM from skipping off the surface of the water. We're trying to understand how a JDAM delivered to a GPS point over the water is any different, if at all, from a traditional, more conventional use of a JDAM."

Maj. Kevin Fogler, who flew the lead F-15E during the test, said in the interview that the laser-guided GBU-24 -- an older version of the weapon that is commonly used to strike hardened targets such as bunkers -- wouldn't work well during a battle with a ship.

"When the targets we're striking can shoot back, we don't necessarily want to be at the ranges we'd have to be to illuminate the target with the laser," Fogler said.

But when the GPS-guided GBU-31 is used, fighters can get out of the area immediately after firing it, and not have to loiter to keep a laser fixed on the target as they would with the GBU-24.

Laser-guided weapons also need a largely cloud-free environment to work correctly, but the GBU-31's GPS guidance would be able to work in any type of weather. Fogler said that GPS jamming capabilities are a concern, but that aircrews would prepare to counter.

JDAMs typically cost in the tens of thousands of dollars each. The Air Force isn't sure yet how much these maritime JDAMs would cost when finished, but Meeks said a goal of this project is to keep costs low by using common parts such as fuses.

The F-15Es that took part in the test carried four of the maritime JDAMs. And any aircraft that can carry a standard JDAM will be able to carry the modified weapons, Meeks said.

Next, the Air Force plans to work with partners at Naval Sea Systems Command to analyze the results of this test. The military utility assessment, which determines how useful a project might be and whether to move forward with it, is expected to take place in late 2023 or early 2024.

-- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey.

Related: Air Force's Reconfigured F-15E Strike Eagle Fighter Proves It Can Carry Extra Bombs
The Giants announced that right-hander Jake Jewell has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Jewells presence on the waiver wire wasnt publicly known, though this marks the third time Jewell has been on waivers this season, and the first time the 28-year-old hasnt changed teams.

Jewell came to the Giants via a waiver claim from the Dodgers earlier this week, and Los Angeles also claimed Jewell when the Cubs designated him for assignment in late August. The righty has yet to see any big league action for either of the two NL West powers, as his 2021 statline remains 10 innings pitched (with a 9.90 ERA) for Chicago.

This also marks the second time the Giants have themselves outrighted Jewell off their 40-man roster. San Francisco previously claimed Jewell off waivers from the Angels back in January 2020 and then outrighted him later that month. Jewell ended up not seeing any action at all in 2020 thanks to the canceled minor league season, as the Giants never called him up to their MLB roster.

Originally drafted by the Angels back in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, Jewell had a 6.99 ERA over 28 1/3 frames for the Angels in 2018-19. The righty has a 4.78 ERA over 542 career innings in the minors, but a 3.88 ERA with a 24.8% strikeout rate over 97 1/3 Triple-A innings. Jewells strikeout rate has been on the rise since becoming a full-time reliever during the 2018 season.
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THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. A MISSING ENDANGERED PERSON ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE MISSOULA POLICE DEPARTMENT. SOPHIE ELHAJJ, A 14 YEAR OLD WHITE FEMALE, HAS GONE MISSING. SOPHIE IS 5 FEET 4 INCHES TALL, 115 POUNDS, WITH BLUE EYES AND BLONDE HAIR. SHE WAS LAST SEEN WEARING A NAVY HOODIE, JEANS, AND CARRYING A BLACK BACKPACK. SOPHIE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN OR HEARD FROM SINCE 8:30 ON TUESDAY MORNING IN THE MISSOULA AREA. BASED ON NEW INFORMATION, THERE IS CONCERN THAT SHE MAY TRY TO HARM HERSELF. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON SOPHIE, PLEASE CONTACT MISSOULA POLICE DEPARTMENT AT 4 0 6, 5 5 2, 6 3 0 0, OR DIAL 911.
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Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 66F. WSW winds shifting to NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 66F. WSW winds shifting to NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
OCKLAWAHA [mdash]Elizabeth Lynn Keigans, 55, of Ocklawaha, formerly of Moultrie, died Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at her home. Born on December 20, 1965, in Moultrie, she was the daughter of the late Joe Ellis Keigans, Sr. and Ruby Lynette Conger Keigans. She is survived by her daughter, Cara
NEW YORK (AP)  Many of the media outlets that explore the country's differences, pausing Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, recalled almost wistfully the sense of common purpose that united Americans in the aftermath of that day.

Television news networks offered wall-to-wall coverage of remembrances in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, that were attended by four presidents.

One should savor these moments of unity this morning  feel how good that feels, said Fox News Channel anchor Dana Perino, shortly after Bruce Springsteen sang I'll See You in My Dreams at New York's World Trade Center memorial.

Normally Fox, CNN and MSNBC spend hours on political warfare, most notably this week Fox's heated response to President Joe Biden's latest COVID-fighting plan.

Perino was one of two ex-press aides to former President George W. Bush to anchor news coverage Saturday; MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace was the other. The networks carried live their former boss' speech in Shanksville. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both called for that long-dissipated sprit of unity to return.

On Sept. 11 we all gave up our labels. We all became Americans, former Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card said in an MSNBC interview.

Shortly after, onetime first responder John Feal told MSNBC's Ali Velshi that we label each other too much. It was great to be a human being after the attacks.

Selfless acts of sacrifice are what CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell said she was thinking about on Saturday. We call them heroes, but they are everyday Americans ... that's what's great about this country, (that) terrorists tried to take and did not take away that day.

Differences didn't melt completely away. Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik tweeted he was disgusted that President Joe Biden was at the city's ceremony.

Wallace and her co-anchor, Brian Williams, twice talked about former President Donald Trump's absence from Sept. 11 remembrances Saturday  both times without saying his name.

Trump made appearances at a New York police station and firehouse, and the police visit was covered live by Fox. However, the network broke away, and anchor Arthel Neville said that he did not miss any opportunities to air grievances, including claiming that the election was rigged, which it was not.

Bush's speech, where he discussed the dangers of home-grown extremism, was seized upon by journalists. I think a lot of people are going to be talking about that for days to come, said CNN's Paula Reid.

The news networks carried the initial reading of World Trade Center victims' names by family members, beginning at 8:49 a.m. Eastern.

They're still reading the names, CNN's Laura Jarrett said shortly after noon, almost a temporal reminder, if you will, of the loss of nearly 3,000 people.

But after Springsteen sang, most of the networks drifted away. ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates in New York City, as is their tradition, didn't budge. They listened as each name was read, accompanying them with the names and pictures of victims onscreen, along with the often heartbreaking personal messages of lives that continued with voids in countless hearts.

It took four hours, until the ceremony ended with taps being played on trumpets.

Twenty years is a nice round number, said Jim Giaccone, who memorialized his lost brother, Joseph. But for me and other family members, it's another day, it's another month, it's another year.
Sean Kilpatrick/AP

TORONTO (AP)  Candidate controversies over vaccines and Islamophobia dogged the leader of Canadas opposition Conservative party on Saturday ahead of the Sept. 20 election.

A Conservative candidate in Nova Scotia apologized for social media posts that weighed in on sharia law and backed banning the burqa worn by some Muslim women. And on Friday the Conservative party confirmed they had dumped Beaches-East York candidate in Toronto after the ridings Liberal incumbent, Nate Erskine-Smith, highlighted Islamophobic tweets from 2017.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Democratic allies of California Gov. Gavin Newsom continued to express confidence Saturday in his chances of beating back a recall but warned his supporters not to let up on urging people to vote as they seek a decisive win, while Republicans said the contest is far from settled.

We don't need to just win by a little, we need to win by a lot. We need to send a message: Hands off our democracy, hands off our California," said April Verrett, president of the SEIU Local 2015, as she rallied union members who have been among Newsom's biggest supporters.

Newsom joined the Oakland rally as his Republican rivals made their cases up and down the state and both major parties sent volunteers out to knock on doors and urge their supporters to vote. The race concludes Tuesday, and more than a third of voters have already mailed in their ballot or voted early in person.

A recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Newsom likely to survive, and Democrats are making a stronger showing in early voting. But the GOP is expecting a larger turnout on Election Day, given many Republicans are skeptical of voting by mail.

Anyone who is counting the recall out at this point is not really in touch with what's actually going on with this movement," said Republican Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, who is running to unseat Newsom and is favored by some of the recall's original supporters.

The ballot includes two questions: Should Newsom be recalled from office and, if so, who should replace him? If a majority of voters want him gone, he would be replaced by whoever gets the most votes among the 46 candidates on the replacement ballot.

Newsom has encouraged his supporters to vote no" on the first question and skip the second one all together, something Republican rival Kevin Faulconer criticized as he cast his own ballot in San Diego, where he previously served as mayor.

Its very important that folks get out and vote. The fact that the Governor doesnt want people to vote on question two, that is voter disenfranchisement," he said, according to CBS News 8 in San Diego.

Beyond campaigning, several candidates marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Larry Elder, who is considered the Republican frontrunner, helped read the names of people who died in the attacks during a memorial service in Southern California before having lunch with veterans. He shared anecdotes about his father, a veteran, and made his campaign pitch to the group, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Kiley and businessman John Cox, another GOP candidate, also attended anniversary events, while Newsom visited the Wall of Heroes memorial at the California National Guard's headquarters before his campaign event.

More than 7.7 million people have already voted, according to ballot tracking data compiled by Political Data Inc., a data firm that works with Democrats.

Newsom called the numbers encouraging and attributed it to more Democrats becoming aware of the recall as it winds to a close. Still, he said he's taking nothing for granted. H will spend the next few days campaigning in Southern California, and on Monday he will be joined by Democratic President Joe Biden.

He stuck to his closing message that the race could have profound consequences beyond California, calling it a contest of outsize consequences." He and other Democrats have likened it to former President Donald Trump's refusal to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election and have charged Republicans with pursuing a recall because they can't win a normal election. Californians haven't elected a Republican statewide since 2006.

The recall is about catching you while you're sleeping," he said. This recall is about getting us in an off year, in an off month, while no one else is paying attention."

The recall made the ballot through a process in the California Constitution for more than a century. Originally the recall was likely to be held sometime in October or November, but Democrats in the state Legislature sped up the process to allow for an earlier election.

Republicans angry with Newsom's policies on immigration, crime and a host of other issues sparked the recall drive, but it took off during the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers got more than 1.7 million signatures to place it on the ballot. That's less than a tenth of registered voters.

Gavin Newsom has failed Californians. From surging crime to a broken unemployment department and raging wildfires, our state deserves better than this governors serial incompetence," California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said in a statement. She was out Saturday knocking on doors in Los Angeles County.

Meanwhile, the union leaders who rallied alongside Newsom pointed to his pandemic policies as life-saving measures for home health care and other essential workers. They also applauded him for increasing providers' pay, which was cut under former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the winner of the 2003 recall.

The Service Employees International Union and its affiliates have donated at least $3.5 million to Newsom's campaign, and unions collectively are his biggest financial backers.

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Catch up with all of AP's recall coverage here: https://apnews.com/hub/california-recall
JUNEAU, Alaska  Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said President Joe Bidens effort to require millions of U.S. workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is ill conceived, divisive, and un-American.

At a time in which we are called to work together, forced medical procedures run counter to our collective sense of fairness and liberty, the Republican said in a statement. My administration is aggressively identifying every tool at our disposal to protect the inherent individual rights of all Alaskans.

The statement did not describe what that might entail.

Dunleavy has butted heads with the Biden administration on resource development issues. Dunleavy has faced some criticism in Alaska for not mandating masks or for not implementing a new disaster declaration to deal with a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. He has instead asked lawmakers to act on legislation aimed at addressing staffing concerns raised by health care facilities.

In his statement Friday, Dunleavy said that it is clear from the data and empirical evidence over the last year that the vaccine is the most effective way to fight COVID-19. From what we are seeing in our hospitals, the very ill are mostly those who are unvaccinated.

As Governor, and as someone who had COVID and has been vaccinated, I will continue to recommend that Alaskans speak to their healthcare providers and discuss the merits of the vaccine based on their individual healthcare needs, he said.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Virus claims Black morticians, leaving holes in communities

 Biden presses states to require vaccines for all teachers

 Court: DeSantis ban on school mask mandates back in force

 South Africa vaccinates some kids in test of Chinese vaccine

 Key parts of Bidens plan to confront delta variant surge

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 See AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Friday that President Joe Bidens new federal vaccine requirements are clearly unconstitutional and that he believes Biden issued the mandate to distract Americans from the fallout over his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.

This is the same bait and switch, Reeves said at a press conference outside the Governors Mansion in Jackson. Biden wants us to talk about anything but Afghanistan, and sadly, hes willing to trample on the rights of 100 million Americans to try to help himself politically. That, to me, is disgusting.

Reeves said a member of the executive branch of government does not have the authority to mandate workers be vaccinated. Its clearly unconstitutional for the president, to unilaterally with one signature, decide something of this magnitude, he said.

He said he expects the Supreme Court to strike down the requirement and that Mississippi will join other states in filing a lawsuit.

In essence, what the president saying is... hard-working Americans  many of whom work here and live here in Mississippi  hard-working Mississippians have to choose between either injecting themselves with something and potentially having the ability to earn a living to produce food for their family, he said. Thats a ridiculous choice.

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HELENA, Mt. -- Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has promised to fight the new federal vaccine mandate in court.

The Republican said on Friday that once the full guidelines for the mandate are released, he will file a lawsuit to strike it down.

President Joe Biden announced Thursday the vaccine mandate that could affect as many as 100 million Americans, including all workers in businesses with 100 or more employees.

The new mandate appears to conflict with a Montana law passed earlier this year that makes it illegal for private employers to mandate vaccines as a condition for employment. But University of Montana law professor Anthony Johnston says federal law will take precedence over state law if there is a direct conflict.

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DETROIT  A major health care provider in southeastern Michigan says 92% of its employees have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by a Friday deadline and another 3% have gotten a first shot.

Under Henry Ford Health Systems policy, employees will be suspended if they dont get at least one dose by midnight or schedule an appointment. They will lose their jobs if theyre not fully vaccinated by Oct. 1. There are some exceptions.

Henry Ford Health says in a statement: We remain confident that vaccination, along with masking, remains the most powerful tool we have against the pandemic.

Separately, a lawsuit challenging the vaccine policy was suddenly dropped Friday ahead of a hearing in federal court.

The Detroit-based health system employs more than 30,000 workers and has five acute care hospitals, four in the Detroit area and one in Jackson. It has treated thousands of COVID-19 patients.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala.  Alabamas chief health officer says a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations appears to have stabilized but the state still faces a real crisis of an overwhelming number of patients needing intensive care, nearly all of whom arent vaccinated.

Dr. Scott Harris, head of the Alabama Department of Public Health reports that after threatening to reach an all-time high for coronavirus hospitalizations, state hospitals have seen a slight decline in recent days.

He says hes thankful that there has been a little bit of a plateau over the last week. ... The numbers arent great. But the numbers at least have not continued to go up, he said.

Still, Harris says, demand for intensive care beds is exceeding the states capacity. Patients who normally would be treated in ICU wards are instead in emergency rooms, normal beds or even gurneys left in hallways.

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HONOLULU  Hawaii Gov. David Ige is requiring government contractors and visitors to state facilities to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

State contractors must attest to their employees vaccination status or provide weekly tests for unvaccinated staff. Contractors also must wear masks and maintain physical distance while on state property.

The order also applies to visitors to state facilities, but not to beaches or outdoor state properties. Inmates at correctional facilities, patients at state hospitals and children under 12 or students attending state public or charter schools are exempt, as are travelers arriving at airports.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Iges executive order takes effect Monday.

Hawaii has had a recent record surge of new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.  The on-again, off-again ban imposed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to prevent mandated masks for Florida school students is back in force.

The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled Friday that a Tallahassee judge shouldnt have lifted an automatic stay two days ago that halted enforcement of the mask mandate ban. The upshot is the state can resume its efforts to impose financial penalties on the 13 Florida school boards currently defying the mask ban.

The U.S. Department of Education has begun a grant program for school districts that lose money for implementing mandatory masks and other coronavirus safety measures.

DeSantis has argued the new Parents Bill of Rights law gives parents the authority to determine whether their children should wear a mask to school. School districts with mandatory mask rules allow an opt-out only for medical reasons, not parental discretion.

Charles Gallagher, attorney for parents challenging the DeSantis ban, says in a tweet, students, parents and teachers are back in harms way.

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SALT LAKE CITY  Thirteen Utah hospitals will postpone many non-emergency surgeries starting next week, citing health care workers overwhelmed by surging coronavirus cases.

Intermountain Healthcare announced Friday that the hospitals will postpone non-urgent procedures for several weeks starting Sept. 15. The announcement comes a week after state hospital leaders made emotional pleas for vaccinations and universal masking to stem a virus surge fueled by the delta variant.

There were 516 people hospitalized for COVID-19 and ICUs were 93% full in Utah on Thursday, according to state data. Thats nearing its previous peak in December when ICUs were 104% full and 606 people were hospitalized.

About 62% of Utah residents age 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. Utah reported 10 deaths on Thursday, bringing the confirmed total to 2,703.

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JACKSON, Miss.  Doctors who spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine could have their license to practice medicine suspended or revoked, according to a new policy adopted by the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure.

The policy says doctors have an ethical and professional responsibility to practice medicine in the best interest of their patients and share factual and scientifically grounded information with them.

Spreading inaccurate COVID-19 vaccine information contradicts that responsibility, threatens to further erode public trust in the medical profession and puts all patients at risk, it reads.

Mississippi ranks among the lowest in the country with just 38% of its 3 million residents fully vaccinated. The department of health reported 1,892 confirmed cases and 35 deaths on Friday.

Mississippi has registered at least 460,000 cases and 8,905 confirmed deaths.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is calling some Republican governors cavalier for resisting new federal vaccine requirements he hopes will contain the surging delta variant.

Biden visited Brookland Middle School on Friday, just a short drive from the White House. He was making the case for new federal rules that could impact 100 million Americans.

All employers with more than 100 workers must be vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus, affecting about 80 million Americans. About 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also must be fully vaccinated.

I am so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities, Biden said during the visit. This isnt a game

Republicans and some union officials say hes overreaching his authority. Asked about potential legal challenges to the new vaccine requirements, Biden responded, Have at it.

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ATLANTA  Protests from faculty members continue at Georgias public universities, although leaders of the state's university system are not backing down from their position that schools cant require masks or vaccines.

Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney says those policies arent going to change, noting the system will follow the lead of Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican lawmakers who control the university systems purse strings.

We are fulfilling our institutional missions to deliver higher education and services for students in a way that is best for them, MacCartney said. Those expectations have been made clear since before the semester started. It should be no surprise. There are consequences for those not following through and doing their jobs.

The remarks earned a round applause from regents, who were mostly unmasked. They were surrounded by dozens of university presidents and administrators, who were mostly masked.

MacCartney spoke Thursday, the same day faculty groups at the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University passed resolutions calling for mask and vaccine mandates.

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WASHINGTON  Senior Democratic senators are pressing Medicare to make information on nursing home COVID-19 vaccination rates easily accessible for consumers.

Although the Biden administration is requiring vaccination for all nursing home staff, Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania say it could take months. Theyre asking Medicare to post vaccination rates among residents and staff of individual facilities on its Care Compare website.

These data reside on entirely separate (government) websites, the senators wrote Medicare head Chiquita Brooks-LaSure on Friday. Even if a person could find these websites, the vaccination data for individual facilities are not prominently displayed, creating additional barriers.

Medicare officials say theyre working on the problem.

The senators cited an Associated Press report on outbreaks attributed to unvaccinated staff. Wyden and Casey chair the Finance and Aging committees, respectively.

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PARIS  France has announced new restrictions for U.S. travelers who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Starting Sunday, unvaccinated travelers from the U.S. who previously could enter with only a recent negative test must now show pressing grounds for travel.

These grounds also apply broadly to returning French citizens, legal residents, relatives of French citizens, foreign health professionals coming to assist in the fight against COVID-19, transportation and diplomatic workers, and people transiting through the country.

The restrictions do not apply to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S.

The decision follows the European Unions recommendation last week that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on U.S. tourists because of rising coronavirus infections there.

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JOHANNESBURG  South Africa has started vaccinating children and adolescents as part of the global Phase 3 clinical trials of Chinas Sinovac Biotech shot for children 6 months to 17 years.

The global study will enroll 2,000 participants in South Africa and 12,000 others in Kenya, the Philippines, Chile and Malaysia. The first children in South Africa were inoculated at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in the capital Pretoria to kick off the trials.

The Sinovac company says others will get shots at six different sites across the country.

South Africa has recorded 6,270 infections and 175 confirmed deaths in the last 24 hours. The 2.8 million total infections account for more than 35% of cases in Africa. The nation has 84,327 confirmed deaths.

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Denmarks high vaccination rate has enabled the Scandinavian country to become one of the first European Union nations to lift all domestic restrictions.

The return to normality has been gradual, but as of Friday, the digital pass  a proof of having been vaccinated  is no longer required when entering nightclubs, the last virus safeguard to fall.

More than 80% of people above age 12 have had the two shots. As of midnight, the Danish government no longer considers COVID-19 a socially critical disease.

Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said last month that the epidemic is under control but warned: we are not out of the epidemic and the government will act as needed if necessary.

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BERLIN  Germanys standing committee on vaccination is recommending that pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The committee said Friday that after evaluating the available evidence, it is issuing a draft recommendation that women from the second trimester of pregnancy onward and breastfeeding mothers get two doses of an mRNA vaccine.

It also recommended that all those of child-bearing age who havent yet been vaccinated get inoculated so they are protected from the coronavirus before any pregnancy.

About two-thirds of Germanys population has received at least one vaccine dose and 61.9% have been fully vaccinated. The pace of vaccinations has slowed to a crawl recently, and officials are keen to encourage more people to get the shots before the winter.

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LONDON  A leading scientist behind the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine says booster shots may be unnecessary for many people.

Oxford University Professor Sarah Gilbert tells The Telegraph newspaper that immunity from the vaccine is holding up well, even against the delta variant.

She says that while older adults and those who are immune-compromised may need boosters, the standard two-dose regimen should protect most people.

Gilbert says the worlds priority should be to get more vaccines to countries with limited supplies.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, a panel of experts that advises the British government, is expected to make recommendations in the coming days on the scale of any booster program.
The soldiers breathed a huge sigh of relief. Sallie was safe and unharmed. Slightly dazed and numb, even traumatized. But who wasnt traumatized at that moment? After all, they had just come through the bloodiest battle ever fought in the western hemisphere.

Sallie wasnt a combatant. She didnt carry a gun or wear a uniform. Yet when the fighting was ferocious, she was right there on the battlefield. When things grew grim, she didnt turn tail and run. Instead, she displayed a heroic dedication deeper than some of the bravest of soldiers. At last, she was reunited with the people who meant the world to her.

More Information Holy Cow! History is written by novelist, former television journalist and diehard history buff J. Mark Powell. Have a historic mystery that needs solving? A forgotten moment worth remembering? Send it to HolyCow@insidesources.com. See More Collapse

All that was off in the future one morning in May 1861 when she first met the boys of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil Wars earliest days. The regiment was training at the West Chester, Pennsylvania, fairgrounds. A local resident showed up bearing a special gift for the troops. As Col. Richard Coulter later recalled, It was a brindle bull terrier puppy of a fine breed who showed marks of her blood.

It was love at first sight. The soldiers were crazy about the puppy, and she was equally infatuated with them. They christened her Sallie Ann Jarrett, the first two names being inspired by a young lady the men admired, and the last name coming from the units first commander Phaon Jarrett.

Soon, she was just Sallie.

When the 11th went to the front, Sallie went with them. She was no fireside mascot. Sallie accompanied the infantrymen on their drills, marched with them in parades (passing twice before Abraham Lincoln), and becoming such a prominent personality, the regiment gained the nickname Dick Coulters Dog.

She was also on the frontlines in the thick of the fighting, barking at the enemy like crazy as muskets and cannons roared around her on some of the bloodiest battlefields in American history: Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville.

Sallie made the long march back to Pennsylvania as Robert E. Lees troops headed there in the summer of 1863. She was with her boys on the morning of July 1 as a wall of gray swept out of the hills and shattered the Union lines. As the regiment retreated toward the town and on to Cemetery Ridge, Sallie became lost. The men fretted she had been killed. When Lees battered army finally retreated a few days later, the 11th hurried back to Oak Ridge where they had last seen her amid the smoke and confusion of battle.

And thats where they found her, standing guard over their wounded comrades still bleeding on the ground in the brutal summer heat. The battle had ebbed and flowed, men from both sides and come and gone, but Sallies devotion never faltered. There was a happy reunion in camp that night.

Sallie soldiered on from there. She was wounded in the neck at The Wilderness the following year and quickly recovered. She wasnt so fortunate the next time.

At the Battle of Harpers Run, Virginia, just 60 days before the wars end, she was hit by a bullet and killed. Soldiers cried like babies while under heavy enemy fire and at great risk to themselves they dug Sallies grave and left her where she fell.

Years passed. As the veterans grew older, they raised money to build a memorial to their military service. They were in their 50s and 60s when it was dedicated in 1890. More than a few tears were shed at the unveiling.

There are 1,328 monuments at Gettysburg National Military Park. But only one features a life-size likeness of a dog curled up at its base, still looking out for the men she loved.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Certain felons released from prison or never incarcerated and who registered to vote recently in North Carolina will remain eligible as litigation over their right to vote continues, the states highest court has ruled.

The state Supreme Court, in a lawsuit challenging when North Carolina residents convicted of felonies have their voting rights restored, essentially declined to reinstate a order last month that declared any offender no longer behind bars could register. That order would have affected about 56,000 people who were still serving probation, parole or other supervision, according to court records.

On Sept. 3, the state Court of Appeals blocked last months trial order amid pending litigation filed by civil rights groups and ex-offenders challenging state law on the restoration of voting rights. Those plaintiffs immediately appealed to the Supreme Court, which late Friday declined to block the Court of Appeals order, but also declared it would be implemented only going forward.

That means a felony offender who registered between Aug. 23 and Sept. 3  when the trial judges' order was in place and based solely on that order  can't be removed from voting rolls and are legally registered voters" until told otherwise, the Supreme Court wrote.

So those offenders who registered will be able to vote in this fall's municipal elections. Early in-person voting for October elections begins Thursday. It wasn't immediately known how many people who qualified under the Sept. 23 order actually registered.

Plaintiffs in the 2019 lawsuit that led to the orders and appeals said Friday's ruling was disappointing but urged those who registered to cast ballots. The lawsuit contends current state law on restoring voting rights is racially discriminatory by disproportionately affecting Black offenders and violates the state constitution.

We are now a step closer to our goal, and even in the face of this temporary delay of full justice, we are celebrating, the plaintiff organizations said in a news release Saturday. "We remain committed to the vision of an equal democracy, untainted by laws illegally designed to disenfranchise Black people in this state.

State Republican legislative leaders, some of whom are named defendants in the lawsuit along with the State Board of Elections, have said the trial court went too far with its expansive order so close to an election.

The Supreme Court made the right call," Sen. Warren Daniel, a Burke County Republican and co-chairman of the Senate elections committee, said on Saturday. "A judge cannot just write a new law because he or she doesnt like the old one.

The order was signed by Associate Justice Tamara Barringer on behalf of the court, which is composed of four registered Democrats and three Republicans. There was no legal explanation for the decision.

The North Carolina Constitution forbids a person convicted of a felony from voting unless that person shall be first restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law. A 1973 law laying out those restoration rules requires the unconditional discharge of an inmate, of a probationer, or of a parolee.

But the Aug. 23 order had said election officials couldnt deny voter registration to any convicted felon who is only on probation, parole or post-release supervision. A plaintiffs attorney said last month the trial courts decision would represent the largest expansion of North Carolina voting rights since the 1960s. There are more than 7.1 million registered voters in North Carolina.

Democrats were in charge of the legislature when the law, which lowered hurdles for ex-felons to vote, was approved. The GOP defendants said there's no evidence the law is carried out today in a racially discriminatory manner.

Last year, trial judges ruled felony offenders couldnt be denied the right to vote if the reason their rights hadnt been restored was due to unpaid fines or restitution. The Supreme Court said on Friday that rule remains in effect.
From left, Teresa Pinkley, RN, back to camera; Tyson Davis, RN; Judy Huffman, RN, back to camera; and Angie King, respiratory therapist, work together to turn a COVID patient from a prone position to a supine position (on the patients back) in the patients ICU bed. Being rotated between prone and supine positions can be beneficial to patients who are ventilated.
Chinas FM Wang offers aid and friendship on Cambodia visit View Photo

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Sunday that China has agreed to provide the Southeast Asian nation with grant aid of 1.75 billion yuan ($272 million), announcing the assistance during a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang met with Hun Sen and other officials for bilateral talks on combating COVID-19, trade and investment, education and security issues. Cambodias foreign ministry said earlier that Wangs meetings on Sunday and Monday also would include discussions of regional and international issues of shared interest.

China is Cambodias biggest investor and closest political partner whose assistance largely underpins the Southeast Asian nations economy. Hun Sen did not detail what the aid from Beijing would be used for.

Hun Sen spoke on a live television broadcast in which he praised China for its aid at a handover ceremony for a new 60,000-person capacity stadium built on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh. The Chinese government provided the $160 million funding for the project, Cambodias state news agency AKP reported Tourism Minister Thong Khon as saying.

Before, we could not imagine that Cambodia would have such a large stadium here, but China helps make it happen for us, AKP quoted Hun Sen saying at the ceremony. He called the stadium the fruit of the ironclad Cambodian-Chinese friendship.

Speaking to the press after meeting separately with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang made a similar point, saying, Let Chinese-Cambodian friendship be steadier than iron and stronger than steel.

Hun Sen pointed out other assistance from China for the construction of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of roads and seven big bridges across the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. He noted as well that vaccines sold and donated by China had helped Cambodia battle the pandemic.

Hun Sen added, however, that Cambodia is not reliant solely on China but makes friends with all the worlds countries, and welcomes their aid for development. The U.S. has also donated COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia.

Washingtons relations with Hun Sens government are frosty, as Beijings support allows Cambodia to disregard Western concerns about its poor record in human and political rights, and in turn Cambodia generally supports Beijings geopolitical positions on issues such as its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In recent months, the U.S. has expressed concern about their ties and urged Cambodias leaders to maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy that would be in its peoples best interests.

The concerns have focused partly on Chinas construction of new facilities at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia and the potential for its military to have future basing rights there.

Ream faces the Gulf of Thailand that lies adjacent to the South China Sea. Holding basing rights in Cambodia would extend Beijings strategic military profile considerably.

Wrapping up a visit to neighboring Vietnam on Saturday, Wang said China planned to donate 3 million vaccine doses to that country, which is under a lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge.

By SOPHENG CHEANG

Associated Press
Pope to Orbans Hungary: Open your arms to everyone View Photo

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Pope Francis urged Hungary on Sunday to extend its arms towards everyone, in a veiled critique of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans anti-migrant policies, as the pontiff opened a four-day visit to Central Europe in his first big international outing since undergoing intestinal surgery in July.

Francis, 84, appeared in good form during his short visit to Budapest, presiding over a lengthy Mass and standing as he waved to crowds from his open-sided popemobile. He used a golf cart to avoid walking long distances indoors and confessed at one point that he had to sit because Im not 15 anymore. But otherwise he kept up the typical grueling pace of a papal trip despite his ongoing recovery.

Francis spent just seven hours in Budapest before arriving Sunday afternoon in neighboring Slovakia to start a four-day tour. The lopsided itinerary suggested that Francis wanted to avoid giving Orban  the type of populist nationalist he frequently criticizes  the political boost that comes with hosting a pope for a proper state visit ahead of elections in Hungary next spring.

Francis did meet upon arrival with Orban, whose refugee policies clash with the popes call to welcome and integrate those seeking better lives in Europe. After the meeting, Orban wrote on Facebook: I asked Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary perish.

Orban has frequently depicted his government as a defender of Christian civilization in Europe and a bulwark against migration from Muslim-majority countries. In 2015, he rejected proposals to settle refugees from the Mideast and Africa in Hungary and erected a fence along Hungarys southern border to keep out asylum-seekers trying to enter the European Union.

The Vatican said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and lasted longer than expected  40 minutes.

Among the various topics discussed were the role of the church in the country, the commitment to the protection of the environment, the protection and promotion of the family, said a Vatican statement.

Vatican and Hungarian officials have insisted Francis wasnt snubbing Hungary by staying for such a short time, noting that the Hungarian church and state only invited him to close out an international conference on the Eucharist on Sunday.

It was at the end of that Mass that Francis urged Hungarians to remain steadfast in their religious roots, but not in a defensive way that closes them off from the rest of the world.

Religious sentiment has been the lifeblood of this nation, so attached to its roots, he said. Yet the cross, planted in the ground, not only invites us to be well-rooted, it also raises and extends its arms toward everyone.

He said Hungarians should stay firm in their roots while opening ourselves to the thirst of the men and women of our time.

My wish is that you be like that: rounded and open, rooted and considerate, he said.

Orban had a front-row seat during the Mass. During their private meeting, he gave Francis a copy of a 1243 letter from King Bela IV of Hungary to Pope Innocent IV which informed the pope that Bela would strengthen fortifications along the Danube River in Hungary in preparation for a Mongol invasion  evidence of Hungarys long role in preserving Europes Christian roots.

Francis referred to that history in his meeting with the countrys bishops, but also urged them to preach a message of openness and dialogue with newcomers.

Diversity always is scary because it puts at risk acquired securities and provokes stability, he said. But its still a great opportunity because opens the heart to the Gospel message of loving one another.

Francis visit and his final Mass in Heroes Square went ahead with few coronavirus restrictions even as Hungary, like the rest of Europe, is battling new infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.

Few in the crowd wore masks and no tests or vaccination certificates were required to gain entrance. Some 65.4% of Hungarians over 18 are vaccinated.

Matyas Mezosi, a Hungarian Catholic who got to the Mass site early, was jubilant that the pope had come at all so soon after his surgery. The 84-year-old pope had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed in early July.

Its great to see him recovered from that surgery, Mezosi said. Him being here in Hungary today means that he sacrifices himself to be with us, and that he feels good now.

During the flight from Rome, Francis indeed seemed in good form. He stayed so long greeting journalists at the back of the plane that an aide had to tell him to get back to his seat because it was time to land.

Francis said he was happy to be resuming foreign trips again after the coronavirus lull and then his own post-operative recovery. If Im alive its because bad weeds never die, he quipped about his health, quoting an Argentine dictum.

But later in the morning he apologized to a gathering of Christian and Jewish leaders that he had to deliver his speech sitting down. In his remarks, Francis warned against a resurgence of antisemitism in Europe, saying it is a fuse which must not be allowed to burn.

The Argentine pope called for Christians, Jews and people of other faiths to commit themselves to promoting greater fraternity so that outbursts of hatred that would destroy that fraternity will never prevail.

Hungarys large Jewish population was devastated during the closing months of World War II, with more than 550,000 Jewish deaths. More Hungarians died in Auschwitz than any other nationality, and more Hungarian Jews perished in the Holocaust than from any country other than Poland and the Soviet Union.

Hungarys government under Orban has been accused of trafficking in veiled antisemitic stereotypes, largely aimed at Hungarian-born American financier and philanthropist George Soros, whom the government frequently accuses of meddling in the countrys internal affairs.

Registered churches have been major beneficiaries of state support under Orban since he returned to power in 2010. Additionally, around 3,000 places of worship have been built or restored using public funds since 2010.

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AP visual journalists Bela Szandelszky and Helena Alves contributed.

By NICOLE WINFIELD and JUSTIN SPIKE

Associated Press
Two women campaign to become Frances 1st female president View Photo

PARIS (AP)  Two French politicians kicked off their presidential campaigns Sunday, seeking to become Frances first female leader in next years spring election.

The far-right National Rally partys Marine Le Pen and Paris Socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo, both launched their presidential platforms in widely expected moves.

They join a burgeoning list of challengers to centrist President Emmanuel Macron. This includes battles among multiple potential candidates on the right  including another female politician Valerie Pecresse  and among the Greens.

Hidalgo, 62, mayor of the French capital since 2014, is the favorite to win the Socialist Party nomination. She launched her candidacy in the northwestern city of Rouen.

I want all children in France to have the same opportunities I had, she said, invoking her roots. Hidalgo is the daughter of Spanish immigrants who fled their country in search of freedom amid dictator Francisco Francos rule.

Le Pen, the 53-year-old leader of Frances far-right party, started her campaign in the southern city of Frejus with a pledge to defend French liberty. In keeping with a hard-right message that critics say has vilified Muslim communities, Le Pen promised to be tough on parts of France that have been Talibanized. Although she launched her candidacy earlier this year, on Sunday she made 26-year-old Jordan Bardella the acting head of the party as her campaign goes into full gear.

Le Pen is also remaking her image for this election. Gone is the dark blue wardrobe that has been her trademark. She now will be donning light blue for the campaign, to show our vision, less partisan, (reaching) higher, Le Pens special councillor Philippe Olivier was quoted as saying by Le Figaro, the conservative daily.

Macron, 43, has not yet announced his reelection bid but is expected to do so. Launching a candidacy in France is a necessary formality for each presidential election.

The vote is expected to boil down to a duel between Le Pen and Macron, as it was during Frances last presidential election in 2017.
YUCAIPA, Calif. (AP)  The husband of a Southern California nurse who died of complications from COVID-19 more than two weeks ago has died after battling the disease himself, leaving behind five young children including a newborn girl.

Daniel Macias of Yucaipa died on Thursday, a family member told KTLA-TV.

I dont know anyone who loved their kids as much as they did, and they made sure they told them every day, Terri Serey, Daniels sister-in-law, told the station. I want them to be aware of how much theyre loved. And I want them to know how much their parents loved them.

Daniel and his wife, Davy, were admitted to a hospital intensive care unit days apart last month after being diagnosed with COVID-19. A doctor delivered the couples daughter eight days before Davy Macias died.

The parents never got the chance to meet or name their daughter, according to family members.

Its absolutely heartbreaking. We were really pulling for Daniel after Davy died. We wanted him to wake up and name his baby girl, Terri Serey told KTLA.

The couple developed symptoms after going on a family trip to the beach and an indoor water park at the end of July, family members said.

Macias brother, Vong Serey, told the San Bernardino Sun last month that his sister was not vaccinated against COVID-19, and was hesitant to get the shot because she was pregnant. She was a nurse in the labor and delivery ward at Kaiser Fontana Medical Center and had worked throughout the pandemic, he said.

Serey did not know whether his brother-in-law had been vaccinated.

Daniel Macias was a middle school math teacher in the Rialto Unified School District, district spokeswoman Syeda Jafri said.

He is remembered as a compassionate, kind-hearted, fun-loving and generous teacher at Jehue Middle School but he was also a devoted family man, the district said in a statement.

The couples children, who are 7 and under, are under the care of their grandparents, according to family members.
Sept. 1

Police arrested 27-year-old Jonathan Aaron Saiz on Sept. 1 at the 1700 block of W. 5th Street for a felony warrant.

Police arrested a 33-year-old man on Sept. 1 at the 3000 block of Olton Road. The individual was charged with public intoxication.

Identity theft was reported at the 700 block of E. 25th Street on Sept. 1. The reporting party told police their identifying information was used to open an account with an electric company.

An assault was reported on Sept. 1 at the 900 block of W. 28th Street. A person assaulted a family member causing minor injury.

Officers were called to the 1500 block of N. I-27 on Sept. 1 in reference to criminal mischief. Damage was reported to the windshield of a vehicle in the Walmart parking lot.

Officers arrested 34-year-old Robert Joe Gerhardt on Sept. 1 during a traffic stop at the 1100 block of Independence. Gerhardt was charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, which is a felony.

Harassment was reported at the 2800 block of Houston Street on Sept. 1. The victim noted the reporting party was harassing them by phone and social media after requesting the individual not to have further contact.

Sept. 2

A crash was reported on Sept. 1 at the intersection of W. 24th Street and Garland.

Lost property was reported at the 1500 block of N. I-27 on Sept. 2. A known person reported lost property at Walmart.

A theft was reported at the 2400 block of Houston Street on Sept. 2.

A hit-and-run resulting in vehicle damage was reported on Sept. 2 at the 1000 block of Denver Street.

Police responded to a report of criminal mischief at the 1900 block of W. 5th Street. A man smashed the windshield of a womans vehicle.

A hit-and-run crash was reported on Sept. 2 at the 1500 block of I-27. A vehicle owner parked their car in the Walmart parking lot and returned to see a dent in the passenger side rear panel.

Sept. 3

Police arrested 37-year-old Nadia Esther Jaurrieta on Sept. 3 at the 1800 block of Quincy Street after responded to the location in reference to a domestic problem. Jaurrieta was charged with injury to a child/elderly/disabled with intentional bodily injury. Jaurrieta caused bodily injury to a child.

A burglary was reported at the 800 block of Amarillo Street on Sept. 3. A subject forced their way into the house with the intent to commit an assault.

Theft from a vehicle was reported at the 900 block of Zephyr. The reporting party noted a stolen radio.

An assault was reported at the 1500 block of Gray Street. Minor injuries were reported.

A hit-and-run crash was reported at the 2200 block of W. 24th Street on Sept. 3. A known person caused a crash and was witnessed driving away without stopping.

Sept. 4

Theft from a yard was reported at the 2200 block of Independence Street on Sept. 4.

Police conducted a traffic stop at the 700 block of N. Columbia Street on Sept. 4. A 48-year-old man was arrested for driving with an invalid license.

Officers responded to the 1500 block of N. I-27 on Sept. 4 in reference to a woman walking out of Walmart without paying for items in her basket.

Public intoxication was reported at the 1000 block of Travis Street on Sept. 4. A known person was issued a citation for public intoxication at the 2000 block of W. 10th Street and was released.

Sept. 5

An assault was reported at the 1000 block of Galveston Street on Sept. 5. A child was injured.

An assault was reported at the 1600 block of Houston Street on Sept. 5. A man assaulted a woman and broke her phone. There were children present during the assault.

Sept. 6

A hit-and-run crash was reported at the intersection of E. 5th and N. Date Streets on Sept. 6. A farm tractor struck a Kia as it was turning east. The crash was reported at 8:15 a.m.

A crash was reported at the 4100 block of Olton Road on Sept. 6. Vehicle damage was reported.

Police arrested a 27-year-old woman on Sept. 6 at the 1500 block of N. I-27 after being called to the location in reference to an aggravated assault with a weapon. The victim was assaulted inside Walmart. The arrested woman was charged with an active misdemeanor warrant for speeding and with assault causing bodily injury.

Criminal trespass was reported at the 2400 block of Dimmitt Road on Sept. 6. A man was found to be trespassing on the property after previously receiving a criminal trespass warning from the business.

A crash resulting in an injury was reported at the 3200 block of Olton Road on Sept. 6.

Sept. 7

Criminal mischief was reported at the 1500 block of N. I-27 on Sept. 7. The reporting party told police someone keyed their vehicle while it was parked in the Walmart parking lot.

A case of fraud was reported on Sept. 7 at the 1000 block of Wayland. The reporting party noted having received two alert emails regarding someone using their Social Security number.

Theft was reported at the 1000 block of Galveston Street on Sept. 7. A reporting party told officers they were kicked out of their residence and their ex-roommates refuse to return belonging, including the victims banking card.

A crash resulting in injury was reported at the 3100 block of Olton Road on Sept. 7.

Theft from a vehicle was reported at the 2600 block of W. 18th Street on Sept. 7. The reporting party told police an unknown person broke a window in their pickup to gain access and stole several tools.

Police arrested 45-year-old Delvetra Lasherl Jennings on Sept. 7 at the 900 block of W. 5th Street for an out-of-county felony warrant.

Sept. 8

Property was turned in to the police department on Sept. 8. A Street Department worker was cleaning around the PD and found a credit card.

A terroristic threat was reported at the 1400 block of Independence Street on Sept. 8. A known person intentionally made the victim fear imminent serious bodily injury.

A theft was reported at the 200 block of Aileen on Sept. 8. The reporting party told officers a former employee stole a book of checks and wrote one out to himself.

A case of arson was reported on Sept. 8 at the 1100 block of E. 4th Street. No arrests were indicated.

A case of indecent exposure was reported at the 2600 block of Olton Road on Sept. 8. A person was observed masturbating in the Allsups parking lot.

Officers responded to the 1900 block of Walter Griffin Street on Sept. 8 in reference to an assault.
Ana Conejo / Tyler Morning Telegraph /Ana Conejo / Tyler Morning Telegraph

(Bloomberg) -- Salesforce.com Inc. Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff told employees on Friday that the company will help them leave Texas if they wish in response to the states approval of a controversial anti-abortion law.

If you want to move well help you exit, Benioff said in a tweet directed at Ohana, the Hawaiian term for family that Salesforce uses to refer to its corporate community. CNBC previously reported on the news.
In the months before the delta variant upended domestic travel in China, Walmart Inc. would regularly have employees fly to cities like Shanghai to observe and take photos of what its competitors were up to, according to people familiar with company's practices. At times, they got caught and were asked to leave.

While checking out rivals is not uncommon in the industry, the task took on added urgency for the world's biggest retailer in the past year. A quarter century after it entered China and transformed the way people shop for groceries, Walmart is at a crossroads. It's fallen from No. 2 in 2011 to fourth in China's hypermarket sector, with no gains in market share, and cutthroat competition from local players like e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has already forced out Germany's Metro AG and France's Carrefour SA.

Walmart has taken solace in the success of its members-only franchise, Sam's Club. In contrast to the U.S., where the brand is seen as a no-frills, bulk shopping destination, in China it sells premium, imported products, attracting middle-class shoppers. But more rivals are now entering the membership shopping space, as well, triggering a rethink of Walmart's strategy in a market which, while only accounting for 2.1% of global revenue, represents a major strategic and growth opportunity for the retailer.

"China is an important market for Walmart because it still represents a long-term growth opportunity, which explains why the company is investing in expertise to try to improve its results there," said Jennifer Bartashus, a consumer staples analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "While Walmart U.S. has seen a surge in sales growth due to the pandemic and has a strong core business, the company still believes that international success is critical to long-term growth."

As the growth gap widens between its China hypermarket and membership units, Walmart is pushing closer integration between their functions so that executives from the faster-growing business can play a bigger role in shaping the company's overall China strategy, according to people familiar with the matter. Walmart China hired McKinsey & Co Inc for its strategy review, the people added.

For example, some Sam's Club managers are now co-leading hypermarket operations, while there have been job cuts and executive departures on the hypermarket side. The overall performance of the China business was also added as a metric in bonus calculations this year to encourage employees to think outside of their own silos, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg.

Walmart's strategy in China and elsewhere is to build strong local businesses in what is a highly competitive industry, a representative for the retailer said. In China, the company is transforming into an "omni-channel" business. It's "not factual" that some hypermarket and membership unit operations have been merged so that Sam's Club executives can play a bigger role in overall strategy, nor that some of those managers are co-leading some hypermarket operations, she said, without elaborating. Walmart doesn't comment on compensation policies.

Sales in China's supermarket and hypermarket sector fell more than 7% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to a year ago, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel, as more Chinese shoppers shift online. Walmart has also flagged softening traffic in its hypermarkets, with the number of such stores in China falling to 378 from 403 at the end of January.

In contrast, the membership-based sector is rapidly growing in popularity as consumers seek out imported goods such as Australian steaks and Belgian chocolates at lower prices.

"The winning formula behind the membership stores lies in their unique product offering and extreme value for money," said Tianbing Zhang, managing partner of consumer products and retail sector at Deloitte Asia Pacific.

Walmart opened its first Sam's Club in China in 1996. Costco Wholesale Corp., its main American rival, didn't enter the country until 2019, but has locked in additional land parcels in wealthy cities such as Hangzhou, in China's east, and Shenzhen near the border with Hong Kong.

Both are now facing stiff competition from domestic players, particularly as the pandemic accentuates demand for members-only shopping. The model has taken off in China because the products are filtered and have a reputation for higher quality. Specials are also regularly refreshed, while the membership aspect makes it feel more exclusive.

Alibaba, which already controls Sun Art, China's biggest supermarket chain, is making a splash in the membership segment through its Hema unit, known for its automated storefronts and delivery service. Hema started Store X, its first of the so-called big-box stores, in Shanghai in October 2020 and plans to have 11 outlets by the end of this year. The Hangzhou-based giant, whose online platform Taobao rules e-shopping in China, also has a stake in Carrefour operator Suning.com, which will also open its first members-only store this year.

Other competitors include Metro, a chain operated by Wumei Technology Group, which turned two hypermarkets into members-only stores in June with more conversions in the pipeline.

"The business environment in China is evolving so fast that foreign operators like Walmart are in defensive mode," said Lingyi Zhao, chief retail and e-commerce analyst at SWS Research in Beijing. "Their edge from the early days is shrinking."

Though Sam's Club business in China is growing quickly -- new sign-ups more than doubled versus a year ago in the second quarter, according to Walmart's financial reports -- the company acknowledges that it needs to expand its network of stores at a much faster pace to maintain its edge.

It plans to have 100 stores in China by 2028 from its current 33. The unit also said in July it would test turning some hypermarkets into membership stores and building new ones in city centers, marking a break from the past where outlets typically opened in locations with large parking lots for weekend shopping trips.

Tina Zhang, chief merchandising officer at Sam's Club China, said that the unit's ability to source with its U.S. counterpart helps it gets wider access and better prices -- an advantage Chinese rivals don't have.

For Walmart, how its China businesses fare also has important implications for its home market as the country has been crucial in teaching its executives about digital evolution. Before the pandemic, managers in other locations were invited to travel to China each year in part to witness the latest in consumer tech trends, according to a person familiar with the matter.

"The importance of China for Walmart is learning. You can't put a number on that," said Bloomberg Intelligence's Bartashus. "Chinese customers are so far ahead of the U.S. customers."
HARTINGTON, Neb. (AP)  A 6-year-old rural northeast Nebraska boy has died after an all-terrain vehicle accident.

The accident occurred just before 11 a.m. Saturday on a farm northwest of Hartington in Cedar County, the Sioux City, Iowa, Journal reported. The boy was operating the ATV when it went over an embankment and flipped on top of him, authorities said.

Authorities did not release the boy's name. They said he was taken to a hospital in Yankton, South Dakota, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the northwest of Hartington. He was pronounced dead there.

The accident remains under investigation. Hartington has about 1,500 residents and is 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Sioux City, Iowa.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  State Sen. Pat Woods saw a lot of it over this past year  cows culled from a herd and sent to the slaughterhouse because their owners couldnt afford to feed them anymore.

It was awfully dry, said the longtime rancher and Republican lawmaker from Broadview, a ranching community on New Mexico's eastern plains. They were forecasting it would never rain again and it was going to be such a tough year that a lot of ranchers didnt want to put their money into the cow.

The drought strikes again  and its effects are having a significant impact on the states cattle ranching industry, according to a new report from the New Mexico State University Department of Animal and Range Sciences.

The report, which was presented to Woods and other members of legislative panel, laid out in stark terms how drought conditions are hurting ranchers.

Some climate experts have called the drought enveloping the southwestern part of the country one of the worst in centuries. About two-thirds of the state has been experiencing moderate to extreme drought conditions in recent weeks. And that was after a healthy monsoon season in many areas.

Among other outcomes, drought conditions decrease animal growth, diminish forage opportunities for livestock, increase the cost of production and decrease calf prices, the report says.

That in turn leads to extra costs when it comes to restocking herds that have been thinned out.

Calling the situation the perfect storm of drought and pandemic, Loren Patterson, president-elect of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, said the industry is reeling under all of the above pointed out in the study.

It has a pretty big impact on us economically, he said by phone following the presentation of the report. It raises our cost of production. Not only do we have to reduce cow numbers, we have to supplement more for the cows we keep.

Economically speaking, the cattle industry is a meaty, if not mighty, force. A 2019 report, from the environmental publication Sustainability, said its role in the state economy is substantial. Using 2012 data, it said about 44 percent of revenue from the states agricultural industry is derived from cattle.

Patterson said while those who work in agriculture are accustomed to dealing with problems brought on by longterm drought, its always a little tougher than you prepare for.

Ultimately, consumers will feel the brunt of the impacts at meat markets, grocery stores and restaurants, Patterson said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index reports the price of beef and veal went up 6.5 percent between July 2020 and July 2021  though it does not provide an explanation for the increase.

And there may be less beef to go around. Patterson said ranchers who have thinned herds are now trying to restock them by keeping female cows so they birth calves. Those cows are not headed into the food supply chain anytime soon. That can affect the beef supply for up to three years, he said.

Restocking is expensive, the report says.

Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell, who is a rancher and a member of the interim committee, said she has experienced that cost firsthand  noting in an interview she had to sell off more than 100 of her herd at the end of 2019 because of the effects drought had on her operation.

Now, trying to restock, she finds cows once worth $700 going for nearly twice that price as demand outpaces supply.

Thats a scarcity of a commodity that we as ranchers need, Ezzell said.

Carla Gomez, a small cattle rancher in Mora County, said the drought has had a devastating impact on fellow ranchers in her area, despite a season of really good rainfall.

Here in Mora, a lot of people who have had cattle in the past dont anymore because of this continual drought cycle, she said. People sell their cattle  some people build the herd back up and some dont.

The report offers a number of recommendations for easing the droughts effects, such as weaning and selling offspring early to reduce grazing fees; providing supplements to replace milk and grass for feed purposes; culling both old and young low productivity animals out of herds; keeping animals in a pen to feed them stored-up food products.

Some of these options are expensive, the report noted.

While Patterson said these options will absolutely help, selling off livestock or sending them to the slaughterhouse is economically devastating for cattle ranchers.

And, he said, it will cost the state and local counties in tax revenue because cattle ranchers pay taxes on every head of livestock, so obviously the counties and state will realize less taxes.
(Natural News) A number of people who survive a bout of Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection experience symptoms that affect them in the long term. However, sky-high hospital bills for COVID-19 treatments only make things worse for them. While some health insurance companies cover the cost of treatments for the disease, some hospitals have not followed these policies. COVID-19 patients are then left to foot the bill as a result.

The New York Times (NYT) talked to a number of patients who medically recovered from COVID-19 but still suffer financially. These three patients are just some of many others who saw both their health and finances negatively impacted by the Wuhan coronavirus.

Shubham Chandra

Shubham Chandra left his well-paying stint at a New York City startup after his cardiologist father passed away from COVID-19 last fall. He monitored the more than 450 bills accumulated during his fathers seven-month hospitalization using an Excel spreadsheet. These hospital bills taken together amounted to more than $1 million. For months, he has spent 10 to 20 hours a week to work through the charges  reading through new bills in the morning and calling insurers and hospitals in the afternoon.

Chandras spreadsheet recently showed 97 bills potentially amounting to more than $400,000 that health insurance providers rejected. He told NYT: A large part of my life is thinking about these bills. It can become an impediment to my day-to-day [life.] Its hard to sleep when you have hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding debts.

Rebecca Gale

Rebecca Gale lost Michael, her husband of 25 years, to COVID-19 last summer. While their insurance covered most of her husbands medical bills, it only paid a small fraction of the air ambulance bill he incurred. Michael needed an air ambulance to transport him to different hospitals  with the service costing $50,000. The familys health insurance plan established a $10,000 limit for air ambulance coverage, which left air ambulance provider PHI Medical to pursue the remaining amount from his estate.

Rebecca retired last year from her job stamping car parts at an Ohio automotive factory. But after her husband died and the hospital bills arrived, she considered looking for a part-time job to pay the charges. I cry every day. [This] is just another thing that breaks my heart. [On] top of losing my husband, I have to deal with this, she said.

Irena Schulz

Retired biologist Irena Schulz fell ill with COVID-19 last summer, but eventually recovered. The South Carolina resident still experiences multiple side effects  such as kidney pain and hearing problems  even though her bout with the disease was over. Schulz availed of hearing aids to help with the resulting hearing loss, expecting health insurance to cover them. However, she recently received a $5,400 bill for the hearing aids.

Because of the potential costs, she has avoided visiting the emergency room at the first sign of sickness. She manages her kidney pain by herself with painkillers, pineapple juice and water  until she feels she can afford a specialist. Schulz said: If the pain gets past a certain threshold, Ill see a doctor. Were retired  [and] on a fixed income, and there are only so many things you can accumulate on the credit card.

Lack of federal coverage, insurers withdrawing treatment waivers make matters worse

During the pandemics early months, some health insurance companies offered to waive a number of fees for COVID-19 patients. But a Kaiser Health News report said these large health insurers quietly dropped these waivers as the pandemic progressed.

Anthem stopped waiving COVID-19 fees at the end of January 2021, while Aetna ended deductible-free in-patient treatment for the disease at the end of February. UnitedHealth meanwhile began rolling back COVID-19 treatment waivers back in the fall of last year. It dropped the waivers entirely by the end of March. (Related: Insurers say death from coronavirus vaccination will not impact life insurance payouts.)

Moreover, the federal government does not cover COVID-19 treatment costs in the same manner as tests and vaccines. To address this, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) sponsored a bill to make COVID-19 treatments free. According to her proposed legislation, COVID-19 treatments for any Americans would be waived regardless of their health insurance situation.

Smith told NYT: Ive heard so many stories of people being completely stymied filling out reimbursement forms and trying to get insurance to cover them. Its almost as if the [health insurance] system is designed to make it hard to get reimbursed.

According to the lawmaker, Congress mandated insurers to make coronavirus testing free last spring. However, this mandate did not extend to treatment coverage partly because insurers were willing to waive patient costs. (Related: Trump administration releases plan to allow Medicare to cover cost of coronavirus vaccination.)

Visit Pandemic.news to read more stories about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on peoples health and finances.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NYTimes.com

KHN.org
(Natural News) Unsurprisingly, the liberal media are keeping quiet after several major news outlets fell for an unbelievable hoax. And Big Tech continued to spread it.

(Article by Autumn Johnson republished from NewsBusters.org) When Rolling Stone published an article with the headline Gunshot Victims Left Waiting as Horse Dewormer Overdoses Overwhelm Oklahoma Hospitals, Doctor Says, the MSM pounced, eager for a chance to blame unvaccinated individuals.

There was only one problem: the story was completely false.

The story included quotes from Dr. Jason McElyea that painted a bleak picture of the capacity of hospitals.

The ERs are so backed up that gunshot victims were having hard times getting to facilities where they can get definitive care and be treated, said McElyea.

All of their ambulances are stuck at the hospital waiting for a bed to open so they can take the patient in and they dont have any, thats it, he said. If theres no ambulance to take the call, theres no ambulance to come to the call.

The scariest one that Ive heard of and seen is people coming in with vision loss, he added.

After Northeastern Hospital System Sequoyah issued a statement, Rolling Stone updated its article:

Although Dr. Jason McElyea is not an employee of NHS Sequoyah, he is affiliated with a medical staffing group that provides coverage for our emergency room. With that said, Dr. McElyea has not worked at our Sallisaw location in over 2 months. NHS Sequoyah has not treated any patients due to complications related to taking ivermectin. This includes not treating any patients for ivermectin overdose. All patients who have visited our emergency room have received medical attention as appropriate. Our hospital has not had to turn away any patients seeking emergency care. We want to reassure our community that our staff is working hard to provide quality healthcare to all patients. We appreciate the opportunity to clarify this issue and as always, we value our communitys support.

Even the photograph attached to the story was misused, from a vaccine clinic in January where the individuals present wore coats.

The story was picked up by The Independent, The Guardian, and The Insider. The story was promoted in a tweet by MSNBCs Rachel Maddow, MSNBC contributor Dr. Jason Johnson, and Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action.

Dr. Johnson even went so far as to bizarrely accuse Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) of somehow profiting off an event that never actually happened.

MSNBCs Kyle Griffin admitted he was wrong for sharing the story, tweeting that the man at the center of the piece was lying. But where were the famous fact-checkers attaching warnings to the tweets? They were nowhere to be found.

For its part, Rolling Stone still has the story on its Facebook and Twitter accounts for now, although the magazine tweeted in a follow-up tweet that [o]ne hospital is denying an Oklahoma doctors claim that ERs are delaying care for gunshot victims due to overdoses of ivermectin, a drug being falsely peddled as a covid treatment.

Read more at: NewsBusters.org
(Natural News) It has become the norm now to survey the news and discover some new paradigm-smashing development on the gender front. Ive covered many of those stories in this space; last week the CDC rolled out a long list of woke terminology that is needed to replace a battery of other words. Mother, of course, has to go. In fact, when Senator James Lankford grilled Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra about why the phrase birthing person needed to replace mother, he froze and stumbled through his answer.

(Article by Jonathon Van Maren republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

But the most horrifying story on the gender front recently is from The Mirror. Jess Bratton, a mother of two children, is claiming that her three-year-old son Logan actually tried to cut off his genitals. This, Bratton says, along with the fact that her boy plays with dolls and had always been keen to see how [his] mom and younger sister dressed, convinced her that Logan was a girl. The Mirror is obviously convinced as well, using female pronouns for the young boy.

Bratton, who is 25, said that she one day found her son allegedly holding a pair of scissors to remove his genitalia, which she said made me realize the severity of the situation. It wasnt just a phase; my little boy really did want to be a girl.

There is a lack of context to all of this. Plenty of little boys play with dolls, especially if they happen to have older sisters that they play with. We used to understand that this didnt mean anything. Bratton also presented the awful scissors incident without context  kids frequently do stupid things at three years old  and I cant help but wonder if, thirty or forty years ago, Bratton would have immediately assumed that this event was an indication that her son was actually a girl. I very, very much doubt it.

Although her family doctor told her simply to keep an eye on Logan, Bratton switched to dressing him in girls clothing rather than boys clothing. Now, as The Mirror confusingly puts it, the eight-year-old is now waiting to be seen by a clinic in London to change her gender (change her gender? If hes a girl why is a change necessary?) Bratton says that three years after this incident, at age six, Logan started talking about a sex change.

At this point, of course, hed been dressed as and treated like a girl for three years, his mother and family were convinced he was a girl, and the scissors incident had been interpreted as proving it.

Logans family (although Bratton is separated from his father), his school  everyone around them has affirmed this as fact. They are now awaiting an appointment at the Gender Identity Development Service in London. As well as showing how proud I am of Logan, I want to share my story to raise awareness about being transgender and to urge other parents not to be embarrassed about their childs choices, she said.

The fact that Logan may not have been making a choice at age three that will utterly transform the rest of his life  including the elimination of his capacity to have children  does not appear to have occurred to anybody.

To read the newspaper, this is yet another story of a toddler who desperately needed affirmation from a trans-friendly culture. But there is another way to read this story: Of a little boy playing and having his actions interpreted as something much different  and having his views shaped by everyone around him, from his mother to his family to his school community, insisting he is a girl, dressing him as a girl, and taking care to affirm the idea that he is a girl.

Logan does not know what he is allegedly deciding. He does not understand what is happening. I fear that he, and so many children like him, will wake up one day after surgeries and a battery of pharmaceuticals and realize, too late, that they have been part of a sweeping social experiment.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) A domestic terrorist who calls himself an antifascist (antifa) shot a man over the weekend after infiltrating a health freedom protest that was held in the Washington state capitol in Olympia.

Video footage  see below  shows right-wing activist Tusitala Tiny Toese on the ground bleeding after a member of Antifa Black Bloc unloaded at least five rounds at him.

Chaotic moments before shooting. I'm filming here along side the Antifa Black Bloc after they retreat .8 miles, only coming within 1 block of the Capitol. PB marched across town to them. At :43 they go into an all out charge pursuing some into an alley and down by the bus depot  pic.twitter.com/TTOOgskIhU  Jeremy Lee Quinn (@JLeeQuinn) September 4, 2021

The incident took place at the direct call of the Antifa Black Bloc, which called for comrades to invade the Proud Boys-attended event outside the Washington state capitol. Toese and other defenders of health freedom were making their voices heard against Gov. Jay Inslees latest installment of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine and mask mandates.

Im filming here along side the Antifa Black Bloc after they retreat .8 miles, only coming within 1 block of the Capitol, tweeted Jeremy Lee Quinn, the man who filmed Toese on the ground bleeding.

PB marched across town to them. At :43 they go into an all out charge pursuing some into an alley and down by the bus depot.

Observers and bystanders attempted to help Toese by offering him assistance and taking off his shoes. The following video depicts what appears to be the gunshots that were discharged at Toese:

Tiny was on antifas kill list

In one of the videos, a man is heard yelling the words, Tiny got shot in the leg! Toese, reports indicate, became a target after antifa added him to their kill list during a previous encounter in Portland on August 22.

As for this latest altercation, antifa is claiming that Toese somehow shot himself multiple times, even though video evidence shows that his hands were full at the time, carrying with him a shield and a stick.

The man who was reportedly shot by antifa today in Olympia, Wash. was put on their kill list during their recent occupation in downtown Portland, tweeted independent journalist Andy Ngo. To cover for this, antifa accounts are lying & said he shot himself.

Meanwhile, antifa comrades on Twitter celebrated the shooting. One even mocked the death of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

 someone make sure the comrade who shot Tiny is ok and buy them dinner, tweeted one antifascist.

 tiny caught a bullet but it only hit his leg, tweeted another. Shouldve been a better shot, got him in the head.

These and other celebrations of violence and calls for murder remain on Twitter, which does not consider them to be in violation of its community standards.

Tiny went to an anti vaxx rally and got his first shot, hows that for irony lol, tweeted yet another, making a joke out of blatant violence in broad daylight.

Ngo has repeatedly been targeted by antifa himself. He had a concrete milkshake thrown at him in Portland, and more recently he was attacked by antifa militants, again in Portland, for trying to cover the protests taking place there.

No journalist in America should ever face violence for doing his or her job, Ngo tweeted about the assault.

Yet on Friday, May 28, Antifa tried to kill me again while I was reporting on the ongoing protests and riots in Portland, Ore. for a new chapter of my book, Unmasked: Inside Antifas Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.'

I was chased, attacked and beaten by a masked mob, baying for my blood. Had I not been able to shelter wounded and bleeding inside a hotel while they beat the doors and windows like animals, there is no doubt in my mind I would not be here today.

Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) insanity has swept the nation. To keep up with the latest, visit Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

ThePostMillennial.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A city council in Melbourne, Australia, has banned men from applying for its street sweeper position, which pays $46,500 a year, in a very misguided attempt to promote equality. According to an advertisement for the vacancy on the Darebin City Councils website, only women and people who are non-binary or gender nonconforming are eligible to apply for the job as part of their quest for a diverse and inclusive organization that reflects our community.

The Street Sweeper Operator role requires an individual to maintain the general appearance and cleanliness of footpaths, roads, car parks and nature areas in the council, which is located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The position is described as exciting. The ad says the role can make a positive contribution to the area by sweeping streets and store fronts, picking up hard waste, collecting garbage and cleaning laneways.

In addition to not identifying as a man, applicants must have a truck license, and some degree of past experience operating street-sweeping vehicles is considered a plus.

The job description states: We are proud of the diversity of our workforce and recognise the strength this provides in meeting the needs of the community we serve. We are committed to upholding a positive and supportive work environment that values the contribution of all employees and treats all employees with dignity and respect.

According to the council, the ban on men is a special measure under the Equal Opportunity Act of Victoria aimed at fostering equality. Darebin Council claims it is one of Victorias biggest and most diverse communities when it comes to culture, language, religions, gender, age, abilities, socio-economic background, employment status, occupation, and housing needs.

Of course, this has nothing to do with equality; its blatant discrimination, and its not the only questionable move by the council. They voted last week to create a report that would rid the world of nuclear weapons despite a distinct lack of control over the matter.

When asked about his views on the Darebin City Councils latest move, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said: I will not sit here ever and try and unravel the mysteries of the Darebin council.

One can only imagine the sort of outcry there would be if this or any other job posting specifically stated that the role was only for men. Apparently, its only discrimination, in some peoples books, if it goes against women.

Other places insist theyll hire anyone as labor shortage continues

As Darebin City Council embarks on a blatant discrimination campaign, some U.S. employers arent being quite so selective. Some American business owners have said they would be willing to hire anyone as the countrys labor shortage continues, with an Alabama pizza shop posting an ad on its Facebook page saying: We will literally hire anyone. If youre on unemployment and cant find a job, call us: Well hire you.

Some economists believe that although U.S. labor shortages will start to ease a bit this fall, it could take a few years before things turn around. In June, there were 10.1 million job openings, a record-setting number, and 9.5 million unemployed people, which left less than one jobless worker for every vacancy. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that 49 percent of small business owners had job openings they could not fill, another record-setting figure.

Darebin City Council apparently feels the current job climate there is so favorable that they can afford to eliminate at least half of the potential pool of applicants for this position and abandon many more who may have fit their silly criteria but will be turned off by this pathetic attempt at appearing woke. Its hard to imagine that women and non-binary people will be lining up in droves to apply to work for such a deranged employer.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

7News.com.au

Newsweek.com
(Natural News) Just two days before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, fake president Joe Biden issued a decree ordering all federal contract workers, contractors and employees of large private companies to get vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) immediately.

The decrepit dementia patient stumbled through a teleprompter speech that instructed him to threaten all unvaccinated Americans to get jabbed right away, or else.

What more is there to wait for? Biden whined in that quintessentially confused tone of his. What more do you need to see? Weve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin and your refusal has cost us all.

According to China Joe, some 80 million Americans are refusing to take one of Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed injections, even though they have repeatedly been told by Tony Fauci and Rochelle Walensky that getting jabbed is necessary to flatten the curve.

Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated, even though the vaccine is safe, effective, and free, Pedo Joe complained. You might be confused, he added, mistakenly projecting his own mental condition onto the nation.

Biden: Governors who refuse to force citizens to get jabbed do not care about the children

Beijing Biden is already receiving considerable backlash from at least half of the country, including many state governors who are resisting his efforts to force China Virus jabs on the populace.

After hearing about the resistance, Hunters dad went into a tirade and started mealy-mouthing off about how any governor who refuses his edict does not care about the children.

I am so disappointed that, particularly some Republican governors, have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, Pedo Joe moaned in a statement. Were playing for real here. This isnt a game.

It certainly is not, Mr. Fake President. What you are trying to do is tyranny, plain and simple, and real Americans are having none of it. You have crossed a serious red line and you must be resisted at all costs.

Many state governors seem to be on board with this understanding and have said they are willing to fight them to the gates of hell to stop this outlandish encroachment on Americans civil liberties and bodily autonomy.

The American Dream has turned into a nightmare under President [sic] Biden and the radical Democrats, tweeted South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster. They have declared war against capitalism, thumbed their noses at the Constitution, and empowered our enemies abroad.

McMasters message was perhaps the most aggressive tweet towards this end, but a handful of others expressed similar sentiments. Real Americans will not be complying with this medical fascism no matter the threats that come from the White House.

Elsewhere on Twitter, a user pointed out that just last year, Biden, Kamala Harris and other far-left Democrats were promising never to get the Trump vaccine because it might be dangerous. Now, they are threatening America for not getting it.

Hilariously, fake vice president Harris offered up her own whine-fest the other day about how it is wrong of Texas to limit abortions after six weeks gestation because this violates the right of women to make decisions about their own bodies.

Shes right, tweeted someone in response, half-jokingly  see below. Women can make decisions about their own bodies. I now identify as a woman and will make a decision to not get vaccinated.

She's right. Women can make decisions about their own bodies. I now identify as a woman and will make a decision to not get vaccinated. https://t.co/DbnDTcGJoY  Hap (@hap317) September 9, 2021

Americans must resist Bidens medical fascism or this country is done. To keep up with the latest, visit Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com

Breitbart.com

Live5News.com
(Natural News) A British model based in Cyprus passed away more than two weeks after she was vaccinated with the AstraZeneca Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine. Stephanie Dubois received her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in early May 2021. The 39-year-old was then rushed to a hospital, where she slipped into a coma and eventually died.

Dubois lived in the village of Tsada in Cypruss western Paphos district for the past five months. She received her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the city of Paphos  the districts capital  on May 6. The model later posted on Facebook how she felt horrendous after inoculation.

The following week, she shared her experience after waking up one morning. [I] woke up feeling fine and then within an hour  I had full body shakes, all my joints seized and I was struggling to breathe. [I] was cold to the bone with a persistent headache and dizziness. Dubois added that her parents came to take care of her. She took a COVID-19 test which turned out negative. Maybe Im having a prolonged reaction to my [COVID-19 shot] last week, she said.

The model was then taken to Nicosia General Hospital (NGH) in the capital for breathing problems on May 14. She posted on Facebook that day that her white blood cell count was high and doctors did not know what caused it. Dubois surmised that the conditions that struck her were either part of the prolonged reaction following her vaccination, or she caught something else that compromised her immune system.

I am completely drained, [have] no energy and my whole body hurts with sore and weak joints. This morning really scared me, to be honest. I have cleared my diary for the week and will be taking that time to rest and get back on form, the rest of Duboiss post said. Her friend Andrew Powers said that the model had slipped into a coma by May 19 and was not expected to come out of it.

Local Cypriot media reported that Dubois suffered a brain hemorrhage and died on the afternoon of May 22. An NGH official said she suffered a serious thrombotic episode, but other health officials said she had no underlying conditions. Meanwhile, Cypriot State Health Services Organization spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said the European Medicines Agency would look into the British models death.

Blood clots following AstraZeneca vaccination are claiming the lives of inoculated people

Cypriot officials quickly defended the AstraZeneca vaccine despite Duboiss death.

Speaking to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), Ministry of Health adviser Dr. Maria Koliou said the ministry was expecting a very small number of such incidents with the vaccination of younger people. She added that the ministrys epidemiological team is expected to discuss the AstraZeneca vaccines side effects and if they will limit its administration by age. (Related: New research points to link between AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots.)

Ministry of Health Pharmaceutical Services Deputy Director Helena Panayiotopoulou said the blood clot incidents only constitute a small percentage compared to the total number of vaccinated people. NGH Hematology Department Assistant Director Dr. Marios Antoniades said in statements to the CyBC that not all post-vaccination thrombotic incidents are related to the COVID-19 vaccine. He added that guidance eschewing the use of AstraZenecas vaccine on younger people was not scientifically substantiated.

A similar instance happened in the U.K. last month, when 27-year-old field service engineer Jack Last died following his vaccination. The fit and healthy Suffolk resident received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 30 at the Trinity Park mass vaccination center in Ipswich. Last started experiencing headaches on April 9, which caused him to be brought to the emergency room of Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. (Related: Young engineer dies 3 weeks after first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.)

The headaches turned out to be symptoms of a bleed on the brain, which subsequently caused Lasts death on April 20  11 days after being rushed to the hospital. His elder sister Jasmine said that Jacks death was rather unusual. It was very unusual for Jack to feel unwell at all. To my knowledge, he  never had a day off work due to illness, she said.

Jasmine added that Jack himself was unsure why he was offered the AstraZeneca vaccine despite being only 27 and not having any underlying conditions: It is usually offered to older people. She said: He didnt know why hed been told to book [a vaccine] appointment.

The Last family said they would not comment on the circumstances surrounding Jacks death until they received the autopsy results. Were waiting for the post-mortem results and the inquest date to be confirmed  but we do believe that his death was linked to the vaccine, Jasmine said.

Visit VaccineDeaths.com to read more reports about the blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Sources include:

TheScottishSun.co.uk

Cyprus-Mail.com

DailyMail.co.uk
(Natural News) Doctors and parents have filed a suit in federal court against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Nonprofit group Americas Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) and a group of parents filed the motion on May 19. The suit sought to block emergency approval of existing Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines for children below 16 years old. It said that every plaintiff with children or patients in the target age group stands to be immediately and irreparably harmed if the approval for vaccines is extended.

The motion filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama named the HHS and Health Secretary Xavier Becerra as defendants. It also named a number of HHS sub-agencies as defendants, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health.

Aside from Becerra and the sub-agencies, the motion also named HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Nikki Bratcher-Bowman and the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee as co-defendants.

AFLDS Pediatric Medical Director Dr. Angelina Farella said in a statement: The rotavirus vaccine was pulled [from the market] for 15 cases of non-lethal side effects. [The] swine flu vaccine was pulled for 25 deaths. But now, by the CDCs own data, we are seeing a 12,000 percent increase in deaths with these vaccines  and theyre still talking about giving this to our kids.

Farella added that children are at statistically zero risk for COVID-19 based on CDC data. The same data show that COVID-19 patients below 20 years old have a 99.997 percent chance of surviving the disease. Thus, any move to expand the emergency use authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 vaccines to include younger people is medically unnecessary as well as ethically irresponsibe.

Our children should never be the experiment, Farella said.

Attorney Lowell H. Becraft Jr. said: There is no public interest in subjecting children to an inoculation program in order to protect them from a disease that simply does not threaten them.

The plaintiffs leading attorney added: Children are inherently incapable of providing informed content. Neither the children nor their parents can possibly give informed consent to these vaccines, since the [HHS] Secretary has failed to make  even the minimum statutory disclosures regarding risks and alternative treatments.

Vaccine manufacturers, CDC, FDA want to vaccinate children

The May 19 suit filed by AFLDS and the parents followed the FDAs decision to expand the EUA for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. A May 10 statement by the FDA said the two-dose mRNA vaccine can now be administered to children 12 to 15 years old. Its original authorization in December of last year permitted its use on individuals aged 16 years and above.

Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said: The FDAs expansion of the [EUA] for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 [vaccine] to include adolescents 12 [to] 15 years of age is a significant step in the fight against the  pandemic. She assured parents and guardians that the FDA performed a rigorous and thorough review of all available data before expanding the EUA.

Two days later, the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously voted to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed the committees May 12 recommendation and defended the move. For vaccination to do its job, we must do our critical part. That means vaccinating as many [eligible] people as possible, she said.

Meanwhile, Pfizer lauded the FDAs decision to amend its vaccines initial EUA. In a May 10 statement, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said the regulators move represents a significant step forward in helping the U.S. government broaden its vaccination program and  protect adolescents before the start of the next school year.

The New York-based drug company added that it is evaluating the safety of its COVID-19 vaccine for children six months to 11 years old. Furthermore, it announced future plans to seek emergency authorization for two cohorts  children aged two to five and children aged five to 11 years old.

But not everyone shares the same opinion as Bourla. Plaintiff Matt Schweder expressed concerns about how the vaccine EUAs were handled and disagreed with the government pressuring young people to get vaccinated.

Ive done my research and know that there is essentially zero percent risk for young people dying of COVID-19, he said. Schweder  who is a parent of minor-aged children  added: [I] fiercely oppose the use of an untested product that has not been fully approved for use in healthy children.

Ultimately, AFLDS Executive Communications Director Dr. Teryn Clarke said: We all would like to put COVID-19 behind us, but we must be responsible about it as physicians, [as] parents and as a nation. People are being misled here, and we need to ensure that we dont rob our children of their future  because of a rush to administer a vaccine that has not been fully tested and approved.

Visit DangerousMedicine.com to read more about the risks children who receive COVID-19 vaccines face.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com 1

AmericasFrontlineDoctors.org

FDA.gov

TheEpochTimes.com 2

Pfizer.com
(Natural News) The Biden regime continues to declare war on the American people. On September 9, 2021, Biden gave one of the most violent, tyrannical speeches in American history, while espousing a number of unconstitutional decrees that violate the sanctity of the individual and the free market. In the speech, Biden demanded all businesses with more than 100 employees to violate the medical privacy and body autonomy of all their employees, and require injections against peoples will. Under Bidens decree, employees who do not comply will be stripped of their due process rights, classified as filthy vectors of disease, and subject to weekly covid-19 test swabs and/or nasal probes that are provably fraudulent.

Private employers banding together against tyranny waged by the federal government

Private employers across the country are banding together and preparing historic lawsuits against Biden seditious vaccine mandate. Charlie Kirk from Turning Point USA, tweeted out, Mandating vaccines for our 170+ full time employees at Turning Point USA? No chance. We will sue you Joe Biden, and win.

Angelina Morabito, spokeswoman for Campus Reform, tweeted that Bidens sweeping mandate will be challenged by millions of companies. If you listen really closely to the livestream of Bidens speech, you can hear the sound of a million lawsuits being filed, she wrote.

Kansas Sen. Dr. Roger Marshall (R) called the mandate an all-out assault on private business, our civil liberties, and our entire constitutional system of limited government. This will likely get struck down in the court  but is a terrifying glimpse of the new Marxist Dem Party.

Every adult has already been given access to the experimental vaccines, which are predictably causing waning immune responses. Children are not at risk to the advertised infection, unless they already suffer from leukemia. The remaining Americans are either at low risk to the advertised infection and can readily garner immunity or they already have natural immunity that is comprehensive and durable. In all cases, people need to be left alone to their private medical decisions and treated fairly, and the doubly vaccinated need to realize that they will be required to get yearly boosters (or more) if they continue to go along with this scam.

Bidens decree is an open admission of SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY

Never before in the history of the United States has a sitting President conspired to overthrow, put down or destroy the Government of the United States and belittle the Constitution. Yet the Biden regime continues to threaten the fundamental rights of the American people, while threatening their life, liberty, freedom of speech, religion, privacy and property. The Biden regime is flagrantly engaged in a SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY, one of the most dishonorable crimes defined under 18 U.S. Code  2384.

If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.

The United States is intended to be a government of, by, and for the people, yet the Biden regime continues to wage war against the American people, threatening their livelihood and freedom. This regime is using force to seize, take and possess the very body autonomy rights of American people, contrary to the authority of the individual(s). The regime is using force to prevent, hinder and delay the execution of the Constitution of the United States, using endless threats against the American people, who are the true government. The Biden regime is threatening businesses to conspire against their own employees privacy and body autonomy, while extorting those businesses when they do not go along with the abuse. These are high crimes and misdemeanors, and the US is entering a time of great reckoning.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com

Law.Cornell.edu
(Natural News) The medical communitys consensus regarding the supposed origin of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is beginning to collapse. Leading health officials and politicians in the United States are now more willing to accept the possibility that the coronavirus may have been engineered in a laboratory in the Chinese city that bears its name as a bioweapon.

In early 2020, the medical community established a consensus within its ranks that COVID-19 had an entirely natural origin. Two opinion pieces published in the medical journals The Lancet and Nature Medicine helped establish this as a supposed fact. In The Lancet, the writers stated that they stand together and strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.

These two opinion pieces helped quash any opposition to the mainstream narrative and to establish the supposed consensus that the coronavirus was passed on to humans from animals through an open-air market in Wuhan where wildlife was sold. (Related: Natural News and other independent media outlets were RIGHT all along, as mainstream media suddenly admits to lab origins of COVID-19.)

Coronavirus lab leak theory now more popular

Even President Joe Biden and his administration have caved into the pressure from interested groups, like the Republican Party, and has ordered an investigation into the origins of the virus.

On Tuesday, May 25, Secretary for Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch another investigation to find out where the virus came from. Becerra indicated that he hoped the WHO would let the inquiry continue and that its independence to fully assess the source of the virus and the early days of the outbreak would be guaranteed. This is a clear reference to Chinas hesitation regarding being transparent about the virus origins.

Becerras call for another WHO-led inquiry was followed up on Wednesday, with Biden himself questioning the consensus regarding the coronavirus.

In a statement issued by the White House, Biden called on the intelligence community to write up a report regarding their most up-to-date analysis of the origins of COVID-19, including whether it emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident.

We need to get to the bottom of this, said White House Deputy Press Secretary Karina Jean-Pierre. We have to get a better sense of the origin of COVID-19.

Jean-Pierre described Bidens latest statement as an effort to continue the presidents interest in how the pandemic came about. She added that China needs to be more cooperative with international investigators this time around. When asked by reporters what consequences the Chinese government would face if it refused to cooperate with the U.S., she did not answer.

According to the White House, the intelligence community has been divided on the issue. It began investigating the origins of the coronavirus as early as April of last year when its impact and the lockdowns began in the country in full swing.

Analysts have been focusing on the now-popular hypothesis that the coronavirus may have been engineered in the laboratories of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The virus may have accidentally escaped from the institute by contaminating the personnel due to poor biosecurity measures.

The White Houses statement regarding the lab leak called on the leading authorities in China to cooperate with a full, transparent, evidence-based investigation to be led by a team of international medical specialists, who the CCP must provide with access to all relevant data and evidence.

It is unlikely that even Bidens attempts to learn the truth will get very far. Earlier this year, the WHO published a report endorsing the idea that the coronavirus came from animals. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus admitted that his investigators who went to China to investigate had very limited access to Chinese institutions.

Despite this, the organization is unlikely to dig deeper into this matter. China itself is unlikely to submit to any demands from the U.S. or the rest of the international community regarding another investigation.

Learn more about the actual origins of the coronavirus by reading the latest articles at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

WattsUpWithThat.com

News.Yahoo.com
(Natural News) Fernandina Beach, Florida resident Michelle Holbrook manages to show a bright smile despite the hardships she has faced in life. She suffers from a rare condition that causes tumors to form on her nerves, which require surgery to remove. But even more painful than her neurofibromatosis is the loss of her son Chandler Cook, who died of an accidental drug overdose.

Holbrook spoke to The Epoch Times about Chandlers death. The 28-year-old who stood 6 feet, 5 inches tall died in April 2021 because of an overdose. She also shared how he started his opioid addition. Cook was prescribed OxyContin after he underwent shoulder surgery during his teen years. He became subsequently addicted to it alongside heroin and other drugs.

Cook managed to turn his life around in early 2020, following a stay at a drug rehabilitation facility which turned out right. He managed to get a job at a restaurant, which made Holbrook overjoyed as Cook was finally clean from drugs. Before the pandemic, he was going to work every day [and] learning to bartend at the restaurant he worked at, she said.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Cook lost his job due to the lockdowns put in place. According to Holbrook, her son had some level of depression before the pandemic and had been living alone in his apartment at that time. The lack of daily structure and steady income only made things worse. Soon enough, Cook went back to heroin to numb the feeling of being isolated.

On the day her son overdosed, Holbrook remembered getting a text from Chandlers friend telling her that something was wrong. She and her husband drove to Cooks apartment in Jacksonville, but they were too late.

Holbrook remarked that the day she learned of her sons overdose was the hardest day she ever had in her life. I remember that feeling inside of me, just wanting to  run as fast as I can [and] get away  that it was a dream, she said. (Related: Death toll from drug overdose soars during pandemic.)

Holbrook warns of the dangers of fentanyl

According to Holbrook, her son was unaware there was fentanyl in the drugs he purchased. Unbeknownst to Cook, the street heroin he bought contained the potent synthetic opioid. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine  just two or three milligrams of fentanyl is enough to kill a person.

She said: I dont think he knew that. In the heat of the moment, he did [the heroin] not knowing what he had picked up off the street  and it killed him. Holbrook added that an autopsy found that Chandler had fentanyl, cocaine and heroin in his system.

Because of what happened to her son, Holbrook wants to warn others of the dangers of fentanyl and the overdose epidemic it has triggered. She said: Theyre placing fentanyl in these drugs nowadays, and it will kill you. [It] takes a very tiny, tiny amount of fentanyl in your system to kill you immediately.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), legal fentanyl in the form of lozenges or patches put on the skin is used mainly for treating severe pain. It noted that fentanyl approved for legitimate purposes can be diverted for misuse and abuse.

However, the public health agency remarked that most untoward incidents in the U.S. involving the opioid are often linked to illicit fentanyl sold in the black market. The CDC mentioned that it is often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine as a combination product  with our without the users knowledge  to increase its euphoric effects.

A March 2019 Customs and Border Protection report said fentanyl entering the U.S. mainly passes through the southwest border from Mexico. However, it noted that this kind of fentanyl only has a low purity level of seven percent. Fentanyl from China sent through express consignment and international mail facilities has a higher purity level of 90 percent  and a higher lethality rate in turn.

Holbrook warned of an addiction pandemic if the government does not put sufficient resources to prevent addiction and help those suffering from it. Its going to be the death of our young people, she said. (Related: More people died from fentanyl overdose than coronavirus in San Francisco last year.)

She also criticized the lack of support for those suffering from mental health issues and addiction during the pandemic. Holbrook said virtual consultations are unhelpful as most people who suffer from these problems often have no access to computers or the internet. She denounced the fact that liquor stores were deemed essential while Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings were not.

Visit Addiction.news to read more stories about drug addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

CDC.gov

CBP.gov [PDF]
(Natural News) About half the country is resisting Joe Bidens latest Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine mandate.

The states of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming are all engaging in some form of vaccine rebellion against the Biden regime, while the rest are capitulating  at least for now.

Pedo Joe decided on September 9 that he is going to try to force all federal, contract and large private corporate employees to get injected with Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed jabs as a condition of employment.

Hunters dad said he is getting very ornery and impatient over the fact that tens of millions of Americans want absolutely nothing to do with Fauci Flu shots, no matter how many times he barks at them about it.

Rather than calm him down by giving him extra medication and a nap, Bidens handlers are instead riling him up even more about the fact that Americans are refusing to obey his unconstitutional demands.

The President [sic] has no authority to require that Americans inject themselves because of their employment at a private business, tweeted Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves.

The vaccine itself is life-saving, but this unconstitutional move is terrifying. This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.

The vaccine is, of course, not actually life-saving, but Republicans are too pathetically weak or compromised these days to say it like it is.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt was a little bolder, having tweeted that the governments role is not to dictate to private businesses what to do.

Once again President [sic] Biden is demonstrating his complete disregard for individual freedoms and states rights, Stitt added. As long as I am governor, there will be no government vaccine mandates in Oklahoma.

RESIST Bidens assault on your bodily autonomy, America!

The governors of Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, and others all tweeted similar notices to China Joe that he will not get away with forcing Wuhan Flu jabs on the residents of their states who have decided they do not want them.

Unfortunately for the other half of the states, government officials have either remained silent or tweeted their support for Pedo Joes fascist agenda, which is already igniting mass resistance and unrest across the country.

One wonders where the antifascists (Antifa) are in all of this. We finally have actual fascism staring us down and these domestic terrorists are nowhere to be found in fighting against it.

The same goes for the my body, my choice crowd, which seems to support Bidens efforts to medically rape America with mystery chemical needles. Try to protect unborn children from being murdered, though, and leftist females will go irate about your attempts at restricting their freedom.

This is the state of backwards America in 2021. Medical rape is just fine, but protecting the unborn is tyranny. Full-on medical fascism is completely acceptable, but being a conservative makes you Hitler.

America has fallen.

If our legislature had any spine whatsoever, this whole thing could be over, wrote one commenter at Citizen Free Press. But instead, what do they do? Run and hide and let this megalomaniac (Biden) run wild!

The lethal injection is an individual decision, wrote another about the jabs. If you feel suicidal, take it. Mandating it makes it premeditated murder and will trigger self-defense.

Persuasion using a club, wrote another about Bidens tactics. Not exactly a democratic ideal.

The latest news about the Biden regimes medical fascism agenda can be found at Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

CitizenFreePress.com

Yahoo.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) For lying under oath about funding illegal gain-of-function coronavirus research in China, Tony Fauci faces calls to resign from his decades-long tenure as a federal government employee.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) says that Fauci needs to immediately walk away in disgrace, as well as face a congressional inquiry over his direct involvement in funneling American taxpayer dollars to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) to develop coronavirus bioweapons.

Anthony Fauci has repeatedly and deliberately misled Congress and the American people, Hawley says. Resign. And face a congressional inquiry.

Hawleys statements come on the heels of a document drop showing that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which oversees Faucis National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), funded illegal gain-of-function research. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request led to the documents release, blowing the lid on Faucis treason.

Both Fauci and NIH Director Francis Collins lied under oath, denying that either organization funded illegal gain-of-function research. We now know that Fauci and Collins both oversaw said funding for years, and are now lying about it to try to save face.

The documents make it clear that assertions by the NIH Director, Francis Collins, and the NIAID Director, Anthony Fauci, that the NIH did not support gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen enhancement at WIV are untruthful, tweeted Prof. Richard H. Ebright.

The materials show that the 2014 and 2019 NIH grants to EcoHealth with subcontracts to [the Wuhan Institute of Virology] funded gain-of-function research as defined in federal policies in effect in 2014-2017 and potential pandemic pathogen enhancement as defined in federal policies in effect in 2017-present, Ebright added in the same Twitter thread.

Will Fauci be held accountable for committing treason, crimes against humanity?

Ebright has been working for many months to uncover the truth about Faucis deviant activities, which resulted in the unleashing of a global plandemic. The materials now released via FOIA prove, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Fauci is guilty of committing treason and crimes against humanity.

The materials confirm the grants supported the construction  in Wuhan  of novel chimeric SARS-related coronaviruses that combined a spike gene from one coronavirus with genetic information from another coronavirus, and confirmed the resulting viruses could infect human cells, Ebright explains.

It is no longer a question that coronaviruses were tampered with using funds directed towards such research by Fauci. Said research allowed for the unleashing of a genetically engineered (GMO) coronavirus and its associated variants, which have the capability of crossing species and transferring from animals to humans.

Humanized mice were used to test the infectiousness of these manipulated viruses, which are now said to be in widespread circulation with no end in sight  probably because they continue to be spread by the vaccines that Fauci has been pushing.

All of this came out after Fauci lied several times before Congress about his involvement in illegal gain-of-function research projects. Fauci has repeatedly claimed that he is completely innocent, but factual evidence proves otherwise.

Now, we wait to see whether or not any of our elected officials actually do anything about Faucis treason and crimes against humanity. If there is any justice left in America, Fauci will pay, and pay dearly, for what he has done and continues to do in the name of public health.

The latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ThePostMillennial.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Have you heard of the new comedy show based on children dying? Yes, its hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, whos running a hit piece on how hospitals should deny all care to anyone who wont take the China Flu gene therapy jabs. Send them home to die, is the message, the punch line. Tell them to rest in peace. No jab, no hospital care, not even for emergencies. Go home and die! (laugh track sounds here).

In his no blow is too low debut performance, after taking the summer off, Kimmel ran a full-length pharma presentation promoting vaccines and Fauci-ology, with fear-mongering hoax charts and falsified statistics from faulty PCR tests. The comedy sketch went over about as well as that time a few years back when he made fun of children who have permanent damage to their brains and bodies from vaccines.

Hollywood is dying from bad jokes and dirty vaccines

Many Americans have no clue that Hollywood is one big psychological operation (psyop) to sell consumers bad food and patients bad medicine. Thats why the kids are always drinking milk on shows and in movies, and thats why they always push vaccines that cause damage to childrens brains.

Sales are nearly 100 percent psychological, and thats why Jimmy Kimmel is trying his best to rag on Joe Rogan and especially ivermectin, because ivermectin is the arch enemy of the blood-clotting, ADE-causing Covid vaccines, Remdesivir and those choke-you-to-death ventilators. Joe Rogan beat Covid rather easily with ivermectin, nutrients and some key vitamins, while completely avoiding vaccines.

Kimmels joke about Rogan as the Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? didnt resonate so well, with his punch line for Rogan (who beat Covid in 3 days) being Rest in peace, wheezy. Make no mistake, Hollywood is selling dirty vaccines. Hollywood is all in for murdering Americans by burying the safe remedies for Covid. Its nothing new. Kimmel is the only joke thats happening on his show.

Kimmels sons health was never a topic to joke about

Jimmy Kimmel wants everyone to die now who wont take the Covid jabs, and hes not joking when he says it. Yet, it wasnt too long ago, just about 4 years, that Kimmels newborn son, William, was diagnosed with a birth defect in his heart, called tetralogy of fallot, where theres a hole in the wall between the hearts chambers. Jimmy had an emotional monologue for that harrowing hospital story, and he managed to conjure up a few fake tears for the cameras to share with America (or at least the Leftist paid studio audience).

As a result of Kimmels sons heart birth defect, his blood is not fully oxygenated as it circulates throughout his body. This is strikingly similar to what the Covid vaccines are doing to people, with billions of toxic spike proteins circulating through all the blood vessels, clogging the heart and restricting the flow of oxygen and nutrients. Sounds familiar?

Let us not forget, Kimmel loves telling jokes about vaccine-deformed children

Just six years ago, Kimmel popularized hate-based bigotry aimed at vaccine-damaged kids and their families, and just like as of late, it wasnt some one-liner, but a whole scripted bit teaching America how to laugh at tragedy when its someone elses kids with brain or heart damage from vaccines. How are birth defects so different? Many children suffer birth defects from flu shot vaccinations when their pregnant mother gets jabbed with high doses of mercury (in the multi-dose vials), thanks to the CDCs advice.

Kimmel encourages violence against natural health advocates, and against crippled anti-vaxxer children. Does it matter if the kids are Black or Jewish? What if his kids get severely damaged by the Covid vaccines, will they be the next hit piece on the Kimmel Vax-Shill Show? Only time will tell, well, that and a few deadly booster clot-shots. Turns out vaccines are a form of medical violence against children and all human beings, and its no laughing matter.

Tune your truth news dial to Pandemic.news for updates on the war against dirty vaccines and socialism, and how to keep your family happy, healthy and safe.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

NaturalNews.com

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com

WesternJournal.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) If you never thought there would come a day when an American president would blame citizens for perpetuating a viral pandemic, youve just been wildly disappointed.

On Thursday, King Joe Biden issued an order mandating that businesses with more than 100 employees require their workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or risk being fined 14 grand per violation for non-compliance, and in doing so laid the blame for it on tens of millions of fellow citizens who, for whatever reason, have chosen to shun the jab.

Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated, even though the vaccine is safe, effective, and free, Biden began, as if availability and lack of cost have anything at all to do with the personal decision not to get a vaccine.

Were in a tough stretch, and it could last for a while. The highly contagious Delta variant that I began to warn America about back in July spread in late summer like it did in other countries before us, he claimed.

While the vaccines provide strong protections for the vaccinated, we read about, we hear about, and we see the stories of hospitalized people, people on their death beds, among the unvaccinated over these past few weeks, Biden added before going on to point fingers.

This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. And its caused by the fact that despite America having an unprecedented and successful vaccination program, despite the fact that for almost five months, free vaccines have been available in 80,000 different locations, we still have nearly 80 million Americans who have failed to get the shot, he said.

No, it isnt a pandemic of the unvaccinated, its a pandemic of Chinas creation, which occurred, in part, with taxpayer money provided by one Anthony Fauci, the lead immunologist in the country, via funding through the National Institutes of Health agency he has run since the early 1980s.

Nearly three quarters of the eligible have gotten at least one shot, but one quarter has not gotten any. Thats nearly 80 million Americans not vaccinated. And in a country as large as ours, thats 25 percent minority. That 25 percent can cause a lot of damage  and they are, he said.

Understand that Bidens speechwriters and Marxist handlers are purposely dividing our country  gaslighting to create hostility between left-wing sycophants who lap up everything these liars tell them and the legions of American patriots, vaxxed and unvaxxed, who believe in small r republican government, individual freedom, and the right to decide your own medical path forward (remember when the left was all about my body, my choice when it came to killing an unborn child?).

Needless to say, a plethora of red state governors immediately stepped forward and pushed back, promising one court battle after another in pushing back on this unconstitutional edict.

Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor released a statement saying his administration is preparing litigation to defend state residents from overreach of the federal government.

We respect the right of Oklahoma businesses and individuals to make healthcare decisions for themselves and their families, OConnor noted.

My office will vigorously oppose any attempt by the federal government to mandate vaccines. We are preparing litigation to stand up for our rights and defend the rule of law against the overreach of the federal government, he added.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem also made a similar announcement, saying her state would challenge the mandate as well.

My legal team is standing by ready to file our lawsuit the minute @joebiden files his unconstitutional rule. This gross example of federal intrusion will not stand, she tweeted.

My legal team is standing by ready to file our lawsuit the minute @joebiden files his unconstitutional rule. This gross example of federal intrusion will not stand.  Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) September 9, 2021

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did as well.

How could we get to the point in the country where you would want to have someone lose their job because of their choice about the vaccine or not? I mean, look, some folks have reasons to do  maybe theyre making the wrong decision  but to put them out of work and not let them earn a living because of this, I just think that thats fundamentally wrong, DeSantis said.

I do not believe that people should lose their jobs over this issue, and we will fight that. If they try to do that through a rule like the Department of Labor, I dont think they have the legal authority to do that, but we obviously would want to support protections for people who are just trying to earn a living, he added.

Sources include:

Vaccines.news

USAFeatures.news
(Natural News) The Republican National Committee (RNC) has announced plans to sue the Biden regime for unconstitutionally mandating that all federal, contract and large private corporation employees get vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) in order to keep their jobs.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement that Republicans are committed to fighting on behalf of all Americans to preserve their right to bodily autonomy, even if they do not have the legal resources to do so once China Joes executive order comes into effect.

Joe Biden told Americans when he was elected that he would not impose vaccine mandates. He lied, McDaniel said.

Now small businesses, workers, and families across the country will pay the price. Like many Americans, I am pro-vaccine and anti-mandate. Many small businesses and workers do not have the money or legal resources to fight Bidens unconstitutional actions and authoritarian decrees, but when his decree goes into effect, the RNC will sue the administration to protect Americans and their liberties.

Hunters dad announced via teleprompter that he will be ordering the Department of Labor to mandate that all private businesses with 100 or more employees force their workers to either take Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed injections or be fired.

The Biden agenda is just Obamas third term

Pedo Joes latest Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) Action Plan orders the Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to come up with a scheme that private employers can use to force Fauci Flu shots on their employees.

This goes against everything Beijing Biden said last December when he promised, on the record, that he did not support the idea of compulsory injections for Americans.

I dont think it should be mandatory, China Joe stated at the time. I wouldnt demand it be mandatory.

Perhaps Ol Joe just forgot what he said. Heck, the guy forgets his own name half the time, so it is really no surprise that he probably does not recall saying he was against vaccine mandates before he was suddenly for them.

In either case, Americans have no legal or constitutional obligation to obey anything that dementia patient says, especially since he is not even a legally elected president.

Civil disobedience will probably not come without a price, but it is necessary if Americans hope to preserve any semblance of their civil liberties, which are being ripped away from us at warp speed.

This is not about freedom or personal choice, Biden proclaimed in defense of his attempted mandate. Its about protecting yourself and those around you.

How about you let us decide how to protect ourselves, Pedo Joe? We are not your slaves and you do not have the right to boss us around, even though your pal Barack Obama more than likely told you otherwise.

Speaking of Obama, you can almost hear the guy speaking to Ol Joe straight through the teleprompter. The Biden agenda is really just Obamas third term, in case you have not figured it out yet.

While the country is busy with lawsuits, the Democrats will be moving forward with their 5 trillion dollar amnesty and social spending bill, one commenter at Breitbart News speculated about the situation. One distraction to cover for their true focus.

Are there any D.C. Republicans  Senators or House members  who have not been vaccinated? asked another, referring to McDaniels pathetic disclaimer that she is still pro-vaccine.

All RINOs. Backstabbers.

To keep up with the latest news about Bidens efforts to enslave Americans under total medical fascism, be sure to check out Fascism.news.

Sources for this article include:

CitizenFreePress.com

Breitbart.com

Yahoo.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Podcast host Stew Peters and his guest Dr. Bryan Ardis criticized Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) propaganda guidelines released by the American Medical Association (AMA). The two noted how the medical body acted like propagandists dictating what doctors should say during the Sept. 1 episode of The Stew Peters Show on Brighteon.TV. Both Peters and Ardis criticized the AMAs deference to political ideology instead of medical fact.

Peters began by revealing the existence of the AMAs COVID-19 Guide, which was released during the winter season of 2021. Theres literally a section titled COVID-19 language swaps where the AMA instructs doctors on what words to say and which ones not to say, he said. The host also gave several examples of language swaps indicated in the February 2021 document. According to the document, lockdowns should be called stay-at-home orders. It also called on doctors to use the phrase public health agencies instead of government.

Peters remarked that these word swaps were reminiscent of politically correct language guides coming out of universities. Based on the university guidelines, homeless persons should be called persons experiencing housing insecurity. Drug addicts were persons with substance abuse disorder, while prostitutes were persons engaged in sex work.

The AMA document argued that using alternative language can help mitigate perceived partisanship in COVID-19 messaging. But Peters expressed a different view, saying that the strategy aimed to control reality through language. He elaborated that such a tactic was a very old left-wing practice used by the French revolutionaries, communists and the progressives of today.

Peters also noted that the AMA guide asks doctors not to mention the coronavirus or COVID-19, and to simply just talk about the pandemic. The guide also called on doctors not to give specific facts about COVID-19 vaccine trials, instead exhorting them to call it a transparent, rigorous process.

Peters ultimately lamented the state of the medical profession in light of the medical bodys COVID-19 guide. If a doctors just [going to] repeat what the AMA tells them, why have doctors at all? You can get plenty of starving propagandists and any liberal college, but instead we [want to] turn our medical professionals into ideological zombies with stethoscopes, he said.

Ardis chimes in, says medical profession pushing a narrative

Peters also hearkened back to the Aug. 31 episode of his show that talked about a Facebook post by Mayo Clinic cardiologist Dr. Courtney Bennett. Her post said: I cant believe we live in a society of self-centered people who get their medical advice from sources like YouTube or [One America News], yet beg us to help them breathe using technology developed by actual science when theyre blue and gasping for air.

[Now,] we might have some indication of [what] exactly it is thats shaping Dr. Bennetts words, Peters commented, referring to the AMAs guide. Ardis agreed with him, saying that he wasnt surprised when he heard the news about the cardiologists post. Dont you know what the AMA is doing? Theyre telling everybody what to say, Ardis continued. (Related: Stew Peters and Dr. Lee Merritt slam Mayo Clinics medical tyranny  Brighteon.TV)

Ardis also told Peters about the AMAs oversight of many aspects in the medical profession, such as the content taught in medical schools and state medical board licensing. He said: So when theyre putting out these actual, mandated guidelines for how youre [going to] communicate to the American public, the doctors know  if we dont follow their actual guidelines [that] youre not saying these things in the media, theyre [going to] be watching.'

He also pointed out an item in the guides COVID-19 language swaps section that suggested replacing the term hospitalization rates with the word deaths. Ardis added: The AMA is not saying hospitalized rates  [which] means thats how many [COVID-19 patients] are going into the hospital. Why would you do that? Why dont you say, this is how many people are going into hospitals?' He then asked Peters how many reports in mainstream media outlets overlaid the word death on top of hospital rates.

Theyre pushing a narrative and convincing every doctor  you do this, you follow our protocols  and I find it disgusting, Ardis said. (Related: Dr. Bryan Ardis talks warns that covid hospital protocols are needlessly killing patients  Brighteon.TV)

Ardis touched on the dangers of remdesivir during his appearance on The Stew Peters Show. He clarified that the antiviral drug had no approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when it was mandated for use in hospitals in May 2020. The FDA only gave its full approval to remdesivir in October 2020.

In a separate Brighteon.tv program, Ardis later elaborated on how hospitals used remdesivir as an ICU cocktail alongside other drugs. He told Jeff Peterson and Shannon Shady Grove of The Matrixxx Grooove Show that the antiviral drug caused acute kidney failure in 35 percent of patients receiving it within a period of five to 10 days.

Remdesivirs lethal effects of the kidney worsened when combined with the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and the antibiotic vancomycin, Ardis continued. He said that when the three drugs were administered in COVID-19 patients, it caused acute kidney failure in up to 45 percent of patients in a span of five days.

MedicalExtremism.com has more articles about the hospital systems misdeeds amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com 1

AMA-Assn.org [PDF]

NationalFile.com

Brighteon.com 2
(Natural News) For Americans concerned about the future of the country under the Biden regime, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen just engaged in an unusual bit of honesty: Be very afraid.

In a letter to Congress last week, Yellen warned that if the debt ceiling isnt raised and soon, the United States will run out of money and will not be able to meet its financial obligations for the first time in history.

And all under Joe Biden.

Once all available measures and cash on hand are fully exhausted, the United States of America would be unable to meet its obligations for the first time in our history, Yellen wrote.

Based on our best and most recent information, the most likely outcome is that cash and extraordinary measures will be exhausted during the month of October, Yellen continued.

She went on to lay out why this is a big deal, noting that delaying now could cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short-term borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States.

A delay that calls into question the federal governments ability to meet all its obligations would likely cause irreparable damage to the U.S. economy and global financial markets, she wrote.

At a time when American families, communities, and businesses are still suffering from the effects of the ongoing global pandemic, it would be particularly irresponsible to put the full faith and credit of the United States at risk.

Now for the really bad news: Republicans in Congress are in no mood to give Biden a win and substantially increase the debt ceiling because for one thing, the U.S. national debt is ridiculously high as it is, Axios reported.

We have learned from past debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise short term borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States, Yellen said in the letter.

The Democrats in the House can pass a debt ceiling increase with their simple majority; but in the Senate, there is a 50-50 split and unless Democrats use budget reconciliation (they can only use it so many times), they will need 10 Republicans to overcome the 60-vote filibuster.

And good luck with that; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he doesnt want to do the debt ceiling deal and that Democrats should just include it in their massive $3.5 trillion spending bill currently in Congress.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesnt want to do that  so were in for a showdown.

Heres the problem if the U.S. defaults: Global markets will crash, the global economy will crash, and suddenly, all of the fiat dollars floating around in bank accounts and in economies around the world will become worthless. And well see a global collapse the likes of which has never happened and which will make the Great Depression in the 1930s look tame by comparison.

The Western Journal has more on how this could all go down:

Reconciliations only require majority votes in both the House and Senate, meaning Republicans cant filibuster the bill in the Senate. Axios noted including the debt ceiling increase in the reconciliation package would allow McConnell to point to Democrats as having taken on the debt, however, Yellen wants no part of that. The treasury secretary instead advocated for raising the ceiling through regular order, with broad bipartisan support.

While McConnell may get the optics of Democrats underwriting debt-driven spending, who ultimately pays the bill?

The U.S. government is truly teetering, and as we suspected, its all going to go to you-know-what in a hand basket under the worst, most mentally deficient president weve ever had.

It didnt have to be this way  and wouldnt have been  if Trumps reelection wasnt stolen from him.

Sources include:

WesternJournal.com

NaturalNews.com
Weather Alert

...RAIN...BREEZY WINDS...COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE FOR THIS WEEKEND... .A vigorous weather system may affect north central Oregon and south central Washington this weekend and bring the seasons first significant rain to portions of the area along with breezy winds. A cool front is expected to move across the area Friday night with developing rain showers along with breezy winds into Saturday. With increasing confidence some locations could receive over a quarter inch of rain especially in the area mountains. Any outdoor festivities should keep aware of the possible changing weather conditions as the weekend nears including any updates to the weather forecast.
BEIJING (AP)  A city in southern China that is trying to contain a coronavirus outbreak told the public Sunday not to leave town, suspended bus and train service and closed cinemas, bars and other facilities.

Anyone who needs to leave Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province south of Shanghai, for an essential trip must have proof of a negative coronavirus test within the past 48 hours, the city government announced.

China declared the coronavirus under control in early 2020 but has suffered outbreaks of the more contagious delta variant. Authorities say most cases are traced to travelers arriving from Russia, Myanmar and other countries.

In Putian, 19 new infections that were believed to have been acquired locally were reported in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday, according to the National Health Commission. One was reported in Quanzhou, also in Fujian.

The first cases in Putian were students from Xianyou county, but experts suspect the outbreak might have originated with the father of one student who returned from Singapore on Aug. 4, according to the official Global Times newspaper.

The traveler, identified by the surname Lin, underwent a 14-day quarantine and nine nucleic acid and serologic tests, all of which were negative, the Global Times said, citing local authorities. It said he tested positive on Friday.

Residents of villages in Xianyou where infections were found were barred from leaving, the newspaper said.

Bus and train service to Putian was suspended Saturday, Global Times said.

Elsewhere in Putian, cinemas, card rooms, gyms, tourist sites and other facilities were ordered closed, the city government announced. Restaurants and supermarkets were told to strictly control customer numbers and to check for fevers. Schools were ordered to require students to wear masks in class.

Experts were sent to Putian to oversee disease-control work, the Health Commission announced Saturday.

China has reported 4,636 coronavirus deaths out of 95,199 confirmed cases.
Until the tragedy 20 years ago, my son and I were residents of Stamford. Shawn lost his dad on that day, I lost Rick, good friends, and many of my people as both Rick and I both worked at Aon.

It was pure fate that I was in my Greenwich office and not one at the World Trade Center. I am happy about that because Shawn would have been alone and I could not have been able to help him and help with recovery efforts. It still haunts me.

It was a trying time, and although so many people pulled together, it was a very tough time for Shawn. Throughout this nightmare, there was one person who was by Shawns side giving him support, humor, and kindness. That person was Bobby Valentine.

Bobby stepped in and with no fanfare, helped Shawn  taking him to be a batboy for the Mets, playing catch with him, and being a constant guide to a very confused 15 year old. Bobby just helped  from his heart and with typical humanity  and despite some pressures from the Mets upper offices.

Bobby  and many of his players  were incredible to Shawn. We relocated to Ohio to be close to family, and Bobby kept in touch. When the Mets traveled to Cincinnati, Bobby met Shawn and some new friends at the stadium and had him serve as batboy again. He and the team were amazing.

Unselfishly, positively, Bobby helped my son in ways that are impossible to describe.

I just read that Bobby is running for mayor of Stamford. People need to know that if Bobby says he is going to do something, he will  with kindness and compassion. What a great boon for Stamford  one of the greatest personalities and leaders in any sport offering his time to work for the people in this great city? I miss Stamford, and I wish I could be there to watch and help out.

Take the opportunity, please! You will never regret having this man represent and you will be amazed when you see what he does for Stamford. He will be a lightning rod for business and will help the educators improve beyond any expectations. You will be proud of him.

And thank you, Bobby. Thanks for being you and thanks for helping us so much. It still isnt easy  but without you, it wouldnt have been possible.

Former Stamford resident Tracey A. Carragher lives in St. Charles, Ill.
New Castle, PA (16103)

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Whippany, NJ (07981)

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Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph, becoming E and decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

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Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph, becoming E and decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Federal regulators slapped Wells Fargo with yet another fine for failing to move fast enough to compensate customers who were victims of the bank's "unsafe or unsound" practices.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the banking regulator within the Treasury Department, told the scandal-plagued bank it must pay $250 million because it couldn't - or wouldn't  make good on its promises. The punishment stems from a 2018 order that found problems with the bank's auto and home lending operations, including insufficient risk-management practices and improper fines imposed on customers.

At the time, as part of a $1 billion settlement, the bank agreed to improve its practices and pay restitution to customers. But that's not happening fast enough, according to the OCC.

"Wells Fargo has not met the requirements of the OCC's 2018 action against the bank. This is unacceptable," said Acting Comptroller Michael J. Hsu.

In addition to the fine, the regulator is restricting the bank's mortgage business until it can address the problems.

Wells Fargo has struggled to get its house in order after a series of scandals erupted five years ago. Since fall 2016, the bank has admitted to forcing customers to pay unnecessary fees and opening millions of fake accounts in what the Federal Reserve has described as "widespread customer abuse." In 2018 the Fed imposed a cap on Wells Fargo's assets  essentially barring the it from increasing its balance sheet until it addresses the compliance failures that led to the scandals.

"The OCC's actions today point to work we must continue to do to address significant, longstanding deficiencies," said Charlie Scharf, Wells Fargo's fourth CEO in five years, in a statement Thursday. "Building an appropriate risk and control infrastructure has been and remains Wells Fargo's top priority."

Wells Fargo shares were up slightly midday Friday, signaling that investors were shrugging off the OCC fine.

"Overall, I think this is a modest positive for the stock," said Kyle Sanders, a senior analyst at Edward Jones. Sanders noted that the stock took a hit last week after media reports suggested bigger regulatory setbacks were around the corner. "For many investors, today's announcement was less punitive than feared."

In addition to regulatory headaches, Wells found itself mired in a recent PR nightmare, first canceling a popular lending tool and then partially reversing the decision after a month of outrage from consumers and advocates.

In his statement Thursday, Scharf announced a silver lining of sorts that may have soothed investors. A separate consent order aimed at the bank's sales practices from 2016  this one from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau  has expired.

"We have done substantial work designed to ensure that the conduct at the core of the consent order -- which was reprehensible and wholly inconsistent with the values on which this company was built  will not recur," the CEO said.

Scharf, who has worked to transform the bank since he took the helm in 2019, said the bank had come a long way, but isn't out of the woods.

"Our work to build the right foundation for a company of our size and complexity will not follow a straight line ... That said, we believe we're making significant progress, the work required is clear, and I remain confident in our ability to complete it," he said.

Separately, the OCC said Friday that a hearing would be held Monday in the case of three former Wells Fargo executives who have been accused of "material failures in risk management" related to the scandals.

"Wells Fargo's Community Bank leadership caused the sales practices misconduct problem by setting unreasonable sales goals, placing severe pressure on employees to meet those goals, and maintaining deficient controls to prevent and detect the misconduct," the OCC said in a news release. The OCC is seeking civil penalties of $5 million each against the three individuals.

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Susan McKinney is the librarian at St. Joseph Township-Swearingen Memorial Library. She received her masters in library science from the University of Illinois.

She came here from Indiana for graduate school and fell in love with the area. She has lived here ever since. She is an avid reader and enjoys mystery, suspense, fantasy and action novels.
Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
'September 11th had another meaning to our family that I had to address. It was my third childs seventh birthday. How could I explain to her what had happened and how the date of her birth would forever be a part of history?'
'It took some time for us to realize that we were less than 15 miles from NATO headquarters in Brussels and that it could be a target, as well. We decided we needed to start making preparations to get home as soon as possible.'
Jim Nowlan is a retired professor of American politics who has taught in China on several occasions. Allen Andersen is a retired businessman and economic development consultant. They reside in central Illinois.
Which concept should the city use for an entryway monument in South Longview?

You voted:
Susan Farrell, an English professor at the College of Charleston and founder of the Kurt Vonnegut Society, flips through her Slaughterhouse-Five book (full of notes), Aug. 25, that she uses for teaching in Charleston, S.C.
Leveraging advancements in CRISPR-based genetic engineering, researchers at the University of California San Diego have created a new system that restrains populations of mosquitoes that infect millions each year with debilitating diseases.

The new precision-guided sterile insect technique, or pgSIT, alters genes linked to male fertility--creating sterile offspring--and female flight in Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species responsible for spreading wide-ranging diseases including dengue fever, chikungunya and Zika.

pgSIT is a new scalable genetic control system that uses a CRISPR-based approach to engineer deployable mosquitoes that can suppress populations. Males don't transmit diseases so the idea is that as you release more and more sterile males, you can suppress the population without relying on harmful chemicals and insecticides." Omar Akbari, UC San Diego Biological Sciences Professor

Details of the new pgSIT are described September 10, 2021, in the journal Nature Communications.

pgSIT differs from "gene drive" systems that could suppress disease vectors by passing desired genetic alterations indefinitely from one generation to the next. Instead, pgSIT uses CRISPR to sterilize male mosquitoes and render female mosquitoes, which spread disease, as flightless. The system is self-limiting and is not predicted to persist or spread in the environment, two important safety features that should enable acceptance for this technology.

Akbari says the envisioned pgSIT system could be implemented by deploying eggs of sterile males and flightless females at target locations where mosquito-borne disease spread is occurring.

"Supported by mathematical models, we empirically demonstrate that released pgSIT males can compete, and suppress and even eliminate mosquito populations," the researchers note in the Nature Communications paper. "This platform technology could be used in the field, and adapted to many vectors, for controlling wild populations to curtail disease in a safe, confinable and reversible manner."

Although molecular genetic engineering tools are new, farmers have been sterilizing male insects to protect their crops since at least the 1930s. United States growers in the 1950s began using radiation to sterilize pest species such as the New World Screwworm fly, which is known to destroy livestock. Similar radiation-based methods continue today, along with the use of insecticides. pgSIT is designed as a much more precise and scalable technology since it uses CRISPR-;not radiation or chemicals-;to alter key mosquito genes. The system is based on a method that was announced by UC San Diego in 2019 by Akbari and his colleagues in the fruit fly Drosophila.

As envisioned, Akbari says pgSIT eggs can be shipped to a location threatened by mosquito-borne disease or developed at an on-site facility that could produce the eggs for nearby deployment. Once the pgSIT eggs are released in the wild, typically at a peak rate of 100-200 pgSIT eggs per Aedes aegypti adult, sterile pgSIT males will emerge and eventually mate with females, driving down the wild population as needed.

Beyond Aedes aegypti, the researchers believe the pgSIT technology could be directed to other species that spread disease.

" This study suggests pgSIT may be an efficient technology for mosquito population control and the first example of one suited for real-world release," the researchers say. "Going forward, pgSIT may provide an efficient, safe, scalable, and environmentally friendly alternative next-generation technology for wild population control of mosquitoes resulting in wide-scale prevention of human disease transmission."
The "Work Design for Health" frameworkdeveloped by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and MIT Sloan School of Management researchersmaps how to create work environments that foster worker health and well-being.

The framework offers new and viable directions for improving worker health and well-being while maintaining or enhancing employee engagement and productivity, according to the researchers. It elucidates why employers should shift their focus from offering wellness programs, which aim to change individual behaviors, to creating workplace conditions that ease burdens and support employee health and well-being.

The Work Design for Health framework is outlined in an article published online in the American Journal of Public Health on September 9, 2021. Additionally, the team has created a toolkit and website to guide employers through the process of assessing whether their workplace could benefit from the Work Design for Health approach, as well as how to implement it, and to explain the research underpinning the framework.

Many employers are looking for ways to support the health and well-being of their employeesparticularly after a year of high stress and unusual challenges at work and in the wider world. We hope the work design framework inspires more organizations to consider the various ways that work affects employees' health and well-being." Erin L. Kelly, the Sloan Distinguished Professor of Work and Organization Studies at MIT Sloan and co-author of the paper

Lisa Berkman, Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School and principal investigator of the paper, explained, "This innovative Work Design for Health framework provides best practices to companies that will help improve employee health and well-being while also maintaining their productivity. The companion website provides concrete, research-tested examples of practical changes that can improve health and well-being."

For the past several years, discussions about improving worker health have focused on health promotion or wellness programs that focus on individual behaviors, such as increasing exercise, practicing mindfulness, or eating healthy food. Recent rigorous research by others indicates that these programs do not substantially change these behaviors or practices to impact a wide range of employee health outcomes, suggesting that a new perspective on work conditions and work environment is needed. The Harvard Chan School and MIT Sloan team emphasizes that these social conditions are major determinants of poor health and therefore changing them leads to prevention of illness and disability in the first place.

Building on decades of previous work redesign research and frameworks, the team proposes a model of work redesign updated for the realities of work in the 21 st century. This framework identifies three strategies to reshape work conditions that not only improve worker well-being but may also benefit the organization:

Increasing workers' control over their schedules and giving them greater voice over work conditions;

Moderating job demands; and

Offering training and employer support aimed at enhancing social relations at work.

The toolkit provides many examples and case studies of how these strategies have been tested and implemented in a variety of workplace settings. For instance, one study found that giving high-tech professionals more control over their work schedules resulted in workers who were more productive, less stressed, and less likely to quit.

In addition to being more effective at increasing employee well-being, a redesign based on the Work Design for Health framework could save employers money, according to the researchers. Wellness programs now cost on average more than $700 per employee, whereas one extensive redesign initiative reviewed by the authors cost roughly half that much.

"Workplace changes during the COVID-19 pandemic have shown employers that providing workers with more flexibility in where, when, and how they work can be beneficial to employees and their organizations," said Meg Lovejoy, a co-author of the paper and research program director of the Work and Well-being Initiative at the Center for Population and Development Studies at Harvard Chan School. "The return to more familiar workplace practices and settings offers a key moment for employers to consider how they can reshape the work environment to better promote worker well-being, engagement, and retention. The Work Design for Health approach offers guidance and evidence-based strategies to employers on how they might accomplish this."

Laura Kubzansky, a co-author of the paper and the Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard Chan School, further emphasizes the importance of workplace conditions as key determinants of happiness and well-beingas important as socioeconomic position, family and community ties, or other aspects of the social environment.
Researchers have identified two drugs that mimic the effect of chemicals in cigarette smoke to bind to a receptor in mammalian cells that inhibits production of ACE2 proteins, a process that appears to reduce the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the cell.

The findings appear in the journal Scientific Reports on 17 August.

Something of a paradox exists with respect to smoking cigarettes and COVID-19. Active smoking is associated with increased severity of disease, but at the same time, many reports have suggested lower numbers of COVID cases amongst smokers than amongst non-smokers.

Something strange was going on here. But we had a few ideas about how to tease out what some of the mechanisms at work might be." Keiji Tanimoto of Hiroshima University's Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, corresponding author of the paper

"We must stress the presence of strong evidence showing that smoking increases the severity of COVID-19," Tanimoto added. "But the mechanism we discovered here is worth further investigation as a potential tool to fight SARS-CoV-2 infections."

It is known that cigarette smoke contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These can bind to and activate aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AHRs). A receptor is any structure of the surface or inside of a cell that is shaped to receive and bind to a particular substance. AHRs are a type of receptor inside of mammalian cells that is in turn a transcription factor  something that can induce a wide range of cellular activities through its ability to increase or decrease the expressionof certain genes.

Knowing this about the relationship between PAHs and AHRs, the researchers wanted to investigate the effect of drugs that activate AHR on expression of the genes that control production of the ACE2 protein  the infamous receptor protein on the surface of many cells types that works like a lock that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is able to pick. After binding the virus to the ACE2 protein, it can then enter and infect the cell.

First, the scientists investigated various cell lines to examine their gene expression levels of ACE2. They found that those cells originating in the oral cavity, lungs and liver had the highest ACE2 expression.

These high-ACE2-expression cells were then subjected to various doses of cigarette-smoke extract (CSE) for 24 hours. After this, the rate of expression of the CYP1A1 gene, which is known to be inducible by CSE, was evaluated. The CSE treatment had induced increased expression of CYP1A1 gene in liver and lung cells in a dose-dependent manner  the greater the dose, the greater the effect. However, this effect was not as pronounced in oral cavity cells. In other words, greater activity of the CYP1A1, less production of the ACE2 receptors  the route that the virus is able to enter cells.

In order to explain why this was happening in the presence of cigarette smoke, the researchers then used RNA sequencing analysis to investigate what was happening with gene expression more comprehensively. They found that CSE increased the expressions of genes related to a number of key signalling processes within the cell that are regulated by AHR.

To more directly observe this mechanism by which AHR acts on ACE2 expression, the effects of two drugs that can activate AHR were evaluated on the liver cells. The first, 6formylindolo(3,2b)carbazole (FICZ) is derivative of the amino acid tryptophan, and the second, omeprazole (OMP), is a medication already widely used in the treatment of acid reflux and peptic ulcers.

RNA sequencing data suggested that the CYP1A1 gene was strongly induced in liver cells by these AHR activators, and expression of the ACE2 gene was strongly inhibited, again in a dose-dependent manner.

In other words, the cigarette smoke extract and these two drugsall of which act as activators of AHRare able to suppress the expression of ACE2 in mammalian cells, and by doing so, reduce the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the cell.

Based on the findings in the lab, the team is now proceeding with pre-clinical and clinical trials on the drugs as a novel anti-COVID-19 therapy.
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

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(Newser)  To understand why three men bought themselves a cruise ship last fall, you need to know a little bit about "seasteading." It's the idea of moving to the sea, where, unbound by the land and the governments and regulations tied to it, people could experiment with new ways of living. Grant Romundt, Rudiger Koch, and Chad Elwartowski met in 2017, united by their interest in seasteading. They founded the company Ocean Builders, funded a pilot sea home off Thailand (that ended poorly, which is a whole other story), and started manufacturing homes called SeaPods. A combination of slow progress on the pods and the impact COVID had on the value of cruise ships led them, in October, to spend a reported $9.5 million on a ship they redubbed the Satoshi. With the blessing of the Panama government they would dock it off that country's shores without owing Panama taxes. On board, they hoped, would be freedom-loving crypto-investors.

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Just four months later, the dream was dead, writes Sophie Elmhirst for the Guardian in a lengthy look at what went wrong between the ship departing Cyprus for Panama on Oct. 29 and its Feb. 23 exit from Panama. There are reasons aplenty, from the challenge of getting wealthy crypto-entrepreneurs interested in leaving their luxe accommodations for a tiny cabin that didn't even have a microwave, to bigger problems like their inability to find insurance. They soon discovered that in their quest to escape regulations, they had become a part of one of the most regulated industries on the planet, and Panama was unwilling to let them drop anchor and de-register as a ship; they'd have to sail out to sea about every 3 weeks to discharge their sewage anyway. (Read the full story for more hiccups along the way, and to learn about the captain and 40-person crew who temporarily manned the Satoshi.)
(Newser)  The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has raised concerns that gains made for women's rights will be erased. But an in-depth piece by Anand Gopal in the New Yorker illustrates just how complicated the picture can be. It's headlined "The Other Afghan Women," meaning those who live in the countryside. This is no small group, as Gopal notes that roughly 70% of Afghans do not live in cities. Throughout the summer, he traveled in rural Afghanistan speaking to women already living under the Taliban and found that the view of the militant group is different here than in, say, Kabul. In a way, life is better in the most basic sense: Going about everyday tasks was a "deadly gamble" when coalition forces and their Afghan allies were in control. "What the Taliban offered over their rivals was a simple bargain: Obey us, and we will not kill you," writes Gopal.

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The story is told mostly through the view of a woman named Shakira. In her early 40s now, her life has encompassed all of Afghanistan's modern misery. The Soviet invasion, the rise of warring mujahideen warlords who sprang up when the Soviets left, the first Taliban takeover, 20 years of the American war, and now the return of the Taliban. The story recounts innumerable brutalities all throughout, particularly by a (non-Taliban) mujahideen commander named Amir Dado. A paragraph captures the gist:

"When I asked Shakira and other women from the valley to reflect on Taliban rule, they were unwilling to judge the movement against some universal standardonly against what had come before," writes Gopal. "'They were softer,' Pazaro, the woman who lived in a neighboring village, said. 'They were dealing with us respectfully.' The women described their lives under the Taliban as identical to their lives under Dado and the mujahideenminus the strangers barging through the doors at night, the deadly checkpoints."

(Click to read the full story .)
(Newser)  An Alaska state senator who made headlines for refusing to wear a mask and getting banned from flying Alaska Airlines now finds herself in a pickle: she can't make it to work. Per the Anchorage Daily News, Lora Reingold, a Republican from Eagle River, has asked to be excused from votes at the capitol because getting to Juneau has become impossible for her in the wake of the ban. As we reported following her ban in April, Reingold at one point drove through part of Canada and took a ferry to reach the state's capital. Per the Washington Post, Alaska Airlines is the only carrier offering flights between Anchorage, a suburb of which Reingold represents, and Juneau. Delta's service between the cities reportedly ended Sept. 11.

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"If the only airline, that has flights during session to Juneau, can unconstitutionally impede a legislators ability to get to the Capital in a safe and timely fashion, it could undermine our representative republic," Reingold argued on Facebook on Sept. 9. Reinbold was recorded in April at the Juneau International Airport speaking with Alaska Airlines staff about mask policies. A video posted on social media by the Alaska Landmine political blog appears to show airline staff telling Reinbold her mask must cover her nose and mouth. A week later, she was banned, per the AP. We have notified Senator Lora Reinbold that she is not permitted to fly with us for her continued refusal to comply with employee instruction regarding the current mask policy, spokesman Tim Thompson told the Anchorage Daily News at the time. (Read more face masks stories.)
(Newser) 

The FBI late Saturday released a newly declassified document related to logistical support given to two of the Saudi hijackers in the run-up to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The document details contacts the hijackers had with Saudi associates in the US but does not provide proof that senior Saudi government officials were complicit in the plot. Released on the 20th anniversary of the attacks, the document is the first investigative record to be disclosed since President Joe Biden ordered a declassification review of materials that for years have remained out of public view. The 16-page document is a summary of an FBI interview done in 2015 with a man who had frequent contact with Saudi nationals in the US who supported the first hijackers to arrive in the country before the attacks, per the AP

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Biden last week ordered the Justice Department and other agencies to conduct a declassification review and release what documents they can over the next six months. He had encountered pressure from victims' families, who have long sought the records as they pursue a lawsuit in New York alleging that Saudi government officials supported the hijackers. The heavily redacted document was disclosed on Saturday night, hours after Biden attended Sept. 11 memorial events in New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia. Victims relatives had earlier objected to Bidens presence at ceremonial events as long as the documents remained classified. The Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has supported the full declassification of all records as a way to end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all.

The trove of documents are being released at a politically delicate time for the US and Saudi Arabia, two nations that have forged a strategicif difficultalliance, particularly on counterterrorism matters. The Biden administration in February released an intelligence assessment implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the 2018 killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but drew criticism from Democrats for avoiding a direct punishment of the crown prince himself. Victims' relatives cheered the document's release as a significant step in their effort to connect the attacks to Saudi Arabia. Brett Eagleson, whose father, Bruce, was killed in the World Trade Center attack, said the release of the FBI material accelerates our pursuit of truth and justice.

Regarding Sept. 11, there has been speculation of official involvement since shortly after the attacks, when it was revealed that 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudis. Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida at the time, was from a prominent family in the kingdom. The US investigated some Saudi diplomats and others with Saudi government ties who knew hijackers after they arrived in the US, according to documents that have already been declassified. Still, the 9/11 Commission report in 2004 found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the attacks that al-Qaida masterminded, though it noted Saudi-linked charities could have diverted money to the group.

(Read more 9/11 attacks stories.)
(Newser)  Poland's top political leaders on Sunday attended the beatification of two revered figures of the Catholic Churcha cardinal who led resistance to communism and a blind nun who devoted her life to helping others who couldn't see. The celebration of Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and Mother Elzbieta Roza Czacka was a reminder of the moral authority and unifying power the church once held over Poland; Mass attendance is in decline, with some Poles leaving the church over sex abuse scandals and its ties to the right-wing government. Both are now one step from sainthood. The Mass was held in the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, the AP reports.

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Wyszynski was Poland's primate, or top church leader, from 1948 until his death in 1981. He was under house arrest in the 1950s for his refusal to bend to the communist regime and was considered by some to be the true leader of the nation. His long resistance to communism is credited as a factor that led to the election of a Polish pope, John Paul II, and ultimately the toppling of Poland's communist system in 1989. Czacka, born in 1876 to an aristocratic family, went blind as a young woman and devoted the rest of her life to helping others. The Franciscan nun helped develop a Polish version of Braille and opened a center for the blind near Warsaw.

In the 1950s, when Poland's avowedly atheistic government sought to silence the church, Wyszynski thundered from his pulpit that "Christ has the right to be announced, and we have the right to announce him." Late in his life, Wyszynski became accepted by the authorities as an important force in national life, and members of the regime attended his funeral. In Budapest on Sunday, Pope Francis paid tribute to them both, recalling how Wyszynski was arrested and how Czacka devoted her whole life to others. "May the example of these new Blesseds encourage us to transform darkness into light with the power of love," he said.

(Read more beatification stories.)
(Newser)  Girls and women can continue their education in Afghanistan, but they'll face new restrictions under Taliban rule. For one, male and female students will be separated, the education minister said Sunday. "Coeducation is in conflict with the principles of Islam and, on the other hand, it is in conflict with national values and is against the customs and traditions of Afghans," Abdul Baqi Haqqani said Sunday, Deutsche Welle reports. If universities can't be divided by gender, he said, class times should alternate, or the rooms should have a partition in the middle, with male students on one side and female students on the other.

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Hijabs will be required, Haqqani said. But he didn't specify whether women will have to cover their faces completely or will be able to wear a headscarf, per the Guardian. The nation's new rulers want women to teach female students. If that is not possible, male teachers are allowed as long as classes should follow the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law. Some universities already report shortages of female teachers, and space, and have told students they will have to drop certain classes. Until the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, universities were coeducational and had no dress code for women. Female enrollment was at a record high.

During the Taliban's previous reign, which ended 20 years ago, girls and women were not permitted to attend school. Haqqani said the Taliban don't want to return to that era but want to "start building on what exists today." A Human Rights Watch official said the restrictions won't be practical for all universities and their female students. "So the consequence will not be just gender segregation, it will be the exclusion of women and girls," Heather Barr said. Rules against women speaking to men in offices and universities will further shut women out, she said. And the subjects being taught are under review, per the AP. "There are different layers of discrimination to this, which means it will have a really devastating impact on women and girls," Barr said. (Read more Afghanistan stories.)
(Newser)  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America installed its first openly transgender bishop in a service held in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on Saturday. The Rev. Megan Rohrer will lead one of the church's 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada, the AP reports. "My call is ... to be up to the same messy, loving things I was up to before," Rohrer told the congregation. "But mostly, if you'll let me, and I think you will, my hope is to love you and beyond that, to love what you love." Rohrer was elected in May to a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod.

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"I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing," Rohrer, who is married and has two children, said in a statement. "My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward." Rohrer, who uses the pronoun "they," previously served as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in San Francisco and a chaplain coordinator for the city's police department, and also helped minister to the city's homeless and LGTBQ community. The church is one of the largest Christian denominations in the US, with about 3.3 million members.

(Read more Evangelical Lutheran Church in America stories.)
(Newser)  After meeting Sunday with a nationalist ruler who's reduced civil liberties and judicial independence while opposing immigration, Pope Francis asked the people of Hungary for tolerance. His comments, delivered to as many as 100,000 people at an outdoor Mass in Budapest, appeared to be in conflict with the policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, CNN reports. "This is what I wish for you: that the cross be your bridge between the past and the future," Francis told worshippers during Mass. He talked about the planted cross opening its arms to anyone. "My wish is that you be like that: grounded and open, rooted and considerate," he said.

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At an ecumenical meeting of Christian and Jewish leaders during his seven-hour stay, the pope particularly called out anti-semitism, per NBC. "I think of the threat of antisemitism still lurking in Europe and elsewhere," Francis said. "This is a fuse that must not be allowed to burn." Orban has faced accusations of stoking anti-semitism in the past. In his 2017 campaign, he used images of American George Soros, who is Jewish, in an anti-immigration billboard campaign, per Axios. Orban denied the antisemitism accusation, but "he knew what he was doing," a Human Rights First adviser said. "The whole Soros campaign was chockablock with anti-Semitic allusions," Ira Forman said.

The brevity of the pope's visit also made a point; by contrast, Francis is spending four days in Slovakia next. He has been critical of what he called the "national populism" of governments such as Orban's in the past and has said refugees coming for better lives should be welcomed in Europe. The Vatican reported the discussion topics Sunday included environmental protections and the church's role in Hungary. A Jewish leader who was in the meeting said later that he doesn't think Orban is a source of the nation's anti-semitism, but that it's been passed on through the generations. After his talks with Francis, Orban posted on Facebook that he had asked the pope "not to let Christian Hungary perish." (Read more Pope Francis stories.)
Shamokin, PA (17872)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near an inch.
Charlie Dexter is a professor of applied business emeritus at the UAF Community and Technical College. He can be reached at cndexter@alaska.edu. This column is brought to you as a public service by the UAF Department of Applied Business.
Bill Hess is an independent photojournalist who from 1985 to 2018 photographed, edited and produced Uiniq, a community-funded periodical devoted to people and events relating to Alaskas North Slope Borough. Sasquatch Books published his book, Gift of the Whale: The Inupiat Bowhead Hunt, a Sacred Tradition, in 1999.
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The statue of William Seward was placed in the plaza in front of the Alaska Capitol in Juneau in 2017. Seward was the Secretary of State in 1867 who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia.
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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is working on a new and comprehensive bill to combat hate speech, extremism and contempt for religions, said speaker Fawzia bin Abdullah Zainal. The law, Zainal said, which will cover all traditional and new-age platforms, follows the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Speaking during the first Global Counter-Terrorism Summit held yesterday in the Austrian Capital Vienna, the speaker said the law supports the values of moderation, tolerance, the culture of peace, and dialogue.

It also confronts extremist ideas that feed sedition, violence and terrorism.

The speaker also called on parliaments and legislative councils all over the globe to conduct periodic reviews of legislations related to combating terrorism to ensure that they remain abreast of the new methods of crimes.

Parliaments, she said, should review governments legislation and policies to combat terrorism to adopt clear and firm stances against terrorist groups. There is also a need to activate laws and agreements that facilitate the freezing of assets and properties of terrorist groups to dry up their funding sources, the speaker said, calling on all to exchange lists of such organisations to prevent external funding.

The speaker also called on the international community to take a decisive stance on countries harbouring terrorists.

I see the need to review policies taken by governments to activate regional and international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and take measures that prevent cyber attacks.

This is also needed to address the use of social media platforms to spread hate speech and extremism and recruit terrorists, she added.

Legislative councils, parliamentary unions, and rights organisations should carefully review their stances to not to aid terrorist group or their acts, which bear the cover of human rights.

Legislators from all around the world are participating in the summit co-organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Opening the summit, the speaker of the National Council of the Republic of Austria, Wolfgang Sobotka, highlighted the crucial role parliamentarians play in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

Bahrains delegation to the summit includes Jamal Muhammad Fakhro, the First Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council, Abdul Nabi Salman, the First Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Jamila Ali Salman, the Second Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council.

Reviewing Bahrains experience in combating terrorism, the speaker said the Kingdom is taking special efforts in developing curricula, curbing all forms of terrorism financing and remained proactive in enacting legislation to protect society.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Red Sea port of Mocha came under heavy attacks yesterday from Iran-backed Houthi militia, inflicting heavy damages to the newly opened port.

The blast caused injuries to six soldiers and destroyed the ports infrastructure and a warehouse containing large quantities of humanitarian and relief supplies. Eyewitnesses said they heard successive explosions from the port, which resumed works weeks ago.

They also reported seeing an ambulance rushing to the port soon after the explosion.

A series of explosions rocked the Red Sea port of Mocha controlled by the government forces following coordinated Houthis strikes, Xinhua, quoting a local government source, said.

The source, on condition of anonymity, said four explosive-laden drones and three missiles struck the port.

Two of the drones were reportedly intercepted and shot down over the local town of Mocha before reaching their target.

A Transportation Ministry delegation was at the port located in Taizs western part during the attack. Bassam Al Muflehy, head of the transport ministry, said Houthis timed the attack to coincide with the visit. All of the team members are in a safe place now.

The pro-government forces captured Mocha on Yemens western Red Sea coast from the Houthis in 2017.

The militia seized the northern Yemeni provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in late 2014, forcing President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

A coalition formed by Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries intervened militarily in the Yemeni conflict against the Houthis in March 2015 in response to an official request from Hadi to protect Yemen.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

US congress members visiting Bahrain yesterday expressed their admiration of the tremendous progress Bahrain has achieved in executing social housing projects.

Bahrains experience is pioneering in his sector, which deserves commendation, said the US delegates. The visiting US delegation, comprising employees of the United States House of Representatives and the Senate, was touring the East Hidd Housing project.

The delegation was given a briefing on the East Hidd housing project, including its infrastructure, constructed houses, waterfront and lanes to practise various hobbies.

The members were also given an introduction to Bahrains modern towns and the services accompanying them. The delegates said the subsidised housing projects offered to citizens and works carried out by the ministry by joining hands with the private sector are particularly praiseworthy. After visiting several completed units and facilities, the delegates also expressed their admiration for the progress achieved by the Kingdom in its five new towns.

The US Congress delegation aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries and collect first-hand information about the development projects.

Director of Housing Projects Construction and Maintenance at the Housing Ministry, Mohammed Rashdan, gave a presentation to the members on the main housing projects and modern towns in Bahrain
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Administrative Court granted divorce to an Indian couple invoking the Hindu Marriage act of 1955 of India, as per rule number 21 of Bahraini law.

The case files say the husband was demanding a divorce from his wife for deserting him for the last ten years. The decision, the court said, is as per rule number 21 of Bahrains pleading law for disputes by non-muslim complainants.

This law allows resolving person status disputes by invoking the countrys law according to which the couple had registered their marriage for allowing divorce. Case files say the couples marriage life entered a downward spiral after spending 12 years together from 1997 to 2009.

Irreconcilable differences led them to live separately after that. The husband claimed before that court that his wife had abandoned him and produced two witnessed to prove his claims.

The witnesses told the court that the woman lived separately from the man for the last ten years. The court, accepting the mans argument and witness testimonies, annulled the marriage. What does the Hindu Marriage Act say on divorce? Section 13 of the Hindu Marriage act of 1955 deals with divorce.

It sets the conditions on which a court could annul a marriage accepting a petition by either the husband or the wife. The act allows a divorce when one of the parties had voluntary intercourse with any other person other than their spouses, treated the petitioner with cruelty, or deserted the petitioner continuously for not less than two years immediately preceding the petition, among others.

It is, however, not the first time that a court of law in the Kingdom had invoked the Hindu Marriage Act in divorce petition cases. In a similar case last year, Bahrains major civil court had used the law in a divorce petition filed by a husband, who claimed that his wife had deserted him for the last two years.

The court, however, turned down his plea, saying that he had failed to provide a witness or any other proof to back his claims. The court also ordered the man to pay the litigation fees.

The latest statistics put Bahrains population at 1.54 million, of which 52.6% are foreigners. Around 74% are Muslims. Christians, the second-largest religious group, forms 10.2% and Jews 0.21% of the total population. The percentage of local Bahraini Christians, Jews, Hindus and Bahais is collectively 0.2%.
DANBURY  When Kara Prunty became the citys acting health director, Connecticut residents were in lockdown and the COVID-19 vaccine was a fantasy.

Seventeen months later, Prunty can finally remove the acting from her title.

The City Council approved on Thursday her appointment as the director of the Department of Health and Human Services.

She has just been a phenomenal asset and works just tirelessly to ensure the health and safety and help us ensure the health and safety of our residents, Mayor Joe Cavo said Friday.

Council members and former Mayor Mark Boughton spoke in favor of her appointment at the meeting. City officials have said for months that they wanted to officially appoint Prunty to the position, but she was working on a required degree.

Prunty recently earned her master of public health degree from the University of Albany School of Public Health. She already had her master of public administration from the Rockefeller School of Public Administration at the University Albany, according to a letter from Cavo to City Council.

She has multiple certifications through the state health department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She was named one of Fairfield Countys Forty Under 40 in 2021.

As demonstrated by Ms. Pruntys accomplishments, she is a highly qualified and dedicated individual that has served the City of Danbury well, Cavo wrote in the letter to City Council. During her tenure with the city, Ms. Prunty has established herself as a true leader and has earned respect and credibility from both her staff and the community. Her calm and knowledgeable guidance is one of the driving forces of Danburys success in dealing with this pandemic.

Before coming to Danbury, Prunty had worked for New Yorks Office of Mental Health, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and Office of the State Comptroller, Cavo said.

Prunty has worked for Danbury since June 2017, serving previously as the associate director of community health. She became acting director of the department in April 2020, following the departure of director Lisa Morrissey.

Council members and school officials have praised Prunty and her departments efforts to handle the coronavirus pandemic.

Shes been out on the front lines since the beginning, Cavo said.

Prunty has worked closely with the school district to guide officials in their planning there. She handled the supplies, logistics and personnel for the departments clinic at Rogers Park Middle School, which distributed more than 18,000 vaccines to community members.

She is just incredible at her job, Cavo said. It shows here in Danbury, and her passion for people shows every day in all her decisions. And I couldnt be more proud that the council was able to confirm mine and former Mayor Boughtons thoughts that she is the right person for this job.

In the later part of the pandemic, her department earned a grant to coordinate with local partners to bring vaccines to hard-to-reach neighborhoods and helped facilitate new COVID testing sites amid the rise of the delta variant.

I believe that her continued leadership during this COVID-19 pandemic is essential to the ongoing health and safety of the residents of Danbury, Cavo wrote in his letter.
WASHINGTON  Building a portable greenhouse and learning to care for animals make up just some of the experiences students have had over the past two years in Shepaug Valley Schools Regional Agriscience program.

The program, which is beginning its third year, started with 41 students and has now tripled in size to 119 students. While four students will be graduating in the spring, the first full class  33 students  will graduate in 2023.

Agricultural Science and Technology Education programs are state funded and prepare students for college and careers in fields such as animal science, agricultural mechanics, aquaculture, biotechnology, food science, and marine technology. There are about 20 ASTE programs in the state.

A goal of increasing enrollment was an original catalyst for the program  and the program has achieved this goal at Shepaug Valley School, according to Region 12 Superintendent Megan Bennett.

Students in the program come from nine towns, not including those that make up Region 12  Washington, Roxbury and Bridgewater. For the first time, the school, which is located on School Street in Washington Depot, has students from Bethel enrolled in the program.

As for agriscience revenue, Region 12 receives $5,200 from the state for every student who attends the program. Sending districts pay an additional $6,823 per student. There are 77 students in the program from sending districts. All funding received is to run and operate the program, said Bennett.

New this year

New agriscience teacher, Meghan Berry, starts this year, completing the programs staff.

Megans hire is the fourth and final agriscience teacher that was part of our original business plan, Bennett said. Weve got an amazing group of teachers, educators and agricultural connoisseurs to pull the program forward.

Additionally, the program will host students from Little Britches Therapeutic Riding in Roxbury in the fall and next spring.

We had our pilot last spring, Bennett said.

The pilot was formed due to a need for an indoor facility  Little Britches only has outdoor facilities, and is therefore only open from April to November. The partnership has provided continuity for the riders, who have been able to ride at Shepaug Valleys indoor facility.

The pilot utilized student volunteers from Shepaug.

Student volunteers are not just restricted to agriscience students, said agriscience teacher Anne Hermans. Were an integral part of the school and of the community, so any Shepaug student can volunteer with them.

For the first time this year, the agriscience students will be competing in the Big E, a multi-state agricultural fair in Massachusetts on Sept. 17.

We will have a team competing in the boutonniere making competition and have been instructing all of the agriscience students in this wonderful skill, Hermans said. We also have one student entering the floral display.

Additionally, in October, the school will also be sending students to the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis. The FFA is a student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership.

Projects

Agriscience students took part in multiple projects throughout the school year. One involved growing plants from seeds as part of the schools pollinator pathway.

Students were involved in every aspect of that from growing the plants to getting ready for the sale to making the sales to the clean-up to the funds and the accounting, Hermans said. Those funds are going to help send our kids now to field trips this year.

Students also directed the construction of a shed for the on-site animals.

The purpose is to provide shelter for animals that are in that pasture, Hermans said. The students planned it and built it and took it up there.

Yet another project was building a portable greenhouse. Many groups of students collaborated on the project.

Students from all pathways joined in to build a special kind of portable greenhouse called a high tunnel. This is a place where you put plants in between the main greenhouse and the great outdoors. They need a little bit of protection, said Hermans, adding the planning, design, implementation and the care for the plants was all hands on deck.

Affects of COVID-19

Last year, due to the pandemic, students had an option of distance learning. Those who took that option were involved in synchronous instruction over Zoom, Hermans said.

They participated in class activities and discussions and were able to view, if not perform, hands-on, she said. Their work was sometimes at home, and was sometimes research based.

All students are now back in person full time.

We are following state recommendations for COVID safety, she said. This includes wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

Social distancing has now been determined to be safe at 3 feet so thats allowing us to do more collaboration and hands on, Hermans said.

Opportunities

Bennett said the beautiful thing about the agriscience program is its sense of community.

Students are still getting the core high school experience, and the Shepaug experience is really one in which its a tightknit community and it is one in which theyre brought into that tightknit community, she said.

By having hands-on agricultural experiences and direct contact with animals, she said students learn if their passion is something that will be held beyond high school.

Bennett continued, We are getting our students executive skills within their high school experience, and that really does set them apart from other high school graduates. Its high school with an enhancement.

sfox@milfordmirror.com
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Among the many tragic stories in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida are the deaths of seven Louisiana nursing home residents who were evacuated to a warehouse where health inspectors say conditions quickly became unsafe once the storm struck.

The squalid conditions found at the Tangipahoa Parish warehouse that sheltered more than 840 people raised new questions and concerns about whether Louisiana is doing enough to protect its most vulnerable residents.

The short answer is more needs to be done, said Denise Bottcher, Louisiana state director for AARP. Each hurricane presents us with opportunities to learn how can we do it better. This storm showed that we continue to fail our most fragile and vulnerable citizens."

Bottcher has a unique perspective. She was then-Gov. Kathleen Blancos chief spokesperson when Hurricane Katrina struck 16 years ago and highlighted the inadequacies of nursing home storm preparations.

State officials said they are investigating the evacuation of the seven nursing homes owned by Bob Dean to the warehouse facility. The health department revoked the nursing homes' licenses and ordered the facilities closed so people couldn't be sent back after authorities moved the residents from the warehouse to shelters and other sites.

But health department leaders also said they intend to review the evacuation and sheltering preparation required ahead of any storms.

I think this is going to  and should  be an ongoing conversation, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the chief medical officer at the Louisiana Department of Health. I think clearly there is more that has to be done. Theres absolutely no question about that.

After Ida roared ashore as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 29, representatives of the seven nursing homes were telling the health department the situation was fine, but inspectors who made multiple visits to the warehouse facility told a different story.

Authorities found water entered the building, trash piled up on site and residents were packed into close spaces despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to documents filed by the health department. Inspectors making follow-up visits described people lying on mattresses without food or clean clothes and with strong odors of feces and urine filling the space.

One evacuee said she hadn't had a bath in four days, while others were found naked or wearing only unclean diapers. An evacuee struggling to breathe and yelling for help was ignored, until a nurse was prompted to assist him by an inspector, the health department documents said.

Agency officials said they met repeated resistance to address the concerns from Dean, who they said ordered inspectors off the property and used a campaign of threats, intimidation and attempts at interfering with efforts to assess the safety of evacuees.

Dean has not responded to messages left by The Associated Press at phone numbers listed for him and his businesses and through attorneys who have represented him. But Dean defended the Ida evacuation to WAFB-TV: We only had five deaths within the six days, and normally with 850 people youll have a couple a day, so we did really good with taking care of people.

Louisiana rewrote its nursing home laws and regulations after Katrina was blamed for dozens of nursing home patient deaths in 2005.

A health department study of Katrina's death toll found 132 nursing home patients died, including from the stress of the evacuation or preexisting conditions exacerbated by the storm impacts. Thirty-five residents of a nursing home in St. Bernard Parish drowned in Katrina's floodwaters.

Kanter said that before Katrina, some nursing homes didn't have evacuation plans at all. He said they are now required to submit annual plans to parish and state officials describing their emergency preparations in extensive detail.

But after Ida, questions are being raised about whether those plans are reviewed closely enough to ensure safety, whether staffing levels are adequate for evacuations and whether enough is done to make sure family members know where their loved ones are going in an evacuation.

Clearly there were nursing homes that evacuated that did everything they were supposed to do to provide for the safety and welfare of their residents, Bottcher said. But she added: Theres some gaps.

Bottcher would like to see the emergency preparedness review also include senior housing sites that are regulated through a mix of federal and local oversight. New Orleans officials said several elderly residents died at such locations after Ida left them without electricity and air conditioning.

___

EDITORS NOTE: Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Poland's top political leaders on Sunday attended the beatification of two revered figures of the Catholic church  a cardinal who led the Polish church's resistance to communism and a blind nun who devoted her life to helping others who couldn't see.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and Mother Elzbieta Roza Czacka took a step toward sainthood at a time of declining church attendance and as some Poles have left the church over sex abuse scandals and the church's coziness with the current right-wing government.

In a time of growing secularization and societal divisions, the celebration was a reminder of the moral authority and the unifying power the church once held over Poland.

The Mass was led by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the head of the Vaticans Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

It took place in the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw, attended by President Andrzej Duda, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and many faithful.

Wyszynski was Poland's primate, or top church leader, from 1948 until his death in 1981. He was under house arrest in the 1950s for his refusal to bend to the communist regime, and was considered by some to be the true leader of the nation. His long resistance to communism is credited as a factor that led to the election of a Polish pope, John Paul II, and ultimately the toppling of Poland's communist system in 1989.

Czacka, born in 1876 to an aristocratic family, went blind as a young woman and devoted the rest of her life to helping others. The Franciscan nun helped develop a Polish version of Braille and opened a center for the blind near Warsaw.

Pope Francis paid tribute to them both during a visit to Budapest on Sunday, recalling how Wyszynski was arrested and imprisoned and how Czacka devoted her whole life to helping the blind.

May the example of these new Blesseds encourage us to transform darkness into light with the power of love, he said.

Wyszynski led the church through nearly three turbulent decades of often bitter conflict with the communist authorities, followed later by a form of partnership with the secular regime. Late in his life, Wyszynski had become accepted by the authorities as an important force in national life, and members of the regime attended his funeral.

During the difficult years of the 1950s, when Poland's avowedly atheistic government sought to silence the church, the tall, slender Wyszynski thundered from his pulpit that Christ has the right to be announced, and we have the right to announce him.

Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz recalled Wyszynski as a man who saved the Polish church under communism.

Wyszynski is often called the Primate of the Millennium in recognition of his achievement of holding a celebration of Poland's millennium of Christianity in 1966.

Sunday's ceremony comes after the Holy See has punished around 10 Polish bishops and archbishops over reported cover-ups of sexual abuse of minors by priests under their authority.

The revelations of clerical abuse and coverups have been pushing some Poles away from the church and leading some to take their children out of religion classes in schools.

Some Poles are also angry about the church's closeness with the right-wing authorities and a new restriction on abortion. The ruling, which went into effect earlier this year, denies women the right to abort fetuses with congenital defects.
Briefing media about the police action in the case, Nagrale said the charge of the 'attempt to murder' against the accused has been converted to 'murder' after the death of the victim during the treatment.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the case of rape and subsequent death of a woman in the Sakinaka area, Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale on Saturday, adding that prima facie evidence revealed only one accused was involved in the crime.

Briefing media about the police action in the case, Nagrale said the charge of the attempt to murder against the accused has been converted to murder after the death of the victim during the treatment. An SIT has been formed to probe the case. Chief Minister has ordered fast track trial in the case. Unfortunately, the victim died during treatment this morning and we have converted section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to section 302 (murder). The probe revealed theres only one person involved in the execution of the crime, said Nagrale.

Asked about how the incident took place when patrolling is expected during festival season, the Commissioner said police could not be present at every crime location. Police reached the spot within 10 minutes. It cant be present at every crime location. They will reach only after getting the information. Police did their best, he stated.

The 30-year-old woman raped in the Sakinaka area of Mumbai succumbed to her injuries on Saturday. The victim, who sustained serious injuries because of a rod put in her private parts, was undergoing treatment in Rajawadi Hospital in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered fast track trial in the matter and said, The rape and subsequent death of a woman in the Sakinaka area is an act of disgrace to humanity and the perpetrator will be severely punished. In this regard, I have also spoken to the Home Minister of the state. The incident is reprehensible.

Meanwhile, earlier today, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma has taken serious cognizance of the matter and said that a member will be sent to inquire if there is no development in the case. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis condemned Mumbais Sakinaka rape case and demanded a special fast-track court for the case on Saturday.
The meeting, which will be held at the party's headquarters Shree Kamalam in Gandhinagar, will be attended by state BJP chief CR Paatil and three central observers including Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh.

The name of the new Gujarat Chief Minister is set to be finalised at todays Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) legislative party meet in Gandhinagar, said Yamal Vyas, partys spokesperson. After the meet, the elected leader is likely to meet state Governor Acharya Devvrat, he added. This comes a day after Vijay Rupani submitted his resignation from the post of Chief Minister of Gujarat.

The meeting, which will be held at the partys headquarters Shree Kamalam in Gandhinagar, will be attended by state BJP chief CR Paatil and three central observers including Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Narendra Singh Tomar and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh.

Today, the legislative party meeting will be held at Shree Kamalam. Our president CR Paatil and three central observers will remain present in the meet. The meeting will be held to decide the next Chief Minister of the state. It is obvious that Chief Minister will be decided today itself, Vyas told reporters here.

He further stated that after the meet, the CM designate is likely to meet Governor today. However, it will be up to the leader when the leader wants to take the oath. The party leadership will decide accordingly, he added. Assembly polls in the state are scheduled to take place in 2022.

Rupani took charge as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarats Rajkot West as MLA. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the states 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.
HAMDEN  For the first time in the towns history, voters will choose from three mayoral hopefuls in a Democratic primary.

Lauren Garrett, a former Legislative Council member and business owner who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Mayor Curt Balzano Leng in a 2019 primary, won the Democratic Town Committees endorsement this time around.

Leng bypassed the endorsement process, petitioning his way onto the ballot with his own slate of candidates for townwide office. He is seeking his fourth full term in office.

And Peter Cyr, a newcomer to the Hamden political scene who has a background in statewide political organizing, became the wildcard this season when he announced his run and successfully petitioned for a spot on the ballot.

We asked all three candidates about their priorities, what strategies they would use to address the challenges facing Hamden and why they are the best fit to lead the town.

Heres what they said. (Each candidate provided their answers as written responses.)

Lauren Garrett

Garrett served as a Hamden councilwoman from 2017 until 2019, when she made her first run for mayor.

She holds a engineering degree and manages finances for her familys real estate business. The latter experience, she contends, gives her important know-how to bring to the mayors office

As a small business owner, I have paid off debt, grown my business, and negotiated good deals  all things we can do in Hamden with careful planning and a sound financial strategy, she said.

Hamdens financial issues drove her to seek office, she said, adding that she sees a need for increased fiscal transparency and long-term financial planning.

Asked what makes her a good fit to lead the town, she said she considers ethics to be at the heart of any good leadership style and strongly (believes) in collaboration and (places) a high value on teams. She also indicated she prioritizes the towns most vulnerable residents in her approaches to problem solving.

I have a skilled and hard-working team in place to get to work on day one, she said. You can trust that I will work with other small businesses to guide them through the process of realizing their dream while at the same time growing our grandlist.

Top Priorities:

1. Town finances  at the forefront of our issues, specifically taxes and town deb.t

2. Public safety  everyone has the right to feel safe in their own community.

3. Climate change & sustainability  we are all experiencing the effects of climate change firsthand.

Strategies to address town issues:

1. Strengthen finances by pursuing a five-year financial plan and competitive bidding.

2. Address root causes of crime such as employment, safe housing, food security, and family support, explore unarmed response options for nonviolent incidents and support hiring practices that produce a police department that reflects the community it serves.

3. Shift to electric vehicles, modernize infrastructure, plant trees and convert to green forms of energy.

Curt Balzano Leng (incumbent)

Leng, 47, first got involved in local politics around the age of 20, when he ran for Legislative Council. He served as Hamdens chief administrative officer from 2009 to 2015 under former Mayor Scott Jackson, who tapped Leng as his successor when he left for a job with the state in 2015.

Asked why he decided to run for office, Leng cited a feeling of responsibility to serve and help our residents. He said he wants to strengthen the towns finances to ensure services our residents count on and deserve.

Good judgment, strength and all-in commitment in times of crisis or challenge make him a good leader, he said, adding that his experience and professional team will protect and build upon the services our town provides and what we can provide and achieve in the years ahead.

Thanks to hard work, Leng contended, Hamden is in a financial position thats stronger than over a decade.

In the week before the primary, Leng issued a release saying the last fiscal year showed a preliminary surplus of $10 million that increased the fund balance to $7 million.

The town closed its latest fiscal year with a surplus and recent financial reports show reasons for optimism, including better budgeting practices, a growing fund balance and a slightly better outlook. But reports also show the town faces towering debt, little wiggle room in spending and a history of unbalanced budgeting practices.

Top priorities:

1. Helping residents in times of need  protect residents and neighborhoods with focused community & prevention based police services and added presence to deter crime.

2. Financial stability  lower our too high mill rate.

3. Keep Church Street and Shepherd Glen elementary schools open (the Board of Education previously voted to close those schools but has since rethought the decision).

Strategies to address town issues:

1. Implement a full time mental health and social worker support system to compliment (our) police and fire response system.

2. Continue fully funding (our) Town Pension  As required by the state, last years budget funded Hamdens full actuarially required contribution for the first time in years.

3. Expand social services and youth programming.

Peter Cyr

Cyr jumped into the mayoral race after working as a lead organizer for #FightBackCT, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphys field campaign. He previously worked as an organizer for state Democrats, a legislative aide in Massachusetts, and a field organizer for Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, he said.

Cyr graduated Hamden High School in 2012 and earned a bachelors degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley.

He is running for mayor to bring new ideas and new leadership to town.

I'm not tied to past administrations which can bring the clear perspective to budgeting that this town needs, he said. We need a new narrative for our town, one that is more positive and focused on the issues.

What makes him a good fit for the job?

Being an organizer I am always focused on finding low cost solutions to big problems. Hamden needs a drama free, issues oriented mayor to help reduce taxes, reduce gun violence, and slow down traffic, he said. We offer a realistic, and attainable platform that the town can get behind.

Top Priorities:

1. Taxes  the increased burden on our middle class community.

2. Gun violence  and the trauma it is having on our citizens.

3. Dilapidated infrastructure and traffic safety issues.

Strategies to address town issues:

1. Audit every department to make them less administratively top heavy, implement a systematic approach to base department expansion on specific metrics and lobby the state for additional aid.

2. Model Oaklands project Ceasefire, which Cyr described as a community based approach to reducing gun violence, associated with a 50% reduction in gun violence in Oakland from 2012-2018.

3. Implement a program based on Portland, Ore.s Vision Zero initiative to identify the most dangerous roads and design safer infrastructure.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
As gun violence remains a fact of life in parts of Connecticut, experts and officials continue to weigh and seek to understand the factors behind it, striving to help avert the death and pain that has affected many.

In New Haven, for example, there have been three homicides since Sunday, August 5, bringing the total for the year to 22. There were 20 homicides in New Haven in all of 2020, which, in turn, was up from 11 in 2019.

In Bridgeport, there have been 14 homicides so far this year, about the same as this time last year, when the city ended the year with 24.

In Hartford, there had been 27 homicides as of Sept. 4, up from 16 at the same point in 2020, according to police.

Across the country, there have been 14,166 non-suicide-related deaths due to gun violence so far in 2021, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. In all of 2020, there were 19,411; in 2019, there were 15,488; in 2018, 14,896.

Shooting incidents in Hartford have decreased this year, falling from 145 to 126, but remain up compared to 2017 through 2019, when 91, 108 and 104 were reported by this time.

In Waterbury, there had been seven homicides as of Aug. 31, compared to seven during the same period in 2020, according to police. In Middletown, there have three homicides to date this year; two were the result of gun violence.

In Danbury there was one fatal shooting this year, when an 18-year-old was killed in a drive-by incident.

Peter Yankowski / Hearst Connecticut Media

In Bridgeport, Mayor Joe Ganim and Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia announced in June that police patrols would increase citywide with focuses on high-crime areas after two shooting homicides in less than 24 hours in the Park City.

Explosion of guns

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker noted the complexity of the issue; he said the prevalence of guns in society, as well as the city, as one of the factors behind the continuing violence, noting gun purchases had increased, as had firearm seizures by city police.

Mark Zaretsky / Hearst Connecticut Media

As of Aug. 29, there had been 78 nonfatal shootings in the Elm City this year, according to New Haven police. At the same point in 2020, there had been 71.

Frankly, there isnt a consensus about whats going on. Theres a lot of things at play here. For example, during the pandemic, theres an explosion of guns being purchased, said Elicker. Our department has taken many more guns off the street this year, as compared to last year. ... The fact that there are so many more guns on the street is likely contributing to this problem.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported conducting 39.7 million firearm-related background checks in 2020, up from 28.4 million in 2019 and 26.2 million in 2018. As of Aug. 31, the FBI had conducted 27.8 million such checks in 2021.

The FBI first conducted more than 20 million firearm-related background checks in a single year in 2013, according to the agency. It first conducted more than 10 million in a single year in 2006.

New Haven police have seized 140 guns so far this year and made 135 associated arrests in 2021, as compared to 92 firearms seized and 109 arrests at the same time in 2020, Elicker said.

Drugs; pandemic backlogs

Experts have said that when the state was in the tightest grip of the pandemic, years of community work to stem violence in major Connecticut cities was decimated. Further, state police data show homicides in Connecticut increased nearly 25 percent in 2020.

John DeCarlo, a retired Branford police chief and associate professor in criminal justice at the University of New Haven, said there was a drop in some crime in the state during the during the height of the pandemic last year, but that has changed.

In part, said DeCarlo, some violent crime dropped during the pandemic because open air markets, the term used to describe street sales of drugs, abated to a degree.

It was whole different milieu of how we were operating as a society - we didnt go to the store ... we didnt go to our favorite drug dealers, said DeCarlo, who is the director of the masters program in criminal justice at the Henry C. Lee School of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at UNH. Drug markets were not occurring during COVID; there were so few people on the street.

But as people were able to leave their homes, that changed, he said.

We know that drug transactions and the whole culture around drugs and drug sales causes a lot of crime, DeCarlo said. This is also related to gangs; it is not just individuals who are selling drugs. Gang-affiliated people are selling drugs.

Achilles Archie Generoso, who served as the statewide head of antiviolence organization Project Longevity until July and previously worked as an assistant police chief in New Haven, said the disruption to the court system during the pandemic, crimes by juveniles and a lack of staffing in police departments were factors, as well.

During the pandemic, the court system stopped holding jury trials, helping foster a backlog of cases and leading to some people involved in violence being released on bond, Generoso said.

Probation and parole officers also were limited in their efforts, conducting most of their check-ins over the phone and on Zoom, he said. While the staffers did the best they could, the lessened supervision was madness, he said.

Municipal budgets

Generoso called for cities to hire more officers to dissuade gun violence.

The community policing model takes time and bodies, he noted  officers have to be able to walk the beat and meet with people, which requires them to have some latitude, instead of being focused on responding to emergency calls.

For example, when he returned to the New Haven Police Department in 2012, Generoso said, the department was budgeted for 495 officers.

By 2016, it had 455 officers on staff, Generoso said. Now, its budgeted for 406 officers, with 319 currently on staff, according to Interim Chief Renee Dominguez.

Cops count. Staffing counts. The amount of police officers on the street count, said Generoso. We have to change the conversation.

Contributed photo

DeCarlo also noted the issue of whether municipalities can spend enough to fully staff police departments.

Policing is municipal; politics are involved. Money is involved, DeCarlo said. They are not able to do community policing - not able to prevent crime - if there are not enough of them. We cannot have the effect we need.

When you do not have enough cops, you cant institute smart policing ... if they are running from one call to the other, he said, rather than taking preventative steps. Once a crime occurs, we then have a victim.

Without the ability to draw on the entire potential of the police or rely on the ability of the courts to sanction those who commit crimes, organizations like Project Longevity were limited, Generoso said. Their offer of assistance means less to those at risk of being involved in crimes, as the threat of punishment is lessened, as well; its harder to respond when a group or gang commits violence.

If theres no consequences, how do you keep your promises? Generoso said.

DeCarlo said the biggest promise of any government is public safety - and if there is not enough money to provide that, then crime has a chance to grow.

Crime is a social disease; if police do preventive policing that is a huge impediment to crime occurring, DeCarlo said. We're never going to ameliorate crime completely, but (we) can get mitigation - of course.

Generoso also noted the prevalence of guns in society. When he was first on the job, after joining the New Haven force in 1975, it was a big deal for an officer to seize a firearm, he said. Now, its an everyday occurrence in Connecticuts major cities.

Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

The availability of guns out there is just mind-shattering, said Generoso.

Historic drop

To keep crime rates in context, state residents should understand that there was a drop in violent crime in the United States beginning in 1994, DeCarlo said.

This translated to a reduction of about 45 percent in both violence and property crime, he said.

That was unprecedented, he said. Even the upticks we are seeing now are upticks but not anywhere (near) the pre-1994 numbers.

DeCarlo said, for instance, when he worked in New York City around 1991-92, there were about 2,700 homicides per year. By 2019-20 that number was about 300, he said.

It was an incredible decrease in violent crime, he said, attributing it to better police methodologies among other factors.

DeCarlo said criminologists have struggled for years with determining the factors that drive crime.

He said three factors have to be in places for crime to occur: a likely target, such as an unlocked car or house, a motivated offender, and a lack of capable guardianship, such as community-based policing.

In New Haven and other places there arent enough people to prevent crime - they are forced into a reactive role, he said.

Speculating

Elicker also noted economic pressure, the mental health impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the interruption to gun violence-related programs, such as Project Longevity in New Haven, as factors behind the rise in gun violence.

Some of the shootings are related to groups and gangs; some are domestic violence; some come about because of everyday disputes, such as a recent homicide on Sherman Parkway, which seemingly stemmed from a dice game, Elicker said.

Theres all kinds of reasons that we are speculating, not just in New Haven, but nationally, about why this is occurring, said Elicker. Because there are all these different issues going on at the same time, it makes it more challenging for us to address it. We need to do all of the above to respond to it.

The citys approach to addressing violence includes, among other facets, increased walking beats, efforts to meet and help or dissuade people at risk of becoming involved in violence, street outreach workers, social and youth programs and a reentry center for people returning to New Haven from prison, Elicker has said previously.

New Haven Interim Chief Dominguez said the three most recent homicides in New Haven are not currently believed to be related, although investigatory efforts are still in the early stages.

When killings occur in such a short time period, she noted, the department has to shift around officers and resources, taking focus off one incident to turn to another.

Theres a lot of work that has now fallen on the detective bureau, she said.

Some of the violence in 2021 has been gang and group-related, she said, but they stem from a series of situations, such as domestic violence.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  Imagine running out of food for the next family meal and having a refrigerator you can go to 24/7, 365 days a year to get meat, vegan alternatives, produce and other items.

That will be possible here in couple of weeks when the first community fridge in the city under the Fridge Haven program opens in the parking lot of Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church parking lot at 242 Dixwell Ave.

If a person takes all the food, its OK, project co-chairwoman Melanie Dworak said. Were breaking down stigmas by not judging what people need and by bringing the community together.

Contributed photo

Dworak is leading the project, along with co-chairpeople MiAsia Harris and Reginald Reggy St. Fortcolin, the latter of whom got a similar project  Fridgeport  rolling in May in Bridgeport.

St. Fortcolin said at the Bridgeport site, 219 James St., they have a refrigerator in a 4-foot-by-12-foot shed that is used by about 150-175 people a day and they go through a few tons of food a week, he said.

Its empty more than its full, he said. Im happy people are using it.

Contributed photo

He said a woman from Westport makes lasagna, portions it out and places it in the fridge.

St. Fortcolin said 30 percent of the population in Bridgeport is food insecure, so one fridge is not going to make a dent.

He said anyone who wants to donate can drop off food or even order grocery story delivery and have it dropped off.

Contributed photo

Harris said a community fridge is needed now more than ever.

I like the fact that Fridge Haven can bring the community together in a way thats so needed right now, Harris said. Itll aid us to grow stronger and create bonds to bring us closer. To help our neighbors when theyre in need instead of turning a blind eye.

She said food insecurity is at an all-time high and thats the biggest reason why Fridge Haven is so important to the community.

Throughout the pandemic many families dealt with so much, such as loss of income to provide for their families. With this community fridge initiative were hoping to relieve some of the extra stressors that have been thrust upon families, she said.

There will be two refrigerators at the Varick site housed in an enclosure built by volunteers. An electrician is scheduled to do work there and the roofing is expected this weekend. The shed also has shelves for dry goods and non-food essentials such as diapers.

Contributed photo

The timeline is uncertain, but organizers said the refrigerators should be running sometime next week.

The refrigerators are for anyone from anywhere to use  they can to take food or leave food  and no documentation is required to show need.

Organizers are working on establishing more sites in New Haven and other places in Connecticut.

The community fridges typically are located where community members can gather  in a church, a parking lot, a YMCA, a community center.

The service is not connected to Varick  it just agreed to play host to the fridges  but rather is a program through several groups including Mutual Aid for Connecticut and Democratic Socialists of America.

Contributed photo

Dworak said in addition to individual donors restocking the fridge and surrounding shelves for nonperishable items, they have brought on several larger-scale partners to contribute food, including CitySeed, Elm City Market and others.

Community fridges are rising in popularity throughout the country, Dworak said.

She said at least 20 percent of New Haven County is food insecure and most people will experience it at some point in their life.

The biggest thing people can do is drop off food, she said.
BOSTON (AP)  Boston is marking the 40th anniversary of a memorial to local soldiers killed in the Vietnam War.

Organizers said they'll hold a memorial mass at St. Brigid Church, in the city's South Boston neighborhood on Sunday morning. The mass will be followed by a rededication ceremony at the South Boston Vietnam Memorial in Medal of Honor Park.
HAMDEN A 72-year-old man was robbed early Saturday morning on Mix Avenue, Hamden police said,

At around 7:30 a.m., police responded to a report of strong-arm street robbery. The victim had been pushed down from behind while walking on Mix Avenue near Benham Street and was robbed of his personal belongings, police said.

Authorities said the suspect was described as a thin male in his 20s, approximately 6 feet tall. The suspect reportedly fled the scene in a blue SUV.

The victim sustained minor injuries during the robbery.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact the department at 203-230-4000.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP)  The woman who broke barriers as the first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister in culturally conservative Somalia now aims for the country's top office as the Horn of Africa nation moves toward a long-delayed presidential election.

Parliament member Fawzia Yusuf H. Adam is well aware of the challenges in winning votes in a nation where women often remain marginalized. In an interview with The Associated Press, she described the struggle of leading a foreign ministry staff that was overwhelmingly male.

They were very reluctant to collaborate with me just because I am a female, she said.

Even as more educated women return to Somalia from the large diaspora to help rebuild the country after three decades of conflict, attitudes toward Adams run for office are mostly skeptical, if sympathetic. Even friends and colleagues see her chances as next to impossible because of her gender.

Shes good, but unfortunately shes a woman, said Abdiwahid Mohamed Adam, a doctor at Mogadishu Memorial Hospital. Complicating her bid, he said, is the fact that Adam comes from the breakaway region of Somaliland, a comparatively stable area in the north that has sought international recognition as an independent country for years.

But the soft-spoken Adam, a widow and mother of three, said she believes her run for the presidency is worthwhile, not futile, on several levels, while the timing of the election has been pushed back once again amid political tensions from mid-October toward the end of the year.

I want to break this barrier against women, so that in the near future many others will have the courage to run and even win, she said, adding that its time to fight for the rights of women.

Somalia's years of insecurity marked by devastating attacks by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group also have driven Adam to run. There was mayhem in this country for the past 30 years, she said. Young people are dying like flies, killing each other, exploding themselves, killing other people.

Like others across Somalia, she has watched as the insecurity weakened the countrys foundation. High unemployment, poor education and one of the worlds least-equipped health systems are all a result. Corruption and political squabbling havent helped.

I thought a woman may be what this country needs, the leadership of a woman, to bring peace and stability, Adam said.

Her presidential campaign has been relatively low-profile because of the insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of holding large public rallies, Adam prefers smaller indoor gatherings. This could be less expensive but less effective as well, said Liban Abdullahi Farah, a political analyst in the capital, Mogadishu.

Unlike many other candidates and everyday people in Somalia, where face masks are hardly seen despite having one of the highest COVID-19 case fatality rates in Africa, Adam says she takes the pandemic seriously and speaks bluntly about its dangers after seeing several friends die.

I keep giving advice on this pandemic, particularly how badly it impacts women and the poorest of them, she said. We dont have a good health system to deal with this phenomenon.

Women in Somalia have been especially hard hit by the virus, Adam said, both physically and economically.

I personally took my two vaccinations, many people did, but many poor people in the camps, the internally displaced people, the very poor, vulnerable people do not have that chance, she said. What I am hoping is to win this election. (The pandemic) will be one of my priorities, because we dont want to lose more people.

Apart from some awareness messaging, Somalias federal government does little to enforce basic virus prevention measures of social distancing, hand-washing and mask-wearing.

At the countrys coronavirus treatment center in the capital, deputy director Abdirahim Omar Amin told the AP that very many women have been infected by COVID-19. Health ministry data, however, show that men represent more than 70% of confirmed cases in Somalia.

The people themselves do not have the awareness, or they are in a state of denial, calling it just heartburn and stay at home, and the person is brought here when it is too late, he said.

Among the women Adam hopes to help if elected president is Fatuma Mohamed, one of the hundreds of thousands of people living in camps in Mogadishu after being displaced by insecurity or climate shocks like drought.

Mohamed said her husband died of COVID-19, while she survived. Now she struggles to raise two young children, earning money by doing laundry when she can.

This disease has devastated us, it killed my mother and my husband, she said. I have not seen anyone offering me a helping hand. I struggle all alone.

Adams path in life has been far different. Married to a general, she first entered politics in her hometown of Hargeisa in Somaliland years ago but fled to Mogadishu, saying local politicians saw her as a threat. She later started a political party, the National Democratic Party, and rose to some of the countrys highest offices.

Now, in pursuit of the presidency, Adam has Somaliland in mind as part of her ambitions.

If I am elected, I am sure I could reunite my country as I belong to both sides, the north and south, she said, and I believe that I am the only person whos capable of doing that as I already made a plan for the unification.

If her candidacy fails, she said, she aims to become prime minister, adding I would always advise whoever wins the presidency.
LIMA, Peru (AP)  Abimael Guzman, the leader of the brutal Shining Path insurgency in Peru who was captured in 1992, died on Saturday in a military hospital after an illness. He was 86.

Guzman died at 6:40 a.m. after suffering from an infection, Justice Minister Anibal Torres said.

Guzman, a former philosophy professor, launched an insurgency against the state in 1980 and presided over numerous car bombings and assassinations in the years that followed. Guzman was captured in 1992 and sentenced to life in prison for terrorism and other crimes.

President Pedro Castillo tweeted that Guzman was responsible for taking countless'' lives.

Our position condemning terrorism is firm and unwavering. Only in democracy will we build a Peru of justice and development for our people, Castillo said.

Even so, Castillo has faced criticism over alleged links of some of his Cabinet ministers to the Shining Path. Primer Minister Guido Bellido has been investigated by authorities over his alleged sympathy for the group. Last week, a media outlet made public police records from the 1980s that describe Labor Minister Iber Maravi as a Shining Path member and a fugitive.

We do not forget the horror of that time, and his death will not erase his crimes, Economy Minister Pedro Francke said.

Guzman preached a messianic vision of a classless Maoist utopia based on pure communism, considering himself the Fourth Sword of Marxism after Karl Marx, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Mao Zedong. He advocated a peasant revolution in which rebels would first gain control of the countryside and then advance to the cities.

Guzmans movement declared armed struggle on the eve of Perus presidential elections in May 1980, the first democratic vote after 12 years of military rule.

Throughout the 1980s, the man known to his followers as Presidente Gonzalo built up an organization that grew to 10,000 armed fighters before his capture inside a Lima safehouse in September 1992 by a special intelligence group of the Peruvian police backed by the United States. Since then, he was housed in a military prison on the shores of the Pacific that was built to hold him.

By the time Guzman called for peace talks a year after his arrest, guerrilla violence had claimed tens of thousands of lives in Peru, displaced at least 600,000 people and caused an estimated $22 billion in damage.

Unlike other leftwing insurgent groups in the region, (the Shining Path) targeted civilians and actively sought to terrorize them, both in the cities and in the countryside, Noam Lupu, associate director of the Latin American Public Opinion Project at Vanderbilt University, said in an email about Shining Path. The fear that this generated in Peru was extraordinary, and it has marked Peruvian politics and society since. Shining Paths violence is a big part of why Castillos is the first explicitly leftist presidential administration in Peru since the 1980s.

A truth commission in 2003 blamed the Shining Path for more than half of nearly 70,000 estimated deaths and disappearances caused by various rebel groups and brutal government counterinsurgency efforts between 1980 and 2000.

Yet it lived on in a political movement formed by Guzmans followers that sought amnesty for all political prisoners, including the Shining Path founder. The Movement for Amnesty and Fundamental Right failed, however, to register as a political party in 2012 in the face of fierce opposition from Peruvians with bitter memories of the destruction brought by the Shining Path.

In its songs and slogans, the Shining Path celebrated bloodletting, describing death as necessary to irrigate the revolution.

Its militants bombed electrical towers, bridges and factories in the countryside, assassinated mayors and massacred villagers. In the insurgencys later years, they targeted civilians in Lima with indiscriminate bombings.

For 12 years, Peruvian authorities could not crack the Shining Paths ranks, organized in a near-impenetrable vertical cell structure. Guzman was nearly captured at a safehouse in Lima in June 1990, but slipped away.

A January 1991 police raid in Lima found a videotape showing Guzman and other rebel leaders mourning at the funeral of his wife, Augusta La Torre, known as Comrade Norah. About 15 years Guzmans junior, La Torre was No. 2 in the Shining Paths command structure before dying under mysterious circumstances in 1988.

Analysts believe she may have been murdered or forced to commit suicide over an internal political dispute.

The video showed a portly Guzman, wearing thick glasses and snapping his fingers as he drunkenly danced to music from the 1960s movie Zorba the Greek. It was the first image Peruvians had seen of him since a mug shot taken during a 1978 arrest.

After La Torre died, she was replaced as No. 2 by Elena Iparraguirre, alias Comrade Miriam, who later also became Guzmans wife.

Guzman married Iparraguirre in 2010 at the maximum-security prison inside the naval base in Lima where he was serving a life term. Iparraguirre, also captured in 1992, was brought from the womens prison for the ceremony.

Guzman was initially sentenced to life imprisonment by a secret military tribunal, but Perus top court ruled in 2003 that the original sentencing was unconstitutional and ordered a new trial. He also received a life sentence at the 2006 retrial.

The Shining Path was severely weakened after Guzmans capture and his later calls for peace talks. Small bands of rebels have nevertheless remained active in remote valleys, producing cocaine and protecting drug runners.

Guzman was born the illegitimate son of a prosperous trader in Tambo, Arequipa, in Perus southern Andes on Dec. 3, 1934.

He studied law and philosophy at the University of San Agustin in Arequipa, where he wrote two graduate theses: The Theory of Space in Kant and another on law titled The Democratic-Bourgeois State.

Mr. Guzman was an extraordinarily brilliant man, very studious, very disciplined, recalled Miguel Rodriguez Rivas, one of his professors.

Guzman took a teaching job in 1963 at the state University of San Cristobal de Huamanga in Ayacucho, an impoverished central Andean capital neglected for centuries by Perus traditional power elite in coastal Lima.

In Ayacucho, he joined the pro-Chinese Bandera Roja political party, or Red Flag, becoming head of its military commission and visiting China in 1965.

Later returning to Ayacucho, Guzman discovered that political rivals had expelled him from the party and he formed his own splinter group.

A descendant of the white elite that had governed Peru since the Spanish destroyed the Inca empire nearly 500 years earlier, Guzman recruited the sons and daughters of Quechua-speaking Indigenous peasants as he gradually took control of the university.

During the 1970s, his student followers spanned out into the countryside to conduct detailed studies of communities that would be used years later to consolidate guerrilla control in the zone.

Over 10 years, Guzman patiently planned before launching his war on what he characterized as Perus rotten and antiquated state, taking the government by surprise.

Peruvian officials were debating what to do with Guzman's body.

Torres told state television they would study the possibility of cremation and warned that "paying homage to or mobilizing in the memory of Abimael Guzman would be considered an apology for terrorism.

Sebastian Chavez, Guzman's lawyer, said that by law the decision belongs to his wife, Iparraguirre, who is in a prison in Lima.

She will decide what steps will be taken, he said.
GUILFORD  Driving through North Guilford, red signs urging Republicans to vote Row A in Tuesdays upcoming primary line the road, and are on display in front of homes.

Closer to the center of Guilford, green signs displaying the challenging slate are mixed with red.

Republicans will have a chance to cast their vote Tuesday for their partys Board of Education candidates, a choice between the caucus winners and a slate that petitioned for the primary to be held, which includes incumbent Republican BOE members.

The caucus winners, Tim Chamberlain, Nick Cusano, Bill Maisano, Aly Passarelli and Danielle Scarpellino, are running under the 5 Reasons Why slate.

The slate is running under five key issues.

They want to stop what they view as the indoctrination of students in critical race theory and other so-called divisive initiatives, promote academic excellence using high-quality, rigorous, content-filled curriculum accessible to all students, exercise financial responsibility by examining expenses, and ending the purchase of materials that teach hate, hopelessness, and division, demanding transparency and cultivating student skills, according to the platform.

In July, this group ousted incumbents Joseph Golino, Ted Sands and Amy Sullivan, who have sat on the board as it supported Guilford Public Schoolssocial justice and equity movement, which some  including current GOP board member Kristen Peck  have referred to as critical race theory, a controversial academic framework through which to view systems of racism and oppression in America.

Guilford officials have denied that critical race theory is being taught in the towns schools.

The 5 Reasons Why slate has sent out direct mail campaign literature, created a website and a Facebook page under the name Parents for Guilford Students.

On their Facebook page, the slate shared an interview they did with Fox News, political cartoons, articles and candidate biographies.

Requests for comment on their campaign to the five candidates were not returned.

The party-endorsed group is being challenged by a slate, Republicans for Education, that petitioned to trigger a primary as they learned of outrage directed toward the candidates who did win the endorsement.

Republicans for Education includes incumbents Golino, Sands and Sullivan, and newcomers Bill Mulligan and Jim OKeefe.

Mulligan has worked with the school district before, serving as a member of the Guilford High School building committee. OKeefe is a former Board of Finance member and former chairman of the Guilford Republican Town Committee.

OKeefe wrote in an email on Wednesday that the group has been very busy organizing a full-blown political campaign since filing their challenging petition three weeks ago, adding the slate has done as much since mid-August as it would for the general November election.

The candidates visited all seven school buildings, sent letters to GOP voters, held a meet-and-greet, and served lunch to the seniors at the community center, OKeefe wrote. Over the weekend, he said, they plan to go door to door and wave signs at a major intersection in town.

The group has also done public appearances, sent out direct mail campaign literature, created a website and Facebook page, and filmed videos for use on public access television.

We are certainly getting a good response from mainstream Republicans, and, not so surprising, many unaffiliated voters who are changing their registration to Republican in order to participate in this particular primary, OKeefe wrote.

OKeefe called the slates vastly different, stating that everyone featured on his slate has public service experience and has served the town before, unlike the caucus-endorsed slate, he said. Republicans for Education states they embrace a school system that takes a balanced approach to issues of equity, diversity and social justice, and claims their opponents do not.

We have never been busier, but we are all enjoying the energy this primary has inspired, OKeefe wrote.

Republican Registrar of Voters Gloria Nemchuk told Hearst Connecticut Media on Thursday that since mid-August, 60 voters have registered as Republicans. Currently, there are 3,423 registered Republicans in Guilford  only 183 of which participated in Julys caucus.

Four years ago, in a primary for First Selectman, 29 percent of Republicans cast their vote. This could change, according to Nemchuk, who said the rate depends on the issue or the office.

Both slates will be on the ballot Tuesday. A sample ballot shows the five party-endorsed candidates on Row A and the other five on Row B. Voters can choose any five candidates they want, and do not have to vote straight across a row.

Registered Republicans can participate at their usual regular polling place. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information, visit ci.guilford.ct.us.

christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com
From left, former President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, President Joe Bien, First Lady Jill Biden, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg's partner Diana Taylor, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) stand for the national anthem during the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021 in New York. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP)
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 57F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), says that the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday means that the Rivers Sta...

Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), says that the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday means that the Rivers State Government has the power to collect Value Added Tax until the court decides otherwise.

The lawyer stated this in a statement on Saturday titled, FIRS & Rivers State Government: Who Should Now Collect VAT?

VAT is a consumption tax paid when goods are purchased and services are rendered. It is charged at a rate of 7.5 per cent.

Recall that the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt last month in a judgment in suit number FHC/PH/CS/149/2020, held that the Rivers State Government had the powers to collect VAT within its territory.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who lamented the injustice in the country, had said Rivers State generated N15bn VAT revenue in June this year, but got N4.7bn in return, while Kano generated N2.8bn in the same month and got the same N2.8bn back.

He had said that N46.4bn was collected from Lagos State in the same month but the Federal Government gave Lagos N9.3bn. Sometimes, you dont want to believe these things exist, he added.

Wike had also assented to the Rivers State Value Added Tax Law 2021 in August after it was passed by the state House of Assembly.

Some states have since followed. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday signed the State VAT Bill into law a day after it was passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly.

On Friday, Lagos also asked to be joined as a respondent alongside Rivers State in the appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service challenging the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt regarding the issue of VAT collection.

Justice Haruna Tsammani of the Appeal Court had adjourned to September 16 to hear the application by Lagos and asked all parties to maintain status quo.

But in his interpretation of maintain status quo as reportedly said by Justice Tsammani, Ozekhome said, Clearly, the status quo ante bellum was before the breakout of the hostilities.

The hostilities broke out when the FIRS dragged the Rivers State Government to court, arguing that it cannot collect VAT based on its law. The said law was already duly passed and made operational by Rivers State House of Assembly that it has the constitutional competency under section 4 of the Constitution to do so.

The FHC, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had earlier held that it was the Rivers State Government that was competent to collect VAT, not the FIRS.

The law was already therefore in operation before the FIRS challenged the validity of an FHC judgement, PH, that had given the Rivers State Government the power to collect the VAT.

So, the status quo is that it is the Rivers State Government that has the power to collect VAT, until perhaps, the Court of Appeal rules otherwise and set aside the FHC judgment.

The senior advocate, however, urged the parties to avoid unnecessary bickerings and needless head-on collision in the matter that is already subjudice and cease hostilities by maintaining the status quo until the Court of Appeal finally pronounces on the matter.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 69F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. Winds light and variable.
The nation's oldest living World War II veteran now has another year under his belt.

Veteran and Louisiana native Lawrence Brooks celebrated his 112th birthday on Sunday at his home in Central City as residents gathered for a drive-by celebration hosted by the National World War II Museum.

The museum typically hosts an annual party for Brooks, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, the party was brought to his front door for the past two years.

This year's festivities included a live performance from the museums vocal trio, The Victory Belles, a Jeep parade and more entertainment from a collection of local New Orleans musicians. The City of New Orleans also recognized Brooks birthday with an official proclamation.

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Brooks grew up in Norwood and served in the Army between 1940 and 1945 with the predominately Black 91st Engineering Battalion, which was stationed during the in New Guinea and then the Philippines.

"Happy Birthday" messages for the veteran continued to pour in on social media, including a message from Gov. John Bel Edwards.
The Louisiana hotelier leading a class action lawsuit against IHG, the world's biggest hotel group, was slammed hard by Hurricane Ida and left facing tens of millions of dollars of property damage and little prospect of outside help.

Vimal Patel, whose LaPlace-based Q Hotels Group owns seven budget roadside inns in the state, said Friday that each property sustained damage costing at least $4 million to repair, including substantial roof and flood damage.

Several of the hotels are located directly in the path of Ida, which made landfall as a strong Category 4 storm at Port Fourchon on Aug. 29 and cut a trail of destruction north through southeast Louisiana. Hit particularly hard were Houma and LaPlace, where four Q Group hotels are located. A fifth is in Donaldsonville, which also suffered extensive storm damage and flooding.

"It took us four days even to be able to access the hotels in LaPlace and Donaldsonville because of the water and the downed power lines," Patel said. "It's going to take awhile more to fully assess what's been lost."

On Friday, none of his hotels in Houma, LaPlace and Donaldsonville had yet had their power restored.

Patel's extended family, all of whom work in the hotels, evacuated ahead of the storm to their Springhill Suites hotel. Though it, too, suffered some roof damage, it is the only one currently with power. They have been making the three-hour round trip daily to assess the damage and start repairing the hotels.

Even before the storm, Patel had been struggling to survive the hospitality industry downturn brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Adding salt to those financial wounds, his Staybridge Suites hotel in Lake Charles was severely damaged in 2020 by Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm that caused an estimated $20 billion of damage in southwest Louisiana and elsewhere.

Hotel franchisees from Connecticut, Texas join Louisiana hotelier's class action against IHG Hotel franchisees from Connecticut and Texas have joined the Louisiana hotelier who sued the world's largest hotel franchise operator, InterCo

Patel said it was the treatment by London-based IHG during the early months of the pandemic and after Hurricane Laura that ultimately persuaded him to bring the lawsuit against the group in May.

"These are the kinds of situations where you'd think they can and should help," he said. They could offer some financial relief as well as help in sourcing supplies, repairing damage. "But instead all I got after Laura was constant pressure about when we'd be reopening, even before we'd been able to properly assess the damage there," he said.

Patel owns Holiday Inn Express franchises in LaPlace and Donaldsonville, as well as a Candlewood Suites in Houma and the Staybridge Suites in Lake Charles, all of which are brands owned by London-based IHG.

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+3 Louisiana hotelier sues IHG, world's largest hotel group, alleging fraudulent practices A Louisiana hotel owner is suing the world's largest hotel group, which operates under such brand names as Holiday Inn, InterContinental and C

One of the allegations in the lawsuit was that it costs franchisees millions of dollars to renovate, remodel and complete new construction, while IHG insists they use only suppliers approved by headquarters. The suit alleges that IHG receives kickbacks from those suppliers, and that the system is a disguised way for them to jack up franchise fees while leaving franchisees with inferior quality remodeling.

IHG spokesman Jacob Hawkins said the hotel group wouldn't comment directly on pending litigation.

After filing the suit, Patel was joined by hotel franchisees in Texas and Pennsylvania in June.

"We have reviewed the small number of similar complaints that have been filed by individual owners, and we do not believe any of the claims have merit," Hawkins said. "We are vigorously defending our company through the correct legal process."

Patel said he is looking for help from his contacts in the industry, especially his fellow members of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, to overcome a pandemic-related shortage of building materials and other supplies.

Associated General Contractors of America on Friday said an analysis it commissioned showed that costs for materials such as plywood, metals, insulation and transportation fuel have soared in the past year by an average of about 20% - and as much as 123% for some items.

Patel is trying immediately to source 15,000 pieces drywall, as well as large quantities of gypsum wallboard and insulation, so he can begin repairs. Despite sympathetic replies to his messages on social media, most respondents said they were in the same boat, with suppliers facing inflated costs and shortages because of the pandemic.

As Ida approached, Patel said, it brought back memories of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the family sheltered in one of the LaPlace hotels as his daughter was about to turn 5.

This time, he said, it was gut-wrenching to drive through the neighborhoods of LaPlace on his way to assess the hotels and his own home, seeing houses flooded and piles of debris stacked outside. He dreaded the task ahead.

"It absolutely looks like a war zone, and one will never feel it unless you see it with your own eyes," Patel said. "The real struggle is just beginning for a lot of us."
Hurricane Ida led to the deaths of 26 people in Louisiana in the two weeks since it made landfall, according to a tally from the Louisiana Department of Health. But as days drag on without power in parts of the state, and some of the state's most vulnerable residents bounce around various evacuation points, public health experts say the true toll is likely to be much higher.

UPDATE: Two more Hurricane Ida-related deaths confirmed in Louisiana, bringing total to 28

After a hurricane, some deaths are easy to count as directly related to the storm: the people who die from injuries from a falling tree, drownings from storm surge or electrocutions due to downed power lines or lightning.

But so-called "indirect deaths," which can happen weeks or months after the storm has done its damage, are harder to tally even if they are equally devastating.

Orleans Parish coroner says 7 deaths at senior apartments likely due to excessive heat The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office confirmed that seven residents of apartment complexes for seniors who died in the aftermath of Hurricane I

It can include carbon monoxide poisoning, repair injuries, heat-related deaths, not having air conditioning and exacerbation of medical conditions, said Amy Helene Schnall, an epidemiologist with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Center for Environmental Health. It also can include related suicides and homicides.

The CDC attempts to track indirect deaths from disasters in order to understand how best to prevent them in the future. But in the beginning, that can be hard to do. They rely on media reports, said Schnall. Later, death certificates may reveal many more deaths, but the true count is often unclear.

Post-Ida heat indeed may have killed New Orleans photographer Laura Bergerol, coroner says A New Orleans photographer whose body was found inside of her apartment a week after she lost power during Hurricane Ida likely died because o

A 2008 report from the CDC based on death certificates in the two months following Hurricane Katrina, for example, found 971 deaths. But estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2006 pegged it at twice that. A 2014 report from the agency later revised the number to 1,100.

Both direct and indirect deaths are much higher among senior citizens. Around half of Katrina deaths were among people over 75 and the average age was 69.

After a storm, the lack of power for air conditioning can be a bigger threat to people in this age group. It's also more likely that they may have other medical needs that require machines or simply refrigerated medicine. Theres only so much time before seniors begin to suffer, said Dr. David Dosa, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at Brown University, where he has studied the preparedness of nursing homes in disasters.

It looks like 72 hours is kind of the witching hour in heat-related disasters, said Dosa. They can last a day or two, but then you start to see large numbers of people passing at the same time.

In Louisiana, the heat appears to be connected to at least 10 of the 26 reported deaths, all in people 64 and older. At least seven deaths likely related to heat in New Orleans were in people from senior apartment homes, according to the Orleans Parish coroner.

Another seven deaths occurred after conditions deteriorated in a warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish where seven nursing homes sent residents ahead of the storm. At least four of those deaths which were described as storm-related.

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The situation at the warehouse is particularly concerning to experts, because it means frail patients will have been moved from an environment at least three times, creating mental, emotional and physical stress.

Our research in 2005 to 2008 showed that, generally speaking, evacuating was more dangerous than sheltering in place, even though there were some horror stories, said Dosa, referring to the 35 residents who drowned as floodwaters rose at St. Ritas nursing home in Chalmette.

Still, Dosa said evacuating can be a damned if you do, damned if you dont situation.

The same could be said for the ten senior apartment homes evacuated by the citys health department as the days without power stretched on last week. Some were sent to evacuation centers as far as Alexandria or Monroe, a likely five or six-hour bus ride to a congregate shelter.

+8 At New Orleans senior center, dwindling resources amid power outage make circumstances dire Norman Mack hunched over a walker outside of his apartment on Galvez Street in the 7th Ward on Tuesday, trying to catch any kind of breeze.

A study Dosa conducted after Hurricane Irma, which struck the Caribbean and Florida in 2017, looked at deaths in nursing homes up to 90 days after the storm. The analysis determined that the likelihood of hospitalization and death increased significantly within 30 and 90 days after the storm, compared to years without a storm. There were 262 more nursing home deaths at 30 days and 433 more at 90 days than what was typical.

The extended death tolls among the elderly shows the need to harden nursing homes and senior apartments, said Dosa.

In the midst of a pandemic, the true toll of Ida will be an even murkier assessment. The CDC typically looks at how deaths increased overall after a hurricane to determine indirect impact, but the COVID-19 pandemic is already associated with more deaths from other causes, such as overdoses or heart attacks in people who were afraid to seek care.

The more transmissible delta variant and the reliance on groups shelters during Ida will likely cause and increase in coronavirus cases.

It is complicated with COVID-19, said Schnall. It really is going to be something to look into and a little difficult to tease out.

The toll will be difficult to calculate, and will likely rise for months, said George Haddow, a senior fellow at Tulane Universitys Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy and a former senior official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Clinton administration.

Go back and look at what happened in Maria, said Haddow, referring to the Hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, where estimates of death were raised from 64 to 2,975 after criticism from media and politicians. They were reporting deaths six to eight months afterward.

Haddow, who grew up in New Orleans and remembers the long lines for ice after Hurricane Betsy, estimated more deaths would be added to the toll from remote areas where people are still without power.

Theres gotta be people living back in those bayous that are a little bit isolated. Theyre gonna find more people who got hurt," said Haddow. Theres gonna be more deaths. I don't know how many more.  The elderly are certainly the most susceptible.
A 48-year-old motorist died after hitting a vehicle that did not yield to oncoming traffic Saturday morning, according to Louisiana State Police Troop C.

Richard Vizier, of Thibodaux, was driving south on La. 24 on a 2020 Harley-Davidson when a car entered his path coming from La. 311 in Terrebonne Parish.

Austin Wernich of Schriever, driving a 2010 Dodge Nitro, stopped at the intersection, but he failed to yield and got in Viziers path.

Viziers motorcycle struck the car, and he was ejected. Although he was wearing a helmet approved by the Department of Transportation, police said he had serious injuries.

An ambulance brought Vizier to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center where he died.

Wernich, who was wearing his seatbelt, had no injuries. He gave a voluntary breath sample that detected no alcohol.

Police said the crash is under investigation. Troop C has investigated 26 fatal crashes in 2021.
Ricco Wheat Sr. couldn't contain his disgust as laborers carted moldy Sheetrock and waterlogged furniture out of his house in LaPlace on Wednesday.

In 2012, Hurricane Isaac flooded the house on Sawgrass Drive. In 2021, Hurricane Ida sent storm surge from Lake Pontchartrain rushing inside yet again. He wont be there for the next one, he swore.

Im not coming back, Wheat said. A lot of people arent coming back.

As St. John the Baptist Parishs recovery begins, homeowners in LaPlace are increasingly faced with tough questions about whether to remain and rebuild, or to flee before theyre cursed with another messy and costly disaster.

Even before the storm, the parish's population was on the decline, down 7.5% between the 2010 and 2020 census. It now has 42,000 people.

Officials promise that a $760 million planned levee on Lake Pontchartrains western shore will prevent more flooding, but some LaPlace residents dont want to wait for its scheduled spring 2024 completion date. Just how many pick up stakes will have long-term implications for a community that once beckoned as a suburban alternative to New Orleans.

Its not hard to find homeowners in the part of LaPlace near La. 51 and Interstate 10 whove endured an unholy trinity of disasters: Isaac, a monster tornado in 2016, and now Ida. They are disaster veterans who know how to tarp a roof.

Its not our first rodeo, said Tonia Schnyder, who represents hard-hit District 6 on the parish council. Unfortunately, they know the routine.

But even some of the people who thought theyd seen it all were gobsmacked by Ida.

Hurricane Isaac flooded 7,000 homes in St. John, and most people in the parish believe that Ida was worse.

An initial assessment of 2,500 structures revealed that 60% of those sustained major damage and 10% were outright destroyed, according to the parish.

Another unofficial tally are the mounds of demolition debris outside of houses in LaPlace. Some are as high as the houses they once filled.

Water marks are a third metric. After Isaac, the water line on Frances Cosmes walls in the River Forest neighborhood came up to her shin. This time, it came up to her thigh.

Ida was much, much worse, Cosme said. We lost so much more.

Hurricane Idas winds caused wind and rain damage everywhere. But in the part of LaPlace near Lake Pontchartrain, residents were also socked with water whipping in from the lake.

For more than 50 years, officials have touted a levee as the answer to St. John's woes. But it wasn't fully funded until 2018  largely as a result of the outrage over Isaac.

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still calculating Idas storm surge. But according to preliminary assessments, it does seem that the long-planned levee would have blocked the surge, according to Ricky Boyett, a spokesman for the Corps.

Meanwhile, the storm appears to have done little damage to the levee project itself  in large part because construction had yet to begin. Instead, the corps was building access roads over impassable, swampy land and stockpiling fill material.

Boyett said that while the corps is heavily involved in relief and recovery operations across Louisiana, its forging ahead with work on the levee.

+2 After Hurricane Ida, River Parishes tackle looting with night vision cameras, reinforcements With thousands of homes and businesses still empty and dark following Hurricane Ida, law enforcement officials in the River Parishes say they'

Were still tracking on the same schedule, Boyett said.

Much of the project is planned for geography thats never had any type of levee before, including open water. This year, the Corps plans to start building a test section.

While the official word is that the projects timeline hasnt slipped, some parish residents wonder if it could actually be accelerated.

St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard, who met with top corps officials and President Joe Biden after Hurricane Ida, said shes in daily talks about the project. At a minimum, the storm will allow the levees designers to fine-tune their plans, she said.

Now they get to see, really, what a storm can do, she said. I believe this may even allow them to make improvements to the levee that they were actually going to construct, because they got to see some real devastation in real time.

+3 Power out, schools closed and water shaky as St. John recovers from Hurricane Ida The first lights came back on in St. John the Baptist Parish this week -- but it will be a long road for the parishs power lines, water mains

Hotard's own home was damaged. She urged residents to stick it out.

Levee protection is coming, she said. We know that its tough when youre gutting your home out. All you can think about in that moment is, I never want to do this again. However, I believe that the community spirit we have in St. John is unmatched.

Still, the levee's promise rings hollow for some residents whove heard it all before. Man-made climate change is making the Gulf of Mexico a more dangerous place, and they worry that before the levee is completed, another storm will wreck their properties for a third time.

Its the dread of waiting for that next storm, rather than the frustration of gutting and rebuilding, that makes some residents want to go.

Wheat might move to Texas. Another LaPlace resident, Jerome Gooden, said he might go to Gonzales.

But Cosme and her husband havent decided what comes next. She still thinks about the storm surge rushing against her home's northern wall.

A lot of our neighbors say, were gonna just sell, because weve been promised the levee and were just waiting and waiting, she said. Its just a shame.
It all started with 80 pounds of pork shoulder.

A neighbor of Gerard Guerra's was trying to offload the hulking slab of meat, the man said in a Facebook post. So in the early, electricity-starved days after Hurricane Ida's landfall, Guerra, who lives in the Bonnabel Place neighborhood of Metairie, agreed to meet him and take it.

Guerra, 61, smoked the shoulder, shredded it and slapped it on bread, then gave sandwiches to anyone he saw. Neighbors soon began sending him mashed potatoes, deer roasts and anything else they could find to round out meals for those in need after Ida left around 1 million people without power across southeast Louisiana.

"When I saw people, especially the elders, just out there sweating, with no refrigeration and no electric ... I started giving it around to anyone who needed it," Guerra said.

Guerra is one of the countless New Orleans-area residents who checked on their neighbors, cooked and delivered meals, or otherwise served as a helping hand in their communities in the days after Ida's devastation.

Many say they remember being in similar situations after Hurricane Katrina and were grateful for the good Samaritans who checked on them and their families back then. Others see their actions as an outgrowth of living for years in a region with a strong sense of community.

Food pantries and community kitchens, resources typically used only by those with lower incomes, saw a surge in demand after the storm, as residents who usually keep well-stocked refrigerators found themselves in need of essentials after their groceries spoiled in the heat.

Though the region's $14 billion levee system held its own against Ida's winds, its power grid was not so fortunate.

The absence of air-conditioning on days where the heat index topped 100 degrees made for hellish conditions for those who did not evacuate ahead of the storm, as did the loss of ways to cool food, medication and pets. Clean drinking water was scarce for days in Jefferson and other parishes, further adding to people's distress.

Even that was no big deal when considering what some communities nearer to the Gulf of Mexico endured, said Jill Chaffee, an Algiers resident who has collected three truckloads worth of supplies for people in Lafitte in the past week.

"My house was fine. I just lost a couple little pieces out of my awning out front, nothing major," Chaffee said. She used a backup generator to cool her home after her power went out for 11 days.

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"But I have a friend of mine who lost everything, pretty much. So that's what got the fire under our butt to do it," she said.

Friends of Chaffee's in the Dallas and Houston area sent over cleaning supplies, flashlights and other essentials after she asked. She also solicited donations from her neighbors.

Ida is the most devastating storm Chaffee has experienced up close. "I went through Zeta last year, and a few of the smaller ones. But I'd rather go through 10 Zetas than go through this one again," she said.

Still other residents have relied on their neighbors to tell them if their homes have power, the number of a good roofer, or the status of the city's curfew.

Krista Colson, who lives in the Irish Channel, has checked her Facebook neighborhood group and a separate moms group multiple times daily since Ida cleared the area, she said.

"I got a ton of ideas on tree removal," she said. She was able to tell another friend how to get a carbon-monoxide detector for their home. "It's an easy way to get in touch with a lot of people. I don't have my neighbor's phone number necessarily, but I am friends with them on Facebook."

For another longtime New Orleans resident, checking on neighbors after a massive storm has become a habit.

Sam Winstrom, who lives in Federal City in Algiers, prepared several dozen plastic containers of red beans, rice and sausage once Ida cleared the area, and immediately began making the rounds to local community kitchens and refrigerators. Almost all of the ones he visited were empty, something he said showcases the need for ready-made meals in New Orleans.

"We were prepared for the worst, and the worst didn't come," Winstrom said. "Instead of just sitting on all of this stuff, we decided to share it with someone who actually needs it."

Guerra, of Metairie, said the online group of 4,000 Bonnabel residents has been a lifeline in difficult times. "You don't even have to live in Bonnabel neighborhoods to be a part of it," he said. "It's just people that say, 'Hey, I'm looking for this. I need this.' And a neighbor would respond."

"The sad part of it is, we're neighbors, but I think this storm brought us closer together," Guerra said.
In 2005, just weeks after Hurricane Katrina displaced more than a million people along the Gulf Coast and left hundreds of thousands without power, St. Bernard Parish was the first school district in the New Orleans area to welcome students back into classrooms.

The community had been devastated: families were living in tents or in trucks on concrete blocks where their houses once stood. Students showed up to school in pajamas. Few had electricity. Despite these conditions, Superintendent Doris Voitier reopened schools, some in trailers powered by generators, in a move that was heralded by many as vital to the rebirth of the community.

It drew families back to the area and provided children a safe place to be fed and be taken care of while their parents began to rebuild, said Voitier, who has been superintendent of St. Bernard parish schools since 2004.

Hurricane Ida was different. It left St. Bernard relatively unscathed and school officials plan to welcome their 8,000 students back on Monday for a second first day of school two weeks after the storm made landfall. Schools in St. Tammany Parish and most schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans are set to do the same.

Most New Orleans public schools, with around 45,000 students, will return between Sept. 15 and Sept. 22, NOLA-PS said on Friday. Some in the network of charter schools, including Frederick Douglass High School, will return virtually because of ongoing repairs from the storm, The Lens reported.

In Jefferson Parish  the largest school district in the state with nearly 50,000 students  where some areas were relatively untouched while others were devastated, there will be a staggered return. Some schools plan to resume classes Sept. 20 but the majority not return until next month.

It's a different story in harder hit parishes, including St. Charles and St. John the Baptist, where residents are still mostly without power and officials have yet to set a firm return date.

St. Charles Superintendent Ken Oertling said there was damage to all of his district's 18 schools and nine auxiliary buildings. It could take until mid-October for all parish schools to reopen after power is restored, so he offered parents options: they can temporarily enroll students in another district, register with a home study program, work directly with their children using resources provided by the St. Charles district or register for an accredited virtual school program.

In St. John the Baptist, Shawn Wallace, the school board's vice president, said with most homes and businesses, along with schools, still without power in the parish, it was too soon to offer a timeline for return.

The challenges those schools have to contend with  flooded buildings, possibly weeks without power  are not unlike what St. Bernard faced in 2005, when it was ground zero for Katrina," Voitier said.

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What we found is that it is important to the rebuilding of the community to have the schools open," she said. "People could come back and have a place to put their children...As we go forth with the recovery from Ida, it will be just as important to the hardest hit communities."

Last week, in the storm's immediate aftermath, around 300,000 students across the state were out of school. This week, the number fell to 250,000 students, Cade Brumley, the state superintendent, said in an interview. With some districts returning on Monday, he expects the number of students impacted will shrink to between 175,000 and 200,000.

+4 Jefferson Parish public schools to start a staggered post-Ida restart on Sept. 20 A handful of Jefferson Parish schools will reopen starting Sept. 20, kicking off students staggered return to the classroom after Hurricane I

Anticipating a lengthy delay for some parishes, the state cleared the pathway to allow students who were displaced in the aftermath of Ida to enroll in any school around the state. The cap on charter school enrollment has also been temporarily lifted, he said.

Voitier said in the aftermath of Katrina, St. Bernard schools took on "any student who could get to us." She anticipates a similar influx of displaced students next week.

All 55 St. Tammany Parish schools had power restored by Thursday morning, Superintendent Frank Jabbia said. The majority of damage came in the form of downed trees and roof repairs, he said. No schools flooded in the district, which has more than 37,000 students.

"Over the last year and a half, our students have gone through a lot, with the COVID shutdown, with the amount of storms we had last year, the winter storm, and now rolling into this hurricane that disrupted all of southeast Louisiana," said Jabbia. "I want them to get back to normal. Some of them, their house might be in repair or they might have issues at home but at least school can be somewhat normal for them."

+3 Power out, schools closed and water shaky as St. John recovers from Hurricane Ida The first lights came back on in St. John the Baptist Parish this week -- but it will be a long road for the parishs power lines, water mains

RaeNell Houston, superintendent of the area's Catholic schools run by the archdiocese, said the majority of its schools will open between Sept. 13 and Sept. 20 for its 34,000 students.

Our hardest hit areas in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes, they still dont have power and they dont have internet and theyre working hard to get their buildings ready, Houston said, adding that the schools plan to open two days after power is restored.

Other archdiocesan schools had no damage at all, Houston said, including Annunciation Catholic School in Bogalusa, which opened its doors on Thursday. Families who have been displaced are allowed to enroll in the Catholic school where they have relocated, she said. Noting the differing levels of destruction from Ida in archdiocesan schools, which span eight parishes, Houston said the efforts from those in lesser hit areas of the archdiocese have been stepping up to help.

"It's been incredibly inspiring to see," she said.
Tropical Storm Nicholas, which formed Sunday morning in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, could impact restoration of power for some of the slightly more than 100,000 Entergy customers around southeast Louisiana who are still without it in the wake of Hurricane Ida two weeks ago, the utility said Sunday morning.

Entergy has restored approximately 823,000 of the 948,000 Louisiana and Mississippi customers who lost power during the storm, the company said. Restoration work is ongoing, especially in hard-hit areas such as parts of Jefferson Parish, the River Parishes and the Bayou Region. But heavy rains expected this week could slow the process.

"We are watching the disturbance in the Bay of Campeche that could affect our continued Ida restoration in Louisiana," Entergy said in a statement. At this stage, the storm is projected to hug the eastern coast of Mexico before coming ashore in southeast Texas, the Nation Hurricane Center says.

"Showers and thunderstorms are expected to reach portions of the Texas and Louisiana coasts late today, with the threat of heavy rain continuing in the coastal areas through the middle of the week," Entergy noted.

+2 With most of metro New Orleans' power restored, Entergy turns resources to worst hit areas Entergy executives said Friday that more linemen and other resources are being redeployed to the worst affected areas of southeast Louisiana n

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The company will have customer information centers open in Destrehan, at the Winn Dixie at 12519 Airline Highway, and in Hammond at Walmart at 2700 W. Thomas St.

As of Sunday morning, the greatest number of outages was in Lafourche Parish, where about 30,000 homes and businesses were still without power. There are another nearly 23,000 out in Terrebonne Parish. St. Charles Parish has about 19,000 still out, and St. John the Baptist and Tangipahoa parishes each have about 15,000 out, according to Entergy's outage map.

Crews in those areas are "encountering extensive damage that will require rebuilding the system, as opposed to just a restoration," the company said. The estimated date for some of those areas is Sept. 29.

In Jefferson Parish specifically, an Entergy spokesman said they hoped to have 1,400 people in Avondale along U.S. 90 and Jamie Boulevard, as well as another 1,800 customers in Westwego and Bayou Segnette restored by Tuesday.

Work in those areas, as well as Nine Mile Point, was complicated by the removal of the tower and power lines from the river as well as extensive damage to the distribution system that required off road and track equipment to fix, the company spokesperson said.
Louisianans have faced enough natural disasters not to wish the experience on anyone else, not even the insensitive souls elsewhere who, each time a big storm roars ashore, wonder aloud why people live here.

So there was no joy in watching the remnants of Hurricane Ida deal a deadly blow to the Northeast so soon after shed had her way with our state. There was, though, recognition. And there should be common purpose.

The country should be long past the point where floods in one area and fires in another pit region against region, or Democrat versus Republican. We know perfectly well that climate change is coming for all of us, that while New Orleans and Louisianas coastal areas are vulnerable, so are New York and Texas and California, just to name a few states that have suffered from extreme weather recently. Its now a given that any part of the country could need help at any time.

Some federal aid is triggered automatically when disaster strikes, including much of what comes from FEMA. But then there are different pots of money that must be approved through Congress, and thats where things get bogged down.

More than a year after the Category 4 Hurricane Laura struck, the Lake Charles area is still waiting for Community Development Block Grant disaster funds, which come through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and can be used to fill in the gaps in other sorts of recovery aid and insurance coverage. The top priority in the Calcasieu area is a permanent housing program, along the lines of the Road Home after Katrina and Rita in 2005.

When were talking about housing, it affects everything else, Parish Administrator Bryan Beam told me as the Laura anniversary approached. The lack of suitable housing means people cant come home, and it means the areas very challenged with labor, both to keep the community running and to do the work of rebuilding. It also wears on the collective resolve.

Its been a year, Beam said. People can only wait so long before they say, Im outa here. 

If theres any silver lining to the latest storm, its that it has refocused attention on Louisianas unmet needs. The Biden administration has finally asked Congress to approve $2.3 billion in disaster block grants, a significant proportion of which would likely go to Laura relief, as part of a short-term government funding bill.

Areas affected by Ida will need a lot of federal aid too  theres already a budding housing crisis developing in Houma, where hundreds of tenants are being evicted from apartments deemed uninhabitable  which could mean yet another long political slog.

Or maybe not this time. The White House proposal calls for $10 billion or more for Ida-related costs, at least initially. And given the storms long reach, theres the real possibility of a multi-region, bipartisan coalition in support.

This sort of thing, involving these same areas, has happened before. Back in 2014, Louisiana lawmakers looking to reform the federal flood insurance program teamed up with members whose districts had been devastated by Superstorm Sandy to make sure the cost of flood insurance wouldnt force people out of their homes.

Yet its just as common for politics to rear its head.

Some small-government conservatives voted against aid for Sandy survivors after the 2012 storm, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who got called out as a hypocrite by New Jersey Gov. and fellow Republican Chris Christie when he sought help after Hurricane Harvey struck his state five years later.

Several Louisiana Republicans opposed Sandy aid as well; at the time, then-U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, who voted for the aid, noted that the opponents had not been in Congress after hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005 and hadnt lived through Louisianas long battle for fair treatment. When Harvey struck, the delegation voted in unison to provide aid.

Weve all seen a lot of storms since then, certainly enough to understand that regional and partisan politics should play no role in determining who gets money and how quickly. There are proposals before Congress to take the political maneuvering out of the process, and they deserve serious consideration.

Until that happens, it would really help if everyone in Congress voted as if their own constituents were the ones in need. Its only a matter of time until they are.
Far too many people continue to be unvaccinated. I dont get the Im going to wait, I just dont know, Im going to wait and see and I dont know; I just havent done it groups. Theyre killing us. Literally.

Apparently, people need to be told to look to their wallets and bank accounts. Thats why Im cheering President Joe Bidens recent COVID-19 moves, especially the vaccine mandates. Go Joe!

I wish more people were caring, concerned and loving. The kind of people who really mean "people" when they sing God Bless America, land that I love. The folks who want to know what they can do for you, not what they can do to you.

Im elated that weve got some serious virus moves about to kick off. Big Daddy Joe told yall he means business. Nearly all federal employees and those who have contracts with the federal government must be vaccinated; those who work for businesses with more than 100 employees have to get the jab, too. Dont like it? I guess youre one of the people who dont care for your fellow Americans. Youll have to prove that you have a legitimate health reason or a legitimate faith exception to avoid the shots. North Louisiana's U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson was quick to say the president is implementing a mandate he has no authority to impose or means to enforce.

Mr. Johnson, meet the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They wont look kindly on those who dont cooperate. Violators are in line for fines of about $14,000 per penalty.

Big Daddy has given us children time to pout, shout and fuss about why we should be allowed to make any choice we wish. Unfold your arms. Hes had enough. And so have many of us.

Before Biden gave the latest parental rulings, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission gave some companies confidence, and cover, by clearly stating that they can legally require virus vaccines as long as they find alternatives for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or based on actual faith reasons. For the most part, federal law says employers can tell us what to do if we sign up as employees to work at their place. Federal law also says employees are guaranteed a safe working environment, and its the obligation of the employer to ensure that happens.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are certainly working hard to earn my business and get me on a jet. United is requiring employee vaccines, and the company said noncomplying employees will be fired. Whoa. Thats a real incentive. Meanwhile, Delta isnt making vaccines mandatory, but theyre charging unvaccinated employees a monthly surcharge of $200. Thats not pennies, and enough to make many of us think about what were doing.

Some estimates put the number of companies requiring vaccines at shy of 25% not that long ago. Watch that number skyrocket now that the president of the United States has threatened to pull out a switch and to send you to the woodshed if you dont think its thick enough.

In Louisiana, vaccine mandates are picking up, but weve got a ways to go to have significant impact on our statewide vaccination rates and to reduce our COVID-19 cases as we watch hospitalizations and deaths decline.

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, which includes Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge and Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette, has already mandated employee vaccinations. Ochsner Health had strongly encouraged hospital system employees to get vaccinated; now all Ochsner employees must have vaccines by Oct. 29. Valero refinery employees in Louisiana and Texas must have vaccines. Chevron and Hess have told workers who work offshore they must be vaccinated by Nov. 1.

Louisiana continues to be one of the least-vaccinated states. Fortunately, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday that 42.6% of our states residents have been fully vaccinated and the number of hospitalizations have fallen. This is indeed good news. The news might have been better had it not been for the impact of Hurricane Ida. Because such a climate catastrophe grabbed our attention to focus on living, we set aside virus concerns. As we continue Ida recovery, Rudy Rona could care less.

Its good that some companies have stepped up to do the right thing with mandates. Now that Big Daddy Joe is pressing things, its time for more companies to tell employees why they need to get the jab. One, because we said so and you work here. Two, because we believe you love this country and each other.
Curtis C. McKnight, 76, passed away on Sept. 11 in Norman. Services are pending at First Christian Church. In lieu of flowers please make donations to First Christian Church in Norman. Please sign the online guestbook at www.primrosefuneralservice.com
Politics Reporter

Reese Gorman covers politics and the COVID-19 pandemic for The Norman Transcript. He started as an intern in May of 2020 and transitioned into his current position as a staff writer in August of 2020.
Six Women In Technology (WIT) Award winners were named during the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvanias (TCCP) live virtual event last week.

This years virtual Women In Tech Awards wrapped up a 2-part virtual celebration of the 5th anniversary of Technology Council of Central Pennsylvanias continued commitment to celebrating women who are innovators, role models, trailblazers, and inspirations within the technology community throughout our region.

During her opening remarks, Ann Hughes, President & CEO of the Technology Council of Central PA reconfirmed the value of the event, Women continue to be a significantly underrepresented group within the tech world and it is our continued hope that by celebrating the amazing women who have overcome the stereotypes associated with working and succeeding in tech while also providing additional training and support for them and their allies/advocates, we can continue to help change that narrative.

This years Women In Tech Award categories and winners include:

Mary-Angela Kenney won this years WIT IMPACT AWARD  PRIVATE SECTOR/MEDIUM TO LARGE BUSINESS. This award recognizes a woman in technology whose contributions have made a positive impact in the Private Sector/Medium to Large Business market (companies employing 50 or more employees). Mary-Angela Kenney is the Vice President of Innovation & Technology with Fenner Precision Polymers in Manheim, Pa.

In her position, she is responsible for developing and executing R&D and engineering initiatives for a global business. In her 35 years of business leadership, she has led organizations and teams to increase new product introductions, drive process improvement, and advance the technology for several global companies.

Kate Gallagher won this years WIT IMPACT AWARD  PRIVATE SECTOR/ ENTREPRENEUR TO SMALL BUSINESS. This award recognizes a woman in technology whose contributions have had a positive impact in the Entrepreneurial/Small Business sector (companies employing less than 50 employees). Kate Gallagher is the Chief Operating Officer with Advanced Metrics in Mountville, Pa.

Kate was a winner of the Central Penn Business Journals Forty Under 40 Award which celebrates business leaders who are committed to business growth, professional excellence, and community service.

Dr. Sue Mukherjee won this years WIT IMPACT AWARD  PUBLIC SECTOR/GOVERNMENT. This award recognizes a woman in technology whose contributions have had an impact in the Public Section/Government. Dr. Mukherjee is the Senior Vice President for Strategy and Student Success with Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa.

Her accomplishments include creating executive leadership academies, guiding higher education accreditation process, creating data informed platforms for skills building strategy, and instituting modern platforms for assessment and institutional effectiveness.

Lindsey Chimel won this years WIT DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD. This award recognizes an individuals active commitment to inclusion and diversity in technology. Lindsey Chimel is a Senior Data Analyst with Parsons Corporation.

Lindsey and her team develop enterprise-wide reporting and analysis solutions for Human Resources, Finance, Internal Audit, and Vendor Management. Most recently, Lindsey led development on a reporting solution with AI/ML capabilities that realized an ROI of more than two hundred million dollars.

Melissa Wall won this years WIT NEXT GEN AWARD. This award recognizes an up-and-coming young woman who is making a difference in technology in our region. Melissa Wall is a Senior Software Engineer with Industrial Resolution in Lancaster, Pa.

Melissa is involved with the Make717 makerspace, and community and educational outreach for students interested in STE(A)M careers by participating in career fairs, alumni events, job shadowing, mentoring, and more.

Dr. Carol Wellington won this years WIT MOXIE AWARD. This award recognizes a pioneer who has blazed the trail for other women in technology to follow. Dr. Wellington is a Professor of Software Engineering with Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pa.

Her courses leverage her industry experience and her academic experience, immersing her students in hands-on learning, providing them actual engineering experience, through partnerships with industry leaders like Deloitte, Volvo, and NASA. Seeing the potential that Ship had, she transformed Ship's computer science program, growing it from a small department into the new School of Engineering, offering 5 engineering disciplines. Now Ship can provide the same hands-on engineering experience for all types of engineers.

Caitlin Coliccho and Clair Cuvo won this year's Women In Tech scholarships. Caitlin is a junior at Bucknell University and Clair is a sophomore at Elizabethtown College.

TCCP awards WIT Scholarships to encourage women to continue to excel in technology related disciplines such as computing, engineering and life sciences. Two scholarships ($1500 and $1000) were awarded at this years WIT Awards.

Caitlin Coliccho is a biomedical engineering major. She plans to pursue a career in which she can work to improve and design cost-effective prosthetics for children.

Clair Cuvo is an environmental engineering major. She wants to use her education to create a brighter and greener future by advancing the use of renewable energy and sustainable technology; all while showing the world that anyone is fit to be an engineer.
Shamokin, Pa. Coal Township Police said when a man called them to report a vehicle being stolen, he could still see it pulling away from his home.

According to a report by Matthew Hasuga of the Coal Township Police Department, the man eventually located his truck and forced it to pullover. Hasuga said as officers arrived on scene, Dan Williams, 38, of Shamokin was being held in the backseat of a vehicle.

The victim, who said he left the keys in his truck as it was parked in the driveway, told officers nothing was missing from the vehicle. Williams allegedly told officers he worked for the federal government and was given $100 to park the truck.

Williams, who allegedly told authorities he was working for the federal government, was charged with felony theft by unlawful taking and felony receiving stolen property. Both are third-degree.

Williams is being held at the Northumberland County Jail on $10,000 monetary bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14.

Docket sheet
This Sept. 11-16, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children will cheer on riders as they take on a multi-state effort to raise funds and awareness for missing and exploited children while also sharing messages of hope and advice for prevention. The bike ride continues a tradition started in 1995 when a group of seven men rode their bicycles from Utica to Washington, D.C. in honor of the missing child Sara Ann Wood.

The seven original riders reached the Capitol steps on May 25, National Missing Children's Day. Two years later, inspired by that first ride, a group of 43 riders rode from Albany, N.Y. to Utica to bring awareness and messages of safety to people they encountered along the way. Since then, countless rides have taken place across New York state.

This year, over 40 bikers, many with ties to a missing child, will make up individual teams riding from Sauquoit Valley Middle School where a tree stands in memory of Sara Ann Wood to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Alexandria, Va.

The event began at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, with opening remarks by Earle Reed, Joe Kelly, and Frank Williams, who were part of the original Sara's Ride in 1995. A balloon release at 9 a.m. will start the ride.

Each team is dedicated to a missing child: Team Brian Sullivan

Team Brittanee Drexel

Team Craig Frear, Bethany Markowski

Missing Children from Onondaga County

Team Heidi Allen, Trenton Duckett

Team Ork'o, Amaru and Raymi Frisancho

Team Sara Rivazfar

Team Sara Anne Wood, Sabrina Plunkett, Lisa Eisman The ride will take five days to complete and will cover over 400 miles through four states, with stops in: Sauquoit Valley Middle School, 2648 Sulphur Spring Road, Sauquoit, New York 13456

Binghamton, N.Y. (evening of Sept. 11)

Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (evening of Sept. 12)

Shamokin Dam, Pa. (evening of Sept. 13)

Gettysburg, Pa. (evening of Sept. 14)

Gaithersburg, Md. (evening of Sept. 15)

Alexandria, Va. (arriving at NCMEC HQ 333 John Carlyle St, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 around 11 a.m., Sept. 16) Each morning at 8 a.m. before the ride begins again, participants will gather to dedicate their ride to a missing child and give encouraging remarks before they set out on their journey. The bicycles are a tribute to Sara Anne Wood, who was riding her bike when she was abducted. Making this journey provides a visible means to spread the message about the plight of missing and exploited children, and the importance of child safety education. The riders often wear teal and pink riding jerseys, the same colors that Sara was wearing day she vanished. What started as a small group of bicyclists that hoped to raise awareness for the plight of one missing child has grown into the biggest annual fundraiser for The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The riders will end their journey and be greeted by families and advocates of missing children at the lawn in front of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. John Clark, NCMEC CEO & President will give remarks and there will be a plaque presentation followed by a celebration of hope.
Rome, GA (30161)

Today

Rain likely. High 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
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After testing over nearly 20 different laptops with the same GeForce RTX 3060, some are definitely faster than others by as much as 25 percent. It might be a good idea to see which ones to avoid if you're in the market for the fastest model out there.

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When Nvidia axed the Max-Q branding earlier this year, the manufacturer consequently made it more difficult for consumers to distinguish between the "slow" GeForce laptops from the "fast" GeForce laptops. A GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q laptop, for example, would almost always run slower than a non-Max-Q GeForce RTX 2080 model. The newest GeForce 30 laptops have so much Max-Q distinction in their branding.

Our table below compares the 3DMark scores of all laptops we've tested thus far with GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. Though there are certainly more in the market, our comparison should still serve as a good jumping off point for those looking into a GeForce RTX 3060 laptop.

The two fastest RTX 3060 laptops we've tested at the time of pushing are the Schenker XMG Core 17 and Lenovo Legion 5 15ACH each with 130 W TGP GPUs while the two slowest are the Lenovo ThinkBook 16p G2 and Dell XPS 17 each with 70 W TGP GPUs. Jumping from 70 W to 130 W will increase graphics performance by about 25 percent which can be significant for GPU-heavy tasks. The Dell XPS and Lenovo ThinkBook models are significantly thinner and lighter than the Schenker XMG and Lenovo Legion models, of course, so buyers will have to decide if the bulkier sizes are worth the extra graphics performance.

As for most of the other models in between, the differences in graphics performance are generally within 10 to 15 percent of each other which is similar to what we observed between last generation Max-Q and non-Max-Q GPUs. In this sense, Nvidia and OEMs seem to be doing a decent job at maintaining a tight performance window between all RTX 3060 laptops regardless of TGP.
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 46F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
The Gabis Arboretum at Purdue University Northwest in Valparaiso sits on 300 acres, offering education programs, community events and a variety of outdoor summer concerts that cover a wide range of musical genres. Their popular, family-friendly Acorn Concert Series is back this season with a variety of musical artists, craft beers, wine and food from local vendors. On September 17, the Arboretum presents "Heartache Tonight: A Tribute to The Eagles," featuring music from all the various incarnations of this American rock powerhouse. Back by popular demand is the Trail of Scarecrows, an annual competition for groups in K through 5th grade. Children choose a book based on the years theme as a class, group, or family, build a scarecrow and write an essay based on the chosen story or its characters. Scarecrows are then displayed outdoors at the Arboretum throughout the month of October. Guests will vote on their favorite scarecrow via social media and prizes are awarded to the top three winners. www.pnw.edu/gabis-arboretum/plan-your-visit/
Fourteen more people in Northwest Indiana were reported dead from COVID-19 over the past week, according to updated statistics from the Indiana Department of Health.

Lake County saw eight additional deaths, Porter County recorded one more death, LaPorte County had four more deaths and one more was reported in Newton County.

A total of 14,330 Hoosiers have died from the respiratory disease since the start of the pandemic, including 1,070 in Lake County; 336 in Porter County; 233 in LaPorte County; 60 in Jasper County; and 41 in Newton County, according to ISDH data updated Friday.

Statewide, 5,476 new positive cases were reported Thursday, compared to the 5,079 recorded a week ago. This brings the state's total number of those to test positive to 899,844.

The statewide seven-day positivity rate for all tests increased from 11.5% to 11.6% in the last week.

All data was provisional and subject to change as more data is reported to the state.

Across the state line, Calumet City reported 4,374 cases, and Lansing reported 3,827 cases, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
MICHIGAN CITY  Revisions to the Michigan City Promise Scholarship program are on hold until after the citys 2022 budget is approved. In the meantime, the programs future expansion is uncertain.

City Council members and the public staked out positions on the Michigan City Promise Scholarship program at a recent workshop as efforts to overhaul the program began.

Council Vice President Angie Deuitch, D-at large, said each community across the country that offers a similar program does it differently, but she plans to put together a matrix to better compare them.

Kalamazoo and Hammond are two that have served as models for Michigan City. Kalamazoos program isnt limited to homeowners, but Michigan Citys is. Hammonds College Bound program is tied to homeownership but not Hammonds public schools. Michigan Citys program currently requires students to attend the public high school.

Resident Don Briggs said it was conspicuously cruel not to include renters.

The council appears poised to expand the scholarship program to renters. The question is how else the program might be expanded.
Times readers and Northwest Indiana residents were asked to offer their recollections from Sept. 11, 2001.

These are the memories some chose to share:

I was 22 years old on Sept. 11, 2001. At the time, I was working for the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Porter County as a home health social worker. My co-worker Michelle and I heard bits and pieces of what was happening throughout the office. We turned on the radio and listened to the horrors of what was unfolding. My best friend was working as a flight attendant for ATA at the time, and I couldnt remember if she was flying that day. It took me over an hour to get a line on the phone as the system was overloaded (she was home, thankfully). That day was a wash. I only had one patient visit that day. Everyone was glued to their televisions and didnt want to be bothered.

That night I was scheduled to go on a date, and I wound up canceling. He was someone Id met at the Popcorn Festival the previous weekend. My priorities shifted. I wanted to see my grandmother and my mom. Driving through Hobart, I heard George W. Bushs iconic speech through the speakers of my 1992 Ford Tempo: None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.
Deborah Meeter pushed her son, Shane, in his wagon in honor of Shanes best friend, Brandon Napiwocki. This is the first time weve done it. Its fun and welcoming, she said.

Napiwockis father, Tony Napiwocki, said Brandon has always loved the parade, and participating in it was on Brandons bucket list. Brandon, who was in the intensive care unit in February, is in hospice care now. Tony filmed his son riding on the back of a convertible.

Dan Tolson walked with his dog Major, who was wearing a U.S. Marine Corps uniform. When he puts on his uniform, hes ready to go. This was Majors second time to walk the parade route.

Randy Joyce, of Valparaiso, waved his flag and pointed at the crowd, getting them to show their excitement. Its fantastic, he said. He enjoyed giving the crowd a positive attitude.

Valparaiso Baptist Church volunteers handed out water bottles to the crowd. We just wanted to serve the community and let them know we love them, Rick Ward said.

Jared Coller walked beside the Kouts High School band, checking the students to offer water if they needed it, making sure theyre not trying to be a hero.
The Democratic Party is rolling out its left-wing big guns to go to California to support Gov. Gavin Newsom in the recall election scheduled for Sept. 14.

In California, the bluest of blue states, where, in 2020, challenger Joe Biden defeated incumbent President Donald Trump by a margin of almost 2-1, the polls are within the margin of error showing Newsom holding on in the recall.

Why are Vice President Kamala Harris and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar putting it on the line to campaign for Newsom?

They know that what is going on in California is a laboratory for what is going on in the nation and in the Democratic Party.

The beginning of Newsom's fall from grace was discovery of his dining at a party at a fancy French restaurant in California wine country, where dinners start at $450 per person, keeping no COVID-19 restrictions while he had his whole state on strict lockdown.

This was more than an embarrassing moment for the governor. And it was more than a graphic picture of political hypocrisy and double standards. It was a portrayal of very different takes on how America works that is now being driven home by radio talk show host Larry Elder, who is leading the pack of candidates challenging Newsom.
The 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, on the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington D.C., and in the skies over Pennsylvania, demands considered reflection.

Two decades provide useful distance for relatively dispassionate discussion of how we reacted to the shocking, grotesque mass murder. The shorthand reference to the horror is 9/11. How would an objective analyst evaluate the response of us Americans?

Concerning our national institutions and behavior as people, there is solid justification for high marks. Despite the terrible nature of the attacks, and the thousands of deaths of Americans as well as citizens of other countries, as a national community we were remarkably mature.

The population as a whole did not react with hysteria or any extremism. Such incidents that occurred were infrequent, relatively isolated and have waned over time. Illegal anti-Islamic acts brought prosecution.
As we witness the impacts of climate change, investments in the Great Lakes are critical to protecting the wildlife and people who depend on this invaluable natural resource.

I recently joined Rep. Frank Mrvan on a bird walk through Lake Etta County Park with Audubon Great Lakes and the Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society. We were lucky to see a Red-headed woodpecker perched on a tree overhead. Audubons science tells us that this beautiful bird is at risk of extinction due to climate change, along with two-third of the birds in North America.

Thank you Congressman Mrvan for going birding with us and for supporting robust investments in the Great Lakes. I encourage you to continue this important work by co-sponsoring the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which would help the farmers and foresters who are essential to Indianas economy adopt climate-friendly practices and helps us all be a part of the solution.

Kimberly Ehn, Porter

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Mike Bacon and I work hand in hand. In general, he will come up with a style and ask me for a name/concept or vice versa," Sharp said. "Sometimes, I have a concept that I really feel strongly about, and we build off of that. We trust each other. He knows beer; I know visuals. We back one another up when needed, but, in general, we will stay in our own lanes because we trust the other's decisions/choices.

As for the set of labels that won, the concept was really born from our love of films/TV/literature and wanting to glorify the antagonist. I entered six labels under the umbrella of the Villains Series. 

Release of most of the beers in the series were times to a theatrical release or DVD release or other significant date. The different beers would drop at moments where we felt the timing was important or significant to the beer itself, said Sharp.

Sharp described the accomplishment as beyond incredible.
Hunley: This is my 10th year as a school administrator, and I have never felt such a high level of energy around transforming education. We had to cope through the pandemic. We had to adjust all these different practices. And I feel from teachers, from parents, from the kids: Were not going back to the way that things used to be. They have gained so much independence about what it means to be a learner. Some of the projects that kids have created while they were at home on remote learning have been incredible. We want to bring in more of that.

To return to a point that Brian made earlier, look at the work that weve been doing around racial equity. As a district, weve focused on naming the fact that from the founding of the United States, the way the educational system was set up created systemic racism and perpetuated injustices, first for Black students and then also for other students of color. It gives me a lot of hope that were naming that.

Coleman: What gives me the most hope are examples of strong, intentional collaboration, where everyone is buying into a shared goal. Our district asked each school last spring whether we wanted to keep our school resource officers  police  or reallocate the money for those positions. Our school is working with a community organization that ideally would send therapists to schools a few days a week to see students we refer, at no cost to the student. The counseling we currently offer is short-term, so this would be a way to help students whose needs go beyond that.

Schwinn: We had a big bus tour this summer, and it was about celebrating schools. Our profession is a joyful profession. We have to bring that back.

We lifted up districts like Chattanooga, an urban district where there was growth across student groups, with high-dosage tutoring and personalized attention and lots of accommodations to families. We lifted up our rural communities, where we saw energized teachers and really high student attendance in summer learning camps. Despite a pandemic school year, about 30 percent or so of our districts saw some level of growth in student proficiency.

Radesky: I appreciate the caring and committed approaches youve all presented. But I wonder about all the schools where funding isnt being allocated as wisely. The teachers are exhausted  and arent given the freedom to lie down on their classroom floors when they need to!  and the burden of children with special educational needs and social-emotional challenges is high.

I hope we keep encouraging kids to talk about how their bodies and brains feel. And I hope that based on the products weve seen and worked with for remote learning, we advocate for more child-centered designs for tech products, instead of platforms like YouTube and Tik Tok that monetize the attention of kids.
Daena Adams, 36

Principal, Woodlawn Campus High School

University of Chicago Charter School

Interview by Carlo Rotella

Teachers started reporting that students were in class on Zoom while, for example, moving boxes at a warehouse. The norm was that the camera be on, but especially as time went on, the kids often had it pointed at the ceiling. Teachers could tell when kids were at work because its a higher ceiling than their bedrooms.

We had a student  a top student, a great kid. The kids were in class onscreen, and he was in his car driving to work. He was participating, and then a question was specifically asked to him, and at that moment you could hear metal crunch, and the phone fell off the dashboard. I was observing the class, and my heart dropped. Everyones mouth just fell open. Theres silence, then: Hello? Are you there? Whats going on? Eventually we were able to get back in touch with him, and he said hed been rear-ended, and the other driver took off after they hit him. You could tell he was shaken.

I had to call a delivery company and a supermarket chain and say, Please stop hiring my kids, or at least stop scheduling them during the school day. I asked them to schedule students from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m., because students were also working overnight, getting off at 7 a.m. and falling asleep in class. We cant just tell kids, Dont do that, because we dont have authority over what they do at night, but its strongly discouraged.

I spent a lot of one-on-one time with students to try to get them to understand and prioritize themselves. Id say: What are your overall goals? If you are interested in going to college or going into a trade, we need to think about how that happens for you. You need to graduate here.
Kathy Schwartz, a retired health care analyst living in Los Angeles, had been following the news about the effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom with increasing concern.

Ms. Schwartz, 65, initially believed that the recall was a waste of time and money. But she got frightened late last month as Larry Elder, the conservative radio host, vaulted into the top spot to replace the governor, propelled by promises to immediately remove all pandemic health mandates.

Then a question occurred to her: Why couldnt Mr. Newsom resign and allow Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a fellow Democrat, to take over, rendering the recall moot?

Larry Elder is scary, the guy with the bear and the guy in San Diego are scary, she said, referring to the Republican candidates John Cox and Kevin Faulconer. So I wondered, Why dont you just resign to be safe?
Abimael Guzman, the founder and leader of the Shining Path guerrilla movement, which spread terror across much of Peru in the 1980s and 90s, died on Saturday in Peru. He was 86.

Mr. Guzman died in a maximum-security prison in the Callao naval base in Peru, where he was serving a life sentence, prison officials said. They did not specify a cause.

An estimated 70,000 Peruvians were killed during the decade-long peak of the Shining Path insurgency, at least one-third at the hands of guerrillas. Shining Path advocated a violent reordering of society away from the vices of urban life. Its leaders echoed Cambodias Khmer Rouge with warnings that rivers of blood would flow after their victory, and that as many as one million Peruvians might be put to death.

Shining Path was almost entirely Mr. Guzmans conception, and for a time he seemed poised to seize power in one of Latin Americas most important countries. His avowedly Maoist movement was one of the most violently radical in the hemispheres modern history, and his fertile mind and extraordinary powers of persuasion laid the basis for an intense personality cult.
He had a whole painting made and then it was a late-stage decision that he would add this red, Temkin said. The idea of the artists process is that when you start you may not know where youre going. You may think you do, but the painting takes over  and on some level the artist is listening to the painting or following the paintings instructions about what to do next. This is an exceptional case of a painting becoming a different painting in the process of making.

Six feet tall by seven feet wide, the canvas was among a series of works commissioned by Matisses early patron, Sergei Shchukin, a Russian textile businessman, for whom the artist made his Dance and Music paintings.

Yet Shchukin declined to acquire it for reasons unknown (he did purchase the paintings predecessor, The Pink Studio). He may have told Matisse he liked his paintings with figures better, but at the same time he bought other paintings without figures, so I think he was just being tactful, Temkin said. But if you think of what this painting must have looked like in 1911, you can imagine it was incomprehensible.

No one had made a monochrome picture before, she added. Here he jumped into a territory of abstraction and a plane of color in a way that was certainly unrecognizable.

So Matisse kept the painting for more than 15 years, during which it traveled to the Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition in London in 1912 and to New York, Chicago and Boston for the 1913 Armory Show.

The Red Studio was eventually bought in 1927 by David Tennant, the founder of the Gargoyle Club in London, where it hung in the mirrored ballroom until the early 1940s, after which it was purchased by the Bignou Gallery in New York, and then acquired by MoMA in 1949. Finally, in the 1950s, people took notice.
4. As Democrats push a $3.5 trillion social policy and climate bill, a top lawmaker is mum on how to pay for it.

Representative Richard E. Neal of Massachusetts is the top tax writer in the House and on the brink of leading his party in advancing a $3.5 trillion spending package that is at the core of President Bidens economic agenda.

But he routinely brushes off questions about his support for the kind of tax increases that Biden and other party leaders have proposed  leaving some liberal Democrats worried that one of their own leaders could thwart the scope of their economic ambitions.

Businesses are divided on precisely how to respond to the emerging social policy bill. But they are united in their defense of Trump-era tax cuts.
Lurking in the background of every discussion is the fact that Mr. Soros just celebrated his 91st birthday. He is a year older than Warren Buffett, who recently stepped down as a trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The sprawling foundation Mr. Soros has funded for decades wants to refocus while he can still weigh in on the question that many large philanthropies face, which is how to keep the vision of the founder alive after he or she is gone?

Mr. Soros declined through a spokesman to be interviewed for this article. Mr. Malloch-Brown, 67, the groups new president and a veteran of the United Nations, the World Bank and the United Kingdoms foreign office, is steering the organization through the transition period.

In its early days, the foundation was much better at adding things than closing things. That was the luxury of what, then and now, remains a very generously funded foundation, Mr. Malloch-Brown said. Wed lost that more strategic purpose and sharp edge of Hey, the stuff we really care about is under assault all around the world and we just need to get a lot more strategic about addressing it and confronting it.

Some staff members, including many associated with the employees union in the United States, have come to view the changes as not just about Mr. Soross priorities, but also those of outside consultants with a more homogeneous vision for what has always been a uniquely complex institution. They described a corporate-style streamlining recommended by the Bridgespan Group, the Bain & Company nonprofit spinoff. The revamping included little input from people working directly with grantees, employees said.

On Thursday, more than 150 employees, nearly one in 10 at the foundation worldwide, saw their buyouts go into effect and some were already cleaning out their desks.

Why not consult those closest to the work on the front line about what the transformation should look like? said Ramzi Babouder-Matta, a program administrative specialist at Open Society Foundations who is among those leaving. It feels like a small group of leaders making top-down decisions without meaningfully engaging staff.

The Legal Action Center, which works on criminal justice and drug policy reform and received $350,000 a year from the foundation, about 5 percent of the centers overall budget, got its tie-off in July. Its very hard to find that funding in the areas that we work in because theres so few philanthropies that support it, said Paul N. Samuels, the centers president.
Kansas City Southern said on Sunday that it had deemed an offer from Canadian Pacific superior to a bid from Canadian National, in the latest turn in a monthslong battle to become the first railroad to connect North America.

Canadian Pacific first put forward a roughly $29 billion bid for Kansas City Southern in March, before being topped by a $33.7 billion offer from its rival, Canadian National, in April. But the Canadian National deal hit a key regulatory challenge this month, sending Kansas City back to talks with Canadian Pacific. The talks proved fruitful.

The crown jewel in the deal is Mexico, as the railroads look to capitalize on trade flows across North America on the heels of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed into law last year.

Closing a deal could take time. It must be approved by shareholders of both companies, as well as approved by Mexican authorities and the Surface Transportation Board, the U.S. regulatory board that oversees rail deals.
The health care system in Afghanistan is teetering on the edge of collapse, endangering the lives of millions and compounding a deepening humanitarian crisis, public health experts warn.

The countrys health care has been propped up by aid from international donors. But after the Taliban seized power, the World Bank and other organizations froze $600 million in health care aid. The Biden administration, too, is struggling with how to dispense donor money to a country now being run by several senior Taliban leaders whom the United States has designated to be terrorists.

If World Bank funding is not restored quickly, an exodus of health care workers may result. Many have remained on the job despite significant personal risks; already some have not been paid for months. Along with the loss of supplies, the cutoff would effectively end health care services in 31 of the nations 34 provinces, humanitarian groups say.

Afghanistan is already on the brink of universal poverty, according to a United Nations report on Thursday, and only its richest citizens will be able to afford health care. Assuming that health care coverage is cut by half because of the funding loss, deaths among women and children will increase by at least 33 percent over the next year  nearly 2,000 women and more than 26,000 children per year  according to one analysis.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general, made the rounds on Sunday television shows to defend the Biden administrations new Covid vaccine mandates, portraying them as narrow directives that apply only to specific professions where the federal government has legal authority to act  a direct counter to Republican accusations of unconstitutional federal overreach.

Dr. Murthy called the plan ambitious and thoughtful on the ABC program This Week, saying, These kinds of requirements actually work to improve our vaccination rates. He said they were part of a serious of steps that have to be taken in order to protect our country from Covid-19, and help us get through this pandemic.

He cited Tyson Foods, one of the nations top meat processors. In August, it said it would require Covid vaccinations for its employees. The surgeon general said the companys vaccination rate had shot up from 45 percent to more than 70 percent in a very short period of time. And theyre not even at their deadline yet.

The mandates  for either vaccination or weekly testing  cover 17 million health care workers in institutions that get Medicare and Medicaid funds, as well as roughly 80 million employees in private companies with more than 100 workers.
There is a moment that happens every time I am lucky enough to attend the Venice International Film Festival, just before it all begins, when overloaded screening schedules still seem perfectly doable, and deadlines are distant and abstract, almost pretty, like far-off flocks of birds. Freewheeling down the Lido (the barrier island in the Venetian lagoon where the festival takes place) on a newly rented bike, the weather reliably gorgeous, the breeze warm and the tiniest bit savory with centuries of sea-salted history, I think I am more predictably, straightforwardly happy than on any other day of the year.

Regular attendees know to be slightly conspiratorial about Venice, to keep a little of its magic secret in case the universe realizes theres been a clerical error and it gets taken away from us. Because even in a normal year  and who knows if we will ever have one of those again?  this festival is a rare privilege that surely no one really deserves. And in pandemic times, whatever the inconveniences of Covid restrictions, a noticeably increased, surly carabinieri presence and a glitchy, restrictive online reservation system, its little less than miraculous that we were here again, amid all this loveliness and lagoon-sparkling light, which we got to completely ignore for 10 days spent in the lambent dark.

But then this year, the festivals 78th, right from the start, the darkness was full of life. Pedro Almodovars opener, Parallel Mothers, came like a comet, bursting from the screen in a blaze of unabashed melodrama so bold it practically blasted the mask clean off my face  though do not fear, had that actually happened, one of the ushers would have been on me in an instant. Mask-wearing was one of the most assiduously policed protocols; even mid-row offenders were publicly shamed by being immediately targeted with a red laser pointer, which must have felt like being in the sights of a sniper.
In addition to the three 911 calls, the authorities received at least one other report regarding the family.

A person briefed on the case, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential details, said that on July 14, city social workers and a special victims detective were assigned to investigate a report from the states child abuse hotline that Legacys older brother was being sexually abused. The police investigation was later closed, but no children were examined or interviewed, the person said.

It is unclear why the police closed the case, or how the citys child welfare agency handled any of the calls. On Sunday, the Police Department did not respond to a question about the July 14 call, and the Administration for Childrens Services said it was forbidden by law from discussing the familys history.

Mr. Gordon had a criminal record that included at least five arrests, including on charges of robbery in 2019 and assault in 2018, according to the police.

In a second case in recent days where a young boy was killed, neighbors and family members also cast suspicion on a mothers partner.

On Sunday, officers patrolling the Gowanus Houses in Brooklyn were flagged down to help a 4-year-old boy, Jaycee Eubanks, who was unconscious. The officers tried to revive him as they waited for an ambulance, but they were unsuccessful, and Jaycee later died at the hospital, according to the police.

While the police were in the building, they encountered neighbors who said Jaycees 6-year-old brother had told them that his 27-year-old stepfather had attacked him and his younger brother, according to the police.
One of my favorite aunts was desperately poor, like many people I knew in rural north Louisiana. I dont know how much money she had or made. I only know the shadow of need that stalked her. She seemed, like many members of my family, one paycheck or severe injury away from insolvency.

She had been a fixture in my life since I was born. Sweet as pie, as we say in the South. A too-good woman whose generosity others  including her own family  took advantage of.

I visited her once when my children were young. Her house was old and teetering, in need of painting, surrounded on three sides by an unkept yard of chest-high weeds.

Dogs that looked half-starved roamed freely in the yard.

It is hard to describe this kind of poverty. The house was incredibly dark, with a wide center hallway that ran from front to back. In the dim light, I could tell that the walls were made of horizontal wood planks. Some remnants of old wallpaper still clung to them in spots, but I couldnt make out if they had ever been painted.


To the Editor:

Re We Need More National Parks, by Kyle Paoletta (Opinion guest essay, Sunday Review, Aug. 29):

Mr. Paoletta is correct about Americas need for new national parks, and there are many spectacular landscapes and important cultural locations that deserve the highest designation in the National Park System. Yet there is no substitute for witnessing the vastness of the Grand Canyon or the eruption of Yellowstones Old Faithful, regardless of other worthy nearby destinations.

Americans love for parks contributes to their overcrowding. And Congresss failure to adequately fund parks contributes to time that visitors waste in traffic, circling for parking, or shuffling through crowded trails and visitor centers. Investments in staffing, transportation and maintenance can all help reduce these issues.

We welcome new national parks. We also realize they often take decades to establish and are unlikely to lessen the appeal of Arches, Great Smokies and other world-famous parks. To truly protect these places requires Congress to do a better job of ensuring their funding increases in line with their popularity.

Kristen Brengel

Washington

The writer is senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association.
He pressed the point: Im saying, there are all these shows on television, and we made the one that was about Black characters and written for a Black audience. And now, its like were walking away from that.

Image Credit... Paul Schiraldi/HBO

To Mike, at that moment, we were the white custodians of a rare majority-Black drama in the majority-white world of American television, and we might well be walking away from that unique responsibility.

He was asking a big question. To answer, I had to pause and regroup, and reach for an honest answer  the one less likely to please a hungry actor. I told him that we had never imagined The Wire as a Black drama, or even as a drama with race as its central theme. We were writing about how power and money are routed in an American city, and being from Baltimore, a majority Black metropolis, we had simply depicted our hometown.

And a bigger truth, I argued, is that if we dont now expand the shows field of vision beyond what happens on the streets of West Baltimore, then we stay a cops-and-robbers drama, a police procedural. But if we build the rest of the city  its fragile working class, its political world, its schools, its media culture  then we get a chance to say something more.

We want to have a bigger argument about what has gone wrong. Not just in Baltimore, but elsewhere, too.

Mike thought about this for a long moment. Waiting for him, I still worried it would come down to his characters work. He had done marvelous things with Omar  his smile and the cavernous barrel of a high-powered handgun were the closing moments of the first season  and he was maybe one more good story arc from elevating his character into a star turn. With the leverage he had already acquired, Mike could have sat there and insisted on the writers gilding his every narrative arc.

Instead, he stood up, curled the early season two scripts in his hand, nodded, and asked one last question:

So what is this stuff at the port about? What are we going to say?

Its about the death of work, I told him. When legitimate work itself dies in an American city, I argued, and the last factory standing is the drug corners, then everyone goes to a corner.
A friend of mine was publicly canceled. He deserved it and he knew it. He spent a year working with a rabbi and a therapist, during which time he tried to track down those he had hurt and apologize to them, often more than once. We cant see inside one anothers hearts, but I believe in the sincerity of his change.

What I sometimes wonder  both in my role as a rabbi myself and as a denizen of our broader culture of accountability  is how my friend, or any one of us, can find a path back from shame to acceptance.

To answer the question, I turn to my religious tradition, which is predicated on the perhaps unfashionable belief that people can change. Its a tenet that is especially on my mind as we approach Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on which Jews fast, pray and ask forgiveness of one another and of God. Not everyone observes this holiday, of course. But in its practices, I believe there is wisdom that can help all of us navigate the sometimes unforgiving nature of our contemporary culture.

There will always be things we cannot fully forgive and people who do not deserve to be restored to good reputation. And forgiving someone does not necessarily mean readmitting that person to your life. In most cases, however, Jewish teachings insist that fair judgment does not require damnation. Judaism, like many other world religions, maintains that human beings are capable of transformation. For example, one of the figures of the Talmud, Resh Lakish, began as a bandit and became one of the greatest rabbis of the age. His conversion was fueled by the belief of another rabbi, Johanan, who saw potential in him. The more we believe in judging by potential, that what people do is not the sum of who they can be, the more likely we are to create a society that can help people move past shame.
In a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court last year, James King, a college student walking to work in Grand Rapids, Mich., was mistaken for a suspect by two plainclothes members of a fugitive task force  one federal, one local  who beat him so savagely that bystanders called 911. The government contends that he should not be able to sue either officer.

A few exceptions to this broad immunity have been allowed, under a 1971 Supreme Court case in which federal narcotics officers searched a mans house, arrested him in front of his family and subjected him to a strip search, all without a warrant. The court said the man, Webster Bivens, could seek damages for Fourth Amendment violations even if Congress had not specifically authorized such lawsuits.

But in recent years the court, now more conservative, has distanced itself from the Bivens decision, emboldening some lower courts to interpret it so narrowly that would-be plaintiffs now have virtually no recourse  a situation that lawyers for Ms. Mohamud are trying to address in her latest appeal.

The reductio ad absurdum here is all the defendants in our cases could have intentionally, on camera, shot and killed these people and laughed while they did it, and the courts are saying, Well, sorry, its really a policy decision for Congress; we cant let you sue them, said Patrick Jaicomo, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice, a public-interest law firm that is representing Ms. Mohamud and others with similar cases.

Some people with complaints against law enforcement have been told they cannot sue because the circumstances did not precisely replicate what happened to Mr. Bivens.

When Jose Oliva, a 70-year-old Vietnam veteran, was choked and assaulted at the entrance to a Veterans Affairs hospital, for example, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit barred his claim in part because the federal officers involved had not handcuffed or strip-searched him in front of his family.
The results of the California recall election wont be known until Tuesday night. But some Republicans are already predicting victory for the Democrat, Gov. Gavin Newsom, for a reason that should sound familiar.

Voter fraud.

Soon after the recall race was announced in early July, the embers of 2020 election denialism ignited into new false claims on right-wing news sites and social media channels. This vote, too, would supposedly be stolen, with malfeasance ranging from deceptively designed ballots to nefariousness by corrupt postal workers.

As a wave of recent polling indicated that Mr. Newsom was likely to brush off his Republican challengers, the baseless allegations accelerated. Larry Elder, a leading Republican candidate, said he was concerned about election fraud. The Fox News commentators Tomi Lahren and Tucker Carlson suggested that wrongdoing was the only way Mr. Newsom could win. And former President Donald J. Trump predicted that it would be a rigged election.

This swift embrace of false allegations of cheating in the California recall reflects a growing instinct on the right to argue that any lost election, or any ongoing race that might result in defeat, must be marred by fraud. The relentless falsehoods spread by Mr. Trump and his allies about the 2020 election have only fueled such fears.
Last month, he got his chance. With its ideological balance recast by President Donald J. Trump, the court refrained from blocking a new law in Texas that all but bans abortion  a potential turning point in the long-running fight over the procedure. And it was the deeply religious Mr. Mitchell, a relative unknown outside of Texas in the anti-abortion movement and the conservative legal establishment, who was the conceptual force behind the legislation.

The courts decision did not address the laws constitutionality, and the legislation will no doubt face more substantive challenges. But already, the audacious legislative structure that Mr. Mitchell had conceived of  built around deputizing ordinary citizens to enforce it rather than the state  has flummoxed lower courts and sent the Biden administration and other supporters of abortion rights scrambling for some way to stop it.

Jonathan could have given up, but instead it galvanized him and directly led to the more radical concepts we see in the new Texas law, said Adam Mortara, a conservative legal activist who is one of Mr. Mitchells closest friends.

Mr. Mitchell represents a new iteration of the anti-abortion campaign. Instead of focusing on stacking the courts with anti-abortion judges, trying to change public opinion or pass largely symbolic bills in state legislatures, Mr. Mitchell has spent the last seven years honing a largely below-the-radar strategy of writing laws deliberately devised to make it much more difficult for the judicial system  particularly the Supreme Court  to thwart them, according to interviews.

How he pulled it off is a story that brings to life the persistence of the anti-abortion movement and its willingness to embrace unconventional approaches based more on process than moral principle.
Experts in public health law agree that Mr. Biden is on solid legal footing, because his actions are grounded in federal workplace safety laws. They say Republican governors who insist that vaccine mandates are an intrusion on personal liberty need a refresher on their own state policies.

That is pure hypocrisy, Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said of Mr. Reevess remarks. Even religious exemptions are swept away in the state of Mississippi, so how can he say that an order that a president makes to keep workers safe, with authorization by Congress, is an overreach or in any way unconstitutional?

A spokeswoman for Mr. Reeves, Bailey Martin, rejected Mr. Gostins assertion. The only people being hypocritical are President Biden and his administration, who for months have said they would not mandate the vaccine, she said in an email, adding that Mr. Reeves would use every tool at his disposal to block the mandates.

Republican suspicion of vaccines was building before the pandemic; when Donald J. Trump was running for president in 2016, he rejected established science by raising the debunked claims that vaccines cause autism. Now, some of the governors argue that given the countrys outsize divisions, and widespread suspicion of Washington, federal intervention would be counterproductive. It would be best, they say, to let state officials continue making the case that the vaccines are safe and effective, and to allow people to make decisions themselves.

Im trying to overcome resistance, but the presidents actions in a mandate hardens the resistance, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Republican of Arkansas, said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. School mandates, he said, have always come at the state level, never at the national level. And so this is an unprecedented assumption of federal mandate authority that really disrupts and divides the country.

Dr. Jha said Mr. Biden had in fact done Republicans a favor.

What the president does is he creates political cover for Republican leaders, who will scream loudly because its politically expedient, he said. But I think many of them are actually feeling relieved, because now they dont have to do the hard work of convincing their constituents.

Indeed, when the highly infectious Delta variant began ripping through their communities and overwhelming their hospitals, many elected Republicans  notably Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader  started pleading with people to get vaccinated. Most of the Republican governors criticizing Mr. Biden have said much the same.
No evidence ever emerged that failures by airport officials contributed to the attacks: At the time, box cutters, the weapons the terrorists used, were legal to carry on planes, and airlines, not airports, handled security checkpoints. But in the intensity of that moment, that did not matter. Joseph Lawless, the airports director of security, who had formerly worked as a driver to a Massachusetts governor, was transferred two and a half weeks after the attacks. A month after that, Ms. Buckingham resigned under pressure.

Eventually, journalists moved on. But Ms. Buckingham could not. Twenty years later, she remains pained by her treatment those six weeks, something she described in a new memoir, On My Watch. At 36, her career in politics was finished. Though she had lost her job, her role as the head of the agency drew her into wrongful death lawsuits that continued for a decade. She sought treatment for depression and PTSD.

And for years, she heard from strangers who blamed her for the attacks. So, when are you going to apologize for 9/11? asked a man who called her desk years later. When are you going to apologize so this city can move on? Her thoughts became so tangled that she began to ask herself whether it really was her fault.

Mr. Lawless said he would not comment for this article, out of respect for the victims.

This aint bean bag

It is impossible to understand this story outside the context of Massachusetts politics, which is famously rough-and-tumble.

On the morning when two Boston planes destroyed the World Trade Center, the acting governor of Massachusetts was Jane Swift, 36, who had been elevated to the position when Paul Cellucci was made ambassador to Canada. Asked to recall this period, Ms. Swift recalled an old aphorism about politics: This aint bean bag, a standard response to those wounded by negative campaigning. It means, basically, stop complaining.

Ms. Swift, a Republican, was a punching bag for the news media, among other reasons for asking aides to babysit and using a state helicopter to get home to western Massachusetts. She was always alert to where the next roundhouse blow might be coming from. It was a dirty little secret, for example, that the fastest land route to Boston required a brief detour over New York roads.

I used to say to my state troopers, If you crash and I die, you drag my dead carcass over the line, because were all in so much trouble, she said.
A mandatory evacuation notice blared from Joyce Lindahls phone one day in July as the Dixie fire bore down on her home in Northern California. But her biggest concern was an hour away.

Chuck Lindahl, her brother-in-law, is paralyzed from the neck down, and his professional caregivers live in places where residents had already been ordered to evacuate. If his family also had to leave the area, he would be left alone. Without caregivers, Im out of luck, he said.

Plumas County had a plan for Mr. Lindahl in case of fire, but his home wasnt in the mandatory evacuation zone yet  and officials needed to focus their limited personnel and rescue equipment elsewhere, the countys Office of Emergency Services said.

So Ms. Lindahl and her family scrambled to figure out how to safely evacuate her brother-in-law and shelter him on their own.
The cavernous General Assembly hall of the United Nations will have far fewer vacant seats. Corridors of the organizations iconic Manhattan headquarters, eerily silent for months, will echo with more voices and footsteps. Motorcades will whisk in dozens of world leaders to deliver speeches in person.

The annual General Assembly, the diplomatic mega-event that was held almost entirely virtually last year because of the pandemic, will be far more physical when it convenes on Tuesday for two weeks.

Although strict pandemic rules will be enforced, including mandatory mask-wearing for all participants, required vaccinations for headquarters staff and severely limited access to its 16-acre campus, the United Nations is aiming for at least a partial restoration of the person-to-person diplomacy that its leaders regard as critical for the organizations ability to function.

The outgoing annual president of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, a Turkish statesman, told reporters in his farewell news conference last week that at least 83 leaders were planning to attend this years event, albeit with slimmed-down entourages compared with prepandemic years. (Mr. Bozkir will be succeeded by Abdulla Shahid, foreign minister of the Maldives.)
The biggest problem for Laschet is that he has not been able to convince voters that he can do the job like Merkel, said Julia Reuschenbach, a political scientist at the University of Bonn.

She cited images of him laughing as the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, made a somber speech after devastating flash floods that killed 180 people, and posing before a mound of trash to make a statement of his own. He comes across as uncertain, flippant and unprofessional, Ms. Reuschenbach said.

In recent weeks, Mr. Laschet has seen his individual popularity drop below that of his Social Democratic rival, Olaf Scholz, while support for Mr. Laschets party has been in a free fall since late July.

The situation is so dire that Ms. Merkel, who had said she wanted to stay out of the race, is now intervening and trying to rally voters for Mr. Laschet.

Lets be honest: It is tight. It will be very tight in the coming weeks, Markus Soder, the head of the conservatives Bavarian branch, the Christian Social Union, and an erstwhile rival, said at an election rally on Aug. 20 that was meant to propel Mr. Laschets campaign into a final, intense stretch. It is no longer a question of how we could govern, but possibly of whether.

Mr. Soder openly challenged Mr. Laschet this year for the chance to succeed the chancellor, and he still enjoys a higher individual popularity rating among Germans than Mr. Laschets.

Germans elect parties, not a chancellor candidate. But over the course of Ms. Merkels four terms in office, her party has enjoyed the so-called chancellor bonus, meaning the willingness of voters to effectively cast a ballot for consistency.
Appearing strong after having about 13 inches of his colon removed in early July, Francis, 84, spoke about how religious sentiment, with which Mr. Orban imbues much of his political talk, not only invites us to be well rooted, it also raises and extends its arms towards everyone. He said that while it was important to keep the roots firm, it was also important to do so without defensiveness.

Francis also seemed to warn against the conflating of religion and politics.

There is Gods side and the worlds side, he said. The difference is not between who is religious or not, but ultimately between the true God and the god of self. How distant is the God who quietly reigns on the cross from the false god that we want to reign with power in order to silence our enemies.

On the early plane ride to Budapest from Rome, Francis told reporters that he was happy to be traveling again, as the coronavirus pandemic and his own health challenges had kept him in the Vatican. If Im alive, its because bad weeds never die, he joked. In Budapest, he rode in the so-called popemobile along avenues crowded with faithful waving flags. Hardly anyone on the streets, or in the square, or in the citys bars or restaurants, for that matter, wore masks, and they all crammed closely together.

But Francis took breaks when he could. When, after his meeting with Mr. Orban, he met with Christian and Jewish leaders, he explained that he had to deliver his speech while sitting because Im not 15 anymore.
Israel is one of the worlds most vaccinated countries, but its coronavirus caseload recently spiked to a pandemic high, according to the Our World in Data Project at Oxford University. Cases have dropped sharply over the past 10 days, which officials attribute to their rollout of booster shots to about a third of the population of nine million. Still, deaths have risen to about 42 percent of the countrys highest toll, which was reached in late January.

Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, a senior official in Israels Ministry of Health, told public radio that there were at least 1,500 verified cases among the more than 17,000 pilgrims who returned to from Ukraine on Thursday and Friday. The Ministry of Public Security said on Sunday that at least 154 of the recent arrivals had been summoned by the police for questioning after the end of their 10-day period of home quarantine.

Magen David Adom, Israels ambulance service, had set up two sites in Ukraine in cooperation with the Ukrainian Red Cross to offer rapid molecular tests for the returnees, one at the airport in the capital, Kyiv, and one near the rabbis tomb in Uman,. Negative results would allow them to board flights home.

The problem, Dr. Alroy-Preis said, was that some who tested positive at the sites hid their results, and acquired fraudulent negative PCR test results elsewhere. Some of those travelers, she said, canceled their direct flights back to Israel, aware that Magen David Adom would have passed their names on to the airlines. Instead, they arrived in Israel via connecting flights.

But the names of all those who had tested positive at the two sites in Ukraine were also known to Israels immigration authorities, enabling those travelers to be identified on arrival. Israel in any case does not rely on tests carried out abroad and anybody landing in Israel is tested before leaving the airport.
New York City OK McCausland Austin, Texas Eli Durst Amherst, Mass. Holly Lynton New York City Justin J Wee Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka Waco, Texas Eli Durst

Last month, after a nearly two year hiatus, Anna Wintour and her co-hosts once again sent out invitations to the Met Gala, fashions equivalent of the Oscars.

The invitations to the annual $35,000-a-ticket event announce a dress code that doubles as a theme based on a corresponding exhibit from the Mets Costume Institute  usually a cryptic phrase that allows leeway for the A-list and their designers to improvise and riff.

Past events have been given titles like: Heavenly Bodies, Fashion and the Catholic Imagination (2018), at which Rihanna wore a John Galliano pope outfit, and Punk: Chaos to Couture (2013), where Sienna Miller threw a studded Burberry leather jacket over a gown. This year the theme for the Sept. 13 gala is: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.

As counterprogramming to this years Met Gala, the Styles section of The New York Times sent out 10 photographers to capture everyday Americans, searching out patterns and links between disparate styles. The editors asked me  a novelist, not a fashion expert  to write an accompanying text on what I see in the images.

My initial inclination was to turn down the assignment. Who am I to opine on the clothing of a few dozen strangers and claim them representative of a country of 330 million? But the photos themselves seduced me. As did the precedent they brought to mind.

Beginning in 1935, the Farm Security Administration sent out some of the most famous photographers of the day  Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Jack Delano and Gordon Parks among them  to document everyday people and introduce America to Americans. That first F.S.A. project began as America struggled to climb out of the Depression, and while this is a far more modest endeavor, these Times photographers have captured Americans as they struggle to climb out of the pandemic.

New York City OK McCausland Austin, Texas Eli Durst Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka I dont try to impress anyone but myself. Im 56 years old, and I feel hot, sexy and happy. Jazzaniah Telaferro Miami Rose Marie Cromwell New York City OK McCausland Avon, Mont. Holly Lynton Los Angeles Michael Tyrone Delaney Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka Clothes can be gender affirming for me. I feel like [my style] is a dad on vacation, both for its gender aspect and I like looking older. Jess Mahmoud Austin, Texas Eli Durst Miami Rose Marie Cromwell New York City OK McCausland New York City OK McCausland Athens, Ga. Irina Rozovsky

I think of the fashion of previous eras as being marked by certain fads that crossed demographics and subcultures. In the 1970s, one was as likely to find bell-bottoms on white people as Black people; in the 90s, baggy jeans were the norm across many groups.

But, in these photos, I dont find clear clothing trends from one image to the next. The most ubiquitous silhouette of the millennium thus far  skinny jeans  fails to make a single appearance. On the surface, the fashion consensus is no consensus.

Where are the iconic American brands? No Ralph Lauren horsemen. No Levi Strauss logos. Perhaps one or two Nike swooshes. When the luxury brand Louis Vuitton shows up, its casually paired with a can of Modelo beer. Were it not for late-model cars and the occasional cellphone, I wouldnt quite be convinced that these images were all taken in the same decade, much less the same season.

The question of what these Americans are wearing seems to lead only into dissonance. But as I stared at these photos, the question of how these Americans are dressing began to strike me as more pertinent.

Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka Im the type of guy who wears whatever feels right. I slowly collect clothes, and I hold on to them for a long time. Craig Baker New York City OK McCausland New York City Justin J Wee New York City OK McCausland Miami Rose Marie Cromwell Miami Rose Marie Cromwell New York City OK McCausland Athens, Ga. Irina Rozovsky Its about functionality. If you cant function, you cant relax. Luke McDonald New York City Justin J Wee New York City Justin J Wee Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka I dress for me, to be comfortable and what makes me happy. Nura Abdulahi

When I discussed this with Avery Trufelman, host of the fashion podcast Articles of Interest, she told me about an encounter she had with a fashion designer who refused to take off his suede jacket.

An outfit, he explained, is a sentence. Each piece in the outfit is a word that follows a grammar to add up to a meaning. To remove the jacket from his look would be like removing the verb; it would destroy the grammar, and worse, the meaning. So rather than looking at the people in these photos and asking what they are wearing, I began to ask myself, how they have selected certain items of clothing, as one selects ones words, and then arranged them, as one arranges syntax, into meaning.

What those of us raised on social media choose to say varies across politics, cultures and regions, but how we say it has become more and more similar, driven by the homogenizing pressure of clicks and engagement. We speak in pith, in memes, in outrage. We speak in references and in pastiche. We avoid cringe. We pine for any era other than this one. We value authenticity and the casual ease of the viral. We know that trying too hard is suspect.

Pioneer Valley, Mass. Holly Lynton New York City OK McCausland New York City Justin J Wee Glyndon, Minn. Holly Lynton Athens, Ga. Irina Rozovsky I feel sexy and elegant in this, casual but flamboyant. Amy Wakeelah (left)

Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka Boston Irina Rozovsky New York City Justin J Wee New York City Simbarashe Cha New York City OK McCausland New York City OK McCausland Miami Rose Marie Cromwell

The sentences and syntax of online social media have colonized the sentences and syntax of fashion. The outfits in these photos seem to speak in the same syntax as social media: a syntax of reference  to eras, to fashion icons, to regions  that is used in simple sentences. Subject/verb/object. Shirt/pants/shoes.

Their phrasing favors the generically legible. There is little in the way of fashion arcana, no obscure designers or complicated French seams that only a couturier could admire. These outfits are recognizable in the seven seconds it may take a casual passer-by to peruse a TikTok. This is cowboy. This is punk. This is prep. This is queer.

In order to speak, via clothing, in the syntax of social media  in which words, phrases and concepts have a life cycle of a mere few weeks  Americans have come to rely on access to a huge, and ever-evolving, lexicon, rife with neologisms. In other words, the clothing equivalent of online lexicon is fast fashion. Just as we deploy online phrases and memes that may have a shelf life of less than a month, so too in our clothing do we lean on lexicons that may have cachet for only a few weeks, not even a season.

Or we may pull from lexicon only as much as is needed to assemble a pastiche. No need to dress exactly as they did in the 70s: tailored tightly, in unforgiving fabrics. One can simply gesture in that direction with a few items bought from a fast-fashion retailer and worn in one of two sizes  slightly too big or stretchy. The majority of photos in this collection speak in this syntax.

Revere, Mass. Irina Rozovsky Waco, Texas Eli Durst The dress that you see is not special, its just everyday clothes. I wear boots and Levis every day. Jim Saunders (left) Portland, Ore. Ricardo Nagaoka I feel like clothing is something that Ive been struggling with. Ill leave the house and question if I look queer enough. Morissa Dahl New York City OK McCausland Los Angeles Jake Michaels Athens, Ga. Irina Rozovsky Los Angeles Jake Michaels New York City Justin J Wee Los Angeles Jake Michaels Austin, Texas Eli Durst Los Angeles Michael Tyrone Delaney

A part of me wants to lament this turn away from longevity and durability, but thats like lamenting the internet. This is the age we live in  for better or for worse. And when I spend enough time with these photos, I find myself becoming grateful. I find myself delighted by how fully the longstanding American art of vibes has come to fruition through our current method and fashion lexicon.

Look at the photo of the two older cowboys facing each other: vignetted in a masculine intimacy, nearly identical in their clothing, the poignancy of the closer, gruff-seeming cowboy atop a horse with a tenderly braided mane  vibes! The two women caught in a similar moment on the beach, in near-matching clothing, one standing between the others legs? Vibes! The diptych of deeply tanned shirtless men, in their heavy jewelry, creating a before and after from north to south. The group of laughing teenagers hanging out of a truck to smoke, no one looking another in the eye, paired with the two women zipping up a purse, their gazes steadily downward as a man grins from the drivers seat of an S.U.V. The woman at the beach, one arm up to let her scarf stream in the wind, the other holding a snack folded into a paper plate.

In any language, grammar and syntax and lexicon ultimately all combine for one purpose: to communicate meaning. I find myself impressed by how casually but precisely and fluently they communicate a vibe that I would call American Fashion.

It is cruising on a skateboard to the imagined virtual applause of millions. It is cars and horses and beverages as accessories. It is eating on the go. It is a sense of space. It is twinning with like-minded people. It is having ones choice of eras within which to find affinity. It is a certain ease, a casualness. It is not chic. It is not constrained. It flows.
One daring fly-by-night pigeon ended up a long way from home last week.

The racing pigeon who was lost in Cork ended up being rescued in Tullamore before eventually being returned to his owner in Dublin a few days later.

Thankfully for the tired bird, a kind-hearted Tullamore woman spotted him while out on a cycle and put him in her rucksack and brought him home to recuperate.

Samantha Westman posted the remarkable story on her social media account.

"I'm delighted I stopped to see if he was ok and put him in my bag to look after him. I gave him fresh water every day and wild bird seed," she said.

The feathered adventurer was in Cork for a show with his owner and was one of 30 birds that became lost.

Samantha said the bird wouldn't have been able to make it all the way back to Dublin from Cork and was worn out. The bird would have been easy prey for cats or dogs in its tired state, so Samantha's intervention was vital.

And it was quite straight forward how she tracked down the owner and helped him reunite with his bird.

"All I had to do was Google find owner of pigeon and type in what was on the pigeon's tag. Then add my name and phone number and then the owner contacted me," she said.

"My little feathered friend is gone home. His owner came to collect him. He lives in Dublin but was at a show in Cork when he lost 30 of his birds," she said.
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The Empire web series is an Indian version of Ertugrul Gazi, glorifying the Mughal conquerors as nation builders

In recent years, the Indian film industry has undergone a nationalist transformation. It is a complete 180-degree shift from the usual Bollywood decoration of invaders, fake emperors, mafia-underworld dons like Jodha-Akbar, Tipu Sultan, films on Daud, Hazi Mastan, Lateef, etc. to the unsung heroes of our glorious past with the likes of Baahubali, Kesari, Tanhaji, Rani Lakshibai. The new generation of filmmakers, writers, and performers are well-versed in and awakened to the warped truths offered to the youth. They are committed to demonstrating the countrys actual history.

This has not gone well with the mafia controlling Bollywoods nerves for the past five decades. The transition to OTT platforms has given them carte blanche to attack, denigrate culture, and smear the greats of this country. Weve seen a lot of web series that show our Gods and culture in a terrible light. This is due to forces at work behind the scenes. This type of content is being produced with monies from across borders to slander Bharatiya culture and divert the new generation away from its essential foundations.

We were introduced to a Turkish online series called Ertugrul Ghazi during the previous lockdown. He has been described as a cult figure of brevity and devotion to his Deen. The web series went viral around the world, and Ghazi became a new heartthrob. While Ertugrul was a 13th-century invader who belonged to the Kayi tribe who invaded and killed thousands of people in the name of Islam, capturing various regions in Allahs name. Suleyman Shah, an Oghuz, was his father. Osman, Ertugruls son, rose to the throne in 1299 and formed the Ottoman Empire. At its peak, the barbaric regime spanned most of south-eastern Europe, including present-day Hungary, the Balkan region, Greece, and parts of Ukraine; portions of the West Asia occupied by Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Egypt; North Africa as far west as Algeria; and large swaths of the Arabian Peninsula.

Ertugrul Ghazi was as ruthless as Taimur Lung, Ghori, and Mahmud of Ghazni, whose strength, belief, loyalty, and strong Islamic belief enabled him to move forward with one goal in mind: to fight non-Muslims and establish an Islamic caliphate over the world.

Barbaric Ertugruls character is portrayed as an embodiment of morality, courage, sincerity, loyalty, and spirituality in the series. This play depicts the whole change of a brutal invader who used the force of the sword to convert thousands of people to Islam into bravery, courage, faith, dignity, and honour. Though he was a soldier of Islam who was harsh against non-Muslims, he was depicted as a messiah who showed pity to the needy and dealt fairly with non-Muslims to change his image and portray him as the worlds saviour. Ertugrul Ghazi rallied Muslims against the Crusaders/Templars and Mongols, conquering half of the globe and converting them to Islam.

It was a despicable attempt to change Islams image and gain sympathy for Muslims. And another big message to the world Muslims is that we are from such a fierce race, so dont get deterred by the Islamophobia going around; its kind of a booster dose for them and a message to world not to mess with Muslims.

The achievement of Ertugrul Ghazi galvanised the Jihad machinery in India as well. Various web series have attempted to demonise Hindutva to generate such an image makeover and gain sympathy in the last few years. The The Mughal Gave Greatness to India campaign began in academia, the intellectual community, the media, and political organisations. Invaders, looters, and rapists, Islamic ethnic groups are being glorified in a concerted effort. It is speculated that they brought art, music, poetry, culture, cuisine, and architecture to India, and as a result, we became a country. The basic fact about Islam is that it is opposed to music, food and poetry: how could a community that fights a daily battle for food have culinary skills? Imagine a palace like the one depicted in the web series Empire in Afghanistan today. We still have magnificent palaces, monuments, and mandirs, but where have all of the great palaces gone? The basic issue is that Muslims from Wahabi and Deobandi schools do not recognise the Sufis as Muslims because of their dance and poetry. We can imagine the kind of fake history that has been taught to us for decades!

The Empire web series is an Indian version of Ertugrul Ghazi, glorifying the Mughal conquerors. Babur was shown as a descendent of Genghis Khan, whereas Genghis was a Mongol, not a Muslim, and he conquered Muslims across Eurasia several times, making Muslims fearful of him. The Muslims who were affected by his bravery stole the Khan surname from him. While the series depicts Babur granting combat privileges to her sister, it is solely intended to improve the image of Muslims respecting women. In contrast, the Quran says: women are made for your enjoyment; use them as per wish. Her grandmother is seen dictating decisions to his father, a Qabeelas Sardar but depicted as an Emperor. This indoctrination is done to affect the youth by depicting the looters in the series through heroism. Imagine if Bharat was ruled by a Qabeela Sardar who was unable to free his people from the slavery of Uzbek invaders.

It is speculated that the Mughal brought art, music, poetry, culture, cuisine, and architecture to India, and as a result, we became a country. The basic fact about Islam is that it is opposed to music, food and poetry: how could a community that fights a daily battle for food have culinary skills?

The truth is that Mughals were neither great nor archetypal, nor did they ruled the entire Bharat; they just ruled tiny territories surrounding Delhi and Agra. The Mughals didnt have time to build palaces or monuments because they were too preoccupied with fighting Rajputs, Marathas, Bundela, and Sikh states to do so.

Imagine a palace in Kabul, Multan, or Uzbekistan similar to those in Jaipur, Udaipur, or Gwalior. The invaders were nomads who had no place to live or food to eat, and their entire lives were spent in the search for food. Attracted by the wealth of Bharat, they came here and stayed back since there was nothing else to attract them back home, and they had no choice but to return.

Imagine a tribal Qabeela Sardar and his descendants who could not protect their Qabeela from an Uzbek invader and were forced to flee. It is a misconception that the Mughals made India great; the Mughals were made great by paid historians. Bharat is great from the past immortals; it has no effect on who comes and goes, it has been thus and will remain so no matter how ferocious the onslaught is, it is a living nation, it is Bharat Mata, who cannot be defeated by the adulation of invaders, be they Mughals or other Islamic crusaders. But such glorification certainly helps Muslim youth to regain the fighting spirit in the name of Islam which is a real danger to already radicalised Muslim youth.
Guwahati: The BJP led Union government in New Delhi has expressed its willingness to open new Ayush colleges in the north-eastern region (NE) so that the traditional medicine systems of Bharat can only be popularised by making more and more qualified practitioners, said Union Ayush minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

Presently the entire region has only one Ayush college (at Jalukbari near Gauhati University) and so there is space for more such teaching colleges, commented Sonowal adding that the Centre has already enhanced financial aids from rupees 9 to 70 crores to concerned State governments for opening new Ayush colleges under the National Ayush Mission.

Addressing a conference with the theme Diverse and Fulfilling Career Paths in Ayush Systems: Education, Entrepreneurship & Employment Focus on the Northeastern States in the city on Saturday, Sonowal informed that his ministry also accorded in-principle approval for upgrading the Jalukbari Ayurvedic college as the centre of excellence with the support of rupees 10 crore.

Sonowal, in presence of Assam health minister Keshav Mahanta, also announced the starting of a Panchkarma technician course affiliated to the health sector skill council under national skill development corporation at Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Guwahati with 10 seats for 10+2 students to produce skilled manpower for Panchkarma therapy in the region and enhance the employment opportunities too.

Career opportunities in the Ayush sector for professionals of all disciplines have increased dramatically during recent years. Moreover, consequent to these efforts, faith in the Ayush ecosystem has been restored among communities worldwide, stated Sonowal adding that Ayush has a great potential to cater to a large number of healthcare needs of people and contribute to the growth and development of Bharat.

The ministry had earlier this month successfully held a landmark conference of Ayush ministers of all north-eastern States and deliberated upon the developing the infrastructure for popularizing Ayush stream in the region. Saturdays conference with around 250 participants including the officials from the concerned ministry and research institutions was the next step with experts discussing the education and career opportunities in the Ayush sector. Various presentations and lectures were given by Vaidya Jayant Yeshwant Deopujari (chairperson of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine), Prof Sanjeev Sharma (director of National Institute of Ayurveda Jaipur), Dr N Srikanth (director general of

CCRAS New Delhi), Indrani Mahto (manager of Start-up India under the promotion of industry and internal trade department), Dr Subhas Singh (director of NIH Kolkata), Dr Tarkeshwar Jain (secretary of NCH New Delhi), Dr Subhash Chaudhary (NIH Kolkata), etc.

Prof Asim Ali Khan (director general, CCRUM New Delhi), Prof Dr K Kanakavalli (director general of CCRS Chennai), Dr Padma Gurmeet (director of NRIS Leh), Dr Raghvendra Rao (director of New Delhi based central council for research in Yoga and Naturopathy), etc also spoke on the occasion, where a number of Ayush students and scholars from different parts of the region were also present.


Displaying its bias as openly as it could, the Editors Guild of India failed to condemn the Mamata Banerjee government for hounding the news website OpIndia and its Editor-in-Chief Nupur J Sharma.

Earlier too, when fourth FIR was filed by the Mamata Banerjee government, the Editors Guild had not condemned the government.

On the contrary, immediately after a visit by the Income Tax officials to the offices of NewsClick and Newslaundry, the Guild issued a statement targeting the Union government.

The Editors Guild ahs become a tool to target the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

EG is not disturbed when an editor is forced out of her hometown by a vengeful state?, posted senior journalist Mohan Sinha.

Earlier, as reported by the Organiser, the OpIndia Editor Nupur J Sharma announced on Thursday (September 9) that after the unrelenting persecution by the Mamata Banerjee government she has decided to move to Delhi from Kolkata.

After the unrelenting persecution by the Mamata Banerjee government and threats received over the past few years, I have decided to move to Delhi. Staying in West Bengal under the current regime, it is next to impossible to report the truth, read a statement issued by her.

She had added For the safety of my family and to continue to uphold Dharma as OpIndia has been doing since its inception, me leaving my home of decades became a necessity.

Remember how she was pretty happy hardly a year or two back at her daughter getting admission in her favourite school. Everything has to be redrawn and rebuilt because democracy is being saved by a maniac, CEO of OpIndia, Rahul Roshan, posted.

Many expressed their shock and anguish over the turn of events. Shocked that those who pretend to be its guardians have discarded #FreeSpeech  no condemnation, no letters, not a peep of protest. A journalist is being forced to leave her home, her state, to protect her family. Stay strong @UnSubtleDesi!, posted Vice-President of Delhi-based Think Tank Gautam Chikermane.

Continuing its process of witch-hunting, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government had filed yet another case against news portal OpIndia Editor-in-Chief Nupur Sharma and its CEO Rahul Roushan.

The copy of the new FIR was never uploaded either on West Bengal polices website or CIDs website. Nupur Sharma and Rahul Roushan got to know of the FIR when they received summons from the CID.

Later, action in this FIR was also stayed by the Supreme Court.
Bhupendra Patel, the man known for his gentle personality and a protege of former chief minister Anandiben Patel is set to replace Vijay Rupani as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.



"Bhupendra Patel is capable. He has a very gentle personality which surely helps in this development work ahead. We believe BJP will win the upcoming elections in the state under his leadership," Rupani told media persons soon after Patel was elected as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat in BJP's Legislative Party meeting held here on Sunday.

Patel is an MLA from the Ghatlodia seat, which was previously held by Anandiben Patel, who is currently serving as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, with an additional charge of Madhya Pradesh.



Patel a first-time MLA had won his seat by a margin of 117,000 votes in 2017, the largest margin in that poll defeating Congress candidate Shashikant Patel.



He has served as chairman of the Standing Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and had also chaired the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). Patel has also served as municipal councillor in Ahmedabad.



With Assembly polls in the state scheduled to take place in 2022, BJP went with Patel, a Patidar face for the Chief Minister.



In Gujarat, the Patidars are a dominant caste with a sizeable control over the electoral votes. The community also dominates the political economy with a strong hold over education, realty and cooperative sectors.



This comes a day after Vijay Rupani submitted his resignation.



Rupani took charge as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarat's Rajkot West as MLA. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state's 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats. (ANI)




In a video that has gone viral on social media, a girl holding the Samajwadi Party flag is seen chanting har har Modi Zindabad. The girl was taking part in a bike rally organised by Samajwadi Party. Other SP workers chanting slogans in favour of Akhilesh Yadav is also heard in the background.

Netizens sharply reacted to this video and taunted Samajwadi Party. One Facebook user asked SP not to complain about faulty EVMs anymore when their own workers are chanting slogans in favour of PM Modi.

A Twitter user tweeted that this reflects the sentiments on the ground in UP and predicted a landslide victory for BJP in the upcoming assembly elections.


New Delhi: India and Australia on Saturday, Sept 11, expressed concern on the absence of "inclusiveness" of the new Taliban dispensation in Afghanistan and also on matters such as treatment of women and minorities and matters related to travel of Afghans.

"It is an evolving situation (in Afghanistan). I think it was a good exchange of notes," External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar told reporters in presence of Australian Foreign Marise Payne and two Defence Ministers Peter Dutton and Rajnath Singh.

All the four ministers held the first 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi.

During the deliberations, it was discussed that Afghanistan must not allow its soil to be used in "any manner by anybody for terrorism".

Dr Jaishankar said: "But apart from that there were issues of concern about the inclusiveness of the dispensation, concerns about treatment of women and minorities, matters related to travel of Afghans issues regarding humanitarian assistance".

Australian Foreign Minister Ms Payne said: "We do share very strong interests in ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for the breeding or the training of terrorists. That is an abiding concern".

"For Australia's part, we are also very focused on seeking safe passage for those in Afghanistan, citizens, foreign nationals, visa holders of other countries who seek to leave Afghanistan, and we have urged that they be allowed to leave safely".

Defence Minister Ranath Singh said India has "invited" Australian industry to take advantage of India's liberalized foreign direct investment policies. "We are fully committed to building a strong partnership with Australia for the security and development of the entire region," he said.

Echoing similar sentiment, Australian Defence Minister Dutton said both the countries are dedicated to making sure that peace continues in the region. ".... and then our countries can continue to thrive and prosper," he said.

During the discussions both sides emphasised the need to ensure free flow of trade, adherence to international rules and norms and sustainable economic growth in the entire region.

Dutton also said, "We both depend on free and open access to sea lanes in the Indo Pacific for our trade and economic well being".



Students' Visa:

India also urged Australia to sympathetically address the difficulties being faced by Indian students due to the travel restrictions put in place in view of the COVID-19.

Ms Payne said, there are over 60,000 Indian students now in Australia.

But, she hastened to add: "I do definitely understand the desire that those students and their families who are not able to be there have that desire they have for the on campus experience".

But she said Covid norms have to be followed. "In fact, for ministers, like Minister Dutton and I, we are required to comply with the same sort of quarantine restrictions, and health requirements as all incoming travellers as you would expect. So our approach in Australia has been based on research".

Dr Jaishankar said that the Modi government has taken up the issue of problems being faced by students due to travel restrictions not just with Australia but with other countries like the US and Canada.

He said matters concerning students gets "very high priority" with the government and thus it has take up "very, very vigorously" he issues with foreign partners.
India recorded 28,591 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative covid count to 3,32,36,921, the Union Health Ministry informed on Sunday.



Presently, there are 3,84,921 active cases in the country. In the last 24 hours, 20,487 cases of COVID-19 were reported in Kerala only.

According to the ministry, a total of 338 people succumbed to the coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 4,42,655 in the country.



As a sign of relief, India recorded 34,848 recoveries in the past 24 hours and the recovery tally has gone up to 3,24,09,345.



Currently, the overall recovery rate in the country stands at 97.51 per cent.



The daily positivity rate of the country stands at 1.87 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is 2.17 per cent.



India has substantially ramped up its COVID-19 testing capacity wherein over 54 crore tests have been conducted so far.



In the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, 73.82 crore vaccine doses have been administered to eligible beneficiaries to date. (ANI)






Guwahati: Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana Samiti Assam on Saturday (11/9/21) organised its 7th lecture as a part of its year-long lecture series under the theme Gauravmay Itihas of Bharat. Sumedha Verma Ojha, prolific writer, columnist, historian, associated with United Nations Organization as a consultant from Geneva, Switzerland delivered her speech on Hindu Queens as Temple Builders. in Bhartiya Parampara ''.

Ojha in her speech says that a small cabal of Marxists and feminists have been responsible for distorting our history writing. The Marxist Feminist framework is a conflict theory that stands against the principle of cooperation between the Purusha and the Prakriti that is the basis of the Bharatiya civilisation. The way in which we should look at the Indic civilization is through the varnashrama dharma  we need a refreshed and updated understanding of varna and ashrama. There has to be a balance between the pursuit of Dharma, Artha, Kaama, and Moksha. Indian society needs to be understood through the concept of varnashrama dharma and Purushartha.

The standard Marxist understanding has been that these were all made for men and never for women, fashioned within the term patriarchy which has been borrowed from Christian theology. Our rishis who wrote our Dharmashastras have clear proof that all the four ashramas were open to both men and women equally. We need to look back at our own Itihasa  Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas  to understand the essence of our Bharatiya culture and civilization. She elaborated it with the examples of Sulabha, Gargi, Katyayani, the dialogue between Yagnavalkya and his two wives, etc. Both Brahmacharya and Sannyasa ashramas were equally open to women.

In this context, Sumedha Verma Ojha told in detail about the education of queens in ancient times. It was essential for everyone to be trained in the 64 arts, which were a fascinating combination of almost all the things that we can think of in our normal daily life, including dancing and singing, architecture, sculpture, and Vaastu. Thus, the royal queens were able to design temples, images and sculptures. She talked about queen Shantala, a renowned artist, dancer, and administrator. The Ikshvaku Queen Shanti Siri had a temple built at Nagarjunakonda, a famous Buddhist centre. Hindu, Buddhist and Jain temples all existed together. The queens had donated to all kinds of temples, and as such, the sharp distinction between Hindu, Buddhism, and Jainism did not exist.

The Virupaksha temple (originally called the Lokeshwara temple) at Pattadakal was built by Lokamahadevi of the Chalukya dynasty, to commemorate her husbands victory. Trilokyamahadevi and Lok Mahadevi were sisters and were somewhere down the line, moved by the same desire. Hence, in most of the cases we can observe that most of the temples were constructed and designed by queens of the same family. The Chalukyas of Vengi, the Rashtrakutas, etc. were all a mix of Hindu and Jain temples. The Bhomkaras of Orissa were a very different kind of reigning family which boasted of six important queens. According to inscriptions that we have today, they contributed towards the construction of a number of temples and also gave grants to several of them. Tribhuvan Mahadevi even gave money to ordinary women to build temples for their husbands.

Madhaveshwar Dev temple in Orissa was built by Madhavdevi, the queen of Sudhakar Dev. They achieved their ideas of piousness, charity, and moksha through their provision of grants to different temples. Jain queens such as Shantaladevi whose husband Vishnuvardhan later became a Hindu, also contributed tremendously towards the building of Hindu temples. Rudramma Devi of the Kakatiya dynasty was also a very important temple builder and giver of grants for temples. She then spoke about the Pallavas of Kanchi, famous for the construction of the Narasimhavarman temple and the Kailasanatha temple. The Kailasanathar temple at Kanchipuram was built by a queen of Narasimhavarman.

She then talked about the Cholas whose queens were also great contributors to temple building. Shimviya Mahadevi renovated old temples into new ones and also built new temples. She also built new statues. Shimviya Mahadevi was instrumental in designing and making of bronze statues and bronze portraits. Queen Nangai Bhuti who married into a Chola family built the exquisite Shiv Chandrashekhar temple, which was a mixture of her own distinctive styles of temple architecture followed in her family tradition and the Chola temple architecture. At last, she talked about the Gupta queen Prabhavati Gupta who married Rudrasena of the Vakataka dynasty. With her brother Kumaragupta, they ruled almost the entire country. She mixed the two styles of architecture  the Gupta style and the Vakataka style  in the art of temple construction. The Gahadavalas of Kannauj, the Chalukyas of Gujarat, and the queens of Kashmir, also constructed several beautiful temples across different places of the country.

Dr. Subhajit Choudhury, thanked veteran scholar Mrs. Sumedha Verma Ojha for her deliberation and others including Prof. Dilip Kumar Phukan, President BISS Assam. Dr. Ankita Dutta moderated the session.




In a shocking revelation, The Daily Telegraph report has revealed that barring one all the signatories of the Lancet letter, which dismissed Wuhan lab leak theory, have links with the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology is the epicentre of this controversy as new findings have revealed that the Covid-19 virus might have leaked from the Wuhan Institute.

Celebrated medical journal, The Lancet, published an article by 27 scientists in February last year claiming the Wuhan Lab leak theory was a conspiracy theory.

This dismissal buried the Wuhan lab leak theory. Although they never explained how they reached the conclusion in about three months.

The presence of Covid-19 virus was reported in November/December 2019 and the Lancet article was published in early February 2020.



Now, there is ample evidence to suggest the virus might have leaked from the Wuhan institute.

The WHO initiated a probe into the origin of the virus but China did not cooperate. As a result, the probe remained inconclusive.

Peter Daszaks organization, the US-based EcoHealth Alliance, funnelled $3.4 million in grants from the National Institute of Health to the Wuhan Institute of Virology to study bat coronaviruses between 2014 and 2019.

Peter Daszak was one of the prominent signatories of the Lancet article.

Although The Lancet later published an addendum about the link of Peter Daszak with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, it has not yet published any clarification regarding the link of other authors of the article.
India is standing at the intersection of the new Cold War regions  the Indo-Pacific and Eurasia. Its geostrategic interests are tied to both regions. It needs to tread cautiously in the evolving geopolitical conflagration to ensure that while upholding its security interests, it will also hold on to its commitment to strategic autonomy

The fall of Panjshir after the Pakistan Armys midnight operation with choppers and drones marks a sad turn in the resistance movement in Afghanistan. In the absence of any material or moral support from world powers, the Panjshiri resistance forces could not hold on to their capital. Still, they vowed to continue their fight against the Taliban. The country is technically now under the full control of the proxy of Pakistan.

Talibans rise is going to vitiate the atmosphere in Indias neighbourhood once again. India had tasted the bitter pill in 1996-2001. It is better equipped today to take on any Taliban challenge to its security.

But it would be a mistake to treat the United States (US) withdrawal and the swift rise of the Taliban as a localised development. It has far-reaching consequences to global security and indicates an emerging new geopolitical dynamic in the world.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Afghanistan provided the first opportunity for the US to penetrate the erstwhile Soviet neighbourhood. It ended the Taliban regime in Kabul and Kandahar. It forced Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaida to run for their lives and positioned itself firmly in Central and South Asia. From Tashkent to Bishkek to Islamabad, the regional powers were forced to back President Bush in his War on Terror. Besides its Kuwait War vintage bases in Saudi and Qatar, the US military had established central installations in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan and operated freely from those bases.

Even the Russian and Chinese leadership had to acknowledge American power in the region. Just two years into office, Vladimir Putin rushed to Texas in November 2001 to meet President Bush at his ranch and extend his support to the US in its Afghanistan campaign. In his new but short-lived avatar as a democrat, Putin was less concerned about the geostrategic influence it would provide to the US in his backyard and more concerned about restoring Russia as an important global player and interlocuter. The Chinese, too, saw an opportunity in it. They extended support to the US in return for the State Department placing Uighur groups like the East Turkestan Islamic Movement under blacklist. The Chinese had even secured access to Guantanamo Bay to interrogate some Uighur prisoners captured in Afghanistan.

As the global power axis started shifting away from the Pacific-Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific, the US influence also seemed to be moving along with it. Eventually, in twenty years, the power axis has firmly shifted to the Indo-Pacific and the US influence too along with it. The US has emerged as a dominant force in the Indo-Pacific and mobilises its friends from East Asia, Western Europe and the Pacific to strengthen its position there. But the advantage that it had secured in West, Central and South Asia in the wake of its campaign in Afghanistan was what it had forfeited by the hasty and clumsy withdrawal.

A new power dynamic is evolving in the region. Russia and China are quickly filling up the vacuum created by the American withdrawal. A 21st-century cold war is taking shape.

A new power dynamic is evolving in the region. Russia and China are quickly filling up the vacuum created by the American withdrawal. A 21st-century cold war is taking shape

Americas War on Terror, which forced countries like Russia and China also on the backfoot, had faced its first setback in 2003 when President Bush rashly ordered his forces into Iraq to dismantle Saddam Hussains regime. It was a disastrous war that had not only brought home thousands of body bags of American soldiers buttons of ignominy. Al-Qaeda was a near dead entity by the end of 2003. Laden was not even able to communicate with his colleagues for more than two years. So was the Taliban leadership, hiding in the rough terrain of Afghanistans South or the rogue borderlands of Pakistans North-West. But the war and debacle of the US forces in Iraq had altered their fortunes and provided a fresh lease of life to both. The War on Terror was never the same again.

Barack Obama came to power in 2009, promising his countrymen to end the war. But when senior army official General Stanley A McChrystal was sent to Afghanistan to assess the situation, his submitted report was just the opposite. General McChrystal had recommended infusing another 80,000 to 1,00,000 US soldiers into Afghanistan to annihilate the Taliban and Al Qaeda threat. Unfortunately, for the Democrats in the White House, there was no appetite for war anymore. The first deadline was set for withdrawal in 2011. It took ten more years and two more presidents to execute the withdrawal finally. Incidentally, the one who argued against sending more forces to Afghanistan and compelled Obama to declare the withdrawal date was none other than his Vice President Joe Biden.

The decade between Biden the vice-president and Biden the President had shaped new geopolitics globally with the region as the epicentre. As the American resolve to continue the fight weakened demonstrably, countries in Central Asia started wriggling out. The Americans were forced to vacate their bases. With their security grouping called the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation  SCO, the Chinese have sucked the Central Asians into their orbit, while Putin, not to be left behind, formed his security alliance called Collective Security Treaty Organisation  CSTO.

Obama had attempted to make up for his losses in South, West and Central Asia by turning attention to East Asia and Indo-Pacific and announcing Asian Rebalance or Pivot to Asia policy in 2012. Putin seized the opportunity and announced his Eurasian dreams in 2011, closely followed by Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative  BRI in 2013. In the next few years, while the US administration had focused its attention on the Indo-Pacific, the Russians and the Chinese had converged their interests in Eurasia.

Putin had articulated his grand vision for Eurasia in an article that he authored in the Russian newspaper Izvestia on October 3, 2011. His Eurasian integration programme was about the beginning of a new ideology and geopolitics for the world. The basis for this programme will be civilisation, not the contemporary political ideas like democracy, liberalism, and the rule of law. Russia and China will be the partners in this program, which is extendable to Africa as Afro-Eurasia.

India is standing at the intersection of the new Cold War regions  the Indo-Pacific and Eurasia. Its geostrategic interests are tied to both regions. It needs to tread cautiously in the evolving geopolitical conflagration to ensure that while upholding its security interests, it will also hold on to its commitment to strategic autonomy.

After all, the intersection is also about authoritarianism versus liberalism.
A backpack found outside of the Sanford Sport Shop Saturday afternoon during the nearby Founders Day activities left cause for concern, in light of that day being the 20th anniversary of 9-11.

As a result, Jerome Township Fire Chief Jerry Cole said Saginaw Road was closed off between 7 Mile and West River roads and the Midland County Sheriff's Department along with the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad were called in.

It took the bomb squad an hour and a half to arrive in Sanford, after which an MSP remote control robot unzipped the backpack, revealing diapers, children's items and clothing, Cole said. The contents were turned over to the sheriff's office. No one has yet claimed the backpack, but it is at the sheriffs office for someone to claim it, he said.

The road was closed off from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., but no Founders Day events were canceled or postponed. Cole noted that no bomb threat was made.

The scare took place shortly after the Founders Day parade finished. In addition to the section of road being closed, the sport shop and the Fraternal Order of Eagles building were evacuated. People in the nearby Sanford Historical Museum were moved to the east side of the building, farther away from the sport shop, Cole said.

Cole was at the scene the entire time after being called by one of his firemen. He said the backpack was a pretty good size and suspicious."

Cole noted that firefighters had initially waited for someone to return to pick up the backpack, and when no one did, the sheriff's department and state police were called in.

"It was definitely concerning," Cole said of the incident.

Rita Zeller, of Midland, was at the Founders Day celebration when she heard about the incident.

"I feel pretty safe," she said. "I think if there were a real issue, they would evacuate. I mean, it is basically a hundred feet away "

The fire chief said if he had to do it over again, he would still call the sheriff and bomb squad, given the large Founders Day crowd and the significant anniversary. Cole said it is better to err on the side of caution, and he said MSP agreed the fire department handled the situation perfectly.

While Jerome Township firefighters were involved with the bomb scare, Lincoln Township, Homer Township, Coleman and Edenville Township firefighters assisted in covering the Jerome Township area.

Cole said he is deeply appreciative to the members of the Jerome Township Fire Department for giving up their Saturday to ensure public safety, and to Homer, Lincoln, Coleman and Edenville fire departments and the Midland County Sheriffs Department, Michigan State Police and EMS for their help and support.
MULTAN, Pakistan (AP)  Pakistans police said they were searching for members of a gang accused of abusing minors and making pornographic videos in a marriage hall in the eastern Punjab province.

Four suspects from the group were already arrested in a raid late Friday in the Sahiwal district, said officer Umar Daraz. The men were presented before a court on Saturday, allowing police to question them for four days.
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA)  The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) on Sunday said viral pictures being circulated purporting to be terrorists, bandits victims of the ongoing operations in northwest and northcentral regions are deliberate falsehood being peddled to tarnish the good image and reputation of the AFN
A private equity investor, Quick Angels Limited, has been honoured for supporting entrepreneurs with funds and technical direction to scale up their operations.



The indigenous company was adjudged the emerging brand of the year at this years Made in Ghana Awards held over the weekend.



It followed two years of operation during which the company injected more than GH90 million into the revamping of about 30 companies across various sectors of the economy nationwide.



The award was presented to Quick Angels at the awards ceremony graced by entrepreneurs and business executives.

Its sister company, Quick Credit and Investment Microcredit Limited, was adjudged the microcredit company of the year on the night for its immerse support to businesses through tailor-made products and services



Citation



A citation accompanying the award said Quick Angels was a fully owned Ghanaian angel investor company established in 2019, with the key focus to support startups and businesses with equity financing.



The business has so far funded over 30 startups and businesses with millions of dollars . Quick Angels Limited invests in both potential and existing Ghanaian entrepreneurs by leveraging on their rich experience, the citation said.



It commented on the company for its foresight and fortitude and expressed the hope that the honour would propel it into supporting more businesses to revamp their operations.



Impact



The Managing Director of Quick Angels Limited, Mr Richard Nii Armah Quaye, said the company appreciated the honour and would be spurred into greater heights.



He said Quick Angels was the official angel investor company in the country, with a commitment to helping turn business ideas into reality.



I am excited to see this day two years on as an emerging brand of the year Looking at the businesses, ideas and people we have funded based on innovation and the progress, I think this is just the beginning, he said.

Mr Quaye said the company symbolised hope for entrepreneurs and start-up generations of the time in Ghana.

He said it had so far invested millions of dollars into fruitful ideas that were making meaningful contributions to national development as part of a wider plan to position Ghana as the hub of angel investments in the subregion and beyond.



Quick Credit



The citation in honour of Quick Credit said the company was an award-winning micro-credit institution with a customer-centric culture managed by an experienced team with diverse portfolios in financial services.



It said over the last decade, Quick Credit & Investment Micro-Credit had lived its mission of supporting small businesses to grow through the loan support or with the loan scheme service.



It disclosed that the company had disbursed loans to more than 80,000 Ghanaians while employing more than 700 Ghanaians.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the second phase of construction works on the main University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) Campus in Ho.



The 68-million-dollar China Aid Phase Two project will provide fully equipped state-of-the-art Administration Block, School of Nursing and Midwifery, classrooms, offices, libraries, and laboratories to mitigate the infrastructure challenges of the University, since its establishment in 2012.



President Akufo-Addo, who was on a working visit to the Region, said the University had persisted and continued to prove its worth with countless achievements and assured of governments readiness to help it expand.



Even though it is a young University, already, its receiving lots of laurels and accolades and rankingstherefore, there is the need for the Government to ensure the infrastructure is at the measure of the University, he said.



President Akufo-Addo said China continued to hold firm her friendship with Ghana, which would continue to grow into progressive partnerships.



It gives me the opportunity to express once again, the strong appreciation of the Government and the people of Ghana to the Government of the Peoples Republic of China. The solidarity the Chinese Government and people continue to exhibit towards us is something that, Mr Ambassador, we appreciate very much indeed, he said.



The various things that makeup Ghanas Foreign Policy to China are well known. We are not deviating and we will not deviate from the One China Policy. It continues to be an important cornerstone of the Foreign Policy of our country.



The President recognized the Universitys role in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, saying it was a testing centre for the region and surrounding areas.



Mr Lu Kun, the Chinese Ambassador, said the development would aid the schools advancement to provide more professionals to sustain the government's bold health delivery initiative; Agenda 111.



China and Africa will embark on a long journey of collaborations based on the One China principle, he said.



Mr Lu said the collaboration had long flourished in education and would be expanded to other areas, adding: China will always remain Ghanas ultimate friend and partner.



As a partner in the fight against the coronavirus, China would work with Ghana to secure the much-needed vaccines, he said.



Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Education Minister, said the project showed government's commitment to expanding tertiary education intake to help meet the countrys educational needs.



He said the coronavirus pandemic made it more crucial to prioritize educational demands and expressed the hope that the project would be timeously delivered.



Chinese Nantong Si Jian Construction Company is executing the project within a 22-month period, and the Government of Ghana will provide road infrastructure and other inputs as part of a counterpart-funding component.

Source: GNA









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The new Board of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) was on Friday inaugurated with a call on them to provide necessary guidance and direction to enable the Authority play its expected role.



The Board has Mr Frank Davies (Esq) as the Chairman.



Others are: Mr. Kwasi Agyeman Busia, Chief Executive, Ing. Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah, Director-General, National Road Safety Authority, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Francis Aboagye- Nyarko, Director-General, MTTD, representing the Ghana Police Service; Mr. Francis Larbi-Odame, Ghana Automobile Distributors Association and Mr. Francis Yao Agbozo, Ghana Drive.



The rest are: Dr Mahama Wayo, National Insurance Commission, Mr. Emmanuel Ohene-Yeboah, representing the Private Road Transport Provider, Lt. Col Harry Keelson, representing the Ghana Armed Forces, Alhaji Amin Abdul-Rahaman, Director, Finance and Administration, Ministry of Transport, Mr Kwamena Duncan, Government nominee, Mr. Emmanuel P.O. Boakye, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and Mr. Robinson Kwasi Martey, Ghana Association of Garages.



In his inaugural address, Mr Kweku Ofori Asiamah, Minister of Transport, said the role of DVLA was key to ensure that vehicles that plied the roads were roadworthy and drivers were qualified to drive them.



He said over the past few years, the Authority had made significant improvement in its services, saying DVLA was an institution that had low penetration of ICT and was confronted with a myriad of challenges to one that epitomized excellence.



The reportage about DVLA is no longer about goro boys and unnecessary delays but one of the good practices, he said.



Other notable achievements the Minister mentioned include, the Mobile Service and the Tertiary Students driving project, TERTDRIVE which enabled the public and tertiary students to access driver licensing at their doorsteps.



He said DVLA had been mandated to register and track all earthmoving equipment operating in the country.



The move, he said, would ensure that mining operations were sanitized to safeguard the natural environment, adding that, Government was very much concerned over the indiscriminate use of such equipment at unauthorized mining areas.

Source: GNA









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The Right Reverend Professor Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Moderator of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church of Ghana, said singing is a form of prayer and has greater power than words, hence music is an integral part of the church.



He said this at the 63rd Annual Delegates Conference, Presbyterian Choirs Union at Akropong, quoting Acts 1:8, the Moderator said the Church of Christ must be spiritually, morally, socially and environmentally witnesses of God.



Rev. Mante said a church which does not spend about 70 per cent on spiritual growth was a dead church; The new churches are aggressively in search of membership, so as Presbyterians we must change our mentality as Pastors, Catechist and members towards soul-winning.



He noted that music is a wing of revival in our worship to God and I challenge all songwriters and music directors to write songs that will pierce through the soul.



Rev. Prof. Mante said being a moral witness of the Church required one to live a God-driven life and desist from the things of corruption. Also ministering and living in sin did not create a good effect on the lives of others.



The Moderator encouraged all churches to have a holistic ministry that will cause transformation in the lives of others.



Singing in the Church of God is a spiritual affair; therefore, I want to see a choir that prays and reads the word of God, he added.



He reminded members that COVID-19 was real and still in existence, hence the ban on robbing by the Presbyterian Choir groups was still in force.



The Moderator urged the Presbyterian Choir Unions to continue to observe the safety protocols and mask up as they continued the good work of God.

Source: GNA









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NIGERIA: Operatives of the Kwara State Police Command have arrested five suspected ritualists for the murder of a commercial sex worker in Patigi Local Government Area of the state.



Spokesperson of the command, Okasanmi Ajayi, who disclosed this in a statement in Ilorin on Friday, September 10, gave the names of the suspects as Samuel Peter Tsado, Mohammed Gbara a.k.a. Madi, Abubakar Mohammed a.k.a. Mallam Baba Pati, Mohammed Ahmadu Nma and Bala Karin and three others at large.



According to the PPRO, the victim identified as Abigail was lured from the hotel where she worked, taken to one of the suspects home and beheaded for money ritual purposes.



In continuation of the effort of the Kwara State Police commands commitment to ensure people of Kwara State sleep at night with both eyes closed, the Commissioner of Police Kwara State, CP Tuesday Assayomo, wishes to inform of the commands investigation of a reported case of a missing person turned homicide," the statement reads.



"On June 29, 2021, at about 23:08hrs, an unknown young person, later identified as Samuel Peter Tsado m of Patigi town in Patigi Local government area of Kwara State, went to one Victory Hotel Patigi and requested for the service of a commercial sex worker by name Abigail f (other names unknown)



"After the monetary negotiation of N5,000:00, both Peter and Abigail left the hotel premises to an unknown place, ever since then both of them were not seen again. On the receipt of the report of a missing person, the commissioner of police, who suspected a foul play directed the case be taken over by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a discreet investigation.



The investigation led to the arrest of Tsado, who confessed that he actually contracted the deceased for sex.

"He also confirmed that he and one Mohammed Gbara a.k.a. Madi, both agreed and planned how to make money ritual and in furtherance of their desires, they planned on how to source for the human head that would be needed for the money rituals which prompted him to leave his house at Patigi for Victory hotel with his motorcycle where he approached the late Abigail, a sex worker, who agreed to follow him home after agreeing on N5,000:00 for the night.



At Samuel Peters home, where Mohammed Gbara was already waiting, Abigail was strangled by the duo of Samuel Peter Tsado and Gbara.



"The head of late Abigail was severed with a knife. The headless body of the deceased was conveyed by the suspects on Samuel Peter Tsados motorcycle and dumped in the bush along Patigi/Rifun road



"Both Samuel and Mohammed went separately away to reassemble in Bida, Niger state on June 30, 2021. While in Bida, the deceased head was kept in Mohammed Abubakars home, awaiting the arrival of the ritualist from Maiduguri in Borno state for the money ritual exercise.



"Investigation took detectives to Bida and Minna in Niger State where three other suspects were arrested. They confessed to the offence and also confessed to have been involved in an earlier ritual attempt using the hand of one victim yet to be identified.



"The suspects took detectives to the bush where the carcass of the deceased was recovered. The effort to recover the head of the deceased was still in progress as the custodian of the head is still at large. But he will certainly be arrested and brought to justice. The suspects will be charged to court at the conclusion of the investigation."



The Commissioner of Police, CP Tuesday Assayomo assured members of the public of the safety and security of their lives and property applying every available resource both human and material.



The CP stated that this can only be achieved with the cooperation and collaboration of the people.



"The Command for the umpteenth time wishes to emphasize that Kwara State will be made uncomfortable for criminals of whatever nomenclature, as such, criminals are advised to turn a new leaf or relocate from Kwara State permanently." the police boss added.

Source: LIB









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A 29-year-old blogger accused of defrauding a trader of 21,000 Euros under the pretext of securing her two Italian passports and Resident Identity Cards, has been remanded into custody by an Accra Circuit Court.



Jacklin Sarfo Gyamfua a.k.a. Ohemaa Jackie, is facing charges of defrauding by false pretences and forgery of official documents.



Gyamfua has denied the charges.



Bail application put in by her counsel, Mr Peter Sarfo before the court, was turned down.



Prosecution led by Detective Inspector Frederick Sarpong had vehemently opposed the bail application on the grounds that the case was still under investigation.



The Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah upheld Prosecution's prayer and declined bail.



The matter has been adjourned to September 16.



Presenting the facts, Detective Inspector Sarpong said the complainant Barbara Adu Boahen, resided at Accra while Gyamfua was a dual resident of London and Accra.



Prosecution said during the month of February this year, , the complainant and a witness in the case saw the accused running adverts on social media platforms purporting to be securing travelling documents and resident ID cards for every country within the European Union (EU).



The Prosecutor said the complainant who was interested in travelling to Italy contacted the accused on her phone posted against the accused person's facebook advertisement.



Detective Inspector Sarpong said Gyamfua promised to secure two Italian passports and two Resident ID cards for the complainant and her daughter at a fee of 24,000 Euros.



Prosecution said Gyamfua then gave the complainant her Access Bank Account bearing the name Afua Serwa Dwamena and UMB account bearing the name Lord Mens Enterprise and requested the complainant to pay the 24,000 Euros into the aforementioned accounts.



According to the Prosecutor, the complainant paid 21,000 Euros into the accounts provided by the accused.



Detective Inspector said Gyamfua later provided two forged Italian passports and two Resident ID cards for the complainant and her daughter.



On March 30, this year, prosecution said the complainant presented the passports at the Kotoka International Airport but they were arrested for presenting fake passports.



Prosecution said a report was made to the Police at the National Signal Bureau/ National Security.



On September 8, this year, Gyamfua was arrested and during a search

in her house, two forged Italian passports and two Resident ID Cards were found.



Prosecution said the accused and her husband had issued a stern verbal warning to the complainant and a principal witness to stay off the case else they risked being dealt with.

Source: GNA









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Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not ruled out the possibility that the ongoing tension between Kiev and Moscow could eventually boil over and lead to an all-out war.



Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula back in 2014 and has supported a separatist insurgency in the Donbas area if Ukraine. Putin said last month that it was becoming evident that Kiev is no longer interested in a peaceful settlement to the conflict.



Putin said in 2014 that his military could take Ukraine in two weeks and Zelenskyy met with Biden in the White House last week where Biden promised "ironclad commitment" to Ukraines security, sovereignty and Euro-Altantic aspirations.



Zelenskyy was at the Yalta European Strategy summit in Kiev on Friday, September 10, when he was asked about the possibility, Reuters reported. He called a war with Russia "the worst thing," but a possibility.



"This is the worst thing that there can be, but unfortunately there is such a possibility," he said, pointing out that he seeks a substantive meeting with Russian President, Vladamir Putin.



Zelenskyy relies heavily on U.S. support because Russia has a much larger and capable military.



So far, the U.S. has committed $2.5 billion in support of Ukraine forces since 2014, including more than $400 million in 2021 alone.

Source: Reuters









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A section of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth base in the Ashanti Region has said the party needs a new flagbearer whose goal is to build a formidable party going into the 2024 elections.



In a press statement, a group calling itself NDC Ashanti Youth said the defeated 2020 flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama, is no longer fit to lead the party because he neglected us when he had the power.



The group said Mahama paid little attention to the Ashanti Region while forming his cabinet and gave priority to other regions.



How come only Tamale Metropolis had three cabinet ministers yet the biggest region in the country, Ashanti was neglected?



In fact, at the start of the administration, there was only one minister from Ashanti Region - the Minister for Environment Science and Technology, Professor Oteng Agyei - who was sacked bitterly and mysteriously just some few months into the administration, a statement from the group and signed by the convenor Kweku Asare Mensah said.



Below is the full unedited statement:



The NDC Ashanti youth have descended heavily on former president Mahama on what they describe as a subtitle campaign to be re-elected as flag bearer of the NDC.



The first concern in the absolute neglect of the region between 2013 and 2016.

John Mahama is scheduled to hit the region on 13th September with his thank-you tour, but the youth of the party is sending a signal that they are fed up with him.



Between, 2013 and 2017, John Mahama neglected Ashanti Region and hence had no one from the region as part of his cabinet ministers until the appointment Hon Kweku Agyemang Manu in 2015.



How come John Mahama appointed 5 Cabinet ministers from Central Region in addition to having the Vice President from same region.

How come there were also 5 Cabinet Ministers from Eastern region in addition to the Chief Of Staff?



How come only Tamale Metropolis had 3 Cabinet Ministers yet the biggest region in the Country, Ashanti was neglected



In fact, at the start of the administration, there was only one minister from Ashanti region, The minister for Environment Science and Technology, Professor Oteng Agyei, who was sacked bitterly and mysteriously just some few months into the administration.



John Mahama, who could neglect the Ashanti Region this much now pretends to be the lover boy just to deceive us and neglect the region again.



Our message to him is simple.



He shouldnt Count on us because he neglected us when he had the power.

NDC needs new leadership direction, a leader who is in to build a more formidable party not one who is only in for his personal good.



Kweku Asare Mensah

Convener

054 807 9870

[email protected]

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Rapper Sarkodie, who is currently on a tour to some African countries to promote his new album dubbed ''No Pressure'', has disclosed an awkward but cherishable moment in his life that however shocked him.



According to the rapper, a young boy once walked up to him and insisted to give him money in exchange for his blessings.



Sarkodie explained that the boy offered to give him an envelope containing 1 cedi notes which he said was an act of faith on the part of the boy.



Stressing although it was very hard for him to accept the money, nevertheless he collected it so he won't stop the boy from being blessed.



''Can you imagine me taking money from the kid?...He was on his knees crying and saying that if I don't take it, what he believes in might not work for him. Exactly!...So, I have to take it for him,'' he said in an interview posted by Hip TV.



Watch full interview below:





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Legendary Highlife Ghanaian musician, Kaakyire Kwame Appiah is set to be enstooled as Benkumhene of Bosomtwe Asaman, Kokofu in the Ashanti Region.



His enstoolment ceremony which would take place on September 20, 2021, would witness the musician enstooled Chief of Lake Bosomtwe Diteiso under the stool name "Nana Ofisibedei Adeiemudro Trimude".



The "Kwadonto" hitmaker after going through the customary and traditional processes as "Bekumhene" would be the caretaker of Lake Bosomtwe, the only natural lake in Ghana.



Top political figures, as well as musicians, are expected to be present at the enstoolment ceremony as they offer their support to one of Ghana's music great.



Kaakyire Kwame Appiah who has had an illustrious career in the music industry spanning over three decades has numerous hit singles to his credit including "Bronya", "Soroku", "Odo Macho", among others.

Source: GNA









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CD4 pad expansion plan open for public comment

The company proposes to place 55,000 cubic yards of clean gravel fill and 3,400 cy of erosion protection onto 5.1 acres of jurisdictional wetlands and 0.4 acres of non-jurisdictional uplands to expand the north, south and east sides of the existing CD-4 pad. The project also includes 19 wells and supporting infrastructure.

The purpose of the project, which is expected to start on Jan. 1, 2022, is to access the Narwhal and Qannik resources, both in the Nanushuk formation.

- KAY CASHMAN

See stories in Sept. 5 issue of Petroleum News, available Sept. 2 at www.PetroleumNews.com.

For information on PN's news bulletin service, call 907-522-9469.

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The 1 million guarantee in the 2021 WSOP International Circuit 1,700 Main Event at the King's Resort in Rozvadov has already been surpassed thanks to a strong turnout on the second starting day. There were a total of 409 entries to bring the overall field to 763 entries and 157 hopefuls punched their ticket through Day 1b.

Poker players from Italy dominate the overnight leaderboard as they make up for six of the top ten in chips. Flaviano Cammisuli emerged as the new overall chip leader with 411,000 by some margin. Florian Kraft follows in second place with 369,000 and Alexey Mishuk (338,500) completes the podium. Among the notable big stacks are also Nicola Angelini, Francesco Delfoco, and Roberto Manfredi.

Just outside of the top 10 is Armando D'Avanzo with a stack of 264,500. The Malta-based Italian recently won his maiden WSOP gold bracelet in Event #22: $400 COLOSSUS on GGPoker. He is followed by fellow bracelet winner Vangelis Kaimakamis, Christophe Panetti, Yehuda Cohen, and Andrei Nodea.

Top 10 in Chips for Day 1b

Position Player Country Chip Count 1 Flaviano Cammisuli Italy 411,000 2 Florian Kraft Germany 369,000 3 Alexey Mishuk Israel 338,500 4 Kevin Lemmens Netherlands 324,500 5 Andrea Radicchi Italy 321,000 6 Nicola Angelini Italy 309,000 7 Clement Cure France 306,500 8 Francesco Delfoco Italy 285,000 9 Vicenzo Scognamiglio Italy 275,000 10 Roberto Manfredi Italy 270,000

After the completion of both starting days, there are 281 players out of 763 entries remaining. The prize pool thus far has reached 1,123,517 but will certainly rise further as the late registration is open for another two levels and following break on Day 2. Action is set to resume on Sunday, September 12, at 2pm local time in Europe's biggest poker arena.

The poker action was fuelled from the get-go as more than 110 players were seated in the first level of the day. A memorable early hand saw Duc Quy Nguyen river quads and Yann Lormel only check-called with the top full house. Right before the dinner break, Roberto Manfredi won a big three-way all-in to take the early lead. The perhaps most spectacular hand of the day then unfolded mid-way through the day. King's regular and massage parlour owner Yehuda Cohen won the biggest slice of a four-way all-in when his set improved to a full house.

Yehuda Cohen

In the late stages of the day, Flaviano Cammilusi dominated at the top of the leaderboard and knocked out Roman Cieslik and Rastislav Paleta to take the overall lead. Other big names that fell throughout the day were Jan-Peter Jachtmann, Francesco Candelari, Claudio Di Giacomo, Thomer Pidun, and Georgios Vrakas.

They can all return back to the action on Day 2, which commences with blinds of 1,000-2,000 and a big blind ante of 2,000, giving new entries and re-entries 25 big blinds and a dream. Day 2 will play eight levels of 60 minutes each and the action will also be streamed on the King's Resort Twitch channel once the registration has closed.

Stay tuned right here on PokerNews to find out who claims the WSOP Circuit ring on September 14, as the live reporting team will provide all the action until the end.
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In honor of the firefighters who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Montmorenci Volunteer Fire Department held a memorial walk Saturday morning.

A group of Montmorenci firefighters, along with their family members and first responders from the Aiken Department of Public Safety and Windsor Volunteer Fire Department, walked a few laps at Generations Park. Many were dressed in full fire gear, with one walker wearing a breathing apparatus.

Eric Ramey, with the Montmorenci VFD, helped organize the event and said "were just out here on the 20th anniversary (of 9/11) to remember the sacrifices that were made on that day.

"Were paying our respect to the 343 (firefighters) who lost their lives that day amongst the thousands of other people who died that day," Ramey said. "Were just out here to honor them, and thats what its all about. Everybody shares that honor and shares that same idea with us."
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NORTH CHARLESTON  A labor dispute between the State Ports Authority and the International Longshoremen's Association is taking its toll on traffic at the new Leatherman Terminal in North Charleston.

The first phase of the terminal, which welcomed its first ship in April, handled a net 17,385 cargo containers through its first five months of operations. That's about 10 percent of what the $1 billion addition along the Cooper River should have seen by this time.

At the current pace, about 41,725 containers will move through the Leatherman Terminal by its first anniversary  nearly 360,000 fewer than it was built for.

The pace isn't expected to pick up any time soon. Over the next two weeks, just two ships are scheduled to call on the terminal  both of them about half the size of the vessels the site was designed to handle.

The ILA and SPA are fighting over who will operate the cranes and heavy-lift equipment at Leatherman. The union has said its contract with ocean carriers calls for its members to handle that work. The state-run SPA has said its employees should.

An administrative law judge heard from both sides during a National Labor Relations Board hearing in July, but a ruling, which was expected last month, hasn't been made.

In the meantime, most of the world's shipping lines refuse to dock at the Leatherman Terminal for fear they'll run afoul of their contract with the ILA.

It's been a frustrating situation for the SPA, which was counting on the new facility to take some of the pressure off the Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant, which has handled 79 percent of all containerized cargo moving through the port this fiscal year. The North Charleston Terminal has moved 14 percent of the cargo with the Leatherman site handling the rest just down river.

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This year's surge in imported cargo  brought on by coronavirus-weary consumers spending more money on household goods rather than restaurant meals and other services  has aggravated the situation. The Wando Welch Terminal has seen a nearly 17.5 percent increase in cargo this fiscal year and is handling an average of more than 13 container vessels per week.

"The Leatherman Terminal provides much-needed capacity and an additional berth to the East Coast port market at a time when the supply chain is very strained," Jim Newsome, the maritime agency's president and CEO, said in a written statement.

He said full use of the new terminal "will make things much more fluid," but only if state employees operate the cranes, as they do at the SPA's other terminals. If union labor operates them, Newsome said, the costs would be prohibitive for shipping lines to use.

The NLRB hasn't said when the administrative law judge will make a ruling, but either side could  and probably will  appeal the matter to the full board for a review, and that could put the Leatherman Terminal's future in limbo for months to come.

There have been 267,887 containers of all sizes moving through the Charleston port's terminals this fiscal year, which started July 1. That is a 24 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Loaded import containers are outpacing exports by nearly 2-to-1.

All of this is happening as the peak fall shipping season kicks into gear, with holiday goods from China making their way to U.S. retailers' shelves. Maritime experts say the flood of imports and the resulting supply chain crunch will last at least until mid-2022, well beyond the typical slowdown that occurs after Lunar New Year.
As travel experts tried to explain the phenomenon that places like Charleston and Myrtle Beach saw over the summer  a rapid return to tourism demand as strong or stronger than it was pre-pandemic  some turned to a particular term: "revenge travel."

The phrase has been used to describe the acute desire to get out of town that some people felt after lengthy lockdowns and quarantines.

People are not only traveling again, but they're trying to make up for lost time, spending more and staying longer.

The term came up during a discussion about tourism recovery for the SC Leadership Exchange, a collaboration of the state's three largest chambers of commerce in late August.

Industry leaders from Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Myrtle Beach were discussing summer metrics, hospitality hiring issues and ways that travel has changed during the pandemic.

Sheryl Lang, CEO of Visit Greenville, mentioned "revenge travel" while talking about hospitality staffing needs and the expectations of visitors, though she noted she's hesitant to use the phrase. Lang said hiring needs have led some restaurants to limit hours or close on some days, and that can cause challenges with meeting visitors' expectations.

Customers' "tolerance for modification in their experience" could change, Lang said, as time goes on.

Preparing for revenge travelers from a lodging perspective was the focus of a recent webinar from the International Luxury Hotel Association. The virtual panel included representatives from Charlestowne Hotels and Salamander Hotels and Resorts. Charlestowne is based in Mount Pleasant and oversees properties that include the French Quarter Inn and The Spectator. Middleburg, Va.-based Salamander has Charleston's Hotel Bennett in its management portfolio.

Matt Barba, vice president of operations at Charlestowne, described how the demand for "exclusive and private amenities" has increased this year.

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That was echoed by John Speers, a vice president at Salamander who said some leisure travelers "are looking for a very private experience" that's low-contact and largely secluded from others.

That's not true for everyone, though, Speers added. For some, that travel experience they've been craving includes connecting with others, including familiar faces at properties they'd frequented pre-pandemic.

Almost all guests have been "looking for a sense of normalcy," Barba said.

According to a breakdown of the "revenge traveler" by the tourism arm of the consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners, revenge travelers are also "revenge spenders," meaning they expect and want to spend more on their travel than they did pre-COVID.

About 34 percent of the firm's respondents said they expect to be spending more on leisure travel after this summer than they were before.

Data show that guests at South Carolina hotels have been willing to pay more for their accommodations. Occupancy rates were consistent with what lodgings were seeing in summer 2019, but the rate paid per room went up significantly  25 percent in July, for example.

The detachment of tourism trends from coronavirus data is also likely an effect of the stronger-than-normal desire to travel. Unlike last summer, when hotel occupancy data ebbed and flowed along with case numbers, visitor industry metrics continued to strengthen this summer even as the delta variant emerged and cases began to rise again.

Palmetto State tourism has been outpacing U.S. averages. In July, hotel occupancy was 75 percent in South Carolina and 71 percent nationwide, while the state's hotel rooms were taking in about $25 more per night than the national average.

While South Carolina's tourism sector boasts a recovery that's outpaced much of the rest of the country, it's COVID-19 cases have also grown at higher rates. As of Sept. 7, the New York Times calculated the state had the highest rate of new cases in the U.S.
Most bankers dont like to dwell much on branch closings.

Justin Hawkins is an exception.

Its actually one of my favorite topics, said Hawkins, region president for Wells Fargo who oversees consumer and small business banking operations for most of South Carolina, except the Hilton Head market. Weve all been through the pain of watching branches close, but I think weve done it the right way.

A newly issued report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. puts some fresh numbers on the industrys steady pullback.

The agency's annual accounting of market-share data showed that 28 branches, or about 2 percent, went dark across South Carolina between mid-2020 and mid-2021, trimming the net balance to 1,171 locations.

The most active consolidator during that period was Truist Financial Corp., which this year is taking its cost-cutting axe to about 400 overlapping BB&T and SunTrust locations that it took on when it combined the two regional players in late 2019. In the Palmetto State, 17 of the branches were shuttered, according to the FDIC report.

First-Citizens of Raleigh was second to Truist, with 10 closings, followed by Wells Fargo, with eight.

South Carolina isn't an outlier. A record 3,324 branches were closed nationwide in 2020, or more than three times the number of openings, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

The pace of the retrenchment has been accelerating. In South Carolina, for example, banks turned off the lights at 153 branches between 2011 and 2016. But during the past five years, closings jumped 76 percent to 270, the FDIC said.

A steady stream of bank buyouts that keeps realigning the business is one of the key culprits, as Truist can attest to. The urge-to-merge has whittled the number of lenders that do business in South Carolina to 76 from 116 over the past decade.

Another factor is that customers are more comfortable using ATMs and personal technology to handle routine tasks, such as depositing checks through their smartphones. As a result, Hawkins said, branches are increasingly becoming "advice centers" as opposed to their former primary roles as "transactional centers."

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"That's the big shift for us," he said.

In addition, the industry has become more conscious about its real estate expenses and how they affect the bottom line.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo is a prime example. It once operated upward of 150 offices in South Carolina, making it the largest lender in the state based on that metric. It's since slimmed down to about 115, putting it in the No. 2 position behind First-Citizens.

"The company has really been on this efficiency journey for a number of years," said Hawkins, who started his career managing a branch in Greenville, where he is still based.

Wells Fargo started looking harder at its physical footprint in South Carolina soon after it expanded into the state by purchasing the old Wachovia-First Union franchise in the heat of the 2008 financial crisis. Hawkins said the new management brought a far different philosophy compared to the predecessor banks, which really wouldnt close many offices even after an acquisition, Hawkins said.

Wed just hold onto them, even if you had a branch across the parking lot, which is the craziest thing, he said.

Not anymore.

Even so, not all banks are downsizing in South Carolina. JPMorgan's Chase is by far the most aggressive. It has rolled out nine offices since mid-2020, mostly in Charleston and the Upstate. The smaller Anderson Brothers of Mullins opened two new outposts.

Wells Fargo also is looking for expansion opportunities and is "actively having conversations about where is the right place to be," Hawkins said, though the days of the two-story, 8,000-square-foot corner branch are likely over. A year ago this month, it unveiled an on-campus "digital center" in the student center at Clemson, which also was an early expansion site for rival Chase.

There may be more of those, Hawkins said.

The big bank also is looking at whether it needs a foothold in some of the large-scale residential communities that are cropping up around the state. Hawkins cited Nexton in Summerville and Hollingsworth Park in Greenville as two examples.

In the interim, the efficiency journey continues. In early August, Wells Fargo closed a Spartanburg location. And last week, it shut down one of two branches separated by less than a mile on Ashley River Road in Charleston.
Palmetto Railways and state-owned electric utility Santee Cooper have finalized an agreement that will allow construction of a 22.7-mile rail line connecting the Volvo Cars campus in Ridgeville with a private carrier's transfer station in Cross.

Santee Cooper will give an easement to state-run railroad through mostly timberland it owns along the proposed route. The easement was filed with the Berkeley County Register of Deeds on Sept. 3. The 100-foot-wide easement terminates at Santee Cooper's Cross Generating Station, which is powered by coal brought to the site by CSX trains.

Volvo plans to send its S60 sedans to the site via the Palmetto Railways route so the Florida-based freight train operator can then haul the vehicles to inland distribution points.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently approved a $25 million grant to Palmetto Railways for construction of the rail line, which was one of the promises the S.C. Commerce Department made to Volvo in 2015 to lure the automaker to the Lowcountry. The project received the go-ahead from federal officials in 2019 and design work and rights-of-way acquisition is underway. The $140 million project will take about 20 months to build once all of the financing is secured.

Supreme settlement

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U.S. Supreme Court justices will have a little more time on their hands now that a case involving one of Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner jets has been pulled from the docket.

A lawyer for Servotronics Inc., a supplier to Dreamliner engine maker Rolls-Royce, told the nation's highest court last week the two sides have settled their long-running dispute, which made it to Washington, D.C., via a federal court ruling in Charleston.

Servotronics is accused of making a defective valve for an engine that caught fire during Dreamliner testing at Boeings North Charleston campus in 2016. The blaze caused $12.8 million in damages to the widebody plane, a sum that Rolls Royce has already paid to Boeing. The power plant manufacturer now wants to be reimbursed by Servotronics. An arbitration hearing was held in London in May, and the two sides apparently have settled their differences.

The Supreme Court case was to determine whether U.S. courts can force depositions for use in foreign tribunals, like the overseas arbitration hearing. Oral arguments were scheduled for the afternoon of Oct. 5, but in a Sept. 8 letter Servotronics essentially said "never mind."

Neither side has stated the terms of the settlement agreement.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph.
EMBASSY WIFE. By Katie Crouch. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 366 pages. $27.

If the knockout cover  a zappy zebra tiramisu of hot pink, red and blue  doesnt grab you, Katie Crouchs opening pages will. Immediately the reader gets drawn, quicksand-like, into the vast, arid exoticness of Namibia, an African expanse of red dust and brown, dry hills, where the 41-year-old Amanda Evans reluctantly finds herself trying to acclimate to expat life.

Before her husband Mark, an eternal Ph.D. candidate, allegedly won a Fulbright and became a special academic advisor to the American Embassy in Windhoek, Amanda had been a high-performing Silicon Valley exec. Now, shes both suffocating under in the oppressive African heat and the abrupt demotion from having been the familys breadwinner and corner-office COO to being a trailing spouse.

But never fear, theres ample embassy intrigue and PTA drama at her daughters international school to keep both Amanda and the reader enthralled.

Crouch, a Charleston native, is in top form in this, her fourth novel  part comedy, part insightful social and cultural critique, part sheer delight. The whip-smart sense of humor that earned her Wittiest honors (a title shared with her good friend and fellow novelist, Grady Hendrix) in the Porter-Gaud 1991 yearbook is fully evident here.

Crouch brings memorable characters to life one brilliant detail, one deft bite of dialogue at a time, and places the action amid the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction backdrop that diplomats and expats faced when, from 2016 to 2020, they represented an administration led by an Oompa Loompa who denigrated the entire African continent by calling it an unprintable slur.

Theres Persephone Wilder, social chairman of the Embassy wives (the most overqualified stay-at-home moms and dads club in the world), always immaculately attired in dazzling all-white ensembles; and stunning Mila Shilongo, an African beauty with a mysterious past whose skin was dark, polished and poreless; her face, a masterpiece of planes and curves, centered by long-lashed eyes the color of maple syrup and who sported the sort of high heels with red soles Melania Trump favored when visiting prisons for toddlers. And Amanda, who had once been so in love shed nearly tattooed (Marks) name on her lower back, and who now finds herself in foreign territory on numerous fronts  in her flailing marriage, as mom of pre-adolescent, moody Meg with whom she once shared a fierce bond, and in her own sense of identity.

The books subtitle could be: Welcome to Middle Age.

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Crouch is on a prose safari, and the wildlife shes so adept at spotting, camouflaged in its native habitat, is of the human variety. Its hard to imagine she could write a novel this nuanced and carefully observed without some firsthand experience, and in fact, Crouch did spend a year in Namibia while her husband, writer Peter Orner, was a Fulbright Scholar there.

The reader learns about Namibias rich and troubled history, the German genocide of the Nama and Herero people, the gem mining and animal poaching and the still-oozing wounds of colonialism and apartheid.

But Crouch never gets preachy and pedantic; instead, she does what fiction alone invites a talented writer to do. She fine-tunes the lens of colonialism and exploitation, showing how marriages and friendships can reflect the same impulses, heck, how even a PTA fundraiser can implode into hilarious disaster of micro-aggression and one-upmanship along with 500 kilograms of wild game meat.

Theres so much to love in Embassy Wife, from National Geographic-worthy descriptions of African landscape and culture, to National Lampoon-worthy humor, plus plot twists and turns that would have Tarzan tangled in vines. Crouchs many divergent storylines keep the pages turning, and the reader is prepared for some over-the-top climax (perhaps because, like good Charlestonians, weve all been binging Outer Banks).

Instead Crouch brings it all home in a quietly satisfying way. She writes, you could love a place deeply without understanding it at all. And (Amanda) had, in fact, come to love Namibia. She loved the aching heat and the merciless sun and the way everyone said How beautiful! every time it rained. Shed been a tiny dot on the hugest landscape shed ever seen, and what that told her was that she had power over absolutely nothing.

As an author, Crouch has absolute power over her fictional world, a power she wields with aching insight and merciless command of language. We say How beautiful! every time she shows us, as Mila tells Amanda, in the end, you cannot be who you are not.
The afternoon of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Muhammad Fraser-Rahim went to reserve a book at a retail store in West Ashley.

Fraser-Rahim, who at the time was an undergraduate student at the College of Charleston, gave the clerk his name.

"Oh, that's a bad name to have today," she told him.

Fraser-Rahim said he understood her statement as simply a gut response to the day's media reports.

He now feels the employee's statement pointed to a larger issue that arose nationwide in the wake of 9/11: misinformed biases about Muslims.

Such biases, in some instances, morphed into anti-Muslim sentiments that sometimes sparked targeted violence against followers of Islam.

In the Charleston area, the Muslim community responded to these prejudices by taking part in interfaith programs and opening the doors of mosques to the community.

Just ahead of the 20th anniversary of the attacks, Islamic faith leaders say more work is needed to build real relationships between Muslims and local communities.

Weve seen incremental steps," Fraser-Rahim said. "Theres a lot more work to do.

'We want to be optimistic'

Charleston's Islamic roots run deep. Muslims were among the first enslaved Africans to arrive upon the city's shores. Bound in chains, they carried with them across the Atlantic Ocean a faith tradition that promotes nonviolence and prayer.

These Africans became part of Charleston's society and weren't seen as "foreign" or "different" on the sole basis of their faith, Fraser-Rahim said.

That changed after 9/11 as Lowcountry Muslims of various ethnicities became subjected to harassment.

Muslims wearing headscarves were even more vulnerable due to the visibility of the religious symbol, Fraser-Rahim said. Water was thrown on them. They were cursed at. Muslim children were bullied in school.

Fraser-Rahim, however, believes these instances were uncommon.

"We want to be optimistic (and say) that was more of an anomaly rather than the norm," he said.

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These acts of discrimination may have startled immigrant Muslims. But targeted acts of racism weren't new for African American followers of Islam. Blacks in America had long been vulnerable to racist attacks.

Building relationships

The legacy of state-sanctioned violence within the country also sowed distrust among Blacks toward law enforcement. This history made it difficult for police to build relationships with Muslims after the Sept. 11 attacks, said Omar Muhammad, executive director of the Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities.

Muhammad moved to the Charleston area in 2002, attending Masjid Al Jami Ar-Rasheed in North Charleston.

That year, the FBI sent two agents to the house of worship as a precautionary measure against potential threats against mosques.

Muhammad recalled how the masjid's older Muslims refused to engage with the agents.

There's always this mistrust of government," Muhammad said. "It's still there."

Still, adherents to the faith have reached outside their religious walls to engage with the community.

After the terror attacks, the North Charleston mosque sent out open letters to churches to share how the extremists didn't represent true Islam.

To mark the third anniversary of 9/11, three Charleston area mosques held a Taste of Islam event in Marion Square, where the community was invited to eat Middle Eastern-based foods.

Local mosques also participated with Christians and Jews in panel discussions around the three faiths' shared history in Abraham.

Such attempts have worked to help change biased attitudes toward Muslims, faith leaders said. But there still exists a need to build deeper relationships.

That effort is hampered, however, by a political climate that is fueled by misinformation, Fraser-Rahim said. There needs to be more public messaging campaigns and education around true Islam, he said.

Additionally, masjids have to do more work in the community, Muhammad said. Masjid Al Jami Ar-Rasheed joined the Charleston Area Justice Ministry three years ago, helping the mosque engage in more interfaith dialogue.
GEORGETOWN  Georgetown County School Board Chairman Jim Dumm said his computer was hacked before what he called a financial scam was found at a boys home he ran for 50 years.

Dumm added he did not intentionally break any laws.

Before the start of a school board meeting on Sept. 7, Dumm said he felt compelled to address the recent news regarding an investigation by the FBI into finances at the now-closed Tara Hall Home for Boys.

He read a statement: "In July of 2020, my computer at Tara Hall was hacked. And, unknowingly, at the same time myself and Tara Hall became victims of a highly sophisticated financial scam.

"Once I realized the directions I had been receiving were fraudulent, I informed my board of trustees. I will be cooperating with subsequent investigations. There are no allegations of embezzlement whatsoever, and I did not intentionally violate any laws."

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An August incident report filed by Tara Hall accused Dumm of embezzlement and that the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office had spoken with the FBI.

The FBI acknowledged an investigation involving the home's finances but would not discuss any details. No charges have been filed. Dumm said the investigation will not interfere with overseeing the Georgetown school district.

Dumm retired last year after serving 50 years as the executive director of the school.

Tara Hall shut down because of COVID outbreaks, and the state's child services agency was shying from placing homeless boys into homes like Tara Hall after a policy change, board Chairman John Kenny said earlier in August.

Tara Hall, located about 20 miles north of Georgetown, was founded in 1969 and operated with help from foundations, grants and donations.

The Tara Hall building is now being used as Mingo Creek Academy, an independent pre-K school for residents in the western part of the county. The Tara Hall board is running the new school.
Nine days after Delvin Brown first felt sick, he knew it was time to go the hospital.

He'd already been diagnosed with COVID-19 in early August, but his symptoms weren't improving; they were getting worse. He felt like he couldn't breathe.

On Aug. 9 at Summerville Medical Center, providers hooked him up to an oxygen tank in the emergency department, and that's where he stayed for three days until one of 38 beds finally opened up on the COVID floor. The hospital, like all the others across the Lowcountry, was  and still is  bursting at the seams with coronavirus patients.

"When I walked in, it was chaos," Brown, 34, remembered. "I've never seen so many people in a waiting room on oxygen. It just kind of scared me."

By the time he made it up to the third floor three days later, he felt even worse. Brown, a trooper with the S.C. Highway Patrol, was wholly dependent by then on the highest levels of oxygen to breathe. He was frustrated, too, having spent so long in the ER, frustrated that he was forced to share a room on the COVID floor with another patient, frustrated because he wanted a shower and that he was separated from his wife and children.

"And that's when I met Lindsey," he said.

Lindsey Jackson Darby is the registered nurse Brown credits with saving his life during the three weeks he spent on the COVID floor. He returned to Summerville Medical Center on Sept. 10 to bring her flowers and a card. They spent a long moment standing still, just hugging each other.

"I'm just so glad you're OK," Darby twice told Brown.

They consider each other family now, although their friendship had a rocky start. Brown was recalcitrant when Darby first walked into his hospital room and said he wasn't going to take the medicine she was trying to give him. He said he didn't like the way it tasted and that it bothered his mouth, Darby recalled.

"I said, 'You know what's going to bother your mouth more? Being intubated,'" she told him.

Darby left his room because it seemed she'd reached an impasse with her patient. And then Brown had a change of heart.

"The tech came to me and said, 'Mr. Brown said he'll do anything you need him to do. He changed his mind. He wants to live,'" Darby recalled.

So, he took his meds. And they got to talking. Brown and Darby discovered they had some mutual friends. And from that point forward, she said she felt responsible for saving his life from a virus that has already claimed over 11,000 lives in South Carolina.

It wasn't at all clear Brown was going to make it. Like 90 percent of the COVID patients hospitalized at Trident and Summerville medical centers, Brown hadn't been vaccinated. His mother had already caught COVID  his uncle died from it  but Brown had been worried that he might be allergic to the vaccine. He kept thinking about that time he took some Tylenol last year and ended up in the ER with a severe reaction. He didn't want that to happen again.

He never anticipated he would become so ill.

Darby said, at one point, the medical team thought Brown needed to be switched to a BiPap machine, which would have pushed air into his lungs and is considered one step below full intubation.

"I knew he had a wife that was pregnant at home," Darby said. "I was scared that we were going to have to end up with him on a ventilator. And somehow he pulled through."

The third surge of the coronavirus pandemic that nearly claimed Brown's life continues to ravage South Carolina, where the rate of new COVID cases is one of the very highest in the country and the rate of residents who are fully vaccinated is one of the lowest.

Nine out of 10 patients Darby takes care of on the COVID floor could have avoided hospitalization had they gotten a vaccine. Some of them could have avoided death.

"It's very frustrating," she said. "Nobody ever thinks its going to be them. Theres a hospital full of people who didnt think it was going to be them. There are unfortunately graveyards full of people who thought it wasnt going to be them.

Since his release from the hospital on Sept. 1, Brown has received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. His wife Allie, due with a baby girl in November, is already fully vaccinated. She struggled during her husband's hospitalization to explain to their 3-year-old son what was happening.

"There was one point when I called up here and I asked the ER nurse how far away he was from being intubated. I told her dont sugarcoat it. And shes like, Not far,'" Allie Brown said. "Answering a question like, When is Daddy coming home? I had to answer that for three weeks."

Brown lost 40 pounds during his hospital stay and continues to rely on oxygen tanks to breathe. He doesn't know when he'll be able to return to work. He acknowledged his recovery will be lengthy and pleaded with those who remain unvaccinated to change their minds.

"Dont put your family through this," he said. "I did. Im one of the lucky ones."
MIAMI  Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sept. 12 that Tropical Storm Nicholas has formed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Nicholas is expected to produce between 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches, across portions of coastal Texas into southwest Louisiana on Sept. 12 through midweek.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for coastal Texas and the northeast coast of Mexico.

Based on the Hurricane Center's current forecast, the storm is unlikely to significantly impact South Carolina, said Brittany McNamara, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Though the storms long-range track remains uncertain among forecasters, the Weather Service recommends people monitor updates to the systems forecast as it progresses, she said.

At 5 p.m. Sept. 12, the storm was in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Hurricane Center. Nicholass maximum sustained winds were reported at 40 mph and moving north-northwest at 14 mph.

Over the eastern portions of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, rainfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches can be expected Sept. 12 into Sept. 13.

As a precaution, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state resources to be placed on standby along the length of the Texas Gulf Coast.

We will continue to closely monitor this storm and take all necessary precautions to keep Texans safe, Abbott said in a statement. I encourage Texans to follow the guidance and warnings of their local officials and be mindful of potential heavy rain and flooding.

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Among the state resources placed on standby were air and boat rescue teams and emergency medical groups.

The storm was expected to bring the heaviest rainfall west of where Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana two weeks ago. Although forecasters did not expect Louisiana to suffer from strong winds again, meteorologist Bob Henson at Yale Climate Connections predicted rainfall could still plague places where the hurricane toppled homes, paralyzed electrical and water infrastructure and left at least 26 people dead.

Across Louisiana, 140,198 customers  or about 6.3 percent of the state  remained without power on Sunday morning, according to the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards urges people in the southern portion of the state to keep a close eye on the storm and be prepared for heavy rains and flash flooding, he wrote in a Sept. 12 tweet.

Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach wrote on Twitter that Nicholas is the 14th named storm of 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.

Only four other years since 1966 have had 14 or more named storms by Sept. 12: 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then cloudy skies after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Bobby Cox was a 21-year-old cadet marching the halls of The Citadel in his dress grey uniform when a classmate told him a plane had flown into the north tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Cox rushed back to his room to watch the news on TV and saw the second airliner smash into the south tower. Something clicked for the young cadet.

"I knew that everything had changed," Cox said. "We were at war. It's was a very emotional day, but I knew that good men and women were going into that war to fight for our country and I wanted to serve with them."

When President George W. Bush grabbed a megaphone outside of the rubble in New York City and declared "the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon," thousands of Americans like Cox joined the military. Nationwide, more than 180,000 Americans immediately enlisted in the ranks of the Armed Forces and another 73,000 joined the reserves in the year following Sept. 11.

Cox became an Army Ranger and would serve four deployments to Iraq. In his journey, he met many other Citadel grads and South Carolinians.

L.A. Sully, a spokeswoman for Fort Jackson in Columbia who spent more than 20 years in recruiting, said she noticed the call to serve was almost immediate in South Carolina.

"We had people that overnight wanted to join the Army because of 9/11, and they want to serve their country and wanted to do something besides just give blood," Sully said. "We had prior service people that were coming into the recruiting station saying 'Do you want me back?'"

Remembering the fallen

In the nearly 20 years America has spent in Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11, an estimated 101 service members from South Carolina died, according to a review of data from the Military Times and iCasualties.org.

Nearly 20 graduates from The Citadel died overseas during the wars, according to the school's website.

The post-9/11 conflict has stretched generations, with some sons and daughters fighting in the same wars as their fathers and mothers. A 2019 cover of Time magazine featured then-17-year-old Marine Corps recruit Gregory Grammer on the cover. The Myrtle Beach teenager was as old as the war he was training to enter.

Buket Oztas, an assistant professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University, said 9/11 significantly changed the way America viewed foreign policy objectives. She added that many historians and policy experts believe that the rush to war in the Middle East was a poor choice.

"I didn't think many Americans thought our foreign policy was going to be based so much on emotion," Oztas said. "But this was a moment of reaction to the horrifying events of 9/11. And our objectives in the Middle East changed. It became the defining moment on the War on Terror."

Others, such as South Carolina Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, believe America's presence in the Middle East was necessary.

"We had over 6,000 soldiers die in Iraq and Afghanistan," Graham said in a statement to The Post and Courier. "We made our fair share of mistakes, but the one thing I can say is in the last 20 years we protected the American homeland from a terrorist attack coming from Afghanistan."

The price of that security was high. Countless news reports from those two decades paint a picture of heartbreak and loss for dozens of South Carolina families.

Capt. Daniel G. McCollum, a Marine, was the first South Carolinian to die during Americas operations in Afghanistan, according to casualty data.

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The 29-year-old Richland County native was flying in a KC-130 Hercules air tanker on Jan. 9, 2002, when it grazed a mountain peak and caught fire. The aircraft plummeted into a mountainside in southwest Pakistan.

Marine Corps Pvt. Nolen Hutchings, a 19-year-old from Boiling Springs, was one of the first South Carolina casualties in Iraq.

In the southern city of Nasiriya on March 23, 2003, the teenager was killed by friendly fire.

Hutchings' armored vehicle unit was being shot at by Iraqis when a coalition A-10 jet providing air cover for the Marines mistakenly attacked Hutchings' unit. He'd signed up not long after graduating from Boiling Springs High School in 2000.

He was proud to be a Marine," his father, Larry Hutchings, told The Associated Press after his son's passing. "We were proud of him.

'You are not alone'

A large number of deaths in the Middle East didn't come from combat. Casualty data shows that at least 35 of the 101 South Carolina men and women who died in Afghanistan and Iraq died in "non-hostile" incidents ranging from vehicle accidents and helicopter crashes to fires and drownings.

That number includes suicides while deployed.

While the war in the Middle East may be at its period end, the battle against post-traumatic stress disorder still rages back home. Per researchers estimates, 30,177 Global War on Terror veterans have died by suicide since 2001, compared to 7,057 who have died while deployed in any theater in support of that war on terror, according to a recent report from the Costs of War Project.

With the fall of Afghanistan back into Taliban hands last month, many veterans felt lost. In response, the Pentagon issued a list of mental health resources and hotlines for those grappling with the images of the collapse.

You are not alone, the Pentagon said in a statement. Remember that what is happening now does not minimize or negate the experiences of all who served overseas. Countless service members answered the call of duty and did what was asked of them. Service is never for naught.

Notably, South Carolina's military personnel, especially out of Joint Base Charleston, have bookended America's presence in the Middle East.

C-17s from Joint Base Charleston were one of the first to transport troops and equipment to the Middle East. Now, around the 20th anniversary for 9/11, those same planes brought home the last soldiers from Afghanistan.

At the center of that mission was Lt. Col Alex Pelbath. He was on the final flight aboard a Charleston C-17 out of Kabul  a departure that drew international attention after a green-tinted, night-vision image of Army Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue showed him preparing to leave the airport as the final soldier out of Afghanistan on Aug. 30.

When Pelbath was asked how veterans who are struggling with the weight of their post-9/11 military service can find meaning in their sacrifice, the Air Force commander relayed an old military phrase. America prefers "away games" when it comes to fighting, and the wars in the Middle East needed to be fought to stop one from coming to United States soil.

"I hope every veteran can hold their head high about the fact that they did make a difference," Pelbath said. "And that for 20 years, we haven't had a home game."
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
If a S.C. legislator gets arrested for starting a bar fight or driving drunk, the police have to file an arrest report, and anybody can read it.

If he gets sued for cheating a client or defaming a business partner, the lawsuit is a public record that anybody can look at.

But if someone files an ethics complaint against him, alleging that he took a bribe or misused state resources for personal gain  that is, if hes accused of doing something voters have a lot more need to know about  thats secret.

And the person who filed the complaint can get fined $1,000 or sent to jail for a year if she dares to tell anybody.

South Carolinas ethics gag rule has been around as long as weve had a government ethics law, and it reflects the same passive-aggressive hostility to holding public officials accountable for abusing their office that much of the ethics law reflects. Just as the State Ethics Act lets public officials get away with far too many self-serving acts, the gag rule helps those officials keep their unethical behavior secret. Even worse, it makes it impossible to know for sure whether our official government watchdogs are coddled lapdogs who do the will of their legislative masters.

In fact, besides scaring off unsophisticated citizens who fear winding up in jail if they file a complaint  no small thing, that  the main function of the gag rule is to protect the State Ethics Commission from scrutiny, by making it impossible to tell whether its just dismissing frivolous complaints or actually giving a pass to corrupt public officials.

We have the same problem in our secretive judicial discipline system, where complaints against judges are made public ... in those cases where the Commission on Judicial Conduct decides the complaint warrants public disciplinary action. And in the past decade, not a single one of more than 1,000 complaints against Circuit Court judges has been made public. You be the judge.

For the sophisticated critic, its fairly easy to get around the gag rules: Hold a news conference exposing what you believe is a violation of the ethics law. Then file your complaint. Hint that youre planning to file a complaint, and alert the world that you have in fact filed it by suddenly refusing to comment on whether youve filed it.

Once enough time passes and the Ethics Commission hasnt announced any disciplinary action, we can pretty safely assume it dismissed the complaint. But we cant know that for sure, and we dont know if there was a legitimate reason to do so.

As The Post and Couriers Avery Wilks reports, a lawsuit filed in federal court last month argues that the gag rule is an unconstitutional restraint on free speech that makes it impossible for the plaintiff to petition his government for redress.

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The plaintiff (identified in the lawsuit as John Doe so the State Ethics Commission wont punish him) had filed an ethics complaint against a state legislator whose LLC received more than $100,000 from the subsidiary of a lobbyist's principal  a company or person who employs a lobbyist  and didnt report that on his ethics disclosure form. The legislator later voted for a bill that helped the lobbyist's principal rather than recusing himself.

The lawsuit says the Ethics Commission confirmed the facts but dismissed the complaint, saying state law doesnt require either reporting or recusal unless the money comes directly from the lobbyist's principal. Based on the information in the lawsuit, that appears to be a correct ruling. What the legislator did was clearly unethical  the sort of thing many people think of as bribery, although it wouldnt meet the legal standard for that. But its something the Legislature has repeatedly refused to outlaw  and yet another reminder that there's often a big difference between what's unethical and what's illegal.

So when the lawsuit spins the Ethics Commission's conclusion as meaning that it is lawful for a public official to be secretly paid by a lobbyist principal and to take official action in furtherance of that special interest so long as the money used to pay the public official is laundered through the lobbyist principals wholly owned subsidiary, it's accurately stating what our law says.

The lawsuit correctly notes that the loophole undermines the law's disclosure and recusal provisions and argues that this "legal absurdity ... is not one Plaintiff John Doe is permitted to speak about without subjecting himself to criminal penalty under South Carolina Code  8-13-320(10)(g).

Actually, John Doe can lobby the Legislature to close the loophole, because contrary to his assertion, its no secret. Ive written about it several times, and there have been many efforts to close it. But the Ethics Commission might try to punish him if he named the lawmaker as part of his lobbying, or talked about the commission's dismissal of his complaint. And that is outrageous.

It would be nice if the court declared the gag rule unconstitutional, although a federal judge refused to do so when an even harsher version was challenged a quarter-century ago. Much better would be for the Legislature to stop enabling corrupt behavior by public officials and rug-sweeping by the Ethics Commission  assuming the commission is in fact sweeping violations under the rug  by eliminating the gag rule.

In the meantime  as we all wisely decline to hold our breath  its not too late to out the corrupt legislator who probably didnt violate the law.

Anyone other than John Doe who knows the details of the complaint  and someone else always knows the details  should step forward with that information. Since that person didnt file a complaint, the Ethics Commission has no power to punish him or her. And it cant punish Mr. Doe unless it can prove he shared the information after he filed the complaint.

We can put two and two together. We just shouldnt have to.
Deer season has been going on for almost a month in the South Carolina Lowcountry, and undoubtedly some hunters have already harvested that buck of a lifetime.

Maybe its a buck in velvet, an 8-pointer with a huge spread, a non-typical buck with numerous points, or a multi-colored piebald deer. You want the memory of that hunt to live on, to brighten days when you wish you were hunting, so you likely are going to seek a taxidermist.

"Why do people have a deer mount done? You look at that thing and relive that moment in time in your head every time you sit back and look at the mount," said Kenneth Cordray, who along with fellow taxidermists Morgan Rivers and Preston Postell will be listening to tales of those trophy deer until deer season ends Jan. 1.

During the early weeks of deer season, they often see bucks still in velvet, a fuzzy covering of the antlers that is in reality a type of skin filled with blood vessels and nerves. When hunters want to have a mount done with the velvet still attached to the antlers, Cordray cautions that hunters must treat the deer with kid gloves.

"That velvet is flesh. You can't grab the deer by the antlers and drag it out of the woods. You have to take care, keep the deer refrigerated, get the deer caped and in the freezer as quick as you can," Cordray said.

But by mid-September chances of harvesting a deer in velvet have pretty much disappeared. Still, Cordray cautions that hunters need to remember the deer is meat and you should treat it with the proper respect of a trophy big-game animal.

"People want to ride it around and show it to their buddies. But I come back to 'Would you leave your ribeye steak out for four hours?' Treating the meat correctly will treat the mount correctly," he said.

Cordray has been around trophy deer for almost all of his 34 years. When he was 4 years old his father Michael opened Cordray's Processing on family land in Ravenel and the business has developed a popular following. But the taxidermy business didn't evolve until much later.

A couple of years before graduating from Clemson in 2009 with a degree in Animal Science, Kenneth started thinking about his future. Having spent so many years processing deer and other animals and then sending the trophies to other taxidermists, the answer seemed obvious. So he found a taxidermist in Clemson, told him about his family's business and spent the next couple of years learning the trade.

"I worked after school, i worked between classes. That's how I learned," Cordray said, adding that he continues to learn. "He taught me the basics. (Taxidermy) was a good choice. I love animals and I love to hunt. Dad had built up a customer base and it was a perfect fit, drop off your deer and 'boom,' a one-stop shop."

When deer hunters ask for a taxidermy mount of their trophy, they usually choose the shoulder mount basically the antlers, head and chest of the deer. Cordray said there's usually a 6- to 9-month wait for the hunter to get his trophy, and the average costs is around $600.

They must take measurements, skin the animal and tag it before putting it into a freezer with the hunter's name attached. The antlers are separated from the skin. The taxidermist has to then order a foam form over which the skin will be stretched. An incision is made on the top of the head so the cape can be slipped over the antlers, then it is carefully sewn shut. They also have to put the nose back on and put in artificial eyes.

"We match the foam mold to the size of the deer. A hunter doesn't want to bring in a 200-pound buck and get a mount back that looks like a 130-pound buck," he said.

While the shoulder mount is the most popular, hunters have other options. You can get an antler mount which is just antlers on a board with a cover. There's also a skull mount, also known as a European mount in which the deer's skull and antler are prepared for display. Cordray has even done full body mounts of deer.

Of course, it's not just deer that Cordray will be dealing with over the next few months. Alligator season began Sept. 11, and hunters often show up with large hogs.

"We've done elk, and we've done some big deer from Texas. We had a non-typical deer with 30-something points. And we've done some button bucks (young deer with bumps where the antlers are forming)," Cordray said. "A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. It's what it means to that person."

SC Duck Calling Contest

The 2021 South Carolina Duck Calling Contest will be held Sept. 19 at Cook Mountain at the Wateree Heritage Preserve Wildlife Management Area in Eastover.

The SC Junior Contest, which starts at noon, is open to any caller who will be under 17 years of age as of Nov. 26, 2021. The S.C. State Adult Contest will follow the Junior Contest and is open to all South Carolina residents 17 or older as of Nov. 26, 2021. The winner of the S.C. State Contest will represent South Carolina in the World Contest in Stuttgart, Ark.

For information contact Jessie Tucker at 864-706-2545 or Marc Ackerman at 843-708-8869.

America's Boating Club

America's Boating Club Charleston will hold boating safety classes Oct. 2 and Nov. 6 at 1376 Orange Grove Road, Charleston. The classes begin at 9 a.m. and end around 4 p.m. Successful participants earn the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Boater Education Card. The cost is $25 for adults and youth 12-18 are free. Call 843-312-2876 or email lynes@tds.net.
Bringing Dr. Abner Pasatiempo back to Guam is one of the options available to the Office of the Attorney General in order to hold the former Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center psychiatrist accountable for allegations levied against him, according to OAG spokeswoman Carlina Charfauros.

Pasatiempo is facing criminal misdemeanor charges stemming from alleged harassment committed against clients while he was employed at GBHWC.

He failed to appear for hearings at the Superior Court of Guam, and the court has not been able to serve the doctor. After failing to appear in mid-June, the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest with $2,000 cash bail.

Though absent from court, Pasatiempo was represented at the Guam Board of Medical Examiners, where he is seeking reinstatement and to also resolve complaints so he can find employment in Alaska.

The doctor joined the July GBME meeting, albeit remotely, just about a month after not appearing for the court hearing in June.

On Sept. 1, the OAG announced that Pasatiempo had been taken into custody in Alaska.

Guam Attorney General Leevin Camacho and Alaska AG Treg Taylor discussed the matter prior to his arrest.

Investigators with the Guam attorney general's office subsequently established contact with Alaska law enforcement authorities, who located Pasatiempo and took him into custody based on the outstanding Guam warrant, according to the Guam OAG.

Pasatiempo was ordered not to leave Alaska and was released on a $2,000 bail bond. A status hearing is set for Sept. 30.

"The OAG continues to work with its Alaska counterparts to determine how the case will proceed. Once the OAG has solidified its course of action, the victims will be notified," Charfauros said. "We want to ensure the defendant answers to the allegations against him."

At the GBME, a psychiatrist is being sought to look into the Pasatiempo cases. Other cases at GBME are also awaiting the acquisition of relevant specialists to look into their issues.

'This is long overdue'

Curtis Vandeveld, who has been representing Pasatiempo at the medical board, said during the meeting Wednesday that they have been waiting about two years for the GBME investigation to move forward.

"My client has a right to due process. He has been waiting, and there is really no excuse for not having hired the investigator all of this duration of time. We have been polite. We have been considerate of the circumstances, but this is long overdue. And we want to know who the investigator is. There is information we would like to provide to the investigator. Not to the board attorney," Vandeveld said.

He said Pasatiempo long ago provided a detailed response to the accusations against him, adding there are letters from nearly all psychiatrists who practice on Guam in support of Pasatiempo.

"There is a statement of the employee who was with him throughout the entirety of his meetings with individuals who says what the accusations are are untrue. We would like to get this to the point where my client can move forward," Vandeveld said.

Board member Philip Flores said the board has not forgotten about the case, and it is a lengthy process.

Vandeveld said delays in the process are preventing Pasatiempo from becoming employed.

"It has been extremely taxing on him. Two years of unemployment because of this," he said, stating that he would like to hear more details about the procurement for the psychiatrist for the case in a private communication with the GBME.

Board attorney Rob Weinberg said he does not believe the board has to do more, as it is known that the board is trying to obtain a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction medicine for the cases.

Board member Dr. Annie Bordallo, assigned to oversee the Pasatiempo cases, said she would be happy to review documentation from Vandeveld.

"I've reviewed everything else that has been submitted to the board and we just need an opinion from a psychiatrist to clarify some of the questioning," Bordallo said.
Writings on the Wall

Ever since I had weight loss surgery, I have had occasional stomach acid issues. Last week, the day before Labor Day, I was ill most of the da Read more
Chaz Brogan of the Chester County EMS council, Mike Liam of Lionville Fire Company and Steve Plaugher of the CHester Couty FOP place wreaths in honor of those who died on September 11, 2001 during a ceremony at Uwchlan Ambulance Corps Satuday afternoon. (PETE BANNAN- MEDIANEWS GROUP)
@PottstownNews on Twitter

Evan Brandt has been a staff reporter for The Mercury for more than 20 years. He covers municipal, school district, political, state government, federal government and environmental news.
David Horowitz puts the wood to our woke military leadership, and explains where the real threat to our country comes from. Spoiler alert: its not white supremacists.

Our Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin  our leader who presided over the worst, most incompetent, most humiliating military defeat in the history of our nation  is black. Of course, hes black. He was appointed by Biden to display the wonderful diversity of the most progressive president in history. He wasnt chosen because he was a brilliant military leader (obviously). He was chosen because he was a political hack ready and willing to embrace even the most suicidal left-wing policies. Left-wing policies are by their very nature suicidal because the defining characteristic of the left is that it hates America and wants to dismantle it and replace it with the left-wing fantasy of a socially just future.

In February  with the deadline for withdrawal in Afghanistan a bare three months away  General Austin was not ordering a military alert to prepare for what was going to be a major humanitarian and military reckoning. Instead he was ordering a military stand down to indoctrinate all Americas troops in Black Lives Matter hate white people and hate America propaganda.

In passing may I note that 85% of the troops who gave their lives in Afghanistan to protect the American homeland and to give the Afghan people and especially women the right to breathe free  were white. So much for actual diversity.

Diversity Training in practice is a racist scam whose promoters have the hateful mentality and low I.Q. level of the Jim Crow bubbas of the past. Their goal is to demonize white Americans and (white) America, and to promote an anti-American agenda that strikes at the heart of a soldiers military oath to defend the Constitution. Here is a dose of the beliefs that our soldiers were being indoctrinated in during the two-month stand down during the run-up to the Afghanistan catastrophe:

that the country was founded by racists, that the country has always been racist,

that the Constitutions ratification codified white supremacy as the law of the land,

that whites are inherently racists (whether they realize it or not), and that the country must transform and become something altogether different than what it was and is.

We know this is the diversity training curriculum because a courageous patriot, former Lt. Colonel Matt Lohmeier  a commander in the Space Force and head of unit tasked with identifying ballistic missile launches  experienced it first-hand. Lohmeier had the personal courage and love of country to tell the non-military world about the rot that is eating away the confidence and patriotic dedication of the military. He did so in a learned, self-published book about it called Irresistible Revolution from which this passage comes.

For this gesture of patriotism and dissent, the Space Force removed Lohmeier from his command and then kicked him out of the military altogether. They then stripped him of his pension earned during fifteen years in the armed services. From his testimony we know that to criticize the Marxists, insurrectionists and pathological liars of Black Lives Matter or their poisonous doctrines is forbidden in todays military, presided over by diversity commander-in-chief Lloyd Austin.

What is the impact of these doctrines on the troops? How do you take an oath to defend a Constitution that institutionalizes white supremacy?

Lohmeier tells you. [It] is wrecking young peoples motivation to serve in the US military, regardless of their political leanings. Many of those who believe these false narratives are finding their motivation for continued service shattered. Many of those appalled by the accusations are likewise demotivated. These narratives are teeing up a lose-lose scenario for the uniformed services and for the American people. I know because I am hearing about it all the time from people at my own base and elsewhere.

In October 2020, Lohmeier attended a discussion group, set up as part of the militarys indoctrination program. It was led by a black female officer who assigned a book by Ijeomo Oluo called, So You Want to Talk About Race. Oluo is a Nigerian and a Black Lives Matter star. Her book has been widely read and praised. Here is its wisdom as Lohmeier reports it: The book teaches that the United States is a white supremacist society that must be dismantled piece by piece. It teaches that speech that makes people of color feel unsafe is an act of violence, but that if whites are uncomfortable, do not allow [them] to be treated as if harm has been done to them. Could its mind-numbing racism be any clearer?

This racist garbage would be of little consequence if it were not the dominant theme in Americas culture, promoted by the White House, the popular culture itself, and corporate giants like Google and Apple who have instituted the same racist indoctrination programs for their employees and everyone within their reach  which is everyone.

What makes these doctrines sinister is that the Marxists who devised them always had the goal of dismantling America in the process. Their success in Afghanistan should be a code blue warning to every American who loves their country. Americas current corrupt leaders are always talking about the existential threat to America. And their answer is always the same white supremacist domestic terrorists. And where are they? Our leaders deploy this fiction to empower their witch-hunts, of which Matthew Lohmeier is a prime victim.

But any patriotic American not seduced by the Black Lives Matters lies knows that the opposite is the truth. Anti-white racism, and ignorant attacks on the American founding  these constitute the greatest existential threat to America. And the fact that Black Lives Matter fictions make up the crippling doctrine of our military leaders should wake everyone to the menace we face. There never has been a greater threat to our patrimony and freedom since the darkest days of the Civil War.
Based on what Ive read and seen, the prevailing narrative on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 is that the war on terror went pear-shaped. 9/11 presented a test, and we failed it.

On September 12, 2001, America was unified as it hadnt been for decades. Our allies were fully behind us. But we blew it, or rather the Bush administration did by plunging us into war in Iraq. So I keep reading and hearing.

I disagree. My view is that we won the first 20 years of the long war on terror. Sure, we made many mistakes, as always happens in difficult wars. But there hasnt been an attack on our homeland of anything remotely like 9/11s scale in 20 years.

Few predicted this on 9/12, and the fact that the grim predictions of that time didnt come true isnt down to luck. Its due largely to the war on terror.

This alone represents victory to me.

I would view things differently if the price of preventing major attacks had been a forfeiture of our freedom and core principles. But it hasnt been.

Claims that America has become a surveillance state are wildly exaggerated. Indeed, we dont hear them much anymore. When we do, they seem paranoid, at least to me.

This is not to deny that America is less free than it was 20 years ago. But our lack of freedom stems from speech codes, the cancel culture, and the pandemic, not from any overreaction to 9/11.

What about our obvious lack of national unity? This phenomenon too has nothing to do with 9/11.

Its true that the Iraq war was extremely divisive, although not nearly as divisive as the Vietnam war. However, we largely overcame the divisions over the Iraq war, as we did with Vietnam. America reached a consensus (valid or not) that invading Iraq was a major mistake for which neo-cons were to blame.

The lack of nationality unity we experience today has next to nothing to do with Iraq or the war on terror. Were bitterly divided because the left wants to transform America radically (its very open about this desire) and at least half the country  significantly more than half, I believe  doesnt want major national transformation.

What about our relations with allies? Donald Trump alienated some of our allies through actions and words having nothing to do with that war. Joe Biden lost the trust and respect of many allies through his unilateral decision to pull troops out Afghanistan the way he did.

So yes, the way Biden is prosecuting the war on terror has harmed relations with our allies. But this isnt what most commentators have in mind when they complain about what they consider the deleterious effect of the war on terror on our foreign relations.

Finally, lets consider the state of play around the world when it comes to the threat of terrorism. In 2001, Iraq posed a threat. Saddam Hussein harbored terrorists. He plotted to assassinate George H.W. Bush.

As far as I can tell, Iraq no longer exports terrorism.

Afghanistan didnt either for 20 years. With the Taliban back in power, Afghanistan might once again become a source of international terrorism. We can hope, however, that after 20 years of war the Taliban will be at least somewhat more inclined to deter al Qaeda and other such groups from attacking the U.S.

In 2001, the Saudis were key supporters of terrorism against the West. Thats no longer the case. The U.S. had something to do with this turnaround, although terrorist attacks within the Kingdom in 2003 and 2004 were a more important factor.

In 2001, the United Arab Emirates was one of only three governments in the world that recognized the Taliban  the others were Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Now, the UAE has not recognized the Taliban, at least not yet. By contrast, as Fareed Zakaria observes, it has recognized Israel. Zakaria also points out that the UAE no longer panders to Islamist fundamentalists. Instead, it openly embraces most aspects of modernism.

What about the infamous Arab street? It too has been transformed. Zakaria cites polls about support for terrorism among Muslim populations. In 2005, 57 percent of the Jordanian public thought suicide attacks are sometimes or always justified. By 2009, that number was down to 29 percent. Zakaria cites similar results from the Muslim street in Indonesia and Pakistan.

The overall picture of the Islamic world that Zakaria paints is too rosy. He ignores instability in places like Libya, Sudan, and the Congo.

Zakaria also ignores Iran, a major exporter of terrorism in the Middle East and a potential exporter to the U.S. Of course, Irans biggest potential threat to world order isnt its penchant for terrorism, but rather the likelihood that it will develop nuclear weapons. The war on terrorism didnt produce this potential threat, but neither have we truly dealt with it.

In sum, I view the war on terrorism as a success because (1) for 20 years, we havent been attacked in anything like the way we were on 9/11, (2) were considerably less vulnerable to such an attack than we were in the months following 9/11 because of measures taken in response (coordination of intelligence gathering and heightened airport security, for example), (3) key state actors have turned against terrorism or, in some cases, been replaced by more benign regimes, (4) Islamic populations view terrorism far less favorably than they used to, and (5) we have accrued these benefits without forfeiting our freedoms and our principles.

Americans are considerably safer now than we were 20 years ago, though we arent fully safe.

Not great, but not bad for government work.
Modern Monetary Theory has officially arrived. That theory, embraced by ignoramuses like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but by no economists, to my knowledge, holds that a government can just print money and distribute it to taxpayers Democratic Party constituencies, with no ill effects. And it will be real money, representing wealth, that will raise everyones standard of living.

It is hard to imagine anyone being dumb enough to fall for such nonsense (AOC and the Squad excepted), but the Chairman of the House Budget Committee has bought it hook, line and sinker:

WATCH House Democrats argue we cant go bankrupt because we have the power to create as much money as we need to spend And hes serious. pic.twitter.com/LdFpCwGclT  House Ed & Labor Republicans (@EdLaborGOP) September 9, 2021



One obvious question is, if the government can just print money and thereby create wealth, why do we have taxes at all? To be consistent, the Democrats should advocate abolishing the federal personal and corporate income taxes, as well as the federal estate tax.

Of course, Modern Monetary Theory is not modern at all. It has been tried by desperate governments for several centuries, and arguably back to ancient times. Just ask residents of the Weimar Republic, Argentina, Zimbabwe and Venezuela, to name only a few of the most famous instances, how Modern Monetary Theory worked out for them.

Although, to be fair, none of those countries had anything like our $28 trillion national debt. As we cruise in uncharted waters, we are passing the shipwrecked hulks of governments that embraced Modern Monetary Theory, but to a more modest degree than the Democratic Party now contemplates.
Until recently, states in the North-west region of Nigeria plagued by banditry had treated the problem as a local affair. Former Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, his successor, Bello Matawalle, and Katsinas Aminu Masari negotiated with the bandits while Kadunas Nasir El-Rufai and Nigers Sani Bello insisted on military force on them. But after the bandits went berserk in recent months, the governors were forced to reason and fight together.

The measures

It started with Zamfara State a few hours after the abduction of 75 students from Government Day Secondary School, Kaya  Governor Matawalles hometown. Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ayuba El Kanah, announced the suspension of weekly markets, ban of sale of cattle and imposition of a curfew across the 14 local government areas of the state.

Kaduna, Katsina, Niger and then Sokoto soon after followed suit by announcing similar measures.

In Katsina, Governor Masari closed two major roads  Jibia to Gurbin Baure and Kankara to Sheme  to traffic. Commercial vehicles were advised to take Funtua road but private vehicles can still ply the Kankara-Sheme road. The governor also banned cattle markets in 14 towns. These are Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa, Kankara, Malumfashi, Charanci, Mai adua, Kafur, Faskari, Sabuwa, Baure, Dutsin Ma and Kaita.

He also banned movement of cattle in trucks and of firewood from the bush. The governor also prohibited more than two people from riding on a motorcycle and more than three in a tricycle, and sale of petroleum in jerry cans. A popular second-hand motorcycles market in Charanci was also suspended.

To cut fuel supply to the bandits who ride in convoys of motorcycles to attack communities, the governor said only two designated fuel stations can now sell fuel, and of not more than N5,000 to a person, in the local government areas most affected by the crisis.

To complement the measures, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed the immediate shutdown of telecommunication networks in Zamfara State. All the measures were aimed at restricting movement and communication by bandits as the military launched an offensive against them in their forest bases.

Situation

Bandits have been operating in most of the North-west states for over a decade but the situation has gotten worse in the past few years. Banditry is the code name in the region for organised crimes like kidnapping, cattle rustling, mass abduction, arson and even armed robbery.

It started as conflicts between farmers and cattle herders but has snowballed into terrorism. This year, bandits shot down an air force jet and have kidnapped more than 1000 people since January.

According to an American Security Project Report (2021), 200,000 people have fled their communities in Northern Nigeria this year, with 77,000 of them crossing the border in search of safer abodes outside the country.

The attacks have continued despite actions by security agencies and local vigilante groups and the attempts by some governors to pacify the bandits.

According to Mr Masari, when he initiated dialogue with the bandits in 2017, the policy worked for some months before the repentant bandits started backsliding, either due to the lure of ransoms or under attacks from their recalcitrant colleagues. Former Governor Yari had also tried the same measure in Zamfara, convincing a notorious bandit, Buharin Daji, to drop his arms and accept an amnesty by the government. This was until the bandit got bored and returned to the forest. Mr Daji was gunned down this year in the bush, reportedly in a clash with his estranged lieutenant, Dogo Gide.

In Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Kaduna, bandits routinely block roads to rob and kidnap travellers. They also raid schools to abduct students for ransom. But perhaps the worst hit are farmers in rural communities. Many of them have abandoned their farms and fled to urban areas as bandits steal their crops and burn down their homes and grain silos. An Amnesty International report (2020) showed that 33,130 people, mostly farmers, have been displaced this year in the Northwest.

However, the attacks on schools have also been just as disruptive. States shut down schools while Kaduna also adopted stringent measures to allow JSS3 students write their examinations. Meanwhile, the students abducted from FGC Yauri in Kebbi and Government Day Secondary School, Kaya in Zamfara are still being held by their abductors.

Reluctant embrace

However, traders, herders and other residents have reluctantly embraced the different measures recently rolled out in the offensive against the bandits.

The Chairman of the Amalgamated Cattle and Farm Produce Dealers in Katsina State, Aminu Sheme, said the traders will comply with the measures.

He, however, urged the state government to haste the fight to avoid creating new groups of frustrated Nigerians.

We have no objection to the governments decisions but we want the government to know that things are already hard for our members and that these decisions will definitely add to our issues.

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Most of our members are registered and we have ways of knowing the source of all cattle brought to us. As I said, we have no problem with the decision but we want the government to ensure that there is success in the fight because if you stop peoples source of income, you need to ensure that the result is positive.

Mr Sheme said he was already receiving complaints from members of the association over their losses as a result of the restriction of trading in cattle. He said some of them took loans to buy cattle and other domestic animals.

A trader in Jibia, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the shutdown of the Gurbin Bore-Jibia road has affected trading activities in the Jibia central market in Katsina State.

You know our market largely depends on business people coming from Gurbin Bore, Gurbin Baure, Zurmi from Zamfara and other towns like Dan Isa in Niger Republic. This ban has cut the number of people in the market and businesses are suffering, he said.

Due to the ban, the Batsari domestic animals market that used to operate every Thursday, was deserted when our reporter visited the town.

In Zamfara, PREMIUM TIMES observed that residents, especially from Talata Mafara, Gummi, Bakura and Shinkafi now cross into Sokoto State to access mobile telecommunications services.

Nura Muhammad, a federal civil servant who lives in Talata Mafara, said he had been going to Sokoto  102 kilometres away, to use his phone.

I dont have problem with shutting down networks as long as it brings positive results. My work requires that I communicate a lot, so to tackle that I go to Sokoto to make phone calls, chat and send messages through Gmail.

Sulaiman Lawal, a trader in second-hand electronic gadgets at the Charanci weekly market, told PREMIUM TIMES that the ban on the sale of second-hand motorcycles and accessories has affected turnouts in their section of the market.

I spoke with many of our people today (Sunday) and they all told me that they are not happy with the ban. But it is necessary since it was taken for their sake. Even we (electronic sellers) have been affected, he said.

At the Katsina State Transport Authoritys motor park in Kofar Yandaka, drivers and park officials said the ban of traffic from the Jibia-Gurbin Baure- Zurmi road had caused a low turnout of travellers.

We have to follow Funtua which costs us a lot in terms of fuel consumption and fatigue, Musa Sambo, a driver with Sokoto State Transport Authority, said.

Jibia, Batsari, Safana, Danmusa Dutsin Ma, Kurfi, Kankara, Sabuwa, Dandume, Faskari, Funtua, Malumfashi and Bakori local government areas of Katsina were also experiencing erratic mobile telecommunications service. Only Airtel was working in Funtua and Malumfashi areas while all other networks are believed to have been shut down in the other areas, according to residents.

While inaugurating a security committee he tasked with enforcing compliance with the special measures, Mr Masari said he may ask the authorities to cut mobile telecommunications in the mentioned areas.

Experts talk

Yahuza Getso, a security expert, said the measures taken by the state governments were long overdue.

Every responsible government places premium on creating an enabling environment for the provision of social services, which security is the number one priority.

Therefore, the measures are necessary, looking at the number of lives being lost daily and how the activities of criminals are affecting socio-economic growth and development, especially how they are threatening food and national security.

Also commenting, Baba-Bala Katsina, a History and Strategic Studies expert, asked for a strong military action to complement the measures.

The governors took the decisions to show that they are doing their best in the fight against insecurity. But there is a need for review after maybe two weeks to assess how effective the measures are. That is the only way of assuring the public that the right decisions were taken.

He said people have lost faith in government due to several ineffective decisions taken.

There is also a need for a strong military action because when you stop peoples means of livelihood, you need to act fast before another problem is caused, he said.

The situation is improving  Officials

The police spokesperson in Katsina State, Gambo Isa, said the measures were already having impact. He told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that the state did not record any attack in the previous three days.

On several occasions we had paraded locals conniving with these people (bandits). So, without the local markets to sell the cattle, will they even rustle the animals in the first place? And even if they want to take it out, who will transport the cattle for them out of the state? So, I can confirm to you that with the recent decisions taken by the governors, the activities of these bandits will soon be frustrated.

The spokesperson of the Zamfara governor, Ibrahim Zauma, also said the measures were already yielding fruits in the state.

The measures to curtail the activities of terrorist bandits imposed by His Excellency, Governor Bello Matawalle, and replicated by the neighboring Northwestern states have started to show some effects on the monster, he said to our reporter.

Though, the level of bandit assaults on communities skyrocketed after the measures were taken, it is reliably confirmed that the recent bandits lunatic incursions are in protest of the cut-off of their supply lines.

Reports from Zamfara and Kebbi states show that the terrorists are feeling the heat of the ban on weekly markets and the sale of petroleum to black marketers. The threats to attack communities for keeping the new measures speak volume about how the terrorists are getting cornered. We hope and pray it is the last kick of a dying monster.

Governor Masaris spokesperson, Abdu Labaran, said the measures were long overdue. He said the lack of cooperation and unity among the affected states governors had hindered the fight against banditry in the region.

He assured that the measures will be effective and called on people of the states to cooperate with the governors.
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Armed bandits on Saturday attacked a military base in Zamfara State, leaving at least a dozen gallant security personnel dead.

Those familiar with the incident confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that at least 12 personnel were confirmed dead while three were wounded in the attack on Forward Operating Base in Mutumji, Dansadau Local Government of Zamfara State.

The sad incident comes amidst heightened offensive by security forces against bandits in the North-west region of Nigeria.

Scores of bandits were reportedly killed and many arrested in several operations which necessitated the shutdown of telephone networks in Zamfara and some parts of neighbouring Katsina State.

The latest attack on the military base, according to sources, left a casualty of nine Air Force, two police and one Nigerian Army personnel.

The bandits also carted away weapons and other equipment from the slain security personnel while also setting the base ablaze.

Defence spokesperson, Benjamin Sawyerr, a major general, was not available for comments on the incident Sunday night.

However, a source at Defence Headquarters said, Operation are ongoing in that area and there is total shut down of GSM communications.

Our troops are consolidating on successes recorded so far. Information on ongoing operations will be premature at this stage.

Let us all join voices in ensuring out troops once and for all deal with the menace of insecurity in the Northwest and Northcentral. They need not be distracted for now.

Previous attacks

The bandits had few weeks ago downed an Airforce alpha jet.

The aircraft, which was being used to attack locations where the criminals are taking refuge, came under intense enemy fire by the bandits which brought it down.

The Nigerian Air Force, however, said there was no casualty as the pilot escaped unhurt.

That incident made it at least four air crashes involving Nigerian military planes in the last seven months.

Meanwhile, Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has ruled out negotiation with the bandits, saying they would ultimately be crushed.
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The Kano State Government has directed traditional rulers to monitor all transactions in landed properties in the state.

The spokesperson of the Office of the Secretary to Kano State Government, Musa Muhammad, announced this in a statement on Friday.

He said the directive is to prevent bandits fleeing from military onslaughts in neighbouring states from relocating to Kano.

Armed bandits are reportedly fleeing Zamfara where the military is carrying out an offensive against them. The government of Jigawa State had also warned Fulani leaders against harbouring bandits fleeing the state.

Kano and Jigawa are relatively peaceful and have not recorded many cases of banditry, unlike other states in the Northwest of Nigeria.

Mr Muhammad said property agents must obtain clearance from traditional rulers or their representatives before selling or renting out a house or parcel of land to any individual or group.

Government has directed that no house, property or land should be rented out or sold to any individual or group without prior due reference to and clearance by the District Head or his accredited representative.

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This directive is sequel to the sustained military operations against bandits and other criminal elements in many parts of the country in line with the commitment of the Federal Government to end insurgency and banditry in some parts of the country, thereby compelling these criminal elements to reportedly look for safe havens in other neighbouring states, including Kano State, the official statement said.

The government warned property agents that non-compliance with the directive would be held as connivance with criminal elements to subvert the peace and security of the state.
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Osun State government on Sunday in Iwo urged residents to be alive to their responsibilities in the prevention and management of floods.

Rufus Oyegbile, special adviser to Governor Gboyega Oyetola on Environment and Sanitation, gave the charge at the inauguration of the dredging of rivers and waterways in Iwo Local Government Area of the state.

He said the charge was in response to warnings by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) on flood prevention.

He added that a forecast by NIHSA and NIMET that the state was highly probable to flood prompted the state government to embark on intensive flood control to protect lives and property of its citizens.

He assured that the government would not relent in its efforts to avert environmental disaster in the state.

We have it on record that in the last two years, the government has done a lot on dredging of rivers and waterways across the length and breadth of the state.

Although our efforts have been challenged by the recent flooding in some parts of the state, the situation calls for urgent action by the government and by all other critical stakeholders, he said.

Also, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, special adviser to the governor on Civic Engagement, noted that awareness on flood preparedness was imperative owing to its devastating effect.

Mr Oyintiloye appealed to community leaders, especially at the grassroots to continue sensitising people in their domains against dumping of refuse and erecting structures on water channels to prevent flooding.

The special adviser said community leaders must support the government in re-awakening the consciousness of the people towards community service, such as clearing of drainages and waterways.

He noted that such actions were part of the social responsibilities of citizens, particularly those in flood prone areas.

(NAN)
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The Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), which is maintaining peace in Plateau and its environs, has constituted a Broad of Enquiry to investigate the alleged murder of one Abdullahi Karafa, a taxi driver in Jos, by its personnel.

Ishaku Takwa, its media officer, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Karafa, a resident of Angwan Rimi community of Jos North Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau, was allegedly beaten to death by soldiers at Farin Gada axis of the area.

It was alleged that the victim violated the 10 p.m. curfew imposed by the state government.

Mr Takwa said that the Commander of the Task Force, Ibrahim Ali, has visited the family of the deceased and assured that any soldier found culpable would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

OPSH received with shock a report that its personnel deployed at Farin Gada beat and murdered a commercial taxi driver, Mr Abdullahi Karafa.

Immediately we received the report, our commander visited the deceased family and condoned them over the unfortunate incident.

The commander has since constituted a board of enquiry to unravel those behind the heinous act, the statement said.

Mr Takwa, a major, added that the commander has warned officers and men of the task force to operate within the ambit of the law, saying anyone found wanton would not be spared.

He, however, assured the public that its personnel would continue to be professional, operate in line with the international best practices and rules of engagement.

The Plateau government imposed the dusk-to-dawn curfew in the aftermath of the security challenges in the area.

(NAN)
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Chimaroke Nnamani, senator (PDP-Enugu) and chairman, Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa, has called for an end to the sit-at-home order, by the proscribed IPOB in the South-east

Mr Nnamani, who made the call in a statement he issued to newsmen, on Sunday, in Abuja, noted that the order had brought the economy and social life in the region to its knees.

The one-time governor of Enugu also condemned the attack on citizens who went about their legitimate businesses, on account of the sit -at- home order.

The lawmaker said the trinity of the Igbo character was defined by hard work, adding that the sit-at-home was antithetical to this trait and a betrayal of Igbo interest.

He then called on those behind the order to discontinue forthwith, following the continuous damage to the economy and psyche of the Igbo people.

Most of our people live on daily income. Think of the market women who depend on daily earnings to feed their families. Think of students writing external examinations being denied access to the venues.

How does enslaving our people, denial of means of livelihood, add value to our quest for equity and justice? If others reject us, should we also reject ourselves?

It stands to reason that this sit-at-home cannot be a way forward .We cannot abandon ourselves.

In our struggle for equity and justice in the Nigerian federation, we cannot inadvertently inflict more injuries on ourselves by this sit-at-home order, he stated.

Mr Nnamani, therefore, urged all men and women of goodwill to prevail on the protagonists of the sit-at-home order, to restore normalcy in the region.

He added that with tenacity of purpose and determination, the quest for equity and justice would be realised and not with violence.

(NAN)
Lawyers have expressed mixed reactions to Fridays ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which ordered parties to the Value Added Tax (VAT) collection dispute to maintain status quo ante bellum.

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, had in a judgement declared that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had no constitutional backing to collect VAT in the state, thereby clothing the Rivers government with the power to do so.

However, the federal revenue agency was dissatisfied with the trial courts verdict, and subsequently approached the Court of Appeal to stay execution of the decision.

A three-member panel of the appellate court, ruling on the application, ordered the parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.

Haruna Tsanami, the judge who delivered the lead ruling of the panel, held that since parties had submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the court for adjudication on the issue, they must not do anything that will destroy the subject matter of the appeal.

The suit was then fixed for 16 September, 2021, for hearing of an application by the Lagos State government to join the suit.

Lagos State needed to apply to be joined in the case because it was not part of the case at the trial court.

FIRS in its appeal marked CA/PH/282/202 is praying the court to set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, in Port Harcourt, which granted power to the state government to collect VAT.

Lawyers weigh in on ruling

Since Friday, lawyers have expressed divergent views on the implication of the Court of Appeal ruling ordering parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.

Kurtis Adigba, a constitutional lawyer and public affairs commentator, in his interpretation of the ruling, wondered why courts in Nigeria engaged in what he termed constructive ambiguity, which left the public and even parties in a legal quandary.

The court gives you a judgement and you are left struggling to understand what it means, Mr Adigba said.

He explained that the term maintain status quo ante bellum in legal parlance means parties going back to the situation they were before the suit was instituted.

Interpreting the appellate courts ruling on the unfolding impasse between the FIRS and the Rivers State government, Mr Adigba said: States were collecting VAT for the federal government, but now they decide to collect VAT for themselves.

Maintain status quo ante bellum in the instant case simply means states should still collect and remit VAT to the federal government until the matter is determined, he explained.

The Lagos-based lawyer further clarified that the Court of Appeals ruling was not binding on Lagos State government as it was not a party to the appeal as of the time Fridays order was issued.

On his part, Kayode Ajulo, a lawyer, said it was elementary position in law that when a matter is before the court, parties are supposed to hold on, in order to preserve the subject matter.

Urging parties to refrain from taking steps that would affect the subject matter, Mr Ajulo said status quo ante bellum means as things were before going to court.

It means the situation parties were before they decided to go to court.

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But a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said once a court is ceased of the facts of a case, parties are to allow the court determine the issue on the merit.

Clearly, the status quo ante bellum was before the breakout of the hostilities.

It means the position the parties were at the time the order was made, Mr Adegboruwa who featured on Channels TVs programme on Friday night said.

Rivers, Lagos can still collect VAT

Mr Adegboruwa clarified that the appellate courts order had no effect on the Rivers and Lagos States Houses of Assembly legislations authorising the collection of VAT by the States.

I do not think the order of the Court of Appeal will extend to the laws duly passed by the Houses of Assembly of Rivers and Lagos state in respect of VAT, he said.

Further analysing the Court of Appeal ruling, Mr Adegboruwa said the appellate court cannot stay the execution of a declaratory judgement of a lower court.

The judgement of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt was declaratory; it only declared the right of Rivers State to collect VAT, no order was made.

In law, the appellate court cannot stay the execution of a judgement that only declared rights.

He explained that the Rivers State government is empowered by the new law passed by its House of Assembly to collect VAT, adding, The new legislation is not a subject of any litigation.

The FIRS cannot collect VAT because the Court of Appeal asked it to maintain status quo.

For Rivers State, it cannot rely on the Federal High Court judgement to collect VAT, but it can fall back on the law that is in existence because the law has not been stopped by any court in Nigeria, Mr Adegboruwa said.

Backstory

The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, had in a recent landmark judgment, held that it was unconstitutional for the FIRS to collect VAT and personal income tax in Rivers State.

Besides that, the court ruled that Rivers State government, and not the agent of the Federal Government  the FIRS  was authorised by the Nigerian Constitution to collect personal income tax in the state, PREMIUM TIMES had reported.

Emboldened by the court order, both Governor Wike of Rivers State and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State had signed into law bills authorising the state governments to collect VAT, a move being resisted by the FIRS.

The move has heightened the national debate on Nigerias uneven fiscal federalism.

About N651.77 billion, for instance, was generated as VAT in the first half of 2020, an 8.45 per cent increase when compared with half-year 2019.

The Nigerian government in February 2020 increased the VAT rate from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, while it had anticipated a deficit of N2.18 trillion ($6 billion) for the 2020 budget.

While signing the bill into law, Mr Wike said the federal government had been perpetuating illegality through VAT collection by FIRS, and that the various states in Nigeria have been strangulated financially and reduced to beggars.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Lagos government also toed the same path on Friday.
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The police in Lagos say they have arrested and detained the killer of Monsurat Ojuade, the 18-year-old lady, who was shot on Friday night.

Adekunle Ajisebutu, the police spokesperson, said in a statement Sunday that the deceased was hit by a stray bullet during an investigation by officers attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.

The police did not disclose the identity of the trigger-happy officer.

It has come to the knowledge of the Lagos State Police Command that one Monsurat Ojuade (female) aged 18, was hit by a stray bullet at about 0100hrs of 11th September, 2021 when a team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti went on investigation activities to effect the arrest of a robbery suspect in Ijeshatedo area of the State., the statement read in part.

Concerted efforts were made to save the life of the injured victim. She was immediately taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention but later died on the way to the hospital.

The statement said the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, regrets the unfortunate but avoidable incident and sincerely commiserates with the bereaved family in whose pain he shares in this moment of grief.

Mr Ajisebutu said the erring police officer who pulled the trigger has been identified and is currently being detained adding that the commissioner of police has directed that the police officer should be tried and charged to court immediately after being dismissed from the force.

This, it is believed, will serve as a deterrent to others who do not act professionally in the course of their duties.

Oluwatosin Ojuade, the elder sister of the deceased, told this newspaper on Sunday that Miss Ojuade, was shot one month after her 18th birthday.

The teenager was shot in her compound in the Mogaji area of Surulere. She was first rushed to Comforter Hospital where they were told there was no doctor on duty. She was then moved to Randle General Hospital and they gave her first aid and referred her to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi. At Igbobi, they were told the doctors are on strike.

Miss Ojuade was then taken to Havannah Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Speaking on the book, the Minister further noted the author, Inyene Ibanga, as highlighting how digital innovation has led to the surge of economic prosperity in Nigeria, within the framework of the ground-setting and key initiatives of the Ministry of Communication, all with the full endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was on August 23 that a man in a black suit walked into our office at 9.30 am. He introduced himself as the Protocol Officer in the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, and announced that the Minister, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, would arrive at our office by 11.00 a.m.

Prior to that, we had sent out invitations to the Minister and the agencies under his Ministry, to a close-knitted and private event of a book presentation in our modest conference room at PRNigeria Centre, Wuye District, Abuja

While aware of the fact that a Monday morning is usually a hectic period for many chief executive officers, we had kept our expectations moderate and hoped that at least the Minister and the CEOs of associated agencies would send representation to the event.

As we went about organising the sitting arrangement of the anticipated guests with the Protocol Officer, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, arrived, followed shortly by the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of cognate parastatals of the Communications Ministry.

The CEOs included Professor Umar Garba Danbatta of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Muhammad Abubakar of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Dr Abimbola Alale of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Engineer Aliyu A. Aziz of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr Ismail Adebayo Adewusi of Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), and Mr Ayuba Shuaibu of Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).

We were flabbergasted and exhilarated in equal measure by the arrival of the Minister at about a quarter to 11 a.m, before the start of the event, which is highly unusual for an official of his calibre in Nigeria. Following this, our premises became a beehive of uncommon activities.

Before that day, the last time I had met the Minister, Professor Pantami, in person was in August 2020, when I led editorial members of the Economic Confidential publication to his office for an interview. That encounter motivated one of our staff writers, Inyene Ibanga, to develop a keen interest in covering the Information Technology sector, going forward.

As a Mass Communications graduate, with a Masters Degree in Public Relations, Ibanga not only started filing in reports on the sector but he equally wrote weekly articles on Digital Innovation, with particular focus on the activities of NITDA.

By July this year, Inyene Ibanga, who currently edits TechDigest, had developed a remarkable portfolio of published articles on the digital economy sector in Nigeria and other related developments in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain technology, Big Data, the Internet of Things, Cybersecurity, social media, among others.

As I reviewed the book, I informed our August visitors that the compendium explores ways in which Nigeria does not get left behind in the deployment of technology for providing solutions to economic challenges. The book also examines the roles of regulatory bodies, especially NITDA, in the promotion of Information Technology in a crosscutting manner

In realising the paucity of literature on the Information Technology sector in Nigeria, the parent company of our publications, Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR), which was declared the Most-Creative PR Agency Worldwide in 2020 (Statista), decided to compile and publish Ibangas articles into a book form entitled, Digital Innovation for Prosperity in Nigeria.

The book comprises eight chapters of 40 well-researched and articulated subjects, which include, Enhancing Start-ups; Strengthening Innovative Solutions; Managing Data for Productivity; Protecting Cyber Security, and Accessing E-Learning. The other chapters consist of, Promoting Digital Inclusion; Transforming the Way of Doing Things and Advancing the Digital Economy.

Analogous issues and areas mediated upon in the book include elucidations on the smart city, smart campuses, digital transformation, disruptive technology, e-commerce, e-learning, e-tourism, fact-checking, the Industrial Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality, e-voting, among others.

We were delighted, at the compilation stage of the book, when Minister Pantami accepted to write the Foreword to the publication. And, in his recommendation, the erudite scholar and professor of cybersecurity noted that the book will help expose its readers to the benefits of digital innovation and digital economy.

As earlier mentioned, with the arrival of the Minister, the programme started with a welcome address by Chairman of the Board of IMPR, Dr Sule Yau Sule, who hailed the rapid development of the digital economy in Nigeria, with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) being the fastest-growing sector of the economy.

Whilst speaking in the same vein, the DG of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, who was also celebrated at the occasion for clocking two years in the saddle and stewardship of the agency, expressed excitement that the well-thought-out policies, initiatives and promotion of digital innovation, as engineered by the Minister, are already yielding huge positive results.

As I reviewed the book, I informed our August visitors that the compendium explores ways in which Nigeria does not get left behind in the deployment of technology for providing solutions to economic challenges. The book also examines the roles of regulatory bodies, especially NITDA, in the promotion of Information Technology in a crosscutting manner, through the development of frameworks, standards, guidelines, regulations, and policies.

As the Special Guest of Honour, the Minister commended the contributions of IMPRs titles in constructive engagement with the Nigerian public and for its wholesome media coverage of various sectors in the country.

Days after, while the magnificence of that event still resonates, the coming together of a rich calibre of personalities to reflect on Nigerias digital journey so far, on a unique Monday morning, is not only a great honour to many of us who have been toiling to produce information that enhances Nigerias image, but also a memory that will remain indelible in our minds for a long time to come.

Pantami said: The publications of IMPR, especially PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and TechDigest have demonstrated the quality of evidence-based journalism.

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Speaking on the book, the Minister further noted the author, Inyene Ibanga, as highlighting how digital innovation has led to the surge of economic prosperity in Nigeria, within the framework of the ground-setting and key initiatives of the Ministry of Communication, all with the full endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Professor Pantami, therefore, urged Nigerians to develop the habit of reading, as Readers are leaders, and that all noted world leaders are people who spend quality time reading.

Speaking on behalf of all other special guests at the occasion, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta praised the author and the publisher for the presented compendium on ICT in Nigeria, and with special reference to the significant milestones that have been attained by NITDA.

In commending the excellent synergy and rapport among the chief executives of agencies under the Ministry of Digital Economy, Mallam Yusuf Alli, one of the directors of IMPR, used the opportunity of the closing remarks at the event to also laud the rare leadership of Professor Pantami.

Mallam Alli, who is an award-winning investigative editor, further stated that other ministries and agencies of government in Nigeria could learn a lot from the unity of purpose of these officials, as exemplified in their collaborations for the development of the country, alongside their humility, brilliance, intellection, and high senses of responsibility.

Days after, while the magnificence of that event still resonates, the coming together of a rich calibre of personalities to reflect on Nigerias digital journey so far, on a unique Monday morning, is not only a great honour to many of us who have been toiling to produce information that enhances Nigerias image, but also a memory that will remain indelible in our minds for a long time to come.

To the August visitors, especially, the enviable Professor of Cybersecurity, we are indeed highly indebted for that great honour of the surprise visit. As PR people, not just communicators, we cherish friendship and sense of brotherhood through constructive engagements towards a greater nation.

Yushau A. Shuaib is Editor-in-Chief of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential.
It is impossible not to be affected by contact with Lindsay Barrett, the poet, journalist, essayist, photographer, playwright, broadcaster and novelist. This rolling stone has gathered moss aplenty, having packed so much into his four score years with indelible footprints in Europe, the United States and Africa.

I first met Barrett in the glorious 70s when Nigeria was a freelancers haven where one could write for radio, magazines and newspapers at the same time. I had the opportunity of writing and recording daily meditation pieces for the religious broadcast unit of Radio Nigeria, headed by Rev Fr Michael Omisesan, and at the same time participated in several radio plays. The established lords of the radio play manor were the Barretts and the John Chukwus. Even at that time, there was something about the Jamaicans generosity of spirit that made you feel you had known him all your life.

Barrett has been a participant in most of the defining moments of Nigerias development. While there are a few of his peers in the journalistic field who are still in circulation, there is certainly none with his potpourri of talents, literary output and international exposure.

Providence cast a spell of adventurism on Barrett early in life. Were novelist Cyprian Ekwensi to describe him at the onset of his epic adventure when he left Jamaica for London as a 21-year-old freelance journalist, Ekwensi would have said Barrett had caught sokugo, the wandering sickness in Ekwensis Burning Grass, which turned studious men into wanderers, that led husbands to desert their wives

But, in truth, the seed of adventure had been planted in him from high school, the Clarendon College in Jamaica, where the Ghanaian pan-Africanist, Dudley Thompson, had lectured the students on the need for Africans in the Diaspora to link up with their roots in Africa.

After a stint as reporter with the Daily Gleaner and The Star from 1959 to 1961, he worked as news editor for the Jamaican Broadcasting Corporation before relocating to London where he freelanced with the BBC World Service and the Transcription Centre. He later travelled as a journalist through many European countries. His creative Muse was at its most active between the 60s and 70s. Song for Mumu, his first novel, written between 1962 and 1966, was published by Longman in 1967 to high critical acclaim. Reviewer A.R. Chisolm described it as violently, lyrically, movingly original: A primitive masterpiece!

He could not resist the allure of West Africa after participating in the first World Festival of Black Arts and Culture in Dakar, Senegal, in 1966. He landed in Nigeria after the festival and the enchantment of Africas biggest nation and the unique and vibrant diversity which ensures that there is never a dull moment, for good or for ill, has held him captive since then.

From 1966 to 1967 he was the Secretary of the Mbari Artists Club in Ibadan. During the war years, Barrett covered the tragic events from the frontline. His byline graced the pages of many Nigerian and foreign media. Because of the trust the authorities placed in him, he was appointed Director of the East Central State Information Service under Administrator Ukpabi Asika.

He took a breather from Nigeria between 1971 and 1973 when he returned to London. However, Nigeria always had a pull.

He has collaborated or interacted with many notable literary icons: Wole Soyinka, Langston Hughes, Christopher Okigbo, JP Clark, Lebert Sandy Bethune, Ted Joans, Beauford Delaney, Gabriel Okara and Herb Gentry, Ulli Beier, among others. As a correspondent of the London-based West Africa magazine, he travelled widely in West Africa, especially to Ghana, Sierra-Leone, Liberia where he also found time to participate in literary workshops and deliver lectures.

A decade ago, Barrett himself took stock and said of his rich writing adventure:

I can remember a time in my early twenties when I lived in London, Frankfurt, Paris, and Tangier and, for a while, in Tunisia and Libya; when I genuinely lived in a whirl of such oblivion that it appeared unlikely that I would ever witness my thirtieth birthday. For this reason I wrote at that time like one possessed and I still believe my work of that period represents the high points of my creative output. 

The significance of Barretts odyssey in Africa lies in the interconnectedness he has been able to establish between the Caribbean and Black Africa. Thanks to Barrett, we now know that Mother Africa can indeed open her arms in warm embrace to receive her long lost children from the Diaspora and take advantage of the talents of such children to leapfrog the society to new possibilities.

Barrett is no longer a Jamaican immigrant in Nigeria. He is family. He left his family in Jamaica only to find family in Africa. That was underlined by his naturalisation as a Nigerian citizen in the mid-80s. With 11 children and 12 grandchildren, his feet are firmly planted in Nigeria. He is a Bayelsan, a Niger-Deltan by choice. Nigeria has finally succeeded in domesticating the adventurous sojourner!

Having lived such an eventful life during which he had a front row seat in reporting the Nigerian story and making the acquaintance  and even friendship of several of the countrys leaders and social elite, perhaps Barrett would want to share his impression on these and more? I visited with him, armed with nine questions requesting terse answers.

PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE: Live and let live. Treat the next man as you would want him to treat you.

YAKUBU GOWON: It was General Gowons genuine desire for peace and equity after the war that I remember him for. Gowon won the war and was working towards winning the peace before he was overthrown. And we are yet to win the peace even now.

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO: Obasanjo is one of the most humorous and down-to-earth human beings Ive ever met. But be careful, his native intelligence is of a very high order.

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TY DANJUMA: Hes the most loyal and helpful friend Ive ever had.He is so devoted to principles or conduct that he considers correct. Its remarkable that Ive been able to maintain a friendship with him for more than 50 years.

GOODLUCK JONATHAN: He remains a very close friend. I dont think history has understood the level of his contribution to Nigerias stability. I consider him the closest friend Ive had in power. Hes the only truly non-military leader weve had since Shagari (President YarAdua benefitted from his brothers military connections). When history is ready for full analysis, Jonathan will smell of roses.

FELA: He lived for his music. His music had universal appeal. He was one of the greatest things to come out of Africa.

MD YUSUF: He was Felas best friend. As Head of the E-Department of the Police force, he was a trough of vital information for the whole of West Africa during the Nigerian civil war. A very unassuming, incredibly fair-minded professional.

WOLE SOYINKA: Soyinka is the spirit of youth. If he lives to be 100, hell still be a young man. I interviewed Soyinka and JP Clark for the Transcription Centre in London when I was about 21 years old. They are both ahead of society. Soyinka will always be young because hes always ready to defend principles related to the good of the larger society.

GABRIEL OKARA: I call him my father. He amazed me by his dedication to the very high standards that he set. Literature was his life. He wrote as if without writing he would die. His book that impressed me most was, The Voice.

CHINUA ACHEBE: Chinua was a humble and unassuming individual who was always interested in what young people thought about life. He was a genuine mentor to those coming after him and wanted society to be shaped by service to the people.

CHRISTOPHER OKIGBO: Chris impressed me with the intricacy of his linguistic originality. When I met him, the depth of his attachment to the spirit of national aspirations struck me. That the breakdown of trust in the society led to his demise I regard as a major aesthetic tragedy.

FAVOURITE BOOK: Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man.

GREATEST POSSESSION: My family is my greatest asset. My forthcoming memoirs will explain all that.

As the Yoruba would say, Carlton Lindsay Eseoghene Barrett looks good because people are his wardrobe. The Jamaican-Nigerian has, all told, been the best export from the Caribbean to Motherland Nigeria in the last century. What remains now is for the Nigerian government to confer the countrys national honour on the most recognisable Jamaican-Nigerian on the surface of the earth.

Happy birthday, Lindsay B!

Wole Olaoye can be reached through wole.olaoye@gmail.com.
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Valentine Ozigbo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 6 November Anambra governorship election, has described his candidacy as divine, following his re-listing by INEC.

Mr Ozigbo spoke while addressing party faithful in Awka upon his return from Abuja.

Mr Ozigbo had suffered a setback when INECs candidates list released on 16 July did not contain his name because his rival, Ugochukwu Uba, was also claiming to be the partys candidate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ozigbo returned from Abuja where the Court of Appeal ordered INEC to list him as the PDP candidate.

Mr Ozigbo, who along with his running mate Azuka Enemo was received by a crowd, described the Appeal Court judgment, which affirmed him as the rightful PDP candidate, as the beginning of a new era in Anambra.

We recorded several victories and the National Assembly Caucus of the PDP came together to pledge unanimous support for this project.

Second, the entirety of the PDP governors announced that they are solidly supporting this cause and would provide all the necessary resources to ensure that we win this election.

READ ALSO:

Also, INEC has published our name as the PDP candidate for the election after a period of uncertainty, Mr Ozigbo said to the loud cheers from the crowd.

He said the campaign could now start in earnest, noting that the priority at the moment was to mobilise and convince people to vote PDP and its candidate.

This is a divine mandate, and with your support, we will emerge victorious in November, he said.

He commended his party and its leadership, including the governors for inaugurating a 179-member National Campaign Council to execute the election.

According to him, the PDP governors are members of the council and it is our election to win, and by Gods grace, we will march to the Government House. It is time for us to show Ndi Anambra the way to go.

He said he had a first hand experience of the decay of infrastructure in Anambra, with the terrible condition of the roads.

Theres nothing to be proud of in Anambra. Roads are bad, healthcare is non-existent, education is moribund, security is at an all-time low, add this to the states debt profile and you will agree that Anambra needs a total overhaul.

If we dont start now, we might never get it right. Our freedom must begin now. Nov. 6 is our date with history, and we are ready to march to victory, Mr Ozigbo said.

(NAN)
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The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, has ordered a disciplinary action against a judge of the Upper Area Court in Abuja who recently issued a direct criminal summons against, Charles Soludo, PREMIUM TIMES learnt on Sunday.

Mr Soludo, who is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the forthcoming election in Anambra State, is a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Gambo Garba of the Upper Area Court, Zuba, Abuja, had in July, issued a direct criminal summons against Mr Soludo over his alleged failure to declare his assets while serving as the CBN governor between 29 May , 2004 and 29 May , 2009.

The complainant, Oliver Bitrus, had alleged that Mr Soludo held the CBN governors office as a public officer flagrantly violating the Code of Conduct for public officers by buying property not attributable to his legitimate earnings.

The direct criminal summons issued by the Upper Area Court was an approval to Mr Bitrus to prosecute Mr Soludo at the court.

Many have condemned the Upper Area Court, a court at magisterial level established to handle Sharia law-related matters, for acting outside its jurisdiction by issuing the direct criminal summons against Mr Soludo.

Top judiciary sources, who are privy to the interest Mr Muhammad has shown in the matter but are not permitted to talk to the press about it, told PREMIUM TIMES pleading anonymity that the CJN was embarrassed by the judges conduct.

The CJN has directed the Judicial Service Committee (JSC) of the FCT under the Chairmanship of the Acting Chief Judge, Hon. H. Y. Baba to immediately initiate disciplinary action against the Upper Area Court Judge who issued direct Criminal Summons against the Anambra State APGA governorship candidate Professor, Chukwuma Soludo, over alleged serial abuse of office and breach of Code of Conduct for public officers when he was the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria between 29 May 2004  29 May 2009, a judiciary source wrote in a message shared with our reporter.

The CJN was said to have noted that the issues of perjury, corruption and false assets declaration raised in the complaints in respect of which the Upper Area Court judge issued the direct criminal summons against Mr Soludo were completely outside the jurisdiction of the Upper Area Court.

The CJN directed the Acting Chief Judge of the FCT High Court who heads the FCT Judiciary Service Commission to take a disciplinary action against the judge and submit his findings to the CJN within 21 days, sources reliably informed our reporter.

Mr Muhammed had met with the Chief Judges of the FCT, Rivers, Kebbi, Cross Rivers, Jigawa, Anambra and Imo States on Monday, 6 September , 2021, over similar acts of impunity of issuance of conflicting ex parte orders in some political cases.

Incidentally, some of the controversial orders had to do with Mr Soludo and the choice of governorship candidate of his party, APGA, ahead of the forthcoming elections in Anambra State.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the CJN had after his meeting with the Chief Judges of the High Courts where the controversial orders emanated from directed some of them to admonish the judges in their jurisdictions on the danger of granting ex parte injunctions.
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Lawyers representing the Lagos State government and the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), Olukayode Enitan and Rotimi Seriki, on Saturday, withdrew their application to the states Judicial Panel of Inquiry seeking the dismissal of evidence presented by a leading witness of the last years #EndSARS protest in Lekki, Sarah Ibrahim.

The duo had approached the panel following the continuous absence of the witness at the sitting.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how Ms Ibrahim in April told the panel that she witnessed the shooting by the Nigerian Army at the Lekki tollgate. She said at least 10 persons were killed during the October 20 incident.

This newspaper reported that Mr Enitan told the panel that the witness had been evading cross-examination after making outrageous claims.

Not aware

A lawyer representing the witness, Oloruntomi Olagunju had told the panel that he wasnt aware of the sitting scheduled for that day adding that he was out of town.

He said he saw news items on social media calling for the dismissal of Ms Ibrahims evidence.

We heard on social media about this proceedings, she volunteered to assist this panel. She was before this panel and was cross-examined by Mr Owonikoko and the counsel, he said.

He added that the registrar, Moshood Shittu, sent him the notice of the scheduled Saturday sitting on Friday around past 10 p.m.

But Mr Shittu explained that he sent the notice to all the lawyers immediately after he got it from the panel.

Doris Okwuobi, the head of the panel, adjourned the hearing till September 14.
Police officers attached to the Panti Division on Friday night allegedly shot and killed an 18-year-old lady, Monsurat Ojuade, during a raid in Surulere, Lagos.

Oluwatosin Ojuade, the elder sister of the deceased, told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that Miss Ojuade, a fashion designer, was shot inside their compound in Mogaji, Surulere, one month after her 18th birthday.

The incident left her parents and three siblings shocked as residents gathered in circles discussing the matter.

The elder sister said the deceased was about to lock her mothers shop outside the compound when she saw people running.

She ran inside the compound with my other sibling, Laide; my mother was washing clothes when they ran in, she said.

My mother tried to shut the gate but a policeman was dragging it with her, then she heard the gunshot, she didnt even know that it had hit someone. She opened the gate to know who shot the bullet and she said she saw the policeman going, she saw the back view.

Immediately the gunshot hit her on the leg, she (Monsurat) shouted, so my immediate younger sister (Laide) held her and ran back to my mummy that Monsurat has been hit, there was blood on the ground. The bullet passed through her two thighs, she said.

According to a witness, Adepiti Adewunmi, the deceased with her mother, a petty trader, and another sibling, Laide, were running for safety when the incident happened.

It happened on Friday night around 10:30 p.m. The mother is a petty trader.

We got information that some policemen were picking up people. They were raiding and normally anytime that they are out, they pick innocent people.

It happened that they were trying to pack some goods from the kiosk into their residence when they noticed that some people were running, the girl, her mom and sister also ran.

Immediately they ran inside, they shut the gate, the policemen were forcing the gate to open it, people in the compound ran inside their rooms.

Ms Adewunmi said while people were running into the compound, Ms Ojuades sister, Laide, fell and the deceased stopped to help her, leaving the gate open.

That was when the policeman fired into the compound, according to her.

After the gunshot, she was screaming that the police has shot me, the sister ran out.

Absent medical care

Ms Adewunmi said she tied her towel around the wound to stop the blood.

She noted that the police came in two buses  one was painted white and the other yellow.

She said they took Ms Ojuade to Comforter Hospital in the area but the doctor wasnt available.

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We took her to Randle, they told us that she was hit at a close range and that they will give us the First Aid. They issued a referral letter to Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital.

At Igbobi, they said that they cant attend to us that they are on strike. So, we went to Havannah Hospital along Akerele road, that was where she was declared dead.

Ms Adewunmi said they took her corpse home, then on Saturday morning, some residents went to report to the Ijeshatedo police station.

Ijesha police took her to the morgue, but they said we will be the one to foot the bills.

Osunmo Abiodun, a member of the landlord association in the area, said he went to the Ijeshatedo police station to report the matter.

I went to the Ijeshatedo police station in the name of Onikeku Kammi (a councillor), we went to lodge a report and ask the police to visit the scene on that Friday night, they said they dont have a vehicle to carry her but a good Samaritan volunteered to rescue her.

Mr Abiodun said on Saturday morning, the Divisional Police Officer of Ijeshatedo police station, Umaru Bala, told them the police officers were from the State CID in Panti.

He led some of us to the area commander in Zone D in Mushin, at the meeting the man apologised on behalf of the Nigerian police.

Then he asked us what we want the police to do, then we said we want to seek justice for the girl, we want the man to be identified and dismissed.

He promised that the officer who was responsible will be identified. He said the names of the officers that came for the operation are with them and they will be identified.

He promised that the commissioner of police will be informed.

Efforts to reach the Lagos State police spokesperson, Adekunle Ajisebutu, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls and messages.
ELIZABETHTOWN [mdash] Kenneth M. Eddy, 68, of Elizabethtown passed away Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, at his home. He was a kind soul that always saw the good around him. He loved transforming the earth into lovely gardens and his work can be seen at the Colonial Gardens and many other locations 
In a letter to representatives of model teaching units named after late geophysicist at Jilin University Huang Danian on Thursday, Xi praised the representatives for their achievements in teaching and scientific research and innovation.

Noting the great contributions made by Huang in deep earth exploration technology, Xi encouraged college teachers across China to provide good guidance to students and make new contributions to the cause of fully building a modern socialist country. The letter shows Xi's high regard for teachers  an attitude he's long held.

"It would be good fortune for one to have a good teacher; it would be an honor for a school to host great teachers. Constantly giving rise to such outstanding teachers would bestow hopes on a nation," Xi said during a visit to Beijing Normal University in 2014.

At the time, Xi recalled his years at school, saying he is grateful for what he learned from his teachers.

"I have received instruction from many teachers. They taught me knowledge as well as how to be an upright person, which has benefited me enormously," the Chinese president said, hoping the teachers could use their knowledge and experiences to guide students to grow up healthily.

In September 2016, Xi went back to his alma mater Beijing Bayi School to meet his teachers Chen Zhonghan and Chen Qiuying, among others.

"You were strict with us during those years. But in retrospect, I benefited from your teachings for life," Xi said to his former teachers.

In fact, honoring teachers is not merely a personal behavior but is also related to the country's cause of national rejuvenation.

In a speech at the 2018 national education meeting, Xi highlighted education as a "fundamental" factor in China's cause of national rejuvenation. He viewed students as the major force for national rejuvenation in the future, while teachers the dream builders.

To encourage teachers to make greater contributions to the cause of the Party and the people, Xi called for enhancing the political, social and professional status of teachers and giving priority to education.

"Teachers are the engineers of the human soul and disseminators of human civilization. They are tasked with the mission of the times  to spread knowledge, ideas and truth," as Xi noted.

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping talks to veteran teachers at Beijing Bayi School during a visit, September 9, 2016. /Xinhua)

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-11/Xi-Jinping-A-role-model-in-respecting-teachers-13tp3I2eHwA/index.html

SOURCE CGTN

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RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif., Sept. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the longest running doggie surf competition returns to Del Mar Dog Beach, raising life-saving funds for orphan pets at Helen Woodward Animal Center. Due to pandemic restrictions, last year's comPETitors stayed safe but distant, participating virtually. Now surFURS are eager to pounce back into the water and fetch top dog honors at the most exciting event of the summer. Over 50 surfing dogs are expected TODAY, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. PST at Del Mar Dog Beach for the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon presented by Blue Buffalo.

100 percent of the proceeds from the event support the life-saving work at Helen Woodward Animal Center. Tweet this Helen Woodward Animal Center's Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon presented by Blue Buffalo splashes onto Del Mar Dog Beach on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. Helen Woodwards annual Surf Dog competition, established in 2005, was the first-of-its-kind to turn dogs on surfboards into a platform to raise life-saving funds. 100 percent of the proceeds from the event support the life-saving work at Helen Woodward Animal Center.

Reminding the world that "man's best friend" can do phenomenal things, four-legged surFURs can't wait to show off their skills on the board, vying for a spot in Best in Surf and ultimately the title of Top Dog. The adorable competition will feature dogs surfing in 10-minute heats before a panel of judges consisting of surf pros and aficionados. The GroMutts will be judged on the length of their ride, wave technique, enthusiasm and confidence on the board. First, second, and third place winners will be awarded for each weight class and the first-place winners will move on to the finals  Best-In-Surf.

Dogs and their best pals will also compete in the Freestyle Surf Contest where points are awarded for creativity! The crowd-favorite heat often features tandem rides for furry friends, dogs and their favorites human, eye-catching tricks and costumes!

With COVID-19 CDC regulations in mind, certain adjustments have been made to this year's event to keep contestants safe. There will be fewer surFURs allowed to compete in each heat, and each surfing canine is restricted to a total of two humans in the water with them  their owner and a "catcher." Cutting down on the number of enthusiastic human team members in the surf with each dog will provide more space and less crowding for all participating competitors.

Helen Woodward's annual Surf Dog competition, established in 2005, was the first-of-its-kind to turn 'dogs on surfboards' into a platform to raise life-saving funds. 100 percent of the proceeds from the event support the life-saving work at Helen Woodward Animal Center. Top fundraising pooches not only get to help orphan pets, they will win outstanding prizes including a commemorative 2021 Surf-Dog Surf-A-Thon surf board for first place.

Portions of today's competition will be streamed live on https://www.facebook.com/surfdogsurfathon/.

For more information on the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon, visit www.animalcenter.org or call 858-756-4117.

SOURCE Helen Woodward Animal Center

Related Links

http://www.animalcenter.org


Lucknow, Sep 12 : The Shiv Sena has announced that it will field candidates for all 403 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, scheduled to be held next year.

The party has not yet allied with any political party yet but has signalled the possibility of an alliance.

According to a statement, Shiv Sena leaders in Uttar Pradesh held a meeting in Lucknow on Saturday and took a decision to contest from all seats in the state.

UP Shiv Sena chief, Thakur Anil Singh, said that 'jungle raaj' prevails under Yogi Adityanath regime and expressed concern over the law-and-order situation in the state.

"The party leadership deliberated on several issues, ranging from the education system and healthcare sector to Covid pandemic and farmer issues," he said.

Though the Shiv Sena has not announced any political alliance for the Assembly elections, it has hinted at the possibility of joining hands with a political party in the future.

Sources, said that the Shiv Sena was open to an alliance with the Congress since the latter is already its ally in Maharashtra.

Relations between the Shiv Sena and BJP, both of which are on similar ideological pages, have been strained after the formation of the Thackeray government in Maharashtra.

Besides, UPCC President Ajay Kumar Lallu has already said that his party would ally with smaller parties in the coming days while Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had earlier said that the party was 'open' to the idea of alliances.
New York, Sep 12 : Former US President Donald Trump was absent at the official 9/11 memorial ceremonies in New York City and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

President Joe Biden, former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton all attended a somber ceremony on Saturday morning at the National September 11 Memorial in New York City where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades ago, reports Xinhua news agency.

Biden travelled next to the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville to attend a wreath-laying ceremony.

Earlier, former President George W. Bush and Vice President Kamala Harris both spoke at the memorial.

Trump, instead of appearing at the ceremonies, travelled several blocks from his Trump Tower building in Manhattan to the 17th police precinct and the neighbouring fire station in New York City.

During an unannounced stop at a Shanksville fire department, Biden praised Bush for encouraging American unity in his speech.

He also defended his administration's handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan in brief remarks to the press pool.

Biden's last stop in the day was the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony along with first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Biden did not deliver formal remarks on Saturday but released a video statement on Friday recognising the lives lost in the deadliest attack in US history and calling for national unity.

The September 11, 2001, attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by the Al Qaeda terror group.

Four commercial planes were hijacked by 19 Al Qaeda terrorists.

The first plane to hit its target was American Airlines Flight 11. It was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan.

Seventeen minutes later, the World Trade Center's South Tower was hit by United Airlines Flight 175.

Both 110-storey towers collapsed within an hour and 42 minutes, leading to the collapse of the other World Trade Center structures and damaging surrounding buildings.

The third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the west side of the Pentagon causing a partial collapse of the building's side.

The fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93 which was flown in the direction of Washington, D.C., was the only one not to hit its intended target, instead crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

It was later determined that Flight 93's target was either the White House or the Capitol.

A total of 2,996 people were killed in the attacks, which were the deadliest in human history, with more than 25,000 others.
Shimla, Sep 12 : The north-western Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh is going back to the roots the natural way as 13 per cent of the farmers have adapted to low-cost farming techniques in just three years, say officials.

The non-chemical climate-resilient Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) technique is being promoted under a state-led programme to meet the objectives of the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana Project since 2018.

The SPNF technique has been conceptualized by Padma Shri recipient Subhash Palekar.

As per government records, 129,299 farmers, roughly 13 per cent of the total, have switched over to the SPNF practice, largely on a small portion of land, in the state where 10.84 per cent of land holdings are owned by semi-medium and medium farmers and just 0.30 per cent by large farmers.

Those who adopted natural farming include 12,000 apple growers. The total area under the SPNF is 7,456 hectares. However, the number of farmers who have been trained to adopt the technique is 135,172.

Experts say the SPNF technique cuts dependence on the external market and is based on indigenous cows. The farmers can prepare the sprays from the urine and dung of the cow at the farm itself and just need some local resources like plant extracts, jaggery and gram flour. It reduces the water requirement of the crops too.

The natural farming checks plant diseases and the produce is chemical free and healthy.

The farmers have reasons to practice a type of farming that involves elimination of chemical pesticides, sustaining agriculture with eco-friendly processes and restoring soil fertility and organic matter.

"With chemical sprays, the expenditure was increasing every year and the production was either stagnant or falling. Even the produce was not healthy due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. So I decided to switch over to natural farming," Surender Pirta, an apple grower in Jubbal area of Shimla district, told IANS.

Pirta said initially he was apprehensive about the success of natural farming. "But when I saw the results with the cultivation cost coming down drastically, I adopted natural farming on the entire 55 bighas of land." He said earlier he was spending Rs 3 lakh on chemical fertilizers and pesticides in his orchard. "The cost has now come down to Rs 50,000." His income has risen from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh with the shift from chemical to natural farming in the past two years.

Another farmer Ajay Rattan, an engineer by profession from Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district, said he was looking for a low-cost farming alternative owing to economic and health hazards.

He found the SPNF handy and productive since he adopted it three years back on the entire 25 bighas of land. Now he is annually earning Rs 5 lakh from agriculture with an outlay of Rs 3,000.

Earlier, he used to spend Rs 30,000 on the same land and his income was a meagre Rs 40,000.

"I don't have to buy any farm input from the market now. I prepare them on my farm. The natural farming has a positive impact on human health, whether farmers or the consumers, and it improves the soil health and ecosystem too," he said.

Rattan grows sugarcane, gram, wheat, peas, soyabean, moong, taro root, ginger capsicum and gourd. "I grow vegetables on five bigha and I don't have to go to the market to sell the produce grown with the natural farming technique. The buyers come to my farm and purchase directly. I have got more than 200 consumers who want to buy chemical-free vegetables only." Many farmers have shifted to the SPNF technique after they initially tried it on a small portion of land and saw good results. The switch over from chemical farming to natural farming has not only helped many farmers get rid of the need of agro credit from sellers of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but has come as a major life saviour for others who were having serious health problems while spraying chemicals in the farm.

"I do much of the work on the apple orchard myself because of economic reasons. However, when I had health issues because of chemical sprays, it depressed me as the orchard was the only source of income for me and my daughter. It also made me think of the ill-effects of such apples on the consumers," said Satya Devi, who has been managing an apple orchard on two bighas of land all alone for many years with chemical farming.

"But when I learnt SPNF technique through the Agriculture Department and started using natural inputs like 'jeevamrit', 'ghan jeevamrit' and 'dashparni ark' made from cow dung and urine, it saved me and my livelihood." A number of farmers, including Ajay Rattan, who are practicing SPNF after training, are keenly spreading the concept further among fellow farmers.

Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana Executive Director Rajeshwar Chandel said scientific studies show that the SPNF technique has led to cost reduction of 56.5 per cent in apples, 28.1 per cent in wheat and 45.5 per cent in fruits, pulses and vegetables.

There has been a 27.4 per cent increase in net returns in apples, 63.6 per cent in wheat and 21.5 per cent in fruits, pulses and vegetables.

The studies show up to nine crops are being grown concurrently by the farmers leading to crop intensification and crop diversity and 15 types of companion crops are being grown in apple orchards.

More so, the incidence of fungal diseases like scab in apple and yellow rust in wheat is lower with regard to the conventional practices. The farmers observed that SPNF crops have better drought resistance and better taste and flavour than chemically grown crops.

The State Project Implementation Unit is in continuous touch with the farmers who have adopted SPNF, for consolidation and solution to the issues emerging day to day. This system worked pro-actively even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The ultimate objective is to bring all the farmers into the natural farming fold as well as socio-economic benefits.

State project Director Rakesh Kanwar told IANS that the focus now is to increase the area under natural farming on a mass scale.

"Still those who have adopted have been practicing natural farming on a small portion, say one-third of the farm, and this is the major challenge. Once the farmers start getting better results with reduced direct costs, boosting yields and also incentivized by the market, this will bring behavioural change to stop the use of costly fertilizers and pesticides that is degrading the soil and leading to health hazards," he explained.

Also, he said, efforts are afoot to work out self-assessed certification by the farmers for natural produce along with developing a mechanism for farmer-consumer connect.

The NITI Aayog has already taken note of the state government's innovative ways to promote natural farming. The state is also in a leadership role for outreach of natural farming in the country.

Besides, the state is partnering and engaging global organizations, which are custodians of Sustainable Food Systems, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations.

Vegetable production in Himachal Pradesh is generating revenue of Rs 3,500 crore to Rs 4,000 crore annually and has emerged as an alternative economic activity in the horticulture sector.

As per government estimates, off-season vegetables give a net return from Rs 60,000 to Rs 2 lakh per hectare whereas the traditional crops fetch from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per hectare.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
New Delhi, Sep 12 : Citing the situation of all three municipal corporations in Delhi -- North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation, the Confederation of MCD Employee Union has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising the demand to end the trifurcation and reunite all three bodies again.

This union has been formed by merging other 18 unions. According to the union, there are about 1.5 lakh employees in all three corporations, while there are 55,000 pensioners. That is, at present, two lakh families are connected with the corporations. The corporation provides about 50 types of facilities to the residents of Delhi.

According to him, when the employees of the corporation are not getting their salaries or dues, then the efficiency of providing facilities to the people will also be affected.

Convenor of Confederation of MCD Employees Union A.P. Khan told IANS, "Sometimes four months' salary, sometimes six months' pension and sometimes if the employee is retiring then he doesn't get the remaining arrear. Instead, our major demand was to provide salary on time which has not been met." "In 2012, the corporation was divided into three parts. Since then the expenses have increased to a level that is causing only losses." He further said, "We have written a letter to the Prime Minister and urged him to reunite the corporation like it was before 2012 so that the people of Delhi do not face any problem." In fact, the union had also written a letter earlier raising this demand, but no solution has been found.

According to other union members, there have never been problems with the salaries of the employees before, but since the division of the corporations, these problems started cropping up.

Apart from this, due to the splitting up of corporations, different offices were created, work got divided, mayors got separated and the expenses increased multifold.

Union member Deepak Kumar said, "The pensioner who has retired in 2018 has not got the retirement benefits till now. An employee who has been getting the salary on time continuously for almost 30 years suddenly stops getting a salary, how will his family survive." "Besides the Prime Minister, letters have also been written to the Home Ministry, the Delhi Chief Minister and the Delhi High Court."
Rome, Sep 12 : Pasta aficionados across Italy may soon have to pay more for their favourite staple food due to a variety of reasons, only some of which are temporary.

In a trend sparked by what pasta maker Riccardo Felicetti described as a "perfect storm", prices for durum wheat (used in pasta) have risen more than 60 per cent this year to nearly 500 euros ($595) per metric tonne, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Prices could rise even further, to as much as 600 euros per tonne by December," Felicetti, also president of the Industrial Union of Italian Pasta Makers (UNIPI), told Corriere della Sera newspaper on Saturday.

The "perfect storm" is a reference to a combination of increased demand, empty warehouses and scarce supply due to inclement weather in the US, Canada and France (where the world's major durum producers are based) and to supply-chain interruptions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) latest "Cereal Price Index" (FFPI), which tracks changes in the international prices of most globally traded food commodities, averaged 3.4 per cent higher in August than that in July.

The year-on-year increase exceeded 30 per cent.

According to Silvia Piconcelli from Confagricoltura, one of Italy's oldest collective organisations of farmers, the production of durum wheat has been hit harder than other grains and cereals by the "perfect storm" Felicetti spoke about.

She noted that the current price of nearly 500 euros per tonne of durum wheat is almost double the price recorded before the start of the pandemic in early 2020.

Yet, for now at least, the prices of most kinds of pasta and bread made from durum wheat have remained more or less steady.

In an interview with Xinhua, Piconcelli said that this was due to multiple reasons, one of which was that producers allowed their profit margins to erode in order to avoid losing their market share.

But the main reason was that supply contracts are typically signed for three-year periods, meaning the new, higher prices are reflected in the most recent contracts only.

"For suppliers working with contracts signed in 2018 or 2019, the prices are low and the durum wheat producers have to honour the terms of those contracts," Piconcelli said.

"But as those contracts expire, the economic impacts will be larger." Piconcelli said pasta makers may try to keep prices steady for a while, but the economic pressures may eventually be too great for them to hold the line.

"If the combination of reasons continues to push prices for durum wheat higher, we'll get to a point where pasta and bread makers will have no choice but to raise prices," she said.

"When that day comes, it will be big news in a pasta-loving country like Italy."
Bogota, Sep 12 : At least five soldiers were killed and six others injured in an attack by guerrillas from the National Liberation Army (ELN) in a rural area of the Colombian municipality of Arauquita in Arauca department.

According to officials, the wounded men were promptly transferred to a health centre, where they are recovering from their injuries, while the army "is coordinating the corresponding legal procedures with the relevant authorities", reports Xinhua news agency "The soldiers of Colombia express their heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of our murdered heroes," said the Colombian Army.

President Ivan Duque condemned the attack, saying on Twitter on Saturday: "These cowardly acts are the product of despair in the face of military pressure. For the memory of our heroes, we will continue attacking narco-terrorism and dismantling its structures." The ELN is a revolutionary left-wing armed group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict, which has existed in the country since 1964.

The group has been classified as a terrorist organisation by the governments of Colombia, the US, Canada, the European Union and Venezuela's National Assembly.
Chennai, Sep 12 : The elite Q branch of the Tamil Nadu Police has conducted searches in several pockets that were involved in the recent drug haul in which Sri Lankan Tamils were arrested. During the probe, it was found that the drug syndicate was used to finance LTTE activities, sources said.

Drugs worth Rs 3,000 crore, five AK 47 assault rifles, and 1,000 9mm bullets were recovered from the boat that was apprehended near the Tamil Nadu coast. The searches were conducted on Friday and Saturday, sources said.

It may be recalled that the Coast Guard had intercepted a Sri Lankan shipping vessel, 'Ravihansi' in the Arabian sea. The investigation had led to the arrest of Sri Lankan nationals, Suresh Raj and his accomplice Soundararajan.

The arrest of Suresh Raj, who was staying at Aluva in Kerala for the past several years under the guise of an exporter, has given several inputs to the central intelligence agencies as well as the Q branch of the Tamil Nadu Police.

The arrested, according to police sources, had said that there were certain pockets in Tamil Nadu where they got support and necessary logistics for the supply of drugs. They have also revealed that the drug syndicate was used to finance LTTE activities that were dormant in the state.

Immediately after the arrest and interrogation of the duo, the NIA sleuths and the Q branch found that a Pakistani national was closely associated with the fugitives. The gang, which was operational from 2018, had been collecting funds from various countries abroad and transferring it to the hawala accounts in Dubai.

The Q branch have conducted searches in the residences and offices of certain individuals and organisations who were supportive of the cause. Certain individuals had, according to the agencies, recorded video and audio of calls for fighting against the Sri Lankan Army on behalf of LTTE.

The preliminary study of the social media accounts of the arrested had given the agencies the lead that they were in direct touch with the convicted cadres of LTTE and were coordinating with them.

Sources in the state police told IANS that the searches have not led to an arrest but the Q Branch has identified the locations in the state where support was received by the arrested Suresh Raj and his accomplices.
Lucknow, Sep 12 : A man who returned to Lucknow from Dubai three days ago, has tested positive for Covid-19.

This is the second such case within a week.

On September 8, an Alambagh resident, who returned from the US, had tested positive for Covid-19.

The Jankipuram resident had landed in Lucknow on September 8 and was tested immediately but his report turned out to be negative.

However two days later, he developed fever and gave sample to a private lab for test which was positive.

Health department officials said the airline in which the man travelled had been informed about his positive status.

Besides, the state and Central governments have also been informed.

"He is currently in home isolation. His swab and nasal samples will be sent to KGMU for genome sequencing. All those with whom he came in contact after his arrival to Lucknow are also being tested," said Additional Chief Medical Officer Milind Vardhan.

The test reports of the contacts of the man, who returned from the US, have come negative.

Meanwhile, the active number of cases dropped to 13 in the city with two patients recovering in the last 24 hours.

The number of fully vaccinated individuals in Lucknow crossed the 8.8 lakh mark with 23,859 more taking the second shot of the two-dose vaccine course against Covid-19, on Saturday.

All these people were vaccinated at the 43 government centres which were reserved for the second dose beneficiaries.

The private centres administered both first and second doses.
Lucknow, Sep 12 : The Uttar Pradesh government claimed that it has cleared almost 84 per cent dues of about 45 lakh sugarcane farmers of the state.

This is the highest and fastest payment in a season in the past 50 years.

The total amount given to the sugarcane farmers in the past four years is approximately Rs 1,42,650 crore, said a release form the cane development department.

"As many as 120 sugar mills were functional in the 2020-2021 crop season. They have procured 1,028 lakh tons of sugarcane worth Rs 33,025 crore. Against the target, dues to the tune of Rs 27,465 crore have been cleared. Also, 53 mills have cleared 100 per cent dues," an official said.

The cane crushing season this time started in October 2020 and continued till July 2021.

Additional chief secretary, cane development, Sanjay Bhoosreddy said: "This is the highest and fastest payment made by any government in the past 50 years. What adds to the achievement is that the record payment has been made despite the decline in the institutional procurement of sugar -- the main by-product generated from the sugar mills." He further said that the process for the disbursement of the remaining Rs 5,560 crore is underway and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued instructions to clear the dues at the earliest.

Bhoosreddy attributed the achievement to a host of measures undertaken by the department, including tagging cane products other than sugar - molasses, bagasse and press mud.

Besides, ethanol produced from B-heavy molasses or sugarcane juice and that used for sanitizer production were also tagged for payment of cane price. In fact, cane price payment got accelerated due to an increase in ethanol production and sale.

After coming to power in 2017, the BJP government created an escrow account, which was operated jointly by the mill representative and district cane officer/senior cane development inspector.

As per rules, 85 per cent money received in the account was kept for farmer payment.

This resulted in checking diversion of money for purposes other than cane payment.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : The BJP has appointed Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Pralhad Joshi as the central observers for the BJP Gujarat legislative party meeting to elect a new chief minister of the state. Sources said that the BJP's Gujarat legislative party meeting will be held later in the day.

Vijay Rupani tendered his resignation from the post of chief minister on Saturday.

"Tomar and Joshi will be reaching the state capital to oversee the election of new chief ministers in the legislative party meeting scheduled at 3 p.m.

"Union Minister and state unit in-charge Bhupender Yadav and national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh are already in Gujarat. They (Yadav and Santhosh) will also be present in the legislative party meeting. All the BJP MLAs will attend the meeting along with central observers and central leaders," a party leader said.

The names of several leaders are doing rounds for the next chief minister of Gujarat. Some of the prominent names include Praful Patel, Gordhan Zadaphia, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala, and state BJP chief C.R. Patil.

Praful Patel, the administrator of Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Daman and Diu, is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Zadaphia, a Patidar, was the state home minister in the Modi government in Gujarat in 2002. Mandaviya's name, who is also a Patidar, has been cropping up for the post for the last one year. C.R. Patil is also considered tp be close to Prime Minister Modi.

Rupani took the state's Chief Ministerial position on August 7, 2016, and represents Rajkot (West) in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. The saffron party held a nine day statewide event in Gujarat, just last month celebrating five years of Rupani in office.
Sanaa, Sep 12 : The Houthi militia fired missiles and drones at the Red Sea port of Mocha in the country's southwestern province of Taiz, causing huge explosions, a government official said.

"A series of explosions rocked the Red Sea port of Mocha (on Sunday) that's controlled by the government forces following coordinated Houthis strikes," the official told Xinhua news agency.

About four explosive-laden drones and three missiles struck Mocha while a delegation of the government's Ministry of Transportation was visiting the strategic port, he said.

A medical official told Xinhua that six soldiers were injured.

The explosions affected the port's infrastructure and destroyed a warehouse containing large quantities of humanitarian and relief supplies.

Yemen's government was planning to reopen the port to receive commercial ships following years of suspension due to the country's military conflict, according to the government official.

The pro-government forces captured Mocha on Yemen's western Red Sea coast after battles against the Houthis in 2017.

The Houthi rebels seized the northern Yemeni provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in late 2014, forcing President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

A coalition formed by Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries intervened militarily in the Yemeni conflict against the Houthis in March 2015, in response to an official request from Hadi to protect Yemen.
Bengaluru, Sep 12 : Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D.K. Shivakumar has released a video, shot from his kitchen, to urge the government to reduce the price of LPG gas cylinders by at least Rs 150. "Whether the government wants parents to buy school bags or wants them to spend all the money on LPG cylinders," he asked.

The state chief is spreading awareness through his weekly 'Ondu Prashne', (One question) opposing the BJP's anti-people policies. Shivakumar also sought the opinion of the people and asked them to respond through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. The video was released on Saturday evening.

Through his 'Ondu Prashne' series, which began last week, Shivakumar is trying to raise the issue of the LPG price.

Shivakumar noted that the LPG price hike affected not only the poor but also the middle class, especially homemakers. He shared his concerns via social media and asked the public for their responses.

At present, an LPG cylinder costs around Rs 900 and in the Bidar district, it was priced at Rs 956 on Saturday. Refilling gas cylinders may skyrocket to Rs 1,000 soon, it is being said.

"I have visited various parts of the state and I have interacted with people from all walks of life. Each time I speak to them, irrespective of the economic class they belong to, they are faced with the same issue. The poor, middle class and also the rich everybody is facing the brunt of rising prices of LPG gas," Shivakumar said in the video.

"People who have lost their jobs are taking their own lives as they are finding it difficult to lead their lives. In a situation such as this, the government continues to increase the prices. This is not just anti-people policy, but also inhuman," he added.

"Many beneficiaries of the Ujwala scheme are now using wood stoves because of the price hike. Especially the poor and middle-class women are facing problems in refilling cylinders. At this moment LPG cylinder price should be reduced. We demanded a minimum of Rs 150 rollback on prices of LPG," said Shivakumar.
San Francisco, Sep 12 : Apple has warned iPhone users that the cameras on their devices can be damaged by exposure to certain vibrational frequencies such as those generated by high-power motorcycle engines.

iPhone camera lenses with optical image stabilisation (OIS) or closed-loop autofocus (AF) are susceptible to this damage due to their use of gyroscopes and/or magnetic sensors to help compensate for movement and vibration when shooting photos or video.

According to MacRumors, the OIS and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone are designed for durability.

However, as is the case with many consumer electronics that include systems like OIS, long-term direct exposure to high-amplitude vibrations within certain frequency ranges may degrade the performance of these systems and lead to reduced image quality for photos and videos.

It is recommended to avoid exposing your iPhone to extended high-amplitude vibrations, the report said.

Due to this risk, Apple recommends that users not attach their iPhones directly to the chassis or handlebars of such motorcycles, as the direct transmission of vibrations can be intense.

Apple even recommends that users mounting their devices to lower-powered devices like mopeds and electric scooters at least use a vibration-dampening mount to minimise the chances of any damage.
Islamabad, Sep 12 : Pakistan will begin vaccinating teenagers in the age group between 15-17 against Covid-19 starting from Monday, according to the NatAional Command and OperaAtion Centre (NCOC).

Speaking to Dawn news, MinisAtry of National Health SerAvices spokesperson Sajid Shah said: "They will be given Pfizer vaccine and the facility will be free of cost. Children in this age group are therefore advised to visit vaccination centres along with their Form B from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

"Pfizer vaccine will be avaAilable at all major vaccination centres... We have also been making arrangements to send teams to educational institutions to vaccinate children." On August 24, Health Minister Faisal Sultan had announced that people over 17 years of age would be able to receive the first dose of a Covid jab from September 1 and would be fully inoculated by October 15.

He added that the date for inoculating people in the age group of 15 to 17 years would be announced later.

The country has so far administered 67,342,288 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

In the last 24 hours, 3,480 more people tested positive for the virus and 82 others died, which took Pakistan's overall infection tally and death toll to 1,201,367 and 26,662, respectively.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : While Afghan women have held several protests against the Taliban asking for their rights and participation in the incoming government across the country, Kabul witnessed a rare all-women protest supporting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

University lecturers and students had arranged a gathering in education university before they took to the streets in Kabul, Khaama News reported.

Unlike other demonstrations in Kabul, this is the second all-women protest which was non-violent and the journalists were allowed to cover the protest freely.

Protesters condemned the recent so-called violence carried out by the female demonstrators and expressed their full support to IEA.

The women also welcomed the scheme of separate classes for boys and girls in all universities and institutes and pledged that they will be working for strengthening the IEA.

Earlier, hundreds of women had gathered in Kunduz province and protested for support of the Taliban leadership.
Ankara, Sep 12 : Vaccine hesitancy in Turkey is disrupting the country's efforts to bring down its new daily cases of Covid-19, which are hovering at over 20,000, according to authorities.

"There are 11.3 million people who haven't got their second dose of vaccine. Furthermore, 6 million citizens haven't received their third booster shots," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters at a recent press conference.

"We cannot fight against the pandemic like this," he added.

The Minister lamented that vaccine hesitancy was hampering Turkey's mass vaccination drive and called on all citizens to unite in the fight against the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

Till date, some 63 per cent of people aged over 18 have been fully vaccinated against the virus, according to official data.

The nation of 83 million people has lowered the age for vaccine eligibility to 12 as schools reopened on September 6 after a long hiatus, but figures are disappointing specialists.

Health experts have announced that 27 per cent of teachers are unvaccinated in Turkey, where vaccination is not mandatory.

They also warned about a possible rise in daily cases in the coming weeks, which could cause a return to online education.

"Despite all the data available on the effectiveness of vaccines, there are many people who refuse to get vaccinated, causing a threat to the entire population," Guner Sonmez, a professor of medicine, tweeted.

He warned that unvaccinated people are 32 times more likely to die from Covid-19 and 49 times more likely to be hospitalised than those who are vaccinated.

"But despite the available scientific data, people still believe what Facebook experts write falsely on Covid-19. It is a shame," Sonmez said.

Professor Alper Sener, a member of the Health Ministry's Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board, said people are avoiding vaccination based on "hearsay about vaccines." Experts say vaccine reluctance also lingers among younger people, who falsely believe that they won't be affected from infection as much as the elderly.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Chennai, Sep 12 : The mega Covid-19 vaccination drive commenced in Tamil Nadu at 7 a.m. on Sunday. The state health department is aiming to inoculate 20 lakh people in the mega vaccination drive to be held at 40,000 booths in 10,000 centres across the state.

There was no formal inauguration of the vaccination drive which will continue till 7 p.m. in the evening.

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian told IANS, "The state has distributed 27 lakh doses of vaccine in all districts for the mega drive. For the past few days we have been inoculating without any interruptions and we have received doses according to our requirement from the Central government." The minister said that those with flu and other medical symptoms will not be allowed to take the jab on Sunday.

The state health department said that 46 per cent of the eligible adults in the state have taken the first dose of vaccine while 12 per cent have taken both doses of the vaccine. The department is planning to fully inoculate the state's eligible population by the end of 2021 and an accelerated vaccination drive is being conducted.

Minister Ma Subramanian said that the disease can be prevented only through vaccination and to develop antibodies in the population.

Interestingly, the health department revealed that Nilgiris district, which can be considered as rural Tamil Nadu, has administered more vaccines to the eligible population than the state capital Chennai.

While Chennai city has administered only a little more than half its population, Nilgiris has vaccinated 71 per cent of its eligible population. Greater Chennai Corporation has already arranged 1,600 vaccination camps for the mega vaccine drive on Sunday and is targeting 3.20 lakh beneficiaries. Eight camps each are set up in the 200 wards of the corporation.

The state government has already appealed to the Central government to release a special quota of one crore vaccine doses to it for completing the vaccination of eligible population by the year-end.
Beijing, Sep 12 : The news centre for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) officially launched its website, with content in both Chinese and English, ahead of the upcoming conference in October.

The website (www.cop15news.com) provides information services for Chinese and foreign journalists and netizens, including more than 10 columns on topics such as conference trends and global diversity, Xinhua news agency reported.

It will release dynamic and timely information concerning the conference, with a focus on global media reports.

Participating media outlets can use the website to make online reservations for interviews, venue rentals, equipment rentals and radio and television services.

The COP15 meeting is set to kick off in Kunming on October 11.

It will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw up a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth", the COP15 meeting is the first global conference convened by the UN on the topic of ecological civilisation.
New York, Sep 12 : Bisexual adults are over two times at risk of asthma and other lung diseases than heterosexual adults, finds a study.

The study analysed data from 12,209 adults. Overall 29 per cent of bisexual adults reported experiencing lung disease compared to 14 per cent of heterosexual adults.

The study, published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society, showed that higher levels of discrimination experienced by bisexual people could lead to more stress and lead to inflammation or stress hormones which would worsen asthma.

"Bisexual adults have been shown to have worse health outcomes across a number of physical and mental health domains, and we add to this literature by showing disparities in asthma and other lung diseases," said lead author Jason Nagata, Assistant Professor of paediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.

The study found that even people identifying as "mostly" heterosexual had higher rates of asthma than those who identified as exclusively heterosexual. Mostly heterosexual individuals may also face discrimination but may not be "outa and have access to the social support and communities available to "out" LGBTQ+ people.

"Medical professionals, social workers, and clinicians need to be aware of these sexual orientation disparities in health outcomes," said Kyle T. Ganson, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto.

"Some sexual minorities may be less likely to seek care due to barriers to accessing health care or experiences of discrimination at a clinician's office. Doctors should offer materials on LGBTQ health, publicise nondiscrimination statements and have inclusive forms for sexual minorities," Nagata said, adding "so that they're not discouraged from seeking care".
Lusaka, Sep 12 : Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will embark on his foreign first trip since winning last month's elections to attend the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in new York, his office said.

The Zambian leader will attend the session from September 20 to 25, Xinhua news agency quoted the office as saying in a statement on Saturday.

The statement said that Hichilema will hold high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the session with other world leaders to discuss matters of beneficial development interest to the country.

Details of the President's scheduled travel will be communicated through the Foreign Ministry, it added.

The 76th session, which will begin from Tuesday, will be attended by 83 heads of state.

Those who will participate in person include one Vice President, 43 heads of government, three Deputy Prime Ministers and 23 Foreign Minister.

The first day of the high-level General Debate of the UNGA 76 will be September 21.

It will conclude on September 27.
Lucknow, Sep 12 : The Trinamool Congress is looking towards an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, due early next year.

A decision on this is expected to be taken by the leaders of both the parties in the coming weeks.

The Trinamool has already launched its mass contact programme in Uttar Pradesh from Pilibhit where farmers had staged a protest on the issue of cane dues. At least two districts in each of the 18 divisions will be covered to gauge the mood of the people and their expectations.

Trinamool state president Neeraj Rai said, "We will tell the people about the policies implemented by us in West Bengal and will seek public feedback on the welfare policies of the state government. We will prepare the manifesto of the Trinamool Congress based on the expectations of the people." He said the Trinamool was focusing on building a strong organisational structure and cadre base in Uttar Pradesh.

"The party has added 100 committed members in more than 30 districts through the membership drive launched in May. The party leadership wants a strong unit in UP with a committed workforce ahead of the 2024 General Elections. Wherever we go, people want to know how we defeated the BJP in West Bengal," he added.

Sources in the Samajwadi Party said that the alliance with Trinamool could materialise since Akhilesh Yadav shares a warm rapport with West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee.

"Besides, she is now an opposition mascot who crushed communal forces in her state against all odds. Her campaign in UP will certainly boost the opposition in general," said a SP spokesman.
Shimla, Sep 12 : With President Ram Nath Kovind's 5-day tentative visit to the Himachal Pradesh capital just days away, four employees of 'The Retreat', the summer holiday resort of the President near here, tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Sunday.

The President, who is likely to reach Shimla on September 16, stays in the British-era heritage building.

Four employees, including the manager of The Retreat, tested positive on Saturday. The RT-PCR tests of all employees of The Retreat were being conducted ahead of the President's visit on September 17, Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi told the media here.

Normally, 50-60 employees are deployed in The Retreat. However, ahead of the President's visit more employees have been deployed.

During his visit, Kovind will address the special session of the Assembly to mark the golden jubilee anniversary of statehood on September 17.

The Council Chamber, the building which houses the state legislative Assembly, was inaugurated by Lord Reading, the then viceroy of India, August 27, 1925.

He is also scheduled to visit the National Academy of Audit and Accounts here and likely to host 'At Home' on September 19, a day ahead of his return.

The Retreat was once the summer residence of the British viceroys when this hill town was the summer capital of British India and was constructed in 1850.
"... those once bitten by a snake fear even a twisted rope," William Dalrymple, Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan 1839-42.

India's foreign policy outlook, which previously had a continental focus, has now come of age with a distinct maritime flavour. Apropos, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level UNSC debate on Enhancing Maritime Security - A Case for International Cooperation on August 9. India's maritime diplomacy has considerably enhanced under the SAGAR initiative (Security And Growth for All in the Region), bestowing upon us the moniker of Preferred Security Partner in the IOR (Indian Ocean Region).

Recent events in Afghanistan have laid bare the inadequacies of modern military tactics against a determined and well-funded guerrilla outfit. William Darlrymple's prophetic words above would also suggest that the US is likely to tread carefully in Afghanistan in coming years. While the fallout of Afghanistan's dramatic collapse will be felt in coming weeks and months, India must remain nimble and fleet-footed to the developing situation in the maritime domain.

Alibi for Pakistan-Sponsored Maritime Terror Afghanistan presents Pakistan and the mendacious ISI with an alibi for engaging in maritime-based terror activities. With the resurgence of Taliban, IS-K, Al-Qaeda and Haqqani Network, Pakistan may ramp up terror-related activities to harm India, including in the maritime domain. The current disaffection of the western world with Afghan terror groups and shift of their focus away from Pakistan may embolden ISI to strike India. Indian maritime security agencies, headed by the Indian Navy, would need to remain aware and cognisant of this emerging threat.

J&K Flare Up Having wrested Afghanistan from the worlds lone super-power has been a proverbial shot-in-the-arm for the worlds terror-factories. The New York Times recently quoted Ali Mohamed Ali, a former Afghan security official Afghanistan has now become the Las Vegas of terrorists, radicals and extremists who are chanting and celebrating the Taliban victory.

Pakistan's waning Kashmir narrative has made the Imran Khan government and the ISI desperate for an opening. They are not likely to miss this opportunity to channel hardened fighters across their Eastern border to hamper progress being made in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian security forces must remain alert to such misadventures and be prepared for retaliatory actions.

PLA Navy 2020 was watershed year in many regards, particularly due to emergence of the Covid-19 virus in Wuhan and belligerence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its military. Medieval tactics by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Ladakh was matched by shrill provocations by CCPs state-run media. The Indian military deployments and manoeuvres in subsequent months clearly demonstrated to the CCP, India's dominating position astride the Indian Ocean. This is likely to have had significant impact on the CCPs calculus, since the PLA (N) would have been at considerable disadvantage in the IOR in case of an escalation.

The PLA Navy already deploys an Anti-Piracy Escort Force in the Red Sea. PLA (N) planners are unlikely to miss an opportunity to augment their presence in the IOR and will be watching events in Afghanistan with a hawk-eye. Any emergent window of opportunity in the maritime domain must, therefore, be tracked and acted upon. However, Navies cost money and ships are designed, planned and built over decades. While the current government has shown resolve to bolster Indian Navy's assets, there is an urgent need to review inter-service allocation of precious capital resources.

MNF Engagement The Indian Navy is one of the pre-eminent stabilising forces in the extended IOR and is engaged in capacity and capability building with regional navies and maritime agencies. However, while the Indian Navy engages with individual navies, there has been some hesitation towards participation in multi-lateral constructs such as CTF 150/ 151/152, EMASOH etc. The emerging crisis in Afghanistan offers an opportunity for greater engagement with these maritime security constructs and may be the segue that Indian Navy has been awaiting. The recent uptick in Quad engagements is also indicative that Indian foreign policy would support engagements in multi-lateral constructs.

Refugee Crisis An immediate fallout of Taliban's capture of Kabul was an exodus of asylum seekers and Afghan nationals, who were likely to be persecuted by the new totalitarian regime. While present evacuations are primarily by the air/ land route, India must monitor sea routes for refugees and asylum seekers who have managed to reach sea-ports. Further, the possibility of inimical elements being implanted amongst fleeing Afghans cannot be ruled out.

Maritime Dimensions of Afghanistan Crisis The Afghanistan imbroglio, while set in a land-locked scenario, has distinct maritime dimensions. The recent bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport and US airstrikes against IS-K in Afghanistan's Nagarhar province and Kabul indicate that while US may have ended the battle, they may have inadvertently stepped into a war.

Indian military strategists must take the long view of the current Afghanistan crisis; while the nature of the land conflict fought for over two decades by the US is unlikely to change, there are likely to be incremental shifts in the maritime domain.

Despite being a land-locked country, reverberations of Afghanistans debacle in the maritime domain are now a certainty; India's maritime pundits must remain focussed and astute.

(Author and columnist Binay Kumar Singh can be reached on Twitter @BinayBharat. All views expressed are personal.)
Geneva, Sep 12 : Visiting UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said he held "substantial discussions" with officials regarding the challenges facing the country.

Speaking to reporters following his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Pedersen said on Saturday his discussion with the Syrian side touched upon the economic challenges and the situation on the ground in the country, reports Xinhua news agency.

He exchanged views with the Syrian side on issues related to the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 regarding finding a political end to the Syrian crisis, as well as the work of the Syrian constitutional committee, which is tasked with reviewing the Syrian constitution.

"We discussed in depth the economic and humanitarian challenges here in Syria, the challenges of the livelihood and what we all can do to improve that situation. Then, of course, we held a discussion on my proposal for a step-by-step approach and hope we move forward on that," he said.

Meanwhile, Pedersen said that he will continue his meetings in Syria, noting that from what he had heard from the government and the opposition, a solution could be found.

Also, he said he will be hearing from the government and the opposition and will later see the possibility of holding a sixth round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.
Tunis, Sep 12 : Tunisia's Islamist party Ennahdha expressed its categorical refusal to suspend the Constitution and change the country's political system, according to a statement posted on its official Facebook page.

Ennahdha, the first majority party in the Tunisian Parliament, said in the statement on Saturday that "what is being circulated in this direction are attempts by some parties hostile to the democratic path", reports Xinhua news agency Ennahdha insisted that "the dangerous economic, financial, social and health situation the country is going through necessitates speeding up the formation of a legitimate government that will gain the confidence of Parliament and place among its priorities the implementation of a rescue program able to recover the economy, respects Tunisia's international commitments and strengthens its credibility".

The party also called for a national dialogue between various actors on various issues.

On August 24, Tunisian President Kais Saied issued a presidential decree, extending the exceptional measures of suspending the activities of the parliament and freezing the immunity of all its members.

On July 25, Saied announced that he had removed Hichem Mechichi from the post of Prime Minister and suspended all activities of the Assembly of People's Representatives, or Parliament.

So far, Saied has been heading the government until he appoints a new Prime Minister.
Hyderabad, Sep 12 : Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana called for instilling the ideals of Swami Vivekananda in the country's youth. Participating in the 22nd Foundation Day Celebration of Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence, on Sunday, the Chief Justice said Swami Vivekananda advocated the concept of secularism in India.

"He firmly believed that the true essence of religion was the common good, and tolerance. Religion should be above superstitions and rigidities. To fulfill the dream of making India resurgent through the principles of common good and tolerance, we should instill the ideals of Swami Ji in today's youth," the Chief Justice stated in his virtual address from Delhi.

The Chief Justice recalled the sacrifices of the youth during the freedom movement. He opined that youth have the ability to oppose injustice.

"The democratic rights that we take today for granted are a result of the struggles of thousands of young people who took to the streets fighting authoritarian figures either during the Freedom Struggle or the dark days of Emergency. Many lost their lives, sacrificed lucrative careers, all for the greater good of the nation and society. Trust the youth to check the deviations in a society's journey towards peace and progress." Noting that independence and economic success are independent, the Chief Justice said the youth must not forget their duty to family, community, and the nation.
Tel Aviv, Sep 12 : Israel's aerial defence system shot down a rocket fired at the country by militants in the Gaza Strip, the army said.

The rocket triggered sirens in the city of Sderot and the regional council of Sha'ar HaNegev on Saturday night, reports Xinhua news agency.

"One launch from the Gaza Strip has been identified and intercepted," an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement.

Overnight between Friday and Saturday, Israeli war jets and attack helicopters struck a military post, a storage site, and a military compound belonging to Gaza's ruler Hamas, according to the army.

The compound has been used as a concrete production plant for constructing cross-border tunnels, the army said.

The attack was "a response" to a rocket fired earlier on Friday night from Gaza at southern Israel, according to the army.

Both rockets were widely reported by Israeli media as a response to the capture on Friday and Saturday of four Palestinian prisoner escapees.

The four are among the six Palestinians who made a dramatic break out of a maximum-security jail in northern Israel on September 6, while the other two are still at large.
Baghdad, Sep 12 : An Iraqi police officer was killed in a roadside bomb explosion carried out by the Islamic State (IS), while security forces arrested two senior members of the terror group, the military said.

Khalid al-Sarheed, a police officer from Nineveh province, was killed in the blast on Saturday while a reinforcement force dispatched to support Iraqi forces were attacked in by IS militants in a village near the town of Makhmour, some 60 km southeast of Nineveh's provincial capital Mosul, Xinhua news agency quoted the military as saying.

Meanwhile, a force affiliated with the Iraqi intelligence service arrested a senior IS militant, named as Abu Ibrahim Dabiq, after a month and a half of tracking him in the provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh, Baghdad, and Anbar, said a statement by the media office of Joint Operations Command (JOC).

The arrested militant is responsible for forming many terrorist groups, including a previously captured group which was planning to carry out bomb attacks and assassinations inside Iraq's semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, the statement said.

The intelligence force arrested another senior IS militant, who is responsible for coordinating activities among leaders, the statement added without giving further details.

Over the past few months, IS militants have intensified attacks on Iraqi security forces in the provinces where the militants previously controlled, leaving dozens dead and wounded.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since security forces defeated IS militants in 2017.
Lucknow, Sep 12 : As the demand for caste census gains momentum among various political parties, the Muslim community in Uttar Pradesh is also keen on caste enumeration of the Backward Castes.

The All-India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz, which has been carrying on a campaign for reservation facilities to the Muslim backward communities, has demanded that a caste census of the minority community also be held.

In this connection, a meeting of 17 Muslim organisations was recently held to chalk out further action plan.

Mahaz President Ali Anwar Ansari said the caste census should not be restricted to the Hindu community but should be extended to the minority community as well, since Muslims also follow the caste system.

Ansari said, "Muslims, like Hindus, are divided among different castes and sub castes. Since the caste census has not been done since 1931, this is a reason why the benefits of the government's policies have not reached the relatively weaker sections and smaller castes. Backward classes should be sub categorised into backward and most backward." "The sub-categorisation should be done at the central level and extended to the rest of the country", he said.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : State-run Petronet LNG Ltd plans to diversify its business and enter the petrochemical segment.

Tarun Kapoor, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, who is also the Chairman of the company said in its annual report that the Petronet is embarking upon a major diversification drive to broad base its business activity and is exploring to have an ethane or propane import facility at Dahej Terminal.

"The company has also planned for setting up of a Petrochemical complex based on imported propane at Dahej LNG Terminal. The foray into Petrochemicals would be a forward integration of our strategy as the same is planned to get synchronised with our upcoming third jetty project and available land bank at Dahej," he said.

The Chairman also said that Petronet envisages to be an integrated energy company and has thereby incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary company 'Petronet Energy Limited' (PEL) with an authorised share capital of Rs 500 crore to establish itself as a key player in the growing Asian gas bunkering market.

PEL is planned to offer LNG Bunkering services, allied services like 'gassing up' and 'cooling down' operations and other value-added services in LNG and Marine sector in phased manner.

The necessary regulatory compliances and unit formation at Puthuvypeen Special Economic Zone, Kochi is under progress, he said, adding that the strategic location of Kochi terminal is expected to spur bunkering activity in the region at competitive price. With LNG-fuelled tonnage set to increase in Asia in the coming months, Kochi LNG terminal is expected to provide a potentially valuable refuelling point for East-West trade, he added.

Stressing that the company is committed towards providing a cleaner and greener economy, Kapoor said that it has embarked upon a new business activity of setting up of compressed biogas (CBG) plants across India, which will also contribute to Centre's initiative titled 'SATAT' (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation).

Petronet has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG), GoI, for setting up and commissioning of 100 CBG plants across India.

CBG being a renewable business is gaining momentum and may turn out to be a game changer for the Indian economy. This would not only bring in reduction in carbon emissions but also reduce the import dependence on fossil fuels and contribute towards the upliftment of the rural economy, he said.
Islamabad, Sep 12 : Twelve people were killed and two others injured due to heavy downpour in Mansehra district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, local media reported.

Four to five houses were razed to the ground due to landslides caused by the heavy downpour, Xinhua news agency quoted the reports as saying.

There were 16 people in the houses and search for the remaining two has been underway, according to media.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Climate impacts including cloud bursts, which lead to heavy downpour, are becoming more frequent in the country in recent years, causing casualties and damages.
Tel Aviv, Sep 12 : Israeli fighter jets on Sunday struck military posts and facilities belonging to the armed wing of the Islamic Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip in response to rockets attacks, according to security sources.

The sources said that the Israeli fighter jets struck by air-to-ground missiles military posts and facilities in the central and southern Gaza Strip for the second day in a row, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Friday and Saturday, unknown militants fired two rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, according to Israeli media.

No injuries or damage were reported after the rocket landed on empty areas.

The Hamas-run al-Aqsa television said that witnesses heard the buzz of Israeli army drones and fighter jets, and then several explosions were heard in the southern and central Gaza Strip after striking military posts that belong to the movement.

On Saturday morning, Israeli fighter jets attacked military posts and facilities that belong to Hamas in the northern and central Gaza Strip, according to the sources, which added that no injuries or damage were reported.

In two separate statements on Saturday and Sunday, an Israeli army spokesman said that fighter jets attacked posts that were used for manufacturing homemade rockets besides attacking weapons caches in the Gaza Strip.
San Francisco, Sep 12 : Electric vehicle maker Tesla has started pushing its 'Full Self-Driving Beta v10' software, a version that CEO Elon Musk called "mind-blowing", to its early access fleet.

The software enables Tesla vehicles to virtually drive themselves both on highways and city streets, but it is still considered a level 2 driver assist since it requires driver supervision at all times, reports Electrek.

The driver remains responsible for the vehicle, needs to keep its hands on the steering wheel, and be ready to take control, the report said.

Musk has been promising a wider release of the Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta software to customers who purchased the FSD package, but the release has been delayed for a while.

More recently, the CEO has linked the wider release to Tesla pushing a new FSD Beta version 10 update, which has been expected after two more "point releases" in the coming weeks.

That release was also pushed ahead but two weeks ago, Musk said it would be coming on September 10 and is now being pushed for customers in the early access fleet.

Several Tesla owners in the early access programme have reported receiving the new software update, as per the report.

The driving visualisations have been updated. They look very clean above, but they change with the situation.

The Tesla CEO said the wider release (download button) should come by the end of September and therefore, they only have a few weeks to test it in the early access fleet.

Musk had previously mentioned that Tesla had been testing the new software internally for the last few weeks.
Mumbai, Sep 12 : Actress Meera Deosthale of 'Udaan' fame is looking forward to making her debut in the OTT space with the second season of 'Ratri Ke Yatri' "I'll make my debut on OTT with an episode of 'Ratri Ke Yatri'. I am being paired opposite Sharad Malhotra. It was lovely working with him. He is an amazing actor who has done many shows. I have already seen him, so when they told me I am paired opposite him, I was quite excited to work with him. He is quite a gentleman and very sincere towards his work, so it was fun," she said.

Do you think a platform audience is different from television and film audiences? According to her, initially, the audience was different for OTT, TV and films. "I think with time, we all have stayed in our houses. We all have learned to watch OTT as well as series, television shows and films," said the 'Vidya' actress.

She feels that OTT is here to stay, and with time and exposure, it is only going to get more popular in our country.

"This is a beginning for me. I got to work with Anil V Kumar (director and producer). He has been a big name in the television industry. He has launched so many hit shows, so I wanted to work with him and it was a great experience for me," said Meera.

Is she open to doing bold scenes if the script demands? "Bold scenes on OTT...I am not there yet. I think I will cross the bridge when we get there, it depends on the demand of the script," she said.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : Three days after National Conference leader and former Jammu MLC Tarlochan Singh Wazir was found dead in a West Delhi flat, police on Sunday was trying to ascertain the veracity of a sensational hand-written note posted on a social media account of Harmeet Singh, one of the suspects in Wazir murder.

An eight-page note in Hindi, signed by Hameet Singh was posted on his Facebook account.

The note detailed the chronology of events leading to Wazir's murder, and a 'confession' by Singh that he has not just killed Wazir but almost 100 others. The note ends with saying that he is committing suicide now.

"A hand-written note having as many as 27 points was posted on Harmeet Singh's Facebook account. It is going viral on social media. However, it is yet to be ascertained who has posted this message. Police are investigating the hand-written note," said Delhi Police spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Chinmoy Biswal.

Wazir, a former Member of Legislative Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir, chairman of J&K's Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as well as president of the J&K State Transport Union for the last three decades, was found dead in a flat in West Delhi's Dwarka area on September 9.

He had come to Delhi from Jammu on September 2 and was supposed to take a flight for Canada on September 3. However, he never made it to the airport, prompting his family to reach out to him but they got no response. Wazir's body was found the next day after neighbours complained of foul smell and called in police.

Post-mortem report showed that a bullet was found embedded in the NC leader's skull, indicating that Wazir was shot dead.

Police said it was probing the family of second accused Harpreet Singh Khalsa from Jammu in connection with the alleged murder. "We have interrogated Harpreet Singh's family persons, including one of his female friends, and a look out notice may be issued soon," police said.

Harpreet Singh was staying with Wazir in the rented flat, where the latter's body was recovered in a highly decomposed state.

As of now both the accused are on run and the Delhi Police have launched a multi-state search operation to nab them.

Around half a dozen teams have been formed to investigate the matter in different states, including J&K, Delhi and Punjab, police said.
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 12 : In a deft political move, Kerala BJP state general secretary and former Vice Chairman of All India Minorities Commission, George Kurien has written to Union Home Minister, Amit Shah to provide protection to Arch Bishop of Pala, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt after Islamic organisations came out in the open against the Bishop.

Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt had while addressing the faithful at Marth Mariam Pilgrim Church at Kuruvilangad in Kottayam district on Wednesday, had said that non-Muslims are subjected to 'Narcotic Jihad' in Kerala. He said that there were two types of Jihad -- Love Jihad and Narcotic Jihad.

He had said that the 'Narcotic Jihad' is the activity of spoiling the life of non-Muslims, particularly youths by making them addicted to drugs, the Bishop had said.

The BJP state general secretary in the letter to the Union Home Minister said that the Chief Minister of the state, as well as the opposition leader, had come out against the Bishop and that this has given strength to the Islamist organisations to conduct a public protest against the Bishop.

Kurien while addressing media persons at Kochi said, "The position taken by the Chief Minister and that of the state Opposition leader have given strength to the divisive organisations and for the first time in the history of the state, extremist organisations conducted march towards Bishop's House." He said that the extremists who took part in the march used filthy language against the Bishop near the Bishop's house. The senior BJP leader said that the extremists had also threatened the Bishop that he would not be allowed to walk freely in the street.

George Kurien while speaking to media persons said, "In this context of threat to the life of a Bishop, I have requested Union Home minister, Amit Shah to provide protection to Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt." Union Minister of State for External Affairs and former Kerala state president of BJP, V. Muraleedharan had on Saturday said that the period of "Palm Chopping of Islamic Extremists" is over and that the BJP would give complete protection to the Bishop.

The BJP which is struggling to get a foothold in the state is trying to make use of this anti-Bishop remarks by both the mainstream political parties of the state, CPM, and the Congress as an opportunity and trying to capitalize on the same.
Srinagar, Sep 12 : Jammu and Kashmir Police sub-inspector injured in terrorist firing on Sunday in Srinagar city, has succumbed to critical injuries.

Police sources said sub-inspector Arshid Ahmad, who was injured in the terrorist firing on a police 'Naka' (Checkpost) near Khanyar police station in the old Srinagar city, has succumbed in the hospital.

"The injured SI was shifted to S.M.H.S hospital in the city from where he was referred to SKIMS Soura for specialised treatment.

"He has succumbed to critical injuries", police sources said.

The officer belonged to Kupwara district in north Kashmir.

Security forces are carrying out searches in the area to trace the assassins.
Srinagar, Sep 12 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police in South Kashmir's Kulgam district carried out a rescue operation and rescued a nomadic family along with their livestock, who were stuck in the nallah Yath Yathur, the police officials said on Sunday.

"On Sunday at nearly 6 a.m., the Kulgam police received information that some nomads along with their livestock were stuck in between the nallah Yath Yathur due to abrupt increase in water level following continuous rainfall during the intervening night of September 11 and 12," the police added.

"Acting swiftly, the police party from Mirbazar police post along with an SDRF team under the supervision of Qazigund SDPO launched a rescue operation in the said area." The police said during the rescue operation, a nomadic family comprising five members along with their livestock, including 200 sheep and their essential commodities, were shifted to a safer place.

Locals have lauded the efforts and swift action of the police for rescue and saving precious lives.
London, Sep 12 : Model and television personality Katie Price reportedly ended her relationship with fiance Carl Woods before attending the National Television Awards (NTA) in London on Thursday.

According to the sun.co.uk, Katie seemed quite drunk by the time she got herself seated at the event.

A guest at the event revealed: "Katie has publicly claimed to be a teetotaller - but she already seemed quite drunk by the time she took her seat in the auditorium." "She was knocking back the wine and asking for vodka. She was telling people, 'I'm single, I've dumped him' and was clearly focused on moving on. They had been constantly rowing, and she said she'd had enough." The guest further said: "She said she was back living at her house in West Sussex even though it wasn't fully done up yet. But she was adamant she wouldn't go back to his place. As far as she's concerned, it's over." Katie was seen flirting with a businessman at the awards night and getting cozy with him.

Katie and Carl started dating in June 2020 and got engaged earlier this year in April.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : Delhi police said on Sunday that a case has been registered against three under-trials at the Tihar Jail for indulging into a fight inside the jail premises.

According to Tihar jail officials, a fight had broken out between the three inmates on Saturday evening, during which two of them suffered injuries. The incident took place inside jail number 3.

Inmates had attacked each other with sharp edged-objects and they got injured. "Two of them were rushed to the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) Hospital for medical aid after the incident and they returned to the jail after treatment," senior jail official said.

Under trial prisoner named Sumit Dutt, who was lodged in ward number 2 of central jail 3, was first admitted to DDU and later was referred to Safdarjung hospital, the official said, adding, "He claimed that he was assaulted with sharp weapons inside the jail by fellow inmates Brijesh alias Kalu and Bilauta." Dutt received injuries on his thigh, abdomen and ribs. Inmate Kalu had also received a stab injury on his thigh and was also referred to the same hospital, the officer said.

"A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (common intension) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the trio," a senior police official in Tihar prison said.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : India and the US would launch the Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) on Monday as US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change, John Kerry visits India as part of his multi-country tour in the run-up to the annual climate summit less than 50 days ahead.

The CAFMD is one of the two main tracks of the US-India Agenda 2030 Partnership that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden had announced at the Leaders Summit on Climate in April 2021. The other is the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.

Slated to reach on Sunday, Kerry will be in India till September 14, meeting ministers, top bureaucrats, and private sector leaders. The US State Department has said Kerry will travel to India to "discuss efforts to raise global climate ambition and speed India's clean energy transition." Kerry has visited Korea, Argentina, Japan, and China over last few days to continue vital discussions on reducing emissions and raising ambition ahead of COP26, the annual climate summit that in UK's Glasgow.

A spokesperson from the Environment, Forests and Climate Change Ministry confirmed the CAFMD launch event on Monday but did not divulge further details.

Earlier in the year, in their joint statement at the launch of the "India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership", the two nations had said: "Through this collaboration, India and the United States aim to demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with inclusive and resilient economic development, taking into account national circumstances and sustainable development priorities." On August 24, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had held a telephonic conversation with Kerry to discuss CAFMD Track and had said these platforms provide greater opportunities for working together for climate actions and emphasized that India stands committed to working with the US on clean energy.

The annual climate summit, the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), at Glasgow from October 31, is being seen as a last ditch effort to bring around countries to enhance their emission targets to keep the global temperatures from rising to beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-Industrial era.

On September 9, when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had released its sixth Assessment Report of the Working Group I (AR6WGI), Kerry had tweeted: "Life is about making choices, and we're facing the biggest one yet. The @IPCC_CH report makes it clear our window is narrowing, but it's not too late to act. We must choose to earnestly respond to the climate crisis while we still can."
New Delhi, Sep 12 : After a full-page advertisement carried in a national English daily showcasing the industrialisation and development of Uttar Pradesh under UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth featured a photograph of Kolkata's Maa flyover, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lashed out at him.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who is also In charge of Uttar Pradesh, tweeted, "They give fake advertisement, fake jobs of lekhpal were offered to youths, now giving fake pictures of flyover and factories and claiming fake development. Neither they have any understanding of the people's issues nor have they anything to do with it. The government is of fake advertisement and false claims." The advertisement issued by the state government drew sharp criticism from Trinamool Congress also as several top ministers and leaders accused Adityanath of "stealing images from infrastructure scenes in Bengal".

The advertisement "Transforming Uttar Pradesh Under Yogi Adityanath" carried on Sunday in an English language publication has a cut-out of Adityanath with a flyover that resembles Kolkata's "Maa flyover" that connects the central part of the city with Salt Lake and Rajarhat located in the northeastern fringes of the city. The image also has Kolkata's iconic yellow taxi and a high rise that resembles a five-star hotel in the city next to the Maa Flyover.

The English daily, however, later in the day ran a statement admitting that the fault lies with the marketing and advertorial team of the newspapers. The statement said, "A wrong image was inadvertently included in the cover collage of the advertorial on Uttar Pradesh produced by the marketing department of the newspaper. The error is deeply regretted and the image has been removed in all digital editions of the paper"
Mumbai, Sep 12 : Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda celebrates Saragarhi Day by recalling the sacrifice of 21 Sikh soldiers at the historic Battle of Saragarhi. The actor also worked on a film based on that historical event but the film did not see the light of day.

Recalling the events of the movie as well as the history, Randeep said, "Some movies never get made but the stories live on forever. In 1897 on the Northwest Frontier (present-day Afghanistan), 21 Sikhs stood up against 10,000 Afghan tribesmen. It was a certain inevitable death but the decision to take a stand despite the odds and not show their backs to the enemy marks this six and a half hour fierce battle to the death as one of the greatest last stands in the military history of the world. Three gurudwaras have been made in their memorial...one is near the Golden Temple, Amritsar. 'Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akal'." Randeep has multiple projects in the pipeline including web series 'Inspector Avinash', and films 'Unfair & Lovely' and 'Rat on a Highway'.
Aizawl, Sep 12 : The fresh influx of refugees from military coup hit Myanmar continued with around 500 more Myanmarese forced to take shelter in Mizoram in the past few days as the Army and the opposition forces continued fierce battle in the country's western region.

According to the Mizoram government officials, with the fresh arrival of the refugees, the number of migrants from Myanmar taking shelter in Mizoram increased to around 11,500 since the military coup in Myanmar on February 1.

Local police and district officials, legislators and others while talking to IANS over phone from different places of Mizoram said that the desperate refugees from Myanmar crossed the Tiau River through small country boat and swam across to take shelter in the bordering villages of the northeastern state of India.

"The river Tiau (which flows along the Champhai district in eastern Mizoram), which is the international boundary, was crossed by the refugees in small boats with the help of local Mizo people. The ill fated poor people with no other alternative to survive from the Army attacks took shelter in our side and the Mizo villagers on humanitarian ground provided them food and shelter," a Mizoram Parliament member refusing to be named told IANS over phone from Aizawl.

He said that the fresh immigrants including women and children took shelter in 15 to 16 villages in Mizoram's three districts -- Champhai, Lawngtlai and Hnahthial districts bordering Myanmar.

Mizoram Home Minister Lalchamliana also told the media in Aizawl that if the attacks and counter-attacks by the Myanmar military and the opposition forces continue, more people are likely to come into Mizoram for shelter. Most of the refugees from Myanmar have been provided makeshift shelters by various local NGOs, including the Young Mizo Association which also provided them food, medicines and other basic necessities on humanitarian ground, while several others are living with their relatives.

The District administrations of the bordering districts are unable to officially help the migrants as they are yet to be granted refugee status by the Indian government or any international agencies.

According to the people acquainted with the happening in Myanmar and media and intelligence reports, the fresh refugee influx took place in Mizoram as the Burmese government-in-exile, the National Unity Government (NUG), called for a countrywide uprising earlier last week and clashed with the military soldiers who undertook massive operations against the resistance forces.

They said that Chinland Defence Force and Chin National Army (or Chin National Force) in joint operations last week captured the Myanmar Army camp at Lungler village opposite to Mizoram border and had detained 12 Myanmar Army soldiers. After that the military authority had sent a few helicopters and two jet fighters to launch a counter attack.

Sounds of fierce gunfights and bursting of shells and use of other firearms between the cadres of anti-coup NUG and the Myanmar army could be heard from the villages bordering Myanmar. Officials of the Crime Investigation Department (CID), which maintains the data of Myanmarese refugees, said that around 11,500 refugees, including about 20 legislators, have taken shelter in Mizoram's 11 districts since March this year.

The Champhai district along the India-Myanmar border is currently sheltering 4,550 refugees, the highest, followed by Aizawl district where 1,700 refugees have taken shelter. A majority of those who have taken shelter in the bordering state belong to the Chin community, also known as the Zo community, who share the same ancestry, ethnicity and culture as the Mizos of Mizoram.

Six Mizoram districts - Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Serchhip, Hnahthial and Saitual - share 510 km unfenced borders with Myanmar.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga had earlier urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide asylum, food and shelter to the refugees who arrived in the state since the military coup in Myanmar on February 1. Referring to the Union Home Ministry's advisory to the four northeastern states bordering Myanmar and also to the Assam Rifles and the BSF for taking action to prevent illegal influx from Myanmar into India, Zoramthanga had said, "This is not acceptable to Mizoram." A Mizoram government delegation had already met the Vice President, Union Minister of State for Home and Home Secretary in Delhi to persuade them to impress upon the Centre not to forcefully push back the Myanmar nationals sheltered in Mizoram.

As per the MHA advisory, the state governments and UT administrations have no power to grant "refugee" status to any foreigner, and India is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention of 1951 and its 1967 Protocol.

A one-year state of emergency has been declared in Myanmar, where power has been transferred to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing after President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi were detained by the military on February 1.

Meanwhile, the Mizoram government has decided to enrol children of Myanmarese refugees into the state government schools.

Last week, Mizoram's School Education Director James Lalrinchhana, referring to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act-2009), had asked all the district and sub-divisional education officials that children aged between 6 and 14 years belonging to disadvantaged communities have the right to be admitted to schools in a class appropriate to his or her age for completing elementary education.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
Chennai, Sep 12 : Sri Lankan Tamil MP V.S. Radhakrishnan on Sunday called upon Tamil Nadu and the Indian governments to accord Indian citizenship to Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who are living in different parts of the state.

A large number of Sri Lankan Tamils, who had worked in plantations and took asylum in India due to the civil war in Sri Lanka, are living in various refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, he told reporters after meeting the Muslim League leader Khader Moideen.

Moideen said that even though the civil war in Sri Lanka had ended ten years ago, they are continuing to work in India as the job opportunities in the island nation were bleak.

Radhakrishnan praised the efforts of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on improving the living conditions in the Sri Lankan refugee camps in Tamil Nadu and called upon him to take initiative to get them Indian citizenship. He also said that the Indian government could offer the Sri Lankan Tamils dual citizenship as several other foreign countries have done.

He also said that the Chinese were showing aggressive interest in strengthening its economic activities in Sri Lanka. While setting up the Hambantota Port, the Chinese had taken steps to set up wind and solar energy projects on three islands that were close to the Indian coast, he said.

Radhakrishnan also said that the Sri Lankan Tamil parties had vehemently opposed the port development project by China but the ruling party, that had a majority, has passed the Bill on port development in parliament.

Security concerns in India regarding the same were understandable, he said.
Puducherry, Sep 12 : Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has called upon the state governments and local bodies to install solar panels on rooftops and mandatory rainwater harvesting in large buildings for suatainable development.

He was speaking at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) after dedicating a 1.5 MW solar rooftop plant to the nation.

The Vice President called upon Public sector units and large institutions that they must be using renewable energy for their sustainability and said that greater adaptation of rooftop solar plants in industries and universities is the need of the day.

Venkaiah Naidu said that such initiatives will lead to saving of cost at the micro level for organisations and at the same time will also benefit the nation as a whole. He said that the country is striving towards sustainable development and use of rooftop solar panels and rain harvesting are important in this context.

He also called upon the State governments, Union Territories, and the Government of India to work as 'Team India' to create awareness on the benefits of solar power.

The Vice President said that massive campaigns are required to create awareness about the subsidies being provided for solar rooftop systems as well as the electricity savings. He said, "People must understand that the initial cost of setting up a solar plant after subsidy, is offset by the benefits in the long term." Lt Governor of Puducherry, Dr Tamilisai Sounderarajan, Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, Speaker of Puducherry Assembly, Embalam R. Selvam, Loksabha MP, R. Vaithalingam, Puducherry MLA, V. Aroumugame, and the Director of JIPMER, Dr Rakesh Aggarwal were present on the occasion.
New York, Sep 12 : Pregnant women who received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine were not at higher risk for miscarriage than their unvaccinated counterparts, according to a new study.

In the study, published in JAMA, researchers from the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) -- collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and nine health systems -- examined 105,446 women from December 15, 2020, to June 28, 2021. Of these, 13,160 ended up in miscarriages, while 92,286 pregnancies were ongoing.

Among the women, 14.3 per cent received at least one dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The team looked at women between six weeks' and 19 week's gestation and identified the 'index date' as the last day of the four-week surveillance period.

They found that women had received a Covid-19 vaccine 28 days before the index date in 8 per cent of ongoing pregnancies and 8.6 per cent of miscarriages, the Daily Mail reported.

Further, the proportion of women aged 35 to 49 years who miscarried was higher than the proportion with ongoing pregnancies in that age-group (38.7 per cent vs 22.3 per cent).

Overall, this means women who suffered miscarriages did not have higher odds of receiving a Covid shot in the previous 28 days compared to women who did not suffer miscarriages, the researchers explained.

"Despite limitations, these data can be used to inform vaccine recommendations and to counsel patients," said Heather S. Lipkind, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University in Connecticut.

The findings come about a month after the CDC urged pregnant women to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as they can.

In a separate study, a team from the CDC looked at 2,456 pregnant women who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna Covid vaccine prior to 20 weeks' gestation as of July 19, 2021, from the agency's smartphone tool V-SAFE that tracks people who received Covid shots.

The study, published on pre-print server Research Square, also looked at the risk of miscarriage, also described in the study as a 'spontaneous abortion', the Daily Mail reported.

While miscarriages occured in 11-16 per cent of pregnancies, the rate of miscarriage in women who received the Covid shot was 12.8 per cent -- within the normal range.

Further, the miscarriages ranged from 9.8 per cent among 20-to-29-year-olds to 28.8 per cent in those aged 40 and older.

This is also in line with data, which find that women are at a higher risk for a miscarriage when they conceive at age 35 or older, the report said.

--IANS rvt/vd

A

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Srinagar, Sep 12 : Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Sunday that the killers of Sub-Inspector Arshid Ahmad Mir have been identified and they would soon be brought to justice.

"We have lost a brave officer today and the family has lost their dear son.

"The killers have been identified and will soon be brought to justice," DGP Dilbag Singh told reporters here.

On Sunday's being the third militant attack in Srinagar city despite police claims that many modules of militants have been eliminated, he said: "Many modules have been eliminated. New ones take their place." Militants shot and killed Mir near the Khanyar police station in old Srinagar. He belonged to Kupwara district.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : An audio file attributed to a Taliban official, said to be Mullah Fazel, the Taliban's Deputy Defence Minister surfaced in which he says that the Pakistani guest (referring to Pakistani intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed) had created a major problem for the group and prevented the formation of an inclusive government.

The audio file also mentions an armed clash between General Faiz Hameed's bodyguards and Taliban commanders at the Kabul presidential palace.

An audio file attributed to a senior Taliban official was released in which he criticized the presence of a Punjabi guest in the country and said that he did not allow the Taliban to form an inclusive government, Raha Press reported.

In the audio file, the Taliban official told other Taliban commanders that Pakistan had tarnished the group's reputation internationally.

The differences between Pakistan and the Taliban are likely over how the cabinet was recently introduced by the Taliban.

Pakistan has reportedly nominated Haqqani and some members of the Quetta Taliban council to join the cabinet.

The Taliban had previously announced that they would form an inclusive government, but before the group announced its new government, Pakistani intelligence chief Gen Faiz Hameed arrived in Kabul and met with some senior Taliban officials.

The Taliban announced its new interim government last Tuesday (September 7), which does not include any non-Taliban or female members on its cabinet; However, Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman, said the government was inclusive because it included representatives from different ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

Earlier reports suggested Faiz Hameed, the head of Pakista's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had rushed to Kabul before the government formation after a clash between Baradar and Haqqani-supported groups in which Baradar sustained injuries.

The Haqqani and many other Taliban factions simply do not accept Haibatullah Akhundzada as their leader, as per Michael Rubin in 1945 website.

Whereas the Taliban had said that they would unveil their new government on September 3, the day passed without any official word of the appointment of Akhundzada whom the group's representatives earlier signaled would be the Islamic Emirate's supreme leader based in Kandahar, Rubin said.

That delay also postponed Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar's efforts to become political leader in Kabul. The delay may signal a much greater crisis within the Taliban, hence Hameed's emergency trip, he said.

Some Afghan factions seek a more inclusive government and are not enthusiastic about efforts to fight the Panjshiris. The Taliban largely conquered Afghanistan on the back of political deals rather than military victories and are unenthusiastic about the losses they now sustain in ground fighting in the Valley and its approaches. It is Hameed and the factions to which he directly dictates that want to finish off Ahmad Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, the two main leaders of the resistance, he added.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
Mumbai, Sep 12 : in wake of the horrendous Sakinaka rape-cum-murder incident of Friday, a team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) rushed here to meet officials and the victim's family members.

The apex women's rights panel has also frowned at a statement of Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale who told the media how the local police team reached the site of the incident within 10 minutes.

"It (police) can't be present at every crime location. They would reach only after getting information. Police worked to the best of their capability," he had said on Saturday.

NCW nember Chandramukhi Devi termed the statement as "extremely unfortunate" and said police cannot run away from their responsibility.

The NCW members visited the family members of the 33-year old victim, who is survived by two minor daughters.

They also went to the crime scene and the BMC-run Rajawadi Hospital where the victim was rushed, underwent surgery, but succumbed to her grievous injuries after battling for nearly 33 hours.

Hours after the numbing incident, the Sakinaka Police had used tech-intel and caught the accused, Mohan Chauhan, 45, a jobless driver hailing from Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur, as the incident sparked a massive political uproar.

He is currently in police custody till September 21 and being interrogated for the motives leading to the barbaric crime that occurred in the desolate Khairani Road locality of Sakinaka on the eve of the state's biggest public festival Ganeshotsav.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has ordered the case to be transferred to fast-track special court, and a Mumbai Police Special Investigation Team headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Jyotsna Rasam has been formed to probe the matter within 30 days.

Women leaders from the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and activists from across the state have expressed outrage over the incident and demanded implementation of the proposed 'Shakti Law' at the earliest.
Mumbai, Sep 12 : The Tata Memorial Centre, the country's leader in cancer care, is facing an acute blood shortage and on Sunday issued a public appeal for donations.

"We are facing a shortage of blood at the Tata Memorial Centre. Please step up to donate blood - its perfectly safe, and you'll save lives," the TMC's plea on social media said.

Providing its blood bank phone numbers (022-24177000), it has also offered to go to housing societies to conduct blood donation drives.

TMC Director Dr C.S. Pramesh said that it runs hospitals in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Varanasi, Vizag, Guwahati, Sangrur, and Muzaffarpur, while another at Chandigarh will be operational by November, and said people can also go and donate blood at any of these locations.

"We would be very happy to organize camps in housing societies where there are a reasonable number of donors. We've done that right through the pandemic, with strict adherence to physical distancing and all precautions," he assured.

During the past 18 months of the pandemic, several social organisations, political parties, corporates and even Janmashthami and Ganeshotsav mandals have regularly conducted blood donation camps to fill the yawning demand-supply gap.

The Tata Memorial Hospital was started by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust in February 1941 as a centre with enduring value and a mission for concern for the people of India.

In 1952, the Indian Cancer Research Centre was established as a pioneer research institute for basic research, and was later named as Cancer Research Institute.

In 1957, it was taken over the Ministry of Health and later its administrative control was transferred to the Department of Atomic Energy in 1962, making it a classic example of private philanthropy augmented by government support mandated for service, education and research in cancer.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : Ahead of the crucial UP Assembly polls, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is in Rae Bareli to put the house in order in her mother and interim party chief Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency, Rae Bareli, where after the general elections, the party faced several rebellions in the traditional Nehru-Gandhi bastion.

Two Congress legislators, Aditi Singh from the Rae Bareli city and Rakesh Singh from Harchandpur, have revolted against the party, and their loyalties now lie with the BJP.

The Congress had lost the home turf of Amethi to Union Minister Smriti Irani in 2019, and there is no party MLA from the twin Lok Sabha seats after Aditi Singh's revolt.

To bolster the party in the key constituency, Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday met Congress office bearers and discussed poll preparations. She held meetings of the district Congress committees, block presidents, Nyaya Panchayat presidents, and city Congress on Sunday.

The Congress is in search of good candidates from both Amethi and Rae Bareli to bring back the old glory of the party. It has been on decline in the area since the BJP came to power and is not able to win in the Assembly polls.

A party leader requesting anonymity said: "Congress needs to win majority of the seats in Amethi, and Rae Bareli to keep the perceptions high for general elections." The Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies were looked after by close aide K.L. Sharma and he was involved in day to day affairs. However, Rahul Gandhi sent Chandrakant to look after Amethi in the last Lok Sabha polls, but he could not manage the constituency and Rahul Gandhi lost the elections. However, Sharma was able to ensure the party won Rae Bareli.

Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, visited the constituency only twice and Sonia Gandhi is not keeping well, so Priyanka Gandhi is looking after the home turf, but no significant gain has been seen and Assembly polls would be a challenge to the Gandhi family.

Now to revive the party, the Congress in Uttar Pradesh has decided to take out 'Pratigya Yatra' with the tagline -- 'Hum Vachan Nibhayenge', ahead of the Assembly elections, due early next year.

Priyanka Gandhi, who is in Lucknow on a two-day visit, had said that the yatra would cover a distance of 12,000 kilometres and will pass through all major villages and towns.

Addressing a meeting of the advisory and political affairs committee of the UPCC, she said that the yatra would mobilise party workers across the state and also establish a contact with the people.
Mumbai, Sep 12 : Every September 12, the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army observes Saragarhi Day to commemorate the martyrdom of 21 Sikh soldiers holed up at Fort Lockhart in 1897 in the village of Saragarhi located today in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunwa region on the border with Afghanistan.

Led by Havildar Ishar Singh, they died fighting hordes of Afghan tribesmen, numbering between 12,000 and 24,000, inflicting serious casualties in the enemy camp. They may have been fighting for the British Raj, but their saga of bravery has inspired generations of Indian soldiers.

Sunday marked yet another anniversary of the battle, and it would have passed without anyone caring to take notice, had Bollywood actor Ranveer Hooda not tweeted about it. He was cast in a film that was to recreate the battle and resurrect Ishar Singh from the footnotes of history.

The film project was shelved because of the Akshay Kumar-starrer "Kesari", which was on the same theme, and was regarded as a bigger box-office draw. Hence Hooda's tweet.

"Some movies never get made but the stories live on forever," the actor tweeted, adding: "It was a certain inevitable death but the decision to take a stand despite the odds and not show their backs to the enemy marks this 6.5-hour fierce battle to the death as one of the greatest last stands in the armed history of the world." Later, replying to a tweet, Hooda noted: "Three gurudwaras have been made in their memory. This one is near the Golden Temple, Amritsar. Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akal." All three -- on each in Saragarhi, Ferozepur, and Amritsar -- were built by a grateful British Indian Army.

His Battle of Saragarhi film may not have seen the light of day, but Randeep has multiple projects in the pipeline, including the web series "Inspector Avinash" and the films "Unfair & Lovely" and "Rat on a Highway".
Bengaluru, Sep 12 : Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister of Karnataka and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya inaugurated a 48-bed facility at the KSRTC Hospital in Jayanagar on Sunday in the presence of State Transport Minister B. Sreeramulu.

The hospital was revamped using the MPLADS of the Bengaluru South MP and CSR funds from partners like Embassy REIT, PayTM, RoundTable India, SVG Bank and Yahoo Employees Foundation. The revamped KSRTC Hospital has 10 HDU beds and 38 general beds, adding strength to critical healthcare infrastructure for citizens. The facility also received 3 new top-end ambulances from Mahindra.

"The Government of Karnataka has been proactive in preparing healthcare infrastructure for a possible third wave with children in particular falling under the risk category," Surya said.

"Whether it is the pediatric ICUs at the Jayanagar General Hospital or the 48-bed facility at KSRTC Hospital, we have developed these 2 centres on priority to provide critical healthcare for citizens," he added.

The KSRTC hospital was made fully functional with the help of CSR partners. While the MP contributed Rs 35 lakh from the MPLADS for the renovation of the hospital, Rs 64 lakh worth of financial assistance was provided from the State Disaster Management Fund. Yahoo Employees Foundation provided assistance to purchase patient monitors, HFNC machines and other medical equipment worth Rs 63 lakh. PayTM helped develop an oxygen plant of 250 litre per minute capacity at the cost of Rs 50 lakh at the KSRTC Hospital. Meanwhile, SVC Bank donated PPE, masks and other protective equipment worth Rs 28 lakh to KSRTC staff and Bengaluru Traffic Police personnel. Additionally, Mahindra contributed the purchase of three ambulances and also purchased three 10 litre oxygen concentrators.

"These 48 high dependency beds will be utilised to manage any potential overburdened caseload in Bengaluru South," Surya added. We appreciate the efforts of corporates for joining hands with the Government at such a critical time in strengthening our healthcare infrastructure."
Hyderabad, Sep 12 : The Telangana government plans to request the High Court to permit immersion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesh idols in the city's iconic lake, Hussainsagar.

The state's animal husbandry and cinematography minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Sunday said the government will file a review petition in this matter.

The High Court earlier had banned immersion of PoP Ganesh idols in the lake.

Speaking to media, the minister said that more than 35,000 idols had already been installed all over the city by the time the High Court had issued a ban on immersion. Making alternative arrangements, like constructing ponds, at this late hour is not possible, he pointed out.

Regarding the review petition, Srinivas Yadav said that the state government will give the court an assurance to clear all the POP idols and debris from Hussainsagar, within 48 hours of the immersion.

"The government is committed to safeguard the lakes," the minister said.
New Delhi, Sep 12 : Pakistan hosted a meeting of spymasters of some countries in the region on the situation in AfghanisAtan, a security source said.

There was no official statement on the meeting, but an intelligence source privately confirmed that the session had taken place, Dawn reported.

The meeting was attended by the intelligence heads from Russia, China, Iran and some Central Asian states.

"The hosting of the meeting by Pakistan reflects our sincerity for peace in the region and Afghanistan," the report said.

It was the latest effort by Pakistan, which had over the past few days hosted meetings of the foreign ministers of the six neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and that of their special envoys, to develop a common regional strategy on dealing with challenges emanating from the events unfolding in the war-ravaged country.

Foreign ministers of AfghanAisAtan's neighbouring countries earlier in a meeting on Wednesday "agrAeed to remain seized of the developments in Afghanistan and coordinate with each other for a holAiAstic, comprehensive and harmoniAzed response," according to a joint statement issued after their meeting.

The regional countries are worried about security situation along their borders with Afghanistan, terrorists using Afghan soil for launching attacks on other countries, spread of extremism, possibility of influx of refugees, drug trafficking and transnational crimes.
Bengaluru, Sep 12 : Five youths, including two women, have been booked under the National Disaster Management Act for taking joy rides in an upscale Bengaluru locality early on Sunday in spite of the night curfew being in place, police said.

The video of the youths popping out of car windows, standing through the sunroof, dancing, and chatting as they zoomed past Sadashivanagar 8th Main Road towards Sankey lake, had gone viral in the state. The police have also obtained CCTV footage from the area.

Many questions were raised as soon as the video became viral against the backdrop of a recent case where seven youths, including the son of Tamil Nadu MLA, died on the spot, while on a joy ride recently in Koramangala locality of Bengaluru.

According to police, the youngsters travelled in a Benz car and according to the registration number, the owner was found to be Sanjith Shetty. After obtaining the footage, Sadashivnagar crime and traffic police went to the residence of the owner and seized the vehicle.

The youths will be questioned soon, police said, adding that the investigation is on.
Agartala: At least 12 Rohingya Muslim refugees, including five children and two women, who tried to enter India from Bangladesh, have refused to leave the Zero Line along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura for the past three days. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Guwahati/Aizawl, Sep 12 : A total of 26 Delhi-bound Myanmarese nationals, including 10 women, were arrested on Sunday as they arrived in Guwahati from Mizoram, police said.

A police spokesman said that acting on secret information, police arrested the 26 Myanmarese nationals, who include seven teenagers and rest aged 20 to 28, from a private lodge at Rehabari here.

Upon interrogation, it was found that the apprehended foreign citizens belonged to Falam district of Chin state of Myanmar and they were on their way to Delhi to study the Bible. Forged Indian documents including Aadhar cards, and voter identity cards, prepared in Mizoram were seized from them, the spokesman said.

Police have registered a case at the Paltan bazar police station under the Indian Penal Code, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act.

According to officials in Aizawl, around 11,500 Myanmarese nationals of Chin stock have taken refuge in 11 districts of Mizoram, whose six districts have an unfenced border with the neighbouring country, since the military coup there on February 1 and few of them have crossed over to neighbouring Manipur too.

The Chin, also known as the Zo, share the same ancestry, ethnicity and culture as the Mizos of Mizoram.

This is believed to be the first case of the Myanmar nationals, sheltered in Mizoram, venturing out of the northeastern states.

Often, Rohingya Muslims from the refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh enter the northeastern states of India illegally in search of jobs or get trapped in human trafficking.
Kolkata, Sep 12 : Six days after the gruesome murder of Sushmita Mondal and her 13-year-old son Tamajit, two of her cousins were on Sunday arrested for allegedly for killing the duo, Kolkata police said.

"We have arrested Sanjay Das and his brother Sandip for allegedly killing Sushmita Mondal and her son. Prime facie evidence and information gathered from the interrogation suggests that they killed them because of money," Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Murlidhar Sharma said.

"They thought that Sushmita Mondal, who had the habit of accumulating gold, might have a huge amount of jewellery in her house. They killed her for that. The son was murdered as he - doing online classes at that time - became witness to the murder." However, the JCP said that the accused didn't get too much gold.

According to the police, Sanjay Das, who works in a shopping mall as a CCTV mechanic, had taken a huge loan because of his elder son's marriage. "The money lenders were coming to his house and he wanted the money to repay the loan. Previously he had taken Rs 5,000 from his sister but didn't pay it back," a senior police officer said.

"On that day, Sanjay and Sandip went to their sister's house and asked for money. She, however, refused to give more. Then when she went to make tea for them, Sanjay slit her throat and then to be sure, he started stabbing her. The son, who was doing his online class, came out of his room and saw the murder. The two brothers then killed him also," the officer said.

Police also have reasons to believe that Sanjay Das had planned the murder long before.

"He did a recce of the place two to three times and detected all the CCTVs in that area," the officer said. "We are looking into whether anyone else is involved in the murder," he added.

The 45-year-old Mondal and her son were found murdered at a posh Parnasree area in Behala on September 6. The murder came to light when police got a call from her husband Tapan Mondal, and rushed to the spot. The woman's body was found in a pool of blood in her master bedroom with her throat slit open, and her son was found dead in a sitting position with a similar kind of deep cut in his throat.

Initially, Tapan Mondal was detained but later released as police were sure that the murder has been done by one or more persons who are known to the family because after questioning the neighbours, they came to know that the woman never opened the door without knowing the visitor's identity.
Kabul, Sep 13 : The newly appointed Taliban government's acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund has met with visiting Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

During the meeting held at Afghanistan's Presidential Palace on Sunday, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, humanitarian assistance, Afghanistan's future economic development and the international engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the state-run Bakhtar news agency's report.

According to the report, Hassan Akhund thanked Qatar for its assistance to the people of Afghanistan, stressing that the Qatari people had helped Afghans in embracing peace and stability and stood alongside Afghans during difficult situations.

The talks also touched upon the importance of international aid to Afghanistan.

The Qatari foreign minister hoped that Afghanistan and Qatar "would have good relations in the future," the report said.

The visit came days after the Taliban announced a caretaker government in Afghanistan on September 7.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Fujairah International Airport, Al-fujairah, United Arab Emirates [ FJR / OMFJ ]

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Al-fujairah Airport IATA Code: FJR Al-fujairah Airport ICAO Code: OMFJ Latitude : 25.1097 Longitude : 56.3306 City : Al-fujairah Country : United Arab Emirates World Area Code : 678 Airport Type : Medium Al-fujairah Airport Address / Contact Details :

Al Fujairah International Airport (FJR) - Fujairah - United Arab Emirates Phone: +971 9 222 6222 Airport Type : Public Operator : Department of Civil Aviation Timezone : Asia/Dubai Fujairah International Airport Timezone : GMT +04:00 hours Current time and date at Fujairah International Airport is 00:06:37 AM (+04) on Thursday, Sep 16, 2021

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Fujairah International Airport Map - Location of Fujairah International Airport Load Map United Arab Emirates - General Information Country Formal Name United Arab Emirates Country Code AE Capital Abu Dhabi Currency Dirham (AED)

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"The best way we can honor this 9-11 anniversary is to support our local fire department."

Access Receivables Management announced today that it has made a sizable donation in the name of its employees to Cockeysville Volunteer Fire Department in honor of the 20th Anniversary of 9-11. In addition, the company will donate over $10,000 worth of repurposed computers to Vietnam Veterans Across America (VVA) in the coming weeks. Tom Gillespie, President said, "On September 11, 2001, Access Receivables was only 9 months old as a company. On that day, we hung an American flag in our office which is now encased in glass in our new lobby in Hunt Valley. It stands as a reminder of the sacrifice that many people made on 9-11 and throughout our country's history. The best way we can honor the 20th anniversary of 9-11 is to support our local volunteer fire department".

In addition, Access Receivables has chosen Vietnam Veterans Across America (VVA) as its' 2021 recipient for repurposed computers. Rae Lockard, Chief Operating Office said, "We are proud to assist our great veterans in every way possible. VVA provides critical assistance to individuals who have served this country and deserve our support"

Company CEO, Debra Gillespie added "Access has always been about giving back. We are blessed to have prospered during the last 21 years in business and we must never forget those who have made our success possible or those in need".

Access Receivables is a national debt collector servicing enterprise companies, governments and institutions across America. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, the company has grown from a start-up to an industry leader over 21 years. Each year, Access reaches out to various charities locally and nationally in order to support the local community and worthy causes. Previous Charities supported include Byte Back of Baltimore, Baltimore Robotics Center, ARMing Heroes, and The Brandon Tolson Foundation to name a few.
The City of Cincinnati, OH has engaged Griffin & Strong, P.C to conduct a Disparity Study to evaluate whether Women and Minority owned firms are receiving the number of contracts to be expected based upon the availability of businesses in the marketplace. In addition, the Study will also include a review and analysis of , Cincinnatis contracting and subcontracting policies, procedures, and practices relative to the solicitation of, and participation by DBEs in federal, state, and locally funded prime contracts and subcontracts.

Griffin & Strong, P.C. will host a informational webinar on Thursday, September 14 from 5pm-6pm EST. The online session will be an opportunity for the City of Cincinnati Businesses to learn about the Disparity Study and ask qustions. We encourage the participation of all local businesses.

Tuesday, September 14 2021

5:00 pm  6:00 pm EST

Please RSVP at this link https://bit.ly/3niufVj

Registration is free and advanced registration is recommended but not required to participate.

For questions or concerns, please email Griffin & Strong at CincinnatiStudy@gspclaw.com. Please note all comments may be recorded and potentially used in the Study.

Griffin & Strong, P.C. is a law and public policy consulting firm based in Atlanta, GA. Since 1992, the firm has represented individual clients, small businesses, corporations, and government entities in public policy consulting, legislation, contract compliance, supplier diversity consulting, and disparity research.
Photo courtesy of X-Bots Robotics On Sept. 11th, through the generous support of the PPG Foundation, we will launch a pilot expansion of the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program across six Boys & Girls Club sites in California to assist families who have toddlers with mobility challenges, said Elisa Avila, Executive Director of X-Bots

In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the tragic terror attacks on American soil, X-Bots Robotics Inc., an award-winning community-based high school robotics team operating under FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), will launch a pilot expansion of its X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program presented by PPG across six sites in California on Saturday, Sept. 11, through its partnership with PPG Foundation and Boys & Girls Club (BGC). September 11th is Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance, a day in which individuals are asked to find a volunteer opportunity and address a critical need in the community.

The X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program is a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program that partners students in a Robotics team with a BGC and together they build specially designed physical therapy cars for toddlers with cerebral disorders affecting their body mobility. Together, X-Bots Robotics, PPG Foundation and BGC will provide an opportunity for hands-on STEM learning by enabling students to put their skills to work to serve families with toddlers who have mobility challenges. The pilot expansion will launch at the following BGC sites in California: BGC of Whittier | Pico Rivera, BGC of Cathedral City, BGC of Fontana, BGC of Malibu, BGC of Santa Monica and Santa Clarita Valley B&GC.

In the spirit of unity, honor, and compassion, X-Bots Robotics, PPG Foundation and Boys and Girls Club will join together to create a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on technical engineering programming that not only develops students leadership skills and inspires them to pursue a career in STEM, but also serves local families, said Elisa Avila, Executive Director of X-Bots Robotics Inc. On September 11th, through the generous support of the PPG Foundation, we will launch a pilot expansion of the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program across six Boys & Girls Club sites in California to assist families who have toddlers with mobility challenges.

Each BGC partnership will host one X-Bots Robotics Mobility workshop, enabling students to apply practical solutions, peer-to-peer learning, skills sharing and immersive lessons in engineering, all while bringing joy to children and their parents. The workshops will reach an estimated 290 students (combined X-Bots Robotics teams and BGC members) and modify 60 cars.

PPG Foundation is supporting X-Bots Robotics in its expanded program of STEM educational opportunities to impact a greater number of students, toddlers, and their families. As a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, and specialty materials, PPG recognizes the importance of immersing young people in STEM concepts that are linked to real-world solutions and innovations, such as robotics and mobility technology that may one day redefine solutions for our global society.

At PPG, we know that education sits at the helm of the innovation that will shape our world for generations to come. Through this partnership, our aim is to open future opportunities to both the students who will find and explore their passions in STEM fields and families in need, said Malesia Dunn, Executive Director of PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility. In all that we do, we aim to protect and beautify the world. The X-Bots Robotics program reinforces this by encouraging future engineers and scientists to experience the joy of experimentation and discovery and by demonstrating the immediate impacts both community service and STEM concepts make in the lives of others.

At the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera, the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program has focused on applying GoBabyGo, an open-source movement focused on real-time, real-world solutions for mobility, to provide STEM educational and leadership opportunities for middle school and high school students. The program is a unique combination of peer-to-peer learning paired with a half-day hands-on workshop that draws in the families and toddlers who benefit from the finished product.

Our youth are the recipients of services. Heres an opportunity for our kids to say, You know what? When things are not so well you can still make an impact on other peoples lives,  said Oscar Hernandez, Executive Director of BGC Whittier | Pico Rivera. We want to continue to make that impact for families on Sept. 11, and every day of the year.

Founded in August 2015, X-Bots Robotics Inc. aims to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by developing a passion for STEM careers at a young age. The nonprofit organization provides students with a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on technical engineering training that develops their leadership skills to inspire others through outreach efforts. To learn more about the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program, visit https://www.xbotsrobotics.com/gobabygo.

# # #

About X-Bots Robotics Inc.:

Through FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), a mind sport that combines science and technology for high school students, two parents saw the opportunity to impact a community with much-needed science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. They set out to recruit mentors, volunteers and interested students to start the first FRC community robotics team in the area.

Founded in August 2015, X-Bots Robotics Inc. aims to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by developing a passion for STEM careers at a young age. We provide students with a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on technical engineering training that develops their leadership skills to inspire others through outreach efforts.

Our X-Bots Robotics team members train high schoolers from the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera to help them build characteristics to be great leaders in the future while simultaneously expanding their knowledge of STEM careers. X-Bots has now moved into the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera facilities and they have become our strategic partner. Weve expanded our reach by networking with other Robotics teams to work in collaboration with BGCs in other cities, including high school students with an interest in STEM.

About PPG Foundation:

PPGs global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $13 million in 2020, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 30 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow todays skilled workforce and develop tomorrows innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at communities.ppg.com.

About Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera:

Located at 7905 Greenleaf Ave in Whittier, Calif., the Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera provides after-school and summer programs for youth ages 6 to 18 years old that emphasize Academic Success; the development of good Character & Citizenship; and the formation of Healthy Lifestyles.

The nonprofit currently operates its programs at 24 locations: The Main Clubhouse on Greenleaf Avenue in Whittier serves youth from 6-18 from throughout the community, the Club at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera serves El Rancho students, and we currently serve youth in the Whittier City School District in partnership with Reach for the Stars. The organization also serves youth in the East Whittier School District, South Whittier School District and Los Nietos School District.

The Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera is a place that any child can find safety, encouragement, and the strength to grow and become a contributing member of our community.

Locations of the Six BGC Sites:

Boys & Girls Club of Whittier | Pico Rivera: 7905 Greenleaf Ave, Whittier, CA 90602

BGC of Cathedral City: 32141 Whispering Palms Trail, Cathedral City, CA 92234

BGC of Fontana: 7723 Almeria Ave, Fontana, CA 92336

BGC of Malibu: 30215 Morning View Dr, Malibu, CA 90265

BGC of Santa Monica: 4901 Marionwood Dr, Culver City, CA 90230

Santa Clarita Valley B&G: 24909 Newhall Ave., Newhall, CA 91321
When Drew and Marlene Proctor left their Jersey Shore, Pa., home to take their three-week trip across the back roads of the country for their honeymoon, they relished different sightings all along their journey.
Last month, trustees for Social Security and Medicare let forth the grim news. Medicare Part A will be insolvent by 2026, and Social Security will follow in 2034. In years past, Washington would have considered the report a call to arms for fiscal responsibility.

Apparently unperturbed by news that could spell 9% cuts in Medicare Part A in five years, President Joe Biden still is pushing a $3.5 trillion spending framework to fund his cradle-to-grave wish list of federal spending.

Biden also has proposed a $2 trillion American Jobs Plan for what he calls infrastructure -- the Senate passed a $1 trillion version of the measure -- and a $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was enacted in March.

Under the "Build Back Better" banner, Biden is pushing paid family and medical leave, a bigger child tax credit, subsidized child care, more subsidized health care, universal pre-K and tuition-free community college.

The national debt is $28.7 trillion, thanks in part to $5 trillion spent over the last 18 months in response to the coronavirus, Sen. Joe Manchin, D- W.Va., warned in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal in which he called for a pause in big spending.

Republicans used to champion balanced federal budgets -- even if Republican presidents such as George W. Bush spent more than the government took in.

President Donald Trump campaigned for office bashing then-President Barack Obama's doubling of the $10 trillion national debt to just under $20 trillion.

That didn't stop Trump from pushing tax cuts that helped increase the national debt by close to $7 trillion.

In 2019, Trump's then-Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney confessed the federal government would spend at least $1 trillion more than it took in for every year Trump held the White House.

Speaking at a Peter G. Peterson Foundation event, Mulvaney, who entered public life as a fiscal hawk, offered, "We are not going to cut our way to balance." And: "There is no center of gravity for reduced spending in this town."

Clearly Mulvaney did not buy into the administration's claim that Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would pay for itself. And it didn't.

There is a residual effect. Republicans who voted for Trump's big spending look a little squirrely when they complain about Democrats overspending.

Please note the Trump spending I cite predated COVID-19, a natural disaster that left Washington with no choice but to throw money at the pandemic to mobilize the health industry to care for the sick and prevent the spread of the virus, as well as prevent the sort of panic that could shred the U.S. economy.

Biden threw money at the virus, too. And now he's throwing your money at everything else.

In 2019, the debt owed by every man, woman and child in the United States was some $49,000. Today, according to the Peterson folks, it's $86,035 per person. Two years ago, every American carried the debt for a luxury car, without the car. Now you owe the equivalent of two luxury cars you don't own.

Asked during an August press briefing if Biden was concerned about the growing national debt, press secretary Jen Psaki responded that the debt was "a concern when he came in, and he was left with quite a debt and deficit by his predecessor. But the President has proposed a plan and package that would be fully paid for by asking corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay a little bit more to make our country more competitive, and he feels quite comfortable with the fiscal responsibility of that."

Beware: the likelihood that Democrats will pay the full freight of their package with higher taxes is small indeed.

Legions of lobbyists are working to chip away or eliminate Biden's plans to increase the inheritance tax, raise corporate income taxes, eliminate popular loopholes and establish a global minimum corporate income tax.

Court challenges and corporate lawyers are likely to chip away at what's left.

That doesn't mean voters should give up or rely on special interests to curb the Beltway's urge to splurge -- not when each party can blame the other camp.

Asked Wednesday when Congress will raise the debt ceiling by mid-October, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded that the House will do what needs to be done "because it's the responsible thing to do." What exactly? "We're paying the Trump credit card," she said.

As long as both parties think they can keep spending money on credit and blame it all on the other side, red ink will flow.

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Recently, Michael Tesler commented on The Rise of White Identity Politics. Teslers analysis draws on years of research into racialized politics, and he shows convincingly that there is a rise in white identity politics and that this rise is tied to perceptions of anti-white discrimination. However, when trying to explain why perceptions of anti-white bias might also be on the rise, his analysis falls flat. Supposedly, it has something to do with Republicans and Donald Trump.

Never once does the author speculate whether perceptions of such discrimination might be on the rise because anti-white racism is becoming increasingly common. In other words, perhaps white Americans are accurately perceiving a real phenomenon that is now pervasive in schools and the workplace.

Anti-White Racism, by Definition

As any student of George Orwell knows, no authoritarian government can ever gain complete control unless it commandeers peoples thinking through the manipulation of language. Thus, the dystopian powers in 1984 deliberately turned the meaning of words upside-down in a process known as double-think.

The same process is happening today with the words used to discuss racism. In true Orwellian fashion, Ibram X. Kendi (pictured) insists that the only way to fight racism is to embrace racial discrimination in perpetuity. This anti-racism, as he calls it, is as likely to stamp out genuine racism as Orwells Ministry of Truth was apt to stamp out falsehoods.

In order to understand what is going on, we must call to mind the traditional definition of racism: the stereotyping, denigrating, marginalizing, or excluding of persons on the basis of race. Look up any definition of racism prior to the racial awokening taking place in the last decade, and it will be: 1) race neutral; and 2) involve some act of free willrelating to word, deed, or belief.

The definition of racism has undergone a radical change in a short time. According to the new eighth-grade curriculum for the Albemarle County (Va.) School District, racism now means: The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.

Perhaps the most jarring aspect of this new definition is that it is no longer race-neutral. It is now impossible, by definition, for white people to be the victims of racism. The definition itself constructs a racial hierarchy whereby only people of color may be victimized, and only white people may marginalize or oppress.

But there is something even more insidious about the new definition. Since the marginalization and/or oppression of people of color is no longer committed by word, thought, or deed  but is based instead on an inescapable socially constructed racial hierarchy that always privileges white people  it means that white people are engaging in racism simply by being white (and hence privileged) within this impersonal system of marginalization and oppression.

A person of color is a victim of racism, by definition. A person identified as white is a racist, by definition. Therefore, not only does the new definition fail to capture the full meaning of racism; the definition is itself an example of the anti-white racism being taught to our children.

Teaching Anti-White Racism as American History

Anti-white racism is also seeping into history lessons, most notably through the curriculum adapted from the New York Times 1619 Project.When the 1619 Project was first published, it attracted immediate criticism. Five eminent historians criticized it for its bias and factual errors. Others criticized it for emphasizing only what was blameworthy about Americas history and omitting what was praiseworthy.

While these concerns are certainly valid, there is another serious problem that has received scant attention: The account is a surprisingly racist version of U.S. history.

The lead article for the 1619 Project is by Nikole Hannah-Jones, who has been writing anti-white screeds at least since she was a college sophomore. In a letter to her college paper, she alleged: The white race is the biggest murderer, rapist, pillager, and thief of the modern world. Not only were the white people in Americas past barbaric devils, but the descendants of these savage people continue to harm the Black community to this day. Non-white peoples, by contrast, were uniformly portrayed as both virtuous and victimized.

Of course, nobody should be held accountable for the hyperboles or inanities one might espouse as an undergraduate; few of us could bear the brunt of such an examination. The sophomoric scribblings of young Nicole Hannah would be irrelevant except that the pattern in her writing has not changed. What we find in her Pulitzer Prize-winning contribution to the 1619 Project is more moderate in tone and more sophisticated in composition, but otherwise it is the same racialized dualism she espoused in college.

In Hannah-Jones article, an important part of the lesson plan adapted for schools, the word white is used to describe people or communities 77 times. In 35 cases, white people are described as holding some kind of power or privilege (almost always unearned or illegitimate). In 32 cases, the word is associated with oppression, injustice, and cruelty (white enslavers, widespread white violence, systemic white suppression of black life, etc.).

In this telling of history, white Americans during the darkest days of Jim Crow held the same racist ideology as Jefferson and his fellow white colonists. With 32 instances of specifically white barbarity, it is impossible to ignore the gratuitous overuse of this racial category when describing everything that is diabolical in this countrys history. Nowhere do we read about a white American acting for the good, except a single instance in which certain white Republicans joined forces with the black community after the Civil War.

We find the polar opposite when examining the 136 references to black people in this article. The word is used 72 times to describe victimization by violence or injustice (always at the hands of whites) and 49 times in laudable terms. There is not a single instance in which black is used to describe a person or deed deserving of criticism.

While only a textual analysis can provide the big picture, individual passages drive home the racist message more explicitly. For the most part, according to this history, black Americans fought [to secure rights] alone. Yet we never fought only for ourselves. The article teaches schoolchildren that black Americans, more than any other group, embrace the democratic ideals of a common good. Children also learn: Our founding fathers may not have actually believed in the ideals they espoused, but black people did.

Hannah-Jones composition is American history in black and white. It teaches that blackness is everything that ennobles this country and whiteness is everything that debases it. There was a time in the Jim Crow South, to their everlasting shame, when schools taught children lessons in white supremacy masked as American history. The 1619 Project has introduced a new form of black supremacy to American history, and it has been adopted by over 4,500 schools.

Anti-White Racism in the Workplace

Anyone who has been paying attention to corporate culture in America cannot but have noticed the increasing pressures to diversify the hiring and promotion process, often by explicitly demanding that white (especially white male) employees be held back.

The Economist has reported on the dizzying number of equity-related hiring commitments promised by American businesses. Facebook alone has promised to hire 30% more black people in leadership positions. Since other businesses across America have made similar commitments, we can expect the competition to hire and promote black professionals will drive their value to stratospheric heights, while the perceived value of white professionals will plummet.

A recent training program at Bank of America made the consequences of such commitments unmistakably clear. It instructed white employees in particular to cede power to people of color. There was no word that any member of Bank of Americas board of directors had offered to step down to make room for a replacement of color. Demands for self-denial are always made by persons who already hold seats of power and privilege (and who have no intention of giving them up). It is ever the less privileged employees who are expected to submit to degradation based on their race or sex.

Thus far, the discontent arising among marginalized employees is only being discussed in whispers. Anne Applebaum recently interviewed a couple of men who believe they were punished at work because a white, male boss felt he had to publicly sacrifice another white man in order to protect his own position. Yet Americans are reluctant to speak out about anti-white racism, lest they be accused of being anti-black.

Racism of any kind is never a single, defining act. It is death by a thousand cuts, and these cuts to white employees have become ubiquitous.

I know of a book project that had been under contract for two years before being scuttled. The press rejected the volume of collected essays, in part, because the 14 contributing authors were not sufficiently diverse. The acquisition editor at the press defended the judgment of one of its anonymous reviewers: Books coming out right now simply have to address the systemic whiteness and maleness that pervades the academy, and particularly political science.

This demand came despite a shortage of scholars of color who write on the particular subject the book addresses. Nevertheless, it was deemed essential that the volumes contributors find some way to dilute their whiteness (in the subjective gaze of one anonymous reviewer) before the press would consent to publish on this topic.

The Dangers of Anti-White Racism, and the Solution

Skeptics inclined to dismiss the seriousness of anti-white racism will likely counter that the examples Ive described are milquetoast; theyre not nearly as horrific as the anti-black racism of the Jim Crow South. Of course theyre not. Anti-white racism is not that bad now, nor is it reasonable to expect it will get that bad in the foreseeable future.

Nevertheless, racism of any kind is an evil in itself; anti-white racism is today a greater problem, at least in the white-collar world, than anti-black racism; and its continued prevalence and severity is likely to spawn a backlash that will further enflame racial enmity.

For anyone who may be skeptical that anti-white racism is now worse than anti-black racism, consider this: Overt acts of anti-black discrimination today are socially, politically, and professionally unimaginable. Anti-white discrimination, on the other hand, has become almost an institutional requirement. Schools and businesses seem fearful lest they are accused of not doing enough to stereotype, denigrate, marginalize, and suppress whiteness.

In addition to the ubiquity of the evil itself, this racism is bound to provoke a backlash. The more that citizens identifying as white perceive themselves as under attack, the more likely they will be to coalesce politically as a form of defense. Hence, it is predictable that we would find, as Tesler has reported, undercurrents of white identity politics at the polls and, at the fringes, a rise in white supremacy and white nationalism.

Yet, if Tesler and others are serious about combating this scourge of white identity politics, it will require a better understanding of its causes than they seem willing to explore. As long as anti-white racism is so flagrant, it is useless to hope that Americans wont notice or wont respond to it. Only by first acknowledging the rise in anti-white racism can we start thinking creatively about combating both the evil itself and the evils it spawns.

Any permanent solution to Americas enduring problems with racism will ultimately have to come from the victims rather than the perpetrators. We have minimal influence over the minds and hearts of the bigots. However, as Ive written before, if the targets of racism would identify as non-racial, they cease cooperating with the bigotry of racial sorting.

It is not only anti-white racism that can be defeated by this strategy. Racial renunciation is emerging as a rallying cry from public intellectuals with diverse skin tones. Whether its known as race abolitionism or unlearning race, Kmele Foster, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Kenny Xu and Christian Watson, Erec Smith, Paul Rossi, and Angel Eduardo have all been powerful spokesmen for real change. In what is perhaps the best descriptor of this goal, Jason D. Hill has argued that black Americans, in particular, are ideal candidates for racial self-emancipation. There is a budding recognition that people of all complexions would benefit from renouncing the divisive racial categories imposed on us by others.

If Americans can ever learn to internalize these three words, I am non-racial, it would free them from feelings of personal outrage when confronted by the racism of others. If they begin insisting that their bosses and teachers recognize their non-racial designation, they free themselves from the most overt forms of their discrimination. Eventually, there will come a day when racism will lose its grip on the minds and hearts of Americans.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening will give way to steady rain overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
GREENWICH  A new coffee bar and restaurant could be coming to Cos Cob.

The town Planning and Zoning Commission is set to review an application next week to convert a drive-through bank branch at 85 E. Putnam Ave. near Cross Lane into a coffee and food business.

Greg Zamfotis is the applicant on the project, and he is looking to create a 1,700-square-foot outlet of Gregorys Coffee at the location. It would be the companys first location in Connecticut.

According to Zamfotis online biography and website, he operates 30 retail locations of Gregorys Coffee in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., as well as two bakeries and a roasting facility. His family is in the food business, and the company was founded in 2006.

Cos Cob has seen two other coffee businesses on the Post Road close down in recent years. The former Starbucks shop has been vacant for over a year, and Chocoylatte did not reopen after a catastrophic accident in February 2020. A motorist died after slamming into the bakery and cafe, leaving a gaping hole in the exterior and damaging the interior.

Zamfotis says his company has access to the best and most interesting coffees available, and it roasts its own beans at a facility in Queens, N.Y., according to the website. The operation would have a drive-through window as well as indoor seating, according to the application.

The site is currently a drive-through operation of the Peoples United Bank, with the main banking facility next door. The location once housed a Japanese restaurant before its conversion to a bank in 2010.

The property is owned by 85 East Putnam Avenue LLC, which is affiliated with Yellowstone Properties, according to the application file.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hold a preliminary hearing on the application at its meeting Sept. 14.

Several nearby residents have expressed concerns about the maintenance of the site, and erosion of a retaining wall at the rear of the property.

Property needs to be cleaned up and maintained, a neighbor, Michael Mucha, said in a letter sent to the commission about the project. There appeared to be problems with erosion in the rear, as well, he said.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.com
BROOKFIELD  The phone rang once, twice, three times and went to the answering machine. It was the landline ringing, and Rosemary Hofmiller didnt always answer it. But when she heard the voice on the other side, and the request, she quickly picked up the phone.

Yes, she said in answer to the question from a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter. She very much wanted to talk about her sister-in-law Judith Hofmiller, who died on Sept. 11, 2001, when the twin towers fell.

Judys name is one of 358 employees inscribed on a glass memorial outside Marsh & McLennans New York offices, who was killed that day.

When Judy died, a New York Times reporter spoke to her then-partner Robert Winkis. That initial story, one that would be repeated and reprinted in the aftermath of the tragedy, didnt include the fact that Judy had a son, or five siblings and step-siblings, or a grieving mother, or adoring nieces.

At the time, Rosemary had been told that the New York Times would be doing short profiles of the victims.

We waited and waited and waited to be contacted, Rosemary said.

But a call never came. Finally, she called the paper herself, only to learn theyd already been in touch with Winkis and had wrapped up Judys part of the piece.

According to an online obituary, Winkis died in Maryville, Tennessee, nearly eight years ago.

Judys step-sister Pat Nizen, who was just one year older than Judy, also said it was frustrating that other family members were never contacted to talk about her life.

Her mother was alive, she said, and so were her brothers. It should have been about the family. There should have been a family thing in there.

Judys mother died five years ago at the age of 98. A brother and step-brother have also both since died.

Nizen would have loved to tell reporters about growing up with Judy, the adventures and bike rides and big Italian dinners with all six siblings and step-siblings crowded around. She would have told them that Judy was always happy, and quick to smile her beautiful smile.

The reporting captured some of the broad strokes in her life. Judy was 53 when she was killed. She worked at Marsh & McLennan as a senior software consultant. She lived in Brookfield with her boyfriend of 16 years.

But the family felt like there was so much that was missing: Nighttime whispers in the bedroom Nizen and Judy shared as teenagers, laughing about boyfriends and dances and schoolwork. Her love of games all kinds of games that demonstrated a quick mind, one good at solving puzzles. Memories of a special aunt that brought treats and who was always right on time. Her special nut bread. Judys love for her son.

She was very much in our lives, Rosemary said.

All those things were never captured in the original reports. Some family members felt they didnt get a say in Judys story.

The Judy they remember

Two decades later, her family is finally getting the opportunity to tell the world about their Judy.

Judys family was close-knit. They gathered together often. Nizens father, Charles Graves, married Judys mother, Emma Hofmiller Graves, when the two girls were teenagers. In true Brady Bunch fashion, each brought three kids from previous marriages together to form their family of eight. Nizen remembers a fridge always filled with spaghetti and meatballs.

When Judy walked into a room, her presence was felt, Rosemary said. It makes her sad to think of the grand-nieces and nephews she never got to know, love, and influence.

She had such a vibrance, such a presence, which is so missed, she said.

Judy was great with little kids, and especially her nieces and nephews. She was a happy person. Near the end of her life, she was emailing frequently with one of her nieces.

One of the last family events Judy went to was a joint graduation party for Rosemarys daughters. One was graduating from high school and the other from grammar school. Judy left behind envelopes containing money orders for Rosemarys daughters.

A while after her death, Rosemary found one of the envelopes. The envelope still had the money order in it with Judys signature. Rosemary made a copy just so they could keep something of her. Then she used the money left behind to buy a charm depicting the World Trade Center for her daughters charm bracelet in remembrance of her aunt.

It was like God wanted that to be, Rosemary said.

David Cannella, Judys son, still lives and works in Connecticut. He did not wish to be interviewed, but sent along one of the few photos he has left of his mother. Most of the others went with Winkis when he moved away, according to David.

In the photo, a smiling Judy wears large, rose-tinged glasses framed by waves of brunette hair. Her lip color matches the red hoops in her ears. She has a dimple on her chin and looks out-of-frame to her left.

Her beautiful smile is what Nizen remembers most now, 20 years down the line.

The profile in the Times didnt capture everything her family had hoped, but it did mark her skill with needlework.

She loved to do handwork, Rosemary said, Ive got so many things that she made.

Judy could always help you fix your knitting, Nizen said.

She would pop by her niece Nicole Kollmans home on her way back from work in the city with little gifts for Kollman and her babies, breezing in to help with a diaper change or bottle feed. Kollman said she would bring hand-stitched pillows and burp clothes, or offer some of her special nut bread that Kollman so loved.

After she passed away my grandmother gave me her recipe but I've never made [it], just can't, Kollman wrote in an email. I'm sorry my children never got to know her. I'm sorry she never really got to know them. I hope she knows how much she is missed.

Kollman watches the tribute every year and said she breaks down every time. Even now, twenty years later, she said she struggled to write about her beloved aunt.

She was just fabulous, Kollman wrote. This is killing me right now, sorry, literally bawling, hope the phone doesn't ring.
LITCHFIELD  The League of Women Voters of Litchfield County are readying for Election Day 2021, with a schedule that includes candidate debates and its popular Womens Forum speaker series.

The group, which is celebrating its 51st anniversary this year, is part of the national League of Women Voters, founded 100 years ago. President Kerry Mayers said her group is strong, but is in need of more members as the political climate changes across the country.

The LWV defines itself as a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy, according to my.lwv.org.

Laura Smits, a Norwalk resident, talked about how she became a member of the league.

I was what was known as a trailing spouse because I follwed my husband around the country for his job. We moved a lot , and I needed something to do so I wouldnt go crazy, Smits said. I joined the League of Women Voters in Weston, and we were very busy. It was different then, because a lot of us didnt work, and we were able to participate.

Smits said the growth and influence of social media has greatly affected the way voters make decisions, and that the LWVs work was an opportunity to provide information to those voters that they can use when they get ready to vote.

A lot has changed since the 2016 elections, she said. Social media has changed everything ... Truth is not always clear. What the league can bring to elections is truth. Its so important. I believe in transparency, because theres lots of disinformation out there. We need to get the truth out there.

We were founded right after the 19th amendment was passed, 100 years ago, and the Litchfield County league is 51 years old, Mayers said, speaking to a group of about 25 members and invited guests. Over the last year, we have stayed busy, with letter-writing campaigns, and we have learned about human trafficking, voting rights and the filibuster at our forums. This year were doing the same, and we are focusing on voter registration. We want to do that in high schools and colleges.

We are doing a debate in Kent, where there are four candidates for first selectman, and possibly one in Torrington, she said. We need timers. We need volunteers to sign up for those.

The Womens Forum, she said, will return in January 2022. We are looking for topics and ideas, and speakers, she said.

Members pay annual dues, with a lower rate for students. The idea of being nonpartisan is important to members like Susan Kennedy of Litchfield, a longtime volunteer. Ive been a member of the league for years, but Im still learning what they do and what theyre all about, she said.

For membership information, visit https://litchfieldlwv.org/
TORRINGTON - A group of 20 students from St. John Paul the Great Academy joined more than 100 residents Saturday for a 9/11 memorial service Saturday at the North End Fire Station, where a rusty steel beam from the World Trade Centers north tower lobby is on permanent display.

Its a sad time, Torrington firefighter Timothy ODonnell said, as he addressed the students during the event. But its also a time to be with your family and your friends and just be a little bit nicer to each other, because theres just not enough of that.

He said none of the students were old enough to recall the terror attacks of 20 years earlier, and said the attacks were carried out by people who did not like America.

Fire department chaplain Chip Warner told the assembled crowd that many emergency responders gave their lives responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Many are still giving to this day, he said. But out of a great loss can come reason to celebrate. t

Torrington Police Chief William Baldwin said that in addition to the 2,752 Americans killed the day of the attacks, 328 have died since then from injuries or illnesses.

Today is promised to no one, Baldwin said.

Torrington Mayor Elinor Carbone said the attacks shaped our lives. We must always be vigilant, she said.

Rep. Jay M. Case (R-63) and state Rep. Michele Cook (D-65) were also guests at the fire departments annual ceremony at the firehouse.

Case thanked the military for their service, and Cook recalled some of the events of that day. Each moment, something changed. Lives were lost. We will never be the same, she said.

The 40-minute ceremony was capped with a lighting of candles and a ringing of a bell to commemorate lives lost. Bagpipers from Police Pipes and Drums of Waterbury played How Great Thou Art.

Twelve years ago, the fire department was offered a chance to have a piece of one of the Twin Towers. Members said at the time that New York City put out a notice that if anyone wanted a piece of one of the towers, they were invited to come and get it, and that a local contractor offer to pick up the beam and deliver it to the North End station.

Torrington received a 12-foot rusted beam from the north towers lobby, and installed it outside the firehouse that year with a commemorative plaque. A collection of small flags are also placed on the ground around the memorial to remember the victims of the attacks.
The Union Government has asked Elon Musk-owned Tesla to manufacture its green vehicles in India in order to be considered for tax concessions, sources have revealed. The company which wants to launch cars in India, has expressed concerns over the high import duties on electric vehicles (EVs), which would raise the cost of its cars to unimaginable rates.

According to PTI sources, the Centre has made it clear that the government is not giving such concessions to any auto firm. The heavy industries ministry has stated that giving duty benefits to the Elon Musk-led company will not send a good signal to other companies that have invested billions of dollars in India and are manufacturing their vehicles domestically. In a 'Make in India' push, the Centre has asked the electric car company to initiate production in India first.

Tesla India Launch soon?

The Government's response comes after Tesla wrote a letter to the Road Ministry, requesting it to standardize the tariff on electric cars to 40 per cent and withdraw the social welfare surcharge of 10 per cent on electric cars. It is important to mention that import duty on electric vehicles in India is 100% if the CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) value is more than $40,000 or 60% if the CIF value is less than $40,000. The heavy import duties thereby affect the price of Tesla cars which could considerably shrink its market in India.

The government, however, allows manufacturers to import and sell 2,500 automobiles each year without having to undergo homologation in India. Under its regulations modified in 2018, it would be sufficient to have a conformity certificate from the nation of origin. But Tesla has already chosen to opt and complete the homologation stage for four vehicle models that it has sought approval for in India. Tesla India Motors and Energy, the India subsidiary of Tesla Inc., has secured permissions for four of its car versions, according to information provided by the Centre-controlled Vahan Sewa. Although it is not mentioned which models or versions have received the permissions, Tesla test cars like Model 3 and Model Y have been previously tested on Indian roads.

Last month, Musk had said that he's "hopeful" that the green cars would be able to enter the Indian markets with the help of a "temporary tariff relief" from the Government of India. The US electric car manufacturer, Tesla, set foot on Indian soil in January 2021 with an R&D unit in Karnataka's Bengaluru city.

(With Agency Inputs)
Bear Grylls is known for his undying adventure streak as he constantly envisages into the wild. Grylls is accompanied by a new well-known Indian personality in the show Into The Wild With Bear Grylls, which runs on the same survivalist concept as the rest of his shows like Man Vs Wild or Running Wild with Bear Grylls. Global icons like former US president Barack Obama, Channing Tatum, Kate Winslet, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Hudson, Zac Efron among others have been a part of his international show.

Now, in exciting news for the Indian audience, after successful episodes with Tamil superstar Rajinikanth and Bollywoods Akshay Kumar, Discovery has reportedly roped in Ajay Devgn for an upcoming episode for his Indian reality survival show. Grylls has previously collaborated with PM Narendra Modi as well in a special episode called Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls and PM Modi in 2019.

Ajay Devgn to venture with Bear Grylls

As per a report, it has been confirmed that Devgn has taken a chartered flight on Sunday, September 12 to the Maldives, the island nation where the shoot is slated to be held. Ajay's fitness levels and survival skills will be put to test as he ventures into the wild. Last year, Akshay Kumar had shot the episode in the famous Bandipur National Reserve, Karnataka, which is known to harbour the second-highest tiger population in India. Even superstar Rajinikanth had shot in the Bandipur forest, marking his first television presence after 40 years.

After our episode with Prime Minister @NarendraModi of India helped create a bit of TV history, (3.6 billion impressions), superstar @Rajinikanth joins me next, as he makes his TV debut on our new show #IntoTheWildWithBearGrylls on @DiscoveryIN. #ThalaivaOnDiscovery pic.twitter.com/WKscCDjPZc  Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) January 29, 2020

Prime Minister Modi's stint in the show was a global hit in 2019, shot at the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. It was officially the worlds most trending televised event during the time of its release, making a total of 3.6 billion Twitter impressions. The recent episode of the Singham actor will be streamed first on the Discovery+ app.

More on Ajay Devgn's work front

Ajay made his latest appearance with the war film, Bhuj: The Pride of India, set during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He was seen alongside Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, and Nora Fatehi. He will now be seen in the Telugu period drama helmed by S. S. Rajamouli, titled RRR, which also stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, and Alia Bhatt. Apart from these, he has movies like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Maidaan, and Mayday in his kitty. The actor also marks his web series debut with Rudra  The Edge of Darkness.

(IMAGE: AP/PTI)
Kareena Kapoor Khan knows how to strike a perfect work-life balance and is back after almost seven months to kickstart the shoot of Laal Singh Chaddha. The actor keeps her fans updated with every frequent happening in her life and her back on the set revelation was no different. The actor shared behind-the-scenes glimpses from her recent project, which is touted to be a remake of the 1994 flick Forrest Grump.

Taking to her Instagram stories on Sunday, September 12, the actor can be seen getting decked up in her vanity with a full-blown team doing her hair and make-up. Her social media feed was recently filled with adorable photos of Ganpati celebrations at her residence, with Taimur's sweetly curated clay Bappa right before she jumpstarted shooting for the Aamir Khan, Mona Singh starrer after their collaboration in Rajkumar Hirani's 2009 3 Idiots.

Kareena is back on Laal Singh Chaddha's sets

The actor can be seen seated in black leggings and a white t-shirt in the two photos she posted, one of which captures getting the actor ready, with a caption 'Laal Singh Chaddha' and a heart emoji. The other picture shows the actor posing with her team, captioning it 'Back with my loves' as she tagged everyone. Take a look.

Kareena has also been busy promoting her newest book Pregnancy Bible: The Ultimate Manual for Moms-To-Be, marking her debut as an author. In a recent conversation with the Guardian, she opened up about the controversy surrounding her children's names Tamiur and Jehangir, stating how she is concerned about people trolling kids. Adding that one can't delve into these setbacks, she said 'I have to just focus and get through it'.

More about Laal Singh Chaddha

The movie, which is helmed by Advait Chandan, also marks Telugu superstar Naga Chaitanya's Hindi film debut. Major chunks of the film have been already shot in Punjab and Ladakh. The comedy-drama is an adaptation of Tom Hanks' 1994 American film Forrest Gump and stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, and Naga Chaitanya in pivotal roles. The film is bankrolled by Aamir Khan Productions, Viacom18 Studios, and Paramount Pictures, with a screenplay by Eric Roth and Atul Kulkarni. The movie is slated for a Christmas 2021 release.

On the other hand, Kareena has also donned the producer's hat and announced an untitled project in collaboration with Hansal Mehta. The movie is said to be inspired by true events and will be shot across the UK.

(IMAGE: KAREENA KAPOOR KHAN/ INSTA)
The Metropolitan Museum's annual fashion exhibition in New York City, one of the biggest fashion nights Met Gala 2021 is back after 18 months of hiatus due to the pandemic. With its out-of-the-box and extravagant themes every year, A-list celebrities enthusiastically participate and interpret the dress code in an ethereal manner. Set to be conducted in two parts this time, the first part theme In America: A lexicon of Fashion will make the 75th anniversary of the Costume Institute on September 13 with the next being organized in May 2022.

As the netizens wait to watch the celebrities grace the red carpet in only a few days, take a look at the Met Gala history through the years and past themes of Met Gala dating all the way back to 2011.

1. Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty- 2011

Dubbed as one of the biggest fashion global events in history, the 2011 Met Gala paid a heartfelt tribute to the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who took his own life in 2010. To remember his legacy, the biggest celebrities of Hollwyood as well supermodel Noami Campbell paid him a tribute by donning some of his greatest fashion creations, from the Central Saint Martins graduate collection to Plato's Atlantis.

2. Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations- 2012

One of the most experimental themes of the global event, the fashion night of 2012 saw the celebrities go full throttle with the theme. The Gala presented its attendees, an experiment with the perfect amalgamation of fashion's two mega minds, Elsa Schiaparelli's avant-garde connections and Miuccia Prada extraordinary silhouettes. Celebrities like Carey Mulligan and Beyonce turned out to be the show stoppers of the show.

3. Punk: Chaos to Couture - 2013

Bringing back the punk movement of the 1970s, the Met Gala night of 2013 witnessed celebrities owning the dark theme with fishnets, spikes and chains. Hollywood personalities like Madonna, Miley Cyrus and Anne Hathaway gave their own twist to the theme with a more toned-down version of punk rock. On the other hand, Vivienne Westwood tuned out to be a head-turner at the event.

4. Charles James: Beyond Fashion - 2014

The 2014 Met Gala paid a tribute to the influential fashion designer Charles James, who reigned over the industry from the 20s to his death in 1978. A total of 65 of his collections graced the red carpet. The gowns included dramatic train, mermaid cuts and exceptional skirts with a medley of Hollywood glamour.

5. China: Through the Looking Glass - 2015

Co-chaired by the museum's Department of Asian Art, the 2015 theme presented the influence of China's fashion on the global level. According to Tatler, pop star Rihanna asked Chinese designer Guo Pei to create a breathtaking custom gown for her and which ended up stealing the show. Chanel, Dior and Alexander McQueen were among the names presented at the Gala.

6. Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology - 2016

Out-of-the-world colours and high tech designs were seen gracing the red carpet in the futuristic theme of the 2016 Gala. Actor Nicole Kidman won several hearts on the red carpet with her black and silver Alexander McQueen gown. The night also witnessed exceptional ensemble in the form of latex, recycled fabrics and lit gowns.

7. Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art of the In-Between- 2017

The 2017 Met Gala shone a light on the Japanese visionary Rei Kawakubo's exceptional contribution to the fashion industry. Pop star Katy Perry was seen in an avant-garde ensemble while on the other hand, Rihanna donned a Comme des Garcons.

8. Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination - 2018

Dubbed as one of the most controversial Galas of the current years, the 2018 Gala presented the red carpet with fashion interpreted in religious iconography. Ariana Grande in Vera Wang, Cara Delevingne in Dior, Jennifer Lopez in Balmain and more stole the show with their iconic attires.

9. Camp: Notes on Fashion- 2019

Going above and beyond for the theme, Pop icon Lady Gaga became the talk of the show with her four-part ensemble on the red carpet. With her flamboyant showcase of outfits, Gaga revealed more of her body with each outfit change. Billy Porter, Harry Styles, Jared Leto and more stole the spotlight at the event.

10. About Time: Fashion and Duration - 2020

The 2020 Gala was cancelled due to the pandemic. The theme was heavily inspired by Virginia Woolf and Henri Bergs' writing and was chosen to mark the Met's 150th birthday.

(IMAGE- MET GALA 2021 INSTAGRAM)
On the 124th anniversary of the legendary Battle of Saragarhi, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh paid his tributes to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the battle. Taking to Twitter, he shared images from the event paying homage to the Sikh soldiers.

Remembering the valiant soldiers from the 36th battalion at the Battle of Saragarhi, Capt. Amarinder Singh will be visiting the Saragarhi Gurudwara Complex in Ferozepur and pay a glowing tribute to the soldiers at a State Level Shaheedi Samagam.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "Pay homage to the 21 soldiers of 36 Sikh (now 4 Sikh) who chose death than surrender in the face of attack by more than 10,000 Pathans. Iconic #SaragarhiBattle fought this day in 1897 would always remain etched in the annals of military history as an epitome of valour & heroism."

Pay homage to the 21 soldiers of 36 Sikh (now 4 Sikh) who chose death than surrender in the face of attack by more than 10,000 Pathans. Iconic #SaragarhiBattle fought this day in 1897 would always remain etched in the annals of military history as an epitome of valour & heroism. pic.twitter.com/Lqfm6FPNyd  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 12, 2021

Saragarhi battle 1897

The Battle of Saragarhi was fought on September 12, 1897. It was fought between the British Indian Empire and the Afghan tribesmen in the North-West Frontier Province which is now in Pakistan. Several Sikh soldiers sacrificed their lives fighting against the tribesmen from Afghanistan on the behalf of the British Indian Army.

The British Indian contingent included 36 Sikh soldiers (now known as the Indian Army's 4th battalion) which included 21 Jat Sikh soldiers. They were stationed at an army post when they were attacked by 10,000-12,000 tribesmen.

Since then, the day is commemorated as Saragarhi Day every year for remembering those bravehearts on the 12th of September.

(With ANI inputs)
A herd of elephants from a national park in Nepal, which reached the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, has damaged crops of farmers, forest officials said on Sunday.

Chief Forest Conservator of Bareilly Lalit Verma said the herd of around 25 elephants from Nepal's Shuklaphanta National Park reached the tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh almost a month back.

The elephants damaged crops, following which the farmers are forced to keep a watch on their crops in the night.

He added that the forest staff is making every effort to drive away the elephants.

"The herd goes towards Nepal, but returns to the Tarai area in the night. On Saturday, these elephants destroyed the watch tower of the forest department. The elephants damaged paddy and sugarcane in the fields of Piparia Santosh village. The villagers played drums and blew trumpets to drive away the jumbos, but to no avail," Verma said.

The second herd of the elephants reached near Hardoi canal on Saturday night.

Deputy director of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Naveen Khandelwal said the staff of the tiger reserve is keeping a round-the-clock watch on the elephants, which have been staying here for the past one month.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
In a major boost for the Indian Air Force (IAF), five landing strips have been proposed in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh regions. The emergency landing strips have been proposed for IAF's fighter and other jets. According to reports, two landing strips will be constructed in Kashmir, two in Jammu and one in Ladakh.

The decision comes amid the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LOC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC). Moreover, it is expected that the first landing strip will come up in Srinagar, thereby focusing on the Line of Control with Pakistan. This comes as the Indian Air Force is boosting its capabilities.

Rajasthan: Emergency landing field inaugurated for IAF

Earlier on Thursday, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the first emergency landing strip for aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Emergency Landing Field (ELF) was inaugurated on the NH-925 Gandhav Bakhasar Section of Rajasthan's Barmer. As a part of the ceremony, multiple aircraft including air superiority fighter- Sukhoi Su-30MKI showcased the emergency landing. The new ELF is situated just 40 km from the International Border with Pakistan.

The ELF is a joint project by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Defence. In addition, the NHAI developed a 3.0 km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A as an ELF in order to strengthen the IAF and sustain machinery. The project was built with a budget of Rs 765.52 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

IAF to procure additional aircraft

Meanwhile, the IAF is set to procure additional aircraft under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. IAF Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Wednesday informed that the Indian Air Force is planning to get roughly 350 aircraft from within the nation in the next two decades. He added that the decision was taken in order to ensure that India becomes self-reliant in the defence sector.

On the other hand, the Union Cabinet's Security Council on Wednesday confirmed the acquirement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain for the Indian Air Force in a bid to strengthen indigenous capabilities and boost the Make in India initiative. The C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the age-old Avro aircraft of the IAF. The aircraft has a rear ramp door for swift reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo when necessary. The Centre informed that a total of 16 aircraft will be imported in a flyaway condition from Spain within 48 hours of signing the contract while 40 aircraft will be manufactured in India indigenously by the TATA Consortium within ten years of the signing of the contract.
Indian Naval Ship Tabar conducted its maiden maritime partnership exercise with the Sudanese Navy in the Red Sea. On Friday, the much-vaunted frigate was joined by Sudanese Navy ships, Almazz and Nimer, as a part of its ongoing deployment in Europe and Africa. INS Tabar, which translates to battle axe, is a well-equipped third of the Talwar class frigate of the Indian Navy.

A Navy spokesperson informed in a statement that the INS Tabar undertook "a wide range of Naval ops with Sudanese Navy ships, Almazz and Nimer on 10 September 2021 in the Red Sea off the Sudanese coast."

Naval exercise with Algeria

Earlier, on 29 August, the ship participated in another maritime exercise with the Algerian Navy. During this exercise, the ships engaged in a range of activities including coordinated manoeuvering, communication procedures and steam pasts were undertaken between Indian and Algerian ships. "As part of the exercise, diverse activities including coordinated manoeuvring, communication procedures and steam past were undertaken between the Indian and Algerian warships," Indian Navy had said through a press release.

Indian warships on a goodwill visit

As many as four Indian warships including INS Mysore, INS Tabar, INS Ganga, and INS Aditya have been deployed on a goodwill visit to several maritime nations of Africa and the Indian Ocean. According to a defence spokesperson, the highly equipped naval warships held exercises with the international navies and coast guards of Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Seychelles, and Mauritius besides making port calls at Reunion Island and Mozambique to consolidate bilateral relations and interoperability at the sea. The visits aim to demonstrate the Indian Navy's blue water capability to deploy, operate and sustain a maritime task force well away from home for an extended duration.

(Image: indiannavy/Twitter)
Jails in Uttar Pradesh are no more "fun" centres for criminals and they have turned into "reform homes" for them, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday.

The CM proclaimed it while inaugurating and laying foundation stones for 122 developmental projects worth Rs 245 crore in the Sant Kabir Nagar district.

The projects also included the district prison built at Rs 126 crore.

"We have converted state jails into reform homes where criminals are being given an opportunity to reform. The UP jails are no more places of fun for criminals, an official statement quoted the chief minister as saying on the occasion.

There was a time when the power used to be a slave of mafias. Today the government bulldozers run on their houses," Adityanath said.

The chief minister warned that his government will not let mafias have their say.

"Our message to mafias is very clear. If mafias want to make the lives of the poor, farmers and traders hell, our government will not let this happen, he said.

Expressing satisfaction over the newly built jail in the Sant Kabir Nagar district, the chief minister said the prisoners from here will not have to be sent to Basti district and this prison would become a model reform home.

Adityanath also accused the previous governments of making the state a synonym of dynastic politics, nepotism, appeasement, dacoity, hooliganism and riots.

"The jobs for youths were auctioned and the poor were deprived of their morsels. Jobs were earlier mortgaged. If anyone tries to auction a job today, we will get their house auctioned," he added.

The UP government has given over 4.5 lakh government jobs to youths on the basis of their merit, with complete transparency, the UP CM said, adding that recruitment for around 90,000 more government jobs is to start soon in UP.

The recruitment of 30,000 women policemen is an important step in this direction, the chief minister said, adding the government is continuously taking up several schemes like Mission Shakti, Kanya Sumangala and destitute women pension in their interest.

He reiterated that youths preparing for various competitions will get a 'competitive examination allowance' in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also decided to distribute tablets along with digital access to youths of the state.

The chief minister also envisaged turning Sant Kabir Nagar into a hub of readymade garments.

"Once Khalilabad in this district used to be a big centre of looms and handlooms. In such a situation, why can't it become a hub of readymade garments? he asked.

If we link women with the market by giving them modern sewing machines, every house will start making readymade garments. In such a situation, we can even overtake Bangladesh and Vietnam in terms of production of readymade garments," he added.

Adityanath also recalled another strong point of the district its utensils industry in Bakhira and said it would be another source of growth for Sant Kabir Nagar.

"It was forgotten by the previous governments, but we are working towards making Bakhira's utensils industry recognised on the global stage. It will become a major source of employment for youths and women at the local level," he said.

Adityanath also announced his government's plan to set up a medical college in the district under the PPP model.

Expressing concern over the flood situation in Sant Kabir Nagar, the CM said the government is providing relief kits in sufficient quantities to every victim.

Adequate availability of anti-snake venom and the anti-rabies vaccine has been ensured in the flood-affected areas, he added.

Sant Kabir Nagar will not lag behind any district now on the scale of development, he said, adding the land of Baba Tameshwarnath and great Sufi saint Kabir was on the path of development.

Political announcements were made for development earlier too but they were never implemented. But in the last four and a half years there has been a change, Adityanath said.
After Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) declared that it will be observing September 17 as a 'black day' to mark one year of the enactment of 3 farm laws, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said had Harsimrat Kaur Badal not signed the Centres farm ordinances, the SAD would not have needed to observe September 17 as black day.

AAP on SAD's call for 'black day'

These remarks by AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan were made while he was taking a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal's announcement on Saturday that they would observe "black day" on September 17. He further said, "If Harsimrat Kaur Badal had not signed the ordinances as Union minister, the black day would have never dawned on farmers."

Sandhwan appealed to all pro-farmer organisations and political parties to observe September 17 as a "black day" at the national level to support the ongoing farmers' agitation against 3 farm laws. Alleging that PM Narendra Modi-led government had turned out to become the most "dictatorial government in the history of India", he said that BJP-led Centre violated the rights of farmers, labourers, employees and students of the country. He also said that the agitation against the black laws from the land of Punjab has not only empowered farmers in India but also created awareness among the farmers and labourers of the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe and Africa, for the protection of their rights.

When the Akali Dal's Badal has unwittingly declared September 17 as a black day with reference to anti-agriculture black laws, they should also repent for signing the farm ordinances and campaigning for the agricultural laws for three months, he said.

Akali Dal To Observe Sept 17 As 'black Day'

Punjab's Shiromani Akali Dali (SAD) on Saturday declared that the outfit will be observing September 17 as 'black day' to mark one year of the enactment of the three farm laws by the Centre. A party statement maintained that representatives of the camp along with supporters and farmers will be taking the streets while demonstrating and marching in a rally from the Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi to the Indian Parliament, raising voices against the three agriculture laws.

The decision to hold the demonstration was taken in a meeting headed by Party President Sukhbir Singh Badal and comprising party MLAs, district Presidents, Halqa Sewadars, legislators and members of the party's internal committee.

Farmer's protest farm laws

The agitating farmers have been protesting against the Centre's three laws since November, last year, demanding a complete abrogation. The protests escalated after the agitating farmers broke down barricades and entered Delhi which led to a massive clash between protesters and the police. The farmers then hoisted the SKM flag at the Red Flag on Republic Day. After the violence witnessed on Republic Day, Delhi police sealed the borders of the national capital by cementing nails near barricades, deploying additional troops, adding barbed wires, etc at Ghazipur and Tikri borders, blocking complete access to the roads. The protests had cooled down due to the devastating second wave of COVID.

(Image: PTI, ANI)
Scientists from the University of Chile have announced the discovery of the remains of the Jurassic-era 'winged lizard', scientifically known as rhamphorhynchine pterosaur. As per reports by The Bolivar Commercial, the fossil is the first-ever finding of the winged dinosaur in the southern hemisphere. The confirmation took place 12 years after the original discovery as scientists had unearthed it back in 2009.

Tracing the history of 'wing dinosaur'

The observations by Chile University's researcher Jhonatan Alarcon have suggested that the winged dinosaur lived about 160 million years ago in the territory of the modern Atacama Desert. Reportedly, pterosaur was the first creature to drift over the Gondwana land, the prehistoric supercontinent that eventually split into Africa, South America, Australia, Antarctica, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula.

Alarcon noted that the fossil of the lizard pointed at the features such as a low head and long snout, pointed forward teeth, a long tail with a peculiar rhombus-shaped ending and a wingspan of about two meters. He suggested that the distribution of animals in this group was wider than what was known. Published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, declared it is the oldest known pterosaur in Chile.

The palaeontologist stated that although pterosaurs have been found in South America in the past, this discovery is the first in Chile. Besides, the fossil is preserved in a rare three-dimensional way, as pterosaurs generally get crushed owing to the delicacy of their pneumatic bones meant for air movement.

More about 12-year-old discovery of winged lizard

The fossil was, reportedly, found by the Museum of Natural and Cultural History of the Atacama Desert's director, Osvaldo Rojas in 2009, during an expedition to the town of Cerritos Bayos in the Atacama Desert. The desert is known for several ground-breaking paleontological discoveries as it was a vast home to the marine fauna when South America was part of the Gondwana mega continent, during the Jurrasic era's end.

The forthcoming analysis confirmed that the discovered fossil was that of an extraordinary reptile with wings, and not just any marine animal. Interestingly, finding the partly aquatic lizard in a coastal ecosystem presented a background on the strong link between the fauna of Gondwana.

(IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK)
Astronaut Thomas Pesquet has once again shared mesmerizing pictures from outer space. The French astronaut is currently on the International Space Station (ISS), from where he posted a close-up picture of the service module's solar panels. The pictures have left netizens intrigued. Sharing the image, Pesquet indicated that he was nearly 400 km away from the ground.

While sharing the photo, the astronaut captioned, "Strange shapes but not # CropArt: sometimes beauty is closer than 400 km below, as illustrated by the Russian service modules solar panels in close-up".

In the picture, one can see shiny blue-hued boxes that look extremely captivating, while another image taken from a different angle reveals solar panels. The post has garnered more than 37,000 likes and a lot of comments since it went online.

One Instagram user, after looking at the picture, wrote, "Good morning? From Brazil to you, thank you for the pics." "Magnifique!", wrote a second user. Another user said, "Amazing". Many users dropped some emojis in the comments section.

Pesquet is popular on social media for sharing "never seen before" images of outer space. Moreover, he enjoys a massive fan following on Instagram and stays connected with fans through his posts. Earlier, he had shared a series of artistic pictures from above the Mexico/Southwest USA.

He captioned his post by writing, "I like how something artistic sometimes comes out of a very practical purpose. Agricultural shapes and colors: Mexico/southwest USA edition! Circles, squares, (salt) mines, and irrigation are not meant to be pretty from up close, but they dazzle us from above and at a giant scale. They remind me of De Stijl, constructivism and aboriginal art (yes Im art-name dropping)!".

IMAGE: INSTAGRAM/Thomas_Pesquet
In a significant breakthrough, rocks collected by NASAs Perseverance Rover have suggested that there could potentially be a 'habitable sustained environment' on the red planet. According to a statement by NASA, the rock samples, which were successfully collected by NASAs Perseverance Rover on September 6 and 8, will help scientists piece together the timeline of its past and give an insight into the planet's volcanic activity and periods of persistent water.

It looks like our first rocks reveal a potentially habitable sustained environment, said Ken Farley of Caltech, project scientist for the mission, which is led by NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. Its a big deal that the water was there a long time," the scientist was quoted by NASA as saying.

Ancient life on Mars?

The rock samples have been found to be basaltic in composition. The presence of crystalline minerals in volcanic rocks could help scientists understand their radiometric dating. Additionally, salts have been spied within the rocks, a likely result of the time when groundwater flowed through the planet and altered the minerals in the rock. These could prove to be microscopic time capsules, offering clues about the ancient climate and habitability.

"Each sample can serve as part of a larger chronological puzzle; put them in the right order, and scientists have a timeline of the most important events in the craters history. Some of those events include the formation of Jezero Crater, the emergence and disappearance of Jezeros lake, and changes to the planets climate in the ancient past," NASA said in a statement. These initial results come as an encouraging sign that the Jezero Crater could hold the answer to key questions about the red planet.

NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover

Perseverance's mission on Mars has been initiated with an aim towards astrobiology. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. According to NASA, Perseverance is exploring two geologic units containing Jezero Crater's deepest and most ancient layers of exposed bedrock and other intriguing geologic features. The first unit called the 'Crater Floor Fractured Rough' is the floor of Jezero while the adjacent unit, named 'Seitah' has Mars bedrock and is also home to ridges, layered rocks, and sand dunes.

(Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Wildfires are now being blamed for changes in rain patterns as a recent study has revealed that tiny particles embedded in rising wildfire smoke can alter cloud functioning, leading to rains. The findings explained that the particles rise and stick to the clouds, which may result in lesser rains in areas more associated with forest fires.

These studies were published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, and were conducted in the backdrop of rising wildfires in the western United States, stated a report by Science Daily.

More smoke, less rain

The study involved analysis of smoky clouds and cleaner clouds. Upon observation, experts found that the number of water droplets forming in clouds as a result of wildfires was higher as more particles created more droplets. In fact, the smoky clouds were found to be hosting about five times the number of droplets than the clean ones but the droplets turned out to be half the standard size. Experts speculated that this size difference could stop the drops from falling as they are less likely to grow and fall down as rain.

Usually, clouds high up in the atmosphere thrive on thick smoke as the addition of more particles can invigorate the clouds and cause rain. However, the case in lower-altitude clouds is the opposite, as per the findings.

Atmospheric scientist and lead author of the study Cynthia Twohy called the discovery 'surprising', as the organic (smoky) particles were highly effective in forming cloud droplets and had large impacts on the overall microphysics of the clouds. Besides, she hoped that the results will encourage detailed regional modelling studies to understand the net impact of smoke on clouds and climate in the region.

The findings have emerged as a warning, as the rising forest fires can curb precipitation, eventually causing dry conditions and more wildfires.

Earlier, a CNN report in July revealed that wildfires in the US this year have burned land areas nearly the size of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago combined. The state of California is still tackling emerging wildfires and has deployed over 14,000 firefighters, who are battling the heat, as per CBS News.

(IMAGE: AP)
A Guinean opposition leader who left the country ten months ago returned to the capital Conakry on Saturday, almost a week after military officers overthrew President Alpha Conde.

Sidya Toure, leader of the Union of Republican Forces (UFR) party, moved to Paris after alleged threats from Conde and the arrest of several of his critics.

"I'm very, very happy to be back," Toure said as he exited Conakry's airport. "We will work to make things better for our country."

Toure's supporters, some on motorbikes, cheered him on as he made his way from the airport to the UFR party headquarters.

In a speech outside the headquarters Toure called for the release of prisoners of conscience and for Conde's human rights to be respected, "even though he has striven to trample on his compatriots for more than a decade."

Later Saturday, the junta that ousted Conde released a statement indicating it would start meeting with political parties, religious leaders, civil society and members of the international community from next week.

Conde's removal by force came after he sought and won a controversial third term in office last year, saying the term limits did not apply to him.

Conde was elected in 2010 in the country's first democratic vote, with hopes that Guinea would see a fresh start after decades of corrupt, authoritarian rule and political turmoil.

But in the years since, opponents say Conde failed to improve the lives of Guineans, most of whom live in poverty despite the country's vast mineral deposits of bauxite and gold.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The premier of Australia's most populous state on Sunday urged people to get vaccinated so COVID-19 restrictions can be lifted.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said citizens could expect "a much better life, much better freedoms" once 70% of the eligible population had received two jabs.

New South Wales on Sunday recorded seven new deaths and a further 1,262 locally acquired daily infections.

The state of Victoria recorded 392 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including 107 linked to known outbreaks and chains of infections.

Speaking in Melbourne, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said that 85% of his state's 3,112 active cases were in people under 50.

"This is something that is really targeting, if you like almost, those who are not vaccinated," he said. "That group is still too big for us to be able to open up."

More than 48,000 coronavirus tests were conducted in Victoria on Saturday, and 36,000 vaccines administered.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) recorded 15 locally acquired new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Japanese tech giant, Toshiba will relocate its 30-year-old production plant from China's north-eastern city Dalian to Vietnam or Japan, amid the country's ongoing dispute with Beijing. The plant, Toshiba's first in China, employs approximately 650 people and produces industrial motors. However, due to a sharp reduction in production, the unit was put on the chopping block, and the company chose to close it down by the end of the month, according to Nikkei Asia.

The operators have stated that the liquidation of this industrial operation will begin as early as October, with capacity being relocated to Vietnam and Japan. The action occurred amid a recent struggle between Beijing and Tokyo over China's expanding clout in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea, partially in response to Beijing's fears over the growing US military presence in the region as a result of worsening China-US tensions.

Chinese Communist Party has warned Tokyo of nuclear retaliation

Meanwhile, Beijing claims control over practically the entire South China Sea, with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan having conflicting territorial claims. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had previously released a video in which it warned Tokyo of nuclear retaliation and 'full-scale war' if it interfered with China's administration of Taiwan.

According to South China Morning Post, Toshiba's impending departure comes as a number of countries, including the US, seek to reduce their reliance on China, according to Liu Zhibiao, a professor of industrial economics at Nanjing University in Jiangsu province. Furthermore, electronic items from businesses like Toshiba are now up against stiff competition from Chinese brands, reducing demand for foreign brands.

The Japanese government announced an initiative last year aimed at 'boosting investment in Japan to enhance supply chains,' with 220 billion yen set out in the country's supplementary budget for the year, according to South China Morning Post. Approved enterprises will receive financial assistance to relocate to Southeast Asia or develop new domestic operations as part of the programme, with the goal of manufacturing more key products and materials for Japan.

More than 60% of Japanese companies in China remained profitable

A poll conducted in March by the Japan External Trade Organization revealed that business confidence among Japanese companies working in China has deteriorated in 2020. However, it was also claimed that, despite the fact that the ratio of enterprises retaining profitability, had declined across all countries and regions, more than 60% of Japanese companies in China remained profitable, according to South China Morning Post.

(Inputs from ANI)

(Image: Unsplash)
On the eve of the 13th steering Committee for Vietnam-China Bilateral Cooperation meeting with the Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Phan Bing Minh and Minister for Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi advised Vietnam against taking unilateral action that would complicate the situation in the South China Sea. Wang Yi reportedly told Vietnam to keep alert to external forces' interventions and attempts to sow discord between the two countries.

#MoFASpoz comments on Chinas official enforcement of its amended Maritime Traffic Safety Law pic.twitter.com/TWmsuMuIYf  MoFAVietNam Spokesperson (@PressDept_MoFA) September 3, 2021

The Chinese foreign minister also expressed his views on the expected cooperation required to overcome the difficulties at the South China Sea. He asked the Vietnamese Deputy PM to stop magnifying differences over the South China Sea and, instead, remain vigilant to resist foreign presence in the water territory. Talking about the major changes observed in the past year, Wang Yi noted that China and Vietnam have co-operated effectively to control the pandemic. Additionally, he also highlighted the bolstered trade between both the South Asian Nations amidst the pandemic.

China, Vietnam should enjoy hard-won peace: Wang Yi

On 11 September, the Chinese foreign minister asked his Vietnamese counterpart to enjoy the hard-won peace and ensure stability in the region. In a bid to regain Vietnamese confidence, China has decided to donate another 3.7 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the country this year. Following this, the total dispatched batch of vaccines to the southeast Asian nation would amount to roughly 5.7 million doses.

Wang Yi: China has decided to donate 3 million vaccine doses to the Afghan people in the first batch. China is also ready to provide more anti-epidemic and emergency materials to Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/fN2t1i0UjX  Lijian Zhao  (@zlj517) September 8, 2021

Disputes over the South China Sea

Currently, Vietnam has magnified disputes with China over the Spratly and Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Additionally, it has also accused Beijing of militarising Vietnamese outposts in the waterway. China has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, attempting to make further advances towards the Indian Ocean. Earlier this month, a Chinese surveillance boat sunk a Vietnamese fishing boat, drawing the spotlight to Beijing's assertions in the disputed waters, CNBC reported.

Amidst the pandemic, China has continued to remain aggressive in the rich waterway, drawing flak from other claimants in the region, namely- Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. Chinese occupation in the Sea has received a frown from the United States as well, which said that Chinese claims are "baseless" in terms of international Law of the Sea, of which China is also a signatory. Even though the USA has no claims over the waterway, it has conducted surveillance and military exercises in the commercial water route to ensure safe passage of shipment worth $3.4 trillion per year since 2016, reported the Center for Strategic International Studies.

(With inputs from ANI, Image: AP)
France has become the latest European country to remove the United States from its safe travel list as COVID-19 cases surge due to the Delta variant. While taking to Twitter, the French Embassy in the US informed that beginning September 12, only vaccinated visitors will be allowed to visit for vacation. It added that non-vaccinated travellers can only visit for essential reasons and need a negative COVID-19 test. The French officials also said that the US tourists must isolate for seven days upon their arrival.

TRAVEL UPDATE

Starting Sunday from no change for vaccinated travelers, but for non-vaccinated travelers:

Proof of compelling reason to enter FR

Neg. PCR test taken <72hrs or neg. antigen test taken <48hrs

7 day self-isolation on arrival

Readhttps://t.co/H1AaxkKOe8 pic.twitter.com/qOI8NmtuSR  French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) September 10, 2021

According to a press note, the French government bumped the US and Israel from the countrys green list, down to orange. It is worth noting that currently, unvaccinated tourists just need to show a negative COVID-19 test to enter France. But, as the Delta variant continues to spread rapidly, the French government decided to remove the aforementioned nations from its list of safe countries.

Entry policy for US arrivals

Meanwhile, the latest move follows restrictions imposed on US travellers from several other European destinations. Earlier, Spain changed its entry policy for arrivals from the US. It now requires US tourists to have a certificate providing double vaccination.

Denmark and Netherlands have also recently updated their guidelines and they now require proof of vaccination for American travellers. Sweden, on the other hand, has banned all US arrivals regardless of vaccination status. Last week, Italy also began requiring all visitors, including those from the US, to show proof of a PCR or antigen COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of travel, regardless of whether they are vaccinated.

Back in summer, several European travel destinations had reopened their borders to Americans in the hope of attracting tourism dollars to boost COVID-battered economies. However, with the Delta variant spreading across the US, some countries, including Germany, had already begun restricting access to American travellers. But, Greece still insists that they will remain open regardless of traveller vaccination status.

(Image: Unsplash)


Greek police fired water cannons and tear gas shells at a crowd of anti-vaccination protesters in Thessaloniki on 11 September. About 7,000 demonstrators, including labour union members, gathered in Greece's second-largest city to protest against the rule of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations in the country.

The demonstrators expressed dissatisfaction over the suspension of unvaccinated staff, especially frontline workers, leaving health facilities severely understaffed.

According to reports, the police retaliation came after the protestors hurled flares at a diplomatic convoy moving towards the city's economic convention centre where Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was supposed to deliver a keynote speech. Greek police sprayed water cannons to control the crowd and prevent them from reaching the venue.

Previous protests against Greece's COVID-19 measures

This wasn't the first time that police clashed with demonstrators protesting against the country's COVID-19 measures in Greece. On 29 August, over 7,000 people held rallies outside the Greek Parliament against COVID-19 inoculation rules. The protests took a violent turn after police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. The demonstrators waved flags and displayed placards with slogans like "we are not against vaccines, but against fascism," and "long live democracy".

On 22 July, thousands of protestors had gathered in Athens to oppose COVID-19 vaccine mandates ordered by the Greek government. The demonstrations took place in front of the parliament building in the capital city. The demonstrators were dispersed by Greek Police who fired water cannons and tear gas shells. Simultaneous protests had taken place in Thessaloniki and adjacent cities on the same day.

Greece's new COVID-19 rules

Greece's government proposed a list of new rules for un-vaccinated citizens in July. In a bid to ensure complete vaccination of Greek health workers, the government hinted that staff members could be suspended without pay starting mid-August if they fail to comply. The rule has left Greece's hospitals under a severe shortage of staff amidst the escalating Delta variant infections in the country. The revised rules also urged retirement home workers to get their due vaccinations.

According to a public health bulletin released by the Greek government, more than 14,000 people have died due to COVID-related causes. So far about 45% of the population has received complete vaccination against the 2019 coronavirus. On 10 September, the country reported 2,129 new COVID-19 infections, which pushed the total tally to 6.12 lakh cases.

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)
Turkey is working with the UN's refugee agency to repatriate Syrians to their home country, the Turkish foreign minister said Sunday.

His comments are at odds with the UNHCR's overall policy towards returning migrants to Syria, a country that it still considers too dangerous to send refugees back to.

"We are now receiving better support from the international community for the safe return and repatriation of refugees, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. We are working to repatriate refugees, especially in Syria, especially with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees."

A spokesperson for the UNHCR in Turkey did not immediately respond to Cavusoglu's remarks. The agency opposes forced repatriation but has previously negotiated with Turkey over allowing voluntary returns to Syria.

Turkey holds the world's largest refugee population while Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq also hold significant numbers of Syrians.

Cavusoglu was speaking at a ceremony in the southern province of Antalya followed a visit to Turkey days earlier by UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, during which he met Cavusoglu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Grandi thanked Turkey for hosting 3.7 million Syrians and 330,000 other refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly Afghans.

Cavusoglu said the international community must work together to resolve migration.

It's not right to look at this from a security standpoint, he said. It's wrong to look at it in a racist and fascist way. On the other hand, if it is a social problem, it is necessary to evaluate it calmly together and find a solution by producing new policies. In 2016, Turkey signed a deal with the European Union to keep Syrians from moving to Europe in return for funding after more than 1 million migrants from Syria and elsewhere entered the 27-nation bloc in 2015.
Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq on Saturday, September 11, was targeted in a drone attack, Iraqi Kurdish officials said. While taking to Twitter, Lawk Ghafuri, head of foreign media relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government, informed that the attack had been carried out by explosive-laden drones. He further said that there are no victims in the attack carried by explosive-laden drones.

explosions at the Erbil International Airport in Iraq's Kurdistan region. The blasts apparently resulted from a drone strike targeting the airport which is used by the US-led coalition.

Local media reported, citing Kurdistan Regions Directorate of Counter Terrorism (CTD), pic.twitter.com/aNSQY5HcHK  Lara  (@bufy68) September 11, 2021

'Airport is open and flights are normal'

Further, Ghafuri went on to say to the Kurdish security forces were investigating the incident. In series of tweets, he informed, The drone was carrying explosive devices, and exploded away from Erbil International Airports terminals and territories. No casualties are reported. Erbil International Airport is open and flights are normal. Again any rumours about the closure of the airport is fake news, the official said.

Any info regarding casualties or blasts inside the Erbil International Airport, or even any rumors about casualties within the coalition forces is false and fake news. Investigations are ongoing by the Kurdish security forces to know more about the incident and more info to come.  Lawk Ghafuri (@LawkGhafuri) September 11, 2021

The airport, which also serves as the base for US-led coalition forces, suffered no damage. The strike came on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States. It also came a day after rockets and a drone reportedly targetted Ain al-Asad airbase, which houses US troops, and the US Embassy in Baghdad. It is worth mentioning that Saturdays explosion is the second drone attack in two months, with one drone striking the airport in July 2021.

(Image: Twitter)


In a major development, Israels PM Naftali Bennett recently met with a group of settler leaders to discuss settlement in the West Bank and strengthening of local authorities. As per Times of Israel, the newly-appointed PM held discussions with leaders from the Yesha Council umbrella organisation, who vowed to cooperate with the Zionist regime.

Bennett 'committed' to settlements

Following the six-day war in 1967, Israelis occupied the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Golan Heights and much of the Sinai Peninsula. Subsequently, the Jews commenced the construction of settlements. However, Palestinians objected to it and since then both the communities have been trading barbs over the occupied land. During his tenure, US President Donald Trump promised the then Israeli PM and his close ally Benjamin Netanyahu to continue building in settlements across the West Bank, so long as the construction did not expand beyond communities existing footprints.

On Thursday, Bennett reiterated the same and asserted that he was committed to the settlements. According to Kan Public Broadcaster, while the Zionist leader promised that he would not freeze construction and denied the possibility of annexation. Speaking to Times of Israel later, an official reckoned that settlement construction would continue as planned under the Trump-Netanyahu agreement. President Biden only spoke generally about his opposition to settlement building, and his team has not gotten into specifics with us, he said.

'Difficult to achieve independence'

West Bank is a landlocked sliver of land which is bordered by Jordan and Israel. While Israel occupied the area in 1967, Palestinians claim it to be their own. West Bank also includes the area of East Jerusalem, which is one of the key areas of contention owing to its religious importance.

Palestinians have repeatedly highlighted that with a rising number of settlements in the West Bank, which have reached nearly 5,000 by now, it has become increasingly difficult to achieve their dream of independence. Last month, Israel approved the construction of 2,000 new housing units across the West Bank. A separate plan of constructing 9,000 settlements was also in the pipeline and was moving ahead swiftly, reported Al Jazeera.

(Image: AP )
Palestinian Authority is not strong enough to play a major role in the ongoing Gaza reconstruction efforts, a senior Democratic senator who recently visited the region told US Congress. During a briefing on Friday, Chris Murphy noted that despite earnest efforts, the Mahmoud Abbas administration lacks power in the region, which was overtaken by Hamas in 2007. Furthermore, he suggested that the establishment of an 'international consortium" was required to reconstruct Gaza which was reduced to rubbles during the 11-day war in May.

My sense is that the PA is not in a strong enough of a position in Gaza right now to be able to administer the reconstruction in the way they had been in the past, so were gonna have to put together some international consortium, said Chris Murphy, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism.

Murphy noted the contribution of neighbouring Egypt in the reconstruction of the 140-mile long stretch, but said that the efforts were largely aimed at clearing rubble and debris. Its taken too long for the international community to come to the table with a workable plan on Gaza reconstruction, Murphy told Congress. It is worth mentioning that the American lawmaker also acknowledged that the visit by a four-member US delegation to Israel prompted the country to get creative" about reconstruction and how aid could enter the strip without getting in the hands of terrorists.

Last Wednesday, the Knesset approved a series of measures easing the blockade of the besieged Gaza Strip but warned that the steps were conditional upon continued preservation of the regions security stability for long term. Jerusalem said that that it will allow imports of new vehicles, goods and equipment for civilian projects in the Gaza Strip.

11-day war

On May 10, Hamas fired its first projectile onto Israel, starting 11 days of obliterating aerials exchanges between the warring sides. As the conflict turned bloodier and the international call for peace gained momentum, a truce was signed. However, experts deem the pact to be short-lived as both Israel and Hamas continue to claim victory against each other. The regional conflict resulted in more than 200 casualties, according to Associated Press.

Image: AP

(With inputs from AP)
The Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi arrived in Tehran for talks with the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi for the joint statement on the Iran nuclear deal. The announcement was made by the Iranian envoy to the IAEA Kazem Gharibabadi via a Twitter post. In the tweet, he mentioned that Mr Grossi was scheduled to arrive late afternoon on September 11, Saturday. However, Gharibabadi did not mention further details in his tweet.

IAEA Director General @RafaelMGrossi will meet with Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of #Iran and Head of the AEOI, Mohammad Eslami, in Tehran on Sunday. Director General Grossi is expected to hold a press conference at Vienna airport around 8:30pm CEST on Sunday evening.  IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency (@iaeaorg) September 11, 2021

IAEA also took to Twitter to announce the much-awaited meeting with the Iranian head of state. Adding details about the meeting, Associated Press reported that Grossi was scheduled to meet the Iranian Vice President and head of Irani Atomic Organisation, Mohammad Eslami. Following this, he would head to meet the country's head of State, President Ebrahim Raisi. The two diplomats are said to release a joint statement following a closed-door discussion regarding the 2015 nuclear deal, AP reported quoting Gharibabadi. Grossi was received by Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi and Gharibabadi at the Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport.

The trip aims to focus on intensive negotiations and revival of the 2015 JCPOA accord

As per reports, the UN Atomic Energy Agency Chief's comes at the heels of Iran's defiance to allow IAEA officials to ascertain the quantity of uranium held by the country. The trip is currently aimed to initiate intense negotiations and scupper escalating risks by ensuring commitment from the Western Asian country. The meeting will also focus on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As per the agreement, the world powers would have core access to the nuclear establishments in Iran for inspection purposes in return for billion dollars worth of sanctions.

Iran continues to increase uranium stockpile

The meeting comes after the UN Atomic watchdog on September 4 declared Iran's continuity in procuring uranium accumulation. As per the agency statement, Iran's stockpile violates the 2015 International Atomic Law. Additionally, Iran has also refused to IAEA monitoring and verification activities citing that it has "carried out (nuclear activities) in the framework of Iran's nuclear rights and under the non-proliferation treaty."

With inputs from AP

Image: AP
At least 14 people, including women and children, were killed as lightning struck three homes in a remote village of northwest Pakistan on Sunday.

Violent rains, coupled with lightening and thunder, began on Saturday night and continued till the early hours of Sunday, destroying the three mud houses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province's Torghar village, officials said.

These mountainous districts under Hazara Division are usually prone to mudslides and rain-related incidents during the monsoon months.

Locals and rescue teams retrieved the bodies from the debris and shifted two injured persons to Abbottabad Hospital.

The fourteen killed included women and children, officials said.

The Disaster Management Authority, KPK, dispatched relief material and rescuers to the affected village, but mudslides in mountain tracts delayed efforts.

Operations are underway to clear the roads, officials said.

The National Disaster Management Authority has issued a rain alert for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Islamabad, and eastern Balochistan.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Pakistans National Security Advisor (BSA) Moeed Yusuf on Saturday called on the international community to engage with the Taliban to prevent another refugee crisis.

Speaking at a webinar titled Future of Afghanistan and Regional Stability: Challenges, Opportunities & Way Forward, Pakistan NSA Moeed Yusuf said that isolating a war-torn nation would be a mistake. The webinar was organised by the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad.

'Engage with Taliban to prevent refugee crisis': Moeed Yusuf

Pakistan NSA Yusuf said that the international community needs to engage with the Taliban in order to avert a governance collapse and prevent another refugee crisis. He added that Pakistan was working with the international community to ensure that Afghanistan remains stable and peaceful. Yusuf claimed that Pakistan was the only country that faced the brunt of abandoning the war-ravaged nation and the war on terror.

Speaking at the same event, Russian geopolitical expert, Leonid Savin, stated that the Taliban takeover has made a difference to the international political dynamics and added that Russia can recognise the new government if China recognises it.

Echoing Yusuf's statement, Long Xingchun, president, Chengdu Institute of World Affairs of China, said that the international community has to play an important role in rebuilding Afghanistan. Xingchun stressed that the China-Pakistan Economic Cooperation (CPEC) initiative should be extended to Afghanistan and claimed that Gwadar port can play a significant part in strengthening the Afghan economy.

Professor Fazl-Ul-Hadi Wazeen of Salam University, Kabul, said that the world should not isolate Afghanistan and should instead allow the new government to rule. Wazeen added that the Taliban must fulfil their promises and avoid using force.

ISI meeting discusses Afghanistan

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief on Saturday held a security meeting of intelligence heads of regional countries. News agency PTI reported that Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, the Director-General of ISI, discussed the situation of Afghanistan with intelligence heads of Russia, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

So far, there has been no official confirmation about the meeting from any side. According to PTI, the participants of the meeting exchanged views on the ongoing Afghanistan situation and steps needed to be taken for maintaining stability in the region. Recently, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed had visited Afghanistan after the fall of the Ashraf Ghani administration in mid-August.

(With inputs from PTI, Image: AP/YusufMoeed/Twitter)
At least 17 people were killed and over a hundred were injured after torrential monsoon rains and mudslides hit areas in northwestern Pakistan early on Sunday. According to Associated Press (AP), as many as eleven bodies were recovered from the debris of mud and brick houses in the Tor Ghar district. While speaking to the news agency, police officer Mohammad Nawaz confirmed the reports of the eleven dead bodies that were recovered from the debris in the Northern Pakistan area. Further, the officer said that the rescuers were searching for the remaining victims including women and children.

According to him, three adjacent homes were completely swept away in a remote village of the district, while other houses were less affected. The authorities also confirmed the media reports which claimed a mudslide in the suburbs of Abbottabad killed a couple and their child. Meanwhile, Pakistan disaster management authorities stated that several rescue teams were dispatched to the affected areas but mudslides in mountainous areas were delaying delivery. Also, the roads which were closed due to mudslides were opened within 24 hours, added the disaster management authorities.

The current situation in Pakistan is quite common in this season

The authorities informed the torrential rains caused flash floods, road blockades and causalities in many areas, including Lower Dir, Shangla, Chitral, and Mardan districts. The Karakoram Highway, which was blocked at many places due to heavy landslides, was reopened to traffic after many hours. However, the passengers travelling between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained stranded for many hours. It is worth mentioning that the monsoon season in Pakistan lasts until mid-September and the current situation in the country is quite common in this season.

Earlier in July this year, at least 15 people were killed and 26 others suffered injuries in separate rain-related incidents during a recent spell of heavy downpour in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the disaster authority, the majority of casualties happened due to roof collapsing and flash floods incidents in Kohat and Lower Dir districts of the province.

In a similar incident, heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan killed at least 161 people while 137 people sustained injuries in the country in 2019.

(With inputs from AP)

(Image: ANI)
Few days after President Tsai Ing-Wen reiterated her commitment to defend the country's sovereignty amid rising fears from China, a poll released by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) claimed that 90% of the Taiwanese people oppose Beijing's 'one China, two systems' policy and its diplomatic oppression of Taiwan. According to a report by Taipei Times, the survey was conducted by National Chengchi University's Election Study Center on 1,073 respondents aged between 20 and older. The poll survey claimed that 83.9% of the respondents voted for the idea of building Taiwan's own strength, solidarity and defensive capabilities.

In another setback for the Communist government, the recent survey has garnered 89% of votes in which the respondents agreed to Taiwan forming allies with the US and other like-minded countries. The supporters said forming allies with the Joe Biden-led government would ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. "The high polling numbers suggest that the majority supports the government's cross-strait policy," MAC Deputy Minister Lee Li-jane told an online news briefing. 'Cross-strait' is a Taiwan-proposed policy that aims to tackle Beijing's increasing aggression against Taipei.

Leaving no stone unturned in bolstering Taiwan's self-defence: President

The recently concluded survey also claimed that 64.2% of respondents back legislative amendments to restrict specialists in technologies critical to the state from visiting China. According to the survey, over 64% of the Taiwanese appealed to the government to make strict laws that can hinder Chinese citizens from attempting to enter Taiwan. Meanwhile, President Tsai Ing-Wen said that the government is leaving no stone unturned in bolstering Taiwan's self-defence and ensured taking steps that could prevent Chinese "irrelevant intervention" in the country's internal matter.

It is worth noting that recently, the President of Taiwan supervised the commissioning of a new domestically made navy warship as part of the islands plan to boost indigenous defence capacity amid heightened tensions with China. She has also been instrumental in propelling ahead the military aviation industry with the production of new trainer jets and called for the development of more sophisticated systems by utilizing the islands high-tech industries.

Why is the recent development important for Taiwan?

Beijing has been violating Taiwan's border as it claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades. The Communist government, on several occasions, stepped up military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan, which it considers its own territory.

The recent development also plays a major role as Chinese fighter jets, anti-submarine aircraft and combat ships conducted assault drills near Taiwan in the third week of August. While responding reporter's question, the Peoples Liberation Army had said the exercise was necessary to safeguard "Chinas sovereignty". Therefore, it becomes important for the Taiwan government to respond swiftly and tactically to deal with the Chinese government.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: AP)
Under the new agreement between the US and the Uzbekistan government, Afghan Air Force pilots who fled to the central Asian country are expected to be transferred to the US base in Doha. The pilots will be prepared for onward travel by the end of this week, ANI reported citing Wall Street Journal. The military pilots fled to Uzbekistan fearing Taliban executions even though the group has promised amnesty to government officials and members of the armed forces.

"Through a lot of diligent work, we are hopeful that the pilot on military personnel, including the husband (of) one of my constituents, are going to get out of Uzbekistan this weekend," Republican Representative for Texas August Pfluger told The Wall Street Journal.

However, questions over the final movement of the pilots from the Doha base are still uncertain. However, Pfluger added that the transfer process was "accomplished through constant work to hold the Biden administration's feet to the fire." Meanwhile, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has requested the pilots to return to Afghanistan "as the country needs its people to rebuild itself."

The pilots reached Uzbekistan last month along with their families. Following this, Uzbekistan requested help from the US to resolve the refugee crisis in order to refrain from souring relations with its neighbour. According to ANI, currently, 46 aircraft flew over Afghanistan into Uzbekistan with members of the Air Force pilots, military personnel, and their families, taking the total tally to some 585 people.

Taliban's swift annexation following the US pullout

The Taliban swept major major territories across Afghanistan weeks before US and Allied troops made the final exit from the war-torn nation. By July 26, the rogue militant group overtook one-third of the country's 421 districts including key border points with Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan. On August 15, the Taliban finally captured the Afghan capital within weeks following the US withdrawal. Following the capture, Former President Ashraf Ghani fled the country to take refuge in Tajikistan. On September 8, the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid finally announced the interim government after three failed attempts of forming an "all-inclusive" lawmaking body.

Taliban forms all-male interim government

On Tuesday, the Taliban announced its all-male interim government to formulate lawmaking decisions in Afghanistan. The body included veterans from the 1990-2001 regime of the Taliban government in the Islamic Emirate, along with Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is on the FBI's most-wanted list, the Associated Press reported. The decision came after videos of the Taliban soldiers smashing women protestors and journalists in the streets of Kabul went viral on the internet. The government body has drawn sharp criticism from the international community, who have refused to recognise the Taliban. This could lead to the withdrawal of funds and support amidst the economic meltdown in the country.

Afghanistan on the brink of universal poverty: UNDP

Owing to the current economic instability in Afghanistan, 97 percent of the country could plummet into serious poverty by the mid of 2022, warned a study conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Currently, the country is dwindling on the "brink of universal poverty", the UNDP said in a statement. Further, it called for an immediate need for an economic response program to counter the ongoing crisis in the war-torn nation.

The study published by the UNDP analysed as many as four political scenarios of "escalating intensity and isolation" that indicated the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contraction by 13.2%. The estimated percentage hinted that at the current rate the poverty graph would rise by at least 25%. The UNDP report also stressed the need for urgent humanitarian aid to restore normalcy after the "catastrophic deterioration in the lives of Afghanistan's most vulnerable populations".

With inputs from AP

Image: AP (representative)
Afghanistan Ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammed Zahir Aghbar spoke exclusively to Republic TV on Friday where he detailed Pakistan's close-knit relationship with the Taliban and how it was important for the international community to unite against the terror group. In an interview with Republic TV's Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, the Ambassador revealed that Afghanistan's 'caretaker' President Amrullah Saleh is still residing in Panjshir Valley, and hasn't fled the region.

"There is no doubt that large territory is in hands of Taliban but the law is with us. The Taliban is a terrorist group. These terrorist groups are a threat to the world. It is a group that has violated every international law. A lot of Taliban forces have entered Panjshir valley, they have killed innocent civilians there and forcibly made the families flee. But Amrullah Saleh is still in Panjshir. We are in the works of creating national resistance in Afghanistan. You will see action based on my word in a very short amount of time," said Ambassador Mohammed Zahir Aghbar.

Pakistan bombed Panjshir: Ambassador to Tajikistan

In a major statement, Afghanistan Ambassador to Tajikistan confirmed to Republic TV that the Pakistan airforce had bombed the Panjshir Valley. The Ambassador asserted that Pakistan was a hub of training for terrorist groups and the Taliban was no different. He also stated the Taliban had their safe havens and camps in Pakistan.

"A few days ago, the head of ISI came there (Kabul), it was the truth of our words. The Pakistan Airforce then bombed Panjshir. To give them a loophole, they said Tajikistan sent them support, there is no truth to that," he said. "The answer (to Pakistan's relationship with Taliban) is like saying that the sun does not exist. All these Taliban members are trained and equipped in Pakistan. In the cabinet, there are no experts, they are just religious in their point of view and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan congratulated these leaders on their appointment," he added.

Ambassador Mohammed Zahir Aghbar added that while Afghanistan considered the civilians of Pakistan as brothers and sisters, the military politics of Pakistan in regard to Afghanistan is completely wrong. "Unfortunately, people of Pakistan have no involvement, but I hope politicians understand that they can't implement their policies via battle. General Musharaf does not exist anymore, but the politics he played we can see that today," he remarked.

Thanking India for standing by Afghanistan in this time of crisis, the Ambassador said that the country wanted to have a close relationship with the people of India and the government. "I hope the people of India can put pressure to initiate a peace process. We want to have an inclusive government in Afghanistan. This is where we all should be united. I want to thank you and the people of India. The people of Afghanistan truly love the people of India," he concluded.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Sunday that China had agreed to provide the Southeast Asian nation with grant aid of 1.75 billion yuan (US$272 million), announcing the assistance during a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang met Hun Sen and other officials for bilateral talks on combating COVID-19, trade and investment, education and security issues.

Cambodia's foreign ministry said earlier that Wang's meetings on Sunday and Monday also would include discussions of regional and international issues of shared interest.

China is Cambodia's biggest investor and closest political partner whose assistance largely underpins the Southeast Asian nation's economy.

Hun Sen did not detail what the aid from Beijing would be used for.

Hun Sen praised China for its aid at a handover ceremony for a new 60,000-person capacity stadium built on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh.

The Chinese government provided the US$160 million funding for the project, Cambodia's state news agency AKP reported Tourism Minister Thong Khon as saying.

Hun Sen pointed out other assistance from China for the construction of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of roads and seven big bridges across the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. He noted as well that vaccines sold and donated by China had helped Cambodia battle the pandemic.

He added, however, that Cambodia wasn't reliant solely on China but makes friends with all the world's countries, and welcomes their aid for development.

The U.S. has also donated COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
In order to discuss the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, Foreign Ministers of both Russia and Qatar met on Saturday. According to a report by the Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), Qatar minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who was on an official visit to Moscow, met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and discussed the Afghanistan refugee crisis where the top diplomats agreed on the collective efforts to deal with the ongoing situation.

Addressing a joint press conference after talks, the Qatar minister termed the recent development in Afghanistan as "very, very grievous". He appealed to the countries to come together to deal with the humanitarian crisis.

Meanwhile, the Russian diplomat said that those Afghans who were reaching European countries "uninvited" have no option but to live a life of a refugee.

"We highlighted the need to resolve this puzzle at the earliest. To do this, it is essential to employ the abilities of all the countries concerned, first of all, those whose policies in Afghanistan have resulted in this sad turning of events," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Ariana news.

Qatar to continue evacuation flights from Kabul

Meanwhile, Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that both Russia and Qatar agreed on the need to find a solution to the situation in the war-torn country, and noted that humanitarian aid must be detached from any political developments. Also, the minister affirmed that the country would coordinate with the Afghans to secure the exit of those who wish to leave the country. It is worth mentioning that the Islamic Emirate continued its efforts to facilitate evacuations from Afghanistan. Recently, Qatar helped US citizens flee the war-torn country.

Applauding the efforts of Qatar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call with the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs, conveyed US' appreciation for their help in facilitating the travel of US citizens, lawful permanent residents, and others from Kabul.

A series of incidents unfolded after the Taliban captured the Afghan capital, Kabul, on August 15, leaving the people in tatters. On August 26, five days before the United States pulled out its soldiers from Afghanistan, two suicide bombers killed over 200 Afghans and other nationals who flocked at the Kabul airport to flee the war-torn country. In the deadly attack, 13 US military personnel were also killed.

(Image: @khminawi Twitter)
Indian Air Force To Get Five Landing Strips In J&K, Ladakh For Fighter And Other Jets

In a major boost for the Indian Air Force (IAF), five landing strips have been proposed in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh regions. The emergency landing strips have been proposed for an IAF's fighter and other jets. According to reports, two landing strips will be constructed in Kashmir, two in Jammu and one in Ladakh.

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'Anything can happen in politics'| Bhabanipur Bypolls: BJP Upbeat About Tibrewal's Chances; Reminds Mamata Of Nandigram Loss

Clarifying why Priyanka Tibrewal was chosen to fight against Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee in the Bhabanipur bypolls, Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh on Sunday, said that the battle was between two 'losers'. Pointing out that while Banerjee had lost from Nandigram and Tibrewal from Entally seat, he lauded the advocate's fight for justice against post-poll violence in Bhabanipur. By-elections in Bhabanipur, Samserganj and Jangipur Assembly Constituencies in the state are scheduled for September 30

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Qualifier Emma Raducanu Makes History After Beating Leylah Fernandez To Win US Open 2021

Unseeded British teenager Emma Raducanu went from qualifier to champion at the U.S. Open in just her second appearance at a Grand Slam tournament.

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Erbil International Airport Targeted In Drone Attack; No Casualties: Kurdish Officials

Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq on Saturday, September 11, was targeted in a drone attack, Iraqi Kurdish officials said. While taking to Twitter, Lawk Ghafuri, head of foreign media relations for the Kurdistan Regional Government, informed that the attack had been carried out by explosive-laden drones. He further said that there are no victims in the attack carried by explosive-laden drones.

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Centre Asks Tesla To Manufacture Cars In India Before Getting Any Tax Relief: Report

The Union Government has asked Elon Musk-owned Tesla to manufacture its green vehicles in India in order to be considered for tax concessions, sources have revealed. The company which wants to launch cars in India, has expressed concerns over the high import duties on electric vehicles (EVs), which would raise the cost of its cars to unimaginable rates.

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Trump Hits Out At Biden On 9/11 Anniversary, Slams 'incompetence' In Afghanistan Pullout

Former US President Donald Trump hit out at President Joe Biden on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Saturday. Calling the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan a result of his 'gross incompetence'. Trump, who chose to skip joining the 9/11 memorial ceremonies at Ground Zero along with other past presidents, visited a fire station and a police precinct in New York close to Trump Tower on the occasion. In a video message, Trump questioned why the US withdrawal from Afghanistan had not come up in other 9/11 memorial speeches and mourned the Kabul Airport attacks which led to the death of 13 US servicemen.

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Pak NSA Calls Upon World Leaders To Engage With Taliban, Says 'necessary To Avert Crisis'

Pakistans National Security Advisor (BSA) Moeed Yusuf on Saturday called on the international community to engage with the Taliban to prevent another refugee crisis.

Speaking at a webinar titled Future of Afghanistan and Regional Stability: Challenges, Opportunities & Way Forward, Pakistan NSA Moeed Yusuf said that isolating a war-torn nation would be a mistake. The webinar was organised by the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad.

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Vijay Rupani resigns | BJP To Hold Legislative Party Meeting At 2 Pm On Sunday To Appoint New Gujarat CM

Amid the political developments in Gujarat after the resignation of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Union Ministers Prahlad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar are set to visit the state on Sunday. Moreover, the two Union Ministers have been appointed as the central observers. Moreover, reports have also stated that the BJP is expected to hold its legislative party meeting on Sunday at 2 pm. Speaking to the media, Tomar informed that the party will hold a meeting with the BJP's state president and other leaders. However, Tomar also informed that no name has been finalised.

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Amid Tensions With China, Japan Signs Deal To Export Defence Equipment To Vietnam

Amid worries about rising Chinese military influence, Japan and Vietnam have signed an agreement on Saturday enabling the delivery of Japanese-made defence equipment to the Southeast Asian country. Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang at a meeting in Hanoi agreed to enhance the defence cooperation of the two countries, the Japanese defence ministry said in a statement. The two leaders planned to deepen defence ties through highlevel engagement and multilateral cooperation.

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CoWIN Develops New API 'KYC-VS' To Track COVID Vaccination Status Of Individuals

The CoWIN portal has launched a new feature called "Know Your Customer's Vaccination Status" also known as KYC-VS. The API will allow authorities and verifying entities like employers, railways, airlines and others to know whether a person is vaccinated against COVID-19 or not. The KYC-VS API was announced by the Union Health Ministry of India on Friday, September 10, 2021.

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A top Russian security official recently slammed the Biden administrations handling of the US drawdown from Afghanistan. In an op-ed for Gazeta.Ru news, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that the system that the United States established in the war-torn country could not survive without their support and American military construction efforts turned to dust after their withdrawal from the troubled nation. Medvedev added that the US failed in trying to provide military support to the previously established Afghan regime.

The Pentagon created the Afghan National Security Forces from scratch, trained and armed them. However, the developments of recent months made it clear that they were unable to exist without US support," Medvedev was quoted by TASS news agency.

Further, Medvedev went on to attack the Biden administration and said that Afghan forces showed no wish to fight without their sponsors. He added that they meekly gave up Afghanistans provinces and even left the countrys capital without a fight. Medvedev said that all US military construction efforts in the troubled nation turned to dust literally in an instant.

The top Russian official stressed that the American military presence in Afghanistan has led to catastrophic consequences including numerous terror attacks and a drug threat for the entire world. Medvedev added that a huge number of terror attacks, the country's population that lost hope for a peaceful future, the drug threat on a global scale, the destruction of the country's socio-economic sphere and political system, hundreds of American soldiers killed and servicemen of other countries perished.

It is worth mentioning that US' role in Afghanistan has come under scanner after the Talibans violent takeover of Kabul. Last week, General Mark Milley, who is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had also said that the collapse of the Afghan army, in the face of Taliban offensive, happened at a much faster rate. He added that it was very unexpected by pretty much everybody.

Russia reinforces military base

Meanwhile, as tension in Central Asia continues to exacerbate, the Russian Federation has reinforced its military bases in Tajikistan with new machine guns. According to a report by The Frontier Post, a fresh batch of 12.7 mm heavy machine guns NSV Utyos recently entered service with the 201st Russian military base to enhance its combat capabilities. Located in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar, Tajikistan holds Russia's largest international military base. Notably, the arms are specifically designed to destroy manpower, lightly armoured targets, fortified firing points and enemy air assets. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin previously touted talks with the Taliban, Moscow has expressed clear apprehensions against the Islamist ideology destabilising international borders.

(With inputs from ANI)




School bells rang after a hiatus of 543 days in Bangladesh on Sunday, as tens of thousands of students returned to classes, amid an ease in the coronavirus situation in the country and the vaccination programme picking up pace.

News channels aired footages of students in school uniform entering campuses with broad smiles, visible despite masks. Many reached their classes many hours in advance as excitement among students was palpable.

In many schools, teachers welcomed their pupils with flowers and chocolates. Guardians were barred from entry in the campuses as precaution against overcrowding and infection-spread.

Education Minister Dipu Moni has warned against any lax enforcement of safety measures, while authorities earlier said every class will convene only once a week initially, while schools are to strictly maintain the health guidelines.

"If it appears that the infections were reappearing, the government may decide to re-introduce online classes," she told newsmen after visiting a school in the capital's Azimpur area.

Bangladesh closed schools on March 17, 2020 after the coronavirus began to spread in the country, which has one of the highest population densities in the world.

Authorities decided to reopen the education institutes after almost 97 per cent of the teachers and staff were vaccinated.

The reopening comes as daily death counts and positive cases eased in recent weeks. In the past one week, 55 people have died due to COVID-19. This is in comparison to late July this year, when on an average 250 deaths were being reported daily.

The coronavirus has so far killed 26,880 people in Bangladesh, along with more than 1.5 million cases, according to official data.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia that they have not given up on the option of an all-out war with Russia. Speaking at the Yalta security forum in Kyiv on Friday, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a military operation between the two countries was a "palpable possibility". Zelensky further mentioned that an "all out war" would be the biggest mistake on Russia's part, reported The Independent.

Zelensky warned that the tensions between the two countries have risen to such an extent that they may not be in a position to return from danger. Furthermore, the Ukrainian President mentioned that the tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been escalating to such a level that a "precipice" was emerging between the two neighbouring countries. Putin is of the view that "Ukraine is not a fully sovereign state". Ukrainian President responded to the view of the Russian president, by arguing that the respect for national sovereignty worked in a reciprocal manner.

Russia Ukraine Conflict

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has been referred to as an undeclared war in the past, has been going on for the past seven years. It started when Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. The conflict later extended to Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, where Ukrainian troops were engaged in a fight with Russian-backed separatists. Last year, Russia reportedly sent approximately 100,000 troops to Ukraines eastern and southern borders. Earlier in August, Zelensky accused Russia of turning Crimea into a military base and a foothold for Russia to boost its influence on the Black Sea region", according to The Associated Press.

Zelensky visit to the US

Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited US president Joe Biden, where Biden highlighted the fact that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine will get support from the United States against the aggressiveness of Russia. Through Twitter, Biden emphasised the purpose of the meeting. Following the visit between US President Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the White House published a Joint Statement on the US-Ukraine Strategic Alliance. The statement announced that the aggressiveness of Russia has led to the fighting in eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea as well as killing over 14,000 Ukrainians, destabilised Europe and the Black Sea area, and jeopardised the global rules-based system.

In my visit with President Zelenskyy today, I reaffirmed the United States' support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression, our close cooperation on energy security, and our shared democratic values. pic.twitter.com/BJaxoJrXFh  President Biden (@POTUS) September 1, 2021

Image: AP

Inputs from AP
On Saturday, rebels from the National Liberation Army (ELN) attacked a rural region of the Colombian municipality of Arauquita in the department of Arauca, killing five troops and wounding six more. The wounded soldiers were quickly moved to a medical facility, where they are still healing from their injuries, while the army is organising proper legal proceedings with the competent authorities.

The Colombian Army stated that Colombian soldiers sent their profound condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the heroes.

Colombian President denounced the attack

Colombian President Ivan Duque denounced the incident on Twitter, stating, "These cowardly acts are the product of despair in the face of military pressure. For the memory of our heroes, we will continue attacking narco-terrorism and dismantling its structures."

Earlier on June 15th, the defence minister announced that a car bomb explosion at a military facility in the Colombian border city of Cucuta injured 36 people, blaming the attack on the ELN. The blast occurred at a base utilised by the 30th Army Brigade in the city's northeastern outskirts, close to the Venezuelan border.

The ELN is one of Colombia's two primary guerrilla forces with left-wing political ideology. It began as a Marxist-Leninist nationalist movement but has now shifted its focus to kidnapping, extortion, and attacks on economic infrastructure and, after decades of avoiding drug trafficking, it has recently been tied to the drugs trade and has sought relationships with significant drug trafficking groups, according to InSight Crime. Colombia's government, the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Venezuela's National Assembly have all designated the group as a terrorist organisation.

History of ELN

The ELN was founded in the 1960s, just as Colombia was emerging from a deadly sectarian conflict known as "La Violencia," and several religious and student movements were gaining power in the country, some of which drew inspiration from the Cuban revolution, according to InSight Crime. From the beginning, when the little armed insurgency began training in San Vicente de Chucuri, in the department of Santander, these two movements would constitute the heart of the guerrilla force. Six months later, on January 7, 1965, the rebels took over Simacota, a small village in Santander, and declared their presence.

(Inputs from ANI)

Image: AP
The remains of Abimael Guzman, the former leader of Peru's Shining Path guerilla movement, were taken on Saturday to the forensic office of the local attorney so his family can reclaim the body. Guzman, 86, died earlier Saturday in a military hospital after succumbing to an infection, the Peruvian government said.

Sebastian Chavez, Abimael Guzman's lawyer, said that according to the law, it was Guzman's widow who should decide what happens to the body. A former philosophy professor, Guzman launched an insurgency against the state in 1980 and presided over numerous car bombings and assassinations in the years that followed. Tens of thousands of people - many of them civilians - were killed. Guzman was captured in 1992 and sentenced to life in prison for terrorism and other crimes.

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As the United States marked the 20th anniversary of the deadly 9/11 attacks on Saturday, a former American Airlines ticket agent who checked in two of the al-Qaeda hijackers involved in the 11 September 2001 attacks said he continues to blame himself.

News agency PTI, citing an ABC News report, quoted Vaughn Allex, who was a ticket agent at the Dulles International Airport as saying that he will never forget the faces of two of the 9/11 hijackers.

The two hijackers, Salem and Nawa Al-Hazmi, had reached late at the terminal and were reportedly lost when they started talking to Allex on his counter at the airport terminal. Since they were having first-class tickets, Allex made them board Flight 77. "I blame myself, I thought, you know, if I had done something different, if I had not let them on, if I just said to the agents, these two guys are late, let them get the next flight. We have one at noon. It's no big deal," PTI quoted Allex as saying in an interview with ABC News. Allex recalled that the check-in for both the hijackers was "odd".

He mentioned that one of the two brothers was "kind of gruff" and the other one was standing at a distance from him. Allex recalled that he was "almost dancing, he was moving from foot to foot and grinning and looking around". Allex thought that he was boarding the flight for the first time and was quite excited about it. Furthermore, Allex mentioned that he was observing them during the whole check-in process and recalled that he was not responding to their questions but he just "smiled and danced" and had no interest in what was going around.

Later on, on 12 September, while talking to FBI officials, he got to know that the two persons who he checked in, at last, were the two hijackers. "I had no idea until that moment that I had been involved in it," PTI quoted Allex as saying. Allex was in guilt when he realised that he had checked in two hijackers but he started feeling better when he read the 9/11 Commission report. He has revealed that his name was mentioned on page 3 of the report with a paragraph and a footnote, a "footnote number 12". He then realised that many other innocent people were also "just touched on this". As per the PTI report, more than 2,900 people had died in the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001.

(With inputs from PTI, Image: AP)
Former US president George W. Bush urged Americans to confront violent extremists living on American soil while addressing a gathering on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Referring to the 6 January Capitol Hill riots, the former president said that the threat to the USA comes not just from across the border, but from within as well.

During his address, Bush said, "Growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from the violence that gathers within. There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home." He added, "But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit. And it is our continuing duty to confront them."

Remarks by President George W. Bush at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/ETi0JaCF1p  George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) September 11, 2021

Following the Capitol Hill riots on 6 January, Bush had said, "It is a sickening and heartbreaking sight. This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic -- not our democratic republic", adding that he was "appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election". He had also urged his countrymen saying, "Let the officials elected by the people fulfil their duties and represent our voices in peace and safety. May God continues to bless the United States of America".

USA marks 20th 9/11 attack anniversary

Meanwhile, a moment of silence was observed to mark the 9/11 attack on Saturday at the National Memorial. US President Joe Bidden, along with former presidents Barak Obama and Bill Clinton, were present at the ceremony at the National Memorial, reported CNN.

Plotted by Al-Qaeda supremo Osama Bin Laden, the 9/11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people. The hardline Islamist group had launched four US passenger jets into three different locations; they crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, attacked the Pentagon, and hit a field in Pennsylvania. In response to the attack, the USA led an invasion into Afghanistan to hunt down Bin Laden and finally achieved the goal in 2011, killing the Al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan.

(With inputs from ANI, Image: AP)
A day after the United States mourned the heinous September 11 terrorist attacks that shook the world, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a 16-page document related to the investigations conducted on the hijackers. The freshly declassified documents revealed the involvement of Saudi associates in the US with the hijackers for procuring logistical support. However, the released papers did not implicate the Saudi government's participation in the attacks.

The decision of the public release of declassified documents came after a twenty-year-long tussle between the government and the victims' families. The FBI in its statement to the US attorney on August 9, Monday revealed that a committee has "decided to review" the investigation information to ascertain the requisite information deemed appropriate for disclosure. Following this, US President Joe Biden on September 4, signed an executive order directing the public release of "certain documents," the Associated Press reported. As per reports, the documents will be released over the span of the next six months.

Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks

Biden's executive order came as a supportive gesture to victims' families, who have repeatedly pleaded with the government to release the records in the hope of alleged involvement of the Saudi Government. On the other hand, Saudi Government has long denied participation in the 9/11 attacks. Following Biden's order, on Wednesday, the Saudi Embassy in Washington supported the full declassification of records. "[It is the way] to end the baseless allegations against the Kingdom once and for all," it said. Additionally, the Embassy spokesperson refuted the complicity of Saudi Arabia in the attack as "categorically false."

Biden welcomed court filing

The significant events in question occurred two decades ago or longer, and they concern a tragic moment that continues to resonate in American history and in the lives of so many Americans, the executive order states. It is therefore critical to ensure that the United States Government maximizes transparency, relying on classification only when narrowly tailored and necessary."

President Joe Biden during his Presidential campaign had promised to declassify documents of the 9/11 attacks. In July, Biden praised the decision by the US Department of Justice to follow through his campaign promise said, As I promised during my campaign, my Administration is committed to ensuring the maximum degree of transparency under the law, and to adhering to the rigorous guidance issued during the Obama-Biden Administration on the invocation of the state secrets privilege.

In his statement, the President condoled the lives lost in the attacks that shook the world. My heart and my prayers continue to be with the 9/11 families who are suffering, and my Administration will continue to engage respectfully with members of this community," Biden said.

The September 11 attack

Known as 9/11, the September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of four interrelated attacks committed by 19 militants altogether. The Wahhabi Islamist Group Al-Qaeda claimed the strike against the World Trade Center and Pentagon in Washington DC, US Capitol Building, and Shanksville in Pennsylvania. About 2900 civilians lost their lives on that day. On September 11, 2021, the U.S marked the 20th anniversary of the devastating attack.

With inputs from AP

Image: AP (representative)
Research conducted by US researchers states that healthy boys are more likely to be taken to the hospital as a result of a rare side effect of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccination which causes cardiac inflammation. The chances of hospitalisation after vaccination's side effects in boys are more likely than COVID hospitalisations.

According to a report published in Guardian, boys aged 12 to 15 who have no underlying medical difficulties are four to six times more likely to be admitted to the hospital with vaccine-related myocarditis, than the boys aged 12 to 15 affected with COVID.

86% of boys who were impacted required hospitalisation

The majority of children developed symptoms after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine within days of receiving the second shot, according to the Guardian. The authors stated that almost 86% of the boys who were impacted required hospitalisation. The findings appeared to explain the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation's cautious approach to teenage vaccines, according to Saul Faust, professor of pediatric immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, who was not involved in the research.

Dr. Tracy Heg of the University of California looked at adverse reactions to COVID vaccinations in US youth aged 12 to 17 during the first six months of 2021 in a new study that has yet to be peer-reviewed. They anticipate that after two shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, healthy boys aged 12 to 15 will get myocarditis at a rate of 162.2 cases per million, and healthy boys aged 16 to 17 will develop myocarditis at a rate of 94 cases per million. Girls had similar rates of 13.4 and 13 instances per million, respectively, according to the Guardian.

Moderna's COVID vaccination is also linked to similar occurrences

Not just Pfizer, Moderna's COVID vaccination was also linked to some similar occurrences. Furthermore, scientists must determine whether healthy 12-15-year-old males will confront a similar predicament if vaccinated. Because the vast majority of myocarditis develops after the second dose of vaccination, giving children single doses could protect them while also lowering their chance of adverse effects.

Image: AP/ Unsplash
Pope Francis, on Sunday, arrived in Budapest where he would stay for seven hours before heading to Slovakia. According to the Associated Press, during his stay at the Hungarian capital, the religious head would celebrate Mass and also meet the country's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Notably, both Orban and Pope disagree on issues including refugee influx from Muslim countries, which the Hungarian leader firmly opposes.

Why is the trip important?

The 84-year-old pontiffs trip is particularly significant as it would mark the first time that he would travel internationally following his intestinal surgery. In July, Pope Francis underwent a three-hour-long surgery to remove 33 centimetres of his colon. The surgery for diverticular stenosis generally involves removing the left side of the colon and then joining up the remaining healthy parts of the large intestine.

Taking off from Rome, Pope seemed in a good form and greeted the journalists and reporters, as reported by AP. Later, he expressed his joy at the resumption of his trips following a COVID triggered break and his surgery. Bad weeds never die, the pope said, quoting a dictum from his native country-Argentina.

Tomorrow I begin my #ApostolicJourney to Budapest and Slovakia. I ask everyone to accompany me in prayer, and I entrust this visit to the intercession of so many heroic confessors of the faith, who, amid hostility and persecution, bore witness to the Gospel in those places.  Pope Francis (@Pontifex) September 11, 2021

What is expected?

Unlike Slovakia, the pontiff will not make a full-fledged state and pastoral visit to Hungary. His visit focuses on celebrating the closing Mass of an international conference on the Eucharist, though he will also meet with Hungarian religious figures in addition to the countrys President Janos Ader and Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The organisers have predicted 75,000 people in attendance at Heroes' Square, all in the absence of COVID protocols. While the Hungarian administration has refused to mandate precautionary protocols like social distancing, face coverings amongst others, it has ordered 30,000 masks to distribute as well as hand sanitisers.

Last week, Pope said that he is encouraging nations to take Afghan refugees who are seeking a new life amid the Taliban's capture of Afghanistan. During his public appearance in St Peter's Square, he also prayed that displaced Afghans in the war-torn country may get assistance and protection. In these tumultuous moments, in which Afghans are seeking refuge, I pray for the most vulnerable among them, I pray so that many countries welcome and protect all those seeking a new life, Francis said, as reported AP.

Image: AP
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin met with Philippines Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana in Washington DC on Friday, September 10 to mark the 70th anniversary year of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. The secretaries vowed to support the "security, stability, and prosperity of a free and open Indo-Pacific". They reaffirmed building a more capable alliance based on shared common interests and values.

It was great to see Secretary @del_lorenzana today and discuss strengthening the U.S.-Philippines alliance cooperation to support the security, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific well into the future. #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific pic.twitter.com/wWeM3DTOYN  Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) September 11, 2021

The Secretaries affirmed the enduring nature of the US-Philippines alliance and their shared commitment to building an even stronger foundation for future alliance cooperation, the press release of the US Defence Department said. Austin reiterated that the US commitment to Philippine security is "ironclad". Austin further stated that the US treaty commitments extend to Philippine armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea. He appreciated the decision of the Philippine administration to restore the US Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement.

I met with my counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Sept 10 (Friday) in Washington DC to discuss our commitment to further enhance our nations alliance. We both agreed on a strengthened defense relations and bilateral ties. pic.twitter.com/QWaVE4T7lX  Delfin Lorenzana (@del_lorenzana) September 11, 2021

Secretary of Defense @SecDef met with Philippines Secretary of National Defense @del_lorenzana. They agreed to undertake several new initiativeshttps://t.co/Qkw9JOEVrN  Mateusz Chatys (@mateusz_chatys) September 11, 2021

Austin stated that the US Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement shows an adherence of both sides to intensify the scope of alliance cooperation, the press release of the defence department said. The Secretaries also exchanged views on the importance of enhanced military and security cooperation to support Philippine defence modernization efforts. The Secretaries agreed to undertake several new initiatives which include developing a joint vision statement on shared priorities of alliance cooperation. The two nations will also conclude a maritime framework and "resume infrastructure improvement projects at Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement agreed on locations in the Philippines and re-convening the bilateral strategic dialogue later this year".

Secretary Austin thanked his Philippines counterpart saying, "Your visit is especially significant, since we have just celebrated the 70th anniversary of our Mutual Defense Treaty, which remains the bedrock of our alliance". Austin added President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to restore the US-Philippines visiting force agreement strengthens the alliance of the two nations. Austin mentioned that the agreement allows the United States Department of Defense to conduct more than 300 bilateral engagements a year with the armed forces of the Philippines. Lorenzana stated that the Philippines acknowledges the significance of the Mutual Defense Treaty for the region.

Image: SecDef/Twitter

Inputs from AP
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has traveled to Tehran to become the first foreign leader to hold talks with newly installed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Kadhimi told a joint press conference on September 12 that the two "discussed certain joint economic questions and strategic projects," as well as boosting bilateral trade.

Raisi, who was sworn in as president in August, also stressed economic matters in summarizing the talks.

Iraq has been seeking a mediating role to resolve tense relations between regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia. In April, Saudi and Iranian officials met in Baghdad, the first high-level meeting between the two countries since relations were severed in 2016.

Raisi said that Iraq had agreed to waive visa requirements for Iranian pilgrims visiting Shi'ite holy sites in Iraq this month for the occasion of the Arbain holiday.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
Iran has agreed to allow international inspectors to service surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

The announcement was made September 12 after talks in Tehran between Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

Upon arriving back in Vienna, Grossi said the agreement was "a measure to allow time for diplomacy." He stressed, however, that it was not "a permanent solution."

The Tehran talks were aimed at easing a standoff between Iran and the West just as it threatens to escalate and scupper negotiations on reviving the Iran nuclear deal

"We agreed over the replacement of the memory cards of the agency's cameras," Eslami was quoted as saying by Iranian news agencies.

"IAEA inspectors are permitted to service the identified equipment and replace their storage media which will be kept under the joint IAEA and AEOI seals in the Islamic Republic of Iran," the nuclear bodies said in a joint statement.

"I am glad to say that today were able to have a very constructive result, which has to do with the continuity of the operation of the agencys equipment here," Grossi said. It "is indispensable for us to provide the necessary guarantee and information to the IAEA and to the world that everything is in order.

It was Grossi's first visit to Iran since hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August.

Talks between Iran and world powers over limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief have been idle since June.

Earlier this month, the IAEA said in a report that Iran had continued to increase its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

It also said that verification and monitoring activities have been "seriously undermined" since February, after Iran refused to let inspectors access IAEA monitoring equipment.

Western powers must decide whether to push for a resolution criticizing Iran and raising pressure on it for stonewalling the IAEA at next week's meeting of the agency's 35-country board of governors. A resolution could jeopardize the resumption of talks on the deal, as Tehran bristles at such moves.

Under the 2015 deal between Iran and major powers, Tehran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, reintroducing painful economic sanctions. Iran responded as of 2019 by breaching many of the deal's core restrictions, like enriching uranium to a higher purity, closer to that suitable for use in nuclear weapons.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
On September 4, Kazakhstan blocked scholar Gene Bunin from entering the country.

Kazakh officials could not tell Bunin why he was prevented from entering the country, but they did tell him he was unwelcome in Kazakhstan for the next five years.

Bunin has been one of the leading researchers shedding light on the Chinese government's abuse of the Muslim peoples of western Chinas Xinjiang region, while the Chinese authorities have continued to downplay or deny the severity of the situation in Xinjiang.

Bunin had been working out of Kazakhstan, a country where China has significant investment and influence.

Kazakhstan's decision to ban Bunin from the country was almost surely related to China's displeasure at his work chronicling the incarcerations and torture of ethnic Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other indigenous Muslim peoples in Xinjiang, just across the border from Central Asia.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Uyghur groups have filed evidence with the International Criminal Court that implicates Tajikistan as a being a transit country for extraordinary renditions of Uyghurs back to China.

On this week's Majlis Podcast, RFE/RL media-relations manager Muhammad Tahir moderates a discussion on the ties that bind Central Asia to China and might incline Central Asian governments to cooperate with China, even in Beijing's repressions against Muslims.

This week's guests are: from Washington, Nury Turkel, the commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom; also from Washington, Sean Roberts, professor of international affairs at George Washington University's Elliot School of International Affairs and author of the book The War On The Uyghurs: China's Internal Campaign against Xinjiang's Muslims; and Bruce Pannier, the author of the Qishloq Ovozi blog.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes or on Google Podcasts.
Russia's electoral authorities have provided a live-streamed air of transparency during elections for nearly a decade, broadcasting video feeds from polling stations accessible to anyone who cared to tune in.

Scrutinizing seemingly endless footage of voters and election workers milling about was a mundane task, but ultimately the collective efforts of online sleuths and opposition activists panned out.

During the 2018 presidential election, cameras captured scenes of people stuffing ballot boxes, carousel voting, voters using others' documents, and the manipulation of voter lists, leading Russia's Central Election Commission (TsIK) to cancel the results of seven polling stations.

It was far from enough to alter the results -- Vladimir Putin won his fourth term in office by a landslide -- but it showed that the authorities were interested in lending some semblance of legitimacy to the electoral process.

That does not appear to be the case going into the September 17-19 balloting for the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament house, and local elections around the country.

The campaign is headlined by the nationwide vote that will determine the shape of the 450-seat Duma at a time when the ruling United Russia party is suffering from historically low popularity.

But voters will head to the polls in a virtual information void thanks to pressure on independent media, pollsters, monitors, and other checks and balances to the Kremlin line that could help accurately assess the political landscape and electoral results.

Public access to the video-monitoring feeds is among the cuts that can be attributed to the raft of changes to electoral procedures in the past year. Electoral officials have defended the move as a cost-saving measure necessitated by the extension of the voting period to three days, a decision that was purportedly made to limit voters' exposure during the coronavirus pandemic but which itself has come under scrutiny as an expanded opportunity for vote fraud.

As a result, only candidates, political parties, and TsIK members will be allowed to watch, closing one of general public's few windows into potential irregularities and contributing to the loss of many checks and balances that can help assess the political landscape and electoral results.

'Don't Look, We Have Something To Hide'

Russia's sole independent election monitor, Golos, was among those to harshly criticize the TsIK's decision to deny public access to video feeds from polling stations.

"The decision is nothing more than an attempt to hide from the public the events that will take place for three days and two nights at the polling stations," Golos co-Chairman Grigory Melkonyants said when the restrictions were announced in July. "They are clearly insuring themselves against the fact that video monitors will reveal falsifications that will fly around the Internet again. So now we are shown a new logic -- don't look, we have something to hide."

Another electoral staple, monitoring by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), will also be absent. The OSCE's request for 420 short-term observers, 80 long-term observers, and a team of analysts -- based on the recommendations of a needs-assessment mission in May -- was denied by the Russian authorities, who cited COVID-19 concerns. Failing to receive clarity on "why the limitations were needed to prevent the spread of the virus when other preventative measures could be taken," the OSCE opted against sending observers at all.

Golos, meanwhile, was declared a "foreign agent" in August for receiving funding from an Armenian citizen, effectively neutering its ability to effectively monitor the elections, although it has vowed to try. The "foreign agent" label, which requires entities and individuals who bear the mark to identify themselves as such in campaign and media publications among other things, has also increasingly been applied to opposition candidates and foreign media outlets, including RFE/RL.

To date, the Justice Ministry has placed 47 entities and individuals on its registry of "foreign mass media performing the functions of a foreign agent" -- 37 of them in the past seven months.

And amid rising Kremlin rhetoric alleging without evidence that the West is attempting to influence the election campaign by way of election monitors, media, and support for the movement of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, Russia's media watchdog recently blocked six providers of virtual proxy networks (VPNs), which people can use to circumvent government restrictions on the Internet.

Critics have expressed alarm at what they see as an attempt by Russia to significantly limit the scope of electoral choices and media coverage that might be critical of United Russia and Putin.

"This is so-called full-scale authoritarianism, the kind of regime that Putin enshrined in the constitution a year ago," Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said in written comments to RFE/RL regarding changes made to electoral procedures in the past year. "Repression and lack of shame over the outright suppression of society is not a tactical line but a strategic one."

Moscow Defends 'Transparent System'

The Kremlin has hit back at knocks on its electoral procedures, which have been heavily scrutinized due to constitutional changes that paved the way for Putin to potentially remain in office until 2036, the jailing of Putin's chief political rival, Navalny, in February, and clampdowns on his supporters and the banning of his political organization.

Much of the ire has been directed at the OSCE, which said that some members of its needs-assessment team saw the extended voting period "as a positive measure to prevent overcrowding at polling stations and decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission," but also suggested it could negatively affect the "integrity and transparency of the [voting] process."

Among the concerns were that the extra time could be used to exert pressure on voters to turn out to vote, while others were "related to the secure storage of the election material at night. Most political parties that met with the OSCE mission "stated that it poses additional challenges in recruiting observers for the extended period."

Following the OSCE's decision to not send a monitoring team, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is running for the Duma on the United Russia ticket, accused the West of using "international organizations to make it difficult to hold elections in every possible way."

TsIK head Ella Pamfilova, for her part, has attempted to offer assurances that "foreign agents" would not be impaired in their efforts to monitor or journalistically cover the elections, asserting that they enjoy the same rights as any other Russian citizen.

And as regards the recent emergence of leaked audio in which a local administration official appeared to be advising polling station heads in a Moscow suburb how to prepare for election fraud, Pamfilova defended the process for rooting out corruption.

"We have created such a transparent system that everything secret immediately becomes apparent," she was quoted as claiming. "In the end, it is necessary to put things in order there so that there is no shadow of suspicion, so that no one has any thoughts to do such things that can be called a crime against voters."

That has done little to assuage concerns among the opposition and experts, however. Suspicions continue to run high that there is ample room for vote fraud, particularly with the addition of electronic and mail-in voting that critics warn could be manipulated by the authorities.

There is a lack of independent polling in Russia -- just weeks before the 2016 legislative elections won by United Russia, the prominent Levada polling center was named a "foreign agent," a move it described as "political censorship" that was "devastating" to its work during campaigns.

But even pollsters with close ties to the state show the ruling party at its nadir. Whereas United Russia took 54 percent of the vote in 2016, state-funded pollster VTsIOM forecast on September 10 that it would receive 42 percent this time.

And while approval of Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 helped United Russia offset voter apathy and economic woes in the 2016 Duma elections, this year the ruling party faces a tougher challenge.

Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Moscow Center said there was much in common with the 2016 vote, including "low confidence in the Duma, the campaigns are boring, few people are interested, the finale is foregone, the authorities do not want scandals and want to appear honest."

But while "the Crimean consensus worked in the last election...United Russia is having a harder time now," he said.

This time the party is burdened by economic woes, public backlash to the authorities' decision in 2019 to raise the retirement age, discontent over the crackdown on mass protests following Navalny's imprisonment, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Ukraine has confirmed it requested that Czech authorities detain Aleksandr Franchetti, a Russian citizen wanted by Kyiv on an international arrest warrant and is seeking his extradition.

Franchetti, who was detained at Prague's international airport on September 12, is wanted by Ukraine for his alleged involvement in Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Black Sea region of Crimea.



"The detention was the result of coordinated actions of Ukrainian and Czech law enforcement agencies to bring Aleksandr Franchetti to justice for a number of crimes against our state, including the participation in the Russian occupation of Crimea," Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on September 13.

The extradition request is reportedly being considered by Czech authorities. Any request would go through the courts before the Czech Justice Ministry makes a decision.



Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow had requested detailed information from the Czech government regarding the reasons for Franchetti's detention.



On September 12, the chief of Russia's Investigative Committee said he had ordered an investigation into Franchetti's detention.



"Due to the unacceptability of the misuse of international legal mechanisms aimed at politically motivated prosecutions, the chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation ordered the chief of the directorate for legal issues and international cooperation...to thoroughly study, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry of Russia, the reasons and legal grounds of the Russian citizen's detainment on the territory of a foreign country," the Investigative Committee said in a statement.



A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Prague, Nikolai Bryakin, said on September 13 that Franchetti received a diplomatic visit in custody.



Franchetti was an active participant in the events in Crimea in 2014. Just days before Russias military occupation of the region, Franchetti created a paramilitary formation called North Wind, which helped seize power lines and gas pipelines.



In an interview posted on YouTube, Franchetti said he acted in coordination with Russias naval command at the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

Aleksandr Molokhov, a spokesman for the Russian occupation authorities in Crimea, also confirmed Franchettis arrest, claiming that he faced certain death at the hands of the Ukrainians.



Molokhov did not specify why he had reason to fear for Franchetti's life.



According to media reports, Franchetti was granted permanent residence in the Czech Republic in 2000 and has worked there as a fitness trainer. He says he has never violated international law.

In her September 13 statement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova also said that Moscow had warned the Czechs that the continuation of what she called "Prague's destructive policy regarding Russia and its citizens will lead to the further deterioration" of bilateral relations and would not go without a response.



Relations between Prague and Moscow soured considerably following Czech accusations in April that Russia was involved in a deadly arms-depot blast on Czech territory in 2014. Two Czech citizens were killed in the blast, which Prague said was aimed at destroying munitions that had been sold to Ukraine.



The ensuing diplomatic row led to the tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats and the Russian government declaring the Czech Republic an "unfriendly" state.

With reporting by iDnes, Denik N, TASS, and Interfax
Four people died and four others are in serious conditions after the crash of a small commercial aircraft in a remote forested area in Russias Siberian Irkutsk region.



Officials said there were 14 passengers and two crew members aboard the L-410 aircraft when it crashed on September 12 several kilometers from the settlement of Kazachinskoye. Three passengers and one pilot were killed.



All 12 of the survivors were taken to a hospital in the village of Magistralny in the Kazachinsko-Lensky district. Eleven remain hospitalized, including four in critical condition in intensive care, the press service of the regional government told TASS on September 13.

Most of the survivors have fractured bones. One has gone home, the press service said.



Igor Kobzev, governor of the region, said three victims, including one of the pilots, will be airlifted to Irkutsk for treatment of complex fractures, Kobzev said on Instagram, adding that one victim will be operated on immediately and the rest will remain under the supervision of doctors.



The flight was a scheduled regional link between Irkutsk and Kazachinskoye.



Both pilot error in foggy conditions and engine failure are being investigated as possible causes of the incident, TASS said earlier.

The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case looking into air safety violations.



The twin-engine L-410 was designed by the Czechoslovakian firm Let Kunovice (now Aircraft Industries) and since 2018 has been produced in Russia in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.



It can transport up to 19 passengers a distance of up to 1,500 kilometers and is designed for operation on unpaved, grassy, or snowy areas, as well as on short runways.



Since the beginning of 2021, 10 accidents involving lightly powered aircraft have been registered in Russia.



On June 19, an L-410 made a hard landing at the settlement of Zhuravlyovo in Siberias Kemerovo Oblast. Three passengers and both pilots were killed in that incident.

With reporting by TASS
The Ukrainian judge who oversaw the investigative phase of the case of the 2016 murder in Kyiv of journalist Pavel Sheremet has been found dead outside the Ukrainian capital, Ukrainian media report.

The Kyiv regional prosecutor's office announced on September 12 that it was investigating the death of a judge from the Pechersk district court in Kyiv as a case of "premeditated murder" without naming the victim.

However, the website of the Pechersk court has published a statement saying all hearings chaired by Judge Vitaliy Pisanets had been indefinitely postponed and "will be redistributed for consideration by other judges."

Ukrainian media have reported that Pisanets died late on September 11 while at a gathering with friends.

Sheremet, a Belarus-born Russian citizen, was killed on July 20, 2016, by an explosive device attached to the bottom of his car.

In December 2019, Ukrainian investigators arrested three suspects in Sheremet's case -- Yana Duhar, Andriy Antonenko, and Yulia Kuzmenko. Duhar and Kuzmenko were later transferred to house arrest.

The trio took part in military operations in different capacities in Ukraine's east, where government forces are fighting against Kremlin-backed separatists.

The Interior Ministry and the National Police said in December 2020 that the trio's goal was "to destabilize the political and social situation in Ukraine" by killing Sheremet.

All three have denied any involvement in the killing and their trial, which started a year ago, has stalled several times due to inconsistencies in the investigation.
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The engagement ring has a long history, and the concept dates back to the ancient Egyptians. They believed circles to be the symbol of eternity and would exchange handmade rings made from braided reeds. However, in the past 5,000 years, new trends have come up in the world of engagements and proposals globally. Weddings have evolved greatly and while some maintain certain traditions, others venture way out of the box and add personal touches. The engagement trend we are seeing now is more of the engagement watch.

In recent times, watches are becoming an engagement staple. Engagement watches have said to have been around for longer than we might think. And in the last few years, this unique tradition has seen a rise in popularity, especially in the western side of the world. Reasons are many, but probably you want to trade-off a ring for a shiny new fancy watch if you are a girl proposing to a guy?

Of late, one noticed that searches for engagement timepieces have risen by more than 40%, indicating that couples are forgoing diamond rings in favour of watches. Tastes and style change as time and situation differ from the earlier days. As social media platforms like Twitter show hundreds of proposals, the option for gifting a watch for engagement rings is predominant! Studies show that for men especially, the male engagement ring is a thing. They would prefer a watch, not a ring. And gift them a fancy high-end watch and theyll cherish it forever, more than any precious stone!

The ongoing pandemic has created a situation far removed from the traditional weddings of the past. It is not surprising that couples are opting for smaller, more quirky ceremonies leading to engagements evolving too. So, the surge in popularity of elegant watches that are useful and sustainable, instead of diamond rings is understandable.

Of course, the most well-known way to propose is by giving an engagement ring. Traditionally, the man gives one to his girlfriend and asks her to be his bride. But times are changing, and some traditions might change as well. With women being more financially independent, a lot of traditions are shaking up.

Suggestions by fashionistas in magazines, including digital magazines, are now going all out to suggest a sophisticated watch instead of a ring... any day! People who were always planning to propose but the partner isn't into rings, are recommended to gift an elegant watch!

According to stylists, a beautiful or elegant watch might be the perfect alternative to a ring! Watches, according to them, is something they can wear daily if they so wish. Besides being ideal proposal pieces, tasteful watches have a certain air of sophistication on both men and women.

In the Wedding 2021 Report, Lyst --- the Global fashion shopping platform --- revealed that there was about a 42 per cent increase in searches for 'couple,' 'engagement' and 'wedding' watches, indicating a rise in sales of upmarket timepieces going forward. Morgan Le Caer, who is a content lead at Lyst, reportedly said: 'This season, more couples have been forgoing traditional rings as engagement presents, instead opting for gender-neutral watches. People are now gushing about the trend, saying their fiancees are more openly saying that they wanted a specific watch instead of an engagement ring. The same goes with men, who want to get proposed with a Rolex, instead of an engagement ring to get married. So much for the change in trend globally!

Some Twitter users have said women should gift their partner an engagement watch in exchange for being given a ring. However, suggestions are in the rise in engagement watches is even attributed to the number of same-sex marriages. On social media platforms like Instagram, engagement watches are growing in popularity. Also, more sellers are marketing their watch offerings to the soon to be married couples. Anyways, for women looking to propose to their male partners or LGBTQ couples, who want to forgo the traditional engagement route, watches are becoming the best-loved gift for the partner.

For a couple, however, watches offer an opportunity to participate in the traditions of engagement and marriage in a personal way, and without the outdated social norms or the skyrocketing price tag of rings. Meanwhile, sales of watches have increased recently because they are considered investment pieces and there is a general trend in self-gifting, according to The 2021 State Of Fashion Report.

Though watch models are usually marketed for men, models like the Rolex Pre-owned 40mm Submariner, is getting more attention from female shoppers. For some, the lack of an object announcing their relationship status adds to the appeal of an engagement watch.

Watches have had a general boost in popularity in the past few years. High-end pieces became a particularly strong category amid the pandemic, thanks to their appeal as investment items. Although rings continue to be the dominant engagement piece, according to experts interviewed, watches offer versatility and intimacy that may, one day, outweigh the pros of a traditional ring. Not unlike diamonds, certain brand watches are very valuable. Some watches even contain diamonds, making them extra special and perfect for a proposal.

In the USA, Fashionphile is currently on track to sell more watches in 2021 than it did the previous year, doubling its revenue from this category. Searches for the word watch are up 73% on the site compared to 2020, while womens watches have increased by 92% since last year. For women, watches are seen as jewellery. Ms Fristik, from Fashionphile, says that watches are becoming more common as engagement presents because they are seen as heritage investment pieces that, much like rings, are passed down from generation to generation. They are also, according to Fristik, a way to tailor to peoples unique tastes, which might not include rings.

In South Korea, in most cases the bride and the groom exchange rings and watches. Nowadays, the wedding gift trend is focused on practical items like watches, where Korean trendsetters often have their first encounters with new international labels. The Gallerias Luxury Hall East has two floors dedicated to watches, with in-store boutiques selling brands like Vacheron Constantin, Officine Panerai and Patek Philippe.

When a couple gets engaged, though they felt pressured to follow the elaborate gift traditions, they follow their hearts and give their partner something that will make them happy. Rolex watches are a favourite with South Koreans, though they love all luxury watch brands like IWC, Breitling, Audemars Piguet and so on.

Interestingly in western cultures, the lady is the star of the show, and the ring comes a close second. Men are often ignored in this part of the journey. However, in many other cultures in Asia and the Middle East, both parties tend to involve families and it is a bigger affair than just two people getting engaged privately. Gifts from both families are exchanged. Often both parties wear rings and more guys wear watches also to commemorate the occasion if they dont want a ring. A watch so modern in line and proportion, it is no wonder it has been a huge commercial success for Cartier.

In Singapore, the unfailing joy of a mechanical watch is felt when men and women get engaged. The engagement ring is reciprocated with the gift of a mechanical watch. Because that watch now becomes his companion in the journey that will be their life together. There are 19,851 engagement watch suppliers, mainly located in Asia. The top supplying country or region is China, which supplies 100% of engagement watch respectively.

Though engagement watches are a relatively newer trend and become a part of your personal story and history, a special item that can easily become a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation," Brian Sacawa, the expert behind the popular YouTube channel He Spoke Style.

Much like engagement rings, watches can be personalized with dials, engravings, straps and more, making them a meaningful piece for the couple. Fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell agreed that watches are a nice option but doesn't think the trend has enough momentum to replace traditional engagement rings.

"I don't think it's a perfect replacement for a ring, because it doesn't announce to the world that the wearer is engaged or married; to do that, you still have to put a ring on it," she said acknowledging however that the trend might gain more traction in the years to come.

Watches are expected to become a strong engagement trend and continue for a long time to come. Popularly, this trend is being used when women want to pop the all-important question. In fact, in 2018, Pinterest found that the search term: women proposing to men ideas had increased by 336%. A smartwatch or a classic timepiece, with or without diamonds, is what most men love. So, with many luxury watches available to choose from  looks like the trend is here to stay!

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
Huw Daniel is the CEO of Platinum Guild International, overseeing market development activities in China, Japan, India and the USA, on behalf of the platinum producers of South Africa.

Before taking up this role in 2015, Huw ran PGI USA for 12 years.

Prior to PGI, Huw had over 25 years experience in marketing and communications, mainly at Saatchi and JWT, working in the UK, France, Asia and the US, with clients ranging from Procter & Gamble, to DeBeers, LVMH and the European Commission.

In addition to his role as President of the Precious Metals Commission at CIBJO, Huw has served on various boards including the Jewellers Vigilance Committee and New York Insight Meditation Society.

Here, in an exclusive interview with Rough&Polished, Huw Daniel elucidates about PGIs efforts to grow the platinum jewellery markets across the globe.

Some excerpts:

Whats your forecast for platinum jewellery in terms of growth in major consumer markets across the globe? Currently, what are the hurdles you think will impact the development of the global platinum jewellery market?

PGI develops the global platinum jewellery market as a new demand source for platinum. Since 1975, jewellery development has demonstrated a strong track record in delivering results, and platinum jewellery has contributed over 80 million ounces of demand. PGI has consumer marketing and educational programmes and collaborates with manufacturers and retailers in four major markets: China, Japan, India and the US.

As seen in 2020, PGI foresees a K-shaped outlook once consumers get back into stores and it will continue in 2021. The growth varies in each market:

- China is the first market to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and recovery in platinum jewellery will continue although at a slower pace in 2021. Those retailers who continued to introduce new SKUs with innovative technology and designs through branded collections drove platinum sales but mass, generic products will be facing competition from gold. - India has been a fast-growing platinum jewellery market in recent years until the COVID-19 outbreak happened. Recovery started in Q4 2020 and continued in Q1 2021, while the second wave hitting India in mid-March sent many parts of the country into a lockdown or semi-lockdown. The business has gradually resumed since June but we expect the recovery in 2021 will take some time with concerns of another wave in Q4. - Platinum has a large share in Japans jewellery market, which has seen a strong recovery from Q2 2021 led by affluent consumers and continued strong bridal performance, asset-type jewellery and high-end jewellery. This benefits platinum jewellery and its retail sales could have a modest increase this year. - The US platinum jewellery market has undergone several years of growth, even in 2020 when COVID-19 caused the business shutdown in Q2. The US market continues its recovery in 2021, showing robust sales in H1 2021 compared to the same period of last year, driven by a booming stock market, the effective roll-out of vaccinations and improved economic conditions. Platinum jewellery retail sales are projected to grow for the eighth consecutive year in 2021.

Some main hurdles impact the development of the platinum jewellery market:

- Platinum has been and still is a relative niche category of the jewellery market in most regions, which requires constant spending on consumer marketing and education and trade investment to ensure platinum sits on top of consumers minds and is available at POS when they purchase jewellery. - Because of the relatively small volume, platinum needs to differentiate from the mass category (i.e. gold) for both consumers and trade. It needs to provide a distinguished proposition from gold to appeal to consumers and a different marketing & sales strategy to create higher margins for the trade. - The lack of novel designs and innovative technologies has made platinum jewellery less attractive, competitive and relevant compared with other categories such as k-gold, especially among young consumers and for non-bridal jewellery. - Competition also comes from other categories beyond jewellery, such as travelling and holidays, once businesses and life return to normal. This could mean a smaller share of wallet for jewellery as a whole, and hence less spending on platinum jewellery.

In comparison to gold/silver as the favourites for plain and studded jewellery, what are the qualities that platinum possesses as a metal of choice going forward?

Platinum occupies a unique position in the jewellery market. Small in scale compared to gold and diamonds yet punching above its weight for those manufacturers and retailers who make it a strategic priority for their business. These companies find platinum compliments their other offerings by providing increased differentiation among their competitors, and higher dollar transaction sizes, leading to higher gross profit per unit sales. Platinums innate characteristics also mean less wear and tear, gemstone loss and maintenance issues, providing an overall higher quality offering for discerning customers.

Platinum is a pure, precious and durable metal thats 30 times rarer than gold. It has a high purity level of over 95% and does not require rhodium plating which means it never changes colour. Platinum loses very little metal across a life of daily wear compared to less pure alloys that contain a higher percentage of base metals and are more vulnerable to corrosion and metal loss through scratching. Platinums high purity and hypoallergenic nature have been highlighted during the Covid-19 pandemic as corrosive agents in hand sanitisers cause pitting and brittleness in lower purity metal rings.

Like all fine jewellery platinum may scratch, however, metal is generally displaced on the surface of the piece creating a fine sheen or patina.

This squishing process is the reason why platinum shanks lose very little volume, and prongs rarely need re-tipping, resulting in the most secure setting for gemstones. Typically jewellers prefer to set gemstones of value in platinum prongs, regardless of the metal used for the rest of the piece.

These qualities make it a great choice for bridal jewellery and high-end jewellery that could last a long period, and the most secured metal setting diamonds and gemstones. Beyond platinums physical characteristics, thanks to decades of consumer marketing, platinum is established as a metal that strongly connects with quality, love and meaning. While gold and silver in many markets are associated with investment products and fashion jewellery.

This has been even more notable in 2020/2021 that COVID-19 has changed peoples lives from many aspects, and one is that people started to re-evaluate their life priorities, as PGIs consumer survey shows, and appreciate their relationship with their family and loved ones in this challenging time. Platinum is now well-positioned when consumers look for ways to symbolize emotions and commemorate significant occasions and moments in their lives.

While the USA and China are viewed to hold the highest market share in the platinum jewellery market, how do you see this trend panning out in the next few years, given the present challenging times?

Currently, China remains the largest platinum jewellery market, followed by Japan and the US. Although this market had a quick recovery post-COVID-19, China faces challenges such as a declining bridal population and higher competition from other categories. The Chinese market still possesses significant opportunities in lower-tier cities, pre-marital and post-marital purchases, as well as in mens jewellery, which we have started to collaborate with our retail partners to address since 2019.

Japan is the most mature market for platinum jewellery, where platinum is the preferred metal among mature women who appreciate the quality, elegance and strength that platinum jewellery represents. Platinum has a dominant position in Japans bridal jewellery segment, over 90% share of engagement ring and wedding band acquisition, and also contributes a large share in the total revenue of the jewellery industry. The platinum jewellery market is expected to continue to recover and grow in Japan, although at a small percentage. This includes incremental demand developed targeting young generations, who are less engaged with fine jewellery than their predecessors, as well as a strongly growing investment jewellery category in the form of heavier pieces and chains.

The US market is the third largest in the world. Bridal, especially diamond bridal jewellery, comprises the majority of platinum jewellery demand in the US. Platinum jewellery has expanded its share not only in the bridal, diamond and gemstone jewellery but also has established a new metal only product category for platinum without diamonds or gemstones, targeting women self-purchase. The growth of branded platinum jewellery was in major chains, and jewellers continue to work on dedicated platinum strategies with grant funding from PGI. Expanding technical education offerings by partnering with jewellery schools will help to ensure a new generation of platinumsmiths. PGI believe the US market will have another year of growth in 2021 and a few years beyond, thanks to economic recovery, pent-up bridal demand and the continuous collaboration with manufacturing and retail partners.

What are the difficulties or loss of market opportunities faced by the vendors of platinum jewellery in the jewellery markets globally? What steps has PGI taken to ease the situation?

There are some difficulties and potential opportunities for the platinum jewellery industry:

1. Platinum has been and still is a relative niche category of the jewellery market in most regions, which requires constant spending on consumer marketing and education to ensure platinum sits on top of consumers minds and is available at POS when they purchase jewellery. 2. In key markets, platinum has a strong connection with bridal jewellery, while has limited product offering in non-bridal and fashion segments, which limits growth in those areas. 3. The relatively small scale of the platinum jewellery market and the concentration of manufacturers also create hurdles for innovation in technology and designs, which is crucial to reduce production costs and improve appeal to consumers. 4. The small size of the platinum jewellery market requires jewellers to focus on product turn and margins, to stay competitive in the jewellery business portfolio. 5. The digitalisation of the jewellery industry has been behind others. The COVID-19 has accelerated digitalisation and requests jewellers to enhance their capacity to engage with consumers via multiple touchpoints and channels.

PGI has several initiatives that have responded to those difficulties and opportunities.

- To target identified demographics and consumer segmentations across the major markets, PGI has developed a branding strategy, including building platinums equity as a symbol of love, meaning and authenticity to highlight platinums qualities for consumers consideration and purchases, as well as developing branded collections to target specific consumer segmentations. Branded collections are either created in-house or co-developed with partners while PGI provides strategic and customised product design, marketing and sales support. - PGI has guided and led the development of innovative technologies such as hard platinum and heat-treatable alloys to ensure better polish, better shape retention and higher scratch resistance. - PGI reached and engaged with targeted consumers both online and offline to better understand their needs to improve sales conversion via multiple channels.

In your opinion, what are the key markets for platinum jewellery currently? What was the size/value of the emerging markets in 2021/22 amidst the pandemic? What growth do you foresee in the next, say 5 years?

PGI operates in four major markets: China, Japan, India and the US. Its very difficult to predict the market size beyond 2021 due to the continuous impact of COVID-19.

In 2020, Chinas platinum fabrication was 930k oz, negatively affected by the business shut down in Q1 before it recovered strongly from Q2 last year. In 2021, the growth of the jewellery market in mainland China slowed, while platinum branded collections from PGI partners have done well with positive growth and we expect this will continue. PGIs retail partners, which account for around 1/3 of total retail sales, saw a single digit increase in H1 2021. Those retailers who continued to introduce new SKUs with innovative technology and designs through branded collections drove platinum sales but the rebound of gold demand on the back of lower prices caused severe competition against platinum generic products.

Indian fabrication volume was over 220k oz in 2019 but declined to 118k oz in 2020affected by COVID-19, mostly because the jewellery industry lost almost three-quarters last year. The good news is that PGIs strategic partners came roaring back with 25% growth in Q4 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. Recovery continued in Q1 2021 with strong year-on-year growth. Entering Q2, stores were shut for more than two months, alongside other restrictions imposed across states and markets across the country have only started to reopen in June. With concerns of an impending third wave in Q4, retailers are expecting a slower recovery in 2021.

Japans retail sales of platinum jewellery were 509k oz in 2020, a decline of 10% compared to 2019. Platinum was the best-performing white metal for jewellery in Japan, thanks to the competitive platinum price, increased contribution from affluent consumers, and a strong performance in bridal jewellery as well as growth in online sales. 2021 outlook sees recovery led by affluent consumers and continued strong bridal performance, although subject to the impact of new COVID-19 strains and speed of vaccination roll-out. Retailers saw a notable increase in consumer traffic; and restricted from spending on travel and dining out, wealthy Japanese continued to support sales by maintaining their appetite for high-end jewellery. Platinum jewellery retail sales are likely to have a modest increase over 2020.

Platinum jewellery retail sales in the US finished the year with a 3.4% increase vs. 2019. While pandemic measures shut down factories and impacted sales of new metal to manufacturers, retailers used this as an opportunity to sell aged inventory, resulting in a net increase in business. In 2021, jewellery industry sales performed strongly thanks to continued vaccination rollouts and economic recovery. PGIs strategic partners saw a double-digit increase in their platinum business ounce sales in H1 2021, driven mainly by bridal and gemstone fashion jewellery. Platinum jewellery presence in the major chains continues to expand and deliver impressive results. PGI expect this market to have another year of growth in 2021 and beyond.

As per research, demand for platinum jewellery is very low in regions like India/Middle East, which are major jewellery consuming sectors. Gen Z that stays away from yellow gold, prefers white gold jewellery to platinum. How does PGI intend to address this challenge  to grow the platinum markets in these regions?

Currently, PGI doesnt have a presence in the Middle East.

India is traditionally a gold market, and the development of the platinum jewellery market did start from a low base, but in recent years we have seen fast growth in this region, especially among the young generations. Platinum in India has built aspiration and relevance among these young consumers by PGI building differentiation from gold through a strong emotional and image-driven equity. Platinum jewellery is now seen as a symbol of love and an expression of commitment, making it ideal to mark milestone moments of love and bonding. The metals rare nature gives it additional value and appeal: young affluent consumers who are increasingly driving purchase decisions choose platinum for its modern, versatile and elegant designs that set them apart and help make a unique statement.

We developed segment brands and branded collections to strengthen platinums equity and its relevance with young generations. A good example is Platinum Days of Love (PDOL). In 2009, PGI launched PDOL to appropriate spousal love-gifting, based on the insight that young couples desire love and intimacy within the contractual arranged marriage. Platinum Love Bands, the products of PDOL, address consumers aspirations for modern, elegant designs, and mark the discovery of love between a couple within the social norm.

The brand has built strong desire and preference among its core consumer group with values in modern relationships to deepen the meaning of the rare love that platinum symbolises, linking back to the rare attribute of the metal. By highlighting values of friendship, respect, mutuality and equality in a relationship, brand marketing continues to initiate conversations and engage consumers on what defines a love that is rare and befits a metal like platinum that is rarer than gold.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
(namibian.com.na) - The state-owned Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) plans to start auctioning some of its diamonds on the internet, but there are concerns that the parastatal continues to sell rough diamonds cheaply to buyers in Dubai and India. Namdia, a 100% state-owned company, born out of an agreement between the government and diamond giant De Beers in 2016, was established to 'test' whether Namibia was getting the best income through the multinational by going onto the open market. But question marks have always lingered around Namdia's formation, especially since it was started by ministers accused of corruption in the past, such as former minister of justice Sacky Shanghala and former minister of mines and energy Obeth Kandjoze. Critics believe that Namdia  led by Kennedy Hamutenya  is still being used to enrich a clique of individuals in Namibia and Dubai.
Danvers, MA (01923)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low 66F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Danvers, MA (01923)

Today

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. A few storms may be severe. Low around 65F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Imagine, for just a moment, youre Rick Garza.

Its right after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and no one wants to fly. The airline industry has been practically grounded  and so are your hopes of ever working in it as a pilot.

You still send out applications, knowing the competition is stiff among a growing pool of qualified, out-of-work pilots.

But you also know that at some point, potential employers are going to look into your background and find out: You were the flight instructor who trained, and then flunked out, two of the 9/11 hijackers.

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Its a role Garza has come to terms with in the 13 years since the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. His six lessons with hijackers Khalid al-Midhar and

Nawaf Alhazmi at San Diegos Montgomery Field are memorialized in The New York Times, in books and in Google searches, his encounters with the terrorists helping form the historic narrative leading to the pairs final destination: the Pentagon.

I remember right after 9/11, my biggest fear was my name was going to be in every history book, and theres going to be something negative associated with it, Garza, 56, recalled. It could have went both ways. I could have been a hero or a zero.

Instead, Garza credits his connection to the attackers  and his conviction to flunk both of them out of flight training  to divine intervention.

I remember just being on my hands and knees and thanking (God) for helping me make that right decision, Garza said.

Neither of his former students was ultimately able to obtain a pilots license and both ended up as two of the four muscle men aboard American Airlines Flight 77, threatening the crew and passengers with box cutters and knives, while another terrorist, Hani Hanjour, flew the Boeing into the Pentagon. All 64 people aboard the aircraft, including the hijackers, were killed, as well as 125 victims on the ground.

Life as we know it changed for all Americans after that, some more than others. The attacks derailed Garzas shot at becoming an airline pilot, and haunted him with nightmares. But the bad dreams have since faded, and his flying career is far from over.

I loved aviation

As a boy, Garza would climb to the roof of his parents Bonita home and stare through binoculars at these little dots dropping out of the sky.

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I found out they were skydivers, he remembered. He read up on the sport and, in a burst of childhood enthusiasm, goaded his friend into riding their bikes some 20 miles to get a closer look. They came home after dark, exhausted, dehydrated and in trouble with his mom. But Garza was hooked.

I knew that was something I wanted to get involved with at an early age, he said.

It wasnt until his 30s, after working several years in Navy shipyards, that Garza decided to pursue his passion.

He said the ink was practically still wet on his commercial pilots license when he applied at the skydiving place from his boyhood. He flew on weekends and days off for Parachutes Over San Diego, dropping jumpers out of a modified Cessna 182. (He also learned to skydive. Hes got 24 jumps under his belt.) When the company closed about three years later, he decided to teach flying full time.

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In his early 40s by then, Garza quickly became a popular instructor at Montgomery Field in Kearny Mesa.

I loved aviation and I loved teaching people. That was a natural, he explained.

In May 2000, hed take on his most infamous clients.

Dumb and Dumber

The flight instruction of al-Midhar and Alhazmi was set into motion with a phone call from the Middle East. The Saudi men had the funds to pay and the desire to learn, and Sorbis Flying Club told them to come on over.

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Khalid al-Midhar

Nawaf Alhazmi

These werent Garzas first foreign students. He was used to teaching would-be pilots from all over  Japan, France, Italy, Canada, Germany  who came to the United States because the cost of instruction was more affordable. He was also used to navigating language barriers.

However, it was clear early on that these guys would be a challenge.

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An instructor at another local flight school had already turned down one of the men after a lesson because of his poor English.

To Garza, Al-Midhar looked a bit sinister with what appeared to be a knife scar across one cheek.

He was very quiet, he had those wandering eyes, always looking around, Garza said.

Alhazmi understood English better and ended up doing most of the talking.

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Nawaf (Alhazmi) actually seemed interested, seemed like a very nice gentleman. Thats the one I had more interaction with. He seemed like an honest man.

At their first lesson, Garza told the men to read the first three chapters of their flight textbook before their next meeting.

It was apparent by that next meeting that they hadnt.

They couldnt repeat back, much less remember, the French word for the rear components of an airplane.

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Did you read chapters one through three? How far did you get? Garza asked.

Page one, Alhazmi replied.

On their introductory flight, as they neared landing, al-Midhar began praying aloud in the back seat, not stopping until theyd touched down.

Afterward, Garza approached Alhazmi and asked: Im a spiritual person myself. Who was he praying to?

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He wouldnt give me an answer, just kind of shook his head, Garza remembered.

At one point, Garza pulled out the regulation book and asked them to read one of the requirements to becoming a pilot: to read, write and understand English. When asked to explain back to him what theyd read, they gave what had become their standard response: Yes, very good, very good.

Garza explained they were going to have trouble expressing themselves if they continued training.

Without missing a beat, they pointed to a twin-engine plane parked nearby, and asked if they could learn to fly it. Then they pointed to a larger plane  a King Air  then a jet.

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You have to learn in this first, Garza stressed, pointing to the small Cessna 172.

Then they asked me if they could fly Boeings.

Vexed, Garza told them hed give them one more shot. He instructed them to go home and learn the alpha-bravo-charlie alphabet used by pilots so they could make taxi calls to the tower.

They didnt. The next flight, the men couldnt grasp simple radio communications, nor did they possess the mechanical aptitude for basic flight operations  straight-and-level flight, left and right turns.

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As they took notes during one lecture, al-Midhar drew the wings on the plane wrong, making them sweep forward rather than back.

It was like Dumb and Dumber, Garza said.

Doing the right thing

Garza was at a crossroads with his two Saudi students. They clearly couldnt understand English well or grasp flight basics. But it was also early in the training, and they had the money to spend.

Many other flight instructors might have kept them on, Garza said. Teaching is a starving industry. If someone is will pay, you dont turn them down.

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Garza knew he had to do what was right.

Thats when I sat them down and said, Sorry guys, I cant continue with you. My recommendation is to go to a school and learn English. They pleaded with me and begged me. They offered to pay me more money.

I felt bad I had to turn them down but I felt very firm in my decision. I was doing the right thing. They were going to be dangerous if I continued.

The pair went to another nearby flight school, which turned them down upon hearing Garza had dropped them.

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Garza saw them once more. They returned days later to pay him for that last lesson, the one in which he flunked them.

I trained two Middle Eastern guys

A year and a half later, Garza was at home when his best friend called. Turn the news on. There are airplanes flying into the Twin Towers, he urged.

The first thing I saw was the Twin Towers, smoke billowing out, and the second plane hitting the second tower, Garza remembers.

The Pentagon crash wasnt far behind.

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A whole bunch of emotions ran through me. I didnt make any connection. They had no connection then.

He drove to the airfield, and by then the name al-Qaeda began floating around on the news.

The owner of the flying club, Fred Sorbi, had heard the hijackers were Saudi.

I told Rick, Go get the file on those two guys, Sorbi, now 65, remembered.

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Garza responded with doubt: You dont think it couldve been Theres no way

It was still dark the next morning when Garza was awakened by loud banging.

Mr. Garza, this is the FBI. Youre not under arrest. Wed just like to talk to you, came a shout outside.

The two special agents who sat him down started with very general questions: We understand youre a pilot. Wow, thats great! How did you get into flying?

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Garza finally interjected: Look I have something Id like you tell you guys. I trained two Middle Eastern guys I suspect might have some connection with the 9/11 attacks. When they came to me, they wanted to fly Boeings.

The agents showed Garza a photo lineup, and he immediately picked out his former students, although they were identified by different names.

The agents then pulled out a notebook, and it contained al-Midhars drawing of the backward wings.

Garza also learned that the Lemon Grove home of a prominent Muslim leader where his students had stayed was just blocks away from his own home.

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The media soon learned about the connection between the hijackers and Montgomery Field. By the time Garza drove over, the place was swarming with reporters from around the world.

He quietly removed his business cards and name placard from the desk in an effort to keep a low profile, and sought advice from a criminal defense lawyer who was one of his students.

But he couldnt stay out of the spotlight long. He agreed to a few interviews  The New York Times was important, he felt  and his story of his time with the terrorists went global.

You did what?

Just before 9/11, Garza went to a job fair for SkyWest, the small commuter airline many of his friends had gone to. He was ready make the career leap.

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Then the skies went quiet. The effects the attacks had on air travel were devastating even years after. He still went to his formal interview with SkyWest soon after the attacks, but he was all of a sudden competing with furloughed pilots from the major airlines for fewer slots. He wasnt hired.

When you get a pool of applicants, theyre trying to pick out the very best ones. Top-notch pilots with clean backgrounds, theyre going to call those guys first. I knew that would affect me.

He applied for several jobs after that but would stay away from the commuter airlines that included questions about ever being under investigation or affiliating with known terrorists.

Garza found his niche around 2004, flying air ambulances. He currently pilots a Cessna 421 for Desert Air Ambulance, commuting to its base in Blythe and answering radio calls to ship patients to and from hospitals around Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. He only works 10 days a month, giving him time to pursue his other passion of serving on the leadership team of the Rock Churchs campus in El Cajon.

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He also still teaches flying on the side. Hes even had some Middle Eastern students, but only ones whose backgrounds he knows.

Rick is an awesome, good flight instructor. Very dedicated, Sorbi said. Hes a very, very good man.

Like most Americans nowadays, Garza dutifully follows new travel rules put into place following 9/11 and other terrorist plots  padding through airport security in socks, removing liquids from carry-ons. But he also is realistic about the myriad new tactics being dreamed up by those who want to hurt our nation.

I think terrorists, if they are really determined, will find a way to achieve what they want to do.

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Still, it gives him some solace knowing that al-Qaeda had two fewer pilots on 9/11, and therefore maybe fewer planes.

Every once in a while, people Google my name, usually people I work with. When I tell them, they are alarmed a little and say You did what?
Diane Mitchell is a high school social studies teacher in Hoke County and president of the Hoke Co. Assoc. of Educators. She has been an educator for 40 years.

Dee Grissett is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator in Robeson County and president of the Robeson Co. Assoc. of Educators. She has been an educator for 16 years.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  The Taliban raised their flag over the Afghan presidential palace Saturday, a spokesman said, as the U.S. and the world marked the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The white banner, emblazoned with a Quranic verse, was hoisted by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the prime minister of the Taliban interim government, in a low-key ceremony, said Ahmadullah Muttaqi, multimedia branch chief of the Talibans cultural commission.

The flag-raising marked the official start of the work of the new government, he said. The composition of the all-male, all-Taliban government was announced earlier this week and was met with disappointment by the international community which had hoped the Taliban would make good on an earlier promise of an inclusive lineup.

In a tweet, Afghanistan's first president to follow the 2001 collapse of the Taliban, Hamid Karzai, called for peace and stability and expressed the hope that the new caretaker Cabinet that included no women and no non-Taliban would become an inclusive government that can be the real face of the whole Afghanistan.

He marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America with a meeting of tribal elders on his high-walled compound in the Afghan capital where he has remained with his family since the August return of the Taliban to Kabul.

Two decades ago, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan with a heavy hand. Television was banned, and on Sept. 11, 2001, the day of the horrific attacks on America, the news spread from crackling radios across the darkened streets of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

The city rarely had electricity and barely a million people lived in Kabul at the time. It took the U.S.-led coalition just two months to drive the Taliban from the capital and by Dec. 7, 2001, they were defeated, driven from their last holdout in southern Kandahar, their spiritual heartland.

Twenty years later, the Taliban are back in Kabul. America has departed, ending its forever war two weeks before the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and two weeks after the Taliban returned to the Afghan capital on Aug. 15.

Some things have changed since the first period of Taliban rule in the 1990s.

This time, the gun-toting fighters dont race through the city streets in their pickups. Instead, they inch through chaotic, clogged traffic in the city of more than 5 million. In Taliban-controlled Kabul in the 1990s, barber shops were banned. Now Taliban fighters get the latest haircuts, even if their beards remain untouched in line with their religious beliefs.

But the Taliban have begun issuing harsh edits that have hit women hardest, such as banning women's sports. They have also used violence to stop women demanding equal rights from protesting.

Inside a high-end women's store in the city's Karte Se neighborhood Saturday, Marzia Hamidi, a Taekwondo competitor with ambitions of being a national champion, said the return of the Taliban has crushed her dreams.

She was among the women attacked by the Taliban and called agents of the West during one of the recent protests. She said she's not surprised about America's withdrawal.

This year or next year, they had to leave eventually, she said. They came for their own interest and they left for their interest.

Hamidi is hoping the Taliban will relent and ease their restrictions, but with a glance toward the store owner, Faisal Naziri, she said most men in Afghanistan agree with what the Taliban say about women and their rules against them.

Naziri nodded, saying preserving the rights of women is not a cause that will bring Afghan men on the streets.

On Saturday, the Taliban even orchestrated a women's march of their own. This one involved dozens of women obscured from head to toe, hidden behind layers of black veils. They filled an auditorium at Kabul Universitys education center in a well-choreographed snub to the past 20 years of Western efforts to empower women.

Speakers read from scripted speeches celebrating the Taliban victory over a West they charged was anti-Islam. The women marched briefly outside the center grounds, waving placards saying the women who left dont represent us, referring to the many thousands who fled in fear of a Taliban crackdown on women's rights. We dont want co-education, read another banner.

Outside the hall, the Taliban director of higher education, Maulvi Mohammad Daoud Haqqani, said 9/11 was the day the world started their propaganda against us calling us terrorists and blaming us for the attacks in the United States.

At a dusty book store in Kabul's Karte Sangi neighborhood, Atta Zakiri, a self-declared civil society activist said America was wrong to attack Afghanistan after 9/11.

He blamed the invasion that followed the 9/11 attacks for creating another generation of hardline Taliban fighters.

The Taliban should have been allowed to stay. Why didn't we work with them? Instead they went to fight, he said." And now we are back to where we were 20 years ago.
BERLIN (AP)  In the second of three pre-election debates, the frontrunner to replace Angela Merkel as German chancellor faced tough questions Sunday over whether his ministry had a role in obstructing money-laundering probes.

Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democrats, who is currently Germany's finance minister, denied his office was being directly investigated by prosecutors who carried out searches last week at the country's finance and justice ministries.

The attack came from his closest rival, Armin Laschet of the center-right Union bloc, who followed up with salvos over two other financial scandals that have raised questions about Scholz's oversight in his roles as minister and previously mayor of Hamburg.

If my finance minister were to work the way you do, we'd have a serious problem, Laschet told Scholz.

The first debate two weeks ago was widely called for Scholz, whose party has taken the lead in recent opinion polls, ahead of Laschet's Union bloc. Merkel, who chose not to run for a fifth term, said this week that her Union bloc always expected to have to fight to retain power after her 16 years in office.

Much of Sundays debate was devoted to substantive issues, including the parties' policies on housing, health, pensions, taxation and immigration.

Despite seeing her party slip in the polls, Green party candidate Annalena Baerbock largely refrained from personal attacks on her rivals and focused instead on her signature issues of social justice and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The next government is the last one that can still actively influence the climate crisis, said Baerbock, arguing that Germany needs to bring forward its deadline for phasing out coal from 2038 to 2030.

Laschet defended Merkel's 2015 decision to leave Germany's borders open to hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and persecution in Syria and elsewhere, but refused to disown a candidate who has polarized members of his own party with anti-immigrant comments.

Scholz, who is seen by many as the continuity candidate despite belonging to a different party than Merkel, pitched himself as the leader who would build on the sense of solidarity seen during the coronavirus pandemic, by raising the minimum wage and guaranteeing stable pensions for decades to come  in part by reintroducing a wealth tax for the richest in Germany.

The third and final debate takes place Sept. 23, three days before the election.

Slightly over 60 million Germans will elect a new parliament Sept. 26. The party with the most seats will seek to form a coalition government and gets its candidate elected as chancellor by lawmakers.

___

Follow APs coverage of Germanys election at https://apnews.com/hub/germany-election
LULING, La. (AP)  Tara Williams three little boys run shirtless, because most of their clothes were swept away, and they stack milk crates beneath a blazing sun because their toys are all gone too. Their apartment is barely more than a door dangling from a frame, so they crowd into a Ford Fusion for shelter.

And as if Hurricane Ida didnt take enough, it has also put the boys education on hold.

Theyre ready to get inside, go to school, get some air conditioning, said 32-year-old Williams, who has twin 5-year-olds and a 7-year-old and is more pessimistic than officials about when they might be back in class. The way its looking like now, its going to be next August.

After a year and a half of pandemic disruptions that drove children from schools and pulled down test scores, at least 169,000 Louisiana children are out of class again, their studies derailed by the storm. The hurricane followed a rocky reopening in August that led to more COVID-19 infections and classroom closures, and now it will be weeks before some students go back again.

How concerned am I? If you pick up a thesaurus, whatevers the word for most concerned, said Jarod Martin, superintendent of schools in hard-hit Lafourche Parish, southwest of New Orleans. We were brimming with optimism and confident that we were going to defeat COVID, confident we were on a better path. And now weve got another setback.

In the most devastated areas, returning to class requires not only schools be repaired or temporary classrooms set up, but for students and staff scattered around the country to come back. That means they must have homes with electricity and running water. Buses must run, cafeterias must be stocked with food and on and on.

After the storm destroyed their house in Dulac, a stretch of Cajun country swampland, 43-year-old Penny Verdins two children and a nephew she cares for began living in their car, along with a gecko, a hamster and a squirrel named Honey. They hope to use some lumber and tin from the carcass of their home to fashion a new shack.

After a year in which nearly the whole family fell sick with COVID-19 and Verdins disability checks were suddenly halted, shes worried about them falling behind in their studies.

Its going to be a big catch-up, she says.

Though many children spent most or all of last school year back in class, some children remained in virtual programs and arrived back in class last month for the first time since the shutdowns began, but the return led to nearly 7,000 infections of students and teachers in the opening weeks. More quarantines, shutdowns and disruptions resulted.

The latest state standardized test scores, released in August, showed a 5% drop in proficiency among students across Louisiana.

The states education superintendent, Cade Brumley, acknowledged that students did lose a little bit and that Ida dealt another blow, but he said all students would likely be back in a matter of weeks.

We need to get those kids back with us as soon as we possibly can, he said.

When the pandemic first raged and students were forced to learn on screens at home, some observers warned of a lost generation of children falling through the cracks. The opening of the school year gave some teachers their first chance to fully assess the effects on pupils, only to have students forced out again.

Lauren Jewett, a 34-year-old special education teacher in New Orleans, already had students who were dealing with family deaths from COVID; now shes hearing about their collapsed roofs, swamped homes and dwindling resources. She had just been starting to evaluate any regression due to the pandemics disruptions when the storm hit.

We couldnt cover all of the things that are supposed to be covered because of all the disruptions, she said.

Many people remain without power or running water, and in several parishes, no reopening dates have been announced for schools. They are simply closed until further notice.

Inevitably, as parents ponder whats next for their children, 2005s monster Hurricane Katrina is invoked. When researchers at Columbia University and the Childrens Health Fund tried to determine that storms impact on children five years after landfall, they found unstable living conditions persisted, serious emotional and behavioral issues were rampant and one-third of students in affected areas were behind in schooling for their age.

We dont have to go back that far to see the outright and ultimate failure of our children, said Kevin Griffin-Clark, a 36-year-old entrepreneur and father of three who is now running for City Council in New Orleans. Now the children are going to suffer even more.

Douglas Harris, a Tulane University economist whose work focuses on education, said he expects test scores will eventually recover, as they did after Katrina, but they wont be a true reflection of the harm.

In both cases, its a significant amount of learning loss, a significant amount of trauma, a significant amount of anxiousness and disruption to life and school, Harris said, comparing the post-Katrina landscape with today. But the disruption has been so much longer now. Were talking about 18 months of COVID. So the effects are going to be bigger here and the amount of time it takes to rebound will be greater.

New Orleans schools superintendent, Henderson Lewis Jr., flatly rejects comparisons to Katrina, saying physical damage to schools is minimal. He said some will be able to return to class on Wednesday and all should be back by Sept. 22. But he acknowledges the hardships for students since COVID-19 first shuttered schools on March 13, 2020, and everything thats happened since.

Its one more thing compounded, he said.

___

Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://twitter.com/sedensky.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  A second man has been charged in connection with this weeks drive-by shooting death of a 3-year-old boy while he slept inside his home in North Carolinas largest city, police announced on Saturday.

Jacob Lanier, 21, was in the Mecklenburg County jail after his arrest on Friday, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and jail records.
LONDON (AP)  A U.S. court will hold a pretrial conference Monday in the civil suit filed by a woman who claims Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her as the two sides argue over whether the prince was properly served with documents in the case.

Attorneys for the woman, Virginia Giuffre, say the documents were handed over to a Metropolitan Police officer on duty at the main gates of Andrews home in Windsor Great Park on Aug. 27.

But Blackfords, a law firm that said they represent Andrew in certain U.K. matters, have questioned whether the papers were properly served and raised the possibility of challenging the court's jurisdiction in the case, according to a Sept. 6 letter referenced in court documents filed by Giuffres attorneys.

We reiterate that our client reserves all his rights, including to contest the jurisdiction of the US courts (including on the basis of potentially defective service), they wrote.

A U.S. judge will ultimately determine whether the papers were properly delivered. Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York will hold the first pretrial conference in the case via teleconference on Monday.

The prince has repeatedly denied the allegations in the lawsuit brought by Giuffre, a longtime accuser of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

When the suit was filed last month, legal experts suggested it left Andrew with no good options as the second son of Queen Elizabeth II seeks to repair his image and return to public life.

If the prince tries to ignore the lawsuit, he runs the risk that the court could find him in default and order him to pay damages. And if he decides to fight, Andrew faces years of sordid headlines as the case winds its way through court.

Guiffres attorney, David Boies, said in court documents that it was implausible that Andrew is unaware of the suit.

Attorneys at Blackfords, who he has apparently instructed to evade and contest service, have confirmed that Prince Andrew himself already has notice of this lawsuit and is evaluating his chances of success, Boies wrote. And even if Blackfords had not confirmed as much, any other conclusion would be implausible  reputable media outlets around the world reported on the filing of plaintiffs complaint, and hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about this lawsuit have been published.

The lawsuit is another unwanted story for the royals, reminding the public of Andrews links to Epstein two years after his death. Britains royal family is also still recovering from allegations of racism and insensitivity leveled at them by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, earlier this year.
TLALNEPANTLA, Mexico (AP)  Fears of new landslides slowed the search Saturday for more victims from the collapse of a hillside that brought tons of boulders down on a neighborhood outside Mexico City, killing at least one person.

Authorities in Tlalnepantla, the municipality in Mexico state where the disaster took place Friday, reduced the number of missing people from 10 to three Saturday after seven of the missing were located, said Ricardo de la Cruz, undersecretary general of Mexico state.
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A beloved pastor in San Francisco has become the first openly transgender bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America  and among the first of any mainline Christian denomination in the nation.

The joy was palpable Saturday as 65 bishops and more than 150 pastors gathered outside Grace Cathedral in bright sunlight to celebrate the installation of the Rev. Megan Rohrer as bishop in the Sierra Pacific Synod. Rohrer, who uses plural pronouns, served as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Parkside neighborhood and chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department before being elected to a six-year bishop term.

Two days of events, capped off with an installation service at Grace Cathedral, celebrated the historic moment for the LGBTQ community.

So many of the places where trans people experience violence these days are in the places where there are a lot of people who believe their faith compels them to divide and to distance, Rohrer said outside the cathedral.

They hoped their installation might inspire a counter-narrative that there is hope.

There is no body, nobody, that isnt welcome in a church like this, that isnt welcome in Gods community, that isnt a full and faithful part of the church, they said.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Rohrer will lead one of the churchs 65 synods, overseeing nearly 200 congregations in Northern California and northern Nevada.

Local dignitaries filled the pews for Saturdays service. They included the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the citys police and fire chiefs, Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Matt Haney and Myrna Melgar, state Sen. Scott Wiener and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.

Others in the city, including the head of the Department of Emergency Management, took to social media to laud Rohrer.

The two-hour service featured messages, prayers, music and Bible readings chosen by Rohrer, including the story of a follower of Jesus who met and baptized a eunuch  groundbreaking in ancient times.

There is a lot of either/or in our church ... in our communities and country and the world, Eaton said. The great miracle of God and the way God chooses to be God for us is that God opens up more than either/or, theres both/and.

Eaton, who said Rohrer was used to being the first, but not last, praised the new bishops service to San Francisco.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Your bishop sleeps on the streets with those who have no homes. Your bishop feeds those who are hungry, Eaton said. This bishop walks not only with families in trauma, but when these first responders respond to a traumatic incident, and these people need to stay with the bodies of those who died, this chaplain, your bishop, stands with them and prays with them.

Rohrers impact has spread beyond San Francisco.

Pastor Noah Hepler came from Philadelphia to celebrate. He appeared on the show Queer Eye, on which Rohrer visited him and talked him through his struggles with being a gay pastor.

Im almost at a loss for words, Hepler said about the significance of the day. We all grew up in a time when the church was saying no, and now we have bishops who are LGBTQ. Its an amazing time to be in the church.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Rohrer grew up in Sioux Falls, S.D., where they studied religion at Augustana University. In 2002, they moved to the Bay Area to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

Rohrer became one of seven LGBTQ pastors accepted by the progressive Evangelical Lutheran church in 2010 after it allowed ordination of pastors in same-sex relationships. The new bishop is married and has two children.

Mandelman, who is gay, called Rohrer a friend and an extraordinary person whom he met around a decade ago while Rohrer organized free breakfasts Sunday mornings at a Lutheran church.

Many recognized the joyous event came on a tragic day, when the country commemorated the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

For all the fear and sadness and tragedy of the last 20 years, Mandelman said, it is undeniable that there has been light in changing social notions and laws within institutions  religious, secular  throughout this country and throughout the world.

The Associated Press and San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Jessica Flores contributed to this report.

Mallory Moench and Danielle Echeverria are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com, danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench, @DanielleEchev
GRIZZLY FLATS, El Dorado County  Looking at the ash-smothered ground where their green, three-bedroom home had stood before the Caldor Fire laid waste to their Sierra Foothills town, Josh Freis recalled his fiancees shake of the head when hed asked, driving up on Sunday, whether she was ready to see the house. No, replied Caitlin Giannini.

Their mix of anticipation and dread was shared by other Grizzly Flats residents who were allowed back temporarily to assess the damage after fire crews finally gained an upper hand against the blaze. A stretch of Highway 50 reopened Sunday after being closed for more than three weeks as Caldor flames blazed to the edge of South Lake Tahoe, narrowly sparing the city.

Grizzly Flats had not been so fortunate. The fire there claimed 650 homes along with the post office, school, church and fire station.

It sent residents fleeing  with Freis, 32, and Giannini, 31, among the evacuees. While staying with family in Laguna Beach (Orange County), Freis proposed, and Giannini said yes. The two began trying to map out a life together, even after learning from neighbors that their Grizzly Flats home had not survived.

On Sunday, Freis and Giannini were among the first back to survey the damage.

The green house that Freis had purchased in 2017, newly remodeled with hardwood floors and a kitchen stocked with modern appliances, was now a pile of ash. Trees were scarred and blackened. The few items that survived now seemed like artifacts from another time: a toy truck that belonged to Freis grandmother in the 1940s, and one of the Toyota car parts he collected to sell on eBay.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

He loaded it into his truck.

Thats $200, he said.

All around them, the scorched landscape was starting to show signs of life. Firefighters had the Caldor Fire 65% contained Sunday night, with a total of 219,267 acres consumed so far  including most of Grizzly Flats.

For areas bounded by the South Fork of the American River and Granite Springs Road, evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings so people could temporarily come back and assess the damage. Fire officials also lifted evacuation orders for all residences in Christmas Valley accessed from Highway 89 south of Highway 50 in Meyers.

Highway 50 reopened to all traffic from Ice House Road near Riverton to 36 Mile Stone east of Kyburz. The section extending to Sawmill Road, within a few miles of South Lake Tahoe, remained closed, according to Caltrans.

Cal Fire

Roughly 1,200 residents of the devastated Grizzly Flats area began trickling back Sunday, a process expected to continue into Monday. They traveled along roads that now formed a sprawling mop-up site, lined with hoses, machinery for hauling, and giant water pumpkin containers that firefighters use to store water in remote areas, officials said.

President Biden on Sunday granted Gov. Gavin Newsoms request for a major disaster declaration for the Caldor Fire, clearing the way for new federal assistance to help recovery efforts. Most evacuees were just beginning to confront the toll that a huge wildfire had taken on their lives.

Allison Kashuba picked through the rubble of her home Sunday afternoon, searching for the porcelain Kewpie doll left behind. Wearing gloves, she rummaged under the stainless steel sink that was still mostly unscathed, brushed away the dust, and sighed. The doll was nowhere to be found. Their 4-year-old daughters melted tricycle lay in the driveway.

The Walmart plate is still intact, Kashuba, 36, told her husband, Peter Kashuba, holding up a white plate.

But nearly all their possessions were gone. A metal teapot sat on what remained of the gas stove. The red glass antique dish set, punch bowl and ladle  all were destroyed.

Allison recalled their custom wood countertops and beautiful French doors opening to the porch. They had lovingly cultivated a garden of green onions, strawberries, blackberries and bell peppers, surrounded by wood from trees that Peter Kashuba, 38, had chopped down.

The Kashubas had recently built a pool for their three children and planned to paint the faded green house a rich blue before the evacuation orders came down. Peter hastily packed the car with old photos, Barbie dolls and the familys husky. He could hear propane tanks exploding in the background. The family fled to Sacramento to stay with his mother.

Several days later, as Allison folded laundry and watched a Sacramento newscast, a photo of a burned Grizzly Flats home flickered on TV.

I was watching and my heart just stopped, she said Sunday, her voice breaking. Oh my God, I think thats the house. Thats how we found out.

Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California

We are going to be rebuilding, but we got a long road to go, Allison said, wiping her hair from her face as she continued picking through the debris.

Down the road, Linda Bolen, 59, stared at what was left of the three-bedroom, beige house where she had lived with her husband, Tony Bolen, for 22 years. Tony, a 58-year-old carpenter, redid the kitchen and built a large outdoor deck and a gray gazebo. Linda helped landscape their home and installed yard art. The multicolored windmills were now black, but still standing. The tin donkey that used to be orange was now gray.

The house itself had burned, and the Bolens found no trace of Tonys vintage Gibson guitar, or the knickknacks of chickens and roosters that belonged to Lindas mother. Linda fought tears.

No matter where we go, its not ever going to be like this because we put our whole life into this, she said. We wanted to retire in here.

Cal Fire officials acknowledged the pain of Grizzly Flats residents returning for the first time to a town that was nearly leveled.

The agencys Sunday morning briefing began with optimism: Winds were calm, temperatures had fallen. Operations Section Chief Brian Mackwood asked for patience on Highway 50, still packed with emergency equipment. Officials warned of distracted drivers gawking at the fire zone.

His tone became somber as he addressed the Grizzly Flats fire victims: We will take care of you, Mackwood said, adding that his crews would help with anything, even if thats just a hug.

In spite of the temperate weather conditions over the weekend, the threat of the Caldor Fire hasnt died, said Rob Clark, a Cal Fire behavioral analyst. Brush and timber smoldered through the night on the fires west zone, and rain that swept through Thursday will dry up quickly, Clark noted.

Just because we dont see a whole lot of smoke in the air and active fire running around doesnt mean the potential is gone, he said.

As of Sunday, the Caldor Fire was the 15th largest in California history. To the north, the Dixie Fire had scorched 960,335 acres and was 67% contained Sunday night  less than 100,000 acres from becoming the largest wildfire in California history.

Sarah Ravani and Rachel Swan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani, @rachelswan
TOKYO (AP)  Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China's growing military influence.

Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defense partnership to a new level and that Japan and Vietnam plan to deepen defense ties through multinational joint exercises and other means. Details about the transfer of specific equipment, including naval vessels, will be worked out in subsequent talks, the ministry said.

Kishis meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi coincided with a two-day visit to the Vietnamese capital by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He wrapped up his visit by saying China plans to donate 3 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Vietnam.

The agreement comes two weeks after the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation. During the tour, Harris urged countries to stand up against bullying by China in the South China Sea.

Japans Defense Ministry said in a statement that Kishi and Giang agreed on the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as cooperation in various defense areas including cybersecurity.

Tokyo regularly protests the Chinese coast guard's presence near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu. Japanese officials say Chinese vessels routinely violate Japanese territorial waters around the islands, sometimes threatening fishing boats.

During the talks, Kishi expressed Japan's strong opposition to "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion or any activities that escalate tensions, referring to Chinas increasingly assertive activity in the East and South China Sea, but without identifying any country by name.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Vietnam is the 11th nation with which Japan has signed a defense equipment and technology transfer deal. Tokyo is looking to expand military cooperation beyond its longtime ally the United States, and has signed similar agreements with Britain, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi
As a doctor who has spent much of the past 20 months working with COVID-19 patients, let me assure you, there isnt a single person in health care who derives any joy from seeing story after story of anti-vaxxers gasping for breath in the ICU. Nurses who watch their young pregnant patients on heart-lung machines, as they help deliver soon-to-be-motherless babies, feel no twinge of told-you-so for these dying unvaccinated moms.

Instead, our rage is directed at the disinformation profiteers  those bad actors with the big platforms who are behind each and every one of these deaths. Some of them run state governments, some have M.D. next to their names, others are millionaires who smugly sit on their Fox News perches and some spew bile from their radio pulpit. They are the ones who have helped drive us back into the throes of this pandemic. They helped us reach almost 3,000 daily COVID deaths for the first time in months. They should be blamed when feverish little boys with brain cancer are forced to sit in the parking lot instead of being admitted to hospitals. All because living in the land of the free means you get to stay unvaccinated and then steal a bed from a kid with cancer when you inevitably get sick.

Health care workers are beyond exhausted by our current delta variant surge and with the unvaccinated filling up our hospitals. And it makes it even worse when some of these folks are our colleagues.

A friend who is a family doctor told me that she, uncharacteristically, almost lost her temper at one of her patients last week. The patient was an unvaccinated oncology nurse.

I immediately understood. Unvaccinated oncology nurse  three words that should never hold hands in any sentence. The nurse later tested positive for COVID.

I know of practices where half of the clinicians are not vaccinated, and following this example, the majority of their staff are not, either. Unwitting patients are coming in for treatment with these health care providers, many with risk factors that put them in danger of poor outcomes should they contract COVID-19.

But behind the millions of unvaccinated, there are those in power who have spread misinformation that has cost countless lives.

Sen. Ted (Cancun) Cruz doesnt want Texas schools to require masks but sends his kids to a $30,000-per-year private school that mandates them. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants to spout personal freedom while he had three vaccine shots and access to expensive and often hard to obtain monoclonal antibody treatment the minute he contracted COVID.

The kids and families who live in Texas, Florida or Arkansas matter just as much as my patients in Oakland. But here we have mask and vaccine mandates, higher vaccination rates, and continued capacity in our ICUs while those states dont.

Even living in a more masked, more vaxxed place than others, this past period of the delta surge has been overwhelming. A recent patient of mine was part of a multigenerational family of 12 who were all COVID-infected, none vaccinated. Two were in the ICU, and the family was already making end-of-life decisions for one of them.

During a recent four-hour stretch of work, I sent three COVID-positive patients to the emergency room, all of whom could not get a full sentence out without gasping for breath and losing their words. None were vaccinated.

A recent patient, an elderly pastor in a low-income, highly COVID-impacted community, insisted he didnt need the vaccine because a doctor in an online video assured him that his natural immune system would be enough to fight the virus. When he told me it was Sherri Tenpenny, I recognized her as one of the disinformation dozen, a folksy Midwesterner who manages to keep her medical license despite her endless lies.

I told him, She is the doctor who says vaccines magnetize people, and keys will stick to your forehead once you get it. Please dont pay her any mind. He was taken aback and instantly disarmed of his opposition to the vaccine.

Another conversation I had was with a young patient who wanted to get pregnant. She was convinced by a different doctor that the vaccine would affect her fertility and pregnancy. She identified this doctor as Simone Gold, another bad actor in the disinformation dozen.

I said to the patient, Gold has actually been indicted for her role in the storming of the Capitol. Did you know about that?

She didnt  and was dumbfounded to learn.

I wouldnt give much weight to her words, I continued, before reassuring my patient about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine for pregnant women. She later got the shot.

I need to consciously take calming breaths throughout these vaccine counseling conversations to avoid losing my cool. And I always keep the faces of the bad actors burned in my brain, so as not to leak out any of my frustration on the often hapless and misinformed patient in front of me.

My rage stays on the inside over the fact that the voices of science and reason have not been the loudest ones in the chorus. And that some of those in my profession  who should and do know better  are among the ones drowning us out.

Dipti S. Barot is a primary care physician in the East Bay. Twitter: @diptisbarot
A year before my grandfather was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, he had regular medical appointments for chronic discomfort and pain. He was agitated with the lack of progress and scared because of his nagging symptoms that no one could figure out. He lived with a question constantly hovering over him: What was wrong with him?

Despite irregular test results and frequent trips to the doctor, little effort was made toward finding the cause. He grew weary of hospital visits that ended with the same response: We dont know whats wrong with you. It wasnt until after a year of him suffering through extreme chest pain, as fluid gathered around his lungs, that doctors finally screened for cancer.

But by then it was too late.

My grandfathers story isnt unique. Across the United States, Asian Americans are less likely to receive quality care and counseling to prevent and manage illness than other racial or ethnic groups.

As someone who is studying the interactions between race and public health, I believe the disparities in treatment and access experienced by Asian Americans are directly linked to a lack of representation in medical research and how medical professionals view them. Despite being the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, Asian Americans are the most understudied racial group in peer-reviewed literature, and research on Asian Americans receives less than 0.17% of the National Institutes of Health budget.

In recent years, the clamor to include Asian Americans in media representation resulted in a highlight reel of depictions of wealth and success. This heightened visibility of the wealthy, combined with the pre-existing model minority myth  a pervasive and harmful belief that due to a culture of studiousness and hard work, Asian Americans are uniformly wealthy, healthy and successful  has cast a veil over the socioeconomic and health disparities across Asian American subgroups.

The category Asian American includes more than 29 Asian countries, accounting for numerous ethnic subgroups and over 100 languages. While the median annual income for all Asian Americans exceeds the national average, 12 of 19 ethnic subgroups analyzed in a recent Pew Research Center study have as high or higher poverty levels than the U.S. average.

While Asian Americans as a whole appear to have better health outcomes, Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese Americans are less likely than white Americans to be insured, illustrating how specific health disparities are not captured by aggregated health data. Grouping Asian Americans into a single monolith impedes the ability of less-fortunate subgroups to access the social and medical services they need  and sinisterly drives the belief that Asian Americans dont want or deserve resources to address the invisible disparities they face.

These masked disparities make it easy for people like my grandfather to see their specific health needs ignored by a system that sees them as undifferentiated from other Asian Americans with vastly different backgrounds.

Representation in research is a matter of life and death. It directly connects to what type of preventative care and management for chronic illnesses and mental health issues are offered or thought to be relevant to an individual. For Asian American patients, this often results in not receiving counseling or getting the screening tests they need.

Asian American invisibility in health research forces physicians to apply universal standards and scales that are not always useful to Asian bodies. For instance, body mass index scale usage reports lower mean BMI for Asian Americans despite studies showing they have a higher body fat percentage than whites at the same BMI scale. As a result, Asian Americans are more likely to have Type 2 diabetes but three times the rate of undiagnosed diabetes than whites.

Aggregated data is especially adept at hiding obesity and diabetes in South Asian Americans. This translates into decreased awareness of risk for chronic illness and limited amount of care, screening and management offered by doctors who are unaware of these risks  or whose recognition of risks and evidence-based screening guidelines is impeded by the model minority myth.

We dont need to throw away existing data. We do, however, need to acknowledge the skewed nature of that research and interpret the data in the context of who is and isnt represented.

To advance the health of Asian Americans and address their complex health challenges, researchers must commit to studying the nuances of disparate communities during the research process, and to creating intentional and culturally competent interventions for care.

Grouping Asian Americans as a singular, homogeneous group is both a strategic political tool and a method of reducing diverse communities into a digestible monolith. This aggregation, combined with the model minority myth and a consistent exclusion of Asian Americans in health disparity research, has harmful effects on how they access and receive care. No one deserves to have their pain ignored or forgotten  like my grandfather  because of inadequate understanding of Asian American bodies and health experiences. No one should go through a year of pain and doctors visits and unanswered questions before receiving a diagnosis and treatment.

Asian Americans are a population deserving of care. Its time for this nations health infrastructure to start acting like it.

Jillian Wu is a second-generation Asian American from San Francisco pursuing her master of public health at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health.
This is the speech Gov. Gavin Newsom should have given during the recall campaign but didnt:

You may think this recall is pretty strange. But you dont have to go far to find a recall thats even stranger.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has spent the past couple of years demanding a recall election. What makes his demand strange is the identity of the politician he wants to ask voters to remove: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

When I first heard about Lopez Obradors self-recall, I laughed. Then I asked myself: What constitutes a victory when you seek to recall yourself? Are you a winner when your self-recall succeeds and you are replaced? Or are you a winner when the people vote down your recall because they insist you remain in office?

Thats when it hit me: A self-recall is the ultimate win-win (which is why the Mexican presidents political opponents want to deny him a vote that might himself look selfless, and thus strengthen his hold on power). So why didnt I  or at least my expensive team of political consultants  think of this self-recall thing first?

While Im likely to survive the recall, it may have been wrong to attack the recall so forcefully. By calling it a massive threat to California, I tapped into fear, not hope. I made the recall seem bigger, and that made it more real. And I made it about me  a big mistake, because Im not always an easy guy to like.

Instead, I should have welcomed the recall, and what it says about the struggles of this state and its people.

Of course, I would have had to point out that the recall petitions sponsors were weird Trumpers who hate my policies of supporting immigrants, the poor and people caught up in the criminal justice system.

But I should have emphasized that Im a huge believer in democracy and the right of the people to choose their own leaders.

I also realize that this isnt the governorship I promised you or that you voted for. Its certainly not the governorship I imagined.

The pandemic and the escalating crises in California, including homelessness and fire, are huge. Theyre causing people an unprecedented level of pain. More than 65,000 Californians are dead of COVID-19. School closures have done long-term damage to our children. Businesses and jobs have been lost. Whole towns, plus thousands of homes and other buildings, have been reduced to ashes.

Ive done my best to respond in big, creative ways. Im proud of most of what Ive done, and when Ive screwed up, Ive tried to fix my mistakes. But I understand if others feel new leadership is required. My fellow Californians are my bosses and have the right to make a change. So I welcome the publics verdict on whether Im the guy you want to move the state go forward.

Honestly, if I had to do it again, I would have embraced the recall right after the French Laundry news broke. Perhaps that would have robbed it of the momentum it needed to qualify for the ballot, or to make the campaign as close as its been.

Perhaps it would have been enough if I had said, I take the blame for all the states problems. Now lets focus on solving them. Instead, Ive added to the political conflict that is making it so hard to convince people across the spectrum to come together to address all the crises we face.

Its been a mistake to respond to the recall primarily by attacking the motives of those who support it. The more than 1.7 million Californians who signed petitions are not all Trumpers acting in bad faith. They are our neighbors, and we need them now  as partners in ending the pandemic.

I also regret discouraging all my fellow Democrats from running to succeed me. I love California, and this states success means more to me than my own career, which is why I should have recruited a candidate of my own to run as my replacement. I should have given my supporters a clear choice on the second question on the ballot, and that should have been the person I would most trust to lead this state, if the majority of voters no longer want me doing the job.

While Im very likely to survive the recall, my messaging has helped poison this election, making it more challenging to achieve the higher turnout I need to keep me in the governorship. When you tell people an election is an illegitimate trick, its harder to get them to vote in it.

Let me close with one argument for voting no and keeping me in office that you probably havent heard. But its the one that touches my own lived reality.

The truth is that my own personal life will be better if I get recalled. I could give up the endless headaches of dealing with Californias many crises and go back to my fabulous home and loving family (who will no longer get criticized for their every masked or unmasked move). Id have no shortage of opportunities to make even more money in various business ventures across the state. And if I am recalled by a tiny margin and my Republican replacement is ineffective and unpopular, I could attempt a political comeback  perhaps even in next years gubernatorial election.

I understand that many of you want to punish me. But, if thats your goal, recalling me isnt the best way to do it. The harshest sentence you could give me would be to keep me in this crazy job, to force me to keep governing an ungovernable state and to make me preside over a California apocalypse that never ends.

Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square
Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of murdering Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, was turned down for parole 15 times before a panel of the state Board of Parole Hearings found last month that the 77-year-old posed no danger to society. In most states the parole board would have the last word and could order the release of parole-eligible inmates with supervision.

But California, under a 1988 ballot measure, is one of three states, along with Oklahoma and Maryland, that authorize the governor to veto parole board decisions. In a politically charged case like Sirhans, the prospects for his release would appear to be slim at best.

Unless the full, 17-member parole board, whose members are mostly former law enforcement or prison officials appointed by the governor, decides to review its panels proposed decision in the next three months, Sirhans release will be up to Gov. Gavin Newsom, if he survives Tuesdays recall election. Asked about Sirhan at a recent event, Newsom said he would not speak publicly about the parole issue, only about what he described as his reverence for the murder victim.

Anybody that has ever walked into my office, you have to walk by photographs of Bobby Kennedys funeral procession, those famous train photos, the governor said, according to a transcript provided by his office. The first photograph, the only photograph you will see in my office is a photo of my father and Bobby Kennedy just days before Bobby Kennedy was murdered.

Newsoms leading opponents in the recall are well to his right politically and would seem equally unlikely to approve Sirhans parole. And any decision to release Kennedys murderer would surely become a flash point in the 2022 governors election.

Id be shocked if Newsom didnt reverse the parole boards decision, said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford criminal law professor. Although the governor would have to explain why he believed Sirhan still posed a threat of violence, Weisberg said, he would most likely be responding to a public view that this guys crime was so heinous that he shouldnt be paroled.

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that a decision to deny parole must be based on evidence that the prisoner would be dangerous if released, not on the seriousness of the original crime. But the courts have given the parole board and the governor leeway to decide that inmates, despite their age and good prison records, still pose a danger because they lack sufficient insight into their past conduct.

Kennedy, the former U.S. attorney general and brother of President John F. Kennedy, was shot to death in a hotel in Los Angeles in June 1968, just after being declared the winner of Californias Democratic presidential primary.

Sirhan, a 24-year-old Jordanian immigrant, told the arresting officer that I did it for my country, referring to Kennedys advocacy of U.S. military aid for Israel and his support for Israel in the Six-Day War between Israel and Arab nations a year earlier.

He was convicted and sentenced to death. But when the state Supreme Court overturned Californias death penalty law in 1972, all death sentences were reduced to life with the possibility of parole, the alternate sentence under the existing law. The voters overturned the ruling in 1973, but jurors were first given the option of sentencing capital defendants to life without parole as an alternative to death under new death penalty laws passed by the Legislature in 1977 and the voters in 1978.

Sirhan was denied parole for the 15th time in 2016. At his next hearing five years later, he took responsibility for the murder, said he was no longer the same person, and promised to follow a path of safety and peace and nonviolence, according to news reports.

His lawyer, Angela Berry, said Sirhan had not violated prison disciplinary rules in a half century. Parole board member Robert Barton, a former prosecutor and state prison system inspector general, cited Sirhans current age and his youth at the time of the crime as factors in his favor. He was also supported by two of Kennedys sons, Robert Jr. and Douglas Kennedy, though the senators other children and his widow, Ethel Kennedy, oppose parole.

The law allowing the governor to veto parole decisions was passed after courts rejected Gov. George Deukmejians attempt in 1983 to block the parole of William Archie Fain, who had served 16 years in prison for murder and rape in Stanislaus County. The Legislature put Proposition 89, a state constitutional amendment, on the ballot in 1988 and it was approved by 55% of the voters.

Even before the ballot measure, convicted murderers were seldom paroled, even after decades in prison. The board has historically approved their release in less than 10% of the cases, and in some years less than 5%, leaving the others to continue serving life sentences.

Gov. Pete Wilson overruled the board about 30% of the time. His successor, Gov. Gray Davis  who declared, soon after his election, that if you take someone elses life, forget it  vetoed all but six grants of parole, just above 1% of the total approved by the board. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected about 70% of the boards parole decisions.

The trends shifted under Gov. Jerry Brown, who overturned the board only about 20% of the time, and so far under Newsom as well.

And warnings of the dangers of paroling convicted murderers do not appear to be supported by the evidence: Between 1995 and 2010, 48.7% of all former prisoners in California went on to commit new crimes after their release, but among the 860 prisoners convicted of murder who were paroled, only five  0.58%  had been jailed or imprisoned again, according to a report by the Stanford Criminal Justice Center.

You age out of violent crime, said Hadar Aviram, a law professor at UC Hastings in San Francisco.

But while Newsom has overseen the court-ordered reduction of the prison population, now at lowest its level since 2006, and has proposed closing two state prisons by 2023, Aviram  author of the recent book Yesterdays Monsters: The Manson Family Cases and the Illusion of Parole  said Newsoms response to the proposed parole of a Charles Manson follower was a likely indicator of his future decision on Sirhan.

The parole board has repeatedly recommended release of Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted of taking part in two of the Manson familys Los Angeles-area murders in 1969, when she was 19. While Van Houten has a clean prison record and has earned college degrees behind bars, Newsom said in November that her explanation of what allowed her to be vulnerable to Mr. Mansons influence remains unsatisfying  his second veto of her parole, after two similar decisions by Brown.

The gubernatorial veto was introduced in 1988 anticipating precisely this scenario, Aviram said. It was a power shift, she said, from professionals, such as psychologists and prison counselors who advise the parole board, toward the limelight of sensationalized, politicized coverage and changed outcomes.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Salesforce, the San Francisco cloud-based software giant, has offered to help employees get out of Texas in the wake of states recently adopted anti-abortion legislation.

Senate Bill 8 prohibits abortions after a woman is six weeks pregnant, before many women know, and allows citizens to sue clinics that perform abortions and anyone who aids and abets  and collect $10,000. The government itself will not enforce the law.

Salesforce made the offer to employees in a Slack message obtained and reported by CNBC. The company did not take a position on the law but said: These are incredibly personal issues that directly impact many of us  especially women, the message said.

We recognize and respect that we all have deeply held and different perspectives, it continued. As a company, we stand with all of our women at Salesforce and everywhere.

Salesforce representatives could not be reached for comment Saturday afternoon but Marc Benioff, the companys founder and CEO, confirmed the offer by tweeting the CNBC story with a comment.

Ohana if you want to move well help you exit TX. Your choice, tweeted Salesforce founder and CEO Marc Benioff , using the Hawaiian term for family.

The Texas law took effect on Sept. 1 after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block it. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that Department of Justice would sue Texas over the law, which he called unconstitutional.

Salesforces move comes as many tech workers are evaluating where to live and work as many companies offer workers the opportunity to work remotely for extended periods. Texas is among many states that have courted tech employees and tech companies.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Salesforce has delved into political issues in the past. In 2015, Benioff protested an Indiana state religious freedom law that the gay and lesbian community said targeted them. The CEO threatened to shrink Salesforces presence and stop holding meetings in the state. Benioff attacked the law in a series of tweets and rallied business opposition to the law, signed by then-Gov. Mike Pence. The law was revised, and protections for the gay and lesbian community also became law.

Benioff and Salesforce have also waded into San Francisco politics. They contributed $7.9 million plus billboard space and a phone bank to help pass Proposition C in 2018, a measure that taxed large corporations to raise $250 million to $300 million a year in increased homeless funding.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Kansas City Southern has decided that a $31 billion bid from Canadian Pacific is the best of two offers on the table to buy the railroad.

The Kansas City, Missouri, company said in a statement Sunday that it has notified rival bidder Canadian National that it intends to terminate a merger agreement and make a deal with Canadian Pacific.

But it's not final yet. Canadian National still has five business days to negotiate amendments to its offer, and the Kansas City Southern board could determine that a revised CN offer is better.

In its own statement, Canadian National said it's evaluating its options. "CN will make carefully considered decisions in the interests of all CN shareholders and stakeholders and in line with our strategic priorities, the railroad said.

Under the Canadian Pacific offer, each share of Kansas City Southern common stock would be exchanged for 2.884 CP shares and $90 in cash.

We are pleased to reach this important milestone and again pursue this once-in-a-lifetime partnership, said Canadian Pacific President and CEO Keith Creel.

Canadian National's bid was $33.6 billion, but regulators rejected a key part of the offer last month.

The Surface Transportation Board said Canadian National wont be able to use a voting trust to acquire Kansas City Southern and then hold the railroad during the boards lengthy review of the overall deal.

In contrast, regulators have already approved Canadian Pacifics use of a voting trust because there are fewer competitive concerns about combining Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern.

Canadian Pacific set a deadline of Sunday for its offer. Both Canadian bids include a mix of cash and stock and the assumption of about $3.8 billion in Kansas City Southern debt.

Its not yet clear whether Canadian National has any appetite to increase its bid because it is facing pressure from a major shareholder to abandon the deal. London-based investment firm TCI Fund  which owns about 5% of CNs stock  maintains that CN should overhaul its board, get a new CEO and refocus its efforts on improving its own operations.

For more than two decades the railroad industry has been stable, with two railroads in the Western United States  BNSF and Union Pacific  two in the Eastern United States  CSX and Norfolk Southern  Kansas City Southern in the Midwest and the two Canadian railroads that serve part of the United States. Regulators have said that any merger involving two of the largest railroads generally needs to enhance competition and service the public interest to get approved.
The hearing in the disappearance and murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart has taken several strange turns thanks to the defense team's controversial tactics.

Smart hasn't been seen since disappearing on the walk from a party to her dorm on Memorial Day weekend 1996. The lone suspect for more than two decades was Paul Flores, a fellow Cal Poly student who walked back with her that night. Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested April 13, marking the first time anyone has been arrested in connection with Smart's disappearance.

Investigators say Paul Flores, now 44, killed Smart during an attempted sexual assault and his father helped hide the body under their family home in Arroyo Grande. The pair are currently in the midst of a preliminary hearing in San Luis Obispo Superior Court to determine if there is probable cause for the case to move to a criminal trial. Paul and Ruben Flores have pleaded not guilty to murder and accessory to murder, respectively.

Nic Coury/AP

On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen barred testimony related to a number of other "suspects" put forward by the defense. The most high-profile and baffling among them was convicted murderer Scott Peterson, who is currently incarcerated at San Quentin for the murder of his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn child. The Flores' defense attorney Robert Sanger argued Peterson once told people he disposed of a body near a body of water.

Van Rooyen ruled any testimony related to Peterson is inadmissible, as the grounds for introducing him as a suspect were based on hearsay. Van Rooyen also ruled out testimony that would seek to implicate Smart's ex-boyfriend and a Cal Poly student who was suspected in the murder of a woman in San Diego.

Associated Press

It was not the first time van Rooyen ruled against the defense's unorthodox requests. On Aug. 25, the judge ruled against a motion put forward by Sanger to disqualify the entire San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office from prosecuting the case.

Sanger argued that because Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle wore a purple tie to court, he was displaying a bias in the case. Sanger said San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Detective Clint Cole and two other individuals connected with the D.A.'s office wore purple, which Sanger referred to as "team colors." Smart's favorite color was purple.

Ultimately, van Rooyen ruled that colors do not constitute a significant bias that could affect the outcome of the hearing, and the motion was dismissed.

San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office/Handout

The hearing has focused largely on the testimony of experts who took part in the excavation of Ruben Flores' Arroyo Grande home. An area underneath the home's back deck was dug up, and a number of experts testified lab results showed traces of human blood in the dirt. Because of the degraded status of the sample, no DNA was able to be extracted.

The hearing began on Aug. 2 and was expected to take about two weeks. A number of witnesses have yet to take the stand for both the prosecution and the defense, however, so the hearing is dragging on. Pre-planned vacations are delaying the proceedings further, which means all parties won't be back in court until Sept. 20.
NORTH VERSAILLES, Pa. (AP)  One teenager died and another was in critical condition following a shooting at a hayride attraction in western Pennsylvania, police said.

Witnesses told news outlets that an argument preceded the shooting Saturday night at the Haunted Hills Hayride in North Versailles.
AUBURN, Wash. (AP)  Police say a suspect who was fleeing from a fatal shooting in Auburn's Les Gove Park slammed head-on into a car minutes later, killing both people inside the car.

KOMO-TV reports that the incident happened early Saturday. The crash was captured by traffic camera with responding police and firefighters finding gnarled wreckage at the crash site on 15 St. Northwest near State Route 67.
GARY, Ind. (AP)  Three juveniles who were traveling in a car on an Indiana interstate were injured in an overnight shooting, Indiana State Police said Sunday.

Authorities said five people left a party in Gary in a car around 12 a.m. when they were struck by gunfire on Interstate 80/94.
SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. (AP)  A Korean War veteran from upstate New York who died in action during one of the coldest winters on record is finally coming home.

Army Corporal Walter A. Smead's remains were among many that were turned over by the North Korean government in 2018. Scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis and other evidence to identify him this March, the Albany Times-Union reported.
BOSTON (AP)  Candidates for Boston Mayor are making a last pitch to voters ahead of the city's preliminary election on Tuesday.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey, city councilors Annissa Essaibi George, Andrea Campbell and Michelle Wu, and John Barros, the citys former economic development chief, are all vying to be one of the two top vote-getters in the contest.
When Virginians voted last year to create a commission to draw the states political districts, many hoped to head off the partisanship that has marred previous redistricting efforts.

Gerrymandering  rigging maps to favor a political party or candidate  has long been used by incumbents in Virginia and elsewhere to hold onto or expand political power. Both parties agree it damages the integrity of elections, but the complexities of map drawing make it difficult to prevent.

Now Virginias commission is considering an offer of help from someone accustomed to solving complex problems: a mathematician.

Moon Duchin, a math professor at Tufts University who specializes in geometry, has been immersed in redistricting problems since 2016, when she taught a class on voting theory. Duchin figured the field of geometry ought to be able to help. She soon founded the MGGG Redistricting Lab, an effort to apply data science to redistricting.

The lab, which grew out of an informal research collective called the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group, has helped refine techniques that construct representative samples of the universe of valid redistricting maps for a given jurisdiction. When human-generated maps deviate far from statistical norms, it can be a dead giveaway of gerrymandering or some other agenda, Duchin and other mathematicians say.

In 2018, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) hired Duchin to evaluate the fairness of a congressional map revised by legislators, after that states Supreme Court ruled that a previous map was an illegal gerrymander. Duchin found the new maps bias in favor of Republicans (was) extremely unlikely to have come about by chance, she later wrote, putting the odds at roughly 0.1 percent.

In 2019, Duchins lab organized a group of mathematical and legal experts to file an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court about the new mathematical method. They touted what they said was an emerging scientific consensus that computer sampling techniques can help distinguish maps drawn to conform to aboveboard and transparent goals  such as creating compact districts and keeping communities together  from maps created with hidden agendas like partisan gerrymandering.

In that landmark case, Rucho v. Common Cause, the court ultimately ruled that federal judges do not have the power to stop politicians from drawing electoral districts to preserve or expand their partys power.

Duchin has worked with commissions and groups across the country, including the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, the Peoples Maps Commission in Wisconsin, and Arizonas Independent Redistricting Commission. Her work has flagged numerous instances of gerrymandering by both parties.

Last month, she offered her services to Virginias redistricting commission. The bipartisan commission, which has an equal number of Democratic and Republican members, has faced traditional partisan pressures. The members voted 10 to 4 this summer to hire two sets of lawyers  one Democratic and one Republican  to make sure neither party gets an edge. Then they voted to hire two different map drawers as well.

The Democratic lawyer, Gerald Hebert, told commissioners at their Aug. 23 meeting that he approached Duchins team to be his map drawer. She declined, saying she didnt want to work for one side or the other. So Hebert selected another map drawer and proposed that the commission hire Duchin to consult for both sides, perhaps to help evaluate their proposed maps.

The commissions co-chair, Greta J. Harris, a Democrat, greeted the offer warmly.

I am thrilled that Ms. Duchin is on the call, said Harris, one of the commissions nonlegislative members, after Duchin was introduced by phone at the meeting. The work that I have looked at that her lab does really tries to strip out the partisan nature that can be so prevalent in any redistricting process.

It remained unclear what others on the commission thought of the idea. A Republican-side lawyer, Bryan Tyson, said at the meeting that he needed more time to consider it.

I could see some value depending on what it is, he said. But I want to understand what are kind of the contours of it.

The commissioners have pledged to avoid speaking about the redistricting process outside of public meetings, and several members either declined to comment or did not return messages from The Washington Post. Harris declined to comment, except to say that she expected the decision of whether to hire Duchin to be discussed at a coming meeting.

Virginians overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment last fall to create the commission rather than continuing to allow the General Assembly to draw the states political districts. The process unfolds every 10 years, based on data from the U.S. census.

The commission has 45 days to submit new maps to the General Assembly. If the commission fails to agree, or if the legislature rejects the plan, the Supreme Court of Virginia would create the new maps.

The commissions creation came after years of court battles over gerrymandering. The maps in place now were created by a special master after federal courts repeatedly found that maps by Virginia Republicans unconstitutionally packed Black voters into a handful of districts.

A 2018 white paper by Duchins lab found that a plan for the House of Delegates put forward by Democrats similarly diluted the Black vote.

Duchin said in an interview that she wants no part of any partisan agenda. Rather, she seeks out work where you can kind of call balls and strikes, she said.

Im a mathematician who uses open-source algorithms, open-source computer programs, she said. Meaning not only is there a body of literature behind it that was developed outside of the political context, but also all the algorithmic stuff we do is completely transparent, because anybody can go look at the code and understand how it works.

A technique Duchin relies on, which she and others have called the method of ensembles, works by randomly creating tens of thousands of maps drawn according to whatever priorities the computer is given. The result is a collection  or ensemble  of thousands of maps that mirror the much larger number (often trillions upon trillions) of maps that could be drawn in the same jurisdiction under those priorities.

The ensembles can help solve a problem that has long bedeviled map drawers: a lack of neutral benchmark maps, Duchin said.

Youll see people arguing, for instance, about whether if you did party-blind redistricting, would you get an outcome thats proportional to the vote? Is that kind of the state of nature? she said. People have been fighting about that for at least many decades, if not longer.

In recent years, and with the help of refinements by Duchins lab, mathematicians have learned to harness computing power to create such benchmarks.

There are fast and efficient algorithms that build you a lot of plans, Duchin said. Not only are they numerous, but you can explain how theyre distributed in the world of possibilities. Thats new, and its kind of exciting.

Many people approach redistricting with an intuitive sense that a state should elect representatives of each party in proportion to that partys voters. Under this concept, called proportionality, where a party has 40 percent of voters, it should get 4 out of 10 political representatives.

But mathematical research shows that because of political geography and demographic patterns  how densely or spread-out voters for different parties are, for instance  things dont necessarily work out that way naturally. Duchin says getting rid of gerrymandering does not mean getting rid of the partisan advantages that geography and demographics create; it means stopping people from intentionally orchestrating partisan advantage.

The opposite of gerrymandering isnt proportional representation; the opposite of gerrymandering is not gerrymandering, Jordan Ellenberg, a math professor at the University of Wisconsin and a co-author of the 2019 mathematicians brief to the Supreme Court, wrote in an essay in Slate that Duchin likes to quote.

And although Duchin advocates computing power as a potentially game-changing tool, she doesnt propose taking humans out of the process.

In all the different states, as we approach redistricting now and into the future, we need to keep on having these debates about what principles we want embodied in our maps, she said. Different states will come to different ideas about local fairness, about what fairness looks like there. I hope that theyll use techniques like this to help them get closer to those ideals.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. Capitol Police said Saturday it has recommended disciplinary action in six cases after an internal review of officer behavior stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The department's Office of Professional Responsibility opened 38 internal investigations and was able to identify 26 of the officers involved, the police said in a statement. It said in 20 of the cases, no wrongdoing was found.

However, the police said violations were sustained and disciplinary action was recommended for six of the cases  including three for conduct unbecoming, one for failure to comply with directions, one for improper remarks" and one for improper dissemination of information.

It was unclear in the statement whether a case was an individual officer or if an officer could be cited in more than one case. Names of the officers involved and details about the behavior or actions that led to the alleged violations were not made public.

The statement also said the U.S. attorneys office did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime.

More than 600 people face charges in the Jan. 6 attack, in which a mob loyal to then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, battled police and tried to stop the certification of the election victory for President Joe Biden.

The statement said an internal review of one other case is pending of an official accused of unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming." It said that internal investigation started after a criminal investigation, and no charges were filed.

Five people died in the Capitol attack and its aftermath, including Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police. A police officer who battled the mob died later, and several officers later took their own lives.

This week, the USCP provided the information to the Justice Department as part of its ongoing prosecution of those involved in the Jan. 6 attack.

The police opened the internal investigation in February, and announced at the time it was suspending six officers with pay. Whether they were among those recommended for discipline was unclear in the statement.

The department said the six cases should not diminish the heroic efforts of the Capitol Police on Jan. 6.
CANON CITY, Colo. (AP)  Growing up in rural Michigan, Dawn Ketcham didnt think much of mobile home parks and the people who lived there.

I thought they were trailer trash, she said.

Then Ketcham moved into the Central Manufactured Home Community, a tight-knit park in Canon City where neighbors bake each other fresh banana bread, watch their grandkids and chat easily on their porches.

These people werent trailer trash, Ketcham realized  just everyday folks who couldnt afford $450,000 mortgages in other parts of town.

And for her first eight years, life was good. Until RV Horizons-Impact Communities, a Cedaredge-based company, bought the park.

Suddenly, rent started rising. With a degenerative back condition that leaves her unable to work, Ketcham is slowly losing any wiggle room on her $800-a-month disability budget.

A pipe issue left standing water in her yard for months, attracting mice and gnats that flew into her mouth every time she brushed her teeth. Sewage backed up into her bathtub.

Theyre just money-hungry little (expletive), Ketcham said. Im not renting property, just a small little piece of land.

Residents say this is life at a mobile home park run by RV Horizons-Impact Communities, a company on Colorados Western Slope that stakes its claim as the fifth-largest owner of mobile home parks in the United States. Lawsuits, compliance complaints and protests against the company are piling up  and state regulators are taking notice.

As of mid-August, there were open complaints filed to the states new Mobile Home Oversight Program at eight of RV Horizons-Impact Communities 18 Colorado parks, according to state data. Regulators, meanwhile, recently subpoenaed records from one of the owners regarding sewage, water and tree issues at an Eckert mobile home park.

This is par for the course for David Reynolds and Frank Rolfe, residents in their mobile home parks say. The pair, along with owning RV Horizons-Impact Communities, run a training course on the Front Range on how to get rich in mobile home park ownership.

At Mobile Home University, the owners teach attendees to increase rents relentlessly because mobile home owners  contrary to their name  generally cant afford to move. Remove amenities such as pools or playgrounds. Say goodbye to laundry rooms or vending machines.

Affordable Housing is the hottest arena in commercial real estate right now, their website states prominently. With over 20% of Americans trying to live on $20,000 per year or less, the demand for mobile homes has never been higher  and the big winners are the owners of the mobile home parks in which those customers reside.

While Reynolds and Rolfe profit off their parks, people like Ketcham are paying more than $500 out of an $800-a-month fixed income to rent the land beneath her Canon City mobile home. Earlier this summer, the water went out for six days at homes throughout the park, forcing elderly and disabled residents to lug their own water from across the park. Toilets sat unflushed.

This is one of our countrys primary methods of low-income homeownership, said Esther Sullivan, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Denver, who wrote a book on manufactured housing. It is incredibly important not just as a source of affordable shelter, but also as a route to the American dream of homeownership for those of less means.

 Mobile Home University

Reynolds and Rolfe have not been shy about how they make their money  and they set up Mobile Home University to teach others how to follow in their footsteps.

Company representatives declined multiple interview requests from The Denver Post as well as a request to attend a recent three-day seminar. But a review of past interviews, as well as the companys own blog, sheds light on how these two individuals think about the mobile home industry and the residents who reside in their parks.

Early on, Rolfe said he assumed that virtually everyone who lived in a mobile home was a drug addict, a hooker, and just the scum of the earth, the mobile home park owner said in a 2016 interview, according to The New Yorker. He later came to realize, the profile notes, that just because the tenants were poor didnt mean they were dangerous or stupid.

Reynolds and Rolfe say they own the fifth-largest number of mobile home parks in the country, though its unclear how many they actually own. On their website, the owners at various times say they own 170 parks across 20 states, 250 parks in 25 states, and 280 communities across nearly 30 states.

Eighteen of those parks are in Colorado, across a wide swath of the Western Slope, the Four Corners and the Front Range.

The first thing they do after they buy a park? Raise rent. Then they raise it again, the owners say on their website.

Many investors are able to retire or meet their financial objectives with just one mobile home park, reads one post on the Mobile Home University website. Heres an example: If you have a 100-space mobile home park and raise the rent $50 per month, the increase in net cash flow is $60,000 per year, just in that one attack plan.

Mobile home parks are unique beasts in the American housing scene because people often own the homes they live in. They dont, however, usually own the land on which their homes sit. That belongs to the park owners.

Owners should keep raising rents, Rolfe preaches, because mobile homes are not, in fact, very mobile.

What Ive found, and, again, just as a heartless person, is that the customers are stuck there, Rolfe says in one Mobile Home University video. They dont have any option. They cant afford to move the trailer. They dont have three grand.

After increasing rents, Rolfe and Reynolds shut down any amenities that might cost them extra money, such as pools.

We dont like amenities of any kind, Rolfe told a Mobile Home University class, according to a 2014 New York Times profile.

John Oliver, the host of HBOs Last Week Tonight, skewered Rolfe and Reynolds on a 2019 episode, saying the pair served as a prime example of just how cynical and predatory the (mobile home) industry can be.

Sullivan, the CU Denver mobile home housing expert, attended a Mobile Home University seminar while researching her 2018 book Manufactured Insecurity: Mobile Home Parks and Americans Tenuous Right to Place.

Many of the attendees were people who used to work at places like Goldman Sachs, she said, searching for that golden goose investment opportunity.

The talks were rife with stereotypes of who these (residents) are, Sullivan said. Frank Rolfe is such a colorful character because hes willing to say what other people think, but know better than to say.

Sullivan lived in mobile home parks for two years before writing her book, and as she left the conference, she couldnt help but think about the significant money she spent to attend.

I just kept thinking about how I paid $2,000 to listen to these people talk about these residents like theyre another piece of their passive-income puzzle, Sullivan said. This is everything to the people in these homes. This is their American dream.

 Complaints mounting

In 2019 and 2020, Gov. Jared Polis signed into law two pieces of legislation aimed at shoring up protections for residents of the states 721 mobile home parks.

The legislation also led to the formation of the Mobile Home Park Oversight Program, which gave tenants and landlords a place to mediate disputes without going to court, as well as enforcement measures for state regulators to nudge bad actors in the right direction.

There were 10 open complaints across eight RV Horizons-Impact Communities properties in Colorado as of Sept. 3, state records show, including multiple complaints at parks in Eckert, Canon City and Grand Junction.

Open complaints are not public record, but residents at some of these parks detailed to The Post their frustration and anger over constant water outages, sewage backups, lack of tree maintenance and alarming rent increases that have many thinking about where they may go when they cant afford to rent the land beneath their homes.

Ketcham, who settled a lawsuit against RV Horizons in June, remembers buying crates of tiles to pave a walkway to the front of her home shortly after the new owners bought their park. The crates sat neatly in front of her mobile home when Ketcham received a knock on her door.

The parks then-manager had three tickets bearing fines in hand for the crates, saying they looked unsightly, Ketcham said.

You have two hours, Ketcham remembers being told. If you dont pay, were evicting you.

Ketcham said she couldnt comment on the settlement, but in a complaint filed in July 2020 in Fremont County Court, she alleged that park owners also failed for months to address a defective water line. The issue resulted in standing water and lead to repeated infestations in Ketchams home, according to the lawsuit.

RV Horizons also repeatedly charged her above and beyond the contractually agreed upon amounts called for in the lease, she alleged.

The rent hikes in Canon City have been consistent with Rolfe and Reynolds strategy: Raise rent as often as you can.

Before RV Horizons-Impact Communities brought the park three years ago, residents remember paying $285 a month. Now its up to $507  and homeowners are bracing for another hike this fall. That 78% increase dwarfs the 11.8% increase in rent for the average one-bedroom home in Fremont County between 2018 and 2021, according to rentdata.org.

For Shelli Wilson, who lives across the road from Ketcham in the same mobile home park, that rent number is becoming untenable. She makes $800 a month in disability pay and cant work due to back issues she sustained while doing home health care work eight years ago.

I barely make it, she said. If it keeps going up, Im gonna be homeless. Unless Im able to sell the trailer  but that leaves me to go where and do what?

Nate and Melissa Webb still have two open trenches in their yard more than six weeks after plumbing issues under their mobile home left half the park without water for a week. Nate Webb, who hasnt been able to work in a decade due to a rare connective tissue disorder, spent three hours one day helping dig one of the holes after being told the plumbers wouldnt fix it until they could access the problem.

I was in pain for two weeks after that, he said recently near his home, using a cane for support. The couple and their two children survive off only Melissas disability claim since Nate has been unable to get money for his condition.

One of the trenches still had water sitting in it, and feral cats are now able to crawl into the home through the open hole, Nate Webb said. The couple has since seen bed bugs.

My daughter cant play in the yard, he said. (The owners) know about it, and theyre deciding not to do anything.

Janet Grover, the Canon City parks manager, said all-new pipes are coming into the park shortly but everything takes forever in mobile homes.

Across Colorado, residents at RV Horizons-Impact-owned parks have made similar complaints to state mobile home regulators. In August, state regulators subpoenaed Reynolds for records involving sewer tank, tree maintenance and water system issues at an Eckert mobile home park, according to documents reviewed by The Post.

In Durango, residents in 2019 said rent increased from $420 to $630 per month in just over three years at the Apache Mobile Home Park, which is also owned by RV Horizons-Impact Communities. Homeowners there told the Durango Herald that faulty sewage pipes dont get fixed, so every winter, the sewage backs up into yards, bathrooms and kitchens across the park.

 Problems outside Colorado

But issues at parks owned by RV Horizons-Impact Communities extend far beyond Colorados borders.

Residents of an Austin mobile home park sued RV Horizons in 2015 over what they called illegal evictions. Those residents ultimately bought the park from Rolfe and Reynolds after years of legal action, protests and organizing efforts.

When Rolfe was met by protesters in 2017 at an Austin hotel during a Mobile Home University summit, he said the disrupters were just like locusts, calling the goal of stopping rent increases impossible, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

In Iowa, dramatic rent increases and evictions at a mobile home park in Dubuque owned by Impact Communities gained national attention when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat running for president at the time, wrote a letter to TPG Capital, which partners with RV Horizons, asking for an accounting of their profits.

It also prompted then-U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer to call on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Impact Communities for predatory and unfair business practices.

Reynolds and Rolfe are probably the example of one of the most egregious bad actors in terms of mobile home owners, said Cesiah Guadarrama, associate state director for 9to5 Colorado, an economic justice organization.

Guadarrama, 26, has lived in a mobile home for the past decade, and like many people of her generation, view homeownership in expensive states like Colorado as a pipe dream.

Because other traditional options are limited, this is my first  or maybe my only  option to buy a home, she said.

Wilson, the Canon City resident, worries about others in the park surviving on even less than she. When the water went out for six days this summer  the fourth such instance in a year  she paid for a few nights in a motel for the Webbs, who had nowhere to go. RV Horizons, she said, never offered.

It was really sad, Wilson said, fighting an American flag hanging off her mobile home that had tangled around her head. Because that could be me.
DUNWOODY, Ga. (AP)  An explosion rocked an apartment building in suburban Atlanta on Sunday, causing the three-story structure to partially collapse and leaving four people with minor injuries, authorities said.

The cause of the explosion was unknown, but a local utility had received a call from a resident about a strong odor of gas shortly before the midday blast, according to DeKalb County Fire and Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Melvin Carter. He said 90% of the building had been searched and officials were in the process of shoring up the rest of the complex so rescuers could continue searching for anyone who might be trapped.

Fire Capt. Jaeson Daniels had said two people were unaccounted for and may have been in one of three apartments that had completely collapsed. Rescuers hadn't been able to enter those apartments due to instability of the overall structure.

But WSB-TV reported, citing DeKalb fire officials, that the two people were eventually found safe.

A helicopter and drones circled above the structure as the local Red Cross began canvassing residents to see who might need help finding accommodations. The partially collapsed building and several others nearby were evacuated. Residents were told that Monday was the earliest they could return to their homes.

Brandon Winfield, 28, who lives in a building next to the one that collapsed, said he felt lucky that he avoided injury since he had driven by the site minutes before the explosion. The collapse reminded him of a terrible accident that happened when he was a teenager, severing his spinal cord while participating in motocross.

I'm alive. I'm alive," he said. I've dodged two bullets.

Chantel Jefferson, a 21-year-old Amazon driver, had parked her van directly outside the building and was gathering packages to take inside when she heard a huge explosion and trees and debris began falling on her vehicle. People came running out of the building, screaming and bleeding from their injuries.

"I was just inches away from it. I would have gotten blown up, she said. I'm just happy I didn't make it in there.

___

AP Photographer Ben Gray contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Melvin Carter is a DeKalb County deputy fire chief, not a Dunwoody deputy fire chief.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  A Florida man has been arrested on several indecent exposure charges at various toll booth workers over a week's span.

The Florida Highway Patrol said in a statement that the man was booked into the Osceola County Jail on Saturday.
CARY, Ill. (AP)  Timmothy Etters, a longtime Chicago area muralist whose art work adorns many schools, has died at age 52.

Visitation and funeral services were set for Sunday, according to Kahle-Moore Funeral Home in Cary where Etters grew up. He died earlier this month, according to the funeral home. His wife, Vicki Etters, told The Chicago Tribune her husband, who was also a cancer survivor, died of COVID-19.

He painted more than 300 murals, most of which are found in area schools. They include realistic depictions of school mascots.

He was an incredible man," Vickie Etters told the newspaper. "The reason he did his art was because he loved people.

Timmothy Etters, of Volo, wanted to be an artist since third grade which was also when he discovered he was color blind, according to his website. He said his influences included Norman Rockwell and Salvador Dali and later on hip-hop artists. He had testicular cancer as a teenager, according to his website. He later had kidney cancer, his wife told the Tribune.

During his career he also spent time talking at student assemblies.

Ive dedicated my life to inspiring kids of all ages to identify their gifts and use them to the fullest of their potential, regardless of the obstacles they will encounter along their path, he said on his website.
Giannis Papanikos/AP

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP)  Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised to break and smash the human trafficking networks that smuggle migrants across the border from Turkey.

Mitsotakis, in a news conference Sunday following his Saturday keynote speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair, also said, in response to a question by the Associated Press, that he does not anticipate a new wave of refugees from Afghanistan.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Gunfire claimed the lives of three people around Philadelphia and a dozen others were wounded by shots and a stabbing over the weekend, police said.

Police said a 24-year-old man shot twice in the head on a north Philadelphia street shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday died at Temple University Hospital. Another 24-year-old man shot in the hip was in critical but stable condition and a 25-year-old man was listed as stable.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Former House Speaker Mike Hubbard in a Friday court filing apologized for his ethics conviction that he said hurt the state and his family as his attorney filed a request for his early release after serving one year of a 28-month sentence.

Hubbard's attorney argued his sentence of over two years behind bars is out of line with punishments handed down to other officials convicted of violating the state ethics law. In a letter to the judge, Hubbard wrote that, I recognize and admit my errors and apologized to the people of the state and others.

My conviction has severely damaged and embarrassed me and and my family, friends, former constituents, community, church, the legislature and the state of Alabama. For this, I am severely sorry and respectfully ask forgiveness from everyone affected, Hubbard wrote in the letter to Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker.

He wrote that it was embarrassing to be convicted of violating an ethics law he oversaw being drafted and approved by lawmakers. Whether a criminal defendant has accepted responsibility and expressed remorse is often a factor when a judge weighs a request for leniency.

A jury in 2016 convicted Hubbard of violating the state ethics law, including using his public office for personal financial gain. Prosecutors accused Hubbard of leveraging his powerful public office to obtain clients and investments for his businesses, violating the prohibition against giving a thing of value to an elected official. His defense maintained the contracts were legitimate work and unrelated to his position as House speaker.

In upholding the conviction this spring, justices noted that when contacting a company for one client, Hubbard identified himself as a state legislator and as Speaker of the House of Representatives. They also noted how one company executive wrote in an email that Hubbard could get the company, in front of any speaker in the country regardless of party.

The Republican was one of the states most powerful politicians until the ethics conviction in a corruption case ended his political career. Hubbard, the architect of the GOPs takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010, was a legislator from Auburn and former chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. He was elected House speaker soon after Republicans won control of both legislative chambers.

Hubbard was automatically removed from office after his 2016 felony conviction.

Hubbard was originally sentenced to 48 months behind bars, but that was reduced after some counts against him were overturned on appeal.

His attorney argued the 28-month sentence is well outside the overwhelming majority of the similarly-situated individuals that have been convicted in state court of state ethics violations, and listed sentences of other elected officials convicted in state court.

However, former Gov. Don Siegelman served six years in federal prison after being convicted in 2006 on charges that he sold a seat on a state regulatory board to HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy in exchange for $500,000 in donations to Siegelmans signature political issue  his 1999 campaign to establish a state lottery. Siegelman was convicted on a separate obstruction of justice charge that he tried to hide money he received from a lobbyist.

Siegelman was released in 2017. He has regained his law license and says he plans to focus on criminal justice issues.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Adult protective services workers often face a conundrum: Although they fear it will not be safe for elderly victims of abuse to remain in their homes, theres no other safe place for them to go.

Now in Indianapolis, these seniors who cannot remain in their own homes will have a safe haven: the Shalom Sanctuary Center for Elder Abuse at Hooverwood Living, which opened in June on the north side of Indianapolis.

Hooverwood will provide space in its nursing home or assisted living facility for seniors who require temporary housing. Typically the facility runs at about 95% occupancy, meaning theres usually a vacant room should a crisis arise.

The really special thing about this model is that it addresses both the need of providing care and shelter for folks but also doing so in a way that is knowledgeable and is safe, said Han Meadway, director of the Shalom Sanctuary Center.

The Shalom Center will provide the same care to abuse victims as it does for other residents, whether they need an assisted living apartment or memory care, offering one of the facilitys empty beds to them.

About 15 other sites across the country have similar programs, said Hooverwood executive director Evan Lubline, who decided to start such a program after hearing about a similar elder shelter in New York.

Years ago Indianapolis had a similar program at the Marion County Health Center, which would offer people in need temporary space and the services of staff when it came time for discharge planning, said Doug May, a co-founder. In the early 1990s, the shelter closed because it had no revenue stream to pay for itself and the city commissioners at the time no longer wanted to support it, May said.

In the six to seven years the program ran, it served about 100 people total, helping about 10 to 12 a year. The new program will likely see even more clients, as the number of seniors in the areas has blossomed, May said.

The need has to have exponentially increased with the population growth, he said. To me this marks a new continuum of care that has been missing in Indiana.

Finding an alternative place for elder abuse victims can prove challenging and sometimes theres no option other than letting them stay in an unsafe environment, said Andrea Qualitza, director of adult protective services for unit 8, which encompasses Marion County.

While domestic violence shelters often harbor abuse victims, seniors often have needs beyond those typically addressed at these facilities from mild cognitive disabilities to more serious medical conditions. Other seniors may wind up spending longer than necessary stints in the hospital, while social workers search for appropriate placements, those in the field say.

That leaves us in a bind, Qualitza said. This shelter pretty much provides the appropriate level of care for our victims and fills in that much-needed gap for a short-term safe environment.

In some instances having this alternative will allow the adult protective investigator to do more research to see whether criminal charges need to be brought. Elder abuse cases can range from physical abuse to financial abuse. Often times the abusers may be caregivers, including caregiver relatives, whom the senior may not view as an abuser.

One recent case entailed an adult son who was caring for his mother who had dementia, Qualitza said. When he went to work, he would confine her in her bedroom tethered to her bed without food and water so she would not leave the home and get lost. She had no physical signs of neglect or abuse but would be a perfect candidate for a program such as this, Qualitza said.

When adult protective services workers find someone who could benefit from a different environment, they look first among the persons friends and families to see if someone could take them in at least temporarily. Last year, about 15 to 20 people might have benefitted from this new shelter program, Qualitza said.

Despite the need, only about 20 other similar shelters exist around the country, said Joy Solomon, managing attorney for the Weinberg Center for Elder Justice in New York, whose shelter inspired Lubline to start the Indianapolis program. Some programs are slightly different; in Buffalo for instance a legal service agency handles referrals and then contacts a network of organizations to see which can help.

The New York shelter, which started in 2005, now receives referrals from police, adult protective services, hospitals, and the district attorneys office as well as other places, Solomon said. Each year the program serves between 20 and 30 people.

The number of people who need shelter is not significant but for the people who do its critical, Solomon said.

In many cases seniors themselves do not want to report the abuse, she said. The perpetrator may be an adult child or they may feel embarrassed that they allowed themselves to become victimized.

Statistics suggest that one out of every six older adults experiences some abuse in his or her lifetime, either financial, psychological, physical or sexual.

And, abuse of seniors appears to be increasing, Solomon said.

I think were really identifying ageism, in a culture that is youth based, seeing a greater prevalence and incidence, Solomon said. Its definitely on the rise.

In Indianapolis Lubline said he hopes that the program helps raise awareness of the problem of elder abuse and leads to other places in the state starting programs of their own.

I think its our time to really help those individuals in need the proper way and not just talking about, but doing something about it, he said. Our goal is to bring awareness that this is OK.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico health officials in late June briefly opened a window to submit applications for lucrative licenses for pot production and then approved the only application received, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.

The Health Department's handling of the process that resulted in the license being issued June 28 to Albuquerque-based GH LLC after minimal public notice has prompted allegations of favoritism and calls for an investigation.

In my opinion, this was a dirty affair, said Willie Ford, managing director of Reynold Greenleaf & Associates, a consulting firm for cannabis businesses. This was obviously somebody making it happen for somebody else.

The state had not allowed producers to apply for licenses in the previous six years, as the new Cannabis Control Division of the state Regulation and Licensing Department prepared to take oversight of licensing of the cannabis industry on June 29. New Mexico this year legalized recreational marijuana and those sales will start by April 1, 2022.

The Health Department's June 23 website posting of Medical Cannabis Licensed Non-Profit Producer Application Instructions didn't explicitly say the department was accepting new applications, though an online application form gave a June 28 deadline, the New Mexican reported.

Documents obtained under a public records showed that GH LLC submitted a 713-page application for a nonprofit medical cannabis producer license June 25 and that two senior Health Department officials inspected the company's facilities two days later on a Sunday, one day before the license was granted.

GH LLC submitted an application like everyone else, said company founder Vance Dugger, who is also CEO or founder of three road service and towing companies.

Health Department spokeswoman Baylee Rawson told the New Mexican in an email that the agency often posts announcements through the website" to inform license holders and patients about program updates.

Rawson said it wasnt unusual for department officials to work on weekends and that the department had worked for months on opening licenses for additional licensees to help ensure patients had additional options for obtaining their medication.

Rawson did not answer follow-up questions on whether the department had disclosed it was working on such an effort, the New Mexican reported.

Ford and others in the industry said the application opening appears to have been kept secret deliberately.

This new licensee process has certainly ignited a fair amount of distrust, raised eyebrows and questions, said Duke Rodriguez, president and CEO of New Mexico Top Organics-Ultra Health, the states largest medical cannabis operation.

There are a number of good folks who have invested time, effort and resources while not knowing there might have been an express lane, he said.

This is a lottery ticket, Rodriguez said, adding people in the industry are referring to the license approval as weedgate.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (AP)  Potato growers anticipate a solid crop and stronger demand thanks to reopening restaurants  providing a sense of optimism heading into the harvest in northern Maine.

Another positive indicator: A decline in acreage was reversed with an extra 8,000 acres planted this summer.

Growing conditions have been really good. We have a quality crop and we expect good yields. Market demand is good, said Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board.

Growers are looking for something to cheer after a dismal 2020 in which some farmers gave away potatoes to avoid having them go to waste, and crops withered from heat and drought in northern Maine.

This summer, rainfall was nearly 3 inches below average but that's better than last summer, which ranked as the warmest and second-driest since records were kept in Caribou, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures hitting 90 and above can stunt the growth of potatoes, but the highest temperature this summer was 84 degrees, Flannery said.

Potatoes are big business in Maine with direct sales in the neighborhood of $300 million supporting about 2,400 jobs.

Farmers are hoping that a better yield will coincide with greater demand as more restaurants and cafeterias open. About 65% of Maines potatoes are processed into french fries, chips or some other product.

When the pandemic hit, the demand for processed potatoes dropped but it's rebounding. In fact, demand was great enough to drive a 16% increase in acreage devoted to potatoes, Flannery said.

All told, 58,000 acres were planted with potatoes this summer, the vast majority in Aroostook County.
A Georgia man who had an assault rifle and was headed to Washington for the Jan. 6 pro-Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol pleaded guilty Friday to sending threatening text messages about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The man, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr., wrote to an acquaintance the day after the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol that he would put a bullet in her noggin on Live TV and included a purple devil emoji, federal authorities said. In other messages, he said he would run over Pelosi.

I predict that within 12 days, many in our country will die, he wrote.

Meredith had been staying at a Holiday Inn in Washington and had weapons in his camper-style trailer, including a Glock handgun, a Tavor X95 assault rifle and thousands of rounds of ammunition, according to court records.

He was one of the first 13 people charged in federal court after a mob in support of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol. He was charged in January with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to court records.

Meredith pleaded guilty to the interstate communications charge and faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Under a plea agreement, he is expected to face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $75,000, according to court documents. His sentencing is scheduled for December. Messages left for his lawyer, Paul Kiyonaga, were not immediately returned Saturday.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Meredith had erected a billboard in 2018 in Acworth, Georgia, that read, #QANON along with the name of his business, Car Nutz Car Wash.

The QAnon conspiracy theory, which the FBI has labeled a potential domestic terrorism threat, accuses Democrats and some Republicans of being beholden to a cabal of entrenched political insiders, pedophiles and Satanists. Many followers believe that Trump was secretly battling a criminal band of sex traffickers.

Meredith missed the Capitol riot because he arrived in Washington too late after driving from Colorado, he told investigators.

The Journal-Constitution reported that U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Friday asked Meredith if he wrote a text threatening to kill Pelosi.

It was political hyperbole, Meredith told the judge. But I did text that.

Federal authorities have said they are committed to holding to account anyone responsible for the disgraceful criminal acts related to the assault on the Capitol.

To be clear, what took place that day was not First Amendment-protected activity, but rather an affront to our democracy, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in January after Meredith and others had been charged. We will continue to aggressively investigate each and every individual who chose to ignore the law and instead incite violence, destroy property and injure others.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Democratic senator vital to the fate of President Joe Bidens $3.5 trillion plan for social and environmental spending said Sunday he wont support even half that amount or the ambitious timetable envisioned for passing it.

The stand by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was described as unacceptable by the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, who is helping craft the measure. But Democrats have no votes to spare if they want to enact Bidens massive Build Back Better agenda, with the Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaker if there is no Republican support.

With congressional committees working toward the target of Wednesday set by party leaders to have the bill drafted, Manchin made clear his view, in a series of television interviews, that there was no way Congress would meet the late September goal from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for passage.

I cannot support $3.5 trillion, Manchin said, citing in particular his opposition to a proposed increase in the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% and vast new social spending.

We should be looking at everything, and were not. We dont have the need to rush into this and get it done within one week because theres some deadline were meeting, or someones going to fall through the cracks, he said.

Pressed repeatedly about a total he could support, Manchin said, Its going to be $1, $1.5 (trillion). He later suggested the range was based on a modest rise in the corporate tax rate to 25%, a figure he believes will keep the U.S. globally competitive.

The numbers that theyre wanting to pay for and the tax changes they want to make, is that competitive? Manchin asked. I believe theres some changes made that does not keep us competitive.

But Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is developing the budget bill, noted that he and other members of the liberal flank in Congress had initially urged an even more robust package of $6 trillion.

I dont think its acceptable to the president, to the American people, or to the overwhelming majority of the people in the Democratic caucus, Sanders said. He added: "I believe were going to all sit down and work together and come up with a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill which deals with the enormously unmet needs of working families.

The current blueprint proposes billions for rebuilding infrastructure, tackling climate change and expanding or introducing a range of services, from free prekindergarten to dental, vision and hearing aid care for seniors.

Manchin voted last month to approve a budget resolution that set the figure, though he and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have expressed reservations about the topline amount. All of it would be paid for with taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

Congressional committees have been working hard this month on slices of the 10-year proposal in a bid to meet this week's timeline from Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to have the bill drafted. Pelosi is seeking a House vote by Oct. 1, near the Sept. 27 target for voting on a slimmer infrastructure plan favored by moderates.

Manchin, who in an op-ed earlier this month urged a strategic pause on the legislation to reconsider the cost, described the timing as unrealistic. He has urged Congress to act first on a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill already passed by the Senate. But liberal Democrats have threatened to withhold their support until the $3.5 trillion spending bill is passed alongside it.

Neither side on Sunday revealed how they hoped to quickly bridge the divide among Democrats.

Theres no way we can get this done by the 27th, if we do our job, Manchin said. Theres so much differences that we have here and so much  theres so much apart from us where we are. ... Im working with people. Im willing to talk to people. It makes no sense at all.

Manchin spoke on CNNs State of the Union, NBCs Meet the Press and ABCs This Week. Sanders was on CNN and ABC.

___

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP)  Two men accused in a triple homicide in western Wisconsin in July have pleaded not guilty.

Khamthaneth Rattanasack, 44, and Nya Thao, 33, have each been charged with three counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. They're accused in the execution-style shooting of three men outside the entrance of a Wisconsin quarry.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said he plans to join other Republican governors in challenging President Joe Biden's sweeping new vaccine requirement in court.

Ricketts said on Fox News Sunday that Nebraska's attorney general has been consulting with other attorneys general who believe the federal government is overstepping its authority by mandating that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans. The roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
David Zalubowski/AP

MEXICO CITY (AP)  The new U.S. ambassador to Mexico arrived Saturday in the Mexican capital promising to work together with officials here to address common challenges like the pandemic and migration.

Ken Salazar will meet in the coming days with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to present his credentials as ambassador
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Arrests on marijuana-related charges have fallen dramatically this summer in and around Virginias capital since a new law legalized possession of small amounts of pot and residents keeping a few cannabis plants, according to a newspaper report.

Twenty-five marijuana-related arrests occurred in Richmond and in Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico counties in the first seven weeks after the law took effect July 1, compared to 257 arrrests during the same period last year, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, citing local law enforcement data.

A 90% reduction in marijuana arrests indicates that the public policy is performing as intended and in a manner that is consistent with post-legalization observations from other states, said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of the Virginia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

The law legalized possession by adults age 21 and over of up to 1 ounce of marijuana and the cultivation of four pot plants per household, among other decriminalization provisions. Selling marijuana remains illegal until the state lauches a regulated market in 2024 and issues licenses. A regulatory board will help carry out the details.

Marijuana enforcement hasnt been a high priority for Richmonds police department, during a time of high numbers of shootings and slayings, the newspaper reported.

Richmond officers are focused on the evolving needs of our communities to include gun violence, homicides, theft from motor vehicles, and reducing occurrences of residential burglaries and robberies, city police Chief Gerald Smith said in a statement.

The large majority of marijuana arrests in the region since the law took effect has been in Chesterfield, where police have charged or issued summonses to 20 people. Still, marijuana arrests there have dropped 86%.

Chesterfield Police Chief Jeffrey Katz says how the legislature fashioned the new law was poor public policy.

Theres no public marketplace for anyone to go purchase what they made legal, and that means that in order for someone to possess marijuana, they either have to grow it themselves or purchase it from a street-level drug dealer  and thats what were seeing, Katz said. He posted a Facebook message in late June warning residents about the nuances in the law, along with a short video on the provisions.

State law governing possession with intent to distribute marijuana remains a felony offense. At least six of the people charged locally since July 1 are facing felonies for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana.
NORFOLK, Neb. (AP)  Starting in early 2022, public transit will be more widely available in Norfolk and surrounding communities.

To address the increasing demand for public transit in Northeast Nebraska, the newly renamed North Fork Area Transit announced new services that will provide safe, efficient and affordable public transportation.

A new flexroute bus service called Forklift will provide rides along three routes and the addition of almost 100 bus stops across the community, said Steve Rames, Norfolks public works director.

The Norfolk Daily News reports that Forklift, which will operate seven days a week, will also allow anyone who lives within 3/4 of a mile from any marked bus stop to schedule curbside service.

The flexroutes will run from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The system will likely rotate on 30-minute cycles during peak times and one-hour cycles during non-peak times, Rames said.

The North Fork Area Transits existing call-ahead ride service will continue, but under a new name called Telelift.

With Telelift, riders are able to schedule a ride 24 hours in advance. Service is available up to 30 miles around Norfolk, seven days a week, Rames said.

Later in 2022, a service called Expresslift will take its wings as part of a second phase of expansion. It will include on-demand rides similar to Uber, according to Anna Meis, marketing consultant for North Fork Area Transit.

The plans second phase will also include the expansion of Telelift to include regional transportation beyond its current 30-mile limit, Meis said.

The Forklift flexroute will cost riders $1 for a one-way trip and $1.50 with a route deviation. The telelift option will cost riders $2 per one-way trip. Different monthly pass options will also be available.

Funding for North Fork Area Transits expansion is being provided by state and federal grants and is being matched by the City of Norfolk.

At a Norfolk City Council meeting Tuesday, the city council approved North Fork Area Transits request for financial assistance in the amount of $309,533 in order to help kickstart the new services.

About $200,000 of that capital will be used for infrastructure installations, such as the nearly 100 bus stops around the city. The remainder of the citys commitment, about $109,000, will be used to fund a third of the operating costs of the services first year.

Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning said that public ridership in the area has increased about 255% over the last couple of years.

We often think of public transit in urban settings, but its just as  or more important  in rural communities, the mayor said. And were seeing that with the reforms that have been made in recent years.

Moenning said increased access is needed for area residents to be able to get to work, school and the doctor.

The mayor said that partners came to the city about three years ago and expressed that Norfolk needed to make its public transit system more accessible, available and usable to people throughout the community.

Those needs for improvement are being addressed, Moenning said.

The City of Norfolk is an active and willing partner in all of this. In fact, were willing to put our money where our mouth is because we recognize the value of public transit, he said.

Rames detailed the evolution of public transit in Norfolk. Public transportation started in the area 40 or 50 years ago, he said, with a blue bus. Then a Handi Bus system was used until the mid 1990s, when it developed into Norfolk Public Transportation.

The citys public transportation board started strategic planning about three years ago, he said. A year afterward, the board collaborated with the Nebraska Department of Transportations mobility management team in developing a flexroute system.

Last year, the board hired the Creative Revolutions marketing team to help the city envision how to reach its end goal in its public transit development.

Were here to celebrate the next chapter as North Fork Area Transit, Rames said. We look forward to providing this service to the community.

Troy Uhlir, Madison County commissioner, also spoke at Wednesdays announcement ceremony. He said that transportation plays a critical role in the livability and quality of life for Northeast Nebraskans.

Providing transportation options to our residents allows access to food, health care, educational opportunities, community engagement and jobs, Uhlir said.
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP)  Northern Idaho has a long and deep streak of anti-government activism that has confounded attempts to battle a COVID-19 outbreak overwhelming hospitals in the deeply conservative region.

A deadly 1992 standoff with federal agents near the Canadian border helped spark an expansion of radical right-wing groups across the country and the area was for a long time the home of the Aryan Nations, whose leader envisioned a White Homeland in the county that is now among the worst hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Hospitals in northern Idaho are so packed with COVID-19 patients that authorities announced last week that facilities would be allowed to ration health care.

This is extremism beyond anything I ever witnessed, Tony Stewart said of people who refused to get vaccinated and wear masks.

Stewart is a founding member of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, which battled the Aryan Nations for decades and helped bankrupt the neo-Nazi group. Im almost speechless in seeing so many people have lost concern for their fellow humans.

Only 41% of Kootenai County's 163,000 residents were fully vaccinated, well below the state average of about 56%, officials said.

Anti-government sentiments are strong in northern Idaho.

State Rep. Heather Scott, a Republican from Blanchard in the northern part of the state, refused an interview request, saying reporters were liars. Scott promoted mask-burning protests around northern Idaho and the rest of the state earlier this year. She is also among the lawmakers that have frequently pushed misinformation about COVID-19 on Facebook.

Stewart called fierce opponents of vaccines an irrational segment of the population.

But not everyone agrees there is a problem.

David Hall, 53, who co-owns a restaurant in bustling downtown Coeur d'Alene, said Friday he serves hundreds of customers a week and I've heard of nobody that's been hospitalized.

Not a single person who worked for me got it, Hall said of COVID-19. I don't know where (patients) are coming from."

One thing Hall does know is news of packed hospitals is bad for business, saying his revenues have dropped.

Don Kress, 65, of Coeur d'Alene, said he believes that Kootenai Health, the town's major hospital, is overflowing with patients.

It's become such a politicized issue, he said of COVID-19. If you take the politics out of it and let common sense prevail, people will get the shot.

Northern Idaho has had an anti-government segment of the population for decades. It was the site of the standoff at Ruby Ridge, north of the town of Sandpoint.

Randy Weaver moved his family to the area in the 1980s to escape what he saw as a corrupt world. Over time, federal agents began investigating the Army veteran for possible ties to white supremacist and anti-government groups. Weaver was eventually suspected of selling a government informant two illegal sawed-off shotguns.

To avoid arrest, Weaver holed up on his land.

On Aug. 21, 1992, a team of U.S. marshals scouting the forest to find suitable places to ambush and arrest Weaver came across his friend, Kevin Harris, and Weavers 14-year-old son Samuel in the woods. A gunfight broke out. Samuel Weaver and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan were killed.

The next day, an FBI sniper shot and wounded Randy Weaver. As members of the group ran back toward the house, the sniper fired a second bullet, which passed through wife Vicki Weavers head  killing her  and wounding Harris in the chest. The family surrendered on Aug. 31, 1992.

The Aryan Nations was not specifically anti-government, but it drew many disaffected people to the area after white supremacist Richard Butler moved there in 1973 from California.

Four years after moving to rural Kootenai County, Butler  a former aeronautical engineer  started a compound. The 20-acre site north of Hayden Lake would become a racist encampment that drew people from across the country. The group held parades in downtown Coeur dAlene and annual summits at the compound. By the 1990s, the Aryan Nations had one of the first hate websites.

The Aryan Nations compound and its contents were burned and bulldozed after a lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center bankrupted the group in 2000.

Now COVID-19 has exacerbated conflicts in Coeur d'Alene, a fast-growing resort and retirement community that hugs the shore of a namesake lake and draws celebrities and the rich to gorgeous lakefront homes. High-rise condos have replaced lumber mills near the lakefront, and swanky stores abound.

Last year, armed groups patrolled the city's downtown core to protect against non-existent Black Lives Matter protesters.

COVID-19 has thrived in this environment.

Kootenai Health has 200 beds for medical or surgical patients. On Wednesday, Kootenai Healths doctors and nurses were caring for 218 medical and surgical patients, aided by military doctors and nurses called in to help with the surge.

On Friday, the hospital tallied 101 COVID-19 patients, including 35 requiring critical care. The hospital normally has just 26 intensive care unit beds.

Jeanette Laster is executive director of the Human Rights Education Institute, which was established in the wake of the Aryan Nation's rise in the region.

She cautioned that it is incorrect to assume that the neo-Nazi philosophy of the Aryans is related to the anti-government sentiments that now dominate the political agenda.

The Aryan Nations was a white supremacist, antisemitic group, she said, while anti-government sentiments are rooted in freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.

I don't feel the majority of our community is hateful, Laster said. This is more about constitutional rights.

Distrust of the media and authorities is also an issue, she said.

People are begging for accurate information, Laster said. There's a lot of fear.
NEW YORK (AP)  New York Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand pushed Sunday for $33 million in federal funding to upgrade weather warning systems across the state and the country, in response to the deadly, flooding rains dumped by the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

The Democratic senators said a web of 126 observation stations in New York, called a mesonet, needs upgrades and money for maintenance as climate change makes weather forecasting more difficult. They're asking for $3 million in the next federal budget for the University at Albany, which hosts New York's mesonet.
CADIZ, Ohio (AP)  Officials have announced plans for a magnesium plant in eastern Ohio that they say will create 200 full-time and 500 part-time jobs.

Western Magnesium Corp. representatives and elected officials gathered last week at the Cadiz Industrial Park in Harrison County to unveil a sign marking the site of the proposed 300,000 square-foot-plant to be built on the 122-acre site.
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) 

Like the deep roots of the native plants studied there, much of the value of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ecology Center lies hidden deep below the surface.

Switchgrass roots, native to the Cajun prairie, have been known to grow as deep as 7 feet into the south Louisiana soil, making it a great candidate to battle coastal erosion.

The center provides resources for research, education and community activities in ecology and environmental biology, but you might never know it unless you make the drive to the 50-acre plot of grassland in Carencro.

That site features a large greenhouse, just rebuilt after Hurricane Delta, and a building for classrooms, offices and a refrigerated seed storage area. The fields are home to 70 species of rare native plants like switchgrass, little bluestem and a type of ashy sunflower called Cajun Sunrise.

Visitors, be they college researchers or elementary students, can pluck a leaf from a white mountain mint plant to smell and taste for themselves. There are flowers covered with tiny bags to prevent cross-pollination, so graduate students can observe what happens when only one insect pollinates one flower.

Rows of blue water tanks hold tiny mosquitofish for a professor to study and compare their evolution. And a block of wetland plants serves as seed production and harvest for future restoration projects.

The place is ripe for research on super pollinators, rain exclusion, ecosystem change and coastal erosion, Operations Manager Andre Daugereaux said.

Daugereaux, who has been leading the center since 2009, said right now there are probably 12 to 18 graduate students and five or six professors conducting research on site. The center also usually hosts private groups with similar missions, like the Cajun Prairie Habitat Society or Acadiana Native Plant Project.

Blaine Novak Pilch is a doctoral student researching how bees respond to the presence of the green lynx spider and how their response influences the plant community of the Cajun prairie.

To investigate this, he has 40 plots at the Ecology Center, each with 10 different native species to which he applies treatments, collects seeds and observes how pollinators behave. He said the center is critically important to his work and field of study.

In ecology, having experiments that mimic nature in a way that cannot be conducted in a lab but are able to be replicated in a way that would be difficult to do in a natural ecosystem is extremely useful for understanding ecosystems, Pilch said. This applies even more to rarer ecosystems, such as the Cajun prairie of which only around 250 acres remains, and experimentation is limited.

Another important topic of research at the Ecology Center is erosion, and its at the core of a new project from the Ecology Center  an outdoor classroom for learning and research about storm water runoff erosion management, native grasses and plants, bees and other pollinators and soil quality.

The work, which begins this semester, is an interdisciplinary effort led by UL Lafayettes Ecology Center and its Office of Sustainability to plant more native flowers and grasses on 4 acres on each side of Coulee Mine, one of the most prominent drainage canals in Lafayette.

Student volunteers also will help plant along a section of the waterway that bisects University Common behind Blackham Coliseum.

A PLACE TO COME TO LEARN ABOUT NATIVE PLANTS

This will lead to a planned Cajun Prairie Habitat and Outdoor Classroom, a place where researchers, students and community officials can learn about the ecological value of native flowers and grasses, the university recently announced.

(With this classroom) anybody can see and hopefully understand whats going on out there, Daugereaux said. You have to see it to understand it.

One thing visitors will see is native plants extensive root systems, which provide channels through the soil for water to infiltrate back in and replenish what is being used by cities, residents and farmers.

This might be done through a plexiglass wall that goes down deep into the soil and exposes roots, which is just one idea to discuss with students from the School of Architecture and Design who will help design and build the outdoor classroom.

The idea is to have a plaza-like outdoor seating area with no walls or roofing  a true outdoor classroom where students, faculty members and the public can meet while they are working on projects, Vanicor said.

Theyll also learn how these plants improve soil health over time, store carbon, attract pollinators and provide food for migratory birds, not to mention the impact the plants have on erosion, Daugereaux said.

Thats one of the most important components of the project, because native plants expansive, fibrous root systems hold soil, reducing erosion caused by storm water runoff, said Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor, director of the Universitys Office of Sustainability. They slow water drainage, which reduces flooding, and also filter contaminants.

Daugereaux recommended planting switchgrass, which grows from the Gulf Coast across Louisiana and beyond.

It does extraordinarily well at sending deep roots and holding soil in place, he said.

Theyll also plant little blue stem, a dominant prairie grass that once covered 2.5 million acres of Louisiana, along the coulee and in the outdoor classroom. Native plants like these and others are able to adapt to changes in the ecosystem, because they have been adapting for years, Daugereaux explained.

Theyve been here 10,000 to 50,000 years, he said. Prairie plants, they have adapted to everything this state can throw at them  hurricanes, winter storms. And theyre perennial, so they last.

A PROJECT THAT CONNECTS COLLEGES

The initiative along the coulee recently received a boost from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation, which provided $7,500 to enable the Ecology Center to hire an undergraduate student researcher to cultivate native plant seeds and increase production.

The support will also provide supplies and labor for planting, cultivation and cover the cost of trucking in compost for fertilizer from UL Lafayettes Experimental Farm near Cade, which is produced as part of the universitys zero waste initiative.

Creating urban prairies on campus is an initiative of the universitys Sustainability Strategic Plan and one that aligns with the Office of Sustainabilitys storm water management master plan. Such areas reduce the need for mowing, provide habitat for bees, bird, butterflies and other pollinators, and help reduce storm water runoff, according to a release.

Other plans for the outdoor classroom project include installation of hydrological sensors at the site, which will enable researchers to analyze soil over long periods for water quality, filtration capacity and carbon levels, according to the university.

Students from the College of Engineering and the Louisiana Watershed Flood Center will be able to study flood control, while students from the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences will be able to examine soil quality, botany and insect and bird populations.

In addition to teaching, faculty research and student academic projects, research gathered at the site will be shared with public officials and water management professionals to inform community dialogue and decisions, including about implementing flood mitigation methods, Vanicor explained.
MADISON, Conn. (AP)  Police in a wealthy Connecticut town where the 2010 killing of Barbara Hamburg remains unsolved are fighting a judge's order to turn over investigative files to two documentary filmmakers, including Hamburg's son.

Madison police earlier this month appealed the order to the state Appellate Court, in a case that could have wide implications for access to police cold case files in the state, the Hartford Courant reported Saturday.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP)  About 300 Purdue University students or employees face disciplinary action for failing to comply with the schools mandatory COVID-19 testing for those who havent provided proof of vaccination.

That includes 84 students on the West Lafayette campus who have been notified a second time that they havent completed required surveillance testing three weeks into the fall semester, Purdue officials said. A third violation could result in suspension from the university as soon as this coming week.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  A shooting in front of an Ohio State university building sent one person to a hospital, authorities said.

The Columbus university's emergency management office sent out an alert just before 5:30 p.m. Saturday saying the shooting occurred on High Street in front of Drinko Hall.
DARAA, Syria (AP)  The badly damaged old section of the southern Syrian city of Daraa, which until recently was held by opposition gunmen, appeared to slowly return to some sense of normalcy Sunday.

The capture of Daraa al-Balad marked another victory for President Bashar Assad, whose forces now control much of the country 10 years after Syria's civil war began.

A Russian-negotiated cease-fire deal went into effect last week to end a government siege and intense fighting in Daraa city with rebel fighters holed up in Daraa al-Balad. But the agreement was riddled by fighting and government bombing of rebel-held areas, where civilians also lived. After the deal went into effect, scores of fighters were taken in buses to other rebel-held areas north of the country and hundreds of others handed over their weapons in return for amnesty.

Syrias Information Ministry took a group of journalists to Daraa four days after government troops entered Daraa al-Balad, a bastion of the Syrian armed opposition since 2013. The journalists were not taken to the historic Omari mosque, where the anti-government opposition began a decade ago.

Daraa province, which straddles the borders with Jordan and Israel, became known as the cradle of the uprising against Assad that erupted in March 2011 as part of the Arab Spring revolts and eventually led to war.

At the entrance of the Daraa al-Balad district, Syrian troops took position on the first floor of a heavily damaged building overlooking a main street. Russian and Syrian flags flew over the building as Russian military police vehicles were seen driving by.

On Sunday morning, bulldozers removed sand dunes that had closed roads for months. Men drove by on motorcycles while some women were walking around the area to buy food products from the few shops that were open.

One person walking through Daraa al-Balad was Ahmed Kiwan, 45, who came to the area to buy scrap metal from residents. We are now able to work freely, said Kiwan, who is from the nearby village of Tafas.

The Russian-negotiated cease-fire was designed to end the violence that erupted this summer between government forces and opposition fighters, and included a siege on the city that had threatened to undo years of relative calm along the borders with Israel and Jordan.

The opposition blamed the government for the escalation, saying that troops were pressing an offensive to force insurgents to surrender. Under the deal, nearly 900 fighters surrendered their weapons and will stay in Daraa al-Balad, according to Syrian opposition activists.

Resident Abu Wael had decided to stay with his family in the district despite the fighting. He said luckily his home was not destroyed.

I hope that we will live safely and we have returned to our normal life, he said as he worked to get his car repair shop ready for business in the coming days.

Daraa was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018 but rebels remained in some parts. Assad has since regained control of most of Syria with the help of Russia and Iran.

A Russian-mediated deal in 2018 had allowed some of the provinces armed opposition to remain in their former strongholds, in charge of security. Government troops retained control of the province, but security duties were divided. Tensions regularly erupted and government troops tried several times to take over areas under opposition control.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Women in Afghanistan can continue to study in universities, including at post-graduate levels, but classrooms will be gender-segregated and Islamic dress is compulsory, the Taliban government's new higher education minister said Sunday.

The announcement came as a Taliban official said Qatar's foreign minister arrived in the Afghan capital of Kabul  the highest level visitor since the Taliban announced their interim Cabinet. There was no immediate confirmation of the visit by Qatari officials.

Earlier Sunday, the higher education minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, laid out the new policies at a news conference, several days after Afghanistans new rulers formed an all-male government. On Saturday, the Taliban had raised their flag over the presidential palace, signaling the start of the work of the new government.

The world has been watching closely to see to what extent the Taliban might act differently from their first time in power, in the late 1990s. During that era, girls and women were denied an education, and were excluded from public life.

The Taliban have suggested they have changed, including in their attitudes toward women. However, women have been banned from sports and the Taliban have used violence in recent days against women protesters demanding equal rights.

Haqqani said the Taliban did not want to turn the clock back 20 years. We will start building on what exists today, he said.

However, female university students will face restrictions, including a compulsory dress code. Haqqani said hijabs will be mandatory but did not specify if this meant compulsory headscarves or also compulsory face coverings.

Gender segregation will also be enforced, he said. We will not allow boys and girls to study together, he said. We will not allow co-education.

Haqqani said the subjects being taught would also be reviewed. While he did not elaborate, he said he wanted graduates of Afghanistan's universities to be competitive with university graduates in the region and the rest of the world.

The Taliban, who subscribe to a strict interpretation of Islam, banned music and art during their previous time in power. This time around television has remained and news channels still show women presenters, but the Taliban messaging has been erratic.

In an interview on Afghanistan's popular TOLO News, Taliban spokesman Syed Zekrullah Hashmi said last week that women should give birth and raise children. While the Taliban have not ruled out the eventual participation of women in government, the spokesman said it's not necessary that women be in the Cabinet.

The Taliban seized power on Aug. 15, the day they overran Kabul after capturing outlying provinces in a rapid military campaign. They initially promised inclusiveness and a general amnesty for their former opponents, but many Afghans remain deeply fearful of the new rulers. Taliban police officials have beaten Afghan journalists, violently dispersed women's protests and formed an all-male government despite saying initially they would invite broader representation.

The new higher education policy signals a change from the accepted practice before the Taliban takeover. Universities were co-ed, with men and women studying side by side, and female students did not have to abide by a dress code. However, the vast majority of female university students opted to wear headscarves in line with tradition.

In elementary and high schools, boys and girls were taught separately, even before the Taliban came to power. In high schools, girls had to wear tunics reaching to their knees and white headscarves, and jeans, makeup and jewelry were not permitted.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweeted Sunday about the Qatari delegation, saying it included Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdur Rahman Al-Thani, the deputy prime minister who is also Qatars foreign minister.

The Qatari foreign minister met with Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund, Shaheen said. The Qatari delegation also met with former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the previous governments chief negotiator in peace talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban have maintained a political office in the Qatar capital of Doha since 2013. Last week, Qatar Airways became the first international airline to begin operating international flights out of Kabul airport, transporting more than 250 foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens, out of the capital.

Qatar has also provided technical assistance, along with Turkey, to restart the airport, which had been damaged by departing U.S. troops who left Afghanistan on Aug. 30 after evacuating tens of thousands of Afghans fleeing the Taliban.

Meanwhile, the Taliban government faces enormous economic challenges with near daily warnings of an impending economic meltdown and a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations warns it could drive 97% of Afghans below the poverty level by the end of the year.

Thousands of desperate Afghans wait daily outside Afghanistan's banks for hours to withdraw the $200 weekly allotment. In recent days, the Taliban appear to have been trying to establish a system for allowing customers to withdraw funds but it rapidly deteriorates into stick-waving as crowds surge toward the bank gates.

Outside the New Kabul Bank, Afghanistan's first private bank established in 2004, nearly 2,000 people demanded their money Sunday.

For Zaidullah Mashwani, Sunday was the third day he had come to the bank hoping to get his $200. Each night the Taliban make a list of eligible customers for the following day and by morning Mashwani said a whole new list is presented.

This is our money. The people have the right to have it, he said. No one has money. The Taliban government needs to do something so we can get our money.
By Bay City News

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office has announced that the last two defendants from a deadly shooting that occurred in Watsonville seven years ago have been convicted.

Marcos Robles will be sentenced to 100 years to life in prison in December after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, firearms enhancements, gang allegations, felony assault and conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the murders of Ramon Rendon and Jaelyn Zavala on Oct. 10, 2014.

Robles was one eight defendants charged in the case.

Robles and the other co-defendants, all Norteno gang members, conspired to kill a perceived rival gang member who was living at the Valley Inn Motel in Watsonville. He and Michael Escobar put on body armor, concealed their faces, snuck up behind the rivals, then opened fire, firing more than 20 rounds.

Robles shot Rendon in the back 10 times. Escobar, in his attempt to kill Rendon, fired numerous rounds as well, according to the district attorney's office.

One of those bullets went into the office of the Fish House restaurant, striking and killing Zavala, 4 years old. Escobar was arrested while fleeing the scene, but Robles escaped, fled to Mexico but was eventually arrested there in 2015.

Brandon Ruiz-Martinez plead guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter and gang charges related to his involvement in the murders of Zavala and Rendon. Ruiz-Martinez will be sentenced to 25 years in prison for his role in the killings.

Copyright  2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2021 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
By Sameea Kamal

CalMatters

Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts.

That holds true for politicians, including the candidates in California's Sept. 14 recall election and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Campaigning during a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic and deadly, unprecedented wildfires, their approaches to the state's problems can vary.

But the facts behind some of those issues don't change. We look at some of the claims being made on the campaign trail and how they match up with reality:

COVID-19 masks

What the candidates said:

Larry Elder: In press conferences and interviews, he has said that young people are less likely to contract COVID-19, and that even if they do, their symptoms are likely to be mild: "The idea that we're requiring children to wear masks, to me, is against science."

Kevin Kiley: In an Aug. 25 debate, said that the harms of masks to a child's development "far outweigh any benefits, and those benefits aren't even very clearly established."

The facts:

Earlier in the pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there was a lower incidence of COVID among children, but that was likely due to less exposure with schools closed and to less testing. But more recent studies once schools reopened show that infection rates can be comparable, and in some settings higher, than in adults. According to the CDC, about 1 in 3 children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the U.S. were admitted to the intensive care unit -- similar to the rate among adults.

Studies cited by the CDC show that masks and physical distancing have helped limit the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

COVID-19 vaccines

What the candidates said:

John Cox: In the Aug. 25 debate and in an interview with CalMatters, he said that COVID is 99.9% survivable and that vaccines work, so "if I'm vaccinated -- which I am -- do I really care if someone is unvaccinated?"

Cox also told CalMatters that natural immunity from having COVID-19 might be better than being vaccinated: "There's a whole number of studies...that say that natural immunity is possibly superior to the vaccines."

The facts:

The death rate from COVID-19 depends on a number of factors, including underlying health conditions and exposure levels based on where one lives or works. The World Health Organization cautions that estimating survival rates can be complex, given differences in how governments report coronavirus cases, plus asymptomatic cases that are never reported.

What we do know: There have been 4.5 million reported deaths worldwide out of nearly 220 million known cases, or about 2% of cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

And according to a CDC study in Kentucky, unvaccinated people were more than twice as likely to contract COVID-19 a second time, compared to those who had gotten COVID-19 one time and were fully vaccinated.

Kiley: In the Aug. 25 debate, said California was the only state with a vaccine mandate.

Kiley also said that Gov. Gavin Newsom cast doubt on the COVID vaccines last October to score political points by saying he would not "take the FDA's word for whether the vaccine is safe." Kiley cited the U.S. Senate Health Committee chairperson as criticizing Newsom for "discouraging Americans from taking the vaccine" and "costing lives."

The facts:

At least a dozen other states had announced vaccine mandates at the time of the debate, though not all were in effect.

Newsom's comments last October came before FDA emergency use approval; the governor said California would do its own review. Sen. Lamar Alexander did call on Newsom to stop second-guessing the FDA, but he said that "could delay approval, discourage Americans from taking the vaccine and cost lives."

Gavin Newsom: An ad from the anti-recall committee says that voting yes means electing an "anti-vaccine Trump Republican."

The facts:

The highest polling replacement candidates -- Republicans Cox, Elder, Kiley, Kevin Faulconer and Caitlyn Jenner, plus Democrat Kevin Paffrath -- all say they oppose state-imposed vaccine mandates.

But they have also said they are all vaccinated, and encourage Californians to get the shot.

Climate change

What the candidate said:

Cox: In an interview with CalMatters, Cox said: "China and India have produced more pollution than the rest of the world combined."

He proposed reducing their use of fossil fuels by shipping those nations liquefied natural gas produced in California. He also said: "The burning of natural gas does not significantly produce greenhouse gas."

The facts:

According to the Global Carbon Project, China's 2019 emissions were 11.2 billion tons a year, followed by the U.S. at 5.8 billion tons, the European Union at 3.2 billion tons and India at 2.9 billion tons. That means China and India together would total 14.1 billion tons per year, compared to 49.1 billion for the rest of the world.

On the impact of natural gas, the U.S. Energy Information Association says that while it is a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel, methane leaks from natural gas wells, storage tanks, pipelines and processing plants are a strong greenhouse gas.

Crime and justice

What the candidates said:

Faulconer: In an Aug. 4 debate, said that Newsom has "enabled the 'defund the police' movement."

The facts:

Newsom has said that he wants to see police reform, but hasn't said he supports defunding the police. In June 2020, he said he "supports legislation to track excessive use of force by police, and to require more training on implicit bias."

In a July 2021 interview, he reiterated his position: "Don't ever confuse me with the defund police movement."

Elder: In an interview with The Sacramento Bee editorial board and in a Sept. 2 press conference, said that he doesn't believe the police disproportionately use deadly force against Black people: "This business about the police engaging in systemic racism is false, it's a lie. There have been many studies showing, if anything, that the police are more hesitant, more reluctant, to pull the trigger on a Black suspect than a white suspect."

The facts:

A 2019 study found that Black men were 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white men, according to data from 2013 to 2018. For black women, the rate was 1.4 times more likely. And a study of data between 2015 and early 2020 showed that police shootings of unarmed Black people in the U.S. were three times higher than that of white people

Elder: in the CalMatters interview: "During this coronavirus pandemic, 20,000 convicted felons have been released under early release, presumably for compassionate reasons. I think it's one of the reasons why crime has gone up."

Cox: at a May 4 press conference, said Newsom "let 76,000 inmates out of jail with almost no warning."

The facts:

While the state is giving 76,000 inmates -- including 20,000 inmates who are serving life sentences and violent and repeat felons -- the opportunity to reduce their sentences, they aren't all being released.

"These changes do not result in the automatic release of any incarcerated individual," Dana Simas, a state corrections spokesperson, told PolitiFact. "This is not an early release program."

Instead, it's an expansion of an existing program that allows inmates to reduce their time served by one-third instead of one-fifth, which has been the law since 2017, for good behavior and for participating in rehabilitation programs.

Other claims

What the candidate said:

Kiley: In an interview with CalMatters, he said a lot of Californians live in "energy poverty," which he defined as when 10% or more of one's income is spent on energy.

The facts:

"Energy poverty" is more broadly defined as "insufficient access to affordable energy." What Kiley is referring to -- the percentage of income a household spends on energy costs -- is known as the energy burden. According to 2019 data from the Department of Energy, that number in California is closer to 4% to 6%.

What the candidate said:

Paffrath: In an interview with CalMatters said, "It's unfortunate that we have a governor that is more interested in himself or consolidating power in his office. Look at SB 7 as a perfect example, it was supposed to accelerate housing efficiency and it just consolidates $15 million developer projects into his office."

The facts:

SB 7, signed into law in May, was proposed by state Senate leader Toni Atkins so it wasn't quite a consolidation of power by Newsom. While the legislation does allow the governor to expedite certain projects, it's not a new concept. It builds on a 2011 law that relaxed strict California Environmental Quality Act regulations for eligible housing, clean energy and manufacturing projects by lowering the threshold to include projects of more than $15 million.

What the candidate said:

Elder: In an interview with CalMatters said: "The reason we're having a net migration out of California for the first time in our state's history -- and we're 170 years old -- is that middle-class people, people making between $50 and $100K, are leaving.

The facts:

This isn't the first time California has seen negative net migration, or out-migration. There has been out-migration between 1992 and 1996, and between 2004 and 2010, according to the Public Polling Institute of California. In 2020, the state recorded its first population decline in at least 120 years, according to Census data.

What the candidate said:

Elder: In a campaign ad, said Newsom "closed tiny stores, but kept big chains open."

The facts:

Newsom ordered strict lockdown measures early in the pandemic in March 2020, but, by July of last year, allowed some to reopen with safety measures in place. The businesses were reopened based on industry and COVID-19 transmission rates, not size. But as a result, many smaller businesses were shut down longer.

What the candidate said:

Elder told the Sacramento Bee that he agreed President Joe Biden was elected "fairly and squarely." One week later, he tweeted that he believed there were "shenanigans in the 2020 presidential election."

The facts:

The 2020 elections were found to be "the most secure in American history," according to a statement from a coalition of government and election industry officials.

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Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming clear after midnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming clear after midnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
SHELTON  A local mother is demanding better training procedures for bus drivers after her 5-year-old son was allegedly dropped off after school Thursday alone on Howe Avenue.

Lizzy Cameron said she has also filed a police report on the incident, which she detailed in full in a Facebook post Thursday, the second day of school. The incident is also being investigated by the state Department of Children and Families, Cameron said Monday.

This incident is just one of various complaints reported against the city-run Shelton Student Transportation Services (SSTS) by parents about bus overcrowding, missed stops and late runs.

My 5-year-old kindergartner was supposed to take the bus and go to the Boys and Girls Club after school, wrote Cameron, adding that the drop-off had gone fine on Wednesday, the first day of school. But today when I got to the Boys and Girls Club, they didnt have him and they called the school and he wasnt there.

Camerons son attends Elizabeth Shelton School and rides on Bus 5.

Just by a struck [sic] of luck  my mother-in-law calls me because she got a call from our neighbors, Cameron wrote. (My son) was left on the corner by himself, and my neighbor who just happened to recognize him, saw him and brought him to my apartment and got ahold of my mother-in-law.

Cameron said her son was left alone on Howe Avenue, a roadway with vehicles often traveling more than the posted speed limit, and not even in front of the correct stop or home.

Cameron told Hearst Connecticut Media the boy is physically fine but a little sour at the school this morning.

SSTS Director Ken Nappi said he was unable to comment as the matter remains under investigation. School Superintendent Ken Saranich said the incident is now a personnel matter and he also was unable to comment.

Cameron added that she will not stop seeking answers to how this happened and she demanded the city-run bus company change its training procedures to prevent this kind of incident from occurring again.

This incident comes as many parents have taken to social media to vent their anger over bus issues, including overcrowded buses, missed stops and long run times. All of these, Saranich said, can be common in the first few days of school.

One parent, Philip Gee, said his seventh-grade son did not have a listed stop.

I had to go to the offices last Friday, in person, to show them this because I couldnt get anyone on the phone, Gee said. The person who helped me was great and fixed the problem, though it did take some time. On Tuesday, I checked the bus schedule and it said exactly what the woman from the office told me.

Then on Wednesday, he said, the bus driver drove right by and did not pick up his son.

I drove him to school and called telling the bus company what happened, Gee said. Today (Thursday) the driver stopped but later I found out she told my son that he wasnt on the list and he had to tell his parents that they needed to fix it.

Gee questioned how bus drivers could not have the updated lists that are posted on the website.

Just to make sure I printed out that buss route and it was last updated - all the routes - on Sept. 7, the Tuesday before school started, Gee said.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
A plane of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Chinese vaccine doses arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around noon Saturday, Md. Shamsul Haque, a senior health ministry official, told journalists.

Dhaka, Sep 12 (IANS) Bangladesh on Saturday received a new batch of China's Sinopharm vaccines against Covid-19 as the country continued to fight the pandemic.

Bangladesh's vaccination drive is now running smoothly in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country thanks largely to China's continued support for vaccines, the Xinhua news agency reported.

To fight against the alarming spike in Covid-19 cases, Bangladesh has signed an agreement on the co-production of the Chinese Covid-19 vaccines locally.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed between China's Sinopharm Group, Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Incepta Vaccine Ltd., a local vaccine manufacturing company last month.

Bangladesh began the Covid-19 vaccination drive in January to contain the pandemic that has spread across the country.

Amid uncertainty over the timely arrival of vaccine shipment from India, the Bangladeshi government later halted administering the first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the country.

In June, the vaccination drive resumed in parts of the country with the China-donated Sinopharm vaccines.

--IANS

int/rs
Among the reopened tourist sites is the Mount Ijen National Park in East Java province's district of Banyuwangi, which has resumed operation since Thursday, after being closed for two months during the early stages of the pandemic restrictions, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Jakarta, Sep 12 (IANS) A number of tourist destinations in Indonesia on Friday reopened their doors in regions that have relaxed their Covid-19 public activity restrictions, locally known as PPKM, earlier this week.

According to Purwantono, the Banyuwangi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA)'s section head, the national park was visited by around 600 visitors daily on average during pre-pandemic times.

Following Banyuwangi's pandemic restrictions being lowered to level 2 this week, the national park will limit daily visits to approximately 150 people, in accordance with the 25-per cent capacity limit for national parks during the PPKM Level 2 implementation.

Mount Ijen's latest opening hours are from 3:00 a.m. local time to 12 p.m. local time for all days. Hikers are required to be vaccinated at least with the first doses and bring vaccination certificates as proof.

Similarly, the Dieng Volcanic Complex, also called the Dieng Plateau, located both in Wonosobo and Banjarnegara districts in Central Java province has also reopened since Friday, following the two districts' restrictions being lowered to level 2 this week.

The complex is also implementing a 25-per cent capacity limit in compliance with level 2 restrictions.

"We're ready to open. We've already done health protocol simulations," the Banjarnegara Cultural and Tourism Agency's Head Agung Yusianto said on Thursday.

Just like Mount Ijen, the Dieng recreational area requires visitors to be vaccinated with the first shots at minimum.

Furthermore, state-owned Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta has also reopened two of its attractions, Ancol Beach and Allianz Ecopark, for visitors who want to do outdoor vacations starting on Friday.

Meanwhile, other attraction sites inside the park such as the famous Fantasy Land (Dufan) amusement park, Sea World, Ocean Dream Samudra, Atlantis Water Adventures and the Art Market had remained closed as of Saturday.

However, P.T. Taman Wisata Candi, the operator of Borobudur Temple in Magelang district in Central Java province, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Temples in Yogyakarta, and Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) cultural park in Jakarta, confirmed that it has received the green light to reopen and operate whilst implementing screening using contact tracing mobile application.

The Taman Wisata Candi's Corporate Secretary Emilia Eny Utari has said that the decision on the operating permit was made for the tourist sites by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs on September 7.

The reopening of the four destinations was because they have all obtained the Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environment Sustainability (CHSE) certificates from the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, Utari said, adding that another reason is that they are located outdoor.

"We still haven't decided when the trial reopening will start, because we are still preparing the implementation process of the PeduliLindungi app. Right now, we're still awaiting the QR codes for the destinations. Once the codes are ready, trial reopening will be held," Utari said.

As of this week, Yogyakarta's (Prambanan temple) pandemic restrictions stay at level 3, the same with Magelang district (Borobudur and Ratu Boko temples), and Jakarta (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah).

In addition, popular tourist destinations Kawah Putih (White Crater) and Glamping Rancabali camping site in Bandung district in West Java province were also expected to reopen immediately, according to Bandung district head Dadang Supriatna.

"We still don't have the detail, but we will announce it soon," Supriatna said on Thursday in Bandung which has been implementing level 3 restrictions since the start of this week.

On September 6, the Indonesian government decided to extend its public activity restrictions on the country's most populated island of Java and famous tourist destination of Bali for another week, and as for some regions outside the two islands, the restrictions are extended until September 20.

The PPKM policy has been imposed by the government in response to the surge in Covid-19 cases from late June to July, driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

On Saturday, Indonesia reported 5,001 newly-confirmed Covid-19 cases with 270 more deaths, according to the Health Ministry. In total, there have been 4.16 million Covid-19 cases reported and 138,701 deaths in the country since March last year.

--IANS

int/rs
A police spokesman said that acting on secret information, police arrested the 26 Myanmarese nationals, who include seven teenagers and rest aged 20 to 28, from a private lodge at Rehabari here.

Guwahati/Aizawl, Sep 12 (IANS) A total of 26 Delhi-bound Myanmarese nationals, including 10 women, were arrested on Sunday as they arrived in Guwahati from Mizoram, police said.

Upon interrogation, it was found that the apprehended foreign citizens belonged to Falam district of Chin state of Myanmar and they were on their way to Delhi to study the Bible. Forged Indian documents including Aadhar cards, and voter identity cards, prepared in Mizoram were seized from them, the spokesman said.

Police have registered a case at the Paltan bazar police station under the Indian Penal Code, the Foreigners Act, and the Passport Act.

According to officials in Aizawl, around 11,500 Myanmarese nationals of Chin stock have taken refuge in 11 districts of Mizoram, whose six districts have an unfenced border with the neighbouring country, since the military coup there on February 1 and few of them have crossed over to neighbouring Manipur too.

The Chin, also known as the Zo, share the same ancestry, ethnicity and culture as the Mizos of Mizoram.

This is believed to be the first case of the Myanmar nationals, sheltered in Mizoram, venturing out of the northeastern states.

Often, Rohingya Muslims from the refugee camps in southeast Bangladesh enter the northeastern states of India illegally in search of jobs or get trapped in human trafficking.

--IANS

sc/vd
According to officials, the wounded men were promptly transferred to a health centre, where they are recovering from their injuries, while the army "is coordinating the corresponding legal procedures with the relevant authorities", reports Xinhua news agency

Bogota, Sep 12 (IANS) At least five soldiers were killed and six others injured in an attack by guerrillas from the National Liberation Army (ELN) in a rural area of the Colombian municipality of Arauquita in Arauca department.

"The soldiers of Colombia express their heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of our murdered heroes," said the Colombian Army.

President Ivan Duque condemned the attack, saying on Twitter on Saturday: "These cowardly acts are the product of despair in the face of military pressure. For the memory of our heroes, we will continue attacking narco-terrorism and dismantling its structures."

The ELN is a revolutionary left-wing armed group involved in the continuing Colombian conflict, which has existed in the country since 1964.

The group has been classified as a terrorist organisation by the governments of Colombia, the US, Canada, the European Union and Venezuela's National Assembly.

--IANS

ksk/
Daily Jang, a Pakistani newspaper in a report quoted the country's Finance Minister, Shawkat Tareen as saying that Afghanistan faced shortage of dollar reserves and that would be the reason Afghanistan would make transactions in Pakistani rupees.

A number of people have reacted to a report in a Pakistani newspaper that said business deals in Afghanistan should be based on Pakistani rupees, Pajhwok News reported.

The report said that Tareen made the statements after International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank suspended payments to Afghanistan.

Raha Press reported Pakistan's most "shocking" economy minister has told the Senate Economic Committee that since Afghanistan is running out of dollar liquidity these days, trade with Afghanistan may be in rupees (Pakistani rupees).

It should be noted that in the past, in many cities of the country that border Pakistan, the main trade exchanges were based on the Pakistani rupee, which was met with many reactions, the report said.

Shaukat said the situation in Afghanistan was being closely monitored and Pakistan would send a team to help revive the Afghan economy.

After these reports, Afghans launched a social media campaign titled 'Afghani is our national identity', Pajhwok News said.

Most of the social media activists shared slogans, such as: "We are residents of Afghanistan, Afghani is our national identity and using Afghan currency is our national responsibility".

Social media user, Abdul Kareem in a tweet said, "I will build my country myself, so I will use the currency of my own country. Every transaction in Afghanistan should be on Afghan currency."

Another social media user, Mohammad Sayeed, addressing the Taliban, said, "Survival of Afghani is totally depended on you, if Pakistani rupees replaced the Afghani here (Afghanistan), its responsibility would be upon you and Afghans will hold you accountable."

A number of pro-Taliban people also reacted to the issue.

Hammad Afghan, one of them, in a tweet said, "If you want to enlighten your future and make a rich Afghanistan, you should promote our national currency (Afghani)."

Sheikh Abdul Hamid Hammasi, also a pro-Taliban Afghan, said: "If anyone values national identity and Afghanhood, then they should use Afghan currency for transactions..."

He said that Taliban should make it clear to all officials, businessmen and people that they would be punished if they used Pakistani rupees.

A number of other people held similar views and said those using foreign currencies should be punished, the report added.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)

--IANS

san /ksk/


Politics relying on communal sentiments is not new -- what is new is the assertion of 'faith' over politics in the Muslim world, to a degree where the community is being made to accept the line that nothing short of Jehad was needed at present to 'defend Islam' and protect the 'Muslim lands'.

When 9/11 happened and the US declared the 'war on terror', two scholars of strategy -- Dr Samuel Huntington and Prof Bernard Lewis, according to media reports they were consultants with the National Security Council in US -- had ventured to warn the world that the event signalled a 'clash of civilisations'.

The Al-Qaeda-Taliban axis behind the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers had planned and executed that unprecedented offensive from distant Afghanistan in pursuance of Jehad, carrying the historical legacy of the Wahhabi revolt of the 19th century against the Western usurpers of 'Islamic' territory and upgrading that fight from 'use of the sword' against the enemy to resort to the 'covert' weapon of terrorism.

In the European context Islamic radicals in some cases even claimed that the terror attack was meant to avenge the 'Crusades'. It needs to be added that the epicentre of that Jehad was in Swat valley of what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Pakistan explaining the Pashtun predominance of Taliban.

In classical Islam there is no distinction between the 'religious' and the 'social or political' dimensions of life and that is why the political decline of Muslims was responded to by the Ulema including Maulana Abdul Wahab of Arabia and his follower Shah Waliullah in British India.

All of this makes the current rise of militancy in the name of Jehad an extremely worrisome development for the democratic world. Since the protagonists of Jehad back it up with the 'revivalist' call for return to the period of puritanical Islam -- a concept no ordinary 'faithful' would counter -- there is a real danger of Islamic radicals prevailing over the Ummah and creating a 'warfare of religion' in the times to come.

'Talibanisation' of Muslim societies is the deeper risk to the future of democracy -- the first preventive step against that has to come from within the Muslim world by way of a conscious announcement by the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) that in today's world Jehad should not be invoked for solving any political disputes involving an Islamic country.

Secularism is built into the character of a democratic state that is governed through an electoral process based on the twin principles of 'one man one vote' and prohibition on the elected political executive carrying any 'denominational' stamp. That is why an Islamic Republic falls short of a true democracy even when it claimed to be following a 'moderate' version of Islam.

In a democracy followers of a religion may be in a minority number-wise but they would have complete freedoms of faith and social customs provided these did not violate the civil and penal code of the state.

At the same time, in a democratic state the religious minorities are part of a common 'political system' by which the country was governed. There is no question of a communal identity being made the basis for demanding a 'share' in the political apex of governance that was installed through a secular electoral process.

It is amazing how this divisive idea continues to be advocated by sections of Muslim intelligentsia who easily forget the perils of the Partition of India. All citizens of India had the fundamental freedom to demand equality before law or equal opportunity to all for economic development -- singly or through like minded groups -- but this does not in any way justify projection of religion in the political realm of national governance.

Any case of public violence, whatever be the context, would be pursued to its logical conclusion, since equality before law and maintenance of order were at the root of democracy.

Election in a democracy, however, is a game of numbers and even if a community is in majority it does not mean that this will lead to 'majoritarianism' in terms of the sway of a particular faith on governance at the cost of minorities.

In India there is a lot of 'minority politics' and mobilising Muslim votes on 'fear' or 'assertion of communal identity' has been common. Many parties went by the cynical calculation that against a politically divided Hindu population, solid support of the large Muslim minority might be a match winner.

However, in the face of Pakistan-backed geopolitics of communal divide that would impact South Asia in the near term, it is extremely important that the thinking leadership of the minority here helped to keep the community from the politics of Pan-Islamism and work for national consolidation.

Nationalism is basically built on shared sentiments about the good things of the past and hope in the prospects of the future. All those who were born in India are the children of this motherland and this symbolism is in line with the Quranic injunction that 'heaven lies at the feet of the mother'.

By giving the impression that they were opposed to the accepted symbols of nationalism some of the minority leaders are unwittingly creating grounds for a political backlash. This is totally avoidable. This is the time for them to join in the call for rejection of Islamic radicals. India is a practising democracy and its benefits are available to all communities. In the conflict-ridden geopolitics of these times, a strong sense of nationalism, to which every Indian is truly committed, is the base of our defence and security.

The average citizen belonging to one community or the other has the same concerns about livelihood issues and family well being -- it is the communal-minded elite and the Ulema who had a history of indulging in faith-based politics for their vested interests. Islamic extremism and radicalism beaming out of the Pak-Afghan region warrant determined action in India against the Pak agents in hiding and those advocates of pro-Pak and anti-India line on Kashmir and other national issues, who crossed the line of law.

The victory of Taliban in Afghanistan has been welcomed in some circles of the minority community here -- this would encourage Pakistan to play with India's domestic scene. Spread of radicalisation in India is a threat that has multiplied because of the current developments in the Pak- Afghan territory in our immediate neighbourhood. India has to deal with Pakistan and Taliban on the merit of their bilateral responses towards this country.

The Doha talks between the US and Taliban have given Pakistan the new profile of a country that did business with radical forces and at the same time offered to mediate between the latter and their hostile opponents. Pakistan's collaboration with these forces is primarily for targeting India.

The reality of Sino-Pak military alliance has enabled these two adversaries of India to handle a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to their advantage. Pakistan has played a role in establishing a working relationship between China and the Taliban on a 'give and take' basis.

Predictably, Pakistan has secured huge loans from both China and Saudi Arabia -- one is a new ally against India and the other heavily banks on Pakistan in a situation where Saudis felt vulnerable to the aggressive and adversarial Islamic radicals.

US President Biden sticks to the American policy of banking on Taliban's peace agreement promise of not letting Al-Qaeda indulge in anti-US activity from Afghan soil. Pakistan has, as expected, got a Taliban government of its choice installed at Kabul again.

It had sent ISI chief Lt.-Gen. Faiz Hameed on an official visit there to ensure that Pakistan retained its mentoring hold on the Taliban regime. Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund nominated as Prime Minister and Sarajuddin Haqqani appointed as Home Minister are UN designated terrorists -- they were chosen by Pakistan. The US, it can be presumed, would have liked Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar who held negotiations with US at Doha, to head the government but he could be accommodated only as a Dy Prime Minister.

Mullah Baitullah Akhandzada is the supreme leader or the Emir providing broad guidance to the government. Afghanistan has a cabinet of terrorists and the first announcements from some of them confirm the worst fears about a repeat of the fanaticism that the Taliban rule of 1996 had displayed. The Pak hand in it operated from behind the scenes then but this time around it was open and blatant -- Pakistan was confident of acquiring a complete say in Afghanistan once the American troops withdrew from there.

Significantly, the historical fact of Pakistan using the Hurriyat to spread subversion in J& K is proved once again with Prime Minister Imran Khan announcing a day of national mourning in Pakistan on the demise of Syed Shah Gillani, leader of Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir who owed allegiance to Pakistan.

Gillani founded the Hurriyat Conference to promote Pakistan's claim on the state. Syed Salahuddin, Pak-based leader of Jamaat's front Hizbul Mujahideen in Kashmir attended Gillani's prayer meeting at Islamabad. There are plenty of indications that Pakistan is determined to intensify its proxy war against India on Kashmir in the wake of the return of the Emirate to Afghanistan.

For India, strategic convergence with Russia on the security dimensions of what is happening in Afghanistan is extremely important -- notes exchanged between the two countries at the highest level have led to a quick follow-up on the process of top level consultations to monitor the impact of Afghan developments globally and in the region. Russia would welcome the exit of the US from Afghanistan but would be wary of the hold of Islamic radicals on that country.

In matters of defence and security President Putin has been a friend of India in a consistent way. Iran under the Ayatollah rule is a fierce opponent of Islamic radicals for reasons that are historic and this is enough for us to keep that country on our side by using diplomatic finesse. As regards the Biden administration, it looks unconcerned with cross-border terrorism stepped up by Pakistan against India in the wake of the Taliban's success in Afghanistan.

India has to continue building up its 'natural partnership' with the US as a part of its strategy against an 'expansionist' China but we also have to bring the US President on the same page on the issue of the long-range threat to the security of the democratic order itself -- arising from the new found axis between a fundamentalist Pakistan and the Communist dictatorship of China.

The Biden presidency can ignore this to its own peril and will do well to have a deep dialogue with India in the sphere of Security and Intelligence to fix the right strategy for safeguarding the interests of the comity of democratic nations. If this is not done, the image of the US as the leader of the Free World could take a beating.

It is not enough for President Biden to believe that anything like 9/11 would never occur -- he has to collectively with the allies and friends of America, set off the strategy of countering the ascendancy of China as the second superpower on one the hand and thwarting the rise of Islamic extremism on the other. America's security will not be complete if only half of the threat scenario is attended to.

(The writer is a former Director, Intelligence Bureau)

--IANS

pathak/am
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Some of Australias most well-known digital publications are using funding from tech giants Google and Facebook to form their first industry body.

Crikey publisher Private Media, Mamamia, The Squiz and Junkee Media are among 20 publishers that are coming together to form what will be known as the Digital Publishers Alliance. The body will be led by Junkees co-founder Tim Duggan and will aim to boost visibility with advertisers, and give the publications a stronger voice on key industry issues.

There are a lot of decisions being made right now that are going to affect future publishers over the next decade or so, Mr Duggan said. [Google and Facebook] are both supporting it with funding to help set it up as a really easy way to communicate to a large variety of publishers at the same time rather than having to kind of go individually to 20 or 40 different publishers to talk to about issues.

Tim Duggan, head of the Digital Publishing Alliance

Other members of the DPA include Future Women, Broadsheet Media, LADbible Group and Solstice Media, publisher of The New Daily, who will pay annual membership fees. Googles News Initiative has already provided funding, while The Facebook Journalism Project is finalising its contribution. Mr Duggan assured the tech giants will have no say over the directive of the industry body and its priorities.
The response among journalists to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklians cancelling of the daily 11am COVID-19 briefing last week exposed an uncomfortable truth about the modern media landscape. More often than not, our reaction to the news of the day is to argue rather than debate.

Twitter (the preferred platform for journalists which doubles as an internal industry circular) was decidedly anti-Gladys. Well @GladysB I think you can now see how the no daily press conference thing is being received. A very bad decision, Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor posted on Twitter in reference to the response from people on Twitter.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian provides an update on COVID-19. Credit:Edwina Pickles

While some journalists did support the decision (including me), they were clearly in the minority. Supporters of the move were scolded by Sevens Political Editor Mark Riley, and told to get another job. The charge was the Premier was avoiding accountability and, even if you supported an end to daily press conferences, the decision was taken too early because infections, deaths and hospitalisation are yet to peak.

News.com.aus Sam Maiden suggested it was an act of cowardice. The ABCs John Lyons described it as appalling. Worst of the crisis is about to hit, he tweeted. There are still serious Qs whether NSW hospitals will cope... Accountability right now is critical. In a measured analysis piece for the Herald on Saturday, Deborah Snow argued the decision was harder to comprehend given state parliament is suspended and vaccination rates show signs of slowing.
The thing thats gone missing though is not the house, but the why of it all. Why do we do it like this, why do we live like this, why this design and not another one? And thats the difference, thats whats missing. But what Ive noticed the most is speaking to public audiences, you only have to scratch the surface a little bit and there are so many people who are really interested in the topic area: they just havent been invited into the tent yet. And if you can make that offering theyre very willing to come across the line and want to know more.

As the host of the show, do you get close to the owners of the properties, or do you keep more detached?

This is the biggest surprise for me: I thought it was going to be all about architecture, because thats what I do. But meeting the homeowners, they were all in their own way  it probably sounds a bit naff to say it  but I so enjoyed meeting all of them, and they are all so different.

But they clearly share one passion in common.

I guess the one thing that unites them all is that they are differently passionate about what theyre doing. I was not prepared for their level of enthusiasm. Theyre not home renovators: these are people who feel theyre making a small but significant contribution to Australian culture and Australian heritage. Theres a responsibility that they take very seriously, and I think that is really fantastic. Of course the show is about architecture and our built heritage and how were going to bring it back to life and theres lots to say on that subject, but the one thing Ive been really enthused by is the relationships with the homeowners.
Harassment and intimidation of nurses has become so regular that in some workplaces it is considered just part of the job. This needs to change. Today. Nurses work at a drive-through COVID-19 testing site. Credit:Getty Images The pressure on the nursing profession is mounting on a day-to-day level, when nurses are required to isolate from their family and friends after being exposed to COVID-19 at work. The regular absences of clinical staff in client-facing health environments means teams are short-staffed, or managers, clinical nurse consultants and nurse educators are pulled off their work and asked to be clinically facing. This leaves these nursing experts to work extensive hours each day, as there is no backfill for their roles.

Nurses are turning away from the profession as a result. In March 2021, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) conducted global research in nurse shortages one year on from the World Health Organisation declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. Nearly one in five of the National Nursing Associations surveyed reported an increase in the number of nurses leaving the profession. Aged care nurses are leaving their profession. Credit:iStock In Australia, the 2020 Aged Care Workforce Census reported that 29 per cent of the direct-care workforce had left their employment over the 12 months from November 2019 to November 2020 and there were almost 10,000 vacant roles in aged care alone. That was before the current extended lockdowns in both Victoria and NSW. The ICN reports that the world entered the pandemic with a shortfall of up to six million nurses and an additional four million expected to retire by 2030, which puts the global nursing workforce under an intolerable strain. ICN says large numbers of experienced nurses are leaving the profession or considering calling time after the pandemic, which should be a wake-up call for governments to invest in nursing jobs, education and leadership before it is too late.

While the issues are challenging, there are strategies that can be put into place to ease the pressure, to support nurses, and nursing care in Australia. Firstly, we need to immediately support the graduating class of 2021. Right now, thousands of third-year nursing students are at risk of being ineligible to graduate this year as they are struggling to obtain clinical placement hours required of their degrees due to disruptions to the healthcare system. It is estimated almost 20,000 nurses across Australia are due to graduate. Nursing directors are dealing with exhausted staff. Credit:Jason South This workforce will make a tremendous contribution to all healthcare sectors. Governments and employers should be working to secure employment for all graduating nurses to provide a pipeline for workforce planning for 2022 and beyond. We need additional funding for refresher courses for retired nurses, so they can supplement the workforce across Australia. This needs to be coupled with job certainty and tangible benefits to them for coming back into the workforce.

Support and relief must be given to senior workforce executives who are dealing with exhausted staff . The transformation of health systems to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 have largely landed on their shoulders, and they need practical support, people, funds and the go-ahead to overcome policies and procedures not suited to the current challenges. Funding models are outdated and exclude mental health nurses, nurse practitioners and registered nurses from accessing Medicare numbers in order to be paid for the work they do. This is having the greatest impact in rural and remote Australia, where community healthcare systems are often staffed by nurses who cover enormous areas. Loading We recommend a national summit to be sponsored by the federal government in collaboration with the Australian College of Nursing so a national action plan for a sustainable and supported nursing workforce can be established, prioritised and actioned in light of the pending crisis. And finally, and most urgently, we ask all Australians to please consider the way fear, frustration and stress is expressed in clinical, aged care and community settings, for this is having a major and lasting impact on the emotional and mental health of Australian nurses.
Professor Szer said the ensuing risk of delayed or damaged goods meant the registry could no longer confidently meet patient needs. A bone marrow transplant is one of the few elective emergencies that exists, Professor Szer said. When we know it needs to happen, we need to plan the treatment precisely around the transplant time. Registry chief executive Lisa Smith said the pandemic had highlighted the risks of Australias actively shrinking donor pool and resulting policy of dependence on overseas donors. We need significantly increased levels of donor recruitment and to do that we need urgent policy direction from government to support that position, Ms Smith said.

In the past five years the federal government has commissioned two independent reviews into the bone marrow transplant sector without publishing the findings. Ms Smith said that government inaction had prompted the registry in 2019 to take the unusual step of spending $600,000 from its emergency contingency reserves to recruit 6000 new donors. The recruitment project, Strength to Give, drew on international standard practice to pilot online, cheek-swab registration. Under this recruitment model, people sign up online and have a swab-kit posted to them which they then return by post. The swab sample is sent to a laboratory for tissue testing to allow donors to be matched with patients. Last year, the federal government contracted the registry to recruit a further 6000 new donors using Strength to Give. But the program ground to a halt four months ago when the additional funds dried up.

Ms Smith said additional investment was required to sustain and build the donor pool to reduce the risk of avoidable patient deaths. She said the registry needed 100,000 new donors in the next five years and could recruit that number at a cost of only $13 million using Strength to Give. Sophie Patnicroft-Gray believes more government funding is necessary. The registry already holds that amount on trust in unused revenue from the export of cord blood but needs federal government permission to use it to fund donor recruitment. The federal government released $4 million from the cord blood fund in the 2019 financial year for another purpose. Sitting on significant sums of money on behalf of [the federal] government while we have this urgent and pressing need for investment into donor recruitment is something wed like to see resolved, Ms Smith said.

Thirty-one-year-old Sophie Patnicroft-Gray, who had a bone marrow transplant two years ago after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, said, people will die needlessly if Strength to Give is not scaled-up and properly funded. Its really heart-breaking that there will be deaths that could have been prevented had the government taken action on this, Ms Patnicroft-Gray said. Knowing the money is there, it doesnt seem like an outrageous thing to ask the government to fund and prioritise Strength to Give, but it does seem outrageous that the funds are available and are not being used for any purpose. The Red Cross model delivers around 5000 new donors to the registry every year from within its blood donor pool. Cancer charity UR the Cure founder Pamela Bousejean said despite the considerable funding the Red Cross received to recruit new donors, it was entirely secondary to its key priority of blood donations.

Its sickening to think people will die even though the money is already there to fund Strength to Give and [the federal government] is just ignoring the problem, she said. Loading Ms Bousejean said the Red Cross screening model also had the effect of excluding anyone who could not give blood from joining the registry. The [Red Cross] recruitment clearly hasnt worked, she said. We need to build a younger, more ethnically diverse donor pool and Strength to Give is best suited to deliver that. The Red Cross declined to say how much funding it received for donor recruitment, the number of people it was contracted to recruit and the cost per person recruited.
MAEV OCOLLINS MBE June 16, 1929-July 2, 2021

In her first 35 years, Maev OCollins achieved success at school and university and carved out an envied reputation as a Melbourne social worker involved in family counselling and adoption. That was not enough, though, and she took to heart her mothers incisive advice: If you dont plan to marry, have an interesting life.

In 1967, Maev won a scholarship to New Yorks Columbia University for a doctorate in sociology and stayed at International House with students from around the world.

One evening she helped entertain a visiting delegation from Papua New Guinea, which included Michael Somare, soon to be PNGs first chief minister and later Sir Michael. After chatting over dinner, he invited her to work at PNGs university, adding with a grin: If you get sick of us or we get sick of you, its not far to go home. Maevs letter home alerted her mother who soon passed on an advertisement for staff at the University of PNG (UPNG).

That road was very little travelled, but Maev had determined a second journey in life, and PNG had been calling. She soon took up a post in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, and for the next 18 years regaled friends and siblings, and many of their captivated children, with tales of life in remote quarters of Melanesia.
What with half of the AFLs senior leadership locked in quarantine in Western Australia ahead of the grand final scheduled for September 25, it fell to Perths corporate crowd to fill the box seats and suites at Optus Stadium in Burswood over the weekend. The Perth-based AFL chairman Richard Goyder - who also has his hands full chairing Qantas - was a prominent name at the finals matches over the weekend, even as the rest of the sports commissioners had to watch from homes across the country. Also benefiting from WA Premier Mark McGowans Sing-Sing style approach to statewide lockouts? Perth lord mayor and one-time Hale School baritone Basil Zempilas who led Sevens coverage. Theres nothing like border restrictions locking out the rest of the countrys media to ensure youre in the box seat when the commentary starts rolling. Just ask Eddie McGuire who was denied entry to the western state after lawmakers dubbed the broadcaster and former Collingwood president non-essential to proceedings. Thats got to hurt.

Meanwhile, it was an upbeat Friday night on the couch for Demons supporters as the long-toiling team trounced the Geelong Cats to win by more than 80 points. Avid Dees supporter Tim Wilson was among the legions following the Perth match - only rather than in his living room in Melbourne, he was stuck in lockdown in Canberra. Speaking on Sunday, the elated federal MP was still struggling to contain his excitement about the teams first grand final appearance in 21 years.

The fires of hell will crisp up doggies nicely. Fighting words indeed.

WEALTH IN PROPERTY

Talk about a reversal of fortunes. After all, it was less than two years ago Nines former chief executive Hugh Marks and managing director of commercial partnerships Lizzie Young joined Nines online real estate portal Domains board as non-independent directors to keep a closer eye on the digital outfit locked in a battle with NewsCorps majority owned realestate.com.au. Theres nothing like having the boss peering over your shoulder is there?
Our medical centre wont take bookings because they have got no supply, she said. They have said the best bet is to watch their Facebook page. The last time they got Pfizer it was gone in 15 minutes. She said the vaccine hub in Wollongong said she could book her son from Monday. Ms Mogan McIntosh spent a lot of time trying to register both children via the hub only to find the 12-year-old category was not listed. The only part that makes me nervous about it is trying to get the doses before school goes back, she said. Rebecca Barrett booked in her 12-year-old daughter Edie for her first dose of Pfizer on Monday, which is the first day children aged 12 to 15 are eligible. Credit:Rhett Wyman But other parents have had an easier time.

Rebecca Barrett, from Sydneys inner west, has an appointment for her 12-year-old daughter Edie for Monday. Loading It is important because in the inner west the numbers are creeping up and her school is in Strathfield, which is in a hotspot, Ms Barrett said. She has been asking me - when is it my turn? She wants to go back to school, so life can go back to normal. Belinda Barnes, from Ryde, has her oldest children, aged 13 and 15, booked in for Pfizer jabs on Tuesday after she put their names on a waiting list with a GP three weeks ago.

I knew it was coming up, and I knew my daughter wouldnt want to go through the hub, she said. My daughter wants to have it so that she feels she can start doing things again. Belinda Barnes and her son Aidan, 13, who is booked in for a Pfizer jab on Tuesday before he returns to school. Credit:Jacky Ghossein Jackie Greenwood from Sydneys inner west said she was looking forward to her 12-year-old daughter getting vaccinated on Monday at the Olympic Park hub. Some of my friends have tried to make an appointment and have had trouble. It seems to be hit-and-miss, she said.

Loading I was nervous about the whole vaccination thing right at the beginning because it all happened so fast, but the minute it became a necessity, I jumped right on board and my husband and I got vaccinated. Elizabeth Flaherty drove an hour from her home in Scone in the NSW Hunter to a pop-up clinic in Merriwa on Friday morning to get her daughter Iris, 14, vaccinated. I have been trying to get her vaccinated for some time now. She has Aboriginal ancestry, Ms Flaherty said. She is highly social and wanting to get back to school.

Iris said she wanted to get vaccinated so I could do more things with my friends and things could go back to as normal as they can. Im not getting to get out of the house and do things how I usually would, she said. But she was concerned that some of her friends were not getting vaccinated because their parents did not think it was safe. If we go to things like the movies or anything the others wont be able to come because they arent vaccinated, she said. A mother of two children under 15 from Sydneys north shore who did not want to be named said she tried getting an appointment online before calling her GP who had a cancellation in early October.

Im not super comfortable about sending them back to school unless they were vaccinated, she said. Gina Metcalfe who lives in the Blue Mountains has secured an appointment on October 12 with a GP for her 12-year-old son who has had a respiratory illness. After having all the adults and adult children vaccinated without adverse effects I am keen for him to be vaccinated ASAP, she said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday said there would be enough vaccines in the country by October to have offered everyone in the eligible groups a jab. Kerrie from Sutherland Shire said she wanted to get her two children aged 12 and 13 vaccinated as soon as possible and is hoping to get an appointment with her local doctor.
NSW has reported 1262 new local coronavirus cases on Sunday, as the state prepares for its first easing of restrictions for the fully vaccinated this week.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 45.6 per cent of people aged 16 and over in the state were now fully vaccinated, and 78 per cent of this age group had received their first dose.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant and Premier Gladys Berejiklian at Sundays COVID-19 press conference. From Monday, the briefing will not be held daily. Credit:Edwina Pickles

We know that when somebody has signed up for their first dose of vaccine the second one is guaranteed, Ms Berejiklian said, encouraging people to encourage friends and family they knew had not yet been vaccinated to book in for a shot.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said she was confident the state would hit 80 per cent first-dose vaccination coverage on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
Seoul: North Korea carried out successful tests of a new long-range cruise missile over the weekend, state media said on Monday, seen by analysts as possibly the countrys first such weapon with a nuclear capability.

The missiles were a strategic weapon of great significance and flew 1500 kilometres before hitting their targets and falling into the countrys territorial waters during the tests on Saturday and Sunday, KCNA said.

The latest test highlighted steady progress in Pyongyangs weapons program amid a gridlock over talks aimed at dismantling the Norths nuclear and ballistic missile programs in return for US sanctions relief. The talks stalled in 2019.

North Korean government photos of long-range cruise missiles tests held on September 11 -12, 2021 in an undisclosed location. Credit:KCNA/AP

North Koreas cruise missiles usually generate less interest than ballistic missiles because they are not explicitly banned under UN Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Col. Jim Allen, who was at the Pentagon when it was hit by hijacked plane on September 11, 2001, told his story Saturday morning in the annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Somerset at the Special Response Team headquarters site.
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Usually I open these reviews with my thoughts about the subplots that focus on The Island's employees. This week that story was listed as an official fantasy so let's start there.



Guests: Javier

Fantasy: To get to know Elena Roarke better.



This should have been the episode that gave us chunks of information about Elena's story. Unfortunately we got nothing.



Theres a bit of comfort in the realization that Javier didnt get any closer to knowing Elena than the audience has.



If the writers are shooting for mysterious, they are missing the mark.Once again we get a bunch of scenes of Elena personals life that give us absolutely no new information about the character.Javier declares that Elena is part of his unit and, if she ever needs him, hes there.Why? What does he know that we dont? When can we start learning some of this precious information?We learned a lot about Javier, but nothing beyond the I chose to be here. and What we do is important. lines weve heard for 5 episodes now.This is not how you get your audience to connect with a character.Start telling me something, or you are going to lose me as a viewer. Frankly, as much as I have been enjoying the fantasies, they are not compelling enough to make the show must see TV.Part of my growing frustration is that the characters being written for most of the fantasies so far have been easy to connect with.NishaTo chose which husband would lead to the best version of herself.Nisha, a young Indian woman, has to make a decision about the next phase of her well planned out life. The most critical decision and the one she's come to The Island for help with, is to select a husband. (She wants children by 30 and a husband is required.)The problem is that she finds herself with 2 potential husbands. A man shes been dating for 4 years and the perfect on paper one her parents have found. This is a tradition that shes always planned on following and even gave her parents the go-ahead and make the selection.I appreciated the fact that they made it clear that Nisha had invited her parents to find her a match.I think a number of American's believe that this Indian tradition is something forced upon their modern children. (I did until I got to know several co-workers.) It was nice to have that element of the story clarified.That clarification left me free to be distracted by my feelings about how Nisha was treating Josh.While she never lied to him about her plans, shed essentially been stringing him along until the "right man" came into the picture, because when it came to her plans, she doesnt want interracial children.I wondered why he'd stuck around for 4 years. Did she ever introduce him to her parents? He did, later, confess that hed not been actually listening to what shed been telling him.Her initial desire is to have The Island tell her which man to chose. Elena leads her to crafting a fantasy that The Islandgrant; to find out which version of who she becomes, after marrying each man, shell like better.Her answer was 'neither'.It was interesting watching her expression when she realized that shed given up both her career and her dream. What I didnt expect was them taking into consideration that when Josh married Nisha, he gave up his dream. Since he never moved to Silicon Valley, his app never got off the ground and he was unhappy.Neither life made her happy. As with so many women, even in the 21st century, it never occurred to Nisha to consider making herself happy first. It struck me, during the fantasy's set-up, that "her plan" postponed her dream until she was 60.I liked the lesson and found it interesting that the way to getting to that lesson was to look at both choices beyond the wedding.Now if the writers would stop vamping and get on with letting us really get to know Roarke the odds of my watching past episode 7 would be greater.What did you guys think of the episode?
STAMFORD  Democrats in two city districts will cast their votes Tuesday not only for a mayoral candidate but also for candidates for the Board of Representatives.

The incumbent representatives of District 5 on the West Side face a challenge from two fellow Democrats. Meanwhile, in District 19 in North Stamford, first-time Democratic candidates are vying for two open seats.

District 5

For a second time, Bonnie Kim Campbell, a paraeducator at Cloonan Middle School, is running against Reps. Gloria DePina and Lila Wallace in the primary. Campbell ran alone when she challenged DePina and Wallace in 2017. This time, she is running with entrepreneur Melinda Punkin Baxter.

Campbell, 66, said she and Baxter, 48, make a good team in part because of their age difference.

She's reaching a sector of the community and Stamford as a whole that I wouldn't necessarily reach or have my ear tuned to. My ear is tuned to other things, Campbell said. And so we'll be able to collaborate and work together to be the change that the West Side needs and be the voice it deserves.

After the 2017 primary, Campbell remained active in issues affecting the West Side. She advocated for the West Main Street bridge to be refurbished to accommodate cars, urged the Board of Representatives to reject a nominee for police chief, pushed back against a developers plan for a commercial village in her neighborhood and worked with the police department on a program to help residents experiencing homelessness or struggling with addiction.

Baxter said she decided to join Campbell in challenging DePina and Wallace after going on Walk and Talk tours with the citys mayoral candidates.

I've always been interested in my community and doing stuff to help people, Baxter said. But going on that walk  opened up my eyes to exactly what's going on in our community.

One of their top concerns is development, with Campbell saying the West Side has become too overcrowded. Campbell and Baxter said they also want to see more affordable housing in their neighborhood as well as cleaner parks, more after-school programs and job-training programs for young adults.

Campbell said she believes the current representatives of the district have voted against the wishes of their constituents at times. For instance, she noted that DePina and Wallace voted in favor of appointing Chris Murtha as police chief.

Murtha, a deputy chief in Prince Georges County, Md., at the time, had been named in a discrimination lawsuit filed by Black and Latino officers. His appointment failed in a 15-23 vote.

Wallace, who has served on the Board of Representatives since 2009, defended her vote on Murtha, saying she came to the decision after she and other board members vetted him.

He worked in a department (where) there were some issues, but he was not the originator, Wallace said. We looked at his qualifications, his credentials, without being biased and made our decision based upon that.

We know that it was unpopular, she added. But sometimes being a politician and making the decision that you think is best for your community may be unpopular.

DePina, who has been a city representative for more than three decades and is a deputy majority leader of the board, said there will always be some constituents who disagree with their elected officials.

You have to go with the majority of people that come to you and give you their advice about what they want, and you try to do what the majority of the community has asked you to do  and that's what I've done, DePina said.

Wallace said that she, DePina and their opponents share similar priorities, including ensuring affordable housing on the West Side. DePina and Wallace are the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Board of Representatives Housing, Community Development and Social Services Committee, and DePina sits on the Stamford Affordable Housing Trust Funds board of trustees.

DePina said that she and Wallace have helped secure grant funding for housing and for Jackie Robinson Park, were part of a group that spoke with the Boys & Girls Club about taking over the troubled Yerwood Center and have pushed for roads in their district to be repaved.

We have been working very hard to do what we can, and whenever someone calls us about an issue, we try to resolve that issue the best that we can, DePina said.

If she is reelected, DePina said she will focus on public safety, push for more roads on the West Side to be repaved, look to improve parking in the district and explore the idea of reestablishing a Neighborhood Revitalization Zone.

DePina works in the office of U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and Wallace works as a property manager.

The Republican candidate for District 5 is Sheila Williams-Brown. The general election is Nov. 2.

District 19

The current representatives of District 19 are Bob Lion and Raven Matherne. Both have decided not to run for reelection. Lion sought the Democratic nod for town clerk but lost the endorsement to incumbent Lyda Ruijter.

Don Mays, who works at Samsung as chief safety and quality officer, and John Pelliccia, who works for a financial technology firm, received the Stamford Democratic City Committees endorsement in July. Lion has also endorsed them.

I think our leadership skills and our ability to work together and solve problems are second to none, Mays said. John and I have got very complementary skills, even though we're from two different generations.

Mays is 66 and Pelliccia is 32. Pelliccia said he is running because he wants to ensure that development in North Stamford is sensitive to community needs, that kids receive the tools that they need to be successful while in school and that there is steady communication between residents and the city government.

Mays said their priorities also include improving roads.

We have to stop thinking about Band-Aid approaches to our road conditions, Mays said. We hear a lot about people talking about, Well, we'll be prompt to fill potholes. Filling potholes is not the solution. We need more long-term solutions.

Their challengers, Jennifer Matheny and Pina Basone, have similar priorities, including keeping residents informed about happenings in the city and repaving roads. They said that in terms of development, they are particularly concerned about environmental impacts and don't want to see North Stamford become more dense.

Like their opponents, Matheny and Basone said their job skills make them well qualified to serve as city representatives. Matheny is the legal and compliance director of a financial company; Basone is a real estate agent and childrens book author.

But they said they stand out as candidates because they are longtime Stamford residents and volunteers.

We know the issues. We know the city, Matheny said. We can hit the ground running. Theres not a long learning curve.

And the fact is both our kids are grown, and we just want to give back, Basone said.

Mays and Pelliccia have only lived in the city for the past few years, but Pelliccia said they have been active in the community since they arrived.

The Republican candidate in District 19 is Kevin McMurchy. The general election is Nov. 2.

Below are links to the Democratic candidates websites:
MACON, Ga. (AP)  The grandmother of a 4-year-old boy who was shot and killed in her home has been arrested in connection with the case.

Kawana Liggins, 50, of Macon, faces a charge of tampering with evidence, WMAZ-TV reported. It was unknown whether Liggins has an attorney who could speak on her behalf.
CONAKRY, Guinea (AP)  International pressure mounted Friday on the junta that seized power in Guinea after the African Union suspended the country and as a delegation of West African officials came to urge a return to democratic rule.

The African Union has suspended Guinea from all AU activities and decision-making bodies, the organization announced. The suspension comes after military officers in Guinea overthrew President Alpha Conde on Sunday.

The 15-nation West African regional economic bloc, known as ECOWAS, had already suspended Guinea following the coup led by Col. Mamady Doumbouya.

Mediators including foreign ministers from Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso along with ECOWAS commission president Jean-Claude Kassi Brou met with Doumbouya on Friday at a hotel in Conakry, the capital. Doumbouya and the ECOWAS mediation team left the hotel without speaking to the media, but talks likely focused on the timing of a return to constitutional rule.

Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alpha Barry, said that the leaders will now report back to their respective presidents.

The delegation was able to meet with deposed president Conde, who was at the headquarters of the Special Forces, according to Barry.

We saw President Alpha Conde. He's fine," Barry said. The rest of the report will be made to the presidents.

The delegation is now heading back to Accra, Ghana, he said.

The group has urged the coup leaders to assure the safety of the deposed president and others who have been arrested. Conde remains in the custody of the junta, who have only said that he is in a secure location with access to medical care.

Members of the delegation are believed to have met with Conde Friday, according to local media reports.

Doumbouya and the special forces that put the West African nation under military rule for the first time in over a decade have criticized Condes government for corruption and the poverty of Guineas people. The junta leader portrayed himself as a patriot of Guinea, taking power for the people who remained poor. However, experts say the coup happened after tensions increased between the army colonel and the president because of a recent proposal to cut some military salaries.

The junta has ordered the central bank to freeze all government accounts in an effort to secure state assets and preserve the countrys interest.

The junta announced the temporary freezing of withdrawals on bank accounts related to public administrative and commercial establishments in all ministry departments and the presidency. The freeze also applies to the programs and projects of presidential initiatives, and outgoing members of the government as well as senior civil servants, administrators and financial authorities of the state.

Condes removal by force came after he sought and won a controversial third term in office last year, saying the term limits did not apply to him. Conde was elected in 2010 in the countrys first democratic vote, with hopes that Guinea would see a fresh start after decades of corrupt, authoritarian rule and political turmoil. But in the years since, opponents say Conde failed to improve the lives of Guineans, most of whom live in poverty despite the countrys vast mineral deposits of bauxite and gold.

Violent street demonstrations broke out last year after Conde organized a referendum to modify the constitution. The unrest intensified after he won the October election, and the opposition said dozens were killed during the crisis.

___

Petesch reported from Dakar, Senegal.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that that federal vaccination mandates announced by President Joe Biden last week hurt efforts to overcome the publics resistance to taking the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Republican governor has been notable in working to persuade reluctant Arkansas residents to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. But in an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, Hutchinson said that a comprehensive federal vaccination mandate hardens the resistance.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina man shot this weekend while sitting on his porch has died, police said Sunday.

Timothy Lee Jackson, 58, of Winston-Salem, died at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital after being shot in the torso outside his home Saturday evening, Winston-Salem police said in a news release.
RIDGEFIELD  A highly specialized form of physical therapy centering on horseback riding soon will become easier to find in the Northeast.

Ridgefield is about to become one of, if not the only official hippotherapy facility in New England or New York state.

My interest in hippotheraphy came as a result of experiencing the dramatically positive effect it has had on my disabled granddaughter, Jordy, said co-founder Robert Zink.

Despite severe physical disabilities, hippotherapy treatment has had a major effect in strengthening Jordys core muscles and improving her ability to support her upright posture and begin walking.

Her mobility has dramatically increased, said Katy Schermann, Zinks longtime friend, associate and executive director of the new facility, which will hold a ribbon-cutting Sept. 24.

Hippotherapy centers on using a horse for occupational and physical therapy, rather than inanimate objects one might find in a gym, such as an exercise ball or a walker.

The method is used for speech therapy, since the horses movement sparks sensory engagement in patients, promoting progress and augmenting their focus.

Simultaneously, the mental and emotional benefits associated with traditional equine therapy not only prove beneficial to participating patients in general, but also bring about greater improvement in their physical work.

This is different in so much as you have someone who understands the magic of horses, but is a medical professional in their own right, Schermann said, adding occupational, speech, and physical therapists are among the staff.

It actually catapults the level of remedies, she said. Its just massively more transformative in terms of the results.

The facility offers equine-assisted therapy, which focuses on mental and emotional health.

Despite their initial hopes and intentions, Schermann said they were discouraged by other equine facilities from attempting to create Ridgebury Farm & Stables as a hippotherapy center.

Its very challenging to have a hippotherapy farm  The infrastructure is massive because you are a medical facility now with live animals, she said.

Their passion, however, outweighed the challenges and  having attained accreditation from the American Hippotherapy Association, and assembled an equally passionate group of professionals who understand the value of this approach  they are moving forward with a waiting list of patients already eager to work with them.

The amazing thing about hippotherapy, which is really doing occupational therapy using the horse as your therapy modality, youre not just getting the physical benefits, there is an emotional connection, said Jill Salman, an occupational therapist.

There is nothing that I can put together in a gym that equates to being on a horse, she said, adding the distinct movement of the horse, and even its body heat, play a role in the process.

Further, she said, children especially are thrilled to be interacting with the animals, excited to be involved in a therapy that might otherwise be something they fight against.

Its especially good for children who are reliant on walkers or wheelchairs, said Whitney Wildman, therapy program director, as the horses pelvic motion is, ironically, extremely similar to a human being, bringing opportunities for muscle memory learning.

Its amazing, she said, explaining that developmental stages can, in essence, be relearned through the therapy.

Youre giving them those experiences back and it helps build those connections within the brain, which of course can be transferred to the ground, Wildman said.

She said the friendly connections children draw with the animals are also of untold benefit.

Its also a lot more fun, so a lot of children are more willing to do speech work or work at something harder if theyre having a good time, she said.

Wildman said that the lack of knowledge about hippotherapy on the east coast amounts to an education gap, which the new farm hopes to close.

The staff and therapists that have come together to share this journey and vision are truly remarkable, Zink said, and we all share one common goal  to provide world-class hippotherapy services to those in need in Connecticut and New England.

Schermann wants people to know that  despite being a gorgeous 56-acre facility that she said resembles Ireland  it is also covered under most insurances and the team includes an insurance expert to help with questions.

For information, visit www.ridgeburyfarm.com.
KILLINGWORTH  Deer Lake Camp, a popular 35-year-old childrens summer camp and Boy Scout wilderness reservation, is up for sale in connection with the Boy Scouts of Americas $850 million sex abuse settlement.

Deer Lake, an unspoiled 255-acre wilderness site, is an attraction for hikers  its part of a trail system linking Chatfield Hollow and Cockaponset State Forest  as well as former campers and neighbors.

The camp boasts a mile-long spring-fed lake, a swimming area in a kettle (a lake or pond created by retreating flood waters or glaciers) called the lagoon, as well as manicured trails in pristine forest.

And, nearly everyone mentions the unique glacier rock formation called Fat Mans Squeeze that children love to explore.

The private Save Deer Lake Facebook group was created just two days after an announcement was made informally last week that Connecticut Yankee Council Boy Scouts of America wanted to sell the camp, according to Ted Langevin, a scout leader, chairman of Pack 491 in Madison and member of the Quinnipiac district committee.

Many on Facebook posted comments that they were surprised about the potential sale of the property and closing of the camp. Former campers, lifeguards, parents and volunteers were brainstorming online how to prevent its loss.

Theyre really going to miss it if we cant pull this off, Langevin said.

Many of the people that have joined the group  weve gotten close to 200 people  theyve reacted because they were childhood campers or their kids went. Theyre up in arms, Langevin said.

The summer camp rebounded after the pandemic and has remained popular for all of its years, he said. We usually have a waiting list  this year was no exception, Langevin said.

According to Langevin, group members hope to raise enough money or get grants to buy the camp, ensure the land remains preserved or attract a large donor or buyer.

$850 million settlement

The parcel was appraised between $3.7 million to $4.2 million. Some $2.6 million will go to the Boy Scouts of America, Langevin said, to help pay the local councils assessed share of the $850 million sex abuse settlement signed off on by a judge in August to pay the tens of thousands of abuse victims, according to claimsjournal.com.

The $850 million agreement is between the Boy Scouts national organization and about 250 local councils along with law firms representing about 70,000 former scouts who allege they were molested, the website states. A fund for survivors would receive about $250 million from the national Boy Scouts and $600 million from local councils, along with insurance rights.

The Save Deer Lake Facebook pages mission is to raise enough money to either buy the camp outright or to make sure that the land is protected as an educational and recreational camp or as a conservation area.

Other Boy Scout facilities in the state also up for sale as part of the settlement are the Connecticut Yankee Council headquarters in Milford and Camp Pomperaug in Union, according to Langevin.

At Save Deer Lake, members discuss the possibility of garnering a state grant, approaching the town of Killingworth for funds, as well as setting up a GoFundMe page and talking to potential donors.

Group members also suggest splitting the parcel into two pieces: an unimproved section to sell to the state or other entity to preserve the forest and trails, and the camp portion separately to an organization or owner wanting to continue its operation.

That way, Langevin said, It would be less expensive and attractive to somebody looking to run a camp.

For Langevin, the beauty of Deer Lake unique: Its a very peaceful place  you kind of get this feeling of all the world is outside, and youre just watching the sunset on the lake. What it does on the lake is amazing.

Camp Ranger Mark Clifton and his wife Patty have worked and lived at the camp for some 35 years. Theyve been a big part of the facility during their time there.

Mark and Patty  they were a young couple  the camp was in a shambles. Essentially, they built it back up with their bare hands, Langevin said. The house was uninhabitable.

Theyve been there ever since. Scouting is a nonprofit organization  they have never seemed to have enough to do what was needed to do, Langevin said.

The couple, he said, seemed to be sticking it together with bailing wire and chewing gum.

A perfect site

Patty Clifton worked alongside her husband, putting together the childrens camp since the mid 1980s. I really hope that it will remain a wooded and green space. Im very proud of what weve done  the summer camp program that has been my focus for the last 35 years.

I was really hoping to someday passing it on, she said. I just hate the thought of it all ending. It would be a shame if turned into a housing development.

The clock is ticking for fundraising and supporters are scrambling to come up with a solution, Langevin said, as the sellers will put it on the market soon.

And for the time being, the Cliftons have permission to stay at the camp until December.

Clifton said she takes pride in a well-developed program, and the parcel is a perfect site for summer camp activities. Were not into huge  were into more good, quality programs enriching kids lives, and teaching them to be good citizens and good humans, she said.

Clifton, a camp accreditation visitor, sees many other camps in the region and said she is always pleased to see how Deer Lake stacks up. I can tell you that this is, by far, the nicest piece of property Ive been to, and I visit camps every summer  and Im being objective. Ive never seen anything like this.

Its just beautiful  a nice balance of lakes and fields, ledge and cliffs and wetlands. Perfect for any kind of nature study and exploration out into the woods. It would just be a shame if it could not continue, she said.

Weve really maintained the forest, she added, noting that her husband Ranger Mark Clifton, with a degree in geology and earth science, has worked with forestry professionals. Everything is so perfectly groomed.

They have also taken part in a program to reintroduce chestnut trees  once native to the state, but now extinct. Chestnut seedlings have been planted under the guidance of the American Chestnut Foundation.

Fond memories

One member of Save Deer Lake, Christine Forristall, a lifelong Killingworth resident who worked as a lifeguard while in high school and later promoted to waterfront director as a young adult, said the camp would be sorely missed. Her daughters, in fifth and seventh grades, are campers now, and her family hikes the trails year round.

It was an amazing experience working with the kids  you were impacting the kids, too, Forristall said. In that time, she estimates she worked with 150 kids a week for over 10 summers.

She grew up across the street from the park. Part of the fun was getting to her job, I used to cross the waterfall every day to work.

From her experience at the camp, Forristall now teaches the lifeguards for the Madison Beach and Recreation Department as well as set up their waterfront management plan.

While at Deer Lake, she said, The whole program taught us to have an appreciation of not only nature, but getting outside of our comfort zone  knowing theres a whole world out there thats right in front of our face.

Its more than just a camp to me and many others  its a great to not be in front of a screen, she said, to go out and explore the outdoors.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
When the hijacked planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that first 9/11, the Taliban were in control of Afghanistan and providing sanctuary for al-Qaida.

Today, the Taliban are in control of Afghanistan and providing sanctuary to al-Qaida. What then did our longest war accomplish?

The Afghan army and government we stood up and sustained for decades has collapsed. The U.S. military has withdrawn. U.S. citizens and thousands of Afghans who fought alongside us have been left behind.

The triumphant Taliban of today are far stronger than were the Taliban of 2001 who fled at the approach of the Northern Alliance. Al-Qaida is now present in many more countries than it was when we first launched the Global War on Terror.

Nor is the America of 2021 the hubristic self-confident country of George W. Bush and the neocons who were going to convert the Middle East into something like our Middle West and advance from there with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.

Our country is a changed place from 2001. Gone are the unity, confidence and resolution. And how have all our interventions gone?

Call the roll.

Afghanistan is a lost cause, receding anew into the darkness.

There are reports the Chinese may be interested in establishing a residence at Bagram Air Force Base.

Saddam Hussein is long gone. But the Iraq we invaded to strip of weapons of mass destruction it did not have is now dominated by Iranian-backed Shiite militia. Only at the sufferance of the Baghdad regime are 2,500 non-combat U.S. troops permitted to hang on.

Syria, where we intervened to support anti-Assad rebels  and retain 900 U.S. troops  is a human rights hellhole.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad is victorious in his civil war thanks to Russian, Iranian and Hezbollah intervention on his behalf. The million Syrian refugees who fled west during that civil war have helped to turn Lebanon into a failed state.

In Libya, where Barack Obamas air attacks helped bring down the regime of Col. Moammar Gadhafi, Russians, Turks and Egyptians battle for control. The Americans are nowhere to be found.

Despite our support for Saudi air strikes that turned Yemen into a second humanitarian disaster, Houthi rebels still control the north of the country and the capital, Sanaa.

Looking back at the half dozen Mideast wars in which we have engaged since that first 9/11, where are we better off now than we were then? Al-Qaida, ISIS, Boko Haram and their variants have established a presence in Arab, Asian and African countries far beyond Afghanistan.

Looking forward, where do we Americans go from here?

How do we sustain all the commitments that have bled and drained us for 20 years, when our adversaries and enemies appear to be growing stronger, while our own claim to being the worlds last superpower is increasingly subject to challenge?

Like Donald Trump before him, Joe Biden appears to be giving up on nation building, pulling our troops out of the Middle East, staying out of its future wars, and addressing the challenges of Russia and China?

But how long can we defend a Europe that refuses to defend itself from a Russia that is stronger and more assertive than it was two decades ago, when Vladimir Putin succeeded the feckless Boris Yeltsin.

In the Arctic, Baltic, Belarus, Ukraine and the Black Sea, Putin is more assertive and Russia less intimidated than it was in 2001.

Only one in three NATO countries meets the commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defense, as Europeans today identify immigration as the major threat to the continent.

Among the malingerers is the Germany of Angela Merkel, retiring chancellor who approved the Nord Stream II pipeline that will soon double Germanys dependence on Russia for natural gas.

How long can the U.S. sustain its new policy of containment of Xi Jinpings China? How long can we contain Chinas expansion in the South and East China Sea at the expense of the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan?

In the year 2000, Chinas economy was smaller than Italys. Today, it is a peer-competitor of the United States, with four times our population.

Beijing manufactures more than we do, has a growth rate that has exceeded ours for decades, and runs an annual trillion-dollar trade surplus with us in produced goods.

And the China of 2021 is more aggressive and confrontational than was the China of Y2K. How long can we keep 30,000 troops in South Korea and remain responsible for deterring Kim Jong Uns North Korea from attacking the South?

In relative terms, America is not so dominant a power as it was 20 years ago, while her adversaries seem stronger and more united. Our most powerful rival, Xi Jinpings China, seems belligerent and bellicose compared with the China we brought into the World Trade Organization.

Looking back, and looking ahead, the trend line is not good.
NESCOPECK TWP.  Mickey Novy faced the American flags, 2,997 of them arrayed in front of a country store where he shops.

You think each one of these flags is a dead body, burnt alive, jumping out of a window to get away from it. It choked me up after all those years, Novy said Saturday during a remembrance for those who died during terrorist attacks 20 years ago.

Novy moved to Pennsylvania 15 years ago, but when the attacks happened he lived in New York City.

I have friends still suffering, one just ready to pass. A chief at ground zero ... cancer, he said.

Friends and memories led Novy to face the flags for 1 hour, 46 minutes, the interval from when a plane struck the first World Trade Center tower to when the second collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Novy, who held his cap at his side and wore a shirt depicting the towers as rays of light rising above the city skyline, also helped Alice and Terry Schwendeman press the flags into the lawn in front of their Amish Pantry store, 467 Berwick Hazleton Highway.

For years, Alice Schwendeman felt a tug to display a flag for each victim.

People are forgetting about it. This world is becoming so divided. It has to be a seed in your head. Somebody has to do something, she said.

Each of the 12-by-18-inch flags cost $1, a hurdle that stopped her from setting up a display five years ago.

I knew I had to do it this year, she said.

Her early efforts to raise money by putting posts on social media and a jar on the store counter didnt yield much.

Then local veterans groups, Boy and Girl Scouts and fire companies made donations.

When I was starting to give up, it started to come together, she said.

To insert flags into the lawn, the Schwendemans, who live in Tresckow, and Novy, worked parts of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Thinking about the effort made Alice Schwendeman flex her hand.

I cant feel my fingers, she said.

On Saturday, she wished more people would have attended the ceremony that began with electronic chimes playing at 8:46 a.m., which is when a plane struck the south tower at the trade center. Chimes rang again at 9:03 a.m. when a plane hit the north tower, 9:37 a.m. for the crash at the Pentagon, 9:59 a.m. for the collapse of the south tower, 10:03 a.m. when a plane went down in Shanksville, Somerset County, and 10:28 a.m. when the north tower fell.

The ceremony ended with God Bless the USA as people stood by 13 flags set apart from the main display for U.S. Marines killed at the Kabul Airport on Aug. 26

In between, patriotic songs played, and visitors had time to get acquainted.

Jodi Robbins of Mountain Top said the Schwendemans are the nicest people you are ever going to meet.

Their tribute to the victims made Robbins recall the attacks, which she watched on television while cleaning her previous house in Bloomsburg after a flood.

It made me angry, made my situation feel so small, she said.

Darlene and Joseph Donnelly of Wapwallopen attended to teach their 10-year-old daughter, Ariana, about 9/11.

I think we are here to honor the heroes, Darlene Donnelly said. This is a moment that we walked through. We have no idea what others walked through.

Nick Broyan was born a year after the attacks, which he learned about through videos and lessons at Berwick Christian School.

Its insane to think it happened in one day. The world went to a totally different type of normal in the span of a few hours, Broyan said.

He attended with other volunteers from the townships fire company, including his father, Frank Broyan, who joined the company after his son signed up. Twenty years ago, Frank Broyan was working on his familys farm when he heard reports about the attacks on the radio.

Dylan Briggs, the companys assistant chief, said he has read and watched reports about 9/11 since the events happened. An historic picture that he looked at Saturday morning showed a fire truck driving over a bridge toward the smoking towers. For him, it epitomized the response of firefighters.

They knew they couldnt put out that fire, but they went to help people get out of the towers, Briggs said.

He joined the fire township company after the attacks but not because of them.

Its something I always wanted to do. It gives you an opportunity to help people, he said. For people who have the same desire but dont know how to get involved just showing up at a meeting of a volunteer fire company is a great way to start, he said.

Rob Lockwood of Sugarloaf was driving past the flags on his way to work in Berwick and decided he had to stop.

Im a veteran. It means a lot. Probably in 20 years, weve forgotten. We cant, especially with the way the world is, he said.

Lillian Rahusen, who came to the ceremony with her husband, David, expected more people would have attended.

You come here. It looks like everybody forgot the terrible day, she said. Everybody who is a little older ... remembers exactly where they were.

Those who would like to see the display still can.

The Schwendemans plan to leave the flags up for a week.
CAN BE is joining The Hazleton Innovation Collaborative partners to present Downtown Hazletons first-ever participation in Global Entrepreneurship Week, which is supported by the Kauffman Foundation and held from Nov. 8 to 14.

THInC is among a network of more than 15,000 partner organizations across 180 countries who will present 40,000 events during Global Entrepreneurship Week and connect more than 9 million participants to potential collaborators, mentors and investors.

THInC partners include the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Hazleton Alliance for Progress, The Hazleton Art League, Penn State Hazleton, The Hazleton Launchbox, Luzerne County Community College, and Lackawanna College.

The partners are currently accepting applications for conference speakers. Presentations should be 30 to 45 minutes in length and can be structured as a formal presentation, panel discussion or interactive workshop. Proposals for presentations related to entrepreneurship and innovation (particularly in the areas of technology, food entrepreneurship and traditional/Main Street businesses), personal and leadership development, diversity and inclusion, as well as nonprofit and volunteerism are being accepted but the organizers are open to new session topic ideas as well.

The hybrid conference will have a campus-like atmosphere with multiple location points for participants to attend sessions, workshops, and networking events as well as multiple options to livestream presentations from across the Commonwealth via Penn States Global Entrepreneurship Week thanks to THInCs partnership with Penn State Hazleton and The Hazleton LaunchBox.

CAN DO Director of Economic Development Jocelyn Sterenchock said in a news release, Downtown Hazletons Global Entrepreneurship Week is our areas first-ever community-wide conference focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. This week-long hybrid conference is aimed at developing thought leaders, innovators, and business owners right here in Greater Hazleton. CAN BE is looking forward to joining our THInC partners to bring more opportunities likes this to entrepreneurs in Greater Hazleton.

Anyone interested in applying to be a speaker may complete the form at https://hazletonchamber.org/

business-info/speak-at-thinc-

entrepreneurship-innovation-week

.html before the close of business on Sept. 26.

For more information, email jsteren

chock@hazletoncando.com.
When I moved to Washington, D.C., in 2002 we all lived in 9/11s shadow. We waited for bombs in the Metro, for more anthrax envelopes, for a sequel to the previous autumns terror. We watched planes headed for Reagan Airport fly low over the Potomac, always half-expecting them to veer.

Everything in my profession revolved around the War on Terror. And everyone I knew who was even the least bit conservative (a category that included many Democrats) was ready to invade Iraq  and probably Syria and Iran for good measure.

Everyone except one college friend, Elbridge Colby, then newly planted at the State Department. His politics in those days were severely conservative (to borrow a phrase from the political taxonomist Mitt Romney), but he expected George W. Bushs strategy to end in disaster. Nightly in our unkempt apartments he argued with the hawks  which is to say with all of us  channeling the realist foreign policy thinkers he admired, predicting quagmire, destabilization and defeat.

In almost every way, the rest of the post-9/11 era vindicated his arguments  not just in the Iraq War but also in our chaos-sowing Libya intervention and our failed attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan.

Still, a version of Bush-era hawkishness survived among Republicans not named Rand Paul. Even in 2015, it was still potent enough that Colby was reportedly blackballed from a job as foreign policy director for Jeb Bushs campaign, because of his insufficient enthusiasm about a potential conflict with Iran.

A consensus can change slowly and then, under the right pressure, all at once, and for Republicans that pressure came from Donald Trump. No dove or systematizer, he still made realism and anti-interventionism respectable again  with immediate consequences for my friend. Two years after Team Jeb! declined his services, Colby was in Trumps Pentagon helping devise the administrations national defense strategy. And now he has a new book, The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict, making the case for a foreign policy that leaves the post-9/11 era decisively behind.

As the title suggests, this is a realists book, laser-focused on Chinas bid for mastery in Asia as the 21st centurys most important threat. All other challenges are secondary: Terrorism can be managed with smaller footprint operations, the liberal Trump-era fixation on Vladimir Putin mistakes a sideshow for the main event and the long-standing Republican focus on rogue states like Iran and North Korea is equally misguided.

Only China threatens American interests in a profound way, through a consolidation of economic power in Asia that imperils our prosperity and a military defeat that could shatter our alliance system. Therefore American policy should be organized to deny Beijing regional hegemony and deter any military adventurism  first and foremost through a stronger commitment to defending the island of Taiwan.

The Strategy of Denial presents a particularly unsentimental version of what a lot of people bidding to shape a post-9/11-era foreign policy believe  and not just younger Republicans like Colby. The Biden White House has its share of softer-spoken China hawks, and its disentanglement from Afghanistan and relative dovishness toward Russia both reflect a desire to prioritize China policy more than, say, a Hillary Clinton administration might have done.

But this is a long way from being any kind of consensus. The establishment freakout over Bidens Afghan withdrawal indicates the extent to which a focused, China-first foreign policy seems like retreat to Democrats and Republicans accustomed to more global and unlimited ambitions.

Meanwhile, a very different group of post-9/11-era thinkers regards China hawkishness as a dangerously self-fulfilling prophecy  a way to blunder, like the Bush-era neoconservatives Colby once critiqued, into an unnecessary and disastrous war. Rather than the old establishments maximalist, they prefer minimalism, an end even to the light-footprint forms of warcraft attacked by Samuel Moyn of Yale in his new book Humane  an interesting accompaniment and counterpoint to Colbys  and a deliberate retreat from empire. (The idea that climate change requires conciliation with China also looms large for some in this group.)

The minimalist group has the least influence in Washington, but its skepticism about warmaking has a lot of popular support  including skepticism about war with China. Even with Beijings increased belligerence and its COVID cover-ups, a survey in the summer of 2020 found that only 41% of Americans favored fighting for Taiwan, a lack of enthusiasm confirmed in informal surveys of almost everyone I know.

But Beijings own choices will also shape our strategy. A China that retreats somewhat, post-COVID, from bellicosity and border skirmishes would defang the China-hawk argument quite a bit.

On the other hand, a China that looks at American disarray and its own window of opportunity and decides to move aggressively could leave my old friend in the same place the 9/11 era left his younger self  with his strategic analysis vindicated, unhappily, by an American defeat.
Press Release

September 12, 2021 Dela Rosa: No better time to enact Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers but now SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa sees the need to urgently enact Senate Bill No. 2369 (SBN 2369), or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, to promote the welfare and protection of Filipino seafarers overseas as their deployment abroad is on a downtrend due to the pandemic. "There is no better time to enact the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers but now... sa pamamagitan ng panukalang batas na ito, magkakaroon ng kongkretong proteksyon para sa mga Pilipinong seafarers na nasaan mang karagatan sa mundo," he said in a co-sponsor speech last Tuesday. Section 41 of SBN 2369 provides for the protection of Filipino seafarers from epidemics, pandemics, and other public health emergencies as it ensures their entitlement to prompt medical care, as well as access to medical facilities onshore and medical advice on physical and mental health. Also, section 50 provides for the provision of quarantine and medical expenses before or during repatriation because of infection, epidemics, and pandemics. ?Dela Rosa said the imposition of lockdowns and border closures to international and domestic travel brought about by the COVID-19 disease has severely shrunk the number of employed Filipino seafarers abroad. Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed that the number of Filipino seafarers deployed overseas had plunged 54 percent in 2020, equivalent to 217,223, compared to 469,996 in 2019. The Maritime Industry Authority also reported a 48 percent decline in the deployment of officers on international vessels corresponding to the 50,277 in 2020 and 97,400 in 2019, while the number of lower ranks had dropped to 44 percent, or 93,618, from 166,401 in 2019, and the number of deployed staff in the non-maritime sector such as hotel staff for cruise ships and other passenger vessels had suffered a 64 percent fall with only 73,328 employed in 2020, compared to 206,195 before the pandemic started. Dela Rosa said that while it's hard to provide all the needs of the seafarers, the SBN 2369, if enacted into law, will be a big step for Filipino seafarers to realize their dream for their families. ?"Batid natin ang dami ng problema ng ating mga kababayan mandaragat. Ang aking opisina ay saksi sa mga problemang ito sa dami ng aming natatangggap na mga sulat na nanghihingi ng ibat-ibang klase ng tulong," Dela Rosa said. He said, for instance, that 75 Filipino seafarers, including crew members sick with Covid19, on board the M/V Horizon Pullmantor Crucerus docked at Port Al Rashid, Terminal 2, Dubai had sought for his help. "Humingi sila ng tulong dahil sa kanilang nakapanlulumong sitwasyon at kulang na medikasyon habang nasa loob ng barko. Ang ilan sa mga ito ay natulungan nating ma-repatriate pabalik ng ating bansa," he said. The Mindanaoan Senator said he recognizes the seafarers' important and challenging role in global trade and economy since about 90 percent of the world's food, fuel, raw materials, and manufactured goods are dispatched and transmitted by sea, according to the International Maritime Organization.
Written by ACM



*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Astonishingly Growing recent Facts around the World clearly show that those Few Fake "Vaccines" into which some EU Bureaucrats Traped the European People and others, Hindering or Restricting any Other, Alternative Solution, (Non-Pharmaceutical Public Health Measures, Prophylaxis, Medical Drugs, and/or Classic Vaccines like Pasteur's, etc), are found to be much more Inefficient, and/or even Dangerous, than expected, according to Various Converging Data from Many Sources :

--------------------------------------------

- First of all, the Pseudo-"Vaccined" Individuals can Infect Other Persons, (i.e. using those Novel Tools : f.ex. ANRm, etc), Contrary to what happens in the case of any Real, Classic Vaccine, (i.e. working according to the Method Invented by Louis Pasteur, and Already Known how to be used, for various Anti-Viruses protections, during the last 200 Years).

This Astonishing Fact had been Scandalously Hidden from the Public Opinion when those BNT-Pfizer and Moderna Fake Vaccines had been Initialy presented for Official Authorisation, Both in the USA and the EU, back on December 2020 ! The Numerous Official Documents (particularly of Turko-USA's BNT-Pfizer's) said Nothing clear about that, (while Moderna had just added a Short, Last-minute "Addition", with some vague and incomplete Hypothesis), and even the Highest-standing, Specialized EU Public Officials appeared to Ignore that Problem, as "Eurofora" revealed by Raising crystal-clear Questions on that point during Key Video-Press Conferences organized by the EU in Brussels, at the eve of Crucial Heads of State/Goverment Summits, (See, f.ex., at: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/pfijfyjhjh.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/fdaandcontroversialvirusvaccines.html, etc). At that time, French Professor Perronne, who Denounced that Fact, Refusing to Name as "Vaccines" those Strange and UnExplored yet, Novel Tools Affecting the Human Genome, had been brutaly Fired from his main Job, WithOut Any serious Reply, Nor any real Democratic Debate on that Key Issue... (See, f.ex., at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/fdaandcontroversialvirusvaccines.html , etc).

But, Afterwards, even EU Commission's President, Ursula van der Leyen, had to Admit that this was a Big Question-Mark, (See f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/eusummitonvaccinesquestions.html, etc), and the prestigious Scientific Review "Nature" Published, on Summer 2021, that it was Still UnKnown whether those Novel Tools Stopped the Infections of Other People, (as All "Classic" Vaccines did), or Not. Meanwhile, on June 2021, a PanEuropean CoE's Parliamentary Assembly's Resolution was Unanimously Opposed against any Imposal of a "Pass" System, as long as this crucial Pending Question had Not been Elucidated, and Warned that, Otherwise, such a Thorny situation would have "Devastating" Consequences, probably because of the False Appearances about such "Silent Killer Jombies" (i.e. those Prseudo-"Vaccinated" Individuals, as American People called them), would inevitably Risk to Provoke among Naive, UnInformed People, in Addition to an irresponsible Lifting of Public Health Protection Measures vis a vis those Pseudo-"Vaccinated" but still Dangerous individuals Threatening to Spread the Virus across the whole Society, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coeslamsviruspassrisks.html , http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/pseudovaccinespassportstohell.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coewarnsoneuvaccinationpassports.html, etc).

=> Thus, it's Not a Surprize that the, by far, Most Pseudo-"Vaccinated" Country in the World ; Israel (with the Fake-"Vaccine" BNT-Pfizer), Nowadays Faces an UnPrecedented Huge "Tsunami" of Mass-Infections, whose Numbers have Reached Record-High Peaks, Bigger than Ever since the Beginning of the Pandemic, as WHO's Official Data reveal (See relevant Graphics, attached herewith) !... Similar, more or less, Consequences are Also perceptible f.ex. in the UK (the Most Pseudo-"Vaccinated" European Country), France, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, the USA, not to forget Seychelles, etc.





On the Contrary, various Other Countries, particularly those Based on a Large Diversity of Different Vaccines (including also "Classic" ones), and/or on strong and general Public Health Measures (Non-Pharmaceutical : Intelligent Confinement, Social Distancing, Masks, Good Ventilation of Confined Areas, etc), have, Surprisingly, managed to Overcome Past problems, and Succeed to Reach an Almost ... Zero Infections + Zero Deaths situation, (f.ex. Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, San Marino, China, Australia ; from September 2020 until Summer 2021, etc)... That's why, Recently, even USA "Socialist" President Biden surprizingly Prohibited Entries to his Country from Canada's Borders Even for all Pseudo-"Vaccinated" Individuals, who were, Also, Called by the CDC to Wear Masks even Inside their Own Family Home and other Confined spaces (etc) !

-----------------------------------------------------

+ But, there is much More : Indeed, Even those Pseudo-"Vaccinated" Individuals themselves, (Despite their caricatural and Controversial "Passes", "Passports", or "Certificates", etc), are Not realy Protected by such Fake "Vaccines", and/or, at least, Unexpectedly Less and Less, almost Not at all, Nowadays...

* At First, various Negative "Side Effects" of those UnExplored yet Fake "Vaccines", or "Novel Tools" (Comp. Supra + Infra), doN't seem to have been Sufficiently Understood, or Not Even all Discovered until Nowadays : F.ex., those various kinds of "Thrombosis", "Allergic" incidents (which can be even Mortal : See Infra), or "PeriCarditis" Heart Problems, etc., added, inter alia, also to AstroZeneka's (the Chimbajies' Fake "Vaccine") "Guillain-Barre Syndrom", Facial Paralysis, and so on..

Already, various Mainstream Sources denounce several Hundreds or even Thousands of such thorny, alleged "Side Effects" Cases after taking such a Pseudo-"Vaccine", only in the USA. And that appeared in Only a Few Months, while it notoriousy takes a few Years before a Candidate Vaccine is throroughly Examined and authorised. Already, the Precedent of "Astrazeneka"'s Chimpaji Fake-"Vaccine", (Initialy a supposed "Champion" from Oxford...), which, after too Many Incidents among Women Victims, was Notoriously Disgraced, (to the point that even Poor, Non-EU Serbia had to ...Offer its lot, Rejected by Serbian People, to Other, even More Poor, Western Balkan Countries, in order to avoid throwing it out), left Heavy Marks.

Nowadays, it's mainly the Turkish-USA "BNT-Pfizer" which was Accused for at least 2 Recent Deaths, (one of a French Youngster, Maxime, 32 y.o., in France, and another of a Woman in New Zeland, according to the Ministry of Health itself), both shortly after taking a dose of that Controversial Novel Tool of ANRm, (in order to get a "Pass" Imposed for Summer Holidays in Greece, according to Maxime's Father, who strongly Denounced those "Criminals" who OutLaw well-tested Medical Therapies/Prophylaxis, as HCQ, but Impose a few "UnExplored" yet Fake "Vaccines", making "Billions" as "Pfizer", while Some Public Investigators prefered to Accuse ..."Peanuts" [sic !] that the victim had eaten Later, overNight. At any case, all "Allergies" strictly Prohibit "BNT-Pfizer" in the UK, while in France and Other Countries, Not Always... As for the New Zeland Lady, the Authorities, curiously Hide her Name, Age, and Circumstances... ),

+ In addition, Sometimes, "BNT-Pfizer"'s Negative Side-Effects are More Probable than the Virus itself : F.ex., among Male Teenagers, the Chances to get Infected by the Virus in the USA Nowadays are about 44 per Million, while "MyoCardiac" Problems provoked by "Pfizer" or "Moderna" Fake "Vaccines" are ...162, (according to the "Guardian", citting US Official sources).

++ Moreover, ARNm "Novel Tools" UnExplored yet Technology is Based on the Artificial Blockade of a Protein of the Virus, by Affecting the Human Genome, (Instead of Stimulating the Natural Human Immunity System for doing so itself, as All Classic Vaccines generaly did). But "Proteins" are responsible for All Human Parts and/or "Events" inside the Body, (Tissues, Muscles, Nerfs, Bones, etc., as well as Key Chemical Reactions, as, f.ex., Insuline secretion against Diabetes, or Digestion of Food, Turning a Gene "On" or "Off", etc). There are Many Thousands of them in Humans, mostly of Complex Molecular Structures, a Lot UnExplored or Only Partly Known yet. So that this results in 2 main Risks : (A) Tragic Errors : Because "even the Slightest Change of a Protein Might provoke Catastrophes", as BBC Warns ; (B) Dangerous Interventions : Since by Stoping or Launching, Weakening or Boosting this or that Gene, partly or wholy, an Eventual "Dr. Frankenstein" Technocrat might attempt to Manipulate the Genome of one or many Human Persons, through a kind of "Gene Therapy", as French Professor Perronne had Warned, (Comp. Supra), and/or by "Playing God", as some Press Commentators pointed out...

------------------------------------------------

** Even More Important, concerning the COVIT-19 Virus' Pandemic : Pseudo-"Vaccinated" Individuals, via such Fake-"Vaccines", can be ...re-Infected also Themselves, as many Facts, particularly Recent, have Already widely Revealed :

- F.ex., in Addition to "Nature" Scientific Review's recent Headline affirmation, (that it's Not yet Known Whether those Controversial Novel Tools may let Infect Other People, or Even their Recipients too : Comp. Supra), it's, among various other Facts, also very Surprizing that, in Israel, recently, about 50% of the People Infected, were ...Pseudo-"Vaccinated" with those Fake-"Vaccines" !

In the USA, Even inside the White House, Biden had recently the Bad Surprize to Find that several among his own Staff, already Pseudo-"Vaccinated" by those standard Fake-"Vaccines", were, in fact, Infected by the Virus... Earlier, a Big Cluster at USA's East England area had revealed that the Large Majority (more than 900) were ...Pseudo-"Vaccinated" individuals ! And in France, it's the New President of the powerful Region PACA (Marseille), Muselier, who has just been Infected himself by the Virus, Despite the fact that he had been Pseudo-"Vaccinated" by such Fake-"Vaccines, (etc)...

----------------------------

Meanwhile, the French Government had claimed, at an Official Consultation of the "Conseil d'Etat" (the Highest Court on Public Law affairs) about the Controversial "Pass" or "Certificate" (See : ... + ..., etc), a few Months ago, that those Fake-"Vaccines" would, allegedly, "Protect up to 95% against Hospitalisations and Deaths" (sic !). Astonishingly, that Court did Not even Try to Verify such a Big and Controversial Claim, but Limited itself into Only attesting that this would be the situation "according to the elements provided by the Government" (Full Stop)... I.e., some so-called "Judges" behaved as if a retrograde Attorney on Criminal cases did Not Investigate a Murder, But Only Limited himself to say that : ..."According to the Suspect, he is Innocent (sic !)"...

However, Many recent Facts show that the above-mentioned Governemental Claim, (apparently made by Mr. Veran, the current Minister for Health, pursued by Virus' victims at the French Courts inter alia also for "Non Assistance to People at Risk", etc), is a Fake Claim, or, at least, Trends to Disappear according to relevant Developments :

- F.ex., Recently at the UK (the Most Pseudo-"Vaccinated" European Country), Official Statistics revealed that about 45% of those who Died from the Virus had been Pseudo-"Vaccinated" by such Fake-"Vaccines" !

+ Moreover, it's Obvious that, with the Present, Astonishingly and Scandalously "Hate Speach", even by Key Public Officials, in certain Countries, Against Non-Vaccinated Yet People, (f.ex. in France, Greece, and recently Biden's USA, etc. : i.e., by a "Coincidence", mainly in Countries in which "BNT-Pfizer" currently has installed ...Factories for its Commercial Products), if they are personaly Affected by the Virus, they are No More going to Find the Necessary Human and Social Solidarity and Sympathy almost Nowhere in Hospitals and/or hired Medical Staff Nowadays, Risking Seriously to be, rather, Abandoned to Die, (as they are loudly Accused to be at least co-Responsible for the Virus' Spread !)... If that doesN't Change, then, Obviously, Death Statistics risk to become a mere "Self full-filling Prophecy"...

- But, Meanwhile, many Recent Facts, clearly Prove that the Alleged "Efficacy" of those Fake-"Vaccines", (If it ever existed), Risks to rapidly ...Disappear, Nowadays, under our own eyes, just in Weeks or a few Months' Time !

* Indeed, among many others, even those Fake-"Vaccines"' Merchands (and particularly the Turkish-USA "BNT-Pfizer" lobby), have Notoriously repeated that any Efficacy of their Controversial Merchandise Risks to Vanish Shortly, Necessitating, therefore, a "3rd Dose", in almost Half a Year's Time... Indeed, that Alleged Efficacy vis a vis the Virus Rapidly Fell from a Claimed 95 or 92% Down to an Astonishing 64%, and Soon at a Terrible ... 39% !

++ In the MeanTime, Pro-Biden CDC recent NewsReports this Summer 2021 reveal that alleged Fake-"Vaccines"' (RNAm) Efficacy had Fallen from about 29 Times more chances to Avoid Hospitalisation, at 11, and afterwards Only 4 (Four !), Obviously Threatening to be Nullified soon...

(The pro-Establishment Medias betrayed their Criminal Lies by publishing, on a Day of Popular Protests, Only 1 Headline claiming that Hospitalisations would be 11 Times Less with those Fake-"Vaccines" (sic !), while Hiding from the People the Trend for that to Fall from 29 Times to 11 and later Only 4, which Obviously predicts that such former Differences are Disappearing fast : What a Total Lack of Press Ethics !).

+++ In Addition, "Moderna"'s alleged Efficacy seems to have, reportedly, Fallen comparatively Less than that of "BNT-Pfizer", (which went Down much more Rapidly), Both in terms of Hospitalisations etc., and in the Number of Antigens created by those Fake-"Vaccines". But this might be, reportedly, due to the Number of RNAm contained in each one of those Novel Tools, with "Moderna" having much More, which could, Perhaps, provoke More Side-Effects (according to a "BNT-Pfizer" Competitor), and/or allow for More Human Genome Manipulations, (which, Obviously, could be Dangerous : Comp. Supra).

++++ At any case, such a "3rd Dose", (Hotly Challenged by the WHO, as long as Poor Countries accross the World hadN't yet, Not even any Basic Vaccine), seems due to Delay too much, since, Just for Elderly People, it's currently supposed to be Concluded in the USA Only at the Beginning of Next Year (2022)...

+++++ Most Important : Experienced Medical Experts, according to Mainstream US Medias, Denounced the Fact that : - "Such a succession of 3 Doses in almost 6 Months Time had Never been Seen Before at Any Vaccine !", and that "it's Doubtful whether the People would Accept something like that !"

++++++ But, even that, is Not Yet Ripe, Neither Certain for immediate Use, as EU's competent EMA criticaly Observed, Nowadays, in a rare Public Warning, Calling those Member States which currently Plan to Start such a 3rd Dose withOut an EU Authorisation yet, to Stop such a Displaced Hurry, inter alia, Because the Turkish-USA "BNT-Pfizer" has Not Yet presented All the Required Documents, and, in that case, f.ex. the Legal Responsibilities for eventual Side-Effects Risk to be Changed to the Detriment of European Counries...

+++++++ Last, but not least, as if All That wouldN't be Enough, Israel, which is Notoriously the Most Pseudo-"Vaccinated" State in the World, based on such Controversial Fake-"Vaccines", (mainly Pfizer, etc), has just, reportedly Warned, that the Current Situation of the Virus' Pandemic could, eventualy, make Necessary even a ...Fourth (4th) Dose asap !

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=> In Consequence, in front of such an Astonishing Failure and "Crash" of the Establishment's current Fake-"Vaccines" (Comp. Supra), as the Deadly Virus Pandemic persists, a practical Hope seems to ask Nowadays, Urgently, for :

- A Wide Authorisation of Real, "Classic" Vaccines, (already among the 57% Majority of those 180 Vaccines which have reached a Clinical Level, according to the WHO), and the Invention of more, in full Transparency, so that People can have a well Informed, free Choice ;

- Support the development of adequate Medical Cure and Drugs, new or old (repurposed), so that People can have the necessary Time to wait for something better ;

- Prophylaxis, mainly by Boosting the Natural Human Immune System (ibid) ;

- Intelligent, Non-Pharmaceutical, Public Health Measures, (including Alternative : Digital and/or Outdoor Economic Activities, in Not Confined spaces) ;

- Research on the Origins of this Deadly Virus, its Variants, and other Crucial Developments ;

- Keep Democraticaly Accountable all those Responsible for Big Blunders, No Protection of People at Risk, Abuse/Oppression of Basic Freedoms ;

- Find and Punish those Hidding Behind that Few Fake Vaccines Fascism ;



- Respect People's elementary Liberties and Human Rights, as well as Basic BioEthical Principles.

(../..)

("Draft-Text")

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by Libby Eggert

eggertli@grinnell.edu

The first weeks of classes are difficult for any student, but some transgender and non-binary students were faced with an additional hurdle: their deadnames showing up on P-cards, Blackboard, and email addresses for teachers and peers to see.

Deadname is a colloquial term for a transgender or non-binary persons given name at birth, if they change their name while transitioning. Misgendering is a term for using the wrong pronouns to refer to someone.

For first year Rowan Munson `25, hearing their teacher say their deadname was devastating  to kind of be held in the silence of a teacher calling out your deadname, and then knowing you have to answer or else get marked absent, they said.

Another first year, who requested anonymity due to the risk of retaliation, said their deadname was used in a roll-call in one of their classes because it was listed on the class roster. They said their on-campus job supervisor has also frequently misgendered them.

Munson said they always list their chosen name over their deadname, unless it is required for legal documentation. Still, their deadname appeared on their P-card and on Blackboard.

I trusted them [Grinnell administration] with my deadname for legal reasons but they obviously didnt keep it a secret, said Munson.

Munson was not provided with information on how to pursue changing their name in Grinnells system a task they feel they cannot take on during this already strenuous transition.

Its the beginning of the year, and I dont have the emotional energy to go through all that, they said.

The anonymous student said they did not feel safe putting their chosen name on any documents, out of fear that a family member could see it. But hearing their deadname and being misgendered regularly is emotionally disruptive.

Getting me misgendered makes me feel unsafe  I have a lot of trauma related to misgendering so then it makes it hard to form connection and community, they said. I find myself pulling away from people who misgendered me, even if its by accident.

Grinnell Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Inclusivity Initiatives Maure Smith-Benanti explained the process of changing ones name over email. Students can go to GrinnellShare, then Students, then Student Name, Gender, Pronoun Declaration and Change Form. Students can get a new P-Card immediately after turning in their old one and can expect a new email username within a couple of days.

Neither of the students interviewed was aware of the process of name changing. However, for students in a situation where they need to conceal their gender identity from their family, the College cannot guarantee complete secrecy from students guardians. Students must choose between either having their name properly registered or sharing their identity with their parents, which could leave them in an unsafe situation.

Grinnells Title IX Coordinator, Bailey Asberry, wrote in an email that building a community of respect is part of our everyday work at the College. One way Asberry trains people on improving respect is by rehearsing scenarios where one might witness bias and practicing how to respond.

Students experiencing any types of transgressions, including misgendering and deadnaming, can report it through resources such as Grinnells Report a Bias Incident, EthicsPoint Anonymous Reporting, and other resources compiled by Title IX. Additionally, a student can report to a teacher or faculty they trust. Grinnell faculty are trained to help students connect with Asberry and other resources.

Asberry said the actions were taken after a report depends on what the student wants to do. These responses can include an educational conversation, no-contact order, training  and other supportive measures and remedies as appropriate.

The anonymous student says they feel most respected when people do not assume someones gender, and instead ask for someones pronouns when meeting them. They also appreciate when professors allow students to introduce themselves or fill out an anonymous survey with pronouns and names rather than doing a traditional roll call and potentially using a deadname.

Whether students choose to report or not, misgendering and deadnaming have impacted some students ability to feel welcome on campus.

To the anonymous student, It feels kind of isolating, especially because I dont know a lot of people very well, so I dont have a support group of, like, queer people to make jokes and laugh with.

To Munson, It just seems like something I shouldnt have to fight for.
Monrovia  Former National Investment Commission Executive Director, George Wisner has welcomed the latest decision from Criminal Court "C" at the Temple of Justice to trash criminal indictment against him and others.

Wisner: "Today, the Judge of Criminal Court "C" dismissed the Government of Liberia's indictment against me and asked that all my rights and privileges as a patriotic citizen of Liberia be restored.

"We welcome the ruling as the first major step towards justice.

"You will recall that since the indictment over a year ago, that coincided with the announcement of our bid for the Unity Party Chairmanship, we have always maintained our innocence and had suspected ulterior motives dressed in politics.

"Today's ruling is the first step towards vindication," Wisner said in communication, following the ruling."

Wisner and 13 others, including Senate Secretary, Naborlor Sengbe were indicted on allegations of Economic Sabotage, theft of property, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, in a case filed by the Republic of Liberia by and through Hans Armstrong as respondents.

But on Monday, September 6, Criminal Court "C" Judge Ousman Feika dismissed the case based on a motion filed by a lawyer representing one of the respondents, representing the Afriland Bank, Cllr. Daku Mulbah that Armstrong is still a defendant in a case in Nimba and cannot file another lawsuit in a similar case when he has not yet to face his indictment.

"The Clerk of this Court is hereby ordered to prepare a release in favor of all defendants in these proceedings, thereby restoring their rights as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, and it is hereby so ordered," Cllr. Ousman F. Feika, Circuit Court Judge Presiding said in his ruling.

Mr. Armstrong, based on the court record, is indicted at the 8th Judicial Circuit Court of Nimba County for the crimes of Theft of Property and Forgery, while the defendants on the other hand are indicted for the commission of the crimes of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property, Forgery and Criminal Conspiracy.

According to the court, based on the fact that the defendants in these proceedings are the private prosecutors in the indictment against Armstrong in the criminal case against him at the 8th Judicial Circuit Court for Nimba County and the law in said jurisdiction provides that a cause of action be dismissed, if there is another action pending between the same parties for the same cause in the court in Liberia.

As such, the court said it sustains the resistance of the defendant's counsel, as well as the application for the dismissal of the case associated therewith, that crimes contained in the indictment drawn against the defendants are the same as the one against Mr. Armstrong in the 8th Judicial Circuit Court of Nimba County.

"This court, therefore, holds the rationale that to proceed with this trial would be tantamount to undermining the ends of justice and a complete disregard of the statute, hence a violation of same."

Following the ruling Wisner noted that there is always an unequal power relationship between the Government, as an institution of the state, and individual citizens of the State, as such, the ruling was the first step towards justice in Liberia.

While maintaining, his innocence, he said they have suspected ulterior political motives in the case.

He lauded his legal team for the efforts in pushing the matter to its end, stating that he will sit with them to know the next course of action.

"This is why, in matters of prosecution, especially as it relates to criminal indictments that have the propensity to seize liberties, the State ought to be circumspect, meticulous and proceed without bias, malice, or discrimination," Wisner stressed.

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"In the coming days, we will sit with our lawyers to fully understand with all these means. For now, we just want to celebrate this monumental step towards justice. We wish to thank the Almighty God, who is the final arbiter of justice for the strength and courage he has given us throughout this very difficult period."

Wisner then recounted how the dismissal of the case on Monday, September 6, marks exactly one year since his residence gutted fire and was partially destroyed, which he said has created mental anguish of being falsely accused by the government.

He lamented that the court ruling coming on the act the same day of the first anniversary of such calamity, marks of divine providence and a confirmation of God's faithfulness towards him.
analysis

Just over a decade ago in South Africa, a flurry of media reports surfaced about a customary practice known as ukuthwala. The reports described a rise in ukuthwala characterised by the kidnapping, assault and rape of young girls by older men, forcing them into customary marriages. Girls as young as 13 and 14 in the rural areas of provinces such as Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were affected by this violence. In some cases, the girls' families accepted and arranged the marriages.

Ukuthwala is a term in Nguni languages which has various meanings. It can refer to ways (including abduction) of making a customary marriage happen quickly. South Africa has a varied cultural make-up, and the term 'customary' is generally used to describe beliefs and traditions of groups that are 'indigenous' to the country. Customary marriages therefore are based on localised norms. As a route to customary marriage, multiple types of ukuthwala exist across the country, each with distinct names and elements.

The reports about violent ukuthwala cases provoked responses from different sectors of society. Government leaders organised meetings with affected communities. The South African Law Reform Commission did an extensive study. Legal scholars outlined the human rights implications of the practice. The ruling political party's Women's League called for ukuthwala to be abolished.

From the media and government reports, legal scholarship and case law, two general conclusions emerged during this period. The first was that non-consensual ukuthwala was a modern phenomenon. The second was that it was an abuse of tradition, not an authentic customary practice.

Through my research, based on interviews with women in the Eastern Cape and examinations of historical and recent sources, I have found that both of these conclusions about ukuthwala are oversimplifications. The reality is far more complex. Coercive ukuthwala has been practised for generations, and many have held the cruel acts accompanying ukuthwala as part of tradition.

The mainstream conclusions obscure the actual nature and extent of this form of gendered violence.

Misconceptions

The first misconception is that violent ukuthwala is a new phenomenon. Part of the misunderstanding stems from the fact that before 2009 only a small body of academic research existed, and much of it concentrated on the romantic ukuthwala forms, akin to elopement. There are however sources that provide rich insights into past practices of violent ukuthwala. The historian Elisabeth Thornberry, for example, explored sexual crimes and customs in colonial-era Eastern Cape. An early legal ethnography was Jacobus van Tromp's 1947 work on Xhosa customs. Colonial and apartheid-era court cases also provide evidence of women seeking to escape abusive marriages.

Most importantly, older women are repositories of historical knowledge. I conducted my research in partnership with Masimanyane, an Eastern Cape-based women's rights organisation. In my interviews women related their experiences of ukuthwala, rape and brutality during the 1970s. Staff of Masimanyane described how older women in affected communities had asked for counselling for the traumas they suffered decades ago.

Collectively these sources demonstrate that coercive ukuthwala is not of recent origin.

The second simplified conclusion about violent ukuthwala is that it is an inauthentic expression of custom. This assertion is most evident in the legal arena. In the 2015 decision Jezile vs S the Western Cape High Court determined that features of traditional ukuthwala under customary law included:

the consent of both the bride and groom

a "pretend" abduction of the bride

the strict prohibition of any sexual intercourse during the abduction.

The court labelled the forced form of ukuthwala as "aberrant". In parallel, the South African Law Reform Commission concluded that instances of forced ukuthwala were "illegal distortions" of the custom.

In my research I found that for many communities in rural parts of the Eastern Cape, coercive ukuthwala has been the standard according to customary practice. In my interviews with older survivors, they explained that what they endured in the ukuthwala process, such as abductions and rapes, was part of the custom where they lived. Their families took part in arranging the marriages and then refused to rescue them even after they were raped.

There is fortunately a growing body of scholarship that depicts the cultural acceptance of violent ukuthwala. This includes research by legal scholars Lea Mwambene and Helen Kruuse done in Jezile's community in the Eastern Cape following the court case, as well as in-depth explorations by anthropologists.

In sum, my findings affirm that custom cannot be understood as formulaic or benign. How people live and the traditions they invest in are infinitely diverse. There cannot be an essential form of ukuthwala.

Culture and violence

The simplified understandings of ukuthwala that I have outlined have particular consequences. For one, the perception of violent ukuthwala as 'new' has concealed brutality against black women through the apartheid and colonial eras. This very significant form of familial violence against women in the past remains mostly unacknowledged, and the brutality of ukuthwala today stands without context.

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Connected to this is the denial of the link between culture and violence. The strict outlook on ukuthwala hides the very close relationship between marriage processes and rape. This is a relationship that has existed across many cultures. For example, marital rape was only criminalised in South Africa in the 1990s, undoing the marital rape exemption based on Roman-Dutch and English laws. In other words, the customary acceptance of sexual violence of ukuthwala is not unique.

Unfortunately, rape in marriage remains under-researched and misunderstood. My research highlights how the institution of marriage continues to diminish women's sexual autonomy. Coercive ukuthwala happens because families prize marriage and the power of husbands over the individual rights of women and girls. The marriage in effect nullifies a husband's wrongdoing.

Research must incorporate the voices of women of all ages, question written resources, and create more balanced accounts to inform law and policy. Without this we only have a partial understanding of ukuthwala and the injustices that women and girls have long been subjected to.

Nyasha Karimakwenda, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Cape Town
analysis

The breakup of diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco in August is the product of a long history of tension. The two nations have never had long periods of friendship, notwithstanding the many factors that bring them together. Indeed, they belong to the same Maghreb region, share the same religion (Sunni Islam and Maleki rite) and identity, and speak a similar dialect. They also share a 1,550km common border.

In fact, Algerian and Moroccan people are so close that it is difficult to distinguish them. But, historical, political and ideological dissimilarities since their respective independence weigh heavily in the relations between these "brotherly" countries.

How can one account for the tensions that have characterised their relations, which have now gone through a second breakup in diplomatic relations? The first, initiated by Morocco, was from 1976 to 1988.

I have researched relations between Algeria and Morocco for more than 40 years and published studies on the topic. Relations between the Algerian and Moroccan governments have seldom been cordial. This is due to the different nature of their anti-colonial struggle, their dissimilar political systems, and opposite ideological orientations.

In the last decade, Morocco exploited the lethargy of Algeria's diplomacy and the paralysis of the political system to advance its interests, often to the detriment of Algeria. The reawakening of Algeria's diplomacy and its decision to counter what it considers Morocco's "hostile acts" resulted in the latest breakup.

Their tumultuous relationship has been an impediment to the integration of the region, which could bring sizeable benefits to both. Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia founded the Arab Maghreb Union in 1989. But since 1996, the union has become moribund due to repeated tensions in Moroccan-Algerian relations.

The divergences of recent years are potentially far more consequential. They could threaten the stability of the whole North Africa region.

History of Algerian-Moroccan relations

Algerian nationalists had relatively good relations with King Mohammed V of Morocco He died in 1961, one year before Algeria gained its sovereignty. Morocco became independent in 1956 and Algeria in 1962.

King Mohammed's son, King Hassan II, who succeeded him, made claims over Algerian territory. He invaded the country in 1963. This resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Algeria's ill-equipped fighters.

Although short, this war shaped the minds of the Algerian military-political establishment. There was an era of cooperation between 1969 and the mid-1970s. But the conflict in Western Sahara, invaded by Morocco under the so-called Green March in 1975, resulted in another era of tensions.

Indeed, in March 1976, Algeria's recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, proclaimed by the Sahrawi nationalist movement, the Polisario Front, saw Morocco break diplomatic relations with Algeria. Many other African countries recognised the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Relations were restored in May 1988.

The renewal of relations was based on a number of agreements. These were:

a commitment to enduring relations of peace

good neighbourliness and cooperation

hastening the building of the Great Arab Maghreb

Algeria's noninterference in Morocco's domestic affairs

solving the Western Sahara conflict through a referendum on self-determination.

From Algeria's perspective, Morocco has reneged on all of them.

In the background, there has been a continuous buildup of Algerian-Moroccan tensions.

Growing tensions

In the 1990s, Algeria underwent a bigger crisis than it had ever known. The country was devastated by civil strife opposing the state, and armed Islamist groups. In 1994, in the midst of that crisis, Moroccan authorities falsely accused Algerian intelligence of being behind the deadly terrorist attacks at the Asni hotel in Marrakech.

Morocco imposed visas on Algerians, including those holding another citizenship. Algeria retaliated in imposing visas and closed its land borders with Morocco. In late 1995, Morocco froze the institutions of the Arab Maghreb Union due to Algeria's support for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

A shift in relations seemed to have occurred when Abdelaziz Bouteflika became president of Algeria in April in 1999. He planned on meeting King Hassan II to iron out differences. But the king died in July that year. His successor Mohammed VI showed no inclination for a resolution of Western Sahara under United Nations terms.

Amazingly, during his presidency, Bouteflika not only neglected the question of Western Sahara, he also instructed officials not to respond to any Moroccan hostile actions.

Following his forcible removal in April 2019, Algeria reiterated its support for the principle of self-determination.

For its part, Morocco had been lobbying the African Union, Europe and the US for support for its claims of sovereignty over Western Sahara. Two events in the last 10 months escalated tensions. The first was an attack on Sahrawi demonstrators in El-Guergarat, the buffer zone in the south of Western Sahara, by Moroccan troops. Then there was a tweet from President Donald Trump announcing US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty in Western Sahara.

These constituted part of Algeria's decision to break up diplomatic relations with Morocco.

Trump had traded Moroccan occupied Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco normalising relations with Israel. Other Arab states did the same thing in the framework of the Abraham Accords brokered by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Before the Abraham Accords, Moroccan officials displayed relentless hostility toward Algeria to which the Algerian government did not respond. Trump's tweet on 10 December seemed to galvanise Morocco's hostile attitude toward Algeria.

Algeria perceived both decisions as a real threat to its national security.

Algiers' threshold of tolerance against acts it considered hostile came in mid-July when Morocco's ambassador to the UN distributed a note expressing support for a group fighting for the secession of the Kabyle coastal region of Algeria. The group is listed as a terrorist group by Algeria. This resulted in Algeria recalling its ambassador in Morocco for "consultations" and asking Morocco to clarify whether this was the ambassador's sole decision or the government's. It never received a response.

Another hostile act in the eyes of Algeria was a vast spying scandal revealed by a consortium of international newspapers and human rights organisations. They found that Morocco had targeted more than 6,000 Algerians, including many senior political and military officials.

Algeria decided to break diplomatic relations with Morocco as of 24 August.

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Implications of the breakup

The breakup may result in geopolitical realignments. But all will depend on whether Morocco will escalate tensions and use the Israeli card against Algeria, or whether it will seek to reduce tensions.

Algeria has already begun strengthening its control at the Algerian Moroccan border. It could create serious problems for Morocco if it decided to expel the tens of thousands of Moroccans (many of whom are illegal migrants) from Algeria.

There are wider implications too.

The breakup has marked the death knell of the Arab Maghreb Union, which was already dormant. The strained relations will either mean the regional grouping remains at a standstill or a new grouping might emerge.

And the rivalries between Algeria and Morocco can be expected to intensify at the African Union over Israel's observer status at the AU, and over Western Sahara.

In the economic realm, the Algerian energy minister announced in late August that the contract for the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME), which goes through Morocco, will not be renewed after it expires on 31 October 2021. The decision has now been confirmed. The pipeline goes directly from northwest Algeria and then crosses Mediterranean.

Instead, Algeria will distribute natural gas to Spain and Portugal via the pipeline, MEDGAZ.

The term impact of this breakup is unpredictable. What's certain, however, is that Algerian-Moroccan rivalry will intensify.

Yahia H. Zoubir, Visiting fellow at the Brookings Doha Center and Senior Professor of International Studies and Director of Research in Geopolitics, Kedge Business School
analysis

A recent report by the global advocacy organisation Amnesty International painted a dire picture of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Somalia. Based on interviews with health workers, government officials, and finance and debt relief experts, the report concludes that the government's response to the pandemic has been "wholly inadequate". But how bad is the situation really? Dr Mohammed A. M. Ahmed answers some questions.

How has Somalia been affected by the pandemic?

It has been badly affected. My colleagues and I have been tracking the situation since the first cases were reported in March last year. We have been doing consecutive online surveys to assess the adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and its impact on Somalis between April 2020 and January 2021. These are still continuing.

Strict lockdown measures were introduced. These included closing schools, non-essential businesses, bars and restaurants, closing borders, forbidding large gatherings, restricting travel and imposing a curfew. The measures have had a devastating effect on daily labourers and low-income communities. Many Somalis rely on daily paid jobs for subsistence.

In addition to the health-related impact of morbidity and mortality, I believe the COVID-19 pandemic consequences were more disastrous than the disease itself. This is because, as with other low- and middle-income countries, there has been no government support for people. I wouldn't be surprised if hunger was killing more people than the virus.

According to officially confirmed cases there were 16,831 in early September, and 913 confirmed deaths. But the real burden of the disease is way underestimated. There are a number of reasons for this. But the main one is that not all the laboratories in the country are included in the tally. In addition, only a few laboratories can test for COVID-19.

What have been the biggest obstacles?

The biggest obstacle is that the country has not been able to establish a strong health system because of three decades of civil war. Basic healthcare access is limited.

Nevertheless, the Somali government's response was very good. The ministry of health, in collaboration with international organisations, worked hard to put a comprehensive plan in place.

The government formed a COVID-19 task force. It also issued travel restrictions for passengers coming from high-risk countries, prepared and set up 14 institutional quarantine sites, and dedicated one hospital to handle emergency cases in need of ventilation.

Preventive measures included closing academic institutions and banning large-scale social gatherings.

Despite these efforts, cases continued to rise.

The pandemic found Somalia in a rebuilding stage with most of the population living in heavily crowded and poorly constructed houses and large camps for internally displaced persons with limited access to testing and healthcare.

Our initial observations were that a lot of the preventive measures were ignored due to strong cultural or religious beliefs. For example, people continued to gather in mosques several times a day for prayers, and meet a funeral services without proper personal protective equipment.

What steps must the government take?

The government must strengthen healthcare infrastructure so that people can get basic emergency healthcare.

It must also establish a public health surveillance system that initiates continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health-related data.

Most healthcare in the country is privatised. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 80% of the need for medicine and health products is covered by the private sector. The sector is poorly regulated and concentrated in urban areas. But I believe the private health sector can contribute to better access to healthcare if it's operationalised, organised and regulated. There is, therefore, a need to integrate health information between the two sectors. Without this numbers will continue to be under-reported.

Having this type of data would:

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serve as an early warning system for impending outbreaks

enable monitoring and evaluation of the impact of an intervention

help track progress towards specified goals

monitor and clarify health problems, which in turn will guide priority-setting and planning and evaluation of public health policy and strategies.

In a recent study my colleagues and I assessed the COVID-19 vaccine acceptability. Most of the participants - 76.8% - said they would accept vaccination. The respondents were mainly young people and did not qualify for the vaccine. Vaccination is restricted to high-risk groups. These include the elderly, healthcare workers and people with co-morbidities. Therefore the government should lobby for more vaccines to be available to those who are willing to be vaccinated and not only limit it to the high-risk groups. In Somalia young people make up most of the population. Older people over 65 years comprise only 3%.

Mohammed A.M. Ahmed, Lecturer and director of project advancement for medicine and health science, Mogadishu University
POLICE in Rukwa Region have apprehended 37 people for allegedly committing various crimes including three suspects in possession of 1,500 live ammunitions.

It was alleged that the trio illegally bought the ammunitions from seven fishermen, thinking the glittering live ammunitions were gold. Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr William Mwampaghale confirmed the arrest of the 37 suspects while addressing journalists here in the municipality this week.

He further explained that the arrest of the three suspects was made possible after the police were tipped about the incident by law-abiding citizens. The RPC further said police officers certified that the live ammunitions could have been used in heavy weaponry such as AK 47 and SAR.

Narrating the incident, the RPC confirmed the three suspects were arrested on September 08, this year at Korongwe village along the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Nkasi District.

"Preliminary investigations done by the law enforcers have disclosed that seven fishermen who were fishing in Lake Tanganyika uncovered 1,500 live bullets kept into two metallic boxes hidden in a cave located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

"The curious fishermen opened the metallic boxes which contained the ammunitions which they thought were gold ... they sold what they believed were precious metallic minerals to the three suspects" explained the RPC.

Mr Mwampaghale further explained that, when the trio was then thoroughly grilled by police officers declined to explain why they bought the ammunitions from the fishermen and where they were taking them to.

"Though they declined to explain why they procured the ammunitions from the fishermen, they confessed to have known that what they had purchased were authentic live bullets meant for AK 47 and SAR which are military arsenals," he said.

He further said that thorough investigation is underway in a bid to uncover what were their motives.

In related incident two people believed to be poachers have been nabbed by police officers for illegally possessing 14 live bullets for shotgun.

The duo was also caught red handed in illegal possession of several national trophies including 14 pieces of tortoise scales, carcass of a wild animal, thorns of porcupine, seven wires for trapping wild animals, two spears and two arrows.

The RPC confirmed that the incident occurred on August 28, this year at Kashai - Eden B area here in municipality. He further disclosed that the suspects will soon be arraigned once preliminary investigations of their case are completed.

In a related development, the RPC confirmed that 31 people believed to be thieves have been arrested for allegedly possessing 21 stolen motorbikes popularly known as bodaboda whose ownerships are still questionable.

"Among them, seven suspects have been arraigned while three of them were sentenced to serve jail terms. The rest will soon appear before the court once preliminary investigations of their cases are over," said the RPC.

He further explained that the suspects were arrested following a special operation meant to seize motorcycles with mechanical defaults, ending up arresting 31 people and seizing 21 motorbikes which, were allegedly stolen by them.

He said the operation took place from August 04 to September 04, this year. According to the RPC, police officers arrested an incorrigible house breaker whose name was featuring as a police most wanted criminal.

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He said the suspect is most wanted in neighbouring regions for allegedly engaging himself in criminal activities largely house breaking and stealing valuable items.

Mr Mwampaghale further informed that the suspect was caught in possession of stolen valuable items, being the property of an American citizen, Mr Jerome Long.

He listed the stolen items as two computers, a printer, two small bags an adapter for computer, a charger for mobile phone device, a USB cable, two tea cups- Chinese cowries, a heart rate monitoring machine and a metallic kettle.

"The suspect committed the crime on August 17 this year and he was arrested on September 6 around noontime at Kamwanda village, Kirando Ward in Nkasi District along the shore of Lake Tanganyika.
Ibrahim Shuaibu in Dutse

Jigawa state Government has promised to establish 200 more new nomadic schools and employ 10 herders from each of the 27 local government areas in the state, as part of its effort to continue to provide and expand qualitative nomadic education to the herders in all parts of the state.

The state Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar made the promise when he received a delegation from the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, a socio cultural Fulani organisation at the Government House in Dutse, the state capital.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Special Adviser on Media and Public Relations to the governor, Mr. Habibu Nuhu Kila.

Badaru said his administration was committed to providing education to all citizens of the state, including the herders.

He said in addition to about 400 nomadic schools across the state, the state government would also establish 200 more new nomadic schools and employ 10 herders from each of the 27 local government areas.

He also said that after his recent working tour to the Netherlands, plans were underway to expand the existing cattle routes and grazing reserves which would provide enough all-year grass for the herders.

Badaru called on the association to support the state government in the fight against negative vices among the Fulani especially youths who are engaged in criminal activities.

Chairman of the association, Alhaji Adamu Hadejia commended the efforts of the state government in maintaining peace in the state.

He promised that the association would do everything possible to ensure that the relative peace that exists between farmers and herders is maintained, adding that with the support of the state government, the group will fish out criminals among them.
- Varsity Don Recommends Antidotes to Rescue Nigeria

James Sowole in Akure

The Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila yesterday sharply disagreed with dissenting views that the budget of the National Assembly was too high.

Gbajabiamila explained that the budget was not for the lawmakers alone, but also for the entire staff members of the National Assembly Commission.

He made this clarification at the 10th annual symposium of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSS N), B-Zone in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital yesterday.

The Vice- Chancellor, Ahman Pategi University, Patigi, Kwara State, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji delivered the lead paper at the symposium and recommended far-reaching antidotes on how to rescue Nigeria from the precipice.

At the symposium, the vice chancellor had delivered lecture with the theme "Saving a Nation on the Precipices: Between Re-federation and Secessionism."

Gbajabiamila, who was represented by a member of the House of Representatives from Ifo/Ewekoro constituency, Hon Ibrahim Isiaka, explained that legislature symbolised democracy anywhere in the world.

He, therefore, disagreed sharply with the dissenting views that expenses National Assembly in Nigeria was too high and that Nigeria ran the most expensive legislative arm in the world.

Gbajabiamila said the legislative arm of the government in Nigeria "gets only two per cent of the total budget of the federal government while nobody cares about what happens to the 98 per cent of the budget.

"You know we take responsibilities because in the constitution, the first thing is the legislation, the parliament. Even, if anybody wants to cause any trouble in this country, what you first say is suspend the constitution, suspend the parliament.

"But no one, till today, has actually sat down to go into research and define the meaning of legislators. When you say national assembly, you are not talking about legislators who are the lawmakers.

"You are talking about the National Assembly Commission. You are talking about everything. Everything together is less than two per cent of total budget of this country. But nobody had ever looked at what is happening to the 98 per cent," he explained.

Gbajabiamila, however, called for a total re-orientation of national core values, as a way to carve a new agenda for the country.

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In his lecture, Adedimeji recommended a geographical government that would be headed by a premier in each geo-political zone to be elected by the governors of the states.

He, therefore, cautioned the agitator against calls for disintegration of the country, noting that he shared the informed view of former president Olusegun Obasanjo that it was idiotic to call for disintegration of Nigeria at the time the world is integrating .

Adedimeji explained that the current political structure "requires some restructuring. To save Nigeria from the brink of the precipice, we should all accept one Nigeria.

Adedimeji observed that Nigeria "runs the most expensive legislative arm of government in the world," a position which Gbajabiamila described as erroneous and unfounded.

He said: "With due respect to the Speaker of House of Representatives, Nigeria spends the highest amount of money on the legislators in the world and the national assembly consumes more money than any other parliament in the world.

"A unicameral legislature with two representatives from each state is sufficient. The national Assembly should have less than 100 members including Abuja," he suggested.

The don, equally, recommended a geographical government, which according to him, would be headed by a premier in each geo-political zone to be elected by the governors of the states.

The varsity don, therefore, pointed out the need to rejig the operation of legislature in the country, declaring that Nigerian parliament is the most expensive in the world.
A 29-year-old soldier appeared before the Maun Magistrate court Friday (September 10) for arson and murder.

Thabang Kgolagano, a Lance Corporal based at Botswana Defence Force Maun Base Camp allegedly on September 08 intentionally and unlawfully set a block of residential houses on fire at Maun BDF Base Camp.

On the second count, Kgolagano is accused of causing the death of one Mr Victor Watlala.

The State Prosecutor Mr Dimpho Ogotseng of the Directorate of Public Prosecution pleaded with the court to remand the accused as the investigations were at an initial stage.

The accused will appear for bail hearing and status update on October 04 before Maun Magistrate Ms Keneilwe Kgoadi.
The Medical Research Council (MRC) has donated an assortment of medical equipment worth Shs250m to Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital.

The equipment include 30 oxygen cylinders, 80 patient beds with mattresses and drip stands and 21 patient monitors.

The donated items were handed over to the hospital superintendent, Dr Moses Muwanga, on Friday.

Dr Muwanga said the donation has reduced the burden of oxygen shortage at the hospital.

"This donation is timely. We had a lot of challenges in the second wave when the hospital had more than160 patients and all them needed oxygen, which we didn't have, and had some patients dying."

"We lost some patients because some of them had very low oxygen circulating; as low as 40 percent. The ministry gave us an oxygen plant but our major challenge was the cylinders. We had around 40 cylinders and every day we would need a minimum of 80 cylinders overnight, a patient would need 5-6 cylinders per night," Dr Muwanga said.

He said the ministry has also given them some more cylinders, with the hospital now stocked with 160 cylinders.

"When we add the 30 donated by MRC, we can say we are ready for the third wave, although the hospital still needs a wider oxygen plant as consumption of oxygen by the patients is high," he added.

The hospital has also been supporting the lower facilities, including Kisubi hospital and private facilities around.

Dr Muwanga said the Covid-19 cases have reduced and the hospital now has only 10 cases.

Dr Jonas Lexow, the chief operating officer MRC, said, "We have worked with Entebbe hospital for many years and it was clear that in this time of need, we had to work together to come up with a plan to help improve the national situation and we are glad to find the funding ."

"We were able to secure 54,000 pounds from the MRC and UK research and innovation and from London School of Hygiene. It was difficult to get these items not only to procure but also shipping but we succeeded and we are very sure that they will be put to good use," Dr Lexow said.
Lusaka, Zambia  Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will make his first trip outside the country since winning last month's elections by attending the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, his office said Saturday.

The Zambian leader will attend the UN General Assembly to be held in New York, the United States, from Sept. 20 to 25, according to a release.

The release said the Zambian leader will hold high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with other world leaders to discuss matters of beneficial development interest to the country.

Details of the president's scheduled travel will be communicated through the foreign ministry, said the release.
Vietnam and Japan have signed an agreement on defense equipment and technology transfer during the official visit of Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi to the Southeast Asian country.

The deal was inked during the three-day visit to Vietnam starting on Friday of Kishi, who was officially welcomed by his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang in Hanoi on Saturday.

Minister of Defense Giang highly appreciated the fact that Minister Kishi made Vietnam the destination of his first overseas visit since he took office.

Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang (right) welcomes his Japanese counterpart Nobuo Kishi in Hanoi on September 11, 2021. Photo: Phu Do / Tuoi Tre

Expressing his pleasure to have a face-to-face talk with his host, Minister Kishi praised the accomplishments that Vietnam has made in national construction and defense in recent years.

The two sides welcomed the signing of the Japan-Vietnam Defense Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement, and decided to accelerate consultations on the transfer of specific equipment including vessels, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said.

The defense ministers reviewed defense relations over the past time and discussed the international and regional issues of mutual concern, including freedom of navigation and overflight amid the complicated developments in the region.

The two sides affirmed the necessity of complying with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and exchanged experience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the engagement of the military.

Both countries defense ministries will promote coordination toward the signing of memoranda to facilitate cooperation in cybersecurity and military medicine, the officials said.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi is seen laying a wreath at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi on September 11, 2021. Photo: Japans Ministry of Defense

The host and guest agreed that the two sides will closely coordinate in multilateral and regional mechanisms, especially ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+), and cybersecurity cooperation between Japan and ASEAN.

They also consented to continue contributing to regional peace and stability by fostering bilateral defense ties, including through high-level exchanges, promotion of cooperation related to peacekeeping missions, and port calls in Vietnam by Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF) vessels and aircraft, the Japanese Ministry of Defense said.

On Saturday, Minister Kishi laid a wreath at the Mausoleum of President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi and paid courtesy visits to State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

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Check out the news you should not miss today:

Politics

 Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son and Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi on Saturday held talks in Hanoi to discuss ways to promote the countries comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, the Vietnam News Agency reported the same day.

Society

 Ho Chi Minh City had seen a continuous decrease of the number of deaths by COVID-19 in the four days since Tuesday, Pham Duc Hai, deputy head of the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.

 Ho Chi Minh City had administered 7,535,598 doses of COVID-19 vaccine by Friday, with 847,698 people aged above 65 and having chronic illness receiving the jabs.

 Around eight metric tons of medical equipment and supplies including ventilators, heart rate monitors, anti-droplet glasses, masks, medical protective gear, and more worth about US$4 million, donated by the Polish government to the Vietnamese government, arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday.

 Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region donated medical supplies worth CNY62.55 million ($9.7 million) to aid Vietnams COVID-19 fight in a ceremony held in Nanning on Saturday, the Vietnam News Agency reported the same day.

 Typhoon Conson, the fifth storm to appear in the East Vietnam Sea this year, has weakened into a tropical depression after entering the waters off Vietnams central region between Da Nang City and Binh Dinh Province early on Sunday morning and continued to move west at a speed of 5km per hour, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Education

 The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long will waive tuition fees of the first semester in the 2021-22 academic year for all K-12 students at local public schools.

The Quang Binh Province Study Promotion Association will gift 1,000 smartphones to local ninth-grade and twelfth-grade students by September 14 to assist their online studying during the complicated progression of the COVID-19 epidemic in the north-central province.

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Ho Chi Minh City needs to have more time to put the COVID-19 pandemic under more effective control, said secretary of the local Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen at a conference on Saturday.

The Party Committee has agreed to the citys plan on driving back the pandemic while maintaining economic growth, but currently except for a few districts, most other localities need some more time after September 15 to achieve the epidemic control targets, Nen said.

Nen assigned the local Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control to prepare a report to the central government asking for more time for the city to stall the coronavirus spread.

The city may better contain the virus by the end of this month, instead of September 15 as targeted in a recent resolution of the national government, Nen told the conference.

World experience shows that it is difficult to eliminate all coronavirus infections at a given time and that restrictions cannot be maintained beyond the tolerance of the people and the economy, the Party official said.

But the loosening of such measures should depend on actual epidemic developments, he added.

Nen emphasized that safety first is the citys general motto.

Restrictions will be relaxed in the locales that satisfactorily meet epidemic prevention requirements, he stated.

A location should be chosen to pilot such loosening that helps the city shore up its economy under new normal conditions, Nen suggested.

He also requested city authorities to improve the capability of its health system, considering this one requisite for the city to live with the virus.

The city needs to attract private healthcare resources for the COVID-19 fight through appropriate policy, and to combine Western and traditional medicine in treating coronavirus patients, Nen said.

There should be an urgent housing policy for workers to help ease the pressure on many cramped houses for rent in the southern city.

Ho Chi Minh City has been in a one-month extension of strict travel restrictions since mid-August, under the prime ministers Directive No. 16.

The directive bans gatherings of more than two people in public and requires all residents to stay indoors and only go outside with appropriate reasons.

The city had earlier imposed social distancing regulations at various levels since May 31.

Local authorities are beefing up COVID-19 vaccination to cover all residents aged 18 and older by September 15, as a condition for the city to partially reopen.

By Saturday, the numbers of people receiving the first and second vaccine doses in the nine-million-strong city had reached some 6.48 million and 1.23 million, respectively, while the corresponding figures of the country had amounted to about 22.36 million and 4.74 million.

Since the pandemic hit Vietnam in early 2020, the Southeast Asian nation has documented 601,349 COVID-19 cases, including 363,462 recoveries and 15,018 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

In Ho Chi Minh City, 292,391 coronavirus patients and 11,792 fatalities have been recorded, the highest numbers in the country, followed by southern Binh Duong and Dong Nai Provinces.

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Ho Chi Minh City will provide coronavirus vaccination for all foreign nationals in the city, with registration to be completed before September 15.

In a document sent to consulates, representative offices of international organizations as well as chambers of economic affairs, trade and culture on Friday, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations announced its vaccination plan which will be implemented according to the residential areas of foreign citizens in 21 districts and Thu Duc City.

Foreign citizens who wish to receive COVID-19 jabs should register for their first or second shot via a portal provided by the department, using a link or a QR code .

A QR code provided by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of External Relations for foreigners to register for COVID-19 vaccination

Each individual can only register once on the system and application must be done before September 15.

The people's committees of 21 districts and Thu Duc City will send out invitations by email or text message to specify the time and place of inocualtion.

Local authorities will also help foreign citizens with their travel to the vaccination sites.

In August, Duong Anh Duc, vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, approved a proposal from the local Department of Health to provide coronavirus vaccination within its ability to foreigners who are living, working, and studying in the city.

In a report to the city's government on August 6, the external affairs department, based on data provided by foreign consulates, said that more than 210,000 foreigners wished to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Vietnams Ministry of Health recorded 12,026 coronavirus infections across the nation on Sunday, together with 11,116 discharged patients and 261 fatalities.

Thirty-three provinces and cities logged 12,017 local cases while the country reported nine separate imported infections, the health ministry said.

The ministry had registered 11,927 domestically-infected patients on Saturday.

Over 6,600 of the additional domestic cases were detected in the community, with the remaining found in sectioned-off areas or centralized quarantine facilities.

Ho Chi Minh City recorded 6,158 local infections, Binh Duong Province 3,188, Dong Nai Province 974, Tien Giang Province 628, Long An Province 285, Kien Giang Province 117, Can Tho City 68, Khanh Hoa Province 46, Hanoi 20, and Da Nang 12.

Vietnam has confirmed 608,997 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth  and worst  virus wave emerged in the country on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City is hardest-hit with 298,029 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 157,018, Dong Nai Province with 34,816, Long An Province with 28,159, Tien Giang Province with 12,205, Dong Thap Province with 7,832, Khanh Hoa Province with 7,265, Da Nang with 4,811, Hanoi with 4,012, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 3,885.

By comparison, Vietnam confirmed a combined 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in the previous three waves.

The health ministry announced 11,116 recoveries on Sunday, taking the total to 374,578.

The toll has mounted to 15,279 deaths after the ministry documented 261 fatalities on the same day, including 200 in Ho Chi Minh City and 39 in Binh Duong Province.

Vietnam has logged 613,375 patients since the COVID-19 pandemic first struck it early last year.

Health workers have given around 28.2 million vaccine doses, including 1,016,059 shots on Saturday, since vaccination was rolled out on March 8.

More than five million people have been fully vaccinated.

Health authorities aim to immunize at least two-thirds of a population of nearly 98 million people against COVID-19 by the first quarter of next year.

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Various types of medical supplies, a gift from the Polish government, arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday afternoon.

The donation, which is worth about US$4 million, includes ventilators, heart rate monitors, anti-droplet glasses, face masks, and personal protective equipment, weighing approximately eight metric tons.

During a ceremony at the airport, Wojciech Gerwel, Polish Ambassador to Vietnam, handed over the aid to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son and vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Duong Anh Duc.

Ambassador Gerwel stated that Vietnam is Poland's priority partner in the region and the first non-European country to which Poland donated vaccines and medical equipment.

A shipment of 501,600 COVID-19 vaccine shots gifted by Poland previously arrived in Vietnam on August 23.

Deputy Minister Son thanked the Polish government and people for the noble gesture, stating that the health ministry will promptly allocate the medical supplies to provinces and cities to assist in local pandemic prevention and control efforts.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health is currently working with Poland regarding the purchase of three million more vaccine doses from the European country.

The Polish government previously said it was willing to transfer the vaccine jabs to Vietnam.

By Sunday morning, Vietnam had documented 601,349 COVID-19 cases, with 363,462 recoveries and 15,018 deaths.

The country has recorded 596,980 local infections in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities since the fourth wave began on April 27.

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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The City of St. John's is asking residents to stay home out of it  as the Newfoundland and Labrador saying goes  so crews can clean up the torn branches, downed power lines and scattered debris flung about the streets by hurricane Larry.

The roof of Mary Queen of Peace elementary school was torn off after Hurricane Larry crossed over Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in the early morning hours, in St. John's, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Daly

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The City of St. John's is asking residents to stay home out of it  as the Newfoundland and Labrador saying goes  so crews can clean up the torn branches, downed power lines and scattered debris flung about the streets by hurricane Larry.

The storm made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along the southern coast of the island at 11:45 p.m. Atlantic time on Friday, bringing sheets of rain and sustained winds of up to 130 km/h across the Avalon Peninsula, which includes the provincial capital of St. John's. Wind gusts reached at speeds as high as 182 km/h, according to measurements at the Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse.

The winds resulted in massive storm surges that brought waves up onto the road in places such as St. Vincent's, a popular spot to watch whales along the southern Avalon. In St. John's, the streets were lined with branches torn from trees, debris pried from houses and, in the Rabbittown neighborhood, a tossed-about easy chair.

"Hurricane Larry caused a significant amount of tree and property damage throughout our city," said St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said at a news conference Saturday.

Still, he said, "it could have been a lot worse."

Larry came barreling across the Atlantic and up into Placentia Bay, a wide expanse of water separating the Avalon Peninsula from the rest of the island, just as high tide set in. The storm surges combined with the high water levels wreaked havoc in some of the coastal communities along Placentia Bay.

Alex Best woke up Saturday morning to find his wharf in Southern Harbour had just about washed away -- and it almost took his boat with it.

The 86-year-old retired fisherman said he hasn't seen high water conditions like those wrought by Larry in many decades.

"Our environment's going so bad, I mean that's what's causing us to have so may storms so often now," he said in a phone interview Saturday. "And we're not doing anything to fix it, either -- only letting it get worse all the time."

Sitting on his deck Saturday and surveying the damage, Best said he's taking it all in stride.

"One day at a time," he said. "As long as you're able to get up and go, that's the main thing."

Along the western coast of Placentia Bay, in Marystown, the fire department had to evacuate two houses because the water was creeping up to their front doors, said Fire Chief Justin Bolt. "Residents in that area hadn't experienced the water to that height from previous storms," he said. "There was a personal wharf in that area that they just managed to secure to prevent it from going afloat."

Larry felt comparable to hurricane Igor, Bolt said, which caused widespread damage across the island in 2010 and even swept a man out to sea.

Back in St. John's, nearly 10,000 people in the area were still without power on Saturday evening, Newfoundland Power's website said. Earlier in the day, more than 30,000 in the metro region were in the dark. The winds tore part of the roof of Mary Queen of Peace Elementary School and it lay in a heap of siding and nail-riddled boards some distance away. A huge blue tent set up along Quidi Vidi lake to house a music festival was stripped to its frame, and the road-facing windows were shattered in an empty building in the nearby Rawlins Cross intersection.

But people stayed inside as the winds did their worst, and nobody was hurt, Breen said. He noted the last time he assembled media for a press conference following a weather emergency, it was January 2020, after the record-breaking snowstorm now called "Snowmageddon." That storm forced city officials to declare a state of emergency for about a week.

That won't happen this time, Breen said. If people stay off the roads and let crews clean up, he said life in St. John's post-Larry would return to normal by Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2021.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran agreed Sunday to allow international inspectors to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, potentially averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, second right, is welcomed by Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, right, as he is accompanied by Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, second left, at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran agreed Sunday to allow international inspectors to install new memory cards into surveillance cameras at its sensitive nuclear sites and to continue filming there, potentially averting a diplomatic showdown this week.

The announcement by Mohammad Eslami of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran after a meeting he held with the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, in Tehran still leaves the watchdog in the same position it has faced since February, however.

Tehran holds all recordings at its sites as negotiations over the U.S. and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran is now enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

I am glad to say that today were able to have a very constructive result, which has to do with the continuity of the operation of the agencys equipment here," Grossi said. It "is indispensable for us to provide the necessary guarantee and information to the IAEA and to the world that everything is in order.

Eslami described the negotiations between Iran and the Vienna-based IAEA as sheerly technical without any room for politics. He said Grossi would return to Iran soon to talk with officials, without elaborating. Also left unsaid was whether Iran would hand over copies of the older recordings, which Tehran had threatened previously to destroy.

The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran according to the routine, Eslami said. New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agencys monitoring system.

Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, center, speaks with Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, left, upon his arrival at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport, Iran, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, sits at right. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP)

A joint statement released by the IAEA and Iran confirmed the understanding, saying only that the way and the timing are agreed by the two sides.

The announcement could buy time for Iran ahead of an IAEA board meeting this week in which Western powers had been arguing for Tehran to be censured over its lack of cooperation with international inspectors. Eslami said Iran would take part in that meeting and its negotiations with the IAEA would continue there.

The IAEA told member states in its confidential quarterly report last week that its verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined since February by Irans refusal to let inspectors access their monitoring equipment.

The IAEA said certain monitoring and surveillance equipment cannot be left for more than three months without being serviced. It was provided with access this month to four surveillance cameras installed at one site, but one of the cameras had been destroyed and a second had been severely damaged, the agency said.

Mikhail Ulyanov, the Russian ambassador to the IAEA, praised the agreement on Twitter, calling it technical but very important.

It is no less important for Iran to rebuff groundless speculations against it, Ulyanov wrote.

Iran and world powers agreed in 2015 to the nuclear deal, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.

President Joe Biden has said he's willing to re-enter the accord, but so far, indirect talks have yet to see success. In the meantime, Iran elected Ebrahim Raisi, a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as president. Raisi also has said he wants Iran to regain the benefits of the accord, though Tehran in general has struck a tougher pose since his victory.

In Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Nafatli Bennett urged world powers to not fall into the trap of Iranian deception that will lead to additional concessions over the impasse. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has long accused Iran of seeking an atomic bomb. Tehran maintains its program is peaceful, though U.S. intelligence agencies and international inspectors believe the Islamic Republic pursued the bomb in an organized program up until 2003.

You must not give up on inspecting sites and the most important thing, the most important message is that there must be a time limit, Bennett said. Iran is dragging on, we must set a clear-cut deadline that says: until here.

The premier added: "The Iranian nuclear program is at the most advanced point ever. ... We must deal with this project.

Israel is suspected of launching multiple attacks targeting Iran's Natanz nuclear facility, as well as killing a scientist associated with Iran's one-time military nuclear program last year.

From Riyadh, the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia and Austria jointly expressed concern over Irans nuclear advances, with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg citing Irans failure to allow access for nuclear inspections.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem and Isabel DeBre in Dubai contributed to this report.
Uber drivers have spilt the beans on Sydney's growing number of lockdown rulebreakers who are getting rideshare services all over the city to attend secret parties and hook-up with Tinder dates.

Sydneysiders are now entering their 14th gruelling week under harsh stay-at-home orders as coronavirus case numbers continue to soar with around 1,400 infections a day.

But in the past two weeks rideshare workers say an increasing number of fed-up residents are starting to flaunt the health orders and it's mainly 'white and privileged' people living in suburbs outside the LGAs of concern.

Uber drivers in Sydney say there's a growing number people flouting lockdown rules

'There are some booty calls that you pick up in the morning, and the odd failed Tinder date. Then they try to be shy about what they're doing, but it's hard to be shy about what you're doing when you're holding a six-pack or a case,' driver Graham McLaughlin from Glebe told the Sydney Morning Herald.

He said Friday nights in particular are much more busy with young men going off to mate's places to 'watch the footy' after getting tired of Netflix.

Women are also flagrantly breaching the lockdown rules with at-home hair cosmetic services becoming more popular.

An Uber driver from the Shire in Sydney's south who wished to remain anonymous, said she dropped a woman off who said she was going to 'get her nails done'.

One of the giveaways a passenger is on an illegal Tinder date is when they're unsure of the address, drivers explained.

Amanda Honey, an Uber driver for six years in Sydney's inner west said another tell-tale sign is when a passenger immediately tries to 'justify why they're going somewhere' after stepping in to the car.

The most common excuse is that they are going to meet their other a friend in their designated 'singles bubble' which is allowed under the restrictions.

An increasing number of Sydneysiders are getting rideshare services all over the city to attend secret parties and hook-up with Tinder dates (stock image)

'They'll be all fresh and clean and showered and after-shaved and they're unnecessarily offering what they're doing or where they're going because they're concerned,' she said.

But some passengers have not concerns at all about what they're doing.

'I drove a plumber who lived around Bankstown last Friday and he was saying to me: what lockdown? He said 'I've got a business to run and I'm willing to risk the fine, I'm just ignoring it completely'.'

Another alarming trend is that more customers are refusing to wear masks, a legal condition of entry when stepping inside a rideshare vehicle.

Wayne Newton, who lives in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA of concern which is subject to even harsher rules than the rest of Sydney, said of his 10 fares last Thursday, eight were not wearing face masks.

Another alarming trend is that more Uber customers are refusing to wear face masks, claiming they are exempt

Mr Newton said they claim they have an exemption from the state-wide health mandate and there isn't much he can do to stop them.

Over the past two weeks the number of people seeking directions through Apple Maps appears to corroborate the Uber driver's claims.

The eight-day average was at 55.68 percent of normal levels but increased to 60.22 per cent in the week to September 8, indicating there are more people travelling around locked-down Sydney.

The NSW government is set to greatly ease restrictions for the fully vaccinated in mid-October when Covid vaccination rates eclipse 70 per cent for those aged over 16.
Page Content

The second day of the ACRPS Strategic Studies Unit conference, Protracted Arab Civil Wars: Causes and Challenges, launched this afternoon with a panel on Women at (Civil) War, chaired by the Doha Institutes Executive Director of Administration and Finance Division, Mariam Al-Misnad. The first speaker, Ora Szekely, Associate Professor of Political Science at Clark University, presented her paper, Unlikely Allies: Women, Privilege, and Participation in the Syrian Uprising, in which she discussed the grievances at the root of the 2011 Syrian uprising, and the key features of womens participation in it as well as the advantages that some women obtained due to their gender and sectarian identities.

Muhanad Seloom, Assistant Professor at the Critical Security Studies program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, followed with his paper on YPJ in Syrian Civil War: An Intersectional Inquiry into Kurdish Female Fighters. Seloom examined the objectives and roles of YPJ Kurdish women fighters in the Syrian civil war while adopting the principle of intersectionality as a method of inquiry, taking into consideration the multiple interlocking identities and live experiences of Kurdish women fighters.

The third and last paper of this panel Undoing the Caliphate: Women's Roles in ISIS and Repatriation Efforts, was presented by Jessica Trisko, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Virginia Commonwealth University and Duenya Hassan, Project Manager at the William & Marys Global Research Institute. Trisko and Hassan presented the challenge of reintegrating women and children associated with the Islamic State in the Middle East and North Africa, where women were an integral part of the traditional family structure within the group, and their involvement extended beyond the private sphere, as they served as educators, propagandists and enforcers of the Islamic States interpretation of Sharia law.

The last panel of the day, Roles of Regional Powers: Spoilers, Guarantors or Resolvers, was chaired by the director of the Qatar Armed Forces Strategic Studies Unit, Rashid Hamad Al-Nuaimi. Imad Mansour, Assistant Professor at the Critical Security Studies Program at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, and William R. Thompson, Distinguished Professor and Donald A. Rogers Professor Emeritus at the Department of Political Science at Indiana University, presented their paper on The Rivalry-Civil War Farrago in the MENA, in which they discussed the interaction between interstate rivalry and civil wars onset in the Middle East and North Africa, summarizing it as a farrago. Mansour and Thompson argued that due to internationalization of civil war, it has become apparent that external interference in domestic warfare has become a substitute for conventional interstate combat. Thus, they suggested a model that integrates domestic grievances and international rivalries, in order to explain this farrago.

The final speaker on this panel, Emadeddin Badi, advisor for Libya at the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Government (DCAF), spoke on The Russian and Turkish Intervention in the Libyan Civil War and the Ramifications. In his paper, Badi examined the Russian and Turkish intervention in Libya following the launch of Khalifa Haftars offensive on Tripoli in April 2019 and presented their different approaches to interventionism. Badi argued that both countries have adopted starkly distinct approaches to security assistance and developed vastly different models of cooperation (or lack thereof) with local partners.





* Conference Agenda.

** Conference Booklet.


By Lambert Strether of Corrente

There are any number of 9/11 retrospectives right now using the 20 years on locution (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and on and on and on). This is one more of them. For me, the event of 9/11 is only the spark that flashed along a long-laid fuse to the powder keg what was the Iraq War, an enormous strategic debacle, albeit very profitable to some[1], that is still playing out. I remember the day myself; for some reason, I turned on the television and there were the Twin Towers, burning. I was living in Philadelphia then, and later that day I handed my laptop bag over to security at Barnes and Noble in Rittenhouse Square, and when the guard returned it to me, it was bricked, and I lost a lot of work that was important to me. Great metaphor.

While at the bookstore, I had turned several particularly offensive Bush and Republican hagiographies face down; it seemed the only possible form of defiance. The political atmosphere in 2000-2003 is almost impossible to describe to anyone who hasnt lived through it; overheated and airless, like a church basement in winter during and endless coffee hour with the doors and windows nailed shut. After Bush v. Gore in 2000, liberal Democrats went into a sort of numbed trance; for a couple of years[2], literally the only mainstream dissenting voice was Paul Krugman, through whom I found Atrios, the great Philadelphia blogger, who was gave me an entree into the blogosphere, for which I will be forever grateful. If you want to know the stories that somebody blogging about the run-up to the Iraq War would have posted about a daily basis, Mother Jones (of all places) has a useful timeline, going back to the 90s. Vanity Fair (again, of all places) has a timeline for the Bush Administration. Disinformation is not new, not at all.

My view, after the Twin Towers fell, was that 9/11 was obvious blowback, a term we actually used back then. I thought then Mehdi Hasan thinks now: 9/11 was a crime, and should be handled as a matter of law:

There was no right country to invade on 9/11. The response to a criminal attack by non-state actors shouldnt have been a war or an invasion or an occupation. It should have been police work, special ops, diplomacy, humanitarian aid, peace in MidEast none of which was done.  Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 11, 2021

Surely, in retrospect, for anybody whose mind and spirit are not consumed by greed or the lust to kill, it would have been better to capture the perpetrator(s)[3], and put them on trial in the Hague, as we did in fact do with Milosevic. More economical, more supportive of that famous rules-based international order, enormous soft power good for decades to come. But that is not the route our country took.

This will not be an analytical post. I will present no theory of how 9/11 turned into Iraq, why we did what we did in Iraq, or why it turned out so horrifically. Rather, I will look only at individuals. First, at people affected by the Twin Towers fall; then, at public figures in power then, who, shamefully, are still in power today, twenty years on and on and on. Ill also comment briefly on a few entities, like the New York Times, also in power then and now. In all cases, my commentary will be shallow and superficial, even lazy. Thats because I want you to join in with your own stories and commentary! There was a lot going on at the time

Individuals

Lets begin with Field of Art: An Ohio Farmers Life-Size Tribute to 9/11 is Planting Seeds of Unity for 20th Anniversary. Heres the field:

From the artist:
Killer whale attacks continue on ships in the waters of Cadiz EuroWeekly (Ignacio). Ignacio writes:

I think it was in september or october 2020 [2020-09-16 lambert] that NC reported attacks by killer whales to ships in the coasts of Spain and Portugal. This year the attacks have been more frequent and geographically expanded from Gibraltar to Galicia. According to a friend of mine I was dining with yesterday 170 attacks have been reported so far this year. Killer whale pods develop cultural behaviours and it seems these can spread fast within populations in a large area.

They frequently attack and destroy the rudders. My friend told me that two large killer whales or orcas would usually sweem at each side of the ship while other smaller individuals attacked the rudder. An English sailor told my friend that they stop doing this if he shifted to reverse gear. Near Gibraltar it is not recommended sailing with sailboats that are less than 15m in length.
Canada's largest developer of compliance-grade carbon credits targets global expansion

CALGARY, AB, Sept. 9, 2021 /CNW/ - Radicle Group Inc. (Radicle), the leading Canadian player in the carbon credit ecosystem, is pleased to announce an investment by TELUS Ventures , Canada's most active corporate venture capital fund, and other investors as part of its debenture financing round.

With operations in Canada, the US, and Brazil, this funding will enable Radicle to enter new markets to help organizations across the globe monetize their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) efforts. It will also support further development and updates to Radicle's proprietary software to ensure alignment with emerging reporting requirements being demanded by regulators, clients, and their supply chains.

"As the leading Canadian developer of compliance-grade carbon credits, we are committed to making a difference by enabling planet-positive solutions to reduce emissions, balancing people, planet, and profit," said Ed Alfke, CEO of Radicle. "On behalf of Radicle, we are very pleased that TELUS Ventures has made this commitment to work with us. They share our mission of helping organizations across the globe in their ESG efforts."

To date, Radicle has worked with more than 3,000 clients, generating CAD$100M in value through carbon credits; removed six million tonnes of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere; and traded over US$300M in environmental commodities.

"TELUS Ventures is focused on enabling an ecosystem of innovation by partnering with disruptive, market-transforming companies, including those with a focus on sustainability," said Mario Mele, vice president Corporate Strategy, TELUS Ventures. "As we come together to tackle environmental challenges unlike any we have faced before, it's more important than ever that we support those companies making a difference for future generations. With a strong alignment in culture and mission, our investment in Radicle is an opportunity for TELUS as a global leader in social capitalism to advance its commitment to sustainability by supporting organizations possessing strong ESG principles."

Radicle plans to use the funds raised to scale up their operations and expand into new business lines and geographies to capitalize on the extensive growth expected throughout the carbon credit ecosystem.

About TELUS Ventures

As the strategic investment arm of TELUS Corporation (TSX: T, NYSE: TU), TELUS Ventures is one of Canada's most active corporate venture capital funds. TELUS Ventures invests globally in companies from Seed to Pre-IPO with a focus on innovative technologies such as AgTech, HealthTech, Connected Consumer, IoT, AI, and Security to actively drive new solutions across the TELUS ecosystem. Led by a team of experienced operators, investors and executives, the Ventures team is passionate about creating positive social impact through financial tools and has invested in more than 90 companies since inception. For more information please visit: ventures.telus.com .

About Radicle

Radicle helps guide today's progressive companies towards tomorrow's sustainable future. From our early beginnings in Calgary, Canada, when we developed one of the world's first software platforms to measure, qualify, and aggregate greenhouse gas emissions, we've now taken root internationally to leverage data, insights, and technology to safeguard our shared tomorrow. Radicle works with agriculture, energy, forestry, manufacturing, commercial, and financial services to enable planet-positive solutions by increasing efficiency while lowering costs and emissions. We believe that financial and environmental sustainability are two sides of the same coin: balance between the two is possible. Visit radiclebalance.com to learn more.

SOURCE Radicle Group Inc.

For further information: Media Contacts: Dwayne LaMontagne, Radicle Group Inc., [email protected], 403-710-9617; Jill Yetman, TELUS Public Relations, [email protected], 416-992-2639

Related Links

http://radiclebalance.com/


Jerusalem, Sep 12 : Oxygen therapy halted the build-up of plaque on the brain -- a key characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, in a mice model, as per a novel study.

The study, by scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel, showed that breathing pure oxygen for some time in a pressurised -- or hyperbaric -- chamber can boost the functioning of the human brain. In animals, the therapy helped fight the build-up of brain plaque, the Times of Israel reported.

"I don't think this can 'cure' Alzheimer's in humans, but it may be able to significantly slow its progression and severity," lead author Professor Uri Ashery from the varsity's Sagol School of Neuroscience, was quoted as saying.

"Further studies are needed, but people could possibly start benefiting from this in just a few years," Ashery added.

The team published their findings in the peer-reviewed journal Aging.

In the animal trial, which involved 15 genetically-modified mice that mimicked degeneration caused by Alzheimer's, the therapy led to the prevention of amyloid plaques forming on the brain and the removal of some existing amyloid plaque deposits, the report said.

Amyloids -- non-soluble proteins -- are believed to be connected with severe degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's.

"We had a control group of similar mice that did not receive the oxygen therapy, and they grew many more amyloid plaques," said Ashery.

"Among those who received the therapy, only a third of the number of new plaques appeared, and existing large plaques reduced their size, on average, to a half of what they were," Ashery noted.

Blood flow to the brain decreases with Alzheimer's, but the researchers reported improved blood flow to the mice brains.

The team also monitored six people over the age of 60, who have experienced signs of cognitive decline.

After 60 sessions of oxygen therapy over 90 days, their blood flow to the brain was improved by an average of 20 per cent, and results in memory tests were improved on average by 16.5 per cent, according to the report.

While the human sample size was small, it may reflect the benefits of the oxygen therapy, as observed in mice, working on humans. "More research is needed, but there could be tremendous benefits if this can help people who lose cognitive abilities, either before or during the onset of Alzheimer's," Ashery said.
The political and governmental crisis is partially affecting the full capacity of the Government, but everyone must do their duty, PNL (National Liberal Party) leader Ludovic Orban told on Sunday a press conference in Iasi.

"The government must do its duty. Of course, the fact that we have a political and governmental crisis partially affects the full capacity of the government, but everyone must do their duty," Ludovic Orban told reporters when asked if Romania is still governed at this point.

On what "full capacity" means, Orban explained: "Since you lost your parliamentary majority and six ministers left, who are obviously being replaced by some interim ministers with a limited time at their disposal, it's not like you have a government working at full capacity."

He also said that "in ministries where there are interim ministers, they must do their duty."

"The government must continue to function. Current problems, daily problems must be solved. Appropriate answers must be given, immediately, to each of the situations that require the intervention of the fovernment. From the beginning of the school year, from taking measures to reduce the increase in the number of daily infections, measures to increase the number of beds in the normal wards and the intensive care wards, to be sure that the hospitals can deal with increasing number of infections, and so on, "Orban said.

Ludovic Orban went to Iasi on Sunday to present his motion for the presidency of the party during the meeting of PNL's County Organization's leadership, Agerpres informs.
ARNOLD  Residents of this small St. Louis suburb along the Meramec River gathered Saturday morning outside their community center, where a piece of steel that once was part of the World Trade Center 1,000 miles away now anchors a solemn memorial to those killed in the terrorist attacks 20 years ago.

Despite its distance from New York, Arnold, like communities throughout the country, took time Saturday to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed on Sept. 11, 2001, when commercial jets hijacked by members of Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group Al Qaeda destroyed two of the most iconic skyscrapers in the nations largest city.

To have it here, its just more personal, Allen Flamm, whose familys roots in the Arnold area stretch back to the 1830s, said of the memorial.

Though he has no personal connection to the tragedy, Flamm, a longtime volunteer with the Arnold Historical Society, said the artifact and monument was a great honor for Arnold.

Its a simple memorial, he said. But its just perfect.
The doses are on top of New Zealands regular shipments from Pfizer and come a few days after officials announced a similar deal with Spain for more than 250,000 extra doses. New Zealand was slow to get its vaccination program running but has seen demand spike since an outbreak of the delta variant in Auckland last month.

That had left the country in danger of running out of doses ahead of a large scheduled shipment in October. New Zealands government has been attempting to eliminate the virus entirely in Auckland by imposing a lockdown but is finding the delta variant hard to stamp out, with another 20 daily community cases reported on Sunday. About 54% of people in New Zealand have had at least one dose and 28% are fully vaccinated.



YUCAIPA, Calif.  The husband of a California nurse who died of COVID-19 more than two weeks ago has died after battling the disease himself.

A family member told news station KTLA-TV that Daniel Macias of Yucaipa died on Thursday, leaving behind five young children, including a newborn girl. He and his wife, Davy Macias contracted COVID-19 after going on a family trip to the beach and an indoor water park.
Social studies teachers David McCormick, 59, who taught seventh grade, and Natalia Chansler, 41, who taught sixth grade, died within days of each other. They were part of a surge of local coronavirus cases.

Masks are now mandatory at the school  but only because the courts have put on hold Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts attempt to ban such mandates. He and other Republican state officials around the country, in transparent pandering to the anti-science right, have abandoned their partys principle of letting local school districts run their own classes.

Perhaps Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who is suing to prohibit school mask mandates here, should ponder how hed feel about contributing to teachers deaths.

Americas first working

first lady

First lady Jill Biden sent the best possible message to Americans on multiple fronts Tuesday by simply getting back to her job. A nation that, so far, has yet to accept the idea of a woman running the Oval Office also seems far too content with the assumption that first ladies are supposed to be satisfied with redecorating the White House and figuring out the guest list for the next state dinner.
An American firm (True Velocity) put its new plastic (composite) case ammo on sale for the first time. The initial offering was the popular, with hunters and snipers, .308 Winchester round. The composite case ammo is 30 percent lighter than metal case ammo, transfers less heat to the rifle and puts less stress to the barrel when fired. The initial price of the composite case .308 Winchester rounds is $3.50 each. Metal case equivalents cost from a dollar to $2.40 per round. This caliber of ammo is the most popular type used by big-game hunters who need long-range accuracy and hitting power to take down elk, black bear and other large mammals. The .308 Winchester is a higher performance version of the NATO standard 7.62 rifle round that was largely replaced by 5.56mm assault guns in the 1960s. The .308 Winchester and 7.62mm rounds are interchangeable, but the .308 must be used with caution in 7.62 weapons because it generates higher pressure and is meant for rifles built to handle it. Soldiers and marines found that their semi-automatic M14 7.62 rifles were excellent sniper rifles when equipped with a scope and using .308 Winchester ammo. For this reason, the troops in an infantry squad who are designated as sharpshooters are equipped with refurbished (to hunting standards) M14s that get the most out of the .308 cartridge. The sharpshooters proved so useful that they became standard. The sharpshooters did not require the extensive training of dedicated snipers, who operated on their own in teams of two using longer range rifles and more powerful rifle rounds that were accurate beyond a thousand meters. Sharpshooters used M14s and .308 ammo that proved equally accurate out to 900 meters, which was sufficient for infantry squads.

Sharpshooters and other infantry would appreciate the composite case .308 ammo because it is 30 percent lighter while the weight of weapons and equipment carried by modern infantry is a growing problem. The military will pay premium prices for lighter versions of current items carried by the troops. Hunters and recreational target shooters are less concerned with the weight of their ammo but for the military it is something worth paying a premium for. The True Velocity composite case ammo prices are expected to come down if these rounds are solid in large quantities to military as well as civilian customers.

To gain access to the military market, True Velocity teamed up with a major defense firm (General Dynamics), to provide a more acceptable ammo for the U.S. Army than what was developed during the recently (2017) cancelled LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technology) 5.56mm machine-gun program. At one point the army planned to replace all existing assault rifles, pistols and machine-guns with models using smaller caseless or telescoped ammo. The True Velocity composite case ammo was very tempting to the army and marines, which could have the benefits of lightweight ammo without having to replace all existing rifles and machine-guns with new designs that can use existing caseless/CTA (Cased Telescoped ammunition) ammo designs that are also 30 percent lighter than existing ammo but are shorter and could not be used with existing weapons. Before True Velocity came along the military planned to choose caseless or CTA for new infantry weapons designs. Even with that it would mean supply problems because it would mean another ammo type would have to be supplied to troops. Because the first new infantry weapon under development is the LSAT, a replacement for the current light-machine gun that uses the same 5.56mm ammo as the rifle troops carry.

The basic design of LSAT was available since 2012 but acceptance for production was delayed by efforts to see if it should be built to use either conventional (brass) or caseless/CTA ammo. Initially LSAT prototypes were built to test two types of lightweight ammo and it wasnt until now that one of those lightweight ammo designs reached the point where it was ready for combat testing. That was when the True Velocity polymer case design finally arrived. Commercial ammo using the True Velocity polymer rounds were ready for sale in 2020, aimed at hunters and target shooters. One market that was not pleased was reloaders, who reload their own ammo, often with custom propellant loads, using the reusable brass casings. The reloaders would need new equipment to handle composite cases and even then, the reloadable composite cases would be different than the current ones. For the military that was not a problem and the fact that the polymer case, unlike the brass case, insulates the rifle from the heat of the propellant is a bonus. For machine-guns that is a major advantage and military ammo is rarely reloaded. Civilian target shooters will find the heat handling aspects of the polymer case useful if they fire a lot of rounds on the range and need to be careful about overheating of the receiver portion of the rifle, where the ammo is ignited and the empty case ejected while another is loaded. Overheated receivers are sometimes a problem with military weapons, where the heat can rise to levels where rounds fire spontaneously when loaded and before the trigger is pulled. The composite rounds also put less wear on the rifle barrel, another feature more valuable to military users.

The LSAT weapons program was cancelled in 2017 as the army decided to replace the 5.56mm round with something larger. Within a year the army had settled on a new, and very popular, 6.8mm design and called on weapons developers to create a NGSW (Next Generation Squad Weapon) that would replace the 5.56mm M4 assault and M249 5.56mm machine gun with a single weapon using the new 6.8mm round. Lightweight ammo was no longer a priority. Initially the army wanted NGWS prototypes using the shorter and lighter ammo designs. Shortly thereafter cost became an issue as procurement budgets were being cut and the troops were enthusiastic about converting to the new caseless round.

Caseless ammo is not a new concept but you need the right materials and right design to make it work. Its all a matter of getting the right tech and the right design and then getting the new ammo some convincing battlefield success. Back in the 1980s German firm Dynamit Nobel developed a 4.73mm round that weighed much less than the existing 5.56mm rounds but was similar in effectiveness. The new (at the time) G11 assault rifle was designed to fire the caseless 4.73mm round. A G11, along with 510 rounds, weighed the same (7.36 kg/16.2 pounds) as an M-16 with 240 rounds (eight, 30 round magazines.) The West German army tested the G11 extensively in the late 1980s and was considering adopting it and its caseless ammo to replace its 7.62mm assault rifles. Then the Cold War ended, Germany was united, and the decision was made to go with the cheaper G36 5.56mm weapon firing conventional brass cased ammo. Caseless ammo was also more expensive than the conventional 5.56mm stuff, and there were still concerns about reliability, even after years of testing. Not much work was done on this caseless ammo in the 1990s but after 2001 American firms began working on upgrading and improving the Dynamit Nobel tech. While field testing has shown that the new polymer case design is safe and reliable, the new caseless design must survive combat testing and the military has yet to decide on when and where to carry that out. Germany later had problems with their new 5.56mm assault rifles when they finally got some combat use in Afghanistan and several serious flaws in the rifle were discovered. In the Internet age details of this failure quickly spread to troops worldwide who used the Internet, often for this kind of information.

The LSAT weapon prototypes came in two versions. One used ammo with a CTA telescoped case, and the other was caseless. The CTA ammo was ready for use first while the caseless stuff was still in development. Both LSAT weapons feature a revolutionary ammo feed that employs a pivot, rather than a bolt, to load the ammo into the chamber. This design propels the case out the front of the weapon. Naturally the caseless ammo has no case to eject. The use of the pivot reduced overheating problems, which are more of a hassle with the polymer case of the CTA cartridge prototype. The CTA case is a straight case, like a pistol round, not a bottleneck case more common with high powered rifles. A caseless round was seen as the ideal solution but this design was more difficult to manufacture. Caseless rounds have been developed before but were found to be more expensive and more vulnerable to rough handling.

The original LSAT expectation was that if the caseless round were used, the LSAT and 600 rounds would be 9 kg (19.9 pounds) lighter than the current M249 and its ammo. The new plastic case ammo and the LSAT is 6.8 kg (15 pounds) less than the M249. In early 2012 eight LSAT machine-guns and 100,000 rounds of the CTA ammo were delivered for army troop use and passed field tests. At this point it became possible to use the same technology for a new assault rifle. While LSAT passed muster with the troops and the realities of use in a combat zone, by 2012 most of the fighting was over. The new machine-gun would be much appreciated by infantry operating in Afghanistan, where the machine-gunner is often lugging his weapon and all that ammo up steep hills.

Back home there was less enthusiasm, and money, for a new generation of assault rifles and light machine-guns using radically different ammo. The True Velocity polymer case conventional ammo was now available and easier to implement, especially since hunters and sport shooters reported success with the distinctive white and lighter polymer case rifle ammo. News like that always spreads quickly on the Internet and infantry worldwide pay attention. That composite case ammo costs twice as much as brass case ammo but the manufacturer points out that the price will come down as larger quantities are sold and military contracts get the largest discounts of all. Hunters dont have a problem with ammo weight but the infantry does. The U.S. military has already been paying more for lighter versions of weapons and equipment troops must carry into combat. The 6.8mm round with a composite case weighs the same as a 5.56mm round with a brass case.
Turkey and Pakistan recently signed a deal for licensed production of the Turkish Anka combat UAVs in Pakistan. Anka was developed by the state-owned TAI (Turkish Aerospace Industries) and the Pakistani partner is NESCOM, also a state-owned firm. The deal involves the transfer of technology and Turkish technical staff to Pakistan to establish the Turkish UAV production facility. This deal looks like it will work where the two previous export deals for Egypt and Saudi Arabia did not. The Egyptian sale was made in 2012 when Egypt had just elected its first Moslem Brotherhood president. By 2013 the new president had been ousted because of efforts to adopt Islamic law. New elections selected a president the Turkish president did not get along with and the Anka deal was cancelled. The Saudi sale included a possible licensed production option but the sale was cancelled because lower oil prices made the Anka purchase unaffordable. The Pakistan deal should face neither of those problems because the Pakistani military has more control over the size of its budget despite growing financial problems the nation of Pakistan is facing.

So far only 30 Ankas have been delivered to the Turkish security forces (army, navy and police) while a sale of three Ankas to Tunisia is apparently proceeding.

Anka has had problems. In 2018 Turkey revealed that the military had received six of 40 Anka UAVs they had ordered back in 2013. At that point eight Ankas had been built and two crashed during testing. Anka is usually delivered as a system. Each Anka system consists of three UAVs plus ground control equipment and all necessary maintenance and ground operations gear.

Looking very similar to the American Predator, Anka is a 1.6-ton aircraft with a rear facing propeller. The payload is 350 kg (772 pounds) and endurance is 30 hours. Anka can operate up to 200 kilometers from a truck mounted controller or unlimited with a new satellite communications link. Cruising speed is 204 kilometers an hour with max speed of 217. Max altitude is 9,144 meters (30,000 feet). Anka can carry a laser designator and rangefinder to launch several types of Turkish made laser guided missiles. A UAV like this would usually cost about $2 million each to manufacture. Under development since 2004, Anka has been slow to get all its new tech working. The Turkish military was supposed to receive its first Anka by the end of 2013 but that was delayed by technical problems. The delays enabled TAI to upgrade Anka and build an ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) capability and at least one of these ELINT models is in service. Anka has been used in combat since 2016 (for recon) and in 2018 began using laser guided missiles. In 2020 Anka was used in Libya by Turkish forces. So far four Ankas have been lost in combat, two in Syria and two in Libya.

Meanwhile, a more successful military Turkish UAV uing commercial technology that had already proved itself, was developed by Baykar, a small private Turkish firm. The most successful Baykar UAV is the Bayraktar TB2 which entered service with the Turkish Air Force in 2014. So far over 200 TB2s have been built or on order, mainly by the Turkish military. Export sales have been made to Ukraine and nine other countries have placed orders or are close to doing so. Bayraktar TB2 is cheaper than Anka and has a better combat record.

The 650 kg Bayraktar TB2 was initially introduced as an unarmed surveillance UAV. It could be armed and soon was with up to 100 kg of laser guided missiles. TB2 had a max payload of 150 kg which meant vidcams and laser designator could also be carried to find and aim the lightweight laser-guided missiles Turkey was producing. TB2 has a wingspan of 12 meters (39 feet) and a top speed of 220 kilometers an hour but cruises at 130. Max ceiling is 8,200 meters (27,000 feet) and endurance is 27 hours. Max control range is 150 kilometers.

Bayraktar TB2 has proved very effective in combat over the last few years. Bayraktar TB2s have been used in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Armenia. The manufacturer was already working on an upgrade, the TB3, that has a more powerful and reliable engine which also provides more electricity for onboard equipment. Bayraktar TB3 was close enough to delivery to be proposed as the naval combat UAV for the new Turkish Anadolu LHD (amphibious assault ship that looks like a small aircraft carrier). The carrier TB3 version comes with folding wings in addition to salt-water corrosion proofing. At that point it will be sort of carrier-ready.

The Turkish LHD could carry and operate over thirty TB3. The problem with the TB2/3 is that it does not have the payload capacity to carry anti-ship or air-to-air missiles and a more powerful radar for targeting and fire control. Apparently the 700 kg TB3, with the same dimensions and capabilities of the TB2/3, is the largest UAV that can take off and land using the ski-ramp deck on the Turkish LHD. Even with that Turkey could get recon and ground-attack TB3 to anywhere in the Mediterranean or Black Sea very quickly.

There is a much larger UAV in development, the Bayraktar Akinci. This is a 5.5-ton twin-engine aircraft with a 20-meter wingspan and 1.35-ton payload with 65 percent of that carried internally. Cruising speed is 220 kilometers an hour, max ceiling is 12,200 meters (40,000 feet) and endurance is 24 hours, Akinci uses satellite communications for the operator and a range limited by its endurance. Akinci is too large to land and takeoff from the Anadolu, so the TB3 is the apparently the only carrier-capable UAV the Turks have for now and operating it on the LHD Anadolu may be more difficult than expected.

Currently the Turkish military and UAV export customers have more faith in the Bayraktar UAVs than in the Anka. That means more customer-friendly deals must be made to get export orders for the Anka and many potential customers recognize that.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) placed a full-page ad in The New York Times today, calling on the presidents of Costa Rica and Ecuador to protect migratory marine species by creating the Cocos-Galapagos Swimway. The ad, endorsed by Dr. Sylvia Earle of Mission Blue and more than 150 organizations around the world, was also published in La Nacion as both countries commit to protecting at least 30% of their marine territories by 2030.

Research completed by an international group of marine scientists known as MigraMar indicates endangered marine species including green sea turtles, leatherback sea turtles, and scalloped hammerhead sharks become vulnerable to fishing activities when they migrate between Costa Ricas Cocos Island National Park and Ecuadors Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Costa Rica is currently considering increasing protection around Cocos Island. The Cocos-Galapagos Swimway, which was declared a Mission Blue Hope Spot, forms an integral part of that initiative. More than 10,000 scientists and global citizens have called for the Cocos-Galapagos Swimway to be a fully-protected zone.

Its important to think like the sharks, the sea turtles and the various forms of life that are not just found in places where weve named and claimed territory, said Dr. Sylvia Earle, founder of Mission Blue. We must consider the creatures that occupy this liquid space that we call the ocean and realize that if we were to take action to protect them, its not good enough that Cocos and Galapagos have an area of a safe haven around them. What about the space in between? That has to be protected too. Thats the underlying rationale.

Marine protected areas, such as Cocos Island National Park and Galapagos Marine Reserve, can restore the productivity of oceans, improve the ability to increase resilience to climate change, and provide socioeconomic benefits through non-extractive industries such as tourism.

The presidents of Ecuador and Costa Rica have a unique opportunity to create a new paradigm for protecting ocean wildlife, said Mariano Castro of Turtle Island Restoration Network. Creating the Swimway will allow endangered species to migrate safely and connect two nations marine protected areas, something we hope will be a blueprint that is copied across the globe.

Organizations among the more than 150 signatories from 20 countries include Center for Biological Diversity, CREMA, Endangered Species Coalition, Equilibrio Azul, Galapagos Conservation Trust, Grupo de los Cien, Humane Society International, Instituto Baleia Jubarte, Island Conservation, Jean-Michel Cousteaus Ocean Futures Society, Marine Conservation Institute, Mas Galapagos, MigraMar, Mision Tiburon, Oceanic Preservation Society, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Seacology, Shark Allies, SOS Galapagos, The Leatherback Trust, The SeaChange Agency and Upwell.

Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) is a global conservation nonprofit and leading advocate for the worlds oceans and marine wildlife. TIRN has led more than 25 tagging expeditions to Cocos Island since 2009 to help elucidate the migratory pathways of sharks and sea turtles in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Our work is based on science, fueled by people who care, and effective at catalyzing long-lasting positive change that protects the likes of green sea turtles, whale sharks and coho salmon. By working with people, communities, and our more than 90,000 members, we preserve and restore critical habitats like the redwood-forest creek banks of California to the biodiverse waters of Cocos Island.

Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas  Hope Spots. Under Dr. Earles leadership, the Mission Blue team implements communications campaigns that elevate Hope Spots to the world stage through documentaries, social media, traditional media and innovative tools like Google Earth. Mission Blue embarks on regular oceanic expeditions that shed light on these vital ecosystems and build support for their protection. Mission Blue also supports the work of conservation NGOs around the world that share the mission of building public support for ocean protection. The Mission Blue alliance includes more than 200 respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations.

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Attachments
(Connecticut National Guard)

HARTFORD, Conn.  More than 70 members of the Connecticut National Guard are heading to Poland as part of ongoing U.S. military preparedness exercises with European allies.

A send-off ceremony was held Sunday at the state armory in Hartford for the Danbury-based 142nd Area Support Medical Co., which will be supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve over the next year by providing medical care.

"This has been an incredibly busy two years for the 142nd and I cannot overstate the complexity of preparing for a deployment while facing the virus, combating it, and supporting their communities," Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard, said in a statement.

Atlantic Resolve has rotated U.S. troops across more than a dozen countries in Europe since 2014 in efforts to increase readiness and coordination with NATO and European allies, according to the military. Approximately 7,000 American troops are deployed in the effort at any given time, officials say.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the National Guard has been provided key support in the state during the coronavirus pandemic and thanked the troops heading to Poland for their dedication and professionalism.
A hearse carrying the body of Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez pauses during his funeral procession on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. Sanchez was among 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing during the U.S.-run evacuation at Afghanistans Kabul airport on Aug. 26. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP)

LOGANSPORT, Ind.  The body of a Marine who was among 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing during the U.S.-run evacuation at Afghanistan's Kabul airport was returned Sunday to his northern Indiana hometown.

A military procession marked the beginning of memorial services for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22, of Logansport.

Sanchez's body arrived Sunday morning at Grissom Air Reserve Base near Peru, about 80 miles north of Indianapolis. The procession then headed about 20 miles to Logansport.

Donnie Louthain watches the funeral procession for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP) Nancy Martin, left, and her sister Maribel Martin, right, watch motorcycles pass during the funeral procession for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP) Planes fly above the funeral procession for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP) People watch the funeral procession pass by for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez on East Market Street on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP) People watch the funeral procession pass by for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP) Emma Logan, left, and her twin sister Elly Logan, right, set up an American flag before the funeral procession for Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, in Logansport, Ind. (Christine Tannous/The Indianapolis Star via AP)

People lined the route to show their respects, many with American flags, and jets flew overhead as the procession approached downtown Logansport. It stopped briefly downtown, where the hearse carrying Sanchez's body paused under a garrison flag. The procession included Indiana State Police and vehicles carrying Sanchez's family, followed by thousands of motorcycles.

Sanchez was among 17 members of his Logansport High School class who joined the military after their 2017 graduation. He died in the Aug. 26 attack in Kabul, where he had been transferred after serving as a U.S. embassy guard in Jordan, according to his obituary.

A public visitation is scheduled for Monday at LifeGate Church in Logansport. The funeral is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday the church. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery.
A tunnel inside of the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii is shown in this undated file photo. (Shannon Haney/U.S. Navy)

(Tribune News Service)  After months of deliberation, a hearing officer has recommended that the Navy get its state permit to operate underground fuel tanks at Red Hill but said it should come with inspection and repair requirements after determining the tanks are a pollution risk to a major source of Oahus drinking water.

In a 99-page proposed decision and order in a contested case filed against the issuance of a Department of Health permit, hearing officer Lou Chang found the Navy had met design and construction standards for the tanks according to Hawaii law, although the tanks are not adequately inspected and a nearby aquifers drinking water supply could be impacted in the future.

The storage of over 180 million gallons of petroleum fuel products 100 feet above Oahus sole source aquifer is inherently dangerous, the recommendation said. The risk of potential pollution of the Red Hill potable water aquifer is real.

In 2019 the Navy submitted a permit application to the Health Department to operate the underground fuel tanks at Red Hill, including 14 to 18 tanks that are filled with fuel at any given time and have a storage capacity of more than 187 million gallons.

The Hawaii Sierra Club and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply with the hope the Health Department would add controls as a condition of the permit and possibly order the relocation of the fuel tanks, which sit just 100 feet above the only source of drinking water for 763,000 Oahu residents.

A five-day hearing was held in February involving testimony from dozens of witnesses for and against the permit. Since then, more testimony and hundreds of documents were submitted for Changs consideration.

The DOH can reject the Navys application for a five-year permit altogether  a possibility after its Environmental Health Administration  but Chang recommended the permit be issued, albeit with conditions that require all the tanks to be inspected and repaired by the end of 2024.

Two or three of the facilitys 20 tanks are usually empty for cleaning, inspection and repair, but Chang wrote that the Navys actual performance of inspections and repairs to the Red Hill tanks is sorely deficient.

He found that two of the tanks had been permanently taken out of service for many years, and that only nine of the 18 active tanks had been properly inspected for their condition and integrity during the last 20 years. Two tanks hadnt been inspected in 38 years, and another hadnt been inspected in 40 years.

One of Changs recommended conditions is that any tank that hasnt been properly inspected and repaired by Dec. 31, 2024, must be drained and removed from active use until it is inspected, repaired and determined to be in operating condition.

Another recommendation would require the Navy to provide annual progress reports to the DOH on tank inspections and repairs.

An estimated 180,000 gallons of fuel have been released from the facilitys tanks during its 80-year existence, although 84% of that amount was released between 1940 and 1990. Only four of the facilitys 73 total fuel leaks have been recorded since, and together they contributed just 28,500 gallons released.

Chang noted that a 2014 leak that displaced 27,000 gallons of fuel was caused by human error rather than corrosion, the latter a major concern for the Sierra Club and the Board of Water Supply.

Although fuel hasnt contaminated the water source yet, according to Changs recommendation there is evidence the tanks have not prevented moisture from corroding some of its parts.

All the components of the multiple layers of leak prevention capability are not completely fail safe with respect to developing conditions that could facilitate the release of stored fuel product, he said.

Tank upgrades to prevent corrosion have been proposed, although none have inspired universal confidence.

The involved parties can still respond to Changs recommendation, the Sierra Club said, and will have the opportunity to provide oral arguments to DOH Director Dr. Libby Char before she makes a final decision on the permit application.

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Members of Congress and staff stand for a moment of silence for the 9/11 victims and families on Sept. 11, 2020, at the Capitol in Washington. On Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, members of Congress will mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post )

WASHINGTON  On Monday, the bipartisan leaders of Congress are scheduled to gather with colleagues at noon for a ceremony marking the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It will be reminiscent of the gathering on the night of the attacks, when members of Congress, many holding small American flags, stood on the Capitol steps and spontaneously sang "God Bless America." But so much has changed.

Twenty years ago, members of Congress were joined in a determined and resilient expression of national unity at an unprecedented moment in the nation's history, a day that brought deaths and heroism but also shock, fear and confusion. Monday's ceremony will no doubt be somber in its remembrance of what was lost that day, but it will come not as expression of a united America but simply as a momentary cessation in political wars that rage and have deepened in the years since those attacks.

In a video message to Americans released Friday, President Joe Biden spoke of how 9/11 had united the country and said it was represented "America at its best." He called such unity "our greatest strength," while noting it is "all too rare." The unity that followed the attacks didn't last long. Americans reverted more quickly than some analysts expected to older patterns of partisanship. With time, new divisions over new issues have emerged, which now make the prospect of a united nation ever more distant.

The question is often asked, as America has plunged deeper into division and discord, is there anything that could spark a change, anything big enough to become a catalyst for greater national unity? But if 9/11 doesn't fit that model, then what does? And look what happened in the aftermath of that trauma.

For a time, the shock effect of the attacks did bring the country together. Then-President George W. Bush's approval ratings spiked to 90% in a rally-round-the-flag reaction that was typical when the country is faced with external threats or crises.

One notable expression of the unity at the time came from Al Gore, the former vice president who had lost the bitter 2000 election to Bush after a disputed recount in Florida and a controversial Supreme Court decision.

Speaking at a Democratic Party dinner in Iowa less than a month after the attacks, Gore called Bush "my commander in chief," adding, "We are united behind our president, George W. Bush, behind the effort to seek justice, not revenge, to make sure this will never, ever happen again. And to make sure we have the strongest unity in America that we have ever had." The Democratic audience rose, applauding and cheering.

Trust in government rose in those days after the attacks. Shortly after 9/11, trust in government jumped to 64%, up from 30% before the attacks, according to Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican polling firm that was closely tracking public attitudes to the attacks, By the summer of 2002, POS found that trust had fallen back, to 39 percent.

Five years after the attacks, then-Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz), now deceased, was quoted as saying that America was "more divided and more partisan than I've ever seen us." Today, after many contentious elections, political warfare over economic, cultural and social issues and an attack on the Capitol last Jan. 6, many Americans would say things have gotten worse.

President George W. Bush addressed the nation on Sept. 11, 2001, after returning to the White House. (Frank Johnston/The Washington Post )

As he prepared the U.S. response to the attacks by al-Qaida in the fall of 2001, Bush made clear the United States would go it alone if necessary, assembling what was called a "coalition of the willing." He put other nations on notice, saying the United States would be holding them accountable in the campaign against the terrorists. "You're either with us or against us in the fight," he said.

Bush described the world in Manichaean terms, a world of good versus evil. Today's politics at home is often practiced that way. That phrase  "with us or against us"  could stand as a black-and-white expression of the way in which many Americans approach the political battles: All in with the team, red or blue, or not in at all. If you win, I lose. No middle ground.

Lack of imagination had helped to allow 9/11 to happen. No one in the upper reaches of government seemed to have envisioned foreign terrorists hijacking airplanes, turning them into massive jet-fuel-filled weapons and crashing them into buildings, though there had been warnings.

If the response in the years that followed was often chaotic or ill-advised, if things seemed to get worse rather than better, the public demeanor of leaders remained one of total confidence. That was true of one president after another about Afghanistan, as a secret history of the war has since shown. Eventually, as events told a story that contradicted official assurances, the certitude of the leaders gave way to disillusionment and cynicism on the part of citizens. It happened during Vietnam and happened again with Afghanistan and Iraq.

So much went wrong.

In the days after the attacks, politicians noted America's vulnerability  two oceans were no longer protection against foreign attack  and vowed to make perpetrators pay. It was a time of extravagant predictions. Chuck Hagel, then a Republican senator from Nebraska and later defense secretary in the Obama administration, said, "We are forever changed."

More Americans say now that change was for the worse than for the better, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll. Six months after the attacks, two in three Americans said the country had changed for the better.

The mission in Afghanistan morphed from hunting terrorists, subduing the Taliban and bringing Osama bin Laden to justice to one of nation building and a 20-year commitment of U.S. forces that ended last month, amid controversy over Biden's handling of the exit and a public conclusion that the war was not worth fighting. On the night of 9/11, George Tenet, then the CIA director, said to Bush and other senior officials as they contemplated how to respond, it was time to tell the Taliban we're finished with them. Today, the Taliban once again control Afghanistan.

Afghanistan was never enough. The Bush administration quickly shifted its focus to a wider war on terrorism. Even in the days after Afghanistan, Iraq was always in the conversation. In his 2002 State of the Union address, Bush described Iraq, Iran and North Korea and "an axis of evil." He suggested that what he had launched in Afghanistan would expand in scope and lengthen in time. "Our war on terror has well begun," he said, "but it is only begun."

The next year, the United States invaded Iraq. Among those who opposed that invasion was Gore, though he had supported Bush's father's war against Iraq in 1991, unlike Biden, whose positions were the opposite. The invasion was based on what turned out to be a lie, that there was credible intelligence evidence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had a stock of weapons of mass destruction. After Saddam was ousted, U.S. officials tried to remake Iraq in a misguided and bungled effort to bring western-style democracy and institutions to that country.

Enemy combatants captured in the war on terror were subjected to torture during harsh interrogation in secret black sites, later exposed, elsewhere in the world. Critics like McCain called those techniques illegal and a stain on America. A Senate committee later concluded that torture had produced no useful intelligence. There was the scandal at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, where photos of the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers drew worldwide condemnation that further soured the public.

Confidence was undermined in other ways. At home, a hasty effort to create the Department of Homeland Security ended up cobbling together a host of organizations that produced a dysfunctional agency whose role and mission remain a point of contention. Only a year ago, Jeh Johnson, who served as DHS secretary in the Obama administration, said that the agency's headquarters bureaucracy "is still a work in progress."

There were successes. During the Obama administration, bin Laden was killed at a compound in Pakistan. Over these many years, there were no major attacks from foreign terrorists against the homeland, no small achievement. Presidents from Bush to Obama to Donald Trump went after terrorist groups and individuals in one country after another with Special Operations forces and drone attacks.

Meanwhile, on the political front, the war on terror, which had first united the country, turned into a political wedge. Bush and the Republicans used the issue in both the 2002 midterm election and the 2004 presidential election to help his and the GOP's cause.

In 2002, Republicans labeled then-Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga., who had lost limbs in Vietnam, as weak in his defense of the homeland. Cleland lost his reelection bid. In 2004, even though opposition to the Iraq War was rising, Bush campaigned heavily on the theme that he would keep the country safe. To bring home the point, Republicans staged their national convention in New York, near the anniversary of 9/11.

With Democrats on the defensive in a military-infused political climate, the party scrambled to prove that their leaders had military bona fides. David Axelrod, who was Obama's chief political strategist, pointed to the 2004 Democratic convention that nominated then-Sen. John F. Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, and said, "We essentially transformed our convention into a VFW meeting. That would not have happened if not for 9/11."

Then the politics of it all shifted. By the time of the 2008 election, Bush was highly unpopular, and the Democratic candidate who had opposed the Iraq War, Barack Obama, prevailed over other candidates who had supported the resolution authorizing Bush to launch the war, namely Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.

The GOP nominee, McCain  a Vietnam prisoner of war and true war hero - was the strongest advocate for sending more troops into Iraq in 2007. He lost the 2008 presidential election. As vice president, Biden argued against a similar troop surge in Afghanistan.

Pro and anti-Trump activists scuffle outside of the Department of Justice in Washington, on July 27, 2021, after a news conference over the treatment of people detained during the Jan. 6 riot. (Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Washington Post)

If 9/11 could not sustain unity for long, there were other events that tested whether America could break out of its divisions. The financial crash of 2008-2009 is one, an event that crushed many families and that cried out for a united response. But Obama, whose election was hailed as a sign of racial progress, was able to produce not unity but more division: a tea party revolt, GOP obstruction in Congress and, worse, a rise in racial resentment among some White voters and outright racism among others.

As he was responding to the 9/11 attacks, Bush had sought to tamp down anger and rising hate crimes aimed at Muslim Americans, saying this was not a war against Islam. Donald Trump, as a candidate and as president, did the opposite, calling for banning the entry of all Muslims into the country (an announcement that coincided with the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor).

Trump's campaign and presidency further exacerbated the existing racial tensions and divisions. Trump spread conspiracy theories about Muslims in New Jersey cheering the fall of the twin towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11 and about where Obama was born. He continues to spread other conspiracy theories today; they too have infected politics.

The coronavirus pandemic, when it hit U.S. shores in early 2020, amounted to the biggest threat to America since 9/11, a deadly virus in a globalized world that demanded a unity of purpose in response. Instead, it too has become a political conflict, over the wearing of masks and the administration of lifesaving vaccines. The 20th anniversary of the events that led to the invasion of Afghanistan finds the United States no longer in that conflict overseas but in a costly debate at home over how to wage a war against a virus.

The ceremonies commemorating 9/11 are wholly appropriate, designed to mark the loss of innocent lives and the selfless heroism of firefighters and police and other first responders who threw themselves into efforts to recuse anyone who could be rescued and to recover those who could not, and those on Flight 93 who gave their lives to save others. They remind all Americans of what is best about the country.

But it should also be noted that as the nation, and elected officials in Washington, hold these events, there is talk about reinstalling fencing around the Capitol in preparation for a rally next weekend in Washington in support of those arrested and jailed after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. This time it is not international terrorism that poses the greatest threat to the homeland; it is domestic terrorism from white supremacists and others. Twenty years on from 9/11, that is the state of the country.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, front left, accompanied by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, front right, walks around during a tour of the Morodok Techo National Stadium as it was handed over to the Cambodian organizing committee of the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. Wang is visiting Cambodia, where he met with Hun Sen and other officials to discuss COVID-19 and other regional issues. (Tang Chhin Sothy/Pool via AP)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia  Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Sunday that China has agreed to provide the Southeast Asian nation with grant aid of 1.75 billion yuan ($272 million), announcing the assistance during a visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Wang met with Hun Sen and other officials for bilateral talks on combating COVID-19, trade and investment, education and security issues. Cambodia's foreign ministry said earlier that Wang's meetings on Sunday and Monday also would include discussions of regional and international issues of shared interest.

China is Cambodia's biggest investor and closest political partner whose assistance largely underpins the Southeast Asian nation's economy. Hun Sen did not detail what the aid from Beijing would be used for.

Hun Sen spoke on a live television broadcast in which he praised China for its aid at a handover ceremony for a new 60,000-person capacity stadium built on the outskirts of the capital, Phnom Penh. The Chinese government provided the $160 million funding for the project, Cambodia's state news agency AKP reported Tourism Minister Thong Khon as saying.

"Before, we could not imagine that Cambodia would have such a large stadium here, but China helps make it happen for us," AKP quoted Hun Sen saying at the ceremony. He called the stadium "the fruit of the ironclad Cambodian-Chinese friendship."

Speaking to the press after meeting separately with Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang made a similar point, saying, "Let Chinese-Cambodian friendship be steadier than iron and stronger than steel."

Hun Sen pointed out other assistance from China for the construction of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of roads and seven big bridges across the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. He noted as well that vaccines sold and donated by China had helped Cambodia battle the pandemic.

Hun Sen added, however, that Cambodia is not reliant solely on China but makes friends with all the world's countries, and welcomes their aid for development. The U.S. has also donated COVID-19 vaccines to Cambodia.

Washington's relations with Hun Sen's government are frosty, as Beijing's support allows Cambodia to disregard Western concerns about its poor record in human and political rights, and in turn Cambodia generally supports Beijing's geopolitical positions on issues such as its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In recent months, the U.S. has expressed concern about their ties and urged Cambodia's leaders to maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy that would be in its people's best interests.

The concerns have focused partly on China's construction of new facilities at Ream Naval Base in Cambodia and the potential for its military to have future basing rights there.

Ream faces the Gulf of Thailand that lies adjacent to the South China Sea. Holding basing rights in Cambodia would extend Beijing's strategic military profile considerably.

Wrapping up a visit to neighboring Vietnam on Saturday, Wang said China planned to donate 3 million vaccine doses to that country, which is under a lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge.
Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, speaks to the members of the media after he inspected the British Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, back, at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on Sept. 6, 2021. Defense Minister Kishi said an agreement signed Saturday, Sept. 11, allowing Japan to give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam elevates the two countries' defense partnership to a new level. Kishi meet with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi. (Kiyoshi Ota/AP)

TOKYO  Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China's growing military influence.

Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defense partnership "to a new level" and that Japan and Vietnam plan to deepen defense ties through multinational joint exercises and other means. Details about the transfer of specific equipment, including naval vessels, will be worked out in subsequent talks, the ministry said.

Kishi's meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, in Hanoi coincided with a two-day visit to the Vietnamese capital by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He wrapped up his visit by saying China plans to donate 3 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine to Vietnam.

The agreement comes two weeks after the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris travelled to Vietnam to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian nation. During the tour, Harris urged countries to stand up against "bullying" by China in the South China Sea.

Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that Kishi and Giang agreed on the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as cooperation in various defense areas including cybersecurity.

Tokyo regularly protests the Chinese coast guard's presence near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu. Japanese officials say Chinese vessels routinely violate Japanese territorial waters around the islands, sometimes threatening fishing boats.

During the talks, Kishi expressed Japan's strong opposition to "any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by coercion or any activities that escalate tensions," referring to China's increasingly assertive activity in the East and South China Sea, but without identifying any country by name.

Vietnam is the 11th nation with which Japan has signed a defense equipment and technology transfer deal. Tokyo is looking to expand military cooperation beyond its longtime ally the United States, and has signed similar agreements with Britain, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia.
This combination of photos provided by the North Korean government on Monday, Sept. 13, 2021, shows long-range cruise missiles tests held on Sept. 11 -12, 2021 in an undisclosed location of North Korea. (/AP)

North Korea successfully test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile over the weekend, state-run media reported Monday.

In separate tests on Saturday and Sunday, the missiles flew 932 miles for over two hours before hitting their targets in North Korean airspace and dropping into territorial waters, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The efficiency and practicality of the weapon system operation was confirmed to be excellent, the report said.

The missiles range, if accurate, would be enough to reach Tokyo. North Korea tested a short-range ballistic missile in March, in violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions for the regime.

Ballistic missiles are powered by rockets and fly in a high arch to reach their targets. Cruise missiles are powered by jet engines and fly at lower altitudes, making them more difficult to detect.

South Koreas military is conducting an analysis of the tests with U.S. agencies, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement to reporters on Monday.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in a separate statement, said it was aware of the reports and "will continue to monitor the situation.

"This activity highlights [North Korea's] continuing focus on developing its military program and the threats that poses to its neighbors and the international community," the statement said "The U.S. commitment to the defense of [South Korea] and Japan remains ironclad."

The tests come as officials for the U.S., Japan and South Korea are expected to meet this week in Tokyo to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as well as the immediate resolution of North Koreas abduction of Japanese citizens.

Leader Kim Jong Un was not mentioned in a list of North Korean officials who witnessed the weekend launches, which happened just days after Pyongyang held a military parade to celebrate 73 years since the nations founding.

North Korean troops were pictured in Thursdays Rodong Sinmun newspaper parading through Kim Il Sung Square in the center of the capital as thousands of attendees cheered. Kim oversaw the event from a balcony.

The regime did not appear to showcase new weaponry as it has in past parades, based on images published in the state-run newspaper.

During a parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers Party in October, the country unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile that analysts say could be the worlds largest mobile ICBM.

David Choi
Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis takes his seat for a news conference at the Thessaloniki International Fair, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. (Giannis Papanikos/AP)

THESSALONIKI, Greece  Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised to "break and smash" the human trafficking networks that smuggle migrants across the border from Turkey.

Mitsotakis, in a news conference Sunday following his Saturday keynote speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair, also said, in response to a question by the Associated Press, that he does not anticipate a new wave of refugees from Afghanistan.

"Our aim is to stop any wave long before it reaches our borders. In that, our interests and Turkey's are aligned," he said.

Mitsotakis said Greece has adopted an active border protection strategy and migrant flows have "decreased tremendously" in 2021 compared with last year, while becoming more efficient in salvaging migrants adrift at sea.

Greece has denied allegations by Turkey and non-governmental organizations that it is pushing migrants back, putting lives in danger, especially of those crossing by sea from the Turkish coast.

In spring 2020, Greece had faced off an attempt by Turkey to let tens of thousands of migrants cross the land border between the two countries. Since then, it has completed a fence along the small section of the border not formed by the Evros (Meric) river.

Demetris Nellas contributed to this report from Athens.
A forest firefighter works in a wildfire in Estepona, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. (Sergio Rodrigo/AP)

JUBRIQUE, Spain  Soldiers were deployed Sunday in southeastern Spain to join the battle against a major wildfire that is burning for a fourth day, invigorated by stray embers that sparked a new hot spot.

The blaze in Malaga province has destroyed nearly 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of forest and prompted fresh evacuations, bringing the total number of residents displaced to around 2,500.

Plan Infoca, the Andalusia region's agency in charge of firefighting efforts, described Sunday as a "key day" for bringing the blaze under control.

Authorities on Sunday preventively removed nearly 1,500 residents from the towns of Jubrique, Genalguacil and four other villages. Over 1,000 other people had been evacuated before the weekend from areas around the resort town of Estepona, which is popular among tourists and foreign expats.

An emergency brigade traveled from the military base of Moron, in southern Spain, to join more than 300 firefighters and 41 water-dropping aircraft battling the flames.

The reinforcement was welcomed. But firefighters like Rafael Fanega, who said the blaze was still "out of control," called for more boots on the ground to battle the flames.

"I don't see enough deployed personnel," Fanega told The Associated Press, speaking in Jubrique after it was evacuated. "Some may see it differently, but that's how I see it."

Some progress was seen on Saturday, when authorities said better weather conditions had helped them stabilize the perimeter of the blaze, allowing them to focus on four hot spots.

A combination of hot and dry temperatures with strong winds created a perfect storm, turning the blaze that started late Wednesday into a "hungry monster," Alejandro Garcia, deputy operational chief of Plan Infoca, said earlier this week.

"The potency and strength of this wildfire is unusual for the kind of blazes that we are used to seeing in this country," Garcia told reporters Sunday.

The firefighting agency released aerial pictures showing towering plumes of smoke emerging from rugged terrain, which it said made crews' access on the ground difficult. A 44-year-old firefighter died Thursday while trying to extinguish the blaze.

Authorities said they have evidence of arson and are investigating.

Wildfires are common in southern Europe during the hot, dry summer months, but have been particularly numerous around the Mediterranean Sea this year, worsened by the intense August heat waves.

In Spain, over 75,000 hectares (186,000 acres) of forest and bush areas have burned in the first eight months of the year, according to Spain's Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.
An Afghan woman in a burka walks through a suburb of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 25, 2010. On Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, women in full face veils rallied in support of the Taliban and its policies of gender segregation, a demonstration that was flanked by Taliban fighters carrying machine guns and rifles. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP)

The Taliban on Saturday repeated a call for civil servants to return to work - but not the thousands of women who served before the Islamist militants' takeover and have been sent home from their offices and left in limbo.

Also Saturday - the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks - women in full face veils rallied in support of the Taliban and its policies of gender segregation, a demonstration that was flanked by Taliban fighters carrying machine guns and rifles. Protests that do not have the Taliban's approval have been banned.

The scenes stood in stark contrast to the violent suppression of women's right protests earlier in the week. They also underscore the unraveling of the greater liberties and rights that took root during the two-decade war led by the United States.

The northern Panjshir region, the last holdout province resisting Taliban rule, has been subjected to an increasing campaign of terror and fear, as allegations of rights abuses grow.

One civil servant, who spoke to The Washington Post Saturday on the condition of anonymity fearing backlash from the Taliban, said she visited her office several days ago but was told to return home by an armed Taliban guard outside her office. She has not heard anything on her salary, either, as officials told her "no decision" has been made as yet. Only women in the health care and education sector have been allowed to return to their jobs since the Taliban took over the government.

The Taliban has not officially commented on the status of female civil servants.

Women have been at the forefront of protests in recent days, demonstrating against the Taliban's decision not to include any women in the caretaker government. The interim cabinet also includes members of the Haqqani network, which is labeled a terrorist group in the United States. The State Department said earlier that it was "assessing" the announcement of the cabinet, "concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the individuals."

On Saturday, the Taliban permitted a protest by women in support of its policies, who sat in a Kabul university lecture theater in full face veils before taking to the street. The demonstration involved some 300 women, who held printed banners saying they support the Taliban and said were against coeducation.

"We are against those women who are protesting on the streets, claiming they are representative of women," said one speaker at the pro-Taliban protest, according to the AFP news agency. The last government was "misusing women," she said.

Clashes have meanwhile continued in the rebellious Panjshir province, which Taliban militants said they captured this week. Residents say there is an acute shortage of food, medicine and other basic supplies in the valley, and have also carried out extrajudicial killings of civilians, according to witnesses. The Taliban has denied these reports.

A 52-year-old women who recently fled the province described the clashes there as the "worst time" for her and her family.

"We could hear gunshots and shouting in the streets, and the Taliban was going from house-to-house to search for resistance fighters and weapons," she said, speaking on a condition of anonymity citing the security situation. Taliban fighters knocked on her door, asking for people connected to the former government and military, she said, though her family had not supported either side of the conflict.

Others who recently left said they had to pass some half dozen checkpoints before reaching Kabul, all guarded by armed Taliban fighters. A resident of Kabul, who went to the Panjshir valley to help family members get out of the area, said he was told by Taliban officials to delete any photos and videos he took there.

The United Nations' human rights office said Friday that it was growing concerned over "an increasingly violent response" by the Taliban to protests, including the use of "live ammunition, batons and whips."
In this April 7, 2003, file photo, U.S. Army soldiers from A Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, search one of Saddam Hussein's palaces damaged after a bombing in Baghdad. The U.S. launched its invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003, unleashing a war that led to an insurgency, sectarian violence and tens of thousands of deaths. (JOHN MOORE/AP)

BAGHDAD  Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. But the terrorist attacks in the United States changed forever the lives of Iraqis.

In their aftermath, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, swiftly deposing the Taliban regime that had been sheltering Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al-Qaida terror network blamed for the attacks.

But it was not long before President George W. Bush shifted his attention to Iraq, identifying it, along with Iran and North Korea, as part of an "axis of evil" and asserting that its brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein, was armed with weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaida. No evidence of either was found.

What followed was a U.S.-led invasion of a country in the heart of the Middle East that spurred a decade of war, with consequences that reverberate across the region to this day.

"At first, I was happy with the U.S. invasion, everyone was happy. We were filled with hope for a better future," said Mohammed Agha, an Iraqi Kurd who was 27 when the invasion began.

"But then what happened was that the country's institutions were destroyed and never rebuilt again," he said. "There was no planning for the day after and no nation-building."

Agha's words reflect the lingering anger and bitterness felt by many Iraqis over what they regard as a lost opportunity to remake their country following the ouster of Saddam, who ruled with an iron grip for almost 30 years.

In this April 30, 2004, file photo, U.S. Marines burn their fortifications on front line positions in Fallujah, Iraq, before pulling out of the city. (JOHN MOORE/AP)

The invasion reshaped Iraqi politics, including a shift in the country's power base from minority Arab Sunnis to majority Shiites, with Kurds gaining their own autonomous region. But while many Iraqis welcomed Saddam's ouster and the degree of democracy that followed, they expected the U.S. to bring good governance, security and reliable basic services like electricity.

Failure to achieve any of those things fueled resentment and led to an insurgency that ultimately devolved into civil war, with both Shiite and Sunni militias fighting the Americans for control of the country.

After decades of conflict, Iraq today has a relatively stable government, and the car bombings, suicide attacks and death squads have subsided. But the economy is in tatters, its infrastructure is crumbling and corruption is rampant. The government, with its fractious politics, is unable to control the dozens of powerful Iran-backed militias that wield enormous control.

For some, the loss is also personal.

On the evening of April 7, 2003, two missiles crashed with such a deafening sound and force that they knocked Itimad Hassoun to the floor of her home in Baghdad's Jadriyah district and blasted her doors off their hinges.

The Americans had been bombing for more than two weeks as part of their "shock and awe" campaign to topple Saddam, and the Iraqi capital was in darkness. Hassoun had been sitting by candlelight with her husband. The next few moments were a blur, as she fumbled blindly, screaming for him and their children.

Her son, two daughters and a granddaughter lay dead in the rubble of their home next door. Only a newborn granddaughter survived.

Twenty years after 9/11, Hassoun is 74 and still dresses in black after losing her son 18 years ago. She says she will never forgive America for killing her loved ones.

"There's nothing that makes me happy. I have a pain that cannot be removed and an injury that cannot be healed. It's inside me," she said, looking frail and tired as she sat in a chair in a large guest room.

Baghdad fell on April 9, two days after the airstrike that killed Hassoun's family. Many Iraqis cheered as U.S. Marines pulled down a statue of Saddam in the capital's Firdous Square.

But the euphoria was short-lived, as hope gave way to occupation, as well as more daily death and destruction after the Americans dissolved the Iraqi army. The move led to the rise of al-Qaida and later the Islamic State group in the country.

In this April 29, 2003, file photo, residents of Fallujah, Iraq, look into a bullet-riddled car outside a school where U.S. soldiers fired on demonstrators the night before. (ALI HAIDER/AP)

The following years were stamped with images of horror. Among them: the bodies of four U.S. security contractors hanging from a bridge over the Euphrates River in Fallujah in March 2004; photos cataloging the abuse of Iraqis in the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison; the bloody battles between U.S. troops and al-Qaida militants in Fallujah in 2004; the February 2006 attack by Sunni extremists that shattered the golden dome of a revered Shiite shrine in Samarra, unleashing sectarian bloodletting.

By the time Washington withdrew its last combat troops in December 2011, tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians were dead, along with 4,487 Americans. U.S. troops were invited back in 2014 after Iraqi security forces collapsed in the face of an onslaught by the Islamic State group there and in neighboring Syria. Tens of thousands more Iraqis were killed before the last pockets of those militants were defeated in 2017.

"A dictatorship was removed for a supposed democracy, and we found ourselves with a civil war, al-Qaeda and ISIS, with no services and just thieves all around us," said Assim Salman, Hassoun's 53-year-old neighbor who helped dig out the bodies of her relatives that fateful night.

"To hell with such democracy."

In his 2010 memoir, "Decision Points," Bush admitted to mistakes in Iraq, including the decision to disband the Iraqi army, and said he got a "sickening feeling" every time he thought about the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, his main justification for the war. But he stood by his decision to invade.

Political analyst Bassam al-Qazwini said the people of Iraq and Afghanistan paid the price of the U.S. invasions after 9/11, not the quickly collapsing regimes in those countries.

Instead of building democracy in Iraq, he said, the Americans supported a political class that created networks of corruption and militias that continue to rob the country. Even though it is rich in oil, Iraq suffers chronic blackouts and crumbling infrastructure because of graft, profiteering and mismanagement. Tens of thousands of students graduate each year with no hope of finding jobs.

"This corrupt network is capable of killing Iraqis to survive, the same way Saddam killed Iraqis to stay in power. So, what has changed?" al-Qazwini said, citing the crackdown on peaceful anti-government protests in 2019.

Today, Hassoun lives in the same house in Jadriyah, 200 meters from the Tigris River. Black and white photos of her husband adorn the walls.

Dina, her granddaughter who survived the bombing, is now an 18-year-old student of dentistry.

Hassoun wants the few thousand Americans still in Iraq to leave  "a departure without a return, this time"  because of what they did to her family.

But her neighbor Salman, like many other Iraqis, views the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan with concern, worried about a return of militant groups like the Islamic State.

"America needs to fix things," he said. "It cannot do to us what it did to Afghanistan, where it fought the Taliban for 20 years and then gave the country back to them."

Karam reported from Beirut.
Syrian soldiers stand guard near a damaged building in the southern city of Daraa, Syria, Sunday, Sept 12, 2021. (AP Photo)

DARAA, Syria  The badly damaged old section of the southern Syrian city of Daraa, which until recently was held by opposition gunmen, appeared to slowly return to some sense of normalcy Sunday.

The capture of Daraa al-Balad marked another victory for President Bashar Assad, whose forces now control much of the country 10 years after Syria's civil war began.

A Russian-negotiated cease-fire deal went into effect last week to end a government siege and intense fighting in Daraa city with rebel fighters holed up in Daraa al-Balad. But the agreement was riddled by fighting and government bombing of rebel-held areas, where civilians also lived. After the deal went into effect, scores of fighters were taken in buses to other rebel-held areas north of the country and hundreds of others handed over their weapons in return for amnesty.

Syria's Information Ministry took a group of journalists to Daraa four days after government troops entered Daraa al-Balad, a bastion of the Syrian armed opposition since 2013. The journalists were not taken to the historic Omari mosque, where the anti-government opposition began a decade ago.

Daraa province, which straddles the borders with Jordan and Israel, became known as the cradle of the uprising against Assad that erupted in March 2011 as part of the Arab Spring revolts and eventually led to war.

At the entrance of the Daraa al-Balad district, Syrian troops took position on the first floor of a heavily damaged building overlooking a main street. Russian and Syrian flags flew over the building as Russian military police vehicles were seen driving by.

On Sunday morning, bulldozers removed sand dunes that had closed roads for months. Men drove by on motorcycles while some women were walking around the area to buy food products from the few shops that were open.

One person walking through Daraa al-Balad was Ahmed Kiwan, 45, who came to the area to buy scrap metal from residents. "We are now able to work freely," said Kiwan, who is from the nearby village of Tafas.

The Russian-negotiated cease-fire was designed to end the violence that erupted this summer between government forces and opposition fighters, and included a siege on the city that had threatened to undo years of relative calm along the borders with Israel and Jordan.

The opposition blamed the government for the escalation, saying that troops were pressing an offensive to force insurgents to surrender. Under the deal, nearly 900 fighters surrendered their weapons and will stay in Daraa al-Balad, according to Syrian opposition activists.

Resident Abu Wael had decided to stay with his family in the district despite the fighting. He said luckily his home was not destroyed.

"I hope that we will live safely and we have returned to our normal life," he said as he worked to get his car repair shop ready for business in the coming days.

Daraa was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018 but rebels remained in some parts. Assad has since regained control of most of Syria with the help of Russia and Iran.

A Russian-mediated deal in 2018 had allowed some of the province's armed opposition to remain in their former strongholds, in charge of security. Government troops retained control of the province, but security duties were divided. Tensions regularly erupted and government troops tried several times to take over areas under opposition control.
A Turkish soldier patrols the border wall that separates Turkey and Iran, in Van Province, Turkey, Saturday Aug. 21, 2021. (Emrah Gurel/AP)

ISTANBUL  Two Turkish troops died on Sunday after being attacked during cross-border operations in Syria and Iraq, Turkish officials said. The casualties take the weekend toll to four deaths.

One soldier was killed by fire from "separatist terrorists" as his unit was leaving a base in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said, in reference to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Turkey launched a land and air campaign in northern Iraq in April and has established several bases in the region.

The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since it began its armed campaign against Turkey in 1984.

Meanwhile, one of three soldiers wounded in an attack on a patrol in Syria's northwestern Idlib province on Saturday died of his injuries in a hospital. Two other soldiers died during the attack.

The assault happened following a search and screening operation in the Idlib de-escalation zone. The region is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria's civil war and parts are patrolled by Turkish and Russian troops.
In this April 19, 2020, file photo, shows a large refugee camp on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey, near the town of Atma, in Idlib province, Syria. (Ghaith Alsayed/AP)

ISTANBUL  Turkey is working with the U.N.'s refugee agency to repatriate Syrians to their home country, the Turkish foreign minister said Sunday.

His comments are at odds with the UNHCR's overall policy towards returning migrants to Syria, a country that it still considers too dangerous to send refugees back to.

"We are now receiving better support from the international community for the safe return and repatriation of refugees," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. "We are working to repatriate refugees, especially in Syria, especially with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees."

Responding to those remarks, UNHCR spokesperson Selin Unal said only a political solution in Syria would allow people to return, adding that refugees should have the right to voluntarily return in "safe and dignified conditions."

Turkey holds the world's largest refugee population while Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq also hold significant numbers of Syrians.

Cavusoglu was speaking at a ceremony in the southern province of Antalya followed a visit to Turkey days earlier by UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi, during which he met Cavusoglu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Grandi thanked Turkey for hosting 3.7 million Syrians and 330,000 other refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly Afghans.

Cavusoglu said the international community must work together to resolve migration.

"It's not right to look at this from a security standpoint," he said. "It's wrong to look at it in a racist and fascist way. On the other hand, if it is a social problem, it is necessary to evaluate it calmly together and find a solution by producing new policies."

In 2016, Turkey signed a deal with the European Union to keep Syrians from moving to Europe in return for funding after more than 1 million migrants from Syria and elsewhere entered the 27-nation bloc in 2015.
Retired Col. Brian Baca, right, tells New Mexico National Guard soldiers and airmen the incredible story of an American flag made from scraps of material in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II, Sept. 8, 2021 in Albuquerque, N.M. (Roberto E. Rosales, The Albuquerque Journal/AP)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Its beginnings were humble, but proud and brave too.

An American flag, assembled secretively and at risk in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, was fashioned out of pieces of red blanket, white bedsheets and blue denim dungarees.

For 25 years, it was stored in a closet at the Albuquerque home of Joseph O. "Jose" Quintero, the American soldier responsible for its creation.

Then for nearly 30 years it traveled with Army Lt. Gen. Edward Baca to every U.S. state and territory and seven continents, as Baca told the story of the flag and the brave men who battled the Japanese in the Philippines before falling to the enemy during World War II.

Now this flag, its pieces once wrapped in canvas and buried in dirt to keep it concealed from Japanese guards, is on the way to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

"One of the first places my father gave his speech about the flag was at the Smithsonian," said retired Col. Brian Baca, son of Lt. Gen. Baca, who died in September 2020.

"He said then he would give the flag to the Smithsonian, and my father's word was his bond."

In this photo, Joseph O. Jose Quintero wears his U.S. Army uniform and holds the American flag he made while being held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. (Roberto E. Rosales, The Albuquerque Journal/AP)

Brian Baca, who is retired from the Army National Guard, and his sister, Karen Nielsen, who is retired from the Air Force National Guard, went to a New Mexico National Guard Strategic Planning Conference recently at Albuquerque's Hotel Andaluz to tell the flag's story to soldiers and airmen.

"We couldn't let the flag leave New Mexico without doing something like this," Brian Baca said. "It was awesome to be telling this story for the last time in front of these soldiers."

The flag was scheduled to be handed off to Smithsonian representatives in Albuquerque in September. There are plans to make a replica of the flag, which would be kept in New Mexico.

Quintero died in Albuquerque at age 82 in November 2000. According to his obituary, he was born in Fort Worth, the oldest of nine children. He moved to Albuquerque in 1946 and worked as a research technician with the federal government.

During World War II, he served as a corporal with the U.S. Army's 60th Coastal Artillery Regiment on Corregidor. Like the many New Mexicans serving in the 200th and 515th Coastal Artillery regiments in Bataan and Corregidor, the men in the 60th were overcome by the Japanese in the spring of 1942.

"They held back the Japanese for months," Brian Baca said. "They were finally defeated by disease, hunger and lack of ammunition."

Many of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor who survived the fighting, the forced marches after their defeat and initial imprisonment in the Philippines, were put on ships and transported, in hellish conditions, to prisoner-of-war and labor camps in Japan. Quintero was among those sent to Japan.

It took Quintero more than a year to make the flag. His fellow prisoners helped.

A Canadian soldier, a double amputee who had access to a sewing machine because he was tasked with mending the uniforms of Japanese soldiers, put the flag together.

"Jose wanted to make the flag as a tribute to those who were dying around him," Brian Baca said. "But if the Japanese had found it, it could have been death for not only him, but also for his comrades. Jose did not even know how many states were in the union or the significance of the 13 stripes. He had to ask an officer."

In the early '90s, Gen. Baca was speaking to a group of Bataan and Corregidor survivors at an Albuquerque hotel, when Jose Quintero approached him with his flag, told Baca its story and entrusted the general with it. Baca promised to tell the story of the flag's incredible origin and the men it honored wherever he went.

"He told the story in Russia," Brian Baca said. "One of the last places he visited was the Philippines."

Nielsen said her father told the story to all his children and grandchildren. She said it's difficult to give the flag up.

"It feels very sad to me," she said. "It's like letting part of my father go. It's very emotional."

But her brother believes the flag needs to go to the Smithsonian, so its story can live on.

"Memories are what we have now," Brian said.
Paramedics evacuate people at a mass shelter Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, in Independence, La. Multiple nursing home residents died after Hurricane Ida, but full details of their deaths are unknown because state health inspectors said Thursday that they were turned away from examining conditions at the facility to which they had been evacuated. (CHRIS GRANGER/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)

BATON ROUGE, La.  Among the many tragic stories in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida are the deaths of seven Louisiana nursing home residents who were evacuated to a warehouse where health inspectors say conditions quickly became unsafe once the storm struck.

The squalid conditions found at the Tangipahoa Parish warehouse that sheltered more than 840 people raised new questions and concerns about whether Louisiana is doing enough to protect its most vulnerable residents.

"The short answer is more needs to be done," said Denise Bottcher, Louisiana state director for AARP. "Each hurricane presents us with opportunities to learn how can we do it better. This storm showed that we continue to fail our most fragile and vulnerable citizens."

Bottcher has a unique perspective. She was then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco's chief spokesperson when Hurricane Katrina struck 16 years ago and highlighted the inadequacies of nursing home storm preparations.

State officials said they are investigating the evacuation of the seven nursing homes owned by Bob Dean to the warehouse facility. The health department revoked the nursing homes' licenses and ordered the facilities closed so people couldn't be sent back after authorities moved the residents from the warehouse to shelters and other sites.

But health department leaders also said they intend to review the evacuation and sheltering preparation required ahead of any storms.

"I think this is going to  and should  be an ongoing conversation," said Dr. Joe Kanter, the chief medical officer at the Louisiana Department of Health. "I think clearly there is more that has to be done. There's absolutely no question about that."

After Ida roared ashore as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 29, representatives of the seven nursing homes were telling the health department the situation was "fine," but inspectors who made multiple visits to the warehouse facility told a different story.

Authorities found water entered the building, trash piled up on site and residents were packed into close spaces despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to documents filed by the health department. Inspectors making follow-up visits described people lying on mattresses without food or clean clothes and with strong odors of feces and urine filling the space.

One evacuee said she hadn't had a bath in four days, while others were found naked or wearing only unclean diapers. An evacuee struggling to breathe and yelling for help was ignored, until a nurse was prompted to assist him by an inspector, the health department documents said.

Agency officials said they met repeated resistance to address the concerns from Dean, who they said ordered inspectors off the property and used a "campaign of threats, intimidation and attempts at interfering" with efforts to assess the safety of evacuees.

Dean has not responded to messages left by The Associated Press at phone numbers listed for him and his businesses and through attorneys who have represented him. But Dean defended the Ida evacuation to WAFB-TV: "We only had five deaths within the six days, and normally with 850 people you'll have a couple a day, so we did really good with taking care of people."

Louisiana rewrote its nursing home laws and regulations after Katrina was blamed for dozens of nursing home patient deaths in 2005.

A health department study of Katrina's death toll found 132 nursing home patients died, including from the stress of the evacuation or preexisting conditions exacerbated by the storm impacts. Thirty-five residents of a nursing home in St. Bernard Parish drowned in Katrina's floodwaters.

Kanter said that before Katrina, some nursing homes didn't have evacuation plans at all. He said they are now required to submit annual plans to parish and state officials describing their emergency preparations in extensive detail.

But after Ida, questions are being raised about whether those plans are reviewed closely enough to ensure safety, whether staffing levels are adequate for evacuations and whether enough is done to make sure family members know where their loved ones are going in an evacuation.

"Clearly there were nursing homes that evacuated that did everything they were supposed to do to provide for the safety and welfare of their residents," Bottcher said. But she added: "There's some gaps."

Bottcher would like to see the emergency preparedness review also include senior housing sites that are regulated through a mix of federal and local oversight. New Orleans officials said several elderly residents died at such locations after Ida left them without electricity and air conditioning.
Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard Reynolds talks to Air Camp participants about flying during their visit to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 14, 2021. Campers visited Wright-Patt to tour aircraft, learn about firefighting and visit the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. (R.J. Oriez/U.S. Air Force)

DAYTON, Ohio (Tribune News Service)  Where aviation and education meet, youll likely find retired Lt. Gen. Richard V. Dick Reynolds.

Reynolds, a stalwart advocate of Air Camp and more than a few other noteworthy causes, will be the 70th recipient of the regions 2021 Citizen Legion of Honor Award from the Presidents Club of Dayton.

Reynolds confessed that news of the award, which goes to citizens who have demonstrated servant leadership, was a real surprise.

Those who know him arent surprised.

Phil Parker, retired president of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, calls Reynolds a fantastic leader-volunteer.

There has been plenty of local impact from his various endeavors  formative work for Air Camp, support for area Fisher Houses and more.

The former three-star general could likely live just about anywhere. Parker is proud that Reynolds calls the Dayton area home.

Heres a guy who has probably lived in a number of bases with his family across the country, maybe he even across the world, but he came to Wright-Patterson ... and decided to stay, Parker said. And thats the thing that strikes me most.

Reynolds is a good example of a blue suiter who fell in love with Dayton, who decided to stay and gave back even more, Parker added.

The Presidents Club of Dayton will recognize Reynolds at its annual luncheon starting 10:30 a.m. Oct. 7 at the Dayton Convention Center. Sponsorships and tables are available by contacting Parker at 937-478-3000 or by emailing pparker@dacc.org.

Reynolds retired from 34 years of active-duty Air Force service in the summer of 2005. At the time, there was some uncertainty for he and his wife, Joani. They thought they might return to the Pacific Northwest, where he grew up.

But relationships made the difference  relationships with locals built on the experiences of 9/11, the 2003 flight centennial and more. Their daughters, Brittany and Tori, also settled in the area.

It became evident very clearly that we were going to spend at least a certain amount of time in Beavercreek, in the Dayton region, he said.

Reynolds didnt necessarily have ambitions to become a fundraiser for nonprofit work. He formed his own company (the VanFleet Group, LLC), joined some corporate boards and more.

The initial inspiration was a request from his wife to get involved. It was a new experience. I never asked anyone for a dollar, so I was a real neophyte.

He served as a principal fundraiser for the Wright-Patterson Fisher House II and the Dayton VA Medical Center Fisher House.

He is also past president and board chair of the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. Reynolds found himself devoting several dozen hours a week to raising funds for the $39 million fourth hangar of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

It did not come natural, he recalled. Its an acquired skill. Sitting down with a donor and making ones case for a donation. At first, it was uncomfortable  until it wasnt.

Fundraising for Air Camp started in earnest in 2009. Reynolds vividly recalls Amanda Wright Lane, the great grand-niece of the Wright Brothers, at a meeting in April 2008 with fellow Air Camp founders  in which Wright Lane declared: Lets do it. Lets figure out a way to house and feed kids and set up a curriculum.

And by god, we did it, Reynolds said.

Also involved were Dr. Tom Lasley, Dr. Vince Russo, Dan Sadlier and other community partners. The camp launched in 2010, hosting students and teachers from across the nation, imparting the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

The Legion of Honor award, given annually since 1951, is the oldest recognition of volunteer servant leadership in the Dayton region.

Dick is a tremendous example of what it means to make a true and lasting impact on ones community, said Mike Parks, president of the Dayton Foundation. He is an amazing role model of volunteer dedication, strategic thinking, and enthusiastic leadership. We are so fortunate and pleased to have Dick here in our community.

(c)2021 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio)

Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at www.daytondailynews.com
Otakiri Springs chief executive Jim Robertson says he has no regrets about his decision to sell his water bottling plant to Creswell NZ, despite the Court of Appeal decision that will drag the already five-year saga out even further.

Four entities, Te Runanga o Ngati Awa, Sustainable Otakiri, Ngati Pikaou Environmental Society and Te Runanga o Ngai Te Rangi Iwi Trust are opposing a resource consent granted to Creswell to increase the water take from the Awaiti aquifer in Otakiri to 1.1 million cubic metres of water annually.

Last month they were granted leave to appeal a High Court judgement made in December last year dismissing their rights to appeal a 2019 Environment Court decision allowing the resource consent.

Mr Robertson said the Court of Appeals decision surprised him.

I wasnt expecting it because I thought the decision from the High Court was very comprehensive. But it is what it is. If the Appeal Court judge has made that decision then so be it. We can only work within the legal framework of New Zealand.

With the sale of the plant to Creswell dependent on the resource consents, Mr Robertson, who has been involved with the aquifer for the past 43 years said it was his current 11-person staff that he felt bad for, some of whom had worked at Otakiri Springs for many years, and those who continued to come to him seeking employment.

Its difficult for our staff. Its more the uncertainty of the future for them. I would have liked to have been retired by now, but thats obviously something thats going to be out in the future, and we have to keep going with it.

He said, however, that if he had it to do over again, he would make the same decisions. Though there had been a lot of hostility from a small number of people in the community, there was also a lot of support from people who shared his vision of job creation, such as members of the Kokohinau Papakainga Trust board.

When there have been issues, they have been exceptionally supportive for our staff. Our staff are the ones that take the brunt of it. Because it does reflect on them, and it does hurt. Especially with social media. People hide behind the keyboard and make statements that are very untrue.

When it affects our whanau its hard to deal with. Its tough to hear people who dont live here and are not locals criticising me, my staff and my business. Its not nice. He said it hurt when he read comments by those opposed to the expansion of the plant that the 50 new jobs that Creswell had guaranteed were not worth it.

This statement really belittles our staff. The person who made the statement needs to sit behind my desk for a time and hear the stories from people who come to our office seeking employment. Learning new skills, the creation of employment - its got to be beneficial to our economy. It must be better for our nation. To state that theyre not worth it is unbelievable.

He said as well as the 50 jobs guaranteed within the plant once Creswell took over, there were about another 160 jobs outside of the business for logistical personnel, mechanics, electricians, people who service the operations, and that doesnt include construction jobs.

We did a lot of research in the beginning. The company will be fantastic for the area. The owners of the business look after their people and they will look after the aquifer. Its in their own interest to make sure that its sustainable.

Creswell have tried to positively engage with our neighbours, addressing issues, offering concessions, which includes the upgrade and reconstruction of the Hallett Road intersection. Weve had staff who have had accidents there so thats got to be a plus. Theyre going to install barrier arms to the railway crossing and also a bus stop for the school children. Theyre looking at upgrading Johnson Road and installing a footpath and creating access to the Tarawera River. Its all positive steps to make it safer for our community.

He said one of the common misconceptions people had about increasing the size of the bottling plant was that they would be taking a huge amount of water from the Awaiti aquifer.

"It isnt a massive amount. The aquifer is extremely active and the water that runs past our property actually runs out to sea. The amount that is allocated by the regional council is only 35 percent of what is actually recharged into the aquifer on an annual basis, not what is held in the aquifer.

Weve been involved for 43 years and know this aquifer very very well and the things that go with looking after it and maintaining it and making sure it is fine and I think we are a very small cog in a very large wheel. Theres lots and lots of water for everybody."
There are 20 new community cases of COVID-19 reported by the Ministry of Health today. There are three new cases in managed isolation and one historical case. More than 61,000 vaccines were administered yesterday.

The Government has secured an extra half a million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines from Denmark that will start arriving in New Zealand within days, says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The Prime Minister and Dr Ashley Bloomfield have fronted Sunday's 1pm Covid-19 update briefing - click on video to follow the live update.

There were over 40 exposure events reported in the Auckland community yesterday, however Dr Bloomfield says there is no wide-spread community cases in Auckland.

The historical case identified at the border arrived in NZ on September 7 from Sweden via Denmark and United Arab Emirates. They tested positive during routine testing on Day 1 and are in managed isolation in Christchurch.

All three new cases identified at the border arrived on September 4 and tested positive on day 6 during routine testing. One arrived from Serbia and Montenegro , one arrived from India, and one still has full travel history to be confirmed. All arrived via United Arab Emirates and are in managed isolation in Auckland.

Cases Number of new community cases 20 Number of new cases identified at the border Three (and one historical) Location of new cases Auckland Location of community cases (total) Auckland 905 (342 of whom have recovered); Wellington 17 (10 of whom have recovered) Number of community cases (total) 922 (in current community outbreak) Cases infectious in the community Ten (43%) of yesterdays 23 cases have exposure events Cases not infectious in the community 13 (57%) of yesterdays 23 cases Cases epidemiologically linked 12 of todays cases Cases to be epidemiologically linked Eight of todays cases Cases epidemiologically linked (total) 888 (in current cluster) (34 unlinked) Number of sub-clusters Eight epidemiologically linked subclusters. The two largest subclusters are the Mangere church group: 379; and Birkdale social network cluster: 76. There are nine epidemiologically unlinked subclusters. Cases in hospital 18 (total): North Shore (4); Middlemore (8); Auckland (6) Cases in ICU or HDU Four Confirmed cases (total) 3,557 since the pandemic began Historical cases, since 1 Jan 2021 (total) 140 out of 1,739 since 1 Jan 2021 Contacts Number of contacts identified (total) 38,538 Percentage who have received an outbound call from contact tracers (to confirm testing and isolation requirements) 87% Percentage with at least one test result 92% Locations of interest Locations of interest (total) 133 (as at 10am 12 September) Tests Number of tests (total) 3,140,288 Number of tests total (last 24 hours) 10,958 Tests in Auckland (last 24 hours) 4,928 Tests rolling average (last 7 days) 11,884 Testing centres in Auckland 19 Wastewater Wastewater detections No unexpected detections in the past 24 hours COVID-19 vaccine update Vaccines administered to date (total) 4,291,272; 1st doses: 2,841,961; 2nd doses: 1,449,311 Vaccines administered yesterday (total) 61,810; 1st doses: 38,617; 2nd doses: 23,193 Maori 1st doses: 263,921; 2nd doses: 127,009 Pacific Peoples 1st doses: 171,158; 2nd doses: 87,335 NZ COVID-19 tracer Registered users (total) 3,206,211 Poster scans (total) 352,002,725 Manual diary entries (total) 16,047,758 Poster scans in 24 hours to midday yesterday 2,600,276

There may be some delays in providing data in some instances. On these occasions we will use data from the day before and clearly note this.



Auckland is at level 4 until 11.59pm on Tuesday, September 14. Cabinet is set to meet Monday to look at changes to that level. The rest of New Zealand is in alert level 2.

Contact tracing locations of interest are being updated throughout the day.

Testing location details are here.

More than 250,000 extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine have arrived in Auckland from Spain.

Support for businesses is available at lower alert levels. More information is available here.

If you have symptoms of Covid-19 or a cold or flu, stay home and call Healthline on 0800 611 116
Rotorua MP Todd McClay has written to the Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins for urgent clarification over what he claims is an 'imminent announcement' of more managed isolation facilities in Rotorua.

The National Party MP also says the town feels beaten up by the Government over that and other issues, such as homelessness.

It follows vociferous cross-party opposition to the suggestion of further managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities in the tourist town, which has three MIQ hotels.

On August 13, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which runs MIQ, confirmed it was investigating additional managed isolation facilities in a number of locations, including Rotorua.

MBIE says decisions are still yet to be made and Hipkins said officials were listening carefully to concerns and they would be factored into decision-making.

McClays letter, sent on Friday, claimed it had come to his attention the Government did intend to convert more Rotorua hotels into MIQ facilities with an announcement imminent.

"I would like you to urgently clarify the timing of this decision.

Managed isolation and quarantine facilities in Rotorua were affecting staffing capacity at Lakes District Health Board, as well as impacting on accommodation capacity for visitors, McClay wrote.

Other parts of New Zealand should be considered for the additional managed isolation hotels.

Prior to the signing of any contracts with new hotels, I request that you consult directly with the Rotorua community. The views of the people of Rotorua should not be ignored.

Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting, McClay says a local club had told him hotel bookings for an event they were holding in many months time had been cancelled.

That is quite concerning and suggests to me the Government is about to make an announcement around additional MIQ in Rotorua.

The Government is under pressure for more MIQ places and inevitably they always look towards Rotorua. There's not any good reason hotels cancel bookings or wont take bookings months and months ahead.

He says he prefers not to say which hotels they were.

Between MIQ and homelessness, there are few issues that I have had as much response and engagement from the public on in the period of time Ive been the local MP.

Rotorua people are reasonable, theyre more than happy to do their fair share but theyre feeling beaten up by the Government and the Minister needs to front up and be open about his plans so people can have their say.

McClay says he understands Rotorua Economic Development had previously pushed back on claims MIQ was affecting accommodation capacity, with a spokeswoman saying its data showed there is plenty of capacity for visitors.

However, McClay says people in MIQ still impacted the local hospitality economy as they could not go out and spend as regular visitors could, and he said it still conflicted with what he heard from would-be visitors trying to find accommodation.

Theres a large number of New Zealanders who want to come home, they have a right to do so.

There is a need for more MIQ but it doesnt just have to be in Rotorua.

He says the pressure from overseas New Zealanders suggests to him The Minister should have consulted with the people of Rotorua weeks and weeks ago before starting conversations with hotels.

Covid-19 Response Minister was invited to comment on McClays letter.

He was also asked if an announcement on MIQ in Rotorua was indeed imminent, whether he would clarify the timing of the decision and consult directly with the Rotorua community about it, as McClay had requested.

Echoing earlier statements on the issue, Hipkins says the Government is extremely grateful for Rotoruas ongoing support playing a vital role in the fight against Covid-19".

He says officials are continuing to listen carefully to concerns raised and they would be factored into decision-making".

In a report to the Lakes District Health Board meeting on Friday, chief executive Nick Saville-Wood says although there has been suggestions Rotorua continued to be considered for additional facilities, no official communication has been received in this regard to date.

Lakes DHB chief executive Nick Saville-Wood. Photo / File / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

Our current three facilities continue to operate well. Over the last two weeks there has been a reduction in guest numbers in all three MIQs with two of them only being 50 per cent occupied.

That is expected to change in the near future, his report says.

In a statement to Local Democracy Reporting, Saville-Wood says the district health board had been consulted by MBIE.

He says the district health board has written to the MBIE chief executive re-stating its concerns, which were raised at its August board meeting.

"This discussion noted the considerable pressures upon the DHB currently, with the staffing of the three existing MIQs a factor.

The Ibis hotel, an MIQ facility in Rotorua. Photo / File / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post.

On Thursday, Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi said a Maori Party petition opposing more managed isolation facilities in Rotorua had reached the 2000 signature mark, with a goal of 5000.

He expects a petition that size should convey the message to the Government clearly.

Waititi supports more facilities for New Zealanders wanting to return home but it should be elsewhere, such as Queenstown.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick has also previously expressed opposition to more MIQ facilities in Rotorua, as has Labour MP based in Rotorua Tamati Coffey.

Grounded Kiwis, an advocacy group for New Zealanders wishing to book spots in managed isolation, was approached for comment.
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Area commemorations of Sept. 11, 2001, started at 7 a.m. Saturday with a lot of huffing and puffing during the Memorial Stair Climb at Wildcat
H0RSEPOWER BHPian



Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Toronto/Clcutta Posts: 108 Thanked: 262 Times

Re: Ford to stop manufacturing cars in India Ford have started to pack their bags when the Mahindra joint venture was cancelled, now they just boarded the flight! I have told it to the prospective Ford buyers earlier also, that GM also did similar test run of upcoming camouflaged Beat just before their exit. Here Ford did the same with the so called Ecosport facelift. It was just an eyewash to give confidence to the customers in order to quickly sell the inventory.



I am reiterating what I have mentioned earlier in different thread also; we have to admit a fact that if one fails to evolve as per the local market & customer requirements, they would perish. Just because once they have made some wonderful cars earlier would not help them to stay afloat without proper upgradation. 15-20 years back Mitsubishi Lancer used to be enthusiasts choice for the sedan category, Pajero used to be choice for getting a butch BOF car, for powerful hatch people used to choose Fiat Palio 1.6. Just 10 years back, Chevy Cruze used to be the best diesel car in its class. But neither Mitsubishi nor Fiat nor Chevrolet sells car in India at todays date. And still we do have good options to choose from some other home grown manufacturers(Tata, Mahindra) which used to sell mostly commercial vehicles in those days! Only nostalgic value & one car which is good but a decade old would not help to succeed in this competitive market.



Its not like only unsafe cars are being sold here at todays date. Incremental success of the safer cars from Tata & Mahindra proves the same. We have to admit bling works in Indian market, in order to mitigate the same Ford should have upped their game by adding more features while staying true to their core of good driving dynamics. They themselves got the taste of success during the launch of Ecosport by giving a great car at a very competitive price utilising the sub 4 metres rule. No one would complain if they get added features along with great driving characteristics! But Ford later chose the easier option of feature deletion to increase profit margins. They did not bother to do some new launches in different segments. And add to that the not so good service network, which is really important to get success in tier 2/3 cities & towns. If Mahindra can launch a car with advanced features & 200 bhp engine at 12 lakhs, they could also do something similar with a new platform! Even though someone loved, say a Mitsubishi Lancer, from the core of heart, would he buy the same now? I guess we know the answer.
gkveda Senior - BHPian

Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,075 Thanked: 3,746 Times

Re: Kia Sonet damaged in towing by the RSA | Who is responsible for damages? The RSA Team would be usually subcontracted by the dealers. So, in usual case, dealer should be held responsible for the accidents that happen during transit. Sometimes, if insurance does not cover towing charges, the dealer will provide the contact of RSA team and will ask owner to book the towing truck.



So the question here is, did the owner book the tow truck himself or was it booked through Kia dealer? If it was booked by the owner, the dealer can not be held responsible for the damages.



Owner has to catch the Tow truck agency and get it settled. If the dealer has booked the truck through sub contracting route, then the dealership is responsible for the mishaps during transit.



I think the owner should lodge a police complaint on truck agency if he himself has booked. It is pure negligence of the towing people which has led to this accident. Last edited by gkveda : 9th September 2021 at 13:58 .
(Photo : Pexels/Pixabay) Facebook app

Facebook gave incomplete data to researchers that may affect their work and studies. The data included information of only half of its users in the United States.

The researchers have been relying on the data Facebook provides them, and since the revelation, the researchers have lost years' worth of work.

Facebook Provided Incomplete Information

According to The New York Times, the social media giant has been giving researchers access to its data over the past couple of years to track the spread of misinformation on the platform.

The company promised researchers transparency and full access to all user interaction. Still, the data that it had provided is said to only include interactions for about half of its users in the United States.

Also, most of the users whose interactions were recorded are the ones who engage with political posts enough to make the researchers' conclusions clear.

Also Read: Facebook Blocks WhatsApp Channels, Group Where Taliban Forces Used to Communicate, Adheres to US Sanction Law

Facebook sent an email to the researchers and apologized for the inconvenience that the flaw have caused.

The social media giant also told the researchers that it is now fixing the problem but that it could take weeks because of the high volume of data that it has to process.

Facebook told the researchers that the data they got for users outside the United States is not inaccurate.

Mavis Jones, Facebook's spokesperson, said that the data inaccuracy is just a technical error and that the company is now working on it and will resolve it soon.

Fabio Giglietto from the University of Urbino was the first one who discovered Facebook's inaccuracy.

Giglietto compared the data given to the researchers and the one that Facebook published publicly in August. He found out that the results did not match.

Other researchers raised concerns after the report was published. A researcher from the University of North Carolina, Alice Marwick, told Engadget that they could not verify the results. This is because they had no access to the data that the social media giant used.

Facebook held a call with researchers on Sept. 10 to apologize for the flaw. One of the researchers, Megan Squire, told The New York Times that there were 47 people on that call and every single project is currently at risk. Some are even destroyed due to inaccuracy.

Some researchers even used their tools for their study, but Facebook has discontinued their access.

In August, the social media giant disabled the accounts linked with the NYU Ad Observatory project. The team used a browser extension in order to collect information on the platform. However, the social network stated that it was an unauthorized scraping, according to The Verge.

At the time, the project's lead researcher, Laura Edelson, said that Facebook is now silencing the team because its work usually calls attention to issues on the platform.

Edelson added that if this issue shows anything, the social media company should not have the power to control who is allowed to study its data.

Contents Most Viewed

In August, Facebook revealed the contents that are most viewed by Americans. However, due to the inaccuracy of the data, there is a possibility that the released is contains inaccurate reports.

The list includes a short video clip from 5-Minute Crafts, a post from President Joe Biden, and a thread about whether you can put sugar on spaghetti or not.

Facebook also admitted that it did make changes on the report because it wanted to "save face."

Related Article: Facebook Pay Introduces QR Codes For In-App Payments Through Messenger

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Pexels/Pixabay) PS5 restock

PS5 restock on major retailer stores may come soon than expected. After Sony's PlayStation Direct, the company held a PS5 console restock on Sept. 10. On Sept. 11, Target dropped stocks, but all sold out immediately.

PS5 Restock Update

Although the drops have been slow lately, it shows that the retailers are receiving shipments from Sony, which means there could be more drops coming soon, according to GamesRadar.

The restock at PlayStation Direct came after Sony's PlayStation Showcase, where the company treated customers to updates for upcoming PS5 games such as "Spider-Man 2" and "God of War: Ragnarok."

On Sept. 9, while the event was ongoing, no retailers restocked the console as it rode on the event's hype. But the following morning, Target released new stocks.

PS5 consoles are sold in two editions, the standard one and the digital one. The standard console costs $499, while the digital version costs $399.

Also Read: PS5 Restock 2021: Around 18 Million Consoles Coming Soon; Here's Latest Updates

Difficulties in Finding PS5 Consoles

One of the reasons why it is so difficult to find a PS5 console is its popularity. Sony stated that so far, the PS5 console is its best-selling gaming device, and it has sold more than 10 million units since it was launched last year.

Another reason is the decrease in production due to the global chip shortage. Sony did assure its customers that they have enough chips to produce more consoles this year.

Also, scalpers have been hoarding a lot of consoles per order. These scalpers will then sell the console for a much higher price.

Since they purchase dozens at a time, real customers are left with just a couple of stocks.

Major retailers have since updated their websites to prevent bots, according to TechRadar.

PS5 Availability

The PS5 console was available at Amazon on Sept. 2 and at Target and PlayStation Direct on Sept. 10.

Antonline's last restock was on Aug. 31, and the retailer has not updated this month. Walmart dropped stocks on Aug. 5, Aug. 12, and Aug. 25.

PlayStation Direct dropped Aug. 17, Aug. 19, Aug. 24, and lately Sept. 10. GameStop refreshed its PS5 stocks on Aug. 3, Aug. 17, and Aug. 25. Amazon dropped PS5 stocks on Aug. 25 and Sept. 2.

Target refreshed its PS5 stocks on Aug. 10, Aug. 27, and Sept. 10. As for Best Buy, the retailer has not dropped PS5 stocks for almost two months now as the last date that it dropped stocks was on July 23, according to NewsWeek.

PlayStation Direct Restock

Out of all the retailers, the PlayStation Direct is the one that refreshes its PS5 stocks the most because Sony owns it. The drops happen at 2:00 P.M. Pacific Time or 5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

What Sony has done is to give a few customers email invites for exclusive access to its store. To get the special invite, you need to create a PSN account.

You can sign up for one of the PSN websites, and while signing up, you need to accept marketing emails from Sony. Priority emails are sent randomly.

Related Article: PS5 Restock Alternative? This AMD PC Kit Alternatively Includes Console Processor

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google bypassed the security law of China in 2020 after it gave its user's data to the Hong Kong government, the company reportedly admitted to a news outlet in the Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Chinese nation.

As per Hong Kong Free Press, Google responded to some of the requests of the Hong Kong government.

Google and Security Law

Engadget further reported that Google previously promised the Chinese government that the tech firm will no longer respond to data requests of authorities in Hong Kong as the Asian country imposed the security law last June 2020.

Last July 6, 2020, Google along with other tech giants, Twitter and Facebook, vowed to halt response to data requests due to the new security law, according to The Verge.

Google Users' Data to Hong Kong Government

However, the latest report from the Hong Kong news outlet suggested that Google made some exemption to its promise to the Chinese government.

To be precise, Google reportedly agreed to give out data from three users to the Hong Kong authorities, out of the total 43 requests that the Chinese SAR made in 2020.

That said, the Google Transparency report in Hong Kong revealed that Google only responded to 7% of all of the requests from the China SAR authorities.

Google admitted to "produce some data" for Hong Kong in response to the query that Hong Kong Free Press made way back in May.

The search engine giant further disclosed that Facebook denied the emergency request of Hong Kong. On the other hand, Google agreed to it last year, making it the only tech firm to do so since the imposition of the security law in 2020.

It is worth noting that Google clarified the disclosed user data does not include any of the content data of the user.

Instead, the tech firm said that it only responded to the request of the government based on the internal policy of the search engine titan.

To be precise, the company rules limit the response of Google to information of the user, such as IP addresses, billing information, email and phone numbers, and name. Not to mention that it will also include timestamps, email headers, and metadata.

Read Also: Google Assistant Records Audio Even When You're Not Using It, Company Reportedly Admits

Here's Why Google Gave User's Data

Google also noted that it only responded to the numerous requests of Hong Kong due to the "threat of life."

Two of the requests were human trafficking incidents that were paired with a search warrant. Meanwhile, Google agreed to the third request due to the credible "threat to life."

Elsewhere, Apple warned about the data collection of Google Maps.

Related Article: Google Shuts Down Android Auto, All Drivers That Need an Interface Will Have to Use Google Assistant

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA has awarded the space contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX for the upcoming Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-U spacecraft mission scheduled in April 2024.

The United Launch Alliance was the original recipient for the space flight but it suddenly withdrew due to the lack of Atlas 5 vehicles.

NASA Awards GOES-U Contract to SpaceX

According to a report by Financial Times on Sunday, Sept.12, NASA said that the $12.5-million contract will start in Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

The said mission will focus on monitoring the space weather from geostationary orbit.

Additionally, NASA will deliver atmospheric measurements not just for the weather but also for the Earth's oceans and other environments.

For its granted contract, SpaceX will be operating for the GOES-U mission. NASA said that it handed the mission to Elon Musk's company last Friday, Sept.10.

Previously, the GOES-R mission took place in 2016 before it was rebranded as GOES-16. Meanwhile, the GOES-S, which was turned into GOES-17, was released in 2018.

The GOES-17 satellite is immediately replaced by GOES-TO, which will be launched in early 2022. The reason why GOES-17's operation was replaced is because of the problems from the Advanced Baseline Imager.

What's Next For ULA After Withdrawing From NASA's Contract

From another article written by SpaceNews.com, there was no exact reason why NASA chose SpaceX for the GOES-U mission.

In comparison to the contract value, the previous GOES-T to ULA was valued at $167.7 million. It was slightly higher compared to SpaceX's GOES-U launch.

As per Jessica Rye, the spokesperson from ULA, the reason why they withdrew from NASA's GOES-U mission is the unavailability of Atlas 5 rockets.

According to Rye, the said space vehicles have been sold to the customers at that time that's why they have no way anymore to push the bid.

Right now, ULA is gearing up for the launch of the Vulcan Centaur rocket in 2022. There will be no Atlas 5 vehicles this year, as per chief executive Tory Bruno.

Read Also: SpaceX Contract: Falcon 9, Heavy Rockets Prepare to Release Six Moon Landers in Next Launch

Upcoming Launches For SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Rockets

The Falcon Heavy of SpaceX will be launched for the GOES-U mission a few years from now. It is not the first time that it has been involved in the space contract.

SpaceX's rocket was also included in the Jupiter exploration in 2024 as part of the Europa Clipper mission. In addition, Elon Musk's space firm will also make use of the Falcon Heavy for the Astrobotic contract.

This week, SpaceX has reinstalled Super Heavy Booster 4 in just over a month. There are 29 Raptors engines placed on the super rocket.

In other news, SpaceX has also joined the NFT craze following Inspiration4's plan to bring non-fungible tokens and Time magazines to space.

Later, they will be auctioned upon returning to Earth.

Related Article: SpaceX Launch Return to Finish Starlink Satellite Shell, Elon Musk References 'Austin Powers' Villain

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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
3D-printed objects are becoming more popular, especially since people are looking for ways to do things with a makeshift item.

For Ivan Miranda who lives in Spain, people have been accustomed to using umbrellas during rainy days. As effective protection against bad weather, it safeguards the users to avoid getting wet.

According to the YouTuber, we can do better than sticking with traditional rain equipment. Through a 3D-printed turbine hat, we would be more protected against raindrops.

3D-Printed Umbrella

From a recent video uploaded by Miranda on his YouTube channel, he intended to create a special twist in a typical umbrella.

Through a state-of-the-art hat that will generate air discs around him, he will not get wet anymore during rainy days.

At the beginning of his video, he showed how to build this 3D-printed umbrella hat. It started with obtaining an impeller that will power the BLDC motor.

However, Miranda spotted many flaws in the printing process. If the 3D-printing process was done improperly, there are chances that a user could damage his/her skull upon wearing it.

Furthermore, the prototype umbrella seems to have a short lifespan during the self-disassembling process.

As a solution, Miranda found ways to look for a head substitute. As a matter of fact, the impeller loses the nut, making the motor more loose than usual.

After figuring out the key to the problem, he said that the 3D-printed umbrella hat still needs more power.

To do so, he made use of an electrical ducted fan (EDF). This equipment is a typical product that we could see in motor-powered devices.

Miranda utilized cheap materials that are also accessible.

Testing the Turbine Umbrella Hat

According to a report by Hackaday, the experiment with the more powerful umbrella substitute has worked. In his demo, Miranda made use of fake rain coming from the shower while wearing his 3D-printed turbine umbrella hat.

Although it was a successful test, Miranda said that he still felt a little bit wet from behind and his sides. He thought that maybe, it is because of the smaller opening area around the hat. This contributes to the emergence of low pressure that brews in the top part.

To make the uneven area similar to the other areas, Miranda attempted to reduce its size to see if the high flow of air would occur around it.

In his third attempt, the electronics expert succeeded. He has not felt any water around him.

Even though it is effective, Miranda reminded the viewers that the 3D-printed umbrella hat is noisy and dangerous.

In the end, he proved that you can shove away raindrops by merely wearing an advanced 3D hat.

Read Also: 3D-Printed Buildings Made From Soil? Experts Boast It Can Revolutionize Construction Industry

Other 3D-Printed Creations

In 2015, there is a 3D-printed smart cap that can sense if the perishable liquids will rot. For instance, you can check your milk if it is spoiled already through this device.

Two years later, the engineers created a set of 3D-printed objects that can connect to wifi. What's amazing about these things is they can function without power.

This year, 3D-printed food is on the rise among scientists. For vegetable lovers, 3D-printed meat can be a perfect substitute for real meat.

Related Article: 3D-Printed Roller Coaster: YouTuber Shares Model of Amusement Ride Which Took Over 900 Hours to Create

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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Android Trojan Malware that goes by the name SOVA found on banking, shopping, and crypto wallet app currently targets both United States and Spain users.

As per Threat Post, the new Android malware first made its way on Android apps last August, noting that it could possibly be "the most feature-rich market."

The name of the Android banking malware SOVA means owl in the Russian language.

It is worth noting that the new Android trojan is still in its early days. Thus, the actual extent of the banking malware is yet to be unveiled.

Last Sept. 10, the SOVA malware already released its second version, following its initial appearance last August.

However, the malware is still in its trial phase. That said, the severe ill effects of the Trojan will see the light of day in the coming future.

Android Trojan Malware

According to Cyber Security News, the latest Android Trojan allows criminal minds to use it as a tool to successfully mine personal data from the devices of its victims, which includes sensitive info like bank credentials.

The outlet further revealed that the SOVA Trojan hides under banking apps, e-commerce platforms, and even cryptocurrency wallets by using it as a disguise.

Notably, these platforms require users to share their banking login credentials, allowing threat actors to steal money or sell sensitive data to other criminal minds for profit.

The Android malware further takes hold of a user's personally identifiable information by infiltrating the Accessibility Services of Android, which allows the virus to pass through the permissions needed to steal info.

Android Trojan Malware Features

What sets the newest Android malware apart from other Trojans is its numerous features at hand, including stealing credentials, hiding notifications, taking note of keystrokes, managing the clipboard to copy crypto wallet addresses, and even accessing the session cookies.

Through the said features, SOVA can perform multiple specific functions inside the Android device of the victim--such as sending SMS, hiding interception for SMS, hiding interception for notifications.

Not to mention that the malware could also uninstall an app, steal data from the device, and install a keylogger.

What's more, the malware also defends itself from the victim's attempt to uninstall the app carrying the SOVA trojan. Thus, making its removal a difficult task.

Read Also: FlyTrap Malware Threatens Facebook Hacks via Android Devices, Here's How to Avoid It

Android Trojan Malware Roadmap

As mentioned, the SOVA trojan is still in its infancy stage. That said, the malware devs are still working on features that they have already laid out on their roadmap.

In the future, the new Trojan malware could include additional features that further propels the intention of threat actors to steal sensitive data from its victim's smartphones.

Some of the upcoming functions are the interception of two-factor authentication, manipulation or clipboard, and automatic injections of cookies.

Elsewhere, another Android banking malware is forcing its users to provide their banking creds.

In other related news, the notorious Joker malware prevails with its malicious scheme on Android devices.

Related Article: WhatsApp Mod Hacking: Triada Trojan Can Interfere User's Experience-- How to Avoid This Malware?

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Cryptocurrencies have indeed evolved over the past years. The once staple token which is used in holding and trading can now be used for gaming.

What if these virtual tokens can be used in healthcare services?

The power of digital currency has gone beyond its limit. The idea of having health-based cryptocurrencies might be absurd at first, but it's entirely possible in the blockchain platform.

What Are Healthcare Coins?

The idea of having health-based cryptocurrencies makes use of the platform in the healthcare industry. To give you an idea of how they work, they are basically virtual tokens that focus on helping the patients.

While popular cryptos such as Ethereum and Bitcoin involve trading, these healthcare coins involve payments for the hospitals as part of the business.

At the same time, they are there to provide the patients with a convenient mode of payment.

Five-Leading Healthcare Cryptocurrencies

Docademic has been emphatic on bringing more Doc.com tokens to the platform. The blockchain community involving this healthcare token allows the people to avail a particular service or product for a corresponding value.

Of course, this health-based virtual currency will not be possible without its creator, Medical Token Currency, or MTC. So far, only a few blockchain developers have created these kinds of tokens.

For patients, the cryptocurrency lets them have access to select healthcare programs under the blockchain. For the transaction, the platform will be needing the patient's data for research purposes.

Current value:$0.006913

Another patient-centered healthcare cryptocurrency that you should know is Medibloc. Besides maintaining a high standard in health programs, this company also aims to help patients in a "structured" manner through virtual tokens.

So far, you can access Panacea, Dr. Palette, and Medipass, the three services that it is offering, Aim blog noted.

For patients who want to utilize these services, you can select Medipass through your mobile. On the other hand, Panacea guarantees that your confidential data will be secured and protected.

Meanwhile, Dr. Palette will properly handle your data during the process. The blockchain medical information system serves as a new model for healthcare payments.

Current value: $0.07461

Read Also: Doja Cat Launches NFT Collection As Tezos' Price Skyrockets in 24 Hours--Greener Alternative to Ethereum?

If you are interested in Ethereum-based healthcare cryptos, it's better if you know MediShares first. This health-based insurance platform revolves around helping patients with their insurance.

The tokens in this blockchain solution can be clocked into the so-called "smart contract." Besides providing health aid for the customers, it also wants to strengthen its global presence in the market.

MediShares sees to it that customers will have a convenient experience when it comes to health insurance services.

Current value: $0.007011

At the time of writing, SOLVE is ranked no.649 in CoinmarketCap. Solve care is one of the leading innovative health solutions that provide real-time payments to all people and improve the healthcare quality at the same time.

Earlier this year, team.care, Solve's sister program, was launched. As the world copes up with the ongoing pandemic, SOLVE continues to help employers have a healthy living and relationship.

Current value: $0.08062

Stem Cell coin eyes to distribute high-quality health services globally. Specifically, the company has two objectives to accomplish.

First, it wants to give a unique payment system for those who want to undergo stem cell treatment. The second one will be incorporating blockchain and artificial intelligence for diagnostic imaging systems.

Current value: $0.04834

If you want to learn more about cryptos, you can read the article about the top cryptocurrencies that posted double-digit gains over the past months.

You can also check the five new cryptocurrencies in September, which mainly tackle NFT games and other blockchain apps.

Related Article: Cryptocurrency for Newbies: What Crypto Is, Types Available, and Other Terms You Should Know

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tehachapi, CA (93561)

Today

Mostly clear. Low 52F. WNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 52F. WNW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
The teenage daughter of a Baton Rouge man accused in the 2011 slaying and dismembering of his wife, Brusly High School teacher Sylviane Finck Lozada, says she misses her father and is asking a judge for leniency for him.

"I love him with all my heart and I will always love him," Angelina Lozada wrote in a letter to state District Judge Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts, who is presiding over Oscar Lozada's second-degree murder case.

The girl was 4 when her father allegedly killed her mother in July 2011 and fled with the child to his home country of Venezuela, which has no extradition agreement with the United States. He was arrested in Mexico in 2018 and brought back to Baton Rouge.

"When we were in Venezuela, he never hurt me, rather he made me the happiest girl in the world," Angelina says in her letter.

Lozada, whose trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 29, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged. He rejected an offer last year to plead guilty to manslaughter and obstruction of justice in exchange for a 50-year prison term.

+3 Husband of slain Brusly teacher rejects plea deal; second-degree murder trial set July 13 A Baton Rouge man accused in the 2011 killing and dismembering of his wife, Brusly High School foreign language teacher Sylviane Finck Lozada,

"I ask you with all my heart that my father be free or that he get less jail years," Angelina wrote to the judge.

Her letter, penned in Spanish, was filed into the 19th Judicial District Court record on Aug. 25, six days after her father's missive, in which he begged for his freedom, was filed into the record.

Lozada, 46, wrote in his letter that he found Jesus, has "seen the errors of my past mistakes" and repented. He said his daughter is praying everyday to see him and be with him again.

"Since he has been in jail, I have been very proud," Angelina wrote. "He became very studious and closer to God. He surprises me even more every time we speak."

Lozada revealed in his letter that he has a wife in Mexico who needs his help to support her and her two daughters. He also told the judge he wants to open a Christian bookstore in Mexico and create a ministry to share the Gospel in Latin American prisons.

+4 Husband accused in Brusly High teacher's slaying seeks 'mercy' from judge; DA calls it offensive A Baton Rouge man awaiting trial in the 2011 killing and dismembering of his wife, Brusly High School teacher Sylviane Finck Lozada, is beggin

"I am prayerfully hoping that you have it in your heart to help me and have mercy on me," he wrote to Foxworth-Roberts.

On Saturday, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III, whose office is prosecuting Lozada, said Angelina is in an "unfortunate and profoundly sad situation caused by the person that she now (understandably from her position) seeks to assist." He stressed that Lozada is presumed innocent at this point.

"The letter should be taken for what it is worth on face value, a cry by a young, innocent victim of a terrible crime," he wrote in an email.

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Moore previously called Lozada's letter inappropriate and "clearly designed to garner support from the judge that will be responsible for his sentencing should he be convicted."

"Additionally, this letter is offensive in that although the defendant mentions his present wife and his daughter, he claims to have found God but makes no mention of his wife who was so brutally murdered," the district attorney said previously.

In his remarks Saturday, Moore said Angelina is in an "unenviable and complex situation" and her letter and words indicate such. He said she does not know any of the facts of the case, and will not be called as a state witness because she has no knowledge of the case other than maybe what she has been told by either family.

"She writes for the release or diminished sentence for her father but never mentions the death of her mother, guilt or innocence of her father, but only that her father has changed," Moore stated. "Her words are eerily similar to the similar letter written to the judge by her father, the defendant Oscar Lozada. Unlike the offensive and improper letter written by the defendant to this court, this letter does not offend me, unless it is later shown to be contrived by others (due to the similar nature of both letters and the timing of the filing of the letters to the nearness of the scheduled trial)."

Authorities have said Lozada confessed to killing and dismembering his wife and twice accompanied detectives in October 2018 to several locations off I-10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans in an unsuccessful attempt to recover her remains.

Prosecutor Dana Cummings has stated in court documents that Sylviane Lozadas body was dismembered and disposed of in buckets. He bought buckets and concrete around the time of his wife's disappearance, court filings indicate.

+3 Grisly details emerge in case of slain Brusly teacher; confession can be used against husband A state judge ruled Monday that statements Oscar Lozada gave to sheriffs detectives about the 2011 death of his wife, a Brusly High School te

Lozada tried to have the confession thrown out, but the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that it can be used at his trial.

Several months ago, Foxworth-Roberts gave prosecutors permission to bring up three alleged domestic abuse incidents at Lozada's trial. Several former deputies testified at a hearing in May that in the two years leading up to her disappearance Sylviane Lozada told authorities her husband physically abused her three times.

Each time, however, she told East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputies she did not want to press charges against him. On two of those occasions she asked deputies to only speak with her husband.

On the third and final occasion  Dec. 31, 2010, six months before her disappearance  the woman told a deputy at Our Lady of the Lake's Baton Rouge emergency room that she did not want him to contact her husband at all.

+3 In killing and dismembering of Brusly teacher, abuse reports can be used at husband's trial In the two years leading up to her 2011 disappearance, Brusly High School teacher Sylviane Finck Lozada told authorities her husband physicall

"She was very adamant about that," former sheriff's deputy Derek Schilling testified in Foxworth-Roberts' courtroom. "She was afraid he would become angry and take their baby to Venezuela."

Sylviane Lozada was 51 when she disappeared. Her body has never been found. Her blood was discovered on the ceiling and walls of the garage at the family's Spring Lake Drive home in Baton Rouge.

Angelina lives with her mother's family in Belgium, her mother's home country. She says in her letter that she's unhappy.
Nursing home evacuees are moved to buses for transport to nursing home facilities Sept. at the Hurricane Ida mega-shelter in Alexandria.
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Protesters attend a rain-soaked rally in support of the people of Cuba July 17, at the Jose Marti statue at Norman C. Francis Parkway and Banks Street in New Orleans.
Pacific island workers employed at a Victorian abattoir are taking home little more than $9 an hour after hundreds of dollars are deducted from their weekly pay to cover airfares, visas, phone plans, housing and furniture rentals.

Contracts between Pacific islander meat workers and labour hire firm Regional Workforce Management Pty Ltd show some workers are left with just $310 from their weekly pay of $753 after the deductions are made, prompting exploitation concerns.

Paul Conway, federal president of the Australian Meat Industry Employees Union, says processing companies had become increasingly reliant on workers from the Pacific since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although some deductions stop once airfares, vaccinations and visas have been repaid over a period of four months, contracts show other charges, including $100 a week for housing and $50 a week for transport, continue throughout a workers three-year visa.

Details of the Pacific islander contracts come amid an Australian government investigation into worker exploitation in the nations meat industry, which has for years been heavily reliant on migrant labour supplied by recruitment and labour hire agencies.
I never thought dobbing and snitching was part of the Australian character, said an aggrieved Tony Abbott, photographed by a member of the public walking without a mask on Manly Beach, and copping a $500 fine last week.

As far as he was concerned, it seemed, the dobber was not a brave citizen-enforcer with the public interest at heart, but just a busybody who probably didnt like his politics and  if he cared about the absence of a mask at all  didnt have the guts to confront him in person. And this weekend there were thousands like him on the beaches of Manly and Bondi.

The moment at Fairy Bower that got Tony Abbott into trouble.

The question of dobbing had been on quite a few peoples minds since NSW Police Minister David Elliott called on the public to dob in those who flout lockdown laws or expose others to COVID-19, announced on the front page of The Sydney Morning Herald on August 17 under the provocative heading: Minister urges public to become informers.

Isnt it un-Australian to be a dobber? asked Robert Ballinger, of Pymble, in as letter to the editor the next day.
The balance between individual freedoms and the interests of the wider community has repeatedly been tested during the COVID-19 pandemic and the front line is shifting to the small business community.

The NSW government last week announced that as a condition for reopening, it will require businesses to refuse entry to unvaccinated customers and Victorias road map will likely follow a similar path.

Small business will be a big winner from a vaccinated nation. Credit:Bloomberg

But there are increasing complaints from store owners about what they say is an infringement of their civil liberties and rule changes that could make them enforcers of public health orders.

Pubs, beauty salons and retailers are using social media platforms to express their concern and to spruik for unvaccinated customers. Some are opposed to vaccination itself; others to the idea that they will have to turn customers away at the door if they cannot produce a vaccine passport.
Victoria faces a surge in the number of coronavirus patients who will need to be treated at home instead of a hospital, and health authorities say those people could be at risk without more resources to care for them.

Internal department projections show that the state is on the brink of a 10-fold increase in COVID-19 infections over the next six weeks as restrictions ease, with a predicted 18,000 active coronavirus cases and 800 people in hospital by mid-October.

A paediatric nurse helps prepare extra beds at the Monash Medical Centre on Wednesday. Credit:Jason South

The vast majority of cases, however, will involve COVID-19 patients who are monitored at home as part of a triaging process designed to take pressure off Victorias stretched public health system.

Under this process, which was established during last years second wave, only the most serious cases end up in hospital. Low-severity patients are meant to receive a daily call from their GP as they isolate at home, while people with mildly severe cases receive visits from a nurse as well as telephone check-ups.
The two women, who deny any wrongdoing, will on Monday return before court for a hearing that allows their lawyers to test the evidence and will determine whether they face trial. What caused Carolines decline and how much blood was in the pool are now points of contention. Caroline Lovell during her pregnancy. Caroline felt strongly about giving birth to her second child at home. Those close to her have told the court she spoke of feeling disempowered giving birth the first time, when she suffered complications. She told her doula she wanted her second birth to feel calm and quiet and cool. Nick Lovell said his wife had been passionate about birthing rights, was well informed and had done a lot of investigating and reading about home births.

She didnt feel it went as well as it could, he said of the 2008 delivery. It wasnt the process she expected or wanted. Loading Her mother, Jade Markiewicz, gave evidence that Caroline wanted to be comfortable and in control during her second birth, but she insisted her daughter would have chosen a hospital over a home birth if she had been properly warned of the potential health complications. I trusted that midwives were doing their job. I had no idea there were midwives who would operate the way these two have  ideology before life, she told the court. Most of the medical experts who examined Caroline on her arrival at the Austin diagnosed a postpartum haemorrhage as the cause of her blood loss, decline and death.

Caroline suffered a postpartum haemorrhage when giving birth to her eldest daughter at Geelong Hospital. The specialists who examined her in 2012 found she sustained tears during that birth, and concluded those wounds caused the blood loss. One obstetrician estimated about 10 per cent of women experience postpartum haemorrhages and, of those, about 1 per cent can be fatal, where a woman might bleed out in minutes. Gaye Demanuele (front) is charged with manslaughter. The questions asked by defence lawyers suggested they might argue Carolines death could have been caused by other factors, such as an even more rare amniotic fluid embolism (AFE)  where amniotic fluid enters the mothers bloodstream  or an anaphylactic reaction to a drug used to induce labour. Research shows an AFE occurs once in every 20,000 births. Forensic pathologist Yeliena Baber found no signs of an amniotic fluid embolism in Carolines body, but couldnt rule it out. Theres no evidence of an AFE but I cannot say it didnt occur, she said.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist Claire Petterson said she had seen only one AFE in her 40-year career and, while possible, it was highly unlikely Caroline had one, and she instead most likely experienced a haemorrhage like in 2008. The midwives reported Caroline hyperventilating after the 2012 birth, but Dr Petterson suspected that was not an anxiety attack but air hunger, through gasping for breaths because of major blood loss. Loading Photographs of Caroline in the pool show her in reddish-brown liquid, and ambulance paramedic Maree Daley described the liquid as dark. But exactly how much blood was in the water is unknown, and Ms Bournes barrister, Robert Richter, QC, and Rishi Nathwani, for Ms Demanuele, suggested to several witnesses it didnt take much blood to disperse and darken water. Coroner Peter White, who investigated Carolines death, was in 2016 critical of the midwives emptying the pool while the mother was at hospital, although Carolines in-laws told police they were grateful the midwives spared them the task. At the inquest, Ms Demanuele estimated Caroline lost about 400 millilitres of blood, a figure under the 500-millilitre threshold that would indicate a haemorrhage. But in a statement to police, obstetrician Warrick Pill estimated Caroline lost 2.8 litres of blood.

Another obstetrician, Adam Pendlebury, agreed with Mr Richter that midwives were trained to estimate how much blood women lost giving birth. Absolutely they are, they are experts in it, said Dr Pendlebury, who described Carolines death as the most traumatic of his career. But the word estimation is the operative word there. Figures on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website show home births account for 0.3 per cent of babies born nationwide every year. In 2019 that figure represented about 900 of the 303,000 babies born. Australias recorded maternal mortality rate in 2017 was six women in every 100,000 babies born. At the time of Carolines death, Ms Demanuele had been a registered nurse for 15 years and had six years experience as a registered midwife. Ms Bourne held a bachelor of midwifery degree and began practising in 2009. The women are no longer registered as midwives with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says Australians cannot be complacent about the threat of terrorism amid the rise of home-grown religiously motivated and ideologically driven groups which have been fuelled by the dark web during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Ms Andrews will use a major speech to mark the 20-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States to warn that sporting arenas, shopping malls, airports, and other iconic locations will again need to contend with the spectre of terrorism as the nation reopens following months of restrictions.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says terrorism in Australia will re-emerge once capital cities come out of lockdowns. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

She will convene a meeting of Commonwealth, state and territory police agencies in the coming weeks to deal with what she says are significant developments in threats.

Individuals, groups, and ideologies  both old and new  continue to plot and fantasise about doing us harm ... I dont say this to scaremonger  rather  to ensure were clear-eyed about the threat; so we can prepare now to safeguard all Australians from those who would do us harm, Ms Andrews will say in a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Labor MP Peter Khalil says a lack of ethnic diversity within federal Parliament must be urgently addressed if its to be representative of modern-day Australia as his party feuds over frontbencher Kristina Keneallys decision to contest one of the nations most multicultural seats.

The former NSW premier will attempt to switch from the Senate to the western Sydney seat of Fowler at the next election, having been endorsed by the ALPs Right faction ahead of community lawyer, Tu Le, who is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants.

Labor senator Kristina Keneally speaks about her decision to contest the lower house seat of Fowler at the next federal election. Credit:Rhett Wyman

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek said on Sunday she hoped Ms Le sticks with it because connection to the Vietnamese and the Buddhist community in the area was exactly the sort of experience Labor wants to see in our federal Parliament.

Her comments followed a controversial intervention from Labor MP Anne Aly  the first Muslim woman elected to Parliament - who said the move to parachute Senator Keneally into the seat was a huge failure for Labor on diversity.
Beijing: A city in southern China that is trying to contain a coronavirus outbreak told the public on Sunday not to leave town, suspended bus and train service and closed cinemas, bars and other facilities.

Anyone who needs to leave Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province south of Shanghai, for an essential trip must have proof of a negative coronavirus test within the past 48 hours, the city government announced.

Medical workers from a provincial hospital in Fuzhou give thumbs-up to their colleagues leaving to help with an outbreak of COVID-19 in Putian. Credit:AP

China declared the coronavirus under control in early 2020 but has suffered outbreaks of the more contagious Delta variant. Authorities say most cases are traced to travellers arriving from Russia, Myanmar and other countries.

In Putian, 19 new infections that were believed to have been acquired locally were reported in the 24 hours through midnight on Saturday, according to the National Health Commission. One was reported in Quanzhou, also in Fujian.
The Wyoming Veterans Commission and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon hosted a solemn commemoration wreath-laying ceremony at the Wyoming State Capitol, Saturday, September 11, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

First responders, military, veterans, civilians, and dignitaries gathered to honor the 2,996 people who perished in New York City, The Pentagon in Washington D.C., and a field outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The Cheyenne All-City Children's Chorus, the Wyoming Fire Service Combined Pipes and Drums from Casper and Fire-EMS Department, and Lander Fire Department performed at the ceremony. The Wyoming Highway Patrol posted the colors.

The ceremony began at 6:30 a.m. and was emceed by Tim Sheppard, the Wyoming Veterans Commission Executive Director.

Speakers included Governor Gordon, United States Senator John Barrasso, Wyoming Adjutant General MG Greg Porter, and Wyoming Office of Homeland Security Director Lynn Budd. Each one spoke about where they were when they heard the news of the terrorist attacks on our nation and stories of the bravery of men and women of that fateful day.

From the Wyoming Veterans Commission website, "Twenty years after that devastating day that every American who was alive that day remembers, we witnessed the American People's resolve and the best of our spirit even in a time of tragedy," Governor Gordon said. "We remember that day and honor all those who sacrificed so much, who answered the call, and who continue to ensure the world remembers there is no better friend, no worse enemy than the people of the United of America. It is right that we honor all those this day and that in so doing, we can affirm that all that day cost us has not been in vain."

The ceremony had 20 seconds of silence at 6:46 a.m. when Flight 11 hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 175 hit the South Tower at 7:03 a.m., and at 7:37 a.m., Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. The final moment of silence came at 8:03 a.m. when Flight 93 crashed into a field outside Shanksville, PA. At the end of the final moment of silence, a military member played Taps in honor of all the fallen.

Laramie County Fire Districts 1 and 2 ladder trucks unfurled a large American flag from between the extended ladders in front of the Wyoming State Capitol. LCFD 1 also brought out Rescue 2, a 2002 Saulsbury Cyclone II Heavy Rescue vehicle purchased from the Remembrance Rescue Project. The truck served the downtown Brooklyn, New York area for 10 years post 9/11. LCFD 1 restored the truck's exterior in remembrance of the two crews that perished with the original vehicle.

From the Wyoming Veterans Commission website, "This event will preserve the memories of the lives lost and serve as a remembrance of those who responded to this awful act of terrorism, Sheppard said. "We Vowed never to forget, and on this day, we will remember."
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Lifestyles

AP

From COVID to Ida: Louisiana's marginalized 'see no way out'

Matt Slocum | The Associated Press Lationa Kemp, 57 (left), and her son, Alvin Kemp, 25 (center), pause as they talk with housing advocate Andreanecia Morris outside their rental home Sept. 4 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

CHALMETTE, La. (AP)  Darkness set in for Natasha Blunt well before Hurricane Ida knocked out power across Louisiana.

Months into the pandemic, she faced eviction in New Orleans. She lost her banquet-hall job. She suffered two strokes. And she struggled to help her 5-year-old grandson keep up with schoolwork at home.

Like nearly a fifth of Louisianas population  disproportionately represented by Black residents and women  Blunt, 51, lives below the poverty line, and the pandemic's economic fallout sent her to the brink. With the help of an aid group and grassroots donors, she moved to Chalmette, a few miles outside New Orleans, and started settling into a two-bedroom apartment. Using a cane and taking a slew of medications since her strokes, she couldn't return to work. But federal benefits kept food in the fridge for the most part.

Then came Hurricane Ida.

Ida was the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. mainland, wiping out Louisiana's power grid before marching up the coast and sparking devastating Northeast flooding. Among survivors of the deadly storm, the toll has been deepest in many ways for people like Blunt  those who already lost livelihoods to the pandemic in a region of longstanding racial and social inequality. Advocates say the small wins theyd made for marginalized communities and people of color since the pandemic began have been quickly wiped out.

The government is really disconnected from what its like for people who have little to no safety net, said Maggie Harris, a grassroots organizer who created a fundraiser for Blunt. You marginalize people, you dont pay them enough, they have health problems and arent insured, you offer little cash assistance or rent assistance, and you allow them to be evicted.

"The message that people get is their lives are expendable.

As Ida approached, Blunt evacuated to a hotel. She could afford only a short stay and had to return to Chalmette, despite warnings not to go back to humid cities without power.

Her apartment was pitch black. Ida had blown in the windows of her upstairs bedroom. Beds, clothing and furniture were waterlogged. Shed spent her last dollars getting to the hotel.

Its like Ive got to start all over again, Blunt said, sobbing as she surveyed her first floor, where she sleeps since the bedroom is uninhabitable. Every time I get a step ahead, I get pushed back down. And Im tired. I dont see no way out.

Blunt faces eviction for the second time in a year. Her only hope, she said, is Social Security and other disability benefits. She applied before Ida, she said, but hasn't heard back  safety-net programs are often disrupted in disasters' wakes.

Blunt wants to move, perhaps away from the storm-battered Gulf Coast  somewhere grandson Kamille can resume schooling without worrying about power outages. But shes far from optimistic.

This is the end of the road; I cant go on much longer, she said. Kamille put down a worksheet to rub his grandmas leg.

Dont cry, he told her. She managed a tender reply: Do your ABCs, baby.



Anti-poverty advocates in Louisiana bemoan links between being Black or brown, living in impoverished areas, and being underserved by governmental disaster response. Available aid from anti-poverty programs often fails to meet storm victims' heightened needs.

That's what happened during Ida, advocates say. In Louisiana, where 17 storms that caused at least $1 billion in damage have hit since 2000, nonprofits see some of the most dire need and starkest divide along socioeconomics lines.

One of the things that we get really frustrated about," said Ashley Shelton of the nonprofit Power Coalition for Equality and Justice, "is people saying, Ugh, Louisiana is so resilient.'

We dont want to be resilient forever, she said. When you force people to live in a constant state of resilience, its just oppression. Fix the systems.

It doesnt help that Louisianas poverty rate is higher than the national average, according to the Census Bureau 's American Community Survey. Poverty makes the prospect of relocation precarious for people who were already struggling before disaster struck, said Andreanecia Morris of HousingNOLA, a program of the Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance.

Housing is a foundational issue for all of these catastrophes, Morris said. Our failure to address racial bias, gender bias and poverty bias in housing impedes all of those things.

After Ida hit, Morris canvassed areas of New Orleans. In the Lower Ninth Ward, a neighborhood that suffered immensely after Hurricane Katrina, 57-year-old Lationa Kemp found herself cut off from most aid. She'd been relying on neighbors with cars for ice, meals and water. She was without power, with roof leaks and fence damage.

Kemp had disputes with her landlord over the homes condition. The threat of eviction loomed. Morris wants to get Kemp moved elsewhere permanently. In the meantime, Morris suggested a cooling center.

Thank you, baby, but Im fine, Kemp told her, explaining that shed rather stay in a dilapidated home  past experiences make her fear the shelter system. Im praying that when I leave out of here, Im going to a better house.



Blunt has survived her share of storms  starting with her birth, during the fallout of Hurricane Camille in 1969. As she tells it, her pregnant mother had been moved to a naval medical ship. Today, Blunt chuckles over the coincidence of her grandsons name, Kamille.

Remembering Katrina is scarier. Blunt evacuated, then returned to a damaged home. But Ida's been worse.

This here was my worst-ever life experience, coming back to this, coming back to darkness, she said.

Blunt has considered leaving, as many Louisianans do in the wake of storms. No matter where she ends up, though, she knows she'll survive. Even in the darkness, she finds some light by helping her community  seeking a power source for a neighbor's breathing machine, sharing her car for charging cellphones. She tells herself: "Im still standing.

She wants more not just for her, but for her grandson. I want us to go somewhere better," Blunt said, helping Kamille with the TV remote, the power finally restored at home.

"Somewhere I can be stable. I just want to be stable.
David Carroll, a Chattanooga television news anchor, is the author of Volunteer Bama Dawg, available on his website, ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may contact him at radiotv2020@yahoo.com, or 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405.
Francisco A.J. Camacho of Friendsville is an undergraduate student at George Washington University, writes for The GW Hatchet, and has contributed to The Tennessean in Nashville and The Daily Times. He welcomes responses, comments and questions relating to his pieces at P.O. Box 363, Friendsville, TN 37737 or email fcamacho36@gwmail.gwu.edu.
A boy looks at Sinovac Biotech's vaccine candidate for COVID-19 on display at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing on Sept. 6, 2020. (Photo by NOEL CELIS / AFP) (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)

11-Year-Old Vaccinated in China Without Parents Knowledge or Consent

A Chinese father is furious that his 11-year-old son was forcibly vaccinated against COVID-19 without his knowledge, only learning roughly three weeks later that it had happened.

Chen Jianxiong, a resident of Chibi, Hubei Province, posted online alleging that people in the community had forced his son to get vaccinated by taking advantage of the fathers absence. Chen later reported the event to the police.

Chen told The Epoch Times that he was surprised to hear his sons teacher suggesting a second vaccine shot on the night of Sept. 8.

My son hasnt had the first shot yet; why should he get the second shot? Chen asked the teacher.

That was when he learned that his son had already received a first dose.

Chen said he was furious and he made many phone calls that night to inquire how the vaccination had happened without his knowledge, but the only responses he received were that [they] didnt know.

Then I called the police, but the police station in the district said they needed to ask for instructions from the top, Chen said. So I hung up the phone and went to the Chimagang police station in person the next morning and asked them to open a case.

Speaking with police, he questioned how such a thing could have happened without his knowledge.

My child is only 11 years old and is a minor. I am the legal guardian, so I dont understand how [the community] administered the vaccine on my child without my consent, Chen said he told the police.

The police then called in several community-related staff for questioning, which was when Chen learned that his sons vaccination had occurred on Aug. 17.

Chen told The Epoch Times that he accused the community secretary of committing a crime.

The signature of a parent is required to get my 11-year-old vaccinated, and you violated my parental rights. At the same time, a consent form is needed for vaccination, but the child does not know who signed it, Chen told them.

When he asked who signed the consent form, community staff members said the childs grandmother signed it.

My mother is not literate at all; how was she able to sign? I must hold them accountable! Chen said.

Chen said he stayed at home for most of August. At that time, he had just returned from Zhengzhou, an area heavily affected by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, and was required to stay home for 14 days. After his quarantine ended on Aug. 17, Chen went out for work.

That was when [the community staff] took my mother and child to the Chibi Epidemic Prevention Station for vaccinations, Chen said.

My parents are 70 and 80 years old; they dont understand vaccination. In addition, I dont think this vaccine is safe when no real data is made public. I have asked them to consult me first if they want to get the vaccine.

Even though most of China is vaccinated, the vaccine is still at an experimental stage. It is worrisome when so many have been forced to get vaccinated. And now I cant even protect my own child. I hope the international community will pay attention to the forced vaccinations by the authorities across China.

Zhuge Mingyang, an independent journalist, told The Epoch Times: The CCP announced this April that forced vaccination will not be imposed. However, forced vaccinations in various parts of China are still being reported. It is unknown whether the CCP is saying one thing and doing another, or perhaps the local authorities are driven by their interests to do so.

Representatives of the Chimagang police station in Chibi didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Raven Wu
A Philippine Airlines Boeing 767 airplane sits at a gate at Los Angeles International Airport on May 24, 2018. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

Azur Air Flight From Turkey Makes Emergency Landing at Russian Airport

MOSCOWA plane flying from the Turkish resort of Antalya to Vladivostok in Russias far east made a safe emergency landing on Saturday in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, a source at the airport told Reuters.

Azur Air flight ZF268, a Boeing 767 plane, requested an emergency landing while over Krasnoyarsk after experiencing problems with the hydraulics, Russias Interfax news agency reported.

There were no reports of anybody being hurt.

Azur Air, a former regional Russian airline that now operates charter flights, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Krasnoyarsk International Airport did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Friday, another Azur Air flight leaving Antalya on its journey to the Russian city of Belgorod, about 580 km (360 miles) south of Moscow, initiated an emergency descent after a cabin pressure alert, air safety publication Aviation Herald reported.

That plane, a Boeing 757, returned safely to Antalya and a replacement Boeing 767 flew to Belgorod after a delay, according to the report and flight tracking website Flightradar24.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House on July 15, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden to Announce Even More COVID-19 Measures This Week: Surgeon General

President Joe Biden will announce more COVID-19 measures before the U.N. General Assembly meets this week, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Speaking to CNN on Sept. 12, Murthy didnt say what new measures would be announced by Biden.

The president issued several executive orders on Sept. 9 mandating that federal contractors, federal workers, and most health care staff in the United States get the COVID-19 vaccine. A White House plan also stated that he would direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, to mandate that employers with 100 or more workers either get the vaccine, require weekly COVID-19 testing, or receive a fine.

Bidens announcement on the mandate, which will affect an estimated 80 million private-sector employees, drew significant criticism from Republican governors and some business leaders. Its likely that numerous lawsuits will be filed against the order.

But during the CNN interview, Murthy defended the presidents announcement and mandate.

There will be more actions that we continue to work on, especially in the global front, he said.

The next session for the U.N. General Assembly starts Sept. 14 in New York, and the first day of general debate begins the following week. Its not clear why Murthy tied new COVID-19 measures with the U.N. meeting.

What the president and what all of us have said as public health leaders from the earliest part of this pandemic is that we have to use every level of government, and we all in the private sector have to do everything we can to tackle this virus, Murthy said. The requirements the president announced are an example of that.

In a separate interview with ABC News, Murthy again defended the mandates, saying that when private companies such as Tyson Foods made vaccines a requirement, it increased the U.S. vaccination rate.

We know that these kinds of requirements actually work to improve our vaccination rates, Murthy said. Tyson Foods, for example, which put in a vaccine requirement, recently saw that its vaccination rate went from 45 percent to more than 70 percent in a very short period of time and theyre not even at their deadline yet.

But Republicans have said theyll file lawsuits against the mandate when its handed down by the federal government. They described the forthcoming rules as draconian and designed to further divide Americans.

Ive been talking to my attorney general, he is coordinating with the other attorneys general across the country who share similar views about the overreach, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts told Fox News on Sept. 12.

As we see what these rules are, we will be able to know exactly how we will be able to challenge them in court. Im also talking with my colleagues around the country as well the other governors who feel the way I do, and well be working on other strategies.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told CNN on Sept. 12 that the vaccine mandate hardens the resistance that some individuals have to vaccines.

Im trying to overcome resistance, but the presidents actions in a mandate hardens the resistance, he said.

Other governors have suggested theyll follow suit.

I will pursue every legal option available to the state of Georgia to stop this blatantly unlawful overreach by the Biden administration, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wrote last week.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called the rule an assault on private businesses.

Texas is already working to halt this power grab, he said.

White House officials didnt respond to a request for additional comment by press time.
U.S. Marine Ssgt. Alice Ward stands at attention on the side of I-93 North as the hearse carrying fallen Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo passes in Stoneham, Mass., on Sept. 11, 2021. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Body of US Marine Killed in Kabul Attack Returns Home

The body of a U.S. Marine killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan returned home to Massachusetts on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the attacks that led to Americas longest war.

A procession including Marines, local and state police, firefighters and city officials escorted the hearse bearing Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardos flag-draped casket on Saturday.

Twenty-five year old Pichardo died in the Aug. 26 suicide bombing near the Kabul airport where people were being evacuated amid the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

A dozen other U.S. service members and 169 Afghans were killed as people struggled to get into the airport and on flights out of the country.

A funeral Mass will be held for Pichardo on Monday.
A burnt down Humvee is seen along a road in Dashtak, Panjshir province, on Sept. 6, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Brother of Afghanistans Constitutional Caretaker President Executed by Taliban, Family Says

The Taliban have executed the brother of Amrullah Saleh, the former Afghan vice president who challenged the Talibans claims to government, his nephew said on Friday.

Saleh said in the days following former President Ashraf Ghanis fleeing that led to the fall of Kabul to the Taliban that, according to the countrys 2004 constitution, he is the legitimate caretaker president.

He made the comments from the Panjshir valley where he became one of the leaders of anti-Taliban resistance forces.

The news that Salehs brother Rohullah Azizi was killed came days after Taliban forces took control of the provincial centre of Panjshir, although the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan says their fighters who have retreated deeper into the Panjshir valley will continue to fight for Afghanistans freedom from the Taliban.

Taliban terrorists have executed the brother of Caretaker President of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh. Salehs brother Rohullah Azizi was killed days after Taliban forces claimed of controlling the provincial centre of Panjshir. Heartfelt condolences, @AmrullahSaleh2. Our prayers.  pic.twitter.com/m7x3Bg5qGi  Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 10, 2021

They executed my uncle, Ebadullah Saleh told Reuters in a text message. They killed him yesterday and would not let us bury him. They kept saying his body should rot.

The Urdu language account of the Taliban information service Alemarah said that according to reports. Rohullah Saleh was killed during fighting in Panjshir.

The whereabouts of Saleh, who was also the former head of Afghanistans intelligence service, remains unclear.

The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
People hold signs in front of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters to protest the government's policy of forcing frontline workers to be vaccinated against the CCP virus on Sept. 8, 2021. (Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times)

Californians Protest Forced Vaccinations of Police

Almost 100 people gathered in front of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters on Sept. 8 to protest the governments policy of forcing frontline officers, such as police officers and healthcare workers, to be vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

California over the past few months has continuously attempted to implement a mandatory vaccine policy. On Aug. 5, California Department of Public Health officials demanded that all healthcare workers be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30, leading to the protest of hundreds of healthcare workers.

At the local government level, the Los Angeles City Council passed a mandatory policy on Aug. 18 requiring all employees, including those of the Police and Fire Departments, to be fully vaccinated by early October, except for those who had obtained exemptions.

At Wednesdays protest, a plainclothes police officer, who asked to be anonymous, told The Epoch Times that LAPD officers are now in a similar position to health care workers in California, having to choose between getting vaccinated or getting fired.

Jessie Brewer, a local resident at the protest said that the real pandemic, especially here in Los Angeles, is crime, homelessness, and drugs, and those are the things that we need our law enforcement to be able to engage in. We dont need them to be worried about having side effects from unproven medical injections.

Its just crazy because they are the ones who take care of us, theyre the ones who keep us safe.

Brewer mentioned the current vaccine is a zero liability product, with vaccine companies protected from liability for death, disability, and serious adverse reactions that may occur after people have been vaccinated.

Since there are risks, she said, please dont make this mandatory, it should be everyones choice.

Resisting the Policy: Some Nurses Dont Trust the Vaccine

Around 100 people gather in front of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters to protest the governments policy of forcing frontline workers to be vaccinated against the CCP virus on Sept. 8, 2021. (Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times)

Another local resident, Katey T., told The Epoch Times she was against mandated vaccines.

Its a new vaccine, the clinical trials are not complete, Katey, who works as a nurse, said, adding that she does not trust the vaccine. She said that there are too many cases of death or serious adverse reactions to the vaccine, and noted reports of young people who have been vaccinated suffering from the symptoms of rare forms of heart disease.

I think its wrong, its our bodies, its our choice, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website shows that, as of Aug. 25, 1,377 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) in vaccine recipients aged 30 years and younger, with the majority being male adolescents.

Ken Hodge, a registered nurse with nearly 20 years experience, said, To call it a vaccine is nonsense.

A vaccine will give you immunity to the actual virus, he said. Its not giving you any immunity, its not killing it, youre still able to spread it, youll still be able to get it. In my unit, Id say a third to half of patients coming in are fully vaccinated, and they are still passing away.

The Guardian reported on Aug. 10 that Professor Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, gave evidence to members of Parliament that the vaccine had not stopped the spread of the coronavirus.

Were not having the death rate that the news is portraying, Hodge, who remained at his post during the outbreak, said.

People die from the flu every year. In the last 18 months, we have not had a patient come in with the flu. I dont know how that has happened. COVID has miraculously gotten rid of the flu?

Data from the Californian government shows that, as of Sept. 9, 68 percent of Californians have been fully vaccinated against the CCP virus, and another 10 percent have been partially vaccinated. Meanwhile, California still has the highest number of confirmed cases in the country, at more than 4.32 million. Total deaths attributed to the virus were at 66,700also the highest in the country.

Earlier, California lawmakers attempted to implement the AB455 vaccine passport proposal statewide, but it was temporarily deferred amid resistance from all sides.
Alan Dershowitz attends Hulu Presents "Triumph's Election Special" produced by Funny Or Die at NEP Studios in New York City on Feb. 3, 2016. (John Lamparski/Getty Images for Hulu)

Courts Will Rule Against Biden on Vaccine Mandate Penalties: Alan Dershowitz

The courts will likely agree that the federal government has the authority to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates, but will argue that the rules and penalties cant be enforced, says Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz.

President Joe Biden said on Sept. 9 that hell direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to mandate that employees at companies with 100 or more workers will have to either submit to weekly testing or get a COVID-19 vaccine. White House officials have said that fines will be handed down to those who dont comply with the rule, which will impact about 80 million private-sector employees.

No. 1, is this something the federal government can do as compared to the states? Dershowitz told Newsmax. The states have police power. The federal government doesnt have police power. The federal governments powers have to derive from the text of the Constitution.

Its likely that the courts will say that the government can enforce vaccine mandates, but will argue that only Congress can order punishments and fines, he said.

I think the courts will say the federal government does have the power, because this is a national issue across the state lines. Its not limited to states. Its contagious, Dershowitz said. I think they will say that in the event that science supports it, there can be mandated vaccinations with exceptions.

But such mandates are generally relegated to the legislature in our system of government, so I think the courts will focus on that issue first and say that the president may not have the authority to do this without congressional authorization, according to Dershowitz.

You cant say its an emergency, he said. This problem has existed since the first day of the Biden administration, and it will continue to exist on the last day of the Biden administration, because were not going to see an end of COVID.

Were going to see COVID become like the flu. Seasonal different variations, different vaccinations, so it shouldnt be done under the rubric of emergency. It should be done under the rubric of ordinary congressional power.

When the mandates are handed down to companies under Bidens order, Dershowitz said that itll be a big payday for lawyers, who will likely file numerous lawsuits on behalf of businesses and other entities.

There will be individuals who will be fired, and theyll sue immediately, he said. There will be companiesand I know there are some already who said we refuse to obey this mandateand weve had companies and states indicate theyre going to file suit.
A man is treated after being shot in Portland, Ore., Aug. 29, 2020. The victim was later identified as Aaron Jay Danielson, who died from his wounds. Michael Reinoehl, an Antifa member, admitted to shooting Danielson. (Paula Bronstein/AP Photo)

Estate of Man Killed by Antifa Member in Portland Sues City Over Hands-Off Approach to Public Safety

The estate of a man who was shot dead in Portland, Oregon, last year is suing the city over its approach to public safety.

Portland Mayor and Police Commissioner Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, and other city officials created a vacuum where peacekeeping efforts and criminal accountability should be; in its place, an environment of vigilantism emerged that ultimately led to the death of Aaron Danielson, states the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Portland and obtained by The Epoch Times.

Danielson was killed in Portland on Aug. 29, 2020. Michael Reinoehl, a self-described member of the far-left, anarcho-communist Antifa network, later admitted to shooting Danielson, who was wearing a hat bearing the logo of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group, and has been described as a Patriot Prayer supporter.

The two groups clashed in Portland before the shooting, with little intervention by police officers.

The Portland Police Bureau, which is overseen by Wheeler, chose to allow rioters to attack a federal courthouse in the city during the spring of 2020, triggering a deployment of federal officers to protect the building and leading to nightly clashes that drew nationwide attention.

Rioters, including members of Antifa, later turned their attention on other facilities, such as police precincts and the headquarters of the Portland police union. While some arrests were made, many of those arrested saw their charges dropped or their cases not pursued by prosecutors, under an unusual policy implemented by Schmidts office shortly after he became the district attorney.

The lawsuit says the approach used by police and prosecutors also included delegating the authority to engage in crowd control and crime prevention to individuals who provided security services for Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and right-wing groups such as Patriot Prayer.

Aaron Jay Danielson in an undated photograph. He was shot dead in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Danielson family via AP)

Chandler Pappas and Aaron Danielson (top L) walk down Southwest Alder Street as Michael Reinoehl (R) conceals himself from them, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Portland Police Bureau)

The defendants knew that a large-scale demonstration was planned the night that Danielson was killed and was aware that members of Antifa and others planned to confront demonstrators but chose to deploy a minimal police presence, while also ordering officers to stay out of sight and allow the demonstrators and protesters to express their emotions, the suit also alleges, quoting Wheeler.

Danielson was deprived of his constitutional rights to assemble peacefully and to have equal protection under the law, his estates lawyer said.

This case is about accountability. We are seeking justice for the preventable death of a young man, gunned down in a city with a dangerous and deadly hands-off approach to public safety, Christopher Cauble, the lawyer, told The Epoch Times in an email.

Time and time again, city leadership and law enforcement has failed to find an effective response to clashing groups of protesters. For well over a year, they have known when and where these rallies would occur and the likelihood of escalating violence. Yet no strategy of protective intervention has been utilized to this day. This reckless dereliction of duty cost Aaron Danielson his life. We seek justice for the Danielson family and for a community that deserves far better safety and responsibility from those sworn to protect and serve.

The suit is seeking $13 million in damages.

The City Attorneys Office declined to comment. Wheelers spokesman and Schmidts office didnt return requests for comment.

Reinoehl was shot dead by law enforcement officers carrying out an arrest warrant days after the Danielson killing. William Barr, the attorney general at the time, said what unfolded was a significant accomplishment in the ongoing effort to restore law and order to Portland and other cities.

Another shooting took place in a daylight clash in Portland on Sept. 4 after Chuck Lovell, Portlands police chief, announced that officers wouldnt intervene in physical clashes.

Wheeler, a Democrat, initially defended the strategy despite the shooting, but on Sept. 8 during a city council hearing, said the tactics needed to be rethought.

It is clear, based on the public outcry, on the media outcry, on the national front, that that strategy was not the right strategy. I think we can all acknowledge that. I take full responsibility for it, he said.

I think we all acknowledge we want to do better. So for me, its about proper training, its about clear directives, its about making sure the community feels safe to express their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly, but also to hold anybodyand I mean anybody, regardless of their politicshold anybody accountable who thinks violence or criminal destruction is the right answer.
Paul Farthing, also known as Pen Farthing in an undated image from his animal shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan. (PA Media)

Ex-UK Marine Who Airlifted Animals out of Kabul Ecstatic as His Staff Escape Afghanistan

A former British marine who evacuated 163 cats and dogs out of Kabul, Afghanistan, two weeks ago is exultant after his staff and their families made it across the Afghan land border on Sept. 11.

Paul Farthing, an ex-Marine who goes by the name Pen Farthing, arrived in London from Afghanistan on Aug. 29 with 94 dogs and 69 cats from his shelter on a privately-chartered plane after waging a media battle with the British Ministry of Defence to get his flight cleared.

But Operation Ark was only a partial success, as his staff had to be left behind due to last-minute changes in paperwork rules.

In a Facebook livestream on the morning of Sept. 11, an elated Farthing announced that all 67 of his staff and family members had successfully made it to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

The staff are out! Farthing said, after cracking open a can of beer hed been saving. Weve got them out of Afghanistan!

Farthing confirmed that the group was alive and well and that they were handed to the British High Commission and are waiting to be processed so they can travel to the UK.

Theyre safe.  And youve got to see their smiles. I havent seen them smile in a long, long time. And Im trying to hold it back now. I just cannot believe, I just cant believe theyre out, he said.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also confirmed on Twitter that British officials were assisting the group.

Pleased that Nowzads Afghan staff, who were called for evacuation, successfully crossed the border into Pakistan today, Raab wrote, referring to the name of Farthings animal charity.

Our @ukinpakistan staff are assisting them and we look forward to welcoming them to the UK in the coming days.

Farthing said volunteers of the Nowzad Crisis Response Teammostly from the UK with a few from the United Statesworked for 36 hours straight to get his staff safely across the border.

Farthings Operation Ark had previously sparked controversy, with many arguing that animals shouldnt be prioritized over people, but he insisted that he had brought the animals into the airport on his own and that his evacuation didnt occupy any public resources.

The operation also garnered a lot of support. Donations poured in, as did requests to adopt the animals, many of which belong or belonged to British service members.

Farthing said he was blown away by the love, the compassion, the generosity that people have shown.

Apart from the cost of getting the team and the animals out of Afghanistan, Farthing said the donations will also go toward his staffs resettlement costs to lighten the burden on British taxpayers.
Explore the Splendor That Is Sedona

Soft orange rays from the rising sun cascaded through the boughs of stubby junipers that lined the trail to Sedonas famed Bell Rock as we hiked along the well-worn dirt trail that circled the base of the massive, bell-shaped red dome. During the four-mile hike we marveled at the otherworldly beauty surrounding us: In every direction, both near and far, red rock formations inexplicably arose from the scrubby beige high-desert landscape.

Our foursome had come to Sedona, one of my favorite places, on our first post-COVID-19 trip mainly to hike and check out its well-known spiritual vibe. Because few places in the world rival the red-rock grandeur of Sedona, many others had made the same travel choice. By 7 a.m. the small parking lot was already almost full, a reflection of the COVID-19-weary Americans who have been pouring into popular travel destinations like uncorked Champagne. Fortunately, the trail never got crowded and we kept silent as we tried to tune in to the world-famous vortex energy that Sedona manifests in certain spots, including Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock.

The climb to the top of Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona, is challenging, but the view is worth it. (Doug Hansen)

Because the daytime temperatures in early May hovered in the mid-80s, we embarked on our hikes before 7 each morning. Our greatest challenge was choosing which hike to take from the 136 trails available. Ultimately, we decided on three of the most popular hikes: Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon, and Cathedral Rock via the Baldwin Trail (a highly recommended alternative to the most commonly used access trail, which can get quite congested).

To add some spice to our stay, we opted to join an Arizona Safari Jeep Tour excursion to Outlaw Trail on the outskirts of town. As our animated and knowledgeable guide pointed out, Riding in a four-wheel-drive through these hills gives you a special appreciation for the natural beauty of this area that you cant get in any other way. Indeed, for more than two hours we bumped along dirt roads that led to remote areas we wouldnt have seen otherwise.

Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona, draws large numbers of hikers but is still worth the visit. (Courtesy of Doug Hansen)

After our morning hike the next day, we drove a half-hour across the valley to the former mining town of Jerome. Splayed across the face of a mountain range that borders the west end of the Verde Valleya region that also includes Sedona, Cottonwood, and ClarkdaleJerome is a unique place. Today only 455 people reside there, but in the 1920s the town hosted more than 10,000 residents who were attracted to the richest copper deposit ever found. The mining museum at the edge of town presented the convoluted but fascinating history of the mining operation and was well worth the time to visit.

My wife, Sharen, and I spent the night in neighboring Prescott on our drive to Sedona, but if you have the time, I recommend making it a full-day outing. Located less than an hour from Jeromeor an hour and a half from SedonaPrescott retains the flavor of its Old West heritage, especially in its historic Whiskey Row, filled with vintage restaurants and gift shops.

Across the street from Whiskey Row is the 150-year-old courthouse with stately cottonwood trees, a flag-lined main walkway, and several bronze statues commemorating famous cowboys and their horses. In fact, the Bucky ONeill statue by Solon Borglum claims to be one of the finest equestrian monuments in the world. Not far from town are five lakes, my favorite of which is Watson Lake, with boulders around it that look like a bag of gigantic granite marbles was spread around the lake.

All good things must end, but as we said farewell to Sedona, we were grateful to have experienced its positive energy and profound beauty. Weve already planned our next hikes for when we return to this red-rock wonderland.

When You Go

For general information: SedonaChamber.com or VisitSedona.com. 928-204-1123

Arizona Safari Jeep Tours: SafariJeepTours.com, 928-282-3012

Doug Hansen is a travel writer and photographer. See more photos and articles at HansenTravels.org. To read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at Creators.com. Copyright 2021 Creators
An American flag is unfurled at the Pentagon in Washington at sunrise on the morning of the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2021. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

FBI Releases First Declassified 9/11 Document 20 Years After Attacks

The FBI over the weekend released the first previously declassified document about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack hijackers, responding to an order handed down by President Joe Biden days earlier.

On Sept. 11, a 16-page heavily redacted document (pdf) that was written in 2016 sheds light on the logistical support that was given to some of the Saudi Sept. 11 hijackers. Families of victims who died during the 2001 attacks have long sought the declassification of the report, as well as other documents related to the incident.

According to the document, the FBI didnt find evidence that linked the Saudi government to the terror attacks, although 15 of the hijackers were Saudi nationals. Previously, a U.S. commission said it had no evidence that Saudi Arabia directly funded al-Qaeda, the terrorist group that was long suspected of directing the terrorist attacks.

The families of about 2,000 people who died in the attacks, as well as thousands more who were injured or suffered financial losses, have filed lawsuits against Saudi Arabia seeking billions of dollars.

The newly declassified document reveals the FBIs work to investigate the logistical support that a Saudi consular official and a suspected Saudi intelligence agent in Los Angeles allegedly provided to two of the terrorists who hijacked planes. It details several connections and witnesses testimonies that prompted the FBI to investigate Omar al-Bayoumi, who was suspected of being an intelligence agent and allegedly provided travel assistance, lodging, and financing to help the two hijackers.

Photos released by the FBI of 9/11 hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi (L) and Khalid al-Mihdhar, who lived in San Diego the year prior to the attacks. (FBI)

Hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar were assisted by al-Bayoumi when the pair first arrived in the United States in 2000. They met via a chance encounter at a restaurant before he helped them.

Family members of the Sept. 11 attack victims released a statement saying that the Saudi government was most likely complicit.

Even with the unfortunate number of redactions, the report contains a host of bombshell new revelations, implicating numerous Saudi government officials, in a coordinated effort to mobilize an essential support network for the first arriving 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al Hazmi and Khalid al Mihdhar, 9/11 Families United said in a statement over the weekend. The range of contacts at critical moments among these Saudi government officials, al-Qaeda, and the hijackers is stunning.

But the Saudi government, ahead of the release of the document, denied any connection to the attacks. The United States and Saudi Arabia have long been allies and even coordinate with one another on counterterrorism issues, with the United States having sold the kingdom tens of billions of dollars in weapons in recent years.

As past investigations have revealed, including the 9/11 Commission and the release of the so-called 28 Pages, no evidence has ever emerged to indicate that the Saudi government or its officials had previous knowledge of the terrorist attack or were in any way involved, the Saudi embassy said in a recent statement.

The document was released after an executive order was handed down by Biden earlier this month directing the Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, to review classified information. It came after Sept. 11 victims families called on the president to do so and said that if he didnt, Biden shouldnt attend any of their memorial events.
House GOP Leader Asks Supreme Court to End Proxy Voting

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is taking his fight against what he calls the patently unconstitutional practice of proxy voting in the U.S. House of Representatives to the Supreme Court.

In the early days of the pandemic in May 2020, the House approved a resolution allowing members to cast votes on the House floor by proxy, on the theory that it was advisable to limit attendance in Congress to combat the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said at the time the new absentee voting protocol was needed because the virus posed a mortal danger. House Democratic leadership said when the policy began that it would be temporary, but its still in effect today.

This unprecedented proxy voting resolution permits a single member to vote on behalf of up to 10 absent members, according to the petition for certiorari, or review, from McCarthy.

Today, we are asking the Supreme Court to uphold the Constitution by overturning Speaker [Nancy] Pelosis perpetual proxy voting power grab. Although the Constitution allows Congress to write its own rules, those rules cannot violate the Constitution itself, including the requirement to actually assemble in person, McCarthy said in a statement.

Since its adoption 14 months ago, proxy voting has shattered 231 years of legislative precedent and shielded the majority from substantive policy debates and questions, effectively silencing the voices of millions of Americans, he said. It was a raw abuse of power  [and its] continuation is an insult to hard-working taxpayers who are back at work safely while members of Congress get a pass to skip work but still get paid.

The Founders wisely rejected proxy voting because they knew Congress cannot adequately do the business of our chambers without deliberating, and we cannot adequately deliberate without assembling in person. The Senate has managed through the whole pandemic without proxy voting because they know, as we do, that it is unconstitutional.

The petition in the case of McCarthy v. Pelosi, an appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, was reportedly filed with the Supreme Court on Sept. 9 but hadnt yet appeared in its online docket as of press time.

The appeals court held that the Constitutions speech or debate clause states that for any Speech or Debate in either House, they [members] shall not be questioned in any other Place, has the effect of preventing courts from reviewing the constitutionality of proxy voting.

That decision takes a radically broad view of the Speech or Debate Clause, McCarthys petition states. The court concluded that any acts related to voting were privilegedincluding here, the Clerks collection of proxy letters from absent Members or declarations by the Speaker and Sergeant-at-Arms that proxy voting should continue.

By that logic, there would be no stopping any voting rule adopted by the House.
A worker rides a bicycle in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran, on Oct. 26, 2010. (Mehr News Agency/Majid Asgaripour/AP Photo)

Iran Pledges to Cooperate With UN on Monitoring Nuclear Program

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reached an agreement on Sunday allowing the U.N. watchdog group to update cameras at Irans nuclear sites, according to a joint statement.

The statement from the IAEA said that the two sides decided to maintain their mutual interactions and meetings at relevant levels, and U.N. officials will now visit Tehran in the near future to hold high-level consultations with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the aim of enhancing cooperation between Iran and the IAEA in different fields and discussing current issues of mutual interest.

U.N. nuclear inspectors can now maintain recording equipment and replace their storage media, the statement said.

Mohammad Eslami, an official with Irans Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, made a similar announcement after a meeting was held with the director-general of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, in Tehran on Sunday.

We had a major, major communication breakdown with Iran, which, of course, is something we cannot afford, having so many important issues that we need to solve, Grossi told reporters on his return from Tehran. And I think that was solved.

The reconstruction and the coming together of the jigsaw puzzle will come when there is an agreement at the JCPOA level, he said, a reference to the talks on reviving the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers. But at that time, we will have all this information and there will not have been a gap.

Tehran holds all recordings at its sites as negotiations over the United States and Iran returning to the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran is now enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

Tehran threatened previously to destroy copies of older recordings at the countrys nuclear facilities. Its not clear whether Iran will hand them over, as previously requested by U.N. officials.

The memory cards are sealed and kept in Iran, according to the routine, Eslami said, reported The Associated Press. New memory cards will be installed in cameras. That is a routine and natural trend in the agencys monitoring system.

The United States withdrew from the Obama administration-brokered Iran nuclear deal in 2018 during the Trump administration. The Iranian regime has since frequently violated the limits placed on its nuclear program.

The one-day visit by Grossi to Tehran was his first since Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took power in August.

AP contributed to this report.
The exterior of Japan's defense ministry is seen in Tokyo, on Aug. 19, 2021. (Kenzaburo Fukuhara/Kyodo News via AP)

Japan Detects Suspected Chinese Submarine Near Southern Island

TOKYOJapan has detected what it believes to be a Chinese submarine off a southern Japanese island, the defense ministry said Sunday, heightening Japans alert levels in the East China Sea as the Chinese communist regime increases its military activities.

The submarine remained submerged, but the ministry said in a statement that it believes the submarine is Chinese because a Chinese Luyang III-class guided missile destroyer is near the submarine.

The submarine moved northwest off the eastern coast of Amami Oshima Island, about 420 miles northeast of the disputed East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but also claimed by Beijing, the ministry said.

The submarine on Sunday morning was heading west in the East China Sea.

Neither the submarine, nor the ship entered Japanese territorial waters. Under international law, submarines passing off the coast of another country are required to surface and show a national flag inside territorial waters.

Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force sent three reconnaissance aircraft and two destroyers to the area for early warning and information gathering to analyze Chinas intentions.

A submarine believed to be Chinese also was spotted in the area in June 2020.

The Chinese regime has defended its maritime activities and says it has the right to defend its sovereignty, security, and development interests.

Japan, alarmed by Chinas growing naval activities in the East and South China seas, has been stepping up defense in the countrys southwestern regions and islands north of the disputed islands.

Tokyo says it opposes Beijings unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the region, and regularly protests the Chinese coast guards growing presence near the disputed islands. Japanese officials say Chinese vessels routinely violate Japanese territorial waters around the islands, sometimes threatening fishing boats.
Legendary Lockhart: The Barbecue Capital of Texas

A visit to the Central Texas town where the barbecue cultureand oak smokeruns deep

No forks, he said.

I thought Id made a reasonable request, but the server at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas, stared me down like a cook in a junior high cafeteria.

Knives and fingers only, he said. Weve been doing it that way for 96 years, and were not about to change now.

I exchanged a $20 bill for the picnic knife he handed over, plus a large pickle and a pound of oak-smoked beef shoulder, and headed off to a Formica table that could have won historic designation, if anyone gave such recognition to old tables. A 9-foot rattlesnake skin hung on the wall of the 1924 brick building, which was built to replace the original metal building that had housed the business since its 1900 opening. Sitting down in a matching chair, I spread wide the mauve butcher paper and started an adventure.

That was my introduction to Lockhart a quarter-century ago. Long famed as the Lone Star States barbecue capital, today it illustrates how even the most venerated institutions change. In the late 1990s, a family dispute split the Kreuz business in two: Smittys in the 1924 building, and Kreuz Market in a new facility at the edge of town. Now forks are available; so is sauce for dipping your meat.

But the basics havent changedincluding the all-important way the meat is cooked.

Eating Is Believing

In Texas, barbecue is a religionthe most ecumenical one in the state. Black, white, brown; young and old; male and female; red, blue, middle of the road: all favor barbecue, and often hold strong opinions about it.

I suppose vegetarians dont, but there may be more barbecue joints than vegetarians, from the sultry pine woods of East Texas to the dust-devil plains of the states far west. From small towns to major metros, barbecue is the regional cuisine towering over all others.

No part of the state is more dedicated to barbecue than the Hill Country surrounding Austin and San Antonio. And no place is more celebrated than Lockhart, which the state legislature declared the barbecue capital of Texas a couple decades ago. Here, in a town of 12,000, are four seminal restaurants that regularly pop up in travel guides and good-eats compilations: Blacks, Smittys, Kreuz, and Chisholm Trail. Three of the four have appeared on the Texas Monthly list of the states 50 best barbecue spots. Yes, barbecue coverage is a crucial part of the magazines editorial calendar.

Texas barbecue is without peer on Earth, wrote Daniel Vaughn in the magazines 2013 compilation.

Texas barbecue has ancient roots that go back to indigenous cookery, then to Mexican and 19th-century African American cuisine. Barbacoa is the Spanish term, barbacot is Haitian; they may or may not predate barbecue. The Central Texas styleespecially its sausagederives much of its heritage from the German and Czech immigrants who settled in the Hill Country (the Kreuz family among them). The whole point originally was smoking meat to preserve it in the Texas heat.

All these cultural tides produce great variety in Texas barbecue.

Mention the word barbecue in Texas and two things are bound to happen, wrote Andy Rhodes in the Texas Historical Commission magazine Medallion in 2005. First, peoples hunger juices will start flowing; second, a debate will ensue about the best way to prepare the meat.

The debate may or may not include: what kind of meat (beef and what cut, or pork, and possibly chicken and turkey); what kind of wood (post oak, pecan, mesquite, hickory); brick pit or cast-iron barrel smoker; and seasoning, sauce, or rubor not (sauce is for people who dont know how to cook meat, a Texas pitmaster once told me).

Tradition, Tradition

If there are 30 million Texans, there are 30 million ways to prepare barbecue, said Kent Black. But hes certain about whats best.

Kent Black, third-generation pitmaster at Blacks BBQ in Lockhart, Texas. (Courtesy of Blacks BBQ)

Grandson of Edgar Black Sr., who started Blacks Barbecue in 1932, Kent is a former municipal judge who took over the business when his parents retired, and thus became, in barbecue parlance, the pitmaster. Ask him which profession is more important, judge or pitmaster, and he has to pause a moment.

Tough question. As a judge, I was entrusted with the law. As a pitmaster, Im entrusted with three generations of great barbecue, and I feel a huge responsibility to uphold the traditions and the quality.

Were not flipping pancakes here, he said. Just to cook good barbecue is a 10- to 12-hour process that starts before the crack of dawn.

Edgar, Norma Jean, Barrett (Kents son), and Kent Black at Blacks BBQ in 1988. (Courtesy of Blacks BBQ)

On a recent return to Lockhart, I stopped by Blacks, two blocks down the street from what is now Smittys. Outside, a 30-foot crimson crepe myrtle shaded the roof of the Depression-era plank-front building, helping fend off midday sun in 96-degree heat. Across the street is the Calvary Chapel, Anchor of Hope; the multicolored spires of the 1894 Second Empire Caldwell County Courthouse reach skyward nearby. In the entry to Blacks, a sign urged social distancing: KEEP ONE COW APART.

Manuel Garcia readied deft hands, well-trained from 12 years on the job, as I nodded at the meat-laden ivory arches of the giant beef ribs.

Yeah, thats good stuff, he said. My favorite.

He wielded his knife to slice off a couple slabs, ladled them onto a plate, and looked at me expectantly. I asked for a sausage link and a few slices of brisket, and off I went, listening to Hank Williams and Bob Wills on the sound system, admiring the pictures of the Lockhart High School band on the walls, savoring the sharp smell of oak smoke that permeated the restaurant.

Manuel Garcia carves smoked meats to order at Blacks BBQ. (Eric Lucas)

And the meat? Perfection. Moist, redolent, savory, rich. Certified Angus beef; salt and pepper rub; cooked in hot post oak smoke in a brick barbecue pit built by Kents father, Edgar Black Jr., in 1949. The meat never sees a flame, nor any sauce at all during cooking. The fire is lit at 4 a.m., and lunch is the major meal, not supper.

Since my first visit to Lockhart, some things have changed; barbecue isnt frozen in stone, tradition or not. Today, customers can get forks at every joint in town (Im not going to eat like an animal! visitors sometimes used to yell at hapless servers), and where sauce was once banned, now you may ask for it to add to your meal, even at Kreuz and Smittys. After the meat is cooked, of course. Butcher paper remains de rigueur, but if youd prefer a plate at Blacks, fine.

Blacks is definitely not antediluvian. The restaurant is air-conditioned, and theres a TV screen showing sports. Unlike many other barbecue joints, turkey and chicken are on offer; Kent added beef ribs 16 years ago, when they were quite rare on everyday barbecue menus. During the pandemic, online business boomed, and the company didnt lay off or furlough any of its 150 employees.

But Kent promises the establishment will never, ever change how it cooks. Indirect heat, oak smoke, salt and pepper rub. Period.

If it aint broke, he declared, dont fix it.

1 Big State, Many Different Ways

Although Texas barbecue seems a monolithic juggernautit even has its own entry in the Encyclopedia Britannicaeverything is bigger in the Lone Star State, including culinary diversity. The beef brisket, oak-smoke Central Texas style gets much of the attention, but three other types are prevalent elsewhere.

East Texas: In the piney woods east of Houston and Dallas, pork ribs predominate, and are cooked with a rub or sauce using hickory. Southern sides such as collards and okra are common.

South Texas: Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican approach to cooking lamb, goat, or pork; the entire carcass is traditionally placed in a pit where the fire and meat are covered with maguey leaves.

West Texas: Mesquite is the wood found west of the Hill Country, and in the vast expanses of West Texas, beef, chicken, and sausage are cooked over direct heat from mesquitea style resembling ranch cookery in Arizona.

Central Texas: The states most famous style is beef brisket or shoulder with old-fashioned white bread, pickles, and German potato salad.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on February 24, 2021. (Leigh Vogel/Pool via Getty Images)

Manchin Confirms He Wont Vote for $3.5 Trillion Budget Bill; Sanders Fires Back

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) confirmed on Sept. 12 that he wont vote for a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill that contains a number of climate, social welfare, and other initiatives, arguing that the price tag is far too high.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wont have my vote on the package, Manchin said during a CNN interview, adding that Chuck knows that, and weve talked about this.

The West Virginia Democrat argued that too much money has been spent by the federal government in recent years and expressed concerns about further increasing the national debt.

Weve already put out $5.4 trillion and weve tried to help Americans in every way we possibly can and a lot of the help that weve put out there is still there and its going to run clear until next year, 2022, so whats the urgency? Manchin told the network. Whats the urgency that we have? Its not the same urgency that we had with the American Rescue Plan. We got that out the door quickly. That was about $2 trillion.

At the same time, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-described democratic socialist, told ABC News on Sept. 12 that he disagrees with Manchins call for a pause to debate the measure. Sanders, who is chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said that not only will the $3.5 trillion budget bill be approved, but he also believes the White House-backed infrastructure bill will pass.

I think were gonna work it out, but it would really be a terrible, terrible shame for the American people if both bills went down, Sanders said.

Speaking to CNN, Sanders also said that its not acceptable that Manchin wont vote in lockstep with most other Democrats on the measure. In the equally divided Senate, even one Democratic senators defection could doom the spending package, and Republicans have signaled they have no intention of supporting the legislation.

Democrats also hope to pass the bill via budget reconciliation, which allows a party to pass a bill with a simple 51-vote majority instead of a supermajority.

The Senate returns on Sept. 13 and the tentative deadline for the committees to turn in their draft bills is Sept. 15.

Also in the CNN interview, Manchin disputed a Sept. 27 deadline that was publicly proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Theres no way we can get this done by the 27th if we do our job, he said.
Alcoholic drinks that claim to be healthier, more natural, cleaner, free of carbohydrates, and guilt might be misleading consumers, the Cancer Council has warned.

A study released on Sunday analysed the nutrient profile of 144 new alcohol products released between 2019 and 2020 which were promoted as better for you.

The alcohol, energy, carbohydrate, and sugar content of each product was recorded and assessed against existing classifications for alcohol strength and sugar and carbohydrate content.

The research found most of the products contained full strength alcohol and more than a third didnt provide any nutritional information.

The chair of the Cancer Council Alcohol Working Group, Julia Stafford, said promoting alcohol as healthy or better for you was a misleading marketing tactic.

We are seeing an emerging and very concerning trend of alcohol companies trying to create a health halo around products that are fundamentally unhealthy, by marketing them as lower in calories, sugar or carbohydrates, using natural ingredients or avoiding the use of artificial additives or flavours, Stafford said.

Alcoholic products promoted as better for you rely on an illusion of healthiness, without addressing the ingredient of most concern to health, the alcohol content.

She said overstating minor differences in sugar and kilojoule content was a distraction from the health risks of alcohol, which is a cause of seven types of cancer including bowel cancer and breast cancer and is linked to more than 200 diseases.

Health halo or genuine product development: Are better-for-you alcohol products actually healthier? Mandatory labelling of alcoholic products with nutrition information would support consumers to be better informed about contents of alcoholic products. https://t.co/NEbT8nDbeE  Health Promotion Journal of Australia (@HealthProm_J_Au) September 7, 2021

Stafford also warned that alcohol and advertising industries design their own marketing codes which are too narrow and too weak to restrict claims about healthiness in alcohol ads.

We call on the Australian Government to introduce comprehensive, independent controls on alcohol marketing, which include restrictions on the use of health-related messaging, she said.

Examples of marketing claims in question include: we want our products to tick the health boxes; the millennial focussed brand is health conscious and environmentally friendly; using the best 100% natural ingredients we can find; all natural ingredients, low sugar, gluten free; and zero sugar, zero carbs.

AAP has approached industry bodies Alcohol Beverages Australia and Retail Drinks Australia for comment.
People walk near a Microsoft office in New York on Nov. 10, 2016. (Swayne B. Hall/AP Photo)

Microsoft Return to US Offices Delayed Indefinitely

REDMOND, WashingtonMicrosoft told employees Thursday that it has indefinitely delayed their return to U.S. offices until its safer to do so.

Given the uncertainty of COVID-19, weve decided against attempting to forecast a new date for a full reopening of our U.S. work sites, Jared Spataro, a corporate vice president, wrote in a blog post.

Microsoft had already postponed its planned return to the workplace from September to no earlier than Oct. 4, but now says the re-opening wont be next month.

Microsoft employs about 181,000 full-time workers, of whom 103,000 are in the United States.

Microsoft will wait for public health guidance on when it is safe to return, Spataro said. It will then give workers a 30-day transition period to prepare.

Last month Microsoft said it will require proof of vaccination for all employees, vendors, and visitors to its U.S. offices starting this fall.

The tech giant has made a big push since the pandemic emerged to tailor its suite of workplace software products to homebound workers and timed its delayed re-opening announcement with a number of new product features.

Many tech companies had plans for bringing back most of their workers around Labor Day weekend, but Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and a growing list of others have already decided to wait until next year.
Back dropped by planet Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) is seen from NASA space shuttle Endeavour after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation in space, on May 29, 2011. (NASA via Getty Images)

NASA Celebrates 20 Years of ISS Payload Operation

NASA this year is celebrating 20 years of operating science payloads/research on board the International Space Station.

The Payload Operations Center at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, houses the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center, the Laboratory Training Complex, and simulation rooms used to prepare for space station expeditions.

The center has the capabilities and space for the creation of additional mission operations laboratory control rooms.

The Payload Operations Integration Center began around-the-clock operations in 2001.

Since station assembly was completed in the fall of 2011, a record amount of science has been achieved. Each year hundreds of experiments are completed.

Scientists take advantage of the orbital outpost to study the impact of microgravity and other space effects on several aspects of our daily lives.

Astronauts conduct research and technology demonstrations daily across a variety of fields, including human life sciences, biological science, human physiology, physical and materials science, and Earth and space science.
NY Hospital Will Stop Delivering Babies as Maternity Workers Resign Over Vaccine Mandate

A hospital in upstate New York wont have the capacity to deliver babies after six employees in its maternity ward resigned instead of taking the COVID-19 vaccine as part of an executive order handed down by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo several weeks ago.

Lewis County General Hospital in Lowville said it will work with state officials to ensure that the maternity unit doesnt shut down permanently, officials said, WWNY-TV reported. Six employees who were employed in the unit resigned, while seven more who are apparently not vaccinated are undecided, Lewis County Health System Chief Executive Officer Gerald Cayer said.

Due to the staffing shortage, the hospital wont be able to deliver newborns, Cayer said.

If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to reengage in delivering babies here in Lewis County, Cayer said at a news conference on Sept. 10.

About 165 hospital employees havent yet been vaccinated against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, Cayer said. Thats about 27 percent of the workforce, he said.

Our hope is as we get closer (to the deadline), the numbers will increase of individuals who are vaccinated, fewer individuals will leave, and maybe, with a little luck, some of those who have resigned will reconsider, Cayer said. We are not alone. There are thousands of positions that are open north of the Thruway [a highway system spanning upstate New York], and now, we have a challenge to work through, you know, with the vaccination mandate.

In August, Cuomo, a Democrat who resigned over alleged inappropriate behavior with staffers, issued an order that all health care workers in New York state must get their first COVID-19 shot by Sept. 27. And last week, President Joe Biden issued an announcement saying that health care workers at facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding have to get vaccinated, with no exceptions, with officials estimating that 50,000 such employees would be affected by the mandate.

Hospital workers in California, Tennessee, and Texas have demonstrated against recent vaccine mandates. In June, a number of employees at Houston Methodist hospital in Texas walked out during their shifts to protest the companys vaccine mandate.

Bidens announcement also targeted more than 80 million workers who are employed at companies with 100 workers or more, saying that these employees have to either get a COVID-19 vaccine or be tested weekly for the CCP virus. Although few details have been released about how it would be enforced, some officials said harsh fines would be imposed if workers dont adhere to the mandate.

Lewis County General Hospital officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for additional comment.
Plans to Cut 20 Universal Credit Uplift Will Go Ahead: Javid

Plans to reverse the 20 ($28) uplift in Universal Credit will go ahead at the end of the month, Health Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed.

The weekly increase was introduced temporarily to help claimants during the coronavirus pandemic.

But ministers plan to start phasing out the increase from the end of September, based on individual claimants payment dates.

And despite opposition, Javid said plans would go ahead.

Speaking on Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News, the former chancellor said, The increase, which was temporary, will be ended as planned at the end of this month.

Recipients could lose 1,040 ($1,439) annually if the prime minister goes ahead with the cut.

Javid said, We are going to end the temporary increase in Universal Credit.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid as he arrives at BBC Broadcasting House, in London, on Sept. 12, 2021. (Yui Mok/PA)

SNP members backed a call for the UK government to abandon cruel and frankly irresponsible plans.

The partys conference overwhelmingly backed a motion urging government ministers to not end the boost.

Meanwhile, analysis from Labour suggests the cut would take 2.5 billion ($3.5 billion) from the economies of the north of England and the Midlands.

The party will call a vote on the planned cut as part of an opposition day debate in the Commons on Wednesday.

However, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has previously denied that ending the uplift would push more people into poverty.

A government spokesman said: As announced by the chancellor at the Budget, the uplift to Universal Credit was always temporary.

It was designed to help claimants through the economic shock and financial disruption of the toughest stages of the pandemic, and it has done so.

Universal Credit will continue to provide vital support for those both in and out of work, and its right that the government should focus on our plan for jobs, supporting people back into work, and supporting those already employed to progress and earn more.

By Geraldine Scott
Purdue University Warns of Disciplinary Action Over Non-Compliance With COVID-19 Testing

Three weeks into the fall semester, Purdue University said it has warned or taken disciplinary action against about 300 students and employees who failed to comply with its COVID-19 surveillance testing policies.

In a Sept. 10 news release, the Indiana-based public university said the vast majority of Purdue students are in compliance with its public health guidelines by either showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination or participating in regular surveillance testing, which can be as frequent as every week. However, 84 students remain in non-compliance, despite two prior warnings. A third violation will result in suspension.

Meanwhile, 214 Purdue employees have received an initial written warning that they are in non-compliance for failing to complete their required test. A staff member who is not compliant is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment, the university warned.

According to the university, as of Aug. 26, more than 80 percent of its 55,000 students and employees on the West Lafayette campus have been vaccinated.

Earlier this year, Indianas Republican-led legislature passed a law that prohibits the state or a local unit from issuing or requiring a COVID-19 immunization passport. The law, however, didnt prevent Indiana University from requiring its students, faculty, and staff to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of enrollment or employment.

Indiana Universitys vaccination mandate in June became the center of a lawsuit, in which eight students sought to block the policy on a Fourteenth Amendment basis. Seven of those students qualified for a religious exemption, but they were made to wear masks and undergo COVID-19 testing.

The students said in court filings that they have a constitutional right to bodily integrity, autonomy, and of medical treatment choice in the context of a vaccination mandate. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rotika also weighed in on the case, alleging that Indiana University violated the new state law.

This session, members of the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation to codify in law a prohibition on COVID-19 vaccine passports, preventing public institutions from mandating proof of vaccination as a condition for receiving services or employment, Rokita wrote in an official public opinion. Indiana Universitys policy clearly runs afoul of state lawand the fundamental liberties and freedoms this legislation was designed to protect.

On Aug. 2, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the university, saying that students failed to show enough evidence that their constitutional rights were being violated. An attempt to challenge the policy in the U.S. Supreme Court was rejected last week by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has thrown his full support behind the national COVID-19 recovery plan, indicating state lockdowns and lockouts will become a thing of the past before Christmas.

The plan from national cabinet, which sees a transition away from widespread lockdowns starting when vaccination rates hit 70 percent of the adult population to only highly targeted lockdowns at 80 percent vaccination, has caused some consternation among some states, but not South Australia.

Once we get to double dose 80 percent vaccination across South Australia we will certainly move away from state lockdowns, Marshall told Sky News Sunday Agenda program.

I think we will get to the double dose vaccination well before Christmas here in South Australia.

Australias most populous state NSW has also said it is working in accordance with the plan agreed to in national cabinet.

Double dose vaccinations for people aged over 16 in South Australia are currently running at a fraction above 40 percent.

The leader of the states Liberal party said he was not seeing much hesitancy to get vaccinated compared to a couple of months ago.

There is a lot of time to go until we get to that position, but we do know that as we increase our vaccination rate we reduce that transmission rate, we reduce hospitalisation, he said.

It is going to be a tough period over the next three or four months.

The plan agreed to by the states and territories expects premiers to move away from state lockouts, and more towards LGA and exposure site exclusions rather than whole of state.

The premier said he expects businesses may insist on people being vaccinated, but that is not something that will be endorsed by governments unless agreed on at the national cabinet level.

Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan welcomed Marshalls backing of the national plan.

Thats wonderful news, in particular for our domestic tourism industry, he told Sky News.

He said 660,000 jobs rely on people being above to move, particularly between state and territories.
Chinese shipping containers are stored beside a U.S. flag after being unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, Calif., on May 14, 2019. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

Tariffs Protect US Industries From China

Part 1: Chinas unfair trade practices continue

Analysis

The Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods should remain in place until the Chinese regime refrains from engaging in unfair trade practices.

The U.S. trade deficit with China stands at slightly more than $187 billion thus far in 2021. Since President Joe Biden took office in January, the trade deficit increased by 46.4 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Biden hasnt yet developed a China trade policy. Meanwhile, Chinas unfair trade practices continue.

For years, U.S. businesses have been complaining about unequal access to Chinese markets. U.S. companies are barred from many of Chinas business sectors, while Chinese businesses, even state-owned enterprises, enjoy unobstructed access to essentially every sector of the U.S. economy.

The Trump administration was also concerned about U.S. industries such as automotive and aircraft manufacturing, which were facing an unleveled playing field, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) subsidizes those and other industries. Its much harder for U.S. companies to earn a profit when competing with Chinese entities that receive ongoing grants and soft loans from the CCP and state-owned banks. Favored CCP industries and companies enjoy government protection from competition, both at home and abroad, garnering for the regime unprecedented economies of scale.

WeChat is an example of the kind of economies of scale enjoyed by favored Chinese companies. Its nearly impossible for either a Chinese company or a foreign company to launch a communication app in China. Consequently, WeChat is used by the vast majority of Chinas population of 1.4 billion people, making it one of the largest apps in the world.

In response to unfair Chinese trade practices, the Trump administration levied $550 billion of tariffs on goods imported from China. Initially, Bidens Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the tariffs would continue. As of August, $360 billion of those tariffs remain in force. In a recent statement, Yellen said that she wants to review the Trump-era tariffs, as she felt they may not have been levied in such a fashion as to best protect U.S. interests.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and U.S. President Donald Trump sign a trade agreement between the United States and China in the East Room of the White House on Jan. 15, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Many prominent economists, including Nobel Prize winners Milton Freedman and Paul Krugman, have spoken out about the destructive nature of trade tariffs, calling for a repeal of the Trump-era tariffs. On the other hand, The New York Times confirmed what many in the Trump administration already knew, that while China would be grateful for a repeal of the tariffs, they havent agreed to end subsidies to state-owned enterprises or to refrain from engaging in any of the other unfair behaviors identified by the administration.

Tariffs are taxes imposed on products imported from other countries, usually as a fixed percentage of the product values. The companies importing those products pay the tariffs, which are generally passed on to domestic consumers in the form of higher prices. Those who support tariffs argue that its better for U.S. companies to pay this money to the U.S. government than it is to give it to foreign companies.

Governments impose tariffs for a number of reasons, ranging from providing government revenue to protecting infant industries and domestic businesses from foreign competitors to protecting national security and defense sensitive industries to improving terms of tradeor as remedies for perceived trade violations, such as unfair subsidies and dumping by an exporting country.

Many economists oppose tariffs because they lead to higher consumer prices in the domestic country, as well as retaliation by foreign trade partners. Other economists make a case for tariffs. Dating back to the 18th century, most major economists, including Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, offered exceptions to the rule, situations in which they believed that tariffs were justified or beneficial, despite generally opposing trade tariffs. Smith argued that tariffs could be used for national defense and sometimes to establish freer markets. Smith spent the final year of his life working as the commissioner of customs, enforcing tariffs for the Crown.

In his 18th-century treatise, Englands Treasure by Foreign Trade, British economist Thomas Mun made the case that tariffs could be used to achieve an overbalance of trade. In 1833, Robert Torrens put forth the optimal tariff theory: A nation thats a large importer could shift the incidence of an import tariff from domestic consumers to foreign exporters. Particularly, a country with monopsony power, such as the United States, could force exporters to lower their prices, which, in turn, would dissuade them from exporting to the United States, because they could earn more by selling their goods elsewhere. An additional benefit to the United States as a monopsony is that, through the imposition of an import tariff, a monopsony can gain an advantage by reducing its demand for a product, which would reduce its trade deficit.

Tariffs have a lengthy history in the United States. First U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton advocated for temporary tariffs to protect fledgling U.S. industries. One of the oldest ongoing tariffs in the United States is the sugar tariff of 1789. While it caused economic inefficiencies, it can be considered successful in that it fulfilled its intended goal of protecting the U.S. sugar industry. Sugar cost nearly twice as much in the United States as it did elsewhere in the world market, and yet the U.S. sugar industry survived.

The Trump-era aluminum tariffs were found to have saved the U.S. aluminum industry. In 2010, there were 23 domestic aluminum smelters. But by 2017, only one remained because of the cheap importation of aluminum. The 2018 U.S. aluminum tariffs revived the industry, which has increased domestic production, created thousands of jobs, and attracted billions of dollars in investment.

Some of the Trump administrations economic advisers recommended levying tariffs as a negotiating technique. A successful example of this policy was that the U.S. levied a tariff against South Korean steel. In response, South Korea voluntarily instituted an export quota, which reduced its exports to the United States. Another use of tariffs in the Trump administration was to reduce the total volume of trade to curtail the U.S. trade deficit with certain countries.

There have been ample historical precedents to support the argument that tariffs can be beneficial in certain instances. Many of the U.S. grievances with China, such as restricted market access, unfair subsidies, poor terms of trade, and national security concerns, match those precedents. U.S. aluminum and steel are two clear examples of industries that are critical to defense infrastructure, so the administration shouldnt allow them to be gutted by cheaper foreign imports. And finally, as a near monopsony, the largest buyer on the planet, the United States should exercise its market power to dictate the terms of trade. Until China agrees to resolve U.S. trade grievances, the United States should maintain its China import tariffs.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Kevin Giovanni Esparza, 14, started selling handmade ice pops outside his high school to support his ailing mom, Maria Esparza. (Courtesy of Kevin Giovanni Esparza)

Teen Starts Ice Pop Business to Help Sick Mom Pay Rent: Its My Turn to Take Care of Her

A California 10th grader with $20 in his pocket, a handwritten sign, and a selfless ambition started selling handmade ice pops outside his high school to raise funds for rent, food, and a motorized wheelchair for his mother.

Thanks to an outpouring of community support, Kevin Giovanni Esparza has since raised over $5,000.

Kevins mom, Maria Esparza, 48, cannot work owing to arthritis and diabetes; she also has a medical condition that inflicts pain in multiple places at once, as Kevin describes it.

What inspired me is my mom, because she always told me that she had a dream of me buying her a house and a car, Kevin, 14, told The Epoch Times. I want to complete her dream.

Kevin Giovanni Esparza with his ice-pop signboard. (Courtesy of Kevin Giovanni Esparza)

Kevins mom is especially dear to his heart. He was born prematurely at just five months gestation, and his father left the family. The teen boy has been a true filial son to his struggling mother. He helps his mom change, bathe, brush her hair, and even helps with mopping and sweeping.

Maria, who speaks Spanish, talked to The Epoch Times with the help of Kevin. She said she is proud of Kevin, and he is an amazing son and an excellent student.

Kevin said: My mom has been an excellent parent for me: mother and father. For that hard work of raising me, I thank her very much. Its thanks to her that Im here. Now its my turn to take care of her.

Kevin with his mom, Maria. (Courtesy of Kevin Giovanni Esparza)

Kevin and his family have lived in their Bakersfield home for a year. With his first $20, Kevin bought the ingredients he needed to make pineapple and cucumber ice pops, or bolis, in July, selling them outside South High School in Bakersfield.

With his first profits, he branched out into an array of flavors, including strawberry, mango, Oreo cookie, pineapple, cucumber lime, cucumber jicama, and coconut almond.

When one of their supportive locals, Gregorio Arellano, caught wind of Kevins venture, he decided to help the teen reach a wider audience. Arellano posted a photo of Kevin at his ice-pop stand on Facebook. He urged locals to stop and buy an ice pop if driving past.

I have personally seen him pushing his mom around on the streets in a wheelchair, Arellano wrote. The post was shared thousands of times.

According to Arellano, scam fundraising accounts had been opened in the 10th graders name. So Kevin began accepting donations through Cash App and Venmo, and generosity was not in short supply.

Candy shop owner Beatriz Magdaleno, of @juicypikatreats, even stepped up as Kevins fundraising partner, reported Bakersfield Now.

He doesnt even know it, but hes a good example for other kids, Magdaleno told the outlet.

Between candy sales and Kevins bolis, the pair made close to $5,000.

Kevin told The Epoch Times that he credits his community for their support from the outset. He said the customers response was amazing. The teen expressed his gratitude, saying the communitys kindness has made him experience a heartfelt joy that he couldnt contain.

They have been amazing, he said. They have been supporting us, and thanks to them that we made it this far.

As for the ripple effect, Kevin hopes that other teenagers follow his lead.

What I would like them to do is support their parents, love them with all their hearts, he said. Theres a lot of teenagers that dont help out their parents anymore.

Kevin says his mom raised him with his grandparents core values of honesty, humility, respect, and obedience.

The young man now has a plan for the future. With all the help hes receiving from the community, he wants to grow his business bigger and bigger, eventually opening an ice-pop company so that he can share his bolis with the world.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Trudeau Says He Did Not Want Wilson-Raybould to Lie as SNC-Lavalin Affair Re-emerges

OTTAWALiberal Leader Justin Trudeau denied wanting Jody WilsonRaybould to lie as the SNCLavalin affairwhich figured prominently in the last electionburst back onto the campaign trail Saturday with the publication of an excerpt of the former justice ministers memoir.

The excerpt from the tellall book Indian in the Cabinetpublished in the Globe and Mailcame as the NDP revealed the cost of platform over the next five years, and police in London, Ont., charged a man in connection with a gravel throwing incident against Trudeau.

In the excerpt, WilsonRaybould recalls two critical meetings with Trudeau in February 2019, days after the Globe reported Canadas first Indigenous justice minister had faced inappropriate pressure from top Liberals in a court case.

That case was the criminal prosecution of Quebec engineering giant SNCLavalin, which was facing bribery charges related to contracts in Libya. WilsonRaybould would later testify that senior party leaders wanted her as attorneygeneral to stop the prosecution for political reasons.

The full memoir is due to be released on Tuesday.

WilsonRaybould says the meetings were held in Vancouver a few days after the Globe story broke. The prime minister was facing pressure after saying the papers report was false. WilsonRaybould says she was pushing for transparency with Canadians  and some level of accountability.

He used the line that would later become public, that I had experienced things differently, she writes.

I knew what he was really asking. What he was saying. In that moment, I knew he wanted me to lieto attest that what had occurred had not occurred.  Lie to protect a Crown government acting badly; a political party; a leader who was not taking responsibility.

WilsonRaybould resigned from cabinet the next day and was followed out the door by thenhealth minister Jane Philpott before the two were booted from Liberal caucus. The affair later led Trudeaus principal secretary, Gerald Butts, and Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick to resign.

Following the excerpts publication, the issue exploded onto the campaign trail Saturday as Trudeau denied wanting the former justice minister to lie while his opponents praised WilsonRaybould and held up her account as further proof the Liberal leader cant be trusted.

I did not want her to lie, Trudeau said during a campaign event in Mississauga, Ont., where he started his public remarks by honouring the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I would never do that. I would never ask her that. That is simply not true.

The Liberal leader sought to instead turn the page on the issue by noting the entire affair was the subject of countless parliamentary committee hearings, newspaper articles and other commentary in the lead up to, and during, the last federal election in October 2019.

Trudeau has previously refused to apologize for his handling of the affair, including after the ethics commissioner found in August 2019 that he violated the Conflict of Interest Act by improperly using his position to pressure WilsonRaybould to benefit SNCLavalins private interests.

Its unfortunate when two people who share a very similar vision for building a better future end up falling out, end up going in separate ways. I genuinely, obviously, regret how it ended up, Trudeau said on Saturday.

But I dont regret the things that I chose to do to stand up for Canadians and move forward because every step of the way, thats what has to guide me. Thats my responsibility as prime minister.

Yet even as Trudeau tried to put a plug in the issue, Conservative Leader Erin OToole seized on the excerpt to attack his chief rivals credibility.

Mr. Trudeau will say and do anything to win, and never has any intention of actually putting Canadians and the needs of the country first, OToole said during a campaign stop in Whitby, Ont., where he also marked the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Canadians no longer believe Justin Trudeau. We saw with how he treated Jody WilsonRaybould, how he put the interests of a corporate entity lobbying about a judicial proceeding ahead of doing the right thing.

Both OToole and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also sought to use the reemergence of the SNCLavalin affair as a way to remind Canadians about what they allege is Trudeaus hypocrisy when it comes to his treatment of strong women in cabinet and government.

Thats another example of this pattern of behavior that were seeing from Mr. Trudeau, of kicking out strong women in his cabinet, whether it was his previous justice minister, or whether it was minister Philpott, Singh said in Vancouver. Weve seen this as a trend, and its troubling.

Singh, meanwhile, faced questions about why his party was only releasing its costed platform  which proposes tens of billions more in spending than the Liberals and Conservatives  nine days before election day and after some voters across the country had already cast advance ballots.

The Conservatives released their costed plan last Saturday while the Liberals led the way on Sept. 1.

We said clearly were going to make the billionaires pay their fair share and weve been really clear about investing in the programs that people need, he said. This document is exactly what weve been saying all along, with more details.

The NDP plan would invest $214 billion in new programs over the next five years, compared to $78 billion in planned new spending by the Liberals and $58 billion from the Tories. Much of that will go to universal pharmacare, Indigenous communities and fighting climate change.

The party says it would pay for those promises through tax measures aimed at the wealthy and corporations, with plans to raise a total of $166 billion by 202526. The NDP says the revenue projections and some of the spending items have been costed by the parliamentary budget officer.

The PBO in its reports acknowledged uncertainty when it came to the revenue figures.

While the leaders were continuing to stump their way across parts of the country, London police announced they had charged 25yearold Shane Marshall of St. Thomas, Ont., with one count of assault with a weapon after someone threw gravel at Trudeau during a local campaign stop.

Earlier this week, the Peoples Party of Canada said it removed a man named Shane Marshall from the post of ElginMiddlesexLondon riding association president, but did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether he and the man facing charges are one and the same.

The Liberal party declined to comment on the arrest.

And while some Canadians cast their ballots at advance polls over the weekend, polls in three Newfoundland ridings were closed indefinitely after hurricane Larry battered the eastern part of the island. Elections Canada said there were no plans to add extra days for the advance polls.

By Lee Berthiaume
People ride a motorbike in the rain caused by Typhoon Chanthu in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept. 12, 2021. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

Typhoon Pours 5 Inches of Rain on Taiwan, Heads for Shanghai

TAIPEI, TaiwanTyphoon Chanthu drenched Taiwan with heavy rain Sunday as the storms center passed the islands east coast heading for Shanghai.

On the Chinese mainland, authorities issued a typhoon warning for Shanghai and warned of possible torrential rains.

Airline flights and train service in Taiwan were suspended Saturday as the storm approached. The Central News Agency reported more than 2,000 people were evacuated from flood-prone areas of the east coast county of Hualien.

At midday Sunday, Chanthus center was about 70 kilometers (45 miles) off Taiwans northeast coast, with winds of 162 kph (101 mph) and gusts up to 198 kph (124 mph), according to the Central Weather Bureau.

People walk in the rain caused by Typhoon Chanthu in Taipei, Taiwan, on Sept. 12, 2021. (Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

Up to 13 centimeters (5 inches) of rain fell Sunday in some areas, the Weather Bureau said. It said up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) was forecast.

Heavy rain also fell on Taipei, the capital, and other parts of the island.

Chanthu is forecast to head north and dump rain on Shanghai before turning east toward South Korea and Japan, the Weather Bureau said.

The airport in Ningbo, south of Shanghai, canceled 41 flights, official media reported.

Earlier, the storm grazed the island of Luzon in the Philippines, but no flooding or damage was reported.
UK to Repeal Emergency Powers Allowing Government to Shut Down Country

Emergency CCP virus powers allowing the UK government to shut down swathes of Englands economy are set to be repealed, the government said on Sept. 12.

The announcement comes as the controversial plan to introduce domestic vaccine passports in England was dropped on the same day.

In a statement published on Sept. 12, the government said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to repeal in the near future some of the emergency powers enacted in England by the Coronavirus Act 2020.

The powers that are no longer necessary include powers to close down sectors of the economy, apply restrictions on events and gatherings, disrupt education and child care, extend time limits for urgent warrants, or detain infectious people.

Some of the powers are expected to remain, including the powers to give sick pay to those who are isolating from day one rather than day seven; to direct schools to remain open if they close against government guidance; to help the National Health Service (NHS) to get the emergency resources it needs; to protect the most vulnerable from infection; and to control the spread of variants. The legal requirement for someone to isolate if they test positive will also remain, according to the statement.

Since March 2020, England has undergone three national lockdowns and a wave of tiered regional lockdowns, resulting in numerous job losses and the permanent shutdown of many businesses. Schools were shut for months on end, with exams cancelled for two consecutive years. For months, attending events and protests was also outlawed, as was meeting with friends and family.

A pint of beer sits on the bar of a Liverpool city centre pub ahead of the lockdown closure of bars, gyms, and clubs in Liverpool, England, on Oct. 13, 2020. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Johnson said the extraordinary times during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic required necessary but intrusive measures.

But Im determined to get  rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences, the statement reads.

The prime minister attributed the progress to the efforts of the public, the NHS, and our phenomenal vaccination programme.

Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat Partys home affairs spokesperson, said the government should repeal the Coronavirus Act in its entirety.

Responding to Health Secretary Sajid Javids announcement that the government has dropped its plan to introduce vaccine passports in nightclubs and large events, Carmichael said it was a victory for the Liberal Democrats and all those campaigners who stood up for our civil liberties against these deeply illiberal and unworkable plans.

After this inevitable U-turn, the Conservatives must now see sense and scrap the unnecessary and draconian Coronavirus Act altogether, he said.

The expected repealing of powers is part of Johnsons autumn and winter plan for managing the CCP virus pandemic. The CCP virus is the pathogen that causes COVID-19.

The plan will rely on the COVID-19 vaccines as the first line of defence, with other measures including new treatments, testing, and the UKs world-leading variant surveillance system, the government said.

Studies suggest that while vaccines dont stop the spread of the CCP virus, theyre effective in preventing severe illness from its existing variants. Long-term safety data for the vaccines wont be available until sometime later, but according to available data, health authorities around the world have deemed that their potential benefits outweigh the potential risks associated with their use.

As of Sept. 9, nearly 90 percent of the UK population over 16 have received the first dose of a CCP virus vaccine, and more than 80 percent have received both doses, the government said.

Those who are immunocompromised will be offered a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as a primary dose.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is expected to give its final recommendation on a booster vaccination programme soon.

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said on Sept. 10 that the UK should donate vaccines to other countries instead of using them on a booster programme.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot has also said there hasnt been enough clinical data to suggest whether booster shots are necessary.

The JCVI declined to recommend mass vaccination of 12- to 15-year-olds on health grounds on Sept. 3, but the UKs chief medical officers are tasked with consulting other experts to draw advice based on wider considerations.

Asked when the chief medical officers will be ready to give their advice, Javid told Sky Newss Trevor Phillips on Sunday that he believes it wont take much longer, but he wont push them.

They need to take their time. Its independent advice, as it should be. They need to take their time, Javid said.

I dont think they will be taking that much longer, but in the meantime, I have asked the department to work with schools, the school vaccination teams, to start preparing just in case we have a situation where their advice is to recommend it, and then if the government accepts that, then I just want to be able to go ahead with it.
Protesters clash with police at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

US Capitol Police Says 6 Officers Involved in Wrongdoing on Jan. 6

One investigation still pending

The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) confirmed on Sept. 11 that it has recommended disciplinary action for six officers over their handling of protesters on U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, following internal investigations.

The departments first official update on the investigations comes eight months after the breach of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, which posed a security threat to members of Congress.

The USCP, which is tasked with protecting the Capitol, said in a statement that the recommendations by its Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) were for officers found to be in violation of its code of conduct. The OPR has been investigating a total of 38 cases related to the events of Jan. 6.

Three officers were identified for conduct unbecoming, one for failure to comply with directives, one for improper remark, and one for improper dissemination of information, it said.

The wrongdoings arent criminal in nature, the department said, adding that a U.S. attorneys office review concurred it did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime.

The USCP had announced in January that it suspended six officers with pay over their actions on Jan. 6, and that more officers were under investigation based on video and other open-source materials showing instances of potential violations of department regulations and policies. It isnt clear if these same six cases are the ones identified in the update.

Capitol Police officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

The accused U.S. Capitol rioter dubbed the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley (C), and other protesters outside the Senate chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Potentially Aided by Some Police

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, told reporters at the time that the suspensions were related to officers that potentially facilitated, on a big level or small level in any way the breach of the Capitol building that took place during the joint session of Congress, while lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence counted electoral votes.

Protesters were demanding transparency for audits of the elections after allegations of election fraud and concerns over Democrat-led alteration of voting rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While Democratic lawmakers have pushed the narrative that the Jan. 6 breach was an insurrection, largely during the failed January impeachment effort against President Donald Trump, no one who participated in the breach has been charged with insurrection.

One of the officers suspended by USCP was caught on camera taking a selfie with one of the protesters. Another suspended officer was reportedly seen wearing a red Make America Great Again hat and was seen directing people around, Ryan said.

Other videos show police officers standing motionless as groups made their way into the Capitol building. Some of those who entered the building claimed that officers allowed them inside.

According to the Sept. 11 update, the department hasnt been able to identify all officers being investigated.

Some complaints did not contain enough information to identify the officer at the center of the complaint, it said of 12 of the 38 cases.

The update also said that a seventh case involving a USCP official is still pending, with the investigation involving alleged unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming. An internal investigation of the official was triggered after a criminal investigation in which charges were not filed, it said.

The department didnt provide further details, saying that USCP internal investigations, including any recommended disciplinary actions, as well as personnel matters are not public information and that officer names, witness names, and complainant names were redacted from its report to the Department of Justice.

People who breached the U.S. Capitol gather in the buildings Rotunda in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

USCP operations arent subject to freedom of information laws, given the sensitive nature of their mission to secure the safety of members of Congress, although some members have urged the department to make their reports available to the public given the importance of determining the events of Jan. 6 and the need for transparency to restore confidence in the police department.

The USCP is committed to accountability when officers fail to meet the standards governed by USCP policies and the Congressional Communitys expectations, the statement reads.

The six sustained cases should not diminish the heroic efforts of the United States Capitol Police officers, it added. On January 6, the bravery and courage exhibited by the vast majority of our employees was inspiring.

Fall Out

More than 140 officers, including officers of the Metropolitan Police Department, were injured on Jan. 6, with $1.5 million in damage reported at the Capitol building. Two officers and four protesters died during and following the breach. USCP officer Brian Sicknick died from natural causes on Jan. 7, and officer Howie Liebengood died of suicide on Jan. 9.

Two older male protesters, Kevin Greeson and Benjamin Phillips, died naturally from hypertensive atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and another, Roseanne Boyland, from an accidental drug overdose.

The fourth protester, unarmed military veteran and Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, was fatally shot by Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd when she breached a door leading to the House chamber. The department said that following its internal investigation, Byrd had acted within department policy, in agreement with an earlier DOJ finding. Babbitts family said it plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit for excessive use of force.

Read More Timeline of Events in DC on Jan. 6

More than 600 people across nearly 50 states have since been charged in relation to the breach, and various federal agencies are probing crimes that were committed.

In this image from video, a man identified as Scott Fairlamb punches a Metropolitan Police Department officer outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (FBI)

USCP Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told Congress in February that an estimated 800 demonstrators breached the capitol, while well in excess of 10,000 demonstrators traversed the Capitol grounds. According to Epoch Times reporters on site, the majority of the protesters who remained outside the Capitol building on Jan. 6 were peaceful.

Members of Congress criticized the USCP in the wake of Jan. 6 for its inability to secure the U.S. Capitol, with calls for investigations and reform to prevent a repeat of such security lapses in the future.

In January, House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said that according to briefings on the security failures, It is now obvious that intelligence agencies had ample evidence an angry mob would descend on Washington, with Congresss meeting to certify the presidential election as the intended target.

The law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting the Capitol did not act on this intelligence or adequately prepare for the looming threat, she said.

Kash Patel, who served as chief of staff to President Donald Trumps acting secretary of defense, has also said that the USCP and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., turned down an offer from the Trump administration for thousands of National Guardsmen and women on Jan. 4. The USCP, based on their assessment of the intelligence, believed that there was no credible threat for Jan. 6, Pittman told the February hearing.

Pittman apologized for the departments failings, saying that their assessment of the intelligence didnt indicate that tens of thousands would attack the U.S. Capitol. She blamed the lack of preparedness on the conduct of the large number of everyday Americans who took on a mob mentality because they were angry and desperate.

Law enforcement agencies said in July that of those charged, more than 50 were charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer. Meanwhile, the majority of the cases were over nonviolent charges such as entering a restricted building, obstruction of an official proceeding, and civil disorder.

Many of those charged have been held in jail pending trial for eight months, including some who arent accused of acts of violence. A Justice for J6 rally, spearheaded by former Trump campaign official Matt Braynard, to protest the denial of bail, medical care, and access to attorneys to nonviolent protesters, is planned for Sept. 18.

Isabel van Brugen, Zachary Stieber, and Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
A bump stock is installed on an AK-47 and its movement is demonstrated at Good Guys Gun and Range in Orem, Utah on Feb. 21, 2018. (George Frey/Getty Images)

US Military Court Rules Bump Stock Isnt a Machine Gun

A U.S. military court ruled that bump stocks, or devices that can increase the rate of fire in some semi-automatic firearms, are not machine guns despite the federal government in 2018 having issued a rule banning them.

The U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals on Sept. 9, in the case of U.S. v. Ali Alkazahg, said that the 2018 order directed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives [ATF] to issue a new interpretation of a rulethat contradicted the ATFs previous interpretationgoverning legislation from the 1930s.

This Executive-Branch change in statutory interpretation aimed to outlaw bump stocks prospectively, without a change in existing statutes, the court ruled, suggesting that the ATF bypassed Congress by creating a law when only Congress has that power under the Constitution.

In the case, Akazahg, a Marine Corps private, was convicted of possessing two machine guns, which were actually bump stocks, in violation of Articles 83, 107, and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Lawyers for the Marine argued that bump stocks didnt meet the definition of machine guns.

The court ultimately agreed with Akazahgs lawyers, issuing a unanimous ruling.

In 1986, Congress passed the Firearms Owners Protection Act [FOPA], banning possession of machine guns not owned before 1986, the judges wrote. FOPA also banned any parts, to include frames and receivers, which were part of a machine gun or were designed for converting a weapon into a machine gun.

It added, Due to having a bump stock, Appellant was charged under the statute which states that a machine gun is any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically, more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.' But they said that a bump stock doesnt meet that definition.

In late 2018, then-acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker amended an ATF rule that determined bump stocks fall within the definition of being a machine gun under federal law.

Such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger, says the ATFs website on the rule. It was established after the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, in which a gunman allegedly used semiautomatic rifles with bump stocks to kill 58 people.

But in March 2021, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the ban on bump stocks, disagreeing with the ATFs interpretation of the law. Despite the court order, the ATFs website still characterizes the devices as machine guns.

It is not the role of the executiveparticularly the unelected administrative stateto dictate to the public what is right and what is wrong, stated Judges Alice Batchelder and Eric Murphy of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, who wrote the 2-1 majority opinion. Granting the executive the right both to determine a criminal statutes meaning and to enforce that same criminal statute poses a severe risk to individual liberty, they noted.
Larry Elder walks with staff and residents of Venice Beach, Calif., through streets with high populations of homeless individuals on Sept. 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Venice Neighborhood Councilors File Hate Crime Complaint Against Larry Elders Attackers

Venice Neighborhood Council board members Soledad Ursua and Chie Lunn, who toured gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder around the citys infamous homeless encampments, filed a hate crime complaint on Sept. 9 with the Los Angeles Police Department against Elders attackers.

During a walk-through of Elders campaign stop at Venice Beach on Sept. 8, over 10 hecklers harassed him, throwing projectiles, and allegedly assaulted his bodyguard.

It was just all of these vile things. They are yelling sexist slurs at us, Ursua told The Epoch Times. Theres other people who then were yelling the N-word.

A lady in a pink gorilla mask, riding a bike, appeared on video throwing an egg that appeared to narrowly miss Elders head.

In videos surfacing on Twitter, the woman slapped the security staff in the face. Another protester hit the same security staff member seconds later.

A woman throwing objects at Larry Elder later assaulted a member of Elders security team in Venice Beach, Calif., on Sept. 8, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Although Lunn has been a life-long Democrat and Ursua is a Libertarian, they were disgusted by how the protestors treated Elder and those accompanying him during the walk-through.

According to Ursua, there were seven people accompanying Elder on Sept. 8 touring the homeless encampments, including the president of the Venice Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Ursua was thrilled to tour Elder around homeless encampments so the media could bring more attention to the homelessness issue in Venice Beach.

We invite people to come to Venice to study homelessness with us, because when you look at Venice Beach, there are 2,000 unsheltered homeless people living on our street. This is the number-two largest number of unsheltered homeless people outside of Skid Row, Ursua said.

Ursua claims that they were attacked just a few minutes after they began the tour. The attackers and protesters were hurling eggs and racial slurs at them while they walked through the neighborhood.

Ursua and her colleagues at the neighborhood council have been working closely to improve the public safety and the living conditions of the homeless people in Venice. Ursua said it was an awful experience to see her friend Lunn and Elder insulted with racist slurs.

We really encourage everyone to come here so that they can see it with their own eyes because its a real wake-up call. You can read about these things, but it doesnt really hit people until they see it, and they can see the awful conditions that homeless people are living in, Ursua said.

Ursua believes the attackers were politically motivated, sexist, and racist, and she worried that Lunns children would have been negatively impacted by the attack as they could see their mother being yelled at with vulgar language.

Ursua and Lunn filed the report as a hate crime, believing these protesters were paid and sent there to embarrass Elderemphasizing that homeless people dont have gorilla masks and eggs in their tents.

They are out there denouncing other elected officials; we feel that this is very coordinated, and we want their identity shown, Ursua said.

Ursua said it was a racist attack and that no one deserves to be treated like this, saying no politician has condemned it, except Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

My biggest regret was that I wish I would have ripped it [the mask] off so that everybody could see her face, and exposed her. We want justice. We want to know the identity of that person.  We want this woman caught, and we want her exposed, because she does not represent Venice, said Ursua.
Members of the Armed Forces of Guinea drive through the central neighborhood of Kaloum in Conakry, Guinea, on Sept. 5, 2021. (Cellou Binani/AFP via Getty Images)

Why Beijing Opposes the Coup in Guinea

News Analysis

The West African country of Guinea went through a military coup on Sept. 5 when Guineas special forces overthrew and detained President Alpha Conde and took over the countrys government.

On the following day, a spokesman for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s Foreign Ministry said, China opposes a coup attempt to seize power.

Some news commentators took note of the statement, considering that the CCP always claims that it doesnt interfere in other countries internal affairs.

The Republic of Guinea was founded in 1958 after gaining independence from France. The 83-year-old Alpha Conde came to power 11 years ago after the nations first democratic election.

Soldiers from Guineas special forces poured into the capital of Conakry on Sept. 5 and engaged in several hours of gunfighting. They blocked main roads and detained Conde.

The coup was led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the head of Guineas special forces and a former member of the French Foreign Legion. Doumbouya appeared in the countrys state media that day with a Guinean flag on his shoulder and announced the annulment of the constitution, the dissolution of the government, and the closure of borders until further notice.

Doumbouya also said the junta would work to establish a transitional government that would transfer power from one person to the people of the nation. He did not mention what the transition would entail, nor did he give a date for democratic elections.

As president, Conde had promised a stable democracy. However, once in power, he used violence to suppress opponents and failed to reduce poverty. Last year, Conde decided to run for a third term, which many considered illegal.

Although the coup was welcomed by many in Guinea, it panicked the countrys mining industry. Guinea has the worlds largest bauxite reserves, an ore used to produce aluminum. Although there are no signs of supply disruptions, the price of bauxite surged to a 10-year high on Sept. 6.

Beijings Uncharacteristic Stance

In an uncharacteristic turnabout, Beijing openly opposed the coup.

China opposes the coup and calls for the immediate release of President Conde, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for the CCPs Foreign Ministry, told Bloomberg at a Sept. 6 press conference.

Duowei News, a pro-CCP overseas Chinese media outlet, said in an article on Sept. 7 that Beijing, which has a history of non-interference in other countries internal affairs, has shown a rare hard-line stance on the Guinea issue.

The article noted that when coups happened in Thailand in 2014, in Zimbabwe in 2017, and in Sudan in 2019, the CCPs Foreign Ministry called for all parties to exercise restraint and step up dialogue and consultation, and insisted on its principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs.

This indicates that the CCPs resolute opposition to the coup in Guinea is very different from its previous statements of staying out of the affairs of other countries, according to the article.

Zhang Tianliang, an associate professor at Fei Tian College in New York, explained on his YouTube channel on Sept. 8 that Guinea has one-third of the worlds aluminum reserves and 15 times that of China. Aluminum ore is needed for many of Chinas manufacturing industries, and China usually imports it from Australia and Guinea. However, the CCPs relationship with Australia has become adversarial recently, so it imports a lot more aluminum ore from Guinea.

So after the Guinea coup, for the first time, the CCP changed its usual statement, Zhang said.

In the past when there were coups in other countries, the CCP usually issued a standard answer, saying that it supported the peoples choice of that country and insisted on non-interference in other countries internal affairs. This time, however, the CCPs Foreign Ministry spokesman, Wang Wenbin, acted out of line with their normal response, saying they [the Chinese regime] are against the coup in Guinea, Zhang said.

Its very rare for the CCP to suddenly, seriously, and clearly oppose the coup in Guinea. Isnt this interference in other countries internal affairs? The mask of the CCP has come off, Zhang said.

Zhang said there are two reasons for Beijings opposition to the Guinea coup.

One is that Guinea is an important country in the CCPs Belt and Road Initiative, and Conde, the ousted president, was close to Beijing.

The second reason can be guessed from a photo on Condes Twitter account, where he is shown at a public event with Special Forces commander Colonel Mamady Doumbouyathe mastermind of the coupholding an umbrella over him. The coup by Dumbouya, who was once the most trusted figure of Condes, may strike fear into the heart of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Do you know who in the Central Security Bureau is really loyal to you? You wont know when someone whos usually loyal to you might try a coup sometime, Zhang said. You wont know if someone in the Central Security Bureau might defect if theres a strong anti-Xi force within the CCP.

This analysis has circumstantial evidence that the CCPs Western Theater Command has had four new commanders in a year. The first two commanders Zhang Xudong and Xu Qiling have disappeared after being replaced. Doesnt that mean theres something wrong with the army? Xi Jinping faces huge opposition within the CCP. After Guineas coup, he is unlikely to have much faith in the leaders around him.

Xi promoted five more generals on Sept. 6: Wang Haijiang, commander of the Western Theater Command; Lin Xiangyang, commander of the Central Theater Command; Dong Jun, commander of the Navy; Chang Dingqiu, commander of the Air Force; and Xu Xueqiang, president of the PLA National Defense University, according to China Central Television (CCTV) News.

Among the predecessors of these five generals, four are below retirement age except Shen Jinlong, former commander of the Navy, who will reach the retirement age of 65 next month. Xu Qiling, the former commander of the Western Theater Command, was only in office for two months.

In December 2020, Zhao Zongqi, the former commander of the Western Theater Command, retired and was replaced by Zhang Xudong. Six months later, in July 2021, Xu Qiing replaced Zhang Xudong as commander of the Western Theater Command. Xu was replaced by Wang Haijiang after only two months in office. All three were promoted to generals, but Zhang and Xu are still missing.

In an op-ed on Sept. 7, Epoch Times columnist Shen Zhou said that the change of three commanders in a row in the Western Theater Command at least reveals that the military generals are not 100 percent trusted by Xi Jinping, or that someone is still trying to stir up trouble. It is therefore worth watching whether Xi will be re-elected as he wishes.
In this aerial photo released by the Los Angeles County Fire Department Air Operations traffic passes the Route fire, a brush wildfire off Interstate 5 north of Castaic, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2021. (Los Angeles County Fire Air Operations via AP)

Wildfire Forces Closure of Part of Freeway in California

CASTIAC, Calif.A wildfire near Castaic on Saturday has led to the closure of a part of a major freeway in Southern California, officials told local media.

The fire, known as the Route Fire, reached 392 acres, or a little more than half a square mile, as of 6:28 p.m. and forced the shutdown of a section of Interstate 5, a Los Angeles National Forest spokesperson told KTLA-TV.

KTLA reported that the Route Fire is threatening structures, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Santa Clarita Valley station.

The fire was uncontained as of 6:30 p.m., authorities said.

A vehicle passes by the burning Route fire, a brush wildfire off Interstate 5 north of Castaic, Calif., on Sept. 11, 2021. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo)

Elsewhere in California, thunderstorms that dropped light rain gave some breathing room to crews struggling to quench the states massive wildfires but lightning sparked several new blazes in the drought-stricken north, fire officials said.

The storms that rolled through Thursday night into Friday were followed by weekend forecasts of clear weather and a warming trend in fire areas into next week.

The National Weather Service said there were more than 1,100 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in California between Thursday evening and Friday morning. Fire officials said lightning strikes ignited at least 17 fires.

Lightning strikes over Mt. St. Helena in Napa county, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2021. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP)

Firefighters were diverted from the huge Caldor Fire south of Lake Tahoe to fight multiple overnight lightning fires throughout El Dorado County, fire officials said. However, most of the blazes were kept to under 10 acres.

Three new fires were reported in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks in steep, dense forest areas of the Sierra Nevada.

Up to a half-inch of rain fell on portions of the Dixie Fire, which began in mid-July and has burned through huge swaths of the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. The second-largest fire in California history has burned 1,490 square miles of land and more than 1,300 homes and other buildings. It was 59 percent contained.

The rain wet tinder-dry vegetation and will cool down the fire for one or two days, which firefighters hoped to use to strengthen and expand fire lines in an effort to finally surround the blaze, fire officials said.
Would Allow China to Have Direct Oil Access: Antonio Graceffo on Beijings Interest in Afghanistan

In this episode, we sat down with China economic analyst Dr. Antonio Graceffo. He touched on Beijings interest in Afghanistan, what some of those risks are, and how Beijings plan of global dominance through the Belt and Road initiative is playing out.

Graceffo said, Main involvement of China with Afghanistan is to protect its investments that it has in Pakistan, because Pakistan or CPEC, which is the Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor, is the jewel of the Belt and Road. Its kind of the most important point of the Belt and Road because it would allow China to have direct access to the oil from the Middle East, bypassing the sea, bypassing the United States Navy. They [would] be able to go overland through Pakistan. And the projects in Pakistan have been subjected to terrorist attacks repeatedly. Often these terrorist attacks are by the Pakistan Taliban or the Afghanistan Taliban, which are in Pakistan. And so one of the main issues is that Beijing wants to negotiate with the Taliban in Afghanistan to get them to agree not to attack Chinese interest in Pakistan. The other one is that they want to get an agreement from the Taliban in Afghanistan that they will not support Uyghur independence movements, or terrorism in Xinjiang, inside of China. 

As to the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the Taliban, Graceffo said, Thats the issue with things like sanctions and boycotts of countries. I just did a piece on Venezuela recently as well. I mean, its just a really similar situation. You have these bad actors, you have Venezuela, North Korea, you have Afghanistan. And obviously, the West brings sanctions against them, particularly the United States. And it makes sense to do that. On the one hand, it then isolates them, and then China becomes the friend in time of need. And thats the person you remember. You remember the person who helped you and everybody else rejected you. And so China steps into a place like Afghanistan and offers them money, offers [them] friendship, in this case, offers some legitimacy.

He added, In fact, in July, they held high, high-level talks with Taliban representatives in Beijing, which suggests to me that they will probably officially recognize the Taliban, or may not officially recognize them because, in doing so, there will be legitimizing claims that the Taliban is not legitimate. So they may just conduct business as usual with them with no need to say that theyre legitimate. But either way, the Taliban needs legitimacy. They need friends, they need money. And of course, Beijing is willing to provide money. Now to protect the CPEC investments, China would do almost anything. The rare earth minerals are one of the most valuable resources in the region. Very important for Chinas continued operation and for their continued success economically is energy oil, which of course, is the main commodity that would be passing through Pakistan on CPEC. So thats more the immediate need. A long-term investment, which as we know, Beijing takes often very long-term planning, would be the rare earth minerals, and then youre going to trillions of dollars.

Watch the full episode on EpochTV.

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You Want to Be an Entrepreneur, but Do You Have What It Takes? 5 Basic Skills You Must Have

It is important that you reflect on what skills you have and which ones you need to continue developing in order to start your business

If before, entrepreneurship required emotional strength and the firm decision to do so, during the pandemic, for many it became a priority, awakening the entrepreneurial spirit that some carry inside and pushing that dream of having a profitable business of their own. To this, we must add the digital reality in which we live, where the strengths that entrepreneurs require are not limited only to having an attractive product or service, or to knowing perfectly the market and what you sell. It has to do more with the skills to carry out digital businesses, lead teams, projects, processes, among others.

Faced with this new panorama, which is increasingly digital, entrepreneurs have sought to adapt and innovate to keep their businesses afloat, and although this crisis brings unprecedented challenges, it also provides an opportunity to meet new needs. In this case, it is important that you reflect on what skills you have and which ones you need to continue developing in order to start your business.

Many do not take this part seriously. However, it is essential to know and develop the necessary skills to undertake, so through this space, I want to talk to you about the most important ones.

1. Resilience, a Basic

One of the most important characteristics that entrepreneurs must have is resilience. This ability to face challenges and adapt to everything is vital, especially in these challenging times, where uncertainty is sometimes the only sure thing we have. Resilience helps entrepreneurs to take the risks that come and to overcome crises. One of the most common mistakes is to surrender to the first mistake or failure, as this is part of the learning curve and no one could say that they started without making a mistake. In addition, looking for new solutions to a problem is key to learning and developing creativity, and only in this way can one persist in the face of adversity, being essential for those who want to undertake. In other words, celebrate mistakes and create a culture of work with your team to make it a practice that strengthens innovation in all members of your venture.

2. Intrapreneurship Above All

Although it is obvious, another basic skill for entrepreneurs is intrapreneurshipwhich means having initiative, being proactive, assuming responsibilities, analyzing risks, identifying new growth opportunities, and making decisions are some of the qualities that are manifested by having this ability. Generally, these types of competencies are identified even when a person works in an organization, as they are the first signs that someone has entrepreneurial DNA. If in your previous or current jobs, you are the first to suggest, you have a high sense of urgency, you have plenty of ideas, you commit to new projects, you like to take risks, then it is time to leave that chair and start your business.

3. Entrepreneurship Being Digital

Digital culture must be a fundamental skill, since a crucial characteristic of an entrepreneur is to understand that man and technology must complement each other, and without a doubt, it is the basis of the growth of any business. In addition, people who have the affinity and ease for the use of technological tools, such as the Internet, mobile applications, or social networks, are definitely more likely to better assume changes and innovations in the context we live in. Currently, 85 percent of startups in Mexico have a digital presence and 36 percent started less than a year ago, according to the Association of Entrepreneurs of Mexico (ASEM).

4. A Transformational Leadership

The leadership style is also extremely important. Surely they remember their more traditional and authoritarian bosses, so do not replicate it. That style of leadership does not work in entrepreneurship and if for some reason you thought that assuming a leadership role under that format would work, on the contrary, it will take you on the negative side as an entrepreneur. Today we need leaders who adopt new technologies, are agile, reject operational tasks, are very creative, analytical, promote consensus, and are more oriented to the fulfillment of the objectives as a team, not individually. All these characteristics are encompassed by a transformational leader, who, as the name implies, is open to change and constantly innovates. When entrepreneurs continue to be traditional leaders, they close down, they do not generate commitment from their team, they have little capacity to find different paths and overcome difficulties, these being the main causes that lead them to failure.

5. Always Empathetic

Last but not least, an entrepreneur must be empathetic, not only to understand the needs of clients, but also to direct the work team. An entrepreneur who does not listen to others will hardly be able to communicate the vision of the business and infect others to achieve the objectives of the venture. According to the World Economic Forum, empathy represents a really effective antidote to stress and allows a better connection with employees, as it provides a way to create relationships based on trust.

Many of the challenges that entrepreneurs experience are related to the ability to do everything they propose with few resources, but with the correct skills and attitudes, of course they will allow them to overcome the financial challenges of their ventures, and if they add to their teams people motivated by their leadership and the level of seriousness with which they carry out their endeavors, they are sure that they will be successful.

You could come to wonder, in case these abilities are not so present in you, then maybe you cant do it? The reality is that it can be done. You just need to create habits and a change-oriented mindset, as skills are developed and put into practice day by day.

Reflect on these skills, work on them, and begin this great journey. This is your time to make your dreams of entrepreneurship come true.
Emma Cowles said hurricane Ida wasnt a cause for concern until it strengthened into a category 4 storm. The Ridgefield native was in New Orleans preparing for an admissions test for graduate school days before Ida made landfall on the gulf coast.

Cowles, 21, has lived in New Orleans for the past four years while attending Tulane University as an undergrad. In 2020, the city experienced one of the worst hurricane seasons on record, she said, which was inconvenient yet manageable, she said.

We thought we can handle (Ida) because we had so many (hurricanes) last year, she added. But by the time the storm was bumped up to a category 4, it was too late for city officials to order a mandatory evacuation, she said.

The information didnt come until 24 hours (before) the storm hit, which complicated things, she said. In New Orleans cars arent that common, especially in the outer parishes, (so) it was hard to get out for a lot of folks.

Cowles was set on weathering the storm when she woke up on Aug. 27, but her plans changed by nightfall. The next morning she woke up at 6 a.m. to make a beeline for Alabama, only packing enough clothes for the weekend.

On the way out, I was stuck in six hours of standstill traffic, she said. Mississippi was where the hold up was  people were evacuating in every direction.

Cowles eventually made it to Tuscaloosa to hole up in a hotel with a friend from school, but contracted COVID in the process. Its been a week, she deadpanned.

The storm ravaged New Orleans on Aug. 29. All of the citys transmission lines were knocked out in Idas wrath, Cowles said. She added that within the first hour of the storm, a major electrical tower  which withstood hurricane Katrina in 2005  fell into the Mississippi River.

Students at Tulane were evacuated to Houston after the storm, Cowles said. The dorms were inhabitable due to broken windows, leaking pipes and damaged roofs.

The National Guard was deployed to New Orleans to assist with restoration efforts. Cowles street served as one of their base camps. A lot of the resources were concentrated in the outer parishes, where flooding was so extreme that people had to use boats to get around, she said.

Tulane Cancer Center, where Cowles works, pivoted to provide primary care services to those who had been injured during the storm. Regular patients, were told to receive chemotherapy elsewhere, she said.

We were truly convinced that the storm couldnt have caused this much damage, she added.

Cowles stayed in Tuscaloosa until Aug. 31 and arrived in Ridgefield on Sept. 3. The remnants of Ida caused major delays as she traveled up the east coast. While she was home, she asked friends on Facebook to consider supporting the mutual aid groups that are helping New Orleans recover.

People should be more compassionate to (those) who choose not to evacuate. Its not because  theyre lazy or not listening to the news, its because they dont have the resources to do so, Cowles explained. Knowing that youre fleeing is an incredibly stressful situation to be in  reading about it is easier.

She added, People who like jazz or go to Mardi Gras (should) have a stake in this restoration.

To support mutual aid groups in New Orleans, visit www.cajunnavyrelief.com or www.imaginewaterworks.org.

alyssa.seidman@hearstmediact.com
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  More than 70 members of the Connecticut National Guard are heading to Poland as part of ongoing U.S. military preparedness exercises with European allies.

A send-off ceremony was held Sunday at the state armory in Hartford for the Danbury-based 142nd Area Support Medical Co., which will be supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve over the next year by providing medical care.
JUBRIQUE, Spain (AP)  Soldiers were deployed Sunday in southeastern Spain to join the battle against a major wildfire that is burning for a fourth day, invigorated by stray embers that sparked a new hot spot.

The blaze in Malaga province has destroyed nearly 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of forest and prompted fresh evacuations, bringing the total number of residents displaced to around 2,500.

Plan Infoca, the Andalusia regions agency in charge of firefighting efforts, described Sunday as a key day for bringing the blaze under control.

Authorities on Sunday preventively removed nearly 1,500 residents from the towns of Jubrique, Genalguacil and four other villages. Over 1,000 other people had been evacuated before the weekend from areas around the resort town of Estepona, which is popular among tourists and foreign expats.

An emergency brigade traveled from the military base of Moron, in southern Spain, to join more than 300 firefighters and 41 water-dropping aircraft battling the flames.

The reinforcement was welcomed. But firefighters like Rafael Fanega, who said the blaze was still out of control," called for more boots on the ground to battle the flames.

I dont see enough deployed personnel," Fanega told The Associated Press, speaking in Jubrique after it was evacuated. "Some may see it differently, but thats how I see it.

Some progress was seen on Saturday, when authorities said better weather conditions had helped them stabilize the perimeter of the blaze, allowing them to focus on four hot spots.

A combination of hot and dry temperatures with strong winds created a perfect storm, turning the blaze that started late Wednesday into a hungry monster, Alejandro Garcia, deputy operational chief of Plan Infoca, said earlier this week.

The potency and strength of this wildfire is unusual for the kind of blazes that we are used to seeing in this country," Garcia told reporters Sunday.

The firefighting agency released aerial pictures showing towering plumes of smoke emerging from rugged terrain, which it said made crews' access on the ground difficult. A 44-year-old firefighter died Thursday while trying to extinguish the blaze.

Authorities said they have evidence of arson and are investigating.

Wildfires are common in southern Europe during the hot, dry summer months. But have been particularly numerous around the Mediterranean Sea this year, worsened by the intense August heat waves.

In Spain, over 75,000 hectares (186,000 acres) of forest and bush areas have burned in the first eight months of the year, according to Spains Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms.

___

Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change.
OXON HILL, Md. (AP)  A police officer in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., fatally shot a man who had pointed guns at him that each turned out to be a realistic replica," authorities said Saturday.

The shooting death of Cedric Williams, 29, happened Friday afternoon at an apartment complex in Oxon Hill where the officer lived, according to a news release from the Prince Georges County Police Department.

A complex employee told the officer that a man banned from the property was onsite, after which the uniformed officer tried unsuccessfully to get Williams to leave, according to a preliminary investigation by the department.

A verbal confrontation led to a physical struggle, and the suspect took a handgun from his bookbag and appeared to attempt to fire it, police said. The gun didnt fire, and Williams tossed it into a wooded area, according to investigators.

The veteran officer then deployed a Taser twice at Williams but it was not effective. Williams then retrieved what looked like an AR-15 style rifle and pointed it at the officer, who then discharged his police weapon multiple times, killing Williams, the release said. Like the handgun, the rifle also was later determined to be a realistic replica, the department said.

A department spokesperson didn't immediately respond Saturday evening to a question seeking further information about the replicas.

The officer, who joined the department in 2009 but was not identified by name, is now on administrative leave pending an investigation led by the departments internal affairs division. The Prince Georges County prosecutors office reviews all officer-involved shootings, the news release said. Williams had no fixed address. Authorities did not release information about the races of those involved.
World renowned (and locally based) modern dance troupe, Paul Taylor Dance Company, will commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with two free public performances on Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Oculus at Ground Zero. They will perform Taylors now famous masterwork, PROMETHEAN FIRE, at 12pm and 1pm.

They write:

Created in the wake of 9/11, Promethean Fire poignantly echoes the overwhelming tragedy of the event, the memory of those we lost, and the citys spectacular demonstration of courage. It reminds us all that even after turmoil and devastation, the human spirit will ultimately find power in community, renewal, and hope.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Phuket domestic entry requirements extended, with no changes

PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Government has issued another order extending the conditions for domestic arrivals to enter Phuket, including Sandbox tourists and local residents returning from a trip off the island, with no new sections added and no changes to the current provisions that are already in effect.

COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourismtransport

By The Phuket News

Sunday 12 September 2021, 05:34PM

The new order, Phuket Provincial Order No 5407/2564 issued by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew yesterday (Sept 11) and posted publicly late last night, is marked to be in effect from this coming Wednesday, Sept 15, until a new order is issued.

The order extends the island isolation protocol that came into effect through the previous order, which came into effect only on Wednesday this past week (Sept 8), prohibiting all people except those listed as exemptions from being allowed onto the island.

The order extends the provisions to allow domestic tourists and other people already in Thailand to be allowed to enter the province providing that they satisfy the mandated requirements  namely that they are fully vaccinated, have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arriving and have entered their travel details on www.gophuget.com.

The new order includes the revised version of the previous order, removing the requirement for domestic tourists to be RT-PCR tested for COVID-19 on Day 5 of their stay, and allows people to bring their own self-bought antigen test kits (ATKs) to conduct the test at the checkpoint leading onto the island.

The full list of exemptions allowed to enter Phuket was given in the order as:

1) Medical ambulance, emergency patient, lifeguard, rescue (vehicles and personnel)

2) Transport of medicines, materials, medical supplies, medical chemicals

3) Transport of consumer goods, agricultural products, livestock, animal feed

4) Transport of cooking gas fuel

5) Transport for banks, money, financial institutions

6) Transport of parcels and publications

7) Transport of construction materials, machinery and spare parts used for maintenance

8) People who import or export cargo via the Phuket Deep Sea Port and cargo handling areas

9) Transport of materials and machinery used in the implementation of projects to solve flood problems or projects of the state, state enterprises, other government agencies in solving peoples problems or in case of urgent need.

10) People who have been registered on house registration documents or work in the Phuket area on a regular basis (must have documentary proof)

11) Persons who have been ordered or have a written assignment from an agency to perform duties in the prevention and control of disease in Phuket

12) Visitors following the tourism pilot area opening project Phuket Sandbox and vehicle drivers (requires confirmation document)

13) Persons who have been ordered by government agencies to go or perform urgent missions in Phuket

14) People who have a need to take an international flight at Phuket International Airport. They must present to officers at the checkpoint the flight booking document, which must have the flight date on the entry date only.

15) Persons who have made an appointment according to the court, public prosecutor or investigating officer with clear documentary evidence that postponing the appointment will seriously damage the consideration process; or an appointment for urgent registration of rights and juristic acts that cannot be avoided, otherwise it will cause damage to the parties or greatly affect the economy.

16) People who come to Phuket for tourism. Must have proof of hotel or accommodation reservation, which must be paid in advance; must present a travel itinerary; and must register their travel details through www.gophuget.com and show officials the QR code issued to teh traveller in order to be allowed to enter Phuket.

17) Patients who need to see doctor or need to receive medical treatment (must have doctors appointment) as well as doctors, nurses, medical staff and other personnel involved in public health services.

18) Any other cases that have practical problems that need to be resolved and ordered by the incident commander at the Phuket Check Point who shall have the authority to consider on a case by case basis.

All of the above (exemptions) must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by having received two doses of the Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccine, or one injection of the Sinovac vaccine and one injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or at least one injection of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before arriving.

Also, in order to be allowed into Phuket, all arrivals must present results of an RT-PCR test or antigen test performed by a medical facility within 72 hours of arriving proving that they are not infected.

Alternatively, arrivals must have been discharged from medical care for recovering from COVID-19 no more than 90 days before arriving, the order added.

Arrivals can bring their own antigen test kits (ATKs) and conduct the test in front of officers at the ports, the order noted.

However, not mentioned in the order was that health officials require that the ATKs brought to be used at the checkpoint must be nasal swab tests. Arrivals who present saliva test ATKs only will be denied entry to the island.

People registered on house registration documents for addresses in Phuket and Phang Nga can enter and leave Phuket as long as they are fully vaccinated and have tested negative by antigen test kit (ATK) within the past seven days.

All arrivals must also register their travel details at www.gophuget.com or have a special permission letter signed by an officer at a District Office in Phuket.

The new order also allowed for any people to return to Phuket after enjoying a day trip to another Sandbox pilot area, such as Khao Lak, Phi Phi Island or the Koh Yao islands east of Phuket.

Travelers who travel under the tourism pilot project (7+7 Extension) or those who travel outside of Phuket by sea to other pilot provinces on a one-day trip. with boat drivers, guides and crew to be able to travel to Phuket with complete vaccination results according to the specified criteria by testing for COVID-19 with ATK (Antigen Test Kit) method every week, said the order.

Of note, the section used the Thai words , literally translating as every week, leaving it not clear whether this was intended to mean that people would be allowed to re-enter Phuket if could prove they had tested negative for COVID-19 in the past week.

Students under 18 years of age who are unable to receive vaccination against COVID-19 and need to travel to Phuket to study must present documents confirming which educational institution they attend and that they need to travel to Phuket to attend classes, and they must present a document issued by the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) confirming that they have tested negative for the virus with a certificate for COVID-19 testing to be valid for no more than one month each time.

People arriving in Phuket to receive their second vaccination injection must present results of an RT-PCR test or antigen test performed by a medical facility within 72 hours of arriving proving that they are not infected.

Also of note, all visitors entering Phuket must register their travel details through the gophuget.com website  and must present the QR code issued to them to the Communicable Disease Control Officer at the checkpoint before entering Phuket.

All arrivals must install the Mor Chana application on their phones and enable location sharing through the app.

The Phuket Check Point at Tha Chatchai, guarding the only road onto Phuket, will remain closed to all traffic except for emergencies from 11pm to 3am each night, the order confirmed.
Phuket Opinion: A dare to be honest

PHUKET: Patience is growing thin with the lack of credibility of any government reports about the current state of the COVID situation in Phuket, the vaccines being deployed and of any genuine concern for the people of Phuket during the ever-extended economic crisis.

opinionCOVID-19Coronavirushealthdeathtourismeconomics

By The Phuket News

Sunday 12 September 2021, 10:00AM

A small guesthouse in Patong sits empty as the shrouds wrapped around it start to fray. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

The latest debacle this week comes with the main SuperCheap store in Rassada being ordered closed for seven days over COVID infections. In announcing immediately after the daily meeting of the Phuket Provincial Communicable Disease Committee at Provincial Hall yesterday (Sept 11) that the megastore for cheap shopping located north of Phuket Town was to be closed, official reports gave the dates of the ordered closure as from Sept 11-17. Six hours later the actual order was released and the dates given were Sept 12-18.

That announcement came a full day after Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Chief Kusak Kukiattikoon reported to Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow that a cluster of infections already had been confirmed at a large shopping mall, which remained unnamed in official reports. Ironically, that message from Dr Kusak to Deputy PM Supattanapong was delivered in the very same room that the provincial disease committee sat in yesterday.

Meanwhile, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew yesterday explained to the press that he had dispatched a team of health officers to the mall to investigate on Friday  again, a day after Dr Kusak had already confirmed to a deputy prime minster that the store was the centre of a cluster of infections.

The Governor has yet to explain, first, why the team was dispatched after the PPHO already knew of the infections; and second, why the order for the SuperCheap main store to close was delayed days after health officials already knew that it was the centre of a new cluster of infections. Its as if either the two didnt even know the same information despite sitting at the same meeting every day, or they simply didnt have time to get their story straight before talking to the press. These days it is hard to tell.

Not lost on local observers is that this past week the PPHO map updated daily to show the number of new cases identified in each subdistrict issued each day  making it possible to track rises in the number of infections in each area  have been released later and later, at times into the early hours of the next day, with no explicable reason given. Also commented on online was that the map for Thursday was never released.

Even within minutes of being posted online at 11:29pm yesterday, the daily COVID situation report was already called out for being inaccurate for accounting for only two deaths. A local resident, a Thai national, pointed out that rescue workers had transported the bodies of three COVID victims yesterday. Laughing with 555555 typed in the post, the writer pointed out maybe the first death was too early for officials to notice. The man posted photos of rescue workers actually transporting the three bodies. There was no response.

With each passing day the people of Phuket are treated to a new stunning announcement. Last week it was that the Sandbox scheme had already generated B1.6 billion in income for the local economy. The only way that number could be achieved was to include all the daily spending of tourists but using the number tourists based on the room booking nights that have been prepaid under the scheme. Put simply, that means including daily money spent by tourists who have not even arrived on the island yet.

As for vaccinations, government agencies are heavily promoting how many people are now receiving their third dose booster jabs, while many people across the island still have yet to receive a first injection. Even according to the PPHOs own report, as of Friday (Sept 10) 430,927 people in Phuket have received one vaccination injection, some 35,660 short of the target 466,587. Keep in mind that is while 480,303 people have reportedly registered through the PhuketMustWin website to be vaccinated. Either the local government does not have the vaccine doses to give to these people, or the people do not want the vaccines being offered. We are wondering how long it will be before any officials even recognise that.

Something is going seriously wrong with the reporting of the infections, deaths, the current economic situation in Phuket, and it is no longer a laughing matter of gross incompetence. It is now just plain insulting.

Of note, it was heartening to hear that Minister of Culture Itthipol Khunpluem was in Phuket in person this week to deliver the message from Bangkok for local officials to clearly report the situation accurately and in a timely manner so that officials can draft appropriate policies in response to the COVID situation as it unfolds.

It may appear odd that the Minister of Culture has a hand at this level of devolving COVID policy, but while Mr Itthipol may be the youngest of the Khunpluem brothers, it would be naive to underestimate the extent of influence that family has at the national level. We hope that local officials take heed of that.
Sinovac-AZ main formula now, says official

BANGKOK: Forget about getting two AstraZeneca shots. The main COVID-19 vaccine regimen for Thailand from now on is Sinovac-AstraZeneca, says a senior health official.

COVID-19CoronavirusVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 12 September 2021, 10:33AM

A man receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a BKK mobile vaccination unit provided by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration at Wat Thep Naree on Charan Sanitwong Soi 68 in Bangkok on Wednesday. Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill / Bangkok Post

The change has not been formally announced, but was discovered accidentally when a government hospital opened registrations for the wrong regimen and had to cancel them, reports the Bangkok Post.

Siriraj Hospital announced its monthly vaccination schedule on Facebook on Thursday (Sept 9). It said it would administer AstraZeneca to people aged 18 or over who had not yet received any COVID vaccine from Sept 25 to Oct 3. Bookings were to be made through its Siriraj Connect mobile application from Sept 10-20.

As people prepared to tap in, the state hospital issued another announcement the next day, apologising for the inconsistencies. It said it had to cancel the previous announcement because the policy of the Ministry of Public Health was to give Sinovac as the first shot and AstraZeneca as the second. It promised to open registrations again when it gets hold of the vaccines it needs.

The about-turn has raised questions about what the policy on free vaccinations is now.

Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the ministrys Disease Control Department, clarified on Saturday (Sept 11) that the main regimen was now Sinovac as the first shot and AstraZeneca as the second, effective immediately.

The main reason behind the change, he said, is to speed up vaccinations.

The AstraZeneca-AstraZeneca formula requires triple the waiting time between shots, at 12 weeks, compared to four weeks for the Sinovac-AstraZeneca cocktail, he said.

As authorities want to fully vaccinate as many people as soon as possible in order to slow down the spread of the Delta variant, the change is appropriate, Dr Opas added.

Discussing efficacy, he assured the public that both regimens offered comparable levels of immunity.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved B4.2 billion to buy 12 million more doses of Sinovac to support the mix-and-match vaccine policy. Besides, unlike other brands, the Chinese vaccine is readily available and can be shipped promptly, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said at the time.

Dr Opas also reiterated on Saturday that 24mn doses of COVID vaccines would be available: 6mn Sinovac, 10mn AstraZeneca and 8mn Pfizer-BioNtech.

In addition, the Chulabhorn Royal Academy will import another 6mn shots of Sinopharm, an alternative vaccine not on the governments free programme.

With ample supply, the ministry will speed up vaccinations on 50% of the population in all provinces, including booster doses for those who have received two Sinovac shots and for children aged 12 and up.

As many as 4.8mn Pfizer doses will be made available to students aged 12-17. Parents will be advised about potential risks, which are rare but are higher for mRNA vaccines than for conventional jabs such as Sinovac, and will have to give consent for their children to be inoculated.

As of Thursday, a total of 38.3mn vaccine doses have been administered: 26.6mn first doses 39.7% of the population), 11.6mn second doses (17.3%) and 611,102 third doses.
DANBURY  After a summer COVID wave that saw what appeared to be a peak in last weeks state data, COVID-19 infection numbers are looking better for most Danbury-area towns.

Even with the start of school, overall rates have declined slightly. Leaders are cautiously optimistic the summer surge has subsided.

Earlier this month, Sherman was reporting a case rate of 21.6 cases per 100,000 residents for the two-week period ending Sept. 2. New Fairfield reported a case rate of 19, and Newtown reported 17.2. These three towns had some of the highest case rates in the Danbury area.

Last week, Shermans case rate dropped by nearly half to 11.8, with Newtowns down to 15.1. New Fairfield, however, climbed to a case rate of 21.1.

Two weeks ago, the Danbury area COVID-19 map was a sea of red, indicating the worst and highest case rate on the states color-coded map system. Now, Newtown and New Fairfield remain the only two Danbury-area towns in the red zone, indicating they have more than 15 cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period.

The state has been using this color-coded system since last fall to show where cases are improving or worsening.

Understanding the COVID-19 case rates

Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said the towns Achilles heel with cases was summer travel. He said although the town is still in the red zone, it is on the cusp of orange.

We may be red, he said, but were talking about one case making us red versus making us orange at this point.

At New Fairfields Board of Selectmen meeting Thursday, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco addressed the towns high case rate and emphasized the importance of getting vaccinated.

We are in the red zone. We are the only town in the area that is in the red zone. All of the towns surrounding us are back in the orange zone. That also corresponds to our low vaccination rate in comparison with those other towns, she said.

New Fairfield is reporting around 65 percent vaccinated with at least one dose compared with surrounding towns hitting 70 percent or higher, she said. Only Sherman is lower at 63.7 percent.

We are making some progress with our vaccination vans, but not the kind of progress we would like to see, she said.

Redding, Ridgefield and Bethel went from the orange zone last week to the yellow zone in the states weekly report, indicating fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 residents.

Redding First Selectman Julia Pemberton said she wants to see their town case rate of 8.2 per 100,000 residents even lower.

New Milford has seen a dip in its case rate  13.9 to 10.9  but still remains solidly in the orange zone. The towns mayor, Pete Bass, said the cases have been mostly related to summer travel and family gatherings.

Were continuing to watch and just holding course, he said.

The towns health director has shown Bass that infection patterns match closely with patterns seen in October of 2020. Hes expecting numbers to generally follow the same trend and said they may fall when booster appointments are made available.

Were happy that the numbers are continuing to trend down, but continue to tell people to get vaccinated, Bass said.

New Milford and Brookfield are already offering third doses to immunocompromised people.

Danbury stays steady, mayor points to mask mandates

Unlike some other communities that reached the red zone at the end of August, Danbury has stayed in the orange zone or lower since the delta variant hit the state.

The city has averaged 11.4 new daily cases per 100,000 people over a two-week period, according to Thursdays report. This is below the previous weeks rate of 12.6, but slightly more than the Aug. 26 reports rate of 11.2.

This fluctuation has made it hard to predict what the spread of the virus could look like in the future, Mayor Joe Cavo said. But hes focused on hospitalization numbers, which show vaccinated people largely avoid being hospitalized for COVID-19.

Im encouraged by the data, Cavo said. Im also encouraged by our local data from wearing masks. Here in Danbury our numbers have stayed lower than other areas where there arent mandates. That tells me thats working.

Cavo imposed a mask mandate last month, leading neighboring towns to follow suit. He didnt want to but knew it was needed to prevent the virus from spreading.

But its the right thing to do, he said. The numbers in Danbury are showing that.

The same sentiment was echoed by Pemberton in Redding, where rates are also low enough to move the town from the orange zone to the yellow zone.

I can attribute that to very high compliance with mask-wearing, she said, adding neighboring towns patronized by Redding residents have mask mandates that are keeping the public safe and rates low.

Its too soon to say how long Danburys mask mandate will last. Cavo said he hopes the delta variant has stopped spreading as rapidly in the state, but he needs more time and data to feel comfortable that its gone. Hes also concerned cooler weather could drive up cases as people move indoors.

In Ridgefield, advisers are telling First Selectman Rudy Marconi another surge is likely this winter.

No one should relax too soon, he said.

Staff writers Julia Perkins and Kendra Baker contributed to this report.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear a case challenging a Texas state law banning nearly all abortions and offering $10,000 to any resident who sues clinics that violate the law.

The decision has some expecting other states to follow in restricting abortion rights. But in Connecticut, an effort to support and affirm reproductive rights did the opposite decades ago when the state passed a law that guarantees a womans right to an abortion.

The purpose of that law, passed in 1990, was to protect the rights granted by the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Roe v. Wade, which made abortion legal in all 50 states. Connecticut was one of the first few states to pass a law affirming the decision in Roe.

Its not like we had this great vision, former Connecticut Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman said. Its that we had this great fear that it could be withdrawn from women.

Wyman was a member of the state House of Representatives when that law was passed. She said she feels the same fear now that Texas and other states are moving to criminalize abortion.

Now all of a sudden this is coming on, she said. I have three granddaughters. I want them to have the choice about their bodies. Not anybody else. Not even their grandmother.

Connecticut's state law reads: The decision to terminate a pregnancy prior to the viability of the fetus shall be solely that of the pregnant woman in consultation with her physician.

That language, according to state Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, was intentional. Looney was also in the state House in 1990.

We at the time thought that it would be prudent to place the language of Roe v. Wade in Connecticut statute so it would not be dependent on a court ruling, he said. We thought that at some point, something might happen to destabilize Roe v. Wade.

But Connecticut wasnt always so progressive. Abortion was illegal in the state until months before Roe was decided, and Connecticut was the first U.S. state to pass an anti-abortion law in 1821.

Between 1821 and 1973  first making abortion illegal and then a panel of federal judges overturning that law  Connecticut played an important role in the movement toward abortion rights.

Griswold and Planned Parenthood

Catherine Roraback is central to the history of abortion law in Connecticut.

She was in the trenches from the very beginning, said Superior Court Judge Andrew Roraback, her cousin and a former state senator.

Both Catherine, who died in 2007, and Andrew came from a well-known legal family.

Theres been 11 members of the Roraback family practicing law in Connecticut since Catherines grandfather was admitted to the bar in 1872, Andrew Roraback said.

Catherine made a name for herself as a civil rights lawyer, known as much for her defense of communists during the McCarthy era as she was for her defense of womens rights.

There was always a great deal of pride in the family for her bravery, Andrew Roraback said of his cousin, calling her indefatigable in terms of her work ethic.

Nowadays, youd call her a disruptor, he said.

Almost a decade before Roe, the case Griswold v. Connecticut set the stage for a discussion of reproductive rights. The use of contraceptives was illegal in Connecticut in 1965, until attorney Tom Emerson successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that a couple had the right to use contraception, if they so chose.

And Catherine Roraback was sitting in the chair next to him.

I would think that if you asked her what her signature achievement was in the realm of civil rights, it would be Griswold and its progeny, Andrew Roraback said.

In 1961, then-Planned Parenthood Executive Director Estelle Griswold opened a birth control clinic in New Haven, with the intention of challenging the states ban on contraception.

According to reports from the time, the clinic had 10 patients on opening day, along with requests for contraception. Griswold was arrested and fined $100, and the conviction was upheld by the state Supreme Court.

In 1965, that case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Griswold, striking down Connecticuts ban on contraception and setting the stage for Roe nearly a decade later.

It really did establish the right to privacy for married couples to use contraception without government interference, said Gretchen Raffa, senior director of public policy, advocacy and organizing for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. And that was radical in 1965. That was a radical thought. And, you know, that really paved the way to get to the other landmark decisions around the right to privacy, including Roe v. Wade.

Abele and Roe

Abortion remained illegal in Connecticut until 1972, just before Roe v. Wade was decided. Fifty years ago in Connecticut, a doctor performing an abortion could be fined $1,000 and imprisoned for up to five years.

The woman who had the abortion can be fined $500 and imprisoned up to two years, according to a 1970 organizing pamphlet intended to find women interested in participating in a class action suit challenging the law. Anyone who helped her arrange the abortion can be fined $500 and imprisoned for up to one year.

There had been previous challenges to laws restricting reproductive freedoms, Griswold among them, but the group known as Women vs. Connecticut represented something of a paradigm shift, according to Reva Siegel, a professor at the Yale Law School and an expert in the history of abortion law.

As the 1970s began, there are beginning to be, for the very first time, women who have the degrees and the skills to fashion law on their own behalf rather than rely on men to defend them, she said.

Women vs. Connecticut began bringing test cases to the courts, in the hopes of overturning the states anti-abortion statute.

In 1971, the group filed a lawsuit, with 858 women signed on as plaintiffs. The legal team was all women, led by attorney Catherine Roraback.

Its pretty widely recognized that Catherine Roraback was at the head of this evolution, Andrew Roraback said. If she wasn't in the drivers seat, she was certainly in the front of the bus.

The case, which became known as Abele v. Markle, became the basis for the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe two years later.

Its not reasoned the way Roes reasoned. You can see the feminist energy, Siegel said. This case has this whole class of plaintiffs, and its raising all types of claims.

A panel of federal judges ruled the states anti-abortion statute was, in fact, unconstitutional, so then-Gov. Thomas Meskill encouraged the state legislature to rewrite the law to get around the courts decision.

That rewritten law was again ruled unconstitutional and Connecticuts anti-abortion statute was repealed, a few months before the U.S. Supreme Court decided on Roe v. Wade, making abortion legal in all 50 states.

It actually does shape the decision in Roe, Siegel said.

The future

When Connecticut passed its law in 1990, affirming a womans right to an abortion, Wyman said it was a bipartisan group of legislators, male and female, who thought it was necessary.

We were all scared that something would happen in the federal government that would change this in a different way, and I guess we were right, she said. There were so many of us in the legislature that said we also have to do this on the local level.

Connecticut was one of the first four states to pass a law, affirming the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in Roe, though there are now 13 such state laws on the books. Looney said he believes other states will follow suit, either affirming or challenging abortion rights.

You may see more efforts in blue states to do what we did, he said.

Raffa said conservative states are beginning to follow Texas model, including Florida and Arkansas. She said, we'll see copycat bills around the country.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong filed a brief along with 20 other states last week in support of a challenge against South Carolinas Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act, which bans abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat.

We are witnessing a cruel and relentless attack on a womans right to choose, Tong said in a release. This South Carolina law is just the latest unlawful and draconian legislation aimed at making it more difficult for women to access health care.

Raffa said laws like those in Texas and South Carolina have been decades in the making.

It's part of a national agenda to end abortion access in this country, she said. The Texas law does set a dangerous legal precedent and could clear the path for the states to override people's constitutional rights.

That is a possibility, Siegel said. The country could be divided, as it was just before Roe, or the U.S. Supreme Court might try to impose a uniform fetal protective law on the whole country and there is a counter-mobilization against the court.

Raffa said regardless of what happens to abortion rights at the federal level, access to health care, including abortions, remains a problem in Connecticut.

Connecticut has done what we can to protect the legal right to abortion, but abortion is not accessible to all people that need abortion, she said. Even in a state like Connecticut, we know that not everyone has equitable access to health care.
EDWARDSVILLE  Suicide is a public crisis, and people need to be willing to talk about it, to those who are considering it and the survivors of those who have.

That was one of the key messages from the first Madison County Suicide Prevention Awareness event held in the Madison County Administration Building on World Suicide Prevention Day.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Fridays event included officials talking about statistics and people who have suffered the loss of a loved one or were saved through the help of a friend.

Herbert Clay, president of the Madison County Mental Health Board, said the community recognizes the grave challenge of reducing suicide and is committed to providing necessary resources.

Suicide is a public crisis, he said, adding it is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., a fact echoed by other speakers.

Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn started his comments by asking for a for a show of hands of those who have lost loved ones to suicide.

Yeah, me too, he said, adding there is a need to create more awareness.

More Information What to watch for: TALK: A person may talk about killing themselves, feeling hopeless or trapped, having no reason to live, being a burden to others or unbearable pain. BEHAVIOR: Watch for an increased use of alcohol or drugs, people looking researching how to end their lives, withdrawing from activities, isolating from friends and family, sleeping too little or too much, visiting or calling people to say goodbye, giving away prized possessions, aggression or fatigue. MOOD: Peole may display depression, anxiety, loss of interest, irritability, humiliation, agitation or rage. People facing a mental health crisis in northern Madison County can contact CenterStone at 618-465-4388; those in southern Madison County can contact Chestnut Health Systems at 618-877-0316. Both numbers are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255, veterans should press 1. For more information visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at afsp.org. See More Collapse

The numbers do tell a shocking story, Nonn said. Every 40 seconds someone takes their life, according to the World Health Organization. Thats an estimated 800,000 people each year, although the WHO says its probably more than 1 million.

In the U.S., there are 123 per day. Of those, 22 are veterans.

This is a national crisis for us as a nation, Nonn said.

In the past five years, his office has recorded 200 suicides: 53 in 2017, 49 in 2018, 34 in 2019 and 31 in 2020. Victims have ranged in age from 17 to 91.

So far this year, Madison County has had 31 suicides, with its victims ranging between 18 to 84 years old.

So we are a reflection of the nation, he said. Nobody is immune from this

Families are always overwhelmed and theyre shocked, Nonn said. They are a victim and they blame themselves: Why didnt I see this? What could I have done better?

He said our society must address the myths of suicide  the notion that these people were cowards who couldnt face up to their problems, or that they were selfish, How dare they do this to us and to me, and leave their loved ones behind.

Another myth, he said, is that people who make a suicide attempt are seeking attention.

Whats the grandest one we hear? People who say theyre going to commit suicide never do, Nonn said.

Oh yes they do, he said. I can tell you because weve handled almost 200 of these suicides and almost every one of them, they had talked about suicide in the past.

If somebodys telling you they are thinking about suicide, they are not looking for attention; they are looking for help, Nonn said. Help them.

He said people need to know where to find help, both for themselves and others.

Awareness is the most important part of all of this, Nonn said. This is why were here today: to remember these people, to mourn these people, and to do better in the future.

Katie Wilson, a suicide survivor, talked about how a friend helped her, and the need to be there for those considering suicide.

In 2016, I went to dinner with a friend, she said. I came home and I was sitting in my room and said, You know what? Im done. I have nothing left to live for.

I had graduated from college and had done everything I thought I could do to that point, she said, I was thinking of all the ways I could end my life.

I also knew there were plenty of things I could do to get help, she said.

Wilson said she called a friend and told him to take her to the hospital, cause Im not safe and I need to be somewhere where Im safe.

He was there for me, and I think thats the really important part of my story, she said. If youre wanting to be there for somebody who is suicidal, stay with them through the whole thing.

She said her family never asked if she was OK, but her friend  who I ended up marrying two years ago  reminds her every day he is glad shes here.

Wilson said there are resources available and people need to stay with those they want to help.

If you have to take them to the hospital, do it, she said. If you have to make the call for them, do it. Because you may be the person who saves her life.

Rebecca Becky Holmes, of Edwardsville, whose son was a Marine in a combat engineering unit, spoke about her sons suicide after returning from service. She noted that, since 9/11, there have been more than 7,000 combat deaths and 30,000-plus suicides.

She held a flyer with a photograph showing 11 Marines from her sons unit.

Of the 10 who came back, she said, three are thriving. Four committed suicide, two attempted suicide and two were self-medicating.

An administrative error on his discharge papers prevented her son from receiving treatment, she said.

He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and something in his paperwork prevented him from getting the help he needed, Holmes said.

Collinsville Fire Chief John Bailot talked about the death of his son, who committed suicide in April 2019 while a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Bailot, who was living in Ohio at the time, said he was in his office when his wife came in to say their sons academic advisor had told them their son didnt show up for school for two days.

Bailot asked someone at the police department to make a call to check on him. Two sheriffs deputies came to their home.

I knew from my experiences that there was only one reason to have two deputy sheriffs at my house, he said, stopping his comments as he became emotional.

He said his son took his life at the age of 29.

We had no signs or, if we did, we were blind to them, he said. And thats part of the problem.

The hardest part  besides the loss of my son  is people dont really want to talk about it with me, he said. They dont want to ask me about my son. I want to talk about my son.

If you know a family that has lost somebody by suicide, reach out and talk to them, he said.

He said people ask if things are better,. Theyre not, he said, but they are different.

Lt. Kurt Litteken, a Collinsville firefighter, spoke about resources for first-responders. He noted they often see tragedy, and although they are supposed to be really, really tough, it can be difficult for them.

Littleken said he started as a volunteer for a private ambulance service in a little town.

I watched two of my friends get in a horrible accident, he said. One didnt make it. The other, I was in a car with him while we were extricating around him for about 45 minutes.

He joined the military and was a combat medic, spending a year in a combat zone before coming to the Collinsville Fire Department with baggage.

We dont share that information, but we need to, he said.

Litteken said firefighters, first responders and law enforcement personnel can get help from the Illinois Firefighter Peer Support at https://www.ilffps.org/ or Illinois Law Enforcement Peer Support https://www.illeops.org/.

Madison County VAC Superintendent Brad Lavite and a U.S. Army veteran said he experienced a PTSD episode like so many veterans, but his outcome was different.

Im still here, Lavite said.

People facing a mental health crisis in northern Madison County can contact CenterStone at 618-465-4388; those in southern Madison County can contact Chestnut Health Systems at 618-877-0316. Both numbers are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Its beginnings were humble, but proud and brave too.

An American flag, assembled secretively and at risk in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp, was fashioned out of pieces of red blanket, white bedsheets and blue denim dungarees.

For 25 years, it was stored in a closet at the Albuquerque home of Joseph O. Jose Quintero, the American soldier responsible for its creation.

Then for nearly 30 years it traveled with Army Lt. Gen. Edward Baca to every U.S. state and territory and seven continents, as Baca told the story of the flag and the brave men who battled the Japanese in the Philippines before falling to the enemy during World War II.

Now this flag, its pieces once wrapped in canvas and buried in dirt to keep it concealed from Japanese guards, is on the way to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, the Albuquerque Journal reports.

One of the first places my father gave his speech about the flag was at the Smithsonian, said retired Col. Brian Baca, son of Lt. Gen. Baca, who died in September 2020.

He said then he would give the flag to the Smithsonian, and my fathers word was his bond.

Brian Baca, who is retired from the Army National Guard, and his sister, Karen Nielsen, who is retired from the Air Force National Guard, went to a New Mexico National Guard Strategic Planning Conference recently at Albuquerques Hotel Andaluz to tell the flags story to soldiers and airmen.

We couldnt let the flag leave New Mexico without doing something like this, Brian Baca said. It was awesome to be telling this story for the last time in front of these soldiers.

The flag was scheduled to be handed off to Smithsonian representatives in Albuquerque in September. There are plans to make a replica of the flag, which would be kept in New Mexico.

Quintero died in Albuquerque at age 82 in November 2000. According to his obituary, he was born in Fort Worth, the oldest of nine children. He moved to Albuquerque in 1946 and worked as a research technician with the federal government.

During World War II, he served as a corporal with the U.S. Armys 60th Coastal Artillery Regiment on Corregidor. Like the many New Mexicans serving in the 200th and 515th Coastal Artillery regiments in Bataan and Corregidor, the men in the 60th were overcome by the Japanese in the spring of 1942.

They held back the Japanese for months, Brian Baca said. They were finally defeated by disease, hunger and lack of ammunition.

Many of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor who survived the fighting, the forced marches after their defeat and initial imprisonment in the Philippines, were put on ships and transported, in hellish conditions, to prisoner-of-war and labor camps in Japan. Quintero was among those sent to Japan.

It took Quintero more than a year to make the flag. His fellow prisoners helped.

A Canadian soldier, a double amputee who had access to a sewing machine because he was tasked with mending the uniforms of Japanese soldiers, put the flag together.

Jose wanted to make the flag as a tribute to those who were dying around him, Brian Baca said. But if the Japanese had found it, it could have been death for not only him, but also for his comrades. Jose did not even know how many states were in the union or the significance of the 13 stripes. He had to ask an officer.

In the early 90s, Gen. Baca was speaking to a group of Bataan and Corregidor survivors at an Albuquerque hotel, when Jose Quintero approached him with his flag, told Baca its story and entrusted the general with it. Baca promised to tell the story of the flags incredible origin and the men it honored wherever he went.

He told the story in Russia, Brian Baca said. One of the last places he visited was the Philippines.

Nielsen said her father told the story to all his children and grandchildren. She said its difficult to give the flag up.

It feels very sad to me, she said. Its like letting part of my father go. Its very emotional.

But her brother believes the flag needs to go to the Smithsonian, so its story can live on.

Memories are what we have now, Brian said.
SANAA, Yemen (AP)  Yemeni officials said the country's Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile and explosive-laden drones at a Red Sea port on Saturday, destroying humanitarian aid warehouses.

The attack on the port city of Mocha on Yemens western coast was the latest blamed on the Iranian-backed Houthis, who have in recent weeks accelerated their offensives on government areas, as well cross-border attacks on neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The rebels did not claim responsibility for the attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Houthis. A Houthi spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital of Sanaa and much of the northern part of the country, forcing the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore Hadi to power, and threw its support behind his internationally backed government. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

The Foreign Ministry of the internationally recognized government said in a statement that the Houthis had fired a ballistic missile and five explosives-laden drones at the port.

No human causalities were reported, but the ministrys statement said the attack caused huge destruction to the ports infrastructure and burned the storehouses of some aid agencies. It didnt name which agencies have cargo stored at the port.

Saturdays attack on Mocha port came after the new U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said Friday that the Arab worlds poorest nation is stuck in an indefinite state of war." He warned that resuming peace negotiations wont be easy.

Earlier this year, the Houthis renewed their offensive on the central city of Marib, but they have failed to achieve substantial progress and suffered heavy casualties. They also launched numerous cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Last month, a bomb-laden drone crashed into an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, wounding eight people and damaging a civilian plane, an attack the Kingdom blamed on the Houthis.

The attack on Saudi Arabia came just days after days after missiles and drones slammed into a key military base in Yemens south, killing at least 30 Saudi-backed Yemeni troops.
Paul Albert OHop Jr. (Oct. 13, 1962Aug. 26, 2021) was a husband, father, son, brother and friend and a generous, musical spirit. He is survived by his beloved wife, Rossana; adored children, Francesca and Pablo; his mother, Florentine; mother-in-law, Filomena; sisters, Lynne and Suzanne; sister-in-law, Rita; brothers-in-law, Dave, Kenny and Tony; nieces, Christine, Anna, Carina and Sussi; nephews, Jim and Wesley; grandnieces, Ana and Bella; grandnephews, Rory and Anthony; family and lifelong friends all over the world.

Paul was born in Camp Springs, Md. His family was stationed around the country while his father served in the Air Force. He lived his formative years in Olney, Md., before moving to Moscow, Pa., in the mid-1970s. While in high school at Scranton Prep, he formed a band with his friends, John DAndrea, Michael Santarsiero and Michael Hale  the John Paul Michaelss band. Although the band did not survive too long, their friendship stayed strong for more than 40 years.

He began his education at the University of Notre Dame, participating in their Mexico program in his sophomore year. This inspired him to double major in Spanish and business. He graduated in 1984 Phi Beta Kappa and spent the next year as a Rotary Scholar in Barcelona, Spain. He returned to the States and enrolled in law school in 1985, again at the University of Notre Dame, securing his position as a Double Domer. It was here that he met his wife, Rossana. He graduated in 1988 and moved to Los Angeles to practice international business law at Paul Hastings. In 1991, Paul and Rossana wed and spent a year in Amsterdam and Brussels where Paul was an exchange attorney with Loeff, Claeys, Verbeke. They returned to Los Angeles and, a year and a half later, moved to the Washington area so Paul could attend Georgetown Law for his LLM.

Paul found a wonderful fit at Arent Fox. He was there for three years before making a move to Squire Sanders and Dempsey in 1998 with his entire team. He and the core members of his team continued to work together for 23 years. He was head of the Latin America Practice Group for many of those years.

Paul and Rossana welcomed their daughter Francesca in 1998 and son Pablo in 2002. They moved into their Cherry Blossom street home in McLean a year later and spent years making their unique home.

Paul loved music  it surrounded him everywhere. He never passed up an opportunity to play a song on the guitar, whether for others or just for himself. In the spring, you could find him sitting on the bench in front of the house, strumming his guitar and watching the cherry blossoms. He greeted every day with a smile, was kind to all and adored his family above everything.

Paul served for 15 years on the Advisory Board for Andean Health and Development, an organization dedicated to building hospitals and providing resources to rural Ecuador. In lieu of flowers, the family asks all who are moved to donate to Andean Health: www.andeanhealth.org/donate-to-ahd.

Services were held on Sept. 4 at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Vienna, Va.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
My dad, Stan the Man  God rest his soul  was a diehard Conservative. Taken from his mother at birth, he made it his mission in life to better himself and provide for his family and stunning wife Helen (still beautiful today). Work hard play hard was his motto. Right up until the day he died.

Stan worshipped Margaret Thatcher and fervently believed in the values she stood for: free enterprise, home ownership, anti-big unions and pro-low personal and business taxes.

Never was he happier than when I was back home from university so that over a bottle of Remy Martin late at night he could tell me how transforming Thatcher's politics were. We'd argue like crazy  I liked opposing his views  but in my heart I knew he was right and I was wrong.

'The Government's tax raid is more reminiscent of something Jeremy Corbyn would have done'

What my dad would have said about the Government's latest 12billion-a-year tax grab, announced last week as part of its rebooting of the National Health Service and social care provision, is probably unrepeatable in a family newspaper.

Certainly, non-PC terms such as a 'bugger's muddle' and 'pig's ear' would have been to the fore. Yet his central message would have been loud and clear: 'How un-Tory. These are not the actions of a Conservative Government. Bring back Maggie.'

If only we could. As always, Stan the Man would have been spot on. The Government's decision to bail out the National Health Service by hiking up National Insurance contribution rates is as un-Conservative as it gets.

It's more reminiscent of something Jeremy Corbyn would have done if we as a country had been crazy enough to enable him to become Prime Minister in December 2019.

Sadly, the Conservative Government has swung violently to the Left  more red than blue  and it appears it is not for turning. Even more tax rises are likely to come our way over the remaining life of this Government, with some probably being announced as early as next month when Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils his Budget.

A mockery of the Conservative manifesto

Higher capital gains tax rates? Further restrictions on the tax relief available on pension contributions? A more draconian inheritance tax regime?

Yes, anything and everything is possible  a point made last Thursday by the influential Institute for Fiscal Studies, which warned future NHS shortfalls would probably have to be plugged by further tax-raising measures. Talk about pouring money into a bottomless pit.

Admittedly, the Government's finances have been savaged by the pandemic as it sought to protect jobs, give businesses every opportunity to keep afloat during lockdown, and ensure homeowners did not lose their cherished homes.

But it appears it has now become beholden to the NHS. It seems hellbent on pumping more money into it, irrespective of whether a) the money will then be used properly (reducing waiting lists, not on yet more bureaucracy); and b) without thinking through the unintended consequences of its largesse on the wider economy (lower business profits, fewer jobs, anaemic economic growth and lower take-home pay).

The Government's raising of National Insurance contribution rates breaks a Conservative Party manifesto commitment made in November 2019

It all makes a mockery of the Conservative Party's manifesto commitment to 'unleash Britain's potential'. The Government's raising of National Insurance contribution rates  by 2.5 percentage points  and a widening of the NI net (to include older workers) is wrong on so many levels.

First, it breaks a Conservative Party manifesto commitment made in November 2019 ahead of the election: namely, a promise 'not to raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT.'

'This is a tax guarantee,' the manifesto went on to say, 'that will protect the incomes of hard-working families across the next parliament'.

How can any promise made in the next Conservative manifesto ahead of the 2024 General Election be believed? It can't.

Second, the increase  borne equally by both employees and employers  is inherently unfair.

As far as workers are concerned, it will be the young (especially those with student debts to repay) and the low paid who will be hit hardest in the pocket. As for businesses, it is yet another cost to bear, on top of the hike in corporation tax rates due to be introduced in April 2023.

Could there have been a better way? Well, for a start, the Government should have made any further financing of the NHS conditional on wholesale reform of the service  stripping away layers of bureaucracy, thereby freeing up more resources to be used in tackling bloated waiting lists.

Baroness Altmann highlights that the 86,000 cap excludes a lot of care costs, so people will end up spending nearly double the cap before hitting it

Also, instead of increasing the National Insurance contribution rate by 2.5 percentage points, it could have overhauled the National Insurance system, a point made by London School of Economics and Warwick University academics.

Last week, they suggested the Government could have raised more money  20billion a year rather than 12billion  by extending the current standard contribution rate of 12 per cent to incomes above 50,284.

Currently, income above this level attracts a lower rate of 2 per cent. By stretching the standard rate, it could then have reduced it  if only 12billion was required. Academic food for thought.

Of course, the Government could have increased income tax to pay for health and social care reform. But that probably would have attracted even more opprobrium and be seen as a greater manifesto- breaking sin than the broken promise on National Insurance.

86,000 cap excludes a lot of care costs

It could also have raised capital gains and inheritance tax rates to pay for reform, but they are likely to rise anyway. As for the reforms made to how much people must pay when they require social care, they are thoroughly underwhelming, a point made expertly below by Baroness Altmann, a social care expert.

On the surface, they appear transformative with the introduction of a lifetime cap on the amount someone will have to pay for residential or nursing home care. But scratch a little deeper and you soon come to the conclusion that the new system will be little better  or fairer  than the existing one.

As Baroness Altmann highlights, the 86,000 cap excludes a lot of care costs, so people will end up spending nearly double the cap before hitting it. The system will also remain frightfully complicated with means-testing at its heart.

I would have liked the Government to have been bolder and backed the use of insurance to help fund social care.

Insurance plays a key role in long-term care funding in countries such as Germany and Singapore  primarily as a top-up to state provision. If such a public-private partnership works in these countries, there is no reason why it cannot work here in the UK.

Sadly, the bold prediction Boris Johnson made outside Downing Street after his overwhelming General Election victory in 2019  'we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all'  will not come to pass. It remains in crisis.
Green investing is more popular than ever with inflows into ethical, sustainable or responsible-badged investment funds running at record levels.

But how do you know that the fund you are buying  for an Isa or a pension  is really green and in line with your ethics?

Not easily, according to Mary Stevens, innovation manager at environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth.

Ultimately, the words 'green', 'sustainable' and 'environmentally friendly' are subjective

She says: 'Our view is that it's really hard to tell if an investment vehicle is truly green. There's a real lack of transparency.

'Any investment company can call its fund ethical or sustainable. There ought to be more pressure on companies to conform to clearer standards of what these terms and labels mean.'

Here are the ten questions you should get answers to before opting for a specific green fund.

1. What kind of fund do I want to buy?

There are two main ways forward. One is to invest for 'impact' where you invest in a fund that holds companies making a positive difference to the environment.

The other route is to invest simply to 'do no harm'  so a fund's underlying investments will include companies that have simply reduced their carbon footprint or gone carbon zero.

2. What's the process?

In the online world it's far too easy to make an investment fund look green with nice pictures of wind turbines and the colour green used across the website.

But never just go with the fund name or label. Check the process the fund uses to decide which companies to include and which to exclude and why.

Ultimately, the words 'green', 'sustainable' and 'environmentally friendly' are subjective. Fund managers will use different principles based on their views of what these terms denote, and you may not agree with them.

Figures from green specialist Triodos Investment Management show that of the top ten companies included in several well-known sustainability indices, only one meets its 'strict minimum standards' for inclusion as a green-friendly business.

3. How long has an investment company been running green investments?

Lisa Stanley, of ethical money website Goodwithmoney, says: 'Are they truly experienced or are they just hitching a ride on the bandwagon?'

4. What level of ESG (environmental, social, governance) knowledge do the investment managers have?

If a firm employs a large team of ESG fund managers and analysts, this should show a healthy level of commitment towards sustainable investing.

5. Are there 'brown' companies changing their ways in the fund you are looking to invest in?

One way to view investing in the future of the planet is to support funds that include extraction industries that are cleaning up their act.

Kit Winder, of investment expert Southbank Investment Research, says: 'You could go for old oil and gas companies that are best in their class  for example, Shell and BP which are both investing in renewable assets. There is an argument to say that such improvements should be supported.'

This goes back to question one  namely that everyone has a different view of what constitutes a green fund or company.

6. What companies make up the index that the green fund I want to buy will track?

Index-tracking funds are a cheap and easy way to gain exposure to the stock market and there are a number of 'green' indexes that funds track. But the greenness of indexes varies.

Tom McGillycuddy, co-founder of impact investing app Circa5000, says: 'Look at the companies that comprise the green index the fund is tracking and this will give you an idea of whether it's the investment for you.

'For example, I look for those offering genuine climate change solutions.

'So, if you see Spain's utility company Iberdrola and Danish Vestas Wind Systems in the top five holdings, then you know you're in safe green hands.'

7. How green is the exchange traded fund?

Green ETFs can be an easy and cheap way to invest in sustainable companies, but they can easily sweep in businesses that do not align with your ethical views. So it's important to see what's in their portfolio.

Southbank Investment Research's Winder recommends Rize exchange traded funds.

He says: 'They do a lot of research into how their green ETFs are constructed. It's not just, 'Let's take a sector and invest in every single stock.''

8. What are the management fees?

Some green funds, and particularly ethical pension funds, have high management fees as they are considered 'niche'. This can eat into your profits and should be avoided if possible.

Clare Reilly, of PensionBee, which offers a 'green' pension fund, says: 'As an investor you will need to consider if the potential returns of your investments are likely to be greater than any additional money you may spend in fees.

'A fee saving of just 1 per cent a year can have a huge impact on the ultimate pension pot you will retire with.'

9. Does the green fund you are looking at have external verification?

Increasingly, there are organisations that research and vet sustainable funds and give them their seal of approval.

For example, investment platform Interactive Investor ranks its sustainable funds according to an 'ACE' investment criteria  'avoids, considers and embraces'.

A new platform called The Big Exchange, set up by The Big Issue, focuses on ethical and sustainable funds and ranks them gold, silver and bronze.

10. Does the green fund make a profit?

Let's not forget the whole point of investing  which is to build up wealth for the future. One must check not only the fund's green credentials but also its actual investment performance.

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at fund platform AJ Bell, says: 'It's important not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

'You're never going to find a fund that totally reflects your ethical outlook, but finding a reasonably good fit should provide you with peace of mind without scrimping on performance.'
Maritime tycoon Sir Michael Bibbys conglomerate has paid out a 1.2million dividend after slimming down its empire.

Bibby Line, one of Britains oldest family-owned firms tracing its roots back to 1807, suffered as the pandemic weighed on its business.

Over the past year, Bibby Line has sold off its Costcutter convenience stores, as well as its distribution and North American financial services arms.

Divestment: Over the past year, Bibby Line has sold off its Costcutter convenience stores

This meant shareholders in the group, 90 per cent owned by family, received their first dividend since January 2019. The familys stake was estimated to be worth 188million last year.

Sir Michael called 2020 pivotal as the firm weathered the storm of the pandemic. The Liverpool-based group was set to move back into the black after two years of losses, he said

Pre-tax losses narrowed to 26.6million from 29.7million in 2019.
One of the UK's most influential stock-pickers has warned that some of his bets on biotech stocks will turn sour  but said it is the price to pay for the chance of making top returns.

Tom Slater, co-manager of Scottish Mortgage, one of Britain's most popular investment trusts, admitted biotech is risky, pointing out that some of his picks have become worthless.

However, he said these only made up a small part of the 20.4billion investment trust, and that failed investments are a risk worth taking for potential winners.

Leadership: One of the trust's holdings is American medical company Clover Health, where Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US President Bill Clinton, is a director

He told The Mail on Sunday: 'We try to be very upfront that the price of getting the big winners is the ones we inevitably get wrong.

'We've generally tried to go for companies we think are a very big opportunity and accepted upfront that not all of those win.'

Led by outgoing fund manager James Anderson, Scottish Mortgage is one of the most successful investment trusts in Britain. Shares in the trust have rocketed over the past decade  rising 899.4 per cent.

The trust, launched in 1909 and managed by the fund group Baillie Gifford, has been boosted by technology stocks over the past few years, with its top investments including US electric car firm Tesla and online retailer Amazon.

Recently, Scottish Mortgage has been investing more in biotech and pharmaceuticals, where a handful of its stocks have seen values plunge or be wiped out.

Some advisers are raising questions over its future performance and have drawn parallels with some of the stocks held by fund manager Neil Woodford, whose 3.5billion fund collapsed in 2019.

Slater used his holding in Denali Therapeutics, whose share price has recently fallen, to explain the difference between his picks and those of Woodford.

He said that compared with some of the firms backed by Woodford, Denali is 'a much larger company with a much larger balance sheet, that is not dependent on a single drug candidate.'

Slater added: 'We're not investing in start-ups. We're investing in companies that have genuinely gone through several financing rounds. And the other distinction is the global footprint of what we can look for.'

One of the trust's holdings is American medical company Clover Health, where Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former US President Bill Clinton, is a director.

Clover faced criticism earlier this year after short-seller Hindenburg Research said it had not disclosed it was under investigation by the US Department of Justice.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission also scrutinised the firm after the short-selling attack. The shares dropped from $22 (16) in June to $9. However, that company represents just 0.1 per cent of the trust's investments.

Another Scottish Mortgage healthcare stock, Zymergen, lost 80 per cent of its value last month after warning it no longer expects to generate product revenue this year.

And Intarcia Therapeutics, a US firm that has been unable to secure approval from the authorities for its diabetes treatment, had its value written down to zero.

Slater said: 'Intarcia is an example where there was a really big opportunity that they were going after. They didn't get the approval from the FDA during the phase three trials. And eventually they couldn't fund further investment.'

However, he said any losses will have been far outstripped by some of his top picks, such as Illumina, whose shares soared from 70 cents  in May 2011 when the trust bought the stock  to $461.

'The losses on the ones that didn't work are a rounding error compared with that return,' he added.
An Israeli doctor working on an experimental treatment for Covid is looking to team up with the world's largest pharmaceutical firms, such as AstraZeneca, to develop the treatment.

Nadir Arber has been working on a drug called EXO-CD24 that could turn severe cases of Covid-19 into manageable medical events.

The drug, now in a phase-three trial, focuses on stopping the 'cytokine storm' that affects the lungs of some patients.

Experimental: The EXO-CD24 drug, now in a phase-three trial, focuses on stopping the 'cytokine storm' that affects the lungs of some patients

This is a reaction where the immune system starts attacking healthy cells with extra cytokine proteins following infection by the virus. The drug can be delivered through an inhaler.

Dr Arber, who works at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre, told The Mail on Sunday: 'We would like to collaborate with other companies.

'We are already talking to several American companies, but it would also be great to explore the possibility of working with AstraZeneca.'

Dr Arber said his firm was working with investment banking advisers on raising finance from strategic partners, as his team was looking to raise more than $20million (15million) for development of the drug, with the aim of approval by the FDA, the American medical regulator.

AstraZeneca declined to comment.
Bosses in the Covid-crunched cinema trade are ready to slip into their tuxedos for the crucial return of James Bond this month.

But before that, a blockbuster worthy of 007  in legal circles at least  kicks off tomorrow in Ontario as Cineworld and Canada's Cineplex arrive in court.

The showdown centres on the bitter fallout from the British operator's decision last year to pull out of a 1.6billion takeover that would have made it the largest operator in North America.

Legal battle: Cineworld and Canada's Cineplex will meet in court on Monday

Cineworld claims Cineplex breached the deal's terms, while its rival argues Cineworld suffered 'buyer's remorse' between agreeing the deal in December 2019 and pulling out in June 2020 as the pandemic raged.

Cineworld is labouring under 6billion of debt and is weighing a float of its US arm to raise cash.

A legal payout could further dent the stock, which has halved in price since hitting a pandemic peak of 1.22 in March.

Pass the popcorn.

Music streaming companies under scrutiny

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee's recent report into streaming sent tremors through the music industry, arguing artists must be given a legal right to a fairer share of revenues.

Westminster whispers suggest the Government's response is due imminently, and could recommend a full investigation into the market by the Competition and Markets Authority.

The watchdog already has its eyes on the industry, after last week raising concerns over Sony's 312million deal to buy Nick Cave's label, AWAL.

A CMA probe would be closely watched by investors across the trade, from Warner to rights specialist Hipgnosis, whose adviser and Chic frontman Nile Rodgers gave evidence to the committee.

FirstGroup AGM

Tomorrow's annual investor meeting at transport operator FirstGroup takes places in a revamped 18th Century brewery in the City, and departing boss Matthew Gregory could do with a drink.

He'll bow out after a feisty campaign from the group's largest shareholder, New York's Coast Capital.

Will Coast fancy a parting shot? Chairman David Martin will take the wheel as the hunt for a successor begins.

Blue Prism

The two US private equity bidders circling automation software specialist Blue Prism have until the end of the month to lodge a firm bid.

Rory Bateman, who runs Schroders British Opportunities Trust, reckons there's a 'deal there to be done' for the 1billion firm.

Bateman holds the stock in the trust, which has seen nifty growth since last year's launch through investments in National Express, Ascential and a string of private assets.

He adds: 'Blue Prism is a high-quality business and the valuation is extremely attractive compared to US and Dutch competitors. Its shareholders are likely to be constructive around a deal. A new owner needs to make up for missed investment opportunities in their own technology.'
Pret a Manger boss Pano Christou is optimistic about trading in city centres after employees returning to offices last week drove a 15 per cent sales uplift in just seven days.

He said the first full week after the school holidays had been the 'acid test' to gauge the scale of workers returning to areas such as the City of London after a switch to remote working over the pandemic.

Christou said sales at his sandwich shops in city centres had now returned to about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. He said he had also seen a 'significant step up' at Pret's airport shops after travel restrictions for vaccinated passengers were eased.

Hopeful: Pret a Manger's boss Pano Christou has said business is returning to normal

He said many employees were adopting a hybrid working model, spending two or three days of each week in the office. City commuters have cheekily begun to refer to themselves as 'TW*Ts'  commuting into work on 'Tuesdays, Wednesdays And Thursdays'.

Christou said: 'Things have really continued to build since Freedom Day in July.

'We are optimistic and confident this demand will continue to build throughout the rest of the year.'

He added that sales outside London had recovered fastest and were already exceeding pre-pandemic levels at some shops. He said: 'Suburban locations have continued to stay very strong. Where we are in regional towns, things are pretty much back to normal.'

Christou warned last year that Pret was 'in the eye of the storm' during the pandemic, as it had built its business capturing city centre trade using the mantra 'follow the skyscraper'.

Last summer, Pret, owned by the German fund JAB Holdings, cut 3,700 jobs and closed 39 sandwich shops after sales fell by up to 80 per cent in some of its worst affected locations.

Celebration: Latest data from the British Beer and Pub Association said nationally pubs' trade has recovered to 95 per cent of pre-Covid levels

Last week, London pubs were noticeably busier than the previous week, business sources said. Latest data from the British Beer and Pub Association said nationally, pubs' trade has recovered to 95 per cent of pre-Covid levels.

On Monday, rush-hour trips on the Tube were up 17 per cent compared with Tuesday on the previous week  the first day back after the Bank Holiday for many workers  to just under a million. That was the highest figure since March 2020, before the first lockdown.

Buses saw 39 per cent more passengers, according to figures from Transport for London.

Retailers approached by The Mail on Sunday said 'committed shoppers' had given stores a lift in the past week. One director at a major chain said sales at its Oxford Street store had risen by a third since workers returned after August.

Downturn: Pret became a poster boy for the economic damage wrought by the pandemic after commuters failed to return in significant numbers last autumn

Savile Row tailor Cad & The Dandy said that last week it saw a 30 per cent rise in customers on the week before, while formalwear chain Charles Tyrwhitt enjoyed a 220 per cent boom in suit sales in store.

Cad & The Dandy's managing director, James Sleater, said: 'There has been a huge shift in the last week.'

Selfridges boss Anne Pitcher told The Mail on Sunday: 'I think people are enjoying being back at work and customers are enjoying coming back to the stores.'

She said there was a 'cautious optimism' within the business about the autumn and the run-up to the festive season. She added: 'Last year wasn't the best  from an emotional point of view as well  and I'm hoping this will be a really strong Christmas.

'We need to see international travel recover in London. But the uptake in our businesses in London, Birmingham and Manchester is really, really inspiring to see.'

Bullish: Selfridges boss Anne Pitcher said the uptake in our businesses in London, Birmingham and Manchester is really, really inspiring to see'

Despite its enduring successes and its resilience during the past 18 months compared with many businesses, Pret became a poster boy for the economic damage wrought by the pandemic after commuters failed to return in significant numbers last autumn.

In an interview this time last year, Christou told The Mail on Sunday that he wanted to turn Pret from an 'urban, London-centric' brand into a multi-channel business that was diversifying into areas such as ordering via apps and partnerships with retailers.

He now plans to expand Pret by opening about 100 new outlets over the next two years, from 404 currently, and is in talks with franchise partners. Most of its future growth will be in the regions.

But Christou said Pret was 'still looking at opportunities in Central London'. He said: 'There has been a fallout of our competitive set within Central London, so there are more gaps and opportunities there than there were a few years ago.

'We need to see how the rest of the year plays out. We have a handful of [London] stores on a watchlist and we will be watching closely to see how those recover by the end of the year. We will then be able to take a call on whether to close further shops in London or not.'
Nearly one in ten of the capital's employers has dropped  or has plans to remove  the London weighting allowance on salaries for remote workers.

An exclusive survey of more than 22,700 companies by recruitment firm Hays found that 11 per cent will ditch the salary boost for London workers who continue to work from home.

The research also found that 28 per cent of employers are planning to hire staff to work remotely on a permanent basis, which was more than double the number in a previous survey.

London wages: One in ten firms will ditch the salary boost for London workers who WFH

Many companies are planning to allow employees to work 'flexibly'  going to the office on some days of the week and working at home on others.

There has been some debate over whether those who continue to work from home should have their salaries cut as they do not have to pay commuting costs.

Last month, it was reported that Whitehall officials have held talks about removing London weighting for civil servants who do not wish to return to the workplace.

Simon Winfield, a managing director at Hays, said: 'As employers adjust their hiring plans to a post-pandemic world, it's encouraging to see over a quarter are hiring for remote roles.'

He said this gives employers 'access to a wider talent pool'  such as people with accessibility issues  'at a time when competition for staff is high.'
Atom Bank is aiming to raise more than 40million from investors before the end of the year, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The digital bank is backed by investment giants Toscafund Asset Management and Schroders, as well as Spanish banking behemoth BBVA.

It is understood the branchless bank, which is accessed using mobile phones, will tap existing shareholders as well as courting new investors.

Atom is still loss-making, but an analyst said it could achieve its first annual profit in 2023

The fundraising is expected to be the last before the bank floats on the stock market  which could happen as soon as next year.

Atom, headquartered in Durham, was one of the first mobile phone-based lenders to emerge alongside rivals including Monzo and Starling.

The bank appointed American rapper Will.i.am as a board adviser and consultant in 2017 on a contract that ended last year.

Atom has reported its first monthly operating profit. It posted a loss for the full year to March of 36million, but one analyst said the bank could achieve its first annual operating profit in 2023.

The lender raised 40million in April in a move that slashed its 555million value in half.

The bank offers savings accounts and loans. Its mortgage lending has just hit 3billion. The bank recently launched a 1.5 per cent rate on its one-year fixed savings product.

Atom last night declined to comment.
A director at Cancer Research UK has slammed tobacco giant Philip Morris's bid to buy a British inhaler company as it closes in on the deal.

Alizee Froguel, a policy manager at Cancer Research UK and an asthma sufferer, said tobacco companies cannot be trusted to stop selling cigarettes to 'reach smoke-free ambitions.'

She said: 'As someone struggling with severe asthma and also working to reduce smoking's toll on society, I'm shocked by the idea that a tobacco company may soon profit from my disease.

Ballot ahead: Vectura shareholders will vote on the 1.1billion deal on Wednesday

'Though Philip Morris International claims critics of the deal aren't letting them move away from tobacco and become part of the smoke-free world, it's difficult to take this seriously when acquiring Vectura could incentivise the company to sell more cigarettes.

'This is because they would not only profit from the sales of cigarettes but also from treating diseases made more prevalent by these sales.

'We can't rely on the corporate conscience of Big Tobacco.'

Her comments come before the deadline on Wednesday for Vectura shareholders to vote on the 1.1billion deal.

Philip Morris, which already has a 29 per cent stake, needs support from more than 50 per cent of shareholders.

One top-20 investor told The Mail on Sunday it would support the bid, arguing that it is the best outcome for investors. But the potential deal has attracted a fierce backlash.

Philip Morris International said it is 'accelerating its journey to completely end cigarette sales'.
British Airways owner IAG could raise more cash from shareholders within weeks to shore up its battered finances.

City sources said a fundraising from investors would help IAG to slash its 10.3billion debt pile after a fraught summer of travel restrictions and the continued closure of key long-haul routes from Europe to the US.

Last week, low-cost giant easyJet announced a 1.2billion rights issue after rebuffing a takeover bid from aggressive rival Wizz Air.

Grounded: City sources said a fundraising from investors would help IAG to slash its 10.3billion debt pile after a fraught summer of travel restrictions

Johan Lundgren, easyJet's chief executive, said that he launched the fundraising to protect the airline from 'continued uncertainty' over travel restrictions  and added that other major airline groups, including IAG, could follow suit.

In July last year, IAG said it would raise 2.5billion  five weeks after easyJet's earlier 450million cash call.

Lundgren told The Mail on Sunday: 'It is no secret that, if you are looking at the enormous debt that has been taken on by some of these legacy carriers, it is not clear to me that they would be able to pay that down. So I think in many cases something would need to happen on that.'

EasyJet's 1.2billion rights issue followed warnings in the MoS earlier this month that Britain's biggest airlines were heading for further cash calls and cost-cutting to survive the winter.

In documents issued in July, IAG said: 'To add resilience to the liquidity position of the group, the directors are actively pursuing a range of financing options, including securing additional long-term financial facilities.'

It said the potential further financing had 'not been included' in planning forecasts discussed with investors.

Andrew Lobbenberg, head of European transport equity research at HSBC, said: 'We expect IAG will want to repair its balance sheet after the pandemic. It has strong liquidity but that is on the back of debt.'

BA's former chief executive Keith Williams steered the airline through the 9/11 attacks

Lobbenberg added that the timing of any potential capital raise by IAG could be linked to an announcement on reopening the US border, which is now expected in December after hopes were dashed that it could be agreed at the G7 summit in June.

He said: 'When you think of the flag carriers launching rights issues, they would tactically want to do it with a favourable operating background. So I would imagine that the timing of the opening of the Atlantic will be highly relevant for any flag carrier rights issue.'

IAG operates Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling alongside BA and Irish carrier Aer Lingus.

It made a record 7.4billion (6.3billion) loss in 2020 followed by a 2billion loss in the six months to June. Passenger revenue was down 88.6 per cent in Q2 compared to 2019.

BA's former chief executive Keith Williams, who steered the airline through the 9/11 terror attacks and, in his previous role as finance chief, through the 2008 financial crisis, said the pandemic was IAG's greatest challenge yet.

Williams, who left BA in 2016 and is now chairman of Royal Mail, said: 'The 9/11 terror attack was limited to transatlantic travel. The financial crisis hit business travel very quickly, but there was still a lot of leisure travel. Fundamentally, the Government needs to enable travel to get back to normality by having a global structure to make it easier for passengers to travel.'

IAG has raised more than 7billion during the pandemic including through BA's 2billion Export Finance loan and an 825million convertible bond.

It had 10.8billion of liquidity at the end of July but is burning through 270million per week, up from 190million earlier this year. Its 12.1billion net debt is a hike from 9.8billion in 2020.

Lobbenberg said the aim of any further financing by IAG would be to slash debts and restore its investment-grade credit rating.

IAG in July outlined three future scenarios, based on varying models of demand recovery.

It said it would meet financial covenants with all three outcomes, but said in the event of a more severe scenario it would need to secure additional funding.

IAG said the group's ability to secure this financing represented a 'material uncertainty' that could cast doubt on its ability to continue as a going concern. But Williams insisted that IAG would emerge from the crisis as 'one of the survivors in the industry.'

He said: 'Although they've got a hard winter ahead, I think, fundamentally, the airlines are still quite well-placed. You see that in the share price of IAG. It's not where it was, but there is still a fundamental backing for IAG. If it did need to, I'm sure the financing would be there for it.'

IAG declined to comment.
Former banking boss Stephen Hester, the man who was parachuted in to rescue Royal Bank of Scotland in the financial crisis, played a key role advising easyJet on its 1.2billion rights issue.

Hester joined easyJet as a non-executive director on September 1, just days before last week's fundraise. He takes over from John Barton as chairman in December.

Chief executive Johan Lundgren confirmed that Hester was involved as the easyJet board decided on 'the timing and the size' of its 1.2billion cash call.

New chairman: Hester joined easyJet as a non-executive director on September 1, just days before last week's fundraise. He takes over from John Barton as chairman in December

Hester, 60, led the 45billion taxpayer bailout of RBS during the financial crisis before running insurance group RSA, where he launched a 773million rights issue and then sealed a 7.2billion foreign takeover.

EasyJet last week rejected an unsolicited bid from low-cost rival Wizz Air. 'The board had no hesitation in rejecting it,' Lundgren said, adding: 'The board is not against M&A transactions, but they have to deliver value for shareholders  and this one didn't do that.'

Hester has a reputation as a 'company doctor', helping firms restructure and repair their balance sheets.

EasyJet will use some of the cash raised to expand by buying takeoff and landing slots at airports such as Amsterdam Schipol, Paris Orly and Gatwick as others scale back.

Lundgren said: 'We want to make sure we can capture all those opportunities over the next six to 12 months if they are the right ones for us to do.'
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MEYERSDALE, Pa.  Blaine Joseph Arnold, 74, of Meyersdale, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, at home. Born March 20, 1947, in Meyersdale, he was the son of Clarence and Emma (Clark) Arnold and was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Paul Arnold. He is survived by his wife, Andrea (Lee)


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The domed sanctuary rising in Lower Manhattan, where workers are busy installing translucent Greek marble in time for a ceremonial lighting on Sept. 10, bears little resemblance to the modest parish church that John Katsimatides had discovered years ago.

He often visited the old St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church to say a prayer and light a candle as he went to or from work nearby on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower. The church stood as a quiet oasis amid the soaring financial district.

John Katsimatides was thrilled that there was a Greek church right across the street from where he worked, recalled his sister, Anthoula Katsimatides. St. Nicholas was very special to him.

In the immediate aftermath the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, John's relatives held on to hope that he might have survived. They put up missing-person posters in Lower Manhattan and searched the streets and hospitals for him. But as the days stretched into weeks, our priest insisted that we, for the sake of his soul, read the prayer rites marking his death, Anthoula said. John, 31, a corporate bonds broker at Cantor Fitzgerald, was among the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11.

The old St. Nicholas church was also destroyed that day. While no one was killed in the building, it was crushed beneath the falling south tower  the only house of worship destroyed in the attacks.

When we discovered ... that St. Nicholas was also lost, we thought that there was some kind of a message there, that the victims did not die alone, Anthoula Katsimatides said. I remember my mom saying that ... John and the other victims were being cradled by St. Nicholas.

This Sept. 10, the eve of the date 20 years after the nation's deadliest terrorist attack, she'll attend the ceremonial lighting of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, being built to replace the parish church and to honor those who were lost.

The ceremony will be a milestone in a project long beset with bureaucratic tangles and financial woes but now on track for completion next year.

St. Nicholas brings me close to my brother, Anthoula Katsimatides said. Being able to come and worship at the site of my brothers death, in a beautiful chapel that not only honors John but all the victims that died that day and is a symbol of this rebirth, is unbelievably important to me now.

The lighting of the church will come from within. Through an innovative process, interior lights are being designed to illuminate thin panels of marble, mined from the same Pentelic vein in Greece that sourced the Parthenon, the ancient temple in Athens.

The church is being built in an small, elevated park overlooking the World Trade Center memorial plaza, close to the reflecting pools that mark where the twin towers once stood. A huge, bronze sphere that once stood between the towers now stands, dented and damaged, in the park just beyond the chapels doors. Tour and school groups often gather on a flight of steps leading to the shrine.

The shrines concrete shell, passed daily by streams of tourists, has been one of the most visible signs of the unfinished work of the ground zero rebuilding effort. Work to install its marble cladding has proceeded at a fast pace in recent weeks in time for the ceremonial lighting, though the church isn't slated to be completed until next year.

The church is designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, with its dome, windows and iconography inspired by historic former Byzantine churches, including the world-renowned Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. A Greek iconographer is integrating traditional designs with imagery from 9/11, including tributes to slain rescue workers.

The translucent areas of the facade are intended to give the church a dim light, like a beacon of hope, during the night, Calatrava said. Building the church with Pentelic stone adds another level of symbolism, because ... I consider Hagia Sophia the Parthenon of Orthodoxy.

Given its prominent location near the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the shrine is destined to become a signature American expression of Eastern Orthodoxy, an ancient Christian communion that still predominates in Greece and much of Eastern Europe but has a slender share of the U.S. Christian population.

In addition to its sanctuary, the shrine will have a separate space for meditation and reflection for people of all faiths.

Its going to have a rich liturgical life" as a church, said Michael Psaros, vice chairman of the Friends of St. Nicholas, the private entity overseeing the project in cooperation with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. But this beautiful shrine were building belongs to New York, it belongs to the U.S., and it belongs to the world."

That inclusiveness is carrying on what St. Nicholas was in the past, said Olga Pavlakos, vice president of the parish. She was baptized in the old church, where her parents were married and her grandparents worshiped.

Whoever stepped in to St. Nicholas, whether they were Greek, non-Greek, any race, religion, we accepted everybody, she said. If "they were poor, they needed something to eat, they wanted soup, everybody was accepted."

Greek immigrants founded St. Nicholas on Lower Manhattan's Cedar Street in 1916, converting a former tavern into a church and topping it with a small belfry and cross. According to parish lore, newly arrived Greek immigrants came there to offer thanks to St. Nicholas, patron of seafarers.

Whatever we did in St. Nicholas was all volunteer, said Pavlakos. It was a poor parish.

Over the decades, even as the church was islanded by a parking lot and dwarfed by the World Trade Center, parish leaders refused to sell to land-hungry developers. By the turn of the century, its small core of members were still coming in from surrounding boroughs and communities to worship.

Since 9/11, parishioners have worshipped at various parishes in the region. We kept waiting to return, Pavlakos said. We never thought that it would take 20 years.

The archdiocese always intended to rebuild, but the question was where, given all the components involved in reconstruction at ground zero. The archdiocese and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the trade center, ended up in litigation in 2011 before settling on a site on Liberty Street, near the old church. Officials ceremonially broke ground in 2014.

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But a new crisis arose.

Costs soared beyond projections, and construction halted in late 2017 after the archdiocese fell behind on payments. The archdiocese, which had financial woes of its own, used $3.5 million in funds dedicated to the shrine for its own operating deficit and had to repay it.

The archdiocese appointed an investigating committee that attributed the St. Nicholas cost overruns to expensive change orders. Those architectural enhancements may have been made with the best of intentions" for a shrine of such significance, but they pushed the cost far above the archdiocese's public disclosures, the committee said in 2018.

The archdiocese also implemented the committee's recommendation of turning the project management over to a separate entity. That entity, Friends of St. Nicholas, led by a core of wealthy Greek-Americans, has completed fundraising for the church, with estimated costs of close to $85 million, and is now raising an endowment for maintenance and security.

The archdiocese is good at a lot of things, but building a national shrine in the most expensive place in the history of Western civilization was not exactly its forte, Psaros said.

Archbishop Elpidophoros, who assumed leadership of the nationwide archdiocese in 2019, said the symbolism of the shrine is important.

Ground zero is worldwide known as as a place of religious hatred and violence, and the results of this religious hatred and violence," he said. Part of our responsibility was to restore the reputation of religion ... as a factor of uniting people.

The project is one of the final components in reconstruction in the section of Lower Manhattan devastated on 9/11. A performing arts center is under construction, due to open in 2023, and an additional office building and apartment complex are planned.

"One of the top priorities has been to move the World Trade Center campus toward completion, and one of the most important aspects of that is the national shrine, Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said. The church project is bringing to completion those aspects of the site which are really dedicated to the spiritual memory of the those who were killed in the attack.

The project has personal significance for the Rev. Alex Karloutsos, longtime vicar-general for the archdiocese. In the hours and days after the 9/11 attacks, he was among clergy offering spiritual support to recovery workers.

People at that point were looking for something sacred, because they had just experienced that which is evil, he said.

Among the surviving artifacts from St. Nicholas was a paper icon of St. Dionysius of Zakynthos  the patron of forgiveness for having forgiven his brother's murderer.

That icon was very poignant, because at the end of the day, for us to go outside of our hatred, we even had to forgive those who destroyed our brothers and sisters," Karloutsos said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Jason DeCrow

The Capital Area Council of Churches is holding an ecumenical service to remember 9/11 on the 20th anniversary of that tragic day. The service will be streamed on Facebook Live at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 12. The link to stream the service can be found on the CACC Facebook page. Several churches are co-hosting the event and will stream the service at the same time. Produced by CACC, the service will be hosted by Delmar Presbyterian Church. A combination of live and recorded elements makes up the service.

The service was developed by several clergy and laity of CACC member churches. Roman Catholic, Episcopal, American Baptist, United Methodist and Presbyterian denominations contributed to the planning and will be participating in the service. A highlight of the service is a virtual choir that is made up of congregants from several different denominations. All donations made as a result of the service will go to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants and their efforts to resettle refugees from Afghanistan.

For more information, please call CACC Executive Director Bruce France at (518) 441-9584, or email edcapareacc@gmail.com.
TROY  The first class of 54 students in a new STEM-specific high school on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College begins this fall.

The first New York State Pathways in Technology (P-Tech) and Smart Scholar Early College High School in the Capital Region was a cause for celebration Friday as college trustees, elected officials, parents and students gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on campus.

Im a Hudson Valley alum myself and a former employee and I know firsthand the difference it can make in our students lives when we provide them with resources like this that allow them to get the best education possible and to start as early as possible, said trustees Chairman Neil Kelleher.

Questar III and HVCC STEM High School was created through a collaboration between the college and Questar III BOCES to prepare its students for careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and to also earn credits before they go to college.

As a college committed to finding new ways to train the workforce of tomorrow, as well as increase access to education for everyone in our community, we are thrilled to offer the opportunity for students to get a head start on training for well-paid, in-demand careers, as well as to provide another way for employers to establish a pipeline of talent prepared to fill the jobs that help our economy grow for years to come, said Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy.

We will provide high school students with life-changing experiences preparing them for the next generation in high demand and high reward fields, including computer information systems, engineering technology, environmental science, protection technology and health science, said Gladys Cruz, superintendent of Questar III BOCES.

Students have the ability to earn up to 63 college credits throughout high school, and will not be charged for them. These credits can be counted toward an associate degree. Other covered expenses are tuition, fees, instructional materials and books.

The school will be in Lang Hall, a building named for the family of Conrad H. Lang Sr., a chief engineer with the state Thruway and an original trustee when the college was founded in 1953.

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We are very happy to be here today. Im glad the school was placed in Rensselaer County since we have lived here most of our lives, said his son, Conrad Henry Lang Jr.

The renovation of the building cost $3 million. According to the press release, P-Tech is funded for $3 million over seven years and Smart Scholars-Early College High School for $870,537 over five years.The funding from grants by the state Department of Education offset the overall costs.

Admission is available to students from 46 school districts across seven counties. The districts pay the tuition for their students to attend.

Today is all about recognizing that its not a one size fits all. We have a new vision moving forward for high school and we expect greater things to come in the future, Ramsammy said.
SCHUYLERVILLE  The remains of a Hadley resident who was killed during the Korean War will finally be laid to rest.

Army Cpl. Walter A. Smead will be interred at Gerald B. H. Solomon National Cemetery on Sept. 20, according to the U.S. Army.

Smead, 24, was killed on the sixth day of a retreat at the Chosin Reservoir on Dec. 6, 1950.

His internment marks the end of a 71-year journey since the corporal was reported missing in action Dec. 6, 1950 after his unit was attacked by enemy forces as they attempted to withdraw near the reservoir in North Korea.

Smead could not be recovered until this past March, when his remains were among those identified in 55 boxes that were turned over by the North Korean government in 2018.

Scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA analysis to identify him, along with other evidence.

Smead has a living younger brother, Doug Smead of Corinth, and other family members. Funeral services will be performed by Densmore Funeral Home.

He is the second Korean War military person from Saratoga County to be identified in recent years after being reported as missing.

Army Pfc. John Martin's remains were identified in 2018. He was also killed in the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Earlier this year, remains of another Capital Region resident who fought in the Korean War, 20-year-old Clifford Johnson of Valatie, were laid to rest in

Smead was part of Battery A, 57th Field Artillery Battalion, 7th Infantry Division, which deployed near the Chosin Reservoir on Nov. 27, preparing to attack the next day.

The Chinese launched a surprise attack that night in what was the middle of one of the coldest winters on record, with temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below zero. Many who survived lost limbs to frostbite. Trapped soldiers had to fight their way out, with many walking across the frozen reservoir.

The division expected reinforcements and its commander believed there were few Chinese left to attack, so they dug in. But the Chinese blocked the reinforcements and attacked again the next night. At the same time, it began to snow heavily and the temperature reached -30 degrees, with several men freezing to death in their foxholes. By the last day of November, half the division had been killed or wounded.

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The division began a fighting retreat on Dec. 1 but almost every officer was dead or seriously wounded by nightfall.

Leaderless and under overwhelming fire, soldiers reached the edge of the reservoir and began to cross the ice alone, trying to get to the Marines who held the other side.

More than 90 percent of the division was killed or wounded by Dec. 2, according to accounts at the National Museum of the United States Army.

Smead was among the few able to help the Marines continue the retreat on Dec. 6, which is when he died, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

His name is recorded on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu alongside the others who remain missing from the Korean War.

A rosette will now be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for, according to the U.S. Army.

More than 7,500 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War, including two Saratoga County residents: Master Sgt. Stanley Harmor and First Lt. Norman Melander, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
For more than a decade, chief judges in New York have called to increase the level of legal aid available for the poor in civil matters, an effort to address what they have called the "justice gap."

Lawyers are badly needed for low-income litigants facing problems involving evictions, child custody disputes, medical issues, credit card bills, deportation and domestic violence, as well as unforeseen events such as Hurricane Ida.

On Monday, when Chief Judge Judith DiFiore holds the states 12th annual Public Hearing on Civil Legal Services in New York, continuing a trend that began under her successor, Jonathan Lippman, that need will again be the theme but under even direr circumstances: the continued wrath of COVID-19.

This years public hearing will focus on the nature and extent of the access gap we are facing as a result of the pandemic, including how to meet the legal needs of the large number of tenants facing eviction, the legal problems of communities of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and the importance of bridging the digital divide for litigants seeking to access our virtual courts, DiFiore in her most recent address on Sept 7.

On Wednesday, the court system announced grants to 81 providers of civil legal services for the poor around the state, including a number in the Capital Region such as the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York ($4,594,179); Empire Justice Center ($1,282,910); Legal Project ($492,001) and Unity House of Troy ($83,335).

The chief judge and others will offer more information on upcoming efforts to fill the need Monday.

DiFiores presentation will be live-streamed on the court systems website (https://nycourts.gov/) at 1 p.m. In attendance will be the presiding justices of the states four appellate courts, which include Presiding Justice Elizabeth Garry in the Albany-based Third Department, and New York State Bar Association President T. Andrew Brown.

The pandemic forced the court system to operate virtually. Starting last Tuesday, all judges and non-judicial employees in the system who have not provided proof of vaccination status will undergo mandatory weekly testing for the deadly coronavirus. And beginning Sept. 27, all judges and non-judicial staff - absent religious exemptions - will be mandated to show proof of at least one vaccine and undergo weekly testing until two weeks after being fully vaccinated.

In her address, DiFiore said her Office of Justice Initiatives, headed by Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Edwina Mendelson, ramped up its effort to get court access to unrepresented litigants. When the "Court Navigators Program," which allowed non-lawyer volunteers to be trained to guide unrepresented litigants through their court appearances, was forced to be temporarily suspended due to the pandemic, an alternative was found.

In June, the court system's Office of Justice Initiatives worked with John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan to create a "Virtal Court Navigator Pilot" to train students in the school's APPLE Corps public service program to be able to virtually assist the unrepresented litigants.

"We are very encouraged by the number of jurisdictions that want to expand the program and the positive feedback received from both court users and the navigators themselves," DiFiore said.

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Virtual efforts are also increasing at the federal court level.

John Domurad, the chief clerk in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York, which includes Albany, said efforts are being developed to help litigants and lawyers within the 32-county, 30,000-square-mile district schedule virtual appointments for video conferences, according to a recent post on the website of the Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association.

"While this solution is still in development, our goal is to create an easily accessible platform on which we can host these videoconferences, whether that platform is accessed by computer, tablet or smart phone (as long as it has an Internet connection)," he said.
CHAMPLAIN  A couple with two small children, in the United States on visitors' visas, arrived at the Canadian border via Roxham Road in August. They expected the cul de sac flanked by farmland in northeastern New York to be the final physical hurdle in their journey, a few shrubs away from their destination  Canada.

A pair of federal police officers waited on the Canadian side of the crossing, emerging from a small office. They were flanked by a giant sign telling travelers in English and French to STOP! It is illegal to cross. Before March 2020, many migrants knew they were able to cross the rocky juncture anyway, face temporary arrest, and then claim asylum.

Now, reflecting a pandemic-era change, the same billboard bears a new warning pasted at the bottom: You will be returned immediately to the U.S. In spite of Canadas recent announcements that vaccinated Americans and foreigners with visas can visit the country, the asylum system still hasnt reverted to its pre-COVID norms.

Asylum seekers have varying reasons to go north. Some hope to join extended family, or feel they will have better luck with work, housing and health care; others are more likely to qualify for asylum in Canada than in the U.S.

The parents, who spoke Turkish but little French or English, crossed Roxham Road regardless, their toddler and 5-year-old in tow. As they likely expected, the officers loaded them into a car and drove them to the Canadian port of entry near Champlain, N.Y., handing them over for processing.

But instead of allowing them to claim asylum immediately and remain in the country, Canadian officials held the family for hours to take down their personal data before directing them back to the U.S. and passing them off to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). They were then released. After a 25-minute cab ride to nearby Plattsburgh, a brother in Toronto helped them get a night in a hotel and contacted Plattsburgh Cares, a local humanitarian group.

A similar procedure of passing asylum seekers off to CBP can occur when migrants show up at official ports of entry, but these interactions can have even worse consequences: a rejection often diminishes crossers chances of claiming asylum in Canada in the future. This discrepancy is the result of a 19-year-old treaty called the Safe Third Country Agreement, which the Trump administration tried to replicate with countries to the south.

The treaty was signed in 2002 in the wake of border trepidation following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and went into effect in December 2004. It blocks most migrants from claiming asylum in Canada if they first passed through the United States, and vice versa. But the restriction only applied in Canada if asylum seekers crossed the border through official ports of entry, language that made New Yorks Roxham Road a popular option to bypass the rule.

Intense media coverage in 2017 focused on larger groups of legal U.S. residents from countries like Haiti who began to cross into Canada along Roxham Road, many of them afraid Trump would nix their Temporary Protected Status. Since then, the policy loophole has been a political flash point.

Misinformation on border status

With the pandemic bearing down, in March 2020 Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the isolated route to Canada would be suspended, and anyone walking in at irregular crossings would be handed over to U.S. border authorities.

We recognize that these are exceptional times, Trudeau told reporters that month, assuring the public that crossers would be released almost immediately after they were returned to American officials. While this was true for many individuals, the Times Union has interviewed several asylum seekers who were placed in federal immigration detention by U.S. authorities.

At first, like other pandemic border changes between the two countries, the closure was temporary  just a month, a COVID-19 precaution. Then a month turned to two, and two to 17. And even with cross-border lawyers and volunteer networks sharing that Canada was still closed to most asylum seekers, traffic has never stopped.

People have continued to come to the border, it's as simple as that, said Wendy Ayotte, founder of Bridges Not Borders, a citizens group in southern Quebec that advocates for asylum seekers.

She and many New York counterparts  shelter personnel, lawyers, even taxi drivers  have been telling asylum seekers that they will almost certainly be sent back or imprisoned in New York if they try to claim asylum in Canada right now. Even so, the police have apprehended over 500 migrants entering at Roxham Road or similar irregular crossings since the emergency COVID-19 rule took effect, according to data from Canadas Border Services Agency.

While this is a sharp decline from pre-pandemic numbers, the people who have crossed at Roxham Road since March 2020  willingly walking into the custody of Canadian cops  have been returned to immigration authorities in northern New York. Ayottes Bridges Not Borders website, known as a reliable source for asylum rules, is now peppered with bolded red text sharing border status updates.

The number of visits (to the site) shot up last year after the border closure. And they shot up again as soon as people started hearing Americans would be allowed to enter Canada, Ayotte said.

The New York volunteer group Plattsburgh Cares has also seen a fresh surge of interest from people asking about crossing into Canada, after media outlets covered Canadas Aug. 9 change that permitted entry for vaccinated American visitors, and its Sept. 7 opening to vaccinated visa holders worldwide. Neither update affected Roxham Road or the restrictions limiting most asylum seekers, but many refugees believe that they had.

The misinformation concerns me, said Janet McFetridge, a Champlain-based volunteer for Plattsburgh Cares. People are going to spend a lot of money coming up here to find out that it's not open, and then theyre going to have to go back to somewhere else where they can be safe.

McFetridge, a former school teacher, did not study immigration law. But she has become a practical expert in the human cost of the confusion in her last few years visiting Roxham Road and reviewing correspondence. She has emailed with hundreds of people fleeing danger in their home countries with a desire to settle in Canada.

Since the Sept. 7 policy change, McFetridge said emails from asylum seekers hoping they will now be free to cross are going up by the day. So much misinformation, she said. People think foreign nationals means anyone who isnt Canadian can cross.

As the areas immigration coordinator at the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity, a position funded by New York through the Office of New Americans, Diane Noiseux meets many of them. She said there were about six families with over 20 people who came back to the area and tried to cross on Sept. 7, thinking they would be able to claim asylum in Canada after the September update.

She added that as recently as last week, U.S. authorities were detaining some individuals for their attempts: a husband and wife tried to claim asylum by entering Canada via Roxham Road, and when they were directed back the woman was allowed to go free while the man was placed in custody.

Another recent detainee, a man originally from Nigeria, needed his family to pull together $10,000 to bail him out of New Yorks Clinton County jail after he attempted to lodge his own asylum claim with Canadian border authorities in August. Once he was released, a local lawyer told the Times Union that the man said hed tried to cross only because hed seen on television news that Canada had reopened.

Some cab drivers, whose role was historically to transport asylum seekers to Roxham Road or to the border crossing near Champlain, have served as allies to migrants by explaining to them that most asylum seekers are not currently getting through.

Amy Mountcastle, an anthropologist at SUNY Plattsburgh, has been working with her colleague Elizabeth Onasch on a long-term look at the border dynamic.

Mountcastle noticed that taxi drivers who shuttle asylum seekers have mostly been portrayed for price gouging. But while each driver is different, and some have likely been transporting people during the pandemic without telling them the news, she said others have been talking clients out of using their services when its clear they wouldnt get through.

But sometimes, the warnings dont work.

Mountcastle recently ran into a driver who was picking up three different parties at once from the Plattsburgh airport. They were all hoping to claim asylum in Canada.

The driver said that he tells them what the deal is, but many just insist they want to try their luck, she said.

The waiting game

While some asylum seekers have followed outdated information or decided to take a risk, many others have been looking for more accurate updates or listening to people like McFetridge, Ayotte, or the cab drivers. A number of these refugees, many of whom arrived in the U.S. explicitly to attempt a Canadian asylum case, are laying low while waiting for policies to change.

Jose, currently in Orlando, is one of them. The father of four from Venezuela spoke proudly of his teenage children, whom he left behind in May in the hopes of paving the familys way to asylum in Canada.

I miss them very much, he said, tearing up. Jose, who asked that his last name be withheld for this story, explained that he has a cousin in Montreal who spoke to him when he was still in Venezuela in March, suggesting that he try to get asylum in Canada. He told the Times Union that he was only planning to be in the U.S. temporarily, until he could cross into Quebec through northern New York.

In May, Jose entered the U.S. on a preexisting tourist visa. He knew hed have to wait before going north; he just hadnt wanted to let the visa expire and lose the opportunity to enter (the U.S.) through the front door, he said.

A civil engineer, Jose had experience abroad before starting his first petroleum-related business in Venezuela in the 1980s. But after Hugo Chavez took power, it was expropriated by the government.

Jose said he had landed on the state enforcers blacklist for failing to fall in line, and that anything he did to make a living was destroyed or taken by the Venezuelan government.

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In July, he reached out to McFetridge at Plattsburgh Cares to ask when he could travel.

She told me to stay where I am, that the border is closed, he said.

He has followed up again with her and with several lawyers since reading that they opened the border this week. But hes been frustrated that his internet searches have been turning up old or potentially untrue news items.

I can't gamble. It's not about me, he said. I can sleep under a bridge, but I can't do that to my kids.

The civil engineer said he might apply for protection in the U.S. if he had no other option. He only landed in the country four months ago, so he still has time.

But for anyone who arrived planning to enter via Roxham Road at the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. clock will have already timed out.

You only have a year to apply for asylum in the United States from the time you arrive, said Bryan Overland, who until this month was legal services manager at a Buffalo shelter called Vive, run by Jericho Road Community Health Center.

Vive is one of several shelters where Plattsburgh organizers send asylum seekers who have been directed back. It has been at capacity for months with people affected by pandemic-era immigration changes, including those waiting for Canada's rules to shift.

If you spend that entire year waiting for the Canadian border to reopen, then you're in trouble: You lost your chance of submitting an application for asylum here, Overland said.

But some shelter residents have held out hope, watching on the 21st of every month  the day Canada has been renewing its border restrictions  to see if the rules change and they can safely cross. Since mid-August, a few people who were returned to the U.S. from Roxham Road over a year ago have also begun getting calls from Canadian authorities about the resumption of their claims.

Networks stretched thin

Vive, along with Noiseux, Plattsburgh Cares volunteers and Wendy Ayottes Bridges Not Borders, are part of a tight-knit cross-border network supporting the needs of asylum seekers at the northern border. The groups, many of which are based in northern and western New York, each have their own perspectives: some consider themselves advocates, while others, including Plattsburgh Cares, are quick to clarify that they are purely humanitarian.

The network has been meeting virtually on a monthly basis this year, and has put out multiple joint press releases to take on the information vacuum that has led to an influx of people stranded in New Yorks rural border regions.

One release from April 2021 is titled, Dont Seek Asylum in Canada Without FIRST Getting Legal Advice. Months later, it still holds true.

Among the dozens of people currently stranded in Plattsburgh, JCEO's Noiseux said some had previously been in New York shelters but decided to try crossing at Roxham Road in order to get their information into the Canadian system, even while expecting to be sent back.

Now they're trapped, they have nowhere to go. They leave the shelter, they lose their spot, Noiseux said.

When an asylum claimant is directed back at the northern border, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers sometimes call the county social services offices after-hours hotline, or they may call Diana Wardell, a volunteer for Plattsburgh Cares who has been a point person for stranded migrants since 2017.

We want to try to discourage people from coming up here and having to be turned away, unless they meet a Safe Third Country Agreement exception, Wardell said.

While most asylum seekers have a plan for how to get themselves to the border  whether to Roxham Road or a formal port of entry  few have a strategy for what to do if theyre spit back out into rugged and sparsely populated northern New York.

John Redden, who runs the Department of Social Services in Clinton County, said that when they get calls he works closely with JCEO to find temporary solutions for migrants who are stranded, and that Wardell and other volunteers with Plattsburgh Cares often do the heavy lift.

Direct-back cases used to be more rare. Now, Plattsburgh Cares has helped well over 150 people get food, temporary shelter and transportation to their next safe place since the beginning of the pandemic. But the organization, set up as an apolitical nonprofit to help stranded refugees, has been running out of cash.

Plattsburgh is an extremely small city  we have no shelters, we have no public transportation in or out of our region right now, Wardell said. It's not like you can catch a bus back to New York City.
Women Against War writer Lynda Ames' affirmation on the futility of war illustrates that all aspects and results of conflict are debatable ("Afghanistan debacle affirms futility of war," Sept. 3). That includes her assertion that women in Afghanistan were better off 20 years ago than they are today. Afghanistan has now gone dark so we may never fully know the answer. What is not debatable, and the message to all our veterans of the Middle East, and in particular Afghanistan, is that they kept us safe for the last 20 years. I thank them. We won't forget.

John Santangelo
ALBANY  The parents of adults with conditions such as autism say they are being forced by a state agency to choose between sending their child to a fenced-in institutional facility in the far reaches of the Adirondacks, or face the prospect of losing funding for their long-term care.

The situation has rankled a group of state lawmakers who say the practice, put in place under former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is an apparent cost-saving measure that exploits a loophole in a 2014 law designed to give parents due-process rights in decisions about long-term care for their children when they reach age 21.

Some parents say they've been left with no alternative to sending their disabled children to what they feel is a remote and prison-like facility that apparently houses individuals convicted of crimes such as child sexual abuse or those who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial.

Joseph and Michele Atkinson of Long Island, whose son Joseph recently graduated from an adolescent program at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center in Canton, Mass., wrote a letter to Cuomo on July 13 detailing the history of their son's conditions, which include autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and ADHD.

They explained that their son, upon reaching puberty, became so aggressive that he would later cry, apologize and lock himself in his bedroom "so he could escape all triggers."

After rotating through a dozen New York schools, and after it was determined that no other schools would take him, the state looked for programs in other states that would be appropriate. Michele Atkinson said their son was placed in the Massachusetts facility three years ago under a program paid for by his New York school district.

The Atkinsons said their son thrived at the school in the suburbs of Boston, had his medications sharply reduced and lost 60 pounds as his lifestyle became more healthy. He learned to work through his daily aggressions and handle tasks such as chores, putting simple meals together, forming relationships and going on outings. He has lived in a single-family residence and his aggressive meltdowns have been reduced to episodes that last only a few minutes, and usually only one or two times per day.

After Joseph turned 21 in April  and by July was no longer considered a student  his parents said they understood that he had "aged out" and would need to be placed in an appropriate residential program in New York. But he was rejected by all residential state schools that reviewed his background, and the state informed the Atkinsons this summer that he would be placed in the most secure area of the Sunmount facility in Franklin County.

In that setting, they told Cuomo in their letter, they feared their son would be "denied an opportunity for appropriate socializing with peers" and that all of his activities would take place inside the fenced-in compound.

In contrast, at the Massachusetts school, they said had had made such progress that this year he was able to sit through an hour-long graduation ceremony and also attend his prom without incident.

After receiving notification this summer from the state Office for People with Developmental Disabilities that his school funding would end and the state would not pay for him to reside in the Massachusetts school, they received a letter informing them their child could go to the Sunmount facility or "OPWDD may not provide funding" for his continued treatment out of state.

Michele Atkinson, in a recent interview, said the family took part in a virtual tour of the Tupper Lake facility and "pretty much what we found was a compound  a prison-like facility that apparently houses disabled individuals who have been convicted of crimes like rape, arson, murder."

"They're mixed in the general population," she continued. "These people could be housed with my son. ... This is definitely happening to others."

Turned away

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi of Queens, who chairs the chamber's Children and Family Services Committee, is among several lawmakers who recently wrote a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her to unravel the policy. He and his colleagues contend it may violate a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court decision that entitles disabled persons to receive care in the least restrictive and most integrated settings.

A state law enacted with bipartisan support in 2014 to further address the issue guaranteed due-process rights for disabled children and their families in determining their long-term care decisions, but only upon the child turning 21 or after graduating from school.

The state has recently been informing some of these parents that their funding for out-of-state treatment will be discontinued, but they can transition their child to the remote facility in Tupper Lake. Hevesi believes the agency is exploiting a specific point on the timeline  after graduation but before the disabled person's 21st birthday  to impose a residential placement before the activation of the due-process rights that could give their family more sway in their treatment decisions.

Lawmakers suspect the policy was put in place to reduce the state-funded cost of residential treatment by funneling New York residents from out-of-state schools and group homes into New York-run institutions.

"OPWDD seems to have found a loophole that the rights dont kick in until they are 21, and they are using it to the detriment of these families and these individuals," Hevesi said. "I think they're violating their own duties and obligations."

Read the lawmakers' letter to Hochul:

Donna Cinturati's son Vincent, who has severe behavioral issues, turned 21 in July and has been receiving treatment at the same Massachusetts facility as Joseph Atkinson. He had been residing at a school for the disabled in Port Jefferson two years ago but had to find a new location when it closed after a half-century in operation.

Cinturati said her choices were schools in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire or Massachusetts, and she opted for the Judge Rotenberg Center because she has family who live nearby and could go to her son's aid quickly if necessary.

CINDY SCHULTZ/ALBANY TIMES UNION

Cinturati and her daughter, who is Vincent's twin and has cerebral palsy, packed up their car on Sept. 7 to make the trek north to Tupper Lake for a tour of the facility that was scheduled for the following morning.

She said they were roughly five hours into the trip  made difficult by the fact her daughter relies on a walker or wheelchair and cannot communicate when she may need to use a bathroom  when she received an email from OPWDD informing her the tour had been cancelled because they said she had rejected an offer to relocate her son there.

"I thought maybe there was a mistake, so I continued to press on," she said.

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Cinturati, a single mother who said she took a job as a school lunch attendant decades ago so she could have a schedule that allowed her to help her kids get on and off the school bus, had been scheduled to meet a staff member from the Judge Rotenberg Center outside the Sunmount facility who made the trip to assess if the facility would meet Vincent's needs.

Instead of a tour, she said, the JRC staff member was confronted by security guards after he entered the parking lot on Wednesday morning and was allegedly told to leave immediately or they would call the State Police. Cinturati said the JRC staffer called her and cautioned that they had told him if she arrived "the same thing would happen" to her and her daughter.

OPWDD, which runs the Sunmount facility, would not offer an explanation for what happened to Cinturati and the JRC staffer.

The day before, on the long drive into the Adirondacks, Cinturati had been overcome with emotion as she navigated the isolated highways with intermittent GPS and cell service.

"There's just trees and roads, and it's like, 'If something happens to me on this stretch of nothingness ... ,'" she said. "And then I started to cry. I'm like, 'If my son is up here, what am I supposed to do in the winter? I'll never see him.'"

Cinturati also questioned whether her son would regress in the institutional setting, noting his behavioral issues cause him to pull at anything that seems out of place  a piece of wallpaper or a wire sticking out of an outlet  and that he doesn't recognize boundaries and will hug people uncontrollably.

At the Judge Rotenberg Center, which has been scrutinized for its use of a controversial but court-approved program of shock therapy, her son has been removed from all of his behavioral medications and "he's happy," she said. He son lives in a residential group home in the community and is bused to the school for his programs, she said.

Hurting families

On Friday, OPWDD officials provided a response to what they described as a legal process that prevents them from providing funding for out-of-state care at a certain point, leading to their decisions to direct parents to relocate their children to the Tupper Lake facility or risk losing funding for their treatment.

OPWDD is committed to identifying appropriate services to meet every persons needs and to creating a person-centered plan to support them in New York once they complete their education in another state," the statement said. "OPWDD works closely with each student and their family to identify an appropriate in-state placement that will meet their specific needs to ensure that the student can return to (New York), their official place of residency, to receive appropriate adult services at the time they complete their education (at the end of the school year in which the student reaches the age of 21)."

The agency also said it has "limited authority, on an emergency basis," to fund continued placement at an out-of-state school once a student has graduated. The agency said that can only take place until an "appropriate adult placement" in New York is available.

If the student declines to accept the New York placement, OPWDD has no authority to fund their services out of state, the agency added.

The agency also said that the "due process rights do not apply to residential school students who are offered placement in the OPWDD system when such a placement is available to the student at or before the time of their graduation."

A spokeswoman for OPWDD did not immediately respond to a question regarding how many parents of out-of-state students have received letters stating "the school district and/or department of social services funding will cease at the end of the school year and that OPWDD may not provide funding" for their child to attend a program or school in another state.

Some lawmakers have said that based on the projected savings that Cuomo administration had previously anticipated saving from cutting out-of-state funding, the policy may have impacted hundreds of individuals. The agency has been seeking to move all out-of-state clients back to New York facilities, not just those at the Massachusetts school, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Hevesi and four other members of the Legislature signed the letter that was sent to Hochul recently urging her to intervene. The others are Assemblyman Thomas J. Abinanti, chair of the Committee on People with Disabilities; Assemblyman John McDonald, chair of the Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation; state Sen. Samra Brouk, chair of the Committee on Mental Health; and Sen. John W. Mannion, chair of the Committee on Disabilities.

"Were hurting families in the short-term," Hevesi said. "In the longer term, these individuals  some of them are going to regress and need more expensive services, and its hurting their families. None of this makes sense."
Richard L Bleigh, 77, of Rivesville, WV passed away on Monday, September 13, on a beautiful fall day. Richard was born September 08, 1944 in Fairmont, the son of Howard V Bleigh and Zelma N. Bleigh (both deceased). He married his high school sweetheart, Sandra Jean Hall, (deceased), daughter
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his Republican rivals are making their final pitches to voters as the recall against the governor winds to a close
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A Virginia man will be sentenced in December after pleading guilty to taking part in the riot earlier this year at the U.S. Capitol
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[September 12, 2021] Hollywood Actor Searches For Australia's Skills Superstar

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Do you have dynamite skills but aren't sure how to make the most of them? Gosh! Australia's leading employment marketplace SEEK has teamed up with Hollywood Actor Jon Heder to take on the role of SEEK's Chief VP Director of Skills and search for Australia's Skills Superstar. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: https://www.prnasia.com/mnr/SEEK-hollywood-actor-searches-for-australia-s-skills-superstar.shtml From today, Australians will have the chance to win the freakin' sweetest prize, a full year's salary, valued at $89,003[1], by entering Australia's Skills Superstar. Participants will need to search for their top skills on SEEK Career Advice and submit a video showing off how their sickest skills could kickstart a career or turn a passion into a profession. Jon Heder, who is best known for his leading role in the 2004 comedy film Napoleon Dynamite and appearing in films including Just Like Heaven, Blades of Glory and The Benchwarmers, is encouraging Aussies to identify their top skills and become Australia's Skills Superstar. "Discovering your top skills has never been more important when trying to further your career or pursue a passion. For me, I've always loved to dance, and my sweet dancing skills helped me land the role of Napoleon Dynamite and launch my acting career. "In my role as SEEK's Chief VP Director of Skills, I'm flippin' excited to help Aussies recognise their top skills. From nunchuck skills to bow hunting skills, SEEK is offering up a full year's salary to the person who can work their skills the hardest. Who knows, you might stumble on how your top skills could kick start a career or turn a passion into a profession... Like being a Liger Tamer," said Heder. The finalist of the competition will be interviewed by Jon Heder and globally renowned Interview Expert and Entrepreneur Kirsty-Anne Ferguson before being crowned Australia's Skills Superstar. "In Australia, we've seen an accelerated shift in the part everyday skills play when it comes to applying for a new role. Employers are attracted to candidates who not only have the experience but have the everyday skills that will allow them to succeed in a position. These skills are developed throughout your life in the way you approach tasks. I call it your 'how' in other words, how you communicate or how adaptable or resilient you are. "As we continue to work remotely, we will see more technological advancements in the way employers source and assess talent. We're already seeing video interviews becoming the norm, which can be daunting for some candidates. Australia's Skills Superstar is an exciting way to help Aussies identify their everyday skills so they can showcase them in their next job interview," said Ferguson. According to research from SEEK, 2 out of 5 (40%) Aussies are currently seeking a career change - whether it's a new job, progressing within their current role or moving industries altogether. However, when it comes to selling their skills to land a new role or move industries, nearly half (47%) of Aussie job seekers lack confidence, with the fear of coming across as a 'show-off' rated as the top reason. SEEK's Head of Customer Insights & Strategy, Elyssia Clark said, "We will continue to see many Australians change and explore new roles and industries throughout their careers. Employers are now looking at candidates who may not have the exact experience but have shown how their everyday skills would make them the perfect fit for that role. Our latest research shows that more than half (58%) of employers would hire someone without the right experience if they had the right skills." Entries for Australia's Skills Superstar open on Monday 13 September and close at 11:59pm on Sunday 26 September. The finalist will be selected and undergo a video interview with Jon Heder and Kirsty-Anne Ferguson before being crowned Australia's Skills Superstar. Sweet!







[1] The average full-time yearly salary is calculated through the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Average Weekly Earnings.

Media Contacts: Barton Zaia

Adhesive PR

barton.zaia@adhesivepr.com.au

0439 069 997 About SEEK SEEK is a diverse group of companies, comprised of a strong portfolio of online employment, educational, commercial and volunteer businesses. SEEK has a global presence (including Australia, New Zealand, Mainland China, Hong Kong, South-East Asia, Brazil and Mexico), with exposure to over 2.9 billion people and approximately 27 per cent of global GDP. SEEK makes a positive contribution to people's lives on a global scale. SEEK is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, where it is a top 100 company. In 2021, SEEK was recognised as the overall winner of the AFR BOSS Best Places to Work awards and also won the award for the Best Place to Work in the Technology Industry. SOURCE SEEK

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Distributors and Janssen/J&J Settlements

Tennessee has joined a broad coalition of states and subdivisions in reaching a $26 billion settlement with four companies to resolve legal claims for their role in the opioid crisis. Tennessees share of the settlement funds is expected to exceed $600 million over 18 years. The settlement consists of two agreements. One agreement is with the three major pharmaceutical distributors: AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson. The second agreement is with an opioid manufacturer: Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

To become effective, a critical mass of states and political subdivisions must agree to participate in the settlements. Tennessee has joined a substantial majority of states in agreeing to participate and the companies have determined that there is sufficient state joinder to move forward with the subdivision sign-on period. Subdivisions will have until January 2, 2022 to become initial participating subdivisions.

Over the next few weeks, notices and other materials will be sent out and posted online. This website will be updated with additional information regarding the allocation of funds within Tennessee and the process for counties and cities to join the settlement.

Settlement Documents and Related Materials
A legacy of local abuse evokes a strong reaction and fear for the future.



Here's the word . . .



"The cleric was facing two felonies for sexually abusing a child in 2015. While we respect the decision made by the DA's office, our thoughts are with this courageous young survivor and we are concerned about the message this may send to other potential victims who are considering reporting to law enforcement."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

Citing the best interest of the victim, prosecutors dismiss criminal charges against a Catholic priest; SNAP reacts

Wyandotte County Prosecutor dismisses case against accused priest following mistrial KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A decision by the Wyandotte County Prosecutor's office may have dropped the legal fight for a Kansas City, Kansas, priest, but that doesn't mean his battle has ended. Wyandotte County prosecutors dismissed the case against Father Scott Kallal last week, according to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Developing . . .
Inspired by hottie Demi and her body of work, we take a quick peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines for Saturday night . . .



Check-it . . .

Kansas City Welcomes New Friends

Local agencies say Kansas City area could welcome 625 Afghan refugees KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Resettlement agencies in the Kansas City area have told the federal government that they have the capacity to welcome 625 refugees from Afghanistan. Three organizations designated by the U.S. State Department as resettlement agencies submitted the figure in a proposal to the agency in late August, The Kansas City Star reports.

Lesson In Risk

Ray-Pec School District no longer requiring masks for students Although the school board voted 4-1 Thursday night in favor of continuing mask requirements for students, because of a recent bill signed by Missouri Governor Mike Parson that restricts local governments on health orders and prohibits the requirement of vaccine passports, the board was required to have five votes to continue the mask mandate.

Rock Chalk COVID Behind The Scenes

Inside a COVID-19 intensive-care unit: University of Kansas Hospital opens doors to KSHB 41 News University of Kansas Hospital doctors have provided daily updates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the delta variant continues to surge throughout the Kansas City metro, Dr. Dana Hawkinson gave KSHB 41 anchor Dia Wall a live, virtual tour of one of its COVID-19 intensive-care units.

Hottie Promo Game Requires Skill

Demi Rose Rides Around Italy In Frontless Bodysuit Scroll for the action. Demi, who made 2020 headlines for quitting the U.K. and moving to Ibiza, Spain, is now on vacation in the celebrity-adored Capri region, where photos have been showing her soaking up the sun and turning up the heat via her figure-flaunting outfits.

Former Prez W. Condemns Domestic Terror Threat

George W. Bush compares 'violent extremists at home' to 9/11 terrorists in 20th anniversary speech On the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that changed his presidency, former president George W. Bush on Saturday warned there is growing evidence that domestic terrorism could pose as much of a threat to the United States as terrorism originating from abroad, and urged Americans to confront "violence that gathers within."

New Boss Not So Nice

Taliban celebrate after beheading Afghan soldier A group of Taliban fighters beheaded an Afghan soldier in a grisly video which also showed them celebrating while yelling "God is Great" and praising the Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. The 36-second video, obtained by the Washington Examiner, was originally posted to a private Taliban chat room about a week ago.

Prez Biden Learns Quickly

How 9/11 shaped Joe Biden's approach to the politics of national tragedy Biden has always prided himself on his oratorical skills, which he had honed over time despite a childhood stutter. Sometimes, they worked to his benefit - like when he was hailed early in his career as the leader of a new generation of Democrats and presided over the Judiciary Committee during critical Supreme Court nomination hearings.

MAGA Already Running Comeback Platform

Trump pays tribute to 9/11 during visit to New York police precinct, hints at 2024 run Former President on Saturday hinted that he might run for president again in 2024 during a visit on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 to the New York Police Department's (NYPD) 17th precinct. The former president, a New York native, spoke briefly about the Sept.

Bennifer Under Seige

Ben Affleck Pushes Man Off of Him at the Airport as He Tries to Leave Venice with Jennifer Lopez Ben Affleck was intercepted by an aggressive man trying to take his picture at the airport in Venice following his red carpet return with Jennifer Lopez Affleck, 49, was intercepted by an aggressive man trying to take his photo as he headed to the airport in Venice on Saturday.

Locals Work For US Neighbor

KC Surgeon 'optimistic' about Haiti's future Surgeon Dr. Ted Higgins recently returned from a medical and humanitarian mission to Haiti following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. In 2016, Higgins founded the Higgins Brothers Surgicenter for Hope in the country. The facility helps train doctors and surgeons. It operates on a "pay what you can" model.

Kansas City Gunfire Good Deeds

Shooting for a great cause Over 200 shooters took part today in the 6th annual John b-mesh Memorial Scholarship Sporting Clays shoot held at powder Creek Sporting Park in Olathe Kansas. The scholarship is named for Kansas City Missouri firefighter John mesh who lost his life in the line of duty on October 12th 2015 fighting a fire at 2600 Independence Avenue.

Sunday Slightly Cooler

Sunday will be sunny, high near 92 Hide Transcript Show Transcript THAT IS WHY WE ARE EXPECTING A GHHI OF 92. THIS EVENING ASOU Y HEAD OUT, TEMPERATURES SLOWLY DROP INTO THE LOW 80'S BY 10:00. CLEAR SKIES. BY 10:00. OVERNIGHT LOWS INTO THE 70'S' TOMORROW MORNING, FOR SUNRISE,PT THAT IS YOUR LOW FOR THE MORNING START AND BY AFTERNOON, THE SUNSHINE AND STRONG BREEZES AGAIN UP TO 92 DEGREES.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
The process of chopping up Kansas City voting districts is happening quickly in poorly attended Zoom meetings and out of sight of most people with anything resembling a life.

Thankfully . . . TKC isn't burdened with middle-class trappings like a wife and children who inevitably grow to hate their father anyhoo . . .

And so, we take a look at how this nightmare is going to play out as post-9/11 Kansas City moves several steps closer to bankruptcy and worsening political upheaval.

Check-it . . .



Not to brag but our blog community was FIRST to break this story at the outset of the week.



Now . . .

Info sent our way offers a stark picture of the future . . .



On the QT and very hush, hush here's the FIRST peek at impending disaster via www.TonysKansasCity.com list . . .

We can't really say much but after the first meeting the process of getting together maps for public view is underway.

The surprises that are in store . . .

- There's already a map which combines most of the 3rd & 4th District given a surprising number of economic and development similarities. Kansas City has wanted to move district lines horizontally for quite some time but this shift could (unwillingly) unite Black & Brown districts into a Midtown behemoth wherein urban core leadership could entertain us all year-long with constant slap fighting.

- Downtown Kansas City becomes a Northland district?!?! It's a small price to pay to follow voting rights rules regarding representation. Even better . . . Northland bickering with downtown hipsters would also provide quite a few lulz.

- The South side will suffer . . . Despite EPIC investment in Cerner . . . This part of Kansas City simply didn't advance in population and they'll continue to be overlooked. Bright side . . . Moving big money districts out of the 4th and into the 6th might bring more economic influence to this part of KCMO.

One more thing . . .

We're seeing an undercurrent of opposition against redistricting leader Pedro Zamora . . . Most of the push back seems to be petty jealousy and gossip that's not worth repeating . . . But that's how most news stories originate and slowly work their way to the mainstream.

TKC believes Mr. Zamora is well-qualified and a great rep for KC's Latino community . . . However, the history this town's Hispanic community is fraught with infighting and a great many "denizens" would rather have no representation at all than suffer the thought of one of their own getting ahead.

Now . . .

A decision on this entire process is due in December so there really isn't time to deal with pesky deets like public participation.

Expect a quick redraw and NOBODY happy at the end of this thing.

Moreover . . . Behind the scenes . . .



Kansas City attorney Clinton Adams is already dominating this process. His experience, knowledge and command of voting rights issues outmatches all of the other redistricting commissioners. The 3rd District will benefit greatly from his advocacy despite their continued and consistent decline in population.



Developing . . .


From an urban memorial to a remote field to the heart of of the nation's military might, President Joe Biden on Saturday paid tribute at three hallowed places of grief and remembrance to honor the lives lost two decades ago in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Standing on the memorial ground where Flight 93 crashed 20 years ago, former President George W. Bush urged America to remember not only the memory of the heroes who fought back in the sky that day  but also their legacy of selflessness that can still help unite the country today.
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Over the next few weeks, the Indiana General Assembly will reconvene in the state capital to hammer out the final details for district maps, bringing the much-delayed redistricting process to an end and publishing new maps for Hoosiers to use in the coming decade.
Canton, GA (30114)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Tour organized by Mohammed was absolutely wonderful! We couldnt even expect it to be so great and incredible!

Our guides name was Mustafa and he is simply fabulous! Mustafa was very caring and attentive. We felt completely relaxed and safe knowing that Mustafa was there with us. He would remember everything, tell us about the country, make great jokes, introduce us to other people... By the way he has friends all around the country - unbelievable! It feels like we became really great friends! Now our tour is over and we miss our Mustafa!

We definitely recommend Mohammeds tour: the organization and service are perfect, Sahara is unbelievable, views on the way are incredible! Definitely one of the best experiences ever!

If you think about Mohammeds tours, do not hesitate and take it - you wont regret it!
There is much talk right now among agents about the UK government's possible announcement next week - forgive me if that his been aired before, but I have missed it if it has.

The essence of it seems to be (and please correct me, or add more or subtract if there is other info): the UK might in essence on Tuesday remove or gut the green and amber list concept, scrap tests for incoming double jabbed and scrap the PCR test once you are there (allowing you to use a test available free almost everywhere).

If this is indeed the case, it could have a major impact on numbers coming in from the UK. It will save a lot of money to travellers, and in particular to those going back in to the UK.

The key though is how the current situation here is handled via curfews, confusion, inadequately explained rules, failure to engage when people are stuck in quarantine for 5 days instead of 2 etc etc. Added to which of course the vital issue of how many cases we might have over the next 10 days. Which could create the worst of all scenarios for us.

A group are lobbying the government about this, because if we remain off the 'red' list, these few issues can be resolved (eg "if you are stuck in quarantine more than a certain number of days, government picks up the tab", it will be a serious comfort and expression of confidence by the government}.

From what we have seen, visitors are pleased that Barbados appears to be at least trying to create a framework of response to Covid, but as is often the way with tourists, they tend to face both ways, and often indicate 'good on yer' but in their mind say 'but obviously I can't therefore come'. They also feel that with only reactive policies and no pathway out, it's a possible quagmire for them. The key is the likely cost of this comfort and the ability to create it.

One thing we cannot locate anywhere btw is studies that show the degree to which people are more likely to travel to places with high rates of vaccinations. All WE have is surveys of our own clients and regular visitors to Barbados and these do not really show it at all, very far from it: but it may be because this is a self selecting survey dealing with hardened travellers who will come anyway. What about the rest.
Re: Taxi from havana airport to varadero

12. Re: Taxi from havana airport to varadero

Look into the taxi service in the link.

They are still operating.

One disadvantage of asking the hotel to arrange is the price.

The arranger gets a "finders fee" so the cost increases.

Si in my opinion it is better to go with taxiinvinales.
I'm not clear on your timing. Is one week 5 days, 7 days or 9 days (including two weekends)? Does it include one full day each way between Spokane and Portland, or are we talking about just from Portland and back?

Will you be alone or with more people/family/ages? How many hours per day will you be comfortable driving? From Portland, you can reach Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in about 4 hours via I-5 to 126 to Florence. I would suggest taking a dune buggy tour of the dunes from one of the operations in Florence before deciding on a hike in the dunes

or

There are a number of trails, including Three Mile Lake, Tahkenitch Dunes, etc., but it's easy to get lost in the dunes, especially in fog. Each winter, storms change the courses of streams and winds change the looks of the dunes. Even those who hike it regularly have to bushwhack and guess the trails route. It's also especially tiring to plod through the soft sand if you're not used to it. Not to mention the risk of a high dune edge giving way under your weight (some times, it's just a fun slide and sometimes it's not fun at all.

For these and other reasons, I would not recommend embarking alone on a long hike through forest and dunes. Once at the surf, it can be difficult to remember and spot where the trail back is.

Anyway, answer my questions above and once we know how much time you actually have and how much driving you want to do we'll be able to suggest a variety of itineraries that include coast, waterfalls and some of the other things you mentioned.
I am vaccinated and will be traveling from the US to Morocco at the end of September. To do so, I am connecting at CDG Airport, and France is currently on Morocco's List B. I'm strictly transiting through France, and am wondering if I will need a 48-hour PCR test for entry into Morocco.

I've seen statements on Moroccan government sites about people who live in a List B country arriving in Morocco after transiting through a List A country, but I can't find any information about the reverse.

I've found a lab where I can get a (fairly) rapid PCR test and I'll probably do it regardless, just to be safe, but wondered if anyone had experience with this situation.

Thank you!
Hi Guys,

I am planning to visit zambia in November to spend a few days near livingstone to see the falls. I was looking online and saw that there are day trips to botswana chobe national park from livingstone. Are any of you aware if this is still possible? If it is, what company or companies would you recommend?

Also, regarding testing.. Can I use the test results from livingstone to leave and re-enter zambia as the trip is a day trip? Or am I required to get a new test from botswana before re-entry into Zambia?

Would appreciate any insight.

Thanks
Hi everyone,

Me and my wife are going to Egypt in October and figured out the best way to return to UK.

We'll fly from Hurghada to Istanbul - inexpensive tickets around 75 GBP/pax. Egypt and Turkey are both in the "red list" for UK. Then same day we'll travel to Bulgaria. You DO NOT need to imprisoned in a designated hotel and pay 2.250 GBP, also, you DO NOT have to self-isolate there.

There are couple of busses per day going from Istanbul to "Sunny Beach" - popular international resort, around 3 hours drive only, bus tickets around 15 GBP/pax. As long as our native town is Varna, we'll go there, bus ticket around 20 GBP/pax. There are also airplanes couple of times per week from Istanbul to Varna but the fare is expensive - around 150 GBP.

So, we'll stay for 10 days in Varna and will have a great extended holiday . Then we'll fly with a direct inexpensive flight of WizzAir : Varna - London Luton. There is a direct flight from Bourgas (Sunny Beach is nearby) as well. Weather in Bulgaria at this time of the year is great and we'll surely have a wonderful time. And we'll save around 5000 GBP.

We could fly from Hurghada or Cairo to Milan, Italy; or to Frankfurt, Germany or even to some other European destination. The trouble is that in most of the places we should have to self-quarantine - at least. Or worse, to pay rediculous and unnecessary cash for a designated hotel.

I will write a new message after our journey finishes. For now I'm more curious to read what do you think about our plan.
Dear Guest,



We really appreciate you taking the time to send your valuable comments about your stay with us as it helps to maintain the quality at the hotel.



We apologies for your expectations not being met at this time, it certainly does not reflect the commitment and the quality that we have exhibited for many years. Our staff always tries to give the best possible experience to the guests.



It is indeed a great pleasure to learn that you have enjoyed your stay at our resort; your kind words have been shared with the team. They will be happy to know they continue to create memorable experiences with our valued guests.



We also appreciate your acknowledgment of our team members, that have been of great service during your stay at our resort and we are eager to inform you that all the staff mentioned has already received your congratulations.



All your observations have been forwarded to the Management of the resort as the guests' satisfaction is our priority and rest assured we will be constantly striving to the excellence in our services.



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Dining options: Breakfast, After-hours, Reservations

Neighbourhood: Centre

Description: We are a traditional Irish pub named after the famous Oliver Plunkett street in Cork City. Famous for the atmosphere built on music and dance that has long been a sweet spot for many looking for a great night out. The Oliver Plunkett has the warm hearted feeling of bringing you in at different times of the day for food, drink and a good catch up with friends. Between drinks, take the time to appreciate the quirky historical and current facts about Cork and its history which are dotted throughout The Oliver Plunkett. The walls and ceilings are lined with a collection of old pictures and photos, as well as Irish quotes and other interesting references. The pictures and paintings range from Michael Collins to John F. Kennedys visit to Cork in the 60s, to Rory Gallagher, Tom Barry and Johnny Rotten to name a few. The Pub is full with lines of poems, songs and old Irish so that everywhere you sit in the bar there are interesting things to look at or read.
My husband and I will be in Bar Harbor from Oct 2-5th and I'm wondering, if there will be nice fall foliage those days? This will be our third trip to Maine, same days....first trip to Boothbay Harbor 2013, 2nd trip to Ogunquit 2015, both of those trips we barely saw any fall foliage as most of the leaves were green. I'm hoping that since Bar Harbor is a bit further north, we will see some beautiful colorful trees? Not that it really matters, because I am looking forward to my trip so much no matter what color the leaves are, but I do love the fall foliage.

Thanks,

Sandi
Description: Portugals rich gastronomic history and culture is, arguably, the most influential cuisine in the world today. In the 15th Century, Portuguese explorers traversed the globe and were introduced to flavours and spices from as diverse regions as South America, The Far East, India, and Africa. After each trip, new and exciting foods were introduced to willing Portuguese cooks. Each new spice, herb, pepper, fruit, or other foodstuff enriched and expanded the nations larder and gave Portugals cuisine distinct flavours not found anywhere else on the continent.

Restaurant details Description: Portugals rich gastronomic history and culture is, arguably, the most influential cuisine in the world today. In the 15th Century, Portuguese explorers traversed the globe and were introduced to flavours and spices from as diverse regions as South America, The Far East, India, and Africa. After each trip, new and exciting foods were introduced to willing Portuguese cooks. Each new spice, herb, pepper, fruit, or other foodstuff enriched and expanded the nations larder and gave Portugals cuisine distinct flavours not found anywhere else on the continent.
Did you know public consumption of alcohol is against the law? Well it is during an SOE! But
The Schneider Springs fire near Yakima grows in area on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 17, 2021. A lighting strike started the fire on Aug. 3.
(@FahadShabbir)

Moscow, Sept 12 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2021 ) :Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday praised Russian and Belarusian troops for their readiness to jointly defend the two countries as he oversaw massive military drills that spooked some EU countries.

On Friday, Russia and Belarus launched military drills involving about 200,000 personnel, one of Moscow's biggest exercises in recent years.

President Vladimir Putin is expected to inspect the drills on Monday, ahead of three-day parliamentary elections this week, a defence official told AFP.

Speaking at test range near the city of Baranovichi in western Belarus, Lukashenko said the two countries were ready to counter what he called "hybrid aggression" from the West.
Tunis, Sept 12 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2021 ) :Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced plans to form a new government and said the constitution should be amended, weeks after he sacked his premier and suspended parliament in moves his critics called a coup.

Speaking to two television channels after a late Saturday evening stroll in central Tunis, Saied said he would form a new government "as soon as possible" after selecting "the people with the most integrity". But he declined to give a specific timeline.

Saied also told the television stations that "the Tunisian people rejected the constitution". He added that such charters are "not eternal" and stated that "we can introduce amendments to the text".

His comments, which confirmed earlier media speculations on his plans, were dismissed by the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, the largest bloc in parliament.

The party in a statement expressed "its categorical rejection of the attempts of some parties that are hostile to the democratic process... to push for choices that violate the rules of the constitution".

Ennahda added that it would oppose "an intended suspension of the application of the constitution and a change to the political system, possibly through a referendum".

The influential UGTT trade union confederation, which has so far backed Saied, also rejected any "suspension of the constitution" and called for early legislative elections so that a new parliament could look into potential constitutional changes.

- Dire living conditions - Saied, a legal theorist and former law professor, was elected in 2019 and has billed himself as the ultimate interpreter of the constitution.

He invoked that power on July 25 to fire the prime minister, freeze parliament and strip MPs of their immunity, and assume all executive powers.

His power grab came amid chronic legislative infighting that had crippled governance. It was followed by a sweeping anti-corruption drive that has included detentions, travel bans and house arrests of politicians, businessmen and judicial officials.

Saied has yet to appoint a new government or reveal a roadmap towards normalisation, despite repeated demands by political parties.

His moves have been criticised by judges and opponents, in particular Ennahdha.

But some Tunisians, exasperated by their political class and its perceived corruption, impunity and failure to improve living standards more than a decade since the country's protests launched the Arab Spring, see them as a necessary evil.

The chants of "Dignity!" and "Work!" that filled the air during the revolution have again started to sound at demonstrations.

In images posted around midnight on the Tunisian presidency's Facebook page, Saied was seen walking down the capital's Bourguiba Avenue as a crowd sang the national anthem, before he stopped to speak with the tv channels.

- Self-immolation - Earlier that day on the same central thoroughfare, a man had set himself on fire and later died of his burns -- a desperate act that followed another self-immolation a week before protesting living conditions According to Tunisian media reports, the man who died Saturday was struggling with economic issues and had come to Tunis from Djerba to seek solutions to his plight.

The deaths recall that of the street vendor who burned himself alive on December 17, 2010 and launched both Tunisia's popular revolution and the wider Arab Spring that toppled several autocratic leaders in the region.

Tunisia, hailed as a rare democratic success story in the middle East and North Africa, was struggling with dire economic woes and the Covid-19 pandemic before being plunged into the latest political crisis.

Saied's comments came a day after he received in Tunis the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell who expressed the bloc's concerns over the power grab.

"I communicated to the president Europe's apprehensions about the preservation of democratic gains in Tunisia," Borrell said after talks with Saied.

"The free exercise of legislative power and the resumption of parliamentary activity are part of these gains and must be respected," he added.

Earlier this month, diplomats from the G7 nations -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US -- called on Saied to return Tunisia to "a constitutional order".
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2021 ) :Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Sunday paid tribute to Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed who embraced martyrdom on September 12 while defending the country in 1965 war against India.

In his message, Farrukh said Aziz Bhatti, during 1965 war, held hostage to the country's enemy for six days and nights which eventually resulted into the worst-ever defeat of India.

Major Aziz Bhatti became a hero of 1965 war by making history on the battlefield, he added.

For this, he said Major Bhatti was honoured with Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan's highest military award for gallantry.

The minister said the entire nation paid homage to Shaheed Aziz Bhatti on his 56th death anniversary for his courage and bravery in 1965 war.
(@FahadShabbir)

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2021 ) :Polling for Lahore Cantonment board (LCB) concluded at 5pm here on Sunday.

The process started at 8am and continued till 5pm sans any break.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) candidates had demanded increasing the polling time by an hour, but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected it and concluded the process at 5pm with the permission that those entering the polling station premises before 5pm could cast their vote.

Provincial Election Commissioner Ghulam Israr Khan expressed satisfaction over arrangements made for the polling process.

DIG Operations Muhammad Sohail Chaudhry had directed the SPs to check the security of polling booths and take all necessary measures to ensure security at polling stations.

The process of counting the ballots had started after completion of the voting process.
LONDON, Sept. 12 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Sep, 2021 ) :-- Another 29,547 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 7,197,662, according to official figures released Sunday.

The country also recorded another 156 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 134,144.

These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

The latest data came as the British Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that in England, COVID-19 rates were rising in children aged from two to those in year 11, and for those aged 35 to 49 in the week to Sept. 3.

Figures for the same time period showed that the infection rate in Scotland was the highest recorded, and the rate in Wales was the highest seen since Christmas.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2021) The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has declassified the first document related to the investigation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and suspected Saudi government support for the hijackers.

"This material is being released in response to the executive order, signed September 3, 2021, [by US President Joe Biden] on the declassification review of certain documents concerning the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001," the FBI said.

The FBI electronic communication document, dated April 4, 2016, was released on Saturday. It describes various contacts that two of the men who hijacked planes on 9/11 had with Saudi associates in the United States but gives no evidence that the Saudi government was complicit in the plot.

The families of the 9/11 victims have long pushed the US government to declassify information related to the links Saudi Arabia may have had to the terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks.
(@FahadShabbir)

RIGA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2021) The Latvian Defense Ministry offered its apologies to the residents of Riga for the scare caused by the Namejs 2021 military exercise in the city center.

The drill sparked a backlash among the residents after video footage of the military firing blanks among civilians went viral on social media. Eyewitnesses filmed a soldier firing over the head of a woman with a small child, terrifying the latter. Another video showed a military firing a machine gun over the roofs of cars that were driving along one of the central streets of Riga.

"During such drills, we only use blank cartridges, which make noise but do not pose any danger to the health and life of others.

In this case, blank cartridges were also used, and this situation was a bitter misunderstanding, for which we apologize. The defense ministry calls on the public to show understanding for the exercises," the ministry said in a statement, as quoted by the TVNET news portal.

All drills of the national armed forces are organized in full compliance with safety rules and the public is also always informed about upcoming exercises and possible noise, as was done this time, the ministry noted.

The Namejs 2021 drills, running from August 30 to October 3 across Latvia, aim at assessing and upgrading command and control framework of the national armed forces, as well as boosting unit interoperability.
Urothelial carcinoma has a high number of somatic mutations compared to other tumors, closely modeling lung cancer which is very sensitive to IO therapy. There are new classification systems of UC using molecular markers  with data supporting the fact that luminal infiltrated and basal-squamous may be IO sensitive.

IMvigor130 trial2  demonstrated PFS benefit, but no OS benefit in the 2020 update. DANUBE trial3  demonstrated no OS benefit of durvalumab or durva/treme KEYNOTE-361 trial4  demonstrated no PFS or OS benefit with the addition of pembro

In EV-201,7 a phase II trial of EV after platinum-based chemotherapy and IO, there was a confirmed objective response rate of 44%

In EV-301,8 this was further validated in a phase III RCT, with EV improving OS by 30% in the interim analysis. PFS benefit is seen below:

In TROPHY-U-01 Cohort 1, 9 a phase II registrational study, SG was associated with a 27% ORR after platinum-based chemo and IO.

a phase II registrational study, SG was associated with a 27% ORR after platinum-based chemo and IO. There is an ongoing phase III trial enrolling currently to assess its efficacy in a phase III RCT, entitled TROPiCS-04

BLC2001 trial, 10 a phase 2 trial of 99 patients with mUC with known FGFR3 mutation or FGFR2/3 fusion, erdafinitib demonstrated an ORR of 40% in all patients  and 59% in patients who had received prior IO therapy.

a phase 2 trial of 99 patients with mUC with known FGFR3 mutation or FGFR2/3 fusion, erdafinitib demonstrated an ORR of 40% in all patients  and 59% in patients who had received prior IO therapy. An ongoing Phase III trial (THOR) will further evaluate this agent in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma, either as a second-line therapy or 3rd line therapy.

Chemotherapy is here to stay! It is unlikely to be replaced as a first-line therapy Maintenance therapy with Avelumab has become a standard of care ADCs and FGFR targeted therapy are excellent options We have made progress!

(UroToday.com) In this rapid review for the American Urologic Association (AUA) plenary session, Dr. Cora Sternberg summarized the current status of first and second-line therapy for advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer  while also touching on changes that are upcoming.She started off by providing basic demographics and where the field of advanced urothelial cancer started to where we are now.Urothelial carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer in the United States and is responsible for about 164,000 new cases in 2021 and 31,940 deaths. In advanced urothelial carcinoma, disease control occurs in 65-85% with 1line platinum-based chemotherapy  but PFS and OS are often limited. Since MVAC chemotherapy in 1989, there have been few achievements in the past 30 years aside from the introduction of gem/cis and ddMVAC. Until recently ~25-55% of patients received second-line treatment often with poor results. This has changed drastically with the advent of checkpoint immunotherapy and other novel agents.The developments of the last 9 years are summarized below:In addition, she highlighted the following facts:We have five immune checkpoint inhibitors approved for platinum-refractory advanced UC  with no head-to-head comparisons and often on the strength of phase 2 studies. These are summarized below:In general, these have an objective response ~20-% and median OS ~10 months.The only Phase III RCT comparing pembrolizumab to chemotherapy in the second-line setting was the Keynote-045 study.In this study, pembro was associated with a 27% risk of death compared to second-line chemotherapy  and effectively solidified the role of IO therapy as second-line following platinum failure.There are now two IO therapies approved for first-line platinum ineligible advanced urothelial carcinoma  atezolizumab and pembrolizumab. The data supporting their approval is listed below:Objective response rates were ~25% and median OS ~10-15 months.Except for the United States, these agents are limited to patients with PD-L1 expressing tumors  in the US, it is PD-L1 agnostic.In updated OS reporting, patients in Keynote-052 with pembrolizumab who were PD-L1 positive appeared to have a greater benefit to therapy than those who were PD-L1 CPS score < 10.Dr. Sternberg then highlighted the SAUL study, which she is a part of  this is a real-world study looking at the use of atezolizumab for platinum-ineligible patients in the first-line setting who would have been ineligible for clinical trial (HIV+, autoimmune disease, dialysis patients, CNS mets, etc). The primary outcome was safety, but OS and PFS were assessed.As seen below, patients with these conditions had comparable outcomes to patients on trial, indicating they could safely be treated with IO.Lastly, she delved into the platinum-eligible population, looking at the role of IO therapy in this setting. She noted there were 5 key Phase III trials in this setting, summarized below:Unfortunately, many of these trials were negative and IO therapy has not replaced chemotherapy in the first-line setting.Based on these, there has been no approval of IO therapy for first-line with or without chemotherapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma.She did touch on the JAVELIN Bladder 100 trial,which was slightly different from the rest. As previously summarized on UroToday this study actually assessed the role of avelumab as switch maintenance therapy following initial 1line chemotherapy. Patients who had stable disease or objective response to first-line therapy were then put on avelumab maintenance therapy vs. best supportive care alone. The addition of avelumab maintenance therapy was associated with a 7.1 month OS benefit (HR 0.69).In a smaller double-blind Phase II trial of maintenance pembrolizumab,there was a similar PFS benefit  but since there was no OS benefit evaluated, pembrolizumab cannot be recommended in this setting.She does note that avelumab switch maintenance should be considered a standard of care for these patients at this time.The next section of her talk focused on ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates), which are a new approach to metastatic urothelial carcinoma. These agents link a monoclonal antibody to a cytotoxic drug or radionucleotide, thereby enabling the potency and effectiveness a monoclonal antibodies while also minimizing nonspecific systemic toxicity.a) Enfortumab vedotin (EV)  this agent links monomethyl auristatin E (payload) to an antibody against Nectin-4.b) Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG)  this agent links SN-38 (payload) to an antibody against Trop-2.The last section of her talk touched on FGFR inhibitors. FGFR3 mutations are commonly found in urothelial carcinoma. This makes this an appetizing target for targeted therapy.Erdafinitib is an established FGFR3 inhibitor that has demonstrated success in the treatment of mUC.She concluded with the following statements:Presented by: Cora Sternberg, MD, FACP, Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New-York Presbyterian, New YorkWritten by: Thenappan (Thenu) Chandrasekar, MD  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, @tchandra_uromd on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021.



References:
About one-third of patients undergoing TURBT will experience an adverse event within 90 days, and about one-third of them will experience a second adverse event

These results suggest that the existing literature may underestimate the impact of TURBT

The most common adverse events unreliably captured by codes were UTI, lower urinary tract symptoms requiring an anticholinergic, urinary retention, and sepsis

These data can provide more accurate expectations to assist patient counseling prior to TURBT and identify opportunities to reduce adverse events

Matulewicz RS, Sharma V, McGuire BB, et al. The effect of surgical duration of transurethral resection of bladder tumors on postoperative complications: An analysis of ACS NSQIP data. Urol Oncol. 2015 Aug;33(8):338.e19-24.

(UroToday.com) The bladder cancer non-invasive session at the 2021 American Urologic Association (AUA) annual meeting included a presentation by Dr. Vidit Sharma discussing adverse events after transurethral resection of intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) is a common urologic procedure with a reported 30-day complication rate of about 6% according to NSQIP data.However, such data sources may underestimate the frequency of adverse events that are not easily classified using administrative codes and do not usually account for co-occurring adverse events. At todays session, Dr. Sharma and colleagues presented the results of their study analyzing TURBT-associated adverse events from a prospective cohort of intermediate-risk NMIBC patients, a subgroup with a highly variable prognosis.The Be-Well Study, a prospective cohort of NMIBC patients treated at Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2015-2019, was queried for patients meeting criteria for intermediate-risk NMIBC (any one of recurrent low-grade Ta within one year, or initially low-grade Ta either >3 cm or multifocal, low-grade T1 or high-grade Ta < 3 cm). Exclusion criteria were (i) AUA low-risk NMIBC, (ii) AUA high-risk NMIBC, (iii) initial muscle-invasive or metastatic bladder cancer, (iv) age < 21 years, (v) initial non-urothelial histology, and (vi) histologic variants. Adverse events were identified using a combination of electronic medical record review, ICD-10-CM codes, CPT codes, and pharmacy prescription data. The primary outcome was any adverse event within 90 days of TURBT. Adverse events of interest included UTI (non-prophylactic prescription of a urinary antibiotics for symptoms or a positive urine culture), lower urinary tract symptoms (requiring a new non-prophylactic anticholinergic prescription), and urinary retention (new onset requiring repeat catheterization). Statistical analysis included logistic regression for adverse events and Kaplan-Meier analysis for association of adverse events with recurrence.In a prospective cohort of 291 intermediate-risk NMIBC patients the baseline patient characteristics are as follows:Overall, the initial TURBT adverse event rate was 32.7% with the most common being: urinary tract infection (15.1%), lower urinary tract symptoms requiring a new anticholinergic prescription at least 8 days after TURBT (10.7%), and urinary retention requiring catheter replacement (7.6%). The Clavien grade III/IV incidence of complications was 2.4%:Among patients that had a re-TURBT, the 90-day adverse event rate was 33% and no different from the initial TURBT data. Patients who had at least one adverse event had a 61% probability of a second adverse event; 19.9% of patients had 2+ adverse events. Notably, 71.4% (15/21) of patients who received an anticholinergic within 90 days of TURBT re-filled their prescription at least once after 90 days beyond TURBT. ICD-10-CM codes alone had a sensitivity of 58% for detecting adverse events, but missed urinary tract infections, anticholinergic prescriptions, and codes for re-catheterization. Multivariable logistic regression identified females, higher Charlson Comorbidity Index, and high-grade tumors as predictors of adverse events:Adverse events were also significantly associated with recurrent disease:Dr. Sharma concluded his presentation with the following summary points:Presented by: Vidit Sharma, MD, Department of Urology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CACo-Authors: David S Aaronson, Katherine E Fero, Patrick M Lec, Karim Chamie, Valerie S Lee, Charles Quesenberry, Julie R Munneke, Mark Schoenberg, Lawrence H Kushi, Li Tang, Marilyn L KwanWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021. References:
(UroToday.com) The 2021 American Urologic Association (AUA) annual meeting included a guideline amendment update for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) provided by Dr. James McKiernan. For each section of the guidelines (NMIBC and MIBC) Dr. McKiernan reviewed important guidelines highlights (that did not change in the amendment), as well as changes to the 2020 guidelines. The NMIBC guideline low, intermediate, and high-risk stratification initially proposed in 2016 was reviewed by the panel and deemed to be still accurate and relevant:

Variant histologies were also highlighted by Dr. McKiernan, notably Statement 6  a genitourinary pathologist should review if any doubt with variant histology (ie. micropapillary, nested, plasmacytoid, neuroendocrine, sarcomatoid), extensive glandular differentiation, or the presence/absence of lymphovascular invasion (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Strength: Grade C). Statement 8  due to the high rate of upstaging with variant histology, clinicians should consider offering radical cystectomy (Expert Opinion).

With regards to BCG response, Dr. McKiernan highlighted several guideline statements that are unchanged from the previous guidelines. Statement 22  in an intermediate- or high-risk patient with persistent or recurrence Ta or CIS disease after a single course of induction intravesical BCG, a clinician should offer a second course of BCG (Moderate Recommendation; Strength of evidence C). Guideline Statement 24  in a patient fit for surgery with high-grade T1 disease after a single course of intravesical BCG, a clinician should offer radical cystectomy (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Strength C).

Several statements from enhanced cystoscopy and surveillance were also noted by Dr. McKiernan. Statement 30  a clinician should offer blue light cystoscopy at the time of TURBT, if available, to increase detection and decrease recurrence (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Strength: Grade B). Statement 33  for a low-risk patient whose first surveillance cystoscopy is negative, a clinician should perform subsequent surveillance cystoscopy six to nine months later and annually thereafter (Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Strength Grade C).

The NMIBC guideline update included a literature review and the amendment integrated into previous guidelines. The committee reviewed Ovid MEDLINE from July 1, 2015, through November 22, 2019, identifying 1,626 abstracts of which 76 met inclusion criteria. Statement 15 states  in low- or intermediate-risk bladder cancer, a clinician should consider administration of a single postoperative instillation of intravesical chemotherapy (ie. gemcitabine, mitomycin C) within 24 hours of TURBT. Previously, this was given a Moderate Recommendation; Evidence Strength: Grade B, however the update now gives this statement Evidence Strength: Grade A. This update is primarily based on the SWOG S0337 trial published by Messing et al.1 in 2018 whereby patients with suspected low-grade NMIBC were randomized to intravesical gemcitabine versus saline immediately following TURBT. Among 406 randomized eligible patients, 67 of 201 patients (4-year estimate, 35%) in the gemcitabine group and 91 of 205 patients (4-year estimate, 47%) in the saline group had cancer recurrence within 4.0 years (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48-0.90):

Among the 215 patients with low-grade NMIBC who underwent TURBT and drug instillation, 34 of 102 patients (4-year estimate, 34%) in the gemcitabine group and 59 of 113 patients (4-year estimate, 54%) in the saline group had cancer recurrence (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35-0.81):

Statement 26 states  intermediate/high-risk NMIBC within 12 months of adequate BCG therapy unwilling or unfit for radical cystectomy, a clinician may recommend a clinical trial or offer alternative intravesical therapy (ie. valrubicin, gemcitabine, docetaxel, combination chemotherapy). A clinician may also offer systemic immunotherapy with pembrolizumab to a patient with CIS within 12 months of completion of adequate BCG therapy (Expert Opinion). Dr. McKiernan notes that when this amendment of the guideline was being completed, the KEYNOTE-057 study was just in abstract form, however, this study was recently peer-reviewed and published in Lancet Oncology.2 In KEYNOTE-057, 101 patients received pembrolizumab and 96 were included in the efficacy analysis (5 patients did not meet BCG-unresponsive criteria). The median age of patients was 73 years (range: 44-92), and patients received a median of 12.0 (range: 7.0-45.0) BCG instillations. Over a median follow-up of 36.4 months (IQR 32.0-40.7), 39 (41%; 95% CI 30.7-51.1) of 96 patients with BCG-unresponsive CIS of the bladder with or without papillary tumours had a complete response at 3 months:

For urinary biomarkers, Statement 9 states  in surveillance of NMIBC, a clinician should not use urinary biomarkers in place of cystoscopic evaluation (Strong Recommendation; Evidence Strength: Grade B). Dr. McKiernan notes that this statement has not changed, but emphasized that the panel acknowledges the uptake of Cxbladder in clinical practice. Although several studies have suggested that Cxbladder may replace cystoscopy there is currently a lack of high quality evidence to make this recommendation:

To conclude the NMIBC update, Dr. McKiernan discussed the current recommendations for BCG unavailable situations in order to maintain high-quality care in the absence of BCG:

No BCG in low-risk NMIBC, intravesical chemo for intermediate-risk disease

High-risk patients should have full strength induction BCG, however, if not available, then 1/2 to 1/3 dose is reasonable

Limit BCG maintenance or forego maintenance if necessary

Other options include gemcitabine, docetaxel, valrubicin, mitomycin, or gemcitabine/docetaxel

Radical cystectomy should be undertaken for the highest risk (ie. high-grade T1, lymphovascular invasion, prostatic urethra involvement, variant histology)

Dr. McKiernan then discussed the MIBC portion of the AUA guideline update, starting with highlighting several statements that are important but have not changed. With regards to neoadjuvant therapy, statement 6 states  utilize a multidisciplinary approach and clinicians should offer cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy to eligible radical cystectomy patients prior to cystectomy (Strong Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade B). Statement 7  clinicians should not prescribe carboplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. If ineligible for cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients should proceed to definitive locoregional therapy or a clinical trial (Expert Opinion).

Important statements for bladder preservation include Statement 22  in patients undergoing consideration for bladder preserving therapy, maximal debulking TURBT and assessment of multifocal disease/CIS should be performed (Strong Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade C). Statement 24  clinicians should not offer radiation therapy alone as a curative treatment (Strong Recommendation; Evidence Level: Grade C).

Much like the NMIBC update, the MIBC update included a systematic review of the literature using Ovid MEDLINE from July 1, 2016, to May 18, 2020. There were 2,005 abstracts reviewed, of which 38 met inclusion criteria for consideration in the amendment. Statement 11 with regards to contiguous organs now states  when performing a standard radical cystectomy with curative intent, clinicians should remove the bladder, prostate, and seminal vesicles in males; clinicians should remove the bladder in females and should consider removal of adjacent reproductive organs based on the individual disease characteristics and need to obtain negative margins (Clinical Principle). Additionally, in select women with early-stage disease and desire to preserve fertility and/or sexual function, organ preservation may be considered as long as complete tumor resection can be achieved (Clinical Principle).

For neoadjuvant therapy, statement 8 now has a timeline advised for performing radical cystectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, stating  clinicians should perform a radical cystectomy as soon as possible following a patients completion of and recovery from neoadjuvant chemotherapy (ideally within 12 weeks unless medically inadvisable) (Expert Opinion).

Dr. McKiernan concluded his presentation of updates from the NMIBC and MIBC guidelines with the following take-home messages:

Review of these two critical guidelines reinforced that the majority of existing guideline recommendations were confirmed as accurate and relevant

The committee identified several areas of research to improve care: Further defining the role of biomarkers Expansion of options for BCG unresponsive disease Integration of systemic immunotherapy in the treatment of MIBC Improved protocols for bladder preservation in MIBC



Presented by: James McKiernan, MD, John K. Lattimer Professor and Chair, Department of Urology, Columbia University/NY Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021.

References:
(UroToday.com) The Society of Urologic Oncology held an associated session at the American Urologic Association Virtual Annual Meeting entitled The Evolving Landscape of Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Guidelines and Case-Based Discussion. Dr. Stephen Boorjian began this session with a talk focusing on the identification of patients with high-risk prostate cancer and the initial management of those with biochemical recurrence following therapy.Dr. Boorjian began by highlighting the definition of biochemical recurrence, based on the AUA/ASTRO guidelines for adjuvant and salvage radiotherapy after prostatectomy. In this setting, biochemical recurrence (BCR) is defined as a detectable or rising PSA that is 0.2 ng/mL with a second confirmatory level that is also 0.2 ng/mL. While a variety of definitions of BCR have been used, this is optimal in terms of predicted five-year progression-free survival. However, when we consider the nuances of disease, a lower threshold may be appropriate for those with higher risk disease (eg. a single PSA 0.05 ng/mL). Following radiotherapy, a number of definitions of BCR have been used. Dr. Boorjian highlighted the Phoenix criteria of nadir PSA + 2 ng/mL. When considering the clinical actionability of a post-RT BCR, we need to consider whether the patient would be a candidate for salvage local therapy. If so, further investigation including MRI, prostate biopsy, and metastatic survey is appropriate.Following surgery, Dr. Boorjian highlighted that the AUA/ASTRO guideline emphasizes the importance of informing patients that BCR is associated with a higher risk of developing metastatic disease and prostate cancer-related death. However, the natural history of BCR is heterogeneous and men with BCR remain as likely to die of something else in 15 years as they are to die of prostate cancer. Citing the classic Pound data, he emphasized that approximately one-third of patients with BCR develop metastasis without therapy with a median time of 8 years from BCR to metastasis and a further 5 years from metastasis to death. Citing data he published from the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Boorjian highlighted that the cancer-specific survival at 15 years following BCR is still 84%, though nearly one-quarter of this population received salvage therapy at BCR before systemic progression, unlike the Pound data. Salvage radiotherapy may, in these patients, significantly improve both cancer-specific and overall survival. Further, nomograms incorporating age, time to BCR, PSA doubling time, and pathologic characteristics may predict the risk of cancer-related mortality. On this basis, the EAU has defined BCR risk groups. These groups can stratify a patients risk of metastasis and mortality.Again returning to the AUA/ASTRO guidelines, Dr. Boorjian emphasized the importance of postoperative radiotherapy being given when PSA levels are low. In relatively contemporary data, the five-year post salvage radiotherapy biochemical recurrence-free survival was strongly associated with PSA levels prior to salvage radiotherapy.Dr. Boorjian then discussed the data regarding the addition of androgen deprivation therapy to salvage radiotherapy. In two randomized controlled trials, this has been shown to improve outcomes ranging from progression-free survival to death from prostate cancer and overall survival. Thus, such an approach should be offered for patients undergoing salvage radiotherapy according to the guidelines. However, in observational studies, the benefit of ADT in conjunction with early salvage RT appears to be limited to those with high-risk features including pT3b/4, Gleason grade group 4 or 5, and PSA at the initiation of salvage radiotherapy of 0.4 ng/mL or greater. Further, men with low PSA levels at the time of salvage radiotherapy may be harmed by the addition of ADT, with an increase in other-cause mortality.However, more recent data suggest that the use of the Genomic Classifier may be able to stratify patients who benefit from the addition of ADT, based on a secondary analysis of the RTOG 9601 cohort. Men with a low GC score have little benefit and actually have worse overall survival when given ADT in this setting.Dr. Boorjian then moved on to discuss the relatively recently published trials comparing adjuvant and early salvage radiotherapy, including RADICALS-RT and RAVES. Notably, adjuvant therapy was associated with worse urinary continence and increase urethral stricture disease but not improvements in five-year biochemical control. The pre-planned ARTISTIC meta-analyses of these data demonstrated no evidence that event-free survival is improved with adjuvant therapy as compared to early salvage radiotherapy. However, Dr. Boorjian noted that these data do not entirely preclude a role for adjuvant therapy given the eligibility criteria favoured patients at lower risk of recurrence. Indeed, a recently published observational study from Dr. Tilki and colleagues suggested a benefit to adjuvant therapy among those with adverse pathology while no benefit was seen among those without adverse pathology. Again, Dr. Boorjian cited data suggesting that biomarkers may assist with these decisions: the Genomic classifier was able to stratify those in whom adjuvant radiotherapy conferred a benefit in biochemical control, even among men with pT3b/4 disease, lymph node involvement, or Gleason score 8-10. However, the current AUA/ASTRO panel concludes that the present evidence is insufficient to discern whether these genomic classifiers can predict the efficacy of post-operative treatments.Dr. Boorjian then moved on to discuss the role of salvage ADT for BCR after RP. He began citing observational data from Dr. Moul which showed no benefit to early ADT at the time of BCR compared to delayed ADT at the time of metastasis. However, in patients with Gleason score 8-10 or PSA doubling time less than 12 months, the early initiation of ADT delayed the development of clinically apparent metastasis. Two further studies showed no benefit in all-cause or prostate cancer-related mortality with the early initiation of ADT in large observational cohorts. The TOAD study assessed this in a prospective randomized fashion and found that immediate ADT was associated with a higher 5-year overall survival than delayed (>2 years) ADT (91% vs 86%) in patients with PSA relapse following predominately radiotherapy. Very recent data published in the Journal of Urology from the Johns Hopkins group showed that the median metastasis-free survival from biochemical recurrence without ADT treatment was 16 years and was 12 years even among those with PSA doubling time less than 6 months.Returning to the AUA/ASTRO/SUO guidelines on advanced prostate cancer, he emphasized that observation or clinical trial enrollment are recommended for patients with rising PSA after the failure of local therapy without evidence of metastasis. ADT is not routinely indicated in this setting. However, the evaluation of these patients is evolving and the use of next-generation imaging may lead to earlier identification of disease.Presented by: Stephen A. Boorjian, MD, Carl Rosen Professor of Urology, Vice Chair of Research, Department of Urology, Director, Urologic Oncology Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MNWritten by: Christopher J.D. Wallis, MD, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Division of Urology at the University of Toronto Contact: @WallisCJD on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021.
Genomic profiling: tissue-based biopsies and proprietary molecular signatures (ie. Decipher, Prolaris, OncotypeDx, ConfirmMDX) Used for treatment and management decisions

Genomic tumor sequencing: tissue or liquid biopsy, with extensive testing of tumor-specific mutations (300+) (ie. Foundation Medicine, Caris) Used for direct targeted therapies and assessing clinical trial eligibility

Inherited cancer risk testing: identifying inherited mutations by buccal/blood testing and assessing for increased cancer risk (ie. Ambry, Myriad, Invitae, GeneDX, Color, etc) Used for cancer screening and prevention, genetic testing in close relatives, and informing treatment decisions and clinical trial eligibility



Pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutation (ie. BRCA2 c.1411G>T/(p.Glu471Ter)  these patients should be referred for genetic counseling after a detailed review of their family history. Additionally, it may be recommended that testing be performed on family members for cascade testing

Benign or likely benign  no pathogenic mutations definitively identified

Variant of unknown significance  these patients can be considered a negative test but requires follow-up and ongoing review for newly identified mutations. GenBank (https://www.ncbi.nlm.gov/genbank/) maintains a central repository of reported genes

>=2 cases of prostate cancer age <= 55 years in close relatives regardless of risk category

>= 3 family relatives with prostate cancer regardless of risk

Aggressive (Gleason >7) prostate cancer

>=2 cases of breast, ovarian, and/or pancreatic cancer in close relatives

Metastatic prostate cancer or mCRPC

Intraductal/cribriform prostate cancer

Somatic tumor sequencing with mutation in hereditary cancer genes

Ashkenazi Jews

Family history of cancer at an early stage of diagnosis: breast cancer <45 years of age, uterine or colon cancer < 50 years of age, ovarian cancer < 60 years of age

There are rapidly evolving recommendations for prostate cancer genetic testing and decision making

The most critical inheritable prostate cancer genes today are: BRCA1/2, HOXB13, ATM, and CHEK2

There is a high prevalence of germline mutations (>11%, possibly up to 25%) in mCRPC

All mCRPC/high-risk disease should have germline testing with consideration for somatic testing as well (to assess for candidacy for PARP inhibitors, etc)

There is an increasing role for somatic tumor testing, including liquid biopsy of cell-free DNA

Clinicians should strongly consider referral for genetic testing and counseling for high-risk patients/family concerns

Many new advanced prostate cancer therapies are under investigation, with most being associated with genomic markers

(UroToday.com) The American Urologic Association (AUA) annual meetings evolving landscape of advanced prostate cancer treatment session included a talk by Dr. Leonard Gomella discussing genetic testing in advanced prostate cancer. Dr. Gomella notes that there have been rapid advances in prostate cancer genetic testing, reflected in changes made to the NCCN guidelines from 2016-2020. Before 2016, prostate cancer and BRCA were only discussed in the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Guidelines, followed by early 2016 guidelines noting the first mention of a family history of BRCA1/2 for screening patients. The 2017 prostate cancer guidelines noted the first familial/hereditary genetic considerations, emphasizing that the following should be considered brother or father or multiple family members diagnosed with prostate cancer at less than 50 years of age, germline DNA repair gene abnormalities, especially BRCA2 mutation or Lynch Syndrome (germline mutations in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, or PMS2) and/or strong family history for breast or ovarian cancer (suggests the possibility of BRCA2 mutation) or colorectal, endometrial, gastric, ovarian, pancreatic, small bowel, urothelial, kidney, or bile duct cancer (suggests the possibility of Lynch syndrome). In the 2018 NCCN prostate cancer guideline, there was the first consideration for germline testing based on risk, and in 2020, there was a change in terminology to germline testing being recommended based on risk.Dr. Gomella emphasized that there are several basic concepts in genomics and genetic testing. In the traditional sense, genetics is defined as the study of individual genes and their inheritance, whereas the modern definition of genetics is in the study of multiple genes and their inheritance pattern. The genome is defined as the entire set of genes in an organism and genomics is defined as the analysis of multiple genes interacting with each other and the environment (ie. cancer, diabetes). Importantly, modern genetic testing relies on genomics. The difference between germline and somatic mutations is as follows:There are several important aspects of prostate cancer genetic/genomic testing:Deep sequencing, also known as next-generation sequencing, takes many hours to days to perform and involves sequencing a region many times in order to minimize errors using gene chip technology. More sequencing certainly is more expensive to perform but is more accurate.Dr. Gomella then discussed prostate cancer and inherited risk, noting that prostate cancer is hereditary in ~10-15% of cases, often due to a single inherited genetic mutation and greatly increasing the lifetime risk of prostate cancer (ie. BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome, HOXB13). Inherited mutated genes (ie. BRCA1/2) do not cause cancer but increase cancer risk, with these pathogenic genes interacting with other genes/environment to increase risk. Familial prostate cancer includes ~15-20% of cases, with some features of hereditary cancer, but no detectable mutation identified and close family members being at increased risk. It is possible that familial prostate cancer represents an interaction between genetic and environmental risk factors. Sporadic prostate cancer represents ~70-80% of cases with no exact cause, no features of hereditary or familial cancer, and no increased risks for close family members.It is important to perform genomic/genetic germline testing, given that it has the potential to impact therapeutic options, identifying actionable genes and the ability to guide treatment in the era of precision medicine. Additionally, it has the potential to screen and prevent other cancers in the patient and protect/screen at-risk members in the family. As follows is a summary of gene mutations, prostate cancer risk associated with mutation, and the mechanism of action:With regards to germline mutation in metastatic prostate cancer, BRCA-2 is the best-studied for potential screening and treatment; males with BRCA-2 mutated prostate cancer have more aggressive disease. There is a 2-6 fold increased risk of lifetime risk of prostate cancer (BRCA2 >BRCA1), and an 8.6 fold increased risk by age 65 (BRCA2). Initial studies suggest that germline mutations occur in 11.8% of metastatic disease compared to 4.6% of localized disease,whereas later studies indicate this may be as high as 25% in mCRPC.There are several practical considerations in genetic testing for prostate cancer. Urologists should become more focused on a patients detailed family history, including relatives that are affected by breast cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, Lynch syndrome, and male breast cancer, etc in order to inform the need for genetic testing/counseling in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Common prostate cancer-specific genetic testing panels are as follows:Additionally, other common prostate cancer-specific genetic testing panels include the Myriad myRisk 28 gene panel that screens for several cancers, and the Color Genomics/Genome Dx hereditary panel of 30 genes. There are several results that may occur when testing for germline mutations with different interpretations:Somatic tumor DNA testing includes several modalities with tissue biopsy being the most common technique, including lymph node, liver, bone, or the primary lesion. Liquid biopsy techniques are increasing, including circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor cell DNA, which may be advantageous due to tumor instability over time and providing better real-time results of genetic profiles versus archival biopsies. Somatic tumor testing is the most commonly used modality used for identifying actionable genes for clinical trials, including the key trials for approving rucaparib and olaparib, as well as pembrolizumab for identifying MSI-H, mismatch repair deficient, or tumor mutational burden > 10 Mb.Dr. Gomella notes that there are several emerging roles of genetic testing in prostate cancer. This includes screening, active surveillance, treatment decisions at all stages, prostate biopsy confirmation, and precision medicine for advanced therapeutics. Perhaps the most common example of genomic profiling to guide treatment is DNA repair genes and candidacy for PARP inhibitors. For example, the indication for rucaparib is in adults with a deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic) and mCRPC who have been treated with androgen receptor-directed therapy and taxane-based chemotherapy. Other indications for rucaparib include ovarian and fallopian tube cancers. The advanced prostate cancer AUA/ASTRO/SUO 2020 Guideline suggests that clinicians should offer a PARP inhibitor to patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair gene-mutated mCRPC following prior treatment with enzalutamide or abiraterone acetate, and/or taxane-based chemotherapy. Platinum-based chemotherapy may be offered as an alternative for patients who cannot use or obtain a PARP inhibitor.Several key organizations, including the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC), the Philadelphia Prostate Cancer Consensus 2017/2019, and the NCCN 2020 guidelines recommend consideration for genetic germline testing and/or genetic counseling for the following patients:Dr. Gomella concluded his presentation with the following take-home messages:Presented by: Leonard G. Gomella, MD, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PAWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021. References:
(UroToday.com) The American Urologic Association annual meeting included a State-of-the-Art Lecture by Dr. Brian Chapin who discussed personalized medicine in the management of prostate cancer across the patient care continuum. Dr. Chapin notes that the way we think about the personalized approach to prostate cancer therapy involves seeing a patient in the clinic and assessing them on a number of factors (clinical features, genetics, genomics, serum markers, receptors, induced responses, and selection pressures) and then developing a personalized approach to their treatment plan:

In setting the stage for personalized care, it is important to understand the available treatment options in the castration-naive setting, as well as the castration resistant setting:

Dr. Chapin notes that personalized care is compartmentalization by stage, histology and biology. Traditionally we have delineated care by stage of disease in combination with histologic considerations (ie. neuroendocrine, ductal, adenocarcinoma). More recently, there has become an increasingly more sophisticated approach, with regards to assessing the androgen receptor axis (TMPRSS2-ERG, SPOP, AR responsive), loss of tumor suppression (p53, PTEN, Rb), DDR mutations (BRCA, CDK12, FANCONI, CHEK1/2), and mismatch repair (MSI, Lynch syndrome).

Compartmentalization allows for better risk stratification, for example balancing arms in a clinical trial by using stratification factors (ie. M1a/b versus M1c) and balancing groups in retrospective studies by utilizing matching or propensity scoring (ie. NCDB, SEER database). However, this can also generate selection bias in retrospective cohort series, for example in patients with occult node positive prostate cancer, some patients will undergo a completion prostatectomy whereas others will have their radical prostatectomy aborted (thus, unable to compare outcomes). Many of us think of personalized care in prostate cancer by way of DNA, RNA, proteins and receptors, such as in the pre-biopsy, post-biopsy, positive biopsy, post-radical prostatectomy, and metastatic settings:

Dr. Chapin emphasizes that it is critically important to delineate between prognostic versus predictive biomarkers. Prognostic biomarkers are a variable associated with favorable or unfavorable outcomes for patients in the absence of treatment. Predictive biomarkers are a variable used to identify patients or groups of patients most likely to benefit from a specific therapy, for example a patient with a DNA damage repair mutation being a candidate for PARP inhibitor treatment, or a patient with a mismatch repair deficiency being a candidate for anti-PD1 antibody treatment. Prognostic variables can be used incorrectly thus mistakenly influencing management. For example, genomic tests on prostate biopsies have all been based on treated prostate cancer patients, thus these findings may not be applicable to an active surveillance cohort. Findings from these genetic tests are used to make changes in management decisions, resulting in Medicare approval. Dr. Chapin states that it is important to remember that no randomized trials have reported outcomes (although there are several ongoing) assessing if genomic tests improve patient outcomes, and in fact reflexive genomic testing may be detrimental to patients.

Dr. Chapin then discussed several potential predictive markers and prospective trials. The PAM50 gene expression classifier was previously described in the breast cancer literature, but has since been applied to prostatectomy specimens. Zhao et al.1 applied the classifier to 3,782 samples (1,567 retrospective, 2,215 prospective) noting that the PAM50 classifier consistently segregated prostate cancer into three subtypes in both retrospective and prospective cohorts:

Luminal A (retrospective 34.3%; prospective 33.3%)

Luminal B (retrospective 28.5%; prospective 32.6%)

Basal (retrospective 37.1%; prospective 34.1%)

Luminal A, luminal B, and basal curves separate based on PAM50 gene expression, with basal tumors having worse prostate-cancer specific survival:

When assessing luminal B and basal tumors with regards to response to ADT, this study suggests there may be a benefit to treatment of luminal B patients with ADT but no benefit seen in those with basal tumors:

Another example is the post-operative radiation therapy outcomes score (PORTOS), which is a genetic prediction score for post-op radiation. PORTOS is made up of 24 genes selected from a training set of 196 men and validate in a separate cohort of 330 men, with a clinical endpoint of metastasis over 10 years of follow-up.2 In this study, patients with a high PORTOS score had a benefit in cumulative incidence of distance metastasis with radiotherapy (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.04-0.60), whereas patients with a low PORTOS score (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.56-1.51) did not have a benefit with radiotherapy:

Biomarker examples have also been described in the advanced prostate cancer setting, specifically assessing androgen indifferent or aggressive variant prostate cancer. In a phase 1-2 trial assessing cabazitaxel plus carboplatin for men with mCRPC, at a median follow-up of 31.0 months, combination cabazitaxel plus carboplatin improved the median progression-free survival from 4.5 months (95% CI 3.5-5.7) to 7.3 months (95% CI 5.5-8.2; HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.95) with cabazitaxel alone.3 Dr. Chapin notes that what is particularly interesting is that for patients with a positive aggressive variant prostate cancer molecular signature, there was an improvement in overall survival with the addition of platinum based chemotherapy, whereas there was no benefit in those that were aggressive variant prostate cancer molecular signature negative. Dr. Chapin highlighted that there are several trials ongoing in the localized setting assessing a personalized approach, including the Genomic Umbrella Neoadjuvant Study (GUNS):

Decipher is a 22 gene classifier that provides risk stratification based on radical prostatectomy specimen analysis, which is prognostic for metastasis. However, there is no data on predictive ability, which is undergoing prospective evaluation in the NRG-GU009 PREDICT-RT trial:

Importantly, there are several barriers to overcome in the era of personalized medicine, including (i) assessing if findings are transferrable across stages of the disease; (ii) tumor heterogeneity, whether intertumoral, intratumoral, or comparing a metastases to the primary tumor; (iii) in order to move from prognostic to predictive markers, prospective trials are required; (iv) it is important to determine drivers in the setting of co-occurences (ie. DDR, +/- p53, +/- Rb1, +/- PTEN); and (v) assess selection pressures over time (ie. the predominant clone).

Dr. Chapin concluded his presentation with the following take-home messages from his presentation of personalizing medicine in the management of prostate cancer:

Progress is being made in the personalized care of prostate cancer patients

It is important to delineate between predictive versus prognostic markers

We need validation of markers to predict a therapeutic benefit

Prospective trials with generation of biobanks are needed moving forward

Skeptical optimism is appropriate until validation is completed

Presented by: Brian Chapin, MD, Associate Professor of Urology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021.

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Patients with cN1 (at functional or conventional imaging)

Patients with de-novo metastatic disease

Patients with oligo-recurrent disease

Are these results applicable to M1 patients diagnosed with functional imaging?

What is the optimal treatment sequencing for these patients?

Should these patients also receive combination systemic therapy?

Should these patients receive concomitant imaging-guided treatments to the visible lesions at imaging? What about the lymph nodes?

Are these results applicable to surgery?

Low volume disease according to CHAARTED criteria/1-3 bone metastases

Men with cN0 disease

Gleason grade group 3-4 (versus 5)

Patients with lower PSA (< 60 ng/mL according to a population-based series)

Patients responding to neoadjuvant ADT

Functional imaging has led to a stage migration towards locally advanced and metastatic disease

Long-term data on treatment-based on functional imaging is lacking

Image-guided treatments represent novel approaches that require accurate patient selection and long-term follow-up data

Local treatment of the disease seems to play a crucial role in men with limited systemic dissemination

What is still unknown is the best combination/sequencing of treatment

Ventimiglia E, Seisen T, Abdollah F, et al. A systematic review of the role of definitive local treatment in patients with clinically lymph node-positive prostate cancer. Eur Urol Oncol. 2019 May;2(3):294-301). James ND, Spears MR, Clarke NW, et al. Failure-free survival and radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed nonmetastatic prostate cancer: Data from patients in the control arm of the STAMPEDE trial. JAMA Oncol. 2016 Mar;2(3):348-357. Seisen T, Vetterlein MW, Karabon P, et al. Efficacy of local treatment in prostate cancer patients with clinically pelvic lymph node-positive disease at initial diagnosis. Eur Urol 2018 Mar;73(3):452-461. Gandaglia G, Soligo M, Battaglia A, et al. Which patients with clinically node-positive prostate cancer should be considered for radical prostatectomy as part of multimodal treatment? The impact of a nodal burden on long-term outcomes. Eur Urol. 2019 May;75(5):817-825. Parker CC, James ND, Brawley CD, et al. Radiotherapy to the primary tumor for newly diagnosed, metastatic prostate cancer (STAMPEDE): A randomized controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet 2018 Dec 1;392(10162):2353-2366. Ali A, Hoyle A, Haran AM, et al. Association of bone metastatic burden with survival benefit from prostate radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021 Apr 1;7(4):555-563. Mazzonee, Priesser F, Nazzani S, et al. The effect of lymph node dissection in metastatic prostate cancer patients treated with radical prostatectomy: A contemporary analysis of survival and early postoperative outcomes. Eur Urol Oncol. 2019 Sep;2(5):541-548. Ost P, Reynders D, Decaestecker K, et al. Surveillance of Metastasis-Directed Therapy for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer Recurrence: A Prospective, Randomized, Multicenter Phase II Trial. J Clin Oncol 2018 Feb 10;36(5):446-453. Phillips R, Shi WY, Deek M, et al. Outcomes of Observation vs Stereotactic Ablative Radiation for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: The ORIOLE Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol 2020 Mar 26;6(5):650-659. Palma DA, Olson R, Harrow S, et al. Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy versus standard of care palliative treatment in patients with oligometastatic cancers (SABR-COMET): A randomized, phase 2, open-label trial. Lancet. 2019 May 18;393(10185):2051-2058. Palma DA, Olson R, Harrow S, et al. Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Comprehensive Treatment of Oligometastatic Cancers: Long-Term Results of the SABR-COMET Phase II Randomized Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2020 Sep 1;38(25):2830-2838.

(UroToday.com) The plenary session at the 2021 AUA virtual annual meeting included the European Association of Urology lecture by Dr. Alberto Briganti who discussed clinically relevant questions in the management of locally advanced and oligometastatic prostate cancer. Dr. Briganti notes that the revolution of imaging from a bone scan and CT scan to PSMA PET/CT imaging has resulted in stage migration towards non-clinically localized disease, with the question being how we should manage these patients. While PET/CT is not yet routinely recommended in the primary setting, roughly 25% of patients receiving PSMA PET/CT for intermediate/high-risk prostate cancer with negative imaging have cN1 or cM1 disease. There are three main clinical settings that are important:Dr. Briganti emphasized that treatment of cN1 patients based on the EAU guidelines states that clinicians can offer patients with cN1 disease a local treatment (either radical prostatectomy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy plus image-guided radiotherapy) plus long-term ADT (Strength rating: weak). However, he cautions that the recommendation for local treatment is based on retrospective/prospective non-randomized evidence only. A recent systematic review assessing the role of local therapies in the management of cN+ patients suggests that local treatment (including surgery in only one study) has invariably better outcomes as compared to non-local treatment.The case for treatment of cN1 prostate cancer with radiotherapy and hormone therapy relies on data from the STAMPEDE trial, assessing 157 patients in the control arm.Long-term hormone therapy, either alone or with radiotherapy (as per the local standard of care) was administered to cN1 patients. Failure-free survival was better among patients receiving radiotherapy with an adjusted HR of 0.35 (95% CI 0.19-0.65). Additionally, 2-year failure-free survival was 89% (95% CI 77%-94%) and 64% (95% CI 51%-75%) for radiotherapy and no radiotherapy, respectively.Surgery for cN1 disease relies on only retrospective evidence, with a high risk of patient selection bias (no standardized indications for surgery), no standardized extent of PLND/use of multi-modal approaches, and mainly based on the use of conventional imaging. The rationale for surgery in the cN1 setting is oncologic control. Work from the NCDB suggests that men receiving some form of local therapy +/- ADT had a significant overall mortality benefit compared to men receiving ADT alone. However, when comparing radical prostatectomy +/- ADT vs radiotherapy +/- ADT, there was no difference in survival advantage between the two treatment modalities. Of the utmost importance is deciding which cN+ patients should be considered for radical prostatectomy. Gandaglia et al.identified 162 patients with lymphadenopathies treated with radical prostatectomy and lymph node dissection at three referral centers. The primary outcome was clinical recurrence was defined as the onset of metastases detected by conventional imaging. The median follow-up for survivors was 64 months with an 8-yr clinical recurrence-free and cancer-specific mortality-free survival rate of 59% and 80%, respectively. The biopsy grade group and the preoperative nodal burden should identify patients more likely to experience clinical recurrence. As follows is the risk stratification tree assessing 8-year clinical recurrence for prostate cancer patients with clinical lymphadenopathies undergoing radical prostatectomy and lymph node dissection:Dr. Briganti then discussed a case of a patient with a PSA of 6.71 ng/mL, digital rectal examination suspicious of a right lesion (cT2b), and mpMRI suggestive of a PI-RADS 4 lesion, with no extraprostatic extension and no seminal vesicle involvement. A targeted + systematic biopsy showed two cores positive of ISUP grade group 3 on the right base, as well as 3 targeted cores positive for ISUP grade group 4. A CT scan demonstrated a suspicious right internal iliac lymph node (13 mm) and a bone scan was negative. A 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT showed uptake at the level of the fourth rib. Based on the evidence, the question is how we should treat this patient? Dr. Briganti notes that the highest level of data we have currently for this patient is from STAMPEDE arm H. For cM1 patients, the STAMPEDE arm H data showed an 8% absolute OS benefit among low burden disease patients (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52-0.90). The low burden is defined as patients with only non-regional lymph nodes or 3 or fewer bone metastases with or without non-regional lymph nodes regardless of axial or extra-axial location and without any visceral/other metastases. In a recent secondary analysis published earlier this year, Ali et alsuggested that survival benefit decreased as the number of bone metastases increased, with benefit most pronounced up to 3 bone lesions.Dr. Briganti notes that there are several open questions in this disease space, including:For surgery in the oligometastatic disease space, (i) there are no prospective randomized studies available assessing surgery in oligometastatic prostate cancer, (ii) surgery has been tested in retrospective/prospective registries only (with possible patient selection bias), (iii) no standardized use of post-radical prostatectomy treatments or use of metastasis directed therapies, (iv) there are few data on long-term follow-up, and (v) it is not yet clear if the results obtained by radiotherapy can be applied to a radical prostatectomy series. However, even with the low level of evidence, radical prostatectomy is still practiced in this setting.The EAU 2021 guidelines give a strong recommendation to offer ADT combined with prostate radiotherapy (using the doses from the STAMPEDE trial) to patients whose first presentation is M1 disease and who have a low volume of disease by CHAARTED criteria. Dr. Briganti notes that based on these statements, there is indirect support for the fact that the outcome of radiotherapy cannot be extrapolated to surgery due to the lack of evidence. In Dr. Brigantis opinion, the following patients are the optimal candidates for surgery:In these patients with metastatic disease, should we be also targeting the lymph nodes? Data from the SEER database suggests that 199 of 330 patients (60.3%) treated with radical prostatectomy underwent lymph node dissection. In this series, there was a significantly improved 5-year cancer-specific survival rate for those that received pelvic lymph node dissection in adjusted analyses (HR: 0.52, 95% CI 0.31-0.87; p=0.01):Dr. Briganti then discussed a case of a 58-year-old with intermediate-risk prostate cancer, with a PSA of 11.2 ng/mL, cT2b, Gleason score 4+3 disease. He ultimately underwent radical prostatectomy with left extracapsular extension, 30% tumor volume, 1 mm positive margin on the left, 0/20 nodes positive, Gleason score 4+4, pT3apN0R1. At 6 weeks, his first PSA was <0.001. He initially chose observation, his 9 months PSA was 0.001 ng/mL, his 12-month PSA was 0.11 ng/mL, and his 18-month PSA was 0.38 ng/dL, with a PSA doubling time of 3 months. A PSA PET/CT at this point in time was positive:According to the 2021 EUA guidelines, this patient should only be offered metastasis-directed therapy to M1 patients within a clinical trial setting or a well-designed prospective cohort study (Strength rating: Strong). As follows is a summary table of the available phase 2 randomized trial data for metastasis-directed therapy from the STOMP, ORIOLE, and SABR-COMET trials:In the STOMP trial, Ost and colleagues randomly assigned 62 patients to either surveillance or metastasis-directed therapy of all detected lesions (surgery or stereotactic body radiotherapy), with a primary endpoint of ADT-free survival. At a median follow-up time of 3 years (IQR 2.3-3.75 years), the median ADT-free survival was 13 months (80% CI 12 to 17 months) for the surveillance group and 21 months (80% CI 14 to 29 months) for the metastasis-directed therapy group (HR 0.60, 80% CI 0.40 to 0.90; log-rank p = 0.11):The ORIOLE trialrandomized 54 men in a 2:1 ratio to receive stereotactic body radiotherapy or observation. The primary endpoint for this trial was progression at 6 months, defined as a PSA increase, radiographic or symptomatic progression, ADT initiation, or death. Progression at 6 months occurred in 7 of 36 patients (19%) receiving stereotactic body radiotherapy and 11 of 18 patients (61%) undergoing observation (p = 0.005). Furthermore, treatment with stereotactic body radiotherapy improved median progression-free survival (not reached vs 5.8 months; HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.81; p = 0.002):For those patients in the stereotactic body radiotherapy arm that had a PSMA PET-CT scan, the proportion of men with disease progression at 6 months was 5% in those who did not have any untreated lesions, compared to 38% in those who did have some untreated PSMA avid lesions (p=0.03).The SABR-COMET study was a randomized, open-label phase 2 study that randomized 99 patients (1:2) to receive either palliative standard of care treatments alone (control group) or standard of care plus stereotactic body radiotherapy to all metastatic lesions (SABR group). Over a median follow-up was 25 months (IQR 19-54) in the control group versus 26 months (23-37) in the SABR group, median overall survival was 28 months (95% CI 19-33) in the control group versus 41 months (26-not reached) in the SABR group (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.30-1.10; p=0.090). Recently published long-term outcomes of this trial showed durable findings. Over a median follow-up of 51 months, the 5-year OS rate was 17.7% in the control group (95% CI 6% to 34%) versus 42.3% in SABR group (95% CI 28% to 56%; stratified log-rank p = 0.006), and the 5-year PFS rate was not reached in the control group (3.2%; 95% CI 0% to 14% at 4 years with last patient censored) and 17.3% in the SABR group (95% CI 8% to 30%; p = 0.001):In this disease space, Dr. Briganti notes that there are several open questions, including 1) Should we combine metastasis-directed therapy with systemic treatment? 2) Should we treat the local tumor anyway? 3) What is the definition of treatment response after metastasis-directed therapy? 4) How do we follow these patients?Dr. Briganti concluded his presentation with the following take-home messages:Presented by: Alberto Briganti, MD, Ph.D., Department of Urology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, ItalyWritten by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021. 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(UroToday.com) At the plenary session of the AUA 2021 virtual annual meeting, Dr. Alejandro Rodriguez provided the Confederacion Americana de Urologia (CAU) lecture discussing controversies and challenges of penile cancer management. Dr. Rodriguez notes that there are 36,068 new cases of penile cancer worldwide each year, and 13,211 penile cancer deaths. In the US, in 2021 there will be 2,210 new cases and 460 deaths from penile cancer. Dr. Rodriguez notes that South America, Central America and the Caribbean have an annual 4,988 new cases per year and 1,627 penile cancer mortalities, which makes up 13.8% and 12.3% of the global incidence and mortalities, respectively (the highest globally).

Penile cancer evaluation includes (at presentation) a painless mass/ulcer, with a foul odor and discharge, located on the glans (48%), foreskin (21%), glans and prepuce (9%), coronal sulcus (6%), and shaft (<2%). Delays in diagnosis are not uncommon with a median delay of 6 months. When evaluating these patients, it is important to not just do a physical examination of the penis, but also the inguinal lymph nodes. A penile biopsy establishes diagnosis, grade and T-stage, with an excisional biopsy the most reliable, but a punch biopsy also feasible for assessing depth. Imaging modalities may include an MRI of the penis, and an MRI, CT, or PET/CT scan for evaluating the inguinal lymph nodes. The TNM staging for penile cancer is as follows:

The main risk factors for penile cancer include phimosis (OR for diagnosis 11-16 versus no phimosis), and HPV infection/condyloma acuminate (22.4% in verrucous squamous cell carcinoma, 36-66% in basaloid-warty squamous cell carcinoma). HPV DNA is detectable in approximately 50% of all penile cancer, with the most common types being HPV 16, 18, and 6/11. Precursor cancerous penile lesions are rare, with 60-100% of PeIN lesions HPV DNA positive. The natural history of penile cancer is as follows: primary penile lesion dissemination (lymphatics to regional lymph nodes, +/ hematogenous spread) metastases (lungs, liver, bone, brain) death due to regional complications.

Data from the Brazilian state of Maranhao (the region with the highest incidence of penile cancer worldwide) suggests that among 116 penile cancer interviewed, the majority of patients lived in a rural area (57%), worked in farming (58%), had a low level of schooling or no schooling (90%), and were married or in a stable relationship (74%) [1]. Phimosis (66%), poor/moderate genital hygiene (73%), history of sexually transmitted infections (55%), and zoophilia (60%) were found in the majority of patients. The most common initial symptom was pruritus (37%), and most patients waited to seek treatment (mean time to treatment, 18.9 months; range, 2-84 months). HPV-related histologies were observed in 62% of patients, and most patients had histological grades II or III (87%), stage T2 disease (84%), and lymphadenopathy at admission (42%). A penectomy was performed in 96% of patients.

Dr. Rodriguez notes that for penile cancer, the presence and extent of lymph metastasis dictates survival. The 5-year survival rate for patients with negative inguinal lymph nodes is 85%, 29-40% for those with positive inguinal lymph nodes, and 0-10% for those with positive pelvic lymph nodes. Complications from open inguinal lymph node dissection traditionally range from 50-90%, most commonly lymphedema, skin necrosis, lymphocele, wound dehiscence, and wound infection. Several strategies to minimize morbidity have developed, such as dynamic sentinel node biopsy, superficial/fascial sparing dissections, and laparoscopic/robotic lymphadenectomy. In an eUROGEN survey of penile cancer surgeons utilization of dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy and radical inguinal lymph node dissection [2], they found that 57% of surgeons perform >10 inguinal lymph node dissections per year and 86% offer dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy. However, there was variation in management with regards to dye injection site, use of lymphoscintigraphy, preferred incision sites, techniques for lymphatic control, duration of empiric antibiotic therapy, perioperative thromboprophylaxis, time points for drain remove, and definition of the inguinal lymph node dissection floor.

There are several controversies in penile cancer that Dr. Rodriguez discussed:

Not all penile cancers are associated with HPV  what is the role of HPV vaccination in males? The quadrivalent HPV vaccine covers HPV 6, 11, 16, and 18, and the nine-valent vaccine covers 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Should high-risk HPV status be added to further improve the prognostic stratification of patients? Could this prognostic stratification be used to guide inclusion criteria in adjuvant therapy trials? In a subgroup of pN2-N3 patients stratified by high-risk HPV status, those that were positive had worse survival:

Additionally, HPV positivity has been associated with lower nodal stage and independently better outcome after radiotherapy. Dr. Rodriguez notes that there are several challenges to promote: (i) neonatal circumcision, (ii) tobacco cessation, (iii) proper genital hygiene, (iv) early detection of a suspected lesion, and (v) educational campaigns to inform the public of prevention: HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases through vaccination and use of condoms.

Dr. Rodriguez concluded his presentation with the following summary points:

There is a need for educational campaigns with respect to prevention and early detection

We need to identify referral centers of excellence in a region to support ongoing and future clinical trials such as the International Penile Advanced Cancer Trial (InPACT, NCT2305654)

We need a multidisciplinary approach to this disease, including the pathologist, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist

There is a need for a unique global database of cases detected and treated with inclusion of specific clinical and pathological outcomes, including assessment of HPV status, squamous cell subtype, surgical margins (including width), and incorporation of radiomics and liquid biopsies

Presented by: Alejandro R. Rodriguez, MD, Secretary-General of the CAU, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester, NY

Written by: Zachary Klaassen, MD, MSc  Urologic Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Urology, Georgia Cancer Center, Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia, @zklaassen_md on Twitter during the 2021 American Urological Association, (AUA) Annual Meeting, Fri, Sep 10, 2021  Mon, Sep 13, 2021.



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Pope Francis pays a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani ahead of his 34th Apostolic Journey abroad.

By Devin Watkins

Continuing his enduring tradition, the Pope has taken time to entrust his upcoming Apostolic Journey to the protection of Our Lady.

According to the Holy See Press Office, he visited the Basilica of St. Mary Major on Friday evening around 7 PM to pray before the ancient icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.

Pope Francis sat and prayed for a while, laying a bouquet of flowers on the altar beneath Our Ladys icon.

The image of the Salvation of the Roman people is housed in the Basilicas Borghese chapel.

Tradition holds that the icon arrived in Rome during the reign of Pope St. Gregory the Great, sometime around 590 AD.

At the end of his visit, the Pope returned to the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican.

The Pope lays flowers at the altar beneath Our Lady's icon

Devotion to Our Lady

The Pope is scheduled to depart for Budapest, Hungary, early Sunday morning, where he will celebrate the closing Mass for the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, he will take a short flight to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

That leg of the Popes Apostolic Journey will last until Wednesday.



One highlight of his trip to Slovakia is sure to be the celebration of Mass at the National Shrine of Sastin, on the feast day of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, Patroness of Slovakia.

According to Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis even extended his visit in order to preside over the Mass.

The Cardinal said the decision indicated the Popes interest in promoting devotion to Our Lady, and offers him an opportunity to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection during and after his recent surgery.

Pope Francis pilgrimage, said Cardinal Parolin, is a way of entrusting to Her all those who find themselves in situations of fragility, of vulnerability, of suffering, including physical suffering, as he has been going through in this period, especially taking into account the situation brought on by the pandemic.
Pope Francis meets with representatives of the Ecumenical Council of Churches and some Jewish communities in Budapest, and tells them to be vigilant of the past, to become roots of unity, and to enable the world to blossom.

By Francesca Merlo

The second event on his short visit to Hungary is a meeting with representatives of the Ecumenical Council of Churches and some Jewish communities. After hearing from representatives of different religious leaders, Pope Francis addressed all the leaders, gathered in Budapests Museum of Fine Arts. (Follow the link for an English translation of the full text of the Pope's address.)

"Having you here, side by side," opened the Pope, is a sign of great unity. As I look out at you, my brothers and fellow Christians, I bless your continuing journey towards full communion, he continued.

To Jews

Addressing his dear brothers in the faith of our father Abraham, Pope Francis expressed appreciation for your efforts to break down the walls that separated us in the past. He noted that Jews and Christians alike, strive to view one another no longer as strangers but as friends, no longer as foes but as brothers and sisters. This is a change that is blessed by God, said the Pope, a conversion that makes possible new beginnings, a purification that brings new life.

The chain bridge

Pope Francis then asked all those present to reflect on the evocative image of the Chain Bridge connecting the two halves of this city. He noted that the bridge does not fuse those two parts together, but rather holds them together. That is how it should be with us too, said the Pope. He explained that whenever we were tempted to absorb the other, we were tearing down instead of building up. This, he noted, has happened often throughout history. We must be vigilant and pray that it never happens again, he said, and commit ourselves to fostering together an education in fraternity, so that the outbursts of hatred that would destroy that fraternity will never prevail. Thinking of the threat of antisemitism, the Pope stressed, this is a fuse that must not be allowed to burn.

The Pope went on to note that the bridge has yet another lesson to teach us. It is supported by great chains made up of many rings. We are those rings, and each of us is essential to the chain. We can no longer live apart, without making an effort to know one another, prey to suspicion and conflict, said the Pope, adding a bridge unites.

To representatives of the worlds religions

The Pope stressed that in Hungary, you who represent the majority religions are responsible for promoting the conditions that enable religious freedom to be respected and encouraged for all. In our world, he continued, torn by so many conflicts, this is the best possible witness on the part of those who have been graced to know the God of the covenant and of peace.

The Pope then explained that the Chain Bridge is the oldest in the city, inviting us to think back to the past where we will encounter suffering and bleak moments, misunderstandings and persecutions but on a deeper level we will find a greater, shared spiritual heritage. This precious patrimony "can enable us, together, to build a different future. I am moved by the thought of all those friends of God who shone His light on the darkness of this world".

Miklos Radnoti

Pope Francis then spoke of Miklos Radnoti, a great Hungarian poet. Imprisoned in a concentration camp, in the darkest and most depraved chapter of human history, Radnoti continued until his death to write poetry, said the Pope. His Bor Notebook is the only collection of his poems to survive the Shoah and testifies to "the power of his belief in the warmth of love amid the icy coldness of the camps, illumining the darkness of hatred with the light of faith.

Roots for fruits

In the solitude and desolation of the concentration camp, as he realized his life was fading away, Radnoti wrote: I am now myself a root... Once a flower, I have become a root (Bor Notebook, Root). We too are called to become roots, said the Pope, bringing his discourse to an end. We usually look for fruits, he noted, for results or affirmation.

If we are rooted in listening to the Most High and to others, we will help our contemporaries to accept and love one another, said the Pope. Finally, he added that only if we become roots of peace and shoots of unity, will we prove credible in the eyes of the world, which look to us with a yearning that can bring hope to blossom.
Slovakia is welcoming Pope Francis as he makes his way from Budapest to a nation hoping for a message of encouragement in the faith.

By Lydia OKane in Bratislava



In Slovakia, as in other Slavic and Baltic nations, guests are traditionally greeted with bread and salt as a sign of welcome and hospitality.

As Pope Francis steps off the plane in Bratislava on Sunday afternoon, it is the kind of welcome he can expect from the people here.

Preparations are reaching their peak in Slovakias capital city. The first signs you see that a very special guest is coming are the large billboards with large images of Pope Francis, along the road from the airport welcoming him to the country.

In the centre of Bratislava itself, there is a bustle of activity ahead of the Popes visit at the citys imposing Cathedral of St Martin to the bemusement of curious tourists who make their way inside.

Past and future

This Apostolic Journey is being billed as a spiritual visit, but also one in which the Pope will draw attention to those who suffered under totalitarian regimes, with an eye to the future. Countless stories recount the ordeals endured during the Communist and Nazi eras in Slovakia. Just a stones throw from the Cathedral itself is a memorial to the Holocaust, built on the site of a Synagogue that was pulled down to make way for a bridge over the river Danube.

Wreaths still mark the spot where a commemoration took place on September 9 honouring victims of the Holocaust and racial violence.

Communism too, brought hardships for society and for the Church in this country, with many priests forbidden to perform their pastoral service. Many people here can still remember childhoods lived under communist rule.

Although times have changed, especially in the last 30 years since the Velvet Revolution, the shadow of an increasingly secular Europe is a concern for the Church in Slovakia.

Challenges

A census carried out in the country some years ago showed that up to 70% of people surveyed identified as Christian. However, the bishops here point to new threats, including the risk of materialism and relativism, and warn that the Church in Slovakia cannot afford to rest on its laurels.

Like many countries in Europe and beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on society here. Young people were forced to study from home, and they worry about their future. Many of them come to the major cities in search of work, while others look to other parts of Europe and further afield in search of better job prospects. With this in mind, the Church in Slovakia is hoping that Pope Francis will give the youth of this country a message of encouragement to go forward in faith.

A visit with many facets

Pope Francis visit to Slovakia although short, has many facets highlighting concerns close to his heart. He will visit the Bethlehem Centre for the poor and homeless, and the Roma Community at Lunik IX in Kosice.

Leaving one of the high points of this visit until last, the Pope will travel on Wednesday to the National Shrine at Sastin to pay homage to Our Lady of Sorrows.

The Pope comes to Slovakia as a pilgrim, and the hope here is that he will light the way towards a reinforcement and strengthening of the faith.
Candidate Larry Elder takes a few moments to talk to Fallbrook High grad Mauricio Jesus Cosio at The Bank restaurant in Old Town Temecula on Friday, August 10.

Larry Elder, a front-runner candidate for governor, stopped in Temecula on Friday, 9/10 to tour some businesses and talk with residents.

Elder, a conservative radio talk-show host appears to be a front-runner among more than 46 candidates who are on the ballot in the event voters vote "yes" on recalling Governor Newsom. There have also been 6 or 7 people who were approved as "write-in" candidates on Sept. 3, 2021.

Larry Elder has raised over $11 million.

Valley News/ AC Investigations photo California candidate for governor Larry Elder stops to talk to Lily, age 6, from Fallbrook, who wasn't sure what all the excitement was about.

Other well-known challengers include Republicans Caitlyn Jenner, a transgender reality TV personality and former Olympic athlete; John Cox, a businessman; Kevin Faulconer, the former mayor of San Diego; and Kevin Kiley, a 36-year-old Republican assembly member from Rocklin who successfully sued Newsom over pandemic executive orders. Kiley is a former deputy attorney general and former teacher. He has raised $885,000.

Newsom has raised $32 million to fight the recall. State law allows the target of a recall to accept unlimited sums of money - and his campaign committee has already received several donations of $1 million or more, according to CalMatters. Challengers can only accept as much as $32,400 from each single donor.

Local candidates on the ballot include Murrieta resident and business owner Major Williams, age 44, and American Independent party candidate Thuy E. Hugens, age 56, of Temecula.

The election is this Tuesday, September 14.
Leadership at a North Carolina hospital discussed padding their COVID-19 statistics for the purposes of increasing public fear in an attempt to drive vaccine acceptance, according to a leaked Zoom call.

On Sept. 10, National File released a copy of the video they obtained from an undisclosed source, showing a physician, Mary Rudyk, Marketing Director Carolyn Fisher, and President of Novant Heaths New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) Shelbourn Stevens, discussing inflating COVID-19 stats by including recovered patients.

SHOCK VIDEO: Senior doctors and a marketing director at in North Carolina discussed inflating COVID-19 numbers by counting recovered patients as active COVID patients.



"We need to be more scary to the public If you don't get vaccinated, you know you're going to die." pic.twitter.com/66CcIsVR4B  National File (@NationalFile) September 10, 2021

Rudyk, a doctor who previously served as the hospitals Chief of Medical Staff, openly stated her intentions at the end of the leaked clip, So I just want to say we have to be more blunt, we have to be more forceful, we have to see something coming out: If you dont get vaccinated, you know youre going to die.

I mean lets just be really blunt with these people, said Rudyk amid laughter.

The clip begins with Fisher talking about how we get information out to the community on meaningful numbers to promote vaccine acceptance through the hospitals website and social media channels using what she describes as graphics that show data such as numbers of unvaccinated people in the Intensive Care Unit, including the percentage of deaths.

Fisher is interrupted by Rudyk, who states, I guess my feeling at this point in time is, maybe we need to be completely a little bit more scary to the public.

Rudyk elaborates, There are many people still hospitalized that were considering post-COVID and asks how they can include this group in the hospitals pro-vaccination propaganda.

Fisher asks Rudyk if she means the hospital should simply mention the number of patients the hospital has handled since the beginning of the pandemic, to which Rudyk replies, Thats better still, and thats something that I can take to someone else, before explaining she means patients who have been moved from the COVID ward, but are still hospitalized.

President Stevens interjects to inform Fisher were calling those recovered now, adding that I do think from our standpoint we would still consider them a COVID patient.

Rudky said in response, I think that that needs to be highlighted as well, because once youre off isolation you drop from the COVID numbers, thats exactly right.

Stevens then told Fisher we can talk offline about how we run that up to marketing.

The same day, an unapologetic statement was released through NBC Affiliate WECT News by NHRMC, saying the staff involved in the meeting are seeing the highest level of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths so far in this pandemic while lauding vaccines as safe and effective.

The hospital characterized the strategy call as, A frank discussion among medical and communications professionals on how we can more accurately convey the severity and seriousness of whats happening inside of our hospitals and throughout our communities.

We continue to be concerned with the amount of misinformation in our communities and consistently strive for more ways to be transparent and tell the whole story.

A profanity laden rant

On Sept. 9 and in a separate story, WECT News promoted comments made by Brian Legere, a physician with Coastal Pulmonary Medicine in Wilmington on Facebook, where the medical professional said, To all you who are unvaccinated by choice. F YOU!!!

The outlet said Legere just rolled off a 7-day shift in the Intensive Care Unit, surrounded by more deaths which he said were completely preventable.

Despite the standard of Legeres bedside manner, he was nonetheless given a hot mic by WECT in an interview where his comments were equivalently extreme, I guess the time to be nice is over.

You just kind of have to shake people and say look, if you cant do it for society, do it for yourself. I dont want anybody to die of this. They shouldnt be dying of this.

It didnt take long for Legeres temper to come to a head, There are some complete idiots who when shown death in the face will just cling to their crazy belief that its a conspiracy or theyre trying to use the vaccine to do mind control or whatever, or just some jack-ass theories. I think a lot of the patients, most of them have gone oh geez, I shouldve gotten the vaccine. But there are holdouts, even some of the ones who are dying, are like I still dont believe this is a thing. How can you not believe this is a thing when youre dying?

He claimed the path to return to normalcy is through the injections, We can get back to normalThe vaccine is not going to kill you. Covid is going to kill you.

According to the North Carolina governments COVID-19 Response Dashboard, the state, while experiencing an increase in positive PCR tests and deaths associated with COVID-19 diagnoses since early August, is still significantly below the states peak, experienced between November of 2020 and January of 2021.

Since the pandemic began, the state, which has slightly less than 10.5 million residents, has suffered 15,075 deaths against 1,279,500 positive PCR/antigen tests.

According to the Vaccinations Dashboard, only 51 percent of North Carolina is fully vaccinated, mostly composed of the 65+ age group. Vaccine uptake has cratered since April and May, reaching a new low the week of Sept. 6 when only 57,942 total doses were administered.
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California voters will decide on Tuesday whether to remove Governor Gavin Newsom in a recall election. Mike O'Sullivan reports that both Democrats and Republicans are aggressively mobilizing voters either for or against the Democratic governor. Camera: Genia Dulot, Elizabeth Lee for homeless video
Vietnam and Taiwan are bracing for powerful twin storms which are expected to make landfall over the weekend.

Super Typhoon Chanthu is expected to bring damaging winds and extremely heavy rainfall to Taiwan, while Tropical Storm Conson is forecast to bring flooding rains to Vietnam.

Taiwan issued a sea and land warning for Pingtung and Taitung Country on Friday ahead of Super Typhoon Chanthu. Chanthu is one of the strongest storms this year, with sustained winds of 260 kph (160 mph) as of Friday evening -- equivalent in strength to a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane.

Chanthu formed on September 6, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The storm then underwent one of the most extreme bouts of rapid-intensification ever recorded, by increasing 80 knots in wind speed in just 24 hours on September 7. Rapid intensification is when a storm gains at least 30 knots (35 mph) in wind speed within 24 hours.

Chanthu is the second storm of the year to reach super typhoon status, after Surigae in April.

The super typhoon is passing just to the east and north of Luzon in the Philippines early Saturday morning, bringing with it heavy rainfall, severe winds, and coastal inundation.

As of 8 a.m. local time Saturday, the Philippine weather bureau said Chanthu -- known locally as Kiko in the Philippines -- was about to make landfall over Batan and Sabtang islands in Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 215 kph (133mph) near the center and gusts of up to 265 kph (164 mph).

Portions of Luzon can expect torrential rainfall, typhoon-force winds of 171 to 220 kph, and a storm surge of 1 to 2 meters through Saturday morning as the typhoon tracks to the north.

Throughout the day on Saturday, Chanthu is forecast to track north of Luzon and toward Taiwan while weakening some. The typhoon is forecast to have sustained winds of about 220 kph (135 mph) prior to impacting Taiwan Saturday night into Sunday.

Weather conditions are expected to greatly diminish across Taiwan on Saturday as the storm approaches the southern coast. The island can expect widespread heavy rain of 200 to 300 millimeters with isolated totals of over 300 millimeters possible.

Speaking to Taiwan's state-run Central News Agency on Thursday, Central Weather Bureau forecaster Wu Wan-hua said she expected to see torrential rain across the southern part of the island.

This amount of extreme rainfall could lead to flash flooding and mudslides in Taiwan's high terrain.

As Chanthu tracks along the east coast of Taiwan, the land interaction could weaken the system even further. However, the storm is expected to maintain winds of above 180 kph (111 mph) through the weekend.

The official forecast has the system weakening as it tracks north toward China into early next week. Chanthu could stall just off the coast of Shanghai by Monday or Tuesday, which would bring heavy rain to this region as well.

Conson brings flood threat to Vietnam this weekend

At the same time, in the South China Sea, Tropical Storm Conson is due to make landfall near Da Nang, Vietnam, overnight Saturday into Sunday morning. Vietnam has put 500,000 soldiers on standby ahead of its arrival.

The outer bands of the storm are already bringing thunderstorms and gusty winds to the region on Friday and weather conditions will continue to deteriorate across Vietnam on Saturday as the storm approaches the coast.

Although it is a much weaker storm than Super Typhoon Chanthu, Conson is still expected to have sustained winds of 75 kph (45 mph) prior to landfall this weekend.

The Vietnamese government has also ordered vessels to stay in port and prepared evacuation plans, Reuters said, quoting state-run media. As many as 800,000 people in Vietnam's northern provinces could be affected by the storm's arrival -- the fifth to make landfall in the country this year.

Conson is forecast to bring widespread rainfall of 100 to 200 millimeters to the region through Monday with isolated totals above 250 millimeters possible. This amount of rain could lead to flash flooding and mudslides across the mountainous terrain.

Earlier this week, Conson brought heavy rain and gusty winds to the Philippines. The storm traversed the central Philippines Monday afternoon through Wednesday before emerging into the South China Sea early Thursday morning.

As the storm moved west into the South China Sea, all warnings were lifted for Luzon.

This story has been updated with the latest developments.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.
An Athens woman is charged with murdering her mother.

Flora Doss, 85, was found dead in a home in the 1,200 block of 7th Avenue about 4 p.m. Friday, according to the Athens Police Department.

After an investigation, 58-year-old Tammie Doss was arrested and charged with her mothers murder. The two shared the home, police said.

She is being held in the Limestone County Jail.

Anyone with information about the death of Flora Doss is asked to contact the Athens Police Department at 256-233-8700.
Dozens of people came out to Toyota Field on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 to honor the heroes involved with a tribute softball game.

At Toyota Field there's family, friends and combat veterans we spoke with.

They say they're here to celebrate the day itself, not only in just remembrance but in excitement to be here today.

"They gave the ultimate sacrifice. They gave a part of themselves, truly gave apart of themselves, defending this country and fighting so we could be free," said Jason Nicholas.

Nicholas is a combat war veteran and he and the non-profit Combat War Veterans Motorcycle Association came out to say thank you to teams at Toyota Field on Saturday.

Nicholas told us it was that day that he'll never forget it.

"I was sitting in Tuscaloosa in a college classroom and it came up on the TV and I remember sitting there watching it and I never made it to another class that day. That was the driving force when this is when I need to step up and I need to do my part," he said.

After that day, Nicholas signed up to be apart of the military and never looked back.

He and other vets told us a day like this is somber, but also beautiful because he gets to see so many people come together for one cause.

"If it says combat vets on our back that means we've already fought. We've already loved the people enough to fight for them and we will turn around and do it again if the need comes. So, just say thanks," he said.

Many of the veterans at Toyota Field told us if they got the chance they'd do it all over again, no questions asked.

Now, they want to say thank you to any and everyone who's supported them thus far
Can I travel to Italy? What are the travel restrictions in Italy? Here are the answers to all your questions.

On Tuesday, 7 September, Italy's coronavirus emergency commissioner General Francesco Figliuolo announced that more than 80 percent of the population over the age of 12 has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. As a result, Italy is well on pace to meet its goal set earlier this year of having 80 percent completely vaccinated by the end of September. Figliuolo also announced that Italy would start giving third doses to members of the population deemed to be in the high-risk category. All of this is good news for a country that has seen life largely return to normal over the summer, including in the tourism sector.

However, the highly contagious Delta variant has seen infection and hospitalization rates in countries such as the US, India, and Brazil sky-rocket. As vaccination rates in the US remain relatively low, and because they make up a large portion of foreign travelers in Europe, EU authorities decided that tougher restrictions were necessary for countries with high infection rates.

Countries are listed in a tier system (A-E) based on their location, and epidemiological risk. Each list has different levels of restrictions associated with it.

Italy has also recently announced its new "green" travel pass for all foreigners looking to travel to the country as of May 16th. This includes travelers from the US and UK that makeup over 30 percent of travelers to Italy. To qualify for a green pass you must prove that you have been vaccinated for Covid, have tested negative and taken a Covid free flight, or have recently recovered from Covid-19. Italy has also announced that it is expanding its list of routes for Covid-free flights to Canada, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.

List A

Category A contains Vatican City and the Republic of San Marino. There are no restrictions for either of these two States.

List B and C

Category B and C both pertain to Continental Europe and any other territories on the European Mainland as well as Iceland and Israel, but not the UK. List B is used for many countries in Continental Europe that have a low epidemiological rate, though currently, no countries qualify for this list. Anyone with EU/Schengen Citizenship can travel to Italy for any reason, including tourism. Restrictions will apply if someone has passed through or stayed in a country on list D and/or E within 14 days before entering Italy. Before entering Italy, it is mandatory to fill out the Digital Passenger Locator Form (see the link below) which replaces the self-declaration form. It is also mandatory to provide the EU Digital Covid Certificate (see link below) in one of the following languages: Italian, English, French, or Spanish, showing one of the following conditions:

Having completed the anti-SARS-CoV 2-vaccination cycle with one of the following accepted vaccines:

Pfizer

Moderna

AstraZeneca

Johnson and Johnson

That you have recovered from Covid-19 (the certificate of recovery is valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive swab)

That you have tested negative for Covid-19 with a molecular or antigen swab test in the 48 hours prior to entry into Italy. (Children under the age of 6 are exempt from the pre-departure swab test)

Failure to provide any of these documents will result in a mandatory 5 day period of self-isolation upon entry, at the end of which an antigen or molecular swab test will be carried out.

More information on the Digital Passenger Locator Form can be found at the following link.

More information on the EU Digital Covid Certificate can be found at the following link.

More information on List C countries can be found at the following link.

List D

The countries included on List D have changed. As of now, the countries included on List D are Albania, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, United Kingdom (excluding the territories, not on the European continent), the Republic of Korea, Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, United States of America, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao Special Administrative Regions.

Specific Rules have been adopted for entry from Japan, Canada, and the United States of America, more on that below.

For travelers from countries on List D to avoid a mandatory period of self-isolation upon arrival, they must present one (or more) of the following:

Fill out the Passenger Locator Form as listed above. The form can be filled out in both digital and paper formats.

Show proof of a negative molecular or antigen swab test taken within 72 hours before entering Italy. Travelers coming from the UK must take the test within 48 hours before entry.

Show proof of vaccination of one of the vaccines listed above for List C.

If travelers are unable to present either a negative swab test or proof of vaccination upon arrival, they will be required to complete 5 days of self-isolation with a molecular or antigen test taken at the end of the period. Travelers who will self isolate must do the following:

Fill out the same passenger locator form listed above.

Take a molecular or antigen test with the same rules listed above.

Notify the prevention department of the local health authority of your arrival in Italy. See contact details here

Travel to your final destination in Italy by private transport only.

Remain in self-isolation for 5 days and take another test at the end of the period.

Vaccination certificate guidelines are the same as for countries in List C. For more information on travel restrictions from countries on List, D see the following link

List E

List E includes all other countries not mentioned previously except for Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, Canada, and the United States of America as specific rules apply to these countries.

Entry into Italy from any country on List E does not require any authorization from the Ministry of Health, but is allowed only for specific reasons:

Work

Health reasons

Study reasons

Absolute urgency

Return to ones domicile, home, or residence

Upon entry into Italy from a country on List E one must follow these guidelines:

Have tested negative within 72 hours of arrival into Italy with either a molecular or antigen swab test.

Complete the Digital Passenger Locator Form

Notify the prevention department of the health authority responsible for the area of your entry.

Reach your final destination in Italy only by private transport.

Undergo fiduciary isolation and health surveillance for 10 days.

Take another molecular or antigen swab test at the end of your 10 day isolation period.

For more restrictions on travel from List, E countries use the following link

Japan, Canada, and the United States of America

Travelers from these countries are allowed to enter Italy without the need for motivation or undergoing a 5 day isolation period. However, certain restrictions do apply to travelers from these countries:

Upon entry, travelers must present the Passenger Locator Form as well as proof of a negative result from a molecular or antigen test taken within 72 hours of arrival.

Travelers from these countries must provide valid proof of vaccination of one of the vaccines listed earlier that have been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The proof of vaccination must be provided in one of the following languages: Italian, English, French, or Spanish.

Or a valid certificate showing that someone has recovered from Covid-19.

Travelers who only have proof of a negative molecular or antigen test must self-isolate for 5 days and take another test once their period of self-isolation is finished.

For more information on the restrictions for travelers from Japan, Canada, and the US follow this link

India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka

Entry into Italy is prohibited for travelers who have stayed in India, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka in the past 14 days with the following exceptions:

Italian citizens enrolled in the Register of Italian Resident Abroad.

Persons entering Italy to reach their place of residence were established before August 28th, 2021.

People who, irrespective of their nationality, are entering Italy for study reasons.

Persons wishing to reach the domicile, dwelling, or registered residence of their: minor children, spouse, or civil partner.

Note: self-declaration is required for all the reasons listed above, but authorization from the Italian Ministry of Health is not required.

It is also possible to enter/return to Italy with express authorization from the Ministry of Health for the following reasons:

For imperative reasons of need.

in the situations foreseen under Article 51, par. 7, letter n):

"for officials and agents, however, designated, of the European Union or international organisations, for diplomatic agents, administrative and technical staff of diplomatic missions, consular officials and employees, military personnel, including those returning from international missions, and members of the Police Force, personnel of the Information System for the Security of the Republic and of the National Fire Corps in the exercise of their functions;

In all cases, travelers must comply with the following procedure:

Completion of the digital Passenger Locator Form found here before entering Italy.

Presentation of a certificate of a negative molecular or antigen test performed in the 72 hours prior to entry into Italy.

Compulsory molecular or antigen test upon arrival at the airport.

Obligation to undergo, regardless of the result of the test, a period of self-isolation at the location indicated on the Passenger Locator Form for a period of 10 days.

Compulsory molecular or antigen test at the end of quarantine period.

Visit the following link for more information on travel restrictions from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as how to apply for authorization from the Ministry of Health: Brazil

Travelers who have stayed in or transited through Brazil within the last 14 days are banned from entering or transiting in Italy. Entry into, and transit through Brazil is permitted, provided no Covid-19 symptoms occur, but only for the following categories:

Those who have been registered in Italy since before the 13th of February, 2021.

Those who must reach the domicile, home or residence of their minor children, spouse, or party to a civil partnership.

Those entering Italy for study purposes.

Persons in a state of imperative need authorized by the Ministry of Health.

Note: the first three categories require self-declaration but do not require authorization from the Ministry of Health.

In the cases described above, entry into Italy and air traffic from Brazil is allowed according to the following rules:

Present proof of a negative test result from a molecular or antigen test carried out within 72 hours of entry into Italy.

Completion of the Passenger Locator Form.

The obligation to carry out a molecular or antigen test on arrival at the airport or within 48 of arrival into Italy.

Notify the Department of Prevention of the local health authority upon arrival. See this page for the phone numbers:

A 10 day period of self-isolation at ones home or dwelling is mandatory regardless of the result of the swab test upon arrival.

Reach the final destination only by private transport.

Carry out another molecular or antigen test at the end of the self-isolation period.

For more information on the travel restrictions for Brazil, as well as how to apply for authorization from the Ministry of Health, visit the following link

For additional information on travel restrictions in Italy, visit salute.gov.it
But that advance hasnt revolutionized medicine, a blood-testing fantasy promoted as science by Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who went on trial this week for wire fraud and conspiracy. Heres how she put her vision in a 2014 TED talk: We see a world in which every person has access to actionable health information at the time it matters. A world in which no one has to say, If only Id known sooner, a world in which no one has to say goodbye too soon.
An important question mark is which of the two types of oil is falling. We dont know, for example, if the stagnation in the countrys overall production is the result of a drop in condensates, which could mask an increase in crude. But if we look in more detail at individual companies production, there is some indication that condensates are underperforming.
During the pandemic, the compact between citizen and government has been mostly one-sided: Government provides. The $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan that Congress passed in March gave $611 billion in direct financial relief to Americans, in the form of $1,400 checks and $300 unemployment bonuses. The title of the bill  a rescue plan  reflects the Democratic Partys heroic mindset: Save the helpless. But the voters Democrats are trying to pry from the Republican Party dont want Washington to ride to their rescue. They want to be able to save themselves and their families through the work of their own hands  just as those who took New Deal jobs did.
Backdrop is everything in the hyper-realistic dramas that have come to be collectively known as the Rhinebeck Panorama: The gatherings of the Rhinebeck, N.Y., families in the series  first the Apples, then the Gabriels, now the Michaels  are specific down to the day and always informed by headline events. In this beautiful capstone work, though, the sense is not so much a resolution as a dissolving; the characters of What Happened? have become unmoored, as if the isolation of the pandemic has caused some permanent psychic dislocation. That the familys work is in the performing arts adds another layer to the theme.
Still, The Card Counter manages to perform a sleight of hand worthy of Tells own talents: Isaac exudes a wary, controlled energy that exerts a sense of coiled stillness and quiet command, making it easy for viewers to go wherever he leads, even if its into an airless, stiflingly tedious card room of a banal exurban casino. Even if audiences find the final moments of The Card Counter unpersuasive, the films meditation on larger ideas  having to do with culpability, redemption, accountability and the search for truth on a national scale  is eerily timely. In some Hollywood circles, You did it again is a backhanded compliment. With The Card Counter, Schrader has reverted to form, but hes remade it anew at the same time. Hes done it again, with crafty, haunting power.
Amal, who is supposed to be a 9-year-old girl, isnt little. Shes 11 feet tall and needs four puppeteers to move her arms and legs and control her facial expressions. Her journey, called The Walk, began in Turkey in late July and features theatrical and other artistic events. Last week she arrived in Italy, and she will travel through several other countries before arriving in Manchester, England, in November. Sometimes she travels by truck or boat, but mostly she walks.
I have been watching closely several districts that opened AP and IB to all two decades ago. They are doing well. It has been a long time since I heard a parent complain that the courses were too difficult or that the low-income students who enroll in them were slowing down instruction. Those districts have AP and IB teachers who love surprising students with how much they can learn from courses that demand critical thinking and from exams that are written and graded by independent experts and thus cant be dumbed down.
CHICAGO  As a child, Gerald McWorter often listened to his father tell stories about growing up on a farm in New Philadelphia, Ill. But it wasn't until a family reunion in 2005 that he fully understood the significance of his lineage: Everyone he met that day was in some way affected by the story of his great-great-grandfather, a formerly enslaved man from Kentucky who in 1836 became the first Black person in the United States to plat and register a town.
That suggests a potential for difficulty in more competitive states such as Virginia, where a surge of suburban votes led to Democratic victories in 2017 and 2019  allowing them to take over the state legislature for the first time in decades. In polling, former governor Terry McAuliffe, the partys nominee for governor this year, is currently running ahead of Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin, but below the 10-point margin by which Biden won. McAuliffe said in an interview that Trump remains a factor in the race, in part because he has endorsed Youngkin.
Hun Sen pointed out other assistance from China for the construction of more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of roads and seven big bridges across the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers. He noted as well that vaccines sold and donated by China had helped Cambodia battle the pandemic.
It would be worse, actually. A meddlesome and judgmental congregant, or someone else, who discovered that we were considering abortion; or someone who knew the name of the medical professional who had advised us regarding our options; or, for that matter, someone who knew that an Uber driver took us to a facility  whatever  that person would be in the position of getting a $10,000 check for ratting us out.
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Some inmates appear to have been punished for seeking better conditions. A former member of a Hong Kong independence group who was detained filed a request that female prisoners be allowed to wear shorts like their male counterparts because of the heat. Her cell was searched and she was put in solitary confinement for seven days, according to a prison rights activist. Others have been put in solitary confinement for hugging or for sharing stamps with fellow inmates, rights activists have reported. This month, elite officers and police dogs were deployed to quash a suspected protest at a womens prison.
Over the coming days, Francis will be making a full state visit to Slovakia, spending three nights there. Some Vatican watchers had interpreted the lopsidedness of the trip as an intentional slight to Hungary. The Vatican, in the run-up to the trip, strained to explain that Francis was visiting Budapest for a single religious event, the International Eucharistic Congress, and then continuing on for the main part of his journey. Speaking with reporters, the Rev. Kornel Fabry, the general secretary of the congress, said that many Hungarians were initially angry about the brevity of the trip but later came around. Fabry compared it to an invitation to dinner, not a sleepover.
On Saturday, Israeli police said they had arrested four of the six Palestinian fugitives: two on Friday near the northern Israeli city of Nazareth and two more on Saturday at a truck stop near the Arab town of Umm el-Ghanem. They said they were tipped in both cases by Arab-Israeli families in the area.
The Taliban came over and saw all those flags and said nothing to us, he said, sitting behind a computer in his shop. He said the Taliban told him to hang on to those flags until the situation stabilizes.
Charlene Thomas, 73, passed away while at the Daviess Community Hospital, Sept. 8, 2021. She was born April 23, 1948, in Washington, to Eugene Matteson and Eileen (Best) Matteson. Charlene was a homemaker who loved to play the piano, enjoyed genealogy, and liked to play cards and board games
As Henry Reynolds and Nicholas Clements argue in Tongerlongeter, their compelling and harrowing account of his troubled life and blood-soaked times, Tongerlongeter led Australias most effective Aboriginal resistance campaign in its most significant war. More people lost their lives in the Black War than in any other conflict on Australian soil.

Crowds of curious onlookers rushed to witness the scene. At the head of the march strode the imposing figure of Tongerlongeter, the Poredareme warrior whose country stretched north as far as Oyster Bay, south to the Tasman Peninsula, and inland almost as far as Oatlands and the Coal Valley. He was one of the most feared leaders of the loose confederation of Oyster Bay  Big River nations that had launched more than 700 attacks since 1824, killing or wounding more than 350 white settlers and terrorising the colony. It was little surprise that Hobarts residents saw the marchers presence as a hopeful sign that the war was over.

Hobart, Van Diemens Land, January 7, 1832. Twenty-six survivors of the Black War that had raged across the island for the previous eight years, marched down Elizabeth Street in battle order, trailed by a large pack of dogs. Each male carried three spears in his left hand and one in his right. Accompanied by their conciliator, missionary George Augustus Robinson and 13 of his Aboriginal associates, they shrieked their war song as they advanced towards Government House, where Governor George Arthur waited to meet them.

Tongerlongeter  forgotten and unacknowledged like so many Indigenous warriors who resisted the invasion of their Country  also led the first march of war veterans in Australian history. Long before the first Anzac Day on April 25, 1916, Australians died defending their homeland on their own soil. Yet two centuries later, as we eulogise the men and women who died serving Australia in overseas conflicts, we fail to honour our Indigenous patriots in the same field of vision.

In his landmark book The Other Side of the Frontier (1981), Henry Reynolds asked when Australians would make room for the Aboriginal dead on our memorials, cenotaphs, boards of honour and even in the pantheon of national heroes. In a series of publications over the next 40 years  most notably his history of frontier conflict in Tasmania, Fate of a Free People (1995) and more recently in Forgotten War (2013)  Reynolds has continued to ask the same question, honing his arguments on the anvil of contemporary politics and memory as he insists that we apply the sacred, ubiquitous phrase, Lest We Forget to those who bled on their own soil.

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Both Reynolds and Clements, author of The Black War: Fear Sex and Resistance in Tasmania (2014), know this history (and the lie of the land) intimately. Clements, who writes most of Tongerlongeter, provides the finer grained story while Reynolds, who writes the opening chapters and conclusion, reveals its broader national and international significance. Their decision to reframe a history theyve both written about before through a biographical lens pays extraordinary dividends.

Now we can see the experience of invasion and war through Tongerlongeters eyes and the various roles he played throughout his life  father, husband, diplomat and warrior  and we catch glimpses of his character: a jocular man who was at once fierce and defiant, clever and kind, brutal and revengeful. By focusing the horror film of the Black Wars history through the experience of one man, Reynolds and Clements powerfully reveal the personal and collective trauma wrought by war and dispossession.
Power ballads could get those feelings across, just as big song and dance numbers could deliver the glitz and showmanship that Jamie craved. I love music, says Butterell later. Music cuts to the heart. We all have songs in our lives that take us back to memory. Music does that in ways nothing else can do. They also wanted to set it in Sheffield, rather than Newcastle. Even if it hadnt been commissioned by the Crucible, which sets out to involve local communities in its productions, they would have made that transition. Sheffield is a very warm city. There is a great sense of humour and a fantastic music scene. It just felt like a natural fit, says MacRae. But we came here because Jonathan is from Sheffield, and he had quite a Jamie-sort-of-childhood. Not as a boy in a dress, but he ran away to Broadway to be a choreographer. So, a metaphorical dress. Harwood, who had never worn make-up before the film, with Grant in Everybodys Talking About Jamie. Butterell grew up on a housing estate. When I first created this as a theatre piece, I wanted to create a love letter to Sheffield because there are assumptions that come with certain communities and I wanted to sort of blow those assumptions, he says. Growing up gay there wasnt easy, certainly. But its hard to be anything. Being gay was one of them. It was hard to be working class. I grew up in a large extended Irish Catholic family. What I observed was a lot of love, a lot of support and a celebration of what I was. I remember when I left home at 17, I got a letter on my bed the day before from my mum saying, Jonathan, you have probably chosen to walk a rocky path, but keep walking it. And yes, maybe they will throw rocks at you but dont stray from that path. My mum is a working-class woman from Sheffield, you know. Thats why this particular story spoke to me. Because I watched Margaret Campbell do exactly that same thing with Jamie Campbell.

The initial stage show was made with local kids; the film was cast with auditions open to anyone around the country, but many of the performers attend the schools where they are now filming. There was one girl who had literally just left her school, done her prom and six weeks later was filming this prom in her own school again. So, it was very local for some people. It is being shot during school holidays; when I visit, the production is also using a school that has been shut as a rehearsal space. Its not glamorous, but the setting makes even a mass dance number  Work of Art, phenomenally energetic  seem that much more homespun. Unusually, when Warp Films wanted to turn it into a film, they wanted to keep the original creative team. Butterell had only directed theatre, but they werent worried about that. And we always talked about it being a movie, even before it literally became one, says MacRae. Jonathan wanted it to be like a pop album with a movie vibe. And Im from a television background. Id never done theatre before. When I wrote it, I was thinking of it very filmically. And now we get the opportunity to open the doors and do things you cant do on stage. Like having people run through busy shopping streets and all the fun of having the extras. The Campbells are renamed New for fictional purposes. Tom MacRae says they retained the key elements of the story told in the documentary  boy in a dress, mother who supports him and will buy him large shoes, estranged dad, a drag mentor (played here with vivid brio by Richard E. Grant) and that northern city atmosphere  but he didnt consult the Campbells or show them the script until it was finished.

We have known Jamie since he was 20, so this was something that had happened to him really quite recently, he says. And I knew I had to be able to take that character and put him through the wringer; I knew he was going to break his mums heart in Act II; I knew he was going to become full of himself and an egomaniac and have to realise that. And I didnt want to say thats what I think about Jamie Campbell. When I wrote his arguments with his mum, I was saying ,well, Im not saying Jamie Campbell would say this or that. Its Jamie New. Although now that we know Jamie and Margaret really well, they say, oh no, we used to have those arguments all the time! Loading Right down to the words he used in the script, he adds; Margaret marvels at how he got inside her head. And of course, when we met Jamie, he just loved it. Hes been the biggest supporter we could have - and very honest about saying, oh yeah, I would have done that and a hundred times worse. Now its lovely having him around, but we just needed that creative space, at the start, to make it our Jamie before giving it back to him, so he could make a decision about whether he would choose it or not. The film was shot in July 2019, before COVID-19 shut down the theatres and most film production. Before the set visit, I went to see the musical on stage. The audience was thrilled with it. Two years later, Everyones Talking About Jamie has been one of the first shows to open in the cautious unlocking of London and is once again doing brisk business. You will usually see a lot of grey hair if you go to a London theatre show, but the session I attended was notable for the number of out-of-town teenagers looking self-consciously sophisticated in the lobby bar. Actually, Ive observed such a cross-generational audience, says Butterell. I remember in Sheffield, about the sixth or seventh performance, there was one grandma with a boy  he couldnt have been more than seven or eight  who came in a dress with lipstick on.

Travelling around the United States to promote the film version, he sees couples coming with their children. And the dad might be going, Well, what the hell have I come to see? and then suddenly burst out laughing. Or I see the wife suddenly bend to her handbag for a tissue because theres this older straight guy in tears. Even in the south, people love it. There is an assumption that this audience is not going to find that joy. And they have! Loading It is a long time since we all became unexpectedly hot in the Sheffield shopping mall. Well, the whole world has been waiting, so it feels like part of the massive experience everyones been going through, says Butterell. With all the stopping and starting, the film was finished only at the beginning of this year. And it feels timely. It feels like time for a bit of joy to come into the world. Weve lived in a world that has just been entrenched in different politics, in some kind of binary sense of who we are, for so long  when we are all a glorious queer mess of human beings! I never want to wave a flag; my belief is just in telling stories and letting people take from them what they want. But if there is a message behind this, its just to create a safe space for people to be themselves. Everybodys Talking About Jamie is streaming on Amazon Prime Video from September 17.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Like many Australians, it wasnt until she reached her 30s that Angela Hibbert started thinking about starting a family. After several years of trying for a baby, a shock endometriosis diagnosis, and a break-up, Hibbert decided to freeze her eggs at age 35 seeking a small layer of security. Her only wish, she says, is that she had done it sooner. Her disease had furtively affected her egg reserve, so the $12,000 procedure only resulted in three eggs. The 37-year-old vet nurse, from Sydneys western suburbs, says that if she had known earlier that her fertility might be compromised, she would have taken steps to preserve her chances to someday have a child. In my 20s, it wasnt something that even entered my mind, I wanted to travel, she says. Ive had painful periods my whole life, but no doctor ever mentioned [endometriosis]. It makes me a bit angry ... There was no discussion about what that could potentially mean in the future.

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Hibberts experience is shared by many Australians, with infertility affecting one in six couples. Cara Steggles, founder of Fertility Support Australia, says she frequently hears people question what they could have done, if only they had known sooner. We definitely see a lot of people reflecting on their past and on what they could have changed, Steggles says. While nothing can remove the heartbreak, and sometimes inevitability, of infertility, leading expert Dr Karin Hammarberg, the senior research officer for the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority, says some of the pain could be diminished with a shift in the way we understand and discuss fertility in our earlier years. A large gap in education Hammarberg says its normal for most Australians to not put much thought into their fertility until they are ready to have a child, which for many is in their 30s, with the average age of first-time mothers rising to 29.4 in 2019. And even if they do bring it up sooner, its often waved off with you have plenty of time. Early on, from sex education at school, theres the notion that the most important thing is to protect against pregnancy  and theres a very big piece missing there. Dr Karin Hammarberg But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many to contemplate their family plans. Some fertility clinics have reported the number of women seeking to freeze their eggs has more than doubled. Meanwhile, July research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies showed that one in five Australian women aged under 40 changed their plans of having children because of COVID-19, with the vast majority choosing to delay. Of those surveyed who were currently pregnant, one-fifth said the pandemic influenced the timing. Hammarberg welcomes the idea of increased reflection, but wants this to go further. She says there is a profound gap in Australians understanding of fertilitys limitations, which stems back to what we learn in school and then informs our 20s.

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Early on, from sex education at school, theres the notion that the most important thing is to protect against pregnancy  and theres a very big piece missing there, Hammarberg says. People think they can turn off fertility with contraception and you can turn it back on when youre ready. But its not that simple. Theres a need for more awareness of the limitations of fertility and what we can do to improve it ... and the most important thing is to not leave it too late. And thats not easy to say. Hammarbergs research shows that Australia has low levels of fertility awareness. A survey of almost 500 people found that the majority overestimated, by about 10 years, the age at which fertility declines, which is about age 35 for women and 45 for men. Of course, it doesnt help that celebrities continue to make baby announcements well past their 30s, from musician Alanis Morissette at 45, to actor Diane Kruger at 42. Hammarberg says IVF is also incorrectly seen as a sure thing. The reality, she says, is a 35-year-old woman has a 42 per cent chance of a baby after one IVF cycle, while a 40-year-old woman has a 12 per cent chance. Its why she believes education about fertility should be integrated into school, as an option at university, and throughout peoples 20s when they go to the GP by opening up discussion about whether they might want to have kids someday and what lifestyle factors  such as not smoking, exercising, eating well  can improve future chances.

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Hammarberg says younger people are often dismissed with retorts such as you dont need to worry about it now, which she feels is completely wrong  particularly if theyd like to have a large family. At least if you know what the limitations are you can make decisions that are informed. A major issue, Hammarberg says, is that government and workplace policies dont make it easy for Australians to have children at a younger age even if they want to; from lack of superannuation for women on maternity leave, to unequal parental leave, insecure employment, inflexible work arrangements and poor housing affordability. Julijana Todorovic was forced to think about her fertility in her early 20s. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Julijana Todorovic was one of few 22-year-olds to have thought about her fertility, though through no choice of her own. Todorovic underwent urgent fertility preservation treatment after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bone cancer, ewings sarcoma. Before starting chemotherapy, her ovaries were removed, with the tissue now stored to later be re-transplanted to produce and fertilise eggs via IVF. Todorovic says while the decision was a no-brainer, it was very confronting. No one else her age was talking about babies  even today, at age 27, they dont, she says. Youre trying to work out who you are and youre making a decision you didnt expect to, she says. The graduate lawyer, from Melbournes north, believes its important to have earlier conversations about age-related fertility decline, and GP clinics are a valuable place for it, but she adds its delicate. Its a really careful line we need to tread but discussion is important, Todorovic says. The problem is fertility is so inextricably linked with womanhood ... so the risk with talking about fertility more in our 20s is we reinforce that.

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Is egg freezing the answer? Egg freezing is sharply on the rise, and Dr Molly Johnston, a bioethics researcher at Monash University, says while the procedure does not guarantee future children  its estimated that a woman under 35 needs 14 eggs frozen for an 80 per cent chance of having a baby  it can be valuable for some women, depending on when they do it. Too early, and theyre likely to never need the eggs. Too late, and the quality and quantity of eggs may be poor. If youre someone in your early 30s and you want to have children but personal circumstances are incompatible with that right now, then it might be worthwhile having a conversation with a specialist, Johnston says. Egg freezing can cost about $10,000 per retrieval cycle, and women often require more than one round to get a sufficient number of eggs. Johnston believes Medicare subsidies should be available for people at heightened risk of age-related infertility, before egg quality has significantly degraded. Its not unusual for global tech giants  think the likes of Apple and Facebook, but also companies such as Spotify and Salesforce  to offer employer-sponsored egg freezing. Johnston published a study in July that showed almost half of Victorian women surveyed supported the concept. Respondents viewed it as a way to access an unaffordable treatment and more reproductive options, as long as it didnt come with pressure to delay having children or at the expense of other family support benefits. Johnston stresses that improving public knowledge of fertility from our teenage and early adult years is not about reintroducing archaic ideas about valuing women solely as child-bearers, nor is it about encouraging people to have babies or get their eggs frozen in their 20s.

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Record numbers of young people have become investors for the first time in the past 18 months, with many making their debuts via platforms that appeal to novice investors.

However, many of those investing in shares, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and cryptocurrencies, either directly or through micro-investment platforms, have not given much thought to declaring income or capital gains from their investments in their annual tax returns.

And the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has signalled it is on the lookout for any errors regarding investments in 2020-21 returns.

ATO assistant commissioner Tim Loh says first-time investors often misunderstand their tax obligations in relation to reporting capital gains and income from their investments Credit:

For those doing their own returns, the deadline to file them with the ATO is October 31. Those using tax agents have longer to file them.
Plibersek: It has its problems. And factions are not what politics are about. But at least we have had three fantastic women competing for two positions, which makes us a real contrast to the Libs, whose leaders always say they cant find enough quality women to fill their positions. At the ALP we can, and its why we have nearly 48 per cent female parliamentary representation. Fitz: If Albo got hit by a bus and Kristina Keneally was in the lower house, who would be best equipped to take his place, Keneally or you? Plibersek: Anthony Albanese has already been hit by a Range Rover. He came back stronger. Im sure the same would not happen again! When Ray met Neddy One person more interested than most in the death of Sydneys most famous criminal, Neddy Smith  the notorious murderer, rapist and standover man who passed at Long Bay Prison on Wednesday aged 76  is Ray Martin. Thirty years ago, the iconic TV journalist was filling in for a week for the suddenly crook Mike Willesee on his eponymous show on Channel Nine, to find that Willesee had booked interviews with the corrupt detective Roger Rogerson and Smith.

It was a warm summers day, Martin tells me, and Neddy turned up in a T-shirt. My vivid memory is of him shaking almost uncontrollably. I asked if the air conditioning was too high? He laughed and said No, its my f--king Parkinsons. Its a killer. Exact words, interesting phrasing. And what impression did you have of the man? Loading Physically he was intimidating, given his height and how ripped he was  even at that age. If you didnt know what an evil psychopath he was, he seemed affable with a knockabout sense of humour. I had interviewed Rogerson the day before and as Neddy shook hands, he smiled and said Roger said you was fair with him, so I decided to give ya a go!!! At the end he shook hands and said Anyway, thanks! Rogerson, of course, is where he belongs, in prison, serving time for murder.

The decades pass, the gangsters die. Am I alone in thinking that Sydney has less of a problem now with vicious thugs like Neddy Smith and crooked cops like Rogerson, and more with corruption at a higher level? Joke of the week A philosopher and a theologian, both blind, are challenged to go into a pitch-black room and find a black cat that isnt there. The theologian finds him. Tweet of the Week You might be having a bad day at work, but at least you didnt ignore two months worth of Pfizer meeting requests, and in doing so plunge half your country into a completely avoidable second wave of lockdowns. - @shauncrowe

Quotes of the Week Its not a sad day, its a great day for NSW. He came out [of prison] horizontally. - Former NSW Assistant Police Commissioner John Laycock on the death on Wednesday of infamous Sydney criminal Neddy Smith at Long Bay Correctional Centre. The No Texts Party. Cos how long till Craig Kelly starts sending nudes? - Satirist Mark Humphreys on ABC 7.30 launching his new party. I was too different I think and didnt fit NIDAs mould. Four times I auditioned for NIDA and got rejected. I remember each time I went to Pizza Hut all-you-can-eat buffet afterwards to console myself. They said I didnt have the voice for Shakespeare. - Rebel Wilson, who has donated $1 million to the Australian Theatre For Young People which nurtured and taught her, after her rejection from NIDA. We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earths resources than the planet can endure. - From A Joint Message for the Protection of Creation issued by Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. They ask Christians to pray that world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November make courageous choices.

I want all women, every girl, in this nation to live without fear. Thats liberty. I want their humanity, their dignity, their innate worth as a human being and the freedoms to which theyre entitled, to be respected. - Scott Morrison at this weeks summit on womens safety. I think Mr Morrisons exercised poor judgement in this case. I was a bit surprised when I read he had done this, to be honest. Its not that he doesnt deserve to see his kids but so does every other Australian. And I think that when your people are doing it tough, youve got to do it tough, too. I know for a lot of MPs when we leave Canberra weve got to spend two weeks locked down away from our families. So I just dont know how he was able to get a permit when most people cant. - Labor disability insurance scheme spokesman Bill Shorten after Scott Morrison got permission to fly from Canberra and Sydney and back again, on an RAAF jet no less, to spend the Fathers Day weekend with his family, and didnt have to quarantine in either direction. Hes got some nappy rash. Hes been bitten, by ants. Hes fallen over - but hes alive. - A greatly relieved Anthony Elfalak, father of 3-year-old AJ, who was missing for three nights from their home near Putty. To come to Venice, you are going to have to make a booking. We cannot continue to have such huge numbers of tourists. Venice is a small and very delicate city. The number of visitors must be compatible with Venices size. If there is no room, you wont be able to come in. - The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, explaining what the authorities are calling a contribution to access but is in effect a tourist tax of between $4 and $16. If the city is assaulted by too many day trippers, then no more access passes will be sold and the turnstiles will be closed. Nobody listens to us. They talk over the top of us, they tell us what we are going to have in our communities, and no one listens to the women in the communities, the women in the towns, the women in the suburbs who have to deal with all those young women and older women and children fleeing from violence. Lives are being lost because people who think they know better than us will not listen to us and will not act on our advice. - Professor Marcia Langton, Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne, at the womens safety summit, saying that the national plan to reduce domestic violence that had existed for 12 years does not work for us and Indigenous representatives must be involved in designing local initiatives.
Credit where its due: the Commonwealth has stepped up to the plate in recent months, doing the leg work to secure additional vaccine doses at any cost, as it should have all along. Millions of additional doses from Poland, Singapore and Britain have given the rollout the shot in the arm it needs  so much so that soon supply will outstrip demand.

But the risk now is that the government rolls out the mission accomplished banner, passing the buck to Australians to turn up for a jab. In fact, the governments role is far from over, and what it does next is every bit as critical as anything that came before.

People queuing at Sydney Olympic Park vaccination hub. Credit:Dean Sewell

Not helping matters is our current national obsession with specific vaccine targets which seems to have created a false impression of a finish line at 80 per cent vaccinated (either of the population or those over 16, depending whom you ask), beyond which we can all take a seat, relax and enjoy the summer. Indeed, worryingly, the Prime Minister himself this week described 40 per cent of those eligible (around a third of the population) as the halfway mark.

In fact, theres no such finish line. The only thing we know for sure is more is better  the higher the vaccination rate, the less likely an outbreak will occur and the less severe it will be if it does occur. When Australia gets to 80 per cent of those eligible (around two-thirds of the population), we wont have won the race, well have qualified for the final. Winning the race requires doing all we reasonably can short of physically pinning people down.
In a modest clinic on the outskirts of Melbournes western suburbs, Dr Lester Mascarenhas is patiently explaining to asylum seeker Plehmeh the benefits of being inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine at the Utopia medical clinic.

Its a small miracle she is sitting here at all. Plehmeh and her family spent more than a decade in a cramped refugee camp in northern Thailand after fleeing Myanmar Army soldiers who ransacked their home, killed members of their family and ran them off their land. She arrived in Australia last March, just as the pandemic started.

Juliette Moe vaccinating Plehmeh on Saturday at Utopia Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health. Credit:Jason South.

Dr Mascarenhas health advice is frank and compassionate but must be relayed through nurse and interpreter Juliette Moe. Plehmeh and her family are Karenni people, from eastern Myanmar, and dont speak English.

A team of young Karenni interpreters bustled through the small health centre on Saturday, ushering families in and out of Utopias back room at the Hoppers Crossing clinic.
One in every six people charged with breaching Western Australias border and quarantine laws has been jailed, a punishment deemed excessive on each occasion the penalty has been appealed.

Figures provided by the WA Department of Justice show that since the start of the pandemic 706 charges of failing to comply with a direction under the states Emergency Management Act have been laid against 384 individuals.

WA COVID breachers

Of those, 64 people were sentenced to an immediate prison sentence, while an unknown number of people who did not receive jail time were required to serve the remainder of their quarantine behind bars before being granted bail.

The figures indicate a far higher instance of imprisonment than what has been reported publicly and demonstrate the sentencing difficulties associated with new laws.
Unless you get that absolute buy-in [with compliance], luck on your side and a small-enough, tight-enough spread of community transmission that you can contain, then its all about vaccine because vaccine works everywhere, Professor Bennett said. However, Professor Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist from the University of South Australia, points out South Australia and Northern Territory have both managed to quash Delta outbreaks. He says NSW was far too late with its lockdown. As of Saturday, the effective reproductive (R) rate of Delta in Victoria is 1.7, compared with 1.2 in NSW. This means the virus is spreading 1.4 times faster in Victoria. A week ago, Victorias R rate was tracking above 2, meaning daily cases double every four days. Victorias outbreak started a month later than NSW, but NSW has not had an R rate above 2 for two months.

The R rate refers to the number of other people an infected person will go on to infect - for example, an R rate of 2 means every person who is infected with COVID-19 will infect two other people. This was calculated using three-day averages of daily cases to smooth out the choppiness of daily testing rates, and a four-day interval for incubation. Sydney and Melbourne are not identical cities, but they are a similar size and have similar demographics. Sydney has more dense population centres outside the CBD, which is a disadvantage in fighting the virus. Professor Robert Booy, an infectious diseases paediatrician at the University of Sydney, says the comparison between the two cities is fair. Its instructive to compare two cities of similar population having a similar kind of outbreak at the same time and compare the R values in the light of whether one city went through a hard and fast lockdown compared to another, a commensurate or proportionate lockdown, Professor Booy said. Theres always the possibility of an unmeasured confounder, but it appears as if the hard and fast lockdown was not nearly as effective as it was suggested to be.

Melbourne has spent more than 200 days in lockdown during this pandemic. Credit:Getty Images Both cities have had outbreaks in lower socio-economic suburbs where a higher percentage of the population are young (meaning they are more mobile and less likely to have been vaccinated at the start of the outbreak), working in face-to-face roles in essential industries, and living in big multi-generational households. The main difference was that the NSW government initially tried to squash Delta with localised restrictions and contact tracing and did not send Greater Sydney into full lockdown until 11 days after the first case. Restrictions such as curfews in certain areas, a statewide outdoor mask mandate and further retail closures have been progressively added amid complaints Sydney was in a lockdown lite or mockdown. In the early days of Delta in the Victorian community, the virus was spreading more slowly. Early on it appeared to come down to zero daily cases  Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews marked the occasion with a one-word Facebook post: zero - though Professor Bennett said it was likely there were undetected chains of transmission in the community. Since then, the Victorian outbreak has accelerated - a phenomenon that becomes clearer after the so-called doughnut day of zero cases on August 4, as shown in the charts.

In the 39 days since August 4, Victorian infections have grown from a rolling three-day average of three daily cases to 369. In the 39 days since June 16, the NSW three-day average for daily cases grew from zero to 144.3. NSW reached a rolling three-day average of 20.3 daily cases on June 26 and 31 days later reached 153.3. After doughnut day Victoria reached 21 on August 12 and 31 days later is at 369. Data scientist Luke Metcalfe has published on social media similar graphs showing the trajectory of the pandemic in both cities since they reached a seven-day rolling average of six daily cases. As health experts keep telling us, Delta is a game-changer. It is much more infectious and will rip through entire households in a way that previous variants havent. What is not clear is why the virus is now spreading more rapidly in Victoria than it did in NSW.

Health experts say the outbreaks in both cities have been driven by spread within households and workplaces, not rule-breaking, but compliance does play a role. After six lockdowns adding up to more than 200 days, Professor Bennett says many of her fellow Victorians are over it. Every time my partner comes back from his hour of exercise or a bike ride, he tells me hes seen 40 people with no mask and 20 with a mask, so theres this sense that even early in this lockdown it quickly looked a bit like the end of the last big lockdown, she said. One expert says the Sydney v Melbourne lockdown debate proved to be a distraction. Credit:Kate Geraghty University of Melbourne scientific modeller Jason Thompson, who helped Victoria get to COVID-zero last year, has been tracking mobility and movement in Victoria throughout every lockdown. He estimates movement is higher by between 10 and 15 per cent in Victoria, when you compare the data to the lockdown in August last year.

People just dont have the energy left in the tank to do the lockdowns like they used to, he said. So when you look back at movement it is lower than it is now. Professor Peter Collignon, a microbiologist at the Australian National University, said there was a strong element of chance in how the virus moved around a city. For example, Sydney had the sheer bad luck of the outbreak at a seafood wholesaler where the cold-storage environment made it the perfect conditions for the virus to spread. The NSW outbreak started with a single case on June 16 with a limousine driver transporting passengers from the airport. As The Sunday Age reported, the Victorian outbreak has had at least two incursions  Sydney removalists travelling on July 8 and a Hume family that visited Coles on July 10  and most likely a third. Dr Norelle Sherry, a genomics expert with the Doherty Institute, said analysis of samples indicated there was likely another introduction of the virus, separate to the older outbreak.

Another theory is that it is not a new source of infection, but a subtle change in genomics that has occurred locally as the virus moved from one person to the next. Obviously, the third potential incursion mattered especially as it was undetected and overlapping with the other outbreaks. However, both Professor Bennett and Professor Booy say it doesnt explain the higher R rate months later, especially since there is now just one outbreak. What about vaccination? NSW has now accelerated its vaccination rollout and there is controversy over the extra doses of Pfizer allocated to NSW to fight the outbreak in south-western and western Sydney. Professor Esterman said: The reason were seeing this slowdown in the NSW case numbers and reproduction number is because the vaccination is slowly kicking in, whereas in Victoria, I dont think vaccinations are coming into play yet.

Loading Professor Bennett says vaccination initially played in Victorias favour. The fact Victorias outbreak started a month later than NSWs meant a higher percentage of the population was vaccinated on day one of the outbreak. Victoria lost its vaccination advantage as the NSW outbreak accelerated. NSW now has 78 per cent of the population with one or more doses, while Victoria is at 65.5 per cent. Coverage is also lower in Melbournes hotspot areas compared with Sydney. But Victoria has come surging back in recent weeks and, as of Saturday, was administering first doses at the fastest rate in the nation. Experts also say the vaccination advantage NSW obtained was not as simple as nabbing extra Pfizer supplies. Im not pretending that means weve got enough supply [in Victoria] because I think if we had more supply and it was easy to make a booking then more people would, Professor Bennett said.

But at the moment, were not actually using all the bookings we have. Theres an argument we need more supply to stop the escalation, but it gets harder to make that argument if youre not using all the appointments you have. Loading Professor Bennett says cases in NSW are starting to plateau and the vaccination rates should be starting to lower the R rate. Once it drops below one, it means the number of daily cases will fall. NSW is expected to surpass 70 per cent of the eligible population with double vaccination in mid-October and restrictions will ease partially the Monday after the state crosses that threshold. Professor Bennett says the next month is a crucial time for NSW to stay the course with lockdown and even pedal harder because it was important to keep the R rate steady or falling while vaccination rates rose.
Although the perception was the summit was part of dealing with the governments women problem, its genesis was last December, when a womens safety taskforce was formed with the ministers from every state, territory and the Commonwealth. Part of its remit was organising a summit to inform development of the next national plan to reduce violence against women and children. Similar events had been held in 2016 and 2018. The first was essentially a COAG meeting, with the associated public posturing by leaders. The 2018 summit in Adelaide was enthusiastic but low-key; Morrison spent those two days in Perth. Watt, who was involved in the previous two summits, says this years national conversation about the treatment of women meant there was a much bigger group of people who wanted to engage. There are also now a core group of outspoken victim-survivors  like Higgins and Tame, the Australian of the Year  drawing attention to the issues. Anti-child abuse campaigner Grace Tame will push for nationally consistent definitions of consent and sexual abuse. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen This wider interest and the COVID-induced lockdowns that sent the summit online led to disappointment from some about a lack of inclusiveness. Higgins said she only became a delegate after a last-minute invitation from the ACT. Tame was on a panel, but tweeted that shed had to remind the government it had invited her.

Domestic Violence NSW chief executive Delia Donovan agrees summit discussions werent as robust or interactive as at an in-person event, although its no ones fault, it was COVID. But she believes the sector did the necessary heavy lifting of consultation in the lead-up. This included two days of roundtable discussions held last week, closed to the public, that allowed deeper examination of issues. Despite the trials of a virtual summit, Hayley Foster, the head of counselling and advocacy organisation Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia, is hopeful. She was encouraged by the sentiments from ministers at the summits end. She also has hope after Morrison and Minister for Women Marise Payne described the $1.1 billion womens safety package in the last federal budget as a down payment. Were all holding our breath, Foster says. There are words and sentiment, and then there are actions. Theres been a fair amount of inaction over the last 11 to 12 years.

The first national plan ran from 2010 to 2022, with the overarching goals delivered through a series of three-year action plans. The most recent evaluation  based on 2016 data  shows progress was made on three of its four headline measures. But on the fourth, reduced prevalence of domestic violence and sexual assault, things got worse. Advocates say the dial hasnt shifted on actual reduction of violence, although they agree the first plan has led to important infrastructure being put in place. A draft version of the next 12-year plan should be ready before the end of the year. It will formally start in July 2022. But advocates want action before then.

Loading Dr Michael Salter, an expert on gendered violence with the University of NSW, says the looming federal election could pose challenges to policymaking, but there must be change as soon as possible. We cannot wait according to the whims of the electoral cycle before we see implementation because women are dying now. Theyre dying every single week, he said. The public is really sick of talk. The public wants to see real action and real results. Victorias Minister for Women Gabrielle Williams used her closing remarks to the summit to take aim at what she saw as sluggishness from the Commonwealth. This prompted a warning from Payne to maintain the nonpartisan, collaborative approach. Later, Williams said her government would work collaboratively but pointed out the evidence was there for the Commonwealth to act on a range of areas including housing affordability and boosting funding for legal services.

Were almost a year away from when this [new plan] would come into effect and thats too long to wait when we know there are areas in need of urgent attention now, she said. Federal Womens Safety Minister Anne Ruston acknowledges the urgency. We cannot look back and say the summit was just a talkfest and the next national plan cannot be a document that just sits on a shelf, she said. It must translate into real and practical outcomes and actions because we have to change the dial and we have to make a difference  lives depend on it. One suggestion repeatedly raised for governments to act on immediately is legislating nationally consistent definitions of terms such as consent and coercive control. There isnt even a consistent definition of domestic violence, a decade after concerted action began to tackle it.

Loading Tame announced during the summit she was starting a campaign to get the nations attorneys-general to fix this. We have nine jurisdictions with nine very different definitions of consent. We have nine definitions of grooming and in some jurisdictions grooming isnt even defined at all... Nine different definitions of the age of consent to sex and nine different definitions of sexual intercourse itself, she said. We wonder why we dont have a consistent understanding of each of these concepts. The lack of consistency also translates to difficulty in assessing whether programs are working.

How do you make sense of the data or join up the data when you dont even have consistent definitions? Because youre not collecting the same things, says Padma Raman, head of Australias National Research Organisation for Womens Safety. It does feel like there are pockets of activity over the place, and its just not coordinated. Donovan said the sector was constantly talking about transparency, accountability, and good governance for both governments and services, and that should be embedded in the new plan. Until weve got a national definition, and national minimum standards, we really cant measure ourselves very well, she said. Another frequent theme is the need for different services to suit different communities. The one size fits all approach set programs up to fail, Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service principal solicitor Thelma Schwartz said.

Watt points out using a tailored approach comes back to consistent data and evaluation to make sure governments properly understand what is happening on the ground. If we need more police, we need more police. But if we need more social workers [that needs to be known], she says. By the time police get [involved], its probably happened five or six times before. It would be better if you could get there before the police get called. The call for tailored approaches came loudly from Indigenous leaders, who said women in their communities were ignored when they suggested solutions. The delegates statement asked for a specific action plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children, to sit under the national plan. Ruston said she had heard this message loud and clear.

It makes absolute sense to establish a standalone action plan, she said. Its not good enough for Indigenous women to feel like they have just been tagged on or added on as an afterthought. Loading Then theres the question of money to back up the intentions of the plan. Services are already stretched thin, with most on short-term funding arrangements that make it difficult to plan. Year after year we are begging for money, begging for funding to support over 60 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Schwartz said. How is that acceptable ... [to] go cap in hand begging to provide essential services?

Donovan says funding for frontline services should at least double, while Foster says there needs to be a billion dollars a year  compared with the $1.1 billion over four years in the federal budget. Yet Payne said at the end of the two days that if anyone walked away thinking the only answer was more funding, they would have taken the wrong outcome from this summit. Melbourne University law professor Heather Douglas was shocked when she heard that. We do know about a lot of programs that are working well. But unfortunately, a lot of them get stuck in this sort of pilot project status, she said. Its not long term. Its not sustained  and thats really problematic. Foster says this permanent short-term funding is incredibly wasteful, means people started from scratch when they could be setting up a program that was already working, and often leaves services with little time or resources to do the primary prevention work governments agreed was so vital.

Theyve still got families in crisis coming to them, and they drop everything and do the crisis work, she said. Loading Theyre never going to be able to get that early intervention and prevention work done at the local level unless [governments] make that brave expenditure. Salter said there was no doubt calls for more money were always challenging to governments, especially for long-term investments. But I dont think theres any two ways about it. If we want to reduce violence against women and children, then we are going to have to see significant financial commitments from the public purse.

Ruston said the way the current plan was carved up into the three-year action plans created a stop-start approach to funding. That created uncertainty for the sector as well as not allowing enough time for delivery and evaluation. This has created duplication as well as gaps which is why the next national plan must set out clearly the responsibilities of each level of government as well as the business sector and community more broadly, so we can ensure there is accountability, she said. Ultimately, women dealing with domestic violence or sexual assault dont care who the money comes from, Watt says. They just want the services to be similar and accessible no matter where they are. Unless we drop the politics and get really ambitious, were not going to get there. Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
The countrys airports have warned the federal government that foreign airlines are at risk of pulling out of Australia even as the country reopens its international border, leading to fewer seats and higher prices, unless clearer plans are locked in immediately.

Meanwhile, Trade and Tourism Minister Dan Tehan has flagged high demand is likely to lead to long wait times for Australians needing to renew their passports before they can get on a plane.

Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said there was likely to be a longer wait for people to renew their passports. Credit:Sarah Baker

The department is doing everything it can to prepare but longer than usual processing times cant be ruled out ... once youre fully vaccinated, its time to dust off your passport and make sure it is still valid, Mr Tehan said.

Submissions to former health department secretary Jane Haltons second review of the quarantine system, obtained by The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age, reveal the airport sector is alarmed about a lack of preparation for the resumption of overseas travel once 80 per cent of Australians are vaccinated.
A three-week vaccine blitz targeting Melbournes northern and western suburbs will start on Monday, with the Commonwealth to send several hundred thousand extra Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 jabs to GPs, pharmacies and state-run hubs.

State hubs and GPs will receive the Pfizer vaccine and pharmacists will receive the Moderna vaccine, which is finally due to arrive in Australia this week.

Victoria has started opening drive-through clinics in areas with lower vaccination rates, such as Melton in Melbournes west. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Cases have surged in Local Government Areas in Melbournes north and west such as Hume (652 active cases) and Wyndham (209 active cases) in the past week, but according to Commonwealth data reported to the Victorian Department of Health these areas are receiving fewer Pfizer doses for GP clinics than Melbournes more affluent eastern and southern suburbs.

A total of 2370 Pfizer doses were sent to GP clinics in Hume and 2400 doses were sent to Wyndham in the last week. The nearby LGA of Moonee Valley (45 active cases) received 2400 doses too. These three LGAs are primarily within federal Labor-held electorates.
Kabul: Female university students in Afghanistan will no longer be able to study alongside their male peers, but be forced instead into segregated classrooms where full Islamic dress will be required, the Taliban governments new higher education minister said on Sunday.

Abdul Baqi Haqqani laid out the Talibans education policies a day after they had raised their flag over the presidential palace, signalling the official start of the new government.

Many beauty salons in Kabul have been defaced or covered up to remove images of women. Credit:AP

The world has been watching closely to see to what extent the Talibans policies might differ from their first stint in power in the late 1990s. During that era, girls and women were denied an education and were excluded from public life.

Taliban spokespeople had maintained the new government would implement more liberal policies, hinting that their attitudes toward women had softened.
Wilmington, DE (19810)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 69F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with a few showers after midnight. Low 69F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
If you go back to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, January of last year, you discover that in this state so far, we have lost 36 young people to this stinking virus. Three dozen in 20 months. Every loss like this is tragic, but such losses also demand perspective.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Mostly cloudy and muggy with a few showers or gusty evening thunderstorms, especially from the Lehigh Valley points north and west. .

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Mostly cloudy and muggy with a few showers or gusty evening thunderstorms, especially from the Lehigh Valley points north and west.
Arlis Dittmer is a retired health science librarian and current president of the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County. During her years with Blessing Health System, she became interested in medical and nursing history  both topics frequently overlooked in history.

The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County is preserving the Governor John Wood Mansion, the History Museum on the Square, the 1835 Log Cabin, the Livery, the Lincoln Gallery displays, and a collection of artifacts and documents that tell the story of who we are. This award-winning column is written by members of the Society. For more information visit hsqac.org or email info@hsqac.org.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a dire warning that the world is moving in the wrong direction and faces a pivotal moment where continuing business as usual could lead to a breakdown of global order and a future of perpetual crisis. Changing course could signal a breakthrough to a greener and safer future, he said.

The U.N. chief said the worlds nations and people must reverse todays dangerous trends and choose the breakthrough scenario.

The world is under enormous stress on almost every front, he said, and the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call demonstrating the failure of nations to come together and take joint decisions to help all people in the face of a global life-threatening emergency.

Guterres said this paralysis extends far beyond COVID-19 to the failures to tackle the climate crisis and our suicidal war on nature and the collapse of biodiversity, the unchecked inequality undermining the cohesion of societies, and technologys advances without guard rails to protect us from its unforeseen consequences.

In other signs of a more chaotic and insecure world, he pointed to rising poverty, hunger and gender inequality after decades of decline, the extreme risk to human life and the planet from nuclear war and a climate breakdown, and the inequality, discrimination and injustice bringing people into the streets to protest while conspiracy theories and lies fuel deep divisions within societies.

In a horizon-scanning report presented to the General Assembly and at a press conference Friday, Guterres said his vision for the breakthrough scenario to a greener and safer world is driven by the principle of working together, recognizing that we are bound to each other and that no community or country, however powerful, can solve its challenges alone.

The report -- Our Common Agenda -- is a response to last years declaration by world leaders on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and the request from the assemblys 193 member nations for the U.N. chief to make recommendations to address the challenges for global governance.

In todays world, Guterres said, Global decision-making is fixed on immediate gain, ignoring the long-term consequences of decisions -- or indecision.

He said multilateral institutions have proven to be too weak and fragmented for todays global challenges and risks.

Whats needed, Guterres said, is not new multilateral bureaucracies but more effective multilateral institutions including a United Nations 2.0" more relevant to the 21st century.

And we need multilateralism with teeth, he said.

In the report outlining his vision to fix the world, Guterres said immediate action is needed to protect the planets most precious assets from oceans to outer space, to ensure it is livable, and to deliver on the aspirations of people everywhere for peace and good health.

He called for an immediate global vaccination plan implemented by an emergency task force, saying investing $50 billion in vaccinations now could add an estimated $9 trillion to the global economy in the next four years.

The report proposes that a global Summit of the Future take place in 2023 that would not only look at all these issues but go beyond traditional security threats to strengthen global governance of digital technology and outer space, and to manage future risks and crises, he said.

It would also consider a New Agenda for Peace including measures to reduce strategic risks from nuclear weapons, cyber warfare and lethal autonomous weapons, which Guterres called one of humanitys most destabilizing inventions.

The secretary-general said a new United Nations Futures Lab will publish regular reports on megatrends and risks.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic also exposed deficiencies in the global financial system.

To tackle these weaknesses and integrate the global financial system with other global priorities, Guterres proposed holding summits every two years of the 20 leading economies in the G20, the U.N.s Economic and Social Council, the heads of international financial institutions including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and the U.N. secretary-general.

He also called for the correction of a major blind spot in how we measure progress and prosperity, saying Gross Domestic Product or GDP fails to account for the incalculable social and environmental damage that may be caused by the pursuit of profit.

My report calls for new metrics that value the life and well-being of the many over short-term profit for the few, Guterres said.

It also calls for a new Emergency Platform that would be triggered automatically in large-scale crises comprising governments, the U.N. system, international financial institutions, civil society, the private sector and others, he said.

Guterres also proposed repurposing the U.N. Trusteeship Council, whose work is largely completed, to create an intergovernmental body for intergenerational issues that would be a platform to consider the interests of the entire human family, present and future.

As part of a new focus on the worlds young people and future generations, Guterres said he intends to appoint a special envoy for future generations to ensure the interests of those born in the 21st century and establish a new United Nations Youth Office.

Saying much of the world's unease is rooted in poverty and growing inequality, Guterres noted that the 10 richest men saw their combined wealth increase by half a trillion dollars since the COVID-19 pandemic began while 55% of the worlds population, or 4 billion people, are one step away from destitution, with no social protection whatsoever.

To address the threats to social stability, the U.N. chief recommended a series of measures to provide universal health coverage, education, housing, decent work and income protection for everyone, everywhere.

Guterres proposed holding a World Social Summit in 2025 on global efforts to address these issues and repair the social fabric.

The secretary-general also proposed global action to tackle disinformation and conspiracy theories and promote facts, science and integrity in public discourse.

We must make lying wrong again, Guterres said.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Several hundred people line up every morning, starting before dawn, on a grassy area outside Nairobis largest hospital hoping to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Sometimes the line moves smoothly, while on other days, the staff tells them theres nothing available, and they should come back tomorrow.

Cody Luke sits and waits after getting his first COVID-19 vaccine shot on the last day of the mass vaccination site at the University of North Georgia Gainesville campus Friday, July 30, 2021, in Gainesville, Ga. Luke was one of only 11 people who were vaccinated that day. (Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Several hundred people line up every morning, starting before dawn, on a grassy area outside Nairobis largest hospital hoping to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Sometimes the line moves smoothly, while on other days, the staff tells them theres nothing available, and they should come back tomorrow.

Halfway around the world, at a church in Atlanta, two workers with plenty of vaccine doses waited hours Wednesday for anyone to show up, whiling away the time by listening to music from a laptop. Over a six-hour period, only one person came through the door.

The dramatic contrast highlights the vast disparity around the world. In richer countries, people can often pick and choose from multiple available vaccines, walk into a site near their homes and get a shot in minutes. Pop-up clinics, such as the one in Atlanta, bring vaccines into rural areas and urban neighborhoods, but it is common for them to get very few takers.

In the developing world, supply is limited and uncertain. Just over 3% of people across Africa have been fully vaccinated, and health officials and citizens often have little idea what will be available from one day to the next. More vaccines have been flowing in recent weeks, but the World Health Organizations director in Africa said Thursday that the continent will get 25% fewer doses than anticipated by the end of the year, in part because of the rollout of booster shots in wealthier counties such as the United States.

Bidian Okoth recalled spending more than three hours in line at a Nairobi hospital, only to be told to go home because there weren't enough doses. But a friend who traveled to the U.S. got a shot almost immediately after his arrival there with a vaccine of his choice, like candy, he said.

Were struggling with what time in the morning we need to wake up to get the first shot. Then you hear people choosing their vaccines. Thats super, super excessive," he said.

Okoth said his uncle died from COVID-19 in June and had given up twice on getting vaccinated due to the length of the lines, even though he was eligible due to his age. The death jolted Okoth, a health advocate, into seeking a dose for himself.

Nurse Lydia Shakespeare-Edwards gives Oscar Chavero his COVID-19 vaccination shot at the Mexican consulate in Atlanta on July 16, 2021. While wealthier nations have plenty of vaccines, they are scarce in poorer countries, and citizens across Africa often have little idea if they will be available from one day to the next. (Steve Schaefer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

He stopped at one hospital so often on his way to work that a doctor got tired of seeing me and told Okoth he would call him when doses were available. Late last month, after a new donation of vaccines arrived from Britain, he got his shot.

The disparity comes as the U.S. is moving closer to offering booster shots to large segments of the population even as it struggles to persuade Americans to get vaccinated in the first place. President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered sweeping new federal vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans, including private-sector employees, as the country faces the surging COVID-19 delta variant.

About 53% of the U.S. population is vaccinated, and the country is averaging more than 150,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day, along with 1,500 deaths. Africa has had more than 7.9 million confirmed cases, including more than 200,000 deaths, and the highly infectious delta variant recently drove a surge in new cases as well.

The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, insisted Wednesday that rich countries with large supplies of coronavirus vaccines should hold off on offering booster shots through the end of the year and make the doses available to poorer countries.

John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters Thursday that we have not seen enough science to drive decisions on when to administer booster shots.

Without that, we are gambling, he said, and urged countries to send doses to countries facing vaccine famine instead.

In the U.S., vaccines are easy to find, but many people are hesitant to get them.

At the church in northwest Atlanta, a nonprofit group offered the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines for free without an appointment from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. But site manager Riley Erickson spent much of the day waiting in an air-conditioned room full of empty chairs, though the group had reached out to neighbors and the church had advertised the location to its large congregation.

Erickson, with the disaster relief organization CORE, said the vaccination rate in the area was low, so he wasnt surprised by small turnout. The one person who showed up was a college student.

When you put the effort into going into areas where theres less interest, thats kind of the result, he said. His takeaway, however, was that CORE needed to spend more time in the community.

A second vaccination site run by county officials  this one in downtown Atlanta  had a little more foot traffic around lunchtime, but not enough to cause even the slightest delay.

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Margaret Herro, COREs Georgia director, said the group has seen an uptick in vaccinations at its pop-up sites in recent weeks amid a COVID-19 surge fueled by the delta variant and the FDA's full approval of the Pfizer vaccine. It has administered more than 55,000 shots from late March through the end of August at hundreds of sites around the state, including schools and farmers markets. It also has gone to meatpacking plants and other work locations, where turnout is better, and it plans to focus more on those places, Herro said.

We definitely dont feel like its time to let up yet, she said.

In Nairobi, Okoth believes there should be a global commitment to equity in the administration of vaccines so everyone has a basic level of immunity as quickly as possible.

"If everyone at least gets a first shot, I dont think anyone will care if others get even six booster shots, he said.

___

Thanawala reported from Atlanta.
CHARLOTTETOWN - For the first time since the start of the pandemic Prince Edward Island is declaring a COVID-19 outbreak in a school.

CHARLOTTETOWN - For the first time since the start of the pandemic Prince Edward Island is declaring a COVID-19 outbreak in a school.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Heather Morrison announced six new cases of COVID-19 in the province Sunday, all in children under the age of 19.

"We do have a serious situation with COVID-19 transmission in P.E.I. involving children," Morrison told reporters at a Sunday afternoon briefing.

The new infections come in addition to a case announced Saturday involving a student at Charlottetown's West Royalty Elementary School.

"Close contacts are being identified and will be required to test and self-isolate, especially those who are not fully vaccinated," Morrison said. "I fully expect we will have more positive cases in the coming days."

In-person classes at West Royalty Elementary have been cancelled for the coming week, while classes are cancelled for the next three days at 17 other schools in the area to allow for contact tracing and testing.

"At this point we do not know the extent of COVID-19 transmission in our schools or in our province," Morrison said, adding that officials have not determined if the cases are the result of travel outside the province or are examples of community spread.

Premier Dennis King also took part in the news conference and said it's important that the right steps are taken quickly to help contain the outbreak.

"We know that children under 12 are able to best excel when they are in classroom learning, when they are able to participate in extracurricular activities and when they are able to interact with their family and their friends," King said.

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"It's important that we do everything we can to catch this as quickly as we can so that we can get back to getting these students back into our classrooms," he added.

Morrison said 10 of the most recent 11 COVID-19 cases in the province involve people under the age of 19.

"This is not the news any of us want to hear," she said.

There are 14 active infections in the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2021.

- By Kevin Bissett in Fredericton.
BEIJING (AP)  A city in southern China that is trying to contain a coronavirus outbreak told the public Sunday not to leave town, suspended bus and train service and closed cinemas, bars and other facilities.

Medical workers send off their colleagues leaving to help with an outbreak of COVID-19 in Putian from a provincial hospital in Fuzhou in southeast China's Fujian province Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. Putian, a city in southern China that is trying to contain a coronavirus outbreak told the public Sunday not to leave, suspended bus and train service and closed cinemas, bars and other facilities. (Chinatopix via AP)

BEIJING (AP)  A city in southern China that is trying to contain a coronavirus outbreak told the public Sunday not to leave town, suspended bus and train service and closed cinemas, bars and other facilities.

Anyone who needs to leave Putian, a city of 2.9 million people in Fujian province south of Shanghai, for an essential trip must have proof of a negative coronavirus test within the past 48 hours, the city government announced.

China declared the coronavirus under control in early 2020 but has suffered outbreaks of the more contagious delta variant. Authorities say most cases are traced to travelers arriving from Russia, Myanmar and other countries.

In Putian, 19 new infections that were believed to have been acquired locally were reported in the 24 hours through midnight Saturday, according to the National Health Commission. One was reported in Quanzhou, also in Fujian.

The first cases in Putian were students from Xianyou county, but experts suspect the outbreak might have originated with the father of one student who returned from Singapore on Aug. 4, according to the official Global Times newspaper.

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The traveler, identified by the surname Lin, underwent a 14-day quarantine and nine nucleic acid and serologic tests, all of which were negative, the Global Times said, citing local authorities. It said he tested positive on Friday.

Residents of villages in Xianyou where infections were found were barred from leaving, the newspaper said.

Bus and train service to Putian was suspended Saturday, Global Times said.

Elsewhere in Putian, cinemas, card rooms, gyms, tourist sites and other facilities were ordered closed, the city government announced. Restaurants and supermarkets were told to strictly control customer numbers and to check for fevers. Schools were ordered to require students to wear masks in class.

Experts were sent to Putian to oversee disease-control work, the Health Commission announced Saturday.

China has reported 4,636 coronavirus deaths out of 95,199 confirmed cases.
VANCOUVER - Jagmeet Singh put a price tag on his election promises Saturday, saying the $214 billion needed to realize the New Democrats' vision for Canada would come largely through tax hikes for the country's wealthiest residents and businesses.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh makes his morning announcement in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

VANCOUVER - Jagmeet Singh put a price tag on his election promises Saturday, saying the $214 billion needed to realize the New Democrats' vision for Canada would come largely through tax hikes for the country's wealthiest residents and businesses.

Singh positioned the NDP as the only party with a plan to help make life more affordable for everyday people while ensuring the most affluent pay their dues.

"There was a time when the super wealthy paid more of their fair share," the party leader said. "That's what we want to return to, that the burden should not be shouldered by the middle class, by working people. It should be those at the very, very top."

The NDP's commitments add up to $214 billion over five years, with $166 billion in projected revenues based on estimates from the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Health care is the most costly area of the New Democrats' platform, with proposed spending totalling $68 billion. The platform outlines how that money would be allocated to pay for the NDP's universal pharmacare plan, dental and mental health coverage for those who need it and for ending private, for-profit long-term care.

Other big-ticket items include spending $26 billion on various initiatives to fight climate change and supporting energy-sector workers in the transition, as well as $30 billion earmarked over five years for reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

The platform shows $15 billion, half of the money set aside for reconciliation, would be spent on complying with a previous Human Rights Tribunal ruling that found the child-welfare system discriminated against First Nations children.

The NDP projects its proposed wealth tax, returning the capital gains inclusion rate to its 2000 level, returning the corporate income tax rate to 2010 levels except for small businesses, cracking down on tax havens and taxing excess profits made during the pandemic would raise more than $150 billion in revenue over five years.

While some companies have made record profits during the pandemic, everyday people and small businesses have struggled, Singh said.

He cited Amazon as an example of a company that should be subject to higher taxes for pandemic profits.

"I would think it makes sense that if someone made money off of the pandemic, then they've got a responsibility, morally, to contribute a bit more," he said.

The costed platform estimates the excess profit tax would generate $14 billion over five years and cracking down on offshore tax havens would raise $12 billion. It says increasing the capital gains inclusion rate to 75 per cent would raise $44 billion and raising the corporate income tax rate by three per cent would generate $25 billion.

The New Democrats' proposed annual tax of one per cent on Canadians with net wealth of $10 million or higher would generate $60 million in revenue by 2025-26, according to an estimate released by the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Additional revenue would come from NDP proposals including a 20 per cent foreign home buyers' tax and eliminating certain subsidies for the oil and gas sector.

The platform also outlines how Canada's debt as a share of GDP would decline to 45.8 per cent from 48 per cent over the next five years under an NDP government, a slightly lower ratio than the Liberals' 46.5 per cent projected for 2025-26.

In costed platforms released earlier this month, the Conservatives pledged $58 billion over the next five years and the Liberals outlined $78 billion in new spending.

The Liberals said Saturday that the NDP platform "doesn't get the job done."

Mona Fortier, the Liberal candidate for Ottawa-Vanier, said the NDP climate change plan falls flat and doesn't offer any spending to get guns off the streets.

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She also criticized the timing of the release.

"Today, after thousands of Canadians have already voted, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP finally released the costing of their commitments," she said in a written statement.

Asked about why the NDP was releasing its costed platform just nine days before the election, Singh said it takes time to work with the Parliamentary Budget Office on estimates and their plans wouldn't come as a surprise for Canadians.

"We said clearly we're going to make the billionaires pay their fair share and we've been really clear about investing in the programs that people need," he said. "This document is exactly what we've been saying all along, with more details."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2021.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said $15 million would go to a Human Rights Tribunal ruling. In fact, the figure is $15 billion.
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - The Liberal government has taken action on climate change and the environment over the past six years in office and any claims to the contrary are both cynical and false, party leader Justin Trudeau said Saturday.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a campaign stop in Mississauga, Ont., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - The Liberal government has taken action on climate change and the environment over the past six years in office and any claims to the contrary are both cynical and false, party leader Justin Trudeau said Saturday.

The remarks came at a morning campaign appearance in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ont., where Trudeau accused the New Democrats and Green Party of trying to pretend the Liberals haven't taken any action on the issues.

Trudeau argued that a price on pollution, a ban on single-use plastics and protecting more land and water "is not nothing."

I think it's been a shock to those who have actually been paying attention, and watching closely and listening to experts that neither the NDP, nor the Green Party have put forward a real plan to fight climate change in this election, Trudeau said.

And instead of explaining why they get a failing grade from experts on their plan to fight climate change. They're trying to drag everyone else down.

Trudeau is leaning heavily on the analyses of energy economist Mark Jaccard and former British Columbia Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver, who both ranked the Liberal climate plan ahead of the other parties.

Jaccard said while the NDP plan targets bigger cuts to emissions than the Liberals, their plan is a big target with "magical outcomes" containing not enough detail to show a path to meeting the target or how much doing so would cost.

As the campaign nears the sprint to the finish line, Trudeau is trying to convince voters who care about climate change that the Conservative plan is a step backwards and the NDP and Green plans represent vague, magical thinking.

Singh said Saturday Trudeau cannot be trusted on the environment.

"We've got six years of evidence to look at, in the past six years, he has shown really clearly he is not going to fight this climate crisis," he said.

Singh and Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole both say Trudeau's six years in power have only resulted in an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.

Canada's emissions grew about three per cent between 2015 and 2019, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Many of the Liberal climate policies were barely getting started by 2019, including the carbon price plan which began being enforced that April.

Trudeau's campaign stop took place in a city in the Greater Toronto Area where the Liberals won all six seats in 2019.

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The GTA region, and particularly the 905-cities like Mississauga, Brampton, Richmond Hill and Markham, are critical to this campaign. The Liberals won most of them in 2019, and can't afford to lose many if they want to hang on to power.

O'Toole is making a hard push to take 905 ridings from the Liberals, and was also campaigning in the area in the last two days.

Trudeau shifted his own focus to Quebec later Saturday, visiting two Bloc Quebecois-held ridings on the outskirts of Montreal.

While Trudeau is playing a lot of defence in Ontario, in Quebec the party is still confident it can pick up seats.

At an apple orchard in Mont-Saint-Gregoire Trudeau was enthusiastically mobbed by families out for a fall activity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2021.
The Writ

The federal election occurs Sept. 20 and we have you covered. Get the latest campaign news, insights, analysis and commentary delivered weekly to your inbox with our free newsletter.
Habitat for Humanity Manitoba's chief executive says he deeply regrets allowing a candidate for the provincial Progressive Conservative's leadership to launch her campaign on the non-profit's property.

Habitat for Humanity Manitoba's chief executive says he deeply regrets allowing a candidate for the provincial Progressive Conservative's leadership to launch her campaign on the non-profit's property.

Former Winnipeg police officer and Conservative MP Shelly Glover launched her leadership bid in the parking lot of Habitat for Humanity Manitoba's ReStore at 60 Archibald St. on Friday morning.

Habitat for Humanity Manitoba builds homes for low-income working families to purchase through a no-money-down, interest-free mortgage.

"This past Wednesday, representatives from the Shelly Glover campaign approached Habitat for Humanity Manitoba requesting permission to hold her announcement... at the ReStore location," CEO Sandy Hopkins said in a statement Saturday.

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"My initial thought was to say no, and in hindsight, this is what I should have done. I deeply regret allowing this event to proceed."

The charity had one of its trucks parked as a backdrop for Glover's announcement, and her campaign signs are the same colour scheme as Habitat's signage. Glover thanked the ReStore in her speech and mentioned some of its employees.

Federal tax guidelines from the Canada Revenue Agency state a "charity may not take part in an illegal activity or a partisan political activity," and that "a partisan political activity is one that involves direct or indirect support of, or opposition to, any political party or candidate for public office."

Hopkins said it was not his intention to imply an endorsement of Glover's campaign by him or Habitat for Humanity.

Allowing the news conference to go forward in the non-profit's parking lot was a serious error in judgment on his part, he said.

"For that, I sincerely and deeply apologize," he said.
OTTAWA - As Conservatives enter the home stretch of the federal election campaign with polls putting them in a close fight against the Liberals, should they sweat about what's on their political right?

Supporters of the People's Party of Canada protest outside prior to the federal election English-language debate in Gatineau, Que., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. As Conservatives hit the doorsteps for advanced voting with polls showing them in a near tie with the Liberals, should they sweat about what's coming to the further right of them on the political spectrum? THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand

OTTAWA - As Conservatives enter the home stretch of the federal election campaign with polls putting them in a close fight against the Liberals, should they sweat about what's on their political right?

People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier would like to think so.

The former Conservative has attacked the Torys current leadership as phony while hitching his populist horse to anti-lockdown movements across the country and railing against government-imposed vaccine mandates and passports.

And though the PPC remains far behind the Conservatives at around four per cent of popular support in public opinion polls, Bernier and his 311 candidates are hoping for a purple wave of Tory supporters and others switching their votes on Sept. 20.

Conservative Leader Erin OToole during a recent campaign stop in the Greater Toronto Area sidestepped a question about the Bernier and PPC, and instead touted his party as best placed to jump start Canadas post-pandemic economic recovery.

Yet others such as Canada Proud have been more direct, as the registered third-party advertiser whose stated aim is to defeat Justin Trudeaus Liberals has stepped up warnings about a vote split on the right.

The organization led by Jeff Ballingall, who served as digital director of OTooles 2020 leadership race, has been pushing out memes and social-media videos to get its message across.

That online effort has coincided with growing realizations about the extent to which social media has been feeding anti-vaccine and anti-Trudeau sentiments among segments of the Canadian population.

One Canada Proud post includes a smiling photo of the Liberal leader captioned: "Trudeau when he finds out you're voting PPC." A second photo below depicts him wide-eyed with the caption: "Trudeau when he finds out you're voting Conservative."

"Like it or not, if we split the vote, Trudeau wins again," says an accompanying post. "If you're voting for PPC, you're voting for Trudeau," reads another.

Saying some of those supporting the PPC are opposed to Trudeau would be an understatement, as people toting the partys signs have been among the throng of angry protesters who have hurled obscenities at the Liberal leader at campaign events.

The PPC also removed the president of its Elgin-Middlesex-London riding association last week after he was accused of throwing gravel at Trudeau during an event in London, Ont.

Police in the southwestern Ontario city announced on Saturday they had charged Shane Marshall in the incident. The suspect shares the name of the former PPC riding association president, but the party did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether the man now facing charges is the same person.

Ballingall in an interview said many people opposed to Trudeau and the Liberals feel alienated from Canadas current political process, and may want to vote for the PPC as a protest against the establishment.

They want to vote for PPC as a protest vote, they want to get rid of Trudeau, but you can't have both, he said. You can't protest and also get rid of Trudeau. It's not a perfect scenario. It's a binary choice.

Yet it isnt only disenfranchised Canadians who are supporting the PPC, as Bernier has managed to tap into anger over mandatory vaccinations and vaccine passports, a population that political strategist Shakir Chambers says includes non-Conservatives.

"They occupy such a unique space in this election," said Chambers, who helped Doug Fords Progressive Conservatives win the 2018 provincial election in Ontario.

"They're saying we should have a conversation about these things, no other party's saying that you can even converse about whether this should be mandatory or not."

O'Toole has tried to walk a fine line when it comes to vaccines, saying on the one hand that Canadians should get immunized to curb the spread of COVID-19 and protect vulnerable citizens while on the other defending the freedom to choose.

That mixed message has put some of his Conservative candidates in a bind when it comes to explaining where the party stands on the issue, including in the Western heartland of Saskatchewan and Alberta where the party remains dominant.

"You can read our platform ... Its very different from the Liberal platform," incumbent Alberta MP Garnett Genuis wrote in a recent Facebook comment.

"I understand not agreeing with the party on everything. Honestly, I dont agree with the party on everything. But our party is against mandatory vaccination, and is the only viable alternative to Justin Trudeau."

Arnold Viersen, another Alberta MP running for re-election, also weighed in.

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"The Conservative party opposes mandatory vaccines and a Conservative government is the only way to block Trudeau from enforcing his," the candidate wrote.

The vaccine issue is only one in which OToole stoked anger among some on the right as he has tried to steer the Conservatives more to the centre. The Tory leader has acknowledged his plan to introduce a price on carbon is also unpopular with some.

O'Toole has defended that decision several times throughout the election in a bid to better connect with the majority of Canadians who opinion polls suggest want action on climate change.

"We've shown you that we are a new party, he said on Friday. We are a changed party and we're here to earn your trust.

Chambers nonetheless believes vaccines more than O'Toole's more moderate views on climate change or abortion  the Conservative leader has said he supports a womans right to choose  are what could drive unhappy Tories into the PPCs arms.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2021
OTTAWA - The fifth and final week of the federal election campaign kicked off Sunday with the Liberals and New Democrats each questioning whether their opponent's plan to pay for the billions of campaign spending promises was based in reality.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh greets supporters outside a campaign office in Sudbury, Ont., Sunday, September 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

OTTAWA - The fifth and final week of the federal election campaign kicked off Sunday with the Liberals and New Democrats each questioning whether their opponent's plan to pay for the billions of campaign spending promises was based in reality.

The New Democrats are promising a far-ranging plan to create social programs like pharmacare and dental care through $214 billion in new spending over five years.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is vowing to pay for some of it by raking in $166 billion in new revenues by taxing the super-rich and ultra-profitable corporations.

The numbers are far higher than those in the Liberal platform, which similarly proposes new taxes like raising the corporate rate levied on bank earnings over $1 billion to help fund programs intended to boost recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking on Montreal's South Shore, Trudeau took aim at the NDP over that party's plans to raise billions in new revenues, suggesting there is a ceiling to how much a government can tax the wealthy.

"We have to make sure that the wealthiest are paying their full and fair share and we've done significant things towards that," Trudeau said.

"But the idea that you can go with unlimited zeal against the successful and wealthy in this country to pay for everything else is an idea that reaches its limits at one point, and I don't think the NDP get that."

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a campaign stop in Candiac, Que., on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Singh countered that Trudeau's vision was limited.

During a campaign stop in Sudbury, Ont., He argued Trudeau has given the wealthy a free ride during the Liberal leader's six years as prime minister by not collecting billions in potential revenues.

"I'm not surprised that he said that, 'oh, limit your hopes and aspirations around making sure that billionaires pay their fair share.' I've long been saying he's been defending the super-rich, he's on the side of the billionaires, and that's just more evidence of it," Singh said.

The parliamentary budget officer has warned there is only so much space to add new spending on federal books before deficits become a problem to rein in. Only Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is pledging to balance the budget, and that's within a decade.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa flagged the Conservative balanced-budget promise in its analysis of the party's spending plans.

The group, headed by former parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page, wrote that the Conservative pledge to boost health transfers to provinces could "put the balanced budget target and long-term fiscal sustainability at significant risk."

Speaking in Vancouver, O'Toole said his party's fiscal plan was "disciplined but fair" and pointed to the current budget officer's evaluation to support the Conservative platform estimates.

"The parliamentary budget officer confirmed our plan. We submitted 30 different policies for his analysis," O'Toole said.

"We will balance the budget within the decade."

The comments marked the start of the final push as each party is looking to both bolster support on the Sept. 20 election day, but also persuade voters heading to advance polls this weekend.

Elections Canada said early estimates show more than 1.3 million voters cast their ballot in-person on the first day of advance polls on Friday, which is more than what was recorded during the 2019 election.

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With polls suggesting a tight race, the leaders have elbowed for room and ratcheted up the rhetoric in what's been an emotional campaign that has shown little sign of cooling down.

The Liberal candidate in the Saskatchewan riding of Regina-Wascana, Sean McEachern, had dog feces thrown on his windshield while campaigning Thursday, while Chris Bittle, the Liberal candidate in the Ontario riding of St. Catharines, tweeted a photo Sunday of his car that had "FU Liberals" spray-painted on it overnight.

Trudeau looked Sunday to lay blame for tensions at the feet of Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People's Party of Canada, which polls suggest has steadily seen a rise in national support.

Trudeau, like Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet and O'Toole, dismissed any concerns that Bernier's candidates could siphon support from their parties.

While Singh said he disagreed with many of Bernier's views, the NDP leader added that he understands the general feeling of frustration and cynicism some voters have with federal politics after seeing governments fail to live up to campaign promises.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2021.
But she doesnt regard her role as providing the only possible solution to each problem. Rather, she helps students find the resources they need to solve their own problems.

For example, I had a student who was trying to take an online class using just a cell phone. The college can provide lending laptops and hot spots, Kate said. Another student couldnt come in for tutoring because of a conflict with work hours; we have access to online tutoring 24/7.

She has been asked for help with everything from doing taxes to math anxiety. I cant give tax advice, but I can give them a referral to someone who can. And we have one-on-one tutoring to help our students succeed in all of their classes.

Xander Auman, a second-year Liberal Arts and Sciences major, said, Kate has helped me with any problem Ive had where I didnt know where to start. If she couldnt help me with the problem, she made sure I got in touch with someone who could.

For Kate Parsi, the bottom line is simple. Everyone just needs to know what they need to do to reach their end goal, she said. Mentors in my life have opened my eyes, and I love to be that person for somebody.
Cloth masks filter the least particles, but are better than no mask, period. One home sewn model we obtained had two layers and a filter in the middle. One like that could be considered.

The contentious argument whether to wear a mask at all or not is completely political, and disregards the reality of the microbial world we live in, with the literally millions of microbes we encounter daily. When the bad ones come to town, we need to use all of our weapons to combat them as long as these current viral varmints are swirling and swarming around us. This is especially true in close and crowded quarters, like schools. Today it was reported there have over 1,400 school closures across the country in the last few days. 250, 000 children are known to be infected recently. The viruses dont seem to be going away soon.

Should you wear a mask in public places? Why not? Every little bit helps both you and the entire community to avoid infections. The longer the viruses are allowed to incubate in us humans, the more mutations and variants will emerge to prolong this mess. Consider wearing an N95 or KN95 type mask and give your face a seal of approval. For those of us who wear glasses it lessens the fogging. Ill close with someone elses quote: those who wear glasses and a mask are entitled to condensation.

Dr. Bures, a semi-retired dermatologist, since 1978 has worked Winona, La Crosse, Viroqua, and Red Wing. He also plays clarinet in the Winona Municipal Band and a couple dixieland groups. And he does enjoy a good pun.

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MADISON, Wis.  A Wisconsin woman who admitted to helping stab a classmate to please the horror character Slender Man will be freed Monday from a mental health institution, a judge ruled Friday.

Anissa Weier, 19, will be released after spending almost four years at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute. She will be subject to constant GPS monitoring and receive outpatient psychiatric treatment under the conditions of her release.

Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren said the report prepared for Weiers release was fair and provides for the protection of the community as well as for the victim, Payton Leutner, and for Weier herself.

Weier and friend Morgan Geyser lured classmate Leutner into a park in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha following a sleepover in May 2014. Geyser stabbed Leutner multiple times, while Weier urged her on. All three girls were 12 at the time.

They left Leutner for dead but a passing bicyclist found her. She suffered 19 stab wounds and barely survived. Police found Weier and Geyser later that day walking on Interstate 94 in Waukesha. They said they were traveling to Slender Mans mansion and attacked Leutner because they thought it would make them Slender Mans servants and prevent him from killing their families.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has correctly denied the Daley Farms request for a variance. The Daleys want a variance to triple the size of their 1700-cow dairy near Lewiston. The court says the variance request instead needs to be decided at the local level by the Winona County Board of Adjustment.

But Im wondering, given that the Daley Farm has already been out of the compliance on manure storage for its existing operation (let alone receiving in 2012 one of the largest labor law fines in Minnesota history), why should Winona County officials even take up its variance request? Fifteen years ago, I served on the Winona county Planning Commission for six years. The planning and zoning rules prohibited new zoning applications from people whose operations were not already in compliance. I believe that the Daley Farm needs to conform to existing rules before asking for more privileges.

I am frustrated with operations like the Daley Farm getting so much in the way of public assistance and taxpayer subsidies. Why dont we just get rid of these subsidies and stop spending local, state and federal taxpayer dollars helping factory farms expand?
I was on the USS Mahan (DDG-72). We were ending our routine weeklong training off the Virginia coast when the ship went to full speed. A second later, the general quarters alarm sounded, prompting us to go to our battle stations.

General quarters drills are routine at sea so I wasnt alarmed until the announcer proclaimed, This is not a drill.

Minutes later, our Captain told us about the towers. He said that terrorism was suspected. He told us in a solemn voice that we were speeding to NY to patrol with all weapons ready.

The crew looked at each other with an intensity I had never seen before. We were shocked, mad, and ready for battle.

Later, the Captain told us about the Pentagon and shortly after, Shanksville.

The crew desperately wanted to let our loved ones know we were OK but the Captain shut off all non-essential communications, including TV.

We left New York a long day later to go back to Virginia to get more missiles and return to NY. Tensions were high because we still couldnt contact our loved ones but we trusted our Captain implicitly and understood how important it was for the communication lines to be kept clear. He kept us abreast of what he could.
Marc Moranos argument in the op-ed piece published on August 28 can be summarized as -- because some politicians told us at the time that the UN Paris Climate Agreement would be sufficient to solve the climate crisis, that means that the climate crisis has been solved, even if politicians now think that more needs to be done.

The problem with this argument is that the Planet Earth does not listen to politicians and the global climate crisis is worsening with every ton of carbon emitted into the atmosphere with the burning of gasoline, natural gas, propane and coal.

By the way, the organization Morano belongs to, CFACT, promotes climate change denial. Morano goes on to quote a gentleman by the name of Stephen P. Morrison who says, Not only does the logic that carbon taxes in the West will increase CO2 emissions but so does the empirical evidence . . .by offshoring economic activity from relatively environmentally-friendly places . . . to places with lax environmental laws. Morrison said this 20 months ago, but the argument is now out-of-date.
Baraboos Lisa Court was lined with cars Saturday morning for a ceremony for local women veterans on Patriots Day. Veterans and construction workers attended the remembrance ceremony.

It began with former Marine Patrick Aker of the Baraboo American Legion reciting an invocation and then a moment of silence for the lives lost Sept. 11, 2001.

I just love this quote, Veteran  a person who wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America, for an amount up to an including their life, Aker said.

Then members of the Daughters of the American Revolution read biographies of a number of women going back to World War II. The ceremony was followed by a Habitat for Humanity house build.

These stories included that of Juanita Goold-Wilke. Wilke was born in 1908 in Baraboo and in 1943 enlisted in the Womens Army Corps. She received officer training in Iowa in England and served in France and Germany in World War II. After the war she attempted to join the VFW, but was denied because she was a woman.

Another story was of Miriam Ben Shalom. She enlisted in 1974 and became one of the first women drill sergeants to graduate from the 84th Division of the U.S. Army Reserve. She was discharged in 1976 after declaring she was a lesbian.
A 15-year-old boy was killed and another was wounded in a shooting at the Haunted Hills Hayride in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night, authorities said.

Norfolk Hills police were called to the scene about 8:15 p.m., where medics were helping victims, said Lt. Venerando Costa of the Allegheny County Police Homicide Unit. Authorities said that an argument within a large group of teenagers led to the shooting.

Both boys were taken to a hospital, where one died and the other remains in critical condition.

Costa said police are pursuing a suspect described as a male 15 to 17, between 5 feet 9 and 6 feet tal, wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue cargo shorts. He also had on a black backpack.

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When Lt. Col. Green returned to his post at Camp Grant following his expedition into the White Mountain area he filed a report to his superiors in California on Aug. 20, 1869. In that report he included his recommendation that a reservation be created for the Apache Bands living in the area 
Covid testing rules for people returning to Wales from abroad to change

A wider choice of test providers will be available for people returning to Wales from overseas to book PCR tests from 21 September, Health Minister Eluned Morgan confirmed today.

A ban on travellers using private Covid tests when returning from abroad had been in place in Wales.

Rules stated that travellers from Wales should use NHS tests, costing 68 each, when going overseas or face a 1,000 fine.

The rule change comes as new standards and spot checks are being introduced, which will help to address long-standing concerns and issues about the market for PCR tests for all travellers returning to the UK.

The Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) has also made a series of recommendations to the UK Government to further improve the travel testing market.

All travellers returning to the UK from overseas must take PCR tests on their return home to help identify any new cases of coronavirus and prevent its onward spread. Until now, these must be NHS tests for Welsh residents  people living in other parts of the UK have had a wider choice of test provider.

But concerns have been raised about issues with some of the private test providers, including inaccurate and misleading advertised prices, slow delivery and processing of tests and results not flowing into Welsh systems.

New legislative standards for private test providers will come into force from 21 September. They will include ensuring that test results and genomic sequencing  which is used to identify any new variants  are processed and reported quickly and within a comparable time period to NHS tests.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said:

Given the new regulations and the impact on standards for private tests, we will make changes to the rules to enable people travelling to Wales to book tests with private sector providers, if they wish. NHS tests will also continue to be available to book.

These changes will come into effect from 21 September to coincide with the new standards coming into force in England.

I welcome the progress that has been made in addressing the significant concerns we have raised with UK Government, especially with the introduction of new regulatory standards on 21 September. I also expect further improvements following the publication of the CMA report and acceptance of the recommendations to further improve outcomes.

Its important to remember that coronavirus is still with us, and our advice continues to be that people should avoid all non-essential international travel.
Over 118,000 meals donated to Welsh charities by Aldi over the summer school holidays

Local charities in Wales helped Aldi donate 118,506 meals to people in need over the summer school holidays.

The supermarket teamed up its stores with local charities, community groups and foodbanks to donate surplus food, with the majority of meals going to causes supporting families and children.

The donation is part of Aldis commitment to donate 10 million meals across the country in 2021, in partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly.

So far this year, Aldi stores across the UK have already donated over six million meals to good causes.

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: We were proud to support so many incredible causes in Wales this summer, helping them to donate meals to those in need.

The school holidays can be a hard time for families, particularly when many are experiencing heightened financial hardship due to the pandemic, and this is why we committed to donating more meals than ever before.

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: The summer school holidays are always one of the busiest times for the nations charities and food banks, but this year things were even busier.

Aldis donations have never been more of a vital support to these organisations.

Aldi stores across the country work with Neighbourly to partner with local charities, who can collect surplus food and perishable products, such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, up to seven days a week.
Last Thursday, more than 2,000 workers began an indefinite strike at the hospitals in Berlin run by the Charite and Vivantes managements. A representative for Vivantes declared that 30 wards, three intensive care stations and a total of 1,000 beds would be closed this week as a result of the strike.

The rally in front of the Vivantes laboratory in Wedding (Credit: WSWS Media)

Since the start of the strike, workers have gathered at a series of picket lines, demonstrations and rallies. Last Thursday over 1,000 workers took part in a demonstration and march to the Berlin Administration of Health, and, on Friday hundreds gathered at the Virchow Clinic in the Wedding district.

Placards and banners held by the strikers reported on the rapidly deteriorating conditions in the hospitals. We finally want to nurse again instead of just surviving our shift, one read, and another read, Nursing is on the verge of a heart attack. Others directly named those responsible in the Berlin Senate for the catastrophic conditions. One read: Kollatz, how much are people worth? Matthias Kollatz is both head of the Vivantes supervisory board and the Social Democratic finance senator in the Social Democratic Party (SPD)-Left Party-Green Party coalition that governs the Berlin Senate.

The hospital managements, backed by the Senate, are applying massive pressure to end the strike. Both have refused to sign an emergency service agreement to guarantee basic patient care, as is usually the case. Vivantes and Charite also declared an end to all official negotiations when the strike began. Despite this aggressive course, more workers are expected to join the strike in the coming days.

The effects of the strike are already being clearly felt in all areas of the clinics. Hundreds of treatments have been postponed or canceled, and the strike had a strong impact on the operating theatre schedule in hospitals.

The employees of the Vivantes subsidiaries for cleaning, transport, kitchen and other services also took part in the strike. They are fighting for an alignment of their salaries with the main contract (the TVoD) agreed to for public sector workers. Currently, the 2,500 workers employed by subsidiary companies earn several hundred euros less than those employed directly by the company to do the same work.

Two workers from the logistics subsidiary spoke to WSWS at the demonstration in front of the Administration for Health.

Dirk explained, We are fighting for the alignment of our wages to the TVoD of the parent company. We want the same pay for carrying out the same work. We were promised that we would be reintegrated years ago, but nothing has happened; the company promises are worthless.

Dirk (right) and his colleague from logistics (Credit: WSWS Media)

The nursing and public sector union Verdi deliberately limited the strike by calling upon subsidiary workers to strike for just two days, Thursday and Friday, a move that was met with incomprehension and rejection by both subsidiary workers and those employed directly.

In both the Charite and Vivantes hospitals nonmedical and nursing services have been outsourced in recent years in order to drastically reduce wage costs. As a result, staff are subject to increasingly precarious working conditions.

We have a handful of people where I work who are still paid according to TVoD, explained Dirk. In addition, there were many temporary workers who were paid very poorly, he said. The workers of the Vivantes subsidiary VSG receive about 500 euros [per month] less than those who are employed by the parent company for doing the same work. When our department was privatised, only those who had been there for 10 years were allowed to receive the TVoD rate. All others were downgraded.

The main issue for the nursing staff on strike at Charite and Vivantes is the need to improve what are currently catastrophic working conditions.

Michael, who works in the radiology department at Vivantes, described his very heavy workload. There are situations where we have to pull bedridden patients from the bed to the table and back again on our own. Older colleagues have difficulty doing that alone or suffer back pain. For us, its all about relieving the load so we can work well. Paperwork must be done after hours because there is no time during regular working hours. There is no extra pay for this work, Michael said.

Luisa and Anna-Lena confirmed the enormous pressure on staff, which is inevitably felt in turn by patients. Both are training to be midwives and are about to take their exams. They wish they had more time to care for patients. We are just starting to look after the women on our own, and we already have an enormous workload, which contradicts everything we learned at school, Luisa reported.

The demonstration and march to the health administration (Credit: WSWS Media)

Anna-Lena noted that students are already scheduled as full-time workers. If a midwife is absent due to illness, for example, students have to do the work, even though they are often overwhelmed by what is involved. Legally speaking, that is not correct, and it is also not fair to the patient, the student adds.

The strikers agree that working conditions at the clinics, which have worsened further during the pandemic, are the product a fundamentally wrong policy.

Privatising the whole health care system and creating the current state by cutting costswhere else is that going to lead? asked Dirk. According to Michael, privatisation was the biggest mistake that could have been made. We are not a farm where you fatten the pigs so you can sell them off for a profit. Savings are always made at the expense of patients, ordinary people, to make a profit.

Sofie, a nurse at the Charite Hospital who took part in a rally at the Virchow-Klinkum hospital in the Wedding district of Berlin on Friday, was of the same opinion: The privatisation of hospitals is one problem, but so is the introduction of flat rates (paid by Germanys insurance companies to the clinics) per admission. The capitalist system exerts pressure and increases competition. That is something that should certainly not apply to the public health system.

The workers struggle for decent pay and adequate patient care enjoys broad support among other health care workers and the population at large. In contrast, the trade union Verdi is doing all it can to avoid expanding the strike. The union is working closely with the SPD, Left and Green parties in the Senate, who are themselves responsible for the plight of the clinics.

On Friday afternoon, Vivantes presented the union a new offer for subsidiary employees that can only be described as a provocation. Based on a term of three years for the contract, the proposed rate of pay remains basically unchanged from the offer made in August. The aim of the offer was to bring about a suspension of the strike on Monday.

In light of the huge discontent among the workforce, Verdi felt obliged to reject the new offer. At the same time, the union reaffirmed its willingness to negotiate. This was behind the plan to restrict the strike by Vivantes subsidiary workers to last Thursday and Friday.

At the same time, a conciliation procedure is to be discussed. According to press reports, this was decided on Friday morning when the Vivantes Hospital management met with politicians from the Senate to discuss the strike. Vivantes was ready for arbitration, a spokesperson told the rbb Fernsehen television station, and Verdi also reacted immediately to the proposal. Verdi spokesman Andreas Splanemann told rbb Fernsehen that the union was prepared to agree to arbitration. If proposals were made, the union would examine them.

Moritz and Sofie from the Charite at the demo (Credit: WSWS Media)

These latest developments confirm that the union, in close cooperation with management and the Senate, is trying to end the strike as quickly as possible to prevent its spread. This is the role Verdi has been playing for many years.

Supporters of the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) distributed leaflets calling for the strikers to set up action committees, functioning independently of the union, and take the strike into their own hands. Such committees should immediately establish links with health care and other workers around the world, for example, striking health care workers in Poland and train drivers in Germany.
OLNEY, IL (WTHI) - One local community in Illinois is paying tribute to the lives lost in 9/11.

On Saturday, Illinois residents lined the streets to remember 9/11 on the 20th anniversary.

The Olney Fire Department marched down Main Street to the sound of bagpipes early Saturday.

A large American flag was hoisted 20 years to the minute that the first plane hit the World Trade Center.

The Olney 9/11 is a tribute that has been growing each year. The tribute is put on by the fire department and the local VFW. This all to make sure everyone never forgets.

"There were 2,977 people that died that day," Mitchell Pflaum with the Olney Fire Departnemt said. "I strongly feel like that is something to cherish and remember as much as possible."
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) -Family and friends hosted the second annual Memorial Ride for Jared Hayes. This is all in an effort to honor local first responders, fallen Americans, and to raise money for the Indiana Donor Network.

Hayes passed away two years ago at the age of 21. He was a full organ and tissue donor.

His father says Jared was the first full organ, tissue and eye donor in Bloomington, and the youngest in indiana.

Since his passing, he has helped more than 130 lives across the globe and that number is still growing.

In Saturday's memorial ride, cyclists from throughout the state paid special tribute to local first responders and the 13 fallen soliders in Afghanistan. The family says they want to honor them while also giving back to the Indiana Donor Network.

The Indiana Donor Network holds a special place in the family's hearts.

"With losing my son, my baby, I dont want another parent to feel that kind of pain and heartache and if I can save someones' son or daughter, I am going to do it," Delbert Hayes, his father, said.

For more information on Saturday's memorial ride and how you can be a part of the next ride, click here.
TERRE HAUTE, IND. - Saturday is the National Day of Service and Remembrance. It is a day where Americans from across the nation are encouraged to transform the anniversary of 9/11 from a day of tragedy into a day of doing good. And the Farrington Grove Neighborhood is doing just that!

On Saturday, the Farrington Grove historical district hosted its Fall 2021 Neighborhood Beautification Day.

200 volunteers ranging from neighbors and families to local college students, came to clean up trash in the community.

"We want to make our neighborhood nice," Spencer Carlson, the president of Farrington Grove Historical District, said. "We want to keep Terre Haute beautiful and keep our neighborhood beautiful.

This neighborhood clean-up project has been going on for several years. But organizers say this year is extra special. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saturday is the first time in more than two years the neighborhood could host a project like this.

In the past, organizers say they've picked up more than 16 tons of trash, and they are hoping to clean up, even more, this year.

They say the goal is to help keep Terre Haute beautiful while spending quality time with neighbors.

"We want to build up our community here, so we have better relationships with one another," Carlson said. "It's really great community-building time."

The organizers say they are planning another clean-up event this upcoming Spring.
ROSEDALE, Ind. (WTHI) - Saturday, retired veteran Jose Gonzalez walked from Rosedale to Rockville and back.

His nearly 24-mile walk was dedicated to raising money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

This foundation honors firefighter Stephen Siller who laid down his life to save others on 9/11. As well as the U.S. military and first responders.

Since Gonzalez couldn't be in New York for the foundation's Never Forget Walk, he did his own walk here to help the cause.

He's always been one to lend a helping hand when it comes to his country.

He recalls doing the same 20 years ago.

"I go over to the 181st fighter wing...ID card in hand. I said Sargeant Jose Gonzalez United States Army retired-you boys need any help? And they kind of just looked at me...shocked almost, and they asked me to go off to the side over here," Gonzalez said.

This is just one of many long-distance walks for Gonzalez.

His strategy is to always walk as fast as he can for as far as he can.

He says it's his way to give back, and appreciate his second chance at life after beating Crohn's Disease.

He completed the 24 miles in just over 7 hours.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a bill that aims to stop social media companies from banning users or nixing posts based solely on political opinions  the latest salvo by Republicans, who claim that these tech giants are censoring conservative users.

The new law requires social media companies with more than 50 million monthly users to disclose their content moderation policies and institute an appeals process. It would also require such social media companies to remove illegal content within 48 hours.

Under the state legislation, users may sue the platforms to get their accounts reinstated, and the Texas attorney general would be able to file suits on behalf of users.

"We will always defend the freedom of speech in Texas, which is why I am proud to sign House Bill 20 into law to protect first amendment rights in the Lone Star State," Abbott said in a statement. "Social media websites have become our modern-day public square. They are a place for healthy public debate where information should be able to flow freely  but there is a dangerous movement by social media companies to silence conservative viewpoints and ideas. That is wrong, and we will not allow it in Texas."

The new law would affect companies including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

It's the latest Republican effort to take on the social media giants; Florida recently passed a law that would have prohibited social media platforms from banning political candidates, but a federal judge blocked the law before it was supposed to take effect.

Some Republicans have for years claimed social media companies have an anti-conservative bias, complaints that grew after former President Trump was blocked from using Twitter and Facebook after his false claims about the 2020 presidential election led to the January 6 assault on the Capitol.

Democrats, too, are trying to challenge social media companies, albeit for different reasons. The White House has pushed social media companies like Facebook to work more quickly to remove COVID-19 disinformation.

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Michigan family remembers mother lost in 9/11 attack

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In an announcement at the White House on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, President Joe Biden uses the power of his office to mandate vaccinations for a large swath of the American populace. (Al Drago/The New York Times)

President Joe Bidens orders pushing millions of workers to get vaccinated were aimed at turning the tide on a pandemic that has killed 650,000 Americans. But on Friday, the mandates immediately deepened the nations political divisions over coronavirus vaccinations and government power.

Some employers and business groups welcomed the sweeping new requirements, which affect most federal employees and contractors, health care workers, and companies with 100 or more employees. Labor unions representing millions of workers expressed a mix of support and reservations. And Republican leaders issued outright condemnations, calling the mandates a big-government attack on personal freedoms and private business.

News of the mandates prompted Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina to say he would fight Biden and his party to the gates of hell.

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Several Republican governors vowed to go to court to challenge the constitutionality of the rules that affect two-thirds of American workers, setting the stage for one of the nations most consequential legal battles over public health since Republicans sued to overturn the Affordable Care Act.

@JoeBiden see you in court, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota wrote on Twitter.

Biden offered a curt response to the legal threats as he visited a Washington middle school to urge parents to get shots for their vaccine-eligible children. Have at it, he said.

The mandates represented an aggressive change of posture for the administration, which had resisted widespread vaccine requirements as a more contagious variant of the virus fueled resurgent COVID-19 infections and deaths this summer. About 65% of American adults are fully vaccinated.

I am so disappointed, particularly that some of the Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities, Biden said as he delivered remarks at the Washington school.

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Legal experts say the federal government has broad authority to address the public health crisis created by the pandemic, and Biden on Friday predicted that his health orders would survive legal challenges.

But across the country, the more urgent worry for many businesses was how to carry out and enforce new rules that the president estimated would affect 100 million Americans.

Businesses wondered: How would they verify a workers vaccination status or track the weekly tests required for workers who do not get vaccinated? How would the rules be enforced? What would happen to workers or companies who refused to comply?

Still, the new mandates could take some pressure off businesses and iron out the current jumble of vaccine requirements. Many companies, including United Airlines and Tyson Foods, were already moving toward requiring vaccines. Business Roundtable, a powerful lobbying group, released a statement supporting the administrations new orders.

Business Roundtable welcomes the Biden administrations continued vigilance in the fight against COVID, said the group, whose members include leaders of General Electric, Amazon, Goldman Sachs and dozens of other large companies. Americas business leaders know how critical vaccination and testing are in defeating the pandemic.

For months, Molly Moon Neitzel, founder and CEO of Molly Moons Homemade Ice Cream, which has several locations in Washington state, has debated whether to require her 180 employees to be vaccinated. On Friday, she felt like the new mandates gave her some cover to do so.

I was honestly just relieved, she said. We have six to 10 who have chosen not to be vaccinated yet. I know it makes people on their teams nervous.

Hospital workers in Houston and Detroit who opposed earlier vaccine requirements sued over their employers rules, and face covering rules have put employees on the front lines of sometimes-violent confrontations with customers who refuse to wear masks.

Some companies will simply be relieved that the president took this step, said Bob Harvey, president of the Greater Houston Partnership, which represents about 900 companies in Texas largest city. It takes the onus off of them if theyre simply implementing a federal mandate.

Several large companies and major federal contractors declined to take sides in the debate Friday, and simply declared that they would follow the federal rules.

But there was almost unanimous defiance from Republican governors across the South, Midwest and West who have opposed mask mandates and business restrictions and have tried to block schools from requiring masks.

Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia suggested that he might sue to stop this blatantly unlawful overreach by the Biden administration. Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama referred to the rules as outrageous, overreaching mandates.

And in Florida, where a judge on Friday allowed a ban on school mask mandates to remain in place as a legal challenge works its way through the courts, Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a fundraising email that Biden had declared war on the rule of law and millions of Americans jobs by issuing the vaccine requirements.

Republican leaders like DeSantis have been among the governors grappling this summer with the grim toll of the delta variant  overflowing intensive-care units, classroom outbreaks and resurgent deaths from a pandemic killing 1,500 people every day in the United States. Now, many seem eager to wage a political fight against the Biden administration.

If their states prove to be powerless in blocking new mandates in court  and if the mandates help drive down infection rates in their states  these governors could reap the benefits of having a healthier populace and moving beyond the recent spikes that have struck the South with particular viciousness.

In recent weeks, as the crisis intensified, a number of governors in the South have sought to find a rhetorical strategy that both encouraged vaccines and affirmed that it is a personal medical choice best made without excessive pressure from the government.

That delicate balance was on display again Friday as Republican governors slammed the Biden administrations vaccine mandate while touting the benefits of the shots.

Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi, who called the mandates terrifying, made a point of noting that the vaccine itself is life-saving. He added: This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.

Even moderate Republican governors who imposed lockdowns early in the pandemic and have promoted vaccines were critical of the sweeping mandates.

Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican who wore face masks and set up a $1 million lottery prize for vaccinated Ohioans, said the nationwide mandate was a mistake that would harden the political divides over vaccination. In Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox said he had serious concerns about whether the order was legal.

Democratic governors offered a mix of support and caution, reflecting the volatile politics of Washington mandates and the pandemic in many closely divided states. In Virginia, home to more than 140,000 federal workers, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is running for a new term, said the mandates would help blunt the virus and lift an economy strained by the delta variant. But in Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmers office released a statement saying she was reviewing the plan.

The issue of masks has not only divided states from one another, but has drawn stark lines within large Republican-controlled states where many cities and suburbs are run by local Democratic leaders and rural areas wield disproportionate power in state capitols.

Van R. Johnson II, the mayor of Savannah, Georgia, applauded the vaccine mandates as a necessary move to tackle the pandemic in a Republican-run state that has seen a sharp rise in new cases since July.

If were going to beat COVID we got to do it with big definitive decisive actions, and our president has definitely decided to do that, said Johnson, a Democrat.

The federal vaccine mandates also provided Republican politicians with an easy opportunity to rally their own political base by slamming the Democratic administration.

For Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, the issue of mandates has been a fraught one since the beginning of the pandemic. Initially hesitant to mandate masks, he ordered Texans to wear them last summer.

That stance set off paroxysms of anger among some Republicans, contributed to the ouster of the leadership in the state party, and is among the reasons he will face at least two primary challengers next year. Abbott has since issued an order banning all vaccine or mask mandates.

Now the Biden administrations vaccine mandates have offered a useful political foil for Abbott, who rose to his office in part by constantly suing the Obama administration while he was the states attorney general. Texas has also sued the Biden administration to block several of its immigration policies.

Federal vaccine mandates, imposed without state support, struck some experts on the history of pandemics as novel.

It is historic, said Dr. Howard Markel, a pediatrician and professor of the history of medicine at the University of Michigan. There are broad powers that the president has, but has never used. The feds have always been very careful, if they do get involved, to be invited by the governors.

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Sep. 12The Joplin Globe publishes summaries of routine and follow-up inspections performed by the Joplin Health Department. Businesses that are inspected either pass or fail based on violations found during the time of inspection. Those violations fall into two categories:

Priority violations are more severe and deal with improper food handling, storage and preparation. The Globe lists the number and summary of each violation.

Core violations are less severe and deal with equipment, maintenance and general cleanliness. The Globe publishes only the number.

A failed inspection can result in a variety of corrections based on the types of violations found. Full copies of each report are available from the Joplin Health Department.

Franklin Tech Center culinary arts kitchen, 2220 S. Indiana St. School. Routine inspection performed on Sept. 8. Results: FAIL with 1 priority violation and 2 core violations.

The sanitizer concentration for chlorine in the dish machine is at 0 ppm.

Joplin High School JoJoe's Coffee, Eagle Pantry, 2104 S. Indiana Ave. School. Routine inspection performed on Sept. 8. Results: PASS with 0 priority and 0 core violations.

Joplin High School main kitchen, 2104 S. Indiana Ave. School. Routine inspection performed on Sept. 8. Results: PASS with 0 priority and 0 core violations.

Fairfield Inn, 3301 S. Range Line Road. Continental breakfast. Routine inspection performed on Sept. 9. Results: PASS with 0 priority and 0 core violations.

Pilot Convenience Store, 4500 S. Highway 43. Convenience store. Routine inspection performed on Sept. 9. Results: PASS with 0 priority violations and 1 core violation.

Elks Lodge restaurant, 1802 W. 26th St. Full-service restaurant. Follow-up inspection performed on Sept. 10. Results: PASS with 0 priority and 0 core violations.
Sep. 12International Festival

The Islamic Center of Greater Toledo hosts its 20th annual International Festival on Sept. 18-19.

The International Festival celebrates the numerous cultures represented in the community that gather and worship at the Islamic Center, primarily through booths serving more than 100 styles of multicultural foods. There is also live music, children's games and activities, a multicultural bazaar, and tours available of the Islamic Center.

The festival takes place on the grounds of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, 25877 Scheider Rd., Perrysburg. Admission is free, and parking is $5. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 18 and noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 19.

For more information, go to icgt.org.

Richard Lane

St. Patrick of Heatherdowns Parish welcomes Richard Lane, a lay evangelist and the son of NFL Hall of Famer Dick "Night Train" Lane, to lead a parish mission through Thursday. A parish mission is designed to help people grow in their faith.

Mr. Lane will speak at the weekend Masses, 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, as well as in hourlong sessions at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Both presentations each day are the same, and each session builds on the previous one. Attendees of all ages and denominations are invited.

St. Patrick of Heatherdowns is at 4201 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo.

Born and raised in Detroit, Mr. Lane is described as the only Black Catholic lay evangelist in full-time ministry in the country. He has been featured numerous times in Catholic media, including on EWTN's The Journey Home; he also produced and hosted his own miniseries there, New Wine in New Wineskins.

The parish mission is being coordinated through the Diocese of Toledo Office of Intercultural Ministry. Mr. Lane will next speak at a parish mission at Saint Martin de Porres Parish, 1119 Bancroft St., Toledo, at 6:30 p.m. each evening between Sept. 20-23.

Anne Melville

First Church of Christ, Scientist on West Central Avenue in Toledo sponsors a free online lecture on Monday. Anne Melville, a practitioner of Christian Science and an international lecturer based in New Zealand, will share examples of healing as she speaks on "The Law of Love" at 7 p.m.

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The lecture will be streamed at ChristianScienceNWO.org or at bit.ly/LoveToledo0913. A group viewing at the church will also be available. For more information, call 419-536-2184.

High Holidays

The Jewish High Holidays continue this week with Yom Kippur beginning at sundown on Wednesday. Also known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is observed with fasting and prayer, including often lengthy services at synagogues.

For information on local services, contact individual synagogues.

Yom Kippur culminates a 10-day period of introspection and repentance following Rosh Hashanah, which this year began at sunset on Monday. Rosh Hashanah celebrates the new year on the lunisolar Hebrew calendar.

Fall holidays continue this year with Sukkot, beginning on the evening of Sept. 20, and Simchat Torah, beginning on the evening of Sept. 28.
Coming off a five-point loss to then-No. 2 Oklahoma, the Tulane football team took out its frustrations on Morgan State.

The Green Wave (1-1) ran up a 45-0 lead with 7:05 left in the first half en route to a 69-20 victory over the Bears (0-2) at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday. The game was moved from Yulman Stadium on Tulanes campus in New Orleans after the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida.

Wesley Wolfolk caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Neil Boudreau for Morgan States first score to make it 45-7 with 7:05 left in the first half. Tulane scored two more touchdowns before Wolfolk (six catches for 110 yards) caught his second touchdown of the game to cut the deficit to 59-14.

Boudreau, a graduate transfer from San Diego State, finished 17-for-26 for 184 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Justin Ibieta and Michael Pratt combined for 290 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions for Tulane, while the Green Wave piled up 294 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

The loss marked the second straight for Morgan State to open the season after a 31-0 loss to Towson on Sept. 4. The Bears will travel to Sacred Heart on Saturday at 1 p.m.

New Hampshire 26, Towson 14: The host Wildcats (2-0, 2-0 Colonial Athletic Association) scored 14 points in the second quarter and held off a late comeback bid by the Tigers.

Towson (1-1, 0-1), trailing 13 at the half, held UNH scoreless in the third quarter and scored early in the fourth on a Jeff Miller pass to Caleb Smith, but the Wildcats scored another touchdown in the fourth and held on for the victory.

Miller finished 12-for-27 for 147 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Jerry Howard had 18 carries for 97 yards, and Ryan Rutkowski had four catches for 74 yards.

UNH coach Sean McDonnell earned his 100th career CAA victory, becoming the third coach in league history to accomplish the feat.

Towson hosts North Dakota State on Saturday at 6 p.m.

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Division II

Bowie State 28, Saginaw Valley State 19: Jarome Johnson completed 27 of 35 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns to lead the host Bulldogs (1-1) past the Cardinals (2-2). Bowie State trailed early in the game before finishing strong on a 14-2 run in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs travel to New Haven on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Division III

Johns Hopkins 49, Ursinus 21: After two tie scores of 7-7 and 14-14, the host Blue Jays (2-0, 1-0 Centennial Conference) scored 35 unanswered points to beat the Bears (1-1, 0-1). Ryan Stevens completed 22 of 25 passes for 364 yards and six touchdowns for Johns Hopkins. Harrison Wellmann (eight catches for 68 yards) caught three touchdown passes for the Blue Jays, who travel to Juniata on Saturday at 2 p.m.

McDaniel 27, Juniata 9: Barry Amos (Poly) had a 58-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown with 10:25 left in the first quarter to start a 17-0 run as the host Green Terror (1-1, 1-0 Centennial Conference) beat the Eagles (0-2, 0-1). McDaniels last victory was 32-22 over Gettysburg on Sept. 28, 2019. Corey King had a 22-yard interception return for a 17-0 McDaniel lead with 12:59 left in the second quarter.

RPI 14, Stevenson 10: The visiting Mustangs (0-2) took a 10-7 lead with 9:53 left in the game, but the Engineers (2-0) scored with 34 seconds left in a come-from-behind victory. Trailing 7-3, Kevin Joppy had a 1-yard touchdown run and Brody Campbell kicked the extra point for a 10-7 Stevenson lead. George Marinopoulos completed a 4-yard pass to Delano Munoz Whatts to score the game-winning touchdown for RPI.

Wisconsin-Whitewater 31, Salisbury 14: The visiting Warhawks (2-0) took a 14-0 lead and held on to beat the Sea Gulls (1-1). Jack Lanham had a 14-yard touchdown run and Sean Carroll had a 45-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown for Salisbury. The Sea Gulls host Western New England at noon on Sept. 25.

Frostburg State 34, West Virginia State 21: Graham Walker threw three touchdown passes in the first half, including two to Malik Morris (Dunbar), and the visiting Bobcats (2-0, 1-0 Mountain East) rolled past the Yellow Jackets (0-2, 0-1). West Virginia States Donovan Riddick threw two touchdown passes to Keedrick Cunningham in the fourth quarter. Frostburg State hosts Charleston (W.Va.) Thursday at 7 p.m.
A male silverback gorilla sits in his enclosure on February 1, 2019 at the Atlanta zoo in Atlanta, Georgia.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty

Gorillas at Zoo Atlanta have been suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.

Officials announced on Friday that some of their 20 western lowland gorillas experienced symptoms of "coughing, nasal discharge, and minor changes in appetite."

The Animal Care and Veterinary Teams at the zoo went on to test them for COVID-19 and received "presumptive positive test results" from fecal samples and nasal and oral swabs sent to Athens Veterinary Diagnostic.

RELATED: Wisconsin, Colorado, and California Zoos Begin Vaccinating their Animals Against COVID

They are also waiting for confirmatory test results from the National Veterinary Services Laboratory.

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Zoo Atlanta didn't disclose exactly how many of their 20 gorillas tested positive, although in the comments section of an Instagram post, they stated, "It is our assumption that all members of our four gorilla troops have been exposed, regardless of symptoms exhibited or not exhibited. All of the members of all four of our gorilla troops are being monitored very closely, even those who have not displayed symptoms."

"The teams are very closely monitoring the affected gorillas and are hopeful they will make a complete recovery. They are receiving the best possible care, and we are prepared to provide additional supportive care should it become necessary," Sam Rivera, DVM, Senior Director of Animal Health, said in a statement. "We are very concerned that these infections occurred, especially given that our safety protocols when working with great apes and other susceptible animal species are, and throughout the pandemic have been, extremely rigorous."

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Zoo Atlanta  which is home to the world's oldest living male gorilla, named Ozzie  revealed in the press release that they believe the gorillas contracted COVID-19 from a fully vaccinated team member who was asymptomatic.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the virus could "spread from people to animals in some situations, especially during close contact," but they are still learning about the link.

gorilla 60th birthday

Zoo Atlanta

In wake of a growing number of zoo animals contracting COVID-19 this year  such as a troop of eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park  veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis donated more than 11,000 doses of its experimental vaccine for animals to about 70 zoos, sanctuaries, conservatories, academic institutions, and governmental operations, the company said in a news release in July.

RELATED: World's Oldest Living Gorilla Celebrates 60th Birthday at Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta stated in their announcement that they had been on the waitlist to receive Zoetis, which is why their gorillas hadn't been vaccinated. However, the vaccines have now arrived at the facility and they plan to administer them once the animals recover. They also plan to vaccinate their Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, African lions, and clouded leopard.

Due in part to hunting, habitat loss, and disease, western lowland gorillas are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Helen Doe, who is believed to have been Native, died on May 14, 1991 when the semi tractor-trailer she was riding in rear-ended another on Interstate 5 near Kalama, Wash. Washington State Patrol investigators still hope to identify her and released this recreation of what she may have looked like by forensic artist Natalie Murry.
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India will get this month the third set of Swiss bank account details of its nationals under automatic exchange of information pact with Switzerland and this will include for the first time the data about real estate properties owned by Indians there, officials said on Sunday.

Marking a key milestone in the Indian government's fight against black money allegedly stashed abroad, India will get this month the complete information on flats, apartments, and condominiums owned by Indians in Switzerland as also on earnings made from such properties to help it look into tax liabilities associated with those assets.

The move assumes significance on the part of Switzerland as well as the European Alpine nation is trying hard to reposition itself as a key global financial centre while warding off the long-persisting perception about the Swiss banking system being an alleged safe haven for black money.

While it would be the third time that India will get details about bank accounts and other financial assets held by Indians in Switzerland, it will be the first time that the information being shared with India would include information about the real estate assets.

While the Swiss government has agreed to share details of real estate assets, the information about contributions to non-profit organisations and other such foundations, as also details on investments in digital currencies still remain out of bounds from the automatic exchange of information framework, officials said.

Experts and those engaged in the business of attracting investments to Switzerland said the move would help clear misconceptions about all fund inflows into Swiss assets being illicit and would go a long way in establishing Switzerland as a preferred investment destination, including for real estate properties.

Himanshu, Founder and CEO of Switzerland For You SA, the parent firm of IDDI Investments, which is engaged in the business of attracting investments from India and other countries to Switzerland including in startups and real estate, said transparency has its own virtues and the proposal of the Switzerland government to share information about property ownership of foreign clients with other countries including India is welcome.

"We find no valid reason for Swiss authorities to hide such information. After all, the ownership of property is not something which can be kept under wraps," said the India-origin entrepreneur who goes by his first name only and is settled in Geneva for many years.

"Sharing of such information with other countries under AEOI will bring in more transparency and act as deterrence for those intending to buy Swiss properties from ill-gotten wealth. The move will go a long way in making Switzerland an attractive investment destination," he added.

India had received the first set of details from Switzerland under AEOI (Automatic Exchange of Information) in September 2019. It was among 75 countries to get such information that year.

In September 2020, India received the second set of Swiss bank account details of its nationals and entities, along with 85 other recipient countries with whom Switzerland's Federal Tax Administration (FTA) exchanged information on financial accounts within the framework of global standards on AEOI last year.

From this year, Switzerland's Federal Council, the country's top governing body, has decided to implement a key recommendation of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, under which Swiss authorities will also share details about investments made by foreigners in the Swiss real estate sector.

However, some other recommendations of the Global Forum, including about sharing of information on digital currency accounts and contributions made to foundations and non-profit organisations are yet to be accepted and therefore those details would not be shared by Switzerland with India or any other countries for now.

Hectic lobbying is underway globally to convince Switzerland to start sharing information about digital currency accounts and contributions made to non-profit entities as well.

In each of the last two years, Switzerland has shared details about nearly three million financial accounts with various jurisdictions, while the count is expected to be higher this year.

For the last two years, India has been among prominent countries with which Switzerland has shared details about financial accounts of clients of Swiss banks and various other financial institutions, while it is also expected to figure high this year with regard to details about real estate properties.

Resident and non-resident Indians, as well as Indian companies, would account for a sizeable number in the overall list of those figuring in this year's exchange of information by Switzerland, officials privy to the development said.

Besides, Swiss authorities have already shared information about more than 100 Indian citizens and entities so far this year on receipt of requests for administrative assistance in cases involving probes into financial wrongdoings including tax evasion, the officials added. This count has been similar in the past few years.

These cases mostly relate to older accounts that might have been closed before 2018, for which Switzerland has shared details with India under an earlier framework of mutual administrative assistance as Indian authorities had provided prima facie evidence of tax-related wrongdoing by those account holders. AEOI is applicable only to accounts that are active or were closed during 2018.

Some of these cases relate to entities set up by Indians in various overseas jurisdictions like Panama, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, while the individuals include mostly businessmen and a few politicians and erstwhile royals as well as their family members.

The officials, however, refused to share details about the exact number of accounts or the quantum of assets held in the accounts held by Indians, for which the information has been shared with India, citing strict confidentiality clauses governing the exchange framework.

The information shared by Swiss authorities includes identification, account and financial information, such as name, address, country of residence and tax identification number, as well as information concerning the reporting financial institution, account balance and capital income.

The exchanged information allows tax authorities to verify whether taxpayers have correctly declared their financial accounts in their tax returns.

The 86 countries covered under the AEOI in 2020 included 11 new jurisdictions -- Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Grenada, Israel, Kuwait, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Panama and the United Arab Emirates -- in addition to a list of 75 countries, with whom information was shared in 2019.

Switzerland's first such exchange took place at the end of September 2018 and involved 36 countries, but India did not figure in the list at that time.

Nearly 10,000 entities, including financial institutions such as banks, trusts and insurers, as also condominium and apartment owners' associations are expected to have shared details about their overseas clients with the Federal Tax Authority of Switzerland for further sharing with foreign jurisdictions.

Switzerland has committed itself to adopt the global standard for the international automatic exchange of information in tax matters. The legal basis for the implementation of AEOI in Switzerland came into force on January 1, 2017.

However, AEOI only applies to accounts that are officially in the name of Indians and they might include those used for business and other genuine purposes.

The Global Forum of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reviews AEOI implementation.

According to experts, the AEOI data received by India has been quite useful for establishing a strong prosecution case against those who have any unaccounted wealth, as it provides entire details of deposits and transfers as well as of all earnings, including through investments in securities and other assets.

On condition of anonymity, several officials said the details relate mostly to businessmen, including non-resident Indians now settled in several South-East Asian countries as well as in the US, the UK and even some African and South American countries.

A Swiss delegation was in India in August 2019 before the first set of details could get shared and the two sides also discussed possible steps to expedite the execution of tax information-sharing requests made by India in specific cases.

It is feared many Indians might have closed their accounts after a global crackdown on black money led to Switzerland buckling under international pressure to open its banking sector for scrutiny to clear the long-held perception of Swiss banks being safe haven for undisclosed funds.

Switzerland agreed to AEOI with India after a long process, including a review of the necessary legal framework in India on data protection and confidentiality.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended restrictions on People`s Co-operative Bank Limited, Kanpur, for a further period of three months from September 11 to December 10.

The bank has been under restrictions since June 10, 2020, through the directives issued under Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (AACS).

"The validity of the directive, which was last extended up to September 10, 2021, has further been extended for a period of three months from September 11, 2021, to December 10, 2021, vide directive DOR.MON.D-35/12.28.059/2021-22 dated September 8, 2021, subject to review," said an RBI statement on Saturday.

Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 gives the central bank power to give directions to banks and can take action, to prevent the affairs of any banking company being conducted in a manner detrimental to the interests of the depositors or in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the banking company.

As per the directives, the Kanpur-based co-operative bank has been barred from granting fresh loans and accepting deposits for six months without prior approval of the RBI, due to its weak financial position.

"In particular, no amount of the total balance across all savings bank or current account or any other account of a depositor may be allowed to be withdrawn," the RBI had said in its statement on June 11, 2020, when it had imposed the restrictions.

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New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janta Party is likely to send two Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Narendra Singh Tomar to Gujarat on Sunday as the party's central observers to the meeting of the state legislatures as they look to pick Vijay Rupani's successor.

In a move that shocked everyone, Vijay Rupani had submitted his resignation as the CM to the Governor on Saturday. After the resignation of Vijay Rupani, senior Gujarat BJP leaders met at the party office in Gandhinagar yesterday. The MLAs have been asked to reach the state capital by Saturday night.

BJP's general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh and Gujarat state unit in-charge Bhupender Yadav met party functionaries soon after Rupani announced his resignation. Party sources said the issue of Rupani's successor will be discussed in the legislature party meeting likely to be held on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Rupani met state Governor Acharya Devvrat and tendered his resignation as Gujarat CM. "To further develop the state, with new energy and power, I have decided to resign as Chief Minister," he told the reporters.

The move comes just 15 months before the election to the 182-member Assembly that is due in December 2022.

As per sources, names of Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel, state agriculture minister RC Faldu, Union ministers Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya are under consideration.

With his resignation, Rupani became the fourth BJPs chief minister to be replaced in the last six months. Earlier, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat in Uttarakhand and BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka were replaced from the CM posts.

Rupani (65) was sworn in as chief minister in December 2017.

(With Agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday reached Ahmedabad as Bharatiya Janata Party`s (BJP) central observer to choose the next Chief Minister of Gujarat after Vijay Rupani's sudden resignation. Tomar was accompanied by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh. While, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi is likely to join later.

"We have come in Ahmedabad to hold further discussions to pick the name of next chief minister of Gujarat. We will hold discussions with the state President and other senior leaders," Tomar told reporters. After Rupani's shock resignation, senior Gujarat BJP leaders met at the party office in Gandhinagar yesterday. The MLAs have been asked to reach the state capital by Saturday night to decide Rupani's successor.

The central leaders hurried to the state after Rupani met Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on Saturday and submitted his resignation as Chief Minister.

Today, the BJP is likely to hold its legislative party meet to pick a new CM from the probables list which includes names of deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, BJP vice president Gordhan Zadafia and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administrator Praful Khoda Patel.

Rupani (65) took charge as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on August 7, 2016. He currently represents Gujarat`s Rajkot West as MLA. In the 2017 state election, the BJP won 99 of the state`s 182 Assembly seats, Congress got 77 seats.

His resignation has come ahead of the elections to the 182-member Assembly which is scheduled for late next year.

With his resignation, Rupani became the fourth BJPs chief minister to be replaced in the last six months. Earlier, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Tirath Singh Rawat in Uttarakhand and BS Yediyurappa in Karnataka were replaced from the CM posts.

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New Delhi: Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the new Chief Minister of Gujarat on Monday (September 13, 2021), where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to be present. The oath-taking ceremony of the 17th Chief Minister of Gujarat is scheduled to take place at 2:20 PM at the Raj Bhavan in the state capital Gandhinagar.

In Monday's swearing-in ceremony, only Patel will take the oath and other ministers will be inducted later.

"The newly appointed leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Legislature Party, Bhupendrabhai Patel, presented a proposal to form a new government under his leadership at the Raj Bhavan. Accepting the proposal, he was invited to take oath as the Chief Minister on September 13, 2021, at 2:20 pm," said Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat.

                                       13 , 2021  2:20    pic.twitter.com/gTZrUYKRdW  Acharya Devvrat (@ADevvrat) September 12, 2021

Patel, 59, was unanimously elected as BJP legislature party leader after a meeting in Gandhinagar on Sunday afternoon. Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil said Patel's work at the grass root-level, his hold on the cooperative sector, association with party workers and administrative abilities were among the factors that led to his elevation.

Patel said that he was grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief JP Nadda, and Union minister Amit Shah for the trust they reposed in him. The Ghatlodiya MLA also expressed that he was also grateful to the trust reposed in him by the Gujarat leadership, including outgoing CM Vijay Rupani and Deputy CM Nitin Patel, CR Paatil and other leaders.

He said the blessing of former Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel was with him all the time.

"The government has worked well so that development reaches the last person. We will plan anew and discuss with the organisation to take forward the development works," he said.

Gujarat CM-designate Bhupendra Patel receives a grand welcome on his arrival at his office in Ghatlodia. pic.twitter.com/dYfkfNBuEP  ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2021

Senior BJP leaders, including Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, congratulated Bhupendra Patel on his election as the BJP legislative party leader in Gujarat. Shah expressed confidence that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance and Patel's leadership, the state's development journey will receive new energy and momentum.

"Gujarat will continue to be a leading state in good governance and public welfare works," he said.

 @Bhupendrapbjp   @BJP4Gujarat                @narendramodi                              Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 12, 2021

 @Bhupendrapbjp   @BJP4Gujarat                  @narendramodi                            Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 12, 2021

Bhupendra Patel's name was reportedly proposed by Vijay Rupani, who had tendered his resignation on Saturday after being at the post since August 2016.

Patel, notably, has never held a ministerial post, just like PM Narendra Modi, who was never a minister when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat 20 years ago.

Patel, a surprise pick for the CM face, started his political career at the municipality level. He contested his maiden Assembly election in 2017 and won the Ghatlodia constituency in Ahmedabad by over 1.17 lakh votes, the highest victory margin in the state during that election. He is considered close to Anandiben Patel, a former Gujarat chief minister and the present Uttar Pradesh Governor.

This is to be noted that the change in top leadership has come months before the assembly polls in Gujarat which are scheduled to take place next year.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday (September 12, 2021) informed that six Indian states and UTs have vaccinated all their adults with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. All adults in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Ladakh and Lakshadweep have received at least one dose of the vaccine as the cumulative jabs administered across the country crossed 74 crores on Sunday.

While Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have given out 6.26 lakh first doses, Goa has given 11.83 lakh doses. Himachal Pradesh has so far given the first dose of vaccines to over 55 lakh people and Ladakh has so far given 1.97 lakh first doses. Lakshadweep (53,499 doses) and Sikkim (5.10 lakh doses) are the other UT and state with a 100 per cent eligible population vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine.

ALSO READ | Centre files affidavit with guidelines for COVID-19 death certificates in SC

"Congratulations to these states and Union Territories for administering the first COVID-19 vaccine dose to 100 per cent of the adult population. Special appreciation for the health workers in these regions for their diligence and commitment, the office of Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted.

Congratulations to these States & UTs for administering the first #COVID19 vaccine dose to 100% of the adult population. Special appreciation for the health workers in these regions for their diligence & commitment pic.twitter.com/pH89J7lhtF  Office of Mansukh Mandaviya (@OfficeOf_MM) September 12, 2021

According to data from the CoWIN portal, around 50,25,159 vaccine doses have been administered till 8 pm on Sunday.

This is to be noted that the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Subsequently, the vaccination drive was extended to frontline workers on February 2.

The next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. The country had then launched vaccination for all people aged over 45 years from April 1.

For people above 18, the Centre had expanded the vaccination drive on May 1.

ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh giving out daily COVID-19 doses faster than United States

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The Aam Aadmi Party National Executive on Sunday re-elected senior leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the National Convenor of the party. Along with him, Pankaj Gupta was named the National Secretary and ND Gupta was named the National Treasurer. The office bearers were unanimously elected for a tenure of 5 years.

Upon the proposal of Arvind Kejriwal's name as the National Convenor, the executive unanimously agreed; and stated that he is the guiding light of the party since day one. Arvind Kejriwal stood for the party and its ideology even in the most unprecedented times and it would be the wisest decision to elect him for the third time consecutively.

The meeting reinforced their belief in the fact that he is the most popular leader of the party, considering that he has won the public's mandate thrice as the Chief Minister of Delhi.

National Executive strongly supported the names of Pankaj Gupta and ND Gupta

The entire National Executive also strongly supported the election of Pankaj Gupta and ND Gupta for the posts of the National Secretary and National Treasurer, respectively; stating that their work and experience makes them the best candidates for the posts.

National Council had elected the National Executive yesterday

Yesterday, the National Council of the Aam Aadmi Party met and elected the new National Executive. The meeting was presided over by National Convener Arvind Kejriwal. In the meeting, all the senior leaders of the party participated. In this meeting, 34 new national executive members were elected. The executive members include senior AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Imran Hussain, Rajendra Pal Gautam, Raghav Chadha, Atishi, Rakhi Birla among others.

National Executive held its first meeting today

The first meeting of the newly elected National Executive of Aam Aadmi Party was held today through video conferencing. In this meeting, it was proposed to appoint a National Convenor, National Secretary and National Treasurer. All the executive members unanimously agreed to elect senior party leader Arvind Kejriwal as the National Convenor. The executive members unanimously elected senior leader Pankaj Gupta as National Secretary and ND Gupta as National Treasurer. The order of business of the next National Executive meeting shall be discussions and deliberations upon the upcoming state assembly elections and current political scenario of the country.
New Delhi: BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Sunday (September 12) listed out problems and demands of the protesting state farmers and sought relief measures for them in a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

In his letter to the UP CM, Gandhi, who earlier suggested engaging with the farmers again, demanded a hike in sugarcane prices, bonus on wheat and paddy, doubling the amount of PM KISAN scheme and subsidy on diesel, PTI reported.

The Pilibhit MP urged Adityanath to increase the sugarcane selling price to Rs 400 per quintal that currently stands at Rs 315 per quintal in UP. Farmers should be given additional bonus of Rs 200 per quintal above the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and paddy, Gandhi said in the letter. Sugarcane is mainly grown in western UP, which is the hotbed of the UP farmers' protest against the Centre's three farm laws.

Further, he demanded that the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme should be doubled to Rs 12,000 per annum for farmers with the state government contributing Rs 6,000 from its own funds. The BJP MP also asked the UP CM to give subsidy of Rs 20 per litre on diesel to farmers and lower the power prices with immediate effect.

When the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had organised a Mahapanchayat at the Government Inter College ground in UPs Muzaffarnagar on September 5, Varun Gandhi had appealed to the government to restart deliberations with the farmers to reach common ground as they are "our own flesh and blood".

Posting a video of the crowd, Gandhi had tweeted, "Lakhs of farmers have gathered in protest today in Muzaffarnagar. They are our own flesh and blood. We need to start re-engaging with them in a respectful manner: understand their pain, their point of view and work with them in reaching common ground.

(With agency inputs)

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NEW DELHI: The Income-Tax Department (IT) had conducted surveys on the official premises of two digital media platforms - Newslaundry and NewsClick - on charges of alleged tax evasion.

The central agency said that it conducted the 'surveys' at the offices of the two news organisations located in South Delhi to examine their financial records.

Surveys by the Income-Tax Department began around noon on Friday and continued past midnight in the offices of two news websites deeply critical of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre.

Newslaundry is also known for its brutally honest satire news shows - Newsance and Tippani - which often lampoon pro-Centre channels. The two websites are among the founders of the Digipub News India Foundation, an association of online news outlets started last year that has challenged the Centres proposed regulations on online media this year.

Income Tax Department said in a release that separate survey operations on the two news portals were conducted to verify certain tax payment details and remittances made by the organisations.

As part of a survey operation, carried out under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, tax officials cover only the business premises of an assessee and those linked to it and not their residential addresses.

However, they are authorised to seize documents, computers and electronic devices as part of the surprise action. Around 30 employees and support staff of Newsclick were in the office throughout the survey and their phones were temporarily seized, and they were not allowed to use their computers and work, it said.

In February, the Enforcement Directorate had searched the premises linked to NewsClick, in connection with an alleged money laundering probe into receipt of funds from overseas.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over the Income Tax 'surveys' conducted at the offices of two news websites, the Editors Guild of India criticised the move saying the "dangerous trend of government agencies harassing and intimidating" independent media must stop as it undermines the constitutional democracy.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary also reacted to the developments through a tweet on his Twitter handle.

"The guild is deeply concerned that such indiscriminate seizure of journalists' data, which could include sensitive information such as details of sources, stories under works and other journalistic data, is in violation of free speech and freedom of the press," the Guild said in an official statement.

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NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India has expressed its concerns over the Income Tax 'surveys' conducted at the offices of two news websites  Newslaundry and NewsClick - and slammed the move saying the "dangerous trend of government agencies harassing and intimidating" independent media must stop as it undermines the constitutional democracy.

It may be noted that on September 10, the Income Tax Department officials had visited the offices of Newslaundry and NewsClick and conducted investigations throughout the day.

The Guild said that it is deeply disturbed about the I-T 'surveys' at the offices of the two news websites. "The guild is deeply concerned that such indiscriminate seizure of journalists' data, which could include sensitive information such as details of sources, stories under works and other journalistic data, is in violation of free speech and freedom of the press," the Guild said in an official statement.

While they were officially labelled as surveys by the I-T officials, according to the statement issued by Abhinandan Sekhri, co-founder of Newslaundry, this was a clear intermediately and latent attack on their rights and therefore press freedom, the EGI said.

"It is learnt that the I-T team made clones of Sekhri's mobile and laptop, as well as some other office machines, And no hash value was given to them. This is clearly beyond the mandate of service as defined under section 133 A of the income tax act which only allows data pertaining to the investigation to be copied, and certainly not personal and professional date of journalists. It is also in violation of procedures laid out in the Information Technology Act 2000," it said.

This was the second visit by an Income Tax team at the office of Newslaundry, the earlier one being in June. In the case of NewsClick, the Enforcement Directorate had conducted raids at the office as well as homes of their senior journalists and officials in February.

"Both NewsClick and Newslaundry have been critical of policies and functioning of the union government," the EGI said.

"The dangerous trend of government agencies harassing and intimidating independent media must stop as it undermines our constitutional democracy," it said, adding that in July, Income Tax raids were conducted at the offices of the country's leading newspaper Dainik Bhaskar as well as a Lucknow-based news channel Bharat Samachar.

These raids were conducted against the backdrop of some very critical coverage by both the news organisations on the government's handling of the pandemic.

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New Delhi: India and Australia have called for "broad-based and inclusive government" in Afghanistan which is "necessary" for "long term peace and stability" of the country, a point in the joint statement released after the first 2+2 Foreign and Defense ministers dialogue on Saturday (September 11).

India's defense minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs minister Dr Jaishankar, Australian Foreign minister Marise Payne and Defense Minister Peter Dutton held the 2+2 dialogue in Delhi in which a range of issues like Indo pacific, Afghanistan, defense ties were discussed.

The joint statement said that the ministers "expressed deep concern about the situation in Afghanistan" and called on the "Taliban to guarantee safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans wanting to leave the country". Afghanistan saw Taliban takeover in August, after the fall of national capital Kabul. What followed has been heartbreaking visuals of many Afghans trying to leave the country fearing Taliban reprisal.

In the joint statement they "reiterated calls on those in positions of power and authority" across Afghanistan to "adhere to counterterrorism commitments and human rights, in accordance with" United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593. The resolution was passed under the Indian chairmanship of the council on August 30 and is a key document when it comes to situation in Afghanistan and Taliban commitments on counter-terror.

Ministers also agreed to "remain alert to the broader repercussions of the developments in Afghanistan for the ongoing terrorist threats around the world, and in our region." The worry over Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for international terror groups has been a concern globally. India has raised it publicly at the multilateral forum at UN and privately with many of its allies, especially with regards to Pakistan-based international terror groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad finding a safe haven.

In the joint statement ministers "noted reports of a rapid roll-back on women and girls rights and access to services and public spaces, as well as targeted violence against womens rights defenders", and called on for "protection of rights of women and children and their full participation in public life". Past few weeks have seen restrictions being imposed on women, especially ability to work. Kabul saw massive protest, many of the participants were women, who were beaten up by the Taliban according to videos that emerged on social media.

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New Delhi: India registered 28,591 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said in a statement on Sunday (September 12).

As many as 338 deaths were reported in the same period. The cumulative number of deaths reached 4,42,655.

With 34,848 new recoveries, the total number of patients who have recovered from the infection so far is 3,24,09,345.

The total number of coronavirus cases reached 3,32,36,921. The active cases tally stood at 3,84,921.

Out of the new cases recorded in the last 24 hours, 20,487 cases were from Kerala alone. The state also registered the highest fatality figures with 181 deaths.

The ministry further informed that 73.82 crore COVID vaccine doses have been administered so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive. The total number of tests conducted in the country reached 54.18 crore.

Meanwhile, Zydus Cadila`s needle-free coronavirus vaccine - ZyCoV-D - is likely to be available by early October. India`s drugs regulator approved the Zydus Cadila vaccine for emergency use on August 20. ZyCoV-D is the world`s first plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19.

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New Delhi: Expressing concern over the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, a group of experts underlined that the international community must press for the Taliban to stop abusing women.

Discussing the topic Role of International Media in Safeguarding Women's rights under Taliban during a seminar organised by Delhi-based think tank Red Lantern Analytica, Heather Barr, Associate Director, Womens Rights Division, Human Rights Watch said that the international media coverage is not fair, and is diluted. She added that some believe that the security threat is greater when more than fifty percent of the total population in Afghanistan is terrified. She also specified that the Taliban can never be trusted with women's rights in Afghanistan and they have demonstrated that very clearly.

Nargis Nehan, the former minister of mines and petroleum in Afghanistan said, Former president would run away leaving his countrymen at the mercy of the Taliban was absolutely unpredictable. It is also very sad to see that posts of ministers and military commanders have gone to terror outfits, especially the Haqqani network, the members of which are in the FBI's most-wanted list.

Women in Afghanistan have been part of reconstruction, not war. And yet women are the ones who have to pay the highest price in the process, Zarifa Ghafari, Afghanistans former mayor and human rights activist noted. She added, Though the trouble and the pain is intense, yet the women in Afghanistan would fight back. The battle would be hard but todays women would not give up as women in Afghanistan make up a significant part of the society, their economy, cultural development, social development and also a part of the government.

Roya Musawi, former Spokesperson of International Committee of Red Cross Afghanistan, remarked that the media in the west have spread the Taliban propaganda and have focused disproportionately on them, to the detriment of the protests of the population. "They present a partial and simplistic view of the crisis of Afghanistan. But to an absolute dismay, no international media have till now interviewed the protesting women," she said.

Habiba Ashna, International Affairs Expert, mentioned that the international media positioned themselves as saviors, "instead of saying that they were abandoning us".

Afghan-Canadian Journalist Yalda Sarwar elaborated how she had many times been targeted by fundamentalist groups and specific media outlets, who wanted to shut her mouth. She opined that many international media have a specific agenda. "They only demonstrate the narrative that they want to show the audience. They try to silence people who question the credibility of their news," she said.

She urged the people of all the nations to "bend their ears to Afghanistan and stand beside them in times of necessity".

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New Delhi: Online news platforms - Newslaundry and NewsClick  have responded to the Income Tax Department survey at their offices on the charges of alleged tax evasion by the two organisations. Newslaundry said that it does business "honestly and with integrity" while another portal Newsclick said the investigation against it by various agencies including the latest Income Tax Department survey is an attempt to "stifle" independent journalism.

It may be noted that the Income Tax Department had surveyed the office of Newslaundry located at Sarvodaya Enclave in south Delhi on Friday afternoon along with that of Newsclick in Saidulajab area (south Delhi) on charges of alleged tax evasion.

"We have nothing to hide and have done everything by the book and are not in any breach or violation of any law. We conduct our business honestly and with integrity," Newslaundry co-founder Abhinandan Sekhri said in a message posted on his Twitter handle.

Sekhri further said that the tax team told him he "cannot" speak to his lawyer and the law requires him to comply "without seeking legal advice" adding that the officials were courteous and professional.

Newslaundry co-founder said "no signed hash value of the data copied" was provided to him and that he considered this a violation of his fundamental right to privacy. A hash value is a numeric value that uniquely identifies data. Hash values represent large amounts of data as much smaller numeric values, so they are used with digital signatures.

Sekhri said the tax team comprising 6-7 people arrived at their office around 12.15 pm and left around 12.40 am on Saturday. "They searched and looked through all computer devices at the premises. My personal mobile phone, laptop and a couple of office machines were taken control of and all the data on them downloaded by the IT team," he said.

Sekhri said this was the second visit by the tax authorities to his office, the first being in June, and they had given "all documents related to our funding and accounts" to the officials then.

He, however, said that "we will cooperate in whatever way we are required to by the law. We will also continue to practice public interest journalism which is why we exist."

Income Tax officials said that separate survey operations on the two news portals were conducted to verify certain tax payment details and remittances made by the organisations. As part of a survey operation, carried out under Section 133A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, tax officials cover only the business premises of an assessee and those linked to it and not their residential addresses.

However, they are also authorised to seize documents, computers and electronic devices as part of the surprise action.

Newsclick, on its part, said the tax team "recorded the statement of its Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha, impounded his phone and took away documents what they called loose papers from the premises".

"They also took email dumps of Prabir, editor Pranjal, and various administrative and financial accounts related to Newsclick," it said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle.

Around 30 employees and support staff of Newsclick were in the office throughout the survey and their phones were temporarily seized, and they were not allowed to use their computers and work, it said.

Newsclick said the latest action against them "appears to relate to the same false and unfounded allegations being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police. We have these allegations challenged in the courts".

Income Tax officials had reached the Newsclick office around noon on Friday and left at midnight. Newsclick, Purkayastha and other executives were raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier in February under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and that investigation is linked to alleged dubious foreign funding received by its registered company, which runs the news portal.

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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has made a major announcement for the candidates who are looking to become a teacher in the state. Now, the requirement of BEd is not mandatory for the recruitment of contractual teachers of Grammar and Literature at the Uttar Madhyamik level in aided Sanskrit secondary schools.

This decision is going to help candidates without a BEd degree.

Additional Education Director, Secondary Education Department, Dr Mahendra Dev took the step after the orders of the Allahabad High Court.

This is worth noting that an order regarding the appointment of contractual teachers on over 1,110 vacant posts in 567 Sanskrit secondary schools of the state was issued by Additional Director Secondary Aaradhana Shukla on July 24. In this, a BEd degree was made mandatory for the appointment of Grammar and Literature teachers in secondary schools.

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New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government is all set to introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly seeking a permanent exemption to the state from National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), ANI reported.

The bill will be introduced in the Legislative Assembly on Monday (September 13). Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that NEET is a major issue of the country. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "...Tomorrow we will bring the Permanent Exemption Bill for NEET. Let us take NEET as an issue of the Indian subcontinent.

Tamil Nadu Govt will introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly seeking state's exemption from NEET examination, tomorrow pic.twitter.com/iuYHYb0B7u  ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2021

Stalins statement comes after a 19-year-old medical aspirant was found dead at his home in Salem hours before the NEET exam. The NEET 2021 for admission in Undergraduate medical courses was conducted across India on Sunday. The exam was postponed earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attacking the Stalin-led DMK, AIADMK Coordinator K. Palaniswami said the state government's false poll promise of cancelling NEET resulted in the suicide of the 19-year old medical aspirant.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had on September 6 rejected a writ petition filed seeking directions for rescheduling of NEET-UG 2021 examination to a date post the declaration of the CBSE compartment, private, correspondence exams.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had urged the Centre to defer the NEET exams and accused the government of being "blind to student's distress" ."Government of India (GOI) is blind to students` distress. Postpone #NEET exam. Let them have a fair chance," Gandhi tweeted.

Hitting at Gandhi on Wednesday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had called him a "pseudo expert" with an "overflowing vanity and a misplaced sense of entitlement". He condemned Gandhi for "questioning the wisdom" of the Supreme Court and experts on the NEET schedule, and said that the "yuvraj (prince)" should stick to "his expertise of concocting lies than issuing statements on matters he has no understanding of".

(With agency inputs)

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Chandigarh: Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday wrote to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, seeking action on farmers' demands including cancellation of "unfair" FIRs registered against growers during their agitation.

Asserting that Congress stood by farmers' agitation against the farm laws at every stage, Sidhu, however, asked the state government, "we must do more" and "not let the three black laws be implemented in Punjab at any cost."

Sidhu wrote to the chief minister two days after meeting representatives of 32 farm bodies which had raised their demands with him.

In a meeting with representatives of all political parties except the BJP, the farmer leaders had told them not to carry out electioneering till the Punjab polls are announced.

In a letter to the CM, Sidhu wrote, "This is to bring to your attention and request for necessary action, upon the demands raised by 32 farmer unions at the meeting called by them."

Sidhu said farmer leaders demanded "the cancellation of unjust and unfair" FIRs registered against the farmer unions due to cases of violence during the agitation in the state."

Noting that the Congress and the state government provided support to farmers protesting against the Centre's farm laws, Sidhu said, "Yet, some FIRs have been registered due to untoward incidences," adding that the government could set up a mechanism to consider each case on compassionate grounds and cancel all "unfair" cases.

Referring to farmers' fear of demand for land records by the Centre before the crop procurement, Sidhu asked the state government to fight against the Centre's "injustice".

"I personally believe it is unfair," said Sidhu, adding that partition of land had not happened in many parts of the state for decades.

"This is also an attack on the resilient system of procurement by MSP through Arthiyas and to push the farmers away from APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committees) mandis towards private markets where no such records are being demanded. Thus, I strongly feel that the Central Govt is actually creating 'One Nation, Two Markets' with different rules for APMC and private markets. This injustice we must fight against !," wrote Sidhu.

Sidhu also pointed out a hike in budget allocation for agriculture, Rs 7,181 crore of power subsidy, Rs 5,810 crore of farm debt waiver and Rs 520 crore of loan waiver for farm labour and landless farmers.

"Noting the efficiency of Govt procurement done by the Congress Govt. Congress workers and leaders have stood by the farmer agitation at every stage of the protest.

"Yet, we must do more, standing firmer on our resolution passed in Vidhan Sabha in October 2020, We should not let the three blacks be implemented in our state at any cost !," he stated.

Sidhu stressed on procurement of pulses and oilseeds through state corporations to increase farmers' income.

"We must take steps ahead from the farmer agitation's fight against the three black laws to do more and present the vision for Punjab agriculture, to increase Punjab's farmers' income using every resource and power we have as a state to stand with the farmers," he wrote.

He said, "We must begin procurement of 'dals' and oilseeds through state corporations."

"Further, invest in diversification with giving MSP on more crops, giving storage capacity in hands of farmers and strengthening farmer's financial capabilities through cooperatives and forward linkages to trade without dependence on corporates," he wrote.

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New Delhi: The CBI has arrested seven persons on Sunday in connection with a murder case in Cooch Behar linked to post-poll violence in West Bengal, officials said.

The family of the victim, Hardhan Roy, had alleged that one Arjun Munda had taken him to Rajaghora river on May 3 where he was found smeared in blood, they said.

He was taken to the hospital where he had died during treatment, according to the FIR.

The CBI had arrested four persons on Saturday in connection with another murder case in Tufanganj reported during the violence.

It was alleged that on May 4 TMC supporters Sahinur Ahmed and Prosenjit were having dinner when four BJP supporters joined them. After the dinner, Sahinur and Prosenjit were attacked resulting in severe injuries.

They were dragged to a nearby maize field and left there. Prosenjit survived but Sahinur was found dead, the FIR said.

The CBI has taken over the cases on the instructions of a five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court that had entrusted to the agency the investigation of alleged murder and rape incidents reported during post-poll violence in West Bengal, they said.

The high court's directives came after a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) committee submitted a report on the violence in the state that followed the declaration of assembly election results on May 2 in which the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress humbled the BJP in a bitterly fought eight-phase contest.

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Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday (September 10) said that it is going to provide one lakh tablets to the skilled workers of the state for free as part of its Skill Development Mission. The move will help skilled workers hone their skills further and do better in their jobs, said the government.

The Yogi government said it is providing a wide range of services to the people at large on the one hand and to the skilled people on the other through web portal sewamitra.up.gov.in, app and call centre 155330. Skilled workers can apply for a job through the portal, which also facilitates their training in order to hone their skills as part of the State Governments Skill Development Mission.

CM Yogi had earlier given instructions to the authorities to provide employment to the people standing in the last rung of the society by linking them with the Skill Development Mission. On the instructions of the CM, the Labour Department had done the skill mapping of the migrants returning to UP from other states during the first wave of coronavirus pandemic to give them employment during those trying times.

As part of this continuous mission to uplift workers, the government has launched Seva Mitra service in 25 districts with the aim of providing employment to more and more skilled workers through the Labour Department. The service is currently under trial and will be soon launched in the remaining districts. A 50-seater call centre has also been set up in this regard.

Kunal Silku, Director, Skill Development Mission, described it as excellent service to have been started by the government for the common people and the skilled workers.

One of the specialities of the service is that the name of the provider and rate appear on the screen as soon as a person books the service. The Chief Minister is likely to launch the service in the remaining districts soon.

The facilities available include AC service and repair through portal, app and call centre, appliances repair, car repair and service, carpenter, cleaning and disinfection, electrician, IT hardware and service, nursing plumbing, RO service and repair, barbers.

The services are currently available in Agra, Aligarh, Ayodhya, Barabanki, Bareilly, Bijnor, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Lalitpur, Lucknow, Mathura, Meerut, Mirzapur, Pilibhit, Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Saharanpur, Sultanpur, Unnao and Varanasi districts.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh: Over 6 crore benefitted from Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana

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New Delhi: Zydus Cadila`s needle-free coronavirus vaccine - ZyCoV-D - is likely to be available by early October, sources told ANI on Saturday. India`s drugs regulator approved the Zydus Cadila vaccine for emergency use on August 20. ZyCoV-D is the world`s first plasmid DNA vaccine for Covid-19.

It`s a three-dose vaccine that will be administered on day zero, day 28, and day 56. The vaccine has been approved to be administered to adolescents between ages 12 and 18.

"This three-dose vaccine, when injected, produces the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and elicits an immune response, which plays a vital role in protection from disease as well as viral clearance. The plug-and-play technology on which the plasmid DNA platform is based can be easily adapted to deal with mutations in the virus, such as those already occurring," Zydus Cadila said in a statement earlier.

Recently in an exclusive interview with ANI, Dr Sharvil Patel, Managing Director of Zydus Group said that the supply of the vaccine will start from October onwards.

"The supply of vaccine will begin by mid-September and from October onwards, the supply will be scaled up to one crore doses per month," said Patel.

On expected supply of vaccine till December, Patel said the company is expecting to scale up 1 crore doses per month from October and it will supply 4-5 crore doses per month till January 2022.

"We can scale up production of a vaccine up to 1 crore a month from October at the new production plan, and it is expected to supply 4-5 million doses till January 2022," he said.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), more than 73.73 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far. A total of 64,49,552 vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm on Saturday.Currently, Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V vaccines are being administered to the eligible population above 18 years.
New Delhi: While the world is still under the shock over the sad demise of renowned actor Sidharth Shukla who passed away on September 2, his former contestant from Bigg Boss 13 has now opened up about their last meeting and also how they spoke for the first time post their tiff on the reality show.

Vishal, who is garnering praises from all the corners of the world post his stint in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 has now shared that he met Sidharth two-three days before the incident took place.

While talking to Midday online, Vishal shared that he wasnt in touch with Sidharth post their tiff on the Bigg Boss show but it was Sid who arranged for his number and appreciated him for his performance on Khatron.

Sharing more details about it, Vishal shared, We had stopped speaking after our tiffs on Bigg Boss and neither did we try to meet up. Sidharths mom and sister watched a water stunt that I performed on Khatron Ke Khiladi, despite the fact that I cant swim. It was so sweet of Sidharth to find my number from somewhere and call me to say I would never have been able to do what you have done. He went out of the way to appreciate my work and that is a very big thing for me. I felt such people should exist in the world, who appreciate others so much. We ended up speaking for half an hour and it was a lovely conversation. After that he texted me to catch up and we did meet. The news of Sidharths death came two-three days after that and it was shocking. Im very disturbed and still questioning the universe about what happened. I can only pray to God that Sidharth Shulka remains like he was even in heaven. I adore him for what he did for me, he didnt have to call or meet me but he did! This incident will stay with me for a lifetime.

Recently, a prayer meet was conducted virtually from the late actor's family home in Mumbai, which was led by the Brahmakumaris for Sidharth as he was quite spiritually inclined, and was a follower of the religious organisation.

For the unversed, TVs most popular face and Bigg Boss 13 winner Sidharth Shukla died on Thursday (September 2), with many suspecting it to be a heart attack. His viscera samples have been sent to a forensic laboratory for examination though initial reports did not reveal any signs of unnatural death, police and hospital sources told PTI.

The autopsy report of the actor did not mention the exact cause of death, said a police officer on Friday.

On the face of it, there were no signs of unnatural death but the opinion has been reserved," he said, adding that the exact cause of death will be known after reports of chemical analysis of the viscera and histopathology tests were received.

Sidharth Shukla is survived by his mother and two sisters. The actor's last screen outing was Ekta Kapoor's insanely popular show 'Broken But Beautiful 3' in which he played the role of Agastya Rao.
New Delhi: National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut, who portrays the iconic politician J. Jayalalithaa in the trilingual biopic titled 'Thalaivii', says that even though she is a patriot, she has no immediate plan to join politics.

Kangana was in conversation with radio jockey Raunac for his new YouTube show, #13raJawabNahi.

During the conversation, while asked if she has any ambition to join politics, Kangana said, "I currently have no such plans. I strongly believe that without working on the ground level one cannot win even a Gram Panchayat election. People can see through you and understand ingenuity. For entering politics, one needs to make genuine investments in people. If people wish, I can think about it. If you see, long after she's gone people still love Jaya Maa as she connected with the masses and helped them in all ways possible."

Continuing the conversation, Kangana also mentioned that she has paid a heavy price for speaking like a patriot. While answering one of Raunac's questions she said "I have lost many contracts because I speak towards nation-building, the loss of these contracts meant losing out on revenue. However, I chose my country over money. I have a very simple approach to life and don't have two faces."

The show was released on YouTube on Sunday morning.

'Thalaivii' is directed by A.L. Vijay, based on the life journey of the late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J. Jayalalithaa, also features Arvind Swami.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar's mother Aruna Bhatia's death with a heartwarming letter on Sunday (September 12). The 'BellBottom' actor shared a picture of the letter on his social media handles.

In the letter, PM Modi lauded Akshay Kumar for the hard work he put into achieving such mountainous success in the film industry. He credited the actor's good values to his parents, especially his late mother.

He wrote, "She ensured you remained kind, compassionate and humble at all times. She also instilled a spirit of service in you, seen repeatedly through your philanthropic initiatives and eagerness to give back to society."

Along with the letter, Akshay penned down a thank you note to PM Modi in the caption.

Here's what he wrote "Humbled by condolence messages on moms passing, thankful to all. Grateful to honble PM for this amazing gesture to take out time and express warm feelings for me and my late parents. These comforting words will stay with me forever. Jai Ambe."

Here's the complete letter:

Akshay Kumar's mother, Aruna Bhatia left this world for her heavenly abode on September 8, 2021.

The exact cause of her death is still unknown, although she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai a few days back.

Her last rites were performed on the same day in the afternoon at Pawan Hans Crematorium in suburban Mumbai. Many Bollywood big shots including Rohit Shetty, Riteish Deshmukh, Sajid Khan, Bhushan Kumar and Ramesh Taurani among many others paid their last respects.

Inconsolable Akshay with his wife Twinkle Khanna, her cousin Karan Kapadia were seen at the funeral.

Several celebrities such as Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Dia Mirza, Vindu Dara Singh among others extended condolences and mourned the demise of Akshay's mother.
New Delhi: Global star Priyanka Chopra is not only a great actor but also a great friend.

Well, her long-lasting friendship with actor Lara Dutta suggests so.

The duo was recently spotted together in London for a quick meet and also posed for the camera. Now, PeeCee has shared a picture with Lara expressing her love for her dear friend Lara.

She also mentioned that the duo is friends from past 21 years ever since they met each other at the Miss India 2000 pageant.

Sharing a picture on her Instagram handle, she wrote, 21 years and counting.. friendships that can pick up at any given time @larabhupathi and her most shining star. Saira youre definitely your mums daughter. Adore you. So much love for these ladies. And so many memories.

Also Missed you #Pradeepguha.

In the picture, Priyanka is all smiles while posing with her friend Lara and her little daughter Saira.

On the workfront, Lara Dutta was recently appreciated for her role in Akshay Kumar starrer Bellbottom where she portrayed the role of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

While on the other hand, Priyanka will be next seen in spy thriller series Citadel, rom-com Text For You and Matrix 4. The global star will also feature in an Indian wedding comedy, which she co-produces with Mindy Kaling.
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Nargis Fakhri dated actor Uday Chopra for five years, she revealed in a recent interview. She kept her relationship with the 'Dhoom' actor a secret as people told her to keep it under the wraps.

The 'Rockstar' actress said she regretted keeping it from people as he is a 'beautiful soul'.

She told ETimes, "Uday and I dated for 5 years and he was the most beautiful human I met in India. I never have said this to the press as people told me to keep my relationship quiet, but I regret that because I should have shouted from the mountain tops that I was with such a beautiful soul. The internet and social media is very fake and the people out there won't know what the truth is. Most often we idolise certain people who are actually bad behind closed doors."

In the same interview, she also spoke about how she got into modelling and then acting in Bollywood.

"Growing up everyone would always say I look like a model and would tell me I should get into modelling and so I did. My main reason was I wanted to travel the world and I knew models got to travel a lot. Modelling didn't come naturally to me, I had to work at it and learn. People think it's super easy but it's not," she revealed.

Nargis Fakhri made a smashing debut opposite Ranbir Kapoor in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's blockbuster hit 'Rockstar' in 2011. The global face got instant recognition in Hindi movies and was appreciated for her looks.

She has starred in several films such as Madras Cafe, Main Tera Hero and Housefull 3.
New Delhi: India Post, previously known as the Department of Post, offers a slew of investment schemes to Indian investors. Some of the most notable schemes include Public Provident Fund (PPF) and the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS). Both the schemes are popular, especially among senior citizens.

Now, aiming to offer relief to senior citizens, India Post has now allowed investors above 60 to withdraw funds partially from their investment accounts without the need to visit any branch. Also Read: Apple iPhone 12 series gets massive price cut on Flipkart: Check details here

Senior citizens can now send an authorized person to collect the funds on their behalf from any branch. India Post launched the facility to support old-age pensioners who are not able to attend post offices for withdrawal or loan or closure or premature closure of their accounts. The payment is either made in cheque or is credited into a post office savings account or bank account for the safety of the investor. Also Read: Filing ITR? Check how you can claim LTA voucher tax exemption

Heres how senior citizens can send an authorized person to withdraw PPF funds:

Senior citizens need to follow the following simple steps to authorize an individual to collect PPF or SCSS funds from a post office branch:

1. Sign a duly filled form SB-12. Only literate senior citizens will be able to use the facility. In the case of a survivor, he or she can sign the form to authorize the personnel.

2. Account holders also need to sign the SB-7 form or SB-7B form for account closure or partial withdrawal.

3. The individual will have also have to produce a self-attested copy of ID and address proof of the account holder as well as the authorized person.

4. The person will also have to submit a passbook to withdraw funds.

5. Officials at the Post Office will match the signatures of the account holders before processing the transactions.

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Facebook-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is widely used to send and receive messages. But do you know that WhatsApp messages can be sent without even typing them? For this, you have to take the help of advanced voice recognition. This trick works on Android phones.

First, you have to change the settings of the phone and then you can easily send messages on WhatsApp without even typing. This feature is very useful when you do not have access to the phone.

Heres how to send messages without typing them:

In 2015, Google Assistant launched a feature of sending WhatsApp messages with voice. Meanwhile, Apple Siri introduced this feature in 2016. With this, messages can be sent through a voice from third-party apps.

In order to send messages without typing, go to the setting and then click on your profile photo on the right corner of Google Assistant. Then scroll down to Personal Result and turn on this function.

In order to activate the voice assistant, you have to say Hey Google or OK Google. Then say send a WhatsApp message to and after that take the name of the person you want to message. Google Assistant will ask you what message you want to send.

After that, speak the message you want to convey and send it. With this, you can send WhatsApp messages with the help of Google Assistant without typing.

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Lucknow: Shiv Sena on Saturday announced that it will contest all 403 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022. The decision was taken after the Shiv Sena regional executive body meeting in Lucknow.

"Shiv Sena will be the voice of people and filed candidates in all assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh to counter BJP. Coordinators have been appointed to strengthen the organisation in every assembly constituency. The delegation of state leaders will soon hand over the report of the election preparation and the organisation," reads the Shiv Sena, Uttar Pradesh statement.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda launched the booth Vijay Abhiyan virtually in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday and addressed workers across 27,700 booths in the state via video conferencing.

Political activities have gained momentum in Uttar Pradesh as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is in the state for two days to formulate strategies for the state polls.

Congress will conduct a Pratigya Yatra in the state covering 12,000 km ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls. The decision was taken in the meeting of the Advisory and Strategy Committee of the Uttar Pradesh Congress chaired by party`s state in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In the meeting, it was also decided that zone-wise election campaigns and programmes will be started.In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly.

Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats.
Mumbai Rape Case: CM Uddhav Thackeray calls emergency meeting of police personnel

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has called an emergency meeting with all senior police personnel on the Mumbai rape case. In Mumbai, a case of cruelty like Delhi's 'Nirbhaya' came to light with a 30-year-old woman. The rape victim died on Saturday, about 33 hours after being admitted to the hospital.
New Delhi: One has to take special permission to fly with their pets and people keep special cages to travel with their pets, but in one weird incident, a tiny lizard travelled all the way from Barbados to Yorkshire unnoticed.

Lisa Russel found this unknown guest in her suitcase when she was unpacking her luggage after returning from Barbados. After her holiday in the Caribbean when Lisa returned to Rotherham, South Yorkshire she found a tiny lizard sitting conveniently in one of her clothing items. She realised it must have been there for nearly 24 hours.

Beautician by profession 47-years-old Lisa said, "I thought it was dead and then when it moved I started screaming."

"It must have been happy in its new pad. I am just so shocked; not only did it survive the journey but also the fact it didnt get squashed as my suitcase was so full when we were returning I had to sit on it to get it zipped up," said Lisa.

"The tiny lizard was lucky as the bra was on top of my suitcase on my clean pile. As it was so hot out there, I didn't bother wearing one," Lisa said. "When it moved, I started screaming. It is not what you expect to find in your bra after a 4,000-mile journey," she said.

She called on RSPCA and they sent inspector Sandra Dransfield's house to pick up the exotic reptile. Sandra gave the tiny lizard some water and named her 'Barbie' who is now healthy and unharmed with a specialist reptile keeper.

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Kolkata: Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate Priyanka Tebriwal will file her nomination papers for the by-election to the Bhabanipur seat on Monday (September 12, 2022).

She will contest against West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee. Targeting the Chief Minister over post-poll violence, Tibrewal said that the people of the state have the right to live but this right is being taken away by Mamata Banerjee and her party.

"I will file my nomination tomorrow. The people of West Bengal have the right to live. This right is being taken away from them by the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee. I am fighting for the people of Bengal," said Tiberwal as she kickstarted the poll campaign along with Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh by painting the party symbol on a wall in the Bhabanipur.

Tibrewal had on Saturday visited the Kalighat Temple, Kolkata, where she offered her prayers to Goddess Kali. Tibrewal also stated that the elections would not be conducted with transparency as the ruling party supports violence.

"My fight is against the members of the ruling party as they have done injustice to the people of West Bengal," she added. She later appealed to the people of West Bengal to come out and cast their vote.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee is contesting from Bhabanipur. Earlier on September 8, Congress announced that the party will not be fielding any candidate for the Bhabanipur by-polls.

Bypolls will be held in Bhabanipur on September 30 and results will be declared by October 3.

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Kolkata: Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular leader Satadru Roy has said that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will face a record defeat in Bhabanipur bypoll.

"Everyone knows that `ex-CM` Mamata Banerjee defeat has already started from Nandigram. Take my word - even if it`s a one-vote margin, she will face a record defeat in Bhabanipur," Roy said.

Banerjee filed her nomination for the election on Friday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also announced Priyanka Tibriwal`s candidature from Bhabanipur against the TMC supremo.

Speaking further, the HAM-S leader stated that his party will provide people an alternative.

"What has she done in the last 5 years when she became MLA from Bhabanipur. How many times has she visited the constituency? She did not visit Bhabanipur for a single time," he said.

"Bhabanipur people were misruled for 34 years, now they are demanding next alternative for them and that alternative will be Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular Party," he added.

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the by-election in Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency in West Bengal will be held on September 30.

The Election Commission also informed that by-polls will also be held in Samserganj and Jangipur of West Bengal and Pipli constituency of Odisha on the same date.

The counting of votes will be taken up on October 3.

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Beijing: In a campaign against Western influence, China is rejecting the use of the English language in its educational institutions. Li Yuan, writing in The New York Times (NYT) said that it was hard to exaggerate the role English has played in changing China`s social, cultural, economic and political landscape.

English is almost synonymous with China`s reform and opening-up policies, which transformed an impoverished and hermetic nation into the world`s second-biggest economy.

The education authorities in Shanghai, the most cosmopolitan city in the country, last month forbade local elementary schools to hold final exams on the English language, reported NYT.

Chinese people with an interest in English can`t help but see Shanghai`s decision as pushback against the language and against Western influence in general -- and another step away from openness to the world.

Many call the phenomenon "reversing gears," or China`s Great Leap Backward, an allusion to the disastrous industrialization campaign of the late 1950s, which resulted in the worst man-made famine in human history, says Li.

Last year, China`s education authority barred primary and junior high schools from using overseas textbooks.

A government adviser recommended this year that the country`s annual college entrance examination stop testing English. New restrictions this summer on for-profit, after-school tutoring chains affected companies that have taught English for years, reported NYT.

Original English and translated books are discouraged at universities, too, especially in the more sensitive subjects, such as journalism and constitutional studies, according to professors who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Three of them complained that the quality of some government-authorized textbooks suffered because some authors were chosen for their seniority and party loyalty instead of their academic qualifications. Communist Party orthodoxy is replacing foreign texts, says Li.

Elementary schools in Shanghai may not be conducting English tests, but a new textbook on "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" will be required reading in the city`s elementary, middle and high schools starting this month.

Each student is required to take a weekly class for a semester. The Communist Party is intensifying ideological control and nationalistic propaganda, an effort that could turn the clock back to the 1950s and 1960s, when the country was closed off to much of the world and political campaigns overrode economic growth.

A nationalistic essay widely spread last week by Chinese official media cited "the barbaric and ferocious attacks that the U.S. has started to launch against China."English lost its sheen after the 2008 financial crisis.

Xi Jinping, China`s paramount leader doesn`t appear to speak it, says Li. Now, English has become one of the signs of suspicious foreign influence, a fear nurtured by nationalist propaganda that has only worsened in tone since the outbreak of the coronavirus. As a result, China`s links to the outside world are being severed one by one, reported NYT.

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Beijing: The editor of Chinese state media, Global Times, Hu Xijin on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack predicted that there will be another "deadly attack" in the US." The September 11 attack was suicide attacks by 19 terrorists, but it was not the "suicide attack" of the terrorism.

"Terrorism will accumulate power to launch the next deadly attack. Time will prove that it is a mistake for the US to regard China as its biggest adversary," tweeted Hu.

It is pertinent to note that relations between China and the United States have deteriorated to the extent that the allies of the US have also imposed sanctions on Beijing for the repression of Muslim Uyghurs in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

Nineteen Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial aeroplanes on September 11, 2001.

Two of the planes were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York. Another plane struck the west side of the Pentagon, and yet another one crashed in Pennsylvania before reaching its presumed target.

The attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives. On September 10, US President Joe Biden designated September 11 as Patriot and National Day of Service and Remembrance and noted that on this day, all government entities should display the US flag at half-staff.

Meanwhile, China used the anniversary to negate the narrative surrounding Beijing`s repression of Muslim Uyghurs in the north-western region of Xinjiang.

Zhao Lijian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, on Friday (September 10) urged the US to stop defining terrorists based on their ideologies and "political self-interest."

"Terrorists are terrorists. Defining terrorists based on political self-interest is essentially condoning terrorist activities, which seriously undermines the international counter-terrorism cooperation," said Zhao.

Amid the mounting accusation of large-scale human rights violations and persecution of Uyghurs by China, fresh reports have emerged where the Chinese authorities are said to be racially profiling minority groups to build a large DNA database.

China has been rebuked for cracking down on Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Multiple reports suggest that Beijing sends the ethnic minorities to mass detention camps and interferes in their religious activities.

Moreover, it subjects them to abuse including forced labour. Despite mounting evidence, Beijing has vehemently denied that it is engaging in human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

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